Cape Verdean Kriolu should be a very easy language to acquire. It’s a language that all the locals speak, instead of the official language of Portuguese. In my situation, I attend language classes at Peace Corps training at around 14 hours a week. You would think that total immersion in the culture would help speed up the process, but for now I think my own mind is conflicting with my language acquisition. What I think is slowing me down, is the constant back and forth of Spanish, Portuguese, Cape Verdean Kriolu and Khmer (Cambodian native language) words in my head.

You can read in books how much Portugul is an influence on Cape Verde. Since a lot of Cape Verde is a mixture of African and Portuguese culture, a lot of modern words in Kriolu are shared with Portuguese, or are highly similar. And then, day by day watching TV I realize how much Portuguese I can comprehend because I’ve studied Spanish before. Any of the trainees here can tell you as well, that a little Spanish, really does go a long way as a lot of Portuguese words are shared with, you guessed it, Spanish. So now we have this little triangle of language sorts and it’s hard to tell your brain to block out the other 2 when acquiring the 3rd one.

And then just the other day I realized that, even though I have been here for 3 weeks and can comprehend what my language teacher is saying, I am starting to realize that I still remember a lot of Khmer. Khmer is the language of Cambodia, and the language I grew up speaking before the language of US TV took over. There are many words in Kriolu and Khmer that begin with a “k”, and sometimes the blabbering of “k” words makes my mind switch to Khmer for some odd reason. What I find unique about my knowledge of Khmer, compared to Spanish or Kriolu, is that I don’t translate words back and forth between English. I can talk to my mother in basic Khmer, which I did the other day, in good speed. When she talks back, I don’t translate the words but I can see the image in my head and can shoot right back. I can count in Khmer, without thinking of the numbers. Plus I also think I can still nail a Khmer accent (I know because there are some words I can’t even phonetically spell). Now, the day I can do that in Cape Verdean Kriolu, is when I can realize I have achieved good language acquisition.

Way long ago, I didn’t think I had enough Khmer to sustain myself for a trip back to Cambodia. Even though I’ve been here for 3 weeks, I’m still better off there than any other country at this point. After being in this country with no previous experience, I’m sure I’ll know enough Khmer than I would need. I realize you can always get by in any country by just knowing a few choice words. You will attain basic knowledge really fast. Not many locals speak English here, so you’re pretty much on your own. If you’re a visitor, most likely you can just look at the price without getting someone to translate.

A good example of this is the other day when I was stuck in Senegal, West Africa. They speak French but more commonly another African dialect. I knew just a few choice words in French to be polite and I never felt like I would offend anyone. I even enjoyed speaking with a very fake accent. Bonjour, Merci were probably the only words I used. Hey, maybe my fake accent fooled them.

Some current volunteers in this town came back from a vacation in mainland Africa. Their stories tell me that being a Peace Corps Volunteer, when traveling, will feel like you joined a national fraternity of some sorts. If I go to another country that Peace Corps serves, I can always depend on the local transit house for shelter, and hey new American friends who can act as tour guides or translators. And Africa, is filled with Peace Corps countries. Some trainees right now are trying to plan where they want to travel after their service is over. All of them are planning to go the mainland. I wrote earlier how I would like to go back to Africa. And now this whole “you don’t really need to know the language to get by” is a step down from “hey American PC Volunteers, show me around!”.

Although wiping your ass on a rock doesn’t sound like something another volunteer would be glad to demonstrate for me.

I arrived at Sao Domingos two weeks ago for Peace Corps training. It is a small town off center in the Island of Santiago. There is one main road that runs through all of town and virtually everybody walks on the same road that all the public vans speed through. There is also no traffic or stop lights, just like a lot of Cape Verde. Peace Corps may have chosen this location because it is relatively safe, small, and has good enough resources to sustain its rural location.

Sao Domingos (from which now on I will call “Sao Dao”) is a typical town on Santiago Island. Sao Dao is moderately rural with roosters and pigs in most people’s homes. People here are poor but not on the extreme. Here, everybody knows everybody and then each other’s moms. At any point, I never feel isolated. I walk down random streets and people know where I live because they’ve seen me and they know my host mom. It’s just that small town feel, from the small market to the bar that everybody goes to. A lot of Sao Dao reminds me of being a kid. I eat what my host mom cooks, I get dragged to family functions, and I play a lot with the other neighborhood kids.

Many claim that Santiago Island is the most “African” of the Cape Verdean archipelago. So it’s not surprising to see women carrying buckets on their heads, or that the locals here are better at running than I’ll ever be. There are certain liberties here that may or may not apply to the rest of Cape Verde that I’m still in shock of acknowledging. In this town, every male can publicly urinate without embarrassment. One time I was walking back home for lunch and a couple of guys were pissing off the side of a bridge, but more shocking is that it was high noon and right behind them was the town police station. And there’s more than just public urination, you can walk around with an open beer container and walk in and out of businesses. Shocking, yet I don’t think it’s time for me to start practicing it.

We all stay with a homestay family for the entire 9 week duration of training, which is held at a local high school. Sessions run from 8:30 to 5 everyday with an hour and a half for lunch. On occasion, some Saturdays are booked for field trips and such. Our homestay families have provided me with my own room, double bed with a lock. There’s always water being conserved and the bathroom faucets don’t put out a lot of pressure and there’s never hot water (just like most of Cape Verde). There’s a mother who cooks meals for the two brothers and me everyday. The 2 brothers, Kenny and Heltom are 10 and 14. They have been nice to show me around town and when I feel like studying Kriolu, there they are.

Everyday I wake up to the sound of roosters or my host mom cooking. I don’t have an alarm clock so I laze around in bed till about 7:15. I wash my face and eat breakfast, (every meal is served to me where they refuse to look at me as less than a guest) which usually consists of eggs, corned hash browns and a biscuit. Instant coffee is made everyday but since it’s not the drip type I generously pour lots of sugar in. Somehow, the sugar doesn’t get me antsy anymore.

After watching some TV, I brush my teeth and get dressed for training. Mainly nice casual clothes that I would normally wear on casual work days. I say later to the kids and walk to the training center which is about 3 minutes away. Every morning there are locals hanging around the main road waiting to grab a public transport so I say hello to anybody in my direction. Before sessions start, I fill up my water bottle (gotta stay hydrated) and socialize with the other trainees.

Right now I am attending sessions that make up Pre-Service Training. We are not considered volunteers until we acquire the language skills and get assigned our respective sites. Training itself is a huge endeavor and never have I seen a training program where the staff to trainee ratio is as close to 1:1. No language class is bigger than 4 trainees ever. These trainers and teachers are the best the country can offer and there is no better way to learn the local language in the method Peace Corps prescribes. It may be long, but you can tell the amount of preparation and effort that the Peace Corps puts into training, in order for us to become effective volunteers.

Sessions are on a schedule that mostly involves 2 – 4 hours of Kriolu classes, and the rest of the day filled with either safety or cross culture workshops. Language classes are intensive; I think only one of the 8 teachers speaks good English, and mine understands some. I understand about 85% from my teacher, which is very good for a language I’ve only tried for 2 weeks and never seen or heard before. Sometimes I throw in a little Spanish, which almost translates into Portuguese, which Cape Verdeans know but don’t prefer speaking. One thing about language classes is that if you’re ever coming to visit, knowing good Spanish or Portuguese will get you a long way. As far as after class goes, the teachers don’t assign much homework and I’m forced to do my own type of studying.

I go home for lunch and relax a bit. Either taking a nap, or listening to music on my iPod. Sometimes there is something on TV and sometimes I hang out with the kids. I return to the training center around 2 o clock for the rest of sessions. Safety and Cross culture workshops are interesting sometimes and a lot of attention is made to improve them each time. Topics include emergency information, important health issues, cross culture adjustment and practical information.

After sessions are over, most of the trainees converge at a local bar and have some drinks before dinner. Some of us are slightly frightened at the strength of Cape Verdean grogue, a hard spirit made from sugarcane that is very eye opening with a 120 proof taste. However, we still drink a lot of it and national’s favorite beer, Super Bock. On some days when it is not as hot, I hike up the mountain behind my house, or get some exercise with the kids. I haven’t gotten used to running yet and don’t think I will get really like it during training.

I return home for dinner before I take a short cold shower. When night falls, I either study some more or hang out on the spacious roof of my house. I go to bed typically around 9:30 in my hot room. Recently, they let me borrow a fan which helps out a lot. On weekends, I get out to other parts of Santiago for day trips (been up and down the Island once) and hang out at night. There are fiestas to go to at night and also the discotheques that keeps the locals busy till late. I still spend a lot of time with the other trainees as we all seem to converge at the same spot and mostly try to keep busy. Sometimes there’s dance classes at night, or Tae Kwon Do, and most recently, movie nights. The trainees don’t really drink as much as us New Englanders do, and my partying habits have gotten me labeled the town drunk (which my old friends would probably think is funny).

There isn’t that much to do as I don’t have a lot of free time. It’s either study kriolu, watch American subtitled movies, drink beer, listen to my iPod or hang outside and watch passer byers. Even on the weekends I can’t sleep later in the morning as Sao Dao life begins at the break of dawn. This realization helps me realize that I will never have a day off the same way I would have a day off in America so I just have to stay on my toes. I even plan my weekends to go out instead of trying to catch up on sleep that will never come.

It’s still only week 3 of training, but I know how the rest of training will be like. The next biggest step would be finding out our site announcements, the areas where we will spend our 2 years as actual volunteers. Announcements will be made in mid August, I believe. They say training is sort of like boot camp for the Peace Corps and everything gets easier after training. Next week the CD volunteers will be out on field trips everyday, which would be a good break from sitting in a hot classroom.

There are certain things in the US that I miss a lot, like keeping in good contact with everyone. Other things I miss are peace and quiet, late night tv, high speed internet, and somehow I miss NYC more than I miss home. Training isn’t that bad, but for now, I will just look to the next step and hope every day in the Peace Corps gets easier than the last.

When I landed in Cape Verde, I had a harder time adjusting than I originally thought. I have just taken a semi-vacation of sorts in a West African country (Senegal) that left me adjusting to West Africa in general and leaving more expectations for when I finally arrive in Cape Verde. After all, the complications and hardships that plague the African continent don’t affect the high quality of life here in Cape Verde. In a sense, I was readjusting my view of an African country, after an unpredictable trip into the mainland.

There are some adjustments that have carried itself over from our little excursion into mainland Africa. Over at Dakar, I got used to the heat. I got used to the flies. I got used to seeing virtually all Africans and not the diversity that Americans got to offer. Almost every car you see is either a taxi or a public van. I got used to the greasy food and the fact that I can find Coke virtually anywhere. Despite all the adjustments I encountered in an African country, I even got used to its hardships. Although, a lot of the problems I encountered in Dakar cannot be found in Cape Verde. There weren’t kids hustling for money outside our airport. There aren’t a lot of nationals who speak good enough English. You don’t run into nationals who look like they will sell their soul for an American. There aren’t people living in horrible conditions, there isn’t sand everywhere and there aren’t drummers who drum all night. But I don’t mean to confuse you, these characteristics of Senegal made me really envy the kindness of its people.

So my initial frustrations with Cape Verde fall into 2 concepts. One, that Cape Verde is not essentially “African”. The nationals here are essentially African by blood, slaves taken from the mainland and traded in this country, but in modern time they draw a huge influence from Portuguese and Mediterranean culture. A lot of nationals here understand some Spanish, mainly from Portuguese, whereas Spanish is useless in Africa. Buildings here have toilets and even in my rural setting, running water. There are Portuguese and American movies playing on TV every day (I’ve even caught some movies I’ve never seen before) and occasionally I catch MTV in the morning. Each day, I learn more about the western influences on this country.

And then you realize that malaria and mosquitoes are not that big of a problem, the national HIV rate is amazing at around 13%, there are no dangerous or hazardous animals, and the most surprising for me is the abnormally high 70% literacy rate, life expectancy rate, and absolute lack of famine. I think somewhere in statistics I read Cape Verde is the 4th most developed country in Africa. Its situation as such can probably be attributed to its location… it’s not even on the mainland. Here in Cape Verde, it’s not that they don’t care to see an American, it’s just they’re just so connected to the rest of the world, it’s really nothing to them.

Before even coming here, I knew I had to associate Cape Verde as its own entity. I knew for a while that Cape Verde was totally different from the rest of Africa but having seen the distinction myself underlines it. This is geographically Africa, but is distinguished on its own. It is rich in diversity, culture and the happiness of its people.

This also leads me into the next concept of Cape Verde’s development. Personally, I feel the country has its problems but I still feel Cape Verde is way more developed for Peace Corps standards. Everyday I feel I have less to adjust to and that more and more Cape Verde and its people are my new home. I catch myself asking, how can I feel like a Peace Corps volunteer if I can walk down any street and catch a beer at the bar with the locals? Or how can I feel like a volunteer if the biggest cities have everything I need? Or how can I feel like a volunteer if most of this country is used to seeing Americans? Sometimes I blink and forget that I’m in the Peace Corps, or even on the other side of the Atlantic.

There’s all these questions and concepts that make me wonder why I am here and not continental Africa. The sense of success is a lot harder to fabricate whereas success in a lesser developed country is more likely obvious. However it’s these questions that will stick to any volunteer and I just have to play my cards. It will all make sense one day.

Coming here after getting a slight taste of mainland Africa yearns for me to go back. I want the true African, safari, swahili, blaringly hot, tribal, drums blazing, sahara desert animals’ experience more than ever. It will still be a while before I’ll get a chance, if I ever do, but I know that Africa is there waiting for me. For now, here’s to my new home and my re-adjustment.

It was the 4 of us in the Peace Corps group going off to the “bad” side of the beach, or so our contact told us. The side that was definitely not as safe as our side of the beach, which was empty, and private with a 24 hour security guard. We wanted to venture off and see some scheduled bonfire that was supposed to take place at 9. Since African time is generally very late, we departed around the time it was supposed to begin. I didn’t make it back to the hotel until much later and I really did not know what we had in store this night.

We were all stuck in Senegal, West Africa en route to Cape Verde. Our airline that was transporting us from Dakar, Senegal to Praia, Cape Verde was shut down for an indefinite time and we all had no clue for how long we would be staying at some beach hotel in Dakar. Every 4 hours or so, we would get a new rumor, telling us about our new departure time but with each rumor we believed them less. By that time we have been stuck in Senegal for 2 days and barely keeping a good night’s sleep. On this night, our next rumor would keep up awake until we would leave the hotel later that night at 4am. We decided we would not sleep and try and live Saturday night true African style.

We walked to the other side of the beach before some Senegalese nationals stopped us to sit down and hear some drums. That stopped about 15 minutes later when I came to realize the so-called bonfire was a ruse to get us Americans into the closest bar. While I wanted to stay and learn some drums outside, sitting in on an indoor African drum session wasn’t too bad. There was English singing going on… a sign that us Americans were very welcome.

So we’re all having a good time; some of us volunteers brought beer from our hotel and I finished my rum and coke in my nice glass that I borrowed (hoping they would never find out). About 3 songs in, other volunteers have followed our tracks (thee Americans are thees way!) and we now had a crowd of about 10 of us. And then I needed to pee.

I knew I had to confront it sooner or later so I swallowed my gut. It was obvious this facility did not having a running toilet and that some squatting action was something to look forward to. I quickly learned the word for “water closet” in French and was on my way. An overweight female bartender took me upstairs and showed me the house’s hole. It was definitely a squat toilet.

I did the job. Aimed directly in the hole, and washed my hands from the drain. The female bartender was waiting for me directly as I came out of the bathroom. She shooed me off to the other side of the porch and I immediately obliged. There was a great view of the beach but couldn’t pay much attention to it because she crept from behind me and kept rubbing my back.

“Do you love me?” She says.

Now I really did not want to offend her. This was her place, I surely did not aim to insult.

“Sure I love you.” I say with little assuredness.

She rubs my back some more as I stare off into the beach. She mumbles another sentence in English before I decide to take the lead.

“Do you have kids?” And then I motioned my hand as if I was patting a child’s head.

She runs off into the other hallway for another second and I’m expecting to see her kids. A half a minute later a window on the porch opens up and I see a bedroom, well lit, with… supplies sitting on the bed (condom, soap & other crap).It was very obvious what I did now…. I just told an African hooker I loved her. And then I mentioned kids.

“NO!!! I said babies!”, with my arms motioning a baby rocking motion.

She shakes her head no, “No babies”

“I’m not interested!” as I stormed back to the basement to join my friends.

I’m playing it cool without a smile on my face from obviously the funniest thing that has happened to me since I left for the Peace Corps. I sit down and get some stares from my friends. They must wonder why I was up there for so long.

“Did you just get head?”

“No, but she’s definitely a hooker.”

And then my friends told me she had holes sticking out in her underwear.

I still have positive thoughts about Senegal though.

I will be disappearing into the rural part of Santiago Island for my homestay portion of my Pre-Service Training. Right now, Cabo Verde is a modestly developed country and the cafe that I am sitting in now sells Playstation 2 games (how cool is that?). There will be no internet for me for 2 months but I might be sneaking in every once in a while. The cafe I am at right now is playing Marley... ok off topic. But I am virtually dead for 2 months from now.... Aight I'm off. PLEASE SEND STUFF!

Since I have arrived in Senegal, I have....

• Ridden in a bush taxi that fit all 25 volunteers and our luggage on top
• Not seen a patch of grass
• Overheard Will Smith in the radio at the convenience store and almost didn't realize it
• Accumulated over 2 dozen or so mosquito bites... on one leg
• Sweated more in a bathroom alone than I have on some hot days
• Played over 100 games of Asshole
• Slept off major jet lag
• Stayed awake for longer than 24 hours... when getting up from Philly to go to Senegal... and getting delayed again
• Realized that my stomach can handle the African food, sometimes better than American food
• Gotten over 1000 stares from the locals
• Hung out with our new friend Wey-O from Egypt. He's a pilot for Senegal International and has a beach house overlooking the dock in Senegal.
• Learned how to play a drum from some African friends
• Drunken more cheap African beer than I ever imagined
• Introduced and played absolutley every game I had in my book. This includes the name game, the hand game, up and down the river, golf, kings, and bullshit
• Were favored guests at a bar, with an African drum band that followed Bob Marley and Eagles tunes
• Peed in a squat toilet
• Been offered by a hooker. I asked her if she had babies, she showed me her bedroom instead
• Listened to a day's worth of 2Pac blasting out of the speaker at the Dakar beach hotel
• Had more guys touch me than ever before
• Cradled a local kitten that needed some itching
• Had a buffet meal for the past 2 days, all on the Peace Corps expense

In other news, we have finally made it to Cape Verde this morning. We finally got the airline to get a flight for us at 7am in the morning... and most of us just stayed awake that night. We are staying at a hostel for a day before we get moved into our host families. Already I have to adjust from the amenities that was previously available in Dakar (Senegal), as the water system and the lack of water itself is an everyday issue. There is an amazing view outside my window of two mountains I look forward to conquering some day. Ever since I made it into Africa, I have been looking forward to breaking a sweat. If nobody is down, I might have to try this myself.

Earlier this week, I got news that a good friend of ours Bethany Simard passed away. I haven't had much time with her, but I do know she is close with my other friends. I am extremely saddened that I'm not home to talk to everybody, but please remember that our friend that has passed is a very wonderful person in my eyes and is indeed a very horrible tragedy. It's still hard for me to settle in correctly... just the other month I was at her wedding... and now.

It is a couple of minutes before dinner and the night has yet to begin. Pre-Service Training has yet to begin and the next 9 weeks will be tough yet encouraging. I can't wait till I learn even just enough criulo to start talking. Things will be alright. Contact here is very sporadic and my funds are limited. Expect an every other day type of update. But for now, I should go outside and explore a bit.

While browsing at a convenience store in Senegal, I couldn't help but notice a local dish called "Sarina"

I am writing to you from a pool lounge chair at a nice posh hotel in Senegal, West Africa. I hear tropical birds and there is a beach to the side. Even if it's the Atlantic Ocean, it turns green when you wade in deep enough.

In the past week, I attended "staging" at a very nice Sheraton in historic Philadelphia. Peace Corps have been very nice in giving us allowances, as we all got $160 each to spend for the next 2 days (alot more money than my mom gave me). The workshops take up most of our time, but we've gotten to know each other really well in the process. Although, nighttime is still the time to party and the excess amounts of money and the abundance of nice fancy restaurants and cool bars have gotten me right back into the "party" mode of my college years. We had a good time in Philly, and then on our way to JFK airport, we drove through Manhattan NYC. It was our last glimpses of America for the next few years.

There is 25 of us in the 2005 group leaving for Cape Verde. Almost half male and female and there is one married couple within. We are all from different parts from the USA and at different parts of life. Being a recent college graduate, sometimes I feel out of place with others who have embarked on the real world. So far, these are the nicest and most interesting group of people I have ever met, and I am humbled to be with close with this group for the next few months. Even now, we feel we are indeed a family.

However, we are still "in transit" to our country, Cape Verde. We got news that the airline that was flying us out of Senegal was shutting down for an indefinite amount of time. Rumors started that we would be changing our flight plans, either staying another night in Philadelphia, or connecting to Cape Verde through Spain, or Portugal (a rumor that got us really excited). But we are stuck in Senegal, for now... for I don't know how long. Honestly I won't be suprised if we made it there next month.

But I am definitely in Africa. As far as culture shock, I'm only suprised with myself. Senegal is exactly the way I pictured it. There is development going on everywhere, but every 2 seconds you see a nice mansion or a very established small business. And when I mean established business, I'm talking about someones restaurant that is actually serving food from their own kitchen and there is only one dish on the menu. I am handling myself very well and have found the people here very nice. We will be leaving sometime soon, but I have enjoyed our time in Senegal.

One thing that I have to adjust to is how everything just moves ridiculously slow, like there is no point. People take the longest time to speak, people wander the streets aimlessly and the locals don't care to stare unlike what I imagined. This slow attitude makes sense, but my extremely organized, on time way of getting things done is conflicting. Even the current volunteers here in Senegal speak in the same demeanor as their host country. Which is, speaking very slowly and without any enthusiasm or assuredness. Sometimes we sit around doing absolutely nothing, just waiting and waiting until something goes on. But I still have to tell myself, that this is exactly what life in Senegal is about. Each day just leads to the next and you have to just keep it slow.

So far we have been staying at this hotel by the beach, and before that we spent a day at a Peace Corps transit house in Senegal. Basically a local house with bunk beds enough to house 8, that are from the Peace Corps for volunteers who travel around. There is a security guard here at all times and some volunteers have just come and go in our short time there. The impression I believe is that anytime I want to visit Senegal again, I should depend on this house for a stay.

The latest rumor has us flying out tonight, but no definite way of transporting ourself to the airport. We have resorted to keeping ourself entertained. Card games, pool, beach, and the $2 beers at the bar. I wish we can stay here longer, but I still feel chained down and it makes rather be in the Verde. We're still indeed going, we're just unsure right now.

Talk to you soon. Hopefully we'll figure things out.

What is the US Peace Corps?

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps to promote world peace and friendship.

Three simple goals comprise the Peace Corps' mission:

1. Helping the people of interested countries in meeting their needs for trained men and women.
2. Helping promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.
3. Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of all Americans.

Since 1961, Peace Corps have sent volunteers to 138 countries worldwide. Countries include:

Afghanistan, Albania, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Republic of, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada and Cariacou, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kyrgyz Republic, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Lithuania, Libya, Macedonia, Former Yugoslav Republic of, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Republic of, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, St. Kitts/Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovak Republic, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Tanzania, Thailand, The Gambia, Togo, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Turks - Caicos, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

What did you get assigned to?

Country: Cape Verde Islands

Program: Community Development

Job Title: Information Technology

Dates of Service: September 2005 - 2007

Orientation Dates : July 5 - 7, 2005

Pre-Service Training (in Cape Verde Islands): July 8 - September 18, 2005

Your Primary Duties: As an Information Technology Adviser, you will be assigned to a Camara (Municipality Office), a youth organization, a local NGO or other host agency on one of the eight inhabited islands. You will be considered part of the staff of the institution. Each institution has its own program and needs. To work with such diverse needs, PC/CV calls on volunteers with different backgrounds and abilities for this assignment.

Where can I go for more info?

SoYouWanna.com has a great article on applying and the basic nuts and bolts. Of course as well, there is also the Peace Corps Main Page.

The following are terms which are helpful in understand when reading this weblog. I will most likely toss these terms left and right and will assume that most people know what they mean.

Assignment: The location and job the volunteer is placed in

APCD: Associate Peace Corps Director. A host-country national in charge of that region's program

CD: Country Director. The one in charge of the volunteers in that country

COS: Close of Service. The end of a volunteer's service

Country Desk: The department representing regional countries, at Peace Corps headquarters in Washington D.C.

ET: Early Termination. Leaving, for whatever reason, before COS

Homestay: Part of training where the volunteer lives with a member of the community (the owners of the house are often referred to as "family," i.e. mother, brother, etc.)

HCN: Host Country National. A person from the Host Country.

Host Country: The country where the volunteer is serving

Invitation: A formal summons to serve in a specific job/country after receiving medical/legal clearance, which marks the beginning of one's official Trainee status

IOS: Interruption of Service. When local political or environmental conditions require the entire program to be pulled from an area

IST: In-Service Training. A secondary training event that happens mid-service

LCF: Language and Cross-Cultural Facilitator. Trainers responsible for language and culture sections during PST

Medevac: Medically Evacuate. To return a volunteer to the States for medical treatment, usually because they have an injury/illness that is untreatable in-country

Nomination: A proposed invite to a very general region and job area made during the early application process, pending medical/legal clearance; highly subject to change

OMS: Office of Medical Services

PC: Peace Corps

PCMO: Peace Corps Medical Officer. The nurse or doctor in charge of all that country's volunteers

PCT: Peace Corps Trainee. Volunteer's title during training and before becoming an official volunteer

PCV: Peace Corps Volunteer

PST: Pre-Service Training. The training program, usually 3 months long, that teaches volunteers language, cross-cultural sensitivity, and job skills before they begin their official service

RPCV: Returned Peace Corps Volunteer

Site: The location where the volunteer lives and works for 2 years

Staging: The first day of training, held in the U.S., before flying out to the host country

Swearing-In: The ceremony that accompanies transition from PCT to PCV

The text of an e-mail I wrote to everybody, in case you didn't get it :)

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Ola!

This is a last minute "how to contact me" type of e-mail. I believe I have everybody's e-mail that I asked for, but if you know anybody else who should be on this list, and is not listed, please forward this to him/her and me so I can update my address book.

First things first. I depart for my Peace Corps service in Cape Verde on July 5th. After that, you might not hear from me in months. DON'T PANIC. I am ok. Just because you haven't heard from me doesn't mean you shouldn't stop writing your letters or sending your e-mails.

My address during Pre-Service Training is:

Sarin Va, PCT
A/C Corpo da Paz
C.P. 373 - Praia
Republic of Cape Verde

Certain things to remember:

-My dates of service runs through September 2007, in which I most likely not come home to visit. In fact, I might not be home for months even after my service ends. Remember 2 and a quarter years is still a minimum and that I will be here until I decide my work is done. Be aware that I am given 24 vacation days a year, so VISIT ME!

-But I am not allowed vacation days in my first 6 months. You're looking at a January vacation if you are interested in visiting.

-E-mail, although sporadic, is my preferred method of communication.

-Although "snail mail" is alot more personal. Keep in mind "patience" is key. Envelopes and letters typically take about a month to send/receive.

-Cape Verde just recently introduced broadband internet access at around $70USD a month. I get paid around $400 a month. I suspect internet access at home to be very limited.

-I can receive mail at the Peace Corps Office from day 1. I can also check and send my e-mail there. After Peace Corps training, we all move to our respective sites, away from each other, but I still don't know the physical address of my house or place of residence.

-As far as getting into a place of residence after training, expect that to change several times before finally settling in. After that, I can receive mail at that address.

-I should have electricity and maybe internet access at my job, note SHOULD. My assignment is in Information Technology, but I don't know how behind in technology my work will be.

-On top of that, I am not guaranteed electricity or local internet access as per my housing agreement. I'm not even guaranteed running water. However I’ve mentally prepared myself for the worse, and will live with what I have.

Several tips:

-Absolutely try and use "Aerograms" at all times - generally a blue sheet of paper that folds into an envelope. They can be found at the post office and most stationary stores. They are cheap and also VERY effective in mailing.

-If you send a postcard, please put it in an envelope.

-Number your letters in case I am missing one of them. Also include "Air Mail" and "Par Avion" on the outside. In addition, you should also write "Via Portugal" below my address.

-If sending a care package, please use a padded envelope instead of a box as they get taxed more frequently.

-Please refrain from sending items of high value.

-If sending a care package, please include a packing list so I can know if anything has been stolen. Remember, these postal workers are not USPS and some of them can be very corrupt. Also, write the address in red ink. And draw some religious symbols too. The Cape Verdeans are Roman Catholic in case you are wondering.

-If you do not hear from me in a couple of months, wait a couple more. Mail can be very slow, and e-mail might be sporadic. There is no guarantee that you will get a swift response from me.

-Read my weblog. It might save you some time. Leave comments on my posts and I’ll give you preferred treatment.

-Start writing letters now, so I can feel a bit less lonely this summer at training.

There, that should be enough to get you started. In addition, I would like to ask you to e-mail me your home address now if I don't have it already... and send me your home address ANYTIME that changes. Also, feel free to e-mail me any pictures or birthday reminders.

I will try to update my weblog and post pictures as often as possible. Even if I won't have access, I will spend time writing entries on my laptop to save for later. Not every country practices the same 1st amendment rights as we do, but in the event that my weblog needs to be taken down, I will block it with a password. If that happens, I will let you know. In case you've never read my blog before, the address is

http://www.killercars.net.

Save it.

My photos, of course is

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sarinva/

Whoever chooses to visit, write to me for more information. Also visit the Consular Information Sheet

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1083.html

for planning, and try to book your flights early for the best deals. Right now, a January departure estimates at $1200 round trip, a very good deal.

I will probably post on my blog later about good care package items. Most likely stuff I forgot to pack or didn’t pack enough. Thanks for your support everyone, and I hope to see you sometime soon!

My final packing list, after weeks and weeks of research and prioritizing myself.

Criteria: 2 Pieces of checked baggage with weight not exceeding 80 pounds and not one bag weighing over 50 pounds. Plus a carry-on bag.

To Bring it in:
1 EMS Large Camp Duffel (checked)
1 EMS Med Hiking backpack (checked)
1 Gym bag (carry-on)
(notice the complete lack of wheels or any silly toys)

Clothes:
Jeans (2)
Khakis (2)
Dress pants (1)
Dress shirts (5)
T-Shirts (5)
Long sleeved shirts (1)
Polos (4)
Tank Tops (4)
Casual shorts (2)
Sport short (2)
Swim Trunks (1)
Ties (2)
Blazer (1)
Belt (1)
Running/sport shoe (1)
Chaco Z/2 hiking sandals (1)
Durable oxford shoe (1)
Sweatshirt (1)
Watch (2)
Hats/caps (Boston Red Sox Cap)
Socks (5)
Underwear (9 pairs)
Rainjacket (1)

Toiletries:
Razors (about 7 cartridges)
Toothbrushes
Toothpaste
Deodorant
Tweezers
Nail clippers
Floss (lots of it)
Ear plugs
Sunscreen
Bar of soap and holder
Small mirror
Wash cloth
Medium Towel
Shampoo
Hair gel

Electronics:
Laptop (Dell 5100, as handed down from my brother)
Laptop charger
USB Mouse
Digital Camera w/256mb card and case
Ipod w/charger and cables
Small speakers
Adapter plugs (3)
Flash drive (also works as a card reader)
Rechargeable batts w/charger
Hand crankable Shortwave radio
Flashlight
External hard drive with cables (easier to fit movies into)
Discman with power adapter

Kitchen:
18 Inch Nonstick frying pan (this was amazing to fit)
Can opener
Freezer ziploc bags

Miscellaneous items:
Hand sanitizer
Bed sheets
Leatherman multipurpose tool
Alarm clock
Duct tape
Sleeping bag
Sleeping pad
Travel Iron
Books of postage stamps
Nalgene bottle
Eyeglasses
Cleaning solutions
Scissors
small sewing kit
Pepto-Bismol
Ibuprofen
Money belt
Headlamp (funniest invention ever)

Other:
Photo albums of family/friends
Wall decorations (lots of stuff cut out of calendars)
World map
Journals
Pens
Durable deck of cards
Hackey sack
Postcards of RI/USA
My portfolio holding all my paperwork

That should do it.

I fit my sleeping bag and pad, along with bed sheets, computer speakers and a frying pan in the hiking backpack. The Peace Corps stores one of your bags away from you during training and you won't see it again until you move to your respective site. Luckily, I will not need these items anyway, and am prepared in giving them my hiking backpack.

I will update later on how well this list worked for me. I also have to keep telling myself that I can get items at staging or at the country if I need to.