NI
Ada Uff
M"la rir
IM
r-r1. 11 41 III
I I 1111111 ` 11111
IBM; MINIMr.
1.11priflff
■
MI•IamIllINI
)1>'???)?
•13(onneOusgemhotel of)ui1'on5to
INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL SERVICE
FREE
15 DAYTOUR
FOR CELEBRANT
Volunteers from America call us the
Hi-hi Ha-ha family."
In Turkmenistan, the people with
ambition — those trying to make a
better life in or out of the country —
all have one thing in common: they
speak English. "It's the ticket out,"
explains Perish.
The Peace Corps volunteers in
Turkmenistan have created a resource
center where they work with teachers
on improving the teachers' English, as
well as helping them with other
teaching skills. Teachers able to set up
private classes make better wages than
those teaching at public schools.
Parents that can afford it pay well for
private education.
At the resource center, Perish's
duties included teaching English to
students in grades one through nine,
and working with Turkmen teachers
to improve their language skills.
She also helped obtain additional
resources, such as books, tapes and
games. One of the volunteers' pro-
jects was to find these teaching
resources and get them to
Turkmenistan.
Perish received children's books
from her old alma mater, East Middle
School in Farmington Hills. A school
in Boston sent textbooks. The volun-
teers created a library and hired a
librarian to maintain it.
Perish was also instrumental in cre-
ating the "Bookmark Association"pro-
gram, which encourages children to
read English books and give a brief
oral report to the volunteers. As a
reward, the children received small
prizes donated from the United
States. The program was so popular
that other Peace Corps centers around
the world will use the model and cre-
ate their own associations.
Perish spent 30 percent of her time
teaching and 70 percent with com-
munity development projects, work-
ing at the resource center, obtaining
books for and organizing the library,
generating new ideas and following
up on others.
One of these projects included
applying for U.S. government grants
to organize educational conferences.
Through one of these grants, Perish
created a six-day training program to
teach women how to start their own
businesses.
Her summers were spent manag-
ing the kitchen at an English immer-
sion camp, which served 250 people.
The rest of her time was spent get-
ting to know the people, customs
and traditions of Turkmenistan. Her
favorite customs revolved around
birthday celebrations.
"There are only a few religious
holidays celebrated, so everyone
makes a big deal out of birthdays,"
says Perish. "There was always beef
or chicken to eat and Coke to drink
at these celebrations, unlike the rest
of the week." Perish did not celebrate
the Jewish holidays while she was
abroad, although she did explain the
customs to her host family.
Perish never got used to some local
customs. One was wearing skirts and
dresses all the time — never pants or
shorts. This was beneficial in the win-
ter, because there was little heat in the
schools. The teachers would teach
until they became too cold and then
would take a break to drink warm tea
or coffee. "A few times in the winter
it was so cold that I decided it was
more important for me to teach the
children than it was to obey the cus-
tom of not wearing a skirt," says per-
ish. "I wore pants and raised more
than a few eyebrows."
But Perish made it through her
three-year stint. Of 37 volunteers
who began, only 21 completed the
program. "There were a number of
things about the country that did
frustrate me," explains Perish. The
personality of the country was so
unlike mine. I'm usually an optimistic
person. I was frustrated at all of the
gloominess and barriers I found, but
the hospitality and generosity of the
people more than made up for all of
the challenges I encountered."
Perish is facing another challenge
back home, one for which the Peace
Corps did not prepare her. She has
found some prospective employers are
turned off by her Peace Corps experi-
ence, and has had difficulty in secur-
ing a full-time position in a field
related to her college degree. She has
been working part time for Jewish
Family Service while looking for an
international business position.
Perish hopes she can find a job
where she is able to combine her
overseas experiences with her interna-
tional relations and economics educa-
tion, and possibly with her fluency in
Russian.
"It was difficult re-adjusting to the
fast-paced lifestyle," she says. "What I
didn't expect is that I would also have
to overcome stereotypes that Peace
Corps volunteers are just a bunch of
people who enjoy travelling the world.
"It was hard work, and I hope to
be able to use these experiences in my
future career." ri
Bar/Bat Mitzvah
in Israel
Guaranteed Departures:
2000
1999
June 24 Aug. 12
June 22 Aug. 10
July 29
July 8
Dec.19
July 6
July 27
Dec. 17 & 24
GUARANTEED 1999 RATES FOR 2000 DEPARTURE
WITH DEPOSIT BY JULY '99
ELINALIN
low
GATEWAY
TRAVEL
29100 Northwestern Hwy.
Southfield, MI 48034
248-353-8600
Contact: Rochelle Liebennan
THE CARLTON HOTEL
TEL AVIV
eetaom etodeed,
WHERE PROFESSIONAL SERVICE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE!
•
•
•
•
Innovative designs
Impeccable installation
Incomparable service
17 years of experience
248.855.8747
Call today for your free in-home consultation
elltea 6444
Formerly of The Closet Company, Inc.
Bill Nagler, M.D.
Appts: (734) 422-8040
Mail Order: (800) 511-9769
16311 Middlebelt, Livonia
Advertise in our Arts & Entertainment Section!
=MSS NEWS
e
,... (4.1/ tuff / jit,viff Call The Sales Department
& Entertainment
JNArts
J
(248)354-7123 Ext. 209
'TN
Detroit Jewish News
7/16
1999
109