AnasAbdin
#extradirty
🪼
Game of Thrones Daily
PUT YOUR BEARD IN MY MOUTH
tannertan36
roma★
h
oozey mess
tumblr dot com
titsay
Kiana Khansmith
No title available
ojovivo
let's talk about Bridgerton tea, my ask is open
One Nice Bug Per Day
Lint Roller? I Barely Know Her
d e v o n
Misplaced Lens Cap
Love Begins
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Germany
seen from United States
seen from Sweden
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Indonesia
seen from Bulgaria
@malawhee
“In Malawi, we….” Hey everybody I’ve reconnected with or met in the past few months, you’re probably used to me saying this! You may think that when I do this I’m trying to explaini-brag, or one-up, or whatever weird thing you think I’m trying to do (you’re the one with the insecurity problem...
Thanks, Cam
YEAH!
Exciting Follow-up!
In April, some other PCVs and I hosted a week-long education camp called Camp Sky. The camp hosted 80 students from across Malawi, and aimed to better prepare them for their important and challenging final exam and their futures beyond school. Two students from my school were selected to attend the camp, and my school chose to send the intelligent, hardworking, and entirely wonderful Ester and Diness:
The national exam was held in July and now the results are out! So, how did these two rockstars do? AWESOME, of course. They achieved competitive scores of 19 and 20 which will allow them to pursue paths of higher education or careers or more. In fact, with the help of an organization called CAMFED, Ester is already looking over college applications for schools in Malawi and the US!
I am so, so proud of these students and all of the students I befriended at Camp Sky! GO MALAWI YOUTH!
Do me a favor as an RPCV
I am now a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, and it is ALMOST time for me to say goodbye to this blog. I just spent a few minutes scrolling through my archive and reflecting, and I've collected some of my favorite posts here under the #bwana.
I think in my first year I was a more active blogger, things surprised me more, I drew more comparisons to America and I had more heartfelt stories about warm people. In my second year not only did I become much busier, but my writing style seems to have changed. I think this is because living there just became my reality. I stopped comparing things to home, because this was my home; I stopped being surprised by things because I came to know this place so deeply.
I think this is why now, back home, I'm having a hard time talking about my service in Malawi. Perhaps 9-months-in-country-Rita would have been more eloquent when a friend said, 'Tell me a story about Africa,' whereas 26-months-in-country-and-now-returned-Rita is at a loss. Africa is not some abstract novelty. It was my life, my friends are there, two years of my work is there.
Readjustment is difficult, just as everyone said it would be. There's so much to say and yet most of the time, when asked, I end up saying not very much at all. So maybe I'll ask you for a favor... If you're reading this now, scroll through 2 years of my favorite posts under #bwana and read a little of what I've already said. Then maybe we can build from there and instead of starting with the intimidatingly vague, "tell me a story about Africa" you can say, "tell me about Caeser" "tell me about your students" "How was camp sky?" or really anything slightly more specific. It would really take a load off my shoulders and result in a much more interesting conversation for both of us.
This is the first thing I ever blogged on this account. Still true.
COS Trip: Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam
I closed my service in Malawi a little more than a month ago on August 12. The next day, me and three friends headed out for a three week adventure through SE Asia.
Our last nsima in Lilongwe
First we flew from Lilongwe to Joburg for a 23 hour layover. Went to an all you can eat buffet for 180Rand and DID WORK. Then Joburg to Qatar. In the Qatar airport for 8 hours, slept and ate BK. Probably the nicest airport & plane from Qatar to Bangkok. BANGKOK! Street food, temples, tuk tuks, first thai massage, more street food, and even a Thai rockibilly swing dancing punk band.
The Reclining Buddha, who is awesome, and as it turns out is my buddha After 3 days in Bangkok we took the overnight train to Hogw Chiang Mai in the north. Chiang Mai was also super cool: more temples, street food, markets, a fish pedicure, ELEPHANTS, natural waterfall, ziplining through the jungle, and petting tigers.
At this point we've been in Thailand for almost a week, and head down to the south of the country for the famous beaches. Spent a couple days on the beautiful Ko Phi Phi island, island hopping & swimming & snorkeling on a longtail boat, scuba diving (saw an octopus and sharks!), and drinking cheap liquor out of a plastic bucket.
I adored Thailand. It's paradise with great food, good people and lots of diverse fun to be had.
Next stop: Siem Reap, Cambodia. We came here for the famous Angkor Wat, stayed a day and a half longer than planned while waiting of our visas to Vietnam, but enjoyed wandering around the city, exploring ancient temples, eating more cheap food, meeting nice people.
From Siem Reap we took an overnight bus to Ho Chi Mihn, Vietnam. The bus got a flat tire on a bridge and was less than ideal, but we made it! (What would a COS trip be without a little transportation hassle?)
HCMC formerly Saigon- really developed with big buildings. Stayed in the backpackers district, went to the Viet Cong cu chi tunnels & the war remnants museum.
dong
Then we flew to the north of the country and saw the city of Hanoi. Less developed, more trees. Got pick-pocketed at the night market by 3 crafty little women, went on a 2 day cruise to Halong Bay where we saw a sweet cave, kayaked, partied. Spent Indepence Day in the city wandering the streets, went to a movie and the zoo
Now our adventure was coming to a close, and I was feeling ready for America. Layover in Seoul (tried the soju) before the long time travel back to America (landed in Dallas an hour BEFORE we left Korea...)
SE Asia was great fun and a really, really nice way to transition back home. I highly recommend doing a COS trip to all you PCVS- if you're thinking SE Asia I'd be happy to offer advice. xox
Let Girls Lead is thrilled to launch our celebration of International Day of the Girl 2014 with a blog series written by amazing girl leaders involved in our work around the world. Today's blog is by Memory Banda, an 18 year old girl leader from Mal...
Going is easy, coming home is hard.
When first arriving in Malawi for our two-year stay, the Peace Corps shared with us the three goals that translate into the overall mission of promoting world peace and friendship. The second goal of offering a better understanding of Americans to the people of the country served seems an ongoing challenge. It is probably the most difficult to achieve because it means dissolving some pre-existing perceptions of who Americans are and what America is like.
Eating Burger King in Qatar airport rn. Super nice. Next stop: Bangkok!
You can take the PCVs out the village...
Our plane left Lilongwe at 1:30 and we landed here In Joburg before 4:00. In these four and a half hours we have already made it abundantly clear we are in for some culture shock. Examples: - the plane food was great - I was overwhelmed by the fancy Joburg airport and was unable to make water come out the sinks (there's no knobs!) said under my breath, "this is the future!" and left with unwashed hands. - "We can drink the tap water!?" - "Woahhh, parking garage!" - "is there a water heater we have to turn on? ...no? Like hot water just comes out all the time!?" - And the big British personal trainer I sat across from at dinner was complimented me on how much I put away at the buffet dinner. (and I think I could have kept going) Currently watching Beverly Hills Cop in a hostel living room. Tomorrow: Qatar!
COS'd Last day in Malawi! Tomorrow airport -> Joburg for 23hrs -> Qatar 8hrs -> Bangkok!
What I'm imagining using new tech will be like when I COS
MY GO TO RESPONSE WHEN SOMEONE ASKS ME WHAT MY PLANS ARE AFTER COS:
- Philippines
Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.
Dalai Lama
When I first traveled, I was naive, sloppy, wide-eyed, and nothing happened to me. That’s probably where the dumb luck came in. Then I began to read the guidebooks, the State Department warnings, the endless elucidation of national norms, cultural cues and insults and regional dangers, and I became wary, careful, savvy. I kept my money taped inside my shoe, or strapped to my stomach. I took any kind of precaution, believing that the people of this area did this, and the people of that province did that. But then, finally, I realised no one of any region did anything I have ever expected them to do, much less anything the guidebooks said they would. Instead, they behaved as everyone behaves, which is to say they behave as individuals of damnably infinite possibility. Anyone could do anything, in theory, but most of the time everyone everywhere acts with plain bedrock decency, helping where help is needed, guiding where guidance is necessary. It’s almost weird.
Dave Eggers (via millionsmillions)
(worth the long read)
