FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL "First Bell"

First day of school in Moldova is a huge celebration that is ALL ABOUT the first graders. They are lined up on a bench, dressed in black and white, the boys in suites and tie and the girls are in dresses with bows, ribbons, and ruffles. There are large pompoms the girls wear in their hair that are very popular even on a regular day. Some of you may remember when we were young we would get a fancy “Easter” dress. In Moldova the girls are dressed in “Easter best” x 10. They are adorable! Do not fret, If someday it seems the world has run out of ruffles, bows and sequence (and pink material) just come to Moldova there will be plenty to restock the world.

It is not unusual to see children in fancy dresses and suites in school! I had read about the clothes the woman wear in Moldova and yes indeed that is accurate…. a dress for a day of work would be something women in the US would shop for 6 months to find for a special event. They are ALWAYS beautifully dressed, hair and make-up are perfect, clothes are pressed, and while us Americans are soaking wet with sweat on a scorching hot day Moldovan’s are not, no wrinkled or sweaty clothes, make-up is staying perfect, hair holds it style. Shoes are VERY important, many of them have VERY high heels and it is part of their dressing routine to wash them in the evening. Shoes are NEVER acceptable to wear in the house. The usual thing is to have slippers at the door to slip on (hence the word slippers I guess, took me moving to a foreign country to figure that out). Because I am American instead of slippers I have thick fluffy socks with pictures on them.  Host Mama Maria looks at me like I’m nuts and tries to get me to put on some old ones she has around.

I am CONSTANTLY amazed at how beautiful the woman of Eastern Europe are. Now I fully understand why the modeling world is being flooded with them. Recently I met a married couple and again for oh…. the 10^th time that day, I thought OMG she is stunning. I mentioned the beauty of the women and the man put his arm around his wife and said, with much pride “yes, our woman are one of our nation’s treasures”. Well as you can imagine I feel like an old frump next to them. If I had any plans on finding a husband in this part of the world, FORGET IT! (Besides, if I want a husband with money the last place I will be looking is the poorest country in Europe). I think some people have tried to set me up with men, 80 yr olds, guys smaller than me, no money, NO THANKS. Though I had to struggle through the Russian to make my point I think he understood when I said “ya well the men, not so great but the women? Wow?” J

Back to school. At the first bell celebration each class performs dancing, singing and storytelling (the laughing around me indicated they were amusing).

 

 

Students pass out flowers to teachers, I was given two bunches! And a traditional 1^st day of chalk with a bow is given to each teacher and I will treasure it (well the half that didn’t break on the way home). I can imagine when I’m 80 and in a nursing home that piece of chalk will be with me and no one will have any idea why the old lady is carrying a piece of chalk, oops sorry I digress. 

 I had been dreading this day because I was told I should make a little speech in Russian. I had made it clear that NO WAY, and said “if someone wants to judge me I say let them go to America and make a speech in English in front of 400 people after 3 weeks of living in town, THEN they can judge me”.  When I saw how many people were there, I told the director NO WAY, not even in English am I doing it, FORGET IT. So I got out of that!

 

Beginning with a march with the flag and national anthem

The best part is the end of the ceremony, a small girl is hoisted up on the shoulders of an older student with a  bell. He walks around while she rings “first bell”.  

Here she is getting ready with the school director to go up on his shoulders. If you look close that's me behind them with my head down. Can you imagine just how proud this little girl is at this moment? Something she'll never forget

 

This is one of my favorite pictures of all time!!!! LOOK HOW BEAUTIFUL THAT GIRL IS! Can you STAND IT!? I  could die from the cuteness. Those pompoms... gorgeous

 

The first graders are lined up and given their first school book (I was also given one)! They march under a tunnel made by the older student’s arms. Other students then follow in and 1^st day begins!! I was invited to a home to meet two Moldovans who now live in Seattle. Like all Moldovans the family was very welcoming, always making sure I had tea in my cup and a snack on my plate and sent me home with 2 bags of vegetables from the family garden. The young man was proud to tell me that HE was the teen that carried the girl around in his last year.

 

My partner and I taught a 5^th grade class, we had fun games, didn’t teach much. After one class the students leave for the day and the REAL celebration begins! Food is brought in, cognac, Champaign, music, singing, THIS is the teachers celebrating, or more likely helping them to accept that September has once again arrived.  To say they have welcomed me to their school doesn’t begin to cover how they treat me!  After a few glasses of cognac I made a little speech In Russian, really little, like one sentence, but hey it’s a start.

I have now survived 2 weeks of school, I teach 5,6,7,8,9^th. It is exhausting as I have to work SO hard to get them to understand what I’m saying. My partner, Maria, takes the easy way out, she switches to Russian, takes her 30 seconds, now me? I am jumping, making faces, twirling, and my mind is constantly whirling trying to come up with different words to use. I do whatever it takes to get them to understand but it is especially rewarding when it makes them laugh. I was talking to a woman who is fluent in English (another visiting Moldovan that now lives in Toronto) and she said “you don’t have to talk to me so slow I understand you”. It’s a hard habit to break when not at school. No wonder when I get home I fall asleep. BUT… there is no time for sleep, gotta make more lesson plans, grade papers…. should you have a teacher in your life you thank them, every minute is planned and everything that is done is to teach you something, even the fun things.

Though I know it will wear off, right now I am enjoying celebrity status. One boy looked up to me and said with big eyes “are you really from America”? I was asked to sign autographs in one class, how funny is that? One little girl came up to me and said “hello”, when I responded she giggled, put her hands over and face, and ran. My guess is some kids “dared” her to do it. They watch every move I make and report it to other teachers! And they gather around me after class asking questions. The teachers told me that the word is out, they are loving their new American teacher. To hear these young kids saying “hello Miss Sandra” in school as well as when I’m out and about  is exactly what I dreamed off when I signed up for the Peace Corps. I was at home sick for a  few days, (long story) a teacher called to tell me they’re all asking “where is Miss Sandra”?

So all in all, as much work as it is, I think it’s going to be pretty great once I get the hang of it and am not scared in front of these kids. The young ones are easy to be around, the older ones? Well… let’s just say I already blasted them and gave a speech about the fact that “I left everyone I love and sold everything I owned including my car to help YOU and I WANT YOU TO RESPECT THAT FACT! And DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I’M SAYING?” They quietly nodded their heads.  The next class they were much better, so perhaps something I said (like that I sold my car which must impress any teenage boy) did sink in. If they start I noticed other kids in class turn and say “SSSSHHHHH”. Maybe peer pressure will do it.  But we’ll see, time will tell….

I have thanked my lucky stars every day for being placed in Taraclia. When I listen to situations that some of the others are in I just can't believe my luck. I'm one of those people that has always said "if it weren't for bad luck I'd have no luck at all". Well it seems my luck is changing...... finally!