Ya Amerykanets

That's right. Many of you may think I'm in Kiev (Kyiv?) already, but no, I'm in Philly. Been hear since Thursday night for Staging (pre-training training--regular training happens in Ukraine) and will leave tomorrow. It's been good so far, although things got off to a rough start. Plane left San Diego 30 minutes late, had to make an unplanned landing in Baltimore because of a severe storm, and then, to top it all off, I got to the Holiday Inn only to find that they weren't expecting me to arrive until the following day and so I had no room. So I crashed on the floor of the room of some other Peace Corps Trainee's (PCT) I'd met. No big deal, I'd been sleeping on the floor for the entire three months prior. It was all pretty funny to me though. And I just looked at it as additional Peace Corps (PC) training: afterall, it's said that patience is a core virtue of the successful Peace Corps Volunteer, and my patience was certainly getting a workout! (It would get further tested two nights later when my room key stopped working. I stood in a long, slow line at the front desk, had them "fix" my key, and then returned to my room to find that my room key still wouldn't open my door! I was starting to think all these inconveniences really were planned by PC as a part of training!)

But let me backup: while at the airport, saying my goodbyes to my good (scratch that; great) firend Mohan and my parents, my Dad struck up a conversation about Cal football with a guy wearing a Cal t-shirt. This guy (Zach) had just graduated and guess what: he was headed to Ukraine, too! And then another PCT was sitting in my same row on the airplane. What a coinky-dink!

Now fast forward to the present: Meeting 86 new people over the course of two days has been exhausting. I think it would exhaust anybody, but being a naturally introverted person (or at least an extrovert trapped inside an introvert's body) it's been particularly exhausting for me. I've had to take a few steps outside my comfort zone a little. But that's a large part of what this experience is about and a part I was aware of when I signed up, so I'm not complaining. And anyway, all the PCTs seem like great people so far and I'm realy looking forward to getting to know them better over the next few days, throughout training, and, to a lesser extent, during my two years of service (I'm gonna try to stay away from the "Peace Corps lifestyle"--visiting other Volunteers every weekend at the expense of your integration into the community in which you live and work).

There's a 57 year old Romanian pastry chef among the 86 of us, and she had something to say on the first day of Staging that I found interesting. She acknowledged that many people in Eastern Europe had idealized views of American life rooted in shows like "Bay Watch" and MTVs "Cribs." And so, often times, the American they yearn to come to is one that bares little resemblance to the America that actually is. She herself was surprised by the America she immigrated to nearly 30 years ago. And so, in sharing what America is really like with the Ukrainians we'll be living and working with and thereby giving them a more balanced view of our country, we'll perhaps not only impart upon them a greater understanding of Americans (one of the Peace Corps three missions) but also a greater appreciation for their own country and life circumstances (insofar as they aren't already appreciative of that; not necessarily a safe assumption, but a lot of them apparently want to get out). This was an aspect of Peace Corps service I hadn't considered in such depth.

I'll end my first blog entry with a fitting quote that was read during staging: "The journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step." I've taken the first step and, while not perfect (when is life ever perfect?), so far so good.

If you'd like to (snail) mail me during my first three months in Ukraine (Pre-Service Training), you can use the following address:

U.S. Peace Corps/Ukraine

Richard Lechtenberg

19/21 Nizniy Val Str.

04071

Kyiv, Ukraine

I'd love to receive your letters! Also, if you'd like to augment my pitifully small music collection, MP3 CDs would be appreciated (you can fit about 150 MP3s/songs on a single CD!).

NOTE: Padded envelopes are more likely to make it to me intact than are boxes. Also, once I move to my permanent site in December, I'll have a new mailing address. I'll let you know once I know what that is.

Seven long months after applying, my status has recently been upgraded from "nominee" to "invitee." I've been invited to serve in rural Ukraine, teaching conversational English in secondary (and possibly primary) schools. Additionally, I'll be helping my colleagues develop teaching materials as well as to consider the merits of incorporating modern teaching methods into their curriculum. I'll be leaving on September 28 for three months of training. Once I'm officially sworn in as a Volunteer, I'll be sent to my post where I'll live and work for two years. While I'll have to endure sub-zero temperatures and short days (it gets dark by 5 PM) four or months out of the year, and will possibly be using an outhouse, obtaining my water from a well, walking miles to and from my work, etc., I know it'll be a unique and rewarding experience and am very excited (albeit simltaneously a bit nervous as well). I've heard great things about Ukrainian culture and people (including from the photographer who took my passport photos: he married a Ukranian women shortly before he was scheduled to begin Peace Corps service in Ukraine himself!) and am looking forward to gaining a broader perspective on culture, life, and the world while making my small contribution to the well-being of my fellow humanity.

I'll try and post to this blog regularly once I'm in Ukraine, but my internet access may be sporadic at best. Let's hope for both our sakes that Ukranian computer keyboards allow typing in the English/Latin alphabet as well as Cryllic!