Hello Dear Readers...that is if you still exist. I know I have neglected this blog due to...well, there are many reasons. Yes. I know it is quite sad, shameful really, that my last entry was 8 months ago with at least 3 of the last for Updates promising more updates. Ncesi Phela (really sorry). Now, that I have somewhat reliable internet from the comfort of my hut I promise I won't wait 8 months
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So I have been totally lazy about writing and updating my blog. Sorry limited internet and lack of motivation has not helped. Last week I finally managed to upload pictures to facebook (lucky you if we are facebook friends :p). But here are a few entries from during training period about my life . Sorry I didn't bother editing. Enjoy! <!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>
Dear Readers,I apologize for the neglect. For the most part that has been beyond my control. A combination of slow internet and infrequent trips to town are the reason for my neglect. I write to you from the dreamland that is SCC. I HAVE FOUND WI-FI!!!! Why should you be excited? Because that means I will be to post some blogs on my experience thus far in Swaziland. I am definitely excited so
Disclaimer: I apologize for spelling errors. I have very limited internet time. So here we go....Training is going well.We moved into our village homestays a few days ago. No electricity or running water but I am holding up. It will be a long time before pictures are posted but trust that it is beautiful. I wish you could see it through my eyes and not the lenses of the camera.At an undetermined
I love lists. Checklist. To Do List. Book list. You get the idea. So what more appropriate way to write my last blog entry from this side of the Atlantic. Here is how my last day went down:Got to know some my 39 new "family" members a little bit more.At least half of which I can match name to faces. Reaffirmed my commitment to serve in the Peace CorpsFeels good to be among a group of people who
Quick updateYesterday, I landed in Philly around 4pm after a short flight from Boston. I made my way through baggage claim, then hopped on a shuttle. After about an hour going around the city, I was dropped off at my hotel where I would be staying for the next two nights. I had an hour to settle in and do a quick change into "business casual" for Registration. All that really involved was
In the next few weeks my ability to communicate with folks back home will be very limited, sporadic and possibly non-existent. There will be lots going on between in-country orientation (USA) and training which will begin basically as soon as we arrive in Swaziland. So if you don't hear anything from me or about me take NO NEWS = GOOD NEWS. Here are some ways you can keep in touch until I
Sawubona! The day has finally arrived! Nope. I am still not packed yet. I was almost there and then decided to take out everything and reconfigure. So that means last minute packing for sure. I am giving myself no more than 1:30 hours then whatever can't fit gets left behind. Here is the next few hours and days by the numbers:1: hours I was supposed to take a nap before finishing up packing.5
MOOD: Overwhelmed. Anxious. Annoyed. Frustrated.Four months have gone by so quickly it so it seems! Each time I sit down to write down a post I can't help but think back to that day in February when four months felt like a lifetime away. And now with just 5 days to go and my bags being nowhere near packed, the panic is starting to set in. There are waves of emotions waiting just to take me over.
As my fellow Invitees can attest there are no shortages of questions about the Peace Corps, our assignment and all other PC and country related matters. So for the family and friends who are unfamiliar with all of this, here are the answers to your most pressing questions. Feel free to post additional questions in the comment section.You are doing what?I am leaving for the Peace Corps.Where are
Unreal, Surreal and Fo' Real adequately describe how I am feeling about this experience at the moment.UNREAL.This is really happening?!?! It took so many years from the time I decided I wanted to apply to the Peace Corps to actually applying. The long application process though frustrating and patience-testing at times never deterred me from my decision. That's not to say I never second guessed
Yesterday was the "Welcome Back/Send-off" Event for the Boston Area PC with guest speaker Joseph Kennedy III. As always it was a great opportunity to meet RPCVs and future volunteers. The all around excitement helps renew my spirits when I start to second guess my decision. During the day at work I would glance at the calendar and break down the weeks and days remaining for the personal
I can't believe how fast the time is going by. Back in early February when I first received my Invitation Kit, June seemed so far away. I wasn't sure if I could make it through waiting for the actual day to get here. So here I am, May 1st (5th month of the year?!?!?), with a little over a month to go. Somehow I kept my anxiety and impulsive tendencies in check. Personal family events and
SAWUBONA! (Hello)If you are reading this you have just found out I am leaving the country. Ncesi (Sorry) to take you by surprise but I think at this point you've come to expect that from me. About a year ago, I began the long process of applying to the Peace Corps. From April 2010 to earlier this year my life was a series of long applications, interviews, extensive medical tests, a medical
I have decided to change the title of this blog. When I originally came of with the title I always had the intention of changing it when I received that elusive invite. Now that I know where I am heading, I have decided to title this PC chronicle: Kugenteka vele ?(Is it really possible?) Kugenteka.(It is possible). That is how I feel about this whole experience. Sometimes I can't believe it's
You don't look a day over 49! I know officially it's March 1st which makes a little late but I had good reason for not writing sooner. Coincidentally, perhaps purposefully, that night I was at event celebrating service in the city of Boston and the 20th anniversary of Boston Cares- a non-profit organization which brings together volunteers throughout Greater Boston to help 300+ schools and
Yayyy!!!! I can check another item off my "To Do" list. I finally got around to sending my passport in. During lunch I rushed across the street, in the rain, to the Post Office to get my application verified. Then, after work I took it the UPS drop-off center. While some people also have to worry about visas, Swaziland does not require a one. So one less thing to worry about. At the moment,
Thank you dead Presidents for a long weekend!Hello PCJers! Sorry for the abandonment. The truth is not much has happened in the last 2 weeks other than making my through the invitation kit and learning about Swaziland.As of 5 minutes ago my Updated Resume and Aspirations Statement were sent to the country desk. I spent most of the weekend focused on getting this part done, especially after my
I can't say enough how thrilled I am with this assignment. In my anticlimatic Invitation kit opening moment this came as the bigger surprise. My original nomination had been for EFL Teacher and as I was told this had remained the same. The last email before receiving the Invitation only asked if I was available for a Secondary English teacher position. Because I have a lot of experience
Dear PCJers,How does one go about changing the country icon on PCJ? I haven't figured out how to do that. I appreciate your help.Thanks,S.
BBP has arrived!!!!!!!!!!!About 20 minutes ago, I walked into the house. I glance across the room in search of the long awaited package. I didn't see anything. So I calmly asked my brother if I received any mail. What does he answer?! "The mail you've been waiting for is here. Where is Swaziland?". Really. That's what he said! Can anyone say ANTICLIMATIC?! So thank you Peace Corps for a wonderful
As I wait for my BPP (Big Blue Packet) to come in the mail, I am spending some of my time figuring out the possible country that will be my home for the next few years. When I got the email that I would be going to Africa, I headed to the PC Wiki Calculator as soon as I could. Prior to the email, I was looking for signs all over the place. For a long time I thought I would be assigned to a
Some years ago, when Will & Grace was on the air, Woody Harrelson had a reccuring guest appearance. He had this thing where he would do a "Happy Dance" whenever something good happened to him. Well, I am doing my happy dance (in my heart) as I type this. I was checking my email before I headed out the door and saw an update from toolkit. No final interview or reply to yesterday's email (I am not
It's 2:24pm. I am at my desk. Barely 10 minutes after a 15 minute break. I am still trying to get back in the swing of things and be productive before the clock strikes 5:00PM. I hear the buzzing of my phone vibrating, signaling I have an incoming call. I debate for a few seconds whether to check who is calling. I reach in my bag for the phone... Could it be? Is it really true?! It is a 202
The email is sent. Trust me when I say it wast not the easiest thing to do. What email? you ask. The email to Placement changing my immediate availability to mid-May or later. I had considered it before but this week things changed and I began to give it serious thought. I was so torn about it that although I wrote the email yesterday, I gave myself sometime to change my mind. I was 95% sure
NO NEWSToday marks the 300th day since I submitted my application and HSR (Health Status Review). That is roughly 10 months in a process that is estimated to take 9-12 months. I hope I don't have to wait two additional months for some info. I imagine my file somewhere on a PO's desk trying to find me the perfect fit. While back home, I do all in my power to remain calm and anxiety free.
It's been a while since I played around with the Wiki Placement Calculator. I figured I would indulge my RAS with the limited information provided by Placement: 1) No C/SA; 2) EFL teacher program; and 3) April to Summer departure. The following list is limited to the countries leaving in April-June (based on the current Wiki Timeline of countries scheduled to leave in those months). I did not
I woke up this morning to another snowstorm in my neck of the woods. Ahhh!!!! Winter, how I love thee...not! Thankfully, I picked up some PC-related books from the library yesterday. The books, PCJ, and Netflix should keep me entertained for the day. In PC news, I received a reply to my second email from Placement. I had a few questions regarding some decisions I have been mulling over.
Here is the update from yesterday. I received a reply to my email from the Placement Assistant (PA) this afternoon. Overall it seemed like a standard email but some questions were answered. Here are some bits and pieces from that email: Thank you for contacting the Placement Office. We are actually just in the process of reaching out to applicants nominated to the same program as you...
5 Weeks. That's how long it took for me give in and attempt to get some answers from Placement. The first week was the hardest. I kept hoping I would hear something right away. Yes. I know that was a LOT to ask but such is the nature of the beast they call RAS. What helped me get through the first weeks, especially Week 1&2, were a combination of holidays, periodic affirmations and PCJ
Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.- Martin Luther King, Jr. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King , Jr. was a man who believed in service. He lived a life committed to social justice and deeply felt that each
...my birthday will come first.Unfortunately still no news from Peace Corps but this is a positive post. So far the year is getting off to a good start minus the lack of communication between myself and PC. This past weekend I ran into a group of the Boston Area RPCVs while volunteering. I got a chance to talk to a recently returned RPCV still readjusting to life back in the states. It was just
In memory of all those people who lost their lives on that tragic day. Thank you to all who donated their skills, time and money to help those in need.
So far today I have received 2 Peace Corps related emails. The first one was from the N.E. Regional Peace Corps (that's how the sender appeared in the inbox). It was the regular emails about recruiting events coming up the area. The second one was also from the Regional Office but appeared as simply "Peace Corps". As you can imagine my heart skipped a bit and I started to get ahead of myself
or "What I am looking forward to the most in 2011." (I thought that was too long a title)I have made quite a few New Year's resolution. My list, for the most part, is more about accomplishing certain goals then about giving up certain things. If I pay attention to statistics regarding resolutions, chances are I won't achieve most of the things on my list. It may be unrealistic of me to think I
My birthday or a final PC decision?My birthday is in a mere 18 days. By the time it rolls around 5 weeks will have past since medical clearance and sending an updated resume. I had hoped that I would have an answer before the end of 2010. As 12/31/10 came and went, I was less optimistic. There are several reasons I was hoping to have an answer by now beside having peace of mind going into the
I am still working on my new year's resolutions. Sure I make 'em and break 'em every year but I can't help it. I think most people even if they are not a fan of New Year's "resolutions" like to set goals of things they would like to accomplish in the new year. About a month ago I made a list of things I wanted to work on in the coming year. I have not looked at it since I made the list. In the
Last night I had a dream I was invited to serve in the Peace Corps. Here is how the dream went down...I went to check my email as I do on a daily basis. There... waiting for me to open... was an email from PC. Not the toolkit update kind but one from a real live person! I opened it thinking it would be a request for an interview. Instead, it was an invite to serve in... Romania (Something
First of, I would like to say congratulations to all who have received invites in the last week. I read your blogs salivating and green with envy at the same time. Above all, I am thrilled that so much weight has been lifted off your shoulders.Now to my sad state and dilemma. On 12/16/10 I received confirmation from the PO office that my updated resume was received. I have not heard back
My updated resume has been sent after 2 hours working on shrinking and reformatting to meet the 1-page requirement. That is down from the 2-pager submitted with my application. As I see it, the original resume is the "PLEASE pick me" resume. The one designed to impress recruiters with the applicant's myriad of skills and experiences. The volunteer experiences can be highlighted to increase
This is going to be a short post.Guess who is super excited because she got an email from the placement assistant?!?! Me, of course. I decided to check my email a few minutes ago (something I was doing throughout the day) and there it was waiting for me. Now, I must go work on my updated resume and email it before the day is done. Hence why this will be short.But before I go, here is the
At 5:42AM I decided to check my email in hopes of an update. I know it had been less than 24 hours since I spoke to someone at OMS but as all you PC applicants know, it is just another symptom of RAS (restless applicant syndrome). To my great surprise, there it was, an email update. At this point, I still didn't want to get my hopes up. I clicked on the link and accessed my account.Your file
Exactly a week has gone by since I went for my follow up exams. Originally it was recommended I called on Friday (or Thursday at the earliest) to check on the status of the results. I mustered enough will power not to call on Thursday and wait for the following day. Friday, I woke up at 6:00AM and waited four whole hours before calling at 10:00AM. Surprise, Surprise! Results were not back yet
Three months have gone by since I was placed on the dreaded medical hold. Three months ago I was at the doctor's office having papers signed that I knew would delay my PC application process. Those three months were not easy. Today, finally, was the day I went back for my follow up exam that was, and still is, holding up my medical clearance. I originally had an appointment scheduled for the
I was originally nominated for a English Teacher program. Since I missed my original nomination, I have had more time to consider the other areas of service. I knew going into the application process, given my experience, I would most likely get nominated for Education/English teacher. I was at peace with that possibility. The truth is I can't see myself teaching in "regular school" setting day
Here I am a week before Thanksgiving and all I can think about is "When will December 6 get here?!?!". That's the day I am hoping to go for my follow up exam. At this point, I just want to get to the place where I know one way or the other where this Peace Corps thing is going. I find myself at a crossroad and an impasse all at the same time.Is that even possible? Then again life as a Peace
April 1, 2010: Application submittedApril 13, 2010: Received email from recruiter confirming receipt of my application. Skills addendum is in the mail.April 21, 2010: Request to resubmit transcript and of the letters of recommendation.May 6, 2010: Application and skills addendum are received by recruiter. Email requesting availability for interview.May 7,
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