I was medically cleared!!!!!!!!!!!

Also....

I hate to do this to you....

but...I've decided to move my blog to a different place....

It now resides at www.pcvkim.blogspot.com

I decided that I said the word fuck too much in this journal.... and I wanted to make it more G-PG

I don't want to censor myself....just use the word fuck less....

I want to be able to give this link to my old teachers, relatives, random acquantainces... I think my poor Aunt Nancy would have a heart attack if she saw my present blog...

So yeah...

Later playa!

My recruiter e-mailed me....

I found out that a dude named Will is also nominated for TEFL in the same region as me! I'm going to e-mail him and see if he is as fed up with the medical packet as I am!!

BTW: I got my med packet....and that bitch is huge....I mean...ridiculously huge....so riduculous....I can't even spell riduculous right....it's that huge....

AND

She told us that we were nominated for Eastern Europe/Central Asia....but in the e-mail....she said that we were specifically going to Central Asia!!!!!!!

SO

Me being as crazy as I am....looked up what countries in Central Asia they send PCVs to....

I will be going to one of these three....

Turkmenistan

Kyrgyz Republic

Kazakhstan

AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HOLY SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I CAN'T FUCKING WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Waiting for my invitation is going to be absolute torture...........

I think they do it on purpose.....

....to weed out the crazy ones......

I received my nomination packet today....

It says that I've been nominated for TEFL (no suprise)....

but....the letter didn't include the 'region'....instead it gave me a program number.... and I have no idea what that is....or what is means...

BUT....I looked up my program in the unofficial program guide (from a great PC yahoo group) and I've narrowed down (sort of...ok not really) where I could possible end up...these are in no particular order...in case you care... :)

Kyrgyz Republic

Turkmenistan

Macedonia

Ukraine

Bulgaria

Romania

Moldova

Kazakhstan

So...out of the 13 possible countries I could go to...I've narrowed it down to 8!

Actually...it could all change and I could end up somewhere else...I have no idea... I really don't.... Just wanted to update...

I finally got nominated!!! Like officially!!!! Holy shit!!! Medical clearance here I come!! To the OB/GYN I go!

P.S--I was nominated for Central Asia/Eastern Europe and I will be teaching English!

Woot Woot! Finally heard word about my nomination...

I've got squat for nominations in community services or health in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, or Pacific Islands....

However,

There are TONS of positions in Eastern Europe/Central Asia for teaching English.

SO.

She e-mailed me and asked me if I was interested in teaching...

and I totally said yes.

She has to do more paperwork for me since I don't have much volunteer teaching experience....

Ellen rules....

that is all...

I'm not actually a Peace Corps Volunteer yet....

First you're an applicant

then a nominee

then an invitee

then a trainee

THEN a volunteer....we have to get sworn in when we get in country...

As of today...I'm an applicant...

Hopefully I will be a nominee in January!!

"Never Give up

No matter what is going on

Never Give up

Develop the heart

Too much energy in your country

is spent developing the mind

instead of the heart

Be compassionate

Not just to your friends

but to everyone

Be compassionate

Work for peace

in your heart and in the world

Work for peace

and I say again

Never Give up

No matter what is happening

No matter what is going on around you

Never Give up. "

--H.H. the XIVth Dalai Lama

"Be flexible"

is one of the qualifications that is required for all Peace Corps applicants.

I wish they had made that more abundantly clear.

So Eastern Europe AND the Pacific Islands are out.

One of my references 'ahem' HEATHER 'ahem' didn't turn it in on time and so all the program spots were filled.

*Sigh*

So I got an e-mail from my recruiter saying that I have three options now...

1. One requires some knowledge of community health/nutrition, healthy lifestyles or sanitation. They prefer if you have experience with health education (could be applied to CPR/lifeguarding, but it's up to you if you feel comfortable.)You would spend half your time teaching and running workshops and would live with a family for your entire length of service. That is in Central Asia.

2. The second project is simply as a community health educator in French speaking Africa.

3. Or I can wait until January and see what other programs open up.

Fuckity fuck fuck fuck....

Opinions, comments, concerns?

I think the toughest choice I had to make was film school vs. the Peace Corps.

It was a mighty battle....

and I'm glad the Peace Corps won....because I'm a fucking kid! I have no life experience whatsoever!! I could never make a film that I could be proud of if I went to film school now.

I had a much longer post originally written about this subject....but be grateful that my self-censorship always wins out in the end!! :)

I could have put this in my first post....but I didn't....cause I think this deserves it's own little post...

I FOUND OUT WHERE I'M GOING!!!!!

Sort of.

My placement officer called me and told me about programs that I qualify for (Community Services and Health Extension) and she told me to put them in order of preference.

1) Eastern Europe--I would work with kids and I would teach them life skills, business stuff, and environmental issues. This program would leave at the end of August/beginning of September.

2) Pacific Islands--I would work with farmers, women's groups, and NGOs promoting community development and identity. Work with farmers promoting sustainable agriculture and work with the community promoting income generating activities. This program would leave in July.

3) Africa--I would work in a rural community in 'very rustic' living conditions and do community/health education. I would teach workshops about nutrition, AIDS, and reproductive health. I would learn French and leave in July.

My placement officer said it was too early to tell me exact countries...so I'll just have to wait and see!

She said that there were 2 open spots for my first choice and 10 open spots in my second choice....SO...if I do all my paperwork and stuff on time....I have a chance at Eastern Europe...otherwise....it's the Pacific Islands for me!

SO

Next up is my official nomination....and more paperwork I'm guessing....

THEN the dreaded and feared..... medical clearance!!!!

I am such a slacker....

I meant to start this as soon as I started my application...but...like I said....I'm a slacker...

So.... as of today I have....

...already turned in my application. I have to say...this was the hardest thing I've done so far....

...gotten fingerprinted

...sent in my background check

...and sent in my skills/volunteer skills sheet

...been interviewed (It happened on December 1 and it went great!)

So yeah....go me.... :)