Preparing...

Kazakhstan's packing list is quite lengthy due to the cold. Born in tropical Singapore into a family where my mother's side comes from humid South China and father's side comes from hot South India, I know the Kazakhstani cold will be a definite climate change for me. Still, I am looking forward to it and realizing it takes a great deal of time and patience to shop for the cold. Kazakhstan, here Kaz-21 comes!!!

Peace Corps Invitation Timeline

Waiting for an invitation is fairly lengthy process. Here's my invitation timeline:

September 2008: Attended Peace Corps general information meetings

October 2008: Submitted my online application (took about one week to complete)

November 6th, 2008: Interviewed at Oakland PC office by recruiter

November 10th, 2008: Nominated by recruiter who did interview

November 13th, 2008: Recieved loads of paperwork (Medical, Dental, Legal)

December 20th, 2008: Mailed all my paperwork to Washington DC (Very busy at
dental and medical offices during these times)

March 7th, 2009: Medically and legally cleared by PC (Yes, they are meticulous about the
paperwork, so be detailed before sending it in to Washington DC)

March 9th, 2009: Received invitation packet to serve as an educator in Kazakhstan
(I had to request the Placement Officer to look over my file asap because
of my then present teaching job. He was nice enough to do it. Normally, an
invitation can take up to two months to be offered after being medically and
legally cleared)

March 11th, 2009: Accepted invitation to Kazakhstan

July 10th, 2009: Received dental clearance from PC

August 18th, 2009: Depart for service to Kazakhstan

New Beginnings

This blog is for anyone intrigued by other cultures, especially the Kazakh culture. This August, I begin Peace Corps service in Kazakhstan. Teaching English and learning the Kazakh/Russian culture will be the forte.

Pic: In Vietnam with my uncle and two of his friends. Great times!