Apparently my heartfelt letter did the trick because after a round of phone tag this afternoon, D called and said he had one last question for me and inquired after my best address. I told him and then he said "well, congratulations because you will be receiving your invitation in the mail!"
AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
I said "are you serious?!" and he laughed and said that he had to "go to bat" for me against his superiors and fought hard to allow me to be an exception to the rule. He then said "please don't prove me wrong" and I assured him that I would not ET.
And dammit, I really cannot ET now! Haha, not that I was that worried about it, but now I'll let other people down besides myself.
So now I have no idea where I'm going. STILL. I have to wait until I get the official invite package in the mail! He said it would be here soon next week, but could take up to 10 days. Ahhhhh, I guess I can wait 10 more days if i have to!
I am so stoked and thankful that this process is essentially over. I know I have a lot of paperwork stuff to look forward to now, but I am really grateful for the overall smoothness of the process. I got pretty frustrated with the Peace Corps relatively often, but in the end, it's all worked out for the best. Hopefully. I guess I still don't know my country.
Care to make a wager?
I absolutely cannot focus on my work now!
Officially I have 2 presentations, 3 major 15-20 page papers, a biology lab project/paper, and two class exam finals to complete before graduation. And I only have 4 days of college classes left EVER. Finals are the week after and then its senior week and graduation.
OMG I'm going be a Peace Corps volunteer!!!!
Stay tuned for the official country location.
The numbers of Sub-Saharan, francophone Africa countries with health programs leaving in July have increased:
Mali- July 1
Niger- July 7
Benin- July 14
Madagascar- July 19
Who knows?
E
Friday, April 30, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Rewind--what?!
I got a phone call a little while ago from D, my placement officer.
Apparently getting engaged is considered one of a few "life changing" events. Ok...well, whenever an applicant has a life changing event they are required to wait a year before being reconsidered for service...
WHAT?!?!?!
After a mild panic attack and some deep breathing, D went on to explain that they make very few exceptions to this, but that he'd be willing to fight for me to become one of those few exceptions to the year waiting rule. IF I can demonstrate via writing a detailed letter that I should be considered a special case.
Ok, so a) I was being courteous when I informed the Peace Corps of my engagement. As many people have implied, I didn't HAVE to tell them at all. I was trying to be honest and helpful =(
b) Having a ring on my finger does not change AT ALL the level of commitment and seriousness of the relationship.
c) We've planned on my Peace Corps service since THE DAY we started dating over 4 years ago.
d) We WANTED to get engaged before service because it would make things EASIER not HARDER. Having the peace of mind that this engagement brings actually makes us both calmer and more okay with the impending separation.
So basically, I wrote a reeeally detailed letter about our background, expectations, plans for marriage, plans for dealing with the distance and communication, why we chose to get engaged now, and how there is no "life altering" aspect of this engagement that makes waiting a year make any sense at all.
D said he'd fight for me to his superiors, so here's hoping I wrote a decent letter. I just faxed it a few minutes ago. Hopefully things will go well. I have a good feeling, but it's still extremely frustrating to me. I just don't understand why they can't just take me at my word that my relationship is stable and I don't expect to ET? I get asking questions about it upfront, but when I say that we can do it, they really need to accept it. It seems so paternalistic to continue to question my capacity to keep my relationship together while serving abroad. After making sure that we know it's going to hard and getting my assurances, they should be happy!
/rant.
We'll see. Hopefully I'll know something by next week.
E
Apparently getting engaged is considered one of a few "life changing" events. Ok...well, whenever an applicant has a life changing event they are required to wait a year before being reconsidered for service...
WHAT?!?!?!
After a mild panic attack and some deep breathing, D went on to explain that they make very few exceptions to this, but that he'd be willing to fight for me to become one of those few exceptions to the year waiting rule. IF I can demonstrate via writing a detailed letter that I should be considered a special case.
Ok, so a) I was being courteous when I informed the Peace Corps of my engagement. As many people have implied, I didn't HAVE to tell them at all. I was trying to be honest and helpful =(
b) Having a ring on my finger does not change AT ALL the level of commitment and seriousness of the relationship.
c) We've planned on my Peace Corps service since THE DAY we started dating over 4 years ago.
d) We WANTED to get engaged before service because it would make things EASIER not HARDER. Having the peace of mind that this engagement brings actually makes us both calmer and more okay with the impending separation.
So basically, I wrote a reeeally detailed letter about our background, expectations, plans for marriage, plans for dealing with the distance and communication, why we chose to get engaged now, and how there is no "life altering" aspect of this engagement that makes waiting a year make any sense at all.
D said he'd fight for me to his superiors, so here's hoping I wrote a decent letter. I just faxed it a few minutes ago. Hopefully things will go well. I have a good feeling, but it's still extremely frustrating to me. I just don't understand why they can't just take me at my word that my relationship is stable and I don't expect to ET? I get asking questions about it upfront, but when I say that we can do it, they really need to accept it. It seems so paternalistic to continue to question my capacity to keep my relationship together while serving abroad. After making sure that we know it's going to hard and getting my assurances, they should be happy!
/rant.
We'll see. Hopefully I'll know something by next week.
E
ZOMG phone interview!!
I hear my phone buzzing, see that it's an unknown number, and for the first time in weeks, decide that there is no possible way that it could be the peace corps, and roll over and go back to sleep.
An hour later I am waking up for class and see that I have a voice mail. I listen. It's D--my placement officer! I hurriedly jot down his number to call him back and take some deep breaths. I weigh attending my class against calling him back. I take some more deep breaths and go brush my teeth.
I decide to skip class to call him back (I mean, this is my LIFE! I can miss one more French class geez). He answers quite chipperly and finds my file. He says he just wants to talk to me about my placement and my feelings during the process since nomination (which was like 5 months ago at this point!).
He wanted to clarify about a school policy that I had talked about in my interview--apparently I had come across as a bit of a rebel when it came to the policy in question. I was a little horrified since my actions as far as this rule goes were pretty tame and more of a subtle attack on what I felt needed to be changed. He explained that the peace corps has a lot of rules that don't necessarily make sense at first and cited the example of not riding motorcycles. I know about that one from reading all the Benin blogs!
We then spent some time talking about my support system and he asked about my dad's hesitation. I explained that my dad was just going to be nervous about the next step in my life no matter where it was and that we had talked about safety and communication. I feel like I maybe overestimated the level of 'ok' that my dad has for the peace corps, but he'll come around. He just needs some more time.
He then asked about a few specific things. The first one was "can you ride a bicycle?" I was like "Hells yeah!" I used to do some light off-roading/mountain biking when I was younger, and I am so all about riding bikes. Woot. Go Lance.
He then asked if I'd still be willing to take out my nose piercing. I said yes of course, even though that would really suck. I know I could get it redone, but I mean, damn. That will hurt and I might not actually do it for fear of the pain and the hassle of healing time. But it looks so cute on me. I'm not sure if this means that I WILL have to take out my piercing or not, but it's a possibility still. He wouldn't elaborate on more specifically if I'd need to for the program, saying that he actually wasn't sure because they didn't really focus on that kind of detail, haha. He was pretty funny actually.
He then asked about my vegetarianism flexibility which I said was 100%. Which is true, but I'm really going to try hard to maintain it if I can. If I can't do it safely, though, I'll eat meat. Eww. Haha.
He asked me if I'd be willing to go anywhere they sent me and I said what was probably the most honest and open thing I said during the whole conversation: I really want Africa and will be bummed if you offer me a different continent, but I will still go. He seemed okay with that answer and probably appreciated the honesty. I DON'T, however, think it would have been a good idea to say "I won't go anywhere else" because they really value flexibility and consider it an important trait to have. If I was offered something else, I'd take it still. Even if it wasn't Africa. Because I want to serve a community over seas for two years with the Peace Corps! But I would be a bit bummed. I really want Africa, haha.
Speaking of Africa, he then went on to ask me about how I would deal with extreme heat and humidity. I told him I would be psyched for it after spending 4 years in Boston coldness. It was funny because he had just got done telling me I could be sent anywhere and I should be flexible and then asked me a question specific to Africa. He actually chuckled a bit while asking.
And then we had to talk more about Colt and doing the super long distance thing and how long we'd been engaged and if we were able to handle it, etc etc etc. He made it clear that missing significant others is the number one reason people ET (early terminate) and I had to explain that Colt is super supportive and has known about Africa since the day we started dating. I explained that he's known about it for four years and although my desire for the peace corps changed a bit for a while, he was the one who really helped me reclaim the dream. I think that satisfied D, but I understand that there's no way to know. But I don't think it's going to be so hard that I quit. It will be tough, but we can do it because we're like the cutest, coolest, sexiest couple around and we can do anything! But we won't do anything harder than this because that would just be crazy!
Then he said that a decision would be made at the end of the week, chuckled again, and said "that means tomorrow." I think I might have actually shrieked a little, but then he toned it down by saying that it would take at least 24 hours to update the toolkit online and that it would take more time because of the weekend. After that, he said I could look for the pack in the mail.
OMG. I am almost invited! The decision will be made TOMORROW! I iz so happy!
Where will it be????? I'm thinking the 'ol Benin route because he asked for my comfortableness with 'humid' which it isn't really in Mali. But I could be reading WAAY to much into that question.
And oh yeah, at the very end of the conversation he said that he was still considering me for a sub-sahara Africa position in my original nominated place still doing health extension work. So what was the whole conversation about going elsewhere?! Just making sure I was still a flexible person. Well, D, I can make myself into a PRETZEL I'm so flexible!
My guess is that I'll have my invitation by Tuesday, assuming he decides that I rock hard enough for Africa. But who wouldn't decide that?!
E
PS. At the end I really wanted to say, "AND WHAT ABOUT ASHLEIGH HUH?? YOU CALLIN' HER SOON?" but I didn't because, well. That would make me sound crazy. And they don't want crazies representing the peace corps. They ET too often.
An hour later I am waking up for class and see that I have a voice mail. I listen. It's D--my placement officer! I hurriedly jot down his number to call him back and take some deep breaths. I weigh attending my class against calling him back. I take some more deep breaths and go brush my teeth.
I decide to skip class to call him back (I mean, this is my LIFE! I can miss one more French class geez). He answers quite chipperly and finds my file. He says he just wants to talk to me about my placement and my feelings during the process since nomination (which was like 5 months ago at this point!).
He wanted to clarify about a school policy that I had talked about in my interview--apparently I had come across as a bit of a rebel when it came to the policy in question. I was a little horrified since my actions as far as this rule goes were pretty tame and more of a subtle attack on what I felt needed to be changed. He explained that the peace corps has a lot of rules that don't necessarily make sense at first and cited the example of not riding motorcycles. I know about that one from reading all the Benin blogs!
We then spent some time talking about my support system and he asked about my dad's hesitation. I explained that my dad was just going to be nervous about the next step in my life no matter where it was and that we had talked about safety and communication. I feel like I maybe overestimated the level of 'ok' that my dad has for the peace corps, but he'll come around. He just needs some more time.
He then asked about a few specific things. The first one was "can you ride a bicycle?" I was like "Hells yeah!" I used to do some light off-roading/mountain biking when I was younger, and I am so all about riding bikes. Woot. Go Lance.
He then asked if I'd still be willing to take out my nose piercing. I said yes of course, even though that would really suck. I know I could get it redone, but I mean, damn. That will hurt and I might not actually do it for fear of the pain and the hassle of healing time. But it looks so cute on me. I'm not sure if this means that I WILL have to take out my piercing or not, but it's a possibility still. He wouldn't elaborate on more specifically if I'd need to for the program, saying that he actually wasn't sure because they didn't really focus on that kind of detail, haha. He was pretty funny actually.
He then asked about my vegetarianism flexibility which I said was 100%. Which is true, but I'm really going to try hard to maintain it if I can. If I can't do it safely, though, I'll eat meat. Eww. Haha.
He asked me if I'd be willing to go anywhere they sent me and I said what was probably the most honest and open thing I said during the whole conversation: I really want Africa and will be bummed if you offer me a different continent, but I will still go. He seemed okay with that answer and probably appreciated the honesty. I DON'T, however, think it would have been a good idea to say "I won't go anywhere else" because they really value flexibility and consider it an important trait to have. If I was offered something else, I'd take it still. Even if it wasn't Africa. Because I want to serve a community over seas for two years with the Peace Corps! But I would be a bit bummed. I really want Africa, haha.
Speaking of Africa, he then went on to ask me about how I would deal with extreme heat and humidity. I told him I would be psyched for it after spending 4 years in Boston coldness. It was funny because he had just got done telling me I could be sent anywhere and I should be flexible and then asked me a question specific to Africa. He actually chuckled a bit while asking.
And then we had to talk more about Colt and doing the super long distance thing and how long we'd been engaged and if we were able to handle it, etc etc etc. He made it clear that missing significant others is the number one reason people ET (early terminate) and I had to explain that Colt is super supportive and has known about Africa since the day we started dating. I explained that he's known about it for four years and although my desire for the peace corps changed a bit for a while, he was the one who really helped me reclaim the dream. I think that satisfied D, but I understand that there's no way to know. But I don't think it's going to be so hard that I quit. It will be tough, but we can do it because we're like the cutest, coolest, sexiest couple around and we can do anything! But we won't do anything harder than this because that would just be crazy!
Then he said that a decision would be made at the end of the week, chuckled again, and said "that means tomorrow." I think I might have actually shrieked a little, but then he toned it down by saying that it would take at least 24 hours to update the toolkit online and that it would take more time because of the weekend. After that, he said I could look for the pack in the mail.
OMG. I am almost invited! The decision will be made TOMORROW! I iz so happy!
Where will it be????? I'm thinking the 'ol Benin route because he asked for my comfortableness with 'humid' which it isn't really in Mali. But I could be reading WAAY to much into that question.
And oh yeah, at the very end of the conversation he said that he was still considering me for a sub-sahara Africa position in my original nominated place still doing health extension work. So what was the whole conversation about going elsewhere?! Just making sure I was still a flexible person. Well, D, I can make myself into a PRETZEL I'm so flexible!
My guess is that I'll have my invitation by Tuesday, assuming he decides that I rock hard enough for Africa. But who wouldn't decide that?!
E
PS. At the end I really wanted to say, "AND WHAT ABOUT ASHLEIGH HUH?? YOU CALLIN' HER SOON?" but I didn't because, well. That would make me sound crazy. And they don't want crazies representing the peace corps. They ET too often.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
the Top 5 Fears post
Ok! Ashleigh set hers up a few weeks ago and I really liked the idea of laying it all on the line. What am I most freaked out about when I think about my Peace Corps service in Africa? (and no, missing diet coke is not REALLY something that goes in the top 5. Definitely top 10 though. Maybe number 6 actually haha).
H'okay. Descending order for added dramz
5. Unwanted creatures in my living space. I'm talking creepy crawlies getting onto my bed while I'm sleeping, giant scorpions, big spiders, mosquitoes buzzing next to my ears freaking me out, flies, bats, mangy dogs, goats, children. Haha, not kids. I don't mind them. But seriously! I read all these stories of PC volunteers who are just so nonchalant about the freaky bugs! Like the ones that lay their eggs in your drying laundry and then they hatch and burrow into your skin?!?!? WTF? Yeah, not so excited for that. Maybe this should be higher on my list of fears lol.
4.Inability to communicate with others. I'm really worried that a) my French is going to suck, b) my host family or people at post won't even speak French, or c) my ability to learn a local language is going to be so bad that I'll end up making odd hand gestures to people to convey important messages, like "there's a giant scorpion in my bed" (for example)
3.Difficulty with maintaining vegetarianism. I really don't want to eat fish heads, cow's eyes, monkey brains, any variety of intestines or hearts, or hell, even plain old beef, chicken, lamb, goat, boar, or cat. I haven't willingly eaten meat in 6 years and I'd really like to not have to start again. I'm worried that I'll offend someone when I try to explain that I am not going to eat the lamb they sacrificed in my honor. But maybe they'll just laugh because I can't remember the right verb for "eat."
2. Ineffectualness. I am really worried that my time with the PC will end up being a waste of time for the community I live with. I'm concerned that I won't be able to help with any lasting sustainable changes or improvements and I'm concerned that I don't even have the expertise to be presuming I have any idea about how to make those changes in the first place. I read a lot of blogs of PCVs who are just bored a lot of the time, hanging out in the village, trying to kill scorpions and just reading a lot of paperback novels. I don't think I'll be very good at just hanging out. But maybe my hands will be full avoiding mutton and stray children.
1. Missing my fiance. I know already it's going to be hard. I just don't want it to be so hard that I can't integrate and I worry that it might be for a while at least. This ties in with the fear of not having access to outside communication because being able to talk to him will make the difference. As long as we can talk either on the phone, via text, skype, letters, email, whatever, a few times a week, I know I'll be fine. The idea of going a week without hearing from him at all, though, can make me burst into tears just thinking about it now.
So there ya go. Basically, my worst fear is a compilation of all of those things and would look something like this:
Isn't that like the worst thing ever?? The fact that I still want to go, even after picturing that little scene means I must really want it!
What are your top 5 Peace Corps fears?
E
H'okay. Descending order for added dramz
5. Unwanted creatures in my living space. I'm talking creepy crawlies getting onto my bed while I'm sleeping, giant scorpions, big spiders, mosquitoes buzzing next to my ears freaking me out, flies, bats, mangy dogs, goats, children. Haha, not kids. I don't mind them. But seriously! I read all these stories of PC volunteers who are just so nonchalant about the freaky bugs! Like the ones that lay their eggs in your drying laundry and then they hatch and burrow into your skin?!?!? WTF? Yeah, not so excited for that. Maybe this should be higher on my list of fears lol.
4.Inability to communicate with others. I'm really worried that a) my French is going to suck, b) my host family or people at post won't even speak French, or c) my ability to learn a local language is going to be so bad that I'll end up making odd hand gestures to people to convey important messages, like "there's a giant scorpion in my bed" (for example)
3.Difficulty with maintaining vegetarianism. I really don't want to eat fish heads, cow's eyes, monkey brains, any variety of intestines or hearts, or hell, even plain old beef, chicken, lamb, goat, boar, or cat. I haven't willingly eaten meat in 6 years and I'd really like to not have to start again. I'm worried that I'll offend someone when I try to explain that I am not going to eat the lamb they sacrificed in my honor. But maybe they'll just laugh because I can't remember the right verb for "eat."
2. Ineffectualness. I am really worried that my time with the PC will end up being a waste of time for the community I live with. I'm concerned that I won't be able to help with any lasting sustainable changes or improvements and I'm concerned that I don't even have the expertise to be presuming I have any idea about how to make those changes in the first place. I read a lot of blogs of PCVs who are just bored a lot of the time, hanging out in the village, trying to kill scorpions and just reading a lot of paperback novels. I don't think I'll be very good at just hanging out. But maybe my hands will be full avoiding mutton and stray children.
1. Missing my fiance. I know already it's going to be hard. I just don't want it to be so hard that I can't integrate and I worry that it might be for a while at least. This ties in with the fear of not having access to outside communication because being able to talk to him will make the difference. As long as we can talk either on the phone, via text, skype, letters, email, whatever, a few times a week, I know I'll be fine. The idea of going a week without hearing from him at all, though, can make me burst into tears just thinking about it now.
So there ya go. Basically, my worst fear is a compilation of all of those things and would look something like this:
I'm in a hot little room and I am staring down a huge spider. There is sweat dripping down my back and I don't want to move because I'm pretty sure there are more of his brethren where he comes from (which seems to be my clothes hamper). I want my host dad to come and smash it with my flip flop, but I have no idea how to explain why I want him to come into my room without resulting to ridiculous hand gestures that just make the whole family crack up and laugh together in a language that I only know three words of. I haven't talked to Colt in 5 days and my stomach is cramping from either parasites or the unknown meat I consumed earlier in an effort to not offend my Muslim host family. All I want to do is turn on a fan and sleep after saying good night to my boy, but there's no electricity and my pay-by-the-minute cell phone is dead. There's a mosquito buzzing near my ear and the stare down continues.
Isn't that like the worst thing ever?? The fact that I still want to go, even after picturing that little scene means I must really want it!
What are your top 5 Peace Corps fears?
E
Diet coke and African marathons
So I've been thinking. When I'm in Africa I would like to run another marathon. There is an annual one in Ghana: The Accra International Marathon, but it's in the end of September, so I won't be able to do it this year since theoretically, I'll still be in training and not a fully fledged independent volunteer. The good news is I can plan and train while at post and then hopefully run it the following September in 2011.
The Boston Marathon went wonderfully. I finished in 5:01:55 (official time), but my own personal time was 4:59:42 because I paused my clock to pee. Which I think is totally fair haha. It was inspiring and momentous. I definitely want to run Boston again, but I'd like to be able to train to qualify for it. Right now I'm thinking I'll run the Ghana marathon, then run one in the states to qualify for Boston, and than run Boston again. Maybe I'll do several others in the states before Boston. I think once I qualify for and run Boston again, I won't do any more marathons. My knees can only take so much and I think the oldest and grandest marathon in the world would be good book ends to my running career. Anyway,
I am going to miss diet coke. Yep, vous m'entendez. Diet coke....aka, the ambrosia of the gods. That goes on my list of fears that I have yet to put up and might just do this evening in order to procrastinate on my French essay I am supposed to be writing...
#1: The fear of missing Diet Coke so much that I pass out each day from depression.
I've decided that this anticipated strong yearning is going to be intense enough that during my service I will most likely be ranting about my diet coke deficiency and have thus given it it's very own tag.
Anyway. It's back to waiting it seems for me. It's been over a week since I sent my updated resume and romantic involvement form and I'm really just not feeling the love. There are at least 5 people around facebook, PC journals and PC connect that have been officially invited as health extension folks to Mali leaving July 1. I guess I don't really know how big that program is, but if it was where I was headed I supposed I would have figured I'd get the invite with the rest of the group, you know? So I'm still holding out for Benin since I've heard a lot less from people accepted there. Actually, besides the leave date on the wiki, I haven't heard of any Benin folks. I do know I'm not the only one waiting, but that only eases my frustration minutely. Basically I woke up this morning really ticked that I don't know where I'll be in 3 months. That just doesn't fit well with my personality. I'm the kind of girl who is pretty darn aware of where I'll be in 10 years let alone this summer. So it's irritating. But I'm also passionate about the opportunity and thankful to be given the chance to make a difference, so I wait.
Just keep waiting, just keep waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting. I'm going to be such an expert at it, I should have majored in it!
Look for my upcoming fears post. I need something PC related to do!
E
The Boston Marathon went wonderfully. I finished in 5:01:55 (official time), but my own personal time was 4:59:42 because I paused my clock to pee. Which I think is totally fair haha. It was inspiring and momentous. I definitely want to run Boston again, but I'd like to be able to train to qualify for it. Right now I'm thinking I'll run the Ghana marathon, then run one in the states to qualify for Boston, and than run Boston again. Maybe I'll do several others in the states before Boston. I think once I qualify for and run Boston again, I won't do any more marathons. My knees can only take so much and I think the oldest and grandest marathon in the world would be good book ends to my running career. Anyway,
I am going to miss diet coke. Yep, vous m'entendez. Diet coke....aka, the ambrosia of the gods. That goes on my list of fears that I have yet to put up and might just do this evening in order to procrastinate on my French essay I am supposed to be writing...
#1: The fear of missing Diet Coke so much that I pass out each day from depression.
I've decided that this anticipated strong yearning is going to be intense enough that during my service I will most likely be ranting about my diet coke deficiency and have thus given it it's very own tag.
Anyway. It's back to waiting it seems for me. It's been over a week since I sent my updated resume and romantic involvement form and I'm really just not feeling the love. There are at least 5 people around facebook, PC journals and PC connect that have been officially invited as health extension folks to Mali leaving July 1. I guess I don't really know how big that program is, but if it was where I was headed I supposed I would have figured I'd get the invite with the rest of the group, you know? So I'm still holding out for Benin since I've heard a lot less from people accepted there. Actually, besides the leave date on the wiki, I haven't heard of any Benin folks. I do know I'm not the only one waiting, but that only eases my frustration minutely. Basically I woke up this morning really ticked that I don't know where I'll be in 3 months. That just doesn't fit well with my personality. I'm the kind of girl who is pretty darn aware of where I'll be in 10 years let alone this summer. So it's irritating. But I'm also passionate about the opportunity and thankful to be given the chance to make a difference, so I wait.
Just keep waiting, just keep waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting. I'm going to be such an expert at it, I should have majored in it!
Look for my upcoming fears post. I need something PC related to do!
E
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Help me run the Boston Marathon!
Because I know this will get out to charitable minded people at peacecorpsjournals.com, I decided to let you all know that I am running the Boston Marathon and need donations for the charity I am running with, the Boston Children's Hospital. You can donate online and I am totally serious, even $20 is an amazing help! I have to raise $4000 and I am just about $1500 short at this point. Please consider a small (or huge!) donation to this amazing institution and to me, a fellow PC applicant and passionate volunteer! All donations are tax deductable!
Donate here at my marathon page!
https://howtohelp.childrenshospital.org/bostonmarathon/pfp/Default.asp?ID=ME0064
I have been featured for my marathon run in 3 newspaper and online news articles.
--The Wellesley news ran an article in February about me!
--The Topeka-Capitol Journal did a feature on me last month
--And now the Wellesley Public Affairs released an article about me!
I also have a companion blog to this one, elainamarathon.blogspot.com if you want to check out my training and fundraising progress!
If you're on facebook and interested, please join my facebook group supporting my run (it's my first marathon!!).
With $1500 to go, I hope people start getting motivated to help a sister out! We can do it! I'm sooo close to getting there! With my peace corps peeps, I really think I have a shot.
Thank you so much!
Elaina
Donate here at my marathon page!
https://howtohelp.childrenshospital.org/bostonmarathon/pfp/Default.asp?ID=ME0064
I have been featured for my marathon run in 3 newspaper and online news articles.
--The Wellesley news ran an article in February about me!
--The Topeka-Capitol Journal did a feature on me last month
--And now the Wellesley Public Affairs released an article about me!
I also have a companion blog to this one, elainamarathon.blogspot.com if you want to check out my training and fundraising progress!
If you're on facebook and interested, please join my facebook group supporting my run (it's my first marathon!!).
With $1500 to go, I hope people start getting motivated to help a sister out! We can do it! I'm sooo close to getting there! With my peace corps peeps, I really think I have a shot.
Thank you so much!
Elaina
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
a history of my love affair with africa
I was 12 when I first fell in love with Africa. I was in between Harry Potter books and needed something to fill the addiction gap in my heart. I found the historical detective novels of Elizabeth Peters based around British Egyptologists in the late 1800s. My stepmom, Jeni, and I read through the series one summer and into my 7th grade year and Egypt came alive for me. More than just the ancient history, Egypt was a mysterious place even for the characters that lived and worked there. I got lost in the Cairo streets and actually cried when I found out that they don't actually let tourists climb the Great Pyramids anymore. I was ravenous for more. I knew all the dynasties by heart, the methods of mummification, the various forms of the Egyptian language and quite a lot of the hieroglyphics. I even began teaching myself Arabic and at one point before 8th grade could actually read aloud the curling letters, although I did not know much of what I was reading.
I imagined myself as first an Egyptologist and then as an anthropologist, studying not only the ancient cultures, but that of the people living there today. I definitely had an academic perspective about the whole thing, although a lot of my perceptions were flawed, based on fiction books set over a century ago. I'd like to think that I never patronized the hypothetical people of my future studies, but I don't really think there's any middle schooler out there that really grasps the idea of white privilege and true development work.
My concept of Africa was heavily influenced by Egypt until I was 15 and my concept of the future replaced from the removed analysis of the social scientist to the directly impacting physician. I saw Dr. Carter on ER when I was in 9th grade and his visits to the Congo transformed my assumptions and broadened my interests exponentially. I first attached onto medicine and decided that it was ethically irresponsible to study people and not help them when I had the possibility to aid them. Soon after I exhausted my initial drive for information about medicine in general, I gravitated back to Africa. I studied the philosophies of the people and read about dictators and the history of the oppression of apartheid. I read about the Rwanda genocides and tried to educate myself as best as I could about the continent and the challenges that have been consistently faced by the people there. I was, and still am, continuously shocked that a place of such rich history, the birthplace of humanity, is so often blatantly disregarded by the international community. I have essentially decided that it is racism, pure and simple.
Throughout my college career I have developed my academic passions for development work and development economics. My interest in both medicine and economics are intimately tied to Africa. I have pursued academic literature on agricultural practices in Subsaharan Africa as well as environmental economic ties to population growth, GNP, and politics. I have learned extensively about justice issues in women's health as applied to international cases and issues. The only thing I have not done is formally major or minor in Africana studies. I chose a more indirect route by selecting biology and econ, but in my spare time have voraciously read Jeffrey Sachs and Amartya Sen. All this academic work has only strengthened my passion for the continent, my belief that the most vulnerable people are the ones most ignored by those with the most power, and the fact that I am not content to study and analyze. I must do something. I must use my hands. I have to hold a child or build a latrine. I cannot keep Africa as an abstract concept for me anymore; I am compelled to do.
I've worried for some time that this instant gratification streak of mine is somehow anti-intellectual, that after all my time at one of the top liberal arts colleges in the world all I want to do is weigh babies and sleep under the African sky. Shouldn't I leave the down and dirty for those less privileged to my education? Well, no. And I'll tell you why. And it's definitely not white, liberal guilt.
In my framework of justice, guilt has no place. Justice to me is not about getting what people are due in this world. That view is antiquated and doesn't meet most ethical standpoints these days. To me, and others who chose such epistemological pursuits, justice means seeing one another rightly, using love to view those most vulnerable, and ascribing dignity and equal value to all persons at birth. Justice means not treating people as embodiments of stereotypes and respecting each person's inherent autonomy. In my opinion, activism is simply making sure the world knows about this framework of justice. I am compelled, no, obligated, to act on the principles that I have learned about in theory if I judge them to be true. And I do. I believe with a near religious fervor in the ideas of loving rightly and transforming my intellectual study of development into action. In fact, because I am privileged to be white in this racist world, I have a pretty big obligation to educate myself and to give back. Guilt does not play into it, only fact.
Africa has been screwed over and romanticized for hundreds of years. I've been talking about how fucked up that is since I was 12 years old and it's about damn time that I actually got my ass over there and gained something more than theoretical backing to my claims.
So come on placement office, I've been waiting for this since 1999.
Elaina
I imagined myself as first an Egyptologist and then as an anthropologist, studying not only the ancient cultures, but that of the people living there today. I definitely had an academic perspective about the whole thing, although a lot of my perceptions were flawed, based on fiction books set over a century ago. I'd like to think that I never patronized the hypothetical people of my future studies, but I don't really think there's any middle schooler out there that really grasps the idea of white privilege and true development work.
My concept of Africa was heavily influenced by Egypt until I was 15 and my concept of the future replaced from the removed analysis of the social scientist to the directly impacting physician. I saw Dr. Carter on ER when I was in 9th grade and his visits to the Congo transformed my assumptions and broadened my interests exponentially. I first attached onto medicine and decided that it was ethically irresponsible to study people and not help them when I had the possibility to aid them. Soon after I exhausted my initial drive for information about medicine in general, I gravitated back to Africa. I studied the philosophies of the people and read about dictators and the history of the oppression of apartheid. I read about the Rwanda genocides and tried to educate myself as best as I could about the continent and the challenges that have been consistently faced by the people there. I was, and still am, continuously shocked that a place of such rich history, the birthplace of humanity, is so often blatantly disregarded by the international community. I have essentially decided that it is racism, pure and simple.
Throughout my college career I have developed my academic passions for development work and development economics. My interest in both medicine and economics are intimately tied to Africa. I have pursued academic literature on agricultural practices in Subsaharan Africa as well as environmental economic ties to population growth, GNP, and politics. I have learned extensively about justice issues in women's health as applied to international cases and issues. The only thing I have not done is formally major or minor in Africana studies. I chose a more indirect route by selecting biology and econ, but in my spare time have voraciously read Jeffrey Sachs and Amartya Sen. All this academic work has only strengthened my passion for the continent, my belief that the most vulnerable people are the ones most ignored by those with the most power, and the fact that I am not content to study and analyze. I must do something. I must use my hands. I have to hold a child or build a latrine. I cannot keep Africa as an abstract concept for me anymore; I am compelled to do.
I've worried for some time that this instant gratification streak of mine is somehow anti-intellectual, that after all my time at one of the top liberal arts colleges in the world all I want to do is weigh babies and sleep under the African sky. Shouldn't I leave the down and dirty for those less privileged to my education? Well, no. And I'll tell you why. And it's definitely not white, liberal guilt.
In my framework of justice, guilt has no place. Justice to me is not about getting what people are due in this world. That view is antiquated and doesn't meet most ethical standpoints these days. To me, and others who chose such epistemological pursuits, justice means seeing one another rightly, using love to view those most vulnerable, and ascribing dignity and equal value to all persons at birth. Justice means not treating people as embodiments of stereotypes and respecting each person's inherent autonomy. In my opinion, activism is simply making sure the world knows about this framework of justice. I am compelled, no, obligated, to act on the principles that I have learned about in theory if I judge them to be true. And I do. I believe with a near religious fervor in the ideas of loving rightly and transforming my intellectual study of development into action. In fact, because I am privileged to be white in this racist world, I have a pretty big obligation to educate myself and to give back. Guilt does not play into it, only fact.
Africa has been screwed over and romanticized for hundreds of years. I've been talking about how fucked up that is since I was 12 years old and it's about damn time that I actually got my ass over there and gained something more than theoretical backing to my claims.
So come on placement office, I've been waiting for this since 1999.
Elaina
Monday, April 12, 2010
On mango rains and speaking too soon
First off, I think someone must have read my mini rant and said to the boss "we'd better look into this Elaina chick. She could be trouble" because the ball is now rolling! I received an email from the placement office today asking me for my updated resume and romantic involvement questionnaire. The RI form was a lot more in depth than the original one I filled out at my interview, giving me three scenarios ranging from one where my partner asks me to stay at the last minute to constant loneliness and difficulties of communication with differing experiences. I read a couple paragraphs to Colt, but he decided that we've gone over it so often that he's probably the best Peace Corps partner out there and probably knows more about the PC process than anyone. So I decided to just fill it out quickly and send it off with my resume. I am confident in his love and in mine for him and am nothing but completely sure that we will get through this time together, no matter what sacrifices we will both have to make.
I also bought the book by RPCV Kris Holloway about her time of service in the late 80s/early 90s in Mali called "Monique and the Mango Rains: Two years with a midwife in Mali." I've only read the first chapter, but it reads a lot like many of the PCV blogs I frequent...but with better stylistic form. I think I'm going to try to write on this thing a little more entertainingly, try to tell a story with my experiences. There are certainly better blogs out there than others and I think the biggest difference has to do with how they choose to tell their stories. Some just list the day's events and give a basic play by play while others seem to infuse the same scenarios with humor and emotion. It is invariably the latter that continue to draw me in and I hope to maintain a similar level of good writing while actually a volunteer. So stop me if I get boring!
Life is good right now. I don't think I need a PC blogging hiatus; I constantly underestimate my ability to be patient. Even now with first official contact having been made, I'm not too stressed. I definitely have senioritis pretty bad. I have two major papers to write, a huge biology project, two more exams, and a final exam all to complete before my work here is finished and I graduate. I can't believe it was four years ago that I was getting ready to leave Kansas and finish high school. It seems like only yesterday and yet so long ago. I honestly don't feel too much different as a person, although I know that I've expanded my intellectual capacity to dwell on intangible issues in the world. The beauty of a liberal arts education I think, is the ability to confidently use in a sentence things like heteronormativity and white privilege while discussing molecular genetics at a competent level. Anyway, I am definitely starting to view myself as an alum of this great institution. Which makes it difficult to actually get my work done. =D
I am running a lot these days as the Boston Marathon is coming up in exactly 1 week and I am getting prepared! I'm getting excited, too. If anyone is inclined to help fund my run, I am collecting donations for Boston Children's Hospital and you can donate at:
https://howtohelp.childrenshospital.org/bostonmarathon/pfp/Default.asp?ID=ME0064
Thanks for your support!
Anyway, that's all for now. I hope my placement officer gets back to me soon. I'd like to know when I'm being officially reviewed. But yay! Things are moving along. FINALLY! haha
Elaina
I also bought the book by RPCV Kris Holloway about her time of service in the late 80s/early 90s in Mali called "Monique and the Mango Rains: Two years with a midwife in Mali." I've only read the first chapter, but it reads a lot like many of the PCV blogs I frequent...but with better stylistic form. I think I'm going to try to write on this thing a little more entertainingly, try to tell a story with my experiences. There are certainly better blogs out there than others and I think the biggest difference has to do with how they choose to tell their stories. Some just list the day's events and give a basic play by play while others seem to infuse the same scenarios with humor and emotion. It is invariably the latter that continue to draw me in and I hope to maintain a similar level of good writing while actually a volunteer. So stop me if I get boring!
Life is good right now. I don't think I need a PC blogging hiatus; I constantly underestimate my ability to be patient. Even now with first official contact having been made, I'm not too stressed. I definitely have senioritis pretty bad. I have two major papers to write, a huge biology project, two more exams, and a final exam all to complete before my work here is finished and I graduate. I can't believe it was four years ago that I was getting ready to leave Kansas and finish high school. It seems like only yesterday and yet so long ago. I honestly don't feel too much different as a person, although I know that I've expanded my intellectual capacity to dwell on intangible issues in the world. The beauty of a liberal arts education I think, is the ability to confidently use in a sentence things like heteronormativity and white privilege while discussing molecular genetics at a competent level. Anyway, I am definitely starting to view myself as an alum of this great institution. Which makes it difficult to actually get my work done. =D
I am running a lot these days as the Boston Marathon is coming up in exactly 1 week and I am getting prepared! I'm getting excited, too. If anyone is inclined to help fund my run, I am collecting donations for Boston Children's Hospital and you can donate at:
https://howtohelp.childrenshospital.org/bostonmarathon/pfp/Default.asp?ID=ME0064
Thanks for your support!
Anyway, that's all for now. I hope my placement officer gets back to me soon. I'd like to know when I'm being officially reviewed. But yay! Things are moving along. FINALLY! haha
Elaina
Friday, April 9, 2010
shutdown mini rant
All this Mali buzz and fellow blogger successes with PO contact encouraged me to update my file with the health desk. So I sent in copies of my CPR and First Aid certifications attached to an email about my current activities related to health and French, etc. I got this shutdown response:
I am just really frustrated at this point. I know they say 6 weeks minimum, but I mean, come on. It is just not realistic to expect a graduating senior to just sit around and twiddle my thumbs while I pass up on every other opportunity that comes my way. I want the Peace Corps, so I'm waiting, but it's irritating. I'm irritated. I applied over 9 months ago. I just want to be able to start looking for supplies and planning for this. I will only have a month after graduation to think about it and get ready to leave and that's just not enough time for me to be comfortable. I mean, I'll deal with it, but it's just a hassle. Maybe the Peace Corps should hire some more people in order to not inconvenience the applicants unnecessarily. I mean, I understand needing patience. But 9 months is ridiculous and a longer waiting period than any other job I could be persuing. This wait and uncertainty is a deterrant for potential applicants and it gives the Peace Corps an image of inefficiency, red tape, and excessive bureaucracy. A rolling admissions program for those who apply early would better serve future peace corps volunteers and their families. I'm frustrated, my family, friends, and fiance are frustrated, and we're all anxious to know what my plans are post graduation. It sucks! ok...
/rant.
But other than my frustration, things are going well. I'm working on some bio projects and beginning to work on some of my final papers for various courses. I can't believe there's only 20 days of classes left in my college days. Totally wild.
I am officially going cold turkey on my own blog for the next 2 weeks. Going underground is apparently the only way I can deal with this excessive waiting. I'll probably be checking pcjournals in general, though, if only to catch other people's invites while i wallow in my own self pity. haha
Elaina
"Your updates have been received by the Health Desk. A copy of your email detailing your updated experience and copies of your certifications will be placed in your file.MAY?? MAY??!
Currently, your file is in line to be reviewed by the Assessment and Placement Staff. Your file should be reviewed within the next few weeks and then it will go to your Placement Office Specialist who will consider you for an invitation. The latest that invitations can be issued for the program you were nominated into is the end of May.
Hopefully from this you are able to get some sense of a timeline. Unfortunately, due to the high number of summer programs that the Placement Office is currently working to fill, I am unable to pinpoint an exact date by which you will hear from us concerning a placement."
I am just really frustrated at this point. I know they say 6 weeks minimum, but I mean, come on. It is just not realistic to expect a graduating senior to just sit around and twiddle my thumbs while I pass up on every other opportunity that comes my way. I want the Peace Corps, so I'm waiting, but it's irritating. I'm irritated. I applied over 9 months ago. I just want to be able to start looking for supplies and planning for this. I will only have a month after graduation to think about it and get ready to leave and that's just not enough time for me to be comfortable. I mean, I'll deal with it, but it's just a hassle. Maybe the Peace Corps should hire some more people in order to not inconvenience the applicants unnecessarily. I mean, I understand needing patience. But 9 months is ridiculous and a longer waiting period than any other job I could be persuing. This wait and uncertainty is a deterrant for potential applicants and it gives the Peace Corps an image of inefficiency, red tape, and excessive bureaucracy. A rolling admissions program for those who apply early would better serve future peace corps volunteers and their families. I'm frustrated, my family, friends, and fiance are frustrated, and we're all anxious to know what my plans are post graduation. It sucks! ok...
/rant.
But other than my frustration, things are going well. I'm working on some bio projects and beginning to work on some of my final papers for various courses. I can't believe there's only 20 days of classes left in my college days. Totally wild.
I am officially going cold turkey on my own blog for the next 2 weeks. Going underground is apparently the only way I can deal with this excessive waiting. I'll probably be checking pcjournals in general, though, if only to catch other people's invites while i wallow in my own self pity. haha
Elaina
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
On the woes of knowing too much
It's official-->someone has gotten a Mali invite from the health extension peeps. It's been announced on PC wiki and the future PCVs facebook group. Some guy knows he's going to Mali beginning on July 1st. Well, geez. I am going to send in my CPR certificate update tonight to the placement office and hopefully I will know soon.
Knowing that they are clearly giving out invitations from my program nomination is just completely nerve wracking and does not encourage me to try and fight my growing case of the unrelated to RAS syndrome, senioritis.
I think what I am going to do here is take a deep breath. Do it with me, my fellow applicants. In.........and out......sigh.
As long as it's Africa, I will be happy with my invitation, whenever it shall arrive. Happiness all around!
And, I thought I'd leave you with the words that I am officially getting tattooed on my body next week. (it will be healed in plenty of time for the Peace Corps):
let the future say of our generation that we sent forth mighty currents of hope, and that we worked together to heal the world.
E
*edit* I just found out Ashleigh has received contact with her placement officer! That seems to be the first step in getting the invite...the first contact, fishing out the details of the invite to come...the request for updated resume, romantic involvement forms, etc....please, oh peace corps placement gods, shine your love on me this week. I have also just sent in my CPR certification card copies to the placement office, so hopefully I'll hear SOMETHING soon **
Knowing that they are clearly giving out invitations from my program nomination is just completely nerve wracking and does not encourage me to try and fight my growing case of the unrelated to RAS syndrome, senioritis.
I think what I am going to do here is take a deep breath. Do it with me, my fellow applicants. In.........and out......sigh.
As long as it's Africa, I will be happy with my invitation, whenever it shall arrive. Happiness all around!
And, I thought I'd leave you with the words that I am officially getting tattooed on my body next week. (it will be healed in plenty of time for the Peace Corps):
let the future say of our generation that we sent forth mighty currents of hope, and that we worked together to heal the world.
E
*edit* I just found out Ashleigh has received contact with her placement officer! That seems to be the first step in getting the invite...the first contact, fishing out the details of the invite to come...the request for updated resume, romantic involvement forms, etc....please, oh peace corps placement gods, shine your love on me this week. I have also just sent in my CPR certification card copies to the placement office, so hopefully I'll hear SOMETHING soon **
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