Des pays et des gares...

Where we're from.. Although I wasn't quite sure I'd enjoy teaching English (I'm certified as an elementary education and middle level science teacher), I really had a blast with it! There I am, on the right of the photo, with four of my students: Two from Mexico, one from Somalia, and one from Hong Kong. I also had students in my class from mainland China, Taiwan, India, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Algeria, The Congo, and El Salvador. Working with such a diverse group kept things interesting but also posed certain challenges, not the least of which was trying to accommodate a vast range of proficiency levels. I hope I did right by my students and that I helped them to navigate the English language with a bit more ease! They taught me a lot about how -- and how not -- to teach English effectively.  - by Elizabeth

Patience: the gentle clock hand circles, and what was promised once, will be... The Son - Rainier Maria Rilke, tr. Edward Snow Today, I (Elizabeth) was happy to receive an email confirmation from our placement officer, indicating receipt of my updated resume and our updated availability: Dear Elizabeth, Thank you for your emails. I will add this information to your file now. We will be in touch if we need any additional information. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. I suppose there is nothing to do now but wait.  Earlier today, I visited the Peace Corps recruiting office -- I went down to pick up a DVD to show my English class. My students are very curious about the Peace Corps. I had a nice chat with our recruiter while I was there, who told me that there probably won't be much, if any, email or phone communication from the Placement Office from here on out. The next thing to expect, she said, is a big blue envelope on our doorstep....

I (Elizabeth) received an email from the placement office today. They requested an updated resume and also an update on our availability. Updating my resume is a simple matter, I just need to add my volunteer work teaching English at the North Seattle Family Center. The request for updated availability, though, made me stop and think. It never crossed my mind that they'd ask whether our availability date had changed. To be honest, for the past couple weeks I've seriously questioned our ability to be ready by June. Especially since we've traveling for a good two-thirds to three-quarters of May! Here are some of the things we'll need to do before we leave: Tell the co-op that we've been invited to the Peace Corps and will be gone for 27 months. Arrange for our dues to be paid while we're gone (electronic payments? pre-payment? post-dated checks?) and have a plan for any emergencies (i.e. water heater failure). Grant someone, probably our accountant, power-of-a...

Greetings from Elizabeth and Perry! Since we both received our medical clearance today, I (Elizabeth) figured it was about time to start a Peace Corps blog. Things are falling into place and this endeavor may just get off the ground!  To begin, I will briefly recap our journey up until today: Late September, 2011 : Submitted our online applications and references. October, 2011 : Had our interview at the Peace Corps Offices in Seattle, WA. Mid- October, 2011 : At our recruiter's request, I began accruing 30 hours of experience teaching English to adults. Early  November, 2011 : Put our house on the market. Completed my 30 hours - teaching English to adult immigrants/refugees at the North Seattle Family Center and assisting in an ESL class at Shoreline Community College. Submitted documenting paperwork. November 17th, 2011 : Nominated for University English (Perry, who has a PhD in Linguistics) and "Unique Skill" (Elizabeth). Asia, June 2012. Apparently, the ma...