Peace Corps or Bust...

join the group

2006-03-08T21:57:00.001-10:00

Yo people,
Sorry I havent posted this alerady but join my yahoo group for updates etc.
I have been posting there instead of here as it it much easier

join the group

2006-03-08T21:57:00.000-10:00

Yo people,
Sorry I havent posted this alerady but join my yahoo group for updates etc.
I have been posting there instead of here as it it much easier

Settling In

2005-09-19T23:18:00.002-10:00

Howdy Folks,
Hope things are going well on the mainland. Things are finally beginning to settle down here a bit and sometimes the place is actually beginning to feel a bit like home. Im making friends slowly by slowly. I also have been reading ALOT. I will begin posting a list of books that I have read sometime soon. The next goal I have is working on getting some actual furniture in my house. As of now, I have one stool, a bed and a hammock....yeah....its a palace. I figure a couple good chairs and two small book shelf type things should do me. I need to the bookshelves so I can stop stacking everything on the floor where they invariably get wet (did I mention the constant rain and hail here?).
So here is what I am working on for WORK. My main project is helping to oversee a abstinance program in elementary schools with PSI. So I think I can swing it so that I am only working on that a couple of hours a day. Also, I have hooked up with a student from Berkely and am going to assist him with some research he is doing on sex workers here in Busia. He is only going to be here for a month so I may be very helpful in him being able to carry out some programs after he leaves. I'm hoping that after a while something good will come out of this colaboration and I can begin to focus most of my energy on that, but we will see.
As for a social life...I pretty much hang out with some of the people in my complex and also other relief/aid workers in Busia...they include ICS (International children services) and MSF(doctors without borders). Busia is a pretty lively town so it keeps you going.
I should be taking a trip into Nairobi sometime in early October so when I get there I can download pictures!!!!

Settling In

2005-09-19T23:18:00.001-10:00

Howdy Folks,
Hope things are going well on the mainland. Things are finally beginning to settle down here a bit and sometimes the place is actually beginning to feel a bit like home. Im making friends slowly by slowly. I also have been reading ALOT. I will begin posting a list of books that I have read sometime soon. The next goal I have is working on getting some actual furniture in my house. As of now, I have one stool, a bed and a hammock....yeah....its a palace. I figure a couple good chairs and two small book shelf type things should do me. I need to the bookshelves so I can stop stacking everything on the floor where they invariably get wet (did I mention the constant rain and hail here?).
So here is what I am working on for WORK. My main project is helping to oversee a abstinance program in elementary schools with PSI. So I think I can swing it so that I am only working on that a couple of hours a day. Also, I have hooked up with a student from Berkely and am going to assist him with some research he is doing on sex workers here in Busia. He is only going to be here for a month so I may be very helpful in him being able to carry out tsome programs after he leaves. I'm hoping that after a while something good will come out of this colaboration and I can begin to focus most of my energy on that, but we will see.
As for a social life...I pretty much hang out with some of the people in my complex and also other relief/aid workers in Busia...they include ICS (International children services) and MSF(doctors without borders). Busia is a pretty lively town so it keeps you going.
I should be taking a trip into Nairobi sometime in early October so when I get there I can download pictures!!!!

Settling In

2005-09-19T23:18:00.000-10:00

Howdy Folks,
Hope things are going well on the mainland. Things are finally beginning to settle down here a bit and sometimes the place is actually beginning to feel a bit like home. Im making friends slowly by slowly. I also have been reading ALOT. I will begin posting a list of books that I have read sometime soon. The next goal I have is working on getting some actual furniture in my house. As of now, I have one stool, a bed and a hammock....yeah....its a palace. I figure a couple good chairs and two small book shelf type things should do me. I need to the bookshelves so I can stop stacking everything on the floor where they invariably get wet (did I mention the constant rain and hail here?).
So here is what I am working on for WORK. My main project is helping to oversee a abstinance program in elementary schools with PSI. So I think I can swing it so that I am only working on that a couple of hours a day. Also, I have hooked up with a student from Berkely and am going to assist him with some research he is doing on sex workers here in Busia. He is only going to be here for a month so I may be very helpful in him being able to carry out tsome programs after he leaves. I'm hoping that after a while something good will come out of this colaboration and I can beging to focus most of my energy on that, but we will see.
As for a social life...I pretty much hang out with some of the people in my complex and also other relief/aid workers in Busia...they include ICS (International children services) and MSF(doctors without borders). Busia is a pretty lively town so it keeps you going.
I should be taking a trip into Nairobi sometime in early October so when I get there I can download pictures!!!!

Dont Take It For Granted

2005-09-17T23:18:00.000-10:00

Just some things to think about....

Dont take these for granted...

1. cheese...I cant stress this enough

2. movies

3. water from the tap

4. sleeping without a mosquito net

5. refrigeration

6. living close to family and friends

7. driving and or American public transport

8. A.C.

9. gossip mags... though this is greatly rectafied by my loving family

10. hamburger meat... or any readily availiable clean meat product

Just a list....some things I dream about on a nightly basis.

y'know.....wishin and hopin

Busia Posta

2005-08-30T20:17:00.000-10:00

Heres where you can send me mail from now on....

Steve Bennett, PCV
BOX 371
Busia, Kenya 50400

Life in a Border Town....

2005-08-30T20:02:00.000-10:00

Hey guys! Hope everyone is doin well katika America. (Katika means 'in') I'm sittin i the posta workin on a Dell Computer that they just got. How about that...move from Austin to Busia, Kenya to work on a Dell coputer. Well Busia is shaping up to be everything an African border town should be. I live right next door to a giant bar/club that blares Kenyan music through my window until about 6 am every morning. I wake up by 6:30 to let the workers into my house so they can finish building it then I hide in my room for a few hours. I sneak out and walk around town a bit...usually to the chorus of children yelling 'Mazungu HOW ARE YOU!?!' repeatedly even after I say Im fine. If anyone visits me get ready because you never thought you would ever hate hearing the words 'How are you?', but to me they have become this constant droning background noise that the Kenyan children gladly provide. As I have walked around my town I have come to realize that my town is essentially made up of bars and alot of the women here......well lets just say that they dont work alot during the day. My landlord is a really great guy and overly helpful at times....I dont think he knows how to respond to having a mazungu (white man) in his building. His sons definately dont know what to the think of me. The eldest is cool and will talk...the teenaged one tends to get nervous unless he is around his friends. Teenagers are the same everywhere I guess. While my town itself is not what I would call attractive the area surrounding it is really beautiful. This part of Kenya is really green and a little more tropical looking than the stereotypical savannah scenes that you see on postcards. Well now that I have regular access to a computer I can keep this up much more. Talk at ya later!

off to site....kinda

2005-08-08T01:44:00.000-10:00

Well traiing is finally over and we are all really excited to get going to our sites. YUP ITS BUSIA OR BUST AT THIS POINT. Only one proble,....they have not finished building my house yet...so it seems as though i will have to live in a little hotel in Busia for a while which is kind of a bummer cause I am ready to get set up and, you know, start livin. We have had a great hedonisitic weekend in Nairobi though. I even ate sushi!!! Nairobi is the perfect place to live in beautiful denial of the fact that you are getting ready to go to site and start working...kinda. I say kinda cause we arent really supposed to do any real work for the first three months. We are all supposed to take three months to get accuainted with our communities and jobs. It kinda feels like we are starting all over again a bit....but in a good way!
Also, I get to take a night train to get to Kisumu from Nairobi...I'm really overly excited about the night train...it feels very 'Harry Potter' to me. Well I will keep you updated better later...things are really hectic at this point.

okay so yeah, havent updated in a while!!

2005-07-17T00:05:00.000-10:00

What up my peeps! Hope this are going well stateside. Things here are wonderful and terrible....welcome to the bipolar world of Peace Corps!! Actually things are really great for the most part so dont think I'm in hell or anything. Kenya is really beautiful though the culture shock is truly amazing. Training generally sucks but I love my homestay family and they have been really wonderful. Now to answer a few questions I know are on peoples minds.
1. Yes we have finally seen some animals....baboons, warthogs, and zebras so far.
2. Yes I have been sick a few times and my stomach aint feelin too hot right now either.
3.Yes I dont know where I will be living permanently...in Busia Town, my house
a five minute walk from Uganda.
4. Yes the food in Kenya generally sucks....except chapati which is kinda like a flour torilla....kenyan style.
5. Yes I am learning Kiswahilli and enjoying the language.
6. Yes I take a bath in a bucket.
7. Yes i poo in a hole in the ground....called a choo.
8. Yes I miss all of you.
9. Yes I love the other volunteeres in my group.
10. Yes i'm pissed at my friends that have not writte...except Kelli and Sara...they wrote me.
11. Yes I will post again soon.

We are in nairobi right now which is great. Anytime we get to come here we really enjoy it. I actually got to see a movie in a real theatre last night....we went to see Fantastic Four....dont know if it was good or I was just desperate.

Isn't it strange

2005-04-30T20:38:00.000-10:00

1. ....that I am moving to Kenya...yet I'm still completely upset that I will miss the 'Survivor' finale

2. ....that its easier for me to sleep listening to music because if its quiet I cant stop thinking about moving

3. ....that I'm not really scared about moving yet

4. ....that I'm typing this at 1:40 am on saturday night

5. ....that America will probobly be different when I come back

6. ....that my friends lives won't stop without me... :)

7. ....that the last time I felt like this was before starting college

8. ....that I think the Peace Corps will teach me more than college

9. ....did I tell you I'm moving to KENYA!?!?!

Isn't it strange?

Thought of the Day 4

2005-04-23T18:14:00.000-10:00

"That consciousness is everything and that all things begin with a thought. That we are responsible for our own fate, we reap what we sow, we get what we give, we pull in what we put out. I know these things for sure."
Madonna

Good Times...and 4 weeks to go

2005-04-21T17:37:00.000-10:00

Hello People,
I have had a fantastic week. Dr. Tharp from my mom's clinic threw me a great going away party out at his ranch/land type place. People from my mothers vet clinic were in attendance and it was incredibly fun. We drove around on 4x4's and road a zip line over the pond...ate a bunch of briskit and some old fashioned cherry cobbler. Over all a fantastic day...I got some well needed cash and some gift certificates for REI which will be going into use tomorrow....backpack and shoes.
On Sunday I made an escape to Austin...a little trip home basically. it felt good to be back in my environment. Went out with some friends...got my drink on. Then I proceeded to have a panic attack about moving. I was about to fall asleep and suddenly this fear gripped me and wouldn't let go. I was convinced for a moment that the journey I was about to embark upon was one that could not emotionally survive. I had to talk myself down but I was about to basically give up. Now when I say that, I don't want you to think I WAS about to give up...it was just a little emotional hurdle that I needed to jump...and jump it I did.
By the way...I watched The Exorcist and just so everyone knows....Kenya is where Lucifer fell when he was cast out of heaven...I know....gives you warm fuzzies all over.....right!

Still going....

2005-04-17T10:36:00.000-10:00

AS the weeks drag on by I continue to build with anticipation. I am so ready to go at this point. Im sure as I step onto the plane I will get those cold feet, jitters, etc. but Im ready to at least get to that point. Sleep has been an issue lately. As soon as I am laying down and it is quiet I start thinking of everything....from staging...to training...to placement at my site...to what I am going to do after the peace corps...all of this tends to keep me awake.

I had a great going away party yesterday that people from my Moms work threw for me...it was a fantastic time. Went out to the country and rode a zip line over a pond and drove around on a four wheeler. Dr.T even made some great cherry cobbler the old fashioned way (in a kettle in the fire). Overall a wonderful day. It was good to get out of the house a bit.

Also went to the zoo on friday. I was acting like a five year old looking for all of the animals that live in Kenya constantly yelling out...'THIS ONES MINE!' everytime I saw one. By the way weve got spitting cobras, green and black mambas, and the ever popular puff adder....good times!

Made a big mistake...did a google search....Kenya and Spiders......dont do it for your own good.

Testing..1...2...3

2005-04-08T10:04:00.000-10:00

Info for family and friends

2005-04-08T08:01:00.000-10:00

Thanks Misty for typing this on your page so I could steal it.... :)
______________________________________________________________
Dear Prospective Volunteer: Please give this letter to your family and ask them to hold on to it for as long as you are in Kenya.
______________________________________________________________
March 2005
Dear Families,
Greetings from the Kenya Desk in Washington, D.C. It is with great pleasure that we welcome your family member to Peace Corps. During the past year we have received many requests from Volunteers and family members alike regarding travel plans, sending money, relaying messages and mail, etc. As we are unable to involve ourselves in the personal arrangements of Volunteers, we would like to offer you advice and assistance in advance by providing specific examples of situations and how we suggest they be handled.

Irregular Communication
The mail service in Kenya is not as efficient as the U.S. Postal Service. Thus, it is important to be patient. It can take three to four weeks for mail coming from Kenya to arrive in the United States via the Kenyan postal system. From a Volunteer's post, mail might take 1-2 months to reach the United States. Sometimes mail is hand carried to the States by a traveler and then mailed through the US postal system. This leg of the trip can take another several weeks, as it is also dependent on the frequency of travelers to the U.S.We suggest that in your first letters, you ask your Volunteer family member to give an estimate of how long it takes for him/her to receive your letters and then try to establish a predictable pattern of how often you will write to each other. We would also like to suggest that you consider the use of "aerograms," generally a blue sheet of paper which folds into an envelope. These are available in most stationary stores or at post offices. Volunteers have had good success in receiving their mail in this form. Also, try numbering your letters so that the Volunteer knows if he/she has missed one. Postcards should be sent in envelopes--otherwise they may be found on the wall of the local post office!
Volunteers often enjoy telling their "war" stories when they write home. Letters might describe recent illnesses, lack of good food, isolation, etc. While the subject matter is good reading material, it is often misinterpreted on the home front. Please do not assume that if your family member has been ill that he or she has been unattended. Peace Corps has a doctor and two physician's assistants on staff in Nairobi. Through regular contact, they monitor the health of the Volunteers. In the event of a serious illness, the Volunteer comes to Nairobi and is cared for by our medical staff. If the Volunteer requires medical care that is not available in Kenya, he/she will be medically evacuated to South Africa or the United States, depending on the medical care required. Fortunately, these are rare circumstances.If, for some reason, your communication pattern is broken and you do not hear from your family member for three months, you should contact the Office of Special Services (OSS) at Peace Corps Washington at 1-800-424-8580, extension 1470. OSS will then contact the Peace Corps Director and ask her/him to check up on the Volunteer. Also, in the case of an emergency at home (death in the family, sudden illness, etc.), please do not hesitate to call OSS or our weekend and off hours Duty Officer (202) 638-2574 immediately so that the Volunteer will be informed as soon as possible.

Telephone Calls
The telephone system in Kenya is relatively good. Service to the United States is somewhat reliable, phones exist in most larger towns and Volunteers can often plan to be at a phone on a certain date to receive calls from home. This usually works, but there are also innumerable factors that can make the best-laid plans fall apart.The Kenya Desk communicates the Peace Corps office in Nairobi daily. However, these calls are reserved for business only and we cannot relay personal messages over the phone. All communication between family members and the Volunteer must be done via international mail.

Sending mail during Pre Service Training

(PST)Your name, Peace Corps Trainee
P.O. Box 30518
Nairobi, Kenya

Sending packages

Both parents and Volunteers like to send and receive care packages through the mail. Unfortunately, sending packages can be a frustrating experience for all involved due to the possible theft and heavy customs taxes. You may want to try to send inexpensive items through the mail, but there is no guarantee that these items will arrive. We do not recommend, however, that costly items be sent through the mail. Even though Volunteers choose to get local post office boxes, you may use the following address to send letters to your family member at any time during his or her service:

John Doe, PCV
U.S. Peace Corps
P.O. Box 30518
Village Market, 00621
Nairobi, Kenya

We recommend that packages be sent in padded envelopes if possible, as boxes tend to be taxed more frequently. Custom fees can be quite expensive. For lightweight but important items (e.g. airline tickets), several services, such as DHL, FedEx, TNT, and UPS operate in Kenya. These services however, are very expensive, and can cost as much as $70 for a letter. If you do choose to send items through them, you must address the package to the Country Director, c/o Peace Corps, Nairobi, Kenya. (The street address of the Peace Corps office in Nairobi is: Grivellia Groove, Westlands, Nairobi, Kenya). If you send the item to the Country Director, no liability can be assumed.Sending airplane tickets and/or cash is not recommended. Certain airlines will allow you to buy a pre-paid ticket in the States; they will telex their Nairobi office to have the ticket ready. Unfortunately, this system is not always reliable. Several European carriers fly to Kenya. Please call the airline of your choice for more information. You could also send tickets via mail services as mentioned previously. However, Peace Corps will assume no liability in the event of a lost/stolen airline ticket.Trying to send cash or checks is very risky and is discouraged. If your Volunteer family member requests money from you, it is his/her responsibility to arrange for its receipt. There is Western Union service available in Nairobi, although there are many charges involved in the sending and exchange of money. Bear in mind that Volunteers will be aware of people visiting the States and can request that they call the Volunteers' families when they arrive in the States should airline tickets or cash need to be sent back to Kenya.We hope this information is helpful to you during the time your family member is serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kenya. We understand how frustrating communication difficulties can be when your family member is overseas. and we appreciate your using this information as a guide. Please feel free to contact us at the Kenya Desk in Washington, D.C. if you have any further questions. Our phone number is 1-800-424-8580, ext. 2324/2323 or locally, 202-692-2324/202-692-2302

TOTD 3

2005-04-08T07:30:00.000-10:00

Everything changes....Everything stays the same

Peace Corps Songs

2005-04-07T17:26:00.000-10:00

in no order, please add your own in the comments section....

1. 'Roam'- B-52's
2. 'I Want to Live'- Josh Gracin
3. 'Breakaway'- Kelly Clarkson
4. 'Anticpation'- Carley Simon
5. 'Talkin about a revolution'- Tracey Chapman
6. 'Why's it so Hard'- Madonna
7. 'We are the World'- Various
8. 'Shiny Happy People'- R.E.M.
9. '10,000 years (peace is now)'- Live
10. 'people are people'- Depeche Mode
11. 'Imagine'- John Lennon

Lost in a sea of waiting

2005-03-31T11:50:00.000-10:00

So now what? I've sent in all my forms for my passport, pray they make it in on time. Now I am in Houston and.....sitting here. I'm ready to go but its not time. I'm going to work a couple days at my moms clinic painting which will help to pass the time. My 'farewell tour' continues as there are a couple parties coming up for me and I'm going to visit Sara in New York. I just always keep feeling like I'm missing something. There always seems as though there is something I should be doing but to a certain point I don't really know what I truly need and can take or will be able to use. So many of my questions seem to be answered with responses like 'that wont really matter' and 'you'll find out when you get here'. Its exciting to go into the unknown...but damn people! Throw a dog a bone!

Thought for the day 2

2005-03-31T11:29:00.000-10:00

Man is not one but two, he is evil and good, and he'd walk the fine line if he thought that he could..............Discuss.

starting to sink in a bit

2005-03-24T08:14:00.000-10:00

SoI have finally moved in with my family which means Im on the final stretch to that May departure date. My friends and I had a big going away camping trip all last weekend. It was a great time but while I was there I began to realize what I was leaving. I sat in my tent on the second night listening to the river next to our site and thought about my friends and family. It even got to the point that I was waxing poetic about the texas countryside in Spring on our way home. Those bluebonnets and indian paintbrushes can have a effect on you. My last night in Austin was a friends birthday so we all went out to eat which was great. If you are ever in Austin you have to go to East Side Cafe, its my favorite.
I feel like I have so many emotions going on right now and i cant focus on one of them to truly feel it to its fullest. I do have a gerat deal of nervousness about the whole proces though. Not about leaving but that I will do something that will keep me from leaving. Im in constant worry of filling out a form incorrectly or that my passport will get messed up. I guess I just need to relax about it. Things will work out...just keep telling yourself that.....things will work out.

spell check can be evil

2005-03-24T08:12:00.000-10:00

That last post was supposed to say Naivasha NOT Navajo. I love it when spell check screws you over.

Never count your chickens....

2005-02-24T13:32:00.000-10:00

So.... The adventure continues and I ain't even left yet! For the past 20 years the peace corps has done their training in Navajo. Navajo, from what I know, is a beautiful town on the edge of the great rift valley and Lake Navajo. NOW....We will be part of an experimental group that will be training in Kikui...a small town a little east of Nairobi....Basically on the map....The roads going east from Nairobi end at Kitui. Don't get me wrong...I think the training there will definitely help us. Since Kitui is the least developed part of Kenya and has been in a drought for two years we will rack up experience points. I just wonder why through my entire life I always end up in the experimental groups. Just kinda funny. I've gotten a lot of good info from some RPCV's and also know of three other people going so far. One guy I've seen on a college website going for water/san as well as two other girls in pub. Health. Well, I'll wait to see how this all continues to play out in the future.

KENYA OFFICIALLY

2005-02-22T13:45:00.000-10:00

Its official as of today!!! I am being shipped off to Kenya in May. I will be working in Public Health with a focus on HIV/AIDS. I am incredibly excited!! My staging will either be in Philly or DC. I cant wait to meet the other volunteers and cant wait to see kenya. Its amazing...in my interview for the Peace Corps I said that doing work with AIDS in Kenya would be my ideal assignment and thats what I got. My PO said that it almost never happens that someone gets the exact assignment that they want so I got really lucky. Later on I'll post the explanation of the project I'll be working on.

personality quiz result

2005-01-29T15:35:00.000-10:00

took a random personality quiz....my result..... Wackiness: 54/100Rationality: 36/100Constructiveness: 82/100Leadership: 68/100
You are a WECL--Wacky Emotional Constructive Leader. This makes you a People`s Advocate.You are passionate about your causes, with a good heart and good endeavors. Your personal fire is contagious, and others wish they could be as dedicated to their beliefs as you are. Your dedication may cause you to miss the boat on life's more slight and trivial activities. You will feel no loss when skipping some inane mixer, but it can be frustrating to others to whom such things are important. While you find it difficult to see other points of view, it may be useful to act as if you do, and play along once in a while. In any event, you have buckets of charisma and a natural skill for making people open up. Your greatest asset is an ability to make progress while keeping the peace.Of the 84336 people who have taken this quiz since tracking began (8/17/2004), 6.1 % are this type.

thought of the day

2005-01-29T11:16:00.000-10:00

"There are no great things, only small things with great love" -Mother Theresa

Almost time to find out

2005-01-23T15:05:00.000-10:00

Alright. So I actually spoke to my P.O. (placement officer). She said my file has already been looked at and will belooked at closer over then next few days then she will send my invite! yeah! So thats exciting. Whats really exciting right now ismy new MP3 player. Ive been downloading songs on it all weekend. Its gonna be nice to take with me I think. Anywho...I'll keep this updated. And for those who won't start reading this until I'm gone.....you can backtrack.

So We Begin!!!

2005-01-14T19:58:00.000-10:00

Alright everyone this is my weblog to keep you all in touch and up to date with my journey through the Peace Corps. Chances are I will have some internet access wherever I end up going so I figure that I can update this every so often! But Steve...you're probobly not leaving until May? why start this now? I thought you might ask!! Well, Why not now? So, as many of you know, I do believe that I am going to Kenya if all things work out the way that they seem to be. Which is Fantastic!! Though I will be happy no matter where they send me. As the Peace Corps has already taught me...until I get that official invitation....everything can change... so keep posted to upcoming posts. I have been officially cleared and jumped through all the proverbial hoops that I need to. Now I just wait. I know the name of my P.O. (placement officer) so in about a week I might try calling her constantly until she gives me that official invitation. Does nagging work on a Federal level?....lobbyists can do it so why can't I? Alright ....well I'll end this first post here and welcome to my blog once again!