2006.05.08: May 8, 2006: Headlines: COS - Morocco: Blogs - Morocco: Personal Web Site: Morocco Peace Corps Volunteer Lauren writes: What I've learned about the Peace Corps....Thus far
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2006.05.08: May 8, 2006: Headlines: COS - Morocco: Blogs - Morocco: Personal Web Site: Morocco Peace Corps Volunteer Lauren writes: What I've learned about the Peace Corps....Thus far
Morocco Peace Corps Volunteer Lauren writes: What I've learned about the Peace Corps....Thus far
"I've learned the power of women in this society and the power of the woman in the household. I've learned that, like any country, there are going to be a variety of cultures, beliefs, personalities, and practices. There are people who are incredibly welcoming and those who are not, just as in America. "
Morocco Peace Corps Volunteer Lauren writes: What I've learned about the Peace Corps....Thus far
Monday, May 08, 2006
What I've learned about the Peace Corps....Thus far.
I've only been in Morocco 2 month's and during this time period, I've learned a vast amount of things about the Peace Corps and Morocco.
I've learned to never except anything because the Peace Corps is only a series of surprises.
I've learned that while in Morocco you can be in one region where it is snowing and travel 6 hours and be in the desert. I've learned to never except your travel plans to work out or be extremely comfortable/safe. This is because you normally have to wait on a grand taxi until you have 6 people to fill up the taxi or you take a bus around the mountains and you feel as if the brakes will fail at any moment.
I've learned that you will re-evaluate your definition of beauty over and over again, because you see all the layers of beauty in another country. You will never be clean or look put together in the "bled," but you realize that you don't care because you haven't seen a mirror in a month.
You learn that donkeys can be an amazing form of transportation if you live in a small down.
You realize that the landscape can be anything from extremely beautiful to extremely barren.
I've learned to eat solely with my hands,
I've learned how to not overeat couscous,
I've learned to drink 17 glasses of tea a day, and yes I've learned to cook bread.
I've learned that for some reason everyone at my site thinks that the best well water has fish in it..?
I've learned that no matter how well I did at language in comparison to others in my group, that some woman in the bled will always tell me I know nothing. Therefore I've learned how confident I really am and how your confidence plays a major role in your success as a volunteer.
I've learned that it is possible to find an amazing friend in a language you don't even speak, because I have many Moroccan friends and my language is only now developing.
I've learned the power of women in this society and the power of the woman in the household. I've learned that, like any country, there are going to be a variety of cultures, beliefs, personalities, and practices. There are people who are incredibly welcoming and those who are not, just as in America.
I've learned how to properly make a well and how to find water sources in remote areas of Morocco.
I've learned that I actually don't value electricity and I'm actually disappointed I have it in my site.
A final note~ Congratulations to all of my friends that graduated this weekend and good luck.
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Headlines: May, 2006; COS - Morocco; Blogs - Morocco
When this story was posted in November 2006, this was on the front page of PCOL:
Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
| Ron Tschetter in Morocco and Jordan On his first official trip since being confirmed as Peace Corps Director, Ron Tschetter (shown at left with PCV Tia Tucker) is on a ten day trip to Morocco and Jordan. Traveling with his wife (Both are RPCVs.), Tschetter met with volunteers in Morocco working in environment, youth development, health, and small business development. He began his trip to Jordan by meeting with His Majesty King Abdullah II and Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah and discussed expanding the program there in the near future. |
| Chris Dodd's Vision for the Peace Corps Senator Chris Dodd (RPCV Dominican Republic) spoke at the ceremony for this year's Shriver Award and elaborated on issues he raised at Ron Tschetter's hearings. Dodd plans to introduce legislation that may include: setting aside a portion of Peace Corps' budget as seed money for demonstration projects and third goal activities (after adjusting the annual budget upward to accommodate the added expense), more volunteer input into Peace Corps operations, removing medical, healthcare and tax impediments that discourage older volunteers, providing more transparency in the medical screening and appeals process, a more comprehensive health safety net for recently-returned volunteers, and authorizing volunteers to accept, under certain circumstances, private donations to support their development projects. He plans to circulate draft legislation for review to members of the Peace Corps community and welcomes RPCV comments. |
| He served with honor One year ago, Staff Sgt. Robert J. Paul (RPCV Kenya) carried on an ongoing dialog on this website on the military and the peace corps and his role as a member of a Civil Affairs Team in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have just received a report that Sargeant Paul has been killed by a car bomb in Kabul. Words cannot express our feeling of loss for this tremendous injury to the entire RPCV community. Most of us didn't know him personally but we knew him from his words. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends. He was one of ours and he served with honor. |
| Peace Corps' Screening and Medical Clearance The purpose of Peace Corps' screening and medical clearance process is to ensure safe accommodation for applicants and minimize undue risk exposure for volunteers to allow PCVS to complete their service without compromising their entry health status. To further these goals, PCOL has obtained a copy of the Peace Corps Screening Guidelines Manual through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and has posted it in the "Peace Corps Library." Applicants and Medical Professionals (especially those who have already served as volunteers) are urged to review the guidelines and leave their comments and suggestions. Then read the story of one RPCV's journey through medical screening and his suggestions for changes to the process. |
| The Peace Corps is "fashionable" again The LA Times says that "the Peace Corps is booming again and "It's hard to know exactly what's behind the resurgence." PCOL Comment: Since the founding of the Peace Corps 45 years ago, Americans have answered Kennedy's call: "Ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man." Over 182,000 have served. Another 200,000 have applied and been unable to serve because of lack of Congressional funding. The Peace Corps has never gone out of fashion. It's Congress that hasn't been keeping pace. |
| PCOL readership increases 100% Monthly readership on "Peace Corps Online" has increased in the past twelve months to 350,000 visitors - over eleven thousand every day - a 100% increase since this time last year. Thanks again, RPCVs and Friends of the Peace Corps, for making PCOL your source of information for the Peace Corps community. And thanks for supporting the Peace Corps Library and History of the Peace Corps. Stay tuned, the best is yet to come. |
| History of the Peace Corps PCOL is proud to announce that Phase One of the "History of the Peace Corps" is now available online. This installment includes over 5,000 pages of primary source documents from the archives of the Peace Corps including every issue of "Peace Corps News," "Peace Corps Times," "Peace Corps Volunteer," "Action Update," and every annual report of the Peace Corps to Congress since 1961. "Ask Not" is an ongoing project. Read how you can help. |
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