Prologue Part V: Summing up

With my paperwork finally done, I was good to go. I’d been planning on Peace Corps since my Sophomore year of college, so I’ve had a lot of time to prepare for it. Here are some things I did when I just wanted to join Peace Corps, not caring about what country:

I took courses in

1. History of Sub-Saharan Africa since 1800
2. Elements of Nutrition
3. Music cultures of the world
4. Cross Cultural Psychology
5. U.S. Latina/o Studies
6. Music Fundamentals

I also volunteered in Uganda (ended up teaching Hebrew, crazy story there). I volunteered with America Counts, an organization that goes to public schools and tutors math after school to children who could use some extra help there. Two of my three Letters of Recommendation for Peace Corps actually came out of that, one being my America Counts team leader and one from a member of Kulanu (the organization that sent me to Uganda). I took up the ukulele, but had never played an instrument before (learned via Youtube and the Music Fundamentals course). The ukulele’s portable, non-electronic (ideal for wherever I might be), and if you’ve never heard the great Mr. Jake Shimabukuro play While My Guitar Gently Weeps, please stop reading this blog, watch it on youtube, and then continue your reading experience.

After Albert (Amihai) was murdered in Iraq, I decided to go to an Arab country. The way I figure, it’s just been too much fighting over there. I’m hoping to do the opposite, hoping to learn Arabic and about Islam in order to work towards peace. Hopefully once I come back from Morocco, I’ll be able to use my newly acquired language/cultural skills to work towards peace. Idealistic? Sure. Naïve? Yeah, yeah it is. But I’m tired of the guns, I’m tired of the bombs, and I’m tired of all the Albert’s being murdered. So in memory of Albert (zekher l’Amihai), here’s what I’ve done.

I took courses in:

1. Arabic (two semesters’ worth)

2. Basic Helping Skills Psychology

3. Introduction to Counseling Psychology

4. Urban Studies: The Challenge of Cities

5. Teaching English to Non-English Speaking Natives

6. Psychology of Language (which I dropped, also a crazy story there, shouldn’t have been able to graduate on time without that course [it was a 400-level and I needed another one of those if I wanted my diploma])

I also went to Salat Al Juma’a (Arabic for “Prayers the Friday”) every Friday with the Muslim Student Association on campus. I studied some (though really not all too much) Quran with a Muslim friend. I worked two summers at an overnight camp (requested an older bunk my first summer there, Peace Corps apparently likes it better when you work with older kids). I tutored English to several grad-school students on campus (again, older kids). I worked at the gym on campus (they got me CPR certified, my recruiter told me that’d be a good idea). I volunteered at the University Health Center. And that was about it.

Apparently it worked, I’m going to Morocco. I’ll be working in Youth Development, which as far as I know entails teaching English, working at a Dar Shabab (youth center) during the school-year and an English camp over the summers.

For those who want to join the Peace Corps, here’s my advice: Make sure you really want to go. When I first heard about Peace Corps, I thought it was the coolest thing ever. Despite my interview story, I’m told it’s really hard to get in. Go to a recruiting event, learn more about it (go to their website to learn where/when the closest one to you will be). Read up on what jobs they do in each region (as you do get to have a “preference” of region, though that’s no guarantee). And get some experience in the area you’ll most likely work in. I’m not saying volunteer abroad, but volunteer for sure. Get some experience: it shows Peace Corps you’re motivated, and gives you the chance to know if you really enjoy it. `Cause two years and three months in a foreign country, away from everything/one you know/love with few pople to speak English to, doing a job you don’t care for while working for an organization you’re not too crazy about…that’s gotta suck.