hello hello all,
so, i'm on my second site visit which is actually to MY site!!! i'm going to be living in the town of kamwanya (it's actually pronounced how you would think it is... bemba is easy to pronounce once you see it written). it is about 3 km outside of the BOMA of Mpika (pronounced Impika), which is the capital of the district of mpika. and, there's internet! if slow, it's pretty exciting.
i saw my house yesterday. it's huge! at least by my current zambian standards. i have two rooms, lots of light, a big yard (though i might have to plant some hedges so that i have a BIT more privacy). i'll be living very close to a brand new school. since january they have started with three first grade classes, a second grade and a third grade. they use the radio program that we work with, which is exciting and a really interesting teaching tool. though, i heard they don't get the best reception, so we might have to trouble shoot around ways to deal with that. they have two rooms right now and are in the process of building three more so that for the second term (which starts in may) they will also add a 4th, 5th, and 6th grade. it's pretty exciting and actually looks like a really nice new building. i still haven't brought my camera cable and i think that putting picturs up might take FOREVER, but i will try sometime soon. my house is about 100 meters from the school and a short walk up a hill from a boor hole with good water. they still have to put a door on it and build the walls for my toilet, but they have a month, so i think it will happen. also, everyone says that because they met me yesterday and they now have a face and a name, they will get it all done much more quickly. yay! i'll try to get a pic of that up eventually as well.
i'm staying with a volunteer who has been here for the past three years. he's an older man who also did a peace corps service in st. lucia first and he's been incredibly helpful. he's obviously well known and people seem to really know him and respect him. so he keeps reminding me that "you get to do things your own way!" but i think that i shouldn't have any fears about replacing someone who is so well respected in the BOMA and with the district ministry of education officials. also, he's been living IN the BOMA, so i will actually be the first person in my village, which is exciting. he's also just been really nice to me, trying to tell me everything he can think of that might be helpful.
today, we went around with the zonal head teacher who is the head teacher of the zonal head school in my area (Zambia's education system is divided into many levels: national, the 9 provinces, districts in all the provinces, and then ZONES in all the districts). my job is going to be primarily working with the zonal head school to develop a resource center and monitoring activities in my zone, so that schools are monitored, teachers are trained, and professional development opportunities are provided. we went around with the two zonal officers to visit three schools today, which was very interesting. they all seem pretty organized and i haven't yet been able to figure out if the ideas are there but the implementation isn't or if things are really going as smoothly as they seem. i suspect the former. i will also get to do anything else that seems interesting i think, and a friend of mine here and i have really been looking into what kind of micro-finance opportunities there are here. it seems like there are very few, so we're both interested in seeing where we can go with that, if possible.
anyway, i also have my new address!
Hannah Lantos - PCV
P.O. BOX 450100
Mpika, Northern Province
ZAMBIA
i'm going to try to update the side, but it might take too long. so, anything you mail after say the 10th of march, should probably just be sent to this address and then when i move in, it'll be waiting for me instead of getting lost in lusaka. i can't tell you all how happy mail makes me! it's such a light and a feeling of connection, so even just a postcard! send an address and i promise i'll write back. :-)
in other news, there's a synagogue in lusaka and i think peace corps is going to let me spend an extra night in lusaka after staging so that i can go to a passover seder for the first night! it should be fun. i'm pretty excited since i think that will be comforting.
otherwise, things are going really well and as i get to see my site and meet people this all starts to feel like i have an image of what my life is going to be like. the hardest part about training for me has been feeling like i am completely incapable of planning, that i know so little that i just have to take things as they come and it finally feels like i can think past the "now now," as zambians say! i miss everyone and i hope you're all well!
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Sunday, February 18, 2007
my first month
so, all of that said, on to my world! it's strange to finally be in front of a computer in a city because in my village it feels like all of this could almost not exist, it's so far away and so unknown. i wanted to put pics up today of my beautiful family and village, but i forgot my connector cable! so, sorry, they'll have to wait!
since i wrote last things have happened so quickly. first, we went out on a site visit. i went to central province, which is a place i could end up in 3 weeks when we get out sites. we spent two nights near the BOMA (the district capital, which is an acronym left over from the colonial period) of serenje, which was nice. the volunteer actually lives outside the BOMA, in a village, but is very close and works closely with the ministry of education officials in town. she lives in a beautiful little compound, though her family is pretty quiet and there are no kids, so she is able to have a bit more of her own "space." after two nights there we moved to another site, in the bush. there, the volunteer has many siblings and has a stronger relationship with his family, who he eats with most nights and is very close to. it was a lot of fun to go out right away and spend time with current volunteers because we got to see what their sites look like, ask questions, see schools, explore, and relax a bit. our volunteers were also just a lot of fun, so it was a good intro to peace corps in zambia.
after those 5 nights we came back to lusaka where we had warm water (though the showers didn't work, so it was still just a bucket bath IN the shower!) and time with our whole group. peace corp brought in a traditional zambia dance group which was amazing. i am physuically incapable of moving my body in that way.
then, two weeks ago, we moved in with our host families! i have a mom, a dad, 9 siblings, and a nephew. though, only four of the siblings live at home. the parents and the three old siblings all speak english well, which has been REALLY good for starting to get to know them. my nephew is four and ADORABLE. the first day, instead of being scared like many of the kids (the muzungus are kind of scary!), he pushed aside my book of chicago pictures and quickly crawled into my lap. we became fast friends. :-)
my family is really great. they are friendly and fun and i like hanging out with them. my mom and my sisters are teaching me how to cook and sweep and do laundry and more. i went to church with them last week, which was interesting, though confusing. i think they think i'm interesting, if bizarre.
ok, i have five more minutes to write. so, i'm going to try to encompass everything. but, if not, i miss you all, and i would LOVE to hear from you. so, letters are so welcome. and as soon as i have my site i will put up my new address. i should get back on the internet in 3 weeks.
so, my daily life. i wake up around 5:30 when it starts to get light. then i stay in bed until around 6:30, dosing off. my classes monday through saturday usually start around 8. i have bemba in the morning, from 8-12. then i come home for lunch and hang out with my family. then, i go back for tech training in the afternoon, until 5 or 6 (which we call 17 or 18). and then i come home, take a bucket bath, eat dinner with one or two of my family members. at first it was my mom and lately it's been my sister or sisters (one of the ones who speaks english with the little one who doesn't) and there is a lot of "cinci ici?" or "mutila shani ____ muchi bemba?" translation: what is this? or how do you say _____ in bemba?
my village is very close to the tarmac (the paved road) which is the one eastern road in zambia and heads out towards malawi. though it feels very rural. immediately you get into a sand road, maize fields, and mud huts. my hut is a mud hut with a grass roof and i think it's where my sisters stayed before i came, which makes me feel a little bit bad.
anyway, i need to sign off and pay. i miss everyone so much. i'm doing well, though especially as i try to convey what my life is like here i am reminded of how far away i feel from you all. i would LOVE to get letters. and i promise a response to ANYONE who writes. also, the number to my cell phone is 011 26 097 186 411 and i check for text messages most mornings and nights because my village has cellphone services. so, if you want to call, send a text about when and i will text back to let you know if my phone will be on! love you all!
since i wrote last things have happened so quickly. first, we went out on a site visit. i went to central province, which is a place i could end up in 3 weeks when we get out sites. we spent two nights near the BOMA (the district capital, which is an acronym left over from the colonial period) of serenje, which was nice. the volunteer actually lives outside the BOMA, in a village, but is very close and works closely with the ministry of education officials in town. she lives in a beautiful little compound, though her family is pretty quiet and there are no kids, so she is able to have a bit more of her own "space." after two nights there we moved to another site, in the bush. there, the volunteer has many siblings and has a stronger relationship with his family, who he eats with most nights and is very close to. it was a lot of fun to go out right away and spend time with current volunteers because we got to see what their sites look like, ask questions, see schools, explore, and relax a bit. our volunteers were also just a lot of fun, so it was a good intro to peace corps in zambia.
after those 5 nights we came back to lusaka where we had warm water (though the showers didn't work, so it was still just a bucket bath IN the shower!) and time with our whole group. peace corp brought in a traditional zambia dance group which was amazing. i am physuically incapable of moving my body in that way.
then, two weeks ago, we moved in with our host families! i have a mom, a dad, 9 siblings, and a nephew. though, only four of the siblings live at home. the parents and the three old siblings all speak english well, which has been REALLY good for starting to get to know them. my nephew is four and ADORABLE. the first day, instead of being scared like many of the kids (the muzungus are kind of scary!), he pushed aside my book of chicago pictures and quickly crawled into my lap. we became fast friends. :-)
my family is really great. they are friendly and fun and i like hanging out with them. my mom and my sisters are teaching me how to cook and sweep and do laundry and more. i went to church with them last week, which was interesting, though confusing. i think they think i'm interesting, if bizarre.
ok, i have five more minutes to write. so, i'm going to try to encompass everything. but, if not, i miss you all, and i would LOVE to hear from you. so, letters are so welcome. and as soon as i have my site i will put up my new address. i should get back on the internet in 3 weeks.
so, my daily life. i wake up around 5:30 when it starts to get light. then i stay in bed until around 6:30, dosing off. my classes monday through saturday usually start around 8. i have bemba in the morning, from 8-12. then i come home for lunch and hang out with my family. then, i go back for tech training in the afternoon, until 5 or 6 (which we call 17 or 18). and then i come home, take a bucket bath, eat dinner with one or two of my family members. at first it was my mom and lately it's been my sister or sisters (one of the ones who speaks english with the little one who doesn't) and there is a lot of "cinci ici?" or "mutila shani ____ muchi bemba?" translation: what is this? or how do you say _____ in bemba?
my village is very close to the tarmac (the paved road) which is the one eastern road in zambia and heads out towards malawi. though it feels very rural. immediately you get into a sand road, maize fields, and mud huts. my hut is a mud hut with a grass roof and i think it's where my sisters stayed before i came, which makes me feel a little bit bad.
anyway, i need to sign off and pay. i miss everyone so much. i'm doing well, though especially as i try to convey what my life is like here i am reminded of how far away i feel from you all. i would LOVE to get letters. and i promise a response to ANYONE who writes. also, the number to my cell phone is 011 26 097 186 411 and i check for text messages most mornings and nights because my village has cellphone services. so, if you want to call, send a text about when and i will text back to let you know if my phone will be on! love you all!
why blog?
so, it's come to my attention a couple times since i got here that blogs in peace corps can be controversial. peace corps, understandably, worries about controlling its media image and blogs are a new and unpredictable source of media attention. we, the volunteers, can observe, write, and spread information that is incorrect and/or offensive. i feel pretty strongly however, that this blog remain open and accessible because of how much i believe in the new democracy of media. blogs allow everyone to suddenly become journalists and columnists, in a way. we are all suddenly allowed to write about, comment on, and critique the world around us.
all of that said, i feel i must strongly acknowledge that i recognize the power, both positive and negative, that blogs can potentially have. i recognize that i am now, in some ways, a journalist. my observations and words can be taken as fact even though i may not see them as such. my critiques may be misunderstood. my relationship to peace corps may be exaggerated. but, i think that the power we have as individuals to spread our experiences and reflections outweighs those negative.
when i found out that i was coming to zambia, i found very little information on the internet OTHER than peace corps volunteer's blogs, which i tried to keep up with, understanding that they were one of my few sources of information about a world i was soon to be joining. i read those pieces knowing that they came from individuals, with individual experiences (sometimes good and sometimes bad) and individual capabilities of reflection. yet, for that access into a new world i was, and am, thankful.
in my case, my blog is primarily for my family and friends to read about my experiences and reflections on my time here in zambia. however, i am sure that people who i do not know will (and already have) found it and will use it as a resources in their own ways. for that reason, i will do my absolute best to combine journalistic integrity with my own personal stories. blogs present a unique crossroads for this kind of exploration. so, i hope it can be used as such. a piece of journalism, a letter, a story, a reflection and opinion piece, and a view into a world so different from the one i come from and the one most of you who are reading this come from!
a quick note: i did not have to write this, but rather i think it's important to explain some of my "blog philosophy." i hope it's helpful!
all of that said, i feel i must strongly acknowledge that i recognize the power, both positive and negative, that blogs can potentially have. i recognize that i am now, in some ways, a journalist. my observations and words can be taken as fact even though i may not see them as such. my critiques may be misunderstood. my relationship to peace corps may be exaggerated. but, i think that the power we have as individuals to spread our experiences and reflections outweighs those negative.
when i found out that i was coming to zambia, i found very little information on the internet OTHER than peace corps volunteer's blogs, which i tried to keep up with, understanding that they were one of my few sources of information about a world i was soon to be joining. i read those pieces knowing that they came from individuals, with individual experiences (sometimes good and sometimes bad) and individual capabilities of reflection. yet, for that access into a new world i was, and am, thankful.
in my case, my blog is primarily for my family and friends to read about my experiences and reflections on my time here in zambia. however, i am sure that people who i do not know will (and already have) found it and will use it as a resources in their own ways. for that reason, i will do my absolute best to combine journalistic integrity with my own personal stories. blogs present a unique crossroads for this kind of exploration. so, i hope it can be used as such. a piece of journalism, a letter, a story, a reflection and opinion piece, and a view into a world so different from the one i come from and the one most of you who are reading this come from!
a quick note: i did not have to write this, but rather i think it's important to explain some of my "blog philosophy." i hope it's helpful!
Sunday, January 28, 2007
ZAMBIA
we made it to zambia safe and sound and i have a phone! i think the number is:
011 26 097 186 411 (though the 0 before the 9 MIGHT not be needed, i'm not sure). texts are cheap for me and for you (i think) and calling might be for you. we were told to tell family and friends to go to "callingcardplus.com" where you can get 100 minutes to Zambia for $5, i think. incoming calls are free for me! so i'd love to hear from you, though my cellphone service will probably be spotty at best and turned off. so, setting up times to talk is best.
i'm good. the group is really interesting and things are going really well. there are times of complete exhaustion or feeling like i still can't believe i'm really getting myself into this, but mostly it's just exciting. we're actually here! the country is sooooooooo beautiful it's unbelievable. it's the rainy season now so everything is green. we're staying in a government training center in chongwe, a town about 45 minutes from lusaka, which will also be the town we'll be in with our homestay families. though, to call it a town would be generous. mostly, from what i can tell so far, there is lusaka and then there are BOMAs (a name left over from the colonial period which is an acronym for something starting with British) which are small town centers and sometimes provincial centers. some of these are becoming more developed and most of them now have cell phone service and paved roads. and, again from what i can tell, this is light years ahead of what is was even 2-3 years ago when the group that leaves when we swear in got here. we're the first group that they're really recommending buys cellphones and the current volunteers all make fun of the fact that we all have ipods! :-) though they do too increasingly. and then outside of that, there are lots and lots of green fields with little huts and gatherings of families and villages. the huts look really beautiful and most of the country that we've seen so far (not toooo much) looks so peaceful.
let's see... other than that. we picked out languages yesterday and i'm going to be learning bemba, which means that i'll be in central or northern province, which if you find a map are (shockingly) the province right in the middle and the one in the northeast bordering tanzania. it's exciting because it's a huge area and there are a number of different places that i could be in. some new sites, some replacing older volunteers who are living there now but leaving, some near (ish) to a town and some far and rural. it's also exciting because bemba is one of the most commonly spoken languages (out of over 70) in the country and it's a bantu language so similar to some of the other southern african languages.
i'm heading to central province for a site visit tomorrow. we'll be spending some time near a town and then some time in a more remote village. i can't wait to actually be out there. i feel like we've listened to soooooo much talking to and gotten shots and medical advice and been talked to by the country director and filled out forms that i'm just ready to be out there and try to meet some zambians in a smaller group. i'll let you know how it goes.
anyway, there is so much more to add but i feel a bit like i've just had so much put into my head that i haven't had time to process much. there are still so many questions in my mind, about logistics and how to actually do my job, but i know that each day is going to bring more confidence and more experiences. zambians seem very excited to have us here and my questions about how my own view of development and that of the peace corps' will mesh seemed to have been calmed for now... the project that we're working on is now called "RED" for Rural Educational Development project and seems to be much more involved that it used to be. it's expanded to working with both non-traditional and traditional schools and using radio education but also focusing on teacher and mentor training and extracurricular activities. it just seems that there is so much space for innovation and creativity. so, i'm excited.
but, i'm running out of time and i don't want to loose all of this. so i'm going to sign off. but i miss you all and would LOVE to hear from anyone!
011 26 097 186 411 (though the 0 before the 9 MIGHT not be needed, i'm not sure). texts are cheap for me and for you (i think) and calling might be for you. we were told to tell family and friends to go to "callingcardplus.com" where you can get 100 minutes to Zambia for $5, i think. incoming calls are free for me! so i'd love to hear from you, though my cellphone service will probably be spotty at best and turned off. so, setting up times to talk is best.
i'm good. the group is really interesting and things are going really well. there are times of complete exhaustion or feeling like i still can't believe i'm really getting myself into this, but mostly it's just exciting. we're actually here! the country is sooooooooo beautiful it's unbelievable. it's the rainy season now so everything is green. we're staying in a government training center in chongwe, a town about 45 minutes from lusaka, which will also be the town we'll be in with our homestay families. though, to call it a town would be generous. mostly, from what i can tell so far, there is lusaka and then there are BOMAs (a name left over from the colonial period which is an acronym for something starting with British) which are small town centers and sometimes provincial centers. some of these are becoming more developed and most of them now have cell phone service and paved roads. and, again from what i can tell, this is light years ahead of what is was even 2-3 years ago when the group that leaves when we swear in got here. we're the first group that they're really recommending buys cellphones and the current volunteers all make fun of the fact that we all have ipods! :-) though they do too increasingly. and then outside of that, there are lots and lots of green fields with little huts and gatherings of families and villages. the huts look really beautiful and most of the country that we've seen so far (not toooo much) looks so peaceful.
let's see... other than that. we picked out languages yesterday and i'm going to be learning bemba, which means that i'll be in central or northern province, which if you find a map are (shockingly) the province right in the middle and the one in the northeast bordering tanzania. it's exciting because it's a huge area and there are a number of different places that i could be in. some new sites, some replacing older volunteers who are living there now but leaving, some near (ish) to a town and some far and rural. it's also exciting because bemba is one of the most commonly spoken languages (out of over 70) in the country and it's a bantu language so similar to some of the other southern african languages.
i'm heading to central province for a site visit tomorrow. we'll be spending some time near a town and then some time in a more remote village. i can't wait to actually be out there. i feel like we've listened to soooooo much talking to and gotten shots and medical advice and been talked to by the country director and filled out forms that i'm just ready to be out there and try to meet some zambians in a smaller group. i'll let you know how it goes.
anyway, there is so much more to add but i feel a bit like i've just had so much put into my head that i haven't had time to process much. there are still so many questions in my mind, about logistics and how to actually do my job, but i know that each day is going to bring more confidence and more experiences. zambians seem very excited to have us here and my questions about how my own view of development and that of the peace corps' will mesh seemed to have been calmed for now... the project that we're working on is now called "RED" for Rural Educational Development project and seems to be much more involved that it used to be. it's expanded to working with both non-traditional and traditional schools and using radio education but also focusing on teacher and mentor training and extracurricular activities. it just seems that there is so much space for innovation and creativity. so, i'm excited.
but, i'm running out of time and i don't want to loose all of this. so i'm going to sign off. but i miss you all and would LOVE to hear from anyone!
Thursday, January 25, 2007
arrival
so, we made it to johannesburg! we had two days of staging in DC with lots of meetings about leaving, anxieties, excitements, dealing with harrassment and more... though i don't think staging really provided much information about what we're going to be doing or how to deal with the situations we will face i think it was very successful at making the first step of the transition. we got to meet people, start really actively thinking about peace corps and zambia while still in the united states, still able to run and by that "one thing" that we forgot and still call home to hear a familiar voice. it ended with yellow fever and polio shots and our first dosage of malaria medicine which i'll take with dinner tonight. and then we were off to the airport! many hours early so that we could all get french fries and ice cream as our last food in america before we took off.
there are 40 people in my group. half of us will be working on the educational development program and half will be working on a community health initiative. we have 32 women and 8 men, apparently peace corps is not usually THAT female heavy. but everyone seems very interesting. it's a pretty diverse group... we come from all over the country and from many different backgrounds. the vast majority of us graduated recently and are doing this as a first or second job out of college. though there are some people who are older. people have done a wide range of travel with some people having spent a significant amount of time living in the developing world, though not many. many have backgrounds in ngos, volunteering, health, and education. and mostly most of us just both super excited and nervous.
i feel like it's all a bit surreal. we're not allowed to leave the hotel tonight. so, even though we're in johannesburg i feel like we could be anywhere. it's just warm. but, it's our last hot shower for a while.
a cute adrienne and julian story (my 8 year old cousin's in DC) before i go... i got to see them, my aunt, and my grandma in DC on monday night (two nights before i left) for a last goodbye and hugs. the first thing adrienne said to me was: "hannah, can you pack me in your suitcase?" to which i replied: "well, sweetie, i have an 80 pound limit and you just might put me over it!" to which she said: "but... i only weigh thirty pounds!"
and when i went to give julian a hug he said: "hannah, the next time i see you i'll be 10 years old!" "you're right! i said. that's old!" and after some more thought he said: "and you'll be 25! you will be a giant!" oy.
so, on that note... i think i may go find food. my giant self is off to zambia in the morning and it will prob be a while before i get internet again. we have a couple days in the government training center, then a site visit to another volunteer, then a homestay for 8 weeks (with another site visit in the middle) and then we get posted to our sites by the beginning of april. i'll try to get on when i can and also post my cellphone number once i have it.
but write me! write me! write me! i will be SO happy to get letters and if you write a return address on the letter i will write back!
there are 40 people in my group. half of us will be working on the educational development program and half will be working on a community health initiative. we have 32 women and 8 men, apparently peace corps is not usually THAT female heavy. but everyone seems very interesting. it's a pretty diverse group... we come from all over the country and from many different backgrounds. the vast majority of us graduated recently and are doing this as a first or second job out of college. though there are some people who are older. people have done a wide range of travel with some people having spent a significant amount of time living in the developing world, though not many. many have backgrounds in ngos, volunteering, health, and education. and mostly most of us just both super excited and nervous.
i feel like it's all a bit surreal. we're not allowed to leave the hotel tonight. so, even though we're in johannesburg i feel like we could be anywhere. it's just warm. but, it's our last hot shower for a while.
a cute adrienne and julian story (my 8 year old cousin's in DC) before i go... i got to see them, my aunt, and my grandma in DC on monday night (two nights before i left) for a last goodbye and hugs. the first thing adrienne said to me was: "hannah, can you pack me in your suitcase?" to which i replied: "well, sweetie, i have an 80 pound limit and you just might put me over it!" to which she said: "but... i only weigh thirty pounds!"
and when i went to give julian a hug he said: "hannah, the next time i see you i'll be 10 years old!" "you're right! i said. that's old!" and after some more thought he said: "and you'll be 25! you will be a giant!" oy.
so, on that note... i think i may go find food. my giant self is off to zambia in the morning and it will prob be a while before i get internet again. we have a couple days in the government training center, then a site visit to another volunteer, then a homestay for 8 weeks (with another site visit in the middle) and then we get posted to our sites by the beginning of april. i'll try to get on when i can and also post my cellphone number once i have it.
but write me! write me! write me! i will be SO happy to get letters and if you write a return address on the letter i will write back!
Sunday, January 21, 2007
note the address change
hey all,
i just found out from peace corps that the original address they sent us was wrong. we're now going to be doing training near lusaka (the capital). so, the new (correct!) address is:
Hannah Lantos/PCT
Peace Corps
PO Box 50707
Lusaka, ZAMBIA
it should be valid until the end of march and i can't wait to get lots of letters! :-) i promise i'll write back eventually!
i just found out from peace corps that the original address they sent us was wrong. we're now going to be doing training near lusaka (the capital). so, the new (correct!) address is:
Hannah Lantos/PCT
Peace Corps
PO Box 50707
Lusaka, ZAMBIA
it should be valid until the end of march and i can't wait to get lots of letters! :-) i promise i'll write back eventually!
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
one week
i leave chicago a week from today and will be in DC for two days before heading to johannesburg and then zambia. it all feels a little surreal.
i've spent the last couple weeks hanging out with my family a lot. it was really fun to have time with tess and we did some of the general stuff to do when we're home (dentists, new glasses, haircuts - mine's really short! etc.) and then also found some time to just chill with each other. we both got obsessed with the HBO show "The Wire." And by obsessed I mean, we watched all of season 1 last week and even though we're in different places now, i'm well on my way to finishing season 2. partly this is because the show is great. it's about the baltimore police department and the way it presents how problems are solved, how the police work, how the gangs (at least in the first season) work and function and how the police and the gangs play each other is very well done.
though, i think part of the reason that i've gotten so hooked is that it's a way to distract my nerves as well. i'm starting to get anxious, not so much about a specific thing, and it's definitely combined with uber-excitement, but more just that it's finally feeling so real. that my bags have to be packed, that i have to say goodbyes to my family. it was very hard to say goodbye to tess yesterday and to really ralize that i won't be there at graduation, that she finishes up at brown this year and starts a new adventure and that i only really get to hear about it through letters. that's exciting and part of me feels like it will encourage us to take the time to think more and have more conversations that we might have anyway, but it feels a bit daunting.
anyway, i know that i'm not the greatest at transitions and i think that the next week will be tough, but then diving in headfirst to the adventure is just what i need. i think i'm starting to feel at a dead end in chicago since i haven't done much productive. i'm excited to get back into a mode of feeling useful and directed. on the note of feeling anxious it's time for you all to start writing me letters! hehe. if you send one now i'll prob get there before it will! here's my address:
Hannah Lantos/PCT
Peace Corps
PO Box 50707
Lusaka, ZAMBIA
i can't wait to hear from you all!!
also, i know it's been a long time since i wrote last. here are some pics:
i spent christmas in ithaca NY with my mom's family, then went up to syracuse to spend some time with eli, and then headed down to new york city for new year's where there might have been a little new year's eve color games action. :-) i don't have pics of that yet, but here are some others.
1. me teaching eli how to make pizza
2. me and eli in new york
3. the brownies in new york after a lovely dinner and drinks
4. me with short(!) hair
i've spent the last couple weeks hanging out with my family a lot. it was really fun to have time with tess and we did some of the general stuff to do when we're home (dentists, new glasses, haircuts - mine's really short! etc.) and then also found some time to just chill with each other. we both got obsessed with the HBO show "The Wire." And by obsessed I mean, we watched all of season 1 last week and even though we're in different places now, i'm well on my way to finishing season 2. partly this is because the show is great. it's about the baltimore police department and the way it presents how problems are solved, how the police work, how the gangs (at least in the first season) work and function and how the police and the gangs play each other is very well done.
though, i think part of the reason that i've gotten so hooked is that it's a way to distract my nerves as well. i'm starting to get anxious, not so much about a specific thing, and it's definitely combined with uber-excitement, but more just that it's finally feeling so real. that my bags have to be packed, that i have to say goodbyes to my family. it was very hard to say goodbye to tess yesterday and to really ralize that i won't be there at graduation, that she finishes up at brown this year and starts a new adventure and that i only really get to hear about it through letters. that's exciting and part of me feels like it will encourage us to take the time to think more and have more conversations that we might have anyway, but it feels a bit daunting.
anyway, i know that i'm not the greatest at transitions and i think that the next week will be tough, but then diving in headfirst to the adventure is just what i need. i think i'm starting to feel at a dead end in chicago since i haven't done much productive. i'm excited to get back into a mode of feeling useful and directed. on the note of feeling anxious it's time for you all to start writing me letters! hehe. if you send one now i'll prob get there before it will! here's my address:
Hannah Lantos/PCT
Peace Corps
PO Box 50707
Lusaka, ZAMBIA
i can't wait to hear from you all!!
also, i know it's been a long time since i wrote last. here are some pics:
i spent christmas in ithaca NY with my mom's family, then went up to syracuse to spend some time with eli, and then headed down to new york city for new year's where there might have been a little new year's eve color games action. :-) i don't have pics of that yet, but here are some others.
1. me teaching eli how to make pizza
2. me and eli in new york
3. the brownies in new york after a lovely dinner and drinks
4. me with short(!) hair
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