Words of Wisdom 2

Heather

Country of service: Kenya

Words of Wisdom: 

“On a daily basis, you will find that things will not go as you expect or plan. Of course, flexibility and patience are essential, but so is a healthy sense of humor...and a good book. Embrace the local ways of being neighborly-even if it means drinking 6 cups of tea. Utilize your fellow Volunteers - your Peace Corps family - for support and set up a realistic schedule to be in touch with your loved ones, while gently helping them understand that ultimately, “No news is good news,” for those times you miss the call. You WILL miss a call. Your headlamp is your best friend.”

Some Good Reads

I know that a lot of people have questions or are curious about the WHOLE Peace Corps experience.  They want to know what life was like, what people ate, how people felt, the big picture.  You can of course always find an RPCV and ask them for the story of his or her Peace Corps life (which they will happily regale you with for hours) or you can read the blogs and various published works available.

If you like looking at blogs the Peace Corps keeps a list of "top bloggers" on their website of Peace Corps Volunteers writing it out for the whole world to see.  If you are interested check out this link:

http://www.peacecorps.gov/resources/returned/thirdgoal/highlights/bloggers-vote/ 

Another, funny but not necessarily helpful, blog is How a PCV puts it gently is worth a look just to get a look at some insider PCV jokes and woes.  A quick warning, this blog may include some racy and/or disturbing topics for some, just be prepared to take it with a grain of salt.

howapcvputsitgently.tumbler.com

There are also a few books out there for people looking for a different kind of story.

You can find a series of books with Peace Corps stories in them, they each have a different editor and include stories from over 50 years of the Peace Corps:

One hand does not catch a buffalo
Gather the fruit one by one
Even the smallest crab has teeth
A small key opens big doors

Another couple great ones to check out are:

From the Center of the Earth: Stories out of Peace Corps by Geraldine Kennedy

Living Poor: A Peace Corps Chronicle by Moritz Thomsen

Nine Hills to Nambonkaha: Two Years in the heart of an African Village by Sarah Erdman

There are probably lots more memoirs and blogs out there but these are some good solid starts if you are interested in the a more in depth read.  Enjoy!

 Just as a side note, you can always contact our group for RPCV stories, we love to talk about the Peace corps :)

Words of Wisdom 1

Words of Wisdom for Your Peace Corps Service

Carrie Hessler-Radelet, Peace Corps Director

Country of service: Western Samoa, 1981-1983

Sector: Education

  

“Have fun; take your work seriously, but not yourself.  Your sense of humor will be one of your best assets.  And don’t forget to write down those humorous situations, language bloopers, and emotional moments.  They will sustain you long after you complete your Peace Corps service.” 

International Friendship Day, MI talks at UAF, and some updates

October and winter are upon us!  If you are interested in enjoying a little of the diversity that Fairbanks has to offer, get out of the house, and get some good food- then check out International Friendship Day.  This is an annual event that is planned by RPCVs and others in the community that happens in October.

The event is being held at the Pioneer Park Civics Centers from noon to 5pm.  There is always a full program of cultural and local groups performing in the center area, ranging from Samoan dancing to break dancing to a fashion show of traditional clothing from around the world.  In addition you can get a great variety of food and gifts as well as information.  There is of course of Peace Corps booth with a large display of items from different countries to look at.

Another event that is worth checking out this October 24th is a talk being held my Master's International students/RPCV fellows about their experiences.  It will be held at UAF in the Murie building (upper campus) in room 107 from 2-4.
Note: If you are planning to go be aware that you can park at the museum (right next door to Murie) and pay for a visitor's pass at the kiosk in the parking lot.

In other news we had a very successful couple of days with the recruiter from Seattle visiting on September 24th and 25th.  I hope that if you were interested in meeting with her you got a chance.  She isn't sure when she will be able to make it back to Fairbanks but with luck it won't be another 4 years before she can return.

And last but certainly not least... Tony Gasbarro, a long time Fairbanks resident and RPCV received an award for his work with UAF and the Master's International program-where he has been the liaison between UAF and the Peace Corps for several years.  Tony also works with a non-profit in El Salvador and has been an integral part of the RPCV group in Fairbanks.  If you know Tony be sure to congratulate him on his award.

Seattle Recruiter Visiting Fairbanks!

This is kind of last minute but the new recruiter from Peace Corps Seattle is visiting Fairbanks!

Stephanie Nys will be at UAF Wednesday, September 24th and Thursday, September 25th.

On September 24th be sure to stop by the Wood Center ballroom from 5-8 to meet her and chat about the Peace Corps.

On September 25th check out rooms C/D next to the Wood Center ballroom for a general information meeting and conversations with RPCVs.

If you are a student you might get a chance to chat with Stephanie as she does class talks.

New Peace Corps application process

Breaking news from the Peace Corps!

The Peace Corps has finally re-vamped the application process from a sometimes 2 year process to a more streamlined, user friendly possible 6 month process.  The details have been recently released and all sorts of new shiny graphics come with it.  

In addition the President has made a short video encouraging people to join the Peace Corps.  Check it out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScacdaiFv6w 

Below is the release from Peace Corps Washington about the new processes.  Check out the links as well!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE        

Public Affairs, West Coast Region

 

Peace Corps Announces Historic Changes to

Application and Selection Process

Peace Corps also Releases New Public Service Announcement from

President Obama Calling on Americans to Serve

WASHINGTON, D.C., July 15, 2014 – Peace Corps Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet today announced sweeping changes to the agency’s application process that will make applying to the Peace Corps simpler, faster and more personalized than ever before. Under this new recruitment initiative, applicants will now be able to choose their country of service and apply to specific programs, and do so through a new, shorter application.  As part of today’s announcement, Peace Corps also released a new video from President Obama calling on Americans to serve.  It can be viewed here.

“Today our world is smaller and more interconnected than ever before,” said President Obama in the new public service announcement.  “And it presents us with an extraordinary opportunity:  to connect with people in some of the most remote corners of the globe and show them that America is paying attention, that we care, and that we're here to help. That’s what the Peace Corps is all about.”

“More than 50 years after its founding, the Peace Corps is revitalizing its recruitment and outreach to field a volunteer force that represents the best and brightest the country has to offer, ” Director Hessler-Radelet (RPCV Western Samoa 1981-83) said.  “A modernized, flexible application and placement system will help Peace Corps recruit Americans who are not just interested in imagining a better world, but rolling up their sleeves and doing something about it.”

The key recruitment reforms include:

§  Peace Corps applicants can now choose the programs and countries they want to apply to – selecting the path that best fits their personal and professional goals. Applicants can apply to between one and three specific programs at a time, or they can choose to apply for service wherever they are needed most. The Peace Corps website now lists all open programs by country, work area and departure date, so applicants can browse service opportunities.

§  A new, shorter application is now available on the Peace Corps website that can be completed in less than one hour. What used to be more than 60 printed pages that took more than eight hours to complete is now a short online application that focuses solely but rigorously on the most relevant information to help the agency select the best candidates.

§  Each open Peace Corps position now has clearly identified Apply By and Know By deadlines, so applicants know when they can expect to receive an invitation to serve. If they apply on time, they’ll know if they were selected on time – just like applying to college or a job. These deadlines give applicants more certainty than ever and help them plan for the future.

Click here to view an infographic on Peace Corps’ new application and selection process.

“With the tools, technologies and opportunities of the 21^st century, the Peace Corps is giving Americans of all backgrounds the freedom to re-imagine their future and redefine their mark on the world,” Hessler-Radelet said. “I believe these changes will help re-ignite the passion of Peace Corps’ early days and that more Americans will seize the opportunity to make a difference across the world and here at home.”

Hessler-Radelet, who was sworn in as the agency’s 19^th director in June and comes from a four-generation Peace Corps family, has led an extensive reform effort since joining the agency in 2010.  In addition to the recruitment reforms announced today, the Peace Corps has dramatically improved the quality of support it provides to volunteers, strategically targeted its resources and country presence to maximize impact, and streamlined operations to create a culture of innovation and excellence.

About the Peace Corps:  As the preeminent international service organization of the United States, the Peace Corps sends Americans abroad to tackle the most pressing needs of people around the world. Peace Corps volunteers work at the grassroots level with local governments, schools, communities, small businesses and entrepreneurs to develop sustainable solutions that address challenges in education, health, economic development, agriculture, environment and youth development. When they return home, volunteers bring their knowledge and experiences – and a global outlook – back to the United States that enriches the lives of those around them. President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961 to foster a better understanding among Americans and people of other countries. Since then, more than 215,000 Americans of all ages have served in 139 countries worldwide. Visit www.peacecorps.gov to learn more.

A Look at a Former Master's International RPCV

This article was posted in the Alaska Dispatch News and shared with my by another RPCV who thought it would be nice to share about a wonderful RPCV (even though she isn't in the Fairbanks area :) .  All credit for the article goes to Shannon Kuhn, the reporter who wrote it.  If you are interested in checking out the article in its original glory check out http://www.adn.com/article/20140731/jar-fireweed-jelly-memories-summer 

With a jar of fireweed jelly, memories of summer

Shannon Kuhn   July 31, 2014

Fireweed is in full bloom across Alaska.

In Anchorage’s Fairview neighborhood, the streets are lined with these fiery magenta harbingers of fall. On a sunny afternoon last week, Löki Gale Tobin walked through her neighborhood gathering the delicate blossoms. Careful to only pick a long stem here and there, she harvested enough for a batch of fireweed Champagne jam to bring as a gift for her upcoming trip to Juneau.

Before making the jam in her kitchen, Tobin takes me on a quick tour through her cupboards. Multiple shelves of Mason jars holding colorful goodies and sweet abundance peer out at us: canned moose and caribou, peach-ginger jam, collard greens, tomatoes, blueberry-rum jam, strawberry preserves and salmon.

For Tobin, 30, knowing how to can is about more than preserving food; it’s a way for her to preserve stories of culture and memories of place as well.

Tobin's parents moved from Long Island, New York, to Nome, where she grew up. Her childhood was full of the typical lessons, like making sure to eat her vegetables and how to layer during inclement weather. Tobin, however, also learned food preservation methods when she was young from a well-respected Nome elder named Frida Larson. Little did she know at the time that those lessons would shape her life.

Tobin attended UAA for her dual bachelor's degrees in psychology and sociology, and later UAF for a master's degree in rural development. As part of her master's program, she served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Azerbaijan for three years. Spending three formative years in her early 20s overseas in a developing county, Tobin learned what community development meant firsthand. She also found herself preserving food out of necessity for the first time in her life.

“I remember my dad and I seining and canning when I was young, but at the time even in Nome it was never more than a hobby for us,” Tobin says. “But in Azerbaijan, I had to can for actual sustenance, for survival.”

Tobin became something of the community’s resident canning guru, teaching free classes and sending out newsletters with recipes and food safety techniques. “I ate sauerkraut like it was going out of style in the Peace Corps. The entire country ferments everything -- tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, grape leaves, cherries, persimmons...”

Today, Tobin is the communications and marketing director at the Alaska Community Foundation, where she works to help build and support strong communities around the state. Since returning home to Alaska, she has also become an avid road biker. She recently completed the Fireweed 400, biking from Sheep Mountain Lodge to Valdez and back. She was one of only three female finishers.

Tobin cans things to eat throughout the winter, but also to give as gifts to friends and family. “I often add my own twist on recipes -- I like being creative,” she says. But canning is also a way Tobin remembers and honors her past. Collards are a staple of the African-American cooking she grew up on, and she cans them with memories of her mom in mind. “When I can tomatoes," she says, "I think of Azerbaijan.”

And in a jar of fireweed Champagne jelly, the story and traditions Tobin has woven for herself are born and shared with others.

Fireweed Champagne jelly

Adapted from the UAF Cooperative Extension

4 cups fireweed blossoms

2 cups Champagne

2 1⁄2 cups sugar

1/8 cup lemon juice

1⁄2 teaspoon butter

1 pack of powdered pectin (Sure-Jell)

1. Sterilize canning jars and prepare lids by boiling in water.

2. Pick blossoms off fireweed stems and rinse. Combine blossoms, lemon juice and Champagne in a large saucepan and bring to a boil for 10 minutes. Strain through a cheesecloth. Put the “juice” back into the pot. Add the pectin and butter in a large saucepan. Bring back to a boil and add sugar 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly. Once all sugar is added, boil hard for 1 minute, continuing to stir constantly.

3. To test, drop 1⁄2 teaspoon of jelly on a cold saucer and put it in the freezer for 5 minutes. If the mixture does not set to your satisfaction, add 1⁄2 cup sugar to the jelly in the pot and boil hard for 1 minute. Re-test. During the test, the rest of the jelly mixture should be removed from the heat.

4. When test mixture gels to your satisfaction, ladle jelly into hot jars, add lids and process in a boiling water canner for 5 minutes. Let cool. You should hear the lids “pop” as a sign that they have sealed correctly.

Löki's Pot-Licking Applesauce Recipe

3 lbs apples (I use mostly green, but you can mix it up)

1 cup apple juice or cider

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon allspice (optional)

2-4 tablespoons honey

1. Peel, quarter and seed apples.

2. In a large pot, combine apples and juice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for an hour.

3. Remove lid and stir. The apples should be slightly mushy. Continue to simmer without the lid stirring every 15 minutes (breaking up apple pieces).

4. When the sauce has almost reached your desired consistency, add spices and honey. Cook for another half-hour or so before serving or canning. (Personally, I like some apple chunks in mine, but if you want a smooth sauce, run it through a food mill.)

5. If canning, follow the UAF Cooperative Extension instructions for proper sterilization and preservation.