On the Way to IST

Greetings! I am spending the night in Mzuzu on my way to IST in Dedza. I get to catch a 7am bus for a 6 hour ride (at least) to Dedza tomorrow... I'm glad at the end of the road will be many familiar faces, free food, and many new things.

We have a new Peace Corps Response volunteer (the mini-Peace Corps you can do after you complete regular Peace Corps) that lives in Mzuzu, and she was a volunteer in The Gambia- and we definitely knew each other there! We just had lunch and its great to have a friend who experienced the specialness that is The Gambia around. Especially that lives in Mzuzu, since I am here about once a month. It will be exciting to continue to hang out and reminisce.

Things at site have been going well. I feel like there is so much to do and so much I need to do, which of course is a good thing, and is why I'm there. However, it is a lot of work that I can't do all on my own, and I'm trying to find the right people (and the motivation on all of our parts) to get to work. But my counterpart is great, and I know we will both get a lot out of IST and will help us focus on how to go about addressing everything we need to.

I start teaching Life Skills at the local CDSS when I am home from IST. Unfortunately the old Life Skills teacher got transferred and hasn't been replaced, so there is only me- and unfortunately again, I don't have enough time to teach more than two classes, so I am only able to teach Form 3 and Form 4. However, I'm hoping this will be an opportunity for me to train some Peer Educators, so at least they will be a resource to the Form 1 and Form 2 students.

The East Rumphi Youth Network is still in the beginning stages, but it looks like my old youth group in America wants to be a counterpart to the youth network here. This is really really exciting, and could be a lifetime lasting relationship between kids in Malawi and the USA. It's exciting to be apart of it all!

Hopefully we're going to be hosting a GAD meeting at IST, to reflect on GAD camp, discuss new ideas, talk about going national (we're currently based in the north), and of course, money money money. I'll let you know how it goes! Also- do any of you Americans out there know a t-shirt screening company that would be willing to donate some t-shirts to our GAD committee? If you do, please get in touch with me via facebook message or email!

Patti recently received a pink collar and bejeweled name tag in the mail from my family. Needless to say, she's the hottest pup in town. She is truly too cool- I'm almost concerned about the crowd she is running with, she's been coming home late, haha. Patti is doing great and I miss her already, and she will be excited when I finally get back home in a few weeks. Thank you family for the amazing packages!! I don't want to reveal how quickly I ate all the m&m's... also this is the best watch I have ever owned, THANK YOU!!

Hope everyone is doing well. Just a reminder to please send all mail to my address in Mlowe, since I am basically never in Lilongwe-
Renee Angelo, PCV
P.O. Box 2
Mlowe, Rumphi, Malawi

Keep in touch!! Love you all!

It's a Small World.

I really do believe that it is a small world. Or at least, that feeling the smallness of it makes the bigness of the world seem more manageable. And to help us both feel like the world is a little smaller while I am gone, I just made a "Keeping In Touch" tab on my blog which will have all the information and tips you need to be in touch with me. Currently it is still incomplete- but does include my mailing address for while I am in training (and mail will be the best way to be in touch with me while I am in training)!

This past Wednesday I met up for dinner (at a very delicious Lebanese place called The New Deal Cafe) with two girls who live in MD/DC who are a part of my Malawi training group!! Meaning we're all going to Malawi together in 32 days!! I couldn't even believe there were two other Malawi volunteers going with me in this area. SO COOL! Anyway, they are Kathi and Ilana and they are awesome and I am super happy they are in my group! It was great to meet up and talk some stuff out before going (like our many packing woes and expectations and excitations). And doing all that over Lebanese food made it even better :) They will both be Community Health volunteers like me, so cheers to our future HIV/AIDS work in Malawi over these next two years!

Not too long after I had this great dinner, I heard about a girl named Ellie from St. Mary's College (my alma mater) who is going to Malawi with me! Her story is a little different in that she was already serving with the Peace Corps in Niger. She had been there for 4 months when unfortunately the program had to be suspended and volunteers had to be evacuated for safety reasons. You can read about the program suspension by clicking here. All the volunteers got out safely, and they have a few different options of what to do next when an evacuation happens. Ellie was able to join our Malawi cohort! She sent me a facebook message and I am super excited that there will be another SMCM-er there. She also went to The Gambia during college so we have that in common. So we, by default, have all these cool bonds as a result of our very awesome school. I don't really see how the world can get any smaller!

This past weekend has been extremely amazing, and just another reason that I hope the smallness of the world stays in tact; Because I have a lot of really awesome people in my life who will be continuing their lives in America when I start mine in Malawi. Wah. On Friday, my gracious and wonderful friend Mike hosted a party in my honor at his apartment in Baltimore City, and then we went out to the crazy awesome REGGAE NIGHT that takes place every Friday on the 13th floor bar at the Belvedere Hotel. The music is live and awesome, and there is an amazing view of the city. I danced my feet off and the whole night was incredible. I really love my friends. (The next morning we got the "Best Breakfast in Baltimore" at Pete's Grille, a place I suggest to everyone in the area! Best way to end the friendtime :)

Yesterday, was my cousin Bobby's graduation party- at the 2nd oldest Italian restaurant in the USA (and the oldest one still owned by the same family), Ralph's! What I'm saying is, the restaurant is kind of a big deal and we have had many family parties there over the years (and also had tons and tons of delicious Italian food there as well obviously). It was great to see all of my extended family and celebrate Bobby's success, I am super proud of him- he is like my counterpart in the family because we are about the same age. I love my family (and Italian food) and it was so wonderful to be able to spend that time with them, and it makes me sad to think about the family parties I will miss out on in the next two years :( I actually had my welcome back party there after the first time I went to The Gambia, so who knows, maybe we'll all be back there again when I return in 2013.

This past weekend was so unbelievably great, and it really meant the world to me. These are memories I will never forget, and will keep my heart warm while I am serving in the Warm Heart of Africa! (okay that just sounded really cheesey but I thought and wrote "keep my heart warm" before I remembered that Malawi is known as the Warm Heart of Africa. Gimme a break!) Just accept the smallness of the world people, and we will be in touch no matter where we are! <3

Brain Melt.

I have a very serious case of brain melting. It means that... my brain is melting. It is because I have wayyy too many things to think about. Such as:

• Packing List- I should make a packing list. It is mostly in my head. But I have been perusing other PC Malawi blogs and our facebook group trying to think of all the perfect things to bring. But a physically written down list... would be incredibly clutch. I could use that clutch move right now.
• Going thru my things- I really feel as though I should go thru everything I own. And as far as I can tell, this seems to be something that all PCVs do so... I should really do it. I have been kind of half doing... not spending long periods of time, just seeing things and either throwing them away or separating them from my PC stuff. But I'm scared of it... I have too much stuff. I wish I had so much less... and I could have less, if I went thru it and gave it all away... catch 22.
• finishing going over the Chichewa lessons... and then doing that about 10000x.
• LEAVING FOR TWO YEARS AND MISSING EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING WAH (look for the upcoming post dedicated to my extremely adorable dog that I will hopefully not die without)
  

There's more, but my brain is so melty I can't even write. There are things that I am thinking about and kind of doing- making plans with all my friends and loved ones. This is making me extremely busy (in addition to work) and therefore makes it easy to put off packing/going thru crap. I like my friends WAYY better than I like my crap.

I also did start shopping for things I know I don't have and need. I got some Macabi skirts (they just came in the mail, they are SO COOL) with the PCV discount and I can tell they are going to be really useful- I wish I had them when I was in The Gambia! I got my North Face pro deal as well, so I did some shopping on there too, but still need to do some more. Whenever I shop I feel nervous... because I want to buy the right stuff and because I still kind of can't believe this is happening, as excited as I am. But yeah, still a step in the right direction!

I am trying to keep up with a good workout regime- although I feel like I am falling a little behind as my brain is melting with all of this other stuff- my body just gets tired from the brainmelt. But I started doing the 100 push up challenge and the 200 crunches challenge, so I can say that I am sore from that. I only just finished Week 1, and having never been a person who did push ups or crunches to work out before, it is at least a diversification of my workout for now! I will miss my gym membership when I am gone, but at least I will have something to do in my hut. I figure I will work on doing squats when I get to Malawi... I'm not so bored yet that I want to do squats on my own.

So hopefully, by staging.... I will have the most perfectly packed bags ever, and be able to do 100 push ups to impress my new PCT (Peace Corps Trainee) friends. Surely that will be the best ice breaker ever.

p.s. (I really am trying to relax about packing- without relaxing so much that I don't pack. My PCV friend Mike said by the time you get to staging nobody cares about what anybody packed- just don't forget duct tape. So hopefully this will become my perspective and I won't forget duct tape!)

p.p.s. Got my dental clearance finally!

Encouraging Words

I NEED to finish my resume and aspiration statement... basically tonight. and I'm frustrated and tired of it, as it is a lot to think about and so much information to put into two documents... how much to edit? How much do they really wanna read from me? How much do I have to make exactly clear?? MY BRAIN!! AHHH MY BRAIN!!!

Otherwise, not too long after I found out I emailed all of my favorite professors from college that I am still in touch with, and they sent me back some really nice and encouraging words that are getting me thru this process (yes, I'm still being processed- have to get NEW passport photos and go to the dentist for one last time next week). I will be relieved when I am only panicking about packing.

Here are some of their kind words below that touch my heart so much and mean so much to me. I have the utmost respect for these people and I know I wouldn't be here, a peace corps invitee, without them!

"I'm really pleased that you're going to Malawi. Considering how much you enjoyed The Gambia experience, I imagine you will find the Peace Corps even more rewarding. You are so fortunate to have these kinds of experiences. They will enrich your entire life, and you will draw upon them for strength and inspiration, come what may."
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"I am happy you are joining the Peace Corps. I think you will do a lot of good for everyone you come in contact with. They are lucky to have you. I am so proud of you and your commitment. You are a true citizen of the world and I am pleased to have a small part in your success."
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"Congratulations Renee! Malawi has been called the Switzerland of Africa - beautiful landscape, but it will certainly be a challenging country to work in. I'm sure it will be a tremendous experience for you, and congratulations on your position there!"

During the holidays while I was seeing my family I kept hearing such kind words from them as well, that it actually warms my heart so much that mayyyybe I teared up leaving Christmas Eve celebrations. It means the world to me that all these people I love and respect are so happy for me- especially after a hard year including getting laid off. I feel like I'm finally being put back into my place in the world with Peace Corps and I couldn't be more excited.

But I could be more prepared... and so I'm off to go flip out some more!! :-)

Zikuyenda bwanji??

That means WHAT UP in Chichewa, the local Malawian language that I will be learning during my service. On the invitee toolkit there is downloadable lessons to listen to and a complementary PDF. I already love the language, it looks pretty awesome, and the vowel sounds seem similar to the ones I learned when I learned Wolof in The Gambia. From my experience in The Gambia I know how important it is to learn the local language, so I am planning on being a mega Chichewa nerd throughout my Peace Corps experience.

Not too much is going on since I accepted my invitation. I am working on updating my resume and writing my aspiration statement- I feel a lot of pressure about this aspiration statement... writing out all my aspirations for my experience? It is proving to be a little difficult... but I'll get thru it soonly. Otherwise, my application for my Peace Corps passport is filled out and I will hopefully be FedEx-ing it away later this afternoon- which will feel like a big relief. Don't want any lingering paperwork getting in my way :-)

Otherwise, I have been able to connect with a few Malawi invitees via facebook! I am excited to be in touch with them and get to know them! There is also a facebook group of some of the invitees and current Malawi PCVs, and the current PCVs have been extremely helpful in giving us tips on what to bring. It looks like packing is going to be even scarier than I imagined... so much pressure! And it looks like I'm going to be spending some money on things I will need to bring, so it is a good thing that Christmas is literally around the corner. After Christmas I will feel more clearheaded about getting the perfect packing list together and shopping the crap out of it!

I also said my first "goodbye". My good friend Ben came to visit this past weekend, and unfortunately it was the last time I would see him before I left, as he is leaving for Florida for work just after the holidays. It was sad! But honestly, it is something that is going to be happening with a lot more frequency in the coming weeks. I can deal with it- I signed up for it! It is all part of the learning experience. Ben was nice enough to give him his old multitool- and buy me a small wind up/solar lantern to bring with me- so it will be cool to have those things in my little mudhut in Malawi to remind me of my friend.

Anyway. I hope you guys are ready for the upcoming holiday (I should really finish that shopping...) and that it is a wonderful one. For the applicants still out there reading, good luck!! For those of us preparing to go, I wish us some good luck too!! Any Malawi volunteers or invitees out there, please identify yourselves :) Happy Holidays!

Tiwonana!! (See you later!)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is a pretty awesome holiday. There is delicious food. You always get to see your family. It's awesome. And one of the first things you think about when joining the Peace Corps is the holidays you will miss and how hard that will be (because holidays are awesome).

I actually have already spent a Thanksgiving away from my family when I studied abroad in The Gambia for the second time (fall 2008). It was hard! Luckily, we were actually invited to the Peace Corps Thanksgiving celebration that was near the country's Peace Corps Headquarters, which we lived really close to. So on Thanksgiving we snazzied up as much as we could and headed to a huge buffet dinner reminiscent of Thanksgiving goodies- there was even a turkey! I only saw one turkey during my two experiences in The Gambia, so I have no idea how they got it. But it was really special and it was easy to see how special it was for everyone. And it WAS delicious. I mean, I love Gambian food- but its the traditional food of Thanksgiving is so awesome! Food you just expect on that day makes people happy.

However, towards the end of the night, I started to get kinda bummed out. I only really knew the kids in my group and chatted with some volunteers- who knew each other more than they knew my group. Everyone in my group was making plans to go out afterwards, and my main concern was getting home and utilizing the wondrous tool that is Skype to talk with my family. So when the time came for us to leave, I booked it home to hope that our internet would actually work and hold out for a conversation!

I logged onto Skype and started the video chat with my family, for probably close to an hour. I was able to see my whole family, aunt, uncle and cousins that we always spend Thanksgiving with in one frame! It was awesome. We chatted for more than a half hour and it brought me a lot of joy to talk with everyone and see everyone. Even my parents' dogs made an appearance (I'M GONNA MISS MY DOG SO MUCH WAHHH). It was wonderful. Skype is amazing people!!! Download it TODAY if you haven't already! My Skype username is reneealicia.

And even with the Thanksgiving food I was able to eat that day, we know that the holidays are mostly about family. And it is hard to feel a holiday when you aren't with them. I was lucky that day that I was able to utilize Skype to talk with my family. That might not be the case when I join Peace Corps- depending on where I am or what the situation is. But it is a sacrifice all volunteers make when they make the decision to join the Peace Corps. In perspective- its only a few holidays out of a lifetime of holidays- and Peace Corps will be an experience we will remember for a lifetime. That will have to satisfy me those times of the year.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Being Sick Here, There, Anywhere = LAME.

I'm sick. And so is my pup (Bernard, aka the Nard Dog). So it is a double whammy. We are both not feeling well and not moving around very much and generally being miserable together. It is nice that he is not judging me for laying around all day and I am not judging him for puking all over the carpet and pooping in my shoe [seriously... HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN?!].

I haven't been sick in quite awhile, but it reminds me of what a miserable sick person I used to be. When I was in college and got sick I would just be THE worst person to be around. Being sick just made me sooooooo sad and feel lonely cuz my mom wasn't there to tell me what exactly how to take care of myself and etc. It sucked! and it probably didn't help that I was particularly pathetic. Being despondent is generally not the best way to get better- a lesson I definitely needed to learn during my study abroad experiences in The Gambia.

The first semester that I was in The Gambia, we lived in a very healthy house. Nobody was ever sick. And nobody got bitten by mosquitoes either- except me of course :) But eventually, it was I who broke the pattern of health a few months in when my throat started really hurting. One of the first things I did was- ignore it. I didn't want to go to the doctor. I had stuff to do! I was living a very full life with a internship and a full course load and new Gambian friends and good times to be had! No time for despondence! Also, I didn't even KNOW where the doctor was... or how to get there! Or what it might cost me!

Eventually my best Peace Corps friend Dan (a Health volunteer) came to town and I had him feel my throat because there was swelling, and he said"You probably have an infection. Maybe strep throat." Boo. This definitely sounded like I needed some medical attention. All of the Gambians that worked for my school and were there to take care of us eventually pushed me in that direction- and eventually our house manager Mohammad took me (and I dragged Mike along) to a local health clinic that had a good reputation with our study abroad program. It didn't take long for the doctor to diagnose me with tonsillitis! I was prescribed penicillin and the doctor said that he would give me a shot of penicillin to get my recovery started.

While me and Mike sat in the waiting room-the doctor prepared the shot, and the power went out. Power outages are extremely common in The Gambia, so it wasn't so startling. I just assumed for whatever reason I made in my brain that this meant I wouldn't get my shot and I would have to come back. Instead, candles were lit and the doctor called me [and I dragged Mike!] back to the patient room to get my shot. So there I am, in one of the tiniest countries on the coast of West Africa, getting a shot in my bum by candlelight [with Mike holding my hand and cracking up at the same time]. There are just some things in life you can't imagine yourself experiencing until they happen. And that was surely one of those experiences. Mike told the story over and over again to all of our friends explaining how romantic the whole scene was with the candles and the shot in my bum. In retrospect- it is a pretty hilarious notion to think about, but what I remember was how surprisingly bad that shot hurt and the soreness lasted. Um, oww!! Way to go Gambia!! But I wasn't gonna let my sore butt ruin my fun, and I got back to my full Gambian lifestyle as soon as possible.

On my second trip to The Gambia I decided as soon as we touched ground that I was going to do my very best to take care of myself and never get sick. And exactly one week later I had tonsillitis. Awesome. Luckily this time it wasn't so bad that I needed a shot in the bum- and I had a good enough attitude not let it put a damper on the beginning of my trip. Hey, sickness happens. It's just a matter of dealing with it!

For my family members or friends that don't know very much about Peace Corps, me being sick while I am abroad is not something to worry about. Safety and health is a priority that Peace Corps has for their volunteers, and I have seen it firsthand! While in The Gambia the first time my friend Dan needed more medical attention than The Gambia could offer and he was sent to Dakar (the capital of Senegal) to get the attention he needed. I heard from Mike a few weeks ago and he was sent into South Africa (from Lesotho) for needed medical attention as well. With an organization as strong as the Peace Corps behind me, I am not afraid about getting sick abroad- and I hope you guys can get some comfort from that as well.

I actually was able to visit the Peace Corps nurse of The Gambia during my second visit. Our language teacher, Awa Job, was also a language teacher for the Peace Corps, and she took us to see the Nurse when we first arrived to get a briefing on sicknesses we should be worried about and how to take care of ourselves. Later in the semester I was getting a rash- which I was pretty sure was due to the heat (which was a little strange because I didn't recall getting it the first time) but it was pretty uncomfortable. I asked Awa what she thought and she said she would take me to the nurse. Awa took me to the PC nurse and it was confirmed that I had a pretty good heat rash- which Awa told the nurse was probably because I walked everywhere when I should be paying to take a taxi (its true- I was incredibly cheap the second time around in The Gambia) and I was advised to wear baby powder under my clothes and eventually I felt better.

So, while being sick is incredibly lame- no matter where you are, it's all about perspective. When I felt lonely and sick during college, I probably wasn't really considering how bad it could have been- I mean, I always got better, I would always eventually see my mom again to make me feel better, etc. I was being a baby. And now, even though I am truly loathing feeling how I'm feeling, I know I'll probably be better in a few days (and hopefully pup will be too!). And should I get sick while I'm abroad (which is bound to happen, but wouldn't it be way cool if it never did??), and I'm feeling lonely because my family is even further, I will surely find comfort in the healthcare possibilities Peace Corps will have in place in my host country to take care of me, and I will take care of myself too! I'm not worried, and I hope you aren't either.

PCV Mike & K.I.T.

My dear friend Mike is currently serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Lesotho. For those of you who don't know the story of Mike- I met Mike during my first study abroad experience in The Gambia in spring 2007. We became very close friends during our time there as we interned, took sociology classes , and made Gambian friends [and memories!] together. We became very good friends with a Peace CorpsVolunteer named Dan and we were a little trio of awesome. Dan really inspired both of us to be volunteers, and we both felt that it was going to be something we pursued post graduation.

I supported Mike throughout his application process and he says that he wouldn't have made it to Lesotho without me- and I know that I wouldn't have made it all the way to nomination without him! Mike has been in Lesotho since June 2010, and having him be there has given me some perspective on what it might be like for everyone at home to keep in touch (K.I.T.) with me when I am a volunteer!

Although it may surprise some of you, a majority of Peace Corps volunteers use mobile phones during their service. Cell phone usage is everywhere, all over the world these days- when I was in The Gambia (the smallest country in continental Africa) having a cell phone or calling anyone anywhere was no big thing! Then you may think that sending me a text or calling me on the phone internationally is gonna be $$$$$, and this is where the joy of SKYPE comes in. I can send Mike a text from Skype for $.097. I have it set up so when and if he chooses to reply, it gets sent to my cell (you can't reply a text back to Skype unfortunately) and it is always cheaper to receive an international text than send one. I'm not saying I'll be texting as much as I text in the good ol' unlimited-text-messaging US of A, but you will be able to basically send me an instant message for cheaper (and less time!) then a post letter. And sometimes that's all I'll need or you will need to feel close! I am always happy to have even a 2 message texting exchange with Mike when I can.

Tomorrow Mike and I have a "Skype to cell" date where I'm going to call Mike's cell from my Skype (for a charge of course) and we will be able to chat voice to voice for the first time since he left! Skype credit is simple and easy to buy and definitely worth getting the chance to talk to my dear friend who is halfway across the world for as long as I feel like $pending! Skype is a godsend people, and if you don't already have it- download it now! I plan on doing plenty of Skype tutorials for all of you loved ones of mine so I know you will be prepared to K.I.T. with me!

Earlier today I got a text from Mike telling me that he FINALLY received the care package I sent! I don't even remember when exactly I sent it- it feels like forever ago. But when I decided to send him a package I sent him a text to ask what he wanted, and I filled it up with as much of his requests as I could. I put in the surprise of M&M's (which were part of a very clutch package that I received while in The Gambia and shared with Mike) and he said he was so excited to see it. And he was enjoying some of the spaghetti I sent him while he was texting! I know how much a care package can feel good when you are far away from home. I received the best packages (to much of my fellow students' jealousy) during my semesters in The Gambia thanks to my amazing family! It was fun to be a part of that for Mike, who is in a mud hut in the rural area of a tiny tiny country halfway across the world, so far away from his friends and family. I wonder what I will be craving and pleading for you guys to send me when I am gone- I am sure there will be an extensive post about it for your viewing pleasure :-)

Having Mike be abroad with Peace Corps has given me the perspective that it will NOT be impossible or sad or too much of a burden for me to keep in touch with my loved ones and for all of my loved ones to keep in touch with me! And so here is my manifesto people- send me your email addresses, read my blog, download SKYPE, and I will put all of your phone numbers into my Skype and address book. And it won't be like we are too far away from each other at all :-)