Hello! My name is Kevin, a future Peace Corps Volunteer in Guinea, Africa. I don't know about you guys, but the first thing that came to my mind was...
Is that where guinea pigs are from?
The answer? Surprisingly, it's "no". Guinea pigs originated in the Andes mountains, all the way on the other side of the world in South America. I know, I know. Crazy, right? Sometimes the ways of the world just don't make any sense. It kind of reminds me of the rules of spelling. Just when you think you've got it all figured out ("I before E...ok, easy enough...piece, lie, tried..."), they throw the whole "except after C" loophole in there and the world just goes outta whack again!
Enough lamenting. I know that in the next couple years I'm going to find myself in plenty of situations where the world just doesn't seem to make sense anymore. Why? Because I'll be experiencing the world through the eyes of a different culture. Certain values very important to Americans might not be as important for someone living in Guinea. For example, if you were running late for a very important meeting but passed your best friend on the way there, would you stop to talk with her? In Guinea, it might be considered rude if you didn't stop, even if it meant you will be even later for your meeting.
Have you had the chance to look up Guinea on a map? If a map is available to you, go ahead now and take a look. Or, you can click here. Find it yet? If you haven't already, try and locate all three African countries with Guinea in the name. Hint: they all border the Atlantic Ocean.
Here's a map of just Guinea:
Guinea's about the size of Oregon, the 9th largest state in the USA. It's also about the size of the United Kingdom. About two weeks after I arrive, I'll get the chance to visit the place where I'll be living and working the next two years. None of the new volunteers knows where we will be staying yet, but we're all pretty excited to find out!
Well, I've already had a long day scrambling to pick up a few last minute items before the big trip (like a hammock that compresses down to the size of a softball!) and saying goodbye to my grandparents one last time. Next time I'll tell you a little more about myself and my project. Until then, I'd like to sign off saying that I look forward to sharing my experiences with you all.
Have a great school year!
Kevin
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