Alright everyone, this is my blog. I have zero experience with blogging, so if anyone has any suggestions let me know. Anyways, if you haven't put it together thus far, i'm heading to Kenya with the Peace Corps in a couple of weeks. I'll be going to Philly on May 24th for some orientation stuff, and then leaving for Nairobi on the 25th. After spending about 4 days outside of Nairobi, we'll be heading south to a town close to the Tanzanian border, where i'll be living with a host family and getting a crash course in Swahili. After about 2 months as a Peace Corps Trainee at this location, i'll get sworn in as a Peace Corps Volunteer and head to site somewhere else in the country that will be my home for the next two years. I'm going to do my best to stay in touch with everyone through this blog, but feel free to send letters and packages and whatnot. My phone will stop working on May 24, but i'll be getting a Kenyan cell phone at some point soon after getting in-country, so i'll get that number out to people as soon as I get it. As far as letters/packages go, here is some useful info:
- Number any/all letters, as things sometimes get "lost" in transit.
- Write "Airmail" and "Par Avion" on all envelopes.
- Letters can take anywhere from 6-9 weeks to get to me, but having something to look forward to and the excitement that comes with getting letters from home goes a long way when isolated.
- Regarding packages, don't ever declare anything more than $15 dollars on anything you send me. If you do, there is a strong chance it will get stolen (you can also declare that the contents are toilet paper, napkins, etc. Make it seem as unappealing as possible). On that same note, you should write religious things like "Jesus Saves", "God Loves You", and maybe even Father/Brother Aizaz Tareen. Current volunteers recommend this because customs agents are less likely to open things they think are religiously based.
- The address I have listed on here is mine until July 22, 2010. I'll update the address when I get my site assignment.
Phone Calls:
- I'll get my new cell phone number when I get it
- Emergencies: 800-424-8580 x 1470.
Email/Facebook, etc
- I'm not sure what my internet access will be down there. There's a good chance it will be sporadic, but I will take full advantage of it whenever I have it. If nothing else you can leave me a message to read whenever I can.
Well, that's about it. I'm really excited to get rolling with this, and I look forward to sharing my experiences with everyone.
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The first comment is always the most memorable: I predict that while you are gone, the SEC will win 2 more National Championships in football. You can take that one to the bank. Good luck with the Swahili - I've been told that one is tricky.
ReplyDeleteDon't corrupt my blog with this trash. And just for clarification purposes, when you say SEC you mean any team other than South Carolina, since we're all just waiting for them to join C-USA, the Big Sky, or some other irrelevant conference, right? Texas will have a tough road next season, but actually don't look too bad, just have to wait and see. Anyways, I was exposed to Swahili when I was in Tanzania after college, and yes, it's difficult. We'll see how it goes.
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