our packing pictures:
books. we could narrow down almost everything else but our books.
and of course, matt finishing up those last little projects....
Monday, March 15, 2010
Saturday, March 13, 2010
logisitcs, logistics
ahhhh! so much to do before leaving the country for 2 years...
should we insure our things? wait a minute, I think my license expires while we're gone. cancel the cellphones. cancel the electricity. does Matt have a tie? does Matt know how to tie a tie? should we get a power of attorney? we still have money due to us from the clinic. geico owes a reimbursement too. oh, and ACS. mail? where should we have the mail sent? visas. passports. H1N1 shots? we have to get one of those?! copy and transfer music to the new computer. (thanks Judy for the computer! thanks Mike for all the new music!) still need earplugs, socks, guitar strings, toy shark (what Matt?), razor, nylons (do I need nylons?), scissors, shoes for Matt....
oh boy.
should we insure our things? wait a minute, I think my license expires while we're gone. cancel the cellphones. cancel the electricity. does Matt have a tie? does Matt know how to tie a tie? should we get a power of attorney? we still have money due to us from the clinic. geico owes a reimbursement too. oh, and ACS. mail? where should we have the mail sent? visas. passports. H1N1 shots? we have to get one of those?! copy and transfer music to the new computer. (thanks Judy for the computer! thanks Mike for all the new music!) still need earplugs, socks, guitar strings, toy shark (what Matt?), razor, nylons (do I need nylons?), scissors, shoes for Matt....
oh boy.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
current timeline
3/10-3/14: Chicago area, visiting with Julie's family
3/14-3/17: Buffalo area, visiting with Matt's family
3/17-3/18: Miami @ PC Staging
3/18-3/20: Kingston, Jamaica
3/20-4/7: Community Based Training (CBT) living with a host family in Hellshire
4/7-5/9: Hub-Based Training (HBT) living with second host family
3/14-3/17: Buffalo area, visiting with Matt's family
3/17-3/18: Miami @ PC Staging
3/18-3/20: Kingston, Jamaica
3/20-4/7: Community Based Training (CBT) living with a host family in Hellshire
4/7-5/9: Hub-Based Training (HBT) living with second host family
Monday, March 8, 2010
distance makes the heart grow fonder
so matt and I will see each other tomorrow for the first time in over 2 months. as many of you know the separation seems to be a regular part of our relationship. for those of you keeping track, we have yet to live in the same zip code, much less the same house, for more than 8 months in a row, and have lived apart anywhere from 2-9 months.
in the Peace Corps we will be together for 26 months straight...so do you think we'll be able to handle it? :)
in the Peace Corps we will be together for 26 months straight...so do you think we'll be able to handle it? :)
Saturday, March 6, 2010
FAQs
Q: Do you know where you'll be living in Jamaica?
A: Nope. Not yet anyway. A PC term consists of 26-27 months, all of it in the PCV's assigned country. The first 2-3 months is training, after which begins the 2 years of "service". For those two years we will be assigned to a specific location and a more specific job. Most PCVs find out this information towards the end of their training. The PC uses the few months of training to better assess where each volunteer would best be placed, looking at things such as how well a PCV is adjusting to the culture, learning the language, and so on. After seeing their PCVs "live and in action", the PC then decides which location would best each individual (or couple). Sooo, that being said, we really have no idea where we will be living in Jamaica, and neither does the PC.
Q: When you say "language training"...well, don't Jamaicans speak English?
A: Yes. English is the official language of Jamaica. However, Jamaicans also speak an English-African Creole language known as Jamaican Patois. Here's an example:
Dah language weh yuh proud a,
Weh yuh honour an respec –
Po Mas Charlie, yuh no know se
Dat it spring from dialec!
—Bans a Killin
Can you translate what it means?
A: Nope. Not yet anyway. A PC term consists of 26-27 months, all of it in the PCV's assigned country. The first 2-3 months is training, after which begins the 2 years of "service". For those two years we will be assigned to a specific location and a more specific job. Most PCVs find out this information towards the end of their training. The PC uses the few months of training to better assess where each volunteer would best be placed, looking at things such as how well a PCV is adjusting to the culture, learning the language, and so on. After seeing their PCVs "live and in action", the PC then decides which location would best each individual (or couple). Sooo, that being said, we really have no idea where we will be living in Jamaica, and neither does the PC.
Q: When you say "language training"...well, don't Jamaicans speak English?
A: Yes. English is the official language of Jamaica. However, Jamaicans also speak an English-African Creole language known as Jamaican Patois. Here's an example:
Dah language weh yuh proud a,
Weh yuh honour an respec –
Po Mas Charlie, yuh no know se
Dat it spring from dialec!
—Bans a Killin
Can you translate what it means?
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
PC 101
Okay so here's a brief rundown on things PC:
First of all, know that how things are done in Jamaica are not necessarily how things are done in all PC countries everywhere. Although all volunteers are part of the PC, every individual country operates a little differently. A comparison that I often make is with my job at Big Brothers Big Sisters. Although BBBS is a nationwide organization and has certain aspects that are the same across the board (i.e. the terms Bigs and Littles, the use of the same database, the support a match is given, etc.), every office operates a little differently. How we operate in Alaska is not the same way things are done in Michigan or Northern Texas (i.e. overall office structure, recruiting techniques, activities offered to volunteers). We all are part of the same big happy family, have national conferences, and have a general understanding and appreciation amongst one another.
BUT when it comes down to it, we have some vast differences between one location to the next. This is much the same with the PC. There are many similarities throughout the PC (the overall application process, length of service, basic guidelines and groundrules). There are many differences (the overall training process, living accommodations, how structured your assignment is).
The differences seem to be largely based on 3 things:
1. Maybe the most obvious- culture.
2. The Country Director. Every PC country has one. Consider it the equivalent of a CEO for each location. Just like with BBBS, the "buck stops" at each individual CEO or Executive Director, the same is the case with the Country Directors. The Country Directors seem to have a large influence over country policies, rules, and the overall nature of the program.
3. The amount of time the PC has been working in the country. PCVs have been serving in Jamaica for almost 50 years. Matt and I will be in the 81st PCV group to come to Jamaica. PCVs have been serving in Mexico for barely 5 years. As you would guess, there is a huge difference between serving in a country that has a program that has been around for 50 years versus 5 years.
More to come...
First of all, know that how things are done in Jamaica are not necessarily how things are done in all PC countries everywhere. Although all volunteers are part of the PC, every individual country operates a little differently. A comparison that I often make is with my job at Big Brothers Big Sisters. Although BBBS is a nationwide organization and has certain aspects that are the same across the board (i.e. the terms Bigs and Littles, the use of the same database, the support a match is given, etc.), every office operates a little differently. How we operate in Alaska is not the same way things are done in Michigan or Northern Texas (i.e. overall office structure, recruiting techniques, activities offered to volunteers). We all are part of the same big happy family, have national conferences, and have a general understanding and appreciation amongst one another.
BUT when it comes down to it, we have some vast differences between one location to the next. This is much the same with the PC. There are many similarities throughout the PC (the overall application process, length of service, basic guidelines and groundrules). There are many differences (the overall training process, living accommodations, how structured your assignment is).
The differences seem to be largely based on 3 things:
1. Maybe the most obvious- culture.
2. The Country Director. Every PC country has one. Consider it the equivalent of a CEO for each location. Just like with BBBS, the "buck stops" at each individual CEO or Executive Director, the same is the case with the Country Directors. The Country Directors seem to have a large influence over country policies, rules, and the overall nature of the program.
3. The amount of time the PC has been working in the country. PCVs have been serving in Jamaica for almost 50 years. Matt and I will be in the 81st PCV group to come to Jamaica. PCVs have been serving in Mexico for barely 5 years. As you would guess, there is a huge difference between serving in a country that has a program that has been around for 50 years versus 5 years.
More to come...
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