Monthly Archives: June 2009

so we went to a wedding this weekend

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One of my very best friends got married, so Stephen and I drove up on Friday night for the rehearsal, and headed over to the rehearsal dinner at the inn where we were staying. The inn is in the scenic White Mountains of New Hampshire and the rehearsal dinner was a barbecue, followed by a bonfire and acoustic jam session. We made up quite a few original songs, such as "She Looked Like a Pumpkin" and "Bridezilla". My brother had an entire song dedicated to his goatee.

The wedding wasn’t until 3pm on Saturday, so that morning after breakfast, I went out with Stephen and a couple other guys to get some Starbuck’s coffee and hang out in North Conway. We bought a few celebratory cigars for after the ceremony, and bonus! I conveniently missed out on doing floral arrangements with the rest of the girls. Gotta be honest – my ideal wedding will be as laidback as possible.

About two hours before the ceremony, I discovered a rip in my dress that only got worse once I put it on. This necessitated an emergency run to JC Penney’s where Stephen managed to find the perfect little sweater to go over the tear, and we ended up getting to the church before everyone else. Stephen did a fantastic job playing John Butler’s Ocean during the march and the recessional, but the what can I say? The kid is talented.

I managed to make it through without completely crying (though I almost lost it during the exchanging of vows – that was when I realized I forgot my tissues). So I held it together and then…it was over. They were married. Holy crap. And now it was time to party.

The reception was a blast and I danced my feet off. My $20 dress held itself together, but just barely. It looked adorable so I guess it did its job. And I still can’t believe that they are MARRIED. I’ve known her for about 7 years, and remember them back when she was just calling him her "friend boy". *sniff, sniff* Where are those tissues?

vet update, going offline

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Good news: the vet visit went really well. I will admit that I let their annual exams slide for a few years – they’re indoor cats, so vaccinations weren’t really an issue. With the upcoming trip (see below) I wanted to make sure that they were established with a veterinarian who knew them. And since a new office opened up not five minutes from our house, with nothing but positive recommendations for the veterinarian there, I thought it would be the right place for us. And it is.

Dr. B is all about communication, wants to explain what’s going on during the exam, and really believes in being on the same page as the pet owner. There was no issue with declining all vaccines but rabies (I don’t like for them to get more than one shot at a time), and there was no concern with the fact that they’re on a raw diet.

Of course, their good health speaks for itself. PJ and Miko are both a healthy 12 pounds, Scully weighs in at almost 10 pounds, and Stephanie is a petite 9 pounds. Aside from Scully’s very mild heart murmur, which had been caught by a previous vet, they have absolutely no health issues. And hopefully we won’t have to see Dr. B until next year.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

This will be our last update until August. In another week I’m leaving for a month of volunteer work in Africa and will, of course, miss my babies terribly. It’s going to be an amazing trip and you can read more about it here. I won’t be updating the blog while we’re gone, but we’ll be back in August with new posts and pictures and stories.

Thanks for reading.

more info on ‘Juvi’

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Our program director didn’t have an information sheet for me so I’ve been trying to piece together what the placement might be like. Overwhelmingly people who’ve worked in the detention center talk about how sweet and fun the boys are, so while I may be a little out of my element, I know that this month in the placement is going to be amazing. I found this from a former volunteer:

I was fortunate enough to visit some other placements of fellow volunteers. It was an eye opening experience in so many ways. It’s amazing how some people are treated in Tanzania. I was lucky enough to visit the Juvenile Detention Centre (less formally known as Juvi). Juvi is a place where children that have committed a crime stay before they are sentenced in court. Generally, the kids either get released or are placed into jail. It all depends on what the judge rules. The crimes these kids commit are not necessarily crimes either. One child got in an argument with her grandmother and was sent to Juvi for disrespecting her elder (of course, this is the abbreviated version of the story). An 11 year old boy was play fighting with his friend, kicked him in the stomach, and his friend died (probably due to a pre-existing condition). Now this 11 year old boy is waiting to stand in a Tanzanian court before a judge that will decide if he is guilty for manslaughter. Amazing.

Despite all of the horrible stories Juvi is actually a fun place. Or at least the volunteers try and make it fun. All of the kids are released from their rooms when the volunteers arrive to begin the days activities. The day I went we decided to paint a mural on the wall. All the kids helped us brighten up the walls….and maybe a little bit of the floor. Ok, maybe a lot bit of the floor. Good thing they weren’t expecting a professional paint job. All in all, it was a great experience and I was happy to help out.

we’ve got our placements

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I have to admit: my first reaction was Whaaaaaaa…? But the more that I think about it, the more excited I get. This is going to be a good summer.

Dear Emily,

I know you have been eagerly awaiting your Volunteer Placement, and while I don’t have a description sheet for your placement, I will give you all of the information that I do have. I have asked the in-country staff for some more information, but haven’t yet heard back from them. Your placement will be the Juvenile Detention Center, and it is home and school to teenage and pre-teen boys. Often volunteers there in the past have worked with the boys on English skills, social skills (good manners, proper behavior while on trial, etc.) and have just played sports and games with them among other things. As we have discussed, your placement was determined based on the in-country staff’s assessment of your Skills & Interests Survey, the availability of placements, and the needs of the local community at the time you will be on the program.

Cross-Cultural Solutions’ Three-Part Program Design consists of Volunteer Work, Cultural & Learning Activities, and Free Time. You will be expected to go to your Volunteer Placement Monday – Friday and will be volunteering for about 4 hours each morning. Transportation will be provided to your placement and back to the Home-Base daily. There will be Cultural & Learning Activities scheduled on several afternoons. Some afternoons and all evenings & weekends are set aside for Free Time. We have found that this three-part model takes all aspects of your international experience into account and allows our volunteers to fully immerse themselves into the culture in a meaningful way.

As you prepare for your Volunteer Placement, it’s important to remember to be patient with yourself! There will be cultural differences and a language barrier that may provide challenges along the way. Being open-minded, patient, flexible, and willing to face uncertainty are all keys to having a successful experience. Your professional skills may not be completely transferable, so I encourage you to be willing to be of service wherever support is needed.

“What stood out most, was the continual reminders from the in-country staff that our expectations may not be realized- but other expectations will likely occur. For the first several days, I felt mismatched at my placement, but by the closing of my program, I understood that just being with the children was much more important than any expectations of teaching I might have had.” – Sarah, Kilimanjaro Volunteer