cook-up-rice training

(*Please check my previous post for updated information regarding my mailing address.)

Day three's training sessions have come to an end here in Georgetown. So much has happened in so little time, but I'll do my best to touch on all of the highlights. When we arrived in Guyana on Tuesday morning, we were greeted by many of the current PCVs, who all looked surprisingly refreshed and energized, despite the heat and humidity. Maybe they were just excited to meet us, but I jotted it down as a sign that I won't look like such a glazed donut once I learn to take care of myself in this strange place known as the "land of many waters." So it was bit cliche, I do realize, but I immediately felt like I was in the tropics when one of the PCVs handed me a young coconut and a banana :) It was a delicious and nutritious breakfast (another good sign).

The past few days we've been in training sessions designed to orient us to our projects and prepare us for living with a Guyanese host family during our 9-weeks of PST (pre-service training). I, along with 11 other PCTs (PC Trainees), have been assigned to a remote training site in Region 4 (approximately a 1 1/2 hour drive from the capital). The rest of the 20 or so PCTs have been assigned to a coastal/"urbanish" site. We're all a little bummed that we have to be separated from the rest of the group so early, but I'm confident that there will be some advantages to having such an intimate training class. And yes, this means that I'll more likely than not be placed in a remote site for my two years of service. "Remote" can mean one of a few things- I will likely be more isolated from the coastal region and probably won't have running water, electricity, etc., but I could very well be placed in a "city" that's only considered remote due to its geographic location. I should receive my placement in a few weeks, so I'll try to keep everyone posted as I know more.

I've particularly enjoyed getting to know the current PCVs who are assisting in our trainning. They have offered incredible advice and insight! It's great to see how calm and collected they all are (another good sign), as well as how confident they are in their jobs and with their integration into their communities. It's a bit trippy to think that I will be in their shoes one year from now! But I have a lot of ground to cover in the meantime.

We passed today's morning session discussing our role as community developers in Guyana and how our work will fit in to the country's existing development strategies and goals. I am so relieved to learn that we actually have a very thorough and accessible community health care plan to follow. My first three months at site will be focused on Goal 1 objectives- assessing (alongside my counterpart) the community's needs through observation and discussions with the local people. Basically, I have to figure out what the community wants to cultivate before I know which seeds to plant. As tough as this job is going to be, I'm comforted in knowing that I won't be doing it alone (if done correctly), but rather with my entire community.

Oh, and the phrase cook-up-rice is a Guyanese phrase that refers to throwing everything all together (if I understood it correctly), as in Peace Corps has thrown a ton of information at us these past few days. I look forward to sharing more once I finally get out of this hotel and into my host community for training. It's getting a little cabin feverish around here. Well, consider this my last post for at least several weeks.

Rest assured that I'm healthy, happy, and eating plenty of channa (chickpeas, as we know them). Namaste, my friends. Be good in the land of plenty.

let's stay in touch

***UPDATE: Please send ALL mail and packages to this address during training (until mid-April)... Also, please send everything through regular mail, NOT FedEx. Send things in a padded envelope or flat-rate box whenever possible, and please hide anything valuable inside of something else. It takes about 2-3 weeks for mail to arrive from the States.


Peace Corps
Attn: Whitney Miley
c/o United States Embassy
100 Duke and Young Streets
Kingston, Georgetown, Guyana
South America

Hello, hello! I'm super busy preparing for my departure, so I'll keep this brief and promise to write more in the coming days. Here's a quick rundown of what's going on- I leave on Sunday for the PC Guyana staging event in Philadelphia. After an orientation and brief overview of things on Monday, we will take a bus to JFK and will fly to Georgetown late that evening, arriving in country early Tuesday morning. Ah! I can't believe that I'll be in Guyana in only 6 days!

More to come... Thanks for all of the continued encouragement, support, thoughts, and prayers.

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.