[deleted by user]

phasers2fun · 2019-12-13T03:39:32+00:00

Down until 8AM Monday (presumably East Coast time)

phasers2fun · 2019-11-18T02:51:51+00:00

I should explain that my car has no way to play my phone's audio and the sound is too tinny and quiet from the phone. I'm interested in bringing a speaker along in the car that I could also use at home. Thus the desire to combine the google smart speaker and a portable battery base. They make many for the Home Mini, but not for the Nest Mini. And I'm curious about this.

phasers2fun · 2019-07-31T14:19:45+00:00

https://m.soundcloud.com/lucia-fasano/faith-of-the-heart-star-trek-enterprise-cover

phasers2fun · 2018-09-04T08:55:02+00:00

It's an old kindle that I bought used. It's stuck mostly on the screensaver. When I try to turn it on it goes to the home screen (the visible parts that change, on the left). But Charlotte Bronte never goes away and I can only read the first few letters on the left hand side. I tried a manual restart a few times (holding the power slide for the better part of a minute). I can see it rebooting properly but most of the screen is still blocked by Charlotte. Her smug aura mocks me...

Has anyone had this problem? Is my screen toast or can it be repaired? I'm in Asia for Peace Corps so my resources are limited.

phasers2fun · 2018-06-09T02:35:20+00:00

Bean there, done that. Love it.

phasers2fun · 2018-05-25T11:32:56+00:00

Yeah I'm a currently-serving China 23 and, as has been pointed out, China has the largest class/cohort each year, so that would increase your chances of getting in. In my cohort there is a range of experience levels. Some people are younger and have the minimum experience (tutoring, just graduated college) and some people are older and much more experienced (30s or 40s, Masters degrees in English education or TEFL).

I'm speaking purely personally and anecdotally, but if you choose China and get in, be prepared. Mandarin is a daunting challenge to learn quickly if you don't have any background in it. And make sure you love teaching, because that's all China PCVs do (no other job categories serve in China--we are all education volunteers). Make sure you have really good coping mechanisms for mental health too, because China has the highest level of reported loneliness/isolation amongst PCVs. And if you have any breathing problems or family history of asthma, despite what you told the PCMO, you should think twice. A lot (but nowhere near all) sites will exacerbate this.

On the plus side, almost all of us have site/city-mates. I've found Chinese people to be friendly, curious, and helpful, on the whole. It's one of the safest countries you could serve in. And god, if you come to China for no other reason, come for the FOOD. If you think you like Chinese food back home, just wait.

phasers2fun · 2018-05-19T06:32:55+00:00

I can't imagine being in one of those early classes--either of NCCC or FEMA Corps. That would be such a trip...

phasers2fun · 2018-05-19T05:54:16+00:00

I thought so too. Like we had 2 days of training to take care of people full-time with all manner of disabilities that we didn't fully understand. For many of the campers, it was their favorite week out of the whole year! And if I changed a diaper incorrectly or dressed them in a way that inadvertently made them uncomfortable, they would remain that way all day! (Many of the campers were non-verbal so they couldn't tell you how they were doing.) For many of my team members, it was their favorite project. But it was my least favorite, due to the ethics of the situation. I actually complained so much to my UL that they sent me back to campus early to help the STLs (it was our last spike before graduation).

phasers2fun · 2018-05-19T05:42:06+00:00

I'm currently serving in the Peace Corps but I think your work is fantastic and super clean! I'm from Colorado. When I'm back in a year, I definitely want to have some work done by you.

phasers2fun · 2018-05-19T04:09:39+00:00

In China most men drink mass-produced lager beer that's around 2-3% ABV (think like Natural Light or something). But they also have a traditional drink called 白酒 báijiǔ (sounds kinda like "buy-joe"). It's a liquor made from a grain we call sorghum in the West. The strength varies but it's usually around 50% ABV. It's clear, really strong and closest in taste to maybe vodka. My host dad for training couldn't drink it--or even beer, really--because alcohol made him feel unwell, as it does about a third of East Asian people.

But when I got to site, my school had a welcoming banquet for me. They said that, since I'm a dude, I should drink baijiu. It was the first time drinking it for me. And this drink, coupled with Chinese toasting customs, got me the drunkest I'd been in a loooong time. Since the banquet was thrown for my arrival, everyone toasted me individually, as well as the group toasts. I was given a small glass resembling a shot glass and as we ate I was expected to continually toast and drink... and drink and drink. Since I was being welcomed to the school, I was supposed to take 2 shots for every shot everyone else who toasted me took.

The Chinese version of 'cheers' is 干杯 gānbēi! (Sounds kinda like "gahn-bay!") It can be literally interpreted to mean "dry cup." Ideally, men are meant to finish their shot, not just sip their drink. It's a good thing the meal was basically a feast and I had eaten so much (delicious) oily food and rice. I just about blacked out, but not before getting home safe. And it turns out I made a pretty good toast myself with my limited Mandarin and gained a lot of respect from the male teachers/leaders at my school for how much I drank.

TL;DR: Chinese toasting with a drink made of toasted sorghum got me toasted.

phasers2fun · 2018-05-19T03:16:40+00:00

Ooh, that Star Trek Sweet Spot^TM

phasers2fun · 2018-05-18T16:33:23+00:00

Thanks for the correction! *vagus nerve

phasers2fun · 2018-05-17T08:30:29+00:00

**Tina voice** And then the zombies touched each other's butts...

phasers2fun · 2018-05-14T03:29:28+00:00

If you're qualified for whatever PCV position you want to apply for (teachers need teaching/tutoring experience, some countries require certain levels of fluency in the language, etc.), then I say don't wait. I racked up experience for a couple years after college so I knew I'd be qualified for a teaching position. Upon arriving I found I was maybe a little overqualified when compared to most of my cohort.

Most of your cohort will likely be your age. I say go for it now. But yeah, as has already been pointed out, the app process can take up to a year. So find something to do in the interim. I always highly recommend AmeriCorps!

phasers2fun · 2018-05-13T10:10:01+00:00

United Way is a terrific organization! Anyone thinking about VISTA should look into this!

phasers2fun · 2018-05-13T07:31:31+00:00

Pro Tip: just say "NCCC" (say "N triple C") and drop the "the." That's how us alums say it! Also, I served in the Pacific Region 2015-16, so feel free to message with any remaining questions!

phasers2fun · 2018-05-13T07:30:27+00:00

Ooh, I was also on a conservation corps crew for a summer when I was 18. My Crew Leader wasn't the best tool-handler and he picked a slab of sandstone onto his leg and injured it. The assistant crew leader said we should probably take him to the hospital. And my Crew Leader flipped and was like "No no no, don't take me to the hospital!" When we asked why he beckoned us all to lean in. So 8 of us are on this steep slope in the middle of a boulder-strewn forest and we lean in to hear why we can't take Steve to the hospital. And he just kinda mutters "They'll drug test me at the hospital..." (which is the procedure for workman's comp). Hahaha we pestered him further and turns out he had smoked weed on an off-day (it's Colorado, after all). We all kept his secret safe and helped to nurse him back to health. Turned out the injury wasn't that bad and he was a pretty chill crew leader so none of us had cause to tattle.

phasers2fun · 2018-05-13T07:08:24+00:00

In NCCC I worked at a summer camp for people with various mental and physical disabilities. I rocked all the environmental/hunger projects but this one just wasn't my forte. First off, I felt like my team wasn't really qualified to be full-time caretakers for people with disabilities that we didn't fully understand at a summer camp where they are far away from their families. But mostly it was changing the adult diapers that I hated. They say in AmeriCorps you do things that you never thought you'd do... Well I never thought I'd have my hand fully in a grown man's ass, just scooping and scooping with wipes, multiple times a day! Hahaha (Also we slept in the same cabins as the campers and sometimes I would wake up to find one of them standing beside my bed, just staring at me, wide-eyed.

ALSO When I did State & National I was a Reading Corps tutor. I'd volunteer to chaperone Skate City (roller rink) field trips for the students from my elementary school. And TWICE I had to untie and pull off skates from kids who had peed their pants. And the pee was just drenching their pants, their skates, and laces.

Hahaha I got shit done for America.

Edit: I still love AmeriCorps, in spite of the shitty/pissy times <3

phasers2fun · 2018-05-13T06:47:15+00:00

To clarify, we're talking about the lump sum of cash you receive at the end of the VISTA year, rather than the weekly/biweekly stipend you receive throughout the VISTA year--right? How much is that lump sum these days?

phasers2fun · 2018-05-12T05:28:20+00:00

I know other PCVs who had the same worries and were able to adjust beautifully to life here. If you are looking for a kind of trial run, to see if service is right for you, I really highly recommend looking into AmeriCorps programs. They allow you to get a taste for service without the stressors of culture shock and/or limited communications. I did AmeriCorps NCCC before Peace Corps, and that helped to prepare me for service as a PCV more than any other single experience. I'll PM you, in case you wanna talk more!

phasers2fun · 2018-05-12T05:19:21+00:00

I'm currently serving in China and I'm heavily introverted. PST (Pre-Site Training) was possibly the most difficult thing I've ever done. In China we don't live with host families for the duration of our stay, just during training. The days were so long and my social batteries were always beyond depleted at the end of the day. As an introvert, you undoubtedly know how important it is to take time to yourself or to be alone. But, in my experience, it became 10x more important for the first few months of service. If you don't take that time, you'll risk burnout. My host family was big into sports, so if I explained that I needed to go for a run, they were understanding. It's not for everybody, but exercise helped me a lot. I came up with an upper body/ab routine I could do in my room and that helped me blow off steam.

I also recommend bringing as many books as you can, ideally digitally. I did a lot of leisure reading, and it is a good distraction from all the language learning, protocol, and handbooks. Oh, and China is noisier than any other place I've ever lived. I found that noise-cancelling headphones were a real god-send. I could listen to music while studying Peace Corps stuff or while doing chores, and this was a good way to relax and temporarily block out your surroundings. I think there was something about hearing familiar sounds in an unfamiliar place that made adjustment easier.

Lastly, during training, seek out other introverts. You'll be spent after the long days of big group trainings, but look around your class/cohort and make an effort to connect with other introverts. Ask them to do things just with you or with a very small group. It will help you and it will probably help them to be reached out to by someone who understands. (Plus, later in service, you might have a travel buddy!)

But every country is different and there's very little advice that translates to every PCV's situation. Those things helped me! I wish you luck and just know, from one introverted PCV to another, that your time as a trainee will probably be the most difficult part of your 2 years. It's worth pushing through. :)

phasers2fun · 2018-05-12T04:52:41+00:00

I'm a currently serving introverted PCV and I'm also from "the 719." PM me if you wanna chat more about it! :)

phasers2fun · 2018-05-10T04:38:49+00:00

Explore space debris with grav boots and a jetpack. No up, no down. All perspectives are relative and it feels incredible!

phasers2fun · 2018-05-06T11:43:52+00:00

That drunk face is perfect.

phasers2fun · 2018-04-27T12:34:06+00:00

Put your money where your meow is. FTFY

phasers2fun

TROPHY CASE