Staging

Well, Day 1 of Staging is pretty much complete, and we board our plane for Africa tomorrow at – get this! – 2:00 AM.  Just kidding, actually we check out of the hotel and board a bus at 2 AM, then drive the 3 or so hours from Philadelphia to New York, arriving just in time for our flight 6 hours later.  Yeah, that’s right, the flight is at 11:15.  I get that they want to get us to that airport with plenty of extra time, but really, 6 hours?  Especially when it involves getting everyone up at 2 AM.  Lol jk no one’s going to bed.  Tomorrow is going to be such an interesting shitshow.  Just picture it: 55 20-somethings, each loaded down with 4 bags they can’t really balance totaling over 100 lbs, navigating an airport on no sleep (and quite likely many will be hungover).  I have faith in us, but you have to admit it’s a funny image.  As a PCV from the year before put it, “Everything from here on out is run by a hivemind of terrified 20-somethings”.  I think that sums it up nicely.

Fast forward through 15 hours on the plane, and we’ll land in Johannesburg, South Africa at 8:15 AM (that’s 2:15 in the morning back in the Eastern Time Zone).  We have a 5 hour layover in Johannesburg, and then a quick 1 hour flight, and we’ll finally land in Mozambique’s capital of Maputo at 2:55 PM (aka around 9 AM EST).  That’s assuming everything goes according to plan of course.  Really, who knows what sorts of craziness could ensue over the next 31 hours.

In other news, our staging group seems pretty excellent.  There’s 55 of us (a large group, and when we get to Mozambique there will be just over 200 of us in country).  We’re pretty evenly divided between English, Math, Chemistry, and Biology teachers, and most of us seem to fall squarely in the age range of 21-25.  I’ve met one outlier who’s 28, and we have one notable retired married couple, but everyone else seems to be a pretty recent college grad.  I’m kind of surprised honestly; I was expecting a lot more variation and a lot more married couples, based on my experience with Azerbaijan.  Apparently not.

Anyway, that’s what I’ve learned so far.  The next time I write will hopefully be from Mozambique, and I’ll have all sorts of interesting things to say.  Here’s crossing my fingers we all make it to Africa!

Packing

Dear God, I have so many things I want to bring to Africa.  When I was going to Azerbaijan, I was pretty well set.  I fit everything in a carry-on suitcase, a giant backpacking backpack, and an ancient suitcase my mother unearthed from our basement.  I was well under the weight limits and could even throw in some extra stuff because why not?  Then, I spent all summer waiting around for Departure Take 2, and I realized I’ve accumulated so much unneeded shit during that time.  I’m still fitting it all in those same bags (plus another small backpack) but it is packed so tightly!

Anyway, here are some pictures during the process, as well as the baggage restrictions the Peace Corps gave us, since I’ve gotten a lot of questions about that.  Here you are!

Clothing. Not pictured: a whole ton of underwear, bras, socks, workout clothes, and yoga pants.

Technology. It’s nice.

Miscellaneous stuff. Not pictured: my toiletries (shampoo, toothbrush, deodorant, diva cup, etc.) as well as a whole bunch of other random stuff.

Sidsel. My precious kitty had a really hard time staying off my bed while I was packing. She finally got to reclaim it here.

GUIDELINES:

• You may bring two checked bags, one carry-on, and one personal item. Any additional baggage that you choose to bring will be at your own expense.
• Checked baggage should not exceed 100 pounds total with a maximum weight allowance of 50 pounds for any one bag.
• The combined linear dimensions (length + width + height) of all your checked baggage may not exceed 107”. The larger piece of checked baggage may not exceed 60”. Your carry-on baggage may not exceed a total linear measurement of 45”.
• You are allowed to carry-on one bag and one personal item such as a purse or briefcase. All carry-on luggage must fit in the overhead bin or under the seat. Size and weight restrictions vary by airline.
• The Peace Corps recommends that you do not bring more than you can carry. You will be responsible for handling your luggage en route to post and overseas.

Finally some info about our pre-service training

Greetings Nora:

The Staging Unit is looking forward to your arrival in Philadelphia on September 24, 2014 for the Mozambique staging event. Please read this email and the attachments carefully, as the information here will answer many of the questions you have regarding your final steps prior to departing for Mozambique.

Your staging event will be a brief, yet intense orientation to the Peace Corps and the general demands of being a healthy, safe, and effective Volunteer. Since our time at staging is limited, you should come prepared by reading your Welcome Book,Volunteer Handbook, and the attached Peace Corps’ Approach to Safety and Security. Your attendance at all sessions is mandatory.

Please note that as a Trainee and Volunteer overseas, you will be expected to act and dress in keeping with your status as a professional and guest. At staging, business casual attire is required.

STAGING DATES: September 24, 2014 – September 25, 2014

REGISTRATION: 12:00 PM on September 24, 2014

STAGING HOTEL: Crowne Plaza West
4010 City Avenue 19131
(215) 477-0200
http://www.cpphilawest.com/

SCHEDULE:

September 24, 2014
12:00 PM: Registration
2:00 – 4:25 PM: Who We Are, What You Expect, What’s Next
4:25 – 4:45 PM: Break
4:45 – 7:00 PM: What We Expect, Closing

September 25, 2014
2:00 AM: Check out of hotel
2:30 AM: Bus arrives for loading and departure to the airport

INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT ITINERARY:

25 SEP 14 – THURSDAY
AIR UNITED AIRLINES FLT:7916 UNITED ECONOMY LUNCH
NEW YORK JFK-JOHANNESBURG OPERATED BY SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS
LV NEW YORK JFK 1115A EQP: AIRBUS A340-600
DEPART: TERMINAL 4 15HR 00MIN

26 SEP 14 – FRIDAY
AR JOHANNESBURG 815A NON-STOP
ARRIVE: TERMINAL A REF: 5GFJVS
AIR SOUTH AFRICAN FLT:144 ECONOMY SNACK
LV JOHANNESBURG 150P EQP: AIRBUS A319
DEPART: TERMINAL B 01HR 05MIN
AR MAPUTO 255P NON-STOP

Other Things to Consider

Volunteers recommend that you not bring anything you would be heartbroken to lose. Know that the environment is harsh, but technology can be useful. The main things to bring are yourself and a sense of service and adventure.

Luggage

As you already know, during your first ten weeks in Mozambique – your Pre-Service Training (PST) – you will be staying in the home of a Mozambican family. Bedrooms are small, so it may be a tight squeeze to accommodate you and your luggage. We highly recommend that you pack one checked bag with the essential items you will need during the first ten weeks in-country. You can pack your second bag with items for the next two years at your site and store this bag in the Peace Corps office in Maputo during PST.

During PST, you will probably use waterproof boots, jeans, comfortable clothes, walking shoes, flip-flops, sweatshirts and pants, heavy rain-resistant jacket, professional clothes, and a nice outfit and shoes for the swearing-in ceremony.

The training village, Namaacha, is in the mountains on the border with Swaziland. From May to September is winter, when temperatures drop to 10o Centigrade (50 Fahrenheit) You will adjust to the climate and you WILL feel cold. Don’t forget to bring some warm sweaters and a jacket.

Make sure your luggage can be locked (e.g., with small baggage locks on zippers of duffel bags) for security during air travel, your homestay during PST, in storage during PST, and eventually at your site. It can be useful to bring zip ties or extra locks in your carry-on bag during your flight in case you are asked to check something last minute.

Many Volunteers opt to bring a medium-sized duffle bag or rolling suitcase as one checked bag and use a large travel pack as their second. For vacations and in-country travel, the travel packs are much easier to deal with than rolling suitcases. A small backpack or shoulder bag works well as a carry-on bag, as well as for everyday use.

Remember to bring toiletries for your first 10 weeks (shampoo, tampons/pads, deodorant, bug repellent, sunscreen, etc.). The medical team will supply repellant after you are sworn in as a Volunteer at the end of training.

You should plan to bring prescribed medicines to cover a three-month period. Other OTC products,

including vitamins or herbal products, will not be supplied by PCMO.

Cell phones

All cell phones here work on a pay-as-you-go, SIM card system. You will be able to purchase local cell phones and Mozambican SIM cards during training. If you choose to bring a current or older cell phone from the U.S., make sure that it takes SIM cards and that you get the phones unlocked before arrival. Unlocked Nokia phones work well, and many Volunteers use unlocked BlackBerry smartphones brought from the U.S.; verify with your cell phone company that other brands can accept foreign SIM cards. Remember that the plug for your charger will need an adapter. Mozambique runs on a 220-volt electrical current (as opposed to the 110-volt current in the United States). Many cell phones are 110-220 convertible.

Money Matters

And, last but not least, money! While Peace Corps will provide you with money to cover basic living costs during training, some trainees find that they want to bring extra money to purchase a nicer (i.e., internet-capable) phone during training, or other extra items such as crafts. After you swear in as a Volunteer, PC/Mozambique staff will help you to establish an account with a local bank. Your monthly living allowance will be deposited into this account.

If you choose to bring extra funds for vacation travel or souvenirs, it is highly recommended that you bring some extra cash – but not TOO much excess cash. USD notes issued earlier than 2006 are not changeable into Meticais, nor are newer bills in poor condition OR any U.S. coins. It’s best not to bring an excessive amount of U.S. coinssince they cannot be used or exchanged in Mozambique, and to safeguard them at the Peace Corps office is not practical.

Travelers’ checks are nearly impossible to use. At most banks, cash advances are available from VISA credit cards or ATM cards linked to VISA, through which you can access your personal U.S. accounts. Credit cards (VISA is the most accepted, MasterCard is accepted occasionally) are accepted in most major stores in Maputo and in some hotels throughout the country. In case you do not want to take your credit cards or extra cash to your homestay house, ourAdmin Officer will store it in a safe until the end of training. Remember that you will not have access to it during the ten weeks that you are in training.

Again, it is absolutely not required that you bring personal cash or credit cards. Your monthly living allowance will cover all your basic expenses.

Best of luck in preparing for your departure. We look forward to meeting you when you arrive in Maputo!

PC/Mozambique Team

Where in the world is Ebola?

I’ll be leaving for Mozambique myself in just under three weeks, and understandably my friends/family have been pretty worried about this, especially after my first country of service was cancelled.  Everyone’s been asking me about it, and honestly I don’t really have much to say, because our staging unit has told us exactly nada.  Personally I think they could have sent us a quick email detailing the countries pcvs have been evacuated from and some reassurances about how far those are from Mozambique, but they haven’t.  (No one ever claimed the Peace Corps was logical or organized I guess.)  Anyway, all I know is what I hear on the news, same as anyone else.  I did email my country desk officer, and she said there was no reason to think people would be pulled from Mozambique.  She also stressed that pcvs (at least in the education sector) are pretty safe from transmission, since we won’t be interacting with anyone sick.  Obviously, things could still change in the next month, but right now I have to agree with Jules McGee that Mozambique is currently very far away from the Ebola epidemic (~3,000 miles, aka longer than the width of the United States, even if you go diagonally), and also, that distance in Africa is a very different thing than the distances we’re used to.  So Ebola is really, really far away from Mozambique right now, and that’s comforting to realize.  

The distance from Mozambique to Sierra Leone is 3,726 miles.

The distance from from Portland, Maine to Los Angeles is 3,084 miles.

For more info, and more cool distance comparisons, keep reading her blog entry.  It’s a nice summary of the situation from someone currently in Africa.

Boa Noite, Moçambique!

Ebola: a scary word that has been floating around international media for the past few weeks. For those of you who don’t know, Ebola is a life-threatening disease that is currently happening in West Africa – in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria. (There is also a PCV, who was in my sorority but in another chapter, that I connected with on Facebook in Cameroon that said the northern part of the country was evacuated to the south because of the outbreak nearby.) Currently there have been 1,145 deaths (and 2,127 cases) because of the disease in Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, and Nigeria. That number keeps exponentially increasing each day.

A closeup map of West Africa

Here are some quick facts about the virus:

• The virus was discovered in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1976
• It can have a fatality rate of up to 90% depending on the strain…

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Why I Decided to Join the Peace Corps

This is a huge question with no simple answer, but since it’s something I wonder about everyone else, I figured it would be only fair to try to answer it myself. Why did I decide to join the Peace Corps? Why are you doing whatever it is you’re doing? What led you to this point in your life? I always want to know but it’s not a polite thing to ask, and not something I appreciate being asked myself, if I’m being honest. But here it is, if you were wondering.

Why did I decide to join the Peace Corps? First and foremost, I suppose I joined for the experience, which is what everyone says. I joined because I wanted to know more about our world, which is so big and beautiful and amazing, yet most people only see a tiny slice. I wanted to know more about the different life experiences people can have, and I wanted to see them first-hand. I wanted to travel, but not just pass through. I wanted to feel like I had something to offer a place if I was going to spend time there, and the main thing I have to offer is my ability to speak and teach English.

I joined the Peace Corps instead of another program for teaching English because I wanted to go somewhere more “interesting”. I didn’t want to live in another modern culture, even if it was still very different from my own. And I wanted a break from the constant technology and materialism of my own life. It’s true that there are many easier ways to accomplish this, but I wanted to see a whole culture that exists without the benefits I’m used to. I wanted to learn more about the true cost of things I take for granted, and the ways people can live their lives without them, taking other things for granted instead.

I also wanted to be a part of a larger program, a larger purpose. I wanted to meet the kinds of people who would join the Peace Corps, and to have that community for the rest of my life. And I also just liked the idea of the Peace Corps, for no explainable reason.

At the same time, I worry about coming across as overly naïve and idealistic when I tell people my plans. I don’t have any illusions that I’m going to change the world, or even the village where I will work. That’s not my place, and to try seems incredibly egotistical to me. I’m here to observe and to learn, and to offer what skills I have in exchange. I recently read a post from a PCV in Zambia that sums up these feelings nicely.

“It’s a common assumption that Peace Corps volunteers are trying to make the world a better place. That we are idealistic and enthusiastic and selfless and a bit naive. But most volunteers aren’t blind to reality. Most of us know that our work isn’t going to mean much more than a drop in the ocean of development work being done throughout the world. Most of us are aware of the lost earning potential of these two years we’re spending serving abroad instead of working stateside. And most of us are as much selfish as selfless, constantly aware of the various opportunities afforded by our Peace Corps service: the opportunity to live in a different country and culture, the opportunity to experience a new lifestyle, the opportunity to learn more about ourselves, and the opportunity to flesh out our resumes, in addition to the opportunity to work in development and the opportunity to serve our country.”  Fishing in Zambia

For me, ultimately, the Peace Corps is a means to an end for an experience I want. The Peace Corps can give me a job, and a place in a community. I would not even begin to know how to pick up and move to rural Africa, but by going through the Peace Corps system, I have that ability. And teaching English is something I can trade in exchange for that experience.

I didn’t choose Mozambique as my country; it was assigned to me. But I’m excited to experience it and I hear it’s beautiful. I leave almost exactly a month from now. Maybe in the future, in six months, a year from now, my reasons for being in the Peace Corps will be different, and that’s okay. Like I said, there are so many reasons for doing anything. It’s an almost impossible thing to explain concisely, especially when asked on the spot. But I think it’s worthwhile to record some of my reasons, here, right now, before I begin.

1376 Miles

 

Things have been pretty busy with me for the last month or so. I covered roughly 1400 miles roadtripping around the East Coast, visiting college friends and my old roommates in Boston, before flying out to Boulder CO for one last visit. I had already bought that plane ticket before it occurred to me I could take a greyhound bus from Boston to Denver for the minimal price of $100 and 48 hours of my time. I’m a little sad I didn’t think of that earlier, because it would have been interesting to me just to see that much of the United States. But I ended up flying instead, and it was obviously much faster. In any case, here are the places I’ve been through in the past two weeks:

Centreville, Maryland
Syracuse, New York
Skaneateles, New York
Niagra Falls, New York
Boston, Massachusetts
Middlebury, Vermont
Burlington, Vermont
Boston, Massachusetts

This trip has been the most I’ve ever seen of the East Coast, since I’m a Midwesterner born and bred, but I loved it. I love the Appalachian Mountains, and I love the experience of watching the landscape change slowly as you drive through. Nothing can beat the convenience of planes, it’s true, but there’s something to be said for really experiencing the land. The 8 hour bus ride from Maryland to Syracuse was one of the best days I’ve had so far, despite the fact that I was by myself. One day, I would like to a longer roadtrip since there’s still so much of our country I haven’t seen, but that will probably have to wait until after the Peace Corps.

Peace Corps Announces Historic Changes to Application and Selection Process

Well then.  This sounds like a much more streamlined application process, and very different from the one I went through.  That’s probably a good thing.  I’ve heard some people complain that they’re allowing people to pick their country of service now, which I can understand.  Of course, they always let you put down your preferences, but we all know that didn’t really mean anything.  And that’s part of the beauty of it.  I never would have chosen Azerbaijan or Mozambique on my own, but learning about a place that wouldn’t have occurred to me is part of the thrill.  On the other hand, the option to not choose a country is still available to those who want it, and they’re probably correct in assuming that having more control over the application process will make it more appealing, and increase their numbers.  But still, it’s strange to see that one aspect of the Peace Corps, that leap of faith, that willingness to go anywhere taken away.

Appalachian Trail

We finally made it out to western Maryland and hiked just the tiniest bit of the Appalachian Trail!  It was pretty gorgeous.  The horizon really does get all hazy and blue in the distance.

On Shitty Jobs

One of the most frustrating thing about having my leave date pushed back five months was knowing I’d have to keep working the same sorts of shitty jobs that I’ve held since college. You know the type. Retail. Food service. Temporary jobs, with crazy hours and low pay.

Right after college, it was what I wanted. In fact, it was pretty perfect. I was living in Boston with some friends of mine and working at Starbucks, and for the first half year or so, I really enjoyed the lack of responsibility. I reveled in the complete change of pace from college. The novelty, and the freedom that came from not being invested in what I was doing.

After that, the more negative aspects of the job started to grate on me. The constant struggle to work enough hours and the resulting uncertainty in my paycheck. The dynamic this created with my boss (please let me work, please let me work. I can see why this is an appealing employee attitude for a corporation, but I think it’s completely unfair and demeaning.) The schedule that changed every week. The job requirement of trying to please every single person that happened to walk through our door. These were some of the first things that bothered on me. Later on, it began to be the sameness of the work. The fact that I was trapped behind a counter for 8 hours a day, usually during the best daylight hours. And even later on, it was the fact that I spent 8 hours a day with someone else telling me what to do. I made no decisions. There was no independence.

That said, Starbucks was still a relatively good job, for its sort. I still recommend it to people who are looking for jobs. And I’ve certainly run into much worse in the last month alone.

To start with, I’ve had no luck at all finding a full-time job since moving to Maryland, much less one that would have paid me the $10/hr I was making at Starbucks. But that’s to be expected I suppose, given that I’m living in a small town (google estimates its population at just under 5000) and am limited to the distance I am willing to walk (about a mile and a half). With that in mind, I found myself several part-time jobs, one of which was at a local coffee shop. However, in my third week of working there, my manager informed me that I couldn’t work there anymore because I didn’t have a social security card on file. When I told her that in fact I did have it and could bring it to work any time she liked, she told me they were overstaffed and that she would speak with me in a few days. And when I stopped by the shop the next day instead of waiting (how forward of me) she yelled at me and her husband threatened to call the police. I was dumbfounded, and still am.

All in all, I am so ready to leave this kind of work behind. I am sick to death of working in customer service and dealing with managers who have complete power over my ability to support myself. I know with absolute certainty that I never want to work in these sorts of jobs again. But it’s definitely been interesting, and I wouldn’t say the last two years have been wasted. Not at all. I’ve learned so many things.

I think the biggest thing is probably how many sorts of people at so many different points in their lives end of working in these types of jobs, for so many different reasons. Without really thinking about it, I had always sort of assumed that people working these jobs were either students, or possibly, just not very talented (I know, I know, how offensive can you be?). But really, that’s what I had assumed, without knowing better. Many of the people I’ve met working at Starbucks are college students, but many are also in their mid-to-late twenties, smart, interesting people, who for whatever reason need some sort of back-up job while they arrange their lives to be how they want. The other thing it’s made me realize is just how many jobs like this it takes to keep our country functioning. How many unfulfilling jobs with odd hours and no benefits or guarantees. Somehow, I had just imagined that people became ‘adults’ and automatically got a job with hours from 9-5 and a guaranteed salary. Of course, I knew there were better and worse jobs, but these types of shitty jobs and the people who worked them were somehow invisible to me. And that is an incredible oversight on my part. If nothing else, these last two years have been worth it just for that realization alone. 

Stripping Bricks

I never expected the coast of Maryland to have so much farmland.

Let me begin by saying, if I ever run into anyone who thinks it’s a good idea to paint over bricks, I just might kill them. I feel that strongly about it.

I got to Maryland a few days ago, just in time for my 24th birthday. Doesn’t that sound old? Back when I was in high school, I never would have expected to be 24 years old, searching for odd jobs and living in a friend’s spare room. I definitely expected my future self to have their shit more together. But here I am, in a new state once again, with an odd three month chunk of time before I leave for Africa. That’s another thing. I’ll be 26 and some by the time I get back from the Peace Corps, only just starting to look for what my past self would have considered a “real adult job”. Some days I’m excited about that, and some days the idea of being 26 without ever having had anything remotely resembling a career seems absolutely crazy. My past self would surely have been horrified.

But, back to the present. As I said, I just got to Maryland. A good friend of mine recently bought a house here, and so I’m keeping her company and helping her to fix it up. Which brings me back to the bricks. Seriously, never paint bricks. It is just a bad idea. It doesn’t even look that nice to begin with, and some poor person will curse you 50 years in the future, when that stylish paint you put on there is peeling and outdated, and they would give anything to just have a nice plain brick wall as an accent feature. Because let me tell you, brick apparently soaks up paint like nothing else, and you don’t have a hope of getting it out of all the pores. The best you can hope for is a sort of rough, washed look, kind of like washed denim. And to even get to that point, it takes all sorts of toxic chemicals, complete with face masks and goggles that are forever fogging up. If you don’t know, working with strong chemicals is probably one of my least favorite things in the world. My ex-boyfriend can attest to that, from the one time we decided to clean our small, airless bathroom together, and he brought out the heavy duty cleaners that I always avoid. I just about hyperventilated then. And yet, here I am again, elbow deep in chemicals, scrubbing a wall for the sake of friendship. Well, that, and for a roof over my head that doesn’t involve my parents. But like I told Maria, if she uncovers any other brick walls in this house that she wants to restore, I’m abandoning ship, friendship be damned. And she agreed with me.

Our finished product: