tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26633997939918842732024-02-08T22:19:56.089+02:00south africaCthEWorldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13487955968975601379noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663399793991884273.post-4578220655882877002007-07-06T02:08:00.001+02:002007-07-06T02:28:08.900+02:0012 days...a little bit has changed from the previous entry: i leave july 17 for philly. i'll be there for 3 days, then i take a bus (with the 93 other folks heading my way) to jfk airport. we fly from jfk to frankfurt, germany. get this--we have a 12-hour layover. i'd like to hit up the zoo--over 3200 animals. sweet. we leave germany about 10:45 that night & are destined for jo'burg. we gather our belongings & take a 2.5 hour busride to rustenburg where we begin an 8-day pre-training schedule. upon completion of this we travel another 2.5 hour busride to zeerust (120 km from botswana border) to live with a host family for the next 8 weeks. during this time i will not have much, if any, internet or phone access (this is your key to WRITE letters!!). after those 8 weeks, i move to my permanent host family's home. there are 6 languages that i will learn: sepedi, setswana, isizulu, isiswati, xitsonga & afrikaans.<br /><br />i know i have said this before, but i want to thank each one of you for your support and interest in what i am about to embark upon. thank you and much love to you.<br /><br />lovingly yours.CthEWorldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13487955968975601379noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663399793991884273.post-26380351214834060752007-06-03T00:43:00.000+02:002007-06-03T00:58:06.366+02:00south africa, july 2007!finally-- after months of waiting, i received the email for my invitation to south africa!! my job title is primary teacher training resource volunteer. the program that i am involved in is called the school & community resource project. basically i will be assisting teachers in math, science & english by suggesting different techniques & innovative ways of teaching strategies. i will also help support government & non-government organizations to promote HIV/AIDS awareness & education. another aspect of my position is to integrate families within the community and strengthen the bond between them & the school.<br /><br />i leave july 16 for staging--which is basically a 3-day orientation. i then fly to s. africa july 19 to a community i will live in for 3 months to grow accustomed to my new environment. i will learn new languages, meet other peace corps volunteers (pcv's), receive intense training on my new position and begin adjusting to a whole new way of life. my actual start date of my program is september 13, 2007 and goes through september 13, 2009.<br /><br />i don't know the exact location of where i will be in s. africa--as i still need to call the pc headquarters and accept the position (which i will do first thing monday morning!!)<br /><br />until then--<br /><br />warmest regards.CthEWorldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13487955968975601379noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663399793991884273.post-63679023123502214642007-05-01T02:42:00.000+02:002007-05-01T03:22:52.315+02:00waitingit was mid-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">september</span> and it hit me. i am not ready to go to vet school, med school or any other sort of graduate school for that matter. i was not ready to ground myself here. i knew that there were so many more faces of the world i have yet to see. so many more challenges i was ready to take on. i started my application <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">september</span> 20, 2006. i submitted my application <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">october</span> 23, 2006. i was nominated <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">november</span> 17, 2006. i had my dental and medical exams. i mailed my fingerprints and information for my background check. this was all complete by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">january</span> 10, 2007. now it is in the hands of the placement officers. when will i leave? where will i live for the next two years? i can not wait to be a volunteer for the peace corps. i enjoy partaking in humanitarian deeds & sharing my wealth of kindness with anyone willing to accept.<br /><br />let me tell you this waiting part of the nominee program is difficult. i think i could be one of the top 5 most impatient people of the world (ask <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">jeff</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">langer</span> at the pet apothecary--he'll tell you all about it!). so as i sit here and wait for my assignment, i make the most of my time by spending it with family and friends--<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">preferably</span> at miller park watching the brewer's game, but anywhere will do.<br /><br />as my process continues on, i will keep you posted as often as i can. hopefully you will enjoy listening to my stories along the way as much as i enjoy sharing them with you.<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">xoxo</span>CthEWorldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13487955968975601379noreply@blogger.com1