We we made it here to good ole TZ and it is amazing... the flight was tiring but all 41 of us got to Dar with all of our luggage ... The past few days have been a lot of language and safety but besides that we have just gotten to know eachother... We are moving in with host families in the Tanga area where we are broken into smaller groups where we will be learnin the language for the next 3 months ... This is going to be a big quest given the fact that the skills we are learning are going to be what we need to be able to live by ourselves... O yea our families dont speak English lol ... we are going to be busy bees for the next few moths with language and culture from 8-5 daily but it will be so awesome!! ... We have been very warmly welcomed into Tz and the people here are so nice!! I am super excited to meet my host family and when the time comes be able to actually talk to them longer than hi my name is amy im from america, I work for PC,...
I am sorry if this is all random but I didnt have time to make a blog b4 coming to the internet but I just wanted to make sure I got something up!!
Love and miss everyone!!
Amy
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
Staging
Flight today was at 7:05 from Detroit to good ole PA, pretty fast flight but I was dying bc I got NO sleep whats so ever!! Got to the gate and realized that there are 4 people from the Detroit area that is also going to Tz with me (theres like 7 of us from MI definitly the best represented state)!!... We got to the hotel and started the 5 hour meetings where we discussed our feelings and just got to know one another. It was a LONG LONG day but in the end it was super cool to meet everyone (about 40 of us) and realize people have the same questions that you do and that packing was def a problem with everyone!!! It is so amazing to be with people who share the same zeal for service as I do and I believe that it will be an amazing 27months.... Tomorrow we are leaving the hotel at 5:30am and heading to a federal building in NYC for people to get their yellow fever shots then off to the airport where we are flying to Zurich then to Tz.... but I am dead tired so I am getting to bed! BIG DAY TOMORROW!!... Keep us in your prayers!!
Amy
Amy
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Prayer requests
So tomorrow is my last day in the states and I know it is going to be filled with A LOT of stressful packing and last minute paperwork .. lame .... but I have a few prayer requests for everyone out there please!!
1)A safe journey out there
2)That my group and I keep the zeal that brought us to say yes to this adventure
3)That our family and friends stay strong while we are not there
4)That the people that we meet in Tz are open to us
5)That we stay healthy
6)That we are the best volunteers that we can be
7)That I can stay on top of my Catholic/Christian ways while I am there!
I know those are just a few things that are racing through my mind right now but I just wanted to put atleast a few down!... I am super stressed and need to go pack ... thanks in advance!!
1)A safe journey out there
2)That my group and I keep the zeal that brought us to say yes to this adventure
3)That our family and friends stay strong while we are not there
4)That the people that we meet in Tz are open to us
5)That we stay healthy
6)That we are the best volunteers that we can be
7)That I can stay on top of my Catholic/Christian ways while I am there!
I know those are just a few things that are racing through my mind right now but I just wanted to put atleast a few down!... I am super stressed and need to go pack ... thanks in advance!!
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Mail.....
You might be sitting there thinking how can I send Amy awesome hand written letters and packages, since I pretty much read your mind I have stolen some mail info from another PCV.
-“There are a few things you can do to help hasten and secure the passage and delivery of your mail. Have anyone sending you a care package scribble religious symbols and biblical quotes all over the outside of the box. This sounds silly, but it works. Though many of the countries in which the Peace Corps serves are largely animist in religion, superstitution runs high and even corrupt postal workers are wary of intercepting religious parcels. Along every step of the way, your mail will be subject to the whims of postal officals, customs officers, and delivery personnel who often take the liberty of rummaging through care packages in search of goodies from the U.S. If you mail is embellished with religious symbols, the odds of keeping it intact are improved. You may even want to ask the sender to write “Sister” or “Brother” before your name, the heighten the effect. Another trick is to have your mail addressed to you in red ink. I’ve been told red ink is somewhat sacrosant in many third world societies and is reserved for only the most official of letters and correspondances. Though I’m unsure about this explanation’s validity, I can vouch for the trick’s effectiveness, having seen serveral packages addressed in red ink delivered safely and expeditiously.”
Also:
-Make sure you're using Airmail
-Number your letters so I know if one has been lost
-I've heard that padded envelopes have a better chance of making it than boxes
-It can help to include "educational materials'" or "feminine hygeine products" on the package in writing that looks official
....Hope to get mail from EVERYONE!!
-“There are a few things you can do to help hasten and secure the passage and delivery of your mail. Have anyone sending you a care package scribble religious symbols and biblical quotes all over the outside of the box. This sounds silly, but it works. Though many of the countries in which the Peace Corps serves are largely animist in religion, superstitution runs high and even corrupt postal workers are wary of intercepting religious parcels. Along every step of the way, your mail will be subject to the whims of postal officals, customs officers, and delivery personnel who often take the liberty of rummaging through care packages in search of goodies from the U.S. If you mail is embellished with religious symbols, the odds of keeping it intact are improved. You may even want to ask the sender to write “Sister” or “Brother” before your name, the heighten the effect. Another trick is to have your mail addressed to you in red ink. I’ve been told red ink is somewhat sacrosant in many third world societies and is reserved for only the most official of letters and correspondances. Though I’m unsure about this explanation’s validity, I can vouch for the trick’s effectiveness, having seen serveral packages addressed in red ink delivered safely and expeditiously.”
Also:
-Make sure you're using Airmail
-Number your letters so I know if one has been lost
-I've heard that padded envelopes have a better chance of making it than boxes
-It can help to include "educational materials'" or "feminine hygeine products" on the package in writing that looks official
....Hope to get mail from EVERYONE!!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
It's real.. I am going!
Booked my ticket yesterday and I am leaving from Detroit at 7:05 am... Kind of freaky to think that I actually have a flight! After booking my flight I decided to try and tackle this mess of a house, given the fact all of my things are everywhere bc I brought it all back after Sunday's graduation (which went amazing!!).... Well I dont know where it is all going to go bc I do see all of my things as importantand dont want to throw it away but hey maybe I am just a hoarder lol... Today I applied for my visa and new gov't passport bc my mom came and found my passport that I lost earlier lol I looked for it for days and she came in and found it in about 7mins, man moms are good at finding things!! But man let the paperwork continue.. I then filled out my life insurance policy for $25,000, which costs me about $2.50 a month, which I feel is a good lump some but my mom said that it will just cover the costs to bring the body back TALK ABOUT A FUN CONVERSATION! I then had to fill out my loan deferment things which led me to call the bank give or take 100 times just to find out it is already taken care of! I thought after I got fully accepted, the peace corps run around of paper work would end but man was I wrong! ... I still need to fill a few more documents out and send it but I am over it for now! ....
My going away party is coming up so that is exciting, besides that I am just trying to figure out what I want to do b4 I go, so far it is sit and watch tv until I get a call to hang out lol .... I am so excited to go but man this is kinda scary for example:
1) there will be A LOT of bugs, not little ones like ants and rolly pollies but big ones, ones that can burrow in your skin and lay eggs... now I dont know how legit that claim is but hey I watched mystery diagnosis too many times to rule it out!
2) I know little, like very little, Swahili which will make it pretty lonely until I can understand people BUT that also poses a new challenge which I am excited about..... I mean how awesome is it going to be when I know a new language!!
3) Simple fear of the unknown, I have no idea what I will really need when I get there, I dont know if I will have power or not, I am bringing a laptop but will I be able to charge it in the wall or do I need to bring a solar charger? Do I need to bring a tent and sleeping bag? I want to go exploring when I am there but is that really an option? What clothes do I really need? How about shoes? How often and how will I communicate with home? Should I bring my cell phone? ... there are about a million more questions along those lines but I wont bore you! haha
4) What if something big happens! I am not naive enough to think that life wont go on but what about the big things like marriage and babies, I already know a few births I will miss and also marriages but people just try to hold on lol.. I dont want to miss so much but I know I am simply living my dream! I am not going to put my dreams on hold and I am going to go BUT if you all could refrain from making huge life decisions without me that would be nice!
All in all these questions will be anwsered soon enough! I need to not worry and give my worries to God and do what I can to research! ... I am super exctied and hope all goes well! ... let the count down continue 27 more days!
Amy :)
My going away party is coming up so that is exciting, besides that I am just trying to figure out what I want to do b4 I go, so far it is sit and watch tv until I get a call to hang out lol .... I am so excited to go but man this is kinda scary for example:
1) there will be A LOT of bugs, not little ones like ants and rolly pollies but big ones, ones that can burrow in your skin and lay eggs... now I dont know how legit that claim is but hey I watched mystery diagnosis too many times to rule it out!
2) I know little, like very little, Swahili which will make it pretty lonely until I can understand people BUT that also poses a new challenge which I am excited about..... I mean how awesome is it going to be when I know a new language!!
3) Simple fear of the unknown, I have no idea what I will really need when I get there, I dont know if I will have power or not, I am bringing a laptop but will I be able to charge it in the wall or do I need to bring a solar charger? Do I need to bring a tent and sleeping bag? I want to go exploring when I am there but is that really an option? What clothes do I really need? How about shoes? How often and how will I communicate with home? Should I bring my cell phone? ... there are about a million more questions along those lines but I wont bore you! haha
4) What if something big happens! I am not naive enough to think that life wont go on but what about the big things like marriage and babies, I already know a few births I will miss and also marriages but people just try to hold on lol.. I dont want to miss so much but I know I am simply living my dream! I am not going to put my dreams on hold and I am going to go BUT if you all could refrain from making huge life decisions without me that would be nice!
All in all these questions will be anwsered soon enough! I need to not worry and give my worries to God and do what I can to research! ... I am super exctied and hope all goes well! ... let the count down continue 27 more days!
Amy :)
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
First Blog
After a year of stalking peace corps blogs I have finally decided it was time to make my own. I am leaving June 14th 2010 to be a "Health Education Extension" worker in Tanzania for the peace corps and I couldn't be more excited. I wrote a lot of journals when I was in Kenya last summer and I all in all it was a great way to show people what I was up to.
I am so excited for this new chapter in my life but man it is going to be a serious transition! I have done a lot of traveling over the years but never longer than a month away from the good ole US of A but I am ready for the challenge. I am a bit worried to be leaving given the fact I have found a great community of friends over my years at Lewis University and not to mention leaving my family but hey we all need to grow up some time.
I hope to develop great relationships over there and in order for me to do that I must be open to their culture and be willing to change and I really do think I am ready for that.... with graduation around the corner I am ready for change and the peace corps is going to supply that I am sure lol ...
28 days left and I am shipping slash flying out!!!
I am so excited for this new chapter in my life but man it is going to be a serious transition! I have done a lot of traveling over the years but never longer than a month away from the good ole US of A but I am ready for the challenge. I am a bit worried to be leaving given the fact I have found a great community of friends over my years at Lewis University and not to mention leaving my family but hey we all need to grow up some time.
I hope to develop great relationships over there and in order for me to do that I must be open to their culture and be willing to change and I really do think I am ready for that.... with graduation around the corner I am ready for change and the peace corps is going to supply that I am sure lol ...
28 days left and I am shipping slash flying out!!!
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