A Big Gulp!

Things are getting more real.  I just received an email from the staging staff with all the details about the staging event on October 1st.

Naturally, getting this information triggered some emotions and anxiety for me.  Some recurring questions such as "Am I doing the right thing?", "Will my family and dear friends be all right in my absence?", "Will I be happy and comfortable?" and so forth flashed through my mind like the shooting stars in the sky.  My answers to these questions seem to be firm and unchanging "Yes".

Although I will miss my close ones dearly, I continue to believe this experience will be rewarding, and that it will mold me into a better person for many years to come.

So, anyway, enough of the tear-jerkers, heres the travel facts:

• I am to report to an historic hotel in Philadelphia by 12:30p on October 1st.
• I will register and have all the orientation and stuff all day until 7:00p that day.
• We will depart the hotel at 2:15am on October 2nd by bus to JFK Airport in NYC.
• We will depart for Johannesburg, South Africa at 11:15am October 2nd. The flight will be 15 hours non-stop into October 3rd.
• From Johannesburg, we will fly to Nairobi, Kenya at 8:15a.  The flight will be 4 hours non-stop.

As for my baggage, here are the restrictions:

• Total of 100 pounds combined, with no bag exceeding 50 pounds (did not say how many bags, but I assume 2 plus a backpack)
• Total of 107 combined linear inches (h + w + l) with no bag exceeding 60 inches.

I have purchased, collected, and accumulated my travel items.  All that is left are a few items, mainly clothing, to purchase.  The next challenge is that I no doubt will end up deciding what items to leave behind after all once my bags are full.

As of today, I have 31 days left to enjoy America.

Deaf Peace Corps Tidbits

• 62 Deaf/HH volunteers served in 14 different countries.  
• Benin – 1
• Ghana - 1
• Guyana - 1
• Jamaica – 1
• Malaysia – 1
• Papua New Guinea - 1
• Sierra Leone – 1
• St. Vincent - 1
• Nepal - 2
• St. Lucia – 2
• Zambia - 3
• Ecuador - 9
• Kenya - 22
• Philippines – 25
• The first Deaf/HH volunteer served in the Philippines in 1967.
• 7 Deaf/HH volunteers Early Terminated (ET) for various reasons.
• There are few Deaf/HH volunteers that served in more than one country, some served for more than 2 years, and some served in more than one country.
• Two Deaf/HH volunteers are currently serving in Kenya. 
• Except for 1980 (5) and 1982 (6), every year the Peace Corps sends only 1 or 2 Deaf/HH volunteers. 
• The Peace Corps did not send any Deaf/HH volunteers in-country for a total of 8 years (maybe no volunteers, or they did not make it through their strict screening process). 
• I will be the 63rd Deaf/HH volunteer.
• And lastly, I am the OLDEST Deaf/HH volunteer in history!

All credit and gratitude go to Norma Moran, Jean Bergay, and Daisy Cartwright for compiling these statistics.

Note: All counts are of those that are Deaf or Hard of Hearing only. Hearing volunteers that worked in the Deaf Education section were not counted.

A Whirlwind

Today I am experiencing such a whirlwind of emotions.

The excitement of going overseas is now being overwhelmed with this sense of sadness and self-doubt.

Although I know the volunteer service will be life-enriching experience for me, and for the Deaf youth and community that I will work with in Kenya, I realize my departure has simultaneous effect on those I hold dear to me but I will leave behind.  I absolutely believe that their lives will continue to grow and enrich; however, the hardest part is that they will occur without me.  I fear I would suddenly become an outsider to my family and friends for the next two years, and beyond.

Today, these thoughts and a dialogue I had on this subject with my dear friend brought me nothing but this certain sadness.  I will be missing out some simple things in life, such as watching Amanda graduate from her graduate studies at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), helping Sami settle down at University of California San Diego (UCSD) among other things.  Although I have half-heartedly joked with my girls, that in theory, they could each have two kids before I return (18 months compared to my 27 months of service), this is a reality that I will have to live with.

I have spent two and half weeks with my folks in Florida recently, and I certainly hope I left them in good health and spirits.  I may not be able find the time to visit my sister in California.  In seven weeks, I will be leaving my friends and a dear close friend behind, and I certainly hope the closeness we shared would not fade or perish.

I worry if the life I left behind, even temporarily, would still be here waiting for my return.

I ask myself, even more today, whether I really am doing the right thing?  Am I being selfish?  Am I doing this just for myself?  Am I really willing to sacrifice all the human comforts I have here for the hardship I will expect in Kenya?

But the answers to these questions, rising from my inner self, continue to reinforce that this experience is correct, will be life enriching and will make me a better man, father, and friend for everyone.

With that, I trust the same powers-that-be that helped pave my way through my life quite well will continue to lead me the way.

I love you all, my family and friends, for your steadfast support in me and my adventure.

Bags!

Peace Corps stated that we are allowed to haul only two bags, both combined at 104 inches (w+d+h) and up to 80 lbs (with one bag up to 50 lbs).

So what does that mean to me?  Pack wisely and choose only those items that are hard to get in Kenya. I would think some things can be bought in-country or shipped to me at a later date.  I realize shipping is a gamble in itself, but I got some tips on how to ship things to me and not let them wander off into twilight zone or get caught up in the corruption system with hefty "fees" (aka bribes) attached.  I hear that writing "God is watching you", "Bibles", or "School Supplies" on the boxes helped somewhat, but more on that later...

I decided I would want one that is very portable, functional, multi-purpose, and last longer than my life.  I would use my current square wheeled "box" suitcase as my second suitcase.

Upon recommendation from Josh (who is in-country right now), I decided on Osprey Meridian.  It includes a day pack that allows for small laptop (my Macbook Pro), maybe my digital camera, and other stuff, yet it can be zippered in/buckle-locked into the back of the larger "mother ship" bag.  Got it in my favorite color too -- green.

So, ordered this from Amazon.com, but to my surprise R.E.I. has this too, at same price.  I always thought R.E.I. gives out ridiculous prices to fund their employee adventures.

Osprey Meridian 28"

Day pack included (black shown, but purchased in green too)

Now with the bags resolved (unfortunately its probably the easiest part), I need to start working up my pack list.  So far based on numerous tips, I do know the following:

• Do not buy white undies or socks, they get filthy over time when you wash them in who know whats
• Need power converter as well as adapter for their Type G power outlets.  Having an adapter alone will not do the trick as they use 220 volts and our electronics use 120 volts (in most cases unless they are already dual-voltage like most laptops, etc.)
• Solar chargers (Joos Orange), but it is on the fence on my "worth it or not worth it".  It seems to charge small electronics such as iPhone (dont have) but maybe not my Macbook Pro
• Sharp kitchen knife (yes, for cooking not stabbing in self defense)
• And some other items that I do not know yet.

Worth It or Not Worth It?

With only 57 days to my departure rushing up at me, I decided I better build up some energy to start shopping.  Before I start explaining, let me warn you that I have shopitis syndrome.  When I shop, my attention span drops very quickly and I kick myself for shopping in the first place.  On average, my interest and concentration drops 50% after I browse my first item.  Then another 50% lost after browsing my second item (25% remaining).  Then another 50% lost on my third (12.5% remaining). By the time I am on my fifth, I have zero interest to continue on.

Oh sorry about all the mathematics in the logic above.  I am supposed to a secondary education math teacher, so I better polish my skills.

First I visited R.E.I. outdoors store, and their prices simply led me back to their exit doors.  I browsed some items that I thought I might need, and when I saw them, I start to think whether they are "worth it or not worth it".  Some buttoned shirts go like $75 (with all the technology in it, such as wick dry, wrinkle-proof, sunburn-proof).  Nah, not worth it.  

I went to an education store nearby that seem to cater to school teachers.  I walked through aisles and realized that I really have no clue what to buy because I am not a teacher in the first place.  Furthermore, I am supposed to teach secondary education, but I have no clue what that measures up in Kenya -- 10th grade or 3rd grade?  I figured I might as well download some free math games and exercises on my Macbook Pro and iPad (yeah I know I didn't mean to bring any more electronics, but more on this later).

So I walked out with this $2.99 blow up globe and a thin world atlas.  I figured a lot of people would want to know how far I travelled.  At least you can say my day was productive, no?

Blow up Globe

I went on to visit Costco.  I came in thinking maybe I would buy USB flash drive and check out their bags and other stuff.  But I came in with like 10% interest left in me, so I left only with a bag of Acai Blueberry Dark Chocolate bag.  Highly recommended, but not for travel though.  Maybe my daughters would ship a bag to me one of these days (hint, hint).

I pulled off into Gander Mountain store.  There were a 50% clearance tent set up on the parking lot, so I figured maybe I could get some Columbia or Northern Face clothing.  When I looked at the first thin jacket, it was marked at $45.  And that was 50% marked-down.  What a crock!  My interest went down to 0% even before I entered the store, but I proceeded in anyway.  

Nothing real useful (aka good price that rings my "worth it" bells) except maybe the following items.  Think I could get a good closeups on cheetahs, hippos, giraffes, etc., wearing this outfit and lying near their pile of poop?

Choo ni wapi? (where is the bathroom, with choo meaning toilet/bathroom in Kiswahili).  I am all prepared to use their choos which are pretty much a hole in the ground, and this picture is probably among their nicest ones...  Don't ask where the toilet paper is, because frankly I do not know.  

Choo

So, with that in mind, maybe I should consider having this, so I can stay cooped up in my mosiquito net wrapped straw bed and not have to worry about walking to the choo and get bitten by heaven knows what...  Nah never mind, I guess that would not be called "roughening it up". 

But I would love to watch females use this though.