8 Misconceptions about Life in Peace Corps
This is in honor of both my anniversary here and the arrival of the new group, Group 31 in Ukraine on October 1.
1. We don't all live in mud huts. Some actually live in nicer places then they would in the US. Although that is definitely not the average.
2. Some save enough money to travel to foreign countries. These PCVs typically are a) married or b) live in small towns where they have nothing to do, so consequently, they have nothing to spend money on. Neither is me.
3. You may think that they are saving the world, but they are probably down that the local bar drowning a pint "waxing philosophical" with other Volunteers about some deep topic or other, like about which SNL character was the best.
4. They are fluent in the communities language. Unless that language is English,l or they came into the country with a background in the language, it is less likely to be true.
5. PC service is romantic, sort of like traveling to Tibet to find the meaning of life. It's usually a lonely and rather self-reflective time iwth lots of reading and preparting for the GRE, LSAT, or the Foreign Service Exam. However, it serves them to have you think that it's romantnic, so when they come back to the States they can get lots of dates. That, my friends, is what sacrifice is all about!
6. Aimless shiftaboutsjoin in order to give their lives meaning. No. Over-achievers, ambitious, and challenge-driven. The whole lot.
7. Volunteers are liberals who like to sit around and sing kum-bay-ya. Not true. I've met plenty of folks who consider themselves Republicans and we prefer to sing John Denver's "Leaving on a Jet Plane," thank you very much.
8. Service is about sacrifice. While I would not want to take away from anyone's reasons for joining, it is often times a means-to-an-ends or resume builder to certain people (especially younger people). People who have agendas for public service, teaching, graduate school, and so on, seem to think that this is a great stepping stone and character builder. I happen to think that they are right.
So, there you have it--some of the popular beliefs hopefully disspelled.
1. We don't all live in mud huts. Some actually live in nicer places then they would in the US. Although that is definitely not the average.
2. Some save enough money to travel to foreign countries. These PCVs typically are a) married or b) live in small towns where they have nothing to do, so consequently, they have nothing to spend money on. Neither is me.
3. You may think that they are saving the world, but they are probably down that the local bar drowning a pint "waxing philosophical" with other Volunteers about some deep topic or other, like about which SNL character was the best.
4. They are fluent in the communities language. Unless that language is English,l or they came into the country with a background in the language, it is less likely to be true.
5. PC service is romantic, sort of like traveling to Tibet to find the meaning of life. It's usually a lonely and rather self-reflective time iwth lots of reading and preparting for the GRE, LSAT, or the Foreign Service Exam. However, it serves them to have you think that it's romantnic, so when they come back to the States they can get lots of dates. That, my friends, is what sacrifice is all about!
6. Aimless shiftaboutsjoin in order to give their lives meaning. No. Over-achievers, ambitious, and challenge-driven. The whole lot.
7. Volunteers are liberals who like to sit around and sing kum-bay-ya. Not true. I've met plenty of folks who consider themselves Republicans and we prefer to sing John Denver's "Leaving on a Jet Plane," thank you very much.
8. Service is about sacrifice. While I would not want to take away from anyone's reasons for joining, it is often times a means-to-an-ends or resume builder to certain people (especially younger people). People who have agendas for public service, teaching, graduate school, and so on, seem to think that this is a great stepping stone and character builder. I happen to think that they are right.
So, there you have it--some of the popular beliefs hopefully disspelled.
posted by Molly | 1:28 AM
1 Comments:
Point 2. Aww :-(
Come over to London. I'm sure I can scrape together some money to pay for a drink for you!
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