October 20, 2009

It Takes Two, Baby

Peace Corps is one of those things you really need to commit to before you commit to it, so to speak. Two years can seem like a long time, and when you’re sitting in an overstuffed lounge chair in the States, it’s hard to imagine how long 730 days really is (give or take). Or maybe what I should say is; all you can really conceive of is what you might miss. Friends’ weddings and graduations, high school reunions, brothers changing careers, parents adding extensions to their houses…the list goes on. But if there’s one thing Peace Corps is emphatic about, it’s that you need two years to really get the most out of this experience. Looking forward to “round two” of my own service, I have to admit – I couldn’t agree more. Here’s why.

Before I left for my year abroad in Paris, our director said you wouldn’t truly feel comfortable in France until right before you were about to leave. Yeah, yeah, whatever – I’d be different. Uh … yeah right. Granted, it took the better part of that year to get over myself and my early-life existential crisis to truly enjoy Paris, but even so, I remember the distinct feeling that I was just getting past the tip of the iceberg as I was sitting in the Champs de Mars—bottle of champagne in hand—toasting our eminent return. What would it be like to do Paris after Paris? That feeling is probably what compelled me to look for work in France post-Peace Corps (an idea the E.U.’s buddy-system recruiting style has long since squashed). I’d know better than to touch anything in a French woman’s kitchen, know when to give les bises two versus three times, and wield as good a pout as the waiter at CafĂ© Villieres. Essentially, I’d do it right. Peace Corps gives you exactly that chance. You have a year to go through culture shock, adjust to a third-world country, get over some of the more anachronistic aspects of the culture, make friends (make enemies), find your place and find yourself.

While I was preparing for this school year, I caught myself saying things like, “I’d have given anything last year to known then what I know now.” But of course, you never can. As with everything in life, you have to find the answers in your own time. My first two weeks back at school are living proof of this. I feel more confident in front of the class. I have actually stopped cheating in my classroom (and really, I can’t even tell you what a feat this is given the fact that the school condones a strict “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on the matter). I have taken ownership of everything from seating to grading, testing, and organizing the lessons. I know what’s expected of me, and exactly how far I can push those expectations with my co-teachers before they have a cultural meltdown (or I do for that matter).

It feels great to look forward to all the lessons I can nail the second time around, all the projects I’m more equipped to organize, and all the relationships I can cultivate free of major cultural gaffes. I’d like to say I haven’t really changed—that I was right all along—but who am I kidding? Peace Corps forces you to reevaluate your values, work ethic, ideals, goals, and habitudes. Some of these things are validated through the experiences, while others are called into question and redefined. It’s a growing process, as much about self discovery and definition, as it is about helping the community you are a part of. And that’s why it takes two, baby – two years that is – because I know I certainly need one more year to get it right.


Click Here to Read More..
October 1, 2009

Update: Typhoon Ketsana

To all those wondering ... Typhoon Ketsana has hit Cambodia. There's an article about it here with more information. Not to worry - my province has been safe aside from heavy rains and minor flooding and I am fine, but 9 people have died in my friend Rebecca's province and many families have been displaced. We send out our prayers for those who have passed and those who have lost their homes and loved ones.

Click Here to Read More..