Category: Peace Corps
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For Kerthu
When I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Namibia, within my first couple of months at site, I became ill. I lost a lot of weight, was having night sweats, and was coughing violently for about a week. People close to me were worried that I might have TB. One night things got so bad I…
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Six Word Memoirs: PC Namibia Style
Maybe you’re familiar with the tale that Ernest Hemingway was once challenged to write a short story in only six words. If so, maybe you also recall that story to go as follows: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” Many of you are probably familiar with the SMITH Magazine six word memoir project as well.…
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Animal Photos From Namibia (lazy post)
Sorry it has been so long since I have posted anything. All I can say is that Peace Corps, like anything else, becomes a bit routine and my day to day becomes less interesting for me, making it hard to write about. You know how the conversations go back home: A: Whats up? B: Not much. What’s up…
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Shake Head
Walk in, shake head to break free from the stares. Start at the furthest point, grab bread. Work my way closer, soap then milk then eggs. Place items on counter. “No plastic please. No. I already have a bag. No plastic. No, you may not keep my change.” Remove items from plastic, transfer to reusable…
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Mvhura (Rain/Year)
Mvhura tazi roko- probably one of my favorite sentences in Rukwangali. Directly translated it is kind of weird; it’s like saying the rain is raining, but direct translations aren’t always the best, so let’s just say it means that it’s raining. There is nothing particularly beautiful about the way it hits my ears or rolls…
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It’s the small things…I guess?
This Facebook post seemed to resonate with a lot of people, so I decided to post it here as well. I am having one of those feel like being honest reality check moments. This is for those of us that have or have had romanticized views on serving in the Peace Corps, or volunteering abroad…
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Meals From Mpungu
I’ve always loved to cook. As soon as my eyes could peek over the stove top I was cooking simple things: scrambled eggs, grilled cheese, toast, etc.. Part of this was from the necessity created by growing up in a single parent household, but the other part was a strong appreciation for good cooking, an…
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Holidays in Namibia
So much has happened since my last blog post, and since I waited so long, it is difficult to summarize it all in a way that captures the essence of my holiday season and captivates the reader at the same time. But since I feel like an update is long overdue, and I find myself…
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Put Some Water On IT
One thing that has to be consistent for all Peace Corps volunteers, despite country or sector of service, is that we get pretty dang creative with the limited resources “we are having.” (inside joke for my fellow volunteers in Namibia) The movie Friday always comes to mind when I think about this. The scene I…
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At Site: The Day To Day So Far (PC Namibia)
Now that I’ve been at site for a little more than a month, I’ll try and summarize what my day to day looks like. It is not always same, but I am starting to get a little bit of a routine worked out. Even though it is a bit early to get started on any…