Shopping like I've never shopped before

I didn't think that when I came to Peace Corps I would be doing as much shopping as I am. We are supposed to be living at a modest standard of living comparable to the locals; however, I am not sure if I am quite doing that.

Today I spent over $300 on food alone for site. I mean there's only so much root crops a girl can eat. I must let you know that $75 of that was on powdered milk, maybe a little mistake with that. I also planned on buying a gas stove today but the store was out of tubing so hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to get what I need.

So here's a few stories for you:

Yesterday I was walking down the street and a little boy came up to me to sell me a newspaper (very common occurrence). I politely declined the paper, but he insisted on opening the paper and then proceeded to show me a picture of me in it. He told me he recognized me from the photo (it was a photo from our swearing in ceremony). How sweet is that! I'm a celebrity here. I should've offered to autograph it for him.

Also today I went to the post office to buy some Aerogrammes. Aerogrammes are these pieces of paper that are pre-stamped and are the cheapest way for me to send international mail. I saw that they were all out on the shelf so I asked them if there were any in the back. They then told me that they would be out until "nekis yia." I replied "wanem?" and he repeated "bae i gat mo nekis yia". "wanem?" "januari!" Basically, in case your Bislama isn't up to par, he told me that they'd be out until january. The post office. Kas! Also just FYI, the ATM was out of money today too. And we're in the capital city.

I am definitely ready to go to Ambae. Well at least I think so. I am now sick of living in the hustle and bustle of the city life of Port Vila. Too much fast paced (although when I first got here, I thought the city was pretty slow moving). I am ready to just relax and not have to race around town. Such a hassle having to go to a restaurant and get food. However, lately we've been living it up on the food front including trips to a Japanese restaurant for some miso soup and sushi, Jill's American Cafe for some veggie burritos and milkshakes, and The Thai for something that resembled Thai food. I can't complain about the food in the capital at all. I just think of how I'll be eating laplap (google it!) for the next two years. Well laplap and 20 boxes of breakfast crackers that I bought at the Wholesale part of the supermarket today.

So on Thursday I head off to Ambae. I think first I will go to Saratamata for a little while (the provincial center on the island) because there is an agriculture trade show. Then I will head out to my site. I don't know for sure the next time I'll be back online, but I hope to be going to Luganville (the other city) sometime in January just to get more supplies and meet up with some people. But maybe I'll be bored in the next couple of days and post again on my blog. Be sure to check out the info on my satellite phone on the right. You can send me emails of 160 characters of less for free. Or you can text or call me, but I don't know how much that'll cost.

And I posted new pictures on the same facebook album from the last two.

Just a quick note

Maybe a quick post this time:

I am in Vila for the week so I will have time to update again soon. But I just uploaded some more pictures on facebook (the last link is the same one).

We had our swearing in ceremony on thursday and left the village on Friday. This week we're suppossed to be shopping and getting ready for site. Then I go to Ambae on Thursday of next week. But check out my pics and the Flickr website pics when you get a chance. I'll post again before I go to site. And check out the info on my satellite phone (on the right side of the page).

8 days until I am an official Peace Corps Volunteer

This is the last time I will be writing on my blog as a Peace Corps Trainee. Yup, in 8 days I will be swearing in as an official Peace Corps Volunteer. What must be done before then? Well, a two day workshop to do with environmental education, a Thanksgiving dinner held in our village, a day trip to Hat Island where a chief and a bunch of men are buried, and then one last week of important, informative classes along with some "tests". Dispersed in there I'm sure will be plenty of toktok, storian, and wokabaot. Lots of Uno, Spades, Canasta, and Ultimate Frisbee.

A week from Friday we will all come back to Port Vila and stay in a hotel here for a bit to do some shopping to get ready to go to site. I still do not know when exactly I will be headed to Ambae, but sometime during the first week in December.

So, I last posted on Saturday. Since then I have done not too much. I discovered I have a very common mango allergy that two or so Volunteers from each group have. It originated as a tingling sensation around my lips (not while I was eating the mango). It progressed into an itchy rash on my face that really wasn't visible to anyone, so I just thought I was crazy. By the time the rash moved to my back and arms (a few days later), I decided it was time to tell the nurse. She talked to me for just a few seconds and decidedly told me it was a mango allergy. But have no fear, I can still eat mangoes (and that's a good thing, because they are plentiful), but it is the oil on the underneath side of the skin that causes the reaction. Basically, someone else needs to cut it for me if I want to eat it. There are 2 others in our group who have discovered their own mango allergies while here. I'm just glad it's not pineapple, because I love pineapple and I eat one (okay not a whole one) every day.

Today in Vila we checked out the Teacher's College here and listened to different speeches: one from the Kindergarten ("Kindy") co-ordinator and one from S.I.L, the Bible translating missionary group. I also ate a veggie burger, fries, and ice cream today. Those things may seem so simple to you, readers in the U.S., but they surely make my day. Tomorrow night we are having a Thanksgiving Dinner for our village, sort of potluck style, with all the volunteers bringing a traditional Thanksgiving dish. I will be helping in creating the traditional Thanksgiving nachos. Good times.

Okay, well that's all really. Continue to check out the Flikr group photo site for pictures from other volunteers if you want (the website link is posted on the right). I don't have any new pictures this week. Talk to you November 30th!

Pictures and stuff

First things first, this my dog, Saelin, and my cat, Lini, who are waiting for me on Ambae. They belong to the current volunteer who I am replacing and I am super excited to have them.

Next I want to post my link for my facebook pictures: Pictures

They are from our Halloween party that we had for the village and from my week on Ambae.

Well I am in Vila today for a futbal (soccer) game which is New Zealand vs. Vanuatu. It should be a good time. This week in training we had technical week, which means basically that we learned somewhat what our job will entail. It was also cool to talk to everyone about their sites. Everyone had completely different experiences. I am sure once we get together for All-Vol in May things we will have even cooler stories to share.

Well I compiled a list of things that you could send me, if you want to send me a package:

granola bars, oatmeal packs, any snack food, candy, photographs, books, magazines, newspapers, any other food items. Mail is great here. And I will send you a letter back.


Okay, hmm, life in the village has been pretty simple. It's funny how when I first got to Vanuatu it was really hard there, but now the village seems "flas tumas"- sort of like very fancy, especially compared to Ambae.

Well, I think I'll get going. I'll be back in Vila on Wednesday because I think we have some meetings with the education office. Then I may be heading to Ambae as early as December 5th.

I survived wokabaot

So I just got back from Ambae. I am so darn out there.

It's a lot of hills and a lot of laplap (the national dish of vanuatu which consists of mushed up root crop). The people are all really nice. I was there for a week. I live somewhat near the water. To get to my village you fly to the island, walk 30 minutes, take a boat for 2 hours, and then walk 30 minutes up hill to my house.

The boat: on the way there we went super slow because something was wrong with the engine. On the way back, we went really fast. When i asked why, they told me it was because there was a whole in the boat. But at least the boat didn't break and they had to use flipflops to paddle to shore (not that that's happened before).

There is a generator in my village at the headmaster's house. The 4 schools I will be working at are all very far apart and I'll be walking 2+ hours to get to some of them.

The people all speak a local language that I do not know, but we can communicate through Bislama, sort of.

I don't have any pictures now because I forgot my camera cord in the training village.

I'm sure there's a lot more things I should be saying, but really I am just on overload. Once the pictures come in a couple weeks, I'll explain them.

Also, I may not have internet again until December (end of training), so send emails to volunteer@vu.peacecorps.gov. and put my name on the subject line.

And if you send me any more letters, start sending them to my new address at:

my name
Vanue Marama School
PO Box 30
Lolowai, North Ambae
Vanuatu, South Pacific

And write Air Mail (it costs 90 cents).

Thanks. More later if I have time and more mental clarity. I think I'm going to go get some real food now.

Survivor

So some more time has past. I have been watching Survivor Vanuatu lately. You should watch it. It was filmed right in the village that I'm at now, and a lot of the people from the village are on the show. The chief that they mention on the show is our chief. It's really cool. And all the food that they are eating is what we eat too. If you get a chance to watch it, (rent it from blockbuster) you'll get a small taste of what my life is like.

So I'm pretty sure I'm going to Ambae for my site. On Saturday I am going for my wokabaot for a week. Then I'll be in the training village until the first week of December so don't expect too many more updates on this. I think once I go to site in December I will have a satellite phone. I'll be able to receive texts and emails for free so as soon as i get that number, I'll post it on here.

No new pictures or anything. For the next month since I'll be a site, if you want to contact me send an email to volunteer@vu.peacecorps.gov and put my name on the subject line. Those emails are great and I love getting them.

Happy Halloween!

my first real off island experience

This past weekend I went to the nearby island of Nguna to visit another volunteer. About 15 people from my training group along with a handful of the other volunteers headed over for a little fundraiser type activity. Our journey began with the normal standard of aelan taem (island time for those without excellent Bislama skill). The truck, due to arrive at 7 I think, maybe rolled up by 8:30. In this truck, a common mode of transportation in Vanutu, we all sit down in the back which is covered by a steel frame and then a tarp (because it's raining). It is sweltering hot and I have bodies touching me on all sides. After a bumpy ride, I look out and see water all around us. We have parked on the pier. We then load into 2 speedboats (and we all have our Peace Corps issued lifejackets) and zip off to Nguna. The sea was a little rough but we made it without any spewing. Once we arrived to the shore of Nguna, we then had an endless trek up to this particular volunteer's village. Up and up and up, and okay, maybe endless means 45 minutes, but it seemed like an eternity.

In Nguna, we mostly just hung out and talked and of course played Uno, because that's how we spend all of our time. There was string band performance and then the next day there was an optional hike up to the volcano, but it was downpouring so I opted out of that in favor of another game of Uno. Seriously, Uno has taken over my life. The biggest stressor in my life right now is if I have a Draw 4 Wild in my hand.

It had been cold and rainy for the last few days, I was even wearing my heavy jacket, but then all of a sudden, yesterday, it got at least 85 and humidity through the roof. We played our first game of Ultimate Frisbee in awhile and I was exhausted.

So that's basically it right now. In a week and a half I will be heading out for wokabaot where I get to visit my site. I think I may be going to an island called Ambae which probably means absolutely nothing to you. But I won't really give much info because it's not definite yet. I will find out next week.

And don't forget you can send me emails to volunteer@vu.peacecorps.gov and they'll print them out for me.


And here's a picture of sunset in my village:

earthquakes

My days have become a blur so it's getting harder to write things about each day, but this morning, I did experience an earthquake. I woke up and my bed was shaking and I thought "wow it's really windy out here". But then later when I was talking to other people, they told me it was an earthquake. There was one last week but I slept through that one. This one was a 4.8 I think.

In other news, on Thursday a PCV in Vanuatu passed away due to an accident involving a tree branch. Very sad and took a toll on the Peace Corps community. There's more details on the Peace Corps website about it.

Also, a lot of volunteers in my group have been finding out their site assignments. I still have no idea. In 2.5 weeks I leave for wokabaot where I go for a week to my site and visit. I am going to try to pull it out of them sometime soon. I want to know where I'll be!

Well, that's all for now. I've enjoyed the mail I've been getting! Thanks!

beaches and head shaving

Hanging at Survivor Beach (where Survivor Vanuatu was filmed)






Dan cutting my hair with a Bigfala Naef (machete)- then i shaved it all off.







Also before I forget: here's the link to my newest pictures. http://loyolamd.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2036341&l=45432&id=20101312

Well, I have another very successful week. Lots of good stuff. Lots of learning? in class. I have improved my Bislama skills for sure. Over the weekend we spent the time relaxing at the beach. I've done a lot of snorkeling. I eat a lot of good food. I am still getting up early in the morning, but I've been going snorkeling and have started to do yoga in the a.m. too. Also, all the volunteers have been hanging out at night, so that's good too.

In other good news, I bought a guitar and am learning to play it. I am very excited about that and hopefully when I get home, I'll be a guitar pro.

Also, I shaved my head which was fun. Washing my hair with a bucket of cold water was too much work. Plus it was really hot out. My hair will grow back, don't worry, but everyone says it looks good.

What else? It's hard to say. Things are starting to seem more normal now, more like life instead of being amazed by every little thing. But the sunsets are still gorgeous and the stars in the night sky are absolutely amazing.

Training!

View from my classroom at the training village








My very own house!










Wow, I moved out to my village for community based training. It is absolutely crazy. This was much more the Peace Corps I expected. I sleep in a little grass hut in a cot sized bed with a bug net. There are lots of bugs. The first day i couldn't speak much Bislama at all so I felt pretty out of place, but now, by day 3, I feel like I can speak it fairly well. My days consist of getting up very early due to loud roosters, taking a bucket shower, going to class, going swimming/snorkeling, eating, and going to bed soon after it gets dark. The village I am in is right on the ocean so it's great. It's very small and everyone knows everyone. The kids are great and want to play with us all day. I have one sister in my host family who is 7 years old, and we are best buds. She shows me where the best place to swim is to avoid sharks (just kidding! sort of). The only potentially dangerous creature I've encountered is a couple giant centipedes which are super scary and apparently hurt like no other. I mildly freaked out when I saw them.

Let's see what else. I told my mama "mi no kakae mit" so she makes me special vegetarian meals. I've eaten more here than I normally do at home. The mamas want us all to eat a lot which is good. The food is a blend of all sorts. Some local food, but my village is close to Vila so they buy a lot of imported goods too. My mama cooks all her food on a fire she builds in the little kitchen building.

Okay, well I am going to go now, but I wanted to let you know I posted more pictures on the same facebook album as the last post (the last post labeled "pictures" i think). Check them out to see village life.

pictures

http://loyolamd.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2035568&l=64c77&id=20101312

Okay the link for my pictures wasn't working in the other post, so try this. If it still doesn't work, just cut and paste.

And here's just a picture of us paying attention to the teacher during class.

And I'll leave you with this view of my home.

Snorkeling and Eating Training

So yesterday we had nutrition and water safety class. AKA eating and snorkeling.

In the morning, we walked over to our nurse's amazing house and learned all about bashing open coconuts and how to use coconut milk to cook absolutely everything. Then we ate a copious amount of food, most of which was covered in coconut sauce. I don't even know if I really like coconut milk covering all of my food, but I guess I'll get used to it.

Then in the afternoon, we took a catamaran out in the ocean. Someone talked to us about the dangers of the sea as we sailed out to a snorkeling location. Then we all "had to" jump in the water with our Peace Corps issued PFDs to prove we could use them. Then we took them off and got to go snorkeling for a couple hours.

Peace Corps Vanuatu is freakin awesome. Today, I move out to my training village where I'll be for 2 months. I'll be coming back in to Vila every week to observe in classrooms, so I may have time to update some.

Also, I added some more pictures to my second facebook album which is at:

http://loyolamd.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2035568&l=64c77&id=20101312

sand drawings and beautiful sunset

Well let's see. In my last post, I forgot to talk about the bigfala knives. I bought myself one. There's also known as bush knives, or machetes. Mine is 18 inches long and will be used to thrash through the bush (cut down trees and branches) and to break open coconuts. I think it should be a good time.

Last night we went to a music festival in Vila. It's all weekend long, but last night was only local string bands. Tonight will be pop/rock. The cool thing about it was that there was no alcohol allowed, only kava, so instead of everyone being rowdy and out of control, everyone was just chill and watching the music.

The first picture is of a man doing a sand drawing at the local cultural center. Traditionally the sand drawings are unique to each island and the drawings convey a specific meaning. This one is something about love. He also sings and plays music and tells stories as he does the sand drawings.

The next picture is pretty self-explanatory, but that's a view from the beach in Port Vila. The weather has actually been nice for the last couple days without major bouts of torential downpour. But I probably shouldn't get used to nice weather for too long. And last night I actually wore pants and a long sleeve shirt surprisingly.

Okay and lastly, here's the link to some more of my pictures.

http://loyolamd.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2035568&l=64c77&id=20101312

Bigfala knife and lots of shots

So I don't remember exactly what I wrote last time, but since then, I have been going through some training and different things. I got 4 immunizations for various diseases and my arms are slightly sore. I've learned all about malaria, giardia, and everything in between. I have a vague idea of what I'll be doing for the next 10 weeks of training. We haven't started language training yet, but we start soon.

I am getting more into the culture lately. I have shopped at the market where there's tons of fresh produce for very cheap. I have started to use the very minimal phrases I know in Bislama. I walk most places, but also take the local bus system. This bus system is crazy. Buses here are just large vans and you flag one down anywhere on the street. Then you hop in and tell them where you want to go, but the trick is that there are other people in there too. So they just basically drop you off in the order you got in. But it's always only 100 vatu ($1) no matter where you are going in the city.

Let's see what else. Everything is starting to feel familiar to me, so it's harder to write about the basic things. But I know to you they are still foreign. In terms of clothing, in Vila women are allowed to wear pants, but once we go to the village we are not allowed to wear pants anymore. If we want to, we'd have to wear a lava lava (sarong) over the pants. You also should wear shirts that cover the sleeves. For the most part, I wear long skirts and collared shirts or t-shirts. The boys have more freedom and they wear shorts and t-shits most of the time. I am excited to get my first Mother Hubbard, which is a dress made of colorful fabric that is very large and does not really have a shape.

For now, I posted the link to the group's photo website where we'll all start uploading pictures. I posted that link on the right, but here it is again: http://www.flickr.com/groups/vanuatu20b/

I don't know if anyone's posted pics yet, but you can check that out when you get the chance.

Also, here's the email address you can use to contact me during training (for the next 2 months). It's volunteer@vu.peacecorps.gov just make sure you put my first and last name on the subject line, and they'll deliver those emails to me at the training site (I go on Sunday). If you're too lazy to write a letter, an emails a great alternative, and you could send me an email AND write a physical letter if you want.

That's all for now!

in vanuatu

I'm here. i'm loving it. the computer is pretty ridiculous though. but here's my photo album. no captions, so make them up for yourslef.

http://loyolamd.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2035406&l=2efa4&id=20101312

let me know if that didn't work. hopefully it does.

so let me just update real quick. we arrived on saturday. we were super tired but we got a great greeting of leis and coconuts. then we had a driving tour of the city. we had no time to rest before we went out for kava (go to Peace Corps Vanuatu website for info about kava). then we went to dinner. the prices are expensive because we're in the capital and there are tourists. on sunday, we all had the day off so we went to a resort where pcvs can use the pool for free. then today we started training. did a lot of medical stuff and all.

we're staying in a nice hotel with electricity, hot showers, and a/c. on next sunday we move to our rural village for training. please write me letters. see you soon.

Peace Corps staging

This is some of my staging group (and some random guy) in the hotel hot tub. We really have a rough life here in the Peace Corps.

Anyway, here's some info about what we've done so far.

So most of us arrived on Tuesday to LA and just hung out and had free time that whole day. We're staying in a really nice hotel that PC puts us up in. On Wednesday morning at 8 am, we began official staging. We've learned a lot about PC policies and about safety and risk. I would say that's the majority of what we did. We didn't really learn too much about Vanuatu; we'll do that once we get in country. We've really gotten to know each other well even though we've only known each other for a brief time. We also had our night off last night to eat a nice meal and just have a fun time with everyone.

Today, we had more staging in the morning. We learned more about how we're actually getting to Vanuatu. We're taking a flight to Auckland, New Zealand tonight at 9 pm and then we arrive Auckland time 5:30 am on Saturday the 22nd. Then we depart NZ at noon and get to Vanuatu around 2:30. We'll be in Port Vila where we should have some internet access. The Peace Corps staff will meet us at the airport and we'll be staying in an actual hotel in Vila. I guess that's to "ease us in" to life in Vanuatu. We'll be there until the 29th when we go to our rural training village.

So we have the rest of the afternoon until 5:30 free to do whatever we want. We have to check out of the hotel soon and stow away all of our bags.

So far, I'm not regretting bringing my computer. Even if I don't ever use it again, at least I had it during staging. I would say maybe half of us have laptops, but I really don't know if I'll be able to use it once I get there. We'll see. A current volunteer told me that most people that bring laptops don't regret it. But trusty Delilah may not be so trusty once I get over there where I don't have electricity.

Quick note and photos

Not much time to post. I'm having a blast and will post more tomorrow. I just wanted to post some pictures (courtesy of Laura and Elin).

http://villanova.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2065680&l=d10b2&id=6100829

That's the link so check them out. They're from Santa Monica where we spent our first night. More to come tomorrow. I'm still in LA. We leave tomorrow night for New Zealand and then Vanuatu.

Los Angeles. . .

I'm in LA right now. I got in yesterday at about 2 pm. I took the free shuttle to the hotel which was nice because I expected to have to pay for a shuttle. When I walked in the doors, I saw a few people at the front desk with extremely large packs and immediately thought "PEACE CORPS." I was right. So a bunch of us met up in the lobby at 3 pm. The eight of us all took a bus down to Santa Monica, hung out, and ate dinner. It was great to finally meet everyone else. It made the whole experience seem more real and it was good to talk to people that really truly understand exactly what you're going through. After we got back to our hotel, we became the official welcome wagon and we met maybe 6 other people or so. We hung out at night and now this morning, at 8 am, we will meet everyone else. There will be 23 of us total going to Vanuatu in group 20B. I am so excited to meet everyone else.

tomorrow tomorrow tomorrow

I leave tomorrow.

Today, my iPod broke, so luckily I made over 50 CDs to bring with me. Those darn iPods cause more trouble than they're worth. I'm kind of happy to not be bringing it with me. But on another note, I decided I will be bringing my laptop with me. I've heard that some villages have generators which are on for a couple hours a night and I could charge my laptop there. And if I don't want it in my village, I can leave it in the Peace Corps office in the capitol. Since Delilah (my computer) is so old and slow, I don't really mind if she stops working over there. I probably wouldn't use her when I got back anyway. And I have the space to take her with me so why not? Plus this way, if she does work, I can type up emails and blog posts before I go to internet cafes and then maybe save time/ money by just copying and pasting emails.

If you haven't sent me mail yet, you probably should. I've heard the first 6 weeks or so can be pretty lonely if people wait until you leave to send you mail.

I'll be in Los Angeles until Thursday night doing staging. I'm not exactly sure what will take place there but I know I'll learn about different policies and procedures and I'll turn in all of my paperwork. I am so unbelievably excited to meet everyone in my training group (20B)! I arrive in LA at 2 pm tomorrow and Peace Corps stuff doesn't start until Wednesday morning so I'm not really sure what I'll be doing in the afternoon, probably just getting to know the other volunteers. I will have my cell phone in LA and will be leaving it there; so if you were meaning to call me before I left and you just didn't have time, you still have time for the next couple days.

Packing

I think packing for Peace Corps makes for an interesting blog topic. I am leaving in just a couple days and a I have pretty much finished packing. Packing for 2 years was not as difficult as it may seem. When I studied abroad, I packed so much stuff that my bags just barely made it under the weight limit. When I was going there, I felt like I had to bring everything I could possibly need for 6 months. I'm not sure why I felt this way. I guess I was used to packing for college where I needed to furnish an apartment or something. Nonetheless, I did use most of what I brought, but I probably could've gotten along with a little less. I mean they did have stores in New Zealand. Now that I'm going to Vanuatu, I am considering it more like moving rather than traveling. I don't need to bring everything I might possibly need, because I can get stuff there. Yes, it is a developing country, but if the people can live over there so can I. So maybe I won't have everything I'm used to here, but isn't that the point? I'm supposed to be living like the locals and not like an affluent American. So I know when I was coming up with my packing list, I looked at lots of other PCVs (Peace Corps Volunteers) lists; so I've decided to share mine with you. You probably won't find this information useful unless you're planning on moving to a developing country sometime soon. And just FYI all of this stuff is being packed in 1 large rolling duffel bag and one small backpacking type backpack. I also have one small carryon. I could've had another carryon but I don't really need it. And so far my bags are way under the limit and I'm pretty much done.

Packing List
Sunglasses (2 pairs)
Ziploc bags
travel size toiletries (biodegrable soap, shampoo/conditioner, deoderant, toothbrushes (2), toothpaste, floss, Qtips)
aloe vera gel
journal
EmergenC
rechargeable AA batteries, AA batteries, AAA batteries
solar powered battery charger
sneaker boots
reef flip flops
chacos
claritin/vitamins
chapstik
camp shower
2 pairs of glasses
towels- quick dry and thin regular one
can opener
leatherman
nalgene
day pack and/or tote bag
water resistant watch
ear plugs
camera, extra memory card (and usb cord) in plastic case
USB stick
headlamp
shortwave radio
sewing kit
scissors
notebook
solar calculator
pens, pencils, sharpies, crayons
deck of cards
world and us map
US stamps (to send home with friends)
envelopes
books- 4 novels, kids books, teaching reading manual
ipod and charger and battery extender
nail clippers
sanitary products
duct tape
umbrella
outlet converters
hat
ipod speakers
Soduko book, puzzle book
bandanas
hair ties
hair brush
sunscreen
dress shoes
earrings
Invitation Kit from Peace Corps
Hand sanitizer
CDs
laundry bag
masking tape
CD player
photos
stain stick
hard candy for gifts
other small gifts for families
Snorkel, mask, and fins




Clothing (approximate quantites)
skirts (4)
collared shirts (4)
t-shirts (4)
loose long sleeve shirt (2)
shorts and capris (4)
bathing suits (2)
sweatshirt (1)
sweater (1)
fleece jacket (1)
rain coat (1)
long pants (3)
underwear (14)
socks (10)


There's probably some other stuff I've thrown in there that's not on my list. But that is pretty extensively what I'm bringing. I think on paper it looks like a lot more than it is. I really didn't want to bring too much because who knows how far I'll be carrying it all. I think I did a pretty good job all in all.

might as well post more while I still have internet

I figure while I am stateside I might as well get in as much posting as possible, because once I journey to Vanuatu, I'm not sure how much posting I'll be doing.

For one, I found out that a distant relative of mine was the first senior citizen to enter the Peace Corps. Her name is Sue Sadow and she wrote a book about her experience called Into Africa. It is next on my book list. So I guess it runs in the family.

Let's see. I also found some roundtrip tickets to Vanuatu (Port Vila) from the east coast of the US for around $1500. So for all of you kids who were considering visiting but thought it was too expensive, think again! I found those specific ones on www.orbitz.com but I am guessing there are others out there too. However, I can't have any visitors until at least six months into me being there, and even better if it's later as long as it's not the last 3 months. I'm thinking the best time to visit will be next Jan-Feb (2009) because that will be my summer vacation, but if you're thinking of coming another time, that's cool too. Just let me know.

I suppose I can also update you on some info about what I know. I can't really remember what I have already said so this may be some repeats. I am going to Los Angeles for a 2 day staging on September 18th and then I'll arrive in New Zealand I think on September 21st. Then I think I go to Vanuatu shortly after that. I will be in the capital (Port Vila) for a few days where I will most likely have internet access. Then I'll be going to some rural village for training for 2 months. Sometime during that training I'll be going on a Walkabout where I will visit my future 2 year village. Then after training I'll go back to Port Vila for a few days where I'll buy my supplies that I'll need for life in the bush. When I move to my village, I'll be staying with a host family for 2 months while I get acclimated and then I think I'll move into my own grass hut!

So you can expect some sort of communication from me during the September - December period (maybe 2-3 times). Then once I'm in my village, not much internet (doubtful of any electricity at all) but whenever I go back to the capital I'll be able to update you then!

I can't really say that I know much of what I'll be doing. During training I'll be learning about safety, health, job specific training, culture training, and language (Bislama). But then once I go to my village, most likely they speak one of over 100 indigenous languages. And for 200,000 total people in the country, it makes Vanuatu the country with the most languages per person in the world. So should be interesting. The kids in school learn either French or English as a second language (depending on where in the country they are). Some of the islands were once controlled by France and some by England. I have heard that the kids know more English or French than the adults so we'll see. And hopefully my high school French will come back to me. I think it will especially after having a French camper in my cabin this year at Omega.


I think that may be all the updating for today. Two weeks from tomorrow I'll be leaving for LA so I'm sure there will be plenty more updates between now and then.

More to update!

Well I got home from an excellent summer at camp. I am going to miss OTC a lot, but I'll be back summer of 2010. Have no fear, I'll be there.

I then went on an extremely adventurous backpacking trip to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. This trip included a dislocated knee that resulted in a 3 mile uphill homemade stretcher carry from 12 - 3 am(not me), but I did get a horrendous case of poision ivy.

Meanwhile, I got my staging kit for Peace Corps. I am now leaving a little earlier than expected (September 18th). I have learned some more specifics, but not too much. I can get letters and padded envelope packages at the address listed on the side of this blog. It should only take 2-4 weeks at that address (which I'll have until December). I am first flying to Los Angeles where I'll be for a couple days. Then to get to Vanuatu, I will be flying through Auckland, New Zealand (haven't been there since June 06).

Let's see what else. I have to get my serious shopping and packing on. Not only do I have to pack for Peace Corps, I have to pack up my entire room because my parents are moving in October. It seems to be a simple yet annoying task, because really I'm just going to shove things into boxes, but I still am using most of my stuff now, so I can't really pack it up yet. And packing for Peace Corps, it's hard to even think about. When I was younger, I used to pack for summer camp months ahead of time, but now I think I might wait until a week before I go to pack. I also don't really have room in my tiny closet of a bedroom to spread out my stuff and get organized to pack. I do, obviously if you know me at all, have a very detailed packing and shopping list for Vanuatu. But it is kind of overwhelming trying to think of what I need, what I want, and what I want to carry with me for 2 years of my life. I want to pack light, but I don't know how that's going to work out. Luckily, most of what I'll be bringing in terms of clothes will be summery, so my bags won't be bogged down with winter coats or anything.

I have lots of paperwork to do and other things to take care of before I leave. I have a huge list of stuff to do, but right now all I want to do is take an oatmeal bath to relieve my itching. I will post more later!

Off to camp for the summer

I'm off to camp for the summer. I'll be back August 19th!

Accepted the Invitation

http://www.positiveearth.org/vpai/vanuatu_map/Vanuatu-High-Res-Map.jpg

I accepted my invitation to Vanuatu. This is a map. It is located in the South Pacific about 3/4 of the way between Hawaii and Australia. I have been reading loads and loads about it, but I feel like I could continue to learn more. Luckily, I am very busy with camp, otherwise, I would be spending my days making packing lists (of which I've already looked at a couple online). There are so many different things to consider when moving to a developing country for a couple years. I have lots and lots to do but it feels good to finally know where I am going. And luckily I have 3 weeks in September to do all the reading, shopping, and packing that I need. I am super excited and I know that everything will work out great. I leave you today with a picture of where I'll be working hard for a couple years.

http://www.deakin.edu.au/education/schoolexp/global/images/v_beach.jpg

Vanuatu

Going to Vanuatu on September 21st. It's an island chain in the South Pacific. See ya there! More to come later.

invitation

According to the website, my invitation was sent Sunday, June 24th, but I have yet to receive it. You can just imagine my anxieties.

placement review complete

Today I got a status update on my application toolkit saying that my placement review was completed. I hope that means that they have sent me invitation!

soon... soon

Today I was told that my file is under review for placement. (And I had to send in my college transcript.) But then when I e-mailed them, it said that the woman was out of the office until July 2nd; so hopefully someone else will place me soon!

Medically cleared!

Medically cleared today- found out via e-mail. And in case you were wondering, that means I could get my invitation any day now!

travels and paperwork done

So I graduated college and jetsetted off to the Southwest of the good ole U.S.A. This photo shows Bryce Canyon in Utah- absolutely amazing by the way. I flew into Las Vegas and then drove around to some national parks. Meanwhile I postponed my PC efforts. However, as soon as I got back I went to the doctor and got my necessary paperwork signed. Also, before graduation, I went to the health center at school and get my Hepatitis Bloodwork done and that all came back a-okay. So I put the necessary documents in the mail and we can all hope for medical clearance sometime this week. Hopefully an invitation soon after that.

A little hiccup

Today was a little bit of craziness. I awoke to a phone call from my mother telling me that she received something in the mail from Peace Corps. My great excitement (anticipating that it was my placement) was deflated when I heard I had not passed the medical section of the screening. I had to show something about my "environmental allergies" and I had some sort of positive for Hepatitis. This didn't seem good.

In terms of environmental allergies, I was pretty sure this aroused due to the fact that I listed I took Claritin but I never went to a doctor about it. All I have to do for that is have a doctor write down that I have seasonal allergies, shouldn't be a big deal. The Hepatitis thing on the other hand was sort of a big deal.

I have to get more bloodwork done because I was reactive for the Hepatitis B Core AB (whatever that means). I then was worrying because as of soon I will no longer have adequate health insurance. But when I called the College health center they said they could do the bloodwork tomorrow for me, which was quite nice. They didn't seem to understand why I would need a second test and they thought being reactive meant I had the Hep B vaccine back in the day. However, the Peace Corps folk said that it could mean I was exposed to Hep B at some point. So tomorrow I'll go to the Health Center, get even more blood drawn, and send that away. Then hopefully they will mail me a copy of the results at home. I will then have to bring those to a doctor back home to look at and fill out the form for me.

Someone once made the analogy between the Peace Corps application process and the actual PC experience. If you can't make it through this process, well then you might not be cut out for the actual service. But I know I can make it. It is a long, hard, complicated road, but I want to perservere. All these little hiccups along the way show my desire and drive to be a part of the Peace Corps. I'm glad I called the office the other day; I think that jumpstarted my screening. Now I can send back my info, and maybe it will spark them to give me medical clearance quickly, especially if I return the forms quickly. Then perhaps, hopefully my PLACEMENT will come.

A tiny note

I talked to my medical person at Peace Corps today, because it's been over 6 weeks since they received my medical packet. They said they are still working on approving people who plan to leave in the summer; so I probably won't get medically cleared for another 3-4 weeks. Then after that I still have to wait for my invitation. On a side note, I've been reading lots of other people's blogs who are in Peace Corps currently or about to go and it really makes me excited.

I am posting this picture just to test the picture uploader and see how it works out. I wonder if I'll have internet where I am. I also wonder if I'll be able to put my digital pics on to a computer or if I will just have to leave them on my camera the whole time. It would be quite nice if I did get to at least upload them to a computer and then perhaps store them on my USB stick or something. (And in case you were wondering, this picture is from the tulip garden down the street from where I live in Baltimore.)

practicing

I am currently practicing the virtue of patience. It is a long road, but I feel good about it all. Everyday I check the Peace Corps website hoping for some sort of positive status update. I know it still may be weeks, but I am just excited.

Dentally cleared

Just one step closer. I passed my dental clearance. I found out much sooner than I had expected. Now I am waiting for medical clearance. I also had a really bizarre dream last night about Peace Corps. Lizzy and I were there together and we slept in tents, but we had electricity and cell phones and televisions. However, we did not have any toilets. I woke up happy and thinking about Peace Corps.

The wait continues...

This week I mailed in my complete medical packet. I went to so many doctors appointments and had so much paper work to fill out. I just hope it is all complete and that I hear back sometime soon.

The long wait begins

Today I am in the process of the long wait. With that I am referring to the time period between nomination and invitation. I was nominated for Pacific Islands on January 19th. Now I have to go through medical clearance. I am going to lots of doctors and filling out lots of forms. Approximately 4-8 weeks after I submit the forms, I should hear back from Peace Corps. With that in mind, hopefully by graduation I will know about the next step in my life.

I plan on using this blog throughout my Peace Corps experiences: pre-service, during (if I have any internet access), and post-service. I will try to keep you updated with the whole process. Make comments with any questions or even just to say hi.