Before SA - 2
The Skinny
Come August 15, I'll head off to Philadelphia to begin my two-day orientation. I suspect this will include receiving a diplomatic passport, vaccinations, and a swearing-in ceremony.August 17, I'll head off to South Africa with other volunteers from my assignment. It looks like our seven week month in-country training will take place in Pretoria. I'll be doing technical training and language study. There are 11 official languages in South Africa. I'm placing my bets on Zulu. But there's a little chance I could be learning the click language. So if there's ever a conflict between Japanese, Croats and Zulu, I'm the person to negotiate the cease-fire.
They're going to issue me a bike for the training session (and possibly for the rest of my stay). I hope mine is a shiny red mountain bike with lots of gears and a yellow basket. Maybe yellow tassels on the handlebars too*. Based on my performance during training and the aspiration statement and resume I recently submitted, I'll be placed with a certain host nonprofit organization in the Limpopo, Mpumalanga or Northwest provinces.
I am a Capacity Builder... which is a spiffy title that I didn't make up. I haven't been placed yet at all, so I don't have specifics, but I could be doing anything related to nongovernmental organization development, including fundraising, grant writing, building partnerships with other NGOs, developing missions statements, projects, programs etc... really I have no idea yet.
So, I'm spent.
* Adding tidbits about my hopes and dreams will keep this blog from being dull. Critiquing is encouraged.
P.S Please note: I justified my margins... in HTML.
10 Comments:
This is Schainker (proud to be the first post). I think your profile picture is amazing. Is that from your "Total Bad Ass" business card? Because it should be.
Congratulations. Welcome to the blogosphere. Hahaha.
He watched the noisy excitement from a distance, he hand resting loosely on his sword.
He remembered a time before this when in his wanderings he had come upon a young girl in the middle of the Kalahari. She lived with indigenus Bushmen of the region, a nomadic culture with roots deeper than memory. She had been sent by the americans (a larely uncultured race with no roots at all) to teach this ancient, wandering people how to build houses. . . in the desert.
He shook his head and looking the gods in the eye asked for a more useful fate for this young one. She seemed worth it.
I was very lazy and didn't read your whole thing..but did I understand right - are you in the peace corps? How do you go about volunteering? And, do you volunteer over a specified time period?
well sister,
travel lightly, talk openly, and listen closely, especially for the long clicks.
Love you and see you soon,
Martha
sonia,
bring on the clicks, the croats, and the ceasefire. i'm in south florida which means we're almost twins (south florida/south africa...they count your votes better).
be careful with the open invitation. i might show up on your doorstep, needing a ukrainian translator.
love,
tania
Dear Zeko, we just returned from Palm Beach, FL, where we visited Martha. We sent you three postcards. Love, tata
Accord, NY, Sep.06, 2005
I don't know how Miami became Palm Beach, being that there is at least 200 miles between the two, but you got the gist. We had a nice time, wish you could have been there. Love you, Mirth
Dear Zeko, aka Azwifarwi:
I just read your latest blog entry and it is very interesting. I will send you a real letter today.
The "wooden plank" that wise Venda people recommand for washing your clothes in Lika is called "prakljeca". There are some misterious connections between Croatians and Venda after all. Love, tata
Dear Zeko, got your letter today. Will open later and savor it with your mom. Love, tata
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