In-Service Training (IST)

We’re staying!

Our Program Assistant told us at the end of our first training session that word came through and we can stay at Bethania. Hooray! No more moving!!!

So it’s April now, which means that we’ve been in Peace Corps Volunteers for 6 months and we’ve been out of the U.S. for 8 months. That’s a looooooong time to go without your normal creature comforts.

The most exciting part of IST was that we got hotel rooms. It’s like a Survivor reality show, where their grand award is a day at the spa or a night in a resort. I threw my suitcase down on the bed and literally ran to the hot shower. Nick practically dove for the air conditioner remote control. When I emerged from the shower I was a little bit dazed and possibly over-heated. I had to stand in front of the air conditioner for a little while. Nick went in for his hot shower and shave and I went straight for MTV. Which is weird. I don’t even watch MTV in America. But I think the constant stream of Christian music is starting to mess with my brain. I need a little something on the other side to counter-balance my sanity.

When we got down to the conference room for our first technical training session, our trainer said, “Wow, you guys look so rested and refreshed.” Ummmmm, duh. We haven’t had hot showers, been clean for more than 10 minutes before we start sweating profusely, or watched television for MONTHS, let alone slept in bona fide "beds."

The training itself was, as expected, practically useless. And, as expected, a complete logistical disaster. We all showed up for the scheduled first session only to find out that the night before Pohnpei changed the start time to an hour later than we were originally told. Awesome. Then, they tried to make us do a training session that we already did during Pre-Service Training. And the one session that they asked us to come prepared for with 20 minute individual presentations, they didn’t even include on the schedule. WOW! That’s organization. Standing ovation, Peace Corps. Standing ovation.

So we all doodled in our notebooks, figured out the hotel’s wireless password so we could chat on Facebook, and daydreamed about which restaurant we should go to for lunch or dinner, as the case might be.
We REALLY needed the break. And we really needed the chance to talk about our challenges – inside and outside the classroom. I think we were all burning out and getting frustrated. Some of us were on the slow up-hill climb from the deep, dark pit of culture shock, and some people were still sinking into the abyss. It was good for us to have time to come together and share.
I just wish that the Peace-Corps-provided sessions we had would've matched up to those needs.