Hello! In just a few days, Nic and I will be flying out of MA and back to AR, where we will have about a month to prepare for our journey to Senegal. This includes visiting our local friends, doing some packing, doing some work, and hopefully plenty of down time. Peace Corps Training was intense last time around, and I am looking forward to the intensity of PST in Senegal, and am really looking forward to the climate! Right now in MA it's in the 20s and there is a snowstorm and several feet of snow on the ground. Rumor has it after some time in Senegal the 60 degree evenings will feel cool. Can't wait!
My packing list is minimalistic. Instead of focusing on business clothes or reading material, I've shifted the focus towards bare minimums plus materials for hobbies. Bringing lots of nice clothes won't help the adjustment period, but having my sketchpad and journals definitely will. I made the mistake last time of not bringing drawing pens and not having a sketchpad and not bringing a single square of watercolor paper... what a fool was I! Not this time around.
My time on the farm is running low, and I'm feeling pretty good about it. I'm finishing up projects and feel ready to move onto the next phase of my life. It's been an adventure these past few months, and I've learned all kinds of trivia to boot.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Saturday, November 27, 2010
One of the best surprises this Thanksgiving was the birth of four adorable teeny tiny little guinea pigs! I took some video of them today so here it is for everyone to enjoy. They are so cute...and they squeak when they walk.They also will all pile under their mother so you can't see them.
Great, aren't they?
Great, aren't they?
Friday, October 8, 2010
Tell me, folks, why can't a real person answer a customer service call just once? I hate talking to robots. And pressing buttons for them. I want to hear a real human voice. Is this too much to ask? If you want to give people jobs, fire the automated answering systems and set me up with a real person. Good customer service isn't "Press 1 for more options." Good customer service is a working relationship between customer and business person. It's a pat on the back, a genuine "how are you," and a laugh between the customer and salesperson.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
and now I'm even older!
I'm now located in Maassachusetts, where I will probably be through early February. And, in early to mid March (the date is not finalized yet, though it will be around March 9th), I will be leaving for a super epic and exciting Peace Corps assignment in... SENEGAL! This is a bit of a dream come true, actually. I will be in a French speaking country and will be taking intensive French classes upon arrival (i.e. I will finally be able to speak to the French side of Nic's family once I come home), and will be a health educator, which is a fantastic job. Throughout various times in my life I've contemplated a wide variety of jobs, ranging from teacher to pharmacist, and the only real interest that has survived over my years of conscious existence has been in medicine/nutrition. This PC assignment really gives me the chance to put my baseline interest to the test- can I make a living from what has been a hobby and interest for years? I surely hope the answer is yes. But, I've got two years to discover and explore this career choice, and I'm looking forward to every day of it. Plus, Nic will be studying a native language, and I eventually will to, but French first, and that's cool. I will eventually be married to a tri or quad lingual dude. That's exciting. I love the ability of humans to continue learning and growing over the course of their lives.
Speaking of learning and growing, I'm back to being an education volunteer here at Overlook Farm, which basically means that I teach groups of children and adults (but usually middle school aged children) about hunger, poverty, community building, and farm-livin' (the element that tends to excite people the most). It's my job to inspire people to take some sort of action towards ending global hunger, either in their backyard or in any number of countries. It's a good job and I generally love it. It's an excellent transition to the Peace Corps, which is where, hopefully, I will be able to take the knowledge I have gained from Heifer International and apply it on a global scale. A portion of what HI teaches about is nutrition and health, and I can take that information and apply it directly to my future work with the PC.
In addition, NPR has some amazing free albums on it's website. I highly recommend checking out NPR's First Listen segment. http://www.npr.org/music/
Also, there's this great website out there that hosts MRIs of fruits and vegetables. They're beautiful, and everyone should look at them. http://insideinsides.blogspot.com
I've also been doing a bit of reading. As should be expected, here are the 38 second book reviews.
Get Me Out: A history of Childbirth from the Garden of Eden to the Sperm Bank by Randi Hunter Epstein. This non-fiction book addresses the history of childbirth, and is a well-written and fascinating work that traces the taboos and trends of child birthing over hundreds of years. The author is well educated and it shows in a good way. Featuring everything from a short history of forceps to previews of the masturbatorium in sperm banks, Get Me Out both entertains and educates. It's shocking and amazing how childbirth, a very natural process upon first glance, has over the years been "adjusted" according to the scientific understanding of the time. I highly recommend this text.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip Dick. The film Blade Runner was based on this novel, a classic work of science fiction that calls into question what it means to be a human and why it matters anyway. In a world that creates androids and then fears them, and where people long for the company of the animals they once destroyed, a reader like me can't sleep because she's wrapped up in the text. Called brilliant for a reason.
Flow: The Cultural Story of Menstruation by Elissa Stein and Susan Kim. I severely disliked this unnecessarily sassy text that felt more like a trendy coffee table book than a real cultural history. This is probably because it is a trendy coffee table book and not a real cultural history. The only positive/interesting thing about this book was the catalog of historical kotex ads. Which are worth a look, mind you, but I won't be buying this one.
The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York by Deborah Blum. Three cheers for Deborah Blum! This gruesome yet educational work (unintentionally?) challenges our acceptance of weirdo chemicals in our everyday products by showing how they have been used in the past in facial creams and alcohols, and how we've consequentially suffered. A fantastic amalgamation of chemistry, murder mystery, and underpaid employees' horror stories, The Poisoner's Handbook is a great reference book and a great story. What stood out the most in my mind is a tale of radium, which is structurally similar to calcium and absorbed thus by bones in the human body. So-called Radium Girls, watchmakers who absorbed a crazy amount of the stuff while painting watch faces, had so much radium in their bones and bodies that they exhaled radon. What! Did I mention this entire text is nonfiction? Rarely am I so downright entertained by historical text.
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards. Tracing the lives of twins separated at birth by father applying a sick idea of "protection," The Memory Keeper's Daughter utilizes themes of family, fear, and the past to push forward an interesting and relevant story. It demonstrates the ability of secrets and skeletons in closets to weigh down and potentially wreck some lives, while potentially making others better. This read held my attention and I got through it pretty quickly. Not too sad, not too suspenseful, but not quite lighthearted either.
Alright! Have a good day, all!
Speaking of learning and growing, I'm back to being an education volunteer here at Overlook Farm, which basically means that I teach groups of children and adults (but usually middle school aged children) about hunger, poverty, community building, and farm-livin' (the element that tends to excite people the most). It's my job to inspire people to take some sort of action towards ending global hunger, either in their backyard or in any number of countries. It's a good job and I generally love it. It's an excellent transition to the Peace Corps, which is where, hopefully, I will be able to take the knowledge I have gained from Heifer International and apply it on a global scale. A portion of what HI teaches about is nutrition and health, and I can take that information and apply it directly to my future work with the PC.
In addition, NPR has some amazing free albums on it's website. I highly recommend checking out NPR's First Listen segment. http://www.npr.org/music/
Also, there's this great website out there that hosts MRIs of fruits and vegetables. They're beautiful, and everyone should look at them. http://insideinsides.blogspot.com
I've also been doing a bit of reading. As should be expected, here are the 38 second book reviews.
Get Me Out: A history of Childbirth from the Garden of Eden to the Sperm Bank by Randi Hunter Epstein. This non-fiction book addresses the history of childbirth, and is a well-written and fascinating work that traces the taboos and trends of child birthing over hundreds of years. The author is well educated and it shows in a good way. Featuring everything from a short history of forceps to previews of the masturbatorium in sperm banks, Get Me Out both entertains and educates. It's shocking and amazing how childbirth, a very natural process upon first glance, has over the years been "adjusted" according to the scientific understanding of the time. I highly recommend this text.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip Dick. The film Blade Runner was based on this novel, a classic work of science fiction that calls into question what it means to be a human and why it matters anyway. In a world that creates androids and then fears them, and where people long for the company of the animals they once destroyed, a reader like me can't sleep because she's wrapped up in the text. Called brilliant for a reason.
Flow: The Cultural Story of Menstruation by Elissa Stein and Susan Kim. I severely disliked this unnecessarily sassy text that felt more like a trendy coffee table book than a real cultural history. This is probably because it is a trendy coffee table book and not a real cultural history. The only positive/interesting thing about this book was the catalog of historical kotex ads. Which are worth a look, mind you, but I won't be buying this one.
The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York by Deborah Blum. Three cheers for Deborah Blum! This gruesome yet educational work (unintentionally?) challenges our acceptance of weirdo chemicals in our everyday products by showing how they have been used in the past in facial creams and alcohols, and how we've consequentially suffered. A fantastic amalgamation of chemistry, murder mystery, and underpaid employees' horror stories, The Poisoner's Handbook is a great reference book and a great story. What stood out the most in my mind is a tale of radium, which is structurally similar to calcium and absorbed thus by bones in the human body. So-called Radium Girls, watchmakers who absorbed a crazy amount of the stuff while painting watch faces, had so much radium in their bones and bodies that they exhaled radon. What! Did I mention this entire text is nonfiction? Rarely am I so downright entertained by historical text.
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards. Tracing the lives of twins separated at birth by father applying a sick idea of "protection," The Memory Keeper's Daughter utilizes themes of family, fear, and the past to push forward an interesting and relevant story. It demonstrates the ability of secrets and skeletons in closets to weigh down and potentially wreck some lives, while potentially making others better. This read held my attention and I got through it pretty quickly. Not too sad, not too suspenseful, but not quite lighthearted either.
Alright! Have a good day, all!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Waiting but with the dominos lined up
I finally got medical clearance again just the other day, which means that Nic and I are on the right path towards our next Peace Corps assignment. At this point, we've done all the paperwork, jumped through all of the hoops, and are waiting on an official invite. That should be coming around October or November. In the meantime, I've been working with a computer program on some simple French (les enfants courent), and waiting for Heifer. If I were waiting completely idle with absolutely no idea what I was going to be doing in the future, I might go completely crazy. However, as it stands, I've got the dominoes lined up for a decent next year or so. From late August-mid January, I will be working with Heifer international. From January-March, I'll be, if things go as planned, studying French and packing my bags. And finally, sometime in March, I'll be getting on a plane for Peace Corps adventure number 2. One day at a time, though.
In the meantime, I've been doing a lot of reading, which means time for more 38 second book reviews!
De Niro's Game by Rawi Hage. Not quite as good as Cockroach, an instant favorite of mine. A somewhat biographical and ranting work of fiction based on life in war-torn Beirut, the work tugs at heartstrings and keeps your attention. A fairly quick read. Get it from your local library.
Pieces for the Left Hand by J. Robert Lennon. This genius collection of 100 anecdotes range from sad to silly to sadistic. I laughed, I languished, I loved it. Because of the wide variety of topics addressed in this text the concise nature of each piece, everyone can find an anecdote to enjoy and remember. Each anecdote straddles the line between an epic short story and a long-lost poem. I have a copy I can lend you.
Sophie's World by Jostien Gaardner. This highly successful novel is more a history of philosophy than it is anything else. If I had never studied philosophy, I might have found this text more interesting. I often found the descriptions of each philosopher's work to be over-simplified, and were written in a way that was sometimes patronizing. I do plan to hang onto this text as a reference book in the event that I am ever without the internet and wish to quickly review a philosopher's point of view. However, I will neither be rereading this book in it's entirety, nor will I be recommending it to those that have studied philosophy in an academic setting. It should be kept in mind will reading Sophie's World that it is a work of fiction, and, albeit educational, readers should research more about the philosophers addressed in the text before reaching a conclusion about his or her works.
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. A brilliant, non-fiction account of cultural misunderstandings between the Hmong living in America and the American medical system. Provides great insight into various perspectives on welfare, medicine, spirituality, and family. This text reads like two parallel stories, and without a doubt sucks the reader into the lives of both the doctors and Hmong family members involved. I found myself desperately trying to relate and have sympathy for all party members involved. Read it, and find yourself questioning what culture is.
America and the Pill by Elaine Tyler May. Another non-fiction account addressing the history of the birth control pill in the United States. This text challenges the notion that the birth control pill fueled the sexual revolution of the 1960s, and pushes for an understanding of the various controversies surrounding the pill, including its tests outside of the United States and the pill's potential role in eugenics. Interesting stuff.
That's it for now. See ya'll around!
In the meantime, I've been doing a lot of reading, which means time for more 38 second book reviews!
De Niro's Game by Rawi Hage. Not quite as good as Cockroach, an instant favorite of mine. A somewhat biographical and ranting work of fiction based on life in war-torn Beirut, the work tugs at heartstrings and keeps your attention. A fairly quick read. Get it from your local library.
Pieces for the Left Hand by J. Robert Lennon. This genius collection of 100 anecdotes range from sad to silly to sadistic. I laughed, I languished, I loved it. Because of the wide variety of topics addressed in this text the concise nature of each piece, everyone can find an anecdote to enjoy and remember. Each anecdote straddles the line between an epic short story and a long-lost poem. I have a copy I can lend you.
Sophie's World by Jostien Gaardner. This highly successful novel is more a history of philosophy than it is anything else. If I had never studied philosophy, I might have found this text more interesting. I often found the descriptions of each philosopher's work to be over-simplified, and were written in a way that was sometimes patronizing. I do plan to hang onto this text as a reference book in the event that I am ever without the internet and wish to quickly review a philosopher's point of view. However, I will neither be rereading this book in it's entirety, nor will I be recommending it to those that have studied philosophy in an academic setting. It should be kept in mind will reading Sophie's World that it is a work of fiction, and, albeit educational, readers should research more about the philosophers addressed in the text before reaching a conclusion about his or her works.
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. A brilliant, non-fiction account of cultural misunderstandings between the Hmong living in America and the American medical system. Provides great insight into various perspectives on welfare, medicine, spirituality, and family. This text reads like two parallel stories, and without a doubt sucks the reader into the lives of both the doctors and Hmong family members involved. I found myself desperately trying to relate and have sympathy for all party members involved. Read it, and find yourself questioning what culture is.
America and the Pill by Elaine Tyler May. Another non-fiction account addressing the history of the birth control pill in the United States. This text challenges the notion that the birth control pill fueled the sexual revolution of the 1960s, and pushes for an understanding of the various controversies surrounding the pill, including its tests outside of the United States and the pill's potential role in eugenics. Interesting stuff.
That's it for now. See ya'll around!
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Baby, you can walk, you can talk, just like me...
Hello! Sorry it's been so long since blogging. This time, I have little excuse. I have had the internet for about two weeks, but just haven't had a mind clear enough to really sit down and blog. Nic and I are once again in a state of transition; a series of events in Kyrgyzstan led to Nic and I taking interrupted service, which means that because of circumstances beyond our control (i.e., a politically unstable situation) that we would not be continuing our service in the Kyrgyz Republic. Now, don't get me wrong; Nic and I are still doing the Peace Corps. We are enrolled to leave again in March. But we will not be doing in it in the Kyrgyz Republic. It's funny how being married brings out a protective behavior in me that I may not necessarily exhibit when I am fending for myself exclusively. Nic and I were not necessarily in a dangerous part of Kyrgyzstan, and I came to the realization last night that if I were single, I would have been more inclined to stay in country. But now I've got not only a husband, but two sides of the family to be concerned about. I don't, under any circumstances, want to put my husband into any unnecessary danger or excessive discomfort. As a single person, I was more likely to push myself; as a married person, too much is at risk. Anyway, truth be told, being in a state of transition again is tiresome, and thoughts considered while in an unexpected and uncomfortable state of transition are best for private journals, not public forums.
So here's the deal with us. Nic and I were not really able to do our jobs and were rapidly losing face with our community. Every meeting, event, and club that we planned was canceled because we were constantly in a state of standfast or consolidation, which meant that, for our own safety, we were being contained in one way or another, be it in our village, in our home, or in a consolidation center. After much discussion with one particular staff member that we got along with fairly well, we decided that the best decision would be to put our name in the hat for a country better suited for us. After all, as returned Peace Corps volunteers, we would have more say in where we were going and in what skills we wanted to put to use. We have been back in the US for twoish weeks, and have been busy turning in paperwork and applying for things. Nic and I have a position waiting for us in March with the Peace Corps. We will, if everything works out, be going to a French-speaking African country. We cannot be officially invited until we are finished with medical clearance, which, as you Peace Corps folks know, can take forever. I have faith that this assignment will work out.
In the meantime, Nic and I applied for volunteer positions with Heifer International's Overlook Farm in Rutland, MA. Although I was expecting to receive the position of Farmer Chef, the position was already filled. Nic and I will both be education volunteers in the fall. I'm looking forward to this already, and have located some jeans to patch (any nice or new clothes will be promptly eaten by goats). I've also been trying to think of ways to get away with not checking any bags. Airline baggage prices are friggen insane. But winter boots are heavy, and probably not the best things to carry with you in your carry one.
All in all, things are looking positive. I miss my host family from Kyrgyzstan, but look forward to a bright future. I've started Rosetta Stone again, and maybe will be able to actually get a grip on French before I leave. Fingers crossed!
So here's the deal with us. Nic and I were not really able to do our jobs and were rapidly losing face with our community. Every meeting, event, and club that we planned was canceled because we were constantly in a state of standfast or consolidation, which meant that, for our own safety, we were being contained in one way or another, be it in our village, in our home, or in a consolidation center. After much discussion with one particular staff member that we got along with fairly well, we decided that the best decision would be to put our name in the hat for a country better suited for us. After all, as returned Peace Corps volunteers, we would have more say in where we were going and in what skills we wanted to put to use. We have been back in the US for twoish weeks, and have been busy turning in paperwork and applying for things. Nic and I have a position waiting for us in March with the Peace Corps. We will, if everything works out, be going to a French-speaking African country. We cannot be officially invited until we are finished with medical clearance, which, as you Peace Corps folks know, can take forever. I have faith that this assignment will work out.
In the meantime, Nic and I applied for volunteer positions with Heifer International's Overlook Farm in Rutland, MA. Although I was expecting to receive the position of Farmer Chef, the position was already filled. Nic and I will both be education volunteers in the fall. I'm looking forward to this already, and have located some jeans to patch (any nice or new clothes will be promptly eaten by goats). I've also been trying to think of ways to get away with not checking any bags. Airline baggage prices are friggen insane. But winter boots are heavy, and probably not the best things to carry with you in your carry one.
All in all, things are looking positive. I miss my host family from Kyrgyzstan, but look forward to a bright future. I've started Rosetta Stone again, and maybe will be able to actually get a grip on French before I leave. Fingers crossed!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Blogless
Well, folks, it's been an incredibly long time since I've had access to the internet, and even longer since I've had the time to sit down and blog. Sorry about this. The time is now!
As many of you know, the southern part of Kyrgyzstan is unstable and violent. I am, luckily enough, living in the northernmost part of the country in the Talas region, a dry, rocky, hilly area filled with friendly people and herds of animals. The drive from my old home to my new home was incredible. We drove through clouds and valleys. We passed by yurts and drove through herds of cows, sheep, and goats. The driver made no efforts to slow down; he simply honked until the herd moved out of the way. The long, hilly drive took a bit over six hours. We made a few stops to get a tire repaired, and eventually made it home in pitch black. Nic and I are living in two rooms; we have a sitting room and a bed room. The sitting room is connected to the eating area. From the eating area shoots of the family bedroom and a kitchen. There is a hallway that leads from the kitchen to our banya, and to the outdoors. You know, I feel dull talking about this stuff. I know it isn't as exciting as discussions about the violence and instability in this country. But let me put it this way: I'm a stubborn soul that is forcing herself to see positive and to focus on the positive elements of my life here in Kyrgyzstan. Thankfully, I am in a peaceful region of the country. Anyway, Nic and I have four host siblings, three sisters and a little brother. The youngest is our brother, 9, and the oldest is my host sister who is 21. She has worked with volunteers before, and can speak English. My counterpart is a tiny Elvish woman who speaks English pretty well, but she has recently had a baby, and does not have too much time for me just yet. I'm waiting and working to maintain my patience. Nic and I have tried to organize English clubs and meetings, but the unrest in the country has caused some interruptions. Peace Corps is working hard to keep us safe, but this means sometimes that we cannot complete the work we were sent here to do. Once again, I'm waiting. The Peace Corps is an incredible test of patience.
Our village is a former German village, my school is a former German school, and my home is a German style home. I've actually gotten to use my German here in country, which is surprising. At each major corner in the house, there are large black pillars that are heating stoves. This is a trademark of German-built homes in my area. Most older people speak some German (with an adorable accent mind you). Our family has two milk cows that they milk daily, and in the morning they sell milk. We get tons of fresh milk and cream daily. We also have two calves that I've fallen in love with, but one is quite shy, and doesn't like attention from people. Our family also has some cows "in savings," aka, in the mountain. They are saving up livestock to later use to purchase my youngest host brother a car when he is old enough. The current exchange rate is 6 cows equals 1 car. Nic is working with my host sister to help build a chicken coop, and we might eventually get chickens. We'll see.
The best news so far is that the volunteers are out of the south, safe, and sound. Staying positive. I mailed my mom a letter with our new address in it. Please get it from her. I am a dummy and didn't bring the piece of paper with our zipcode written on it....maybe soon .Keep in touch, ya'll.
As many of you know, the southern part of Kyrgyzstan is unstable and violent. I am, luckily enough, living in the northernmost part of the country in the Talas region, a dry, rocky, hilly area filled with friendly people and herds of animals. The drive from my old home to my new home was incredible. We drove through clouds and valleys. We passed by yurts and drove through herds of cows, sheep, and goats. The driver made no efforts to slow down; he simply honked until the herd moved out of the way. The long, hilly drive took a bit over six hours. We made a few stops to get a tire repaired, and eventually made it home in pitch black. Nic and I are living in two rooms; we have a sitting room and a bed room. The sitting room is connected to the eating area. From the eating area shoots of the family bedroom and a kitchen. There is a hallway that leads from the kitchen to our banya, and to the outdoors. You know, I feel dull talking about this stuff. I know it isn't as exciting as discussions about the violence and instability in this country. But let me put it this way: I'm a stubborn soul that is forcing herself to see positive and to focus on the positive elements of my life here in Kyrgyzstan. Thankfully, I am in a peaceful region of the country. Anyway, Nic and I have four host siblings, three sisters and a little brother. The youngest is our brother, 9, and the oldest is my host sister who is 21. She has worked with volunteers before, and can speak English. My counterpart is a tiny Elvish woman who speaks English pretty well, but she has recently had a baby, and does not have too much time for me just yet. I'm waiting and working to maintain my patience. Nic and I have tried to organize English clubs and meetings, but the unrest in the country has caused some interruptions. Peace Corps is working hard to keep us safe, but this means sometimes that we cannot complete the work we were sent here to do. Once again, I'm waiting. The Peace Corps is an incredible test of patience.
Our village is a former German village, my school is a former German school, and my home is a German style home. I've actually gotten to use my German here in country, which is surprising. At each major corner in the house, there are large black pillars that are heating stoves. This is a trademark of German-built homes in my area. Most older people speak some German (with an adorable accent mind you). Our family has two milk cows that they milk daily, and in the morning they sell milk. We get tons of fresh milk and cream daily. We also have two calves that I've fallen in love with, but one is quite shy, and doesn't like attention from people. Our family also has some cows "in savings," aka, in the mountain. They are saving up livestock to later use to purchase my youngest host brother a car when he is old enough. The current exchange rate is 6 cows equals 1 car. Nic is working with my host sister to help build a chicken coop, and we might eventually get chickens. We'll see.
The best news so far is that the volunteers are out of the south, safe, and sound. Staying positive. I mailed my mom a letter with our new address in it. Please get it from her. I am a dummy and didn't bring the piece of paper with our zipcode written on it....maybe soon .Keep in touch, ya'll.
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