 | The following countries had updates on 2009-9-17: Where are they now? People keep asking what I've been up to... So here is the long awaited answer. Not a whole lot. On second thought.. there are a few things to share. I finished up being a Peace Corps Volunteer in ...  Go to country list
immigrate These pictures come from a family I know - I am helping them immigrate to Canada. I am taking and will be taking pictures of their life here, their home, the way it is now. Peace Corps goes against he ... Go to country list Pictures of my house So I am in Baku and I am finally able to upload pictures to my blog. Mom this is for you! Walk way to my house. My host family's garden is on the left and their house on the right. Our shower room.O ... Work Pictures Playing spoons at my host family's house Mark (PC Admin officer), Joyce, Andrea, Bonnie, Me, and Meredith (PC country director) at conference in Imishli for a project of Amber's playing games at my o ... Stuff Made While Bored - 詰らない時に作った物 Plum wine made in a 16liter water jug then racked into old PET and vodka bottles. Turned out really good. Alot better than the cheap AZ wine I can get at the shop next door.梅Wineを作った。ス ... Fresh Photography from AZ Youth
beast of cat, in tiny sizes before i introduce my new kitten, let me add something i previously forgot: in my new home i take bucket baths and i have no internet. booo. so, if i disappeared from the internet, now you know why. h ... seeping into my subconscious... It's official. I'm having dreams about the Peace Corps.A very typical, underprepared type of dream. I had packed, gotten on the plane, taken a boat (yes, a boat) to the hotel. Upon arriving at the ... Goodbye Tiny Cats. This week marked the 11th week of me with kittens. It was only half of them as on the 1st Andrea took Baskin and Robbins. 3 cats were a lot easier to handle than 5, but it was still a bit much. ... Go to country list Back from Vacation I am back from my recent visit to the United States and I am refreshed, re-energized and ready for my last year of service. While back in the motherland, I experienced the following for the first time ... Mini Vacation! Last weekend all the trainees were sent off all over the country to visit a current volunteer. This was great because they were in different project sectors and we got a chance to see more of the c ... Cornflakes Some like them hot.The other morning I was greeted by my host brother with a question of whether or not I liked cornflakes. Yes, indeed! Not much beats a bowl of cereal and milk especially when you h ... spider & caves "...Mr. Roger...Mr. Roger...there's a spider by your window." I was working on a presentation for my Business/Organization class, my back to the open window, a light breeze cooling early evening sweat. It was fairly dark and I couldn't tell who... Go to country list Not Helping So this morning I go out to buy some bread, I go to the bread lady and ask for a loaf and then give her a 1000 bill for something thats 125F. This is not really OK, it's 8am, she doesn't have change, ... Be Here Now So, first off, I’m sorry for being so lax on my blogging to all my supportive friends and fam who have requested an update. I’ve just been on a crazy roller coaster here and whenever I find the ti ... Let’s talk about sh*t बेबी" The runs were a very popular topic the first few months in the country. Everyone at some point had to make frequent stops to the bathroom. I do remember getting sick three weeks into being in country ... Let’s talk about sh*t babyy" The runs were a very popular topic the first few months in the country. Everyone at some point had to make frequent stops to the bathroom. I do remember getting sick three weeks into being in country ... Go to country list Foutain Head When you think about digging trenches in the Peace Corps, you wouldn’t think they would be for your landlord’s new barbecue/fountain/picnic area. But, that is what I was working on yesterday. My l ... The Wood Stove . . . In The Back Yard!!! There are several blog entry ideas from our training site, which we did not have time to complete during pre-service training. But they represent an interesting facet of life here in Bulgaria. There ... Go to country list Quick stuff for now: LEX AND BECCA: this month isn’t going to work out for a Madison visit. I need to explain to children that Jesus isn’t a zombie, and I need to be here for the whole weekend for that. We’ll shoo ... Go to country list Loose Translation Of A Real Conversation, or Certain Dissimilar Sounds Sound Similar Until You Know What The Sounding Sounds Are Supposed To Sound Like Person 1: Is that food tasty?
Person 2: Oh, yeah, it’s really far away.
Person 1: Hm?
Person 2: I said, “Rice pot.”
Posted in Cambodia, poems Go to country list Eesh! I'm in Philadelphia right now and will probably be waking up in a little over 5 hours to get ready to head out. We're getting our shots in the early morning and then heading to New York to go catch a ... Muzungu! Wut up?! or "Adventures in East Africa" Warning, this blog is epic. “Oh my gosh, this is the nicest place I've ever stayed!” Jana and I looked at each other, wide-eyed, then quickly swung back around to see if the incredible sight befo ... Go to country list I'd endure multiple subway transfers to be with you. Then I went home to good old Long Island, land of the deviated septum and amazing bagels.Being my OCD self, I spent the first couple of days ransacking my room in an attempt to de-clutter my life. My ... Untitled ... dia de serviço social! Success! My idea for a big municipal volunteer day finally worked out (after some intense preparation and tons of letters asking for donations). The day went really well, we painted a house, installed ... It’s Mango Season… And the flies are driving me crazy!Until last summer I don’t think I had ever eaten a mango. I’ve had mango chutney or mango in some other form, but I never ate an actual mango. That all changed w ... PC Issues All Volunteers Life Jackets Brendan (top) and Thomas (bottom) both demonstrate improper use of the life jacket. Long Road I will be sworn into the Peace Corps by the U.S. ambassador to Cape Verde on Saturday - after that, I will be driven to my site: Tarrafal. I hope to be able to blog more frequently once I have my own ... Go to country list Culinary Adventures Update Last night I at pig's huff. Fantastic! Aside from the huff, I've also eaten such exotic items as:A variety of intestines, chicken, pig, cow, and I think goat.A variety of stomach linings, mostly pig ... Recipe: Smashed Cucumbers I have acquired a Chinese cookbook which I am deciphering one recipe at a time. I figure since I'm pretty much translating them for myself already, I might as well share. Here's the first, alternati ... Recipe: Fried Rice This is more or less a no brainer, but I think this one gets the proportions just right.Ingredients:3-4 cups leftover cooked rice [It really does have to be cold.]2 carrots, chopped and cooked [I micr ... End of Service, Continuation in the US Dear friends!Thank you for following this blog over the past 3 years. It will continue to exist, though it will no longer be updated. I hope that it can be of use to current Peace Corps applicants, ... Pointless For Me to Online Date Shifting through years of my dating history, from my first partner at 19 to my last partner at 31, I have realized that I date people because of a certain chemistry or because of proximity. There are ... Go to country list Did you know? Did you know that line-drying two loads of laundry in the sun per week saves as much energy as it takes to run your fridge for four months? I didn't either. So now every time I get out of the show ... 15 de Septiembre 15 de Septiembre is one of the most important days in the Tico calendar: Independence Day. Ticos are a particularly proud people; they flaunt the selling points of their nation relentlessly. I am co ... Go to country list Time flies… I have made my way back to Cairns after about a month in Townsville. I loved both of my jobs and the people at my backpackers- and was so sad to leave! My employers were great, laidback, and taught me a ton- and I never even dropped one tray! I did have some issues understanding drink [...] Untitled Oh GLOW, where did you go???Do you remember camp GLOW last July? Or rather, do you remember reading about camp GLOW last year? I remember writing about it. I remember writing about a camp that flew ... A Change We Can Believe In - La Ciénaga, Barahona, Dominican Republic Enjoy The Ride -
The Story of a Peace Corps Volunteer A Change We Can Believe In — La Ciénaga, Barahona, Dominican Republic Enjoy The Ride -
The Story of a Peace Corps Volunteer Suffering Last weekend was Peace Corps “committee” weekend in the capital. I arrived with my fellow Peace Corps friend, Helen, on Friday just in time for lunch. We walked straight from our bus stop to the A ... haga clic. haga clic. haga clic. jesus christ, DIJE HAGA CLIC. The above was pretty much what I was chanting all day today and yesterday as I tried to coach kids through creating email accounts. I realized that I waaay overestimated these kids' skill level. They ... In DC I am in Washington DC on a medical evacuation for a kidney stone. The problem started last Sunday (as in a week and a half ago) when I got a high fever and went in to get it checked out on Monday. T ... Go to country list Careful what you wish for Miercoles 15 septiembreIt drizzled for about 20 minutes in Ambuqui late this afternoon, and at sunset the skies were filled with dark towering clouds which, with any luck, will mean more rain tonight. ... Careful what you wish for Miercoles 15 septiembreIt drizzled for about 20 minutes in Ambuqui late this afternoon, and at sunset the skies were filled with dark towering clouds which, with any luck, will mean more rain tonight. ... My new obsession Compost is my new obsession.Every time I see organic material on the garbage that isn’t going to be composted, I think about the lost opportunity. This is mostly because of a book recently read call ... Holy knives and other adventures... The other morning we were preparing to leave for Parque Jipiro to help with the fundraiser. Gloria (Adam´s counterpart) told us that we would need to bring the gas tank and tube from the kitchen. We ... Go to country list One Year Anniversary Yesterday, Sept. 16, was the one-year anniversary of our arrival to El Salvador. Some people have been saying this year went by so fast, but I definitely feel that I've been here that long.A lot has ... Go to country list Hello world! Here it is. Proof that any idiot with an email address can start a blog!
Got the tix last week. Leave Fort Wayne Oct 5th, arriving in Addis Ababa on the 7th(with a few pit stops along the way). Will spend a couple nights in Addis, probably for some paperwork and orientation [...] Go to country list Gyeongju Last weekend, we took a 2-day trip to Gyeongju, about 4 hours southeast of Seoul. Stolen from wikipedia:Gyeongju was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Silla (57 BC – 935 AD) which ruled most of ... "If you can't solve it, it isn't a problem - it's reality." There's nothing quite like the feeling of frustration when there's nothing you can do to solve it. Josh and I were supposed to get our passports from the Peace Corps weeks ago! Our patience has been ... Goodbye Palouse! Josh and I leave Moscow/Pullman tomorrow.Ah, so much to miss. The people here are amazing and what a beautiful place indeed. When I first moved here I had a dislike for small towns. But , a place is s ... Go to country list Untitled Today I dont start school until 12. Im laying in my sleeping bag passing the time. I really have enjoyed spending time alone. I never did it at home and I think that its just what I need for the ... In the begining… Hello World! This spot will be my attempt at blogging. Anyone interested in yet another form of personal information overload, all about me and my goings on, can find it right here!
So, the premis ... Amen to that Sister! Hi, what's your name? How are you? Fine thanks, goodbye! Go to country list 21 August 2009 Burkina Faso Day 4 21 August 2009 Burkina Faso Day 4
We spent the day traveling. Today we learned the joy of Rakieta buses. The on time departure from Ouaga to Bobo was our second in a row. Three will be a pattern. They also called us by name to board. We found our assigned seats. Then put or packs [...] Untitled Being away from site for almost 2 weeks can be overwhelming. It was refreshing and reminded me of how great I have it in Kpetoe. However, it also exposes just how daunting of a task that PC and the ... Untitled Some Kente Festival Pictures (before batteries died and I picked a fight with Brits and Germans)Yes, that is strips of kenteBright's speed caught in pictureimagine this on a full court. Untitled This is it. I'm dying. I'm really dying. This still life...What'd you say? You don't care a bit. No, you don't care a bit. Go to country list Breadfruit Salad The past 2 days have been pretty successful for me!On Wednesday I started my remedial reading groups at my primary school. I was a little nervous with the activities that I prepared, but all 5 groups ... Go to country list Back from the US Hey everyone! I really want to first thank everyone that I got to see while I was home, it was amazing. And to all those whom I didn't get the chance, no worries I won't be gone forever. Going home ... Too Much of a Good Thing Although much of Guatemala still awaits the coming of the rainy season, which should have began months ago, my area of the country has begun it's rainy season in earnest. My last entry detailed the da ... Happy Independence Day! Hi everybody,Here's one of the floats in the parade on Tuesday!I’m starting to realize that we arrived in Guate at a really good time. First we had a solid week and a half of feria in our town for t ... Oops Just FYI....If you are ever making soap with lye, it is better NOT to use a metal saucepan to stir the lye in with the water, and let it sit for an hour. And if you do, and you leave the room for the ... The Beauty of Small Town Living Never in my life have I lived away from a city; growing up outside Philly, spending a semester abroad in Seville, Spain, and then the last six years in Washington DC, there are some things that you ... Guatemalan Independence Day To celebrate its 188 years of independence, Guatemala went all out with school parades, marching band competitions, and kids doing relays with torches. It's been a fun week but I think I've good on a ... Go to country list It's Good to be Home And... where might that be?Disclaimer: Today is probably not the best of days for me to be writing, but I decided to forge on and allow a brief glimpse into that other side of life for a Peace Corps ... Honduran Candidates Back Negotiated Settlement, Micheletti’s US visas revoked, Zelaya Supporters Plan Election Boycott Unless He Returns Dear Readers, I have not abandoned you. Spent all last Saturday and Sunday at the annual meeting of volunteer country specialists for Amnesty International-USA, fortunately taking place only a few blo ... Go to country list You know you’re really in the Peace Corps when… your diet is based entirely on rice you can’t remember how long it’s been since you’ve last washed your hair you’ve made up names for insects that are so exotic you don’t ... here’s a rough list.., books: (personal reading, health books, anatomy books, books for school/kids, anything about slums/diseases/…, arch & design)
downloads tv: (house, dexter, true blood, tom & jerry, taxi, ... BLAH This week has been the worst week of my life!!!!! kindaFirst of all, every guy in the Peace Corps, EXCEPT FOR ME, has a girlfriend or a "confusing situation". I don't really want a Peace Corps girlfri ... Go to country list Dos and Don'ts and observations As we spend time in Kazakhstan, we are learning more and more do’s and don’ts. Ok, well, mostly don’ts. Here are just some:Don’t wear outside shoes inside the house.Don’t flush anything t ... Go to country list So it goes Yes, the title is a Kurt Vonnegut referenceOver the weekend, I went to visit another volunteer named Greg (one of the new health volunteers) who is only a couple of hours away from me. We had fun mak ... Legacy of the Peace Corps My last trip of the August Holiday was to Lamu, which was amazing, gorgeous, so much like Zanzibar. It was different in one way that may not be noticeable to the casual traveler – it felt so Kenyan ... K.C.S.E. On October 21st the fourth year students begin their final exam of secondary school. It is also the only exam that they have taken in secondary school that will matter after they leave. Grades do no ... Go to country list Commong Things After 1 year here’s what I’ve become used to and what I may have problems with back in the USA:no microwave: gotten used to semi warm food or cold leftovers wearing the same work outfit for an ent ... Frustrations and Impressions As a PCV I am often faced with many challenges. Sometimes these are issues because of culture, food, language; other times they are personal issues that are heightened because of the situation. Recent ... Go to country list PICTURES (Top L: Hiking, R: me, Bottom L: Me with my training sister and her daughter, R: Group of friends who celebrated my 30th birthday with me) can you squeeze me into an empty page of your diary there is music in the air in lesotho.I'm sitting in silc training and it's near lunchtime so everything is winding down and everyone is hungry and anxious for some food so they all start singing and d ... Documentation Begins... I am starting this blog three months into my African experience and 1 month after arriving at my actual service site. I started with 9 weeks of training and then moved to my site in the district of Q ... September 12, 2009 Today is Saturday and I am excited to actually be in village for a weekend, even though nothing exciting happens it gives me a change to be part of the community. There are two funerals today and one ... Washing Clothes I have come to terms with the fact that my clothes will never be clean by Basotho standards. And I am good with that. Basotho have a method of pouring as much soap as possible on clothes, scrubbing ... End of a Bad Week... End of a bad weekI expected ups and downs throughout this experience. I did not expect the ups and downs to occur several times a day. This week was rough. I went to see some other PCVs in Mt. Moro ... Everyday Happenings... I was walking down the street in Upper Moyeni (camptown) the other day and a man stopped me to talk. He asked where I was from and what I was doing. After hearing I am from America he said I am welc ... A Typical Weekend in Lesotho... Saturday is burial day in Lesotho, so there was no surprise there were three this day. I got up and did nothing for a couple hours, decided that had waited long enough and had to wash clothes. Since ... Untitled The bathrooms at the police department have wonderful, orange, Formica counter tops. Go to country list I’m Here! I’m heeerreee! A lot of you know how hard it was for me to get to this point, but it was worth every second. No matter what happens, I am happy with the growth that I have been lucky to experience up to this point.
I think I am going to be really happy here…this country [...] Untitled Hi, all,My posts will probably be pretty short until after Thanksgiving - I won't have regular internet until I move into my own place. Tomorrow I move in with my family for training. I am very luck ... My New Life Dear Friends and Family,This will be brief because I'm at an Internet cafe trying to let all of you know that I'm fine and progressing through the hectic first week of Peace Corps orientation before w ... Go to country list Hold up, Slow up, Stop, Control. Earlier this week, I finally put up a post about my impending return to Madagascar. With just over two weeks before departure, I figured things were calm enough there and the date was close enough to ... Hold up, Slow up, Stop, Control. Earlier this week, I finally put up a post about my impending return to Madagascar. With just over two weeks before departure, I figured things were calm enough there and the date was close enough to ... The Thought Doctor As you can imagine, joining the Peace Corps produces a lot of fear and anxiety and continuing with the process requires a high threshhold for such fears. I have been listening to some great audi ... Go to country list It’s not the destination, it’s the journey So I’m pretty excited about actually being in Malawi. I’m thoroughly loathing the trip there, however. Just in case anyone was curious, from Honolulu to Lilongwe, via Philadelphia (wit ... Go to country list Installation Week Before we left so before we left for our regions we had meeting after meeting about logistics. we were split into groups by region and cercle. Luckily my APCD was my installer and the majority of th ... More of the Same ChengduThis week was uneventful. Last Saturday night, a group of volunteers ate hot pot. One of the perks about going out with volunteers who have been here for a year (or two) is that they know wha ... Untitled ... The Real Beginning Ala ka fanga ke I la. (May the Force be with you.)Well, we did it- we got through the prologue of the journey. Now the real experience starts.A lot has happened since late August; it was probably much ... Movin on Up I’ve finally moved in and it feels good to be here in my village starting the work I came here to do. I live in a house outside of my village. It takes me about 10 minutes to bike in to town during which there are many children who yell “Tubabu.” Tubabu is the Bambara [...] Another lame update... I haven't been blogging because:a) I got made fun of for being on my computer all the time and got nervous I wouldn't make any friends. I had been warned by previous volunteers to not spend all my tim ... Capacity Building (in reverse) Two terms that Peace Corps employs ad nauseam are “sustainable development” and “capacity building”. Presumably, this is to avoid being confused with the countless organizations committed to ... Go to country list Rock, Scissor, Paper, & Soju! Sometimes, when I am walking down the street, I would see weird things that I cannot explain. Such as seeing this pink power ranger girl playing "rock scissor paper" with people in front of a vendin ... Off to site I am leaving this afternoon to go to my new site. It is a small village called Goumbanko, located outside of Kita in the southwest part of the country. I have never seen it before, but I do know that ... chiang mai: snakes, tigers, monkeys, elephants ho ly crap.and, no. there is nothing between me and that tiger. nothing.VACATION!!don't worry mom, i'm still alive!! Nathanael Green Esquire, Stanton Park, 4th, C, and Massachusetts NE, Capitol Hill Jay DavidsonNathanael Green Esquire, Stanton Park, 4th, C, and Massachusetts NE, Capitol Hill Monument to Christopher Columbus, in front of Union Station, NW Jay DavidsonMonument to Christopher Columbus, in front of Union Station, NW Replica of the Liberty Bell behind the Columbus Monument Jay DavidsonReplica of the Liberty Bell behind the Columbus Monument Inscription on Monument to Christopher Columbus, in front of Union Station, NW: I am wondering about the words, "GAVE TO MANKIND A NEW WORLD." It wasn't so new to the mankind who had been li ... Jay DavidsonInscription on Monument to Christopher Columbus, in front of Union Station, NW: I am wondering about the words, "GAVE TO MANKIND A NEW WORLD." It wasn't so new to the mankind who had been li ... Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism During World War II, Louisiana and D Streets NW Jay DavidsonJapanese American Memorial to Patriotism During World War II, Louisiana and D Streets NW Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism During World War II, Louisiana and D Streets NW Jay DavidsonJapanese American Memorial to Patriotism During World War II, Louisiana and D Streets NW Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism During World War II, Louisiana and D Streets NW Jay DavidsonJapanese American Memorial to Patriotism During World War II, Louisiana and D Streets NW Memorial to Robert A. Taft, Louisiana, C, and 1st Street NW Jay DavidsonMemorial to Robert A. Taft, Louisiana, C, and 1st Street NW Blackstone (that is all that is etched into the base), in front of the E. Barrett Prettyman United States Court House Jay DavidsonBlackstone (that is all that is etched into the base), in front of the E. Barrett Prettyman United States Court House Monument to Major General George Gordon Meade, who commanded the Union Forces at Gettysburg, donated by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in front of the E. Barrett Prettyman United States C ... Jay DavidsonMonument to Major General George Gordon Meade, who commanded the Union Forces at Gettysburg, donated by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in front of the E. Barrett Prettyman United States C ... Monument to Major General George Gordon Meade, who commanded the Union Forces at Gettysburg, donated by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in front of the E. Barrett Prettyman United States C ... Jay DavidsonMonument to Major General George Gordon Meade, who commanded the Union Forces at Gettysburg, donated by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in front of the E. Barrett Prettyman United States C ... Every day in front of the Newseum, each state and Washington, DC is represented with a front page from a newspaper in the state. On the day I was here, California was represented by the Fres ... Jay DavidsonEvery day in front of the Newseum, each state and Washington, DC is represented with a front page from a newspaper in the state. On the day I was here, California was represented by the Fres ... Fountain dedicated to the memory of Andrew W. Mellon, at Constitution, 6th Street, and Pennsylvania NW Jay DavidsonFountain dedicated to the memory of Andrew W. Mellon, at Constitution, 6th Street, and Pennsylvania NW Newseum, a museum dedicated to the the media and First Amendment rights. I didn't go into the museum, as I was put off by the admission fee of $20. Jay DavidsonNewseum, a museum dedicated to the the media and First Amendment rights. I didn't go into the museum, as I was put off by the admission fee of $20. Newseum, a museum dedicated to the the media and First Amendment rights: detail of the wording of the First Amendment Jay DavidsonNewseum, a museum dedicated to the the media and First Amendment rights: detail of the wording of the First Amendment Grand Army of the Republic, 7th Street and Pennsylvania NW Jay DavidsonGrand Army of the Republic, 7th Street and Pennsylvania NW Monument to General Winfield Scott Hancock, 7th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW Jay DavidsonMonument to General Winfield Scott Hancock, 7th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW Monument at 7th Street and Pennsylvania NW. On the four sides are the words HOPE, FAITH, CHARITY, and TEMPERANCE. It was presented by Dr. Henry D. Cogswell of San Francisco. Jay DavidsonMonument at 7th Street and Pennsylvania NW. On the four sides are the words HOPE, FAITH, CHARITY, and TEMPERANCE. It was presented by Dr. Henry D. Cogswell of San Francisco. OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Jay DavidsonOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Jay DavidsonOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Go to country list Me: “Amelia, I’m going to take your... Me: “Amelia, I’m going to take your picture.”
Amelia: “What?”
Me: “Melia. Melia, what are you doing?”
Amelia: “Want!”
Me: “Amelia, Meelichka! Don’t eat that!” One month! Tomorrow I will have officially been a volunteer for a month. This past weekend was the first time I was actually homesick. In two days I found out my cousin is pregnant with the firs ... I don't speak Russian One of the more fascinating things about Moldova is of course its political history. Its fresh and confused. But rather determined. Its confusion extends to the people's confusion of course...As a for ... 3 days at a resort—Ha September 17, 2009--3 days at a resort—Ha First off, I have a proposition… I have about four posts that I would like to load onto my blog. I don’t want to post them all at once because no one ... 17. Identity Crisis Moldova is different from any place I’ve ever visited in one big way: the manner in which Moldova’s identity as a people was defined, and how that is related to its geographical boundaries ... Go to country list Feedback on Packages So the packages have been amazing, I don't know if I have said that enough. Seriously, my sitemates have heard me say it so many times, I think they would hate me if I didn't keep giving them fruit r ... Big blog update August 27, 2009. Baghangai, Mongolia Culture moment! Big one too. So the day went well. Early rise, five mile jog, read a little, then I headed over to the school with my counterpart Moogi. She told m ... Yak Festival in Bat Ulzii Soum In July, just after the Nadaam festival, I attended a Yak Festival in a neighboring city. Bat Ulzii Soum is a three hour drive northwest of Arvaikheer in Ovorkhangai Aimag. The Yak Festival was paired ... Go to country list Fasting, and Breaking Fast (Part 3) This is my third and final post in the series dealing with Ramadan. The first two posts dealt with the daily schedule, and the food of Ramadan, respectively. For this final post I will discuss Ramadan ... Mbruk Leid So when I was complaining about the extreme heat a week and a half ago, I apparently failed to be specific enough. Now I’m freezing. OK, so that’s an exaggeration, but this is my third day in a ro ... Untitled MY NEW HOME.Just bought a house; not the condo or house with small yard that was my intent! But a place with a wonderful open kitchen/dining/living room area, which I really like, as well as a hot tu ... Spain Trip So the picture of the trip are on facebook and yes I know there are no pictures of me... I did not realize this until the end of the trip. Sorry! :) The trip itself was wonderful! I loved sitting outs ... On Breakfast: Ramadan Revisited It’s now been a full year of living in Morocco, which means that we’re right back where we started: Ramadan. I landed in Morocco on September 9th, 2008, and, coincidentally, my brother got marr ... Long time no post… Well, oh faithful readers, it's been a little while since my last post. A lot has happened, I have lost my bank card, got stranded for a while in someone else's site. I am organizing a workshop for ... Go to country list …And Then There Were Ninjas Where to begin? Let’s start with the basics. I’ve been in five states and driven over 3000 miles (props to mamaw for the van) since I last posted. We figured that if we weren’t leaving the country in June as planned, then we would at least leave the state and gather some [...] Olá! Este é nosso blog! That’s Portuguese for “This is our blog!” I wanted to say “Welcome to our new blog”, but we haven’t learned that yet. Brian and I are ... Go to country list In a week I think the training im going to on the 28th may be the biggest waste ever. Its been 10 years since our region tried to secede from Namibia. Peace corps vol's were pulled out of the region immediate ... Jill-Tasha! There's now a real live Namibian Jill!My friend Natasha, the one who recently had a baby, named her new daughter after me. (Or, perhaps more accurately, after us, since the little one's full name is J ... Go to country list week 2 SO much has happened in the last week or so since I updated that I don’t know how much I will be able to write before my battery dies, but I’m going to do my best! Last Thursday, we observed classes at the elementary school where we will be teaching during training. Our school is [...] Go to country list Sunny Scenicville Cambodia is a complete mindf*ck. Everything, from how poor the people are, to the beautiful countryside, to the crazy barangs (foreigners) you meet, (seriously, why and how do people find themselves i ... Go to country list Road Trip - Day 4 - San Fransico We headed into the city of San Fransico and visited Sara’s studio. Then we took the public transportation to a gallery that Sara had to write a report on. It was a show of paintings of scenes from S ... The Mango Tree Part II After a glorious 2 month run, last week my mango tree could give no more. The joy that the tree provided me was unmatched by any other tree I have known. A moment of silence, please.Thank you.When the ... "Let no one be discouraged by the belief there is nothing one man or one woman can do against the..." “Let no one be discouraged by the belief there is nothing one man or one woman can do against the enormous array of the world’s ills—-against misery and ignorance, injustice and violence… Few ... hammock time hammock time Emerson and Samantha (my neighbors across from me that keep me... Emerson and Samantha (my neighbors across from me that keep me entertained) Melissa and Digna (other entertaining neighbors). Digna (mom)... Melissa and Digna (other entertaining neighbors). Digna (mom) has the best laugh ever and her parrot copies it. Jeremy. (one of the new ones… 3 months) Jeremy. (one of the new ones… 3 months) jungle sunset from the house the other night. jungle sunset from the house the other night. a fungus among us a fungus among us SPAYpanama does the Embera Puru, El Rural & La Bonga cat on a leash waiting in line sleeping dogs nudering a horse Mr. here is my puppy. drowsy doggies Ayla and the clan from across the river. Mariposa and Rosa go home in the boat. SPAYpanama does the Embera Puru, El Rural & La Bonga working on the BIG house. working on the BIG house. Silvia, Toti & I. Silvia, Toti & I. Go to country list Paraguay´s Day Off Well... as you prepare yourselves for the fall and winter weather headed your way, I am preparing myself for the spring and sweltering summer that is headed my way. It's only the beginning of Septembe ... New host nieces- Sofi and Nori and What my lifes consists of from 1-3pm everyday (books, oranges and coffee) ... Job Description: PC Volunteer Aka Bunny Raiser You’re probably thinking, hmm I didn’t realize that Lyn/Lyndsay went to the Peace Corps to play with bunnies and kittens. Ahh, if only that was good enough to count as work. I do feel like my wo ... The three-stooges with strippers TV is a little different here.The news is very graphic. One time I saw a guy pinned under a truck, blood running out of him, pooling on the concrete, moaning. He later died. The news shows crime sc ... Plans within Plans Is it bad that i haven't been into civilization for about a month? I don't feel any different, but when i come into the city, the first thing i do is put on my 'city clothes' and constantly want to wa ... Che Paraguay Well since my flickr account is being a bum and for the first time in years, my blogger account is being an angel, I'll post some photos here until I can get my tech guy to straighten things out ;DCom ... Meaty Curve "Right in that meaty part of the curve, not showing off, not falling behind." -George CostanzaThat is how I described my service today to a friend. I keep trying to find out if this is normal. If ther ... Paraguay is going to the world cup! 6th graders5th graders by our welcome sign At the soccer gameSoccer game again Go Paraguay!We needed to come into the capital, Asuncion to get packages sent from my grandma and from Aunt Sandee and U ... Go to country list Getting down with my Pocket Peruvians If there’s one thing that Peruvians love (and I mean LOVE) to do it’s dance. They like to shake their little moneymakers like there’s no tomorrow… and usually till 5am the next morning. After ... Hola from Yanacoto! Hello everyone! Don´t worry, I haven´t disappered, I have just been acclimating myself to my wonderful new world! As many of you know my adventure began on Septemeber 10th and many things have occ ... Go to country list Lawa-Lawa Hunt Scott and I have been in the Philippines for four weeks now and I certainly feel like the last couple of days have been the most eventful. We arrived in the Philippines with the expectation that we ... Acronym Mania Filipinos love acronyms. Everyone, including the Peace Corps, seems to be obsessed with creating acronyms. Right now, we are PCTs being monitored by LCFs and TCFs. If PST goes well, we'll begin wor ... Big Honor - TOM The Country Director for the Peace Corps is coming to our host family's wedding anniversary party on Friday night! My host mother is so excited that she woke up at four this morning to begin preparati ... Wet Season Rainy/Wet Season is, well…exactly that….wet. I can’t believe that it is still raining after a solid week of off and on downpour. Without fail, I was again woken up this morning by the pitter-pat ... Site Observations and Placement Preference So here is the 1-page site reflection paper that I had to write leading up to the ever-so important Site Placement Interview (SPI). The people which hold our two-year placement fate in their hands are ... Baguio, the Summer Capital - Part Two In two years in Morocco, I had plenty of people stay with me – some of whom I had met before and a couple of whom I hadn’t – it was expected that if PCVs were passing through, you would put them ... Go to country list the unplanned This summer, I found out that my biggest brother, the one who sightes-in my gun before hunting season, taught me how to drive the speed limit, showed me up during tennis class, got us stuck in a Singa ... Go to country list so... I'm thinking about leaving the country.Anyone know about any one to three month programs?I should probably note I can't speak Spanish, French, German... or really anything other than English and minim ... Go to country list Laughing about human values and "my people" in the pics: some of my students, always more than willing to pose it up for a picture; big machines invade apia--to begin the big task of redoing the water lines; my desk at school in my room...a ca ... to love more in a "value added" world in the pics: a picture of a yellow samoan flower and flag at my school; food food glorious food: I stayed at a friend's house (a palagi) and made crepes and lamb curry...yummy in my tummy;) i don't g ... reports with more than just the dry after taste in your mouth in the pics: more food, special spaghetti sauce and lots! of cucumbers; where will you go in samoa, road signs abound, well, not really; two shots of a "fancy house" in samoa. i was impressed. A banya ... Playing the heart is sturdier in Samoa in the pics: a nice picture of palms swaying in the breeze; a cold coconut, so nice on a hot, sweaty day; a BIG two story house, not the norm in samoa; another house with...is that tattoo designs on i ... speeches, tattoos, close the service...mint chip icecream? in the pics: hot cricket action, come and see it..i didn't do much with the cricket team. the students laughed at me when i tried to bat..oh well...not my thing i guess; one of my students, tasi, als ... samoan language in firefox's fireplace pics: cricket action and on the bus9/15Hey…real time posts…I’m typing this in the internet café..usually I’m typing this at my school..and it’s days days days until I post it on the inter ... pictures only this time.. in the pics: the tattoo; some more sports at our school..where i watched for the whole day;( i'd rather do something pics with kids in the pics: some of the kids in my life right now...all good smiles especially for the camera. pics with firedancing...or dancing and fire? in the pics: I went to a siva (samoan dance) ..well to watch the dancers. complete with some of that exciting fire dancing. no hip hop here. there was a cool drum and dance piece...sorry nothing "electronic" here, other than the use of the CD player. Night Classes The scholastic “camp” for year 13s has begun at my school. Students attend 5 hours of class after the school day has ended, and then sleep on campus. Camp gives the kids an opportunity to get al ... Retrogression 9/17/09 There HereFor the past week I thought I was over the Samoa hump, on my way back to American acclimatization, then having to deal with cable TV tuners and companies, cell phone plans, 800#'s, l ... ya rayah (oh traveler) Oh traveler where are you going, you'll go, get tired, and come backHow the people failed, before you and meHow many cities i've seen and the deserted desertHow much time i've wasted?, how much more, ... 87: Close of Service Conference Today we start our COS (close of service...and apparently continuation of service conference). I am actually typing this from the conference. It started early, so I was on the computer when we started ... Go to country list Longitude 16° 46' 0 W; Latitude 14° 1' 0 N Hi Everyone! Life in Senegal continues. This past week we had village visits: trips to current PCVs designed to introduce us to our future sites (or similar ones) and actual PC life. Since I’ll ... Update So I finally have a working keyboard and can post.My training village is a small village outside of dakar, there are around 300 people in it supposedly, but I don't know how that many people could po ... Kedougou! I just returned to Thies after 4 days in the lovely region of Kedougou. For those who don't know, it is the region in the south east corner of Senegal. There are waterfalls, monkeys, lions, mountains ... Training Center Tour ... Ngoudiane Part II I wrote this a week ago but didn’t get a chance to post it.
Yesterday was a big day, our fourth official week in country, and we got our site announcement – where I will be living the next tw ... Licking It Doesn't Make It Clean For the last few days, all the trainees have been visiting other volunteers for "demystification." I spent mine in Fatick. Unfortunately, I couldn't go to my site because my predecessor has already fi ... Some thank-yous To my Dad, who sent me pens, earplugs, and a letter-a-week so far, and who woke me up with a really welcome phone call during a tough week at homestay...To my Mom, whose letters and pictures have also ... Easier the second time around Yep, life this past few weeks has been pretty easy and relaxed, but not boring. I have to say the second time around, everything seems to be a bit easier. Of course it helps that the physical environm ... New and improved village A while ago I mentioned that if anyone was looking for a vacation, or just had no work, they should come and spend some time in Mauritania. I can't say that I am surprised that no one took me up on th ... Untitled Close friends & family,First matter to be addressed: I'd love to hear from you. You've all used skype, my number is as follows... 221 773 304829.It's official, the angels are on my side. My site o ... Food, glorious food! I feel like this is a kind of long overdue post but I’m finally in the right place to write it. Food in Senegal… something I could talk about for days and days on end – I’ll try to keep it sho ... a month in Senegal... It's Wednesday again. Tomorrow is the day I take my malaria medication...just another part of life here in this beautiful country. I've been here for a over a month now and even though life here is so ... “What a Demyst.” That’s what my APCD (Associate Peace Corps Director) said when he heard about my last few days. And it was quite a demyst. Here’s my attempt at giving it justice – though first I guess I should ... Happily the beat goes on... Nothing has been quite as rewarding as seeing some of the work that I started in Mauritania be carried on even though I left in the middle of it. When doing development work the ideal is always to hav ... PS I forgot to say that I just posted 3 pictures of Bambey and 1 of my bathroom! Guinguineo I visited my permanent site this past week and it's awesome. I'm fairly central in the country in the Kaolack region. Guinguineo has about 30,000 people, but no one would guess it has that many. I ... Demystification!! Demystification: The term coined by PCVs for the time when site and assignment announcements are finally made. It’s kind of a big deal as the Peace Corps tells you how you will be spending the next ... Go to country list R.I.P. “How does it feel to walk on the inside outside with the sun shining on your face outside?” That is a serious question my host father here at site asked me once. You can understand that I was a ... The End of the First Quarter Can you believe I’ve been in South Africa for a little over 7 months? Yeah that’s right, 7 months. Ah it feels almost like yesterday that I got off the plane in this country. Wait, no it doesn ... We Are Volunteers! Today, September 17, 2009, we took the oath to become Peace Corps Volunteers. Yesterday we traveled on a chartered bus from our training site to the casino/hotel where we were sworn in. We were sad to ... Schmexpectations Hi all,Just a quick note to let you know where we're at....upon arriving at the hotel for our swearing-in ceremony last night we discovered that our soon-to-be home of 2 years was not anywhere nearer ... Schmexpectations Hi all,Just a quick note to let you know where we're at....upon arriving at the hotel for our swearing-in ceremony last night we discovered that our soon-to-be home of 2 years was not anywhere nearer ... Go to country list Asigcoke lihiya! Let’s all wear lihiya! (Peace Corps Swaziland Swearing-in ceremony) ... Go to country list Untitled Jen slaved at the internet cafe today to get more...Pictures!!!(Posted by Dad for Jen) Go to country list What Rhymes with Exhaustion? Hello all,No preamble for this one. Here it is:I’ve taken the day to “work” from my home To have a few moments to sit all alone And process events, both recent and distant, That nag at my co ... People you meet on the beach! Today we paid our first "official" visit to a beach - we even wore bathing suits! Hawaii has many beaches designated as state parks. The one shown here is Kamala Beach State Park. It is our underst ... Go to country list Only a matter of hours! Predictably, the most plaguing thought passing through my mind the last few days has been "I wish I had more time!". The second most plaguing though passing through my mind the last few days has been ... Untitled so, i am in philadelphia, and i have just submitted my final paperwork. i am officially a peace corps trainee. i have made it through the trying application process, managed to pack my life and surviv ... Here I Go! So, I am sitting here in my room in Philadelphia trying to put into words what the last couple of days have been like. I had been surprisingly calm up until yesterday morning when I woke up and the f ... Untitled Long day today and tomorrow could be even longer! I've got some major traveling coming up in the next 2 days. I get to make a stop in Paris and it's going to kill me to know I can't get out and explor ... Go to country list New Flip Video All right, so it isn't the most artistic first video for me to have done, but whoever said I was artistic? I just think it's funny. His tongue's out and everything. Aww... Getting ready to be wired O.K., so the new laptop is cool, but there is so much crap on these things now that we have to wade through; anyone who wonders about current marketing strategies should be encouraged to buy a new, pr ... Uoleva camping This last week was another school break so since Brett, Alicia and Sarah all had more time off we decided to escape our little island and go camping on a deserted island - Uoleva, just south of us (wh ... Go to country list One Man’s Opinion British journalist Simon Ostrovsky traveled to Turkmenistan in 2009 on behalf of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, a human rights organization. He is critical of purported positive changes in the Berd ... Go to country list Warm September PIASCY Workshop, Teachers playing "Pat On the Back" game_____________________Shout out to my Ugandan amigos. I hope your job and your day are going fairly if not very well. You are doing Great things! ... i’m safe. Some of you may have heard or read about recent events in Uganda. I am and have been very far from any violence or unrest. There has been an ethnic element to the turmoil that does not involve the people of my region.
Last week, violent and deadly (just how deadly depends on who you [...] Go to country list To begin with... Soon, this will be the place to find out more about my fabulous adventures with Peace Corps in Ukraine. For now, though, I'm still around, so there's not too much to find out!I'm spending my last few ... “Even when you’re awake you’re worlds away” Road Trip Journals Part Two: Michigan
“Well of course there isn’t a McDonald’s. They’re practically Canadians up there!” my mother stated simply as I moaned about my so ... Cold Feet With packing comes the unexpected cold feet. The omg-what-am-I-doing double think that pours out of my brain. And if I didn’t go into this with just a smidgen of hestitation I’d be wor ... Poland Part 1: Warsaw As promised, here are some more details on my recent trip to Poland with Danielle. And most important, pictures! First we met up in Warsaw. We only had about a day and a half in Warsaw and unfortunat ... Big Country I took a nap too late in the day today and now I find myself wide awake at 3:45 a.m. These days, when I have even the slightest bit of a hard time falling asleep, I’m doomed. My mind begins to race and I can’t shut it off for long enough to fall asleep, no [...] Civic Education The goal of the Community Development PCV is to promote civic education which aims at imparting the knowledge and skills that a society needs for effective participation in the communit ... Civic Education The goal of the Community Development PCV is to promote civic education which aims at imparting the knowledge and skills that a society needs for effective participation in the community, ... FLEX
FLEX Friends
This is ... FLEX This is week four of our FLEX tutoring program. Jim and I along with our co-worker Lila, and student helpers; Inessa and Nastia developed a program that we hope will enabl ... Rock Concert for God A unique event happened in Dolyna last night. Not that every day is not unique. But last night we had a rock concert to raise money for the Catholic Church in Kviv. Sm ... Rock Concert for God A unique event happened in Dolyna last night. Not that every day is not unique. But last night we had a rock concert to ra ... Everyday Americans My school year is off to a good start. I actually got my schedule right away, something that didn’t happen my first three semesters here, and am really enjoying my classes so far. I have the second, ... Beauty for beauty’s sake Yesterday, on my run, there was a flock of birds high in the clear sky of Tatarbunary. This group of birds was actually dancing. They would divide into two groups, and those undulating droplet-like gr ... Camp HEAL 2009 Author: cschwiet
Keywords: HIV AIDS СПИД ВИЧ Ukraine
Added: September 17, 2009 high heels?!? I am trying to decide if I should bring high heels with me to Ukraine. I probably wear high heels once a year, if even that. The Peace Corps literature and many past Peace Corps Volunteers have said t ... Go to country list I made it! Ok so this is not the best time to blog (I'm in the middle of a scavenger hunt) But I wanted to put something down since I won't be aloud on the internet again for two months!So far:We arrived on Sund ... Go to country list Zoned In the past 24 hours, I have:* gone to work for the day, leaving the door wide open* left my keys in a completely unrelated door* lost (and found) my cell phone in the truck* banged into something wit ... Slacking on the blog! I am so bad. School has completely taken over my life. Ugh. I need some free time or I will go crazy. Luckily GQ saw fit to release me of duty so I am once again without a job but I made enough to las ... So here's the plan / I have uploaded 1452 new ZamPic's 2009-09-17So here's the plan: the cycle gets done tomorrow, I ride the heck out of it this weekend - I can't bring it back the next because all of the staff are on a retreat somewhere, then on Monday ... PEJ. Picture it: I am an the specialty food shop in Uptown Charlotte picking up a brisket for Rosh Hashanah dinner.The butcher says to me, "Oh, I bet this is going to be good. My friends make it with barbe ... | | Disclaimer: | The contents of this page, and all links appearing on this page, do not represent the positions, views or intents of the U.S. Government, or the United States Peace Corps. |
|---|
| Email: | journals@developmentary.org |
|---|
Developmentary Inc. (nonprofit
501c3) | | |
