Take 2: Namibia!!

So the past month has been a bit of a roller coaster to say the least. First, I was delayed until August due to issues with our visas and the upcoming Presidential elections in Mauritania. Last Tuesday, I read where an American aid worker was killed after an attempted kidnapping in the capital city of Mauritania and shortly after learned that Al Qaeda took responsibility.Not good. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE55P2L420090626

Wednesday, I received a call from the Peace Corps informing me that my program was canceled in Mauritania. I was bummed...but when Al Qaeda enters the game...I'm out. The Peace Corps didn't speak of the incident that occured on Tuesday...stating that they decided to go ahead and cancel our group since our visas still weren't working out. Today, I learned that the Peace Corps is giving the current volunteers over there the option to stay in country or terminate their service early and come back to the US. All that said...I'm not supposed to be there.

The GOOD NEWS!! So, after waiting since last Wednesday to hear where I would be reassigned I finally got the email today!! I'm headed to Namibia on August 19th!!!!! While completely different from Mauritania I couldn't be happier.

Quick Facts:

Country: Namibia (Southern West Coast of Africa, bordered by Bostwana, South Africa and Angola)

Official Language: English!!!! (German and Afrikaans are both widely spoken as well)

Assignment: English teacher to Upper Primary and Secondary students (grades 6-12)

Government: Democratic Republic (thank goodness), multi-party system

Religion: 80% Christian

Capital: Windhoek

Orientation in US: August 19-20, 2009

Training in Namibia: August 21-October 15, 2009

Service in Namibia: October 16, 2009-October 17, 2011

Shiloh Jolie Pitt was born in Namibia (maybe Brad will come visit me while paying homage to his daughter's homeland)

Mail: The postal system is reliable, but service to the more remote villages is often slow. Mail from the United States to Windhoek, the capital, can take up to two weeks. From there, it could take two more weeks for mail to reach your village.

Telephones: Telephones are available in most towns and villages, along or near main roads, and in most schools. No international telephone companies (e.g., MCI or AT&T) operate in Namibia,
so you will be unable to make collect calls or use calling cards purchased in the United States. Calling cards are available in Namibia for use in-country and internationally. International service from the larger towns is good, but calls must be made from a telecommunications office or a private phone. Cellphone usage and coverage is increasing rapidly in Namibia, especially in urban areas. All Volunteers are expected to purchase cellphones, and the cost is included in their settling-in allowance. Only a few PCVs will lack coverage at their sites, and they will be able to use their phones by traveling a short distance for weekend shopping. Text messaging is quickly becoming a preferred means of communication between Volunteers and with the PC office.

Computer, Internet, and E-mail Access: Access to e-mail is available in Internet cafes in Windhoek and other larger towns. As telephone service expands, so will Internet access. Some teacher resource centers provide public access to e-mail but not the Internet.

Housing and Site Location: Housing varies considerably. Your site may be a Western-style
cement block house, usually with electricity and running water; an apartment attached to a student boarding facility (hostel); or, in the case of more rural junior secondary schools, a room with a local family. As the government has invited assistance from a variety of sources, you may also be asked to share a two- or three-bedroom house with one or two colleagues (either Namibian or Volunteers from other countries). Our expectation is that you will have a private bedroom, but remember that there is a shortage of housing for government staff in most areas in Namibia. The ministry/hosting agency to which you are assigned is responsible fo paying your monthly utilities and providing you with the basic furnishings (e.g., bed, chairs, tables, stove, and gas refrigerator).

That's all for now! Thanks for all of the congratulatory emails and calls!! More info to come as soon as I have a chance to read up on my new home!!

90 pounds and 114 inches of Home

Ok, so I'm actually only allowed 80 lbs (total!) and a combo of 107 inches (L+W+H) worth of luggage but I'm over the limit...I know you're shocked. I have paired down my goods twice now and just can't seem to leave much more out. What does one take to the desert for a two year trip? Thought you might like to know....

5 ankle-length skirts (must be able to sit cross-legged on the floor while wearing it)
14 t-shirts (must have my shoulders covered at all times)
176 pairs of cotton underwear (they always make you feel clean even if you're not)
2 bottles of Aleve
1 REI Bug Hut II
1 bathing suit
4 pairs of shoes (tennis shoes, Chaco sandals and 2 pairs of Teva flip-flops)
4 bottles of sunscreen
1 mascara
2 cameras
10 packs of batteries (AA, AAA, D)
3 scarves (to cover my head when necessary and to cover my face when the dust/sand kicks up) 1 wind-breaker jacket
1 thin polar fleece (they say it actually gets cool at some point)
1 razor
45 razor cartidges
1 pillow
1 sheet
A random bag of meds (immodium, vitamins, neosporin, cortaid, alcohol wipes, bandaids, etc)
1 sewing kit (I don't even sew here...but I'm taking one)
2 pairs of socks
4 pairs of pants (1 pair of jeans, 3 pairs of capris)
4 pairs of shorts
110 packs of instant drink mixes (the mini-ones you can drop into a bottle of water)
2 Nalgene bottles
56 Clif bars (I tried to take 56 more - but they got weeded out)
A random bag of other food stuffs (hot chocolate mix, instant Jell-O, instant oatmeal)
1 summer sleeping bag
12 passport photos
12 DVDs (Weddings Crashers, Sex and the City, Bridget Jones 1 & 2, Thank you for Smoking, Steel Magnolias, Twilight, Sex and the City Season 1, The Beach, Love Actually, and a DVD made by my best friends with lots of pictures of home)
3 journals
1 Kindle with 20 books loaded and ready
1 shortwave radio
2 flashlights
1 deck of cards (when all else fails...I can play solitare)
1 small photo album of friends and family
Lots of stationary to write home
2 pairs of sunglasses
2 BIG packs of wet wipes/baby-wipes
2 bottles of hand-sanitizer
1 pair of hair-cutting scissors
1 roll of duct tape
Bag of goodies for the kids (bubbles, crayons, slinkys, stickers)
1 Rough Guide to West Africa
1 map of the world
1 solar charger (charges my camera, ipod and cell phone)
1 laptop
1 Ipod with 300 of my favorite tunes
1 headlamp
1 French/English dictionary
1 address book
2 bottles of bug repellent
7 sports bras
2 camp towels
6 pairs of earrings, 1 bracelet and 1 necklace (sigh...)
1 box of large ziploc bags (to keep the dust and sand out of my food)
1 Leatherman tool (which I'm still learning how to use without slicing my hand off)

Packing this stuff has been a challenge to say the least. I've packed and re-packed twice already and as soon as I find out when I'm leaving in August I'll be packing for the third and hopefully final time before I'm outta here. In the meantime, I'll just practice the art of crafty packing and hope I can weed out some more "necessities" before departure.

Patience and Flexibility

In every book, document or email I've received from the Peace Corps to date has most always included a plea for my patience and flexibility throughout this entire process from application to departure. Now I know why. Last night I got a call from the Peace Corps HQ in Washington, D.C. that informed me that I was not leaving on June 15th as we had originally planned. In fact, they didn't really know when I would be leaving but hoped for mid-August.

Given the current state of affairs in Mauritania and the upcoming Presidential elections that are set to take place on July 18th (cross your fingers they don't delay the elections further) the government is refusing to issue our visas that we are required to have before we board the plane to Mauritania. The PC thinks that after the elections things will be fine and we'll be able to go.

I'm a little bummed, but realize that there is absolutely nothing I can do about it. So I'll just enjoy my summer at home and make the best of it. I could leave sooner but the PC wasn't real optomistic about that.

Stay tuned....

A Kentucky Goodbye....

Last night some of my closest friends and family celebrated my next adventure Kentucky style at The Julep Cup in Lexington. Perfect night, great food, tasty cocktails and absolutely pefect company. Thanks to everyone who made last night one to remember. Love you all!!