See Jay's World: February 2007

Wow, it has been quite a while since my last installment of See jays World, and I am sure you, my audience, has waited with bated breath. As stated above, when it rains it pours and this email will prove it. Well all in all, January few by in a holiday and work induced haze. I have heard since I got here that January is a tough month because of all the holidays, and well let me tell you it is true. Around every corner is either recovery from the previous holiday celebration or preparing for the next. My host mothers birthday spanned nearly 1.5 weeks, two Christmas’, new years, old new years, Day Tatiana (celebration of the name), of which I have 4 Tatiana’s in my life. Not to mention super bowl and so on. All in all, I need a break.

Life here has picked up dramatically. For the good and for the bad. The bad came about a week back, when I was tasked with maybe the worst thing I have ever done. My counterpart came in one day, and had mis-numbered a 200-page report, and did not want to reprint it without a mistake. Well, he handed me the report, and piece of paper with numbers 1-200 with two spaces in between each…AND A GLUE STICK AND SCISSORS. I am sure you can figure out how I spent the next three hours of my life! 10,000 miles, 4 years of college, managing thousands of students and a multi0million budget…and I am freakin cutting tiny pieces of paper and gluing them over other numbers! To say the least I was not so happy.

However, the next day I got some real work, lobbying parliament. There is currently a bill in front of parliament to remove protected status of some preserves here in Moldova and basically turn them into a hunting ground/ Summer home site for Moldova’s elite. I was asked to draft a letter to be passed throughout the EU, America, etc to lobby against this bill. It has been so awesome! Seeing MY letters come back from all over the world signed by members of the EU parliament, various NGO’s, Ministers of Ecology has been one of the coolest things ever! If you know people who might wanna jump on this lobby train, have them email me at cjsmith4@hotmail.com and I will pass the letter on to them, it is working and parliament is already dragging their feet with the bill!

Also in regards to work, I am planning a work trip to churnavsee (don’t know it in a non Cyrillic text) in Ukraine later this month. It will be a good get away from Moldova, and a great opportunity to practice my Russian for 2-3 days all while exploring a new city. Speaking of that, my Russian is really beginning to take hold. I am able to converse on a more abstract level and am understanding much more as well. It is funny how only a month ago I was afraid of having nothing to do and now I am busy everyday into the evening. I wonder what it will be like in a year!

On a different note, I want to thank all the people who have sent packages over the last few months which have been showing up all the time. Matt, Charlie, Mr. Meyer…thank you so much, you know how important it was. Felicia & Leslie…you all freakin rock and I can not thank you enough. Doug and Chris, so timely and everything is perfect. Mom and Dad, you always surprise me with stuff from home that I never think of but keeps me remembering what life was like back there, and I love it. Christy and John Uncle Cliff and Aunt Helen, the camera is perfect, as well as everything else that you sent. I really appreciate it!
Chisinau life is also going great. My mad harmonica playing skills are getting better and better, I have started an English club with a USAID funded group called winrock who works with women who are at risk for being trafficked, I might be getting a second assignment besides ECO-Tiras to work with the Moldovan Ministry of Ecology, I have signed myself up to be the Director General of the Moldovan MUN debate conference next year (you MUN nerds out there will respect that), I am working with a Fulbrighter here in Chi-town (not the real one but it reminds me of home) to start an English lending library, and who knows what else might pop up in the next few months.

Finally I want to brag a little. I dot know why, nor do the moldovans, but the winter here has been absolutely beautiful. Other than a few days below 0, we have been rocking awesome temperatures and many days with sun. The winter is actually a lot better than either I lived in Chicago, although I have not been warmed by the Hodge’s special in many moons! So to all of those living in Chicago, I love you, but HAHAHAHAAHA for I saw it was -24 the other day with windchill…BOOOOOOO!

Finally on a sad note, our family dog Topa passed away yesterday. She had a good run for nearly 14 years…so hopefully she is chillen with Rusty upstairs. We are thinking of getting a new dog, but not until next fall. So there won’t be any vodka induced Topa stories anymore, but maybe Topa 2 will be just as cool.

Well that’s it from See Jays World. Check out a few pics below, and enjoy! I miss each and everyone of you, my readers, in different ways. Take care, and hopefully you all will find your way to far east Europe, for I have a bed and floor space for you! Lots of love.

~чарли

Current Song: CCR - Fortunate Son
Current Attitude: Rockin' It

PICTURES BELOW!!!!!!

Here's Me and My Old Pal!