Peace Corps Volunteer gmh in Romania: The Peace Corps experience feels like life under a microscope where one can observe, internally and externally, diverse shapes and contents, solid colors, patterns, stark contrasts, equilibriums, and everything between



"I hope you enjoy some of these field notes and that it does some of what Peace Corps is meant to do: connect people who are in different spaces... afterall, isn't our biggest challenge that of figuring out what it is to be truly human and can't we all do that one thing together?"

Peace Corps Volunteer gmh in Romania: The Peace Corps experience feels like life under a microscope where one can observe, internally and externally, diverse shapes and contents, solid colors, patterns, stark contrasts, equilibriums, and everything between

Monday, August 15, 2005
starting

Hello and welcome. I am switching from mass emails to this new media; it seems more appropriate. For now I will be writing about this here Peace Corps experience in Bulgaria. I am starting my second year in the small town of Nikolaevo as a "community and organizational developer." I tend to write in abstract ways since I don't know how else to describe things, but will try to focus on the concrete stuff more, 'cause that's often what matters I suppose.

Here's getting out some of the abstractions:
The Peace Corps experience feels like life under a microscope where one can observe, internally and externally, diverse shapes and contents, solid colors, patterns, stark contrasts, equilibriums, and everything between. An easier way to think of it, though, is that it's an experience full of all kinds of circles. That is, in my often super simplified perspectives I often see things as either level or not, straight forward or backward, up or down; but crossing all the extremes eventually brings me back to spaces and times that so closely resemble others that the only difference seems to be how I think. After all, isn't the world round?

Bulgaria may seem far away from where y'all are, but I doubt it in terms of what makes us human. I hope you enjoy some of these field notes and that it does some of what Peace Corps is meant to do: connect people who are in different spaces... afterall, isn't our biggest challenge that of figuring out what it is to be truly human and can't we all do that one thing together?

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




Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers

Top Story: Military Option sparks concerns The U.S. military, struggling to fill its voluntary ranks, is allowing recruits to meet part of their reserve military obligations after active duty by serving in the Peace Corps. Read why there is opposition to the program among RPCVs. Director Vasquez says the agency has a long history of accepting qualified applicants who are in inactive military status. John Coyne says "Not only no, but hell no!" and RPCV Chris Matthews leads the debate on "Hardball." Latest: Avi Spiegel says Peace Corps is not the place for soldiers while Coleman McCarthy says to Welcome Soldiers to the Peace Corps. RPCVs: Take our Poll.

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Upcoming Events: Peace Corps Fund in NYC Peace Corps Fund announces Sept 29 Fund Raiser in NYC High Atlas Foundation Hosts a Reception in NYC on Sept 15 Jody Olsen to address Maryland RPCVs at Sept 17 picnic "Artists and Patrons in Traditional African Cultures" in NY thru Sept 30 See RPCV Musical "Doing Good" in CA through Sept "Iowa in Ghana" at "The Octogan" in Ames through October 7 RPCV Film Festival in DC in October RPCV's exhibit at Museum of Man in San Diego thru May 2006

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Top Stories: August 20, 2005 Jack Crandall writes "Memories relished by WWII Generation" Cris Groenendaal plays Phantom of Opera on Broadway 19 Aug Peace Corps Director Travels to Madagascar 19 Aug RPCV presents "Artists and Patrons in Traditional African Cultures" 19 Aug Robert Brown to head Southeast Asian Studies at UCLA 19 Aug Peter McPherson to head national university association 19 Aug Len Flier says US has lose-lose scenario in Iraq 18 Aug Ruth DeMaio sends aid to Niger 18 Aug Bob Taft pleads no contest to ethics law violation 18 Aug Antoinette Allen is Field Hockey coach at Hun School 16 Aug Tony Hall Avoids Mugabe on Zimbabwe trip 14 Aug Peace Corps Receives 2005 Medgar Evers Award 10 Aug Jeff Wray is filming "The Soul Searchers" 10 Aug 40th anniversary of Shriver's Foster Grandparent Program 9 Aug Tom Petri writes "It's not just about highways" 9 Aug Terry Dougherty brings students from Afghanistan to US 8 Aug Chris Newhall is leading volcano scientist 5 Aug Douglas Biklen appointed dean at Syracuse University 5 Aug Greg Kovalchuk and Mike Kelly Find Rare Fossil 4 Aug Edward O'Toole salvages furniture for schools in Honduras 3 Aug Gary Mount is Apple Grower Of The Year 1 Aug

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