The Start of a New Adventure

Oh hey, it's been awhile!

I've decided to resurrect my blog for all of you out there just dying to know what's going on in my life (ok, mainly family & Liz). I have over the past couple of weeks been scouring the internet checking out blogs from those doing similar work to me and really appreciate the updates and details of Peace Corps volunteers, I realized I should be doing the same! So here ya go!

Quick update: After completing my internship on Bainbridge Island in December, I realized it was time to move on after hitting road block after road block with my education supervisor and headed back home to Iowa. I went through all kinds of feelings of being glad to be home, missing my friends in Seattle, questioning what the hell I was doing, stressing out about bills and my unemployment status etc. After about a month of getting back in the swing of things at home, I got serious about applying for jobs. I think I emailed about 100 different organizations applying for about any job I was remotely qualified for. After a month of email, interviews, and stress I finally accepted a job from Camp Wesley Woods in Townsend, Tennessee as an Outdoor Educator. So, since February, I have been living in the woods about 5 miles from the entrance to the Great Smokey Mountains teaching kiddos about trees, streams, salamanders, geology... you name it. There are parts of the job that I have loved, and parts that I am excited to be over in three short weeks. These past six months have strengthened my passion for teaching kids about their natural environment and have taught me so many things about this part of the country. But I am ready to be challenged on a different level.

As you know, I completed and submitted my application for the Peace Corps in late January. Here is a peek into the last couple months in timeline form:

January:
Submitted my Peace Corps Application
Accepted job at Camp Wesley Woods

February:
Headed to Tennessee to start work as an Outdoor Educator.

March:
Learned that it is actually cold in TN, and began to worry about my hands as they seemed to be permanently blue after working in the stream for 3 days straight...

Played phone tag with various PC offices trying to explain that I had moved to Tennessee, yes, it is a temporary move (at that point, I was only hired on for a 3 month term) all in the midst of having almost zero cell-phone reception and limited internet access.

Had my first interview with a regional recruiter at the University of Tennessee. It was short and sweet. The recruiter answered a lot of my questions and was super helpful as she just returned from her on PCV (Peace Corps Volunteer) term from Africa. Apparently the interview's sole purpose was to "weed out the crazies." I was super nervous and arrived about 30 minutes early. The actual interview lasted only 20 minutes. Apparently I came off as normal enough :)

April:
Was contacted by the Peace Corps office in Atlanta, GA to schedule an interview. Had to work with my supervisor to find a good time and date in the middle of the week when we had over 100 kids at camp (that was fun).

Drove to Atlanta for my interview. I got there about an hour early (never know with traffic!) and sat in the parking lot studying my notes from questions on the internet about commonly asked PC interview questions. Looked up to see a group of very large men all with guns on the side of their belts and proceeded to drive around looking for a less popular parking lot. I finally walked into the huge and intimidating government building (complete with guards and metal detectors) and had the longest, and most in-depth interview of my life. A lot of the questions were about the PC's core expectations which I was prepared for (thanks liz!), but some of the questions were so obscure, I had no idea if I was making coherent answers. It was especially hard since she would ask me a question, then spend the next couple of minutes typing out my answer, which gave me just enough time to criticize my answer, want to change it, and pretty much pee my pants. After all the formal questions were asked though, we sat and talked for about 45 minutes about her PC experience. It was great to hear about her experiences in Morocco. I left feeling fairly comfortable about how it went and drove the long 4 hours back to the woods.

Received a ton of paperwork to go into even more detail of every professional experience I have had with environmental education, non-profit organizations, agriculture and education in general. Do they not realize this is what I have been doing since I graduated high school!? After endless hours in the office (only place that had internet and word) and spending the entire day teaching kids and going on long hikes in the rain, I finally sent in about 10 different essays on my past experience. I thought that is what the application was for!?

The day before my birthday, I received an email from PC that I had been officially nominated to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Only two pieces of information were really given 1) that I will be working in the Environment sector and 2) my expected departure date is January. Needless to say I was elated about officially being accepted to Peace Corps after months of working on my application, and years of dreaming about doing Peace Corps.

Received my Legal Kit in the mail, and (again) had to work with camp to try to get away to get fingerprinted by the local police department. It was so busy at camp during this time I had to apply for an extension since they only give you 10 days to complete and send in the paperwork. The police department only does fingerprinting here Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2-4 pm. The worst timing ever. Eventually, I sent in my paperwork and was legally cleared a couple weeks later.

May:
Besides being legally cleared for PC, no word from anyone...

June:
Decided to stay at camp for the summer to help out with rock climbing, kayaking and caving trips.

No word from PC

July:
Finally decided that I needed to find a job that paid better to start saving up so I can keep paying student loans while I'm gone. Signed up for substitute training course in Iowa for the end of August. Though it won't be near as fun as splashing around in the creek looking for critters, I'm excited to be home for a bit.

After almost three months of no word from Peace Corps, I got an email from the Agriculture offices with more paperwork to fill out. I was given a questionnaire asking me how I expect to deal with common challenges that Peace Corps Volunteers have to face. With things like isolation, not being able to speak the language, failure, and loneliness going through my head, I had no idea how to answer these questions. How are you supposed to know how you are going to deal with these issues without actually having gone through them before?! After many emails back and forth with my mom (thanks!), I sent in the paperwork and was told that I should hear back in the next couple of weeks about an invitation. After an invitation is sent, I will receive my medical paperwork (which I've heard is the worst part).

August:

At this point, I am trying to be patient. I knew going into this whole process that it would be like this. Waiting, hurrying up to fill out paperwork, then waiting some more. I just want to know where I am going, and what type of program I will be working for! It will be real once I know! I am trying to keep my expectations in check, as I know this will be one of the hardest things I will ever do. I know I might fail. But I am itching for a new experience, for a new challenge, for a feeling that is scary but exciting all at the same time. Who knows if this is the best thing for me to do right now, who knows if Peace Corps is actually worth the time and hassle. I've heard so many great things from returned PCV, and many horrible and scary things. What I have learned is that it is different for everyone. I just hope that it will truly be the hardest job I have ever loved as so many people describe it to be.

For now, I am powering through my last three weeks in Tennessee trying to distract myself with the work that needs to be done here. I will keep you updated as more details come in (hopefully soon!). 

Tribute to Akio Suyematsu

Suyematsu, Akio Tuesday, 31 Jul 2012

Bainbridge Island Review Bainbridge Island, WA

Akio Suyematsu
October 30, 1921 - July 31, 2012
A Japanese-American farmer against all odds cultivated a legacy that will live forever.

      Akio Suyematsu was born October 30, 1921 on a small farm in Port Madison, on Bainbridge Island. He was the oldest son of seven children born to Yasuji and Mitsuo Suyematsu. In 1928 the family purchased forty acres of timberland in Akio’s name. This was due to the Asian Exclusion Act that made it illegal for his parents to own land.
      Here the family faced pioneer conditions forging the house and livelihood from the raw land. For the next three decades, the land was painstakingly cleared one stump at a time, eventually to be transformed into the Suyematsu Farm on Day Road.
      Through the first half of the 20th century, the family was poor with food being a constant concern. They would often seek to buy the cheapest fish from the local docks to can for food stores. Affording health care was beyond their means. Akio witnessed his youngest brother Yasuo die at the age of nine due to unknown causes.
      Akio attended Bainbridge Island schools and graduated from Bainbridge High School in 1942, the same year he and the rest of the Japanese American community were forced into internment camps during WWII. Akio was one of the few to meet his graduation requirements prior to exclusion. There was some resistance within the school leadership regarding Akio’s standing. It took a letter of advocacy from his shop teacher affirming Akio’s above average performance that enabled him to earn full credit. This letter was found recently in a wallet Akio carried throughout his WWII years.
      Akio found his academic strengths and gifts in vocational classes. He developed into an expert mechanic, machinist, and welder and could have easily found trade work, but this life did not appeal to him. However, Akio would apply all of these skills to survive as a farmer over the coming decades. He rebuilt his first tractor many times and even today it still runs like new.
      On March 30, 1942 the Suyematsu family and the rest of the Bainbridge Island Japanese-American community were the first to be uprooted by the US Government and sent to the WWII internment camps. They were forced to leave behind a bumper crop of strawberries just months away from harvest and allowed to take only what they could carry. It was a terrible time as Akio’s father Yasuji had been taken into custody when two blasting caps (dynamite was regularly used to clear stumps but was made illegal for Japanese to own) were found on the farm. This was a very stressful time as it was not clear his father would be returned but he eventually was after several days. Other families were not so lucky.
      The family was sent to the Manzanar Relocation Center near Death Valley, CA. Living conditions were extremely harsh and the heat was especially hard on the elders such as Akio’s parents. The family requested along with other Bainbridge Islanders to be transferred to the Minidoka internment camp in Idaho.
      In 1945 while in camp Akio was drafted into the US Army. He trained for the 442nd all Japanese American Regimental Combat Team but the war ended before his deployment. He and his brother Toshio who was also drafted then served as military police in Germany until 1947.
      Upon returning to Bainbridge Island from his term of service, Akio found the farmland “a mess”. Their family house had been looted and Akio expected the farm to be foreclosed upon. Since starting their farm it was not uncommon for the family to be cheated. Mr. Suyematsu never received payment for the timber that was originally logged off their land. After the War, they were forced to deal with the compounded interest caused by not being able to farm for years. As such, Akio was surprised when the mortgage holder offered to let Akio keep the land for the back payment of all interest. Akio worked extremely hard for many years to repay this debt. He was forever grateful for this act of kindness. Akio continued to use horses to plow his fields for many years after others converted to tractors because he could not afford one until after his debt was repaid.
      This act of kindness shaped Akio’s outlook on life. In turn, he has helped an entire new generations of farmers establish themselves with similar acts of kindness on this very same land.
      Akio Suyematsu was the last Japanese American farmer on Bainbridge Island. He has become a local legend for having produced the finest strawberries, raspberries, Christmas trees and pumpkins. He pioneered organic and sustainable farming on the Island before these became popular practices. His farmland is more fertile after 84 years of operation than when it started. The Suyematsu Farm has become the longest, continuously operating working landscape in Kitsap County. Throughout the decades, Akio has received numerous awards for his acts of farming and conservation, and now has an annual farming award established in his name.
      In 2001, Akio sold part of his beloved farmland to the City of Winslow on Bainbridge Island, not to develop as most others have, but with the right for him to farm it for the rest of his life and with the expectation it be kept in perpetuity as working farmland.
      At 90 years of age, Akio could still be found out weeding his pumpkins, tending his rows of raspberries, and maintaining his reputation of having the most immaculate fields ever.
      Akio Suyematsu passed away peacefully on July 31 at the Kline Galland nursing home surrounded by family and supported by friends and colleagues.
      During his lifetime, Akio mentored a successive generation of master and junior farmers who will carry on his legacy on his land. Each year over a thousand students, visitors and interns come to visit, study and train at the historically recognized Suyematsu Farm. Akio’s raspberries are served in the school lunch program at his alma mater and featured as a “Bite of Bainbridge” attraction. Today, the Suyematsu Farm is considered a valuable community asset. Out of Akio’s experience of exclusion, his farm has become one of the most diverse and inclusive places on Bainbridge Island.
      Akio Suyematsu is predeceased by his parents, Mitsuo and Yasuji Suyematsu, his sister and brother-in-law, Kimi and Tom Kamo, and his younger brothers, Isamu, Toshio and Yasuo Suyematsu. He is survived by his brother Yoshio and sister-in-law Joan, his sister Eiko and brother-in-law Zenji Shibayama, his sisters-in-law, Grace (Toshio) and Hime (Isamu) Suyematsu, 14 nieces and nephews and 15 grandnieces and grandnephews.
      The Suyematsu Family wishes to thank all of Akio’s friends for their love and support over the many decades of hardship and success. A special thanks goes to Kline Galland for their exceptional care and the Cook Family Funeral Home for their thoughtful handing of Akio’s final arrangements.
      A Celebration of Akio’s Life will be held on Sunday, August 19th from 12:00PM to 2:00PM at the Suyematsu Farm, 9229 Northeast Day Road NE, Bainbridge Island.
      The Suyematsu guestbook may be signed at: www.cookfamilyfuneralhome.com.
      Tax deductible donations may be sent on Akio’s behalf to the BIJAC Woodward Fundwww.bijac.org and The EduCulture Project at Global Source Education:www.GlobalSourceNetwork.org/. 

New Look!

So, I decided to chop my hair off after getting sick of dealing with it every day on the farm. Thought I would post an update of the new look! :)

Farm Camp!

Betsey introducing the horses

Their favorite farm activity by far- scooping poop

Judy reading a story. She is amazing

Digging potatoes

fries from the potatoes we harvested

I put together a treasure hunt for them :)

After learning about tractors and tools, they worked to build their own

Harvesting beets!

Summa Time!

Brian's Cows

Ignacio (professional salad mixer)

Market prep

Hamilton's Goats!

Beach Walk

On the fourth of July one of Betsey's friends took us on a beach walk during the seasons lowest tide (called red tide). It was so neat to see all of the living things on the beach. Here are a couple pictures of the things we did see!

Tamera

He finally got the gooey duck!

Really, the most disgusting looking things

Took him about an hour and digging about 3-4 ft down to finally get the gooey duck out

Jellyfish!