April 30, 2008 at 9:57 pm (Good-byes, books, invitee, librarians)
Tags: Circus Fire, connecticut, Hartford, Stewart O'Nan
Tonight was the last time Jeanette and I will go see Stewart O’Nan speak before I leave for Africa. Tonight just reminded all over again about how much I like Stewart. He is a humble man. I asked him to sign one book with just his name because I was going to give it to a new friend in Ghana. “What a way to make a friend” he said “give them this long boring book!”
Tonight he talked about the circus fire in Hartford in 1944. He is very genuine. When he spoke of the people who died and the survivors it was with respect and caring. The one book committee had created a booklet of local survivors stories. Stewart had a copy of the book and as some of the interviewees came to ask him to sign he also asked them to sign. He talked to every person who wanted to talk to him. He was engaged and charming with each one.
He is funny. When Jeanette told him she was my keeper (we were talking about my uberfandom) He looked dubiously at her and said “That’s a pretty long leash!”
So I will leave for Africa with the read poster of him that I created signed by him. An advanced copy of one of my favorite O’Nans, from his personal collection and signed and his best wishes and hopes.
For librarians who’s rock stars ARE authors that’s pretty heavy stuff!
-vc
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April 30, 2008 at 2:08 pm (Librarianship, My Stuff, friends, invitee, preparation, work)
This week I have been cleaning my office. It’s amazing how much paper I have felt the need to keep in 13 years. Most of the stuff I never looked at again once I filed it. But it was fun to look at it now and remember my career here. I found a tech newsletter I wrote for monthly for about a year. The minutes from tech team meetings and the web redesign project. Instructions and manuals for software we don’t even use any more. Many good memories. I choose to overlook the bad ones!
And as I have seen things on my desk they remind me of people here I have given them the item. I feel the need to leave pieces of myself at LRW Library in the place I have been at for so long.
-vc
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April 28, 2008 at 10:14 am (Peace Corps)
Today, last week, this week… I am feeling so loved. My friends and family are anointing me with blessings. I know that I will have a deep reserve of love and support when I am so far away from home.
Thanks.
“I need all my friends. Even those I don’t see very often.” Madeline L’Engle
-vc
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April 26, 2008 at 7:52 am (Adjusting, American Culture, My Stuff, Peace Corps, consumption, invitee, preparation, shedding)
Today I am sorting through my belongings yet again in preparation for another move. I have had a hard time facing this one and have found something else more important the past three weekends. I move next weekend so it’s time to bring my stuff to the Salvation Army.
For me clothes and shoes are the hardest things to let go of. As I sort through my remaining clothes so many memories come back. I remember when Beth and I bought our twin Flip Flops at the Yankee Trader on one of our Belfast weekends. The breezy July day on the coast where Liz got married comes to mind when I look at that white top. Helen helped me shop for that outfit. These red sandals are so comfortable maybe i’ll bring them even if the leather does disintegrate in the tropics. Oh I wore those boots when Eric and I went to Cape Ann on that rainy fall day. My L.L. Bean coat! Jeanette has a blue one just like it! I tell myself the memories will still be there.
Clothes and shoes say so much about your personality and what you do. So in another way as I shed my old job and my American lifestyle it feels right to shed my old clothes and shoes. As the person I will become emerges my clothes and shoes will reflect that change.
So vc quit stalling, get off the computer and take some more steps to your new life! -vc
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April 23, 2008 at 8:58 pm (Peace Corps)
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April 22, 2008 at 10:16 am (American Culture, Peace Corps, Red Sox, baseball)
Saturday I went to my last Sox game. Check out my flickr acct. for photos. Having a terrible time uploading images to the new and improved WordPress. So none here.
I took a tour of Fenway park. Did you know that Ted Williams hit a Yankees fan when he hit the longest inside the park home run? Did you know the Red Sox won a World Series by forfeit? Imagine not showing up for a World Championship? Sox don’t count it as a win though only an ALC.
-vc
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April 17, 2008 at 12:31 pm (American Culture, food, friends)
Tags: CT, family business, Local eateries, Newington, Steve's
Today Jeanette, Helen, Pat and I went to Steve’s, a local sandwich shop in Newington. In Ghana a chop shop is a local place that sells local food as opposed to a restaurant that sells fancy, non native food. Steve’s feels local. The people behind the counter are friendly and open. It’s a family run business. The mom and dad and their two son’s work there.
Today is warm turkey sandwich day. For the past two weeks I have asked about cranberry sauce and last week the woman who I paid said I should bring my own because the cooks were not going to make it that way. When I came in I was greeted with “She did bring her own cranberry sauce!” I handed one of the sons the container of cranberry sauce and said I want this on my turkey sandwich, please. Helen seconded it! When the mom came by our table she said “Oh they put cranberry on the turkey” and Helen replied “no she” pointing to me “brought her own in!” the mom said “I have been trying to tell them we need cranberry on the turkey sandwich, now maybe they will listen after a customer brings their own in.”
And of course, as I tell everyone I told them, I was going to Africa. One of the sons told me about this young man who was in Africa and now works for them. As I was leaving he hands me the phone and says “talk to him about Africa!”. The young man again confirmed my previous understanding that the Ghanaian people are the friendliest people in the world.
Thursday May 1 the woman who told me to bring my own cranberry sauce is baking brownies for my last day at Steve’s.
Small town, small business, gotta love it!
-vc
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April 16, 2008 at 9:54 am (Ghana, Packing, Peace Corps, Volunteer, friends, invitee)
Hey all of you who are finding my blog from the PC website. Some of us are in a Facebook group called Peace Corps Ghana June 2008. The quote from my previous post comes from that group. The whole post in that group is extremely helpful for packing questions.
Come and join us and get to know some of your fellow Ghana PCIs.
-vc
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April 16, 2008 at 6:00 am (Peace Corps)
The Internet has always been a place I go to connect. The ability to connect across the country has kept me in touch with family and friends ever since I lived in Mississippi. Now the net is helping me connect with people in Ghana. Current PCVs in Ghana are being so helpful about what to bring. one volunteer sent her friend, who’s going with my group, an edited packing list. She took the list that the PC gave us and added her comments. Here’s one example The PC list entry is in bold. The friends comments follow. When I read bring camping towel on the PC list, I wondered why a camping towel. The friend tells us from her practical experience. perfect!
• A lightweight towel (dark colors; high-absorbant
camping towels are great for traveling) Bring ONLY a camping towel. If you don’t have one, buy one. And make sure it’s a body towel. REI makes a great camping towel. It’s lightweight, so thin and easy to pack, super absorbant, and dries really quickly. The kind of towels we use in America are pretty disgusting in Ghana. You never quite get all the soap out of them when you’re hand washing and they dry rock solid in the sun. If you decide you want a towel, you can buy one there. Most of the time, you’ll probably be drying yourself off with your “two yards”…which is exactly what it sounds like- two yards of fabric. You can buy fabric almost everywhere and most people just use a wrap like this instead of a towel.
I am having a conversation with a ICT (tech) educator about teaching technology in Ghana.
A few of my group hAve met up on facebook.
And the best part of connecting throughout the world. I can stay in touch with my family and friends back here.
-vc
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April 14, 2008 at 10:08 pm (EeePC, Peace Corps, Technology, laptop)
The EeePC is great. Yesterday I loaded GIMP on it, so now i have a photo editing program. Today i worked with my PIM and added some names and addresses. Set up the calendar. This weekend I also used my photo card reader and transferred images from my photo card to my external hard drive. Things seem to be working well.
The one downside is the short screen. The new wordpress image loading pop up window has all the vital buttons off the screen with no way to navigate to them. I wanted to load a picture of my teva’s on the blog but that’s not going to happen just yet. guess I’ll have to rely on the flickr feed to share photos until wordpress gets that kink worked out.
Sara blogged about reducing energy consumption on her laptop. Sounds like I have something to learn from her.
but the bottom line is that i am very happy i decided to sell my XO and get this laptop.
-vc
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