This being my last year in social work school, I have had to think about what kind of work I want to do after I graduate. I have always worked with kids and I love it, but I wanted to go to the opposite end of the spectrum and work with older adults (afterall, we are all getting older with each passing year). For one, they can be hilarious. Two, they are full of wisdom. And three, they tell the best stories. This year I am working with older adults and after my home visit today I am feeling pretty optimistic about this possible career change!!
As Rose from "The Golden Girls" said, "the older you get the better you get...unless you're a banana!"
KCJ
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Sunday, October 16, 2011
A Recipe for You!
Cajun Shrimp and Rice
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon, squeezed
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and cut into pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
2 roma tomatoes diced and seeded
1/4 cup yellow onion, chopped
1/4 cup water
3 cups cooked Jasmine rice
Best to cook Jasmine rice first.
Heat butter, olive oil, garlic, and onion in medium/large skillet. Add the cajun seasoning and shrimp and cook until shrimp start to turn pink (1-3 minutes). Season with salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes and lemon juice to the skillet and cook, stirring about 1-2 minutes. Add the cooked rice and 1/4 cup water and continue to cook until the rice is warmed through and the shrimp are opaque (3-4 more minutes). Serves 4 people.
Bon appetit!
KCJ
* pictures from 21food.com and thereformedbroker.com
War and Peace (Corps)
Anyhoo, I have a plan for today, which is to avoid school work in order to focus on this interview I have Tuesday for the Peace Corps. I am pretty nervous because whenever I go for interviews I get the usual suspects...sweaty palms, heart palpitations, stuttering, and the jiggle leg haha. Also, the Peace Corps is a huge step and I want to be 100% ready! Right now I am at about 80%. But this process could take up to a year and I just keep telling myself it will be worth it. I have a few friends already volunteering and I certainly admire them for taking on what will be one of the most important journeys they will make in their lives.
I found a Peace Corps Wiki, which gives all kind of information on the Peace Corps in general, as well as stories of returned volunteers. I even found a set of questions from past interviews. Obviously I printed off all four pages so I could "study." I like to be prepared, but I don't want to be overly prepared considering the questions could have changed. However, one question that I knowwww they will ask is "What are your reasons for wanting to become a Peace Corps volunteer?" I secretly, yet openly dread this question because I don't want to sound generic because generic I am not! Furthermore, I just don't want my answer to come out incoherently. So here is what I've come up with so far...
Some of my reasons for wanting to become a PCV are the same reasons I want to go into social work. Plainly, I want to help people in anyway possible improve their quality of life. More broadly, I have always been interested in community service because it not only gives the volunteer (me) the chance to create new opportunities for others, but it also makes way for those on the receiving end to create better opportunities for themselves (capacity building). Selfishly, I feel a sense of accomplishment when someone says that I have helped them, whether it was in a big way or a small way. And along the way, I learn so much more from the people I am serving.
I went to the Gambia last summer (2010) to teach English and math to elementary school kids. It was a life changing experience because the whole time I just kept thinking, how are these kids SO happy when they live in one of the most impoverished villages in Africa (in the world even)?? I think I finally know the answer. They take life for what it is. They value every single day they have on this earth because they know, even at such a young age that it can be taken away from them at any moment. They live without electricity, indoor plumbing, money (the average family in Makumbaya makes $200 U.S. dollars a year--I spend $104 every 30 days to buy a metro card!), and many types of material goods. They value their family, friends, and their health. I would like to think I'd be happy with just these things, but it has been enstilled in us that this just isn't enough...
I will end this rant with a story. Five of us went to the Gambia and the very first week we were in a bush taxi going into town. As we're riding along the sliding door falls off and tumbles backwards in the sand. Anyway, a guy jumps off, runs back to get the door, puts it back on, and we go on our merry way. Now, if you were in this taxi, how would you have reacted?? I know my friends and I were like OMG, the door just fell off, how are we going to get to this internet cafe, etc. However, we ended up looking stupid because no one else in this taxi was phased. I mean, just put the door back on, nbd (no big deal). We discussed it later and came to the conclusion that if this happened in America everyone would pull their cell phones out to call someone saying "Check out what is happening right now, I can't believe it, now i'm going to be late", someone would've called the police, there'd be a lawsuit filed, etc. Is that really what we look like?? Because if it is I would work on changing that habit immediately!
That's all for now.
KCJ
I found a Peace Corps Wiki, which gives all kind of information on the Peace Corps in general, as well as stories of returned volunteers. I even found a set of questions from past interviews. Obviously I printed off all four pages so I could "study." I like to be prepared, but I don't want to be overly prepared considering the questions could have changed. However, one question that I knowwww they will ask is "What are your reasons for wanting to become a Peace Corps volunteer?" I secretly, yet openly dread this question because I don't want to sound generic because generic I am not! Furthermore, I just don't want my answer to come out incoherently. So here is what I've come up with so far...
Some of my reasons for wanting to become a PCV are the same reasons I want to go into social work. Plainly, I want to help people in anyway possible improve their quality of life. More broadly, I have always been interested in community service because it not only gives the volunteer (me) the chance to create new opportunities for others, but it also makes way for those on the receiving end to create better opportunities for themselves (capacity building). Selfishly, I feel a sense of accomplishment when someone says that I have helped them, whether it was in a big way or a small way. And along the way, I learn so much more from the people I am serving.
I went to the Gambia last summer (2010) to teach English and math to elementary school kids. It was a life changing experience because the whole time I just kept thinking, how are these kids SO happy when they live in one of the most impoverished villages in Africa (in the world even)?? I think I finally know the answer. They take life for what it is. They value every single day they have on this earth because they know, even at such a young age that it can be taken away from them at any moment. They live without electricity, indoor plumbing, money (the average family in Makumbaya makes $200 U.S. dollars a year--I spend $104 every 30 days to buy a metro card!), and many types of material goods. They value their family, friends, and their health. I would like to think I'd be happy with just these things, but it has been enstilled in us that this just isn't enough...
I will end this rant with a story. Five of us went to the Gambia and the very first week we were in a bush taxi going into town. As we're riding along the sliding door falls off and tumbles backwards in the sand. Anyway, a guy jumps off, runs back to get the door, puts it back on, and we go on our merry way. Now, if you were in this taxi, how would you have reacted?? I know my friends and I were like OMG, the door just fell off, how are we going to get to this internet cafe, etc. However, we ended up looking stupid because no one else in this taxi was phased. I mean, just put the door back on, nbd (no big deal). We discussed it later and came to the conclusion that if this happened in America everyone would pull their cell phones out to call someone saying "Check out what is happening right now, I can't believe it, now i'm going to be late", someone would've called the police, there'd be a lawsuit filed, etc. Is that really what we look like?? Because if it is I would work on changing that habit immediately!
That's all for now.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
A (not so) Funny Story
Long story short...there was a mouse in my apartment! Now I'm going to tell you, I lived in the Gambia, or as I like to call it, RWA (Rural West Africa) for a month and I am no longer afraid of spiders, bats, or other large bugs inhabiting that continent, but I cannot and will not live with a mouse. I kept thinking to myself "when there's one, there's more." OH NO! The guy next door told me he has been living here 10 years and he has never once seen a mouse. Of course the one mouse that makes it's way into the building inhabits my home.
I saw little mousy two days ago running across my carpet and I had a fit. I even left my apartment for the night because I refused. You may say it's childish, but I say you're wrong! The very next day I got steel wool and sticky traps and covered my apartment top to bottom. Fortunately for me, but unfortunately for mousy, I caught it! But that's all I have to say about that.
RIP little mousy.
KCJ
I saw little mousy two days ago running across my carpet and I had a fit. I even left my apartment for the night because I refused. You may say it's childish, but I say you're wrong! The very next day I got steel wool and sticky traps and covered my apartment top to bottom. Fortunately for me, but unfortunately for mousy, I caught it! But that's all I have to say about that.
RIP little mousy.
KCJ
Welcome to the Blog
Hellooooo! I just want to introduce myself. My name is Kellie, I am 22 years old, and I am currently a grad student studying social work in the (very) big apple! This is my first blog and I have to admit I am not quite sure how it works, but I will do my best.
So, what does "behind those thoughts" really mean!? In person I am pretty simple. BUT, my thoughts are constantly going and perhaps writing it all down will give me (and maybe others) some perspective on this "simple" life I live.
Lastly, because I am currently in my last year of grad school and working toward becoming a Peace Corps volunteer, this blog will most likely talk about that. But don't worry, my life does not only revolve around these two things.
Therefore...just sit back, relax, maybe even laugh a little at the thoughts coming out of my mouth :)
KCJ
So, what does "behind those thoughts" really mean!? In person I am pretty simple. BUT, my thoughts are constantly going and perhaps writing it all down will give me (and maybe others) some perspective on this "simple" life I live.
Lastly, because I am currently in my last year of grad school and working toward becoming a Peace Corps volunteer, this blog will most likely talk about that. But don't worry, my life does not only revolve around these two things.
Therefore...just sit back, relax, maybe even laugh a little at the thoughts coming out of my mouth :)
KCJ
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