In East Java a selamatan is one form of celebrating and thanksgiving. Typically a space is cleared, mats are rolled out and attendees sit on the ground lining the perimeter of the room to eat and pray together. During one such event at my home, a...
My host mother owns a salon where she does make up and coordinates the outfits for many weddings, cultural celebrations and other special events in our village. One night at home early in my service my host sisters suggested we all dress up and...
In sharing American culture with my Indonesian students, I incorporated Halloween into one of my fall classes. The following weekend some students and I got together to make jack-o-lanterns. In East Java pumpkins are only used for soups and food,...
This is one of my favorite photos of my host niece, and a reminder of my early days at site. I took this photo during my first three months of service in August 2011. During that time I was still adjusting to living with my host family and likewise...
This photo shows children learning proper handwashing outside of Savusavu, Fiji, on May 3, 2013. As part of community outreach, I went with the Savusavu Hospital health care team to assist them with health presentations. Malnutrition is a major...
I am a current Peace Corps Volunteer in Paraguay, and I teach a geography class to 6th graders. We've been learning about different countries; experiencing their culture, trying their food, watching movies, and then painting a world map for the...
This photo was taken on Easter Sunday. This is my host mother and I preparing a traditional Grenadian feast of mackerel fish, tomatoes and onions. Gathering in the kitchen to help prepare meals is a tradition in Grenadian culture and its not...
This photo was taken in Ukraine in April 2010. During my 2.5 months of training I have stayed with a host family. This is a photo of my host mother and me at her 50th birthday party, complete with food and gifts. We ate dinner twice, and I felt...
Me and my host mom, Marilyn (aka the best host mom ever) at my swearing in ceremony!
Marilyn was the best host mom ever! Marilyn's 22 year old daughter had just left for 5 years of schooling in Russia when I arrived. I think because of that she...
Mark Shriver visits Peace Corps to pay tribute to his father and first director of the Peace Corps, the late Sargent Shriver, on the one-year anniversary of his passing in a speech to special guests and staff at Peace Corps headquarters.