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Marie Thomas, Peace Corps Volunteer

出版	Independently Published, 2018-02
主題	Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs
ISBN	19769381719781976938177
URL	http://books.google.com.hk/books?id=p_L0tgEACAAJ&hl=&source=gbs_api

註釋In 1973 Marie Thomas joined the Peace Corps at age 61 after retiring as an elementary-school teacher. She felt that she could still be of use, and she wanted to make a difference somewhere else in the world. She also wanted the experience of living in a different country.She was much older than the average Peace Corps Volunteer. That made her something of a "den mother" in the groups she worked with.Still, she had as much to learn as anyone else about living in Bogota, Colombia where she was finally assigned. First of all she had to learn Spanish, and she struggled with that language the whole time she was in Colombia.There were other challenges. She had to adjust her expectations of what she could do as a teacher. Her job was in a guarderia, a day-care facility for the pre-school children of working mothers. At first she was afraid she might become just a baby-sitter, but after awhile she found ways to entertain the children and make their lives just a little brighter.Not long after she got to Bogota she picked up amoebas, a common parasite in that country. Later on she had a bout with la grippa, a severe case of flu. After serving for ten months she had to come home; her poor health would not allow her to work anymore.While in Colombia Marie visited several other cities, notably Medellin and Montezales, Cartagena, and Baranquilla. She was thinking of perhaps transferring to a guarderia in one of those cities. Her travels, mostly by bus, involved many adventures which she spoke of in great detail.She finally decided to stay in Bogota. For one thing, the climate, due to the high altitude, agreed with her. She visited and described nearly all the museums and parks in Bogota, which was a noted cultural center.Marie herself said, "This is not a travelogue," but nevertheless it tells a lot about the flora, fauna, and people. She did a lot of snorkeling and commented on some of the marine life she saw.Come along and enjoy Marie's adventures!