Thursday, February 26, 2009

Pre-Staging Information

Just a quick correction. In a previous post, I had mentioned that our group will be the 9th to visit México (México 09). I found out some more information, and it turns out that we are the 7th CONACYT and 4th SEMARNAT group, so they are calling us the 7th Omnibus group. There used to be two groups of volunteers who left for México every year (around March and September), with the groups somehow divided between CONACYT and SEMARNAT. Now it is just one group leaving in March, hence the mixed numbering.

We have been receiving more information about Staging next week, as well as an information dump regarding the first couple days of Pre-Service Training (PST) in México. It looks like all of next week will be some form of orientation, both in DC and in Querétaro, México, where our three months of language, cultural, and technical training will take place. We meet with the PC México staff and our host families towards the end of next week. It looks like we will be pretty well taken care of for awhile. PC staff will be with us in DC, and they will also meet us at the airport in México City post-Customs.

I should have Internet access either at the training center or at an Internet cafe in town once I get to Querétaro, though I am not sure that I will have much free time to get online. I will definitely try to make some time.

4 comments:

Dani said...

2 quick corrections......group 5 (mine) was also a mixed group, as well as group 6, and they are going to continue with 2 inputs a year, there will be another group coming in Sept '09.

good luck with the packing and let me know if you have any last min questions!

see you soon!

Joe Plumber said...

Hahaha, my ignorance is showing! It's funny how bits and pieces of rumors get spread to those of us not quite in the Peace Corps loop. Thanks for the corrections, Dani! I am very glad to hear that PC will continue to send two groups per year to México. Hopefully the new Congressional budget requests will go through for FY10-FY12 to up the PC budget and keep all PC programs running smoothly.

And I continue to take stuff off of my packing list...I'm sure it will be hilarious for people in the México City airport to see all 18 of us with our luggage...

Anonymous said...

Todavía, mucha mucha suerte en las próximas semanas.

We have a saying down here, well, in deep South Texas, that when you fly into Mexico you either get one of two flights, American or Mexican. American flights are normal, with a normal captain and all. Mexican flights are flights when you have no idea what is going on and can only hope you are landing in the right country, or even land at all. :) I've never flown into Mexico, only taken a bus or walked and when I took the bus I nearly got into the country illegally...

Enough with my rambling, just before you leave, I'd love to see a list of what you're taking; it'd be interesting to see.

No mueres, gringo! <-all in good humor

Joe Plumber said...

Thanks for the well-wishes, I am going to do my darnedest to keep my head down and out of harm's way.

For sure, I'll compile a packing list and post before I take off on Monday. It's been recommended by PC that we keep a list of everything in each piece of luggage for our own sakes, but I may not go that far. I'll be the one digging through everything just to find my toothbrush.

Time in México City, México: