1. South Africa Sunset over the Sand River

    Sunset falls over the Sand river - the river that runs through our village.  People use the river for washing clothes, bathing, swimming, fishing, drinking, and collecting water for house-hold use. 

  2. South Africa Sunset on the Railroad Tracks

    Sunset falls upon us as we walk home along the railroad tracks in the village.

  3. South Africa The Long Road...

    Woody walking on the road to our school.

  4. South Africa Dry Season in the Village

    Dry season in the village - a view from a top a nearby mountain.  From this distance, we could still hear the cowbells ringing below.  Ding, ding, ding...

  5. Cameroon In the Dark

    A darkness known only to those who have set eyes on a midnight sky in Africa.  A single flame from an ordinary kerosene lamp spilled dancing, tribal-like silhouettes on the walls of my living room.  The crankshaft of the shortwave radio produced a machine-like hum, but did not interfere with the French play-by-play commentary.  Huddled around the cross-section of an oak tree turned coffee table we resembled primitive people eavesdropping on the modern world.  The smell of fresh popcorn was go...

  6. South Africa Dancing With Joy

    Starley Talbott Thompson (aka Anderson) dances with an elder during a traditional wedding celebration in the village of Moruleng, Northwest Province, South Africa.  Onlookers cheered as Starley and her partner danced with joy.  Village weddings are events that take weeks to prepare for, and are attended by most of the residents of the village.

  7. Thailand Mai Pen Rai means "Never Mind"

    Mai Pen Rai means “Never Mind” Tim Hartigan TEFL/X, Thailand Group 95 (1989-1991) Questions borne of tragedy define generations of Americans. “Where were you when…Kennedy was shot?” was followed by “…the Challenger blew up?” and then “9/11 happened?” Buffalonians of a certain age also define ourselves by a much smaller traumatic question: “Where were you when the Bills lost their first Super Bowl?” I got to my Peace Corps site in rural northeastern Thailand in 1989. Part of my...

  8. Ukraine RPCV Adds a Y

    Piece to go with photo:      “Hello, Ms. Taylor. Our records show that you are filing for a name change. Can you please spell your desired new last name?”             “Yes. B-a-l-t-i-y-s-k-y-y.” “Ok, I’ll put in the records Baltisky is your new last name. Is that Russian?"   “No, it's Ukrainian. My husband's from Ukraine. It’s spelled:   B, as in back home           A, as in, acceptance           L, as in, missing Lviv           T, as in, terrified by traffic           I, as in, irrit...

  9. Burkina Faso Computer Camp in Koudougou

    "Last night a semi-truck collapsed the bridge just up the road. You're not going anywhere today." This was not the news I was hoping to hear the morning I was supposed to take 16 of my best eighth grade students from our village to the regional capital for a computer camp. "Oh, and on top of that, 80% of the cell phone service in the country is out today." Even better. Somehow I managed to get a hold of a friend in the city who miraculously sweet-talked a bush taxi into c...

  10. Costa Rica Baile Tipico

    This drawing was chosen as one of the winners for the Drawing Competition I put together at my elementary school. It was created by Dayana, a little girl who is very shy yet talented currently in 4th grade.

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