Would you like some more Twitter in your WordPress? We got ya. As an update to our ever-popular Tweet embedding functionality we’re supporting Twitter’s new embed API to enable richer, better looking, and more functional Tweets inside your blog posts. To embed a Tweet just put a permalink to it on its own line or use [...]
Please login first to post comments.
Today we are absolutely thrilled to warm your creative hearts with the announcement of three new themes: AutoFocus, Imbalance 2, and Reddle. AutoFocus is an elegant, minimal theme designed for artists, photographers, and other creatives seeking a simple but beautiful way to showcase their talents online. Designed by Allan Cole, this oft-requested theme simultaneously boasts [...]
As 2011 comes to end, we thought it’d be interesting to look back at the events that made headlines this year, and a few of the bloggers who were there in person (or closely connected to the events) to document history in the making. Here’s a recap of some of the biggest news stories of [...]
Oh the weather outside is frightful, but this blog is sooo delightful Until the internet gets slow, Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! That’s right, it’s that special time of year where you can show off your holiday cheer with a little special blog flair — falling snow. To get it started: [...]
Over the years one of the most frequent requests on WordPress.com has been to allow bloggers to earn money from their blog through ads. We’ve resisted advertising so far because most of it we had seen wasn’t terribly tasteful, and it seemed like Google’s AdSense was the state-of-the-art, which was sad. You pour a lot [...]
It’s that time of the year again, and we decided to take care of all our users whether they feel like lining up in the cold to take advantage of today’s bargains or not. This year’s offer is about two upgrades that first saw the light of day during the past twelve months: Custom Design [...]
I’m happy to introduce two new cool and colorful themes: Shaan and Adventure Journal. Shaan is a smooth-talking theme, quietly delivering a cool, casual backdrop for your content. It’s perfect for writers who like a calm, quiet tone to their blog. If you use images to illustrate your writing, you’ll like how Shaan displays featured [...]
We want to help your websites come alive with beautiful design. The WordPress.com theme team has been adding new themes at a dazzling rate, but did you know you can customize the style of any of our themes using the Custom Design upgrade? CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets which are styles that define how [...]
Today, we’d like to give a warm welcome to Google Knol users who are migrating to WordPress.com. Begun in 2007, the Google Knol project has provided people in many fields with a place to share their knowledge and expertise with the world using a platform designed for scholarly authoring and publishing. Starting today, those same [...]
We want everyone on WordPress.com to be able to find the best theme possible for their blog. Something beautiful, amazing, and cool. A theme that makes you want to jump up, run your laptop next door, and show your neighbor your awesome blog. That’s why we love bringing you so many new themes, why we [...]
I am sorry to write but wanted to try to reach out to any contacts of Jesse’s to let them know that he cannot communicate via anything but snail mail, and if anyone would like to do so to be in touch with me at <andrewgosmun>. Thank you – Andrew Osmun
Thank you to all who have faithfully followed this blog throughout my time in South Africa. Now that I am home, you can read my thoughts on NGO’s and Nonprofits working in Africa on my site: http://jesseosmun.tk
As you read this, I am sitting in my parents house in the US, thousands of miles away from South Africa. This will come to a shock to many who read my blog, after all, I was indeed having a highly successful service and enjoying my time in South Africa. Although I had no plans [...]
Dear Members of Congress, I speak not out of spite or bitterness, but disappointment and a heavy heart at the drastic cuts you have forced onto The Peace Corps, and by proxy serving Peace Corps Volunteers like myself. I understand the need to reconcile our spending and the implications these have for reducing the national [...]
(Warning: The following is SARCASM, do not panic, citizens of Earth!) If you are reading this, then clearly you are unconcerned at your impending doom on May 21st. You should be! In fact, you should be covering your head with ashes and going “My bad, My bad, My bad” in rapid succession. Face it pal-You [...]
Lately it’s come to my attention and to the attention of my coworker that the older kids we work with (11-15 average age) that a lot of our kids and their peers are starting to “make the sex” as they call it here. Whether or not we are using the common definition of sex or [...]
When I look at these statistics, I am grateful that my mother had me in a country where she had proper screenings, access to the best doctors, and a high standard of living. It is not so for the average mother in Africa. Some sobering statistics: A Boeing 747 of mothers die in childbirth every [...]
The Zulu legend of creation contains the belief that the Zulu, who believe they emerged from a reed marsh where God lived, called Uhlanga from which “The Greatest one” or God, was born. The Zulu people were to be told they were immortal, and upon hearing these words, their bodies would never perish. Unkulunkulu (God) [...]
Unless you are a hermit by choice, you either witnessed or heard about the “Royal Wedding” of Harry and Kate. Here in South Africa, the national TV station SABC carried live coverage of the event from Westminster Abbey with aging monarchs, lords, and some very wooden Anglican clergy ( My Apologies to the Archbishop of [...]
It’s Easter holiday, and according to Ushaka Marine World, which is right next to where I am spending Easter break, this period if time is all about cute little chicks and fluffy bunnies, some real and one very large and creepy rabbit suit. Women are handing out forms for people to tell the Easter Bunny [...]
If I could talk I’d tell you If I could smile I’d let you know You are far and away My most imaginary friend The lyrics above come from a Lemonheads song that was popular on MTV back in the early 90’s. The lead singer, Evan Dando, wrote it about a bout of depression he [...]
(Before you think this is going to be a sermon, let me explain that I believe Redemption takes many forms, and is not limited to a spiritual or religious interpretation. Redemption can be physical, mental, emotional, societal, etc.) This past weekend I witnessed an act of redemption, or to be more to the point, a [...]
One of the exercises I often do when I meditate is a contemplative practice called the “Daily Examen”, which looks at your day from sunup to the present moment and how it went for you. I figured if this could be applied to a day, why not a year? So, below is my honest and [...]
MST was a great experience overall and it has been great to see everyone again and celebrate a year down. I’m here till Friday for the Health Symposium. Not being able to sleep on the almost 10 hour bus ride due to Gospel being played nonstop on the bus ( they do warn you subtly [...]
As my 1st year of service officially ends on April Fools Day ( how’s that for comedic timing?) I am starting to think about home, yet not just home. I’m nostalgic for all these things I have missed, some of them for longer then I will be here. I started reading old diary entries that [...]
This week marked the final days for registering to vote in the municipal elections. All over town, on the radio, and in newspapers citizens were urged to register or reregister to vote and to confirm that they were on the voting roster. Campaigning has been largely absent from my area so far, but I am [...]
Today is Human Rights Day in South Africa, and while SABC keeps admonishing it’s viewers to know and exercise their rights, very little is said about those specific rights, or how routinely they are violated. The South African constitution, as a document, is one of the most progressive in the world, recognizing not only race [...]
If you were in college at any point from 2000 onward, you probably know who Coldplay is.. If you didn’t then let me summarize Wikipedia by stating that Coldplay is a British band founded by singer and guitarist Chris Martin, who also plays piano. The band hit critical success in the year 2000 with [...]
As I type this post, I am sitting here watching the live 2011 Municipal Election debates, where all the political parties are taking part in a question and answer session and some back and forth debate. The main theme has been Service Delivery and Job Creation. So far the only thing that has held my [...]
Yesterday was International Women’s Day, a day when the world is supposed to collectively recognize the positive roles of women in society and the challenges women face, and promotes protection and increases in the rights of women. Kenyan Nobel Peace prize winner Wangari Maathai has spoken often on the role of women in transforming society [...]
On Friday I went with my Scouts to the opening of a Special School for disabled learners in Tugela Ferry, an impoverished community with little development and major transport issues for students who often must leave at 4 am to get to school on time. The event itself was attended by many local politicians and [...]
Before I catch flack from my fellow Americorps and NCCC alumni who are avid readers of my blog. I must disclose that what I am about to say comes from someone who joined Americorps VISTA at a different stage in life then the average Americorps member. While many of my colleagues during my brief Americorps [...]
There have been a lot of changes here in South Africa with Peace Corps groups. At least 2 people I know have now moved sites and 3 people have left early and are back in the states, only one with a job to go to. My fellow PCV friend from another group, Sharon is now [...]
Recently I had a talk with a friend of mine who is working overseas as a teacher. Like many teachers, she says her biggest fault is that sometimes she has a lack of patience. She wants things to happen when she wants them to happen, and is used to things happening NOW vs later, which [...]
I wasn’t planning on doing a Valentine’s Day post because I don’t really celebrate the holiday as a single PCV living in South Africa. It’s also hard to be romantically minded in a country where 1 in 4 women has experienced violence at the hands of a partner and many girls are forced into sexual [...]
I just returned from what will probably go down in history as the best vacation I have ever had. My parents flew in on the 25th of January and we flew directly from Durban to Cape Town, where we took in a lot of shopping,watched the sub set from Table Mountain, tasted wine, and enjoyed [...]
In the AIDS prevention world, and at our office, there has been a big emphasis on expanding services to children. With HIV/AIDS killing off parents at a steady pace, more and more children are vulnerable to malnutrition, neglect, abuse, and other dangers. We will no doubt be having to help more children, whether it means [...]
Often at work I find myself photocopying government ID’s for people seeking assistance for child grants or old age grants. Lately the trend has been for older orphaned children or teen mothers to come in looking for support. Some want to go back to school but need a school fee exemption, others need food parcels, [...]
In Zulu, Thembalethu translates to “Our Hope”, a collective desire for change and good things for a group, a family, and a nation. In our welcome back meeting on Monday, our Co-Director emphasized the need for hope and a focus on serving the people. As is typical in the local culture, prayers were said asking [...]
The IEB Matric results ( Similar to the SAT’s in the US) have come out and while results for independent schools were good, it has yet to be seen if the public schools performed well. Since I am not a Education volunteer, I don’t work with the schools and so am fairly removed from matters [...]
Many people have asked me to explain the Sangoma. This video goes into depth about the Sangoma is South African culture, their benefits and pitfalls, their unorthodox treatment methods, and how HIV is treated by a Sangoma. I must admit that most NGO’s have a tepid relationship with Sangoma’s. While some are now working with [...]
Though my PC New Year doesn’t technically start until April, the real New Year has just begun, and with it a new set of resolutions that hopefully I will stick to. One’s that I kept from last year have an * by them. Overall I think I did pretty well, but the thing is, when [...]
I am back from my Xmas vacation rested, a little less rich, and a little more sunburned, but overall with an overwhelming sense of gratitude for other people and places that have made my experience here in South Africa incredible so far. Needing time at the beach I first went to Durban where I spent [...]
I have a wish for this Christmas season, it isn’t for toys, it isn’t for a new phone, or new clothes, it isn’t even for world peace ( although world peace is a good thing). What I want is support for a dream to come to life, and that dream requires money. Unfortunately, money is [...]
While many of you may have heard about my epic bout of food poisoning from boiled meet that got me a ride to the hospital complete with an IV drip and copious amounts of anti-nausea drugs, the main purpose of our visit was more then this adventure. A good co-worker and friend, S’fiso, was getting [...]
As part of our Scout welcoming/badge ceremony and recruitment drive we had a big event with over 150 people ( 24 of whom were our scouts and 60 who were scouts from Indlovana Primary) descending on our small centre for hot dogs, a ceremony, and a campout for the scouts. While dealing with that many [...]
As the Xmas season closes in and my coworkers prepare to return to their families for the holidays, I have started to think more about the idea of things given-things that are presented to us or within us that didn’t come from us. This is ironic because it seems that the society I am currently [...]
I should let it be known that usually in the US, I am one of those people who dislikes the commercialism of Christmas, especially when you’re selling Christmas decorations BEFORE Thanksgiving. Here in South Africa, Thanksgiving isn’t really celebrated so mid-November is all about Santa and fake snow, and other things. I must admit that [...]
This coming Thursday marks Thanksgiving, a celebration largely ignored in South Africa unless you’re of British decent. In the most traditional sense, it is a recognition that the first whites to settle in America faced tremendous hardships, were hugely unprepared, had no idea what on earth they were going to do for food and were [...]
Sometimes, even though I am doing good work here, I get impatient. For me, a lot of my understanding (whether it’s a right understanding is another matter) of the work of a PCV revolves around doing, mostly doing WITH, but occasionally doing for the community or in my case, youth, a subsection of the community. [...]
How many entries are we showing above?
For now, we are showing up to 50 entries on each page. Entries that
are too short are filtered out. For more entries, please use
archives.
|
Connect to Peace Corps Journals
About the Journal
Contact Us
Disclaimer:
| |
| Copyright (c) 2010 |
