Right now, my friend is trying to brush up on her resume and wants to apply for some jobs, so that is what we are doing. Since I have been here I have been eating a lot with chopsticks, since my friend is Chinese. It is quite hard, and I feel my fingers get a workout. Also I noticed how my friend walks a lot faster than me, and I can never keep up. It is like she is always in a hurry even if we are just casually walking, it can get exhausting. Unless I am running late, I like to take a slower pace. Plus its not everyday that I am in New York and Manhattan. There so many more buildings that have been built and places I have never seen of N.Y so its overwhelming too. One thing I love about N.Y is that it is so convenient. Places are open at all hours. Subway is always running about every 8 minutes. Restaurants are everywhere. My friend and I went to one Chinese Restaurant and it had its entrees all over the walls. The menu was literally on the wall with pictures of the dish. Probably over 100 dishes and it is really cheap. We had this beef cheese rice dish, and I told her it tasted like similar Pakistani dish that I eat called Haleem. Then we had some shrimp rice noodle, which was alright a bit bland. And the other dish was chicken sticky rice, the dish came in a wrapped leaf. So the rice was wrapped in a leaf and in a bowl. I had to open the leaf and there were bits of chicken, a chicken wing piece, a dried egg yolk, and some bits of shrimp. It was really interesting. The leaf really gave a unique taste to the rice, which I really liked. It had a hint of green tea flavor. Oh and that reminds me, my friend had a bag of match green tea mini Kit-Kats just sitting around. I ate plenty of those. We invented a cool new breakfast spread for bagels. We took raisin cinnamon bagels, toasted them, added Philadelphia whipped cream cheese with chives in it, and avocados. So, we put the avocado and cream cheese and spread on the bagel. It actually tastes really good. Odd combination, but tastes amazing. I also got to try some authentic Chinese food, that my friends mother made. I really enjoy how it is really healthy but also so tasty. The night my friends mother steamed an entire fish, with head and fins, eyes and all. It was so tasty! They even told me that it is bad luck to flip the fish, as it means like a sinking ship. My friend also told me about how her mother would put her baby teeth in front of the door when she was little so that her teeth would be straight when she grew up. It is a sort of superstition. I definitely learned a lot of Chinese culture. Its only been 3 days and I have done a lot,. I <3 New York. Tomorrow I will go to Long Island and see my Aunts,Uncles, cousins, everyone else.
Now, I will talk about Peace Corp. So I did a bit of research, I also told my friend about and she is into it as well. She might consider doing it too. I recently applied, since I will be graduating in May, I really thought about what I want to do. My first plan was to get my license, get a car, and move to New York, NY. But I don't have my license, or car, and not enough money to move to New York. So, now I will find a job in Buffalo, get my license, save and buy a car. Then apply to jobs, and maybe start my Master's while I am in Buffalo, I guess, that's all. I heard of Peace Corps from a professor. She had gone to Brazil and lived there for 2 years. I was looking for a volunteer program or international jobs program that pays for the flight and living. Peace Corp was the most decent one that I found. I just randomly looked it up. I had no idea about it, that it is even better than the other programs. It is a legit program. First, Peace Corps pays for flight, and 2 bags of luggage not more than 70 lbs each. It pays for your living expenses there, they pay you according to the pay that someone living there and working in the same field would get, and its in the country's currency. But its always enough for your living expenses, but compared to U.S dollar it would be like $10 - $50 a month, depending on the country.
Baby Doobie :)
Peace Corps is a 2 year program. I would get 48 days of vacation, but I have to pay for my own flights or travel expenses. 48 days doesn't seem a lot in 2 years but I guess its not so bad. I thought about how I could divide it all. I know 2 weeks would go to coming back to U.S to visit my mom and family, and my cat for sure.. I love my cat too much. I miss her while I am here in New York, its only been 3 days. Sad face. :( I am trying to figure out if I could bring her, once I have my own place in Albania?? I don't know if I could go without seeing my cat for 2 whole years. A lot happens in 2 years. Ughh.. :/ I know she would be fine with my Mom, but still. My cat is like my daughter. I love her soooooo much! I had her mom as my first cat, Julie. Julie is my Doobie's mother. I saw Julie give birth to Doobie when she was a born. Yup, so hence my love for her is like a grandmothers?? I lost Julie unfortunately in Texas when I used to live there too. I actually had lost Doobie and Julie, my mom put them in a park out of anger, but then she felt guilty and told my siblings and me the truth. My parents lied saying they gave them away to some friend of my Dad's. I don't like talking about it much, Long story short, we put fliers everywhere of Julie only, which I feel guilty of. I guess I knew that I might find Doobie, she is much sweeter and will not be afraid to comet to humans. She loves people. But Julie is tougher, and she likes humans, but only if she knew the people. But also I guess since she is more capable of getting hurt. I know Doobie is more a scared cat, so she wont run on the roads. But anyway after 3 months we found Doobie. :) But not Julie :( I really pray she is okay where ever she may be. I loved her too. She was a beautiful cat.
Anyway, back to Peace Corp. So now, after I got my assigned country, it is not exactly confirmed. I will get more information about it in September, and then the real process of giving in my college transcript, immunization records, doctor check ups, and blood tests perhaps, and other background checks, that is when it will all start. But it is a bit of a tight few months, technically since I would have to figure out where to put my stuff, move out of my place I am in currently, my cat, and in the mean time also working and saving money. 6 months doesn't seem like enough time. I am right now in school. I will have my last 2 classes in summer that will be from May to July. I will probably work hopefully by next month, I applied for a job, and I am trying to get the interview scheduled, since I got a call for an interview, hopefully next week. So if I could get that job, it would help me like crazy. I could definitely get my license then, since I am going to take a driving course, costs about $400 for 10 lessons. Yea its a bit expensive but hey I will learn to drive and get a license. One more way to make my life easier. Then I can just save and save for a car, I know my uncle that I will visit tomorrow, he sells used cars. So I can get a car from him. My Dad and sister both bought cars from him. Ughh,.. I just have to do this all. I keep saying it.
In Peace Corps, it can be quite tough, in Albania it is more traditional lifestyle. There are Orthodox Catholics and Muslims that live peacefully together, which is nice. It is strict for women though, to drink, smoke, or go out at night. Even during the day women don't really go out, and if they do it is a separate section in restaurants and cafes. Women cannot drink or smoke in public, or be seen with men, unless its father, brother, husband, or son, cousin, uncle. Or I think maybe not.. it is only in certain parts of Albania. There are more modern cities in Albania where its completely opposite and it is just like U.S. I think the rural areas are the strict areas. That is what I read in Brenna's blog. Hopefully I don't live in such strict area. But again, I do like the experience of a different lifestyle. I know being from Pakistan I can understand the similarities. But in Pakistan women definitely go out during day time, and shop a lot. Shopping is the main thing in Pakistan that women love to do. During night time, no one is really out in Pakistan, most shops and places are closed anyway so there's no one outside. People in Pakistan don't drink, and there is no clubs, or other nightly events. Only maybe a movie theatre and maybe if there is a concert. So it is not much a hype for doing things at night. Plus in Pakistan electricity goes out a lot, so probably not the best thing to be out in the dark. I know that in Albania the toilets are like holes in the ground, similar to Pakistan. So I think I can adjust in Albania. There are beaches in Albania which is the perks and I want to enjoy that. People do come to Albania during summer. The beaches is what Albania is better known for tourism. Hopefully if I get accepted I will enjoy myself a lot.
The Peace Corps application is a long process, and sometimes your assigned country can change if you put that you want to be placed anywhere, which they encourage, and you could even be sent back, and wait more months for a new assigned country. One blog I read that a couple sold their house, car, and said good bye to all their friends, and a lot of people that were going to Albania got sent back, they were lucky they didn't, otherwise they would have nothing to go back to. That is quite scary. :/ I know for me it won't be such a problem, since my mom will hold all my stuff, and I can just live with her while waiting if I got sent back. I haven't told my mom about Peace Corps yet, I won't tell her until its final. I told maybe 3 people so far, my friend, my room mate, and another friend. So I am keeping it on the low for now. I am totally excited and hoping it does happen (crossing my fingers) :D Let's see. Now I must get ready for the parade...
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