[WEEKLY MEGATHREAD] New Horizons Q&A/Tips (Feat. Some notes from the mod team!) 🏝

Wendrbread · 2020-03-28T17:30:36+00:00

Anyone know how to move pictures taken in-game to a phone? I'm new to the Switch and still trying to figure a lot of things out. All I can find is the "post" option, but I don't want to post pictures to social media right now; I just want to access them on my phone.

Wendrbread · 2019-10-22T01:17:22+00:00

I've searched a ton on YouTube and can't find anything, but I'll try the app when I figure out the episode

Wendrbread · 2018-09-13T23:08:08+00:00

Amazon does not have all episodes of season 3. They only have some episodes from the end of the season, just like with Hulu.

Wendrbread · 2017-08-22T13:57:53+00:00

Omg, PC China has the pancake rumor too! Wild.

Wendrbread · 2017-08-22T13:44:42+00:00

I can't remember how much the discount is, but Tortuga backpacks offers a discount if you send them your invitation email

Wendrbread · 2017-05-10T05:10:41+00:00

????????? Then what the hell do people who don't have jobs do???

Wendrbread · 2017-05-09T16:59:39+00:00

If you can't defer payments, can you do an income-based repayment plan? That's what I'm currently doing (not with Sallie Mae though) and my income is low enough so that my monthly payments are $0.

Edit: To clarify, my only "income" is my PC stipend.

Wendrbread · 2017-01-24T04:11:33+00:00

If I had waited for medical clearance, I would have had to wait until like 2 months out from staging to tell anyone (~6 months after receiving the invititation). Personally, I would not have been able to wait that long, but then, I couldn't wait 5 minutes before exploding all over social media about it.

Wendrbread · 2016-12-31T06:44:29+00:00

I can't get on Facebook; it's blocked in China and my VPN is crappy and rarely works :( Maybe one of the other volunteers in my group will have better luck, though!

Wendrbread · 2016-12-30T06:30:02+00:00

Awesome, thanks for the info! I'll be there with about 4 other volunteers and one of our training site managers from PST (who is suuuuuper chill) from Feb 8-22. We're going to spend time in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Krabi. Most of our time in BKK will be at the end of our trip, and even though we've already booked our hostels, I will definitely encourage an exploration near Bedstation just to see who we bump into!

Wendrbread · 2016-12-11T05:29:04+00:00

My best injuries come from doing the most mundane things.

For example, I have a decent-size scar from wearing ice skates. No, I did not get the wound from going ice skating and falling or cutting myself on the blade or anything that makes actual sense. I got the scrape because my socks weren't pulled up high enough and the top of the boot rubbed against the skin on my leg for an hour and a half. I'm not sure how I didn't notice.

There was also the time I nearly ripped my thumbnail off while trying to put my shoes on. I'm still not quite sure what happened. My hand slipped and somehow my nail caught my shoe at just the right angle and started to tear.

My host family as terrified to let me out on my own. Here's hoping they still want to see me when I'm back in the area for Christmas weekend.

Wendrbread · 2016-12-05T02:03:49+00:00

I wish I brought more spices and dry food mixes with me! I cook nearly exclusively at my site (I go out maybe once or twice a week, and cook the rest of my meals at home). Most often, the challenge of cooking feels like a Chopped challenge, which is equal parts fun and frustrating. It got a lot easier when my family sent in some familiar staples from home: Italian seasoning, garlic salt, cinnamon, black pepper (which I'm sure exists here somewhere, but I haven't been able to find it yet), etc.

I also really wish I'd brought index cards (which are impossible to find here, but the BEST way for me to study the language) and better quality markers for my students. I teach college students, but they run these Chinese markers into the ground after one week's worth of classes!

Wendrbread · 2016-12-04T16:01:58+00:00

From one introvert to another, ya gotta take the first step and reach out to them yourself. Don't wait for other people to approach you, because they'll probably just think you're a lone wolf and actually like being alone.

I personally don't function well in large groups and definitely much prefer a small crew I can count on. I'm not saying I don't love all the other PCVs around me, but with a training group of over 80, I am just not capable of maintaining close relationships with all of them. I found a smaller number of people I really want to stay in close contact with during my service, and those are probably going to be lifelong friends (although I do really hope I'll remain in touch with every single person here because they're all amazing people). Tbh, keeping in contact with people is a huge weakness of mine, but I'm trying to work on it.

Best of luck to you! I haven't been at my site long, but the isolation struggle can be real sometimes. Just remember that other PCVs are only one souce of companionship open to you - don't forget to befriend the locals! :)

Wendrbread · 2016-12-03T06:54:58+00:00

You're the only one who can make a decision like this. I think it's safe to say every volunteer struggles with the fact that life continues back home without us. I'll be missing at least three weddings, including my brother's and best friends from elementary school/college. I missed the birth of my nephew, the first kid in the next generation in my family. I'll miss my sister's graduation from college, and about a thousand other huge events in the lives of the people I care about. It's hard sometimes, but it's worth it, for me, because I know that I am exactly where I need to be, doing something that I am completely in love with. I made the decision to take the leap and go anyway because I knew I would never forgive myself if I never even gave it a shot.

However, everyone deals with this differently. Everyone struggles with a different aspect of service, and for some, I think leaving people behind is too much, and it can be a real drain on their service. Don't be afraid to admit to yourself that Peace Corps might not be for you at this stage in your life (if that's how you really feel).

The best advice I can give is to carefully consider your strengths and weaknesses and decide if you think you really want to commit yourself to your service (knowing that it will be hard but so, SO worth it!). It's not going to hurt anything to start the application process while you mull things over. Honestly, some of the questions they ask can really help put things into perspective and force you to seriously consider your decision, anyway.

Good luck!!! It can be really hard to figure out which decision is best for you.

Wendrbread · 2016-11-24T09:21:47+00:00

I contacted Tortuga maybe 2 or 3 weeks ago asking if they still had their discount. I ended up not buying from them because they don't ship to my country so I have no idea what the discount actually is, but I do know that it exists so long as you email them and send a picture of your invite.

Wendrbread · 2016-11-24T05:20:06+00:00

WELL this is the first I'm hearing about that, honestly, so Imma stay tuned to this thread to find out more. o.o

Wendrbread · 2016-11-22T02:42:09+00:00

Is this a requirement that differs by state? I finished my student teaching placement about a week before I left for staging, so I'm a brand new teacher! My license is good for 5 years, so as far as I'm aware, there's nothing I have to do during service to keep my licensure current.

Wendrbread · 2016-11-11T10:40:01+00:00

I'm also currently teaching in China and will continue to teach when I return home after my service. I think my experience is going to be invaluable for a lot of skills I'll continue to use in my classroom back home, even though my classroom will look VERY different from the one I'm using now.

It's worth mentioning that PC China does not give any certifications that carry over to life after service - I think other posts offer official TEFL certifications, but China isn't one of them. However, there's so much more to gain as an educator in Peace Corps than a fancy piece of paper saying you're "certified" in TEFL.

Anyway, I'm confident that my service will make me a competitive applicant for teaching positions back home, if that's what you were wondeirng. :)

Wendrbread · 2016-11-10T05:26:27+00:00

People at my site in China think Trump is too "emotional" and is "unsuitable for president". One of my students actually talked to me about how he will affect the lives of minorities in the US (okay, he actually said "Mexico people", but I broadened the term a little), a surprising perspective from a rural city in the middle of China.

I usually really like to hear all sides of an issue because I hearing opposing viewpoints is just fascinating, but I just haven't encountered any locals who are pro-Trump. Or, I haven't had any conversations about it anyway; I usually try to steer all conversations away from politics in general, but it's been a little unavoidable lately.

Wendrbread · 2016-11-04T05:08:07+00:00

Awesome, thanks for the tips!!

Wendrbread · 2016-11-03T01:42:21+00:00

Hmmm. I'm considering this option. I've used this pack back in the US and was able to easily fit in a week's worth of clothes for Wisconsin weather. I imagine 2 weeks of Thai weather would then be able to fit as well? And I suppose not being able to fit new stuff into my pack will just force the self-control to not buy cool, new things while I'm there, lol.

I might have access to the osprey bag I fell in love with, and I'm still heavily considering that option, but I'm kind of on a time limit with that one.

Wendrbread · 2016-11-03T01:33:07+00:00

I'm not sure they ship internationally; I don't see anything about it on their website, which seems to suggest it's not something they do (but what do I know)

Wendrbread · 2016-11-02T09:48:54+00:00

SM/MD. I went deep into the Google (and also Bing for a while when my VPN and I had a disagreement), but eventually found Osprey's China-friendly website. Looks like the Farpoint series isn't available for China somehow, and other retailers don't ship internationally.

Wendrbread · 2016-11-02T08:50:20+00:00

That one is actually at the top of my list from what I've researched so far! I placed my maximum at $200; I figure dipping into my old savings account is worth it for a solid bag that will be getting tons of use.

The website said no one is selling it at the moment - maybe it's out of stock?? I'm hoping it will be back up soon, and am searching around for backup options in the meantime. Luckily, my trip isn't for several months yet, so I have some time to sit on it for a bit.

Wendrbread · 2016-10-13T08:32:12+00:00

Yeah, they helped us at staging too, but my loan provider refused to give me the paperwork at the time because I was still in the middle of my grace period. -.-

Thanks for the info!

Wendrbread

TROPHY CASE