tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48264716802433092162024-03-14T08:41:01.767+02:00A Much Nicer Title.tiny ramblings of my goings on before i move away and have to write everything in a real journal
also...
The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect the position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.
why is there a giraffe right here?MyNameIsGabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05121866823775808405noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4826471680243309216.post-79292226384781216852009-01-12T09:34:00.002+02:002009-01-12T09:39:13.406+02:00so, a new week has begun. i'm trying to figure out what is it that i'll be doing. i should be lesson planning, i should be fixing the house, but i think i really just want to lounge around. its been hot as piss here, but i love it. we cemented the floors and there is 97% less dust in our house. which is a very, very good thing.<br /><br />i found out this week that i'll also be teaching 11th and 12th grade english classes this year. my 12th grade class will be more advanced students and i think it'll be alot of fun. i also am going to only teach 12th grade english next year. but who knows. so....<br /><br />not much else to report. going to the beach this week. and i promise that i'll post pictures soon. well, i'll tryMyNameIsGabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05121866823775808405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4826471680243309216.post-44684727526753453392009-01-08T15:22:00.002+02:002009-01-08T15:29:01.287+02:00so. once again, i'm sorry for now writing that much. i've been at site for almost a month. not too much to report. mocuba is hot as piss. but it is a big city with over 78000 people. so, there is lots to buy.<br /><br />we are currently cementing all the floors in our house. hopefully this will cut back on some of the dust. who knows?<br /><br />but, i have an address, if you email me. i'll send it to you. or you can ask mom. i just don't know how i feel about posting it on here.MyNameIsGabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05121866823775808405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4826471680243309216.post-9490751389542190692008-11-23T08:57:00.001+02:002008-11-23T09:45:35.902+02:00i think this is working now!so, its been over a month. well, its almost been two months sin i've written anything on here. for that, i am sorry. but today i have officially figured out how to work the internet from my phone. it doesn't work very well. but, it does work. so, as this week progresses, i will try to be on here more to keep you all updated on my life. alot has been happening, and it will take some time to catch everyone up. i mean, lets admit it, some of you are much slower than the others. yes, i'm looking your way right now...<br /><br /><br />so, the last few glorious weeks here in Namaacha, Mozambique that i've spent with the Munguambe family and with my fellow trainees will be referred to only in the past tense, and in very vague ways. why, well, that is how i write. more to come later.<br /><br /><br />oh yeah, this internet thing only works for a few minutes at a time. so don't expect too much from it. seriously.MyNameIsGabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05121866823775808405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4826471680243309216.post-63146769161676327702008-11-23T08:57:00.000+02:002008-11-23T09:27:45.676+02:00i think this is working now!so, its been over a month. well, its almost been two months i've written anything on here. for that, i am sorry. but today i have officially figured out how to work the internet from my phone. it doesn't work very well. but, it does work. so, as this week progresses, i will try to be on here more to keep you all updated on my life. alot has been happening, and it will take some time to catch everyone up. i mean, lets admit it, some of you are much slower than the others. yes, i'm looking your way right now...<br /><br /><br />so, the last few glorious weeks here in Namaacha, Mozambique that i've spent with the Munguambe family and with my fellow trainees will be referred to only in the past tense, and in very vague ways. why, well, that is how i write. more to come later.<br /><br /><br />oh yeah, this internet thing only works for a few minutes at a time. so don't expect too much from it. seriously.MyNameIsGabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05121866823775808405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4826471680243309216.post-58384913037382069072008-10-03T18:01:00.003+02:002008-10-03T18:05:27.272+02:00manager's officeso, i'm sitting in the manager's office in Maputo, Mozambique at the Kaya Kwanga hotel. seriously. this place is amazing. learning the PC lingo, and using it already! seriously. did you know the correct term for an STD is an STI!?!? yeah, there throwing the mega-stuff at us here in the 'bique.<br /><br />seriously though, i know i'll be making fun of this in a few years. so, i'll write more later.<br /><br />talking to laura right now. on skype. its awesome!MyNameIsGabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05121866823775808405noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4826471680243309216.post-4266381303928572212008-09-30T00:17:00.002+02:002008-09-30T00:19:11.170+02:00its happeningtomorrow is the day. we leave <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">philly</span> at 7:30 in the morning. we have an amazing group, with some truly amazing people. i know that we will do good in this world. we will.<br /><br /><br />not much else to say now. but i will post more at the airport in new york.<br /><br /><br />and as <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">sarah</span> said... <br /><br />"<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">peacing</span> out"<br /><br />-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">gabe</span>MyNameIsGabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05121866823775808405noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4826471680243309216.post-53589828230652262732008-09-27T17:21:00.001+02:002008-09-27T17:22:10.399+02:00i'm leaving tomorrow. and i'm going crazy. there is still soo much to do. and yeah, i did just add an extra "o" to the word 'so'.MyNameIsGabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05121866823775808405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4826471680243309216.post-4273597489822072632008-09-22T21:17:00.003+02:002008-09-22T21:25:47.454+02:00thanks are in orderi would like to thank any and everyone who has in some form told me goodbye in these last few weeks. it has meant <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">alot</span> to me to hear from and see all of you.<br /><br />its strange that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">i've</span> spent the last five years of my life trying to find a way to move away from all of this. and now that i have my way out, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">i'm</span> finding millions of reasons to stay. i am not staying. so, don't go about and try to make that happen. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">i'm</span> just saying, hey. i love ya. yeah, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">ok</span>, there. i said it.<br /><br />i love you all. and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">i'm</span> gonna miss you. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">ok</span>. you happy now? and don't tell mom i said that, because she'll use it against me. you know how she is.<br /><br />but yeah. its been a rough weekend. the visit to baton rouge was amazing. i do <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">believe</span> that i have the best friends that anyone on earth could ever ask for. they are them. i am me. and we are, well, us. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">i'll</span> miss them the most. it was rough to let that go. it is strange. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">i've</span> called baton rouge home for over five years. and now its just a place. it isn't home. not anymore. i am now simply a visitor.<br /><br />and then, the party here at mom and dad's house was amazing. the turnout was much better than expected. especially since the original party was all but cancelled because of Hurricane Ike.<br /><br />there is still much to do. and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">i'm</span> sure more that won't get done.<br /><br />but <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">i'll</span> keep everyone updated as the insanity unfolds.MyNameIsGabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05121866823775808405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4826471680243309216.post-78646267865167527152008-09-19T21:38:00.000+02:002008-09-19T21:44:59.847+02:00ten daysso. my passport went through! it came back from the state department and i'm still going to mozambique. so, i'm guessing thats a good thing. what else is new. not much. still stressing out. still buying shit i probably won't use. and still waiting around to leave.<br /><br /><br />earlier in the week. monday it was. i had received a call from SATO, the travel agency that handles all of the Peace Corps passports, visas, and tickets. well, apparently when i had lost my passport three years ago in South Africa, the embassy that issued me a temporary passport never told me i still had to report my other passport as missing.<br /><br />so the american end of this deal has been waiting for me to send in my current passport for the past three months. and they just decided this week to have me send it in. well, one DS-64 form later. i'm scot free and the new passport has been made.<br /><br />also, do you know how much it costs to overnight a piece of paper?!?!<br /><br />guess...<br /><br />just do it.<br /><br />$37<br /><br />yeah. put that in your pipe and smoke on itMyNameIsGabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05121866823775808405noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4826471680243309216.post-76745766090063342942008-09-15T18:16:00.000+02:002008-09-15T18:21:44.770+02:00Seriously.so, i'm about twelve days away. yeah. i know. gabe has an amazing ability to keep an updated blog. you can tell by my last post being over a month ago. perhaps i'll just say i'm trying to get everyone used to me not posting alot. yeah. thats it. i'm getting you used to not hearing from me...<br /><br />so, whats new?!?! well, Hurricanes Gustav and Ike have messed up my Portuguese learning abilities. well, they interrupted my schedule. the Rosetta Stone program was great, but i know the way i learn languages. i need the actual use of the language. but it did give me a solid vocab base. which will be really helpful.<br /><br />i've also started to realize how much shit i have to pack. too much. i know i won't need it all. but i'm a "just in case" kind of packer. what if i need this? what if i need that?!?! oh well. we'll see when i get there.<br /><br /><br />not much else to report. i'll keep this updated more when there is more to report.MyNameIsGabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05121866823775808405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4826471680243309216.post-14455597764558746672008-08-03T05:46:00.000+02:002008-08-03T05:54:11.305+02:00why am i so bad at this?so, i probably should have been keeping this blog more up to date. so much has happened. I recently found out that <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">I'm</span> being placed in Mozambique for two years!! so exciting i know. <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">I'll</span> be in <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Africa</span> and get to see some of my SA friends while <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">I'm</span> there. should be fun.
<br />
<br />anyways, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">I've</span> just finished typing up the first draft of my aspiration statement for the peace corps. This is the only thing that the country directors see from us before we leave. none of the NINE months worth of application information and medical forms and such get sent off. why? i don't know. anyways. i thought i would send this out so everyone could have an idea as to what it is that i aspire from the PC. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">lol</span></span>.
<br />
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mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; font-family: arial;" align="center"><span style=";font-size:130%;" lang="EN-AU">Aspiration Statement<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; font-family: arial;" align="center"><span style=";font-size:130%;" lang="EN-AU">Gabriel <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Vander</span></span> Hey<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; font-family: arial;" align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on"><span style="" lang="EN-AU">Mozambique</span></st1:country-region></st1:place></span><span style=";font-size:130%;" lang="EN-AU"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:16;" lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">September 29, 2008</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:16;" lang="EN-AU"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:16;" lang="EN-AU"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family:Arial;">As I began thinking about which way I would present this aspiration statement, it occurred to me that I had two choices as how to go about this.<span style=""> </span>I could write about me and my hopes for my Peace Corps service in a way that tried to express a bit about who I am, or I could simply send off a bulleted form answering the questions in a mundane way.<span style=""> </span>I’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">ve</span></span> decided to let this statement speak a bit about me, without ruffling up too many feathers.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family:Arial;"><span style=""> </span></span><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family:Arial;">At this point in the game, it is a bit strange that I am sitting here writing about my aspirations and hopes about what I will get out of the Peace Corps.<span style=""> </span>Along this journey, I’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">ve</span></span> been told by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">PCVs</span></span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">RPCVs</span></span> that flexibility is the key to success during my Peace Corps service.<span style=""> </span>I’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">ve</span></span> tried to go into this with few expectations, but it is impossible to do. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family:Arial;"><span style=""> </span>I expect many things.<span style=""> </span>I expect that I will be lonely.<span style=""> </span>I expect that I will be frustrated.<span style=""> </span>I expect to be submerged in cultures that are foreign to me.<span style=""> </span>I expect I’ll complain about the heat.<span style=""> </span>I expect to learn a new language.<span style=""> </span>I expect that I will have students who may not want to learn.<span style=""> </span>I expect the food will not always agree with me.<span style=""> </span>I expect that I’ll wonder what is happening on the other side of the world.<span style=""> </span>I expect my family will be concerned about me while I’m in a country on the other side of the world that most of them have never heard of.<span style=""> </span>And I expect that I’ll grow to love all of these things before I have to leave <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Mozambique</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family:Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family:Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; font-weight: bold;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family:Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">A: The Professional attributes that you plan to use, and what aspirations you hope to fulfil, during your Peace Corps service</span>.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family:Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family:Arial;">During the course of my Peace Corps assignment, I plan to use qualities such as organizational skills, creativity, and resourcefulness to improve the quality of the English education for my students and working environments for my colleagues.<span style=""> </span>I currently work with children at a summer camp and have become accustomed to working with very little and making what little is given to me into fun and innovative activities.<span style=""> </span>It is also this work environment that has taught me the importance of cultural acceptance in the work place.<span style=""> </span>My co-workers come from countries all over the world.<span style=""> </span>From countries that are English speaking and some non-English speaking.<span style=""> </span>I have fallen in love with working in an environment that is filled with varying languages and social practices. <span style=""> </span>Working with others is a passion of mine, but it is what I learn from them that is my true love.<span style=""> </span>I hope that the strenuous working conditions of the Peace Corps will push these skills that I’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">ve</span></span> learned further than they’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">ve</span></span> ever been pushed before and allow me to improve upon those skills that I will be using during my service.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family:Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">B: Your strategies for working effectively with host country partners to meet expressed needs.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family:Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family:Arial;">For me, the two most important strategies to use when working with host country partners are flexibility and patience.<span style=""> </span>Having worked with many people from many different cultures, I understand the capacity for miscommunication and the effects it can have on working environments.<span style=""> </span>It is because of this reason that flexibility is so important.<span style=""> </span>I plan on listening to host country partners as I will be the one out of place and they will be my greatest asset when meeting the needs of my assigned program.<span style=""> </span>It is their country, and they are the ones who will give insight on how to implement new plans and improve upon older practices.<span style=""> </span>Ultimately, it is working as partners while using flexibility and patience that will benefit everyone in the end.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family:Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family:Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family:Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">C: Your strategies for adapting to a new culture with respect to your own cultural background.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family:Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family:Arial;">Growing up in a small southern town in a middle-class family never exposed me to many new cultures.<span style=""> </span>As a child, I thought my Creole/French speaking Cajun family were some of the most interesting people that I had ever met, and I never imagined that there was anything else on earth that could captivate me as much as they did.<span style=""> </span>As I grew older, I began to see the world outside of our little bayou towns, and the more I learned about other peoples and the ways they lived their lives, the more it seemed that I appreciated they ways my family lived its life.<span style=""> </span>When I travelled off to college, I made the decision to get to know as many people from as many different backgrounds as possible. <span style=""> </span>Not by studying them, but by making as many friends as possible and by volunteering with several different minority clubs on campus.<span style=""> </span>It was my appreciation of other people that eventually led to my being chosen as the first Caucasian chairperson of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">LSU</span></span>’s black student recruitment program.<span style=""> </span>During this program, called <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">SpringFest</span></span>, I was chosen as a student leader on a panel whose discussion was based on student life at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">LSU</span></span>.<span style=""> </span>One girl stood up during the discussion and said that she thought it was amazing that I was “breaking down walls.”<span style=""> </span>I replied that I thought the problem was that people thought there were walls.<span style=""> </span>It was that moment that I realized that the differences between people, the differences that I had loved for so long, were merely superficial and that looking beyond them was what I truly loved.<span style=""> </span>I understand that I will never truly be a part of someone else’s society, but acceptance into one is not impossible.<span style=""> </span>So when asked what strategies I use for adapting to a new culture, I have to say that an accepting attitude, a willingness for change, and the appreciation for what makes cultures unique are what I use to adapt but still appreciate the strong cultural background that I grew up with.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family:Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> D: The skills and knowledge you hope to gain during <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">pre</span></span>-service training to best serve your future community and project.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family:Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family:Arial;">During <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">pre</span></span>-service training I hope to gain an understanding of the language of my community before anything else.<span style=""> </span>Whether or not this is realistic, I cannot say at this point.<span style=""> </span>Language will be one of the most important skills from a teaching standpoint.<span style=""> </span>It is unrealistic for me to expect to walk into a classroom and have chairs filled with students who will know what I’m saying.<span style=""> </span>Or to even have chairs for the students to fill at that!<span style=""> </span>I also hope to further my teaching skills.<span style=""> </span>I’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">ve</span></span> spent numerous summers filling out lesson plans for theatre classes at summer camp and countless hours planning activities that peak the interest of my campers, but have never worked in a classroom.<span style=""> </span>I hope that during my training, these skills can also be furthered and translated to the classroom setting.<span style=""> </span>I do learn things like this quickly, but training in these areas will greatly boost my confidence and skill level and will be a better asset to my community of service.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family:Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.65pt; text-indent: -14.65pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:Arial;" lang="EN-AU"><span style="">E.<span style=";font-family:";font-size:7;" > </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">How you think the Peace Corps service will influence your personal and professional aspirations after your service ends.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family:Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 14.65pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family:Arial;"><span style=""> </span>It would be dishonest of me to write that I knew how the Peace Corps will influence my personal and professional aspirations after the end of my service.<span style=""> </span>I cannot begin to imagine the personal growth that I will experience.<span style=""> </span>There is a large part of me that would love to return to school, earn my graduate degree and pursue teaching until I reach senility or retirement!<span style=""> </span>But my teaching experience in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Mozambique</st1:place></st1:country-region> may be the catalyst needed to pursue another route.<span style=""> </span>Perhaps international relations, law, volunteer work, who knows?<span style=""> </span>It will be these two years that will show me my strengths and weaknesses, my abilities, and the things in my life that I most value.<span style=""> </span>I refuse to be a volunteer who uses their period of service as a waiting time between graduation and real life to figure out what it is they should be doing in life, but I will be a volunteer who uses their service as a time to reflect on whether or not his current aspirations are the ones he truly wants to follow.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<br />MyNameIsGabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05121866823775808405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4826471680243309216.post-46532027474740003112008-04-09T22:43:00.000+02:002008-04-09T22:51:47.992+02:00The Greatest News there ever was...<span style="font-family: courier new;">Today has officially been a very good day. not that it started out like any other day, because it did, but i found out some amazingly great news that just may help me along this peace corps journey that i've been on for the past few months.<br /><br />Since i began this application process, i knew that they(<a href="http://www.peacecorps.gov">the peace corps</a>) would make me have my wisdom teeth removed. This was all good and dandy, and something i had been told needed to be done, but the catch. And yes, there is a catch. My dental insurance expired when i graduated back in December.<br /><br />Needless to say, I've been trying to find the means to have my teeth taken out for several months, even going as far as saving up a good bit of money for the costs that would be accrued for the service. yesterday, after Dr. Abbot(the periodontist who performed my initial dental exam for free!) gave me a copy of my panorex x-ray, she wrote me a letter of recommendation for the local charity hospital's oral surgery unit to possibly admit me as a patient. I called, they wouldn't accept it. I called Dr. Abbot and told her that there was a two week waiting period and that she had to fax over some form, and blah, blah, blah. Dr. Abbot, who happens to be the nicest woman ever, said that this wasn't good enough and called a few of her oral surgeon buddies to see what could be done. At the end of all of this, i have an appointment tomorrow with a Dr. Hornsby for a consultation and will be having my teeth pulled on Tuesday for FREE!! yes, that is right. for free. Granted, i may still have to pay the anesthesiologist and such, but its amazing that this doctor, who doesn't even knot me would do something like this.<br /><br /><br />life is good.<br /><br />not to mention that Cara and I just received emails from <a href="http://www.canadensis.com">camp</a> saying we are getting administrative polos for the summer! we are officially in the big leagues now. its gonna be a good day.<br /></span>MyNameIsGabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05121866823775808405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4826471680243309216.post-2391756000765213892008-02-21T22:06:00.001+02:002008-02-21T22:07:40.123+02:00So, i've started this adventure...i think i'll post on this little blog as i make my was closer to another summer at <a href="http://www.canadensis.com">Camp Canadensis</a>, and eventually to moving to <a href="http://www.peacecorps.gov">africa</a> in september. If that even happens. Much more to come soonMyNameIsGabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05121866823775808405noreply@blogger.com0