also

I've re-enabled comments from anybody, so go wild!

INVITED

Hello everybody! Today I received, and will soon accept, an invitation to serve in Malawi in Community Day Secondary Schools as an English teacher!!!
Staging is 9/26/08
Going to Malawi on 9/30/08, then staying there until 12/9/10!!!

I am:
- exhilerated
- scared
- grateful
- nervous
- sad
- motivated
- did I mention nervous?

I'm currently reaching out to current PCVs, RPCVs, and anybody who'll be joining me to contact me! I need input on what to bring, typical availability of things like electricity, cell phone service, whether it would be worth it to bring my laptop, availability of internet cafes, ideas on useful materials for the classroom, everything!!! There is a LOT to do in the next six weeks so I may not post on here again until.... well who knows. But keep checking!

Natalie =D
Peace Corps Invitee
Malawi, 2008 - 2010

Teaser?

A little nugget - here's a copy and paste of a rushed and crazy e-mail I just shot off to my parents and sister and friend Shameen - forgive the awful grammar and peppering of profanity. Just to let anybody reading this who is going through the frustration of application know that they do not suffer alone!
...
Finally broke down and called the placement office and talked with the dude there for 10 minutes or so - I have been nominated to be an English teacher in ____________________. (a country he can't tell me! AGHGHH). I said 'well, are you guys looking at me for other areas other than English teaching?' and he got my drift and said right now that's where they're looking at putting me, but that could change, and if for some reason I can't take that offer they will look at me for other placements. He said to keep in mind that qualifying as an English teacher is actually a good thing, a lot of people don't, that ______________ has asked for a lot of English teachers and so they're trying to meet that need, and also that if I were to go over as an English teacher I'd have access to a lot of other stuff, since I'd be working in a school I'd be surrounded by teachers and kids and in an environment already centered upon community development / service. he said he'd "guess" I should hear from my placement officer "in the next few weeks," meaning it could be effing August before I hear anything. meaning - F**K. this pisses me off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I WANT TO KNOW WHAT COUNTRY HE WAS LOOKING AT! and what I don't get is, if he is saying he knows that they're looking at me for English teaching in country X, why haven't they invited me? What more is there to do?

so there that is.
...
thoughts?

a nugget of information

Just a little piece of information - my friend Nadine has the same type of medical clearance as I do and she heard from a person in the placement office that "our type" usually get sent to Central Africa, and mentioned Botswana. She said he didn't really sound like he knew what he was talking about, so not to take it too literally, but it's a few crumbs of potential information to tease me (and all of you) with. Looking at the map of where PC serves and taking what I'd consider to be "Central Africa," I'd say this narrows my possibilities down to Botswana, Cameroon, Zambia, ... and then it gets a little hazy as far as geographical borders go.

Like I said - just a nugget. It is just a few days shy of being six weeks since I got that email telling me they'd start placing me in 4-6 weeks... so my fingers are crossed to get some real information within two weeks, but I have no idea. I just know that September is practically around the corner, and I'm READY TO GO!!!

Small update

I thought I had posted this before, but I didn't. Just notice that I got an email from the PC saying that, since I am nominated for September departure, they won't be looking at my file for placement for another 3-5 weeks now. They are trying to place those slated to leave in June (!) and July for now. So, it's an email that tells me to wait. More! But, at least they notified me so I am not sitting here thinking that I'll be placed any day.

Just in case any of you are keeping tabs! I probably won't have anything else to say for... 3-5 weeks!

At last...

After approximately 5-6 months of Doctor's visits, follow-ups, follow ups to follow ups, bureaucracy, and angering a significant percentage of Albany-area medical personnel - I am medically cleared. You can't see it from there, but I'm doing a little dance of joy.

Now on to the battle for placement!!!

And, for absolutely no reason, here is a picture of my cat. Just because I am happy.

Just a Wee Update

Okay - I am sending in what SHOULD be the last of my medical paperwork on Wednesday. For those of you keeping track, here's the breakdown
Applied September 07
Interviewed October 07
Received Medical packet November 07
Sent in completed Medical packet January 08
Received dental clearance February 08
....
will hopefully! be medically cleared by the end of this month.

I've also been in touch with an organization here in Capitaland called Equinox, for victims of domestic violence and their children. It looks like I'll probably be working in the after school program with kids, making snacks, crafts, homework helping, etc. That's going to be fun.

In any case that's the news for now, such as it is. I'll continue updating whenever anything new happens.