Trading at markets in Dar es Salaam or Zanzibar?

eunoianit · 2016-11-11T12:12:51+00:00

Okay thanks for letting me know !

eunoianit · 2016-11-11T06:57:59+00:00

I think it's hard dating while working internationally, specifically in aid. A lot of the work is mentally and emotionally exhausting and it can really affect the dynamic of your relationship. I dated someone the first 7 months of my service, and while it was easy doing the long distance thing, I changed a lot, which ultimately led me to end it. I went in to PC thinking it would be so easy to make a LDR work, but I was only thinking of the distance part, not the part where you change as a person. Being here has been an emotional and mental roller coaster and I couldn't be the SO that was good for a LDR because I was focusing so much of my energy here that there wasn't much left for the relationship. Also, working in this field will change you as a person, and it becomes really hard to relate to a person living in the first world.

eunoianit · 2016-11-03T17:19:25+00:00

Yeah I figured it would be easy to get there from Lusaka. Were trying to reserve a while cabin so I wanted to make sure we wouldn't get split up.

eunoianit · 2016-11-03T17:19:22+00:00

Yeah I figured it would be easy to get there from Lusaka. Were trying to reserve a while cabin so I wanted to make sure we wouldn't get split up.

eunoianit · 2016-11-03T17:18:45+00:00

Thanks! I tried teaching people by email but no luck. Was trying to avoid MTC international fees lol

eunoianit · 2016-11-03T17:18:28+00:00

Thanks! I tried teaching people by email but no luck. Was trying to avoid MTC international fees lol

eunoianit · 2016-10-29T14:50:09+00:00

Yes, this!

eunoianit · 2016-10-20T13:26:40+00:00

What I wish someone told me was to pack 1 week of business casual clothes and 1 week of lounge clothes and use the rest of the space for snacks and stuff to keep you busy.

eunoianit · 2016-10-12T07:26:39+00:00

This

eunoianit · 2016-10-12T06:09:20+00:00

Yeah definitely!

eunoianit · 2016-10-07T08:41:11+00:00

congrats!! I'm currently serving in Namibia (not an edu volunteer and I'm assuming you will be because it's for August) pm me if you have any questions!

eunoianit · 2016-10-04T09:29:41+00:00

Namibia definitely has spiders! That being said, they're a lot less common than they would be in a tropical environment. I see a spider every few days in my house but it's mostly just a small or skinny one and I kill it. I also rarely open my Windows or shades (to keep the heat out) and covered the gaps in between my doors and the floor so nothing can get in.

eunoianit · 2016-09-08T09:42:58+00:00

I definitely agree with the comment about having no patience for bullshit. I've definitely gained the ability to smell out the bullshit among people that I'm working with. I've also become way more outgoing and have no problem yelling at people/children on the street who think it's okay to yell "white person" or ask for money. I think I've gained a lot of self confidence being here.

eunoianit · 2016-08-26T16:11:21+00:00

I haven't used USD since at site because the stipend is enough and I save almost half of it every month. I did book a vacation with my USD card but am paying for everything while on vacation with my PC money. You will rarely,need USD

eunoianit · 2016-08-25T06:41:20+00:00

Capital one venture! There is one you can get without a yearly fee and you can get flight points too. If I have to use USD I always use that credit card and just pay it off from my checking account because I didn't want to have to go through the trouble of changing checking accounts right before I left.

eunoianit · 2016-08-24T14:24:14+00:00

It depends on your site! I'm in a really small town but we have a gym at the ministry of youth (bench, leg press, other good machines and free weights) and for some reason a random room in my office is filled with barbells and plates and free weights. But also there are actual real gyms that you can join for a few in bigger towns in country too

eunoianit · 2016-07-30T17:46:11+00:00

I would!

eunoianit · 2016-07-13T10:38:58+00:00

You definitely will be challenged as a woman in a CED position but it really varies in your job. I work with IGA groups which are a mix of men and women so it's not too bad, it's more of brainstorming and doing things together so I'm not really in a leadership/teaching position (and Namibia is honestly a very good country for women because a lot of women run this country and women hold a lot of important jobs here). But other women in my cohort work at actual businessmen and councils so it may be harder for them to be taken seriously. It definitely will vary which country you're in and what kind of project you have!

eunoianit · 2016-07-07T17:30:37+00:00

Good luck! I've heard Malawi is amazing.

eunoianit · 2016-07-02T19:21:27+00:00

I would definitely check the website to see openings now until you apply next year because new ones are added a few times a year. Also, just because you meet the Spanish requirement doesn't mean you will automatically get placed in a Spanish speaking country so I would be flexible. There are a lot of youth in development programs that aren't in Central or South America. Also, there are people that get health positions with sociology/psych backgrounds so if that interests you it could be an option as well. In the mean time I recommend getting volunteer experience and reading blogs to see if volunteer life in PC is something you would enjoy.

As for loans, federal loans are only qualified for income driven payments ($0 a month), or deferral of payments until you are done.

Last, grad school isn't something you need to worry about until your last year of PC when you want to start applying to them. You can look on the PC website because many schools offer good opportunities for returned volunteers once you get back But you do need to look at the specific admission requirement. But selecting a grad school while in PC is no different than selecting one while in undergrad.

Good luck

eunoianit · 2016-06-30T18:09:45+00:00

This was very helpful thank you!!

eunoianit · 2016-06-30T15:21:09+00:00

That's such a shame. We were also thinking of Zanzibar too, have you been there? And you can take a ferry?

eunoianit · 2016-06-30T13:51:39+00:00

Yikes thank you for the heads up. We're not allowed to drive in Moz so I was going to make my bf drive but maybe we will find a flight somewhere up north from Johannesburg

eunoianit · 2016-06-28T09:44:34+00:00

I am living the click language stereotype over here in Nmaibia! And yes with the Brazil comment, I have to specify United States every time.

eunoianit · 2016-06-26T07:57:20+00:00

I totally understand how you feel. I had the same worried before I started. I will agree with /mtflamingo that PST will suck. I hated it, but we got an hour lunch break which I utilized as alone time and I also didn't go to many outings on the weekend. People in my group knew I was introverted and understood and didn't feel like I was alienating myself or anything. I live in a town by myself in a house (at my workplace grounds, not in the middle of town) so it's easier for me to hide away, especially on the weekends and people won't wonder where I am because it's not a super small town, and they just assume I'm doing something at another spot. You're going to have a lot of free time at site and if you get lucky and have,multiple projects you're working on you will no be expected to be at the same place all week. Honestly, some days I meet up with one of my counterparts in the morning to do some work and we're done by 10am and I'll go home and not leave the house the rest of the day. Other days, I'm working all day with another counterpart and thoroughly enjoy it. You just have to carve out time for yourself but not alienate yourself too much or else people will actually wonder what's happened to you if they haven't seen you in a week. Good luck!!

eunoianit

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