Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Not that much to say

I am still in the doldrums leading up to my imminent arrival in Romania. I've got around three weeks to finish my thesis so that I can give it to my committee and be doen with the thing. I had a very exciting weekend; I burnt all my info into some DVDs and reformatted my hard drive, it freed it a lot of room. I need to buy insurance for my laptop and camera; I also need to get a new backpack to take with me. I found my old Mountainsmith backpack, I am considering taking that as my primary luggage, we will see. We have had a cold spell of late but the end of winter is finally here. After having a virulent cold last week, I made some homemade chicken soup, it was damn good. I am thinking of making some meatloaf and mashed potatoes this week, been craving it.

Saturday, March 18, 2006

The Aristocrats

Last night, we watched The Aristocrats. I want to preface that this joke (arguably the filthiest joke ever) isn't for most people and would offend a good portion of the population. Needless to say, I laughed my ass off. The movie was basically a documentary of all of these comedians, famous and not, telling their versions of the joke and the variations that they have heard. It has been a while since I laughed that hard. Anyways, here is a link to the boys of South Park telling the joke.

I want to emphasize, if you are offended or squeamish at all by a filthy joke, DO NOT CLICK ON THIS LINK!!! For all the rest of you out there, enjoy!

South Park The Aristocrats

Addendum: I bought Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Wererabbit for my little sister and I think we are going to watch it tonight. I hear it is very good, but in a completely different way from The Aristocrats.

Friday, March 17, 2006

Potpouri

Thanks for all the input. I actually have a concrete idea of what area I want to go to, mainly a small town that is fairly near to a larger one. This is mainly so that I can integrate (I think a small town would be better for that) and near to a larger city for the cultural opportunities, but like I have heard, you are placed where the Peace Corps needs you to be.

Ok, on to other issues. I have just found a new site that is pretty cool. You Tube is a site that allows you to upload your own videos and post them on your blog, etc.

Here is my little sister dancing last spring. You have to tilt your head (I can't rotate the video for this).



Pa, pa

Monday, March 13, 2006

aspiration statement

After accepting your Peace Corps assignment, the Peace Corps requires Invitees to complete an aspiration statement and a resume to be sent to the country desk of where you were invited to, Romania in my case.

The following statement will be submitted in the next couple of days:

Expectations…

Expectations are just like any other thing that you plan on; some of which will occur but the vast majority of my experience will not be expected. I know that life in Romania will have its ups and downs and I also know that being a Peace Corps volunteer will be among the most difficult and rewarding years of my life. I expect to be challenged by the language and Romanian culture. I expect pre-service training to prepare me with a foundation on which I can be an effective volunteer in my community. I know that I will not make a difference immediately but with time and patience, I will plant the seeds of success as a teacher in the community. Finally, I expect my Peace Corps service to be more rewarding than I can imagine.

Strategies for adapting to a new culture…

The first strategy that I will employ in adapting to Romanian culture begins at home; reading about the culture, familiarizing myself with the language, and reading PCV blogs in Romania and other Eastern European countries. I understand though, that I cannot accept anything to be what I expect it to be. I will rely on flexibility and being able to listen to advice when given to help me adapt to the community. I will rely on my language, cross-cultural, and technical training to allow me to be effective.

Personal and professional goals…

My joining the Peace Corps is not based from a decision over what I want to do with my life after college. Instead, it is rooted in my firm belief in contributing to the good of the world in a setting that will help develop my own skills. That said, my personal goals as a Peace Corps volunteer are simple; to be adept enough in the language to function with others around me, participate in cultural events around me and to complete my service. Professionally, I hope that my Peace Corps experience will assist me further developing a skill-set that I can use throughout my life. Whether I pursue a path working as a teacher in the United States or in the international community, pursue a path in the State Department, or some unknown path, I plan on using the knowledge and experience that the Peace Corps provides to be a better person at home and in the world.

Ugh

This weekend has had it's ups and downs. Friday, Jon and Kindal invited us all to their house for some lasagna and other assorted goodies. We all hung and and stayed in Boone that night. Well, about 3 or 4 in the AM, I woke up and had to vomit. This preceeded to happen seven or eight times over the course of the night and the morning.

I stayed at Jon's until early in the afternoon since I was pretty sure that I did not have the energy to make the one hour drive from Boone to home. Ever since, I have been very weak but I am finally starting to get my energy back. To say the least, this has been a trying weekend. I have not been this sick from a stomach virus in over a decade.

In other news, UNC lost to Boston College in the ACC tourney. I was sad but they are playing much, much better than I thought they would this season. There is still the NCAA tournament but I am realistic about the chances of that happening.

Not much else here. Next week, I plan on working hard on my thesis, hopefully writing at least a chapter or more. I really need to get on the ball on but but luckly, I have always written my best work under the crunch so we will see.

Pa, pa

Post Script: I have 9 weeks, 1 day left in the United States!!

Friday, March 10, 2006

The Guardian has published a list of 30 Books You Must Read Before You Die. I have read a few of these but I am seriously lacking in suprising ways. Ok here are the books, the ones that I have read are in bold.

To Kill A Mockingbird by Haper Lee
The Bible
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien
1984 by George Orwell
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
All Quiet On The Western Front by E M Remarque
His Dark Materials Trilogy by Phillip Pullman
Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
The Lord of the Flies by William Golding
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon
Tess of the D'urbevilles by Thomas Hardy
Winnie the Pooh by AA Milne
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham
Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
The Prophet by Khalil Gibran
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Middlemarch by George Eliot
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzenhitsyn

I haven't read many of these since high school so I need to reread them to refresh my memory. I found this list and (once again) I thought I would share it with you.

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

I really like this poem. It was originally written by Max Ehrmann in 1927, not in the 1600's like many plaques say. I just thought I would share the nugget of knowledge with the world.

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

thinking ahead

I am going to try to put together a "preliminary" packing list for my sojourn in Romania. I am sure that this will be changed in every way by the time I will actually leave my mountain lair.

1). Apple Powerbook G4 (I've had my laptop for almost two years and I love it)
2). Canon Powershot S70 (I love photography!)
3). luggage (probably two rolling suitcases with a backpack to transport things in on site)
4). winter coat
5). boots
6). work clothes (I assume that teachers in Romania are well dressed but I guess this depends on the situation on the ground)
7). Chacos (great sandals)
8). favorite t-shirts (got to have clothes to relax in!!)
9). sweaters
10). toiletries
11). prescriptions
12). Leatherman
13). thermal underwear (I know cold winters)
14). iPod Nano (flash-based memory so that the songs will not be lost if it is dropped)
15). swimming trunks
16). tennis shoes
17). wool & other assorted socks
18). waterproof jacket
19). sleeping bag (maybe)
20). large supply of underwear

Ok that is a working paper of what I think I will need. The Peace Corps only allows new volunteers a limited amount of weight that you can bring with you, i think it is around 100 lbs for Eastern Europe. I know that I will be able to get many of my supplies in the country so my primary concern will be being able to transport my stuff from point A to B. I will be glad to receive any (constructive) criticism on how I can improve this list.

La revedere, Pe curând!