(Dove) Last minute stuff

Today is the day! This morning has been crazy already, so why not blog, right? Here is some requested (and not requested) info for everyone. First, if you'd like to mail us while we're in training for the next 9-10 weeks, you can send mail to:

Dove and Josh Russo, PCT
A/C Corpo da Paz
C.P. 375 - Praia
Republic of Cape Verde

If you go to the post office, ask them if they can route all mail through Boston - it's more likely to arrive that way.

Also, here are a couple links to recent pics from going away parties and such:

Josh's going away lunch at SophiTec
http://www.flickr.com/photos/doveandjoshua/sets/72157606158039010/

Our "family" going away party:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/doveandjoshua/sets/72157606161851547/

Our "friends" going away party:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/doveandjoshua/sets/72157606162164951/

Sorry they're not edited at all, I just got them onto the computer this morning and didn't have time to go through anything.

I also wanted to take a second to thank a ton of people for everything they have done for us in prep for this trip. I know, it's lame to not send thank you notes, but we've just been too crazy:

Aunt Shirley, Uncle Pete, Patty, Carol and Phyllis - thank you so much for your generous gifts, it was much appreciated!
Colista - thanks for the penicillin and cd, both will come in handy ;o)
Hope - thank you for the shopping basket, soon it will smell like fish!
Meredith - I love the drawings and can't wait to hang them on my wall
Spydah - the crunchies are already gone. Surprise!
World Hoop Day - thanks for the scholarship for the hoops, we had enough to purchase materials for about 25 hoops and are having it shipped to us!
Kim - thanks for running around looking for luggage locks, and to you and Michael for our upcoming packages!
Fred - thanks for the van, keep the bees
Serge - thank you for lunch, and for teaching Josh so much about computers, business, and not settling for a crappy workplace
Gordon, Bridget, Claudette and Ollie - for offering your homes during our "crisis" times...we have some amazing friends (who live in awesome places too!)

Thank you everyone for your well wishes, your prayers, energy...and just putting up with this whole saga for so long!

And of course to our parents, for having us (yay!), raising us to be pretty cool people, and for supporting us all our lives and especially now. We love you!

So before I start to tear up...

-Dove
See ya in a couple years!

(Dove) WE'RE GOING!!!!

WOAH what a week! I got up this morning at 6 to call PC-Washington to talk with Toni. She called me back around 6:15am. It went something like this:

Toni - Dove, I just want to let you know that I spend the whole day yesterday, and I mean the entire day, trying to get you guys to go to Cape Verde (small pause in which time I think my heart stopped beating), and you guys are going.

Me - (Lots of squeeling and jumping up and down...ok not really, but that's what I was doing on the inside. On the outside it was more like...) Oh my god Toni! Really?! Thank you so much, you are so amazing, I can't believe you made this happen!

And there you have it. Apparently they haden't even cancelled our plane tickets etc, so Toni even called all of THOSE folks to ensure we were still on the same flights and had our hotel still booked etc. I know a lot of folks report having major issues with the nurses at PCOMS but I was extremely lucky to have Toni on my side; after originally getting medically declined, she helped me through the appeal process and really helped me keep going.

So we're back on track and leaving in SIX days! It's almost like the little "break" from going made the time fly by that much faster; I can't believe it's finally happening. I'm almost afraid to put too much stock into it, just in case something ELSE happens. *sigh*

(Dove) Keeping our fingers crossed...

This weekend was hard. I went to Canada anyway to visit with Mary-Leah, which was fun though obviously overshadowed by all the confusion and sadness and frusteration I was feeling. While there, I posted to lists that I'm on asking for help and advice regarding what to do next. Lots of folks were supportive, a few with similar stories; of those, some chose to make a fuss and ended up getting their invite reinstated, others waited patiently and were sent elsewhere, all said not to give up.

So I weighed the options and tried to figure out a solution. I was being told by PCOMS (Peace Corps Office of Medical Services) that the issue was that they didn't have my medication on Cape Verde. As soon-to-be volunteers, we're constantly told to be flexible, patient and creative. I thought, if the issue is that the medication isn't there, why not have it sent to me? I happened upon the phone number for the Cape Verde Peace Corps Office in Praia and gave it a ring on Saturday. Surprisingly someone answered and informed me that part of the issue was inter-island transportation, that it was just too difficult to get people from island to island, and that if I insisted on talking to the medical officer (who was in the field and very busy and I really didn't want to talk to her), to call back during regular business hours on Monday. Which would be 4am our time.

My plan was this: Ask the medical officer if we could order one years worth of medication from the States when I arrive and have it sent in a diplomatic pouch to ensure delivery. Send me to my island with that medication in a water proof container just in case (two ferry's recently sunk, which is why transportation has been even more sketchy), then when I come back to Praia for my one year checkup/in service training, get the second year of medication. Seemed simple enough. I had the dialogue in my head over and over about how much time and effort and money has gone into this process, and how flexible I have been so why couldn't they be, how easy this solution would really be, etc.

I started calling Cape Verde around 4:30am EST, which is 9:30 over there. No answer. 4:45, no answer. 5:15...someone answered. I asked for extension 21 or 23, the medical officer, and was asked who I was and from where I was calling. I was connected with a woman who I can only assume is the medical officer who was very direct but polite. I started out trying to ask her about getting medication in country, and she replied that they didn't not have my medicine there. Before I could even start in on my speech and suggestions, she said "But that's not really the issue, we can get it. However, we don't have the facilities to monitor you because the islands are so spread apart." Monitor? Huh? She said that coming in for blood work etc wouldn't be possible. I informed her that my medication didn't need to be monitored via blood work and that in the States I only saw my doctor every 6 months or so in order to refill my prescription because that was State law. She if there was any sort of issue that they couldn't guarantee that they could get me to Praia every 6 months. I tried to explain that my doctor had said I didn't need monitoring...she said if the Peace Corps could tell her this, then they may be able to change their decision, but that she was told that I needed to be monitored and that was why I couldn't come.

Next call: Toni at the PCOMS, 5:30am. I left her a long, fairly excited message about how there had been a misunderstanding and that we could still fix this and basically repeated my conversation with the woman in CV. To my surprise, she returned my call in 15 min. She was confused and said that they had told her the issue was not being able to get the meds, and she told them via email that I didn't need monitoring. I don't know where or how this breakdown in communication happened, but it did and this is why we got bumped. Toni said she had to wait til the medical officer came in around 8 or 9 but she would see if he could call CV and talk with them directly and, while the decision may still stand, to keep my fingers crossed.

So. Keep your fingers crossed.

No Longer Going to Cape Verde

So this will be short, because I'm still very upset. Josh and I are not going to Cape Verde. The medical office called today and said that one of the medications I am taking is not available in Cape Verde. Remember, of course, that they knew this and that originally it was one of the "accomodations" they were making, and thus we thought that is why we were going to Cape Verde in the first place. But someone must have dropped the ball and now, 11 days before we leave, we are no longer going.

The "good" news is that we are still medically cleared and they have put us as a priority to find us new placement asap, most likely in Eastern Europe or the Pacific Islands.

We are devestated. We have sold everthing or given it away, we have no apartment or car, I quit my job already. Please continue to keep us in your thoughts. We will keep you posted.

-Dove

(Dove) Last day of work!

Today is my first official day of unemployment. The woman they hired to replace me is doing fantastic, and although I had told my boss I would stay through this week and come in next week if necessary, I figured since the new person had a handle on it, I would be forgiven for leaving. Today has been great, it's the first time I've actually relaxed in forever. I know I have a ton of stuff to do but...I think relaxing is on the top of the list, at least for one day.

I'm leaving tomorrow to see my cousin, Mary-Leah, in Toronto before I go. And for those of you who are counting, we're leaving in 12 days. Yup, 12. I didn't really get to spend any time with her at the going away party last weekend, so this should be a good opportunity to get some quality "cos" time in. Now to convince her that she must come to visit me in Cape Verde...

On a technical note, one of the shortcomings (or what I see as a shortcoming) of Blogger (the site that is hosting this here blog you are reading) is that there is no place for you, the reader, to sign up to receive emails when we update our blog. There is the option to subscribe to a "feed," but honestly, for all my time on line I still don't "get" feeds, and given that a lot of people who are reading the blog may be more technically challanged than I am, I've set up a "work around" for the problem. All you have to do is email me or leave a comment here with your email address, and I will subscribe you to a Google group that I set up - basically when we post a blog entry or photos, a notice will be sent to members of the Google group stating that we've updated the blog.

And in the AWESOME news department...I got a scholarship from World Hoop Day to take a bunch of hoops (hula hoops) to Africa with me! I don't know how much it will be yet, I should know hopefully tomorrow, but I'm so excited! I had planned on taking the four that I have with me and then see if I could have folks help me with a fundraiser to get more $ to send hoops over, but this it awesome, I will hopefully be able to just bring a bunch with me! So I'll put the plug out there as well: if you'd like to donate material/supplies or money to help me bring/send hoops to Africa, let me know!

(Dove) Letter from the Peace Corps

Another ten days down, and we're knee deep in boxes packing up our apartment. Most of it we ended up "freecycling" (if you've never freecycled, you don't know what you are missing!) but we still have so much STUFF. Ugh. Almost done though! Saturday is our going away party, mostly just family and close friends (and a few crazy fire spinners, but that's to be expected).

Josh suggested I post this letter that we got from PC today; it's about communitcating with us and sending us stuff (*cough*) while we're in Cape Verde. Sort of a "they're not in Kansas anymore" reminder. Please ignore the sentence about not sending large packages ;o)

Without further adu, for your reading enjoyment:

Dear Families,

Greetings from the Cape Verde Desk in Washington, D.C. It is with great pleasure that we welcome your family member to Peace Corps. We receive many requests from Volunteers and family members alike regarding travel plans, sending money, relaying messages and mail, etc. As we are unable to involve ourselves in the personal arrangements of Volunteers, we would like to offer you advice and assistance in advance by providing answers to the most frequently asked questions.

1. Communication. As most Volunteers in Cape Verde have fixed-line phones in their residence and since international calls are expensive, email is a fairly reliable alternative for communications between the Volunteers and their loved ones back home. The service can be expensive (there is no flat monthly phone rate like in the U.S.; phone service in Cape Verde is charged per length of individual call). It is also subject to the vagaries of the local phone system. By and large, however, it is satisfactory and most Cape Verde Volunteers have email accounts.

If you decide to go the traditional “snail mail” route, “patience” is the watchword. The mail service in Cape Verde is not as efficient as the U.S. Postal Service. It can take three to four weeks for mail coming from Cape Verde to arrive in the United States via the Cape Verdean postal system. From a Volunteer's post, mail might take 1 month to reach the United States. Sometimes mail is hand carried to the States by a traveler and then mailed through the US postal system. This leg of the trip can take another several weeks as it is also dependent on the frequency of travelers to the U.S. We suggest that in your first letters, you ask your Volunteer family member to give an estimate of how long it takes for him/her to receive your letters and then try to establish a predictable pattern of how often you will write to each other. We would also like to suggest that you consider the use of "aerograms," generally a blue sheet of paper which folds into an envelope. These are available in most stationary stores or at post offices. Volunteers have had good success in receiving their mail in this form. Also, try numbering your letters so that the Volunteer knows if he/she has missed one. Postcards should be sent in envelopes--otherwise they may be found on the wall of the local post office!

Volunteers often enjoy telling their "war stories” when they write home. Letters might describe recent illnesses, lack of good food, isolation, etc. While the subject matter is good reading material, it is often misinterpreted on the home front. Please do not assume that if your family member has been ill that he or she has been unattended. There is an medical doctor on duty 24 hours a day at the Peace Corps office in Praia. Through regular contact, she monitors the health of the Volunteers. In the event of a serious illness, the Volunteer is flown to Dakar, Senegal, where there is an American physician on the Peace Corps staff. If the Volunteer requires medical care that is not available in Cape Verde or Dakar, s/he will be medically evacuated to the United States. Fortunately, these are rare circumstances.

If for some reason, your communication pattern is broken and you do not hear from your family member for an unusual length of time, you should contact the Office of Special Services (OSS) at Peace Corps Washington at 1-800-424-8580, extension 1470. (Direct dial: 202-692-1470.) OSS will contact the Peace Corps office in Praia and ask that the Volunteer be checked up on. Also, in the case of an emergency at home (death in the family, sudden illness, etc.), please do not hesitate to call OSS immediately so that the Volunteer will be informed as soon as possible.

2. Telephone Calls. The telephone system in Cape Verde is relatively good. Service to the United States is reliable, and most Volunteers have fixed-line phones where they live. Still, there are also innumerable factors that can make the best-laid plans fall apart.

The Cape Verde Desk calls the Peace Corps office in Praia periodically, and is in regular, daily contact with Praia via email. However, communications are reserved for business only and we cannot relay personal messages. All communication between you and the Volunteer must be arranged between yourselves. If you have an urgent message regarding travel plans, etc., you can send a fax to the Volunteer at the Peace Corps office in Praia at 011-238-261-4119.

3. Sending packages. Parents and Volunteers like to send and receive care packages through the mail. Unfortunately, sending packages can be a frustrating experience for all involved due to the possible theft and heavy customs taxes. You may want to try to send inexpensive items through the mail, but there is no guarantee that these items will arrive. We do not recommend, however, that costly items be sent through the mail.

We recommend that packages be sent in padded envelopes if possible, as boxes tend to be taxed more frequently. Custom fees can be quite expensive. For lightweight but important items (e.g. airline tickets), DHL (an express mail service) operates in Cape Verde. If you choose to send items through DHL, address the package thus: Country Director, c/o Peace Corps, Prainha, Praia, Cape Verde. The phone number for the Peace Corps office in Praia, which express mail services require, is 011-238-261-2133. If you send the item to the Country Director, no liability can be assumed. Please call a DHL office nearest you for more information. Their toll free number is 1-800-CALL-DHL. FedEx also has service to Cape Verde.

The diplomatic pouch is available to Volunteers for work and health-related items only. Approval for its use must be authorized in advance by the Country Director. This process must be initiated by the Volunteer in-country. Family members in the States cannot call the Desk Officer and request permission to have items sent through the pouch. Use of the diplomatic pouch is a privilege granted to the Peace Corps by the Department of State. Because it is expensive and time-consuming, not every request initiated by the Volunteer can be approved. You should also be aware that the diplomatic pouch often takes more time than the international mail (4-6 weeks).

Sending airplane tickets and/or cash through regular mail is not recommended. Certain airlines will allow you to buy a pre-paid ticket in the States; they will telex their Cape Verde office to have the ticket ready. Unfortunately, this system is not always reliable. Currently, there are direct flights from the US to Cape Verde from Boston to Praia (capital island of Santiago, on TACV – Cape Verde Airlines) and from New York to Sal (main international airport location, on South African Airways). TACV also has direct service to Sal from Lisbon (TAP Air Portugal code-share), and to Praia from Lisbon (TAP Air Portugal code-share), Paris, and Amsterdam. Please call the airline of your choice for more information. You could also send tickets via DHL or FedEx as mentioned previously. However, Peace Corps will assume no liability in the event of a lost/stolen airline ticket.

Trying to send cash or checks is very risky and is discouraged. If your Volunteer family member requests money from you, it is his/her responsibility to arrange for its receipt. Volunteers will be aware of people visiting the States and can request that they call his/her family when they arrive in the States should airline tickets or cash need to be sent back to Cape Verde.

We hope this information is helpful to you during the time your family member is serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Cape Verde. We understand how frustrating communication difficulties can be when your family member is overseas, and we appreciate your using this information as a guide. Please feel free to contact us at the Cape Verde Desk in Washington, D.C. if you have any further questions. You can call us toll-free at 1-800-424-8580, ext. 2329 or 2307, or locally, at 202-692-2329/07.

29 days to go...

So much time has passed and so much has happened since Josh and I first received and accepted our invitation to Cape Verde. Unbelievably, we're leaving in less than a month. In between selling all our worldly possessions, buying a new wardrobe for Cape Verde (I bum around in short shorts and strappy tanks all summer, and that's not exactly appropriate), ensuring all our electronic stuff will work over seas, turning 29 (that'd be me), spending time with friends and family, learning Portuguese, starting guitar lessons (me as well), worrying about packing too much, worrying about not packing enough...blogging just wasn't high on the priority list :o) I know no one is reading this yet, but we'll try to be better once we actually get to Africa.

The more time that passes the more nervous I am getting (I can't speak for Josh). I know it's "only" two years, but it's been very difficult to start to say goodbye to friends and family. We're both very close with our families and have the best group of friends ever. With everything going on we haven't had nearly enough time to spend with them, and that has been hard. I do feel bad sometimes that we're neglecting people, but I guess our main priority now is getting everything we need ready to go, and everything else needs to come second. It sometimes feels like people don't quite get that, and that makes it worse. I wish there was more time in the day or there were two of me.

Peace Corps has kept us pretty busy too. I guess we thought after the whole application process and invitation was accepted we'd be off the hook. No such luck. We had to send in updated resumes tailored to our job titles, aspiration statements, community volunteer questionnaires, other random surveys...and we keep getting email reminders to stick with the Portuguese. Believe me, we are!

I've been trying to keep on top of my soon-to-be co-volunteers blogs as well, which has been fun; I'm so glad that I found others blogs so that I could sort get a taste for what lies ahead. It's usually the unknown that is the scariest part, and having a bit of information has been grounding. Plus it'll be cool to finally put real faces with blogs, and to hopefully continue budding friendships.

One last thing: any hoopers out there reading this, I need hoops! Preferably collapsible hoops that I can carry in my suitcase and share with folks in Cape Verde. World Hoop Day is August 8 this year and I'd love to teach folks what it's all about.

29 days to go...
Dove