Almost Home

So I am almost home but got an email with a bunch of information!

first for the official description of my position out of my welcome book:


Rural Aquaculture Promotion (RAP) Project :
Volunteers are helping the Department of Fisheries to develop fish-farming projects that will improve livelihoods in rural communities. After determining rural farmers’ needs and resources, Volunteers provide technical assistance in establishing dams, furrows, fishponds, and integrated agriculture. In addition
to providing an excellent source of nutrition for rural families, surplus fish and agricultural products are sold to provide substantial supplementary income. Volunteers provide training in small agribusiness skills to assist farmers in applying a business orientation toward their farming activities. Volunteers also help build the organizational development capacity of fish-farming associations.

Now for some contact information! My phone number as yall know it now will forever be discontinued. I will take my blackberry with me to Zambia and I will be getting a new number and local service over there, WHERE you can text me or facebook me pretty much all you want. no calls please, and the number will be posted as soon as I get the new phone plan.

ADDRESS: you can write to me for the first 3 months of service here:

Bryan Watkin, US Peace Corps/Zambia, PO Box 50707, Lusaka, Zambia


That is where I will be for a while. Tomorrow I go to Maine, and begin my final two weeks here in the US. It was a real treat to visit with so many friends and family members, but I know I couldn't visit with everyone. But, all will remain in my memory and prayers.

Mad love ~Bryan

"Deep" South Tour... & more (did I just rhyme?)

Hey yall, it is hard to believe that in just a matter of a few weeks I will be living on another continent. I finally received my staging materials, and I am booked on a flight to Philadelphia, at 7:07am on the 1st of August, where my staging event will take place. I report to staging at 12:30pm on the 1st and will begin my Peace Corps Orientation. I will sign paperwork, go over rules and regulations, receive shots, and most importantly begin getting to know all the other volunteers I will be working with over the next two years, and some of whom I am certain I will be friends with for a very long time. Everything is a GO for Africa in just a few weeks!!!!

North Carolina in all of it's Beauty

I have began my southern tour, but as usual not everything goes perfectly to plan (I know my plans are vague as is, but still). I left Greenville, SC at 5:01am very well under the influence after a night out at the bars in Brevard with Nick, Ashley, and Heather. I will miss North Carolina very much. I hope that when I come back I will get to see Harold and Theresa (saints on earth) still living next door to Oma.

 Got to Mississippi a little behind schedule, but had an amazing visit with Bill & Rebekah, and got to see how tall and smart my little nephew has become. I have a few pictures of the little guy who is amazing at swimming!!! Bill and I got to go fishing often and then retreat out of the boiling hot sun for the day. In the afternoons Bill and I got to pick the garden and swim with Bear, and in the evenings Rebekah and I got lost in stimulating conversations as the old timer hit the hay. Thanks Bill and Rebekah for everything, I really will miss seeing yall and watching Bear grow for yet another 2 years!!!

Bear can jump in without holding his nose, and open his eyes and swim under water on his own!!!

AND he is only 2!!! but definitely takes after his uncle Bryan with his good looks (and blue eyes)... :)

Then I got a chance on the 5th to go visit my Mere & Pere on my mom's side, and had an awesome visit! It has been a long time and we got to talk all about Africa and history about the family for the night and all day on the 6th. We got a chance to go celebrate mass, and have lunch with Claire and Aunt Moo. I can hardly believe all my cousins who I try to always remember as young kids with me are growing up! Claire is a Senior in college!!! It was an awesome visit, but had to end too soon.

NOW I am in New Orleans. Got a great visit in with young Catie, who I again can't believe is about to be a sophomore in high school!!! I just don't know where the time goes I guess. Also got to see Owen which was great, but too short as Owen and Catie headed north today.

Amtrak Rail Pass.... I thought it would make my life easy, but obviously I should read all the fine print more often. Train out of New Orleans tomorrow has been sold out, so I bought a plane ticket to Rhode Island for saturday instead. I am actually really happy this happened, because now I have an extra day to hangout and catch up with Megan, uncle Michael, and aunt Mindy. Today (in just a few minutes) I will be going into town to walk around the French Quarter, and in the afternoon go out in uptown with Megan and friends (one of which just so happens to be moving to Lusaka, Zambia in August also!!!! but not with the PC). I hate how my visits have to be so short. I enjoy my late night chats with aunt Mindy til 2 in the morning, seeing my uncle, and chillin with Meg swapping all the stories we can fit into a day. But just like every stop along this trip my visit to new Orleans is limited. 

So I have been to MS for 3 nights and days, Mandeville for a night and day, and New Orleans for 3 nights and days...
Soon I will be in Rhode Island, then CT for fireworks, then Matunuck 2 nights, Gansett 1 night, train to Providence to stay at craig's for 1 night, train to Boston, and rail to Leominster, a day and night with my dear friend and mentor Wes,day and night with best friend Nick, rail to Boston to hang for a day and night with my cousin Will (and CHLOE!!!!), lunch with Erin Saturday and then train to Portland to be picked up and driven home to Maine. >breathe< I KNOW that is not interesting, but I just wanted to give yall an idea of my remaining travel

That said, I won't be blogging until a few days before departure and then in Zambia. I will be in Maine, home sweet home, with mom, dad, and Thomas for my last 2 weeks in the states. I have alot of shopping and packing to do. lots of letting my mother stare at my face and "soak me in." I also look forward to a quiet wood porch on the west side of Birch Island sipping on a whiskey and sharing a cigar with my old man as we watch a few sunsets go down over Holeb pond. It has been and will be a very busy month, and just really look forward to getting Oscar Mike ("on the move") to Africa. Til next time Au'revoir!

P.S. ANYONE that would like to talk with me in Zambia will need to friend me on Skype: bryan.watkin

So my time here in North Carolina is quickly coming to an end. I am at Quotations a local coffee shop sitting down and beginning to layout my last month's plans. I don't have all of the specifics worked out just yet, but I know that they include, but are not limited to, visiting my brother Bill, his wife Rebekah, and my Godson baby Bear. I am very excited to see the little one again, because it has been nearly two years! I also plan to stop in New Orleans to see my cousin Megan and the Barry family, as well as many other members of the Barry clan. I will also be making a trip north above the lake to Mandeville to visit with my grandparents on my mother's side of the family and the Richards. I am getting a US Rail Pass soon that will allow me to travel any 8 segments of the Amtrak rail system. I plan to head west to Dallas and visit Brian Velesbir, a college roommate and good friend. Then I will be making several segments up the east coast to end up in Rhode Island.

I just got my yellow fever vaccination down in Greenville South Carolina. It is the only vaccination I need to take ahead of staging. BTW, I have found out that staging will take place on the 1st of August in Philadelphia!
At staging I will receive even more inoculations and sign my life away so that I can legally serve as a government agent.

I can hardly believe that in just over a month I will be in Africa half way around the world. But I have no reservations, and am getting more and more eager to go by each passing day. There is not much else to fill everyone in on, so until next time PeAcE.

Hey Yall, so I am sorry it has been a while since my last post but I haven't had much to say recently. But I have finally wrapped up all my business in Rhode Island, and began my Southern US rock tour of saying good bye to friends and family. It has been an awesome 6 years of my life, and very much intent to return to Narragansett for visits when I come back. Sold my truck, said good bye to friends, and went by Jerry's for the last time to say good bye my coworkers and bosses (Bob & Rob) who have been like family to me over the last 5 years. I also played my last night of cards over at Tara's. Good news is that I have been playing very well, and have a spot in the "money" so I trust that Tom will play well for me during the final night next week.

I say "rock-star" because when I showed up in Asheville yesterday Heather insists that I looked like a rock-star that just returned from a tour. pic to follow. It is a combination of my Bruins beard and Caitlin's aviators I borrowed for the trip south. Mind you I was sitting on a bus for 28 hours sweating and sleeping very little... the beard is a must, because I havn't shaved or trimmed it since the Bruins have entered the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs, and it is WILD.

"party like a rock-star"

I arrived in Asheville NC yesterday about 5 after sitting on a Greyhound bus for 28 hours!!!! It was a very interesting road trip, I met some very unique individuals, and got to see a whole different dynamic of class in America. It is blatantly obvious to me that flying is a luxury and those who can't afford high flight or train prices are forced to the buses. Seeing this was a little scary, but actually exciting because I have never seen more interesting, friendly, and lively people in an ariplane or train. There was one down fall, I did get stuck to this weird guy from England who would NOT for the love of God stop talking to me. It reminds me of a dog that you feed at the table... Once you start giving the dog food (aka attention/an ear that will listen), they never stop begging and coming back for more, soooo he would follow me around at the bus stops as I would get food and drinks, and always sat next to me. Even when I politely told him I was going to put on some head phones, listen to music, and sleep, I could still hear him rambling on in the background!!! Last but not least, he couldn't pronounce the word schedule to save his life! it always came out as "saidrule."

Lastly about the bus stop, in Winston-Salem I met a guy who, after learning about my near future with the PC in Zambia, honestly believes (and tried to convince me) that the US has planted AIDS/HIV in Africa to kill off all the local populations to free up space for us to expand...!!! Hahaha, lets just say we had a very interesting conversation after that...

OK, so I am in Asheville now staying at Heathers. We relaxed in the pool a minute, then went out to eat, and after much planning for a night out we ended up just falling asleep and not waking up to our alarms. We must have been tired because we didn't get up till 10 in the morning. I plan to go to Brevard next to visit with my grandmother on my father's side we call Oma. I will be staying with Oma for about a month, visiting and hanging out in the Brevard/Asheville area. Then I plan to head south to my brother Bill's place down in Mississippi starting on July 1st and through the 4th celebration. Then New Orleans for a couple days to see my cousins and relatives. Then after that I will head north above the pond to see my grandparents on my mother's side of the family we call Mere & Pere. Then Fly north back to RI (2days), MA (2days), and then MAINE, home sweet MAINE. For my final 2 weeks I will relax in Jackman. I look forward to canoeing and spending time in the woods with my brother Thomas and my dad. But most importantly than all, I want to spend time with my mother, and let her absorb enough "Bryan" to last her until our next visit. I know she will miss me most of all. I will spend alot of time organizing my things, formulating packing lists, packing, and preping myself for the trip. August 1st is coming quickly

I know it has been well over a day like I promised, but I hope that this post will help better aquaint you with the country I will be serving in as well as the project I will be working on while there.

Zambia is a land locked country, about the size of Texas, in the south central part of Africa, and home to the great Zambezi River and the infamous Victoria Falls.

>>>Iteresting side note that I think is wicked cool, in Zambia, Victoria Falls is known as Musi-o-tunya, which means "Smoke that Thunders."<<<<

It was formally known as Northern Rhodesia, but received its independence from Britain in 1964. Zambia is in economic shambles, but for most all of its history has depended heavily on the nation's copper as the main industry and export.  Food stability and drought are a serious problem, and hopefully this (food stability) is where I will be helping them. The population of Zambia is 11 million people, most of which are clustered in high densities in urban areas. Of these 11 million people, over half of them are kids under the age of 15, which sadly is about half of the life they can expect to live (average life expectency is 36 years old). They also have a rather high rate of HIV/AIDS in the country, last I read (probably +/- a few percentage points) about 10% of the population is infected. It is a very beautiful country situated ontop of a high plataeu ranging from 3,500-4,500 feet in elevation. This elevation helps mediate the humidity during the warm and wet season.

Climate I think is going to be a huge challenge for me to over come and get used to. So Zambia has 3 distinct seasons: Warm&Wet (Nov.-Apr.), Cool&Dry (May-Aug.), and Hot&Dry (Sep. and Oct.). No where do I see COLD!!!! It is going to be hard for me to go without my winters and beautiful snow, 0 degree weather, igloo building, and snow mobiling. Yes, I know some of you are confused if I am be sarcastic or not, but I assure you I am not. Anyone who knows me knows I am a bigger fan of winter than summer, and I can't stand temperatures above 75-80, but I will have to tap into my southern roots from my mother, and learn to deal with the miserable, hot, sticky, sweating work environment :)... I think I will manage.
Now you know just a little about Zambia itself, so I want to tell you about my project, and maybe a little bit of what I expect when I get there!

The Peace Corps was requested to come to Zambia in 1993, and the first program began in 1994. My super official government assigned title is RURAL FISH CULTURE EXTENSION AGENT. It's big, awesome, and wicked fun to say to people inquiring about my adventure when at work or playing cards at Tara's (Tara's Pub is a bar I rent from, best Irish bar in Rhode Island, and very possibly the U.S. If you ever find yourself in southern RI (Matunuck more specifically) you owe yourself a favor to stop in and have a Guiness here...). sorry for the tangent, I love saying the title, and I think it is wicked cool that I have been situated into a program that directly reflects my major, and in the field that I want to develop a career in. The official project that I am going to be working on is the Rural Aquaculture Promotion (RAP) initiative started by the Peace Corps in 1996.
RAP is a project that works with the Zambian government and the Department of Fisheries to develop fish farming in rural communities. It is an effort to not only provide them with a better diet and stronger food stability, but to also develope an industry that can supply a suplimentary income for farmers and their families. We assess farmers and communities needs, look at what they have for resources and provide assistance planning and building irrigation systems, dams, fish ponds, and basic extensive aquaculture infrastructure like food storage, and fish processing (no heavy machinery[maybe]). I am very much looking forward to trying to combine my "book" knowledge and the ambitious minds and work ethic of the local farmers in trying to create something sustainable and productive.
From what I hear from Hunter I will also be playing part doctor, veterinarian, community organizer (that word makes me shiver... I can't help but think of the pathetic president), and basic health educator. But I look forward to any and all challenges this trip will throw at me.
Depending on how rural my site is I will have spotty cell phone service, and my email and computer access will most likely be limited to visits to provincial Peace Corps houses and/or "major" cities. I will be able to recieve mail and packages, but this takes a long time to come to and from, so I will have to be patient. Most volunteers live in earthen mud houses, lighted by kerosene, because there is not electricity or running water. I might have to walk up to 30 mins away to even get drinking/wash up water (I don't expect to be taking showers very often). A typical mud hut will have a latrine, and an outdoor cooking pit. The cooking pits are essential and they told me I need to do exercises to strengthen my back and prepare myself for all the bending over every day to cook food and the 20-30 kilometers of biking I will do on a daily basis.
       Last but not least, I really am going to be interested in the food availability. I will certainly not have the same American diet, possibly not even my butter and cheese I love so much! For those of you who don't know butter and cheese, it is pasta, butter, and parmesan cheese (and a dash of black pepper). In Zambia corn maze is the largest cash crop and fundamental staple of their diet. I will have to get used to eating nshima (a cornmeal porridge like thing), and plenty of kapenta which is fish!!! I love fish so I don't think it will be too difficult for me to adjust. Meat is not readily available to volunteers, BUT I have heard from Hunter that when he goes to tribal meetings he receives chickens... If I start to accrue a small family of chickens for my keeping, I can assure yall that there will definitely be chickens that "go missing" in the night... And if yall want to send me anything, keep bbq sauce in mind so I can make some good American style bbq chicken! I am sure my community will love to try something from home!

Well I will know more and fill you in on a lot more once I get there. But until I get closer to leaving and start packing my bags, we will be in touch then. I very impatiently await my departure!!!

Ok, so here it goes. I really hope that this post finds all of you well.

     I have never had a blog before, but I will assume that both close friends & family, as well as complete strangers will be possibly interested in reading about my time overseas. This being said I will do a general introduction for those who don't know me...

     My name is Bryan, and I am less than a month from being 24.  I grew up in a military household with my parents and 4 siblings (Corie, Katie, Bill, [me], and Thomas; in that order). Growing up my brothers and I spent almost all of our free time outside and did a lot of camping, fishing, hiking, go cart building, go cart racing, go cart crashing..., tree climbing, swimming, tree fort building, and anything else a child's imagination could dream up. Some of my favorite things in life are traveling, dogs, camping, scuba diving, the ocean in general, and fishing with my buddies while drinking a 6 pack of Narragansett* beer. I went to school at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston, RI were I studies Aquaculture. 

------side story: growing up I wanted to do many different things including being an airline pilot, joining the army, being a geologist.... I had applied to West Point to follow in my father and grandfather's footsteps as a career military officer, I also applied to University of Colorado in Boulder to be a geologist, and eventually URI for International Business and German Studies. BUT Senior year I had a geology/oceanography class in high school, and in the second half of the year during the oceanography portion of the class, for ONE day out of the entire semester, my teacher Mrs. Johnson taught us about this thing called Aquaculture. From that day on I was simply hooked on this idea of growing seafood, and it has become the primary focus for my future career.------

     I am very fortunate to have grown up in a family deeply rooted in our faith in God, and I fully believe that this trip to Zambia is a mission challenged to me by our father above. That said, it is unlikely you will hear much about my faith while away because (and probably not to my parents approval) I spend very little energy bragging, talking about, debating, or evangelizing my faith; it is something very personal and private to me.

     The idea of joining the Peace Corps started nearly a year and a half ago. My good friend, dive partner, and college buddy Hunter Shaffer applied and was invited to serve in the Peace Corps, and left for none other than ZAMBIA last summer. He had started his application well over two years ago, and I was very jealous that he was going on to something real and exciting while I remained in RI finishing school (graduated December of 2009) and working the same old job to get by. I have always been a independent person who enjoys working hard and experiencing new things, so even after the idea of the Peace Corps was already in the back of my mind, a Peace Corps recruiter came into a class of mine in the Fall of 09 and pushed me over the edge. Here is a rough time line of the last year of my life and how it came to be that I was invited.

• December in 2009 - I officially opened up and began an online applicaiton
• Jan-March 2010 - I took my sweet time filling all the information out (a lot longer than I should have)
• Early May 2010 - Online application was submitted and I was linked up with a personal recruiter named Norman Trembley.
• June 28th, 2010 - I was officially nominated for an Environmental Education project in the Pacific Islands Region. (after looking up through peacecorpswiki.org I soon found out this project was intended for FIJI and I immediately jumped the gun and began telling everyone I was going to FIJI, little did I know what God really had planned....)
• July-November 2010 - I went through the most painful process of the Medical Review; 3 visits to the blood lab, 2 to my doctor, and 4 visits with my dentist and I finally finished my medical paperwork and mailed it all in. 
• January 3rd, 2011 - Dear Bryan, we are pleased to tell you that you have been Medically Qualified for service in the Peace Corps.
• March 2nd, 2011 - I receive a phone call and completed my Suitability Review. I had a very nice talk with a young lady named Heather, and she informed me that the position with the original project I had been nominated for had already been filled (thank you 4 month medical process), but that she was considering me for 3 other projects and I will be getting something in the mail telling me where shortly.
• FRIDAY, MARCH 4th, 2011 - My online application had been updated and when I woke up that morning and checked my email I read the most awesome message and news I think I have ever received in my entire life: "CONGRATULATIONS, YOU HAVE BEEN INVITED TO SERVE IN THE PEACE CORPS!"
• Tuesday, March 8th, 2011 - I receive in the mail my official invitation to serve, and this is when I found out I would be heading off to Zambia to be a "Rural Fish Culture Extension Agent!"

     When I read ZAMBIA, I was so excited to be going to the exact same country as my friend Hunter and working on the same project I could barely sit down. I had to play cards in a local high low jack card league that I sub in for sometimes, and could barely play cards right because my head was racing so fast. I didn't sleep for days, and spent several days taking any chance I got to call more and more family and friends to announce the good news.

     Now I am in the process of getting all my passport stuff taken care of, tying up all financial ends, and preparing myself physically and mentally for this trip. I continue to substitute teach everyday, work at Jerry's in the afternoons and sometimes nights, and prepare for the adventure that lay ahead.

     I think I have written quite enough for now, I can't really think of anything else to tell you about just now. I will post again tomorrow, with a more in-depth description of what my project is and what I expect to be doing in country. I will also try to throw in a few things about Zambia, so that everyone can get an idea of the country I will be staying in. 

Think Kapenta, 

~Bryan