Still in Phili.. but in under 24 hours......

Salut from Phili!

Had a great day today in training for the Peace Corps. We learned a lot more about what we are doing when we land in Cameroon (no one had any idea… and we leave TOMORROW!). Tomorrow we are heading to the clinic in the AM. There are about 12 shots that everyone needs (people who have lost their childhood immunization records have to get them all). I will only have 8 poles all told. Luckily, we are taking the shots in chunks… tomorrow I will only get two while most people will get three.

Then we head to JFK airport to fly to Paris! We are going to be absolutely dumbfounded at the airport. I don’t think any of us knew we would actually do this!

We get to Yaounde, Cameroon and then head to a hotel in the city (30-40 min drive) where we will eat and sleep. Then the whole first day is spent relaxing in Yaounde. We stay in Yaounde for around 6 days before heading to our Pre-Service Training site in Bafoussam. It’s in the Western Province, just south of the border of Nigeria and not far from Mount Cameroon. There we will stay for 10 weeks, until we meet our requirements and are sworn in on the 14th of December at 10a.m.!



Anyway, I am in my last moments in the U.S. We have the most glorious beds at the Sheraton and I had my last cheeseburger this evening with a group of trainees. I am feeling far more comfortable after getting to know my colleagues better (and we have a Euchre group formed, so I will officially be OK!). There is a picture of some of my new friends below at a Pub in Philadelphia... click on it to make it bigger.



Next post will come from Europe of Africa. Track me… Delta Airlines flight #16 departing JFK at 6:10pm.

LOVE and MISS YOU ALREADY,
Kelsey

Ode to Candy the Nurse

I was visting my uncle Thom
In a hospital in Zi-On
Shooting the bull and watching the drip
When Candy came over to hear of my trip

“Africa,”? she surmised
“I hope that your life is not compromised”
“Why thank you Candy”, I happily thought
And then she continued, and de-light she brought.

“Oh, yes,” she said, “those needles are long”
speaking of shots I will get be strong (in Africa, that is).
“That will inflict, a great deal of pain…
something like being hit in the arm with a train”

Candy, wide eyed and honest as peas,
Thank you for the comfort in your expertise.
This is an ode to you, Candy the nurse
I appreciate the image, I’m feeling quite worse.

Preparations, Continued...

After a short jaunt to Vermont and back (took 9 hours to get there, around 3 days to get back with a trailer bigger than my mom’s car and packed full of junk) I am back and continuing with my Cameroon preparations. I will spare you the full list of items that have taken over the library “staging” area, but I will mention a few of my most favorite things.

~A Rain Hat (purchased at West Marine -- think Gorton’s Fish Sticks) Its rained for about three weeks straight in Cameroon
~30-40 packets of Gravy and other sauce seasoning – every time my mom goes to the grocery store, she picks up a new flavor of gravy
~Black Velvet coloring books – extremely tacky gifts for the kids in my host family… ha, yea right.. im keeping them all
~New tube of mascara and a new eyeliner – for big events… light the slaughtering of a cow

And my most favorite item….

~Box of Splenda…. “its light,” my mom says. Just what Africa needs, food with no caloric value.

All told, my gear needs to fit inside three bags (two checked, one carry-on) and must be under 80lbs between the two checked bags. Might have to leave a gravy or two out.




What I am reading right now:
Conflict Resolution essays
Cameroon/PC travel books
Ahab’s Wife or The Star Gazer – Sena Jeter Nasland (will likely finish on the plane)

Preparations

Well, I would say that I have entered the countdown. The point of no return. I am preparing my farewells. Sayonara. Ciao. Goom-bye. Peace. Peace Corps, that is.

Sue and I are going shopping today for some supplies (supplies!) for my little trip to Cameroon. My last day of work at the law firm was yesterday, and now it’s the weekend. It doesn’t feel like weekend, though. It feels more like two weeks before I enter a whole different milieu. One huge weekend. Huge, sleepless weekend. We are going to the Safety First store on Diversey so that I can buy some Quick Clot, tincture of benzoin and a few oral airway openers.

I wanted to express my thanks to the Women of Wheatland (or should I say, Women who Hate Wheatland) for throwing me a delightful little Hotmud Holler-style bash after the wine tasting. Kim, Marilyn, Jane, Sherry… many thanks for the gifts!

For those of you who want to receive mail from another continent, be sure to send me an email at kroseycorn@gmail.com in the coming weeks with your address. Book or music suggestions are also appreciated.