Life, Unbridled...

Happy Halloween and Samhain!

This is obviously a short post. Today I have to finish moving stuff from the first floor to the third floor of our house/apartment. NOT fun but it must be done. Evan is in NC getting all of our stuff from storage. What a great birthday gift but I wish he was here with me. Work is going SO well for me, I really love my job. I couldn't have asked for anything more!

Okay, tasks to do. Will try to be more updating-like soon!

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Ever since Michael Jackson's passing, I've had one of his songs stuck in my head at least once a day. Today's tune is "Earth Song". I love his music but you'd think I don't know any other music, hahaha.

Question: Can anyone recommend a decent, inexpensively priced GPS system? I will be getting one for my life in Boston, because I know that I need it like WHOA. I know I won't be able to remember all the little nooks and crannies I need to turn on. Any help is much appreciated!

Evan got a new laptop this past weekend. It's so shiny and fast! I love it! I can't wait to get my new laptop this fall. I'm probably going to get a Dell as well, but again, if you have any good recommendations, please let me know!

I know that this is not an update of substance but that's because much hasn't been going on lately. Oh, well I had a friend visit with us this past weekend and that was great. She was one our our fellow Peace Corps evacuees.

Alright, I'll end here. Danke schoene for reading!

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DAMN! Can't believe the King of Pop is gone. Yes, death happens everyday but there's just something crazy when people go before what you think their time should be. RIP to MJ, FF, and EMM

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Hey this is just a quick note to let all of the people who even still read my LJ know that I'm back! Took a little break while in Madagascar due to the slowness of the internet there. But, after surviving a coup d'etat in Africa, I think I can reward myself, and others, with more frequent updates. Doing stuff for Evan right now so I'll post some more soon. Highlights of my life since the beginning of the year:

- Survived a coup d'etat in Africa
- Evacuated from Madagascar and had to officially end Peace Corps service as a result
- Was homeless for a lengthy amount of time
- Completely, flat broke
- Accepted to graduate school and attending in the fall
- Got an amazing, too-good-to-be-true job doing something I'm going to love and make a career of

What more can I say? Oh yeah:

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I am officially 25 years old and a Peace Corps Volunteer! I can't believe this day finally arrived but it has. WOOHOO!

ALSO, big CONGRATS goes out to one of my bestest friends in the world, Ms. Bernadette Harris, who will be OFFICIALLY wed to her longtime girlfriend and life partner, Ellen Van Den Bergh today (Goodness, I love California)! I am SO sorry I can't be there but you know I wish you both all of the best and then some. Can't wait for the big bash 5 years from now... It's going to be so delicious!

So many big events today. I turned 25, was sworn in as Peace Corps Volunteer, and watched the knighting ceremony of the Assistant Program Director for the Peace Corps, Sir Xavier Louis! Too much in one day. And more to come!

We fly to our site on Sunday... More later at that time.

If you have ANY specific questions about me and what I'm doing here, just ask!!! I really encourage it and it will help me focus my future posts and conserve internet time hehehe. I hope to hear from you all soon!

Hugs and kisses!

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Or else I'd do a proper update with pics and not just a lame ass copy from an e-mail. Unfortunately, it is 4am here in Mad Land and I need to hit the sheets because I have to get up early tomorrow for still more training!

So, here is the copy and paste... I will try to post pics for y'all later but if we're already friends on Facebook, you can see most of them there! I miss and love you all so much and wish I could read what's going on in your lives. Damn not having enough time or money right now to do that! AHHHH! Maztoa! (Enjoy! in Malagasy!)

Hello everyone!

I am so sorry that this e-mail won't be so in-depth but it is past 3:30am here and I wanted to write and send photographs since I will be unable to use the internet for another 3 weeks after this. Please forgive me if there are spelling or typing mistakes but my mind is mush right now and all I can think about is you guys! :-D

At any rate, Evan and I just got back from a visit to the permanent site we'll be living at once we finish training on my birthday, which is August 22nd (ahem! :-D). Needless to say, it is AMAZING! We have a house right on the beach and are literally a 30 second walk from the shore. Because our town is the vanilla capitol, you can almost always smell vanilla in the air. I really feel like I am going to be working in Paradise! To make things even better, the people are REALLY excited to learn English! Evan and I will both be teaching English to middle school kids for 12 hours a week and then teaching/training teachers in the English language for 4 hours a week. Apart from that, we will be involved in various community projects with organizations such as the French Alliance (Alliance Francais), the American-Malagasy Circle, the English Conversation Club of Antalaha, and even an organization called CALA, that works with lepers!

I feel very fortunate to have been placed in Antalaha and I can't wait to get there to do my 2 years of volunteer service. The kindness the people there showed us was above and beyond the call of duty. So, please enjoy the photos and I will try to write more later... Much later as the case may be but you shall receive a response eventually nonetheless!

Thanks for reading and please be sure to translate this message for anyone that needs it ! Thank you and I miss you all terribly.

Hugs,

Ronda

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This is a copy and paste from a private e-mail so forgive the lack of normal witticisms!

Hello Everyone!!!

I finally got my first chance to send an email, and use the internet!!! It has been nearly a month. I am sorry for not writing sooner but they have us doing so much work for training. What else do you expect from the US government? Madagascar is very beautiful and I have great photos but no time to upload them right now. I will train until August 22 (my birthday, so I hope I am receiving birthday presents from the US soon!) and then me and Evan will move to our permanent site in Antalaha, Madagascar. Antalaha is a town in the northeast part of the country. It is the vanilla capitol of the WORLD so if you want cheap vanilla, let me know ASAP!!!

Because my internet time is limited, I can't say much. If you want me to send you a letter or postcard you must first write to me and make the effort since I am volunteering in yet another random place and can't afford to waste postage on unanswered mail!!! I will post pictures as soon as I can. If you want to call me, my mobile/cell phone number is +261 (261 is the country code) 32-585-9862. (buy a phone card, it is cheaper!) You can reach me anytime and I am seven hours ahead of EST.

I love you and miss you all sooooooooooooo much!!! I need news updates badly. Is it really Obama/Clinton? I also need beef jerky, good lotion, and of course any good candy because chocolate here SUCKS. Really, anything is much appreciated because I have only received one post card thus far. SAD SAD!

OH, and if anyone knows about US taxes and what happens if you file them AND pay them late, that would be awesome. I filed my taxes the day before we left the States and they were rejected because of two dumb mistakes on my part. That is what happens when you stay up all night doing taxes!!! I hope to hear from you soon!!! I will try to write again ASAP. Please send this message to anyone I may have forgotten!!!

Love,

Ronda

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HELLO! I am so sorry yet again for being absent but life has been SO crazy preparing for Madagascar.

I can't write much since I have a million and one things left to do (like calling some of you guys!) but I just wanted to say that I will miss you all sooooo much.

I am currently in Philadelphia, PA, participating in orientation. Tomorrow at 5:20pm we will fly from New York/JFK to Johannesburg, South Africa via Dakar, Senegal. After overnighting in Joburg, we will fly to Madagascar on Thursday! I am super excited to get this dream of ours off the ground finally. The flights will be killer (no pun intended, I hope!) but I am looking forward to getting on the ground on the Big Red Island.

Too many painful goodbyes were had. Too much (but probably not enough!) food was eaten. But, I am happy where things stand in my life right now. I am definitely fortunate to have so many amazing family and friends behind me, supporting me. Awesome blossom!

Well, basically I won't be able to write and/or call probably until after my birthday. We actually get sworn in as Peace Corps Volunteers the day of my birthday so it's like a double bonus!!! So, please write if you can... Most of you should have my mailing address from my e-mail but if I didn't send it to you, it means I probably don't have your e-mail address so send it to me and I will send it to you once I get some access. OR my great friend lynnadaine will try posting it online for me.

Okay, off I go into the great, wild east coast of Africa! Wish me luck.

Much love and besos to you all... Hope to "see" you in 10 weeks!

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I received the following Facebook wall post from my sister class friend Cindia:

"...Anyways when we were at out alumnae luncheon thing President Paulie told everyone your life story. I thought you were there or something and they were going to give you an award. what was that about?"

I LOVE IT! It's great to know that my accomplishments post-Salem are noteworthy enough to warrant a speech by the President of my alma mater to a room full of Salem women. I got tears in my eyes when I read this. If only I could get a transcript of that speech! lol. I think I'll write her and thank her for being so kind.

This weekend was fun-filled and bootylicious. I can't believe I have just one weekend more in Malabo. Out of control! I'm putting together my own farewell party (please don't ask me why my department isn't giving one for me... It's not as if I were fired or anything or hadn't given my all for a year here, teaching nearly (possibly over) half of the classes we've had since I've been here! Strangeness...) and of course, there's drama. I swear, nothing I do here in EG can be without drama of any kind. It's like the drama just dwells in my bones. I recently asked two friends if I am prone to drama and when they responded in the affirmative, I really had to laugh. I guess it's true. Oops! I really don't like the bad drama though!

I haven't received my itenirary for my return trip to the States yet so when I get that, I will let y'all know. Also, when I finally stop being lazy and sift through my Peace Corps information, I'll post me and Evan's address in Madagascar in case you want to be awesome and send letters, packages and the like.

Okay, nearly time for my party planning meeting. More soon!

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