Ruth Ficek Stepien Oral History Interview
Interviewer(s): Robert Klein
Interviewee(s): Ruth Ficek Stepien

Robert Klein: Today is June 10th, 2007. This is Bob Klein. I'm interviewing Ruth Ficek Stepien, who was a Peace Corps volunteer, 1966 to '68 in India in the worldwide secretaries program. So let's go back about a year before you joined to talk about what was going on.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: What was going on, alright. I was, I was working. I had, um, I was working in a job and I was there for a couple of years and I had a boyfriend, and he just joined the Navy.

Robert Klein: Where was the job?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: The job was in, um, Kansas City, Missouri, for the Borden Company. And, and I had graduated from, um, a technical vocational school, and I was a secretary.

Robert Klein: When did you graduate from business school?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: About '64, 1964.

Robert Klein: And before that? Where had you grown up?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Before that, I grew up, um. I was born in North Dakota. Moved to north Missouri when I was ten, graduated from Trenton High School in 1962.

Robert Klein: Where in northern Missouri?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Trenton.

Robert Klein: Trenton.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Trenton High.

Robert Klein: And during the high school years, did you do any volunteer work, any extracurricular activities, any travel?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: I was, uh, my dad was a grade E dairy farmer.

Robert Klein: Uh huh.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And so being a dairy farmer, you didn't travel much. So, but they were, they were leaders, uh, 4-H leaders. So I grew up from, um, from age during the 4-H when I was about eight or nine clear on through high school and they were the leaders. And so of course we had our, we had our, all our projects, our farm projects, our sewing and cooking and. And, um, even one year I raised, I raised a litter of pigs.

Robert Klein: Uh huh.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And, um, that was exciting.

Robert Klein: So you lived and worked on a farm?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yes, yes, outside of town. And we were kind of a model farm for the, um, FFA people that the students and they'd come and observe the dairy farm and, and the crops and we had a very, very nice, nice, nice farm.

Robert Klein: Any brothers and sisters?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: I've got, um, three sisters, older sisters, and a younger brother.

Robert Klein: Oh, okay. So you went to high school?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yes.

Robert Klein: And then when you finished high school, what were your options at that point?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: I wasn't terribly interested in a regular four-year college, and, um, and I'd been interested in probably being a secretary. And, and, um, so I went to Kansas City, Missouri, it had a business college. So I, I went there and I, um, it was like a two year program and got my diploma as a secretary.

Robert Klein: Right. And during the two years, any travel, any special activities?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Uh, not really. Not really.

Robert Klein: Yeah. Okay.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yeah. And of course, on weekends, I go back home and, and, uh, help out and visit.

Robert Klein: Okay. And then so after school, you, did you go straight to work for the Borden Company?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yes. Uh huh. I went to Borden Company and I was there for about two years. And meanwhile, I'd been dating this, this fellow I'd met at the business college, and he, um. Uh, we were getting serious, but not ready for marriage or anything. And so he joined the Navy, and it just, it just sounded like he went off to, well, he went to Vietnam.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And, and I just felt there was something, something else I should be doing.

Robert Klein: Do you, do you remember when you first heard of the Peace Corps or how you heard of the Peace Corps?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Oh, this was in 19, about 1964 at the time. And it was, you know, you could. It was in the newspapers, it was on, um, TV, newspapers. And, and there's a lot of mention of the Peace Corps.

Robert Klein: Do you remember your reaction to hearing about it?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: I just, I just thought that, you know, it was, it was something pretty exciting and, and something I probably should look into.

Robert Klein: Well, good. And do you recall the how and when you made the decision? Well, I'm going to join the Peace Corps.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Well, of course, I, I started, you know, I, I got the. I don't even, I don't remember where I got the application from. I think I sent off.

Robert Klein: Were you living and working in Kansas City?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: In Kansas City at the time. And I send off for more information. They sent me a 12 page application and I, um, went ahead and filled it out and progressed from there.

Robert Klein: And you didn't have any sense that they were really just looking for people with bachelor's degrees or anything?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: At the time, they didn't. They didn't state that's what they were looking for.

Robert Klein: Okay.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Because they said there's, you know, there's, there's agriculture, there's health, health groups. And, um, and I really didn't know what I could be doing.

Robert Klein: What was the reaction of your family and your friends when, or you didn't tell them?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Well, I did. And I think they knew, um, what I was doing.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And, um, of course, my parents, you know, they. Of course, they were concerned about me the whole entire process and the time I was gone, of course. And, um. But.

Robert Klein: What did your sisters think of you? They, I gather.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Well, nobody else had done anything quite like this.

Robert Klein: Exactly.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: A couple of sisters who went off to college, you know, and one sister had a nursing degree. And then my oldest sister is a medical technician. And, uh, and of course, they'd been to, been to college and another sister at home doing a, um, um, art and working on art.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: But no one had taken the steps of going out of the country.

Robert Klein: Right. Right. So they thought you were crazy or they just?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Oh, pretty much. Pretty much. Yeah.

Robert Klein: Okay.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: But I always had a kind of an adventurous, you know, an inquisitive past anyway. So I don't think they were too surprised.

Robert Klein: You were the youngest of four sisters.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: The youngest of the girls, yes.

Robert Klein: Some, in the application process. Often in those days when you signed up, you could indicate an area of preference. I'd rather be in this part of the world. And sometimes you could even indicate a job preference. Do you remember?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: I remember that. And, and, I was, I was very unsure because I'd never been outside of the country.

Robert Klein: Right.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: So I had absolutely no preference.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: No preference. And as far as working at something, like I said, I'd been a secretary. I didn't know what else I could do. And, um.

Robert Klein: Except you'd grown up on a farm.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Right. Farm background.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And, uh, so I just put down on the application what I knew and what I felt I could do and.

Robert Klein: Right.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yeah.

Robert Klein: And then you seem to remember that you took the entrance exam.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: I think I took one, yes. Yeah.

Robert Klein: In the post office building.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Post office basement. Um, some government exam.

Robert Klein: And you got the references.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And got the references and, uh, and then sent in my application and, and, uh, just kind of supplied them after that, what they asked for and.

Robert Klein: And then what happened?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Well, they sent me, of course, my medical exam. They sent me to a doctor and dentist and, um, sent everything in and just kind of waited around.

Robert Klein: And in the meantime, you were still working?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: I was working. I was working.

Robert Klein: Had you announced at work that you might be leaving or?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Um, no, I don't think so.

Robert Klein: Okay.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: I don't think so.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And I enjoyed my work. You know, it's my first, first real job. I enjoyed it.

Robert Klein: And then what happened?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Well, I got, um, I think I got a letter that said I was, uh, either letter or telegram, that I was accepted and then the information to, uh, um, report for training at a certain, certain date. And this was about March of, um, 1996 [1966], I believe.

Robert Klein: '66, yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: So, of course, I gave my notice at work and informed my family.

Robert Klein: And what?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And of course, they were excited, you know, for me, of course, the opportunity.

Robert Klein: And did you have any second thoughts?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: No, never. Never.

Robert Klein: So, you were ready.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: I was just ready to just, just. I was ready to do anything.

Robert Klein: Did the letter or telegram indicate where you'd be going?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Um.

Robert Klein: Or just that you'd be going into training?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: I think. I think, you know, I don't remember. I don't remember, but somehow when I got to training, maybe that's when I found out. When I got to training in Washington, D.C.

Robert Klein: Okay. So you flew to Washington.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yes.

Robert Klein: Was it the first time flying?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yes, it was. It was the first time. I'm just a farm girl, you know?

Robert Klein: Yeah, yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And, uh, first time flying. So I left out of Kansas City, TWA. And, uh.

Robert Klein: That must have really made it an event.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: It was wonderful. I just loved every minute of it. And went to D.C. And I think when I got to Washington, and we all met at a hotel and stayed at a hotel, I think that's where we got our information on where we were going. And of course, our training, our language training.

Robert Klein: So the program described to you was worldwide secretary?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Right.

Robert Klein: So you were reasonably sure that whatever you were going to go somewhere and work as a secretary.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Right.

Robert Klein: Okay.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And that was, that was okay with me because I knew, you know, I knew I could do it.

Robert Klein: Yeah, yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: You know, um.

Robert Klein: I'm curious, when you, when you first reported to Washington, you got to the hotel. Now there's a group.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yes, there was about, I would say, near 30. Um. Females.

Robert Klein: All women?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Women. And we were all, um, most of us had been working as secretaries in a job.

Robert Klein: How did you feel about the group? I mean, now you made this decision to join and all of a sudden you're in the midst of a couple of dozen other people. And I think inevitably you sort of look at, you know, wonder, do I match up? Do you remember your reaction?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Oh, I think I did. And everybody was from, you know, all across the United States. And, um, then we were given, um, informed which country they intended for us to go and, um, and so. So we had three months of training.

Robert Klein: And that was all in Washington?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Uh huh, George Washington University area.

Robert Klein: Yeah. But you said you stayed at the hotel?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Stayed at the hotel. And we had, we had, um, uh, our language training in the hotel also. And they, they had, uh, instructors come in. Native language instructors.

Robert Klein: And now at that point, of the 30 or so, were all going to India?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: No, there was, um, oh, I think they had slated like 14 different countries.

Robert Klein: Oh, okay.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Different countries. They had three of us, or at the time four of us, taking five Indian, um, Hindu, um, language classes. They had Africa. Um. Philippines, Thailand.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Um, just many, many countries.

Robert Klein: So for the language training, you really split into small groups?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yes, we did.

Robert Klein: And was that, in the initial phase of training, was that every day?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Every day. Six days a week. Every morning from about 8:00 to 12:00, we had language training.

Robert Klein: Okay.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And then in the afternoons we had, um, we met as groups and maybe one group and they gave us like general culture, um, culture training information about culture in other countries and.

Robert Klein: Was that general, it wasn't specific to India?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Um, I think most of it was, was general and kind of highlighting all the countries then. So everybody got kind of a, a general of different countries.

Robert Klein: So it was the whole group.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yeah, uh huh. And then we had like physical education. We went and had swimming like twice a week or so.

Robert Klein: At George Washington?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yes, uh huh. And those that didn't know how to swim, they learned.

Robert Klein: Oh, okay.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And, and just, just for some, you know, physical education.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And, uh.

Robert Klein: Did anyone say, well, in order to go, you need to learn the language, or was it just?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: It was.

Robert Klein: It would be good if you learned it?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Well, they pretty much said when you, uh, you needed to know the language to go to a country.

Robert Klein: Did, did they, in training you did the language. You did the culture studies. In those days, they also were doing something called American Studies World Communism. Do you recall if they?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: No, I don't recall.

Robert Klein: Any of that? Yeah, they may have dropped it.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yeah. So there was language, cultural studies, and physical education.

Yeah.

Robert Klein: How about medical training?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Medical? Not really. But we were, we were kind of, um, there was a psychologist that came in and visited with each of us.

Robert Klein: So you had separate interviews.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Right.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Uh huh. And, um.

Robert Klein: Do you recall the interview?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Sort of, um. And I think he just kind of visited with you on, on, on, uh, background and reaction and potential incidents that may occur. And, and, uh, yeah.

Robert Klein: Did he ask if you were leaving a boyfriend and would you miss him and?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: He probably did. And family. And he probably did.

Robert Klein: Was, do you know if the FBI was doing the background check while you were?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yes, they did.

Robert Klein: How did you know?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Um, I think they told us that we were going to be investigated.

Robert Klein: Yeah. Did anyone from back home say, oh, the FBI came and?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Uh. I don't think anybody actually saw anybody.

Robert Klein: Okay. Yeah. And what were you writing back to the family while you were?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Oh, I just, you know, I, I wrote letters so they could see what was going on, what we were doing. Yeah.

Robert Klein: Uh, and how long was the training?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Training was three months. Three.

Robert Klein: And it was just the pattern we talked about. Was there anything else? At any point that they try to teach you Peace Corps procedures or?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yes, they did I think. Yeah.

Robert Klein: Did you get a chance to visit Peace Corps headquarters?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: No, we didn't.

Robert Klein: It was downtown, it was near the White House.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: I think we had speakers come in, though, and, and, uh. Yeah. And then on our own, you know, we could take, you know, we visited Washington, D.C., we had picnics and, and, um, um. Yeah, we had some free time.

Robert Klein: Yeah, yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yeah. And it was during cherry blossom time, and it was just beautiful.

Robert Klein: Yeah. So you had a chance to see Washington as well?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yes.

Robert Klein: Uh, did anyone from Washington, from Peace Corps staff, come and say, well, your program's a little bit different in the?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yes, they did.

Robert Klein: And what was it they said?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: They said it was kind of an experimental thing, and the Peace Corps was. There was so many, um, Peace Corps volunteers at that time in the field and, and, and offices were opening up regional offices in countries and they just, they needed, um. They needed quality people in the offices because local people with the customs and everything just couldn't, couldn't produce as we were used to doing it in the States.

Robert Klein: Ah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And, and they just needed some, some good help. And, um, and there was two programs of worldwide secretaries and I was, um, I believe I was the second, second program.

Robert Klein: Right. So your expectation then was that you were going to be going to India but.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Working in an office.

Robert Klein: That you'd be working in the Peace Corps, a Peace Corps office.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Right, right.

Robert Klein: Okay.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Mm hmm. And then that was the last of the program. I don't know why they. We were, there was only two programs only.

Robert Klein: Yeah. The sixties, this time was I think when the greatest number of Peace Corps volunteers were overseas, maybe up to 15,000. And another part of training usually is the selection process. You mentioned that a psychologist had interviewed you. Do you recall people talking about selection as to whether you were going to make it or not?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Oh, yes. Everybody was being that they said, you know, they said the language was very important. To me, I, myself, I had, I thought I had a difficult time learning this language because it was a difficult language.

Robert Klein: And what language was it?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Hindi.

Robert Klein: Hindi. Okay.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And, um, and there was about, about five of us in that class and, and, uh, so we knew it was important that we, we learn. So I, I did my best.

Robert Klein: And usually with training there's a mid selection board and then a final selection board. So somewhere in the middle of training, all of a sudden a few people disappeared.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Well, I think in our program, as I recall, it was only final.

Robert Klein: Okay. Okay.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yeah.

Robert Klein: And do you recall what happened? I mean, how you were informed?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: I think, I think they met individually at the end and let us know whether we were accepted or not. In my, in my India class, out of the five of us, only three of us were selected.

Robert Klein: Oh.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And I was surprised as to maybe one that was not selected. Of course, I didn't know her background either but.

Robert Klein: Had the five you become sort of friendly?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yes. Oh, yeah. Because we were with each other, you know, all the time, so yeah.

Robert Klein: And you weren't inclined to protest that someone had been deselected.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: No.

Robert Klein: Yeah. So end of the three months you, final selection.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Final selection. Got the, they let us know who and went home and.

Robert Klein: So you had home leave.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yes. Had a home leave and they, of course, we had our little list of what they suggested we take with us.

Robert Klein: Right.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And, um, I don't remember how long I was home. Not too long.

Robert Klein: And did anyone from the family sort of say, okay, now, why don't you give it up or?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: No, no, no.

Robert Klein: Everybody was.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: They were very excited for me.

Robert Klein: Oh, great.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Nervous.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Probably. And, but, uh, I think they were all excited for me.

Robert Klein: Yeah. Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: So went home and packed and took care of my, um, affairs and my, my banking and, and, uh, anything else I had to do and. And, uh, flew to New York.

Robert Klein: And what was your feeling as you were leaving heading for India?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Excited.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: I was just, I was just ready for anything. I was excited.

Robert Klein: Do you sort of picture that, well, that puts the whole farm thing behind me and I'm now moving into a new, new world.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Right.

Robert Klein: So you reported to New York.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: New York. And of course, they, they sent us. Um, they sent me airline, an airline ticket, of course. And, um, I think most of us or some of us, some of the groups, we went together.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And, uh, my India group met in New York.

Robert Klein: So it was just three of you?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: At JFK Airport. Mm hmm. Right. And, um.

Robert Klein: Do you join a group going over or you just flew, the three of you just flew commercial?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Oh, it's commercial.

Robert Klein: Oh, okay.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yeah.

Robert Klein: So just the three of you.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yeah. And, um, and of course, the other, I think at the airport we did see maybe from other groups going to their countries, you know?

Robert Klein: Uh huh, yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And uh, so yeah, we all met there and then, and then flew over to New Delhi together. Well, first, first we moved, we. From New York, we flew to London, and um, of course went through the customs and, um, flew to London.

Robert Klein: It all must have seemed so strange to you.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: It was, but it was exciting.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: I loved it. And then from, uh, London, we went to, um, flew to Moscow.

Robert Klein: Oh, wow.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And this was like late in the evening and everything. The airport was outside of the city and, and, and everything was dark and gloomy and, and, uh. So we got off the plane there and went inside the terminal for, for tea, and we were there for a couple of hours I think.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And then.

Robert Klein: Was there someone who was escorting you or it was just the three of you were on your own?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Um, I think someone. I think we were on our own, but, but there was other passengers on the plane.

Robert Klein: Oh, sure.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: That were taking kind of the same trip maybe.

Robert Klein: Were the other two come from the same kind of background as you?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Um, let me see. I think one gal was from Minnesota. Um, I think we all had varied backgrounds.

Robert Klein: Mm hmm. Of the three, who took the lead in saying, well, maybe we should go there to get our visas or maybe we should?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: I think we just kind of, we kind of went with the flow of the passengers.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And but, but I was. I think my first time to be really nervous was when we got to Moscow and, and, the, the plane parked out on the runway somewhere. And it was like I said, it was dark and gloomy. And as we exited the plane, they took our passports.

Robert Klein: Yes.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: That made me nervous. That made me nervous. And then we boarded a bus and the bus took us to the terminal and it was so quiet and no passengers.

Robert Klein: It was early in the morning?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: I think this was in the evening.

Robert Klein: Oh, okay. Yes.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: But there wasn't anybody around.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: We sat at this table and we had tea and, and, um, eventually they told us we could get, we could board. So got back on the bus and got back on the plane. And all this time I was thinking, oh my gosh, I hope they're giving me my passport, you know? And, um, finally, once we got back on the plane and took off, they did.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: They did.

Robert Klein: Your identity.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Oh, yes, I was, I was Ruth again so. And then from there, we went to New Delhi.

Robert Klein: Okay. Talk about arriving in New Delhi.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Oh, it was, I think we arrived like early morning because, um. And, um. Got off the plane and.

Robert Klein: You must have been pretty exhausted because you've been traveling.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Well, you know, I don't remember that. When you're 23 years old, I don't think, I don't think you get exhausted.

Robert Klein: Oh, okay.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: I don't so, I wasn't. That, that's not even a, um, I don't remember that.

Robert Klein: But the adrenaline must have been flowing.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Right, yeah. Anyway, I think we got a chance to sleep on the plane and a little. And, um, so we got to. And there was the, uh, the office, Peace Corps office in New Delhi met us. And, um, from there. First thing I noticed was it was, it was hot already, and this was in about May.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: About May sometime. And it was pretty warm. Um. And they took us by car to a hotel and we checked in and we stayed at the hotel there for, in New Delhi, for I think about three days. And I remember that we all went down as a group for breakfast and then they.

Robert Klein: It's still the three of you?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Three of us. And then, and then they'd come from the office and have breakfast with us. And. And um.

Robert Klein: Do you remember first trying to use your Hindi?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: See, like in the hotel we didn't need to.

Robert Klein: Okay. Everybody spoke?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yeah. Everybody spoke English.

Robert Klein: Although, you must have taken a while to tune into Indian English cause of the accents?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yeah, yeah. But, uh, but I think, I think when the I, I looked out, the hotel was like maybe five stories high, and that was like maybe on the third or fourth floor, looking down. Pretty much the first, the first look of India. And there was some, some stucco little houses down there with tin roofs and homes.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And there was like a little, little, tiny, narrow canal in front and they dumped their sewage in it and, and um, and the chattering and the, and the kids playing and, and I thought, okay, this is India.

Robert Klein: Different than Kansas.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yeah, very much, and Missouri.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: So then I, I, uh, then I also remember going, um, for breakfast to the dining room of the hotel.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Oh my gosh. The, the, uh, fruit they put before us. Mangoes, papayas. I've never tasted anything so good. Of course, at home, we had our fresh peaches off the trees and pears and plums and everything. That was, that was good. But this was just wonderful.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: It was so good.

Robert Klein: Yeah. A nice welcome to the country.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yes.

Robert Klein: So during the three days, did you go to the Peace Corps office or just hang around?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Oh, I think they let us rest quite a bit.

Robert Klein: Uh huh.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Um, which I can remember doing, pulling the shades and just sleeping and, um. And then they'd come over and, um, you know, I. If they took us to the office, I don't remember. I don't remember.

Robert Klein: That's okay.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: But yeah.

Robert Klein: And do you remember your first introduction to Indian food? I mean, the breakfast was exotic.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Oh, it was. It was wonderful.

Robert Klein: How about, I mean, I picture curries, but, uh.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Probably in the dining room. Um. Of course I liked, you know, I liked everything I ate, the curries and the.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And, uh. Of course, and I think in a nice hotel like that, they tend to serve European type food rather than the local Indian.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: So yeah.

Robert Klein: So after the three days?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Three days, we, um, they put me on a plane and I went down to Hyderabad. Another gal went to Bangalore. Another one went to, I believe it was Madras.

Robert Klein: And New Delhi was the main Peace Corps office?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yes.

Robert Klein: And who told you where you were going and what it was?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Oh, the director.

Robert Klein: Do you remember who it was?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Um, I don't. I'm sorry.

Robert Klein: That's alright.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yeah, I don't.

Robert Klein: But what were you told? You were going to be a secretary in?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: In the regional office.

Robert Klein: Okay. And what was the region?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Region was, um, well, it was like the central. It was Andhra Pradesh, which is a very big state in India. And there were many volunteer, many groups there already.

Robert Klein: And the center was Hyderabad.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Right.

Robert Klein: Okay. So you flew, another flight?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yes. Flew to end the course.

Robert Klein: Just by yourself?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yes. Yes. And, and then the office met me. The director met me. I mean, the regional director met me. And I remember her name was Joyce Russell.

Robert Klein: Mm hmm.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And the assistant regional. And there was two of them at the time, Tom Ahrens. And the next one was Nick. Oh. I'll remember his name. So two assistant regional directors. And they all met me and.

Robert Klein: All Americans?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yes. And they met me and brought me back to the office. And I think she, um, Joyce had had a home there and, um.

Robert Klein: In Hyderabad?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: In Hyderabad, and, uh, so I think first we went to her house and, and, and in a couple of weeks, she was gonna be taking a leave back to the States. So she asked me if I'd like to stay there while she was gone.

Robert Klein: Mm hmm.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And it was, it was very nice. I mean it's a beautiful, beautiful home, and uh.

Robert Klein: She must have had a few servants.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yes. [tape break] Oh. Um.

Robert Klein: So that must have been a novelty. I mean, I'm sure you would not had a personal cook or.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: No, and I didn't. And his name was Joseph, and he was wonderful. And, of course, he already knew to fix Joyce her favorite meals and some Indian meals. And I'd never been waited on before, ever.

Robert Klein: Right.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And it was a very strange feeling.

Robert Klein: I mean, you, you must have at some point said, I'm supposed to be a Peace Corps volunteer, and here I am, you know, living in the lap of luxury.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Right. So, but, but I started off right away going to the office and, and, uh.

Robert Klein: How far was it from the house to the office?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Um.

Robert Klein: Well, how'd you get there?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: I walked. Um. Oh, I would say. I think at first, I think the associate director would maybe come. He had a vehicle assigned to him. And I, I think while I was maybe at his, at Joyce's house, I think he picked me up.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: But, uh, later on in my own place, I walked.

Robert Klein: Right. But let's stay with the first couple of weeks while you're there. You're staying at Joyce's.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: I think he picked me up. Yeah, because it was further out.

Robert Klein: You weren't nervous walking the streets?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: No.

Robert Klein: Okay. So you settled into Joyce's.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Uh huh. Go to the office and.

Robert Klein: You're at the office, and describe the office.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: The office was, uh, was a, um, had been like a two story house and they transformed it into, into offices.

Robert Klein: Yeah. And.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Um, there already was a volunteer there from the first secretarial program. Her name was Barbara. And um, so she was working for the, mainly for Joyce, the director, regional director. And I assisted the associate directors. [dog barks] And um, and there was two there. So we were on the second floor and uh, and so I got to know the, uh. [tape stops]

Robert Klein: So we're talking about your first few days at work.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: In the office and, um.

Robert Klein: Now, how many, how many volunteers were in that region, approximately?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: That region? Oh my. Oh, hundreds. It probably was.

Robert Klein: It was in the hundreds?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: In India itself, there were 1,500 volunteers.

Robert Klein: Wow.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: In this region there was, oh, I would say. I would guess four or 500 about.

Robert Klein: And what were they doing?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Oh, there were programs, um, health programs. Um, agriculture, like poultry. And um.

Robert Klein: Any teachers?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Um, yes, some teachers and, oh, lots of agriculture type programs, gardening type. There were two volunteers in Hyderabad and they were working with, in auto maintenance.

Robert Klein: Huh.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And they were working with maybe I think it was privately or government owned maintenance programs. And so they're working with them.

Robert Klein: Training mechanics and?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Right.

Robert Klein: Yeah. Mm hmm.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And, uh.

Robert Klein: Was there, uh, well, let's talk about the office a little more. So you were secretary to the two assistant directors. And what was the typical workday like?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Oh, typical was.

Robert Klein: If there was one.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Oh, pretty much. Um, start about probably 8:30 or 9:00, and um, until 5:00 or 6:00 at night. And when it was during busy times, I could be there at 8:00 at night working.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Because, um, there were so many volunteers and then, then continuously there was volunteers coming into the region. So we had to plan to meet them and hand out materials and um, take care of those volunteers. Usually they were in the city probably a couple days, so we had to arrange for, um, for them to stay at a hotel.

Robert Klein: Were you doing those arrangements or did the assistants?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Mostly the assistants, but I kind of helped them.

Robert Klein: The backup, yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: There's a lot of correspondence then with, with the volunteers in the field, if they had questions, if they had problems or issues, and um, even correspondence with, um, local, um, government people.

Robert Klein: Oh, okay. Now this is all for the most part written and you're working off the typewriter?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Oh, yes.

Robert Klein: You're typing up.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Oh, yes, the typewriter. Oh my. Of course, they were manual back then. This was 1966.

Robert Klein: It was not, it wasn't an electric?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: I think the electrics were. I think there were electrics but.

Robert Klein: Back in the U.S. Yeah, not there.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: No, they were manual typewriters and.

Robert Klein: Carbon paper.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Carbon paper. And I, I think, I was used to, you know, fairly nice at my last, at the job I had, uh, in the States, you know, a fairly nice typewriter. But this was some government issue or something. Very, very difficult to type. And, and I, I think I asked for maybe if there was an, eventually, pretty soon I got a nicer typewriter like, like an Underwood or something.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Which, which was much better than the first issue. But uh, oh yes, everything was typed.

Robert Klein: And the kinds of correspondence you were handling was communications with volunteers.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: The volunteers, manuals. Um.

Robert Klein: Manuals?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: For the new volunteers maybe, because I think we, all the groups that came in were like doing something different, like one group of, of, of, uh, nursing, not nursing, but health care. And the next group would be agriculture of some kind. So, so.

Robert Klein: And this was mostly technical, kind of?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Technical and.

Robert Klein: How to do the job?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Uh, I think suggestions or maybe suggestions? And then other things were, um, maybe how to dealing with maybe the local people. And I believe things like that, that nature.

Robert Klein: Was there a lot of correspondence that you handled with between the office and the main office or directly with Washington?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Not with Washington. If it would be any place, it'd probably be the regional office. I mean, I mean, the main office in New Delhi.

Robert Klein: So you didn't get involved with.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Not Washington, no.

Robert Klein: Do you recall if you had a security clearance? I mean, there were some documents that were classified.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Uh, I don't know.

Robert Klein: Limited official use and.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yeah, I don't remember that.

Robert Klein: Okay, it's possible.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And then in the office also, there were some, some, uh, national, Indian national people.

Robert Klein: Oh, okay.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And I remember one was, his name was Cirrus and he did some typing. And of course, the, uh, and then there was another one. There was a gal, her name was Hydra and she was. She was a, uh, she was a Hindu.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: She came in in her saris and she did some typing. But I, I just remember, though, that I just was a little appalled at how. [dog barks, tape stops] That I remember something I see after I had typed something and, and their work was, of course, culturally so different. I mean, mistakes and, and, of course, the, the sentence structure and all that was just, it was so different. It was just interesting how different it was.

Robert Klein: And you weren't expected to supervise or correct her work?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: I, I think occasionally, yes. Yeah. If it was too bad, they just had to do it over. But of course the Indians, even, even the government officials, um, you know, they were used to that, that sort of English, you know, they were. Cause we got letters from them the same way, so we weren't too concerned about it.

Robert Klein: But it wasn't a role that Peace Corps or your staff or the directors said, well, why don't you try to help them?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Occasionally I did, yes, yes.

Robert Klein: Oh, okay. Okay.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: But, uh, yeah, I, I enjoyed, I enjoyed working with them and, and, uh.

Robert Klein: By now, have you had a chance to begin using your Hindi or was it more comfortable to work in English?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: We were in the office. It, of course, English and we were so busy that, that, you know, I had Sunday off and, and, uh, and that for a while Sunday was just, well, the whole time I was there, Sunday was just, you know, rest as much as you could because we had long, long days and long hours.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: But, uh. But I used Hindi for, um, uh, maybe the, oh, some of the office, maybe the, the. We had some janitors and.

Robert Klein: Were there drivers, Peace Corps drivers?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yes.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Uh, yeah, we had, we had a driver also. Yeah. So I kind of experimented. Use it here and there.

Robert Klein: So after three or four weeks, did you wake up one morning and say, oh my goodness, I'm in India and I'm a Peace Corps volunteer?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: No, I think, I think I realized it from the first day I arrived in Delhi, you know, and it was just. And of course, everything was just, you know, something every day was something new and different I'd see and experience. Yeah.

Robert Klein: Let's talk now about, initially you stayed at Joyce's house.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Right. Right.

Robert Klein: Let's talk about the transition.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Okay. And then after she was gone, she was in the States for about a month, she came back and, and so I think I was there for another, um, week or two and, and started looking for my own place.

Robert Klein: Oh, okay.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And, um, I don't know how I found, I think it's just word of mouth because, um, because of course all the Indians were just, you know, there's, there's foreigners, Americans and, and we just got a lot of, a lot of attention from everybody and, and about. Someone came to the office and asked if anybody was looking for a place to live. And in this neighborhood, they had just finished building a little, a little, little house. And so I went to see it and.

Robert Klein: How far from the office?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Um, walking. It was about, about 15 minutes.

Robert Klein: Oh, okay.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: So, um. So I moved there and went.

Robert Klein: Describe the house.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Okay. It was kind of a stucco structure. And you walked in the front door, which was out, well, of course, a little court like yard around it and through the gate. And it was front door and off to the left was kind of a, kind of a diamond shaped room. And it was, it was the kitchen area.

Robert Klein: Uh huh.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And, um, and that's where I had my meals. And there was a window and, and a couple of windows and they had my meals there. And, uh, and then there was a door. To the back of this room, there was a door out the back with the little, uh, a couple of steps. There was another little door, and that was the restroom.

Robert Klein: Okay.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Okay. Of course there wasn't. It was just a little walk-in with the hole in the floor.

Robert Klein: Right, right.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And, um. And then, uh.

Robert Klein: Did you have electricity?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Uh. Yes, I did. Um, but not all day long.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yeah.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And, uh. And then. And then from the front door forward, there's like a little, little room. And there was, uh, used as my bedroom. And then there was, uh, uh, another little sitting room. And I just, I put, like, a couch in there.

Robert Klein: Now, Peace Corps was paying the rent?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: They gave me an allowance. They gave all the volunteers an allowance.

Robert Klein: So you got the same as any other volunteer?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: I think the volunteers in, in the cities got a little more because there was just, the cost of living was a little bit more. So I got a little bit more than the, the ones out in, uh, in the little villages.

Robert Klein: Did you also get a settling in allowance so you could buy some furniture?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Uh, yes, I did. So I got, um, of course, a table and some pots and pans and.

Robert Klein: Did anyone from Peace Corps come out and check the place to see that it was appropriate? Or are they just trust that you?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: I don't think so, no. I don't remember. I don't think so.

Robert Klein: So this is the end of your second month, third month, is when?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Oh, this is probably into the, probably about the third by that time. About the third.

Robert Klein: Did you hire a steward?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: I hired, um, a cook. Yes.

Robert Klein: A cook. Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Uh huh. And, um.

Robert Klein: And the Peace Corps had no problem with that?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: No.

Robert Klein: They didn't say you should not.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And I think, I think the cook I got was recommended by maybe Joyce, the, uh, regional director's cook, Joseph. I think maybe he recommended her as someone he knew. So. So it was easy that way. I didn't have to go and, you know.

Robert Klein: Do you remember her name?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Um. I think. No, I don't.

Robert Klein: Okay.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: But I've got it written down in my journal but.

Robert Klein: That's alright. But she did the shopping and the cooking?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yes, and I didn't have, um, no refrigerator, of course, or anything like that. So every morning, every morning, she'd go out. She'd come in and she'd go out and do the, uh, do the shopping.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And, um, I think I walked home for lunch and she'd have lunch prepared.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And then I'd go back to the office and probably take about an hour off for lunch.

Robert Klein: Right.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And then I go back to the office and she'd have, um, dinner for me when I came back.

Robert Klein: The houses around you, were Indians were living there?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Uh, yes. It was just a typical Indian neighborhood.

Robert Klein: Right.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And my landlords lived in the back.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Kind of you walked from the courtyard, well, not really a courtyard, but not much there. You walk through the front gate and kind of past my house, and they, their family lived right back there. And it was a typical little kind of, uh, old, old stucco, shaggy type thing. And, uh, and that's where they lived. Yeah.

Robert Klein: What were your relations with the landlord's family?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: It was good. It was good. They were very, they had, they had a herd of cows. And they had a little, and I'm just now remembering, I don't know how they managed to build this little new addition on. I really never thought about it and never asked. I'm just now, I don't know how it happened. But, but they had this herd of buffalo and, and, um. Anyway, my, outside my front door, there was a window and they put a little flower box. And I thought, wow, I'm a farm girl. I can grow anything I want. Flowers. I thought flowers would be beautiful. So I put flowers in there and the buffalo would come around and eat my flowers. I never had flowers. They're all eaten down, you know? And, uh. But, um.

Robert Klein: So were you comfortable in living alone in that setting?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yes, I was.

Robert Klein: That's good. I mean, because you're in the midst of.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yeah.

Robert Klein: People who are different.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Right. And I had a lock on my door and, of course, I used that. And they had, you know, they had children and sons and, and, uh.

Robert Klein: Were you able to become friends with any of the family or?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yes. And one of their sons was, um, he liked to draw. So I remember sitting in the chair one day and he, and I've still got the drawing. He drew my picture. He drew my picture. And, and, of course, they loved American music.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: They had radios and they were listening to American music and, and, uh. So they were curious and we'd talk. Yeah.

Robert Klein: Mostly in English?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Um, both. And I, mostly in English, yes. Yeah. And, uh, and, you know, they'd try to help me with my Hindu because I wasn't very good and. And in, in a way I could, I could, I could, uh, communicate with, with their parents, my landlords, and, and by words, by gestures, by their little English. So we got along fine.

Robert Klein: Sometimes the most difficult time for a volunteer is the first Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yeah.

Robert Klein: And do you recall?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yes, I do. Um, let's see, Thanksgiving. I remember we had. There was a doctor in town, like a.

Robert Klein: Peace Corps doctor?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Peace Corps doctor. And I don't know, of course, this is the first Thanksgiving or the second, but. But probably the second. I don't remember the first. We went to, uh. Okay. The first Thanksgiving here is coming back to me. The first Thanksgiving, we went to the regional director's house and, um.

Robert Klein: Joyce.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Joyce. And of course, the associate directors had their own places and we all came and, and, uh.

Robert Klein: It was just the staff?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Like a potluck thing. And the staff and, and any of the volunteers that were in town or in the area could come too. So there was a full house of volunteers and we had, um, I remember we had, um, turkey probably. Somewhere they got turkey. Yeah. Yeah.

Robert Klein: Well, was there was there an American community in Hyderabad?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yes, there was a USAID office.

Robert Klein: And so there was probably a commissary for them.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Uh, I.

Robert Klein: Or it wasn't a.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: I don't think so because I don't recall ever. I don't know that there was.

Robert Klein: Probably there was in New Delhi and it may be that they could get stuff from there.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And of course, they said, you know, we were welcome to get, ask our families to send food and whatever. I mean, like dry foods.

Robert Klein: And did you?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yes, I did. Yeah. But, uh, yeah, we had Thanksgiving at the, and then the second year we had Thanksgiving I remember at the, at the doctor's home.

Robert Klein: Do you recall the doctor's name?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Uh, Allen Margolis. And he was married and, um, because he wasn't there when I got there, he was, came like a year later.

Robert Klein: In Hyderabad, was there a Peace Corps hostel so that?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Um.

Robert Klein: Volunteers coming from upcountry?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: No, no, I think any volunteers that came in for a while either stayed with other volunteers or maybe I think, I think the Peace Corps had stayed, um, paid for a hotel.

Robert Klein: Oh, but there weren't that many volunteers assigned in the Hyderabad area?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: No.

Robert Klein: You said just two that you knew.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: The two mechanics, um, and about two of us in the office and then the directors and no. Yeah.

Robert Klein: And so during the first year there were two Peace Corps secretaries?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Right. And, well, she left, I think it was just a matter of months and she left.

Robert Klein: Oh, okay.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yeah. She went back to the States. Well, I was the replacement.

Robert Klein: Okay, so it was just you then?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Right. Yeah.

Robert Klein: And, uh, some Indian staff.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Right.

Robert Klein: Again, during the first year would, was there a lot of volunteer traffic through the office? I mean, weekends tend to be?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Not so much weekends, but about every, oh, I want to say every six months or so, we'd bring one group in for a little R&R, a little, some conference time and some good time.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And so then we put them up in a, in a hotel and, and have the meetings and they'd wander in and out of the office and, and use some of our facilities like phones and typing and um.

Robert Klein: Did you become close friends with any of the volunteers more than others?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Not really. Didn't have a chance to, um.

Robert Klein: Sounds like you were very busy.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Very busy. Really, yeah. But one good thing. Oh, also, while they were in town, um, of course, we'd go out and eat together.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And there's a couple of night spots and we'd go in there and. And they had, um, of course, American music and these Indian bands, and we'd go out there on the floor and we'd dance like the, the twist in the, in the, in the, all that, all those dances. And the Indians of course they just watched, you know, and they were so fascinated with it. And we just had such a good time. And the Indian beer was so good.

Robert Klein: Uh huh.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: So good. And it was, uh, it was a darker, heavier beer. And it was wonderful.

Robert Klein: It came in liter bottles, the large size?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yes, the large size. And it was good. And then, um. Of course, also women, Indian women, you'd see them out in the streets once in a while, but, but you'd never see them at the movies. You'd never see them, um, at these nightclubs and restaurants. You'd never, Indian women just didn't go out. Men did, of course.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And, um, of course, they were fascinated with us women. That's for sure.

Robert Klein: Did any of the Indian men try to date you or did you date?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yes. Yes, there's one. And, um, he was a Sikh. And, um. And I don't know exactly where I met him, but he and a friend would. They'd come over and hang out and.

Robert Klein: Come over to?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: To my house and he'd bring me little gifts. And one gift was, oh, please take my dog. He'll be company for you. So and so this little, it was a cute little. Oh, I don't know what kind, little, like a Scottie or something like that, but it was just hairy and it'd never been trimmed and.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And, and, so okay, I, it was a kind of a cute dog and he'd sleep under my bed and next thing I knew, my, my little cot and my, my little mattress was covered with ticks.

Robert Klein: Fleas.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Fleas and ticks and crawling little things. And finally I said, please take your dog back because there's bugs everywhere.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And then I had to clean my place up. So he took that back and he gave me, he gave me, um, shoes, high heeled shoes. And, um, he took me to visit his, I think an aunt lived in town, and he and his friend took me over there and we had tea and I visited with her and it was very interesting. And they had, apparently they're pretty wealthy. She had a nice place. Nice place.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And then every once in a while he'd take me out to, um, oh, he'd come by and we'd have lunch. We'd go to a hotel and the dining room. And I remember sitting there and these, well, we had maybe a drink. Huge, huge cashews.

Robert Klein: Oh.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: They were wonderful. We'd go in the dining room and have this wonderful big meal. And then I had to go back to work and work on a full stomach. And I remember, oh, it was just a little bit too much, you know.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: But so we did every once in a while and then, um, but uh. One nice thing about it, though, he, he, uh, he wanted to be friends, but he didn't want to be, um, no romance, which was a relief for me because I didn't have to deal with that. And then somebody said later on that he was married but.

Robert Klein: Yeah, yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: But, but, but he was just, we were just friends.

Robert Klein: It was just companionship.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Right. And I think he was very curious as to, as to American women. And so.

Robert Klein: And he spoke obviously English.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: He spoke good English, yeah.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: But he'd been educated well, and yeah. But, uh, and then he took me on a, on a safari.

Robert Klein: Oh.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And they call them shikars. Shikars.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: So he and his friend and, um, in a jeep, a driver. And we went out, it was just supposed to be like a weekend over one night, overnight thing. Ended up almost three days, just incident after incident with the drivers and, oh my, but, uh, it was interesting. It was, it was kind of fun.

Robert Klein: Was it in an area that was particularly beautiful or wild animals or just?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Well, we went to look for wild animals and then so it was the two of them. It was me. It was a driver. And then a couple other men that had, had the guns. And, and I don't know if the other two men just wanted to go along or they were kind of like, probably like guides.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And so we traveled and traveled in a jeep, and it wasn't all that comfortable, you know?

Robert Klein: Right.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And, uh, then we'd stop and eat. And, um, I remember the first night we stayed in a little hostel someplace. Yeah. And, uh, and then.

Robert Klein: Were you on leave from, taking vacation from work?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Like I said, it was just, it was supposed to be just a little weekend trip. Like a Saturday and a Sunday maybe. I took like one day off, and, um. And then we didn't see any animals. We'd even be driving at night in the, in the brush and the, kind of like the, like we were talking about in Tucson and Phoenix area, kind of the scrubby, scrubby country. And, and we never saw one animal. Not one.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And then these, these other two guides whatever they were, complaining the whole entire time because they wanted a nice. They wanted like to spend more time out there. And we went to visit some, it was a little grass hut.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Clear out in the country somewhere. And, and apparently the, the, the guides knew, knew the family. And so we went there and we visited for a while and then we took off again and we were like hours away. All of a sudden these guys realized, oh, they left their guns at the hut. That's when we, that's when we found that little hostel, I guess.

Robert Klein: Yeah. Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: They were gone, oh, they were gone over half a day.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Almost a day they were gone, going back after their, after their guns and. And we just figured they did it on purpose, you know, but we stayed at this hostel and slept and ate and.

Robert Klein: No one had cell phones.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Nothing, nothing. Finally they came back and we went out again and. And, you know, I was, they delivered me back to Hyderabad like a whole day later, later than I was supposed to have been.

Robert Klein: And people in the office worried about you or?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: They were concerned.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: They were concerned but, uh.

Robert Klein: Nothing they could do.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Nothing they could do. And of course, you know, being it was India after I got back and told my story, they understood. So yeah.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: So that that was kind of, yeah, it was fun.

Robert Klein: And the first Christmas?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: First Christmas I was, I was, uh, raised Catholic and the two, I got to, I got to know pretty good the two volunteers, mechanic volunteers, in Hyderabad.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And they both had motorcycles.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And sometimes in the evening on weekends we, we'd spend a lot of time together, we'd go to movies. We'd, um, go out to eat, we'd hang out at their house, my house. Go sightseeing around the city. And, uh. So the first Christmas I remember we went to, uh, we went to. I think one of the other volunteers was Catholic and we went to church. Well, I was like going to church every Sunday anyway.

Robert Klein: Oh, you were?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: I did. At that time I did. I'd get up and, and we, then we'd go together and sometimes I'd go by myself.

Robert Klein: Were you the only European in the church?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: I think there was others. I think. [tape break]

Robert Klein: Okay. So you went to.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Went to church and I was going every Sunday and I remember going to like midnight mass and I remember there being a lot of candles and kind of like a procession, and they made a really big deal out of it. There was quite a few Christians Indians there. Um, so, um. Did that and then I don't remember. Oh, okay. So, um, I remember decorating my little house. The good old high school days of floats, homecoming floats, you know, and parades and everything. So. So I got this, I found this chicken wire, made probably a two foot cone shape out of a chicken wire. Then I found some, some red and green crepe paper, stuffed it in the chicken wire. And that was my Christmas tree.

Robert Klein: Great, great.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And I put little, somehow, I don't know what kind of ornaments on it. And of course, my neighbors, my landlady and my land people, they, landlords loved it. And, you know, and that was new to them, too, you know.

Robert Klein: Right. Did, had you bought gifts and sent home, you know?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: No. At that time I found that that the, there's a lot of corruption in the post office.

Robert Klein: Ah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Because while I was there, um, the, the Indian woman national that was there, she was. She was going to get married soon. And of course, the brides have their, the big rings for their wedding. The big rings in their nose.

Robert Klein: Right.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And so she was going to go and get her nose pierced.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And so, so one day she and I. Her cousin was a doctor in the hospital. So she and I, she and I went to the hospital and she got her nose pierced and I got my ears pierced and.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And so then I, I asked my family, I said, no, when you're, when you're sending like dried milk to me or cake mixes or, um. I said. I said, you know, some people find items missing, you know. I said, kind of open a box maybe of powdered milk and hide some earrings in the box. Well, I still, that way I still didn't get everything, you know, the Indians would open and take what they wanted. So I got most of the food, I think, but not. So after a while, I said, you know, I can buy earrings here.

Robert Klein: Yeah. Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: But, um.

Robert Klein: So you didn't exchange presents, I mean.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: I didn't, no. So I didn't send anything home and I just collected. And then when I got home after two years, then they got their, everybody got something.

Robert Klein: Right. Right.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Souvenirs and things, you know.

Robert Klein: But spending the first Christmas away from home wasn't a problem?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Oh, no.

Robert Klein: You were involved with lots of things.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Oh, sure.

Robert Klein: Was there much of an American community in Hyderabad?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Um, and like I said, USAID, there was an office there. But we didn't, um. I remember 4th of July, we had a big, the first 4th of July I was there. Um. The AID office was in a separate little compound. And, and I remember going there for 4th of July, having a honest to goodness picnic.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And fireworks and it's just a big celebration. And any volunteers that were not too far out of the city, they'd come in and, and, uh.

Robert Klein: But the Americans who were with AID, they didn't try to socialize with, pull you into their circle?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Not very much, no. I was there for the 4th of July but.

Robert Klein: Was there a conscious policy of, you know, staying separate?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: No, I don't think so. There was a, I think it was very, it was probably like, like maybe a couple of people in one little office. But other than that, there wasn't, there wasn't too many others. Yeah.

Robert Klein: So during the first year, you also get some leave time. I gather you went off hunting with the Sikh.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Oh yeah. Yes. Yes. And then, um, I mean my one vacation, one of the volunteers, one of the mechanics, then, then we, um. He and I went to Bombay.

Robert Klein: Oh, okay.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: We took a, we, uh, took a train to Bombay, and I think we spent like a week there so. And, uh. Oh, gosh, we had. I remember, I remember going to a restaurant and having a Coke, an honest to goodness Coke, and steak.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And it was so good.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And then did some shopping and I got earrings, and I'm still wearing my earrings. I still have them.

Robert Klein: That's great.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: I got earrings. I got a, I think I got a sari there. I got, uh.

Robert Klein: Did, uh, just since you mentioned it. Did you ever wear saris?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: I did, yeah. Not right away, but after a while. Oh, I did wear their little, um, shalwar kameez, um, the, like the, like the loose. Well, at that time it wasn't loose. And they still wear them. They still wear them today like the.

Robert Klein: The big over blouse.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Form fitting, the over blouse thing with the, with the, uh, with the pants that are, they're very full at the hips and come down skinny and narrow at the, at the ankle. And I had, and I still have those, I had several of those made.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And I went to a tailor and they made those for me and I picked out my fabric and. At that time though, at that time it was a very form fitting like, like at the waist. And like a, like a form fitting top. It came down to like above the knees, just above the knees. And but now, of course, they're wearing them very loose.

Robert Klein: Where would you wear the?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: I wore them all the time. I wore them to work. I wore them.

Robert Klein: Oh, okay.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yeah, uh huh. I didn't, uh, every once in a while, I wore my American clothes. But, but, uh, it was just. I wore these most of the time.

Robert Klein: Was your family happy to see you in Indian dress? I mean, the landlord's family.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yes, yes. I had all different. I probably had a trunk down there, probably, oh, probably about six or seven different outfits. Yeah.

Robert Klein: Were there any restrictions on travel or, I mean, were you expected to stay within India?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: No, not really. But India was so big. And then another time we had took the Bombay trip. Another time we went down to Madras.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And there was a couple of volunteers down there that my, my friend knew and went down there and visited them. But another thing which was very nice for both of us in the office, and two of us at first. The associate directors took trips out in the areas to visit the volunteers.

Robert Klein: Right.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And so every once in a while, they'd take us along.

Robert Klein: Oh, great.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Which to me was just fantastic because we got, we got to know more volunteers. We got to see what they were doing, how they lived.

Robert Klein: Good.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And it was just great.

Robert Klein: Yeah, it sounds like it was a very enlightened office.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yeah. So we had a driver, and we just traveled by, by, um, by vehicle.

Robert Klein: What were some of the problems that existed in, from your perspective, sitting in the office?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Oh, oh, um. I think it was maybe cooperation from local, maybe local government people or. And of course, everybody had, I mean, just the time delays and, you know, there's.

Robert Klein: Some corruption.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Some corruption and just, you know, Americans, you know, are used to getting things done right away. Well, weeks and weeks of waiting until things could, they could get cooperation from government and getting started and, and, uh.

Robert Klein: Would volunteers come into the office and sort of vent and?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: They did, they did.

Robert Klein: To you or to the assistant or to whoever was listening?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yes. Yes.

Robert Klein: So you were aware of that?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yeah. Yeah.

Robert Klein: How about volunteer behavior, I mean, or misbehavior?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Misbehavior.

Robert Klein: Were any volunteers sent home while you were?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: No, I don't recall any. There could have been some, but I don't recall any.

Robert Klein: Okay. Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yeah, but, uh, I don't recall anybody.

Robert Klein: All right. As you came to the end of the first year, uh, it sounds to me like you were thoroughly settled into the job.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Oh, I was, yeah.

Robert Klein: And your living conditions were good.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: They were good.

Robert Klein: And you could, at that point, you sort of can look ahead and say, well, within ten months, whatever, I'm going to be going home.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yeah.

Robert Klein: Do you recall if you reflected back and forward? I mean, well, before I leave, I'd like to accomplish this or see this or do this.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Well, um. Probably so.

Robert Klein: Don't let me put words.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yeah, I, uh, of course did some traveling then, but, um. I think when the time came. I don't know, for some reason, I just, I just pretty much went directly, directly home.

Robert Klein: Okay.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yeah.

Robert Klein: Let's take the second year. Was the second year at all different than the first?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: I don't think so. I think I'm just more comfortable with the people and.

Robert Klein: Did new staff come in?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Well, you know, I just remembered there was a girl. There was a girl that came in. Um. You know, that's why I'm thinking. Let's see, I wasn't sure if I was in the first group of secretaries or the second. And there's like, like three different. I'm sure they wouldn't want two. Anyway, there was a gal that came in, um, I was into my, my second year and she came in to help out in the office. Um, I don't know much about that, but I'm thinking she maybe was with another secretarial group.

Robert Klein: Mm hmm.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: She didn't spend very much time in the office at all, and she lived with me.

Robert Klein: Oh.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: I had a room, and she stayed with me.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Just fine. Um. She didn't spend much time in the office working and she decided she really didn't like it. So she found herself a teaching job in a school in Hyderabad.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And she was teaching.

Robert Klein: Nobody objected?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: No. No. And she got permission, of course, from the, the director. And then they of course, New Delhi okayed it and everything. So everything was, yeah.

Robert Klein: Yeah. So your workload was heavy, but not impossible.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Well, impossible took me into 8:00 at night and every once in a while 10:00 at night on really, really deadline, you know, projects. But yeah, we just, if there was work just stayed and worked.

Robert Klein: And there was always, I mean, the flow was constant.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yeah.

Robert Klein: Do you recall, did groups that were finished have their, they used to call it a termination conference?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: They came into town. They came into Hyderabad and had, as a group, and had the little conference and, um, and then left.

Robert Klein: Did you sit in on those or not?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Um, yeah, I think I did. I think I, I helped out maybe with materials. And I did, yeah.

Robert Klein: Uh, so through the second year, was second year not much different than the first?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Not a whole lot.

Robert Klein: Additional travel?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Like I said, there were so many volunteers coming and going and conferences through there every six months or so. So there was always it seemed like groups coming and going.

Robert Klein: Yeah, yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And then we, the new groups would of course be going to the airport or meet them at the train station or wherever. And, and um. Yeah. Always something going on.

Robert Klein: Right. Were you satisfied that you had, you know, met Indians and become somewhat involved? I mean, you were going to church, which puts you in the.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yeah. Yeah. Um.

Robert Klein: Or did you feel that there was a lot of India that you were kind of missing or?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Well, I think, I think once I got home, I probably thought, well, you know, I probably should have traveled more afterwards or, um. But, um.

Robert Klein: But not while you were there. While you were there, you were busy and you felt your life was.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And at the time probably, um, being that I was there by myself as a volunteer, which meant I lived by myself and, and maybe, maybe at the time, I didn't feel comfortable about just going off and traveling by myself.

Robert Klein: Alone, sure, sure.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yeah. Yeah. That's probably the main reason that I didn't try to.

Robert Klein: During the two years, do you recall thinking to yourself at all, well, I joined the Peace Corps, and I think, you know, it's been the experience I wanted?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: I think so.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Because I, I knew, I knew from the beginning I wasn't, I wasn't a teacher. And I knew that, I didn't have the personality to be a teacher. And so I think I was, I was totally satisfied with, with what I did. And, uh, yeah, I was.

Robert Klein: And as you're coming near the end of the second year, uh, any regrets? Any, well, are you ready to wrap it up?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Oh, I think so.

Robert Klein: Were you being replaced?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Um. Yeah. We didn't get any new volunteers in the office. And by then, by then, I think that's like two years.

Robert Klein: Well, it's '68.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yeah, '68. So they were still coming and going. Um. And I remember one of the associate directors had left. He went back to the States to I think go back to college or something.

Robert Klein: Yeah. This period is the height of the anti-Vietnam War movement.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Right.

Robert Klein: Do you recall it spilling over at all into the office?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Not really.

Robert Klein: Or discussions with volunteers?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Not really. It seems like I almost lost two years. I didn't lose, but I kind of missed out on two years of kind of what was going on in Vietnam. We kind of, you know, we had newspapers and BBC once in a while. But, but, but I don't regret missing out too much. Well, I just know we did kind of miss out on that and maybe the music scene in the States and the, and some of that. But, um. But no really regrets.

Robert Klein: Do you recall volunteers who had any trouble with the draft?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: No, I didn't.

Robert Klein: Okay. All right.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And we had, we had, you know, single volunteers that we have, um, I think in all groups we had couples also serving.

Robert Klein: Any, through the two years, your health was generally good?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yes, I think so. I think I had a couple of bouts of dysentery at first. Um, got straightened out there. Avoided, you know, the water, boiled the water and.

Robert Klein: Was malaria a problem?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: No.

Robert Klein: Were you taking?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: No, no.

Robert Klein: Okay, wasn't a malarial area.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Of course before we left we had, you know, every week in training we had go to some health office and we had shots like every, every week.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: For this and that, just about everything.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: But, uh, I don't recall people getting really sick except with maybe dysentery.

Robert Klein: Okay, as you finish your tour and what are your plans at that point?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Plans? I came home and, and, um.

Robert Klein: Talk about the reentry to the U.S. Now, you've been in a very exotic place for two years.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yes, yes.

Robert Klein: And you're returning to Missouri.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Returning to Missouri. And, and, um.

Robert Klein: What did people make of you?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Well, they just thought it was, it was. Of course, at that time in a small community, like my hometown of Trenton at that time was maybe 8,000 people. And, yes, it was a big thing that somebody went off to India. And, of course, before I left, they had an article about me in the paper and my picture. And then when I returned, I think, I think, I think there was another article when I was home and the story. And I remember speaking at a few groups. And my mother was involved like in a homemakers group. And, and, of course, the, I think the 4-H group was still going. My brother was in that.

Robert Klein: Did you put on your Indian dress and you went to speak?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Oh, yes, I sure did. And then I did, I brought some, some items that I brought with me, some fabric silks and that kind of thing. And some little dolls and souvenirs. Yes. Jewelry. Yeah.

Robert Klein: So the readjustment was relatively easy for you.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: It really was. It really was. Probably if I, it was not as much. I think, I think the ones that lived in the villages for two years and had very limited access to fruit and vegetables and, it was, I'm sure it was a lot more difficult. But I could go to, to any store in Hyderabad. And, and, um, I think I even found toilet paper.

Robert Klein: At the end of the, as you came to the end of the second year, were you at all tempted to extend your tour?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Um.

Robert Klein: Because sometimes that was an option.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: I wasn't. I wasn't. And, uh, I don't know if I didn't, I probably didn't even think about it. I don't know. I don't remember that.

Robert Klein: Uh. So let's talk now about, you've made the shift, you've readjusted to being back in the U.S. How do you think your, what effect did the Peace Corps service have on your life?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Oh, I think it's just such wonderful memories and it just, I think it just opened my, opened my whole view of there's something out there besides, besides North Dakota and north Missouri and Kansas City.

Robert Klein: Right.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Um, that's just. I don't know, it just very, very, just opened up my world and my thinking.

Robert Klein: Another of the Peace Corps goals is that you come back and sort of help other Americans understand about the third world.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yeah.

Robert Klein: Do you recall consciously trying to do anything like that?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: I've always been, I've always been interested. Well, after that, I guess, I guess I did a lot of volunteering after that, and I still do.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: I mean, since then. I mean, I. Of course, I got a job within pretty quick and, uh.

Robert Klein: Back at secretarial work?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yes, I did. And not the same place, but I got another job and.

Robert Klein: Were you at all tempted to go on for a degree when you came back?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: No, I don't think so. Um, I went to, I took some classes at, um, like the junior college.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And just here and there, not for a degree, but just, because I was, I took biology I remember. I took, um, not biology. I took sociology.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And I'm just still interested in learning more. And that was interesting but.

Robert Klein: Were we able to maintain any kind of contact with people you knew in India?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: For a while. For a while. But then that kind of it seems like it didn't last. And I started my own life and moving and traveling and family and.

Robert Klein: Married with children.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yeah, so, so, no, that's, that's what I regret, that I didn't. I didn't stay in touch more with, with, uh, like long term with the, yeah.

Robert Klein: And through the years, you've not gone back to India?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: No, I haven't. And I'd still like to. I'd still like to, but, but I know going back, I could. I'm sure the place, Hyderabad's changed like every other place.

Robert Klein: Right.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Um, you know, I would have no idea how to even get over or get around to where locations are.

Robert Klein: When you came back, did you find that old friends who would not been in the Peace Corps, there was kind of a dissonance that now you were the world traveler and had been in these exotic places and they were still in Missouri, you know?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Missouri, and yeah, of course, a lot of my friends had gone to college and having their own out of town experiences. Um, yes, everybody was very interested at first, of course. Everybody finds, um, interested in what you're doing and family is interested and, and then, and then after a while it's not so much.

Robert Klein: Yeah. Very quickly.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And that's why I've very much enjoyed getting together with the local returned Peace Corps volunteer group.

Robert Klein: So now, I mean, for the last several years you've been very active in the?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: About I'd say probably ten or 12 years now, very active in the group.

Robert Klein: The Kansas City returned volunteer group?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yes. And, and I just enjoy very much, um, getting together and, and then we can, you know, everybody's interested in what everybody else is doing.

Robert Klein: If someone came to you and said, well, do you think I should join the Peace Corps?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Oh, I'd say definitely. Definitely. Yes.

Robert Klein: Did either of your children express interest or did their lives go in other directions?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: No, they didn't.

Robert Klein: They knew their mother had been in the Peace Corps.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: I suggested. Yes. And I suggested especially my youngest daughter, she's traveled a lot. And, and, and, but. But I guess she found that, um. I don't know. It wasn't for her, but I tried. I sure tried that. Yeah.

Robert Klein: Yeah. Anything else you'd like to say for the National Archives?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Right. Um. It was just a wonderful experience. I have no regrets whatsoever.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: And since then people I meet, um, I've made a lot of good returned Peace Corps friends and, um. Of course, of course, when you, when you meet new people that are not Peace Corps, they're still, I think a lot of them are still kind of surprised that you've done something like that, and um.

Robert Klein: When you've gone on job interviews, do you usually mention you've been in the Peace Corps?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Yes, I do, definitely.

Robert Klein: And what do people make of it?

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Oh, you have?

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: Okay. But, but, um. And some of them ask you a few questions and they're interested for a little while, yeah. And but kids, younger people these days, they, they don't know anything about Peace Corps. A lot of them don't. I figured college kids probably know more than, than others. And, um, but, but, yeah, I find there's some people that just, you know, don't know too much about it.

Robert Klein: Yeah.

Ruth Ficek Stepien: But other students do, so.

Robert Klein: Yeah. Well, good.