Work has been going slow but it shall pick up has school gets started for the year. I am still working at a ton of different places. Which all keep me fairly business in some way and plenty of people coming by to seek my help.
I have been writing a few grants. Nothing big just a few very small and simple ones. to get some new equipment for the schools I work at. I hope to have all the paperwork finished and edited to be turned in by next month. I need to have everything ready just in case they question our wants, needs, and willing to do.
I personally have been doing fine. Is was a bit different to see the difference in life styles when I got back. And to answer so many questions and pass out some new items I collected while home. I have been getting sick and tried a lot. Mostly due to the climate and time schedule change. But I should be all back together by Nov.
Well till later..
Saturday, October 24, 2009
My Aug. 2009
OK so on Aug 2. I set my bags up and prepared for the long ride all the way to Senegal. I was going in to Senegal to take my flight on to OHIO. Man was I excited behind belief. I spent 2 days with my host sister and brother walking around Senegal. The day of my flight I had to get to the airport early. But traffic on the street was so backed. Lucky we left at least 3 hours in advance. So once at the airport I went in to check that the flight info was all the same and then went back outside to be with the family for a while.
The walk through all the bag checks, ID checks, Ticket checks were so long and took up so much time. Finally I was able to sit and wait for the boarding. Once on the aboard I was sited next to some old lady you pissed me off. With all my environmental allergies set off by the nasty air condition I started having a runny nose. She started questioning and threaten to move cause she didn't want to catch the flu. After I explain to her if I really had the flu she would catch it sit next to me or not with the recycled air she claimed down and went to sleep.
A long lay in DC of almost 7 hours just to get one a 1 hour flight to Cleveland. I was so out of my mind with nothing to do. When did all the airports start charging for Internet. Its not like we plan on living in the airports and we have already paid for the ticket. I guess nothing is free anymore..
So back to the state. 1st thing to do was getting food. McDonald's yes, I had everything on the dollar menu. And since when did they decide to change the name of things and add a coffee shop. I swear I just stared at the menu lost and holding up the traffic but I didn't care.
So I tried my best to spend time with everyone but that didn't happen to much. The days are way to short and of course people still had to work all but me. lol. So I was able to get out and hit the streets twice and boy was it a blast. Note to self drink in small amounts if after a long period of time without, my mistake. But in all I had a great time. Just being able to get dressed and go out with my girls was a blasted. I even loved just the scene of the night life cause its so very different here in Gambia.
Weekend random trip to Chicago was great. We didn't have any real hard plans (bad ideal). But we were able to run around the whole city running into things and finding places to go. The downtown there has so much more then Cleveland could ever dream of. We need more shopping, sites, and people willing to even be downtown to rebuild it. But this was a cheap trip. Rented a car got hotel room from a friend and ate streets style. was not bad at all.
Finally my family gave a small party to celebrate my coming home and great accomplishments thus far. And surprised my friend Tierra with a small birthday acknowledgement in there. Happy Birthday Tierra hope you enjoyed it. It was great to once again get all my family and friends in one place and see everyone having fun.
Last be not least I had to make my way back to the Gambia. The trip and layovers this time was not as long which was great. I even got a whole row of seats to myself all the way from DC to Senegal. I was so happy to straight out for the 8-9 hour trip. I ate very well on the plan and had some wine for the last time for free.
Now once in Senegal I had the plan to head straight out for Gambia. Since I got into Senegal at like 6am. I would be home in my own bed by night fall. But Senegal had other plans for me. I was stuck in what had to be the worst traffic in life. I was stuck on a highway barley moving for 10 hours. Cause me to have to sleep in the car and wait at the broader cause it was closed. Lucky I was not alone on this trip. I think I would have lost all my mind and been very upset. But i made it home by noon the next day. That trip took me near 20 hours for something that is normally 7 hours.
But am home now. Or at least in The Gambia
The walk through all the bag checks, ID checks, Ticket checks were so long and took up so much time. Finally I was able to sit and wait for the boarding. Once on the aboard I was sited next to some old lady you pissed me off. With all my environmental allergies set off by the nasty air condition I started having a runny nose. She started questioning and threaten to move cause she didn't want to catch the flu. After I explain to her if I really had the flu she would catch it sit next to me or not with the recycled air she claimed down and went to sleep.
A long lay in DC of almost 7 hours just to get one a 1 hour flight to Cleveland. I was so out of my mind with nothing to do. When did all the airports start charging for Internet. Its not like we plan on living in the airports and we have already paid for the ticket. I guess nothing is free anymore..
So back to the state. 1st thing to do was getting food. McDonald's yes, I had everything on the dollar menu. And since when did they decide to change the name of things and add a coffee shop. I swear I just stared at the menu lost and holding up the traffic but I didn't care.
So I tried my best to spend time with everyone but that didn't happen to much. The days are way to short and of course people still had to work all but me. lol. So I was able to get out and hit the streets twice and boy was it a blast. Note to self drink in small amounts if after a long period of time without, my mistake. But in all I had a great time. Just being able to get dressed and go out with my girls was a blasted. I even loved just the scene of the night life cause its so very different here in Gambia.
Weekend random trip to Chicago was great. We didn't have any real hard plans (bad ideal). But we were able to run around the whole city running into things and finding places to go. The downtown there has so much more then Cleveland could ever dream of. We need more shopping, sites, and people willing to even be downtown to rebuild it. But this was a cheap trip. Rented a car got hotel room from a friend and ate streets style. was not bad at all.
Finally my family gave a small party to celebrate my coming home and great accomplishments thus far. And surprised my friend Tierra with a small birthday acknowledgement in there. Happy Birthday Tierra hope you enjoyed it. It was great to once again get all my family and friends in one place and see everyone having fun.
Last be not least I had to make my way back to the Gambia. The trip and layovers this time was not as long which was great. I even got a whole row of seats to myself all the way from DC to Senegal. I was so happy to straight out for the 8-9 hour trip. I ate very well on the plan and had some wine for the last time for free.
Now once in Senegal I had the plan to head straight out for Gambia. Since I got into Senegal at like 6am. I would be home in my own bed by night fall. But Senegal had other plans for me. I was stuck in what had to be the worst traffic in life. I was stuck on a highway barley moving for 10 hours. Cause me to have to sleep in the car and wait at the broader cause it was closed. Lucky I was not alone on this trip. I think I would have lost all my mind and been very upset. But i made it home by noon the next day. That trip took me near 20 hours for something that is normally 7 hours.
But am home now. Or at least in The Gambia
Sunday, June 28, 2009
1 year over 1 year to go
Hello all my readers. Am so sorry it has been a long time since I have last wrote anything here. So here is the update in short. I will have longer version under this one if you care to read.
This is my First year mark of being in the Peace Corps The Gambia. I have made it through all the hard challenges and changes. The Peace Corps has had both its ups and downs for me within the last year, more up then downs. But it’s just like any other job/organization in the world. You have people who work very hard and listen, those who work but don’t listen and then those who do nothing but complain and nothing to change it. I have tried to my best ability to be a person who works hard and listens when playing my part, I also know my limits and I do know how to say NO now. But overall I would never wish to go back in time and change my thoughts about joining the Peace Corps. It has been every bit of the new adventure and experience it say it will/would be.
Personally, I have made big changes in my life since being here. I have had the chance to open myself up more. I have the time to get to know myself and grow. Reading more books (not only fiction) which have enlightened me to new things, I didn’t know already and they allow me to escape in my mind. I have learned to take what it is you have not for granted. They are many things that I left at home or that I cannot afford to have here that I thought “I just had to have”. But now I know that you can live with bare minimum and be just as happy or even more. That life should not revolve around your work/job/career there are many more things out there in life that can give you pleasure. As I have come to find out there is nothing more rewarding them the company of another person in which you can share ideas, thought and cultural.
This is my First year mark of being in the Peace Corps The Gambia. I have made it through all the hard challenges and changes. The Peace Corps has had both its ups and downs for me within the last year, more up then downs. But it’s just like any other job/organization in the world. You have people who work very hard and listen, those who work but don’t listen and then those who do nothing but complain and nothing to change it. I have tried to my best ability to be a person who works hard and listens when playing my part, I also know my limits and I do know how to say NO now. But overall I would never wish to go back in time and change my thoughts about joining the Peace Corps. It has been every bit of the new adventure and experience it say it will/would be.
Personally, I have made big changes in my life since being here. I have had the chance to open myself up more. I have the time to get to know myself and grow. Reading more books (not only fiction) which have enlightened me to new things, I didn’t know already and they allow me to escape in my mind. I have learned to take what it is you have not for granted. They are many things that I left at home or that I cannot afford to have here that I thought “I just had to have”. But now I know that you can live with bare minimum and be just as happy or even more. That life should not revolve around your work/job/career there are many more things out there in life that can give you pleasure. As I have come to find out there is nothing more rewarding them the company of another person in which you can share ideas, thought and cultural.
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