Timeline Questions Answered

I've received several questions about the process of becoming a Peace Corps Volunteer so I thought I'd share my answers with everyone in case there's anyone out there itching to apply. Warning: this process isn't for the impatient.

Last week of May 2008: Filled out my application online, wrote the required 2 essays, sent in my college transcripts and began to wait.

June 1, 2008: Finalized my online application and hit the "submit" button - here I go! Need to find 3 references who will tell the PC that I'm an awesome candidate. (Thank you EF, JM, and KB!)

June 16, 2008: Got a call from the Peace Corps office in Chicago asking to schedule a phone interview. Scheduled for June 24, 2008. Prep time.

June 24, 2008: Phone interview. A few normal interview questions but several curveballs. When he asked me how I would handle an "unstructured" work environment I was stumped...then he helped me along and said "well tell me about your work in the campaigns you've worked on" - BINGO! I knocked it out of the park. I knew those campaign experiences would come in handy. After the necessary questions were asked of me, he says "well we're about finished Amy, do you have any questions for me at this time?" I wanted to say, yes, can you block off your entire afternoon so I can ask you everything that I can think of? But I didn't, I only asked one question - "when will I find out if I'm in?" He politely asks me to hold on the line, but then he comes right back after plugging my name and experiences into his trusty little Peace Corps matcher-upper and says "How does teaching English in West Africa sound to ya? You would leave in June 2009 but I can't tell you any other specifics." Sounds good to me. I accept and I'm officially Nominated to be a PCV.

July & August 2008: Medical Clearance. Multiple doctors visits, seven viles of blood drawn, some precautionary dental work and an eye appointment. If anyone was worried, I now know that I am healthy as a horse. I receive a letter stating that I am "Medically Cleared Worldwide."

August 2008: Legal Clearance. Fingerprints at the police station prove that I am not a criminal just trying to escape to a foreign country. I'm cleared.

January 30, 2009: I haven't heard anything from PC in months so I break down and call. I told myself I wasn't going to bug them until February 1st...I made it to January 30th - not bad. I speak to a lady who said she was just reveiwing my application and had a few more questions for me. I answer them, they're softball questions but she wants to make sure my parents understand that I could be assigned to a very remote location where I might not have instant communciation. I tell her we're operating on the "once a month" rule until we know more - as in I will only be able to call or email them once a month. She seems pleased and says I should know something within 60 days. Ok - a little longer than I was hoping but at least I could see the light at the end of the tunnel.

February 2, 2009: I receive an email from the PC stating I have an "Application Status Update." Unfortunately I read this email while I was driving into work so my mind wondered the whole way from Lexington to Frankfort. Was this my invitation I've been waiting on? Was this an email telling me I wasn't fit for the PC? I get to work and open the update to read "Congratulations! You're Invitation Packet has been mailed." That's it - nothing more nothing less. Snail mail? Seriously...this is 2009. But I figure that I'd waited since June 2008 I can wait a few more days for the US Postal Service to do it's job.

February 7, 2009: INVITED!!! I've already written about this day (see very first blog post) so I won't repeat. But it was damn near one of the most exciting days of my life. This little piece of paper told me where I was going to live and work for the next 2 years and I couldn't be more happy about it.

So that's how it happened. While a pretty lengthy process, I now understand why. Since February I've bought everything from a headlamp to a Bug Hut and nearly everything in between. I've most recently started buying things in 3 month supplies (that's what they tell you to bring) such as shampoo, soap, and Clif bars. Some of my purchases yield some strange looks though from the cashiers who have the luxury of checking me out. I'm sure they think I'm either going into hiding with all of my Clif bars and soap or constructing a tent or cape with the 45 pairs of unmentionables I bought. Strange looks I may receive, but there are some things I'm just not willing to go without.

Never met this woman....but she rocks!

When Mauritania holds presidential elections on June 7th, one candidate will be a brave young woman who has done it all before. Aicha Bint Jeddane talks with Magharebia about why she is seeking the country's highest post for the second time. Check her out....

First female presidential candidate breaks gender barriers in ...
Magharebia.com - ‎Mar 20, 2009‎

Beauty Secrets of Mauritania

Back in November, Oprah dedicated one of her shows to "Beauty Secrets from Around the World." She had guests on to discuss beauty expectations of women in Japan, India, Oman, Brazil and guess where else....Mauritania!! Some of you have already seen this, but for those of you who haven't it's worth it. So take a 5 minute break from work and watch this(disregard the first 10 seconds or so).

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/oprah-mauritania/631581530/?icid=VIDLRVENT05

Packing for 2 years?!?

So I've started the process of gathering everything I will need (want) to take with me to the sandbox. I've packed for some long trips - but nothing like this. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if I was already an 'outdoorsy' kinda gal, but since I'm not I basically have to start from scratch. I haven't owned a sleeping bag since middle school - I have never owned a tent - and I definately have never had a need for a headlamp - until now. As I was ordereing my REI Bug Hut 2 (yes, it's an upgrade from the Bug Hut 1) and other things from a website made for people like me, I strangely felt like I was preparing to spend two years in the woods, then I realized I was just preparing to spend two years in the desert, close enough. So in case you were interested, curious or just down right nosy, I thought I'd share a few of the items that I'll be stuffing into my suitcases - all of which I'm sure I'll covet once I actually get over there. Next item on my list is an internal frame backpack (just learned that term). Goal: To pack as much as I can and still be able to wear the backpack without tipping over backwards. My little LED headlamp to wear in the pitch dark when I'm trying to locate the ladies room - or just the hole in the ground. Pray for a western toilet.

Mummy style summer sleepsack. I've heard the sheets I'll be provided can be compared to sandpaper so this will be something comfy to zip up in. Here she is - the REI Bug Hut 2 (aka - my little oasis so those pesky little mesquitos don't hurt me while I sleep).

Skirts! I found them. Laugh all you want, but these things are comfy, I may never shave my legs again - you definately can't see them with these things on. I'm really glad that Boho Chic is "in" according to some teenybopper website. I'm sure the Mauritanians are thrilled.

Solar charger to the rescue! Back to the basics. Leave it outside all day to charge in the sun, bring it in at night and plug my ipod, cell phone or digital camera to charge. Magic.

Mail, Email and Telephone.

Many of you have asked (and I'm glad you have) about what the best ways to communicate with me will be while I'm away. My Peace Corps Mauritania Welcome Book explains it pretty well so I thought I'd share...here you go....

Mail
Few countries in the world offer the level of mail service we consider normal in the United States. If you come here expecting U.S. standards, you will be in for a lot of frustration. Mail takes a minimum of two weeks to arrive in Mauritania. Some mail may simply not arrive, and some letters may arrive pre-opened or with clipped edges because someone has tried to see if any money was inside (this is rare, but it does happen). Although we do not want to sound too discouraging, communication can become a very sensitive issue when one is thousands of miles from family and friends. We think it is best to forewarn you about the reality of mail service in this part of the world. Advise your family and friends to number their letters and to write “West Africa,” “Airmail,” and “Par Avion”on the envelopes. Despite the potential delays, we strongly encourage you to write to your family regularly (perhaps weekly or biweekly) and to number your letters. Family members typically become worried when they do not hear from you, so advise them that mail is sporadic and that they should not worry if they do not receive your letters regularly. Sending letters and packages by airmail is always quicker and more reliable than surface mail (usually sent by boat), which has been known to show up years later!

Telephones
While local telephone service is becoming more widely available inside Mauritania, it is still a bit unreliable. Generally, longdistance service to Europe and North America is good but expensive. You, your family, and friends should be prepared to rely mostly on letters and e-mail for communication. More and more professional Mauritanians are using cellular phones, especially in the capital and larger towns, and they all subscribe to one of the two cellular companies in the country. It is highly unlikely that a cellular plan bought in the United States will cover Mauritania and the surrounding region, with or without roaming charges. Therefore, we strongly discourage you from bringing your phone along. You may want to purchase a cellphone once you are in-country. One advantage you have here is that it costs you nothing to receive a call on your cellphone (local or international).

Computer, Internet, and E-mail Access
E-mail is available in Nouakchott and in all regional capitals. Because you will probably have limited access (Volunteers average a visit to the capital once every month), one option is
to arrange for Volunteer friends posted in sites with Internet access to print out and send you your e-mail. Most Volunteers set up a Yahoo, gMail, or Hotmail account before leaving home, giving the e-mail address to friends and family. There is access to the Internet in Mauritania through commercial outlets in Nouakchott and most regional capitals. Some governmental organizations in the regional capitals may also have Internet access and usually are willing to let Volunteers check their e-mail. DSL Internet service is currently available in two of Peace Corps/Mauritania’s 10 regional satellite offices. It is expected that high-speed Internet service will continue to expand to the regional capitals.

PS. Please write me! I promise to write you back! When I was on Semester at Sea one of the things that made me the happiest was receiving mail from home. My mom's third-grade class sent me 24 homemade Valentines cards while I was onboard ship and I cried I was so happy when I got them. You'd be surprised at how much letters or cards mean when you can't come home.

A Letter from "W" and Answers to Some of Your Questions

So this is funny...there must not be many Republicans who choose to go into the Peace Corps - here's why I believe this. My invitation packet was filled with too many forms to count, handbooks (my favorite is one called "A Few MINOR Adjustments"....minor?), and instructions for the next 4 months. Also included in the packet was a nice little letter on stationary that included the words "The White House" and a good old personal electronic signature from former President George W. Bush. I didn't think much about it, just chalking it up to the hectic times that abound during a transition of power in governments and not enough time to take care of small items such as switching out these letters so they are from President Obama, but then I noticed the date of the letter.....July 18, 2001. It almost felt like there hadn't been a Republican to serve as a volunteer since 2001 and when I got invited they had to search to the bottom of their files to pull this out and send it to me to make me feel officially congratulated. Probably not funny to most of you....but I got a little chuckle out of it. So thanks George for the encouragement, your letter from 2001 was inspiring then and still is today.

Many of you have asked some very similar questions about the Peace Corps so here's my first attempt to answer some of them.

1. When will you get to Mauritania? I have orientation somewhere in the US, yet to be determined on June 14-15. During this orientation I will meet up with all of the other volunteers going to Mauritania, get my shots and malaria pills, fill out more forms and then fly to Mauritania on June 16th. From June 16-August 20 I will be training with everyone in the city of Rosso, located near the Senegal border to the South. After training I will be placed somewhere else, won't know that until I'm actually over there.

2. What will you be doing as a volunteer? My primary job will be to teach English to secondary level students (middle and highschool) and help strengthen links between the schools and parental involvement through extracurricular activities. During the school breaks I will be responsible for creating my own "secondary" project based on the needs of the community where I'm placed. Some examples are girl mentoring programs, english clubs, library development, etc.

3. What will you wear? Well, given that this is a Muslim country "conservative" is the key word here. My packing list provided me with suggestions and it included ankle-length skirts (I have no idea where those are sold), no tank tops (my shoulders must be covered) and then some general normal clothing. Having clothes made over there is very inexpensive so I probably won't take that many clothes and just have things made over there.

4. Where will you live? I will live with a host family most likely as it's highly encouraged for female volunteers. As to what amenities I will have, I just don't know at this point. I could be placed in a larger city where I would have electricity and running water, or I could be in a very rural village where neither of those luxuries exist. I might have a toilet or I might just have a hole in the ground. It's a crapshoot.

5. Will you have internet? This has been the #1 question. I will. How often I don't know. From what I can gather after following several blogs of PCV currently overseas, it looks like I will be able to update the blog and check email about once a month. It could be better or it could be worse, I just won't know until I get over there.

"Congratulations! You've been invited to serve...."

INVITED!! Well it finally happened….I’ve been invited to serve in the Peace Corps! After 8 months of filling out endless amounts of forms, having seven viles of blood drawn, a few shots, and countless hours of waiting, I received a packet in the mail on Saturday, February 7, 2009 that will forever change my life.

I actually knew the Peace Corps had mailed the invitation packet on February 2nd, which caused me to speed home every night after work to check the mailbox. On Saturday the invitation finally arrived and I swear I would have kissed the mailman if he’d been around. I jumped in my car to head straight to Harrodsburg to share the news with my family and as soon as I ripped open the packet I saw the words…. “Congratulations! You have been invited to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mauritania.” “Where the hell is that” was my first reaction (and many of yours)…..second reaction was to call home.

My brother answered the phone and upon sharing the news he immediately found our family atlas and searched for this unknown country I was about to move to for 27 months. He went on to open our encyclopedia from 10 years ago only to find 1 page dedicated to Mauritania. Within 2 minutes he had determined that over half the land in Mauritania is actually the Sahara desert and it is bordered by Morocco and Algeria to the North, Senegal to the South, Mali to the East and the Atlantic Ocean to the West. Honestly I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry so I’m pretty sure I did both on the drive home.

Over the next four months I’ll be sharing more details as I prepare to leave Kentucky for a few short years. If you’re interested in keeping up with me as I make this journey across the pond bookmark this blog and come along with me.

My hope is that this blog will be an opportunity to share my candid experiences, frustrations, joys, ups, downs, twists and turns as I figure out how to pack 2 years worth of clothes, toiletries, necessities, and food in 2 suitcases and then figure out how to make a home in a country thousands of miles away from my family and friends. For now I’m headed to Barnes & Noble to buy some French and Arabic conversation books…..boy I wish I would have listened more in Ms. Dean’s class.

Quick Facts

· Program/Assignment: English teacher to secondary level students
· Dates of Service: June 14, 2009 – August 19, 2011
· Training: June 16-August 20, 2009 in Rosso, Mauritania
· Official country name is The Islamic Republic of Mauritania
· Capital is Nouakchott
· 27th largest country in the world
· Independent from France in 1960
· Climate is mostly hot, dry and dusty
· Population is about 3.3 million people
· 100% Muslim, mostly Sunnis
· Diamonds and gold are a natural resource (Hat tip to Mills for this one!)
· Arabic and French are the official and national languages
· Same time zone as London – 5 hours ahead of Kentucky time (Thanks Kenny!)
· Potential health risks…well there are several (Thank you Chris Bostick)

Stay tuned….more to come!

(PS: for those of you who are just finding out through this blog, I apologize. I wish I could have told everyone face to face, but it just hasn't been possible and I really didn't want to share until I knew I had been invited. Hope you'll forgive me!)