August 8, 2004: Headlines: COS - East Timor: Sunday News Lancaster, PA: Emily J. Alvarez spends her two-year journey in the small Pacific Island country of East Timor

Peace Corps Online: Directory: East Timor: Peace Corps East Timor : The Peace Corps in East Timor: August 8, 2004: Headlines: COS - East Timor: Sunday News Lancaster, PA: Emily J. Alvarez spends her two-year journey in the small Pacific Island country of East Timor

By Admin1 (admin) (pool-151-196-239-147.balt.east.verizon.net - 151.196.239.147) on Friday, August 13, 2004 - 6:34 pm: Edit Post

Emily J. Alvarez spends her two-year journey in the small Pacific Island country of East Timor

Emily J. Alvarez spends her two-year journey in the small Pacific Island country of East Timor

Emily J. Alvarez spends her two-year journey in the small Pacific Island country of East Timor

Emily J. Alvarez will give Peace Corps a chance in East Timor

Aug 8, 2004

Sunday News Lancaster, PA

byKristy Reel

kreellnpnews.com When Emily J. Alvarez signed up for the Peace Corps, she was excited to learn that posts were available in the Caribbean islands and Eastern Europe. She chose the Caribbean, thinking of a tropical paradise in Barbados and waited for a confirmation.

But near the end of her senior year at Swarthmore College, when the curly haired 22-year-old received her Peace Corps acceptance letter, she was informed she would be spending her two-year journey in the small Pacific Island country of East Timor.

"I had never heard of it before," she said. "I didn't know where it was or anything about it."

Once she did some research, however, Alvarez became excited about the opportunity.

"I really enjoy going to different places and exploring different cultures," she said. "It will be kind of like the Caribbean, just on the other side of the world!"

Alvarez's ensemble of volunteers will be only the second Peace Corps crew to be stationed in East Timor.

Formerly a colony of Portugal, Timor, between the Pacific and Indian oceans, declared independence on Nov. 28, 1975, only to be invaded and occupied by Indonesia less than two weeks later. "East Timor" became an Indonesian province and experienced much death and bloodshed before it declared independence from Indonesia on May 20, 2002, with help from the United Nations.

The mountainous country with a population of 800,000 is roughly the size of Connecticut and has a hot, tropical climate with rainy and dry seasons. The Timonese people are devoutly religious, with 90 percent of the population identifying themselves as Roman Catholics.

Alvarez will leave Lancaster and arrive in Los Angeles, Calif., on Friday, Aug. 13, for orientation and preliminary training. She will leave for East Timor on August 14 and arrive in the capitol city of Dili on August 16. For three months, Alvarez will live with a host family in Dili, where she will learn the country's language and be immersed in the culture. After that, she will be posted to a village where she will remain for the next two years.

Birthplace: Queens, N.Y.

Family: Parents, Ismael "Izzy" and Carol Alvarez; brother, Christopher Alvarez; and sister, Rachel Alvarez Hoover.

Education: 2000 graduate of Lampeter-Strasburg High School; bachelor's degree from Swarthmore College in studio art and education, with a minor in psychology. I also studied abroad for a semester in Rome, Italy, under Temple University's Tyler School of Art program.

Pets: A very old dog named Buddy.

What I did this summer: Visited friends and family before leaving the country.

My greatest accomplishment: Getting through Swarthmore.

My greatest disappointment: Not getting to see EVERYONE before I leave.

My first job: Picking weeds in a vegetable garden at Hershey Farm Restaurant.

My parents always told me: Be good and have fun.

A person I admire and why: My parents because they sacrifice a lot for me and always support me in what I do.

Someone who has influenced my life: My community at Swarthmore.

I decided to enter the Peace Corps because: I wanted to travel and experience a new culture in a personal, community-oriented way.

My unfulfilled ambition: To live in Puerto Rico and learn Spanish fluently.

Dream job: Promoting arts awareness in urban areas and working with art education in the inner city.

One thing I've learned is: Swarthmore's motto from freshman year, "No matter what they say or do to me, I am still a worthwhile person!"

If I could have dinner with anyone in the world, living or dead, it would be: Jesus Christ.

What I like most about Lancaster County: My family lives here.

What I like least about Lancaster County: The stinky cows.

One cause I support wholeheartedly: The Peace Corps, of course!

Favorite restaurant: Restaurants in Philadelphia's Chinatown.

What makes me laugh: My goon friends and family.

The music I like best: Anything with a beat.

My idea of exercise: A nice hike in the woods or up a mountain.

My favorite vacation spot: Barcelona, Spain.

My hobbies include: Making art, reading, cooking, working with "angsty" adolescents, traveling, dance, and learning about world cultures.

My idea of a good time: Sitting with my friends arguing about postmodern art, religion, and politics (eeek!) and laughing about EVERYTHING.

Three words that describe me: Colorful laughing goon.

When I really want to relax, I: Take naps.

What I'd like to get around to doing one of these days: Going to art school and working in an art education program with "gangsta" kids.

Ten years from now I'd like to be: Still really happy.

Twenty years from now I'd like to be: Wise.




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Story Source: Sunday News Lancaster, PA

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - East Timor

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By Timothy (c-71-232-178-15.hsd1.ma.comcast.net - 71.232.178.15) on Monday, May 15, 2006 - 5:59 pm: Edit Post

Hi "Emily" are you reading this? Your answers to the questionaire remind me of my daughter. She is also going to East Timor. Would you be available to swap emails as I try to find out more about the new country and how our daughter will live for the next 27 months. Thanks Timothy


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