Third Goal

Days Like This-Peace Corps Belize

Derweze Gas Crater

"Pit of Hell"

Pop Rocks: Cultural Exchange

I stopped by a local shop to pick up some food before going to my host family's house for lunch and I noticed that they sold Pop Rocks. My host mom and I had so much fun. :)

Alex's Peace Corps Madagascar House Tour

"Keep It Clean"

"Keep It Clean" is an environmental campaign that may be familiar to many volunteers.  Kosiv students embraced the day.  This girl even embroidered the logo on her pants. 

Baseball Camp

Ukrainian campers and PCV's at baseball camp in Kosiv.

Baseball-Ukrainian Style

Kids at my school wanted to learn to play baseball.  We had some equipment, but not nearly enough.  So, a friend, who works at Yahoo!, asked his team if they could spend a bonus on baseball gear--they agreed!  We ended up with enough equipment to have a "baseball camp."  I don't know anything about baseball, so volunteers who do came and did a week long baseball training camp--it was so much fun!  There were kids from about 6 or 7 years old to 18 all playing and learning together.  The kids w...

Chasing The Bus

My second summer in Morocco I was traveling from my town to Rabat, the capital city, when my worst bus riding fear came true. The trip started out like any of the other multiple times I used the local bus service to get between towns.  The system is actually far superior to many of the public transportation systems across the US. In my town I could show up to the bus station and be guaranteed within 1/2 an hour to be headed in the direction I wanted to go.  Often this meant going 20 or ...

Yes, I Do Know How To Swim

The Department of Education is responsible for classroom observations. Four times a year we are supposed to go sit in on a few classes at each of the seven schools; six elementary and one secondary school. Five of the elementary schools are easy to get to, you drive along Kosrae's one road and you pass them. But Walung is reachable only by boat or down a really steep, one year old, hold-on-to-your-stomach rough dirt road. Electricity in Walung is provided by a rarely used generator. Often W...

Moroccan Santa Claus

For a Muslim country, this one was a bit surprising. I stopped in a big supermarket called Marjane one day when I was in Marrakech and right in front of the entrance was this guy dressed as Santa Claus. For about $5 you could take a picture with him and the animals and I just couldn't pass up the opportunity. Merry Christmas!