Typhoid shots and scary stories 9/28/12

It was a really busy day today! We had our safety and security orientation and medical information briefing (during which, we got our Peace Corps first aid kit). We also ordered our cell phones (the one I bought will be able to access the internet!)  We also got our malaria prophylactics, as well as the second round of shots (Typhoid, preceded yesterday by tetanus and Meningitis vaccines). My left arm feels like it was punched twelve times by Mike Tyson. The safety and security orientation made everybody a little bit nervous. A special agent from the State Department let us know how much danger there is of foreigners being targeted. Theft, pickpocketing, assault, car accidents, abduction… the list goes on. A little fear is healthy, but they made it seem like we couldn´t trust anyone! Can´t say she overdid it though. We´re in a new country, new culture and I should adopt a new mindset while here. I guess being a little more cautious with my belongings, staying inside after dark and traveling in groups are just some more changes to make. I don´t know if it has quite hit me yet that I´m spending two and a quarter years of my life here. I`ll bet that tomorrow it will. What´s happening tomorrow?  We move to a small town west of Maputo tomorrow called Namaacha. We´ll leave early tomorrow morning and have lunch with them as a group. There will be nine people in my host family. (yeah, nine freakin´people!) The third year volunteer, Scooter, explained that there will be cousins, uncles, aunts and other relatives drifting in and out consistently. I kept expressing how much I can´t wait to be able to speak Portuguese. I hope to be able to communicate with and integrate quickly into the family.

Plane ride. 9/26/12

9/26/12

Today I met the other 55 future peace corps volunteers. Spent 7 hours in a room with people in the same boat as me. Everyone is incredibly friendly, supportive, and knows exactly how it feels to make a commitment to the Peace Corps. There are several ukulele players- a fact that makes me miss Kelly (my tenor). Maurine, the Staging Coordinator met me in the hallway as I was heading down to the bus and explained that it was one of the best things in her job to meet the new Peace Corps Volunteers. I feel so much more comfortable knowing these amazing people will accompany me to Mozambique. We'll all be faced with the same challenges and support each other through all of them.

I made some last minute phone calls to try saying "see yah" to the most important people to me- a sad but necessary thing to do. It's currently (while I write this) roughly half way through the 14 hour flight; we're just getting ready to pass over Namibia and so far I've watched three movies (Prometheus, Brave and The Descendants) and read a good portion of my book. Anyway, the waiting and thinking back upon the phone calls made me realize that I'm on my own; from here on out I'll make my own successes and failures. I have told myself, and will continue to tell myself, that this whole program will be made simple (if you have a difficult math problem, you make it less difficult -more doable- by examining the components and making it simple); despite all the steps in between, I was selected to be an American math teacher in Mozambique, and to that end I'll strive to succeed as much as possible. It's overwhelming thinking about what to do next or how to do "this" or whether "that" task will be too hard, so I write this to remind myself to take everything in stride and focus on the big picture. My job isn't just to teach math; it's to be an example of an American for peoples of other countries as well as to tell other Americans what other peoples of other countries are like. To me, this is an exciting, edifying and worth-while opportunity. Although my family and friends are always in the back of my mind, I've turned my face forward and am ready to leave the US behind for now. 

Philly: (full) day 2 9/23/12

I expanded my vocabulary last night when I met a fellow future PCV,  Veronica and her friend Uriel: Wawa-(n) [wah-wah]-establishment with freakin' delicious 24/7 convenience store chain meatball subs. We went downtown Philly and had some beers, and exchanged our thoughts about he next two years of our lives. We got to talkig about the Peace Corps. It's no surprise that both Veronic and I echoed each other's hopes, concerns, incredulity of our imminent trip and our excitement. She told me about blogs that she'd read in which a PCB teacher walked into her first day of class to see 400 faces staring back at her. We discussed another example of a volunteer that had left a year early out of frustration with administrative corruption and student cheating problems.
I wonder what will be written here. No doubt they'll reflect difficulties and pleasures alike. I wonder about the words that'll describe the experiences. What kinds of experiences will I write about? What awaits me in Africa? I'll see in a couple days!

No turning back now. 9/22/12

I've been ready to go for months in a sense, but then again, It's harder than ever to leave everyone behind. I don't think I've skimped on gushing to people about how I'll miss them. Being across the country cements the feelings of finality. I'm so happy to be where I'm at both physically and mentally. The support from everybody (e-v-e-r-y-b-o-d-y) humbles me and gives me all my motivation. I've even received support from people that I least expected! For example, I boarded my flight and the 66 year old salesman sitting to my left (I had the window seat- YUSSS!!) started a conversation. I explained that I was on my way to my Peace Corps Pre-service training. After talking a bit, the man offered to buy me a breakfast on the airplane to thank me for my service; I declined quickly, expressing profusely my gratitude, because of the fact that I have not done anything yet deserving of such kindness. The flight attendant overheard the man speaking of "service" and explained  that soldiers eat for free- she had mistakenly thought that I was with the military. I told her that I wasn't a soldier but the man added that I was with the Peace Corps. The flight attendant gave me a complementary package of Beef Jerky and an oatmeal cookie saying that the two services are similar. I can't say that I think that the military and the Peace Corps are too terribly similar, but I think that I can agree that they're both in the business of executing actions in the name of the United States. I'm incredibly motivated to represent my country.
 I'm reminded by a conversation I had with my father about how incredibly lucky I am to be an American; I'm about to see iniquity and disparity that I've not yet seen in my life. As sad as I am to leave- as hard as it is to leave everyone I love behind, I think that my feeling sorry for myself will be small potatoes when I land in Mozambique. I have the luxury of going to another country to build a future for myself and become enriched by another culture. I'm going to gain so much more than I can give (possibly the understatement of the year).
Finally, to be completely repetitive, I am so thankful to everyone that has given me a pat on the back. My parents, my sister, and my close friends gave me all I need to do this. How could I let all them down??? I'm finally doing it! I'm going to teach math in Mozambique!