Disco Fever

In case you didn't know, December 1 is World AIDS Day, a day on which different activities around the world -- wearing red ribbons, leading marches, giving speeches -- take place to increase AIDS awareness, educate, and help fight prejudice against those living with the disease.


On Thursday, November 30th, a number of local youth and health organizations in my community collaborated to put on a youth disco commemorating the day, distributing brochures and condoms, and promoting AIDS awareness. A troupe of young dancers with amazing abs (see photo) even performed a hot hip-hoppy number to Paula Abdul's "Cold Hearted Snake"!

In Moldova AIDS is a little-discussed topic, and many (perhaps most) people believe that AIDS is a problem only affecting drug users and the gay community. People living with HIV/AIDS in Moldova are also subject to a great deal of misunderstanding and discrimination; many people do not correctly understand how the disease is (and, importantly, is NOT) transmitted, and according to one local I spoke to, a person's HIV status is noted on their national medical card, which they need to hand over when going in for appointments or when applying for a job.


I figured, you know, attending a disco was the least I could do.

Our local American PCV crew of me, Nic, and Ari met up with a new local friend, Olecia, and our other friend Alina, and off we went to burn up the dance floor. A couple nights before I'd had this fabulous vision of myself with weird hair, weirder makeup and a men's tie, and though I'll admit I was a bit nervous about how the locals would receive it, I think it was a hit. Nic's makeup even seemed to go over okay, or at least no one tried to beat him up. One young woman even asked if she could come take her picture with us! (Hmm...does that mean we were like Mickey Mouse at Disney Land...or circus freaks?)



It was a great night, and I think we Americans in all our weirdness even had a positive, freeing affect on our compatriots. They were definitely dancing less stiffly and more, uh, dorkily after three hours spent in our company.