Lessons learned and "The Plan"

*Lessons Learned*

1. Patience...really is a virtue.I don't know how many times my patience has been practiced, how many times I had to remind myself that if I just wait a little bit longer it will all work out. It seems like this is a re-occurring theme in my Peace Corps experience, starting from the 2 years it took me to get to Malawi. I have to have patience with my neighbor kids who show up at my door at 6am asking for candy knowing if they came back at noon I would be more than happy to share. I have to have patience when it comes to travelling back to site, it takes 9-12 hours to get there on less than desirable transport sometimes. I have to practice patience when it comes to my future. Grant it, tomorrow is not guaranteed, everything happens for a reason and happens when its suppose to happen. Forcing something to be will just make it be the way you don't want it. I'm definitely the type of person that curiosity gets the best of and that curiosity can lead to moments where my patience is lacking, but I know that when I'm patient I always get what I want. (See consider the source when dealing with people and patience)

2. Smile...it will come back to you...There have been moments of sadness, irritation, anger, confusion but when those moments happen I always try to find something to smile about and when I do it seems that smile makes it way back to me in some form of kindness that has changed whatever negative to a positive.

3. Always consider the source and never forget that we are all DIFFERENT...Sometimes people say things or do things that may make a person reconsider how they feel about themselves. When this happens it tends to be from a person who is not in their right mind or doesn't know you. I have gotten better by not letting the comments of people who don't really know me change how I see myself. People come from all over, and the more I move through this life and move all over, I'm reminded that people come from all different walks of life, have different experiences and just how my experiences have shaped my perspective of the world and the people in it, theirs have as well. My eyes are attached to neurons that are attached to my brain, therefore I understand the world how I see it.No one else can share in my perspective of the world, so I can either waste time wondering why or except that we are all different and keep it moving.

4. A friend maybe waiting behind the face of a stranger...I have been blessed throughout my time to find a good group of friends that provide me with the love and support needed to do what I do. These same friends come from all different places and have lifestyles totally different from my own. Some of these friends have been in my life since I was a small child, some have been picked up along the way. If I didn't allow myself to be open enough to let new people in then I would have missed out on some pretty awesome people and some awesome friendships. I've had a plethora of jobs that have taken me through different groups of people, these different groups of people have allowed me to relate to most people I come across because I probably have a friend just like them :) Don't get stuck thinking you have to only be friends with people like you or in your age group. I have 5 year old friends and 50 year old friends who all help me understand this world, bring me laughter and happiness, support and love. Doesn't get any better than that.

5. Know when to say hello and when to say goodbye...I believe that people come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Many have heard my reasoning behind this but its true. As we are constantly changing, we should not expect that our friends won't change as well. As we take on a new interests we are going to find people that share in those interests. Just because what we use to have is no longer, it does not mean we are not friends. In my book once a friend always a friend, we just may be friends in different places and that's ok.

6. No sense in crying over something that can't be changed...Some decisions and things are set in stone, if you have no power to change it, leave it alone.

7. Always go with your gut feeling...If something don't feel right, don't do it. You have instinct for a reason.

8. Don't be afraid to go after what you want...and wait patiently for it to come.If I want something I'm going to go after it until I get it or until all possible ways for getting it are exhausted. Call me spoiled or stubborn or whatever else, but if its something that I know will bring me happiness then I don't mind working hard for it and or waiting some to get it.

9. Don't take the backseat in your life...Do what you want to make your life yours.I've adopted the attitude that you can either come along for the ride of get out. If you decide to stay then put a seat belt on and hold on!

10. Treat others as you want to be treated...Just about every job I had in h.s and college was behind a counter. i have served buffalo wings, smoothies, towels, bagels and sandwiches, these jobs have all taught me to be humble and to see all as my equal regardless of what side of the counter I was on. It use to piss me off when I was at Vanderbilt and working at Panera and customers would come in assuming that because I was on the other side of the counter I had to be somewhat less intelligent then them. It made me realize that you never know exactly who is on the other side of the counter(figuratively and literally) and shouldn't make assumptions about anyone or their abilities. Let them prove otherwise, but until they do treat them as you want them to treat you. I may be in a developing country but my Malawian counterparts are just as capable as I am, maybe even more so given this is their home turf. I refuse to speak "special English" or dumb down my language. It may require more of an explanation for some to understand, but I am a teacher aren't I? Who am I to deny any person the ability to learn something new, if that be the case then I should have been denied as well. We all have our own capabilities, they may be different but they are still equal.

*The Plan*

Now that we are into the new year, I guess its time to share with you all the plans I have for the remainder of my service and after...

Teaching
Given the fact that i'm not going to be teaching this year, I will have some time on my hands and hopefully I'll have enough to do to keep me from getting restless. I will be taking on the role of Teacher Development Facilitator working with 2 schools-Kasitu CDSS(my current school) and Dwambazi CDSS( a school about 10k north of Kasitu). I will work with the teachers from both schools on record keeping, planning, team teaching, organization etc.. I took a survey from my teachers prior to now for me to put together the curriculum and schedule I will use based on their needs. Although my community is slightly disappointed that I will not be teaching english given the results, they are happy that I will be helping the teachers sharpen their skills so they can continue to teach well past my leaving. Prior to my trip to Lilongwe I met with my District Education Manager just to get the ball rolling on our working relationship for the upcoming year. Since I was a teacher and not doing teacher development things, I did not utilize my district education office as much due to lack of time but I plan on making my face a known one..haha. I will continue working with my Primary Education Advisor in Kasitu on ways to collaborate so we can get better results in the future both on the primary and secondary level in addition to making stronger connections with the schools. Currently, there are 12 primary schools that feed into 2 secondary schools, so its important that all are on the same page. She is super motivated and progressive and we make an awesome team. Its also awesome because she was one of the mentors at Women2Women and has kept things going in my absence. Eunice and I, both Kasitu transplants, call her our mother because she's the first one we go to when we need something and she provides the most sound, logical advice, and encouragement when needed. Plus, she's funny and has no problem calling people out.

Moving along...

Gender Development
My friend D'lynn and I have decided to go out with a bang, not literally, but we both loved being involved in Camp GLOW(Girls Leading our World-D'lynn's endeavor) and Women2Women(my endeavor) that we decided to do a joint endeavor-SiSters in Senga. We are planning our last girls empowerment camp on the central lakeshore for sometime in early March. We will take girls that have previously attended a PC volunteer sponsored event(Camp Sky, Camp GLOW, Women2Women etc) and build on the information previously learned. Those camps were introductory courses to what we plan on covering at this camp. We would like to incorporate more skills training, more speakers, more depth in the information covered previously and more fun. Plus, we will be on the lake so that's fun in itself. After I return from midservice training, D'lynn and I will begin the planning. Since it will have to be done during a term break, the first week in March would be ideal but then again it doesn't leave us with a lot of time.

Health...
I have also most recently been approached by my PLWHA(People Living with HIV/AIDS) group about some assistance in meeting their needs. I will work with the Agriculture Extension workers in my area(Pangani and Chipoti) on creating kitchen gardens for nutrition and herbals gardens for vitamin supplements to the kitchen garden(they have this drink they call it power juice-made from garlic, aloe vera, and bark from a particular tree(not sure which one but it's found locally) ) along with coming up with some income generating activities.

Between these three and continuing to work with the girls/women in my community(we already held a community meeting with girls and their parents from the secondary school to discuss the low pass rate and what should be done to change that and to make education more of a priority, we have met with community leaders to discuss how the community can support girls education) and Kasitu AIDS Organization, I will begin wrapping up my work here and preparing for the next part of my journey. Which is.....

GRAD SCHOOL!!!!!
So after some time to think, feel out my interests, and figure out what I could possibly spend the rest of my life doing I have decided on a program that suits me. It has been a long road coming and seeing as I don't believe in throwing money away I couldn't just jump into a masters program, i'm glad that I have some clarity on what I want to do next and now that my application is 75% complete(just polishing up my personal statement) it feels good. Once they accept me(can't entertain negative thoughts) I will have about a month between my leaving Malawi and my move but we will just wait until that time comes to deal with it.With that being said...I will be coming home in .....................STAY TUNED TO FIND OUT......hahahahahahahahahaha.

of course I will keep you all informed of the ups, downs, good, bad, and the ugly. Until then, enjoy this new year and all that it has in store for you.

Oh the places i'm going!

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!
by the incomparable Dr. Seuss

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

You’ll look up and down streets. Look’em over with care. About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.” With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you’re too smart to go down a not-so-good street.

And you may not find any you’ll want to go down. In that case, of course, you’ll head straight out of town. It’s opener there in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen, don’t worry. Don’t stew. Just go right along. You’ll start happening too.

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!

You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.

You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed. You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead. Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don’t.
Because, sometimes, you won’t.

I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.

You can get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch. And your gang will fly on. You’ll be left in a Lurch.

You’ll come down from the Lurch with an unpleasant bump. And the chances are, then, that you’ll be in a Slump.

And when you’re in a Slump, you’re not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked. Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked. A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin! Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in? How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And if you go in, should you turn left or right…or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite? Or go around back and sneak in from behind? Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused that you’ll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.

The Waiting Place…for people just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting.

No! That’s not for you!
Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying. You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing. With banner flip-flapping, once more you’ll ride high! Ready for anything under the sky. Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all. Fame! You’ll be famous as famous can be, with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don’t. Because, sometimes, they won’t.

I’m afraid that some times you’ll play lonely games too. Games you can’t win ‘cause you’ll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not, Alone will be something you’ll be quite a lot.

And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants. There are some, down the road between hither and yon, that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.

But on you will go though the weather be foul. On you will go though your enemies prowl. On you will go though the Hakken-Kraks howl. Onward up many a frightening creek, though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak. On and on you will hike. And I know you’ll hike far and face up to your problems whatever they are.

You’ll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)

Kid, you’ll move mountains!
So…be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ale Van Allen O’Shea, you’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!




by far my favorite...going places this year and quite excited about it! Happy 2010 to all :)