Happy Christmas, America!

Well, my freebie Christmas in the U.S. has been splendid! According to the original plan, I should be in southern Africa right now, celebrating with knee-length skirts, no turkey and a sub-tropical breeze blowing my dirty hair. Instead, I got to see the snow one more time and hang out with my family and my best good friends in America!

But I must remind myself, Self! Enjoy it while you can!


Just after New Years Day, I should get that exciting phone call from the Peace Corps' travel agency to schedule my flight. Woo! So hurry up and get back to your offices, government employees! In the meantime, if you want to brush up on my soon-to-be-home, check out these very helpful (government-approved) websites! :)

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/paraguay

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/1841.htm     [A little boring via the Department of State]

http://www.paraguay.com/                                   [Brush up on your Spanish!]


And for something a little more exciting than Paraguay's economy and military historic, click HERE

ANIMALS!!!!!!!!

I'm just a tumbleweed

So, yet again, I'm just blowing around wherever the wind takes me.

On February 1, I'll set off from Miami for Asucion, Paraguay. I'll be working as a Rural Health Extentionist, focusing on health and sanitation in very remote areas of Paraguay. Instead of improvising on my assignment, I'll just give it to you straight from my volunteer handbook.

"The areas on which the project focuses are: dental health education, parasite prevention, nutrition, improving cooking practices, STI's and HIV/AIDS prevention education, improving waste disposal methods (yum!), and cleaning/protecting water sources."
"Volunteers also teach how to construct and maintain sanitary latrines, protect wells to ensure potable water, and construct and utilize brick ovens.."

PERFECT!!!!!

I'm really pumped about my new assignment and can't believe how well it worked out. I just love when things fall into my lap.

A live-in au pair position also fell into my lap in Chapel Hill so I'll be here until the end of January. I had already moved out of my house and quit my job in Philadelphia when the program was cancelled- whoops! - so this is my temporary fix. Mmmmm, snotty noses, dirty diapers (AKA nappies bc he's a Brit) and learning French. Oh, and also Spanish- I've got to be fluent by Feburary 1. Hm.


So friends, my two science degrees have taken me here to Chapel Hill- temporarily- but I'll be off into the great wide open soon enough. Patience, patience. More updates to come on my new country!

Paraguayan Surprise!

Sooo..... it's Paraguay!

I'm leaving in February to be a rural health and sanitation volunteer! Little change of plans but it's all good!

Whoops, just kidding.

Okay, so my group for Lesotho November 2010 has been cancelled! Huge bummer but life goes on. The security in the country is being re-assessed so I will be reassigned to a safer place! Unfortunately, I will not be leaving in November... or December.... or maybe even January.

http://articles.cnn.com/2010-09-05/world/lesotho.peace.corps.death_1_peace-corps-lesotho-volunteer?_s=PM:WORLD

Last night I spoke with a placement officer who was working way past her normal office hours to get all 27 of us reassigned. Yung Mei was very empathetic and she is considering four countries for my reassignment that leave in the next couple of months: South Africa, Morocco, Guatemala and a country in the Eastern Caribbean. The good news is, I won't be teaching science anymore... I'll be working in the health field.... yesssss. And because I've already demonstrated my committment to the Peace Corps by accepting an invitation and...  oh yes, preparing to leave in two weeks.... I will have my pick of those countries once the specifics are determined. I should be reassigned by next week and beginning to learn a new language again! Hopefully not a click language.

So, what do you think friends? Which place looks the best?!



Guatemala


Eastern Caribbean- this picture is of Grenada, where the Peace Corps is active.

Morocco!!!

And... South Africa

The good word

Among the many challenges I'll face in Lesotho the most obvious may be the language barrier. Learning languages is fun, though! I like it, I'm pretty good at it and the total immersion factor will really be a bonus. Right?

Today I looked at the Sesotho alphabet for the first time. Here it is, including 4 cost-free clicks, one nasalised, the rest aspirated. Oh darn.

a

b

bj

d

e

e

f

fj

g

h

hl

i

j

k

kg

kh

l

m

n

ng

nq   - CLICK (nasalised)

ny

o

o

p

ph

pj

pjh

q    -   CLICK

qh  -  CLICK (aspirated)

qhw - CLICK (aspirated)

r

s

sh

t

th

tj

tjh

tl

tlh

ts

tsh

u

y

w 
 
Learn with me at http://www.sesotho.web.za/ !

I'm Leaving On a Jet Plane

Okay, it's officially official this time- the U.S. government has booked me plane tickets and we know in this bear market they aren't going to renig and lose the money. Right...?

I leave South Carolina for Philly on Nov 1 and go through a super-short, super-intense orientation to the Peace Corps, lasting about 6 hours. At 2am the next day, post-orientation, my group and I hop on a bus and head for NYC. I think our orientation leaders prepare us mainly to not get killed between the airport and our training site. We fly out that day and take a 16 hour plane ride to South Africa. Fun, right? I know- I mean, who doesn't love that hot, anxious feeling that arises in ones stomach and spreads to the heart and brain that's triggered by flying 30,000 feet above a vast expanse of abandoned ocean teeming with some of the world's fiercest predators which you totally don't have to worry about unless you actually survive the crash landing that might occur if both of the engines fail? Who doesn't love that?!

Oh, yeah- me.

So friends, while I fly over the Atlantic and try my best not to worry about blood clots in my legs, sleep, the dude next to me, which movies are playing, how sick the plane food will make me and what my actions should be in case of an emergency water landing, please think positive thoughts. They really work- trust Norman Vincent Peale.

By the way friends and family, I can't have visitors for the first three months- or five months, I can't remember. So please, be patient. And yes, Lesotho is a wonderful vacation spot so pack up your pony bit and reins and some sunscreen and get on over here.

www.go2africa.com/lesotho

In the meantime, let's continue with your southern African education. This one is for the visual learners.

Maletsunyane Falls

Lesotho's flag

Umm... some mountains.

Katse Dam

Lesotho is home to all sorts of exciting and deadly animals! I win, Kendrick. Check out my future neighbors!

Mountain reedbuck

The jackal! Ahh!

Baboon! As opposed to bafoon.

Mongoose. Get those snakes, baby!

Meerkats. Excellent posture although unfortunately don't always reside in manors.

Berg Adder

Bald Ibis.

Plans are made

Well friends, time marches on. My departure date is about 5 weeks away (what?!) and I'm starting to panic thinking about all of the supplies I do not have yet. I've got about half of the basics covered but am still looking for a sleeping bag that isn't a mummy but is compact and warm so that I don't get frozen and do not wake up in a panic attack due to the claustrophobia my feet experience in mummy bags. Any suggestions? I'm thinking down.

I'm typing this blog in a public library in Michigan sitting next to some dude mumbling to himself about "very unusual" things, "very unusual, indeed". At this time of the day, the public libraries of the world see some of the most interesting street urchins looking for free internet access and a warm/cool place to hang out for an hour. My sister was married last weekend and I'm now having my last bits of quality time with my dad and step-mom before traveling to the dark continent, thus I am in Michigan. When I get back to South Carolina I will start packing up boxes with future supplies and making notes for my mom to send them 4, 8 and 12 months in the future.

Oh, someone gave the guy next to me a puppy- that's exciting.

My plane tickets should arrive in the mail in a week or two and after that milestone the more specific information will start rolling in, i.e., what hotel I'll be staying at in Philly for orientation (Center City, Center City, Center City...), my orientation schedule, who my temporary roommate is and lots of other Welcome-to-the-Peace-Corps fun facts. For now, I leave with you some Kingdom of Lesotho (Le-soo-too) general information.
---Meanwhile something exciting is happening to the dude next to me: "My goodness. Wow. Geez ow. Whew."---

Tap water is not reliably potable.

Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon independence from the UK in 1966.  

Natural resources include water, agricultural and grazing land, diamonds, sand, clay and building stone.

Less than 5% of the country's population lives to be 65. Life expectancy at birth: 40.38 years,

Lesotho's time difference measures 7 hours ahead of Washington, D.C., or Eastern.


https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/lt.html
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/lesotho
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_949.html

"Some volunteers will be issued a horse..."

Lumelang Bo ‘M’e le Bo Ntate (Greetings, ladies and gentlemen)!

Lesotho! Oh, South Africa's kingdom in the sky!

(pronounced Leh-soo-too)

I have 9 weeks before I leave and preparations are under way. I have a few big... BIG... purchases to make. They say you don't need to spend a lot of money getting ready for the Peace Corps but if you are not avid backpacker/hiker/ultra-rugged outdoorsman galore then that's a lie. I've started researching to figure out the best of the best in sleeping pads, internal frame backpacks, hiking boots and rain jackets. And there are lots of options. Anyone have any personal suggestions???

When I was officially invited I thought, "Thank God! All that paperwork is behind me!" Then the U.S. government said, "Psh! Bite me, Carly." Luckily, I don't mind paperwork. So in the last week I've applied for a Peace Corps passport (not like a regular passport), finished my dental qualifying stuff (mmm.... people hands in your mouth), applied for the Correspondence Match program (go, Schoony!), mailed my press release forms (keep your eyes open receivers of the Daily Telegram) and read my Welcome Book twice. And what have I gotten in return for this paper-based slave labor? Juicy, juicy knowledge!!!

So, let's begin our first Life-In-Lesotho lesson. The people in Lesotho are Basotho (Bah-soo-too). The language in Lesotho is Sesotho (Seh-soo-too). The population is largely Christian but some older cultural traditions still persist, like bride prices. Cattle are prized more than currency in many cases and 85% of the country is rural. Because of the traditional Christian norms, women do not wear pants or shorts and do not show much skin up top. The Peace Corps also told me I had to wear a bra while teaching. Darn. Maybe Lesotho likes bras because they are a constitutional monarchy. The government is very similar to England's political system with a king (figurehead, mostly) and a prime minister who is elected and a cabinet. The economy relies heavily on South Africa, in multiple ways. Lesotho sells water and electricity to South Africa and imports almost all of their food stuffs. Wars with South Africa sucked away Lesotho's viable farm land in the nineteenth century and now the majority of food consumed by Basotho is imported from South Africa. Lesotho has been politically stable for decades since gaining their independence in 1966 apart from a little hiccup there at the turn of the millenium. Whoopsy.

I will be living dorm-style with the other 26 people in my group for the first two weeks abroad to start language, culture and safety/health lessons. The next 5 weeks I will be living with a Basotho family and continuing the lessons. The last two weeks of training (lessons) I will be back in dorm-style living. 9 weeks total- after that I will be assigned to a specific village or town somewhere else in the country and my group and I will be shipped off to our respective new homes!
Oh- and some volunteers will be issued horses for transportation, other bicycles. But most of us will be doing lots and lots of walking.

If any one knows of any shoes that are 'dressy' but also comfortable for walking many miles at a time please let me know.

That's all I've got for now. I leave you all with a mildly thought-provoking post of the week but mostly it's just me ranting and trying to contain my excitement.


Peace!

You're Invited to Lesotho!

"Congratulations! It is with great pleasure that we invite you to begin training in Lesotho for Peace Corps service."

I'm finally invited!!

After 17 months of patience, patience, patience I have my orientation date, my country and piles of paperwork that I knew were coming but still had to cringe at. A big blue package via UPS arrived while I was on the phone with my grandma and sitting at my mom's house so it was family affair.

I leave November 2nd with 26 other volunteers that will be in-country with me for the two years.

My official position is a secondary science/math teacher and I will also be running an HIV program since 23% of Lesotho is infected. I'm pretty sure it's standard to run an awareness program in most African countries due to the infection rate. In some places it's higher than 1/3 percent infected so Lesotho doesn't have the shortest end of the stick.

My last day of service is January 13, 2013. Just in case any of you are planning ahead and thinking about a Welcome Home party. Preparedness never goes out of style.

Anyway! Now I've got to write aspiration statements and send resumes to the local staff in Lesotho and apply for my Peace Corps passport (it's special, so special) and submit press releases- so keep your eyes open Adrian Daily Telegram, Hudson Post Gazette and Owosso Something-or-Other. I'm about to be temporarily famous.

More updates as I get more information. Yay invites!!!!!!!

Oh the places you'll go

So- yesterday I had a phone interview with a Peace Corps lady named Heather. I'm pretty sure they were checking to make sure I was mentally sound before they send me out on their liability for two years. The phone conversation is the last step before send-off.....

At the end of the conversation- which ranged from dealing with gender inequalities to my mom's personal take on this- Heather told me I was cleared for placement. What does that mean? It means I'm done with all this craziness and I'm ready for that magical golden ticket AKA an invitation! Heather said something like this, "I would send out your invitation tonight but since you have a medical accommodation there's an additional step before we can do that."

Now you may be wondering- Carly, are you sure the Peace Corps isn't just messing with you and maybe you're secretly on a reality TV show that tests your patience and willingness to submit to government bureaucracy? And I would say.... No. Not sure. Very possible I'm being punked. Heather now has to contact the two countries she has in mind for me and basically say, "Hey! We got this girl. But she's got asthma. You still want her?" And whoever says yes first gets me! I am out for bidding. We'll see who wins. Heather says I might find out in a day or it might take three weeks. Thanks, Heather! I'm smiling! Even though I feel like I'm living Groundhogs Day over and over again!

No seriously- I'm cleared for take off on all levels- medical, legal and placement- and that is a good feeling. Anyday now- I'm watching the mail like a hawk. Keep your fingers crossed!

Dancing with myself

I'M MEDICALLY CLEARED!!

One year to the day after I was nominated, I finally have clearance! I have to be honest, I almost thought this would never happen. Due to a paperwork snafu, I found out last week that my file was sitting in 'inactive' status for months. Peace Corps mailed me a letter requesting more medical information.... in January. I never got it. So I sat for months and months wondering what was taking so long. Bah! I can't even think about that waiting- it's painful to remember. Anyway- two days of faxing papers (yes- people still use fax machines and now I know how, too!) and all the sudden... Medical Clearance!!!

--- now imagine angels singing and light shining down from the Heavens: that's how I felt this morning ---

And who's sharing in my medically cleared glory this fine morning? Just me- and the computer. I found out about 7am, sitting in my cubicle all alone. I get into the office long before my other cubi-companions and so the empty space got to suck up my joy and my office chair was the only one dancing with me. And I did dance.

Thank God for text messages! Texty-friends all over the world- UNITE - and celebrate with me!!

Hoping, waiting, wishing...

I am in the middle of the arduous medical clearance process for the Peace Corps. It has been 15 months since my initial application; 12 months since my nomination; and three months until my anticipated departure date. I've been obsessively reading blogs of Peace Corps volunteers from Ukraine to Namibia trying to form some idea in my head of what this will be like. Of course- I remain totally clueless.

All I know is I will tentatively (Peace Corps' favorite word) be teaching science in the Africa region and leaving in October.

As I'm sitting on cushions on the floor of my Philadelphia row house writing this, I realize how spoiled I am. Pad thai, Reisling and air conditioning will probably be distant dreams in a matter of months. Amelia and Shara will be 7,000 miles away and new faces will have replaced their constant presence in my life. No more amusingly blatant questions about heterosexuality. No more Netflix marathons. No more on-call schedules and no more $1.99 organic deserts from Whole Food.

As for my family- my Dad and Terrie will be living vicariously through me. If not, I'll be sadly disappointed. My Mom will be painfully resigned to the fact that I actually did this: I honestly moved across the globe to subject myself to poverty, exotic disease and what she views as a constant threat to life. Is that a realistic impression of a continent as vast as Africa? I have no room to judge- I still love you, Mom, no matter how weird and sordid your impressions of Africa.

All I know is I better get some letters and I better get some visitors. And if any of you get married while I'm gone you will feel my wrath!! You can't wait two years?! Come on!
(you know who you are)

I should get my medical clearance within two weeks - I've been in obnoxiously close contact with OMS (Office of Medical Services) - and I will post all the updates I have! Until I get an official date, the countdown can't begin, but keep your fingers crossed!


more than life.