|
Tequila Sunrise posted:That's funny, because our current Post Director is a Cambodian RPCV, who I think just left Cambodia like 1-2 years ago. She is super strict on the motorcycle thing, and even cited an example of when she was serving how a PCV who had a great reputation was AdSep'd instantly because she got caught riding on a motorcycle. Well, sure, anyone who is currently on staff has to toe the line. That's how our staff were, although if you were close enough with them most would openly add a kind of "wink wink, nudge nudge, if I don't see it it didn't happen" kind of attitude. If my knowledge of your post director is correct (she came 2-3 groups after me), she actually did abide by the rules pretty closely. But I'll guarantee she had plenty of PCV friends riding motos and knew about it at the time and didn't say anything. HAIL eSATA-n posted:Should I be reporting this stuff to someone in DC? The country director and medical staff/etc know of their lack of support and write a lot of words about how they are trying to fix it, but in all the time I've spent here nothing has actually changed. Like has been said, yes. You're supposed to try to handle things in country, but if you aren't getting results (whether because the CD/staff are incompetent, or because they can't do anything about it) getting in touch with Washington is the next step. It may even help because an outcry from PCVs could lend weight to any complaints or requests that the staff are making.
|
#
¿
Sep 19, 2013 00:18
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 15, 2024 05:05 |
|
|
Tequila Sunrise posted:They don't set bones or do anything close to surgery here, so we have to go to Thailand for anything like that. We always discuss what "accident" would be best to have happen to you. I always thought a clean break in the forearm would be perfect, as you would have full hand and leg mobility while you were there. That discussions comes up a lot during the winter time. And it's even like 75% in jest! PCV conversations like these are the best
|
|
#
¿
Sep 23, 2013 18:06
|
|
|
Tequila Sunrise posted:"Tequila, your beard is very ugly." Maybe they wanted a well-groomed one? how long had you been rocking it? People in my town didn't seem to mind mine even while PC staff were telling me it was of dire importance to shave it. But towards the end I started growing it out on purpose and it got a little ridiculous, and then I started getting teased a little about it. Still didn't cut it though cuz gently caress 'em.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 10, 2013 18:50
|
|
|
Me? In PC Cambodia it's a rule for volunteers to be clean-shaven, because, according to office staff, facial hair is seen as unseemly, unprofessional, and dirty in Cambodia. Another reason I heard is that, in their TV shows and movies, only bad guys, thugs, and crooked police officers have mustaches/goatees, and so they associate them with bad people. The reality of the fact is that the average Cambodian simply doesn't have the genetics for facial hair. Most of the time, their growth is patchy, wispy, or just kind of gross and weird-looking, like a bunch of high school students. So it became a rule that, because Cambodian professionals don't have it, we as volunteers shouldn't have it. I shaved my beard off when I first got to the country but I grew it out again after a few months and I actually found it of benefit to my service. Our PM bitched at me that it "made [me] look different", but I figured the pale white skin, blue eyes, and 6 foot frame were already doing that pretty effectively, and the beard became a talking point with men around my town. The cops LOVED it and were always asking me what sort of "medicine" I used for it.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 10, 2013 22:47
|
|
|
Tequila Sunrise posted:Now crouched on top of him, this paragon of diplomacy reared back a fist and dropped it like a hammer on the Mongolian's jaw. The Mongol kind of went limp for a second, and the guy jumped off him. This mystery man then thrust a fist triumphantly in the air and shouted "Peace Corps!" Before disappearing into the crowd. GLORIOUS!
|
|
#
¿
Oct 31, 2013 06:01
|
|
|
I had that same reaction at first (we only got $90 a month for monthly allowance) but it's a petty one because COL is so different. How much does a meal cost in rural nowhere, Mongolia? Now compare it to urban China. He can't just borrow the neighbor's horse to go get groceries, maybe has to take a bus or taxi, spend a few bucks. Etc. I'm sure it adds up. The real trick, though, is to save up that $70 a month, and then go visit the poorer PC countries and live like a king for a week or two.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 1, 2013 11:04
|
|
|
Mine never hosed me up while awake, but they gave me some pretty amazing dreams for several months running. But yeah-- I think of the 25 people who COSed with me, maybe 5 at most had consistently taken their meds the whole time through. The rest of us had to take additional pills to counteract the possibility of having gotten asymptomatic malaria that was lurking in our livers.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 6, 2013 20:59
|
|
|
huhu posted:Just moved into my house today. My nearest 'neighbor' is a spider about 4" across that made a web just at the fence to my front porch. I decided to let him stay. I finished hanging up my mosquito net, went outside, came back in, and a two inch long wasp thing was caught in the net. Spiders are cool but freakishly large wasps are not. Ended up catching the wasp and got him tangled in the web and the spider tore him apart in about ten seconds. That was pretty cool. Peace Corps wisdom. Always leave the non-venomous spiders to their devices, they're there to help you out no matter how creepy they may look. After my mosquito net, my geckos and spiders were my main line of defense against all of the insect life constantly creeping its way into my room in search of blood and cookies. Why did it take 6 months for you to get moved in? How long was your PST?
|
|
#
¿
Dec 10, 2013 21:39
|
|
|
Cambodia is full-length host families, too. It definitely has its benefits and its drawbacks. Most of the married couples I knew of were able to get their own place, or PC found them a house with a family where they'd get like, a whole smaller house to themselves, but on the same plot of land and only 20 yards apart and they'd eat dinner together and all that. Aside from the married folk, I only knew one volunteer who didn't have to live with a host family, and that was because it became very clear that they didn't want him there and were just using him for the living allowance. He eventually moved in to the Buddhist wat down the road and lived with the monks in his own tiny cell, which was pretty neat. I think he still ate dinner with a different host family every night though.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 16, 2013 04:07
|
|
|
Tequila Sunrise posted:I'm always surprised at the things people expect going into this. I'm not really sure that's what xcdude24 was trying to get across. He was saying "some people have to drive 10 miles for internet" (adorable btw) in comparison to his own "posh corps" set up that he mentioned earlier on this page. At least, that's how I took it. Btw xcdude, I think I know someone in your training group. How many PCVs are there? Know a girl named Natalie?
|
|
#
¿
Feb 11, 2014 05:33
|
|
|
I had a pair of dress shoes in Cambodia... got to wear them twice and threw them out at the end of service, they were just too moldy. If you're really dedicated you can make sure they don't get moldy I guess, but you're never going to be wearing them. It's All Tevas All the Time (or Chacos if that's your thing) out there.
|
|
#
¿
May 2, 2014 00:05
|
|
|
Tequila Sunrise posted:I got my itinerary mailed to me and will be going home in just a few weeks. I just got back to site yesterday morning and at like 6 PM my Mongolian brother walks into my ger carrying a box filled with beer and says in broken English, "Tonight...maybe we...drink all beer." One of my finest memories of the month or two before COSing was after a farewell party the school threw for me... the school director sprang for a case of beer, so we were mixing lovely Cambodian beer (with ice of course) and some cheap rice wine to have a good party. But the beer ran out, and so people were kinda like "welp...", but I had enough of a buzz going that I was like "Don't anybody go anywhere," hopped on my bike and sped home, picked up some bungee cords, biked to the corner shop, bought a dusty case of beer for $12 (4 days wages), carefully strapped it on with the cords, and biked back to school with it so we could all keep the party going. Got nice and drunk and so had it in me to tell everyone just how much I loved them and loved working with them and how much fun I'd had over two years and how I was gonna miss them. I didn't even like all of them but it was just such a great atmosphere. I strongly encourage everyone to get really drunk with their friends at site before they leave.
|
|
#
¿
May 14, 2014 05:00
|
|
|
Red Crown posted:I was going to pull the trigger on my application today when I just happened to find out that not only does the Peace Corps disallow people in or close to the intelligence community, the intelligence community also disallows people from the Peace Corps. Supposedly the government is so concerned with the image of the Peace Corps that they're willing to pass on people who might have gained language skills and foreign area expertise. Can anyone verify this? This is untrue. There is a waiting period between them which varies from agency to agency usually around 5 years I think, but you most definitely can work in intelligence as an RPCV. But you're right that the reverse is verboten.
|
|
#
¿
May 15, 2014 01:23
|
|
|
laxbro posted:It is true you will sometimes get plain unlucky and end up in a lovely situation. If that happens then you need to bug the hell out of your in country staff to try to get it fixed. Otherwise, some volunteers get awesome communities and work sites perfectly matched to their skills while others may not. Part of PC is making the best with what you got and trying to do what you can while growing from the experience. Also, you will almost definitely be bored all the time unless you get a rare urban placement or have lots of travel opportunities. Also, that link seems to indicate that PC staff tried to move the volunteer to another site once she told them about the conflict but she refused because she didn't want to move. That kind of inflexibility (I don't want to have to uproot a few months in because it's annoying!!) is exactly the kind of thing you're warned against when going into service. I knew several volunteers who had to move for any number of reasons (lovely schools, awkward home situation, dangerous stalker situation) and they thrived in their new sites. Heck, my first host family tried to squeeze Peace Corps for more money and got lovely with me and I had to figure out a new host family with my coteacher. It happens, PC life isn't easy and predictable, and the fact that she ended up poo poo outta luck is only partly PC's fault.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 16, 2014 13:22
|
|
|
huhu posted:Anyone have opinions on ETing? I've got eight months left but feel like I'll achieve nothing if I stay. Do you have any interest in working for the government? Noncompetitive eligibility is super valuable in the current climate, and you won't get that with an ET. I felt pretty lovely several times in my last year but didn't want to deprive my town of a PCV that they had been granted that way. Are you still of any use to them? Will people be disappointed if you go? Remember that your role is not just as teacher but as a representative of real America in your town, or at least it should be.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 2, 2015 07:59
|
|
|
huhu posted:I feel like my community jumped on the 'we want a pcv' bandwagon without really having strong need. I've questioned my presence from the start because they have demonstrated the abilities of fundraising, work force, education (guy in the community has an associates degree in construction), leadership, etc. I'm in the states now for the first time in 19 months and the deadline to apply for a grant to start a project is about a month away and they've dropped the ball for that or demonstrated a lack of caring multiple times several times now and I'm just wondering why the gently caress should I bother if they don't care. Fair. A lot of communities do it more for the dubious prestige of having Peace Corps rather than a real need. If you truly feel they don't have use for you and you're not providing value, then the best thing to do is take an honest look at what you would do with the next eight months and how getting a head start on your plans helps versus how it won't. You're too late to apply for Fall 2015 schools but could still study for the GREs (is that what business schools test? Whatever) much more intently than you ever would at home with a traditional job. I don't think ETing would necessarily keep you out of school but a good school will likely want to know why you left so you'd want to have an answer prepared. My default is always not to ET because you made a commitment. But if you have no personal relationships in town keeping you there, neither you nor the town benefits from your presence, and you could realistically be advancing your own life if you terminated, then I think it's a fair consideration. Do you have any good friends in your group to talk it out with? My PCV friends were always the best sounding board because they were the only ones (not staff, not my family or US friends) who had a real idea what I was dealing with.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 2, 2015 08:18
|
|
|
xcdude24 posted:A few days late to the discussion, but I'll chime in nonetheless: I'm almost exactly a year in (holy poo poo), and have been feeling pretty down over the last few months. Basically, I wanted an integration service, got put in a wealthy neighborhood in a huge site, and am always thinking about what I don't have. Seems like our situations are completely different (as is often the case in PC), but I'm finding that focusing on improving myself has been a huge help. By this I basically mean trying new things and stepping outside my comfort zone. I was talking to a guy who's about to COS, and he made a great point: we'll never again have an opportunity to do literally whatever we want whenever we want, and one of the best places to find your sense of purpose is to find that personal niche. YMMV, but I feel like it's worth considering. I think the immense amounts of down time really have a far greater role in your service than many would think. A friend of mine was getting jerked around by teachers at his high school so he just started volunteering at the clinic in his village. Developed an interest in health, ended up becoming an RN when he got back. Another worked closely with embassy groups that came for big projects; 6 years later, he just got tenure as an FSO. My arc is similar. Your choice of what to do when work gives out can really change things up.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 10, 2015 08:02
|
|
|
huhu posted:Man, feels good to say, I'm getting a site change to the regional capital where I'll continue sector related work but not with my community. So much stress gone and really glad I was able to make the change. Glad to hear this worked out for you, I remembered your posts where you were thinking about ETing. Having a different experience in the regional capital will be nice too, getting that in in your last few months, and I think in the long run you'll be prouder to say you did the full two years. edit- "remembered your posts"=they are just at the top of this page, apparently. This topic goes a lot slower than I remembered, hah.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 13, 2015 18:43
|
|
|
huhu posted:Thanks for the advise. Am not and never have been. PCV falls outside the "federal employment" umbrella, despite the fact that you worked under the federal government.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 11, 2015 21:33
|
|
|
It's a little lovely, but why don't you accept the AmeriCorps position and then if you hear back from Peace Corps immediately call AmeriCorps and let them know you can't do it? You wouldn't start the posting with them right away or anything would you?
|
|
#
¿
Aug 17, 2016 04:31
|
|
|
Fuschia tude posted:Given the military conflict simmering in Ukraine for over a year now, I'm surprised Peace Corps is still operating and expanding there. They did evacuate two years ago, but went back last year. I'd guess they're not in the East though.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 20, 2016 17:03
|
|
|
Two of my best friends during service were gay (still are!)... each dealt with it in different ways. One somehow found the LGBT-friendly bars in the capital and dated two or three different guys over the course of service. The other had her girlfriend back home come out and visit, told everyone it was her friend, and they were totally fine with it. The girlfriend even rented an apartment in the capital to stay there for about 4 months (she was able to work anywhere with internet service), so they could see each other every week or two. Both kept things under wraps while in their communities but I think that was a personal choice/to avoid any potential hassle. But the Peace Corps has lots of LGBT volunteers all the time.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 20, 2016 05:31
|
|
|
huhu posted:Just gotta find the one patch of grass on top of the hill that has signal! This anecdote is so goddamned Real Peace Corps and I love it
|
|
#
¿
Dec 1, 2016 22:44
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 15, 2024 05:05 |
|
|
God Hole posted:So I was contacted today by the placement officer for Indonesia asking if I would be open to switching from Ukraine to help them meet their quota. I've been pretty dead set on Ukraine since receiving my invitation in August, and I've put a ton of hours into language training and studying history, but I figured exploring the option wouldn't be unreasonable. Especially considering the war with Russia and the separatists in the East could escalate at any time jeopardizing my service there. A very good friend of mine did his service in Indonesia. He extended and did three years total, if that helps you frame it... it sounds like it was a good experience, though not without the usual Peace Corps frustrations. If you have any specific auestions I could pass them along, though no promises that he'll have helpful answers. I did my service in a different Southeast Asian country but I've been to Indonesia several times and I love the place. Good food, friendly people, gorgeous country, and the language is pretty easy to pick up (though harder once you get to advanced level).
|
|
#
¿
Dec 15, 2016 21:13
|
|