Orientation

Hey, everyone! (Although I haven't actually told anyone about this blog yet, so I don't have any readers...)

Anyways, I'm at orientation and it's going well. Right now, we have a break between a session on culture shock and such and dinner, so some of the German volunteers (many of whom are from EIRENE, where I'll probably be volunteering), another American, and I all walked to a really neat locally owned coffee shop in downtown Harrisburg called the Artful Dodger. Their chai is excellent, and the atmosphere is really neat.

Thus far, we've biked a lot (I got a nice old road bike to use) and have been to some really neat places -- a Brethren and Mennonite heritage center and a local urban organic gardening collective so far, and we're going to go see more places in the community in the next two and a half weeks. On Saturday (I think), I'll find out officially that I'm going to EIRENE, even though it's almost a definite at this point -- I'm excited. Also, I did some more reading about the organization in the BVS files, and they're even more awesome than I thought -- all of the meals served at their functions are vegetarian because of the non-sustainability of the meat industry, and every employee there gets paid the same wages.

Anyways, I can't really think of much else to write. Oh! Send me mail. My address is
Ellen Zemlin (duh)
c/o BVS Orientation
110 S. High Street
Harrisonburg VA 22801

I'm here until August 6th, and mail doesn't get fowarded.

Farewell!