10 days into Homestay...

So us Water/Sanitation and Health trainees just returned to Tubaniso, the Peace Corps training facility, after our first 10 days of homestay. During homestay, each trainee is paired with a host-family in a local Malian village in order to adjust to the culture prior to our actual deployment to our respective sites.

We will stay in our homestay sites for the next two months before we depart to our sites for two years. During the two months in our homestay sites, after a couple of weeks, we will head back to Tubaniso for a couple days for training within the water/sanitation sector. This is where I am now, until Wednesday morning. Just a quick note... I do not have any internet access whatsoever at homestay.

Thursday, July 8th, our stage was informed of our homestay villages. I was headed to a small Bamanankan village of about 800 inhabitants with 7 other Water/Sanitation trainees. Our Peace Corps transport vehicle departed around 2pm, and we headed off through the hectic roads, through Bamako, around 5 miles past the airport.

We then turned off onto the most grizzled dirt road, completely unmaintained and marked by huge 3+-foot deep trenches all throughout, filled with muddy water. The road was lined with agricultural fields of the local villagers. After driving down this road for about 7 miles, we were able to see the fringes of our village.

When we drove into the center of the village, we could hear and see the fete that they arranged for us. We were briskly ushered out of our car and into the center of a ring of villagers. Four musicians, two playing the native wooden xylephone, two playing local percussion instruments, were at the front of the circle, providing the music for the fete, while an older man in colorful garb and a large ceremonial hat would sing in spades.

Us eight trainees danced in the center of the circle, as the villagers laughed at us Toubabs. Several times, the music would stop, and we would be sent to our seats along the inside-fringe of the circle. A village elder would get up and speak between the dance sessions.

At one point, I was instructed to stand and receive gifts from the village. One man handed me 10 kola nuts, a traditional token of gratitude, while another man handed me two live roosters, held by the legs. I took both of them at the same time, the kola nuts with my right hand and the roosters with my left hand. I heard a gasp from the crowd – the left hand is considered dirty in Malian culture. But they do understand that we are just learning the culture, so all is good.

Training in Tubaniso...

So last Thursday, I arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for Staging. After some brief orientation, and a fun night and good food out on the town with my fellow 80 Malian Peace Corps Trainees, we took a bus up to JFK Airport in New York City and flew out Friday night to Paris, and then to Bamako. After our flight was delayed a few hours, we finally arrived in Bamako around 11 pm.

The Peace Corps Trainee concrete huts with straw-thatched roofs at Tubaniso, the Peace Corps Mali training facility outside of Bamako.

We moved into our huts that night, and had a snack in the refectoir (the kitchen). We are staying in three-person concrete huts, with straw-thatched roofs. The huts actually have electricity, with a ceiling fan and light! It has made sleeping in the heat and humidity of the rainy season very much bearable. I have a small twin-sized mattress with a mosquito net.

Our latrines are basically a concrete pad with a surrounding concrete structure. There is a hole in the concrete pad for the toilet, and a shower head as well. This training village, Tubaniso, is very much a halfway village of sorts, with many elements of the rural villages we will be placed in combined with a few creature comforts, like plumbing and electricity.

The terrain here is mostly plains with very green trees and shrubs. It is not quite as arid as I expected, but it has been in the 80's an 90's with high humidity, being the rainy season. We were told that it is very possible to see monkeys here on the site, but I have only seen lizards, cockroaches, and lots of mosquitoes and flies so far. It is exciting to know that non-American forms of wildlife are around, though.

The past couple days have been full of training courses, including safety and security, medical, food and water treatment, and other standard core subjects of the Peace Corps. We have been getting accustomed to Mali meals, receiving additional vaccinations, and beginning our malaria medication. We are now getting used to life in a much more rustic setting. Today, I washed my clothes by hand for the first time.

The Packing List

I am all packed and ready to jet out tomorrow to Philadelphia for staging. Below is my obligatory Peace Corps Packing List. I found these incredibly useful on the blogs of other current and former volunteers, and used them and the Peace Corps' recommendations extensively in my preparation. This list includes packed items and items I will wear to staging on my person. I am at about 72 pounds for my checked luggage, so I made the 80 pound limit. A special shout-out to my former coworkers who put up with all of my online shipments of discounted gear.

Clothing

• 2 - Lightweight Pants
• 6 - T-Shirts (3 - Cotton, 3 - Lightweight)
• 8 - Socks (6 - Athletic, 2 - Dress)
• 1 - Sweatpants (My pseudo-sleeping bag if it were to actually get cold)
• 1 - Sweatshirt (Ditto)
• 1 - Lightweight Rain Jacket
• 2 - Baseball Caps
• 1 - Visor
• 1 - Swimsuit
• 4 - Lightweight Long-Sleeve Collared Shirts
• 14 - Boxers
• 1 - Dress Shirt, Tie, Dress Pants
• 3 - Shorts (2 - Basketball Shorts, 1 - Lightweight Khaki)
• 1 - Belt
• 2 - Prescription Glasses (1 - Regular, 1 - Transitions)
• 2 - Sunglasses (1 - Prescription, 1 - Cheap, Biking Glasses)

Final Preparations...

So I am sitting at my aunt's house in Boone, NC trying to relax and let everything sink in. I sold my last piece of furniture on Thursday, my last day of work was Friday, I sold my car on Friday, and moved out of my apartment on Sunday.

The past 6 weeks have just been a blur since I officially found out I was going to Mali. Between finishing up at McGill Associates, catching up with friends and family one last time, buying gear and packing for Mali, selling and donating much of what I owned, closing out finances, learning French through Rosetta Stone, and tying up other loose ends for the Peace Corps... it's just been exhausting, but not in a bad way.

At this point, I feel relatively well-prepared for my service half-way across the world. I have a few more financial obligations to fulfill, including paying off my student loans with the money from selling my car (very excited about this one!), but otherwise I should have the next few days to simply relax. The only thing I regret is not obtaining a regular passport, but at least my no-fee passport from the Peace Corps will be good for traveling up to 3 months past service. I think my family would appreciate me coming home at that point, anyways.

I have already packed my bags for Mali, but am right at the weight limit. I am going to try to downsize my gear to give myself a little more leeway and make traveling around the country a little less awkward.

So the next few days will be spent with family and enjoying my final few days in the states. I expect to eat well, enjoy some final hiking in the beautiful mountains here in WNC, and just get my mind right for the big adventure. I will have my cell phone until Friday night, at which point I will dismantle it and throw it away at JFK Airport, symbolizing the shift away from the conveniences of the Western World.

At this point, I can only guess what my emotions will be, and how my experiences will go from that point on. I know my service in Mali will be challenging, fascinating, grueling, exhilarating, and everything in between... but right now I think I can rest assured, knowing I have prepared myself well.

Peace Corps Application/Departure Process Timeline (Updated)

07/23/09 - Attended Peace Corps Information Session in Asheville.

08/12/09 - Application submitted.

09/04/09 - Final Letter of Recommendation received by Peace Corps.

09/15/09 - Phone call from recruiter.

09/23/09 - Interview at Appalachian State with recruiter, during which I was informed of her intent to nominate.

09/23/09 - Submitted fingerprints for legal background check.

09/29/09 - Officially nominated for a math teaching assignment in 'non-french speaking Africa' for July or September departure. (During interview, the recruiter told me the nomination would be for July, but when she went to put it in the system, the program was full, and the nomination became September.  However, when I asked whether a July deployment was still possible, she added a note into the system stating I would accept July.  Future correspondence from the PC has all noted a July or September deployment.)

10/21/09 - Submitted medical/dental evaluation forms.

11/03/09 - Peace Corps receives medical/dental evaluation forms.

12/04/09 - Medical/dental clearance received.

12/12/09 - Legal clearance received.

12/26/09 - Provided notification of PE certification (!) to Peace Corps.

02/17/10 - Received 'February Check-in" email from PC describing placement process.

05/07/10 - Received email from PC Placement Office requesting updated resume.  "Once I have received your resume, your file will be passed on to the Education Desk Placement and Assessment Specialist for further review."

The Home Stretch!

Well time has been flying by ever since accepting my Peace Corps invitation. I feel like I have two full-time jobs right now, my job as a civil engineer in Asheville and my preparation for service in Mali. Seems everyday, there is an essay to write, forms to fill out, a language to learn, belongings to sell, finances to square away, and/or items to buy. It's a mad-dash to the finish-line right now, but the excitement continues to build.

I just got back from a week-long vacation with my sister in Alaska. It was an amazing time, and a great distraction from the hectic pace that is life on the home-front right now. As of now, this was by far the furthest trip I have ever taken (previous was Denver), but of course that is all about to change. We spent our time in the Alaskan wilderness; hiking around Anchorage, sea kayaking in Seward, and, of course, a four-day backpacking trip in the backcountry of Denali National Park and Preserve. Although the weather was less than ideal, in the end we came away with an amazing experience filled with both challenging and rewarding moments and indescribable views. And I survived my own recklessness when I purposely stood less than 20 feet away from a 1,400-pound bull moose, so there's that...

Yup, that's me this guy is sizing up!

For me, Denali was definitely the highlight. I love just about any outdoor excursion, and personally, although sightseeing is certainly enjoyable, nothing beats actually getting your hands dirty and experiencing a place first-hand. Kinda goes along the same lines of my Peace Corps decision... why just visit a region as a tourist when you can actually live the culture and help to make a difference there as well?

My sister and I backpacking through Denali.

A view of mountains and bog from Day 2.

Aspiration Statement

Each Peace Corps Trainee is asked to submit an Aspiration Statement prior to departure. This statement is to lay out expectations for your Peace Corps service and the strategies you plan to use to be successful. Below is the one that I just submitted (warning: I am one wordy SOB)...

A. The professional attributes that I plan to use, and the aspirations that I hope to fulfill during my Peace Corps service:

Throughout my career as a civil engineer, I have learned to tackle problems first-hand with an approach that combines creative thinking with resourcefulness. When evaluating any project, it is important to be able to look at it from many different angles. Rushing into a particular solution can result in unnecessary complications during construction or implementation, and can also end up costing the client more time or money than an alternative solution. This ability to evaluate all angles of a problem will prove vital while tackling projects during my time in the Peace Corps. In order to ensure success, it will be important to pensively approach each project and implement it in a manner that will be sustainable for the future. Simply solving the problem is not the goal. The goal must include self-sustainability. Therefore, I will work to ensure that an intellectual infrastructure is implemented within the local community such that in the future, they can tackle similar issues internally without the need for international aid.

My experience as a teaching assistant, coupled with experience working alongside both design teams and clients during my professional career, has taught me how best to relate to people in order to develop a productive and fulfilling professional relationship. While serving in Mali, I will use these skills and build upon them throughout my service in order to gain trust within the community. This trust will afford me the capability to effectively teach the local community the skills needed to sustain the development goals of the applicable water and sanitation projects.

B. My strategies for working effectively with host country partners to meet expressed needs: