Here is the English translation of the speech I gave at the Swearing-In Ceremony. Many thanks to Tanya for helping with the Russian version!
——————————
One of my favorite books is called “The Four Agreements.” I have tried to live my life by these agreements, and recently wrote a letter home reflecting on how I am experiencing them in a whole new way here in Moldova. Today I would like to share some of these reflections with you.
The First Agreement is: Be Impeccable With Your Word, which basically means to mean what you say, and don’t say anything if you have nothing nice to say. For us Volunteers, who’ve studied the language for only 9 weeks and who have very few words with which to express ourselves, this needs to be interpreted creatively. For example, here in Moldova, I worry that I will inadvertently offend someone because of my poor Russian language skills or insufficient cultural awareness.
The Second Agreement is: Don’t Take Anything Personally. In general, I was pretty good at this one in the U.S., not being offended by someone else’s attitude or behavior. Yes, I am 33 years old, I am not married, I have no children. I am a vegetarian and I don’t care much for alcohol. I quit my job, sold my house, and moved to Moldova. I will live and work for 2 years in the Taraclia Raion, in Tvarditsa. And after all that, when people here in Moldova look at me like I just landed from Mars, I am not offended, and I don’t take it personally.
The Third Agreement is: Don’t Make Assumptions. Every day something unexpected happens, a little bit different from what I know, from what I expected. For example, when I wanted to send a letter to America, I wrote the address in the center of the envelope; the postal clerk told me the address goes on the right, in the bottom corner. I told my family and friends that if they want to master this agreement, they should move to Moldova. Almost nothing here is as an American expects things to be, so, in a way, the unexpected becomes the expected.
The Fourth, and last, Agreement is: Always Do Your Best. The most important part of this agreement, for me, is to remember that my best is different every day. Some days I learn a lot of new vocabulary, and I might even express an intelligent thought or two. Other days, I’m lucky if I can tell someone what time it is. I remember the time when someone asked me how old my parents are, and I answered “My mom’s a consultant and my dad works at a bank.” Some days I’m just going to sound silly.
These two short months in Moldova have already provided me with many opportunities to work towards two of the Peace Corps goals. By regularly writing to family and friends in the United States, I hope that I am helping to promote a better understanding of Moldova. By living in a Moldovan community, I hope that I have helped to promote a better understanding of the American people on the part of Moldovans. In the future, I look forward to helping the people of Moldova in meeting their goals for development and positive change.
I would like to thank Peace Corps for giving me this opportunity to work in Moldova, and especially to all the Peace Corps Moldova staff for their hard work and the very thoughtful attention they give us every day. As well, I would like to thank our families, whom I cannot call simply “hosts.” They remind us every day that “Do Not Make Assumptions,” as they have truly welcomed us more warmly and tenderly than we could have imagined possible. Peace Corps does a great deal to make us comfortable and happy here, but families like Fyodor Ivanovich, Tamara Ivanovna, Ksenia, Anya, and my dear friend Alyona are the people who help us at home in Moldova.
Thank you very much.
Anka in Kyiv 