Survived 1st week of Training

Hey guys! Only have a few minutes-long line at the cafe here.
Things are good. My host family is really nice. My room is good but the
casa de banho is def. outside! And they do some of the cooking outside too.
So it´s pretty much like camping sans the tent. Ido have a mosquito net so like an indoor
tent and a water filter, so I am safe. Plus we got the malaria drugs last weekend that I take
every week.

Language is coming along and the training sessions are a lot of information.~So pretty much we are
tired every day from thinking so much and in Portuguese.

So send me emails! I will keep you posted about phone options but at this point I don´t have
many options for that.

Cheers!

Address Update/Change

So in a session today we got word that the package mailing address is really the one people should use and not the P. O. (C.P.) box one for ALL mail, not just packages.

So that address is:

Julia Marsh, PCT
c/o Corpo da Paz/Peace Corps
Avenida do Zimbabwe, 345
Maputo
Mozambique

If you did already send something to the other addy, they said I should sill get it somehow.


They also gave some tips as to how to deter theft of the packages:

1. Mark the box with phrases like "Jesus Saves" or other religious stickers, symbols i.e. crosses, pictures of Mother Mary etc..

2. On the customs forms, use alternate words for items then what they really are-be creative
i.e. food= snacks
cds/movies= religious tapes or educational materials

3. Never but the true value of the item(s) in the form

Also they said not to ship any packages after the 4th or 5th week of our PST (pre service training) time as it will not get there before we leave for our sites and then it may take a loong time for them to get it up to us at our sites depending on where we are posted.

ok, am off to Namaacha, my new home for 10 weeks to meet our host families and get all settled in.

Excited and nervous!

After our last gourmet buffet feast at this crazy posh hotel, we are loading the buses for the 2 hr journey to Namaacha. I guess it is up in the hills/higher elevation and beautiful. Will try to put up some pix in my next post. Haven't taken many yet and having camera card issues. But soon I will.

Also, won't get to post often from Namaacha, as they said there are only about 2 computers that work with internet, but when I do, I will have several posts ready to cut and paste up here.

Tchau for now!

Information Overload

In a nut shell:
meetings on: medical, security, pre-service training
medical interviews; language placement interviews
more great buffet meals at this amazing hotel
more information and booklets than 1 jetlagged brain
can absorb and comprehend.
Also met the CD (country director) this morn; he is cool.

we also met in our project groups ( I am community health); met our training staff; applied for more permanent visas had our pictures taken

busy day!

Tomorrow we finish up here and then head to Namaacha to meet our host families and begin our homestays.

10 intensive weeks of training beging Monday.

I will be getting my cell phone next weekend and it will be very exp. to call out but can receive inbound calls for very cheap. So get those calling cards ready and I will find a way to post the # once I know it.

ok off to bed as we have a 6:30 am start tomorrow!

Til next time,

Julia

PS Got the malaria drugs today

Journey 1/2 Way Around The World

I have spent the past 2 days (1 got lost in there somewhere though I think) on a journey half way around the world to Mozambique in SE Africa. It was long and tiring, however went so much better than I could have imagined. We all arrived safely and are settled in at our posh hotel (2nd nicest in all of Mozambique).

Journey Highlights
Leg 1: Philadelphia to JFK vis bus:
Driving across a huge beautiful bridge heading into NY and seeing part of the city skyline-beautiful; unfortunately we had no idea the name of the bridge we were on

Checking in at JFK:
We arrived at JFK 6 hours prior to our flight to Joburg (5:30AM) and our gate did not even open for check in until 7:30AM. Needless to say we had some time to kill. Basically we all just piled up on the floor at the back of the terminal-65 peeps and 130 bags.. quite a pile and quite a site.. some sleeping, some playing games/cards etc... some getting great breakfast at the place downstairs (me)

After a looong check in process, we were joyfully rid our our gigantuan luggage (note for Mom: South African Air did not charge me for my overwight bag! YEA!!!!)

Since I still had quite awhile before we boarded, I treated my self and sore back and shoulders from carrying a 50lb backpack to a chair massage at the spa. It was amazing and afterwards I got to sit in the massaging chair contraption thingy for an hour and just rest.

Leg 2: JFK to Joburg
My biggest praise thus far was that I was actually able to sleep on an airplane ( thanks to a little help from Tylenol P.M.) and overall the 15 hr flight seemed to go sooo quickly! It was amazing!! I ended up getting an aisle seat after being previously squished in a middle. That was an extra bonus!
Excitedly we landed in Joberg but the airport is so modern and commercial that it still didn´t really seem like Africa.
Memorable moment at security-they tried to tell me I could only take 4 batteries in with me! I had 5 sets of AA and 2 of AAA. After some discussion, the security guy decided that it would be fine for me to pass them to my friends in line behind me and let them carry them thru for me in their bags... made no sense.... but in the end my "contraband" batteries and I made it thru.

We had quite another long layover in Joberg before our flight to Maputo which was spent dining at a great restaurant (avocado and chicken sandwhich!) with a cool view and then more waiting in piles of people and bags on the floor and terminal chairs.

After 2 gate changes, we finally finally assembled at our gate and boarded our flight to Maputo!!!

Leg 3: Joberg to Maputo

The flight was smooth and quick and the seats were bigger/wider than the ones on the long flight-go figure...

anyway.. all was well until we got to baggage claim and about 8 of us were missing 1 of our checked bags. Thankfully the one I was missing was the one I had packed for long term and the one I need for the 1st 10 weeks was with me. After filling out the claims forms we were assured that this happened often and that they would come on the next flight. So we boarded the small bus with others to the hotel.
Upon arrival to the hotel lobby-we spotted our missing bags! Apparently PC staff had just grabbed any and all bags marked with our tags and loaded them in the trucks for transport to the hotel without letting people know....so alls well that ends well... have both my bags.~

After a briefing, we all waited around for our 1st exciting activity-vaccinations!! yea! so fun..~
we sat outside on the grounds of this very nice hotel until our name was called for the shots and by then it was time for dinner.

Dinner was amazing- an elaborate buffet of all kinds of wonderful food.

So there you have it- the journey to Maputo!

We have more fun shots tomorrow and 2 days of meetings and then we leave Sat. for our homestays.

Thank you all so much for you love, support, thoughts and prayers. It really was a smooth ride and I am so excited to be here!

I`ll be in touch at least once more before we head out to the village.~

Tchau!

Phone lines & Packing Issues

Well, bag is still overweight, but we have decided to pay the overage fees and just go with it esp.
since I didn't pay a dime for the plane ticket. we are taking the bags over to the Lansing airport later to weight them there so I know for sure where I'm at... sigh

And now we have no internet at the house b/c the phone lines are down thanks to a storm last night. So we are at the neighbors using their net which is thru cable and not down... thanks Jenna

anyway..next post will probably be from Philly!

Fare thee well friends!!

Jules

Drumroll Please.....

Introducing the new and improved BLOG!!
This is where you will find exciting tales and perhaps somber stories of my adventures as a Peace Corps volunteer to Mozambique! Not sure how often I will have the opportunity to post, but when I do, I will do my best to bring you up to speed and put up some pix too.

Ok, here's the dealio: I leave in oh, roughly 30 hours and this is what my life will look like for the next few days/weeks/months:

I depart from Michigan VERY early on Tues. morning 9/29/09 for Philadelphia, PA.
There I will meet up with about 61 of my fellow PCT (Peace Corps Trainees) for our "staging" event. This basically involves turning in paper work and a big, long meeting. After that, I plan to run the Rocky stairs, soak in the hotel's hot tub and then lie down as flat and long and stretched out as humanly possible, as I will not get to do so again for many, many, many hours!!

Cursedly, we must load the buses for JFK airport (in NYC) at 3:00AM!! Not sure why, but that's what the paperwork says. We depart from JFK around 11A on South African Airways, which I hear is nice, meaning personal entertainment units at the seats.

After the long, arduous 15 hour flight to Jburg, SA (Johannesburg, South Africa) we lay over and switch planes to continue the last leg of our journey into Maputo, the capital of Mozambique.

Upon arrival on Oct. 1st at approx 3pm Moz. time, we are greeted by PC (Peace Corps) staff and then taken to a hotel in Maputo for our orientation. Thurs thru Sat. we have meetings, briefings by State Department officials, immunizations and language sessions.

On Sunday, we depart for Namaacha, a city about 1.5 hrs West of Maputo, where we will begin our 10 wk intensive training. We will be placed with Mozambican host families during this period in order to add to our language and cultural immersion. Our days in Namaacha will be spent in class learning language, cultural and technical skills for our various positions and our weekends on homework, often involving our host family and cultural elements. We will also have language tutoring in the afternoons. Needless to say, we will be busy!

Upon successful completion of our training and demonstrated language proficiency at a certain level, we will be sworn in as Peace Corps VOLUNTEERS (PCVs) on December 11th.

At that point, we will move to our long-term site locations, where will we serve for 2 years. Site placement occurs towards the end of training.

SUMMARY
Tues. Sept 29, 2009: Depart MI for Staging in Philly
Weds. Sept. 30, 2009: Depart for Mozambique from JFK thru Jburg
Thurs. Oct. 1, 2009: Arrive Maputo
Oct. 1-3, 2009: Orientation in Maputo
Sun. Oct. 4, 2009: Travel to Namaacha to begin training and homestays
Oct. 5-Dec. 10, 2009: Training
December 11, 2009: Swearing in Ceremony
December 14, 2009: Move to permanent site location-TBD

OK, well that is probably way more info than most of you care to know, but since I hadn't posted in months, thought that I should do a thorough update. I promise not all of my posts will be this long-winded. Maybe most..lol

Anyway, my address, for the 1st 10 weeks at least, is listed there to side. Please write, but note that it may take a very long time for me to receive your mail and even longer for you to receive post back from me.

Well, "Boa Noite" (good night) for now. I am off to reback my bag for the 3rd time, as it is still overweight!

TCHAU!

The Long -Awaited Peace Corps Placement

MOZAMBIQUE

Dear Friends,

I am delighted to share that I have received an official invitation from the Peace Corps to serve in Mozambique! I will be an HIV/AIDS Community Health Promoter working with NGOs (nongovernmental organizations) or community based organizations (CBOs) to strengthen program capacity by helping them improve their HIV/AIDS prevention and care projects.

I depart for Orientation on September 28, 2009 and begin my Pre-Service Training in Mozambique on October 1, 2009. I move to my job site in December and serve there for 2 years. So I should be back just before Christmas, 2011!

Here are some links to learn more about the Peace Corps and Mozambique, but feel free to ask me questions as well.

www.peacecorp.gov

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mz.html

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/7035.htm

I can definitely have visitors, so come on over! Otherwise I would totally appreciate your prayers and letters.

I may or may not have access to the internet and email regularly, but even if not, I will attempt to get updates back to the states on a regular basis by mail.

Thanks for all your support and encouragement throughout this journey and now the real adventure begins!

Joyfully,

Julia