We can do it!!!

For the most part I was a pretty good kid. I never rebelled enough for my parents to worry about me. All my youth rebellion was done vicariously though my more obnoxious friends and punk rock boyfriends. I was never really political or militant about anything, I never changed my eating habits for a cause, I never smoked cigarettes. I was sort of in it, without doing much through it. “It” is living the alternative, non-mainstream way of life. Growing up in the suburbs I was bored like everyone else, angst-y too, but I can’t really say I had too much to be angry about. So no, I didn’t really act-out.

But out here I’ve become an outspoken, no-nonsense, ball-busting rebel. I am the mousy yet smart Jennifer Cavalleri from Love Story, but with no Preppy by my side, or maybe I am any strong female character in Woody Allen’s films from the 70’s, taking myself oh-so-seriously in my cause. The cause is the “Women’s Week” planned for March 3 – 8. My organization, a women’s rights NGO, is really new and without a lot of direction or know how. I’ve come here to develop this organization into something other than an empty office and a name. One thing the organization had already done on their own (but mostly through the Teacher’s union because both my partners are teachers) was this beauty pageant. This year they began talks about again planning the pageant to my chagrin. To me, a pageant is not really the huge step women need for a better life out here. Yet my ladies were all sorts of excited about it. Ok. So I asked when this stupid pageant would be and they said March 5th. In an effort to unite this pageant with something bigger, more effective, a larger step for our organization, I suggested combining that day with March 8th, International Women’s Day, and create a Women’s Week. They loved the idea and off we went planning.

Planning, planning, talking, talking. Everyday of Women’s Week has a different theme and event through town; Day of Health: games and poster contest for youth at the gym. Day of Risk: A free film at the movie theater about female trafficking. Day of Success: A roundtable discussion with successful women around town of different generations. Running around, typing, printing, talking; my last two weeks have been in a productive disarray of getting everything together. I’ve had to meet with high ups, down lows, and everyone in between, and through this process have discovered a lot more about the people I’m working with and under, in both positive and negative ways. Because this is a public blog, I’m forced to spare the details, but know this, everyday I understand life’s hardships here a little more. So through said hardships my organizing will present something new, exciting for the women of this town. One idea I had that everyone jumped down my throat over is a walk on March 8th from downtown to the Mayor’s office, where there will be a small celebration. It would be a march of solidarity for the women- 100 Women March. Immediately my partners were like, “No one will come!” “It would never happen!” “It won’t work!” to which I replied, “That attitude is what hold us back.” And “has anyone ever tried it?” So the idea stayed. Even the mayor, a Woman, is for the idea. Now, there is this pull of will it work? Will people come? Will anyone care?

As an American having never taken one economics or business class, I knew at very least we gots to get people interested. We need to start a buzz. And what better way than advertising throughout town? So, I created ads with catchy words and then a calendar of events. We (my host mom in Romanian, my downstairs neighbor in Russian) came up with the witty and catchy phrases for the ads such as:

“First God created the world and said, “This is good.”
Then He created man and said, “This is really good, but I can do better.”
That’s why God created WOMEN.”

And

“Unfortunately March 8 is just once a year.
We’re happy we even get that.”

And

“Necessities for Success:
-Confidence
-Intuition
-Strong will
-Attention to detail
-Follow Through
-Lipstick and comfortable pair of heels”

And

“The table better be set by the time I get home!”
…Don’t you want a little break from the kitchen?

And more…

To Americans these might be just cute little phrases, but out here, though catchy, they are also very bold statements. There is little in the way of women’s pride, women’s rights in my town. It is not uncommon to see a woman on public transportation with a black eye or hear men in the office “Honey,” “Sweetie,’ and “Baby” the women. Through these ads we (I) hope to generate enough buzz for women to be interested in coming out to see what this event will be all about. We will walk with flags of Moldova’s country colors, and cutout ‘peace’ doves with words written on them like “Solidarity” and “Strength.”

There are 7 ads in Russian, 7 in Romanian and a couple combining both languages. I spent all day yesterday editing and printing them out, in addition to posting them throughout my part of town in stores, bulletins, bus stops, garbage cans; everywhere. Whenever I walked into a store to ask if I can post the ads, before the women behind the counter would hesitate I would let them read the “God created the world” ad, they’d laugh, and then usually say “Sure, put ‘em up wherever you want.”

This morning I met with my partners to discuss the week’s plans and finalize details. After our meeting, my counterparts and I went and put up some more ads, guerilla style. We posted them on doors of buildings, put a couple up at the bus stop, we ran into the Moldovan school and posted up a few, giggling like school girls at our swift rebellion. My counterpart holding the ads to the window as I ripped the tape with my teeth told me “Amy, you have the best ideas.” I responded, “and now these ideas will be yours.”

My counterparts are astounded by my enthusiasm and initiative, and I think they’ve finally caught onto it. Especially when my one counterpart suggested that we tape an ad to the art building, who’s director has been very vocal about her disdain for an ‘outsider’ planning such an event. My counterpart grabbed the tape and the ad and put it up herself saying, “Let’s give her something to look at Monday morning!” Could I single-handedly be bringing the idea of confrontation (or at least passive aggression) and a women’s movement to this quiet town up north? I sure hope so. Looks like we’ve got a good start. Now let’s just see how Women’s Week goes.

I was going to go to the center of town to post the rest of the ads by myself, but today is cold, like, really fucking cold. I have two electric radiators turned on in my room and my fingers are still typing numbly. Tomorrow morning I will start my day with a trip downtown and post to my heart’s content. I also gave 20+ ads to each of the women at the meeting today, so hopefully they will cover some ground as well. The rest of today is for Amy time. I typed this entry, (check.) I will study LSAT’s, I will read, I will watch a DVD, I’ll probably nap, and I’ll eat the rest of the tomato & cucumber salad I made. Today I’m not leaving my room; I don’t care if the rest of the day consists of lying in bed, staring at the ceiling that the upstairs neighbors walk on, and listening the sounds of the wallpaper cracking as its adhesive gives up.