More fillings

I just got back from the dentist. I had to get a few fillings for the Peace Corps dental evaluation. My left jaw, cheek, gums, etc. are numb, but the Novocaine is wearing off. It wasn't a bad experience, and I am pretty comfortable in a dentists chair. I don't get freaked out; I just leave the work to the experts and wait until its over.

So I am almost done with finals at school. I finished my senior thesis on The Song of Roland for and English class, and now onto I'm tying up loose ends in my other classes.

We got some snow yesterday. About 6 inches here in town, and roughly the same in the mountains. I think the glades are ready to ski now, which is prett exciting. Theres nothing like skiing New England trees. Last night we got a crew together and built a little kicker in a parking lot on campus. We had some buddies tow us into the jump behind their cars. It was a blast, a little airtime is good for soul. Remeber, always wear your helmets.

Red Bull wearing off...

Its 12:12 AM east coast time. I'm plugging away at this term paper. I really like where its going, and I think my argument concerning Roland's weaponry is sound, but... the Red Bull is wearing off. Alas.

I've been thinking about the Peace Corps a lot lately, specifically since I started searching for PCV blogs in Asia. I am super stoked to adventure. I think i am ready to embrace a something new. I've been in Farmington for close to four years now (I guess closer to three and a half) and a change of scenery would be great. Don't get me wrong, I do love western Maine. I feel very at home in the hills and the mountains. The little downtown area of Farmington is great, and the community offers so much to its members, but still... this is just a stepping stone.

I've got a couple buddies heading out West in the next few days. Some for the semester, and some for good. I'm wishing the best of luck to them, specifically Steve, Joey, and Johnny Tsunami. I hope they shred the deepest of the gnarly pow that Utah, Montana, Colorado, etc. have to offer. I'll be shredding east coast ice and loving it boys. Think of me when you're out there and raise a PBR. I'll do the same.

Knee Deep in Finals

I'm finishing up my last semester of courses at the University of Maine at Farmington. Next semester, I'll be a student teacher, and while it will be a lot of work, it won't be the same as 16 credits of academic courses. So, I suppose that this week is the last finals week of my undergraduate career.

I just took my final for Political Psychology. Not too bad, I think I stomped the test. It was comprised of seven short answer questions that required a paragraph or two, and then two essay questions. Its nice to have gotten that one out of the way.

My only other timed test is tomorrow in my Romantic Era Literature course. That's going to be a tough test. It will cover all the readings since the mid-term exam, and I need to do a fair amount of review.

Aside from my two final exams, I've gout roughly 40 pages of writing due in various course. I've finished about half of that, and I'm starting my final 20 page paper for my 400 level Early European Lit course. I'm writing the paper on the imagery of weapons of war in The Song of Roland, and how certain portrayals of weapons illustrate a bias within the text. I am examining the Oliphant, Roland's famous horn made from an elephant tusk, as a symbol of the covenants that bond the feudal system. The Oliphant is a symbol of Roland's excess and eventually begins his death scene. While the Oliphant is a symbol of man's excess, feudal covenants, and mortality, Roland's sword Durendal is a symbol of immortality and the invincible covenant of man and Lord. It is interesting that the simple changing of case in from "lord" to "Lord" changes the meaning of the term drastically. I suppose that feudalism isn't far from religion.

So there you have it. I'm knee deep in... finals. Wish me luck.

Seriously, Why?

Why do I want to do this?

At some point in the application process, I'm pretty sure I've been asked Why, oh why, do you want to be sent halfway across the world to teach for no money at all?

That is a tough question. In reality, I am breaking, or at least putting on hold, all of the relationships I have committed to over the past (at least) five years. Nearly everything social (in the broadest spectrum) will be changed.  I am willing, however, to shake up everything I know. There must be something great that is tempting me to disrupt everything I have now.

I want to serve in the Peace Corps because the experience overseas will be unlike anything I have encountered. I want to throw away all the comfortable, American assumptions that I grew up with. I want to redefine the term " A roof over my head." Screw the Hannaford,  Market Basket, Shaw's grocery stores down the road. I want to learn how a different culture survives. I want to all my present opinions and assumptions to be thrown out the window.

This is the third post in under five hours. I really like this blogging thing.

Payment via language and skiing

I'm bored and posting again is a great way to put off studying for finals.

People who have learned of my plans to join the PC have asked Why? They don't even pay you! I couldn't agree less. The immersion into a foreign language alone is worth the two years sans paycheck. I can't think of too many other jobs that pay in the currency of fluency in another language. As an English education major, I believe in the very direct correlation between literacy and intelligence.  Reading comprehension has been shown to relate to intelligence, so I imagine that learning to read a new language, to follow text in a different fashion, will actually make me into a better English reader and teacher.

Like I said in my last post, I'd love to hear from anyone who is on assignment in Asia and is currently skiing. Its just the beginning of ski season where I am, and I've been looking forward to making turns for months. After my first day on hill, my girlfriend mentioned that it became much easier for us to hold a normal conversation. She says I stopped interrupting her to say how much I wanted to go shred. So, seriously, if you ski in the PC, let me know.

An Introduction

I've been putting off establishing a blog for way too long. It is time to start documenting what I hope will become a Peace Corps service. 

Right now I'm deep into the application process. I have applied, interviewed, submitted my medical and dental review, and underwent the legal background check. To anyone who is interested in applying to the Peace Corps, know that the application process takes a good deal of effort. I haven't finished the process yet, but thus far I've jumped through some serious hoops. I think that current PCVs or RPCVs will agree.

I've been nominated to serve as an English teacher trainer in Asia. People ask me where I will be serving, and I usually reply with some snarky remark about how the Peace Corps has assigned me to work in the largest land mass on Earth. Yes, I tell them, I will be teaching all of Asia to speak English. Yes, I know that is badass.

I've known about my nomination for five months. I received a formal letter in August, or perhaps September, but my PC representative told me at the end of my interview that I would most likely teach English to some extent in Asia. My background as a Secondary Education Major with a concentration in English and the general need for teachers in Asia made my nomination a semi-safe bet.

I'm excited to possibly serve in Asia because I am, above most things, a skier. I define myself as a skier, and I'm very at home in the mountains. I hope that I am placed in a location such as Mongolia, Kazakhstan, or some other mountainous region that will let me carry my passion with me in the Peace Corps. If anyone is reading this that is serving or has served in Asia and knows of a skiing sub-culture in the Peace Corps, please let me know. 

Well, thats enough for now. I hope to keep this blog going because I want to share my experiences with others. I also want to keep a running journal of what is happening on my jounrey(ies). So much as happened already, and I'm not even a volunteer yet.