Functional Christmas FTW!

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

Wrapping up one more year! A lot has happened this year!

Jan 2nd, 2009: Said goodbye to Ginger. She was a good dog, and lived a full life. I miss her.

Feb. 7th: ICCA Regionals (International Championship of Collegiate A cappella), where my group, Capital Green, took FIRST PLACE! (Check it out: www.msucapitalgreen.com. Good stuff.)

Feb.19th: Received my Peace Corps Invitation: teaching ESL in the South Pacific Islands!

Feb - August: Subsequently banged my head repeatedly against walls and desks trying to get all the medical/dental stuff done. Wisdom teeth, shots, blood tests, more blood tests, more blood tests, saw the hematologist who finally confirmed that I am not, in fact, anemic, despite the PC Medical Offices' persistent accusations... Ugh.

Feb. 20th: Attended the United Students for Fair Trade conference in Chicago... made lots of great contacts!

March 14th: ICCA Semifinals. Didn't place, but it was a great show anyhow!

April: Working hard with my full class load, tons of Cap Green gigs, PC stuff, and getting ready for graduation!

May 3rd: Cap Green Spring Show: my last official concert after 5 years of co-ed a cappella, with some of the most amazing and talented people I've ever known.

May 9th: Graduated from MSU with a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Social Science - International Studies, specialization in Anthropology!

June 2nd: Started teaching ESL at the Lansing Refugee Development Center, as the main instructor for Adult Advanced English.

June 25th: turned 24!

June-August: Taught at the RDC and painted apartments, all the while living with the fantastic gentlemen at our self-proclaimed frat-house, Pi Pi Pi.

August 2nd: became homeless, but continued to teach and work somehow

September: Dorm gigging with Cap Green... kinda shade, but I was still around and leapt at the chance to sing with them one last time!

Sept 14th: Took the GRE. Did pretty well.

Sept 23rd: Back up to the UP. Depressed for a few days but it got better. Sort of like mini culture-shock going from a place where... well, where there are people and things to do... to the UP. 'Nuff said.

October: Tutoring Chinese TECH students in English. Good times, at least when they showed up.

Nov. 27th: Received my Peace Corps invitation to serve in Paraguay with the Early Elementary Education program!

Nov. 28th: Impromptu 5-day trip back down to East Lansing to visit friends. 5 days of couch surfing turned into nearly 2 weeks of me being a homeless vagrant after I missed my ride back up north. But I never had to sleep under the Bogue Street Bridge once, and I even got to sleep in a bed a few times. My friends are awesome.

December: Shoveling snow, stacking wood, and working. Preparing mentally the best I can for February.


So that brings us to today: Christmas day. (Well, I suppose technically it is the 26th, since it's after midnight... details.) It was a very functional and recession-themed Christmas. My family wrapped most of our gifts in reusable gift bags, which is also better for the environment, not wasting all that paper. My sister got books about Ghana, where she will be heading in January. I received functional Paraguay items, such as socks, long underwear, hat, gloves, and a manual on basic bicycle repair and maintenance. I still have quite a bit to pull together as far as packing goes, but I'll leave that for the last minute. (I'm not actually PLANNING on leaving it to the last minute... but I know myself pretty well, so I'm just being real here.)

I've decided not to bring my computer. The ol' boy is on his last legs (aka fan motor) anyway, and since I'm not even guaranteed to have electricity in the first place, I'll just leave it at home. I must note: as if on cue, my computer just started making some really awful sounds, somewhat reminiscent of a lawn mower, or perhaps a car engine revving but not turning over. I think it's pissed.

Soon I will start the list-making phase of travel preparation. What on earth will I absolutely need in Paraguay for two years? I have only a vague sense of how much my bag will weigh.

The Invitation!

It came! It finally arrived! After months and months of agonizing uncertainty, the verdict is:

PARAGUAY!

I will be working with and assessing early elementary school teachers, developing more effective and inclusive teaching methodologies. I actually know very little about Paraguay. Just that it is landlocked between Brazil and Argentina, the capital is Asunción, and they speak Spanish and Guaraní. I will have to learn Guaraní. I will state for the record that right now it looks very different and difficult and I'm a bit intimidated. The only words I know so far are che (I), nde (you), and avei (also). I cannot, for example, read any of this:

Mayma yvypóra ou ko yvy ári iñapyty'yre ha eteîcha tecoruvicharendá ha acatúape jeguerekópe; ha ikatu rupi oikuaa añetéva ha añete'yva, iporâva ha ivaíva, tekotevê pehenguéicha oiko oñondivekuéra.

Translation:
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. (Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

I hope some time in the future I look back on this post and say "omg I can't believe that I couldn't read that, it is so very very easy!" Someday.

Anyway, with the invitation packet came a bit of paperwork to do, so I suppose I should get to that instead of wasting time sanguinely sipping my crack-coffee and languidly lounging on a faux-velvet violet couch in a cafe in Michigan.