We are now in the Peace Corps; we are officially PCTs (Peace Corps Trainees). Today was registration day spent getting paperwork in order and beginning orientation learning the objectives and values of the Peace Corps. There are 82 trainees headed for South Africa; 36 slated for NGO Capacity Building (like us) and another 46 who will work in Education. The group is mainly under thirty with a scattering of old folks like Susan and me (or I should say old folks like me). There are 5 married couples. The hotel is really filled with Peace Corps as there are also trainees for Mali having their orientation here too. At noon today the lobby looked like the lost luggage office at LAX, with all the incoming PCTs’ maxed out bags stacked about.
The weekend was another nice interlude prior to leaving the country. We visited with an old friend on Saturday night and saw our son Erik on Sunday. We had time to do some sightseeing in Philadelphia. We are in the Historic District, with Independence Hall, Liberty Bell, Ben Franklin and on and on. The area has parks with large old trees. We went on a tour of Independence Hall; the guide was a very dynamic presenter who stated with passion the significance and import of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. All in all Philadelphia has provided a good sendoff for our trip to South Africa.
I was impressed with the trainees. They are bright, earnest and passionate. We spent most of our orientation activities working in small groups. The people in my groups very clearly articulated their goals, anxieties and aspirations. We talked with openness and supportiveness not usually found with new acquaintances. The day has been a real motivator.
Tomorrow morning we go for immunizations and then continue with orientation activities. The following day we leave for South Africa. Updates to this blog may be slow or none-existent for the next two months while we are in training. We have been repeatedly warned we will not have Internet or cell phone access during training.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Thursday, July 20, 2006
The Adventure Begins
Susan, my wife, and I are beginning our South African Adventure. We have dreamed for many years about using our time and experience in a creative manner. We are now about one week from actually flying to South Africa. When there we will become "NGO Capacity Builders" with the Peace Corps. NGO means Non-Governmental Organization, in particular organizations helping to solve South Africa's HIV/AIDS problems. As a capacity builder we will use our experience to assist some NGO. We won't know exactly what we will be doing for several weeks. Our first goal is to complete training to learn the language and customs of our new home.
I am currently sitting in Kailua, Hawaii, listening to someone practicing the ukelele next door. We moved out of our house in California last week. The prior few weeks were spent disposing the trash accumulated over twenty-some years. It is educational to have a garage sale for all your worldly treasures and they can't be sold for even one buck a pop. Our furniture is now in storage or disposed of with our son. Our available possessions are reduced to 4 pieces of luggage and 4 boxes being mailed to our new address. This reduction of possessions is both terrifying and liberating. In general it is a relief to not worry about things but occasionally the worry strikes -- what did I forget? Right now when this happens I go outside and bask in the luscious air of Oahu.
This week in Hawaii has been a great stress reliever. The height of stress is walking a half block to the beach and finding an adequately shady spot to place our beach towels on. It does provide the time to start this blog.
We have been working toward this for a long time. I submitted my application to the Peace Corps two years ago, my wife submitted hers months before that. Shortly after we submitted our applications we had our interview. We said we wanted to go to a Pacific or Caribbean island (preferably one with nice beaches) and work in a health field. Our interviewer was polite and did not laugh in our face. He did say he did not have any current opportunities in that area but that we should be flexible and he would call us as appropriate positions became available. He did follow through and offered us a number of opportunities to teach math, science, English in Central America, Asia and Europe. I cannot teach and saved my potential students a lot of grief by declining those offer.
Finally we were offered positions in health work in Africa in June 2005. I guess I thought Africa was near to some Pacific island, since we agreed. At that point we became Peace Corps Nominees. As a nominee we submitted paperwork affirming we were not running away from our debtors or our family, nor running from the law. The biggest task of the nominee is to get medically/dentally cleared. The Peace Corps requires fairly thorough physical and dental exams. I thought once submitted no one would look at the results -- not so. The Peace Corps' medical staff goes through each item and goes back to the nominee to get every question clarified. After passing those hurdles we became an Invitee in December 2005 and learned the country and job title of the position. The position offered was to work in Health extending in rural Uganda. We were thrilled, the need was compelling and Uganda inviting. However, after talking with the Africa desk it became clear that we could not have the level of communication needed we need to have to deal with our family and the people taking care of our home and finances. My wife and I were sorely disappointed when we refused that invitation and afraid we would never get another invitation.
In March 2006 we got the invitation for South Africa as an NGO Capacity Builder for HIV/AIDS. While not really close to the Pacific Islands and not likely to have a balmy beach and not exactly a health position, we were thrilled. The more I read about South Africa the more I want to go. The problems in South Africa are great but the possibilities of that country are even greater. I want to see the land and meet the people.
On Friday we fly to Philadelphia where we will get oriented to the Peace Corps, receive some immunizations and then go to New York to fly to Johannesburg.
I am currently sitting in Kailua, Hawaii, listening to someone practicing the ukelele next door. We moved out of our house in California last week. The prior few weeks were spent disposing the trash accumulated over twenty-some years. It is educational to have a garage sale for all your worldly treasures and they can't be sold for even one buck a pop. Our furniture is now in storage or disposed of with our son. Our available possessions are reduced to 4 pieces of luggage and 4 boxes being mailed to our new address. This reduction of possessions is both terrifying and liberating. In general it is a relief to not worry about things but occasionally the worry strikes -- what did I forget? Right now when this happens I go outside and bask in the luscious air of Oahu.
This week in Hawaii has been a great stress reliever. The height of stress is walking a half block to the beach and finding an adequately shady spot to place our beach towels on. It does provide the time to start this blog.
We have been working toward this for a long time. I submitted my application to the Peace Corps two years ago, my wife submitted hers months before that. Shortly after we submitted our applications we had our interview. We said we wanted to go to a Pacific or Caribbean island (preferably one with nice beaches) and work in a health field. Our interviewer was polite and did not laugh in our face. He did say he did not have any current opportunities in that area but that we should be flexible and he would call us as appropriate positions became available. He did follow through and offered us a number of opportunities to teach math, science, English in Central America, Asia and Europe. I cannot teach and saved my potential students a lot of grief by declining those offer.
Finally we were offered positions in health work in Africa in June 2005. I guess I thought Africa was near to some Pacific island, since we agreed. At that point we became Peace Corps Nominees. As a nominee we submitted paperwork affirming we were not running away from our debtors or our family, nor running from the law. The biggest task of the nominee is to get medically/dentally cleared. The Peace Corps requires fairly thorough physical and dental exams. I thought once submitted no one would look at the results -- not so. The Peace Corps' medical staff goes through each item and goes back to the nominee to get every question clarified. After passing those hurdles we became an Invitee in December 2005 and learned the country and job title of the position. The position offered was to work in Health extending in rural Uganda. We were thrilled, the need was compelling and Uganda inviting. However, after talking with the Africa desk it became clear that we could not have the level of communication needed we need to have to deal with our family and the people taking care of our home and finances. My wife and I were sorely disappointed when we refused that invitation and afraid we would never get another invitation.
In March 2006 we got the invitation for South Africa as an NGO Capacity Builder for HIV/AIDS. While not really close to the Pacific Islands and not likely to have a balmy beach and not exactly a health position, we were thrilled. The more I read about South Africa the more I want to go. The problems in South Africa are great but the possibilities of that country are even greater. I want to see the land and meet the people.
On Friday we fly to Philadelphia where we will get oriented to the Peace Corps, receive some immunizations and then go to New York to fly to Johannesburg.
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