Last night in America.

Hi again. Tomorrow we are taking off for Africa after a what-looks-to-be chaotic round of checking out of the hotel and then getting about fifteen shots each. Ouch. I am not looking forward to that. Then at 5pm (DC time) we will fly to South Africa, which is a 15.5 hour flight. We'll stay overnight in Johannesburg and then fly to Windhoek (Namibia's capital) the next day. So there I'll be, happy to finally be accomplishing a longtime goal, excited for a new adventure and very, very sad to be so many miles from home and from you (assuming you're a family member or friend of mine). I'll post again when I get a chance.
(I was joking about the 15 shots. I really have no idea how many we're getting, but I'm hoping it is 1-3.)

If you want to mail me something, please email me for my mailing address. If you don't have my email address, please send me a comment. Normally I'd just post the address here but I'm paranoid about those kinds of things. Also, I should be getting a cell phone shortly after arriving in Namibia so I will be happy to share that number when I have it.

Hello from DC.

Hello everyone!

Here I am in DC. I arrived last night (Sunday). I'm staying in Georgetown and it's a great little town. It kinda reminds me of La Jolla in that it is charming and beautiful with cute little shops. On Sunday night I met up with a group of volunteers and we went out for pizza and beer. This morning I went to the Holocaust Memorial (highly recommended) and then we had our first day of training. It seems like everybody has the same anxieties as I do, which is comforting.

I am happy so far. I would write more if I wasn't dead tired right now, but I promise my postings will be more exciting than this in the upcoming weeks.

Here is a poem I saw at the Holocaust Memorial. It struck a cord with me and I think you'll like it too. This is one of several translations from German, and the poem is attributed to Martin Niemoller.

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out -

because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out -

because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out -

because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak for me.

FAQ

FAQ about my upcoming Peace Corps service in Namibia:

1. How long will you be gone?

I will be gone for 27 months, returning home in December 2009. See the previous post for my timeline.

2. Will you come home at all during this time?

Probably not. I’d have to pay for it myself and I’d rather spend my money exploring Africa while I’m there.

3. Will you be getting paid?

I will be earning a enough money each month to cover basic expenses such as food and rent, but probably not enough to save much unless I really watch it. However, I accrue just over $200 per month while I'm there, and I will recieve this money at my close of service; approx. $6000.00. This is my resettlement allowance so that when I come home, I do have money for rent and food.

4. What will you be doing?

I will be an English (language) teacher at the primary or secondary level, which is grades 5-12. I will also have secondary projects, to be determined upon arrival and during my service.

5. Are you scared?

Yes. I am scared to death. (I am not being sarcastic.)

6. Is your boyfriend going with you? Is he allowing you to go?

No, Scott is not coming with me but we will try our best to maintain a long-distance relationship. (We have been together for five years.) And no, he is not "letting" me go; I never asked his permission.

7. Is anybody coming with you that you already know?

No, but I will meet my co-volunteers at staging (orientation) and hopefully they will become friends.

8. Will you have to learn a new language?

Yes. Namibia's official language is English, but most people speak Afrikaans or a tribal language as their first language. I'll be learning one of these during my training.

9. What do your parents think?

They are happy, proud and very supportive.

10. Why are you joining the Peace Corps?

a) To help other people. Is it really fair that I have more than a human would ever need? I have never gone hungry and never lacked an education, a job, nor the opportunities to get a better education and a better job if I so desired. I know that by going to Namibia, I will not be saving the world, but I do hope to even out the balance a teeny bit.

b) Adventure. I have never done anything exciting or scary. My world has always been a small bubble with wistful glimpses to the outside. Eleanor Roosevelt said, "do one thing every day that scares you." By going to Namibia for 2 years I will try to make up for 25 years of doing NOTHING that scares me. And by doing this, I hope to break through some personal barriers. More on this later on.

c) My resume. By being able to say "I was a Peace Corps Volunteer," I will be able to earn scholarships for grad school, get super jobs and give myself more opportunities in general.

Peace Corps Volunteer = Ugly Shoes?

One of the benefits of being a PCV is that some companies give you discounts on their merchandise. One of these wonderful companies is Chaco, a shoe company that makes sandals for hard core adventures like hiking, camping and so on. They give us a 50% discount! I decided to buy a pair of these shoes because I think they'll be quite useful, but after trying them on, my superficial side (small, but currently very loud) is unhappy. Check it out:



I am super grateful to Chaco for providing us with the huge discount. But...these sandals are just not flattering. I'm not sure what to do with them but I'm pretty sure I don't want to wear them...

Six-Eyed Sand Spider.

As happy and excited I am to be going to Namibia in a month, there are also numerous reasons why I would rather not leave my safe little home here in PQ. I will share one of these reasons with you now:


The sand spider, resident of southern Africa. Also known as (according to the blog of a current PCV in Namibia) a "hair cutter." It crawls into your bed while you are sleeping and cuts your hair to use in its nest. As stated on the Wikipedia page, it is "very shy and unlikely to bite humans," however, there is also no known antivenom for its bite, and "toxicology studies have demonstrated that the venom is particularly potent...causing blood vessel leakage and tissue destruction. Envenomations of laboratory animals have yielded devastating results, with many of the test subjects developing multiorgan breakdowns."

I am scared. If anybody would like to get me a going-away present, I would like a two-year supply of razors (to shave my head) and a set of steel pajamas. Thank you.

NAMIBIA!

I got my invitation! I am going to Namibia!!!! I will be an English language teacher at the secondary or upper primary levels. That means students grades 5-12.

Here is my timeline:

October 29-31, 2007: Orientation in the U.S. (location tba)

November 2 - December 28, 2007: Pre-Service Training in Namibia

December 28, 2007 - December 28, 2009: Peace Corps Service

YAAAYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A new destination.

Originally, I never wanted to go to Africa. It just seemed like a place I couldn't handle: the sun beating down, me living in a mud hut, riding a donkey to and from work. When my placement officer told me he'd have to find a new location for me, I told him "NOT AFRICA." Then I thought about it for a couple hours and realized how stupid it is for me to pigeonhole the entire continent into an ignorant, stereotypical image. (Orientalism, anyone?) Africa has so much more to offer than that! And if I do end up in a mud hut, so what? One of the reasons I'm joining the PC is to have an adventure, isn't it? So I called up my p.o. and said that if he wanted to send me to Africa, I would give it everything I have.

It looks like I'm going to Africa at the end of October. :o)