Archive for February, 2011

This week, an article in Foreign Policy titled Corps Concerns, discusses the need of the Peace Corps in the 21st century. The PC advocate in me couldn’t help but want to share my personal response to the issues raised in the article.

The author evaluated the need of Peace Corps base on three main goals of the Agency:

1.    Helping the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.
2.    Helping promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.
3.    Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.

Argument: Peace Corps was designed to benefit its host countries with well-educated (if usually inexperienced) young Americans in undereducated developing economies. But today, countries like Indonesia, Panama and Guatemala have a far higher percentage of university graduates than 50 years ago.

My Response: Panama, Guatemala and Indonesia are just three of the 77 countries that Peace Corps serves today. Large majority of the 77 countries today, certainly the case of Cameroon, could still benefit from skills and knowledge of well-educated (if usually inexperienced) young people as myself.

Argument: The Peace Corps is operating in a world where people in even remote regions have exponentially greater access to sources of information about American culture and foreign policy than they had in 1961. People have access to American films and news about American foreign policy from the Internet and TV.

My Response: I was often horrified by what my village friends think of Americans. They ask me questions such as, “Do you have a gun? Don’t all Americans have guns?” or “Can I come to America with you? there aren’t any poor people in America, right?”. We all know what is portrayed in Hollywood is not really America, and I would hope that is not the image of the US that we want to portray. Just as you can’t learn about what life is really like in any given place by watching National Geographic, citizens of other nations also wouldn’t know what America is really like from TV and movies.  While each of us may have biased opinion of what being an American is like, the opinions are at least more real than Hollywood’s version.

Argument: While it is obvious that Peace Corps  can provide a hugely enriching and life-changin experience, the world is a very different place than it was in 1961. Between 1996 and 2009 alone, the number of U.S. citizens traveling to Africa tripled to 399,000 a year; 260,000 U.S. students studied abroad in the 2008-2009 academic year, up from around 75,000 20 years ago. A lot of those studying did so in developing countries — 13,681 in Africa and 3,670 in the Middle East, for example.

My Response: I studied abroad in college  – three times, and each time lasting no more than 4 months. Did those experiences change me? sure. Then I served in the Peace Corps, for 27 months. That’s 6 consecutive study abroad programs at 4 months a session. Not to mention in a completely different environment where there is no group bus and I’m to fend for my own. Are we really trying to compare study abroad experiences to Peace Corps services?

Argument: Trimming the current bureaucratic structure — and perhaps rethinking the two-year commitment — would expand the number of countries where the program could operate and allow the Peace Corps to attract more volunteers.

My Response: Most people don’t have problem giving up one year of their lives to go live somewhere very different. The reservation I’ve often heard from people not wanting to join is because of the two-year commitment. Living without running water/electricity/basic modern comforts, and being far away from friends/families and missing holidays are all good and well for one year, but two years is an entirely different story. It’s certainly not for everyone, but it sure sets those who can endure it apart from the rest. This is what makes Peace Corps unique.

From the volunteer’s perspective, it takes an entire year to really become comfortable with the culture, the language, and to gain trust of the community. It’s usually in the 2nd year that volunteers flourish. Year one, I knew my ways and I was capable of doing things in my village. Year two, I became the daughter of my village. So far, I have not heard participants of other similar programs claim that they feel like they are the daughter/son of the community they worked with. I hear this from Peace Corps volunteers all time. Perhaps someone can prove me wrong here.

Et voilà, those are my thoughts as a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer. Take them for what they are worth. As for does the world still need Peace Corps? I think my answer is obvious, but I’ll leave it for you to decide.

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The one thing I have learned since being back in London is that studying in Europe is not at all the same as studying abroad in Europe. Gone are the days of jetting off on weekends to all corners of Europe courtesy of RyanAir and EasyJet. Try as I might, most weekends, I’m either too tired to even think about going anywhere, or I am holed up doing some work or another. A few weeks ago, the girls and I decided we would at least take a day trip to Cambridge.

I’ve been to Cambridge many a times, and it’s always as lovely as the first time. The punt tour gets me excited every time. What’s better than sitting on boat and seeing a (usually) attractive and smart (often Cambridge students) man rowing away while telling history of Cambridge with flairs of humor? I love the charm of an old town. I’m always mesmerized by the history, and thinking that really amazing people have spent their times here and walked the same cobble-stone street as me.

The one thing I noticed this time, is the omnipresence of chains. The English loves their chains. In London, if you are not familiar with the city, chances are you won’t learn your ways by defining the stores on the street. All over town, you have chains of every level. From the fast lunch spots (Eat, Pret, Wasabi, Itsu) to cafés (Starbucks, Café Nero), to higher end dining establishments (Pizza Express, Zizzi, Strada). They are everywhere. It was rather disappointing to see the chains taking over streets of this cute town. It’s really unfortunate that it’s so difficult to find an original eatery that’s delicious and affordable for students.

But all in all, a lovely city break from London. Wish I have time for more…

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Serious dose of sunshine today in London. I think the universe was saving it to give London lovers a perfect mood to snuggle up in parks across the city. It’s been two years since I last experienced Valentine’s Day in its full commercial frenzy. Flurries of updates on Facebook has led to some interesting observations. The optimists, or those who have a significant other, don’t seem to mind the commercial nature of V day, but the pessimist, or perhaps those that are “alone”, are much more cynical.

I am an optimist, and even though I spent the day largely alone in classes and the library (though I did “treat” myself to some takeaway curry from Sainsbury’s), I appreciated the love that was all around me today. Seeing men and women alike lining up to purchase last minute flowers by the stand next to Holborn station brought a smile to my face. One day a year, people show special appreciation for their loved ones. If the positive externality (I gotta do it, I’m at the LSE) is extra profit for the flower/chocolate/restaurant industry? pourquoi pas?

I am sending loving thoughts to all of my loves across this world today. To family and friends near and far, and to those I’ve met through experiences off line or through idea exchanges online, I’m glad grateful that you are a part of my life. A day of sunshine and love from around the globe? Life is not so bad at all. Happy Valentine’s Day, my loves.

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a different way of life

We are entering week 16 at the LSE, and that means the final quarter of the year. Where did time go? I am finally putting on my game face and am finally feeling the pressure of life in this “real” world. There seems to always be something going on – places I need to be, things I need to do, people I need to see. I find myself running around meeting various obligations and questioning what all the busying around is for. I no longer have time to think, to feel and to be, those were the luxury of life in Cameroon.

When I sit in development classes and hearing discussions of democracy, institutions and economic development, all I can really think about is the simplicity of my life in village. After two years of living au village, I’m extremely conflicted between modern world efficiency and the things you have to give up to reach such level of efficiency – a real community, nature, appreciating simply being alive, etc.

I don’t want to live in the past, so I am attempting to move forward. Despite all of my nostalgia, I’m putting myself out there to get my hand on the corporate ladder, to get with the program and remembering what it takes to “succeed” in this world. But when I walk around the LSE campus seeing people stressing out and discussing the horrible consequence of not getting a job with a top 15 investment bank or consulting firm, I feel sad for them. Don’t they see that there is so much more to life?

I miss living a life that always has a purpose. Peace Corps advertises itself as “the toughest job you’ll ever love”, and it’s true. It’s tough in a very different way. Living in such different environment, I was in touch with my deepest strengths and weaknesses. Yet even during my lowest moments, I could find purpose by having one simple conversation with a villager. There is something profound about the ability to change lives not through any noble act, but simply being present and converse.

Day in and day out now, I follow the motion of grad school grind, and during the low days here, I don’t know where to find inspiration and to feel purposeful again. So I look back to my pictures and draw inspiration from the past. It’s easy to become suffocated by the conventional societal pressure. But it’s important to remember, especially under high stress situations, that expectations are relative. I can only do my best to find a purpose in life for me.

Today, I miss Cameroon. They come in waves. But tomorrow is another day. Moving on, moving forward.

In between the library and my shoebox room, I did manage to do some fun things and I’ll share them in due time.

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