Dear Invitee,
Congratulations on your invitation to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco! This email is to confirm receipt of your resume and Aspiration Statement.
Regards,
Morocco Desk
Friday, October 21, 2011
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Five months to go
Ironically, my Peace Corps assignment has me leaving the country two weeks before I can take my brother out for a drink. That's right, he'll finally be 21. I am starting to feel a bit of anxiety about leaving this place. I've gotten a steady job, that I love, good friends, and an amazing international community surrounding me. Sometimes I find myself panicking about leaving all of what I've grown here, especially because staying in one place is something new to me. I'm constantly traveling, and I made myself attempt to integrate into my local community yet again... and it worked. The idea of leaving all of what I've become emotionally involved in, and joining into and adapting with a new cultural foundation is a bit terrifying. The concept that I will be entering an arena where I will constantly be questioned about my organization, my motives, my needs, my "vegetarianism", and constantly harassed as a woman shakes my nerves. The language will be quite a challenge; I'll have a leg up on the alphabet, but I find myself "what if"-ing myself around every corner. Should I land in Morocco, dropped from a plane into a community, how would I survive?
I need to keep preparing....
Currently working on my shopping list.
After reading some Peace Corps Morocco blogs (what I do when I'm excited/nervous/bored), I've found out that the group I'm joining in March is the first Youth Development ONLY group for Morocco.
I'm slightly disappointed, because I was hoping I could learn from the previous volunteers on how to best educate my new village-family (here's hoping!) on how to take care of themselves. I don't have enough medical education at this point to feel that should be in my job description...
I need to keep preparing....
Currently working on my shopping list.
After reading some Peace Corps Morocco blogs (what I do when I'm excited/nervous/bored), I've found out that the group I'm joining in March is the first Youth Development ONLY group for Morocco.
I'm slightly disappointed, because I was hoping I could learn from the previous volunteers on how to best educate my new village-family (here's hoping!) on how to take care of themselves. I don't have enough medical education at this point to feel that should be in my job description...
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Capoeira (Turning Life Upside-Down)
I'm afraid of being upside-down. Who knew?
Should have been obvious from the abject attitude towards all things roller coasters.. Yet, I'll climb to the tallest tree in the country-side on a whim.
Yesterday was my first day of Capoeira teacher training, and I'm being to believe it will teach me a lot more about myself and my capabilities--and limits--than about teaching students. And it will teach me a lot about how to guide students in the future, that's for sure.
Part of the structure of Teacher Training is making sure that all of us Potential Teachers have a 4-5/5 on all of the most frequently made moves. Backflips are not exactly on the top ten topics for beginner classes, after all...
There are a good many moves that I need to work on, and I have no illusion about that fact. One especially that I have Always had difficulty maintaining and perfecting is a Bananeira, or handstand. When I modeled it for the class (we had to have a baseline from which to improve), I was given a 3--and made it a 2, because I am not quite as confident in my ability to do a standard handstand.
For practice, my mestre suggested I practice against the wall. Now, every single person I have ever told about my ability to do a handstand--my yoga teachers, capoeira teachers, roommates-- have always suggested I use the wall. "You can't fall any farther than the wall", they say.
I may have a fear more founded on Roald Dahl and The Twits than anything else.
Once I got my heels over my heart (this phrasing is significant) I started to yell. Not on purpose, but out of fear. Of all the martial arts and activities I could have chosen, why would I become involved in the one that centered around being upside all the time? Why would I do such a thing to myself?
I came down, wiped away some laughter-tears, and tried again; this time as a head stand. I promised myself I could be afraid, but I had to do it without making a sound. I made it up there for a few moments, and found a beginning to grounding and clarity.
This experience of Capoeira is similar to my soon-to-be experience in the Peace Corps. It is something unique and unlike I have ever done in my life, but not something just anyone would do. Very few people would argue that going to the Peace Corps is anything but turning my life upside-down.
When I go to the Peace Corps, I will be putting my heels over my heart. Despite that there are people in my life that I love, family that I appreciate every moment even when I don't tell them, and a life that I am settled into, I am preparing to turn my life upside-down. It will not be easy; it will not come without a lot of work and dedication.
Sometime in the nearby future, I'll be able to do that perfect handstand, with control, and I'll be able to keep my heels over my heart without feeling out of sorts. It's a process.
For more information about Capoeira, here is a link to my group:
http://www.cap-denver.com/index_2.php
Should have been obvious from the abject attitude towards all things roller coasters.. Yet, I'll climb to the tallest tree in the country-side on a whim.
Yesterday was my first day of Capoeira teacher training, and I'm being to believe it will teach me a lot more about myself and my capabilities--and limits--than about teaching students. And it will teach me a lot about how to guide students in the future, that's for sure.
Part of the structure of Teacher Training is making sure that all of us Potential Teachers have a 4-5/5 on all of the most frequently made moves. Backflips are not exactly on the top ten topics for beginner classes, after all...
There are a good many moves that I need to work on, and I have no illusion about that fact. One especially that I have Always had difficulty maintaining and perfecting is a Bananeira, or handstand. When I modeled it for the class (we had to have a baseline from which to improve), I was given a 3--and made it a 2, because I am not quite as confident in my ability to do a standard handstand.
For practice, my mestre suggested I practice against the wall. Now, every single person I have ever told about my ability to do a handstand--my yoga teachers, capoeira teachers, roommates-- have always suggested I use the wall. "You can't fall any farther than the wall", they say.
I may have a fear more founded on Roald Dahl and The Twits than anything else.
Once I got my heels over my heart (this phrasing is significant) I started to yell. Not on purpose, but out of fear. Of all the martial arts and activities I could have chosen, why would I become involved in the one that centered around being upside all the time? Why would I do such a thing to myself?
I came down, wiped away some laughter-tears, and tried again; this time as a head stand. I promised myself I could be afraid, but I had to do it without making a sound. I made it up there for a few moments, and found a beginning to grounding and clarity.
This experience of Capoeira is similar to my soon-to-be experience in the Peace Corps. It is something unique and unlike I have ever done in my life, but not something just anyone would do. Very few people would argue that going to the Peace Corps is anything but turning my life upside-down.
When I go to the Peace Corps, I will be putting my heels over my heart. Despite that there are people in my life that I love, family that I appreciate every moment even when I don't tell them, and a life that I am settled into, I am preparing to turn my life upside-down. It will not be easy; it will not come without a lot of work and dedication.
Sometime in the nearby future, I'll be able to do that perfect handstand, with control, and I'll be able to keep my heels over my heart without feeling out of sorts. It's a process.
For more information about Capoeira, here is a link to my group:
http://www.cap-denver.com/index_2.php
Sunday, October 2, 2011
6 months to go (Safari Thrift)
What's goin' on, everybody?
6 months to go, one week down...
I start the internship at the African Community Center on Monday, and I'll be working on developing the English Language curriculum for the thrift store. Now, this thrift store is a special thrift store, because the main employees are the students who are accessing job training skills. Over a 12 week period, between 20-25 students have 3 main curricula:
1) Janitorial 2) Retail and 3) English language
The students are broken up into 3 groups by language skill and retail experience, and not only does the language training cater towards job growth, but the students gain the practical experience of running the store. The money from the purchases at the store go back into the program, and means that the training can continue for the next session.
This program is specifically for new immigrants that may have trouble assimilating or are simply recommended by case workers.
I'm excited by the opportunity to work and learn with some amazing people over the next six months. Hopefully the experiences I gain with writing curricula, cultural exchange, and developing professional relationships can be applied to my future Youth Development position in Morocco.
My personal goal while working at the ACC is to cement my elevator speech--you know, the 30 second snippet about yourself that is extremely useful in all sorts of situations.
Onto EMS quiz 2 and ASL paper. Wooo.
6 months to go, one week down...
I start the internship at the African Community Center on Monday, and I'll be working on developing the English Language curriculum for the thrift store. Now, this thrift store is a special thrift store, because the main employees are the students who are accessing job training skills. Over a 12 week period, between 20-25 students have 3 main curricula:
1) Janitorial 2) Retail and 3) English language
The students are broken up into 3 groups by language skill and retail experience, and not only does the language training cater towards job growth, but the students gain the practical experience of running the store. The money from the purchases at the store go back into the program, and means that the training can continue for the next session.
This program is specifically for new immigrants that may have trouble assimilating or are simply recommended by case workers.
I'm excited by the opportunity to work and learn with some amazing people over the next six months. Hopefully the experiences I gain with writing curricula, cultural exchange, and developing professional relationships can be applied to my future Youth Development position in Morocco.
My personal goal while working at the ACC is to cement my elevator speech--you know, the 30 second snippet about yourself that is extremely useful in all sorts of situations.
Onto EMS quiz 2 and ASL paper. Wooo.
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