Sorry this has taken so long.  The Peace Corps process up until now has been a little hectic, and I have not had more than a few moments free with internet.

This country is beautiful.  Not only the countryside, which roles endlessly, coated in crops and flowers, but also the people, who are more hospitable and loving than any I have ever encountered.  Two days ago, I arrived in Ialovene, the village where I will train for my actual Peace Corps service.  My language of study will be Russian, but it is quickly becoming apparent to me that I will have to learn Moldovan (Romanian) as well.  That is the national language, people speak a mixture of both, and to not speak Moldovan would be offensive.

The trip to Moldova was interesting from the start.  In the cab from the airport to the convention site in Philadelphia, I was driven by a liberian refugee who took amnesty during their civil was.  He had been tought English by a Peace Corps volunteer, and he spoke warmly of the organization.

The flight to Frankfurt was long, and the 71 volunteers were all over the place.  I slept until the plain took off, and for the last 6.5 hours of 7, I talked and drank with a German-American who was going to stay with his family in Germany to watch the World Cup.  This man had also been married to a Winchester Thurston (my high school) teacher, which was an interesting coincidence.

We had a 9 hour layover int he Frankfurt airport.  All 71 of us camped out in a small corner of the airport, tried to catch some sleep, and some people played music.

The flight from there to Moldova was on Moldova air, and I sat next to a Moldovan man who had served in the USSR army.  He showed me pictures of his family, and, in broken english, told me that he works in the United States making counter tops and that he was going home to visit his family for the summer.

We spent two nights in the capital city, Chisinau (Ki-shi-now), learning all kinds of things for the next 27 months, and both night people went out drinking, but I was always home early enough to get 7 hours of sleep.

So two days ago, I arrived in Ialoveni.  My host family for pre-service training is very nice, but until I can speak Russian a little better, I am reduced to acting out most of what I need to say.  The host-mother’s son, who is 22 and recently married, speaks English, and he is very nice and outgoing.  I am torn, because I would love to spend time with him, but I also want to emerse myself in Russian.  The first twenty four hours in Ialovene, I spent with the host-son, my host-brother, grilling out in the woods by a lake, and we slept under the stars.  The next day I watched him play a game of soccer, football.  I wish I had brought my camera, so I could share everything with you visually, but when we left the house, I didn’t realize we’d be gone for longer than 1 beer.

I’d write more, but time is tight right now.  Until I get a little more of it, the posts will be a little to-the-point.  Perhaps I can go back and fill this post in, so you can get a better picture of Moldova.  Until then, know that it is good.

All my love,

Ben