1. Mozambique Chapa Dreams

    Haven't we all fallen asleep on public transport?  No matter how bumpy, tightly packed, stinky, sweaty, or nervous we may be of our laptop shoved in our backpack for the ride to the city...there is nothing quite like the lull of deafening Pandza (Mozambican Pop) and the clatter of chickens to send one off into dream land.

  2. East Timor Evacuation

    I sat, silent, amazed at the beauty.  I have been overwhelmed by the grandeur of this island nation, the beaches and the mountains and the sky.  I have been shocked by the contrast between rich and poor and with the rush of hunger and anger.  But this… Last night.  54 volunteers were told that they are going home.  That we are going home. That the plane is coming at 5 am.  They yelled and sobbed and laughed and drank and danced.  I wanted to be sober, untired for each moment.  It has been l...

  3. Micronesia Where are you going?

    During training we were encouraged to practice our language skills in the community after class. We had just arrived on our home island, Yap where our permanent assignments would be after spending the first part of training on the capitol island, Pohnpei where the Peace Corps country office is. Our training on Yap was held in town (Colonia) where most government office buildings, stores, etc. are. We lived with our host families in villages around the 37-sq mile island. There are school buses...

  4. Morocco Girls just want to play Soccer

    Before the spring of 2006, the soccer field in Tafraout, Morocco was boys' territory. Girls played informally near their homes or during gym class at school, but what they craved was to play with a real team on a real field.  On the first day of practice, 13 girls showed up, none of whom could hide their smiles as we kicked the boys off the field. "Sorry boys, the girls are practicing here today." The smiles continued as the team jogged a few laps, practiced drills and finally scrim...

  5. Morocco Biking to the lake

    One of my favorite activities while I was a volunteer was taking long bike trips with fellow volunteers and my host brothers.  This photo was taken on our first trip to a dam (and the resulting lake), three hard and hilly hours away from my village.  I had found the lake on Google Earth and we set out one day to find it, asking directions from the nomads that we encountered along the way walking through the scrubby hills with their vast herds of sheep.  

  6. Madagascar Santa Claus

    Getting ready to make my appearance as Santa Claus at the French School in my town. 

  7. Madagascar Will the Real Santa Claus Please Stand Up

    Typically when you think of Santa Claus, you think immediately of a jolly, older, plump man with rosy cheeks and a long white beard. Of course this image is universal, even for the students and teachers of the private École Française (French School) in my town of Betroka where I served as a TEFL Volunteer. And wouldn’t you know, a couple of the teachers at the École Française had the great idea to bring an authentic “vazaha” (white foreigner) Santa Claus to their students. Where could they po...

  8. Madagascar Making new friends

    Hanging out with the lemurs in southern Madagascar.

  9. Madagascar Thanksgiving Dinner

    Making "Thanksgiving dinner" Malagasy style at my house. 

  10. Madagascar My house

    Picture of my house in Betroka.

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“Sunset at the Railroad” by PCV Nicholas Baylor Hall. Namibia, 2011.