I forgot to mention that I received my official Peace Corps invitation to Comoros. Yay! As time has gone by I have become less nervous and more excited.
As I have mentioned in previous posts it is very intimidating to be going into a new program. I can't simply follow in someone else's shoes- I have to define what Peace Corps will mean to my community. No other PCV will have lived at my site or worked in my school. Much of the PC staff will be new to this. There will be twenty of us spread over three islands, and though they are small islands there are no promises that we will be close to another volunteer. It is all very scary.
On the other hand I am hoping that working with a new program will have different advantages. I won't have to overcome anyone else's mistakes, I expect the staff will be more attentive to an opening cohort's needs, and I am hoping that I can have more of a future with the Peace Corps having been a part of a new program.
Also, Comoros seems pretty cool. It is a tiny chain of tropical volcanic islands off of the cost of Africa. Can't beat that for interesting.
I didn't have to reapply even though the first country I was being considered for, Sierra Leone, didn't open. I did have to answer a series of questions via email since a phone conference wasn't a great option. The questions mostly concerned how I felt about being part of a new program. I am hoping that the seriousness of the follow up questions means that this cohort will have many experienced and serious volunteers. I am now at an age where the just-out-of-college crowd isn't a draw and I'm not yet at an age where I find them charming.
Since receiving the invitation I have entered the pre-departure part of the process. It is actually a lot more aggravating than the application/interview/invitation part. I'm having to do everything from China and it is an added burden. I was able to apply for my no-fee passport but with some difficulty. It took two appointments and nearly involved tears. I am currently unable to find anywhere to do my fingerprints for the legal kit. I may have to do that myself. I have a dentist appointment soon but will have to pay out of pocket. It is going to add up to quite a lot. I didn't realize joining the Peace Corps would be such a financial burden!
I will update soon concerning the legal and medical clearance processes.
*If you are interested in more information about my experience with PC Comoros, check out this blog: This Alien Shore.*
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Korea vs. China
I have been meaning to write this post for ages but haven't been able to organize it. A question I am often is asked is whether I like Korea or China more. Both have advantages and disadvantages and I have decided to try to write a post exploring them.
While I was born in Germany and have traveled in Europe my first real experience living abroad was Korea. Moving abroad can be overwhelming. The culture shock and homesickness and knowing you have made a commitment that may trap you for the foreseeable future creates a great deal of pressure. I felt positively sick during the weeks before I left for Korea. I was certain that teaching in Korea was the wrong decision and that I would spend the year just trying to make it through.
Korea turned out to be quite easy. My recruiter helped arrange my visa and plan ticket. The school sent someone to pick me up from the airport and take me to a hotel. The head teacher from the school came by in the morning to take me around and tell me about the school. An apartment was provided for me. There was very little risk or hardship involved. Korea is very industrialized and many of the young people in the cities speak English. Most restaurants have an English menu. While Korea is distinct and different from the US I didn't find the culture shock to be so tremendous. Korea is a very safe and an easy place to teach abroad for the first time.
That being said- Korea is boring. It is nice, pretty, safe and convenient. All of those things have merit, but it is boring. Korean society can be very closed to non-Korean so most foreigners spend all of their time together. Visas are closely controlled in Korea so most of the foreigners there are teachers or students, which creates an insular social group that can feel claustrophobic and incestuous. There is also very little mobility there. You can be a teacher but that is about it. You'll likely never progress much beyond the job you first received when arriving in Korea. The people who have been there for five or six years don't seem to have done much with their lives. But the money is good! With little effort you can save quite a bit of money in a year. I have friends who paid off student loans or paid for Master's degrees after teaching in Korea for two years.
China, on the other hand, is more of a frontier. In Shanghai the opportunities are limitless. You have the freedom to do anything you like and the social scene is very diverse. Only a few of the people I have meet here are teachers or students and many of them aren't from English speaking countries. However, the risks are much greater and the experience wouldn't be as easy if this were my first time abroad. China is much more overwhelming to the inexperienced. English isn't as common, the schools are more likely to be scams and screw you over, friends are harder to make with such a large selection, and there are more mistakes to be made for a first timer. If done right, there is good money to be made here. If you are rash and sign a contract with a school because it seems easy you might be trapped in a low-paying, over-worked job that has control over your visa. I've seen this happen to many people!
My overall impression is that I find Shanghai to be a wonderful place- but probably only because I was eased into it by spending a year in Korea. When picking a place to teach abroad consider what you want out of it. Do you want to make money fast and get out? Do you want to invest in being in one place for a long time? Do you want the freedom to travel? Different counties, particularly in Asia, can offer different things.
While I was born in Germany and have traveled in Europe my first real experience living abroad was Korea. Moving abroad can be overwhelming. The culture shock and homesickness and knowing you have made a commitment that may trap you for the foreseeable future creates a great deal of pressure. I felt positively sick during the weeks before I left for Korea. I was certain that teaching in Korea was the wrong decision and that I would spend the year just trying to make it through.
Korea turned out to be quite easy. My recruiter helped arrange my visa and plan ticket. The school sent someone to pick me up from the airport and take me to a hotel. The head teacher from the school came by in the morning to take me around and tell me about the school. An apartment was provided for me. There was very little risk or hardship involved. Korea is very industrialized and many of the young people in the cities speak English. Most restaurants have an English menu. While Korea is distinct and different from the US I didn't find the culture shock to be so tremendous. Korea is a very safe and an easy place to teach abroad for the first time.
That being said- Korea is boring. It is nice, pretty, safe and convenient. All of those things have merit, but it is boring. Korean society can be very closed to non-Korean so most foreigners spend all of their time together. Visas are closely controlled in Korea so most of the foreigners there are teachers or students, which creates an insular social group that can feel claustrophobic and incestuous. There is also very little mobility there. You can be a teacher but that is about it. You'll likely never progress much beyond the job you first received when arriving in Korea. The people who have been there for five or six years don't seem to have done much with their lives. But the money is good! With little effort you can save quite a bit of money in a year. I have friends who paid off student loans or paid for Master's degrees after teaching in Korea for two years.
China, on the other hand, is more of a frontier. In Shanghai the opportunities are limitless. You have the freedom to do anything you like and the social scene is very diverse. Only a few of the people I have meet here are teachers or students and many of them aren't from English speaking countries. However, the risks are much greater and the experience wouldn't be as easy if this were my first time abroad. China is much more overwhelming to the inexperienced. English isn't as common, the schools are more likely to be scams and screw you over, friends are harder to make with such a large selection, and there are more mistakes to be made for a first timer. If done right, there is good money to be made here. If you are rash and sign a contract with a school because it seems easy you might be trapped in a low-paying, over-worked job that has control over your visa. I've seen this happen to many people!
My overall impression is that I find Shanghai to be a wonderful place- but probably only because I was eased into it by spending a year in Korea. When picking a place to teach abroad consider what you want out of it. Do you want to make money fast and get out? Do you want to invest in being in one place for a long time? Do you want the freedom to travel? Different counties, particularly in Asia, can offer different things.
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Shanghai
Despite my intentions, I moved to China and immediately became that person who forgets about their blog. I suck. But I will update now!
Shanghai is amazing! It's diverse, dynamic, and easy. Everything has been so convenient here. The cost of living is really cheap and it is easy to get around. My best friend from college picked me up from the airport and I was immediately able to move into the apartment I share with her. We took it easy over the weekend and by Monday Chase, another friend from college, had set me up with some tutoring work to support myself. Teaching work is abundant here and it pays very well. The metro is simple and can get you anywhere in Shanghai. Taxis are also cheap and easy.
I commute to the apartment of a famous Chinese actor to tutor his two little boys for two hours a day, five days a week. Tutoring one on one takes more focus and energy then teaching a class but the kids are generally better behaved when they have your undivided attention. Next month I will take on a larger teaching load to earn some quick money. Private tutoring pays well here, about 33 USD an hour. Considering the low cost of living I probably won't need to teach much after January.
I like the food here, and it is cheap! For 3 USD you can get a decent lunch. A reasonably nice dinner might cost 15 USD. I miss Korean food though. I think, despite my complaining while in Korea, that it has become my comfort food.
I think I will have to write a post comparing and contrasting China and Korea.
More later!
Shanghai is amazing! It's diverse, dynamic, and easy. Everything has been so convenient here. The cost of living is really cheap and it is easy to get around. My best friend from college picked me up from the airport and I was immediately able to move into the apartment I share with her. We took it easy over the weekend and by Monday Chase, another friend from college, had set me up with some tutoring work to support myself. Teaching work is abundant here and it pays very well. The metro is simple and can get you anywhere in Shanghai. Taxis are also cheap and easy.
I commute to the apartment of a famous Chinese actor to tutor his two little boys for two hours a day, five days a week. Tutoring one on one takes more focus and energy then teaching a class but the kids are generally better behaved when they have your undivided attention. Next month I will take on a larger teaching load to earn some quick money. Private tutoring pays well here, about 33 USD an hour. Considering the low cost of living I probably won't need to teach much after January.
I like the food here, and it is cheap! For 3 USD you can get a decent lunch. A reasonably nice dinner might cost 15 USD. I miss Korean food though. I think, despite my complaining while in Korea, that it has become my comfort food.
I think I will have to write a post comparing and contrasting China and Korea.
More later!
Monday, November 3, 2014
New Placement Consideration
The Peace Corps was in touch. I was told that it looks increasingly unlikely that Sierra Leone would open. Everyone under consideration was given three options- to pull their application, to remain under consideration, and to switch consideration to another country. I said I would wait but my placement officer got in contact and asked me to consider other countries. I was asked to switch to Comoros, which is a new program opening in 2015.
I have mixed feelings about this. Comoros is exciting because it is a new program. I'm honored to be considered for a position in the program- only twenty volunteers will go. Comoros also seems very beautiful. It is a tiny island nation off of Madagascar and looks like a tropical paradise (if an impoverished, devoutly Muslim, politically distressed nation could be considered paradise). On the other hand, there hasn't been a Peace Corps program there for some time, so there are no paths laid down. I am having to surrender the image I had created of how my Peace Corps service would be. I envisioned living in a hut with no power or electricity. I would have a compost heap and eat dinner at my neighbor's house most nights. Local village kids would help me get water from the well and come by after school for extra English lessons. There isn't much information with which to build a new image; no blogs, packing lists, or RPCVs to give advice. I can't seem to get a hold of the placement officer for Comoros so it is an entirely new waiting game, and this time I can't read dozens of blogs to satisfy my desire for information.
In other news I am almost entirely ready to depart for China. I'm packed, I have my ticket and visa, and have taken care of last minute chores. I leave in two days!
I have mixed feelings about this. Comoros is exciting because it is a new program. I'm honored to be considered for a position in the program- only twenty volunteers will go. Comoros also seems very beautiful. It is a tiny island nation off of Madagascar and looks like a tropical paradise (if an impoverished, devoutly Muslim, politically distressed nation could be considered paradise). On the other hand, there hasn't been a Peace Corps program there for some time, so there are no paths laid down. I am having to surrender the image I had created of how my Peace Corps service would be. I envisioned living in a hut with no power or electricity. I would have a compost heap and eat dinner at my neighbor's house most nights. Local village kids would help me get water from the well and come by after school for extra English lessons. There isn't much information with which to build a new image; no blogs, packing lists, or RPCVs to give advice. I can't seem to get a hold of the placement officer for Comoros so it is an entirely new waiting game, and this time I can't read dozens of blogs to satisfy my desire for information.
In other news I am almost entirely ready to depart for China. I'm packed, I have my ticket and visa, and have taken care of last minute chores. I leave in two days!
Saturday, October 18, 2014
A Note on the Title
It occurs to me that I should state for the record that the title of my blog, A Place in the Sun, was chosen because I like the sound. It isn't intended to be evocative of German imperialism or Weltpolitik. But it could be a good starting point for a conversation on the impact of colonialism on African nations and the struggle of many of these Africans nations to find there own so called "place in the sun" amidst the discord left over by European imperialists.
But I'll spare you the lecture.
But I'll spare you the lecture.
How to Write a Blog (that doesn't totally suck)
I love research. I love it much more than actually doing anything. But here I am putting research into practice.
My research informs me that the first step is to disregard everything you learned about writing from your college professors. So I am off to a bad start it would seem. You and I, dear reader, are supposed to be having a discussion, rather then me talking at you. We'll work on that one.
Point two- know what you are writing about. I am struggling with that one. I am supposed to have a clear idea of what my purpose is and understand who you, my audience, is. I think it is probably obvious at this point that I am writing aimlessly. I'll work on this one too.
Next you are supposed to have a catchy title and engaging intro. I imagine that I will now sit and stare at blank blog entries paralyzed by being unable to think of a clever title. Then you follow up with actual content and some kind of conclusion. Also, add a nice picture (see my nice picture?!). I've been told pictures are very important to blogs. Unfortunately this is going to be hard for me as I read blogs for content and tend to skip picture heavy posts.
I think I am missing other important elements like direction and, well, a point. Work in progress.
Thursday, October 9, 2014
China
After more than a month of vacation in Florida I have finally organized everything I need to get my visa for China. It was a grueling process and if it turns out to be anything like my visa process for South Korea there will be tears involved (seriously a hellish nightmare that involved a five hour midnight road trip to Tallahassee because of FL's incompetent bureaucracy). But anyway, I got my passport, photos, photocopies, my friend's residence permit, letter of invitation, application, visa agency confirmation, confirmation of payment and a dozen other things into an envelope and sent off to NY. Now I wait and hope that I don't having anything wrong/missing.
What's this about China, you might ask?
Well I can't sit on my bum here in FL until June when most programs (that I am interested in) for the Peace Corps launch. So I am heading to Shanghai for six months, where I will get to live with a fantastic BFF from college and work as a private tutor to pay for my gallivanting around China. I'm hoping I can continue to improve and expand my resume by gaining experience with teenagers (I mostly taught primary aged kids in Korea) and by volunteering with local orphanages. Also, Shanghai is cool. I am hoping to get into a nice productive routine in China since I have found it very difficult to motivate myself to do anything while here on vacation.
I will be on a plane on November 7th ideally. Actually, I don't know what happens to my plane ticket if my visa is denied...
So I have my ticket, an apartment, a job plan, and hopefully soon a visa. In the mean time I will do a last round of visitations while in the States. Things are moving right along!
What's this about China, you might ask?
Well I can't sit on my bum here in FL until June when most programs (that I am interested in) for the Peace Corps launch. So I am heading to Shanghai for six months, where I will get to live with a fantastic BFF from college and work as a private tutor to pay for my gallivanting around China. I'm hoping I can continue to improve and expand my resume by gaining experience with teenagers (I mostly taught primary aged kids in Korea) and by volunteering with local orphanages. Also, Shanghai is cool. I am hoping to get into a nice productive routine in China since I have found it very difficult to motivate myself to do anything while here on vacation.
I will be on a plane on November 7th ideally. Actually, I don't know what happens to my plane ticket if my visa is denied...
So I have my ticket, an apartment, a job plan, and hopefully soon a visa. In the mean time I will do a last round of visitations while in the States. Things are moving right along!
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