As I mentioned earlier, I've completed the online application process. The new update is I now have my interview scheduled for next Tuesday, February 12, at the Peace Corps Boston office. The interview should last a couple of hours and is designed to give them an idea whether I'm a good fit.
Unlike most job interviews, I was even given a heads up on a half dozen of the questions they are going to ask. They said they don't want to put me on the spot with the questions and don't want it to be an uncomfortable process. Also unlike most job interviews, they said I should give honest straightforward answers rather than answers I think the interviewer might want to hear. There aren't necessarily right or wrong answers, but rather the point of most of the questions are to find out realistically what types of situations or environments might be best suited for the applicant.
I'll be sure to post an update after the interview on how I thought it went.
One interesting thing - since I've mentioned this whole Peace Corps application, I've heard from several friends who happen to know someone who was in the Peace Corps, so I'm getting some good feedback and advice. Thanks!
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Monday, February 04, 2008
Impala
No, not the Chevy car. This is a type of antelope I saw on the Maasai Mara. They are quite common and are easy to tell apart from the other antelope due to the black tuft of hair on the backs of their hind legs and the black line on their rump.
A herd of impala is usually made up of just one adult male and the rest are females and young. Here's a snapshot of part of this one male's herd.
It wasn't uncommon to also see groups of bachelor impalas. These are the ones that were lucky enough to not get stuck with the responsibility of having to look after a group of 20+ females and young. Hmmm... or did I get that last detail wrong? Was it supposed to be that these guys lost out?
[NOTE: I've noticed recently that for some reason when I upload my photos to blogger, the colors get a bit washed out in the converted images it produces. To see the photos in their proper color, click on the photo image to see the original larger photo.]
A herd of impala is usually made up of just one adult male and the rest are females and young. Here's a snapshot of part of this one male's herd.
It wasn't uncommon to also see groups of bachelor impalas. These are the ones that were lucky enough to not get stuck with the responsibility of having to look after a group of 20+ females and young. Hmmm... or did I get that last detail wrong? Was it supposed to be that these guys lost out?
[NOTE: I've noticed recently that for some reason when I upload my photos to blogger, the colors get a bit washed out in the converted images it produces. To see the photos in their proper color, click on the photo image to see the original larger photo.]
Friday, February 01, 2008
Superb Starling
Saw this starling while on safari in the Maasai Mara. It's official name is superb starling. It's definitely a lot nicer looking than starlings we get around here in New England.
It's a bit hard to make out in this picture (as usual you can click on it for a larger view), but the bush the starling was on had huge thorns. It's actually a pretty common bush in the area. The Maasai people often use bundles and piles of these thorny branches to create fences in their villages. The thorns help keep predators away and keep the domesticated animals from trying to escape.
It's a bit hard to make out in this picture (as usual you can click on it for a larger view), but the bush the starling was on had huge thorns. It's actually a pretty common bush in the area. The Maasai people often use bundles and piles of these thorny branches to create fences in their villages. The thorns help keep predators away and keep the domesticated animals from trying to escape.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Moving Along in the Process
On Sunday evening I officially completed my Peace Corps application. The application process is done online. Since it is fairly lengthy and includes writing a couple essays, you don't have to complete the whole thing in one sitting. They give you a user ID and password and let you return to it as many times as you like until it is finished. I finally completed it all Sunday night.
I was then notified via an automated email that I should be receiving an information packet within the next 10 days. Surprisingly, today (two days later) I had a large envelop from the Peace Corps sitting in my mailbox. Along with some more paperwork to complete (including some cards I need to take to the local police station for fingerprinting) are some descriptions of potential assignment areas for which I qualify.
In my application I had expressed an interest in the areas of education, environment, and (worst case from my point of view) information technology. I received two descriptions of opportunities in my packet: one for secondary education math teaching and a second for a more general topic of "computer science", which could involve teaching computer science or doing more general computer-related work, such as installing networks, setting up computer labs, etc. I guess I didn't qualify for any of the "environment" related opportunities.
The math teaching opportunities are in southern Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, while the computer science opportunities are more widespread: Africa, Eastern/Central Europe, Asia, and the Pacific region. In my application I didn't express a preference for a specific geographic region; I figured I'd leave that up to chance.
The information packet also helped clarify for me the timing of the application process. From submitting an application (which I just did two days ago) to arriving in a country for pre-service training takes from 6 to 9 months. So, I could end up heading out to some foreign land as early as July. Yikes! That seems pretty soon.
One interesting item in the information packet was a brief mention of the competitiveness of the application process. It reads, "More than two candidates are identified for every one Volunteer request; thus, the selection process is very competitive." Hmmm.... less than 50% odds of success. I guess I'll have to see how it goes. It could turn out I'm not going anywhere.
The next step in the process (besides filling out more paperwork and getting fingerprinted) will be an interview. I should be contacted within the next few weeks by a Peace Corps recruiter.
I was then notified via an automated email that I should be receiving an information packet within the next 10 days. Surprisingly, today (two days later) I had a large envelop from the Peace Corps sitting in my mailbox. Along with some more paperwork to complete (including some cards I need to take to the local police station for fingerprinting) are some descriptions of potential assignment areas for which I qualify.
In my application I had expressed an interest in the areas of education, environment, and (worst case from my point of view) information technology. I received two descriptions of opportunities in my packet: one for secondary education math teaching and a second for a more general topic of "computer science", which could involve teaching computer science or doing more general computer-related work, such as installing networks, setting up computer labs, etc. I guess I didn't qualify for any of the "environment" related opportunities.
The math teaching opportunities are in southern Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, while the computer science opportunities are more widespread: Africa, Eastern/Central Europe, Asia, and the Pacific region. In my application I didn't express a preference for a specific geographic region; I figured I'd leave that up to chance.
The information packet also helped clarify for me the timing of the application process. From submitting an application (which I just did two days ago) to arriving in a country for pre-service training takes from 6 to 9 months. So, I could end up heading out to some foreign land as early as July. Yikes! That seems pretty soon.
One interesting item in the information packet was a brief mention of the competitiveness of the application process. It reads, "More than two candidates are identified for every one Volunteer request; thus, the selection process is very competitive." Hmmm.... less than 50% odds of success. I guess I'll have to see how it goes. It could turn out I'm not going anywhere.
The next step in the process (besides filling out more paperwork and getting fingerprinted) will be an interview. I should be contacted within the next few weeks by a Peace Corps recruiter.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
A Change in Direction
I've put this off long enough.
Ever since I was in high school, I've been wanting to join the Peace Corps, but there was always some excuse for not doing it. My most recent excuse has been selfishness and the contentment with living a comfortable carefree life.
Well, after 20 years of excuses I decided now is the time. No more excuses. I have no family to support, I'm not in any relationship, and the only expense I have is my condo. I have plenty of money saved to pay the mortgage for the two year commitment where I'll have no income, so what am I waiting for? If I wait any longer I'll find myself regretting not having done it earlier in life.
So, as of today I've officially started the online application process. Hopefully it won't turn out like my most recent job interview with Google (they said no thanks after the second round of interviews), but I suppose I'll have to wait and see. I wonder how many people get rejected from applying to the Peace Corps?
I'll be sure to post an occasional update here on my progress - assuming things do progress. The application process is said to take anywhere from six to nine months. If I get rejected, I'll be sure to write about that, too.
Ever since I was in high school, I've been wanting to join the Peace Corps, but there was always some excuse for not doing it. My most recent excuse has been selfishness and the contentment with living a comfortable carefree life.
Well, after 20 years of excuses I decided now is the time. No more excuses. I have no family to support, I'm not in any relationship, and the only expense I have is my condo. I have plenty of money saved to pay the mortgage for the two year commitment where I'll have no income, so what am I waiting for? If I wait any longer I'll find myself regretting not having done it earlier in life.
So, as of today I've officially started the online application process. Hopefully it won't turn out like my most recent job interview with Google (they said no thanks after the second round of interviews), but I suppose I'll have to wait and see. I wonder how many people get rejected from applying to the Peace Corps?
I'll be sure to post an occasional update here on my progress - assuming things do progress. The application process is said to take anywhere from six to nine months. If I get rejected, I'll be sure to write about that, too.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Pride Rock
While ending the afternoon safari on the Maasai Mara, we came across a few lions hanging out on a rock. It looked like they were all getting ready to go on a hunting expedition - they were all staring off in the same direction. Unfortunately, we couldn't hang around to watch, so I was only able to snap a few pictures before we headed back to the lodge.
Friday, January 18, 2008
The Great Rift Valley
The second day we were in Africa, we drove out of Nairobi and headed for the Rift Valley to go on safari. As we left the city, the landscape slowly began to change, from a more urban setting to buildings with a more rural character. These are a few pictures I took along the way.
After about a half-hour drive, as we came over the crest of a hill, there was a dramatic view - the Great Rift Valley!
This is a panorama made from about 7 pictures stitched together. If you click on the image, you'll get a much larger view. Hopefully it gives an idea of how impressive this view was to see in person.
If I remember correctly, the Maasai Mara, our destination for safari, was somewhere off in the distance beyond the mountain on the right horizon. It was a long, several hour bumpy ride on roads that were often more passable by driving off the edges of them onto the dirt rather than driving down the bumpy pothole filled paved center.
After about a half-hour drive, as we came over the crest of a hill, there was a dramatic view - the Great Rift Valley!
This is a panorama made from about 7 pictures stitched together. If you click on the image, you'll get a much larger view. Hopefully it gives an idea of how impressive this view was to see in person.
If I remember correctly, the Maasai Mara, our destination for safari, was somewhere off in the distance beyond the mountain on the right horizon. It was a long, several hour bumpy ride on roads that were often more passable by driving off the edges of them onto the dirt rather than driving down the bumpy pothole filled paved center.
Scary Leopard
While on safari in the Maasai Mara, we came across a warthog... up in a tree.
It was obvious from its condition that it hadn't climbed up there on its own - it was quite dead, with parts of its guts hanging out. The question was, what predator had put it up there and where was it now?
After about 10 minutes of waiting near the tree, a member of our party finally spotted something. There was a leopard hiding in some tall grass and bushes about 50 yards away! See if you can spot it in this picture. You can click on the picture for a slightly larger view - it might be helpful.
Here's a zoom in on the picture. Unfortunately, given the grass obscuring the view, this was the best picture I could get. I need to get more practice using the manual focus on my camera. As it was, my camera kept focusing on the grass in the foreground, so the face is a bit blurry.
I found the whole situation quite chilling. I imagined what it would have felt like to be walking along these plains and suddenly discover that face staring back out at me. Or worse, walk past and not notice and become its next victim.
It was obvious from its condition that it hadn't climbed up there on its own - it was quite dead, with parts of its guts hanging out. The question was, what predator had put it up there and where was it now?
After about 10 minutes of waiting near the tree, a member of our party finally spotted something. There was a leopard hiding in some tall grass and bushes about 50 yards away! See if you can spot it in this picture. You can click on the picture for a slightly larger view - it might be helpful.
Here's a zoom in on the picture. Unfortunately, given the grass obscuring the view, this was the best picture I could get. I need to get more practice using the manual focus on my camera. As it was, my camera kept focusing on the grass in the foreground, so the face is a bit blurry.
I found the whole situation quite chilling. I imagined what it would have felt like to be walking along these plains and suddenly discover that face staring back out at me. Or worse, walk past and not notice and become its next victim.
Agama Lizard
I'm not 100% certain, but I think this is a female Agama Lizard. It was on some rocks near the hyrax from my previous post.
Rock Hyrax
This little critter might look like a rodent, but supposedly it is the closest living relative to the elephant!
I spotted this hyrax atop a cliff overlooking Lake Nakuru. The lake is home to a huge number of flamingos. (I'll post a bit more about the flamingos later.) In an odd coincidence, I just discovered my guidebook Wildlife of East Africa contains a picture of the rock hyrax taken from the exact same cliff spot! (The arial view of the lake shore in the background of the photo is unmistakably the same.) I guess this cliff is a popular place to see the hyrax.
Here is the photo from the book and a photo I took immediately before snapping the picture of the hyrax atop the cliff. It's definitely the same place.
(If you look closely at this last picture - or click on it for a larger view - you can make out the pink sea of flamingos along part of the shoreline.)
I spotted this hyrax atop a cliff overlooking Lake Nakuru. The lake is home to a huge number of flamingos. (I'll post a bit more about the flamingos later.) In an odd coincidence, I just discovered my guidebook Wildlife of East Africa contains a picture of the rock hyrax taken from the exact same cliff spot! (The arial view of the lake shore in the background of the photo is unmistakably the same.) I guess this cliff is a popular place to see the hyrax.
Here is the photo from the book and a photo I took immediately before snapping the picture of the hyrax atop the cliff. It's definitely the same place.
(If you look closely at this last picture - or click on it for a larger view - you can make out the pink sea of flamingos along part of the shoreline.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)