Before Site Jitters

Friday before site announcement we were visited by our CD. To some of us he gave us glimpses of what our sites will be like. He told me a couple had gone before and been quite happy. He also said that they left fluent in Russian. I told him I awnted a place were the students spoke enough English so they could read books. He said that was "possible." Before our meeting ended I made mnetion of going out East to some coal mine. "Oh now I've said too much, " he said and declined further comments.

For days, no weeks, before finding out about my site, I takled endlessly about what I wanted, what I didn't want, and how scared I was about findnig out where I waas tgo be. I asked about the 'ceremony' -->were you told privately (which I advocated) or in a huge public forum where if you cry, everyone will see.

Public, obviously, was the PC plan.

I was told that they would tell you your name, and the name of the institution, and ask you to put your name on the corresponding town on a map of Ukraine. Oh, I could feel the tears already.

Of course they drew it out longer, showing us a movie they made of us at various airports, with all of us looking bedraggled and pissed off. Some faces were no longer a part of the group as cynical guffaws could be heard from around the room.

Finally we were seated and it would begin--Region by region. Ukraine is split up into 7 regions for the PC. I watched as they passed through Kyiv oblast and Zhytomerskaya oblast, where I currently live. Similarly, I sat and watched the Ukraine regions go by, knowing that with my Russian, there was no need to be nervous. I would not be called. I waited to be called when they moved through the east. And yet my name was not mentioned. Crimea came and went amongst a rowdy applause for the "lucky" few who can call that region home. And then there was only one more region left: Region 7. 4 of my 5 clustermates did not yet have a placement. I don't nkow how long I waited, I just know that I heard "and joining J* in M-- will be" and my name. I didn't hear if it was a Pedalogical College (what I had feared) or not, just went up, shook my regional manager's hand and took a seat. A clustermate sitting next to me said "It's a real university!' I humbly responded, whatever, we'll see won't we? and I read the job expectations and my heart sank.

Every damn interview I had with PC officials I told them that I wanted to teach subjects, not English. That my background warrented it and the English language was not my strength. All these pleas were countered with "even in context courses you'd have to teach English" and "sorry but you joined the PC to be a TEFL volunteer" and I'd alwasy counter with "well, in the VAD it says that you can also teach literature, history, culture, etc." Now there was nothing to do but wait and see.