Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Now, you are probably thinking that my lack of posting means that I have been very busy and now that I am posting that I have many exciting things to tell you. Sorry, that's not the case. I have been at site for the past 6 weeks or so (the longest I have ever stayed in my village at once) just living life. Not much work, not many projects, and definitely nothing exciting. At times it was excruciating, at times it was fun, at times it was relaxing and at times I really wondered if I could really eat another bite of rice.

During this time I did have the chance to see 1 other American. Yes, one. I had a visit from a Peace Corps trainee. This was fun, refreshing and and gave me a sense of pride about the work that I have done since the time when I was a trainee visiting a current volunteer this time last year.

Things are pretty slow around the village right now. The hot season is here and its almost time for people to start planting rice. The schools will be closing for summer break next week and the favorite Thai holiday of Songkran is in two weeks. Most people are content to just sit around and wait for summer, and that's basically all you can do when its this hot.

Luckily for me I will not be sitting around for much longer. Tomorrow night I'm taking an overnight bus to the training site of the new group of Volunteers. I will spend Friday with some fellow volunteers supervising their VAC election and introducing them to GIGs or the international Peace Corps committees. Following this short assignment I will visit a friend who lives nearby for a girls weekend with some of my best volunteer friends.

Then one week from tomorrow I will board yet another overnight bus to head into Bangkok to catch my flight to Vietnam for a week! I will be visiting Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city with two good volunteer friends and simply can't wait! After that I will visit my host family from training for about 2 days and then head up to Northern Thailand for a week of Songkran (Thai new year's festival). Most, if not all, of my PC friends will be up there and I'm thinking its pretty much gonna turn into Peace Corps Spring Break.

In other news, I finally got word that I will be recommended to receive funding for the completion of the recycling bank that will be managed by the youth group. This was my first experience in writing a grant and I'm so glad it seems to be working out. Also my counterpart at the office has been much more honest about what we can work on together and her feelings about the support that the office has been giving me/her (not much!). We know we have a year left and have set a few project goals for ourselves that we are determined to make happen. Knowing my counterpart, and the way projects are completed around here, I think it will definitely take the whole year to make anything happen. Fingers crossed!


4 comments:

  1. Finally a long awaited blog from you. We are always hungry for news about your service there.
    Sounds like some challenges and good times are ahead. Please keep us posted.

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  2. I hope the Songran water is NOW Mak Mak...I remember how hot it gets during the summer...but on the other hand 55 degrees in winter seems FREEZING. In Hanoi, make sure you get to see the Hanoi Hilton Prison...Did I tell you that in Nakhon Ratachima in 1967 there was a pizza restaurant and I loved their pizza until i found out the sausage was lizzard. However it was still good but just the thought...We called the lizzards "Gene Jokes" They were about a ft long and was green and yellow/blue & could run really fast...LaGone, Choke Dee Khop...Robert

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  3. Sarah, I think Meemaw should consider a vacation to Thailand...Don't you? She deserves a vacation & that would be a perfect place for her to RELAX & try out some of the delicious foods...Especially try some DURIAN...Choke Dee Robert

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  4. Sawadee Koon Sarah,
    By Nigh Kop? Pom Kittune mock.???Haven't read of an update lately and was just wondering how you were making it...Choke Dee Robert

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