Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Shoes and Coconuts: A Beginners Guide to Mardi Gras

It's about a month too late, but still worth the post.

Mardi Gras: the two words that invoke sheer happiness and a feeling of giddy youthfulness among New Orleanians. Everybody loves Mardi Gras here. It's essentially Christmas for adults; only better because you get to fight people for prized beads (and other bling) you NEED at the time, but then feel infinitely stupid about wearing as soon as you walk away from the parade. I cannot emphasize enough how seriously people take Mardi Gras around here. I mean, it's FOR REAL.

Elaborate Costumes of Zulu
This city is on a whole other level in February. Although Mardi Gras is just a day the city celebrates for a month beforehand. There are parades happening all over the city starting the first day of February. You can even download an app that tells you which parades happen on which days. There is even a parade tracker that lets you know where the parade is in relation to where you are standing. Let me please emphasize how amazing this app is in a city that doesn't even do that with their own transit system. Yes, you can track a parade, but you cannot track the bus you would like to get on to go home. It's incredible.

You have to know which parades are worth your time and the ones you can live without. As far as I know, you must be at Krewe du Vieux, Muses, Orpheus, Bacchus, Endymion, Zulu, and all the ones I am forgetting. There are so many! You also have to know what sort of bling you are looking for at the parade. For example, at Muses you want a shoe. At Zulu, you want a coconut. The likelihood of you getting either of these things will be addressed later in the post.

One of the basic things you must understand is that Mardi Gras is not a sprint, it's a marathon. Maybe I would even equate it to one of those super marathons that only really dedicated people consider an option. Starting on the Thursday night before Mardi Gras, when Muses begins to role, you have to be on your game. You have to recall all those old basketball moves and be ready to box out, elbow, screen, block, etc. in order to get what you want. Then, you have to stay in this mentality for the next 5 days. The parades last forever and you are running around grabbing beads here, light-up rings there. You get tired...doesn't matter. You stay the course. You get home at 2 am, you get up at 7:30am to do it all over again. That is the spirit of Mardi Gras and when you are here in New Orleans, you are compelled to do it with the rest of the city.

Location is also key. I met a man this year who told me he and his wife have been standing on the same street corner to watch the parades for 45 years. That is the level of commitment and determination New Orleanians have about this holiday. And, let me say, it's a really good spot. That's where I chose to stand for the 5 days I watched the parades.

Some of the things you should avoid when picking a spot:
  • Standing in front of children because you'll never get anything
  • Standing with people who have elaborate costumes because, again, you won't get anything
  • Standing close to a balcony because the throws REALLY love to see if they can make it up there instead of handing it to you.
Another thing you should be aware of is whether you are a street-side person or a streetcar-side person. This is just one of those things that you HAVE to have a firm belief in, choose, and stick with that decision. It just is. 

My Zulu coconut!
Finally, the likelihood of you getting really sought after Mardi Gras bling is slim, especially Muses shoes. You really have to know someone, be extremely lucky, or willing to run blocks and blocks with the parade. Zulu coconuts are easier to come by and just as fun to proudly display on your mantel (I say this only because I didn't get a shoe, but I got a coconut).

Mardi Gras is amazing and just one of those added perks you got when choosing a grad school in New Orleans. It's a holiday that truly embraces the spirit of this city and it's people. It's a holiday that is worth seeing at some point in your life. I am so happy I got to experience it this time as a resident.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

From the Coordinator's Desk

Thanks for visiting our blog! We are really excited about this project and hope that it is a helpful and informative way to see what Master's International students are doing both at Tulane and abroad.

MIs and RPCVs posing with the trees we planted in Belle Chasse

This semester we are working hard to provide our students with meaningful service projects that will both provide useful skills for their futures as Peace Corps volunteers and give back to this unique New Orleans community. In February we went to Belle Chasse, LA to help rebuild Louisiana wetlands by planting native trees. This work is so incredibly important for our coast land not only because it allows us to restore coastal ecosystems, but this work also helps to mitigate hurricane damage -- an issue closely tied to New Orleans.

This March, MIs and RPCVs will be running the Louisiana Pizza Kitchen 5k benefiting the NO/AIDS initiative. This service project is appropriate for us on several levels: First, it provides us with an opportunity to emphasize and engage in healthy lifestyle choices. As Public Health students, we actively discuss preventable diseases like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease on a daily basis. In participating in this 5k, we are able to encourage MI students to do more than just talk about living healthy. Secondly, as many of our MIs and RPCVs are currently (or formally) serving in Africa, running to raise awareness of  HIV/AIDS is a cause very near and dear to their hearts.

In April, we plan to team up with the Louisiana Peace Corps Association and Second Harvest to assemble produce baskets for people around the city. Providing families with the right foods to enrich their diets with essential nutrients is a cause we can all get behind!

For more information about Tulane's Master's International program, please visit our website.

One MI's Thanksgiving in NOLA

This year I was fortunate enough to spend my Thanksgiving with family visiting friends in New was therefore unable to experience the holiday in NOLA.  This post will therefore be written by my first guest writer- my much esteemed MI & Graduate Assistant (GA) colleague, Will. Will is a fellow 1st year at the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine; however he is in the Department of Global Health Systems and Development (GHSD) specializing in something…

To say Will has embraced NOLA and its culture would be an understatement. Originally hailing from Apalachin, New York, he graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2011 with majors in Anthropology and French. Will is an outgoing and enthusiastic fellow and we think he may be a hard worker.  In his spare time he has been coerced into working as a GA in the GHSD front office. This entails odd jobs such as sorting and delivering mail as well as “scanning files until his fingers fall off.”

Will is also currently in the Peace Corps application process. He is slightly ahead of me, having just finished the medical portion, and is anxiously awaiting the next step. He either wants to serve in Rwanda or “one of the random –stan’s out there.” Will has previously made appearances in this blog; first he was mentioned in “B-Movie Night” and then was exploited for his ‘photogenic appearance’ in “Biking in New Orleans.”

As a disclaimer, the following words are solely Will’s and therefor I relinquish all responsibility for anything written or conveyed here forth.  So please give a warm welcome to my esteemed and often shoeless colleague, Will!!

Thank you, thank you. You’re too kind. Well I guess I am only getting to write this blog by virtue of the fact that I was technically in New Orleans for the Thanksgiving holiday. However, I will make the most of my platform whilst it lasts.

I’m sure most of you readers had a typical Thanksgiving with family, or perhaps friends. For me, I don’t exactly have a tradition; since going away for college I’ve always been just too far away to make a few days off worth the trip. Over the past six years I’ve had a hodge-podge of Thanksgiving experiences: going to my girlfriend’s beach house, spending it on my apartment balcony because I locked myself out (personal favorite), and working. Thanksgiving is supposed to be about being thankful and appreciating what you have and who you are with. For me, that ship has sailed. Now, I’ve moved on to a new holiday: MeGiving.

                Now yes, calling it MeGiving sounds really selfish and counterintuitive to the whole point of the real holiday, but 1) it’s my blog post, and 2) it’s not as bad as it seems.

Senior year of high school and all four years of college brought me varying degrees of Thanksgiving success and failure. Either way, it seemed like my fate was always dependent on others, whether I was crashing their family dinner, customers making me do my job, or unable to get into my apartment (still bitter). So I decided to make Thanksgiving all about me for the last couple of years, hence: MeGiving. I do what I want. I eat what I want. I watch what I want on TV. I can sit at whatever table I want. And I clean up when I want (i.e. never).

"No mom, I'm not married. Just pass me the damn gravy!"
 This year, MeGiving was a great success. First, my Packers beat the Lions to remain undefeated so I was already in a good mood by 2 in the afternoon. Then came the main course: chicken pot pie and the “Intervention” marathon. I had gotten a hankering for chicken pot pie the week before Thanksgiving so I decided that was going to be my feast. It actually turned out (surprisingly) well. As for the “Intervention” marathon, I watched all of season 9 which, let me tell you, was pretty intense. For those of you who do not know, ‘Intervention’ is a show on A&E that follows the lives of addicts (alcoholics, crack heads, opium fiends, etc.). The protagonists believe they are on a show about addiction, but unbeknownst to them, at the end of the episode, the family and friends of the addict will hold an intervention in hopes to get them to rehab. There is something about watching this show that just seems to fit into Thanksgiving. Some episodes are very uplifting, some are depressing, and some are bittersweet—but in every case it begins and ends with the family. I know so many of my friends who go home and say that they feel like this:     à   after being home for just a couple of days. I suppose this marathon is my way of getting to appreciate my family without those nasty side-effects.

As I lay on my couch, getting my glutton on, drinking some grape juice from a box, and watching the television I began to reflect on life in New Orleans so far. Like most incoming students, I had never lived here before, and have only been here on two prior occasions. I remember my first night here, alone in my apartment with no electricity, 100 degrees.... Celsius and thinking to myself “I am going to die tonight.” At this point it seems like that was at least a year ago at this point.  Next I went out to my balcony; It was a bit windy, the leaves across the street were red and blowing off the branches with each gust. “Finally some autumn up in here” I said to myself. I mean it’s basically December, but hey, better late than never I suppose. The city was pretty calm. I got to tear up and down St. Charles on my bike because there was hardly any traffic. These are the little things that must be taken advantage of.

On a more social note, Saturday turned into just ‘one of those New Orleans nights.’ It is one of my favorite days of the year, highlighted by all the big college football rivalries: the Civil war, the Egg Bowl, the Iron Bowl, the Battle for the Golden Boot, and most importantly, the Carolina-Clemson game.  This year was off the charts. The Gamecocks handled Clemson for the third year in a row so I was in a good mood to say the least. I had planned on just quietly staying at home for the night, but the victory kind of pepped me up and I decided to go to the local joint. Next thing I know I’m talking to everybody there, we go across the street to another place, go to a couple of house parties, and wind up out until dawn. [As a side-note in the ever-continuing saga of my shoe-challengedness I wound up coming home with a completely different pair of shoes than I had when I left my house]. Now that I think of it, many nights in New Orleans are like this and it is something I’ve come to love about the city in the short amount of time I’ve been here. It doesn’t matter how old you are, what race you are, where you came from, or where you are going—you can make friends anywhere, anytime in this city. I’ve hung out and had a great time with people I wouldn’t have expected before. For instance my roommate and I have these 50 year-old arch-enemies (read: friends) from a trivia night. I feel like this is something New Orleans does wonderfully. People get together and have fun because they share a common interest. It doesn’t matter if you’re in the same social ring—it’s just people. Also, there is something about this place that can just keep me going. I’ll think I’m getting tired and start thinking about going to bed, but next thing I know, it’s already three in the morning. The city doesn’t need the hurricane-slurping tourists of Bourbon street to keep the party going, the city has so much energy on its own and I’ve come to learn that it is infectious (mainly via droplet nuclei but also in unpasteurized dairy products).

So in this blog-induced reflection on Thanksgiving in New Orleans, I’ve come to two realizations that I previously overlooked. Firstly, I am thankful for the (temporary) relief from the tyrannical sun and crippling humidity. Secondly, I am thankful that in lieu of my real family (whom I will get around to visiting one of these days), New Orleans itself really is a big family (not to get all Hallmark on you). I’ve lived in South Carolina and know all about the concept of Southern Hospitality. I believe that in South Carolina, it exists because it is taught and expected, whereas in New Orleans, I feel like it is just endemic in the population. On that note I will leave you with the overused, yet still sage advice, of simply being more open: start up a conversation…because in this city you never know what can happen next in this city.   

Biking in New Orleans

I have heard biking in New Orleans described a thousand different ways since moving to the city but I think the best one to date has been that “Biking in New Orleans can be compared to a big video game, except that if you lose you can actually die, and half the people in the game are either drunk or don’t care.”
Yet I still get up and ride my bike from my uptown apartment to the Tidewater building each morning and back again at night. Why? Mostly because on average it’s quicker.  While my roommate’s roughly 4 mile drive takes anywhere from 7 to 20+ minutes depending on the time, day of the week, and whatever unorganized construction project that may be underway, my roughly 3 mile journey takes me on average about 15 minutes.  My personal record is 11 minutes.  Other pros include: Physical exercise helps help eliminate some of the calories gained the night before.  Avoiding the daily parking fee, which if you leave and have to come back ends up costing double, and even if you pay can somehow lead to a boot or ticket.  You do your part in saving the environment.  You save gas money; in fact I only fill up about once a month and that’s not because my truck is anywhere close to fuel efficient.  Finally, and most importantly, it means you are completely awake, if not a little on edge, for your 8:00 Immunology class.

Will

As with all good things there are, however, various cons.  A couple of things that pop into my head include: The "caring" awareness of the typical New Orleanian driver.  The street car tracks embedded in St. Charles and Carondelet...  The fact that you are often a bit sweatier than the rest of your classmates at 8:30 in the morning.  And finally the overall autobahn-like condition of most NOLA streets.  Here are some suggestions to hopefully make your NOLA biking experience more enjoyable.




Some Do’s and Don’ts of Biking in NOLA.
-     Don’t be stupid, wear a helmet and well-tied closed toe shoes.

Krystal & Will

-     Seriously consider carrying a fresh inner-tube and the tools to swap it out.  You will    inevitably get a flat and making the long walk to your destination seriously sucks...  (In fact, I had to use mine this morning.)
-    Get a good lock & if possible bring your bike inside.  People will steal absolutely anything if you let them.
-    Get lights.  The roads are bad and people can’t see you.
-    It’s illegal to ride your bike on the sidewalk in New Orleans, not to mention you wouldn’t want to.  On a road-bike you may feel like you are riding a stage of a race in the Sierra Nevada’s.
 
Kelly & I crossing Canal St. traffic.

-     Be careful near the street car tracks embedded in the streets.  Especially if you’re on a road bike.  The groove in the track happens to be the perfect size to grab your tire and flip you off your bike.  I know this from my personal experience last night; road-rash from slamming into the pavement at full-tilt sucks...
-     Watch out for cars.  Even if you have the right of way they usually don’t care, and again from personal experience, getting hit is not enjoyable.  And don’t be fooled, parked cars are dangerous to!  All it takes is one abruptly opened car door on St. Charles to ruin your day, and your bike.
-     It can spontaneously begin raining really hard in NOLA so carry something waterproof to protect your computer, notes, phone, etc. in case of an impromptu rainstorm.  A garbage bag works well.
-    Riding in the rain can be iffy so slow down and remember that your brakes often just refuse to work.
Furthermore, if you’re not mechanically inclined you should find yourself a good bike shop.  Some are better than others and rates vary.  Here is a list of shops spread throughout NOLA.
Jefferson
                Bicycle World of Louisiana- 701 Jefferson Hwy
East Carrolton
                GNO Cyclery- 1426 South Carrolton Ave.
Uptown
                Mike the Bike Guy- 4411 Magazine St.
Marigny/Bywater
                Bicycle Michael’s- 622 Frenchman St.
                Gerken’s Bike Shop- 2803 Saint Claude Ave.
Mid-City
                Bayou Bicycles- 3530 Toulouse St.            
So, I guess, if I were to describe biking in NOLA I’d say it was fun, adrenalin-filled, chaotic, and a bit unhinged.  I hope these ramblings prove useful and don’t deter you from joining the ultimate game of “Frogger.”

Kelly, Will, Matt- Tidewater Building

Halloween and Such.

Halloween.
 
Halloween on Frenchman,  2011

So I was going to write about Halloween in New Orleans but then could not think of anything appropriate for this G-rated blog.  So I will just leave it at: It was another great holiday in New Orleans and we all survived.





Monthly Meeting.


The November MI meeting went splendidly.  Mirinda did a great job as sole MC since Kelly was off at the APHA conference networking.  Which paid off as she was offered a job. Congratulations Kelly!!!  However, I did feel slightly exploited for my great looks and awesome sense of style when I was asked to model the new MI program T shirt designed by Kelly and Mirinda.  Looks great ladies thanks.

Dr. Keating was our guest lecturer.  He discussed the importance and intricacies of the IRB to us.  I’m not sure that it’s possible to even try to understand how big of an endeavor getting IRB approval is unless you experience it.  It’s kind of like the Peace Corps application.  It was an interesting and informative talk.  Thank you Dr. Keating.

As always the minutes are posted on the MI program website.


Side Note On My Peace Corps Process.

I had my interview yesterday and received my nomination for Peace Corps service.  For those of you interested I submitted my application in early September and received the nomination on Nov 7.  This is the first step and now the real paperwork and waiting begins.  I still won’t know where I’m going until I receive my invitation but my nomination is for Oct-Dec of 2012 in a Health project.  Now onto medical and legal review.

"B" Movie Night

Last Friday I hosted “B” Scary Movie Night for the MI monthly social.  The plan was self-explanatory.  Meet up, bring food, and watch awful horror movies.   As typical for Friday nights a large contingent of people with afternoon Friday classes met at Handsome Willies to enjoy happy hour and FREE FOOD.  Good free food is always a huge plus and Pat-the guy at Willie’s who cooks, is a great cook. 

Kelly planned for everyone to arrive at my place around 8 so naturally the 1st person showed up around 8:30.  Will (another MI) was one of the first to arrive.  Lauren (another MI), my roommate, and I live on the 5th floor of our apartment building and the building gods will not allow us to have a gate entrance code, which poses a problem when having guests over, especially when they sort of trickle in.  My usual solution is throwing my keys off the balcony to the guest below, and this usually works.  However, due to what Will claims was a bad throw and I would say was Will’s inability to catch, this time the throwing of the keys did not work.  Will missed the keys and went flying backward into the bushes along St. Charles Ave, losing not only my keys but also his shoes.   Apparently he is notable for forgetting his shoes in random places, never to be found again (Kelly Nowicki, 2011).  Anyways after some time we found my keys, remembered his shoes, and the party finally started.

We had about 15 MI’s, RPCVs and other friends show up, which we considered an accomplishment given the other events happening that night; birthday parties and other such less-important nonsense.  People brought all sorts of goodies from candy to very “crispy” “and totally awesome” baked pumpkin seeds.  Special thanks to Will who made Pierogi from scratch.  Pierogi are Polish dumplings filled with cheese, shallots, bacon bits, and scalloped potatoes that are boiled and fried with onions!  Pretty much a dish that belongs on the list of great tasting heart attacks.  He also picked out the movie for the evening, “Black Sheep,” which truly met the “B” requirement for the evening.  The movie was the “unrated edition,” had never made it anywhere near theaters, and I’m surprised it even made it onto DVD.  I guess someone was trying to break even.  The phrase on the box said all you need to know “There are 40 million sheep in New Zealand… AND THEY’RE PISSED OFF!”
Thanks to everyone for coming and bringing food.  All said and done it was a fun evening that ended in true form with Will forgetting his shoes under the coffee table.

Inaugural Post: Take 2

Hi all, can you believe it?  Its almost fall break(ish) already.  Time to cram for your midterms.  It’s really late in the semester, but this is my first blog, so I wanted to give you a quick introduction to Tulane’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine (SPHTM) as well as the Masters International Program (MI).  I’m also going to try and get you caught up on all the different activities that the MI program has been involved with thus far. Now that the blog is up and running, I’m going to be sending you a bi-monthly update on learnin and livin in NOLA…stay tuned!!!

First off. A note about this author and the blog

My name’s Matt.  I’m currently a Master’s of Science in Public Health (MSPH) student in the department of Tropical Medicine and also in the Master’s International program. I graduated from Pitzer College in California in 2011 with a BA in Biology and a minor in Studio Art.  I currently work as a professional document scanner and shredder (aka Graduate Assistant) in the Office of Admissions for the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and am in the endless, painstaking process that is the Peace Corps application.  I hope to eventually serve my Peace Corps tour somewhere in Sub-Saharan Africa in a health care oriented capacity, where if I am really lucky I will get to teach a lot about parasites and their transmission through poop, which is currently all I am studying.  My long term career goal, aside from trying to remain a student for as long as possible, is to eventually go to medical school and work in some type of rural medicine.
I'm on the left enjoying my free pizza.
As a disclaimer, I admit that I have absolutely no experience what so ever with blogging.  I don’t understand the concept of a Twitter.  I barely ever check my, all so crucial, Facebook page, and I can’t spell to save my life.  However, I can type which makes me by far the most qualified person to write this newly formed blog.  So I promise it’s going to be awesome!!!
The purpose of this blog is to give an idea of what its like to be a Public Health & MI student at Tulane and to live in New Orleans.  I will be talking about such things as participating in school and MI activities, extra curriculars, and city festivals/events.  Hopefully I will be able to post some awesome pictures to dilute my ramblings and keep you entertained.  I also hope to have some guest posts from various people who can offer different points of view about Tulane’s School of Public Health, the Masters International program, and live in the Peace Corps.  I hope you enjoy!

Tulane’s School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine

Tulane's School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine is the oldest school of public health in the country and the only American school of tropical medicine (100 years old in 2012). The school's mission is to advance public health knowledge, promote health and well-being, and prevent disease, disability, and premature mortality. This is accomplished through education of public health professionals, scientific research of problems, partnerships, and service to the global public health community.  The school is comprised of seven academic departments: biostatistics and bioinformatics, global community health and behavioral sciences, global environmental health sciences, epidemiology, global health systems and development, and tropical medicine. The school has more than 1,400 students and 100 faculty. The students, faculty, and staff represent more than 70 cultures from around the world.  The school enjoys reciprocal relationships with other Tulane units, including the School of Medicine, the Tulane Regional Primate Research Center, and the Center for Infectious Diseases, the Tulane/Xavier Center for Bioenvironmental Research, and the Tulane/Xavier Center for Excellence in Women's Health.

Fall 2011 MI Orientation.
MI Program

The Master's International Program allows us students to earn our Master in Public Health or Master of Science in Public Health while simultaneously serving in the United States Peace Corps. The program is designed for us to apply skills learned in an academic setting toward solving important health problems in developing countries during our service overseas.
We spend three semesters(ish) earning a Master of Public Health (MPH) or a Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH) at Tulane University in New Orleans. Here, we study under the guidance of internationally respected professors, many of whom are Returned Peace Corps Volunteers. During our time at Tulane we participate in seminars created to prepare us for service overseas, and also have the option to participate in language programs designed to enhance our speaking ability for placement in more competitive countries.
Once finished with our coursework, and usually after some nervous waiting, we leave Tulane to begin our service in a country assigned by the Peace Corps. While serving, we write quarterly reports and create a practicum project that will build on the skills we have learned back at Tulane.  Hopefully, once our service and practicum are completed, we return home not only as Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, but also as graduates of Tulane University’s School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine. 


A note on our Co-Coordinators:

Kelly Nowicki
RPCV Jamaica 2007-2009
Kelly at work!

Kelly is an MPH student in the Department of International something-or-another and is focusing on HIV/AIIDS.  She received her BA in Cultural Anthro specializing in Peace & Justice, and Gender & Sexuality from Michigan State University.
Upon graduating from MSU, Kelly joined the Peace Corps and served in St. Ann's Bay, Jamaica from 2007-2009 as a HIV/AIDS Advisor.  She worked at a family planning NGO called The Jamaica Family Planning Association (FAMPLAN) doing community health outreach and youth development. She co-led the Youth Advocacy Movement (YAM), a peer-education youth group trained to educate youth about HIV/AIDS/STIs, reproductive health, contraceptives, responsibility, and leadership. With the YAMs, Kelly created the YAM Youth Lounge and Cyber Cafe as an after school drop-in center for youth, as well as the YAM 'headquarters' where trainings, meetings, and events were held.
Kelly currently utilizes her expertise as a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer to help guide our young fragile Masters International student minds.

Mirinda Gormley
RPCV Tanzania 2008-2010
Mirinda loves directing.

Mirinda Gormley is a fellow MSPH student in the best department at the school, Department of Tropical Medicine. Her undergraduate education includes a B.S. double concentration of Biology and International Studies and a B.S. in Psychology from Iowa State University.
Upon graduating from ISU, Mirinda joined the Peace Corps and served in Makongonda, a rural village in the Mtwara region of Tanzania, East Africa. Mirinda was a Health extension volunteer who was asked to work primarily in Makong'onda Secondary School as a Biology teacher. Along with full-time teaching, Mirinda was able to instigate several different projects throughout Tanzania, including several HIV/AIDS testing and awareness days, a strong village Peer Education program, a permaculture project for at-risk mothers, and workshops in life skills for young male and female students.
Mirinda currently does most of her work promoting the work that Tulane Masters International students complete overseas, as well as creating new projects and opportunities for the Returned Volunteer students at Tulane.

So basically aside from being entirely over achieving and slightly crazy they are pretty awesome…

1st Social Event- Penny’s Party

            First of all many thanks to Penny Jessop for hosting the Masters International  program’s first social event and allowing us to get to know the Humpfery Fellows.  Also thank you to everyone who brought food, it was all delicious! The point of the night was to bring a food from either your native country (for the Fellows) or the country you served in (for Returned Volunteers).  .  We started with introductions to the Humphrey Fellows and their family’s then the MIs went on to participate in what Mirinda and Kelly tried to pass off as “MI Iron Chef Competition.”  The premise being that the MIs were to cook a dinner using only ingredients that we might find while serving in Peace Corps. These ingredients included a coconut that we didn’t have a knife to open, rice that was full of chocolate chip “rocks” that we had to pick out, and onions that were so tiny you couldn’t really cut them with a knife! We were all divided into teams and each team was given an ingredient.  Everything apparently went well as we “exceeded expectations.” Although apparently my beans were “slightly undercooked,” (sorry but it is hard to cook beans that have only been soaking for ½ a day).  We pulled off the meal and Judge Penny and the other two guest judges said they loved it. Judge Penny even insisted on keeping the Plantains, then told us not to forget to take the beans (they seriously were NOT THAT BAD.)  The evening naturally finished off much socializing and storytelling, and we MI students learned that RPCVs have many, MANY, stories. 


NOAIDS Walk

            More recently the MIs, RPCVs, and Humphrey Fellows participated in the NOLA NO/AIDS Task Force walk in Audubon Park.  We had a fairly good showing and our participation was a success since this year as a group we actually over $550.  I guess last year only Ashley, highly distinguished RPCV from Moldova, was able to raise money, this year we decided to work as a team with a plan from our fearless leader:  Kelly.  Our fundraising activities included selling bread at the French Market and convincing our friend’s, classmates, and even fellow bar patrons and bartenders that they should buy raffle tickets from us.  The raffle itself may have even been the best raffle ever with Barb acting as MC and myself as ticket-bucket holder.  It was awesome.  Big thanks go to Handsome Willies (the unofficial-official bar of upper-education in the Central Business District (CBD)) for their generous donation to the cause.  Overall, thanks to everyone who participated and did their part to help the NO/AIDS task force!

Rebuilding New Orleans

            Over the past two weekends many MI Students and RPCVs have volunteered their Saturday to work for the Rebuilding New Orleans project (RNO).  The program is dedicated to helping rebuild people’s homes that were destroyed or damaged in Katrina, and yes there is still plenty to do to rebuild since the hurricane hit in 2005.  The house we were working at is well over 100 years old. 
While the house was not flooded during Katrina the indoor plumbing addition that was added to the back of the house when it received running water a million years ago fell off.  RNO rebuilt the entire addition, which included a bathroom with connected laundry room and kitchen.  There was a variety of jobs to do; ours included painting the house inside and out as well as laying flooring throughout the house.  We had pretty good attendance by both MIs and RPCVs plus some of our friends we convinced to come along and help.  By the end of the 1st day we had the inside of the house and parts of the outside complete.  I was unable to attend the 2nd day but heard that some of the volunteers did an excellent job laying bamboo flooring and tile throughout the house!   Thanks to everyone who participated and thanks to the Rebuilding New Orleans project for allowing us to take part.

1st Monthly Meeting

Last week we had our 1st monthly MI meeting MCed by our awesome Co-Coordinators.  The main theme was Teaching in the Peace Corps- Techniques, Projects, and Sustainability.  We had three RPCV speakers including Ashley (Moldova), Robyn (Peru), and of course Mirinda (Tanzania).  We also had a question and answer session with Sarah (Thailand). The presentations were all very informative and fun to listen to.  Ashley and Robyn gave some great tips on how to work with our counterparts, the countries schools, and most importantly how to make our projects sustainable, stable, and long lasting. Mirinda talked about the benefits and disadvantages to sustainability with regards to infrastructure projects, and showed a video on her library project in Tanzania. If you want to know more you can see the PowerPoint and video on the seminar page on the website http://tulane.edu/publichealth/mip/2011-masters-international-program-meetings.cfm
           
That’s all for this edition. I hope this to become a bi-monthly show so keep an eye out for the next edition.  Thanks for reading.

Best,
Matt