Productivity!! Finally!!

1) Register to vote. Check!

2) Request absentee ballot. Check!

well, I now have the form.  I will send it in as soon as I have my permanent Mauritania address.

3) Register pickup. Check! Check! Check!

Yep, that's right.  I dished out some extra money and finally got permanent tags.  Now Mom doesn't have to think about my registration every April!

4) Finish PC Mauritania resume. Check!

Extensive application, essays, interviews...I still had to write up another resume!

5) Write PC Mauritania Aspiration Statement. Check!

see above re: redundancy

6) Practice two hours of French. Check!

And my brain is now fried!

And that was just today!  And I worked 7 hours!

Now, about the French practice.  

The Peace Corps is continual surprises.  They advised me (in January) to enroll in a college course or buy Rosetta Stone.  I guffawed and bought cheap Berlitz curricula and downloaded free podcasts.  Yesterday, I received an email from PC Mauritania.  Outlining instructions for how to log on to my online Rosetta Stone course and telling me that I must complete at least 40 hours before I arrive in country.

40 hours.  In 46 (counting yesterday) days.  Not accounting for all of the days I'll be with family, etc. (or the upcoming days where I work 8-5 at the bank and 5-11 at the GranTree...but only 2 more of those)

Well, now.  I should probably study another 1/2 hour of French before I go to bed....

Au revoir!

It is snowing again

The below article outlines why I was getting rather worried about actually being invited.  

However, it conversely points out how to become a more competitive applicant.  All of the basic "we can teach them this program content" assignments get snapped up very quickly by all the liberal arts, etc degrees.  However, if one has experience in technology, agriculture, business, etc...those program areas are basically begging for volunteers.

Thus, I wind up doing agriculture because of my "almost-match" skill set, rather than waiting until next year for a community health program, etc.

http://thenewservice.wordpress.com/2009/04/23/toughroadtopeacecorps/

Every day, I think I finally understand how frantic I should be.  But I really don't understand.  Because a few days later, I say to myself, "Wow! Only 5 more weekends until I leave Bozeman!"  And my schedule is getting packed.  I am not getting packed, but my schedule is. heh heh

So I tried to get going on my packing mission today.  But ran out of newspaper before I even had a full box of dishes. :S  

I am working 21 hours at the GranTree this week.  Which usurps my packing (btw: 3 types of packing: bringing to Mauritania, storing @ Mom/Dad's, and goodwill), language studying, etc.

But the money is worth it.  A couple more crisp 100 dollar bills I can ferret away for exchange in country.  Or a couple hundred more I can tuck into my bank account here.

And I need to call in sick this week.  Because I have to get to the Broadwater Co Courthouse to register my truck, register to vote, apply for an absentee ballot, etc.  And Judy won't let me work this Saturday (and therefore, work 1/2 a day during the week)...which means I must call in sick in order to get this stuff done. :S  I feel rather bad about it, but it isn't my fault that I am not legitimately having time off.

On an ending note, I said good-bye to winter earlier this week.  I went outside in the middle of the night as 6+ inches were dumped on Bozeman, and I took pictures of the "last snow for 2 years".  Ha!  Winter didn't want to say goodbye.  It is snowing again.

Lists, lists, lists

I don't know what people did before Facebook.

I already have 9 "friends" who are either current PCVs or incoming PCVs (like me).  Current PCVs are able to tell us what they should've brought, or wish they would've left home.  Incoming PCVs are able to "meet" prior to stage.  

It is so fun to find a new Mauritania-bound person.  To be able to say, "yeah! I think I'll get along with this person" or "Oh! Biochemistry degree! They're going to know their stuff!"  There is already the super-outgoing person.  You know, the one who walks up and introduces herself to strangers right off the bat.  (It is not me!)

I've learned more about PC and the application process from Facebook, PeaceCorps wiki and the PC-RIM google group, than from the official PC website.

I am still on a quest for passport pictures.  I went to WalMart's photo studio.  Got my picture taken.  Found out that it is $10/2 pics no matter how many!!  I was not going to dish out $120 for passport pics.  So I went to FedEx/Kinkos.  The first 2 are 12.99, $5/2 after that.  But the girl at FedEx said that Costco's are really cheap.  SO.  I'm going to have to get Heidi to take me to Costco (since she has a membership) sometime this weekend.  That means I should be able to FedEx my passport/visa applications on Monday.

I need to email my resume/letter of intent to PC RIM (btw: Republique Islamique de Mauritanie) ASAP also.  I have to do this b/c the country doesn't receive any of my application materials.  I have to sum me up in a resume and letter....which was PAGES of PC application materials.  Ugh.

And I need to go up to Townsend next week to register my truck (permanent plates?) and register to vote/request absentee ballot.  Since Judy won't let me work 5/2 (and therefore have a 1/2 day in the week), I think I'm going to call in sick.  After all, I have 50+ hours of sick time.  I can't just cash those out like I can my vacation days. :S  My conscience might nag me about that, but I think I'll get over it.

Everything else can wait for a little bit.  Calling my insurance company to make sure I have the cheapest possible insurance while I'm away, etc.

And I did get a letter today confirming that I am going to the Cursillo in Bozeman the 15-17 of May.  I'm really excited to go.  I think it will be really really good to have a really strong spiritual experience before I go.  Especially since I won't have any familiar religion around me for 2+ years.  I just think back to how I felt after Search... I think that the extra little push from the Holy Spirit will be a good thing.  (wow, that sounds like I'm more religious than I am...)  But, this means I have one less weekend to be productive.  And one less weekend to spend with friends.  

I need to start realizing that really, I'm leaving June 3rd (for all intents and purposes)...which means I only have *just* over a month.  GAH!!

Gah! So much to do!  I have a ton of paperwork to fill out...and not very much time to visit friends or study French... :S

57 days.

Foretold in the stars!

So I checked my email this a.m. and had an email from Peace Corps re: my "application status update"....So I checked my application and my invitation is in the mail! :D:D  Hopefully I'll have it by friday...they should have sent it out yesterday if it got updated last night...so maybe even Thursday? :)

Funny thing:

I checked my horoscope just a minute ago (b/c I have it on my dashboard, so when I check the outside temp, I check my horoscope too)...

"You've been making a good impression on some very powerful people, and today, your perseverance will pay off handsomely.  Get ready to be invited to the inner circle, either through a social or work-related invitation.  The nature of your time with these people isn't as important as the length of time you will have with them, so be relaxed and grounded when you're in their presence.  They want to get to know you better, so be confidant and smile!"

I think that's the closest to an accurate horoscope as I've ever had!

so close!

I just got done with my final placement interview.

Yay!

It really was quick and painless.  She asked me some of the same questions from my initial interview, asked me about being out of touch with my family, and how I felt about agriculture vs HHD.  She said everything looks perfect, can't see anything that would possibly hold up my placement process....

But...

She has to double check with the Mauritania agriculture program (again!) to make sure that my skill addenda would qualify me adequately.  She said she should hear back from them w/i a couple of days.  I completely agree with the couple of days.  When my recruiter checked with them it only took 2-3 business days before I was officially nominated for the program.  (I talked with her noon on a Wednesday, and I was officially nominated the following Monday).  SO.  Hopefully, they will update my profile by Wednesday, which means I should have my official invitation packet in the mail a week from today. :)

Yay!

Phew!

According to a girl on Facebook (in the "Future Peace Corps Volunteers" group), she had a final interview also.  It is apparently normal.  Yay!  And the final interview is basically just making sure that family members haven't reacted negatively to the change, following up on any concerns, etc.  

So yay!

I might actually be invited by Easter! :)  Or, at least, my invitation will be in the mail...

ANOTHER interview!

"Hello Teresa,

My name is Lateefah Burgess; I am your Placement Officer at Peace Corps.  I am currently considering your application for placement.  I would like to arrange a 30-minute phone interview with you to complete the final evaluation of your application.  Please let me know a day and time, beginning April 8th, when you would be available for a phone interview and the best number at which to reach you.  I am available Monday through Friday between 9:30am to 5:30pm EST.

Thank you,

Lateefah Burgess"

So I am now doubting lots of things.

1) Is this going to be an interview to test my spoken French?

2) Is it going to be re-evaluating my agricultural background?

3) The Madagascar program (including new invitees scheduled to depart 6/16) has been cancelled.  Has this cancellation made the program more competitive?

I think I'll schedule my interview for the afternoon of Good Friday.  Since I only work the a.m.  It will be easier to do the interview then, I think.  Otherwise, it would be squeezing the interview in over my lunch or when I get off of work.

I will also practice some conversational French.  Because Lateefah is a RPCV (Returned Peace Corps Volunteer) from Senegal, another Francophone African country (actually, Mauritania's neighbor to the south).

Happy to hear that a bunch of sisters will be home for Easter!  I'll take my spider plant up to MaryVeir.  And Esther will be able to get her plants from me in a few weeks.

I printed off a schedule of my potential remaining time.  It is 10 weeks from tomorrow that I will potentially be departing.  It truly feels like that is absolutely no time at all!