The Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Washington, DC

Bringing the experience home.

Happy Holidays from RPCVw!

President’s Corner: Issue 1, December 2006

On behalf of The Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of

Washington, DC, I would like to thank you, our mem-
bers, for supporting RPCV/W’s initiatives during the…
More Details
Upcoming Events:

Annual RPCV/W Holiday Party

More Details Area RPCVs celebrate 45 years of Peace
Corps by carrying flags in a commemora-
I'll drink to that~ tive ceremony, featuring Chris Matthews
(Swaziland 68-70).
More details

Community service update~

Be on time with the RPCV
2007 Calendar!
More details
These famously picturesque
calendars are produced by
What we’ve been up to: the RPCV affiliate group in
Madison, Wisconsin .
Peace Corps 45th Anniversary Celebration!
2006 marked the 45th year that Peace Corps has been sending With only 1 month remain-
Americans to promote world peace and friendship in develop- ing on this year’s calendar,
ing countries all over the world. The anniversary was cele- pick up your 2007 edition!
brated all over, a number of different ways. Here's just a sam-
pling of the festivities:

More details

Moroccans and Returned Volunteers Celebrate

Ramadan Together~
As the sun began to set and the natural light flooding through
the large windows dimmed, a troop of waiters at Taste of Mo-
rocco in Silver Spring bustled back and forth from the kitchen

More details Calendars are $10. And the

money gets funneled back
New members meet up to meet n’ eat (survival tac- into active PCV activities.
tics ingrained into every PCV) For more information,
contact Itzel Fairlie at:
development@rpcvw.org
More details

Meet the RPCVw Board!

Better than the average getting-to-know-you chitchat

The RPCVw Board of Directors works hard to keep all DC-area

RPCVs connected (sometimes making RPCVs connected!), but
above all we're a bunch of RPCVs who want to keep the Peace
Corps experience alive in everyone who has had it.
As proof, check out these fun Peace Corps anecdotes from the
Board's collective experience...

More Details

To remove your name from our mailing list, please click here.
Questions or comments? E-mail us at communications@rpcvw.org
 The Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Washington, DC
Bringing the experience home.

Issue 1, December 2006, page 2

President’s Corner
On behalf of the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Washington DC, I would like to thank you,
our members, for supporting RPCV/W's initiatives during the last 6 months. This Newsletter is the first to be
published since the election of our new Board of Directors (held in July of this year), and I encourage all of
you to navigate to our Board of Directors page on the RPCV/W website ( www.rpcvw.org ) to familiarize
yourselves with who we are and how we can help to support the initiatives desired by you, our members,
throughout the coming year.

I'd like to begin by expressing my thanks to you all for casting your votes during our recent elec-
tions. I am happy and excited to be working alongside a strong and inspirational group of Board Mem-
bers. Some of us are new to the Board, and we come with fresh ideas and lots of energy, while others have
stayed on to share their experiences and learnings with us. Funny, this coordination reminds me of the conti-
nuity between in-country PC Volunteers. Second and third year Vols would share their experiences with
newbies, and those same newcomers would arrive bright-eyed and ready to work for a cause greater than
themselves. I myself am a very recently returned RPCV, having finished my Peace Corps Service in Bolivia
only a little over a year ago. I must admit, it is exciting and enriching to represent the members of RPCV/W
and to support the Board's initiatives as we strive to continue offering you all the opportunities you deserve
to come together as a community, and to continue our 3rd Goal objectives of bringing our experiences back to
our communities here in the DC area.

With all the craziness and chaos in the world these days, I truly feel that our ability to share our
simple learnings from our host communities - our little slices of simplicity, have you - can help to achieve a
better understanding of the world around us. I am continually inspired by my fellow RPCV/W members and
Board of Directors to continue my commitment to service, and I hope that RPCVw helps to offer you all the
same opportunity to share.

A few things 'd like to share with you all:

1. We have successfully made the transition to our new website and membership database system (still
found at www.rpcvw.org). As with any transition, this one hasn't come without its hiccups; however, we feel
confident about the system and what it offers. I encourage all of you to spend a few minutes navigating the
site to see how it can help you stay connected with RPCVw events and opportunities.
I would like to again thank the members of last years board, as well as Kelly Stenhoff and Brian Caoutte (this
year's Web Directors) for their commitment and hard work.

2. RPCV/W members volunteered their time on two occasions at Nationals' baseball games, handing out
merchandise and enjoying the game as a group. Thanks to all of you who came out. We hope to continue
integrating Sports events/opportunities into our RPCV/W schedule. Anyone interested in helping to coordi-
nate such events should email Itzel Fairlie, our Development Director, at devopment@rpcvw.org. Addition-
ally, Itzel is working on a program to offer Peace Corps hats to RPCVs at reasonable costs. Keep your eyes
open for the rollout, and don't miss your chance.

3. In early October, the Board met for a weekend in Maryland for its annual retreat. We used this time to
plan out the coming year and to focus on how we can best represent RPCVw members through our distinct
Board position. The retreat weekend served to be a fantastically productive time, and I would like to person-
ally thank Dave O?Neill ( our facilitator ) for his excellent work in keeping us focused on our goals while
enjoying a good time with old and new friends.

4. Our Social Activities Director (Corey Quinlan) and Community Services Director (Amy Kunz) have
consistently organized monthly activities for members come together to enjoy each other and serve their
communities. Whether sharing a laugh at happy hour or volunteering for your community on a weekend, I
hope that you all as members will take advantage of the events that this dynamic duo continue to organize for
us all. They do a great job and their events serve as the glue that holds much of our community to-
gether. We thank them for their hard work.

In signing off, I'd like to reaffirm my claim to you all that we as a Board are here to support our mem-
bers. The more interactive you all are, the better RPCV/W's events and programs will be. We encourage
feedback and ideas. Whether at the RPCV/W holiday party, the annual picnic, or at any number of social
and community service driven activities, I look forward to meeting you in person.

Best Regards,

Jim Gore
RPCV Bolivia '03-'05
president@rpcvw.org
 The Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Washington, DC
Bringing the experience home.

Issue 1, December 2006, page 3

Upcoming Events

Annual RPCV/W Holiday Party

Come celebrate the holidays with fellow returned Peace Corps volunteers and friends at our most popular
event of the year!!

Admission includes a buffet of hors d'ouevres, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Enjoy this annual
opportunity to connect with your friends and meet other RPCVs! Dress is business casual.
Friday, December 8 from 6:30-9:00pm. All are welcome.

The party will take place at the Josephine Butler Mansion, a Renaissance-revival style mansion overlooking
Meridian Hill Park in Washington, D.C., located at 15th and Euclid Streets, NW

When: Friday, December 8, 2006 6:30-9PM

Where: Josephine Butler Mansion, 2437 15th St, NW
Metro: Columbia Heights (green line).

I'll drink to that~

Rest assured, RPCVw has not gone dry! We will be resuming our regular
monthly happy hours very soon!
…In general, you can be confident that you have RPCVs to catch up with (or
meet) the third Thursday of every month.
We try to switch up the location each time so that everyone gets a turn being
nearby. , moving these around introduces people to new areas, or just new
bars...

Know the perfect location for an upcoming RPCVw happy hour?

Email Corey Quinlan at: socialactivities@rpcvw.org

Community service update~

Even if you're not at a point where you can drop everything and go back overseas, there are still
plenty of ways to serve here in DC!
Peace Corps Volunteers' commitment to their surrounding communities rarely ends at their COS
conference; that fact is alive and well with RPCV/W. Each month a community service event
brings together our members and their friends with organizations in the DC area in need of the
hands-on help of volunteers. Anything from aiding the environment by planting trees to wrapping
presents to benefit the blind have been or will be done this year. In October, RPCVs helped collect
acorns at Arlington National Cemetery as part of a seasonal seed collection for Growing Native
(http://www.growingnative.org).In November, we helped Casey Trees Foundation (http://
www.caseytrees.org) plant native species trees to beautify a neighborhood park.December will
have us wrapping gifts for busy shoppers and collecting donations for Recordings for the Blind
and Dyslexic of Metropolitan Washington at the Friendship Heights Borders book store. Check
back on the Event List on our website and expect listserv messages to keep you informed.

Know the perfect organization/activity that could benefit from a slew of RPCVs?
Email Amy Kunz at: communityservice@rpcvw.org

Calling all West-African RPCVs!

So, we know that every RPCV is full of stories from their site. But that makes each of us only an expert in
ONE area of the world. So, while this issue features some interesting stories that will stay with our Board
(see next section), the upcoming issues will feature a different region of the world with notes on its quirks--
loveable and/or interesting--from the Americans who know it best.

In honor of Peace Corps' 45 year anniversary, the first region to be featured will be the first area where Peace
Corps operated back in the day: West Africa.

So if you served in West Africa, send in a few lines that made the area unique. Gain immortality (ok, not
really…)

Send your anecdotes to Lesley Pories at: communications@rpcvw.org

Everyone's waiting!
 The Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Washington, DC
Bringing the experience home.

Issue 1, December 2006, page 4

What we’ve been up to:

Peace Corps 45th Anniversary Celebration!

2006 marked the 45th year that Peace Corps has been sending Americans to promote world peace
and friendship in developing countries all over the world. The anniversary was celebrated all
over, a number of different ways. Here's just a sampling of the festivities:

RPCV/W and NPCA
Co-host 45th
Anniversary Reception
RPCV/W played an integral
role in organizing the 45th An-
niversary of the Peace Corps
reception in September.
Over 200 Returned Peace
Corps Volunteer Group Leaders
and friends gathered at the
Embassy of Ghana for a spe-
cial reception to celebrate the
45th Anniversary of Peace
Corps.
The NPCA Group Leaders Forum was held in Septem-
ber during Peace Corps' 45th anniversary weekend. The forum
gathered group leaders from the many NPCA affiliates across
the country. Maura Fulton, RPCV/W Vice President, repre-
sented our group and enjoyed the lively discussions and energy
of this dedicated group. Important outcomes of the forum in-
clude: better guidelines for sharing of data between affiliate
groups and NPCA; a simplified membership process for 2007;
and great ideas for sharing information and resources though a
Virtual Community.
RPCVs Play Ball!
On Tuesday, September 19, over 50 RPCVs descended upon
RFK Stadium in varying degrees of traditional host-country
garb and participated in a Parade of Nations flag-carrying event
just before the game began. Flags from every currently-active

His Excellency Dr. Kwame

Bawuah-Edusei, Ambassador
of Ghana, warmly welcomed all
of the returned volunteers and
thanked them for their service
to his country, the first post to
ever host PCVs.

Tasty appetizers from West

Africa and a "griot"shared his
musical talents contributed to a
festive event at which Jody
Olsen, Deputy Director of the
Peace Corps, and Kevin Quig- post were carried and each country was individually named on
ley, President of NPCA, spoke the loudspeaker as Peace Corps received recognition and con-
of the benefits of Peaceservice gratulations on their anniversary. The first pitch of the game
and beyond. was thrown by RPCV Chris Matthews (Swaziland 68-70), of
"Hardball" fame.

New members meet up to meet n’ eat (survival tactics ingrained into every PCV)
New members of RPCVw met up at Cafe Luna in Dupont Circle on Sunday, November 5th for a
festive and fun brunch. About 30 RPCVs came together for conversation and yummy food. This
event alsoRPCVw's first sale of the new 2007 international calendars (see page one).

In addition, Mirela Roventa, manager of a rug business in Romania, exhibited beautiful traditional
Romanian rugs. Special thanks to Cafe Luna, RPCV Amy Clark and Mirela for helping to make
this event so successful!
To learn more about the Romanian rugs, please contact Mirela at: miartemim@yahoo.com in
Romania or Natalie at natradams@aol.com in Bethesda.

There will be another New Members Brunch in or around March 2007!

If you have ideas for the next brunch, or other ideas for attracting, involving, and welcoming
members, please contact Audrey Morganbesser at: newmembers@rpcvw.org
 The Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Washington, DC
Bringing the experience home.

Issue 1, December 2006, page 5

What we’ve been up to (con’t):

Moroccans and Returned Volunteers Celebrate Ramadan Together~
As the sun began to set and the natural light flooding through the large windows dimmed, a troop
of waiters at Taste of Morocco in Silver Spring bustled back and forth from the kitchen to the
wing of the dining room serving over fifty returned Peace Corps volunteers with their friends and
family. They had all gathered to partake in a traditional breaking of the fast for Ramadan, or iftar
in Arabic. Meeting and chatting with others who shared the common bond of Peace Corps experi-
ence was certainly a bonus.

The iftar is a tradi-

tional meal served
at sunset every
evening of the
Muslim holy month
of Ramadan, after
devout Muslims
have fasted from
sun up to sun
down.

The food over-

whelmed. A heap-
ing platter of sweet
dried figs and pas-
tries preceded a
beef-based soup,
hard-boiled eggs,
and thin pancakes smothered in honey. To wash everything down, tea, coffee, milk, and a thick
fruit blend were served.

During the meal, the diners were treated to a description of the meal by Taste of Morocco owner,
Abdel Moumen (pictured below with RPCVw Special Events Director, Riley Graebner).

Guest speaker
Dr. Attiya Soueilem,
a professor of Islam
and a consultant on
Islamic affairs for the
United Nations,
talked to the crowd
about the role of
Ramadan and fasting
in Islam.
Dr. Soueilem dis-
cussed Islam’s five
pillars to a successful
life before connecting
Peace Corps and Is-
lam. The idea that
Peace Corps is done for the sake of service and not for recognition, Dr. Soueilem said, links it to
the tenets of Islam.

The event was co-hosted by the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Washington, D.C. and the
Friends of Morocco. Members of the Washington Moroccan Club and the Moroccan Press
Agency also attended.

Don’t forget to check out our website for the most up-to-date information!
www.rpcvw.org
 The Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Washington, DC
Bringing the experience home.

Issue 1, December 2006, page 6

Meet the RPCVw Board:

Better than the average getting-to-know-you chitchat
The RPCVw Board of Directors works hard to keep all DC-area
RPCVs connected (sometimes making RPCVs connected!), but
above all we're a bunch of RPCVs who want to keep the Peace
Corps experience alive in everyone who has had it.
As proof, check out these fun Peace Corps anecdotes from the
Board's collective experience...

-New Members Director Audrey -Development Director -Social Events Director

Morganbesser helped a friend con- Itzel Fairlie survived a near- Corey Quinlan was nearly
front her pick-pocketer. They man- death experience when a attacked by lions during his
aged to convince him to return her stove-top espresso maker service in Benin. A trip to a
wallet and most of her cash! launched off her stove and game park almost went awry
blew through the roof of her when two female lions
-VP Maura Fulton lived on a very Peace Corps home in Mo- charged the car that Corey
traditional Pacific island that was rocco. seconds before it and another PCV were sitting
less than a square mile and a 2-day blew, she had been standing on top of to get a better view.
trip by boat from the main island. over the stove fiddling with (They hadn't known there
The island was topless. Wearing it, trying to figure out why it could be lions.) Luckily, the
tops was taboo and, if caught, you wasn't percolating. (It was driver of the car floored it
would have to pay tribute to the clogged with some hard- just in time.
chiefs. water deposits from the pre-
vious Volunteer who left it -President Jim Gore had a
-Membership Director Meghan for her.) old Bolivian man (Matilde
Hagerty had the misfortune of dis- Vega), local Curandero
-Treasurer Jeffrey Love (healer) spit on and blow
covering first hand while serving in
lived in the town of smoke on my back as he
Panama that it is a very bad idea to get
Chunavi which means chanted in Guarani ( a local
in a small boat with many pigs, as they
"place of the freeze-dried language) to cure a severe
are acutely subject to seasickness.
potato." his time in Bo- spider bite that he got in the
-While a PCV in rural Panama, Web- livia, he ate lots of re hy- mountains. And guess
master Brian Caouette once searched drated freeze-dried pota- what? It worked!
unsuccessfully for days covering toes. They were an ac-
nearly 20 miles of terrain for a pig to quired taste--one that not -Special Events Director
roast at his community despedida many people from the US Molly Mattessich encoun-
(good-bye party), later to discover his may ever wish to acquire! tered more problems with
next door neighbor had a not only a HCNs in Mali pronouncing
-While serving in Romania, her name than you'd expect
pig to sell but a place to cook it.
Special Programs Direc- in a country that had essen-
tor Riley Graebner di- tially the same name: Even
-Communications Director Lesley rected his students in a
Pories was hiking in the mountains though it was the name of the
production of "Almost the country, Malians had a lot of
of Uzbekistan during an IST when Bride of Dracula" in the
she and another PCV stumbled upon same city where Dracula trouble pronouncing her-
and woke up a group of border pa- name.service hernamewas
was supposedly born! "Oumou," so the Malians
trol guards, who refused to let them
go any further. This was an un- -Community Services Di- didn't actually refer to her as
marked border with Kazakhstan. rector Amy Kunz was travel- "Molly from Mali." That was
ing with fellow PCVs a nickname given by returned
-Webmaster Kelly Stenhoff re- through Central America--to volunteers in D.C.
members when the headmistress the Panama Canal and back--and on the way home to Guate-
at her school was so fat that no mala her passport got flagged in Nicaragua for not having 6
one (HCN teachers included) months validity on it.They put her in a truck, made her say
knew she was pregnant until after goodbye to her friends and took her across the border to Costa
she had the baby!!! (Apparently, Rica where she became their problem.No bribes were ex-
African mothers to be do not talk changed (although they were offered) but finally the plea from
about being pregnant because another PCVshe needed to get back to her site and "important"
they think it will jinx them.) work got Amy back in and allowed to pass through!
-Apparently, Secretary Joe Ford can't tell us his little story, or he would have to kill us.