a life adventure: October 2010

21 October 2010

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!

14 October 2010

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

09 October 2010

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/ !

06 October 2010

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.