ode to drifters

It hit me today that I only update this blog when I'm traveling, experiencing something novel, or want to let everyone in on the latest news regarding my Peace Corps placement, but life is happening everyday amidst the chaos that surrounds a life in transition. My life is in transition, and yes, this makes me feel a little uncomfortable. It has been strange living here and there, depending on the charity of friends and family to have a place to sleep and food to eat, especially after recent years of independence and self-sufficiency. That being said, these past few months have made me very humble and appreciative for the people that I have in my life. I'm so grateful that I've been able to spend more time with my family and friends over the holidays, something that I was not anticipating at all. Karma has been good to me.

After all of the heartache and confusion that it originally caused, I'm glad that I'm here and not in Guinea right now. It turns out that right here is where I'm meant to be at the moment. I'm more than okay with that. Sure, I live for adventure and excitement, and I value spontaneity above most else, but sometimes it's good when life forces you to slow down and take a look at your own backyard, so to speak. I spent all summer long trying to cultivate inner peace, calm and awareness, but I gave up my quest for enlightenment as soon as I crossed back over the Atlantic. It's about time that I realize that I can be just as complete here as I can be anywhere else in this world.

I'm heading to Athens this weekend for the New Year's festivities and I fully intend to blow the lid off the city. My love affair with Athens continues on... I'm looking forward to a glass of Terrapin Rye Pale Ale, a plate full of anything smothered with the Grit's yeast gravy, followed by a slice of chocolate death cake and a stroll along the soured streets of downtown, accompanied by the hum of drifters and dreamers offering their souls to anyone who cares to take a moment to feel. To feel anything of significance. I'm gonna sway and drift and dream and hum with the best of them.

au revoir guinea, hello guyana

Life just keeps getting crazier. As many of you know, PC Guinea was cancelled and I've been reassigned to serve in Guyana, South America. I'll be honest, the past few days have the toughest part of this whole experience so far. I didn't want to say goodbye to Guinea, in fact, I still am having a difficult time letting it go. I've spent months preparing to serve in Guinea- I've studied French, read up on the history, followed the election in the news, connected with volunteers who have served or were going to serve in Guinea, as well as constantly imagined what my life would be like there. And now it's gone. Just like that.

I've also mourned for the people of Guinea. There is such a need in the country that I'm afraid will only further be ignored and neglected under the immediate strain of its political situation. I can't help but feel selfish. I'm upset that I can't get into the country, when I'm sure that many Guineans wish that they had a way out. On a more positive note, Guinea is heading in the right direction. The Guineans have finally had their voices heard and now have the ability to hold their government accountable for its actions. Nonetheless, I can't help but envy the PCVs who'll get to go to Guinea when all of this stabilizes.

And now Guyana! I never in a million years thought that the PC would send me to South America, but they have. Initially, I was totally sold on Guyana. My placement officer told me that I would be doing Health Ed with an opportunity to work in schools with kids, something that I had demonstrated a strong interest in during the application process. However, I was very disappointed that I wouldn't be going to Africa or putting to use all of the French that has been collecting chaotically in all corners of my mind for the past several months. After speaking with my PO again and asking her for more options, she offered me an assignment in Morocco. I've always dreamed of going to Morocco, but after reading over the Welcome Book for the country, I realized that I was at best unprepared to serve there. It's imperative that PCVs in Morocco already have a strong background in French, as PST (pre-service training) focuses on acquiring language skills in Arabic. Cool, yes, but yikes! All in all, I believed that Guyana was a better fit for me.

So here's what I know about Guyana. It's located on the northeastern coast of South America, bordering Brazil, Suriname and Venezuela. The climate is tropical- hot, humid, and rainy. The country is very ethnically diverse, mostly being comprised of African and Indian immigrants. The official language is English, but Guyanese Creole is widely spoken (I'll be taught Creolese during PST:)). Because so many Guyanese are of Indian descent, Hinduism is widely practiced, meaning that vegetarianism is common and accepted :) Also, there will be an unlimited supply of coconuts!

My primary project is Community Health Education Promotion. From what I've read, Guyana doesn't have a developed or functioning health care system. In fact, there are few doctors or health care professionals available to the Guyanese that live in more rural areas of the country. Because of this, there are high maternal and infant mortality rates. Guyana also has a high rate of HIV transmission, as well as other diseases. My primary job will be to teach preventive health measures and to promote behavioral change. I will most likely be working in a school district, but I'll also have the opportunity to work in health centers or with NGOs.

That's all I have for now. I'll post again a little closer to departure time.

la patience est une vertu

They meant it when they said that serving in the Peace Corps requires dedication, patience, and flexibility. Due to the recent presidential election in Guinea, Peace Corps Guinea has been delayed until January 13 (tentatively). Guinea has been in the process of completing its first democratic election for many months now, but not without complications. The unofficial results of the election were announced today, naming Alpha Conde as Guinea's president. At the moment, I cannot say whether this outcome is good or bad, but it has further deepened ethnic cleavages between two of Guinea's most prominent ethnic groups, the Malinke and the Peul. A conference call for all Peace Corps Guinea invitees has been scheduled for next week... Stay tuned for updates concerning the election results and my eventual departure.

it's official

I just accepted my invitation to serve with the PC as a Health Educator in Guinea, a French-speaking country on the coast of West Africa... more updates to come.

prêt ou pas

It's officially time to set Italian aside and dedicate all of my efforts to learning (hopefully mastering) French. I received a call from my Peace Corps placement officer yesterday. He followed up on some of the concerns that I expressed in my original interview back in February. We spent a long time discussing my diet and whether or not I'm willing to adhere to the advice/demands of my PC medical provider. Apparently, the doc will have the final say on what I do and do not eat or I will be sent home. Just the thought of eating an animal makes me cry. This will definitely be my biggest challenge... and without further ado, I guess I should disclose what I know of my final placement. I'm definitely going to francophone sub-Saharan West Africa, my placement is definitely rural health care, and I'm definitely leaving either in mid-October or the first of December. I should know the exact location and departure date by next week. The key word in my placement is "rural"- my PO (placement officer) stressed the importance of learning French before my departure, as my in-country training will focus on the local language of my village. Rosetta Stone, please come through for me. It's hard to believe that in only a few months I will be able to speak four languages.

In the meantime, I'm enjoying life back in Athens. Saying goodbye to my Italian little sisters was probably the most emotionally wrenching thing that I've ever experienced. Only a few days after my return to the States, I headed off to Lollapalooza in Chicago along with two good friends, Casey and Lisa. We experienced a crazy three days of incredible music, with notable performances by The National, Arcade Fire, The Dirty Projectors, MGMT, Grizzly Bear, and Lady Gaga (I never thought I would say that, ever). After Lolla, we hit the road for two weeks of pure madness. We hit up Denver, Boulder, Flagstaff, Sedona, the Grand Canyon, Santa Fe, Austin, and New Orleans, enjoying the hospitality and generosity of couch surfers all along the way. We also had a fabulous stop-over in Mississippi to visit all of the grandparents. The instability and constant change of scenery was most refreshing after a quiet and stable summer in Italy. And now, I'm learning to once again be still, at least for the time being. Life is such a trip.

tanti auguri

We celebrated Luce's 4th birthday on Sunday. Here's a little glimpse of the festivities...

i am a my size barbie

With only a week left here in Staranzano, I think that now's a good time to reach some sort of conclusion about this summer and my experiences as an au pair in Italy. First of all, this is the best job that I've ever had, but it's coming to an end at the right time. I had no idea coming into this what to expect. I knew nothing about this family or this region of Italy. I also didn't know if I had the patience to deal with kids for 30 hours a week or the ability to conduct effective English lessons. I have learned that I have a whole lot of patience. I also have reconfirmed that my heart is bigger than Texas- I don't know how I'm going to leave these girls. It's truly been an incredible experience to live and function as part of this family for the past 2 1/2 months.

Here's what I did wrong- I never established an ounce of discipline with these kids. My philosophy is always to just shower everyone with love, which works great when those getting showered are receptive. I'm not saying that these kids aren't loving, but they are kids and I've learned that kids tend to be selfish to the core. I wouldn't say that I've spent the whole summer being taken advantage of either, but what I am saying is that my job title would more appropriately be "My Size Barbie that can move and talk" rather than au pair, teacher, or babysitter. Sure, these kids have learned a lot this summer, but they don't realize that at all. They still think that I'm a shiny new toy that came all the way from America to do tricks and entertain them. Having arrived only a week before the family's new cat, Neve, I can greatly sympathize with the torture that she has endured. Neve has also learned patience.



Only a few weeks ago I was teaching Ginevra the differences between the many titles for females. In order to demonstrate two of these, I said, "You are a girl. I am a woman." Her reply was, "No, Whitney, you aren't a woman. You're a girl." "No, Ginevra, I am a woman." "OK, You're a big girl." But that leads to what I did right- I am Ginevra's friend. She's had some issues with the girls at school this past year... You know, that age when the queen bees arise to suck out the souls of the weak. I remember being targeted myself... I was in the 5th grade and, according to the "mean" girls, I had head lice and wore high-waters (only the latter was true). As a big sister and a former victim of the insecurities of other females, I've been able to relate to Gine and many of her current struggles. She tried to run away from home a few days ago just to see if Luce would get upset. I immediately recognized this and did my best to coax along the appropriate response from Luce. After Gine successfully fit into my suitcase and told Luce she was heading to America with me, Luce was in tears telling her that she was sorry for whatever she had done and that she loved her. The whole thing ended with Gine sitting on the stairs, Luce in her arms, both girls crying and holding onto one another with all of their might. After it was all over, Gine said to me, "Whitney, I wasn't really going to run away. I just wanted to see if Luce really loves me." I told her that I knew all along. She asked, "But how did you know?" "Because I have a little sister, too."



So here's a little summary of the progress that we've all made together these past 10 weeks. I'm sure there will be a few additions after our 11th and final week...

Things that Ginevra has learned:
Present continuous tense
Simple past tense and many irregular verbs
Expressing future intentions using “going to…”
Prepositions of place, movement, and time
How to write a friendly letter
Synonyms, antonyms, and homophones (she’s even beginning to pronounce these words correctly!)
Plural forms of irregular nouns
Comparative and superlative adjectives
Giving simple directions
Talking about daily routines, the weather, hobbies, etc…
Common occupations and job titles
Body parts
Idiomatic expressions (her favorite is “It’s raining cats and dogs!”
Marco Polo, Simon Says, and I Spy
“The Hokie Pokey,” and “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes”

Things that Luce has learned/can say:
“It’s mine!!!”
“It’s my turn!”
“Stop!”
“Good morning,” “Good night”
“How are you?,” “Fine,” and “Thank you”
“I can do it”, “By myself”
“Help”
“Again”
“It’s ready”
Me, I, you, she, it (and sometimes she even uses them correctly!)
The verb “to be” (once again, sometimes she conjugates correctly!)
“Sooo cute!” (usually said in reference to Neve)
“Bad cat!” (once again, in reference to Neve)
Colors
Numbers 1-20
Letters (more or less, even though she screams her head off every time I try to sing the ABCs)
Body parts
Many basic nouns, including names of animals, toys, foods, places, and every day objects
The concept of “big” and “small”
Making comparisons using “bigger” and “smaller”
“Itsy, Bitsy, Spider,” “I Scream, You Scream, We all Scream for Ice cream,” “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes”
Simon Says

Things that I’ve learned:
Patience
Understanding
Humility
A few words in the "Gradese" dialect (only spoken in Grado and in our home)
How to say "thank you" in German
More French than I probably realize
The many uses of tea tree oil
How to teach English (more or less)
How to effectively bribe children (it has come in handy many times)
How to practice yoga in a very non-Zen environment (i.e. amidst screaming children)
How to make paper flowers
How to get rid of lice naturally
How to explain to children that just because you have breasts does not mean that you’re lactating (thank God)
How to make rice milk and almond milk (though I haven’t tried either yet)
How to gulp down a bottled beer in one swallow (I only witnessed this, but would be happy to show anyone the technique)
How to properly use and appreciate a bidet
The Italian postal service is more inefficient than that of most third world countries
Buses are only on time when you’re running late
You can find School House Rock and Sesame Street episodes on YouTube! (Ginevra loves them)
The Italian version of “Rock, Paper, Scissors”
Couch surfing is the only way to travel
Where to find falafel anywhere and at anytime of the day