PCV John Macom says: Today was moving day! Early this morning we broke off into groups of 6 and headed to our home stay villages.



PCV John Macom says: Today was moving day! Early this morning we broke off into groups of 6 and headed to our home stay villages.

Sunday June 12th 2005
Salkhit
Today was moving day! Early this morning we broke off into groups of 6 and headed to our home stay villages. Each village only has 6 Americans, so I had to say good bye to 45 Peace Corps volunteers who I wont see for awhile. As we were packing up our stuff into the minivans, several homeless children were straying way to close to our belongings, and it was obvious that they were trying to steal our bags. The trip by minivan was uneventful, but crowded, since there were 8 people plus all our bags crammed into this van. The ride was around 30 mins, and took place over almost all dirt roads. We arrived at Salkhit’s school. The town is really tiny about 1,000 people and is out in the middle of nowhere. The families that are hosting us were all there to greet us. They are as excited and nervous as us. I am introduced to my Mongol father who takes me around the side of the school to where his apartment is. The outside is run down, but once you enter, it is beautiful. It is a 2 bedroom, 1 living room, and 1 kitchen apartment, which is big for Mongolians. I meet his son and daughter, and several other girls. Other cousins, and brothers come to by visit. Conversation is really hard and tiring. I am fed rice ham, and some type of meat that I don’t even want to know what it was. I then go take a nap for 3 hours(lol nap) and wake up to have meat dumplings. At 8pm we go back to the school to meet the other Peace Corps peeps, and are given a tour of the town, which is the school, the store, the post office, and the train station. I come back home and play cards although I have no clue how to play the game. We also watch tv, American movies dubbed into Mongolian, “You Got Mail.” It is pretty hard to have a conversation when you cant speak to each other. It is hard. I showed them pictures of home, which made me a little homesick. My host father is the mayor of some sort of the town, so has clout here. Right now I am watching an ox walk past my window, which is amazing in itself.

When this story was posted in June 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:



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The Peace Corps Library Peace Corps Online is proud to announce that the Peace Corps Library is now available online. With over 30,000 index entries in 500 categories, this is the largest collection of Peace Corps related stories in the world. From Acting to Zucchini, you can find hundreds of stories about what RPCVs with your same interests or from your Country of Service are doing today. If you have a web site, support the "Peace Corps Library" and link to it today.

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American Taboo: A Peace Corps Tragedy Returned Volunteers met with author Philip Weiss in Baltimore on June 18 to discuss the murder of Peace Corps Volunteer Deborah Gardner. Weiss was a member of a panel that included three psychiatrists and a criminal attorney. Meanwhile, the Seattle U.S. Attorney's office announced that Dennis Priven cannot be retried for the murder. "We do not believe this case can be prosecuted by anyone, not only us, but in any other jurisdiction in the United States." Read background on the case here.

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June 16, 2005: Special Events Philip Weiss, PCV murder writer, speaks in Baltimore June 18 "Rainforests and Refugees" showing in Portland, Maine until June 25 "Iowa in Ghana" on exhibit in Waterloo through June 30 NPCA to hold Virtual Leaders Forum on July 29 RPCV's "Taking the Early Bus" at Cal State until Aug 15 "Artists and Patrons in Traditional African Cultures" in NY thru Sept 30 RPCVs: Post your stories or press releases here for inclusion next week.

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June 14: Peace Corps suspends Haiti program After Uzbekistan, the Peace Corps has announced the suspension of a second program this month - this time in Haiti. Background: The suspension comes after a US Embassy warning, a request from Tom Lantos' office, and the program suspension last year. For the record: PCOL supports Peace Corps' decision to suspend the two programs and commends the agency for the efficient way PCVs were evacuated safely. Our only concern now is with the placement of evacuated PCVs and the support they receive after interrupted service.

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June 6: PC suspends Uzbekistan program Peace Corps has announced that it is suspending the Uzbekistan program after the visas of 52 Peace Corps volunteers who arrived in January were not renewed. The suspension comes after a State Department warning that terrorist groups may be planning attacks in Uzbekistan and after the killings in Andizhan earlier in May. Background: PCOL published a report on April 23 that Peace Corps volunteers who arrived in January were having visa difficulties and reported on safety and visa issues in Uzbekistan as they developed.

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June 6, 2005: This Week's Top Stories Kinky Friedman will "sign anything except bad legislation" 6 Jun Niels Marquardt Makes Chimpanzee Protection a Priority 6 Jun Laurence Leamer needs approval for "Today" appearance 6 Jun Desperate Housewives' Ricardo Chavira is son of RPCVs 6 Jun Anthony Sandberg runs Berkeley sailing school 5 Jun Amy Smith field-tests sugarcane charcoal 5 Jun Mary Johnson organizes workshop on genocide 3 Jun Jonathan Lash in 100 most Influential Business Leaders 3 Jun Hastert jump-starts Chris Shays' Campaign 3 Jun John Coyne says 41 RPCVs applied for scholarships 3 Jun James Rupert writes on bombing in Kandahar mosque 1 Jun John McCain says to expand opportunities for service 1 Jun Jay Rockefeller's relationships with Japanese go way back 1 Jun Anat Shenker met her husband during service in Honduras 31 May Ryan Clancy punished without hearing for visiting Iraq 30 May Melissa Mosvick remembered as a fallen American hero 29 May Kurt Carlson played basketball against Togo's national team 29 May Helen Thomas's favorite president remains JFK 24 May

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