Guatemala, Again!

I am heading back to Guatemala next month to complete another stove building trip. Highland Support Project is a non-profit here in Richmond which promotes transformational development through various programs with villagers in the highlands of Guatemala. They base their projects on the idea that poverty is a process, not a condition; therefore, they developed “transformational” programs that will break the cycle of dependency that the villagers have relied on for decades. They support market-oriented solutions while focusing efforts on assisting communities in such a way that they maintain their independence and confidence.

What will I do? I get to help build wood burning stoves. Mayan women traditionally do all of the cooking inside over open flame. The smoke from these fires is harmful to their health as well as dangerous. The stoves help funnel the smoke out of the building while also providing a level cooking surface. To help offset the loss of trees, HSP plants ten trees per every stove built. The communities are taught how to care for and nourish these trees so they continue growing.

Wish you could help? You can :) Use the widget below to make a donation to the Highland Support Project. If you would like to help me fund my trip specifically, just write in the memo "For Carolyn Morris's VCU Spring Break Trip." Thanks!

Address

Here is my address at the Embassy. You can only send envelopes to this address.

Carolyn Morris

American Embassy

Nicosia

PSC 815

DPOAE 09836-9998

Volleyball with the Marines....

This picture looks a little better than the real life version..

So last night was the volleyball and swimming party. I played volleyball all night because i joined a team of marines that refused to lose. We lost one game, and then, because of the loss, we had to win at least two more games in order to regain our glory.... By the end of the night, there was a knot growing on my palm and I could not move my thumb. I iced it a bit, which helped a lot, and now its just some nasty looking bruising. It was fun though. I got to sweat a little bit, which is something I cant seem to stop doing here...

Work is going well. We are usually busy in the morning, taking people's visa applications and such. The afternoons are more relaxed, sometimes with nothing to do.

Tomorrow I get to attend a press briefing. Pretty excited to see some action in the other sections. Consular is fun, but not exactly thought provoking. The people I work with are being really nice though and trying to let me see all of the Embassy operations.

Today I found out what would happen if there is ever a dangerous situation at the Embassy. One of the guards accidentally hit the button that sounds the 'Duck and Cover' alarm. It was lunch time and I was in the cafeteria when all of the sudden I hear 'Duck and cover. Get away from the windows' along with a siren. I assumed it was a drill, but apparently you get an email warning about those. The other people that moved to the hallway with me were all saying things like 'interesting, did I not get an email or something?' or 'must be something really happening..' For me, hearing this kind of thing is not exactly reassuring, but they did not seem to be too worried. And, in the end, it was nothing. Just a little extra entertainment for the day.

Tomorrow is Friday and I could not be happier. I am greatly looking forward to sleeping in on Saturday morning. Sunday, the marines are going to a local go-kart raceway and having some sort of race there. That should be interesting. Apparently the place is called 'Daytona Raceway' or something like that. Its amazing how much American stuff is here.

And one last picture for you guys. This is the view from the back of my hostel. You can see the Turkish side of the island. That block of lights is actually the Turkish flag on a mountain side. You can find that kind of thing all over Turkey, but I think this one was strategically placed so as to be a flashing reminder to the Greek Cypriots..

First Day

Today was my orientation day at the Embassy. The coordinator came and picked me up, which was awesome because otherwise I would have had to walk. I only had two hours of sleep thanks to heat and pesky little flying bugs that kept biting me (my windows are now closed, so should be better tonight).

When we got to the Embassy, the coordinator took me on a tour and introduced me to everyone. She introduced me as Caroline...so I guess that is how I will be known. Whatevs..

After the tour, I headed over to my department: consular. We get to deal with all the people applying for visas to enter the United States. You know when you get a visa in your passport? Yeh well someone like me stuck it on there for you, perhaps for no pay...So appreciate it!

The consular section also deals with issues American citizens may have while overseas. Such as...ending up in jail for an extended period of time..

So my duties will consist of reviewing visa applications, printing and sticking visas, passing out passports, answering the phone during call hours, and helping out during the morning open hours. Otherwise, I get to just hang out and talk with the people in my department. Thus far, they seem pretty cool. Today they 'initiated' me by making me drink Cypriot coffee (ie Turkish coffee, but 'better'). That coffee today will mark my SECOND ever. The first? Turkish coffee in Turkey.. That whole 'don't want to offend when offered' etiquette rule sometimes bites in the you know where.. The second part of the initiation is having your picture taken after your first taste. For most interns, it is apparently their first time drinking it because there are indeed some pretty funny pictures of people pulling back in horror. My picture, however, will not look so horrifying. I knew the disgusting liquid concoction that I was about to ingest. It will be emailed to me soon, so I will load it here.

The rest of the day was spent in various briefings. I got told what not to do while on the internet, and met the woman who coordinates various Embassy events. The next one coming up is on Wednesday: volleyball and swimming with the marines at the Embassy. The pool happens to be the Ambassador's. He is away on vacation ;)

Anyways, the results of the first day are promising. I could totally live this life. Granted, Cyprus is not exactly a hardship post, but still...

Here are a few pictures from my apartment/room thing:




The coordinator is really nice and keeps giving me menus from places that deliver and such. My little fridge is quickly filling up. Off to sleep now. 7am bike ride to the Embassy tomorrow...

Back in Europe

So I am finally in Cyprus and mostly settled. No pictures as of yet, but here are a few things that I have learned about Cyprus thus far:

1. They drive on the other side of the road, thanks to huge British influence
2. I have been told by everyone I have met so far that the Turkish Cypriots and the Greek Cypriots have no issue with each other and are quite amicable
3. It is HOT. Temperatures in the 90's with humidity (though not as much as Richmond), but the nights usually bring cool breezes
4. You can't really see the island without a car
5. Cyprus has one of if not the highest car crash rates in Europe - due to EU entrance a few years ago, everybody got lots of money and bought real fancy cars that they love to drive and race

Thus far, I have spent my time in my room, trying not to move, but still somehow sweating entirely too much, and catching up on tv that I haven't watched since I left Italy. Work starts tomorrow.

New Travels...

So I am leaving America once again. Getting ready to head to Cyprus for a ten week internship with the US Department of State. I will be working at the Embassy in Nicosia. Hopefully I will have some time to check out the rest of the island while I am there. Look for an update in about a week or so.

Venice

Went to Venice today. It was awesome. I splurged and bought a really beautiful mask. I also bought a bunch of souvenirs for people, something which I have yet to be able to do. Anyways, here are pictures:

PICTURES

Kristin and I stayed up all night in order to try and knock our terrible sleeping habit of going to sleep at 6am. We had very little sleep on the 2.5 hour train ride to Venice, then walked around for 7 hours or so until we were exhausted.

If you ever go to Venice, and want to see everything, give yourself more than one day.