Break out the noisemakers and party hats! As of Nov 1, 2007, I am an official Peace Corps Volunteer! Let the 24 month countdown begin! (That´s me at swear-in with the beloved Ambassador of the US.)I still can’t decide if two years is a long time. Sometimes I look at it and think, “Two years is sophomore year in college. It wasn’t enough time to know anything.” Other times I remember that I only spent four months studying abroad, and I was more than ready to go home. I guess I am using the same mentality as when I ran a marathon. I have to focus on the here and now, and don’t look for the finish. Enjoy the ride. If I don’t, I’ll never survive.
I hope I don’t sound negative in my blog. There are so many things going on, so many new and strange experiences, so many frustrations that I really try to focus on the big picture. I just recount my trials and tribulations for the entertainment of family and friends, and so you can kind of get an idea of what life is like here on a day to day basis.
The last week of training we had a “commitment day.” It sounds pretty corny but I actually found it to be a rather poignant experience. All the trainees had to write a statement saying why we were committed to Peace Corps for two years and convince the country director that we should be sworn in as a volunteer. I’ll take a moment to what I scribbled down right before my name was called….
“My father was airlifted out of Vietnam when the government fell. The government burned his family’s papers. By a stroke of luck, he got to leave the country. The others in his family had no ID; they had no escape.
Growing up in the U.S., I have had all the opportunity I’ve ever wanted to create for myself, to do whatever I want in life. When I turn to look at my cousins in Vietnam and see the situation they live in, I feel the gap is just too large, too unexplainable. That easily could have been me. What did I ever do to be so lucky, to deserve so much?
The situation here in Bolivia, and in developing countries in general, is far too common and for me hits a little too close to home. If America is the land of opportunity where you can be what you want to be, I want to be a part of something larger than just me. So in the spirit of solidarity of those who do not have such freedoms, I have to fight. And that is why I am committed.”
1 comment:
Oh no, not the third prong!! I think most electronics don't need that third prong (extra ground?), regardless, it is an interesting observation...
Congrats again on officially being in the PC. You've made it through the most grueling 2-month in-country training imaginable! Oh wait, i recall you being bored off your bum most of the time ;-).
It's tough to get past the idea of random luck, it's just not a concept humans take to very easily. With our family, there was a lottery to get out of the USSR, and we happened to be selected. And later we were somehow able to get the rest of our closest relatives out as well. But what does create that gap between people, cultures, countries, and regions? It does seem inexplainable and very tough to remedy.
I think your fight for solidarity and equality will give you an even greater appreciation for these circumstances. On top of that, a sense of validation for doing the "right" thing with the lucky gift of freedom you received. I place full faith in you, I know you are committed, and I believe you can make a difference.
--Alex
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