The world is charged with the grandeur of God.It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil
Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?
Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;
And all is seared with trade; Bleared, smeared with toil;
And wears man's smudge and shares man's smell: the soil
Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.
And for all this, nature is never spent;
There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;
And though the last lights off the black West went
Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs —
Because the Holy Ghost over the bent
World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.
-- Gerard Manley Hopkins, "God's Grandeur" (1877)
As the third and final Romanian Spring that I have the pleasure of experiencing (at least with the Peace Corps) washes over the landscape here in the Central Balkan Peninsula, I'm constantly reminded of this indomitable force, this "dearest freshness" Hopkins refers to in the natural world, and likewise in humans themselves. After the desolation of Winter, life inevitably returns. Likewise, even after the "blear" and "smear" of history, and of looming forces that endlessly threaten to unhinge the world and its occupants -- a fear that has changed little since Hopkins' 19th-Century -- up rises life itself, irrepressible, resolute, to restake its claim. I suppose Spring is the ever-handy metaphor for all that we aspire to and hope for, as well as all that we hope to leave behind us. And ultimately, whether one believes that this unconquerable life-force comes from the Divine, as Hopkins does, or from somewhere else, there is little denying just how tenacious we humans are. We are somehow always able to move forward, to train our eyes on the horizon, even as we carry with us the wounds and memories of the past. I have written before about how lucky I consider myself to be living here in Eastern Europe at this moment in history -- one in which Romanians still live with the physical and mental ghosts of past decades, and yet are simultaneously able to enjoy the benefits of a rapidly-growing and liberalizing economy and society. And if the change that I have seen in just the last two years is any indication, this country has great things to look forward to in the coming years.
Realistitally, this is not a difficult argument to make these days: Romania is now part of NATO (and recently hosted the NATO summit), is now part of the EU, has one of the highest economic growth rates in the world, and is earning accolades the world over for its vibrant, resurgent film industry (anyone who hasn't seen "4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days" or "American Dreamin'" should get down to the video store). As with so many other post-totalitarian developing nations, Romania is in a process of self-examination and reawakening, digging deep into the bare, trod soil left by past abuses, and coaxing forth new sprouts. As my good Romanian friend Dorel Jurcovan puts it, "we [Romanians] just have to relearn what we already knew."
And of course continuity and regeneration are also part of how the Peace Corps has always operated. In late February and early March, I was back in my volunteer class's old first home in Romania, the southern city of Ploieşti, helping to train the newest group of PC volunteers (PCVs) to arrive. Comprising all PC sectors except English Teaching (i.e. Environment, Institutional Development and Community Economic Development), the new volunteers cover a diversity of fields, ages and backgrounds. I'm happy to see that, true to the PC's current goal of recruiting more 50+ volunteers, the newest group (PCRO Group 24) has a higher number of more mature recruits, coming with a wealth of previous professional experience. I must say though that, in contradiction to what was recently written in the "Too Many Innocents Abroad" Op-Ed piece in the NY Times, there will always be a vital role in today's Peace Corps for volunteers of every age, background and expertise. Yes, continual self re-evaluation and adaptation is a necessary (and healthy) process for the Peace Corps. But I firmly believe that the technical partnerships and personal connections the PC forges with other countries calls for every type of person and outlook, "expert" and "generalist" alike.
Many have lately been asking me about the time-frame for the remainder of my PC service, and what lies beyond. The first answer is relatively straight-forward, while the second...not so much: my service officially ends in late July, and after seeing a bit of Europe with old grad school friends, I'm thinking of heading eastward, perhaps toward India, perhaps the Caucasus, perhaps even as far as Southeast Asia. Combined with this, I'd love to do that long-overdue US road-trip I've never been able to do (despite the rising gas prices). Suffice to say, there may be a fair amount of traveling later this year, and since it's not often that I have the flexibility for extended travel, I'm going to make the most of it! On the professional front, it's amazing -- and would ordinarily be alarming -- how unconcerned I am by thoughts of that next career step, the job-hunt, etc. While many of my volunteer friends are already well into the post-PC job search, I've been making a conscious effort to lose myself in the little things -- knowing full well that these minute, endearing aspects of life in Romania won't be mine to savor for much longer. I suppose this has been one of the challenges of my time here ever since arrival: how do you properly memorialize a moment when you're still living in it? For beyond the collected trinkets, and photos, and physical cataloguing, all you can really do is live it like any other moment, and hope that memory will do the rest.
I've also begun to think more about continuing on in development work, and lending my architectural skills to Peace Corps Response (formerly Crisis Corps), a special wing of the Peace Corps focusing on shorter-term (3-6 month), technically-specific disaster relief and reconstruction work around the world. Longer term, I'm considering Habitat for Humanity, USAID, the UN, the Red Cross, and a number of other aid/development organizations -- recommendations are always welcome! There are plenty of communities (inside and outside the US) very much in need of safe, healthy places to live -- and who could benefit, in fundamental ways, from good design. Largely though, I've been trying hard not to get too caught up in thinking about that next step. Fundamentally, I'm extremely content and happy with where I am -- specifically and generally -- and confident that the next step will get sorted out. I hope everyone is well, and I promise to post more photos soon (I have a trip to Istanbul coming up).
P.S.: Just as a final note, many people have been concerned about the developing situation in Serbia and Kosovo, following Kosovo's declaration of independence -- just as they've been concerned about my proximity to Serbia. Unquestionably, it's a difficult issue (Kosovar ethnic-Albanians believe in their right to autonomy, while Serbians view Kosovo as their cultural heartland), and its resolution is anything but certain. I remain hopeful though, even in the face of embassy burnings and riots. Serbia is a wonderful country, and I have truly enjoyed getting to know the Serbians themselves -- both in Serbia and here in western Romania. Let's hope that the situation gets resolved to everyone's satisfaction soon.
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