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Stoner Boner posted:This makes me happy. I was at dinner with my mom the other night and she said, "Is there a plan B?" I sat there for a while and was like....poo poo, no? Now I realize I can just keep working until I leave. But she said she gave me a great recommendation, so hopefully I won't have to. Kind of. The Eastern Caribbean is a Peace Corps region, but it's also a Peace Corps "country", where we have one director for all the islands. I'm in the group "EC 80", and there are other people in same group EC80 who are on a different island than I am. The way it currently works is that they rotate groups between islands, so EC 80 went to St. Kitts & Nevis and St. Vincent, where the newest group that came in February went to St. Lucia and some other islands. If I would have had a placement for my original nomination, I would have been in group EC79, and would not have been in St. Kitts. I would have still been in the Eastern Caribbean though, which as I said earlier is considered a country to the Peace Corps. Melaneyelia- how is the drought treating you in St. Lucia? I've heard that they had to ship in bottles of water for everyone there, and that you're going without water in the houses currently? That's rough. It's only rained maybe one day this year so far here, but we haven't run out of water yet. We did get that water safety issues email today. I suppose I should start boiling.
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Mar 3, 2010 15:29
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T-Rex Money posted:Melaneyelia- how is the drought treating you in St. Lucia? I've heard that they had to ship in bottles of water for everyone there, and that you're going without water in the houses currently? That's rough. It's only rained maybe one day this year so far here, but we haven't run out of water yet. We did get that water safety issues email today. I suppose I should start boiling. Don't tell anyone, but my neighborhood's actually one of the five or so in the whole country that aren't affected. Apparently officials don't know we're in the group. We are apparently on an independent water system. So at home I'm good. At work and elsewhere it's a different story. I need to go to the dentist and they told me to go on Friday at noon because that's when the water will be turned back on in that area. In general I think the water and sanitation department is dealing with it pretty well, all things considered. There was a small protest from the community of Gros Islet, complaining they can't do their Friday night Jump Ups without the water. Overall though I think everyone understands it is a crisis and they're dealing as best they can.
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Mar 4, 2010 02:47
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My application status was updated today. Next to Medical it says "Complete. A decision has been reached regarding your medical review. Please look for a letter in the mail." I haven't received the letter yet, but is that good or bad? It doesn't sound like it's a good thing. 
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Mar 4, 2010 15:47
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Wanted to make a note to people who applied recently and got turned down. I got an email this week that they got a budget increase so they're taking people they previously turned down with the catch that you have to be willing to leave before December 31st of this year. I was willing to even though it's cutting it close (graduating dec 17th) and today my application is being reconsidered so if you tried recently and got turned down for not being "competitive" like I did, check your email!
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Mar 4, 2010 21:43
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T-Rex Money posted:That happened to me. I was originally nominated to leave in January 2009, but December 2008 I got a call from my placement officer explaining that my nomination was pushed back until August 2009 (when I actually did leave). I think the other person who shared my original nomination was just offered a spot before I did. I was initially pretty upset with it because it meant I had to find another job to last through the summer as well as some other annoying things. Thankfully it's not "try again." it's "please wait longer." Heh, if they push my date back another 6 months i'll have been in this process for about 2 years, gently caress that.
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Mar 4, 2010 23:56
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So, I've been tossing around the idea of Peace Corps in my head for a few months. I have a business degree with computer emphasis and 2 years programming for my University after I graduated. Then I came to Korea to teach English for the past 1.5 years. You can't at all choose where you're going, right? But when do you find out? Where do you guys think a guy like myself would find himself? One thing that I really don't want to do without is living without telephone, but I suppose internet is do-able. The reason I don't want to do without a telephone is I do occasionally get sick: sinus infections that I absolutely will not under any circumstances recover from under my own power (once every year or so). I would need antibiotics either near at hand or the ability to contact someone that can help me. I'd also like internet access to keep myself in touch with friends/family and read what's going on in other parts of the world, but it's not required. Except that I did create an ESL website recently that I'd like to be able to manage even if I'm living in the middle of nowhere.
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Mar 10, 2010 05:43
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Hooray we get a raise! Oh man that extra $1400 USD for readjustment is looking pretty tasty. As in, it will somewhat sate the hunger of my credit card debt. Question to those RPCVs and PCVs near COS: When should I request Perkins loan partial cancellation? I have 7 months left at the moment. TreFitty posted:You can't at all choose where you're going, right? But when do you find out? Where do you guys think a guy like myself would find himself? You can request certain regions to serve in. If you get through the application process to nomination, they may even ask you more specifically what regions, but you don't usually find out about very specific placements until you're invited. Where I am (Eastern Caribbean) all of us have cell phones and probably about 2/3rds of volunteers choose to pay for internet at their homes. That kind of thing probably depends on both your specific post and how much money you want to put towards that. As far as your sinus infections, I don't imagine it would be a huge problem if it's on your record and your medical officer is sensitive to it. You could probably email someone through the PC website or talk to your local recruiter to make sure it wouldn't disqualify you from service. I'd imagine it might limit where you can serve to places with better health services (and likely better infrastructure for internet and phone), if anything.
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Mar 12, 2010 20:44
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quote:I am pleased to announce that I am increasing the readjustment allowance provided to Volunteers on April 1, 2010. As of that date, the readjustment allowance will increase to $275 per month, an increase of $50 per month. This increase means that Volunteers completing a full 27-month tour will receive $7,425. The "as of that date" makes it seem like it's not retroactive. We'll get the extra $50 a month from now. Awesome for new volunteers; less cool for those already serving.
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Mar 15, 2010 07:40
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4 years of this would've netted me an extra $2700 just in time for grad school. Instead I get $150. Hurrah.
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Mar 15, 2010 09:10
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melaneyelia posted:Hooray we get a raise!
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Mar 16, 2010 12:40
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CronoGamer posted:$1400? Oh, you motherfuckers, is that just for EC or worldwide? Worldwide.
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Mar 17, 2010 00:19
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Good article by Peter Hessler in the New Yorker about Peace Corps I failed the doorknob test in Bulgarian and Mandarin 
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Mar 18, 2010 04:21
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I used to know what it was in Khmer because one of the first things I had to tell my permanent host family when I got to their house was "the door to my room is supposed to have a doorknob on it." Don't ask me to tell you what it is now though. Three months out of Cambodia and I've pretty much forgotten everything I picked up.
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Mar 18, 2010 04:51
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Rush Limbaugh #1! posted:Good article by Peter Hessler in the New Yorker about Peace Corps
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Mar 18, 2010 05:01
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My door had a hole bored into it that you just pulled on when unlocked. gently caress doorknobs.
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Mar 18, 2010 07:11
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Moon Slayer posted:I used to know what it was in Khmer because one of the first things I had to tell my permanent host family when I got to their house was "the door to my room is supposed to have a doorknob on it." Don't worry, I did the full service and don't know it and I asked other K1s and they don't either. Nick Kristoff's test is just retarded.
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Mar 19, 2010 02:25
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Of course the only reason I knew it in the first place was because I called up an LCF and asked him how to say it. Good ol' Kimkong; he was confused as to why I wanted to know, but he was confused by everything, really.
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Mar 19, 2010 04:28
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I just got my second package from the peace corps that wanted more information about some stuff I believed was clear in the first place. I am getting discouraged now, and I've been jumping through hoops for a long, long time. How many pieces can they possibly ask for? Also, on another note, they need to embrace the internet and just e-mail me these forms instead of me waiting for them for 5 days from FedEx.
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Mar 24, 2010 16:55
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Stoner Boner posted:I just got my second package from the peace corps that wanted more information about some stuff I believed was clear in the first place. I am getting discouraged now, and I've been jumping through hoops for a long, long time. How many pieces can they possibly ask for? ProTip: Never ask "how many hoops can Peace Corps make me jump through?" The answer is infinite.
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Mar 24, 2010 21:04
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Stoner Boner posted:I just got my second package from the peace corps that wanted more information about some stuff I believed was clear in the first place. I am getting discouraged now, and I've been jumping through hoops for a long, long time. How many pieces can they possibly ask for? If you think this will stop after you become a volunteer, you are sadly mistaken. This will continue until your close of service, and potentially beyond that. So good luck!
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Mar 25, 2010 19:26
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Just put in my first couple of applications for after service. Still need to fax transcripts. Also I will never work with children again. Thanks PC for offering to pay for therapy but not a freaking mouth guard when I grind my teeth.
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Mar 26, 2010 03:54
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I've currently got a nomination to work with youth and community development in HIV/AIDS prevention, and for my prep I have to work with "at risk youth". My recruiter is being very vague and I'm having some trouble finding ways to do this. Did anyone else have to work with at risk youth before their invitation?
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Mar 31, 2010 13:35
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melaneyelia posted:Just put in my first couple of applications for after service. Still need to fax transcripts. ...yeah, this is gonna need some backstory.
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Mar 31, 2010 17:02
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What is the money situation for PCVs? Pay?
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Mar 31, 2010 21:30
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Miss Fats posted:What is the money situation for PCVs? Pay? I don't know exact numbers but you are paid at the level of the local population.
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Mar 31, 2010 21:58
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In Cambodia we got about $200 a month, $100 of which was meant to go to our host family for room and board. For those of us in rural sites it was more than enough to get by on. Hell, when I would stay at site I would really only spend about $25 a month. The rest would be blown in a single weekend in Phnom Pehn though.
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Mar 31, 2010 23:15
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Miss Fats posted:What is the money situation for PCVs? Pay? http://www.peacecorps.gov/multimedia/pdf/policies/taxableallowances2008.pdf It isn't 2010 but it hasn't changed all that much.
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Apr 1, 2010 00:59
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Barracuda Bang! posted:...yeah, this is gonna need some backstory. Well, I've learned many things in the PC and gained or advanced many skills. However, the single most important thing I've learned is that I absolutely cannot stand working with kids (esp in groups) full time. I've been having pretty bad headaches that seem to be just tension (Loratadine for two weeks didn't clear anything up, so it's probably not sinuses). There's a lot more going on in my life besides sometimes hating children (of any nationality) that I just get really stressed, I suppose. I'm clenching my jaw when I sleep, too. That also gives me headaches and toothaches. Even though I'm worried I'll wear down my teeth, PC won't pay for a mouthguard, but they'll set me up with a therapist to work out stress. Honestly, seeing or phoning a therapist sounds pretty stressful itself. pat_b posted:I've currently got a nomination to work with youth and community development in HIV/AIDS prevention, and for my prep I have to work with "at risk youth". If you don't have much volunteer or work experience with something you're assigned for the PC, it's not uncommon for them to require you to get X months of said experience. I had a friend who had to do 6 months of HIV/AIDS volunteer stuff before she was invited. Do you live in a city with impoverished urban schools? Do you live in a small town where half of the high school kids drop out or get expelled or get pregnant or have bad grades or do drugs? Just find a crappy school or an after school program to volunteer at a few hours a week. Or if any nearby domestic violence shelters have kids at them, volunteer there or with a group that goes there. Big Brothers/Big Sisters also works, etc. Check out United Way if you're having a hard time finding something.
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Apr 1, 2010 04:28
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Well, I just had my first real Peace Corps hospital experience. I was at the beach tonight getting ready to work on a Sea Turtle monitoring project, and I got bitten by a mystery insect. To make the story short, my reaction to it was so bad that I pretty much collapsed on the beach and had to spend a few hours in the hospital hooked up to an IV and oxygen. What a night.
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Apr 2, 2010 06:02
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Does anyone know where the Water & Sanitation Extension operates?
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Apr 4, 2010 16:45
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T-Rex Money posted:Well, I just had my first real Peace Corps hospital experience. I was at the beach tonight getting ready to work on a Sea Turtle monitoring project, and I got bitten by a mystery insect. To make the story short, my reaction to it was so bad that I pretty much collapsed on the beach and had to spend a few hours in the hospital hooked up to an IV and oxygen. Haha, loving mystery insects are an integral part of the PC experience. Hope you're doing ok now. Smeef, I think all of the WSE programs are in the Caribbean, Central and South America.
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Apr 5, 2010 07:36
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ok worse medical stories go (african volunteers will win): in Bulgaria I got giardia from a streetside kebab vendor and spent a day with simultaneous explosive diarrhea and vomiting; went through my entire medkit's supply of rehydration salts in the recovery process strangely enough here in China I have probably been eating food made with oil skimmed from the sewers for two years and have never had nearly as bad an experience
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Apr 5, 2010 07:49
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At some point before my Christmas vacation I caught what is known in Madagascar as a "parasy" (parasite). They live mostly in sand, burrow into your toes, and lay eggs. A lot of volunteers get them once or twice a week. This was my first. So, Christmas morning it was getting huge and also itchy, so I bought a safety in on the street and some gauze. What you do is stab into your toe all around the blister that's formed (careful not to rupture the egg sac or you have biiig problems), grab the piece of skin with gauze, and rip it out. You're left with something like this:  Click here for the full 604x453 image. Have a nice day folks.
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Apr 5, 2010 08:28
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Smeef posted:Does anyone know where the Water & Sanitation Extension operates? We currently have a WatSan sector in Jamaica which I am in, however it's being phased out. I believe there are other WatSan sectors in the Eastern Caribbean and Central and South America.
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Apr 5, 2010 14:09
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Evil Adam posted:Have a nice day folks. No offense but you might wanna nws that, it's kind of jarring to suddenly scroll down to a bloody toe. In other news got my interview on monday. What's the general success rate assuming I don't make an rear end of myself? Should I not get my hopes up?
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Apr 10, 2010 16:35
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Well I just got back from a Peace Corps info session on campus and I think I'm going to start the application process. I feel like I am strong on everything they look for in a candidate besides volunteerism. I have done volunteer projects (for instance I'm currently the lead planner/coordinator for a week long multi-event cancer fundraiser) but I feel like they're looking for something more along the lines of tutoring at a local school. I guess I'll need to start looking into that. I also have basic spanish (3 semesters, college) and basic french (3 years, HS) that I could easily brush up on. I'm aiming for Africa > Latin America > Central Asia but that's just preference. I'd be super fine with going anywhere and doing anything. I assume I'll be teaching English because I only have a poli. sci degree. I'm starting the process probably tomorrow. I am already about halfway through the Foreign Service entry process (I've passed the FSOT, I'm waiting on my QEP results) and my ultimate goal is the Foreign Service. I'm assuming I will know about the FS before I have to accept an invitation to the Peace Corps. I'd probably have to turn down the PC if I got a job offer from the FS just because it's an actual job, but I do know that about 30% of current FSOs are former PCVs so if anyone knows if there's any kind of special deferral mechanism (as in finish your PC obligation and then move on to the FS), that'd be great to know about as they generally have only about an 18 month period before your offer is withdrawn.
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Apr 14, 2010 01:15
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Africa is home to the best medical situations you can ever hope to find yourself in... In my little over a year there, I managed to contract (in no particular order): Giardia x2 Amoebas Upper respiratory infection (which turned into) Sinus Infection from Hell (104+ fever) Malaria The last one was the best...it gave me a ticket home! I was jokingly going to make a bingo card of maladies for my fellow volunteers because it seemed like someone I knew was invariably having to go to the country capital to receive medical treatment. The upside is that I don't feel nauseated by much anymore after spending days wondering why my insides were dying 
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Apr 14, 2010 01:18
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Giardia twice  I've been toying with the idea of joining the Peace Corp for a while, and it might be a good idea for a number of reasons. But if anything makes me it's internal parasites.
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Apr 14, 2010 01:21
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Alright, so, I am finished with my application online and all my references are in. But, I am fretting about my personal statements. I have refined and redone them so many times. I basically have been working on them for the past 2-3 months. What I want to know, should I be placing as much importance on them? Or should I just stick with what I have got (which are actually two nice essays), grammar check them and send them in? Basically biting the bullet... Am I waisting time trying to perfect my essays when I feel that I will really be adding nothing pertinent to them content wise? I also am scared of pressing the submit button. Is the interview more important than the personal statements?
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Apr 14, 2010 02:04
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Iwate posted:Alright, so, I am finished with my application online and all my references are in. I wrote mine in like 2 hours (while watching TV). You are wasting your time. I doubt they even read it that closely.
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Apr 14, 2010 02:29
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