"Words of Magnificence" by Andrew!

On the Road Again!

2008-05-05T15:27:00.000-07:00

Leaving Bulgaria was a hard thing for me to do. I've become quite attached to the lifestyle and of course, to the people with whom I've bonded. Reflecting on my departure I found a feeling almost identical to the one I have when I leave the states. I'm leaving my comfort zone. No longer secure. No longer absolutely safe. No longer in the company of my wonderful friends. Good news is, in most cases, friends are easy to come by when you're on the road!

I arrived in Bucharest, Romania to a rainy Monday morning. It was cold, I was hungry, I was tired, and my bank card wouldn't work in any of the four ATMs I tried. It's not the best combination of circumstances to be in. I went into a bank thinking that perhaps they could find a solution for me, being that banking is their business and all. "Nothing's wrong with our machine! Go try another ATM!", was the defensive response I got to my plea for help. "Gee wiz! Another ATM? Why, I've only thought of that four times already. Thanks for the advice, Mr. Banker! I'll be on my way now!" On my way to find someone else, that is!

I found a police officer that spoke great English and I asked him for some help. I decided that getting to my host was the best option. From there I could email my bank and complain properly. But I had to get there, and I had no money. I showed the cop the address I had to get to and asked if it was walkable.
"Oh no!", he said, "You'll need to take the subway or a bus."
"But I don't have any money." I explained.
"Well, you'll have to pay for the subway. But... You don't always have to pay for the bus." I laughed cause I knew where this was going. He continued, "You only need a ticket if the ticket control people come by and check to see if you have a ticket."
"What if they 'catch me' with out a ticket?", I inquired. He shrugged as if to say that I was on my own at that point. Great.

Basically, the lessons of the morning were: banks never make mistakes, except when they do, and although police men are employed to enforce the law, they don't always know it.

Luckily, I'm more prepared than a boyscout. I had some Euro on me, and used it to buy some local currency. Enough to get me some food and a bus ticket!

I wandered the city for several hours trying to figure out the buses, the street signs, and how to avoid the damned stray dogs that kept trying to bite me. After some rough sketches, an equation or two, and some great mime, I was able to conquer the bus system. I couldn't find the street sign I needed to save my life. Finally, about the 40th person I asked was nice old man who told me, "It's over there." Things were coming together, however, I still could not pass a stray dog that wouldn't bark at me, though there were a few that didn't try to bite me!

It's a good thing to travel. Your eyes are opened to so many wondrous places, people, cultures, and landscapes! Not only do you get constant adventure and excitement, but you really get a sense of deep appreciation for the comforts of life back home. Try to learn that in your fancy pants colleges!

I found myself in Focsani (pronounced: fok-shan), Romania (pronounced: romania) staying at the home of a couple Peace Corps Volunteers. They were good guys and I enjoyed hearing their PC experiences. They let me tag along to the birthday partry of one of their students. She was turning 19, so we bought her an appropriate gift: two bottles of wine and some Simpsons candy.

I kind of expected the night to go over like a typical Bulgarian party - or similarly anyway, being that they're neighbors and all. But just like the languages, the parties are completely different! Oana's mom cooked up a huge feed for all to enjoy. There were all kinds of foods that I've never tried before. Ok, so I've had eggplant before, but eggplant here is translated to 'blue tomato' and I've never had it in the form that I had it here! Mmmm! =) We ate and drank as the night progressed and then the music began!

We all headed outside to where they were barbequing up some chicken and sausages. Next to the cement barbeque was a picnic table filled with musical friends. They played guitars, bongos, a harmonica, moracas, and one of those tiny simble-shaker deals! The one guy sang all night long - different traditional folk songs, while everyone danced and laughed! It was a rockin' good time!After Oana blew out her birthday candles, her boyfriend grabbed her with the help of 3 other big guys. They proceeded to toss her into the air, 19 times, while everyone else cheered! Haha! She was a bit shaken up, but this is tradition, dammit!

I spent most of the night talking with her classmates/friends who were content to ask me all kinds of questions regarding the differences between Romania, Bulgaria, and the U.S. It was a similar conversation to ones I'd had in Bulgaria, but these kids seemed to have more optimism and faith in their country to develop properly. Granted, they'd be the first to admit there's corruption and other problems, but I was impressed that they were able to overlook those hurdles and expect more from their country!It was a far better time than I had expected to have in Romania as I'm traveling much too quickly to really see anything at the moment. The party lasted till morning and I finally got to bed at 4 AM. Just in time to wake up at 7:30 AM in order to catch my 8:30 train to Moldova!

Solar Energy! It's What Easter Is All About!

2008-04-27T10:37:00.000-07:00

I had the wonderful opportunity to help install a solar electrical system and celebrate Easter, Orthodox style!

We spent a full day installing solar panels, which will be used to collect light energy from the sun and convert it through a very fascinating process to produce electrical energy!As far as alternative energy goes, solar energy is my favorite! I dig the scientific process of a light ray knocking off an electron from a silicone molecule, time and again, to produce a flow of electrons - which is electricity! It's fantastic! It's simple! And it's technology that's 50 years old or older! Unfortunately, this alternative energy is also the most polluting. That sounds shocking, but the truth is that the processes needed produce the silicone, solar cells is dependant on many toxic chemicals. Bummer! But in the end, you have a product that is inert to the environment and will produce "clean" electrical energy for many years!

In Bulgaria, electricity costs around 6.4 cents per kilowatt hour (according to today's exchange rates). However, European law dictates (in Bulgaria) that if you hook up solar panels from your home and introduce the electricity produced back into the grid, the electric company is bound by law to buy the electricity from you at 69.6 cents per kWh! It's a fantastic deal for the homeowner! Word on the street is that this is done to stimulate alternative energy production in Bulgaria. I personally feel that the law will change once the government finds out about it.I was a little bit bummed that the energy harnessed from this process was simply going to be sold back into the system rather than used at the home which holds them up. But realistically, I can see the economic incentive in what this project is about. Plus, when I rationalize that every kWh produced by these solar cells is one less kWh needed from hydroelectric or nuclear energy production, well, I feel mighty fine about the idea.

The idea of this project, which was written by PECSD, is to educate a small community that has never seen solar panels about different kinds of energy sources. In addition to that, the project is a test to see if a small, poor community can find it financially feasible to purchase and operate this kind of system. (The difference being that this is traditionally a system that one would find in the states, or Germany, where people have money and motivation to invest in such things.)

For a full day, we were installing these eight photovoltaic modules, and then the rest of the weekend was allowed to happen!In case you were wondering, the Orthodox Easter is celebrated near a month after the Catholic Easter. I, being without religion, don't really care about the significance of this. I was simply excited to partake in some kind of local, traditional festivities!

The celebration started with the whole family gathering around the table. Each of us selected a hardboiled egg that had been painted that morning. We then smashed our eggs together with the people sitting at the table to see who had the strongest egg. Iliyan kept saying it was a contest for the kids, but I could see that he dearly wanted to have the strongest egg. There's no prize, but glory, and he was going for it! Unfortunately, he lost to a six-year-old girl named Blagovesta. Better luck next year, Iliyan! Next came the food!We started with what appeared at the time to be an unending salad. Granddad was on one end of the table complaining that he can't eat salad on account of not having any teeth. The rest of the family yelled at him to just eat and pointed out that he does have teeth. Bulgarian family dynamics are quite different than in the states. Kids live at home until they're married. And sometimes, they still live at home even after they're married. The bonds between siblings and parents are much stronger than what I've observed in the states, but at the same time, it could appear to an outsider (me) that there's a complete lack of respect for one another. The situation can look like it changes on a dime, but in fact there is a deep respect for family members here. Any one of the kids would jump to be first to donate a liver to the drunken uncle - if only it were possible.

After the salad came a huge selection of meats to go along with the wine, which I forgot to mention that we were already drinking even before the salads came. The main course was a sort of rabbit stew that was amazing! I gorged myself properly but eventually found my limit. I finally stopped eating to the sound of, "Hey, why aren't you eating anymore? You're too skinny."

We passed the rest of the time laughing and joking and eating desert! Easter desert is a sweet bread called, 'Kozunak' and it's quite nice. We also spent a bunch of time talking about American politics. Of course, their news covers our elections, so they know exactly what's going on. The issue is, they don't understand any of it. I have to say, I'm in a bit of the same boat. I keep getting the question: "So who's gonna be the next president? The black man, or the white woman?" I've started telling people McCain. They love talking about American politics with an American, but alas it was time for me to go. My train was waiting for me at the station so I had to hit the road. I received some very pleasant goodbyes, and a bag of food that will probably last me a week! Iliyan's father walked me out to the street and with a tear in his eye, told me that I was his boy. It took me completely by surprise, as he's not the emotional type. Not even after all that wine. I gave him a hug and promised to return. And I will.

I left their home and headed for the train station, still drunk. Over the three day weekend, I had eaten more than I had in the full previous week! I forced food down, beyond what I thought was my limit. The food was absolutely delicious and my glass of wine was never less than half full!

My time in Bulgaria has been GREAT! It's like I never left! I love being here, and I love what I do when I am here! I got to help with the paper recycling campaign. I got to help with the biodiesel project that I started. I got to clean the beach. I got to install super solar cells! And I got to translate a whole bunch of documents and emails! I bonded with people who I see more as my family than as friends! Man, and I even got an amazing Easter dinner! It's hard to leave a place, and a feeling like this. But knowing that I'll be back someday makes it a bit easier to pack my bag. Plus I'm running out of time, and I already ran out of money... =)

The Buck Doesn't Stop Here!

2008-04-24T00:42:00.000-07:00

Amongst Bulgaria's problems is a complete lack of governmental leadership. The government that currently exists is so corrupt that the EU has stopped most development funding. Many people here have a lack of faith in anything positive to come from either the EU or the Bulgarian government. I understand - it's tough to have faith when you live in the poorest EU country and see your politicians driving nicer cars than politicians from other EU countries. It's an odd situation in Bulgaria - communism hasn't yet been weeded out of politics, neither has corruption nor mafia influence - even after 19 years of "democracy"! The 45 years of communism that this country endured has really taken a toll on the mentality of its people. Bulgarians have been conditioned to leave the power in the hands of the government. Unfortunately, the government's hands are too tied up with mafia influence, communist bureaucracy, and outright corruption that there just isn't room on the agenda for any kind of progress for the country. That doesn't bode well for an elected official who actually wants to influence positive change! Lucky for Bulgarian politicians, that's not what they're interested in. Perhaps that's why anyone who plays a significant role in the advancement of Bulgaria is smart enough to not run for office!

For our Earth Day celebration, Supercross08 worked with Yo Ho Hostel to organize the best beach clean up that Varna, Bulgaria has ever seen! The just-hearted folks that run Yo Ho Hostel are constantly involving themselves in environmental projects! They even have plans to clean the beach again after the tourist season - no Earth Day necessary! Together, we set out to inspire people to take responsibility for their community!

We started off the day at 10 AM with about 25 people. Most of them came from the group of girls I wrote about in the previous posting. 25 isn't a lot. But as the day went on, we were joined by the Bulgarian Scouts, passers by, EVS (European Voluntary Services) and Peace Corps Volunteers, as well as other late risers! It was an extremely successful action! For nearly six hours we filled bag after bag after bag, until the beach was clean! Garbage bags were provided by a local trash company called Adian, and the Bulgarian Scouts brought along some gloves for people to use! The Bulgarian Scouts are like the Boy Scouts of America, but they include girls! Take note, BSA, tolerance, respect, and integration are fine values to instill upon youth in addition to tying knots!

We cleaned about a mile of coastline that hasn't yet been "purchased" by someone to open a club or a bar. Of course, the majority of the waste we collected was leftover from the nearby, already existing bars and clubs. For me, this is a sign of irresponsibility on the part of tourists, clients, bar/club owners, and particularly the local government for failing to enforce regulations.The "undeveloped" beach (the part without bars or clubs) has a nice pedestrian walkway. Pedestrians, often unwillingly, share it with cars as it runs the length of the beach. It's located about 40 or 50 meters from the water - the only thing separating the two, is sand. While collecting pollution from near the walkway, I continued to encounter construction debris. This was because of two things: 1) the walkway is being widened and 2) new bars/clubs are being developed. I asked one of the guys from Yo Ho Hostel whether we should be cleaning up their garbage, as they were still about, or should we leave it for them to throw away when they finish. His response was, "It doesn't matter who you ask or whose responsibility it is, everyone will tell you that it's someone else's job to clean this." Later in the day, I roped myself into a conversation with Kiril Yordanov, the mayor of Varna who has to have all his decisions approved by the Bulgarian mafia, though rumor has it he's allowed to take potti breaks and order from a menu on his own accord. I asked him about this destructive phenomenon. He competently answered, "Responsibility? What's that?"

It's a bit frustrating that most of the stuff we were finding came from existing, nearby establishments who are unwilling and uninterested in helping maintain the natural health of the environment. One would think that upon bestowing the perspective that it's more appealing for clientele to come to a nice place rather than one with litter all about, it would be enough to influence an owner to be responsible for the area around their establishment. Well, One is wrong! It's just a little glimpse at the bigger picture of how Bulgaria deals with environmental issues. It screams of careless, unsustainable practices as it yields a quick profit in the short term for a select few people who are "connected", and loads of problems for the rest of the community in the long term.

If I hadn't spent the day with optimistic, willing-to-help, responsible people, even I would lose hope for Bulgaria! Fortunately, these promising agents of change are the youth of this country. Meaning, they're tomorrow's leaders. And fine leaders they'll prove to be, too! They have the morale character that allows for the benefit of the many, and they have the aptitude needed to be able to influence others to do good! They are the solution to Bulgarias problems! Just so long as they stay out of Bulgarian politics!As we spent the day saving the world, it was fun and entertaining to receive the reactions of people walking by. The looks on their faces ranged from 'What are you doing?' or 'Why bother?' to 'Gee wiz, you guys are great!' and 'Can I help?' It was the positive reactions that I found inspiring and hopeful. This community is well ready for positive change. They just lack adequate political leadership to guide them.

At the end of the day, we celebrated with a concert! One of the owners of Yo Ho Hostel is the lead singer of a band called "Pizza" and they played a rockin' show that night! Ending a positive day with positive energy is my idea of success!

Here's Your Song and Dance!

2008-04-22T16:15:00.000-07:00

Do you remember the holiday I kept going on and on about? Well here are a couple videos so you can feel like you too were there!

This is the "baba kick off" to the celebration that is lazarov den!

Young girls go from door to door singing and dancing for the community. They receive gifts of eggs, sweets, and money!

Sing a Little Song! Do a Little Dance!

2008-04-21T00:40:00.000-07:00

Nearly a year ago, Tim and I were in a village called Asparuhavo for a week-long summer camp. (Click here to read about that wonderful experience.) Today's post, is an update on that story!

The letters that the children wrote to the Ministry of Culture and Education, which were written in an attempt to save the village's only school, were answered via a nationally televised press conference! I was sooo excited at news of this event! Go Democracy! Our Asparuhavo group got to meet with the minister and state their case as to why this 150 year old school should be saved. In fact, it's one of the oldest Bulgarian schools in existence due to the "destructive tendencies" of the Ottoman Empire. The minister listened to their plight and agreed that something should be done, but stated that unfortunately, the preservation of the school didn't lay within his jurisdiction. He instructed that they needed to convince the mayor of Asparuhovo to hear their cause. Their request to the mayor to save the school went unanswered for quite some time because of the normal speed of political happenings and an extra hurdle, local elections.

Almost our entire group traveled back to Asparuhavo, in part, to celebrate Lazarov Den but also to give a presentation to the community on the value of Asparuhavo's continued existence. This holiday consists of young women dressing up in traditional clothing and going from house to house to sing ancient songs. The owners of the houses would come out and give the girls money or sweets. It was fun to watch. But before those celebrations were to begin, presentations were to be made.
The whole thing started with a group of the young girls, all dressed up for success! They did a little song and dance and everyone entered the culture center for the presentation. A few key folks said some words of thanks and then a group of old grandmothers sang a few traditional songs. Finally, our group got the chance to present the significance of this particular village to the community.After the presentation, the girls asked the mayor if he had been able to come up with an idea for procuring funds for the school's continued existence. His response was translated to me by four or five kids at the same time. I think he said something to the affect of there not needing to be any more discussion on the matter and that he would not close the school. His response was met with laughter, and at the time I wasn't sure if the laughs were at his expense, or the student's question. It was later explained to me that through the actions of these children, the mayor had decided to not close the school! However, this turned out to be a typical, misleading politician's response, as he failed to mention that he would in fact discontinue public funding for the school. The trick being that he won't technically close the school, but after teachers' salaries are cut from the payroll it will be they who will close the school. He later took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. "I am innocent of this school's blood," he said. "It is your responsibility!" All the people answered, "Let it's blood be on us and on our children!"

Is there any better way to secure a future for your community than by taking away the tool with which to educate your youth? I think it was the Romans who said, "Let us destroy our schools so that the next generation will be adequately prepared to take over the leadership of our magnificent society. Without knowledge, our youth will be able to care for our aging population. Without education, we will continue to be a prosperous people."Closing the day, we all went back to the place where we had classes a year prior to hang out and reminisce. They made final plans for the next summer camp, which is to happen this summer, and they did 'the horo' and sang! It was a great day! I was stoked to see the group again! And I was excited to receive their excitement at seeing me! I wish more could be done to preserve this historic and much needed school but at the end of the day, there just isn't enough money. Of course, I believe that if Bulgaria was more responsible with how money was dealt with, then issues like the death of villages in a this country wouldn't exist. Can anything be done? Well, some British investors are increasingly playing a role in stabilizing village populations. Why, there are already plans to turn this particular school into a hotel!

Corruption has the ability to rain down upon us all and inconvenience our comfortable lives. But just when you think you're gonna catch a cold, the dry towel of foreign investment comes along to save the day. The only thing left to wonder is, did all that dirty and foreign money wash away the culture and traditions or just buff out a few tarnished spots?

Ooh No! There Goes Supercross08! Go, Go, Debtzilla!

2008-04-15T07:39:00.000-07:00

It may be the end of Supercross08 as we know it, but I feel fine! Together, Tim and I accomplished some rockin good things!

We had good times and difficult times, and in the end it wasn't time that we ran out of, but funding... Stupid money. I'm proud of what we've done, and I'm proud of what we've learned. Every experience and every person we've met has given us something dear that we'll cherish for the rest of our lives. Unfortunately, it's ending. Kind of.

Tim has decided to go home. For that story, you can visit his blog. I have decided to embrace my future! And by that, I mean "embrace my debt" in order to continue traveling! I intend to continue to meet and converse with people, and to continue with the goals of Supercross08! I will put forth all my effort to spread peace through dialogue and cultural exchange! And where possible, I intend to meet with youth organizations and schools to facilitate discussion groups, as consistent as possible with how we had done it in the past.

Both Tim and I brought something unique to the table in all our work together. From organizing meetings and facilitating discussions, to casually meeting people on the street and learning about them. It's been a project of a magnitude beyond what either of us had hoped it would be. And I'm going to do my best to continue on with its spirit! Of course there's no possible way I can even begin to try to fill his shoes, but I will do my very best to outgrow my own!

Now then, read on to learn about our final event together!We participated in the 3rd Annual Chirpan Soccer Tournament Fundraiser! Our buddy, and fellow RPCV Trevor, started this tournament in his Peace Corps Bulgaria days. The Volunteer that replaced him continued this tradition and did a fine job of it!

There were 11 teams of Volunteers and Bulgarians! A mix of all levels of age and skill, but everyone had the same capacity for a good time! Tim and I dressed up, for the first match, in costumes to commemorate how cool we are. I was the Ninja Defender, and he was the Super 80s Star. Together, we managed to take our team to the championship match against the best Bulgarian team that's ever played the game! I think they were elite professionals who had taken an interest in the local competition and felt it in their best interests to enter the competition in order to help with the fundraising for those less fortunate! The truth is, basically, they were old men with nothing to do on that particular Saturday.

We played our hearts out! It was our fifth or sixth match of the day - no other team had played as many matches as we had because of the odd number of teams! We rocked their asses! And by that I mean we didn't let them score! Not once! Of course, scoring for us wasn't really ever part of the equation for this match as the ball was constantly on our side of the field. At the end of the two grueling halves the score was zero - zero! We were flabbergasted! It went to penalty kicks! Each team member had to take a shot from midfield on a goalieless goal. At the end of their five shots on goal and our five shots on goal, the score was an unsurprising four - zero! We had just won second place! =)At the end of the day, the tournament/fundraiser had raised 400 levs (about $300 USD, but if you wait a week it'll be about $400 USD) for the At-Risk Youth Fund!

I had a great time playing with the new Peace Corps Volunteers as well! They're a GREAT group and they reminded me how much fun I had had in the Peace Corps!

Next on my plate is an Earth Day Beach Clean Up in Varna! It's gonna be the best Earth Day, ever! The beach doesn't even know how clean it's gonna be!

Success in Rakitovo!

2008-04-06T11:53:00.000-07:00

We met up with a gal from our Peace Corps group who decided to stay on for a third year. Apryl was one of only two volunteers in our group to extend, and she's doing a might fine job in her cozy little mountain town!

Rakitovo is home to about 5000-ish residents, and it's cold in the winter! For example, if one was to say, spend the winter in Northern Africa and the Middle East, and then happen upon a town in the mountains of Bulgaria called Rakitovo, one might say it feels colder than winter! Even in the spring! I can personally verify this claim.

Apryl is a volunteer for Future Foundation, but seemed to better fulfill her roll as a Peace Corps Volunteer much more by all the extra activities she's taken on. We were only there for a few days, though, she probably does loads more when she's not hosting Supercros08! She's a pretty impressive gal!

Apryl organized a couple discussion groups with quite a diverse range of community members. Our youngest participants were in 7th grade, and our oldest were... old enough. =) Different minorities and social classes were represented and everyone had come together to talk to the likes of us! Our first group met in the evening at a local cafe and our second and third groups were classrooms full of students!We kicked off our meetings and quickly became deeply immersed in a discussion about the implications of Bulgaria's accession into the European Union. We presented a few starter questions: "Is the EU a good thing for Bulgaria's development?" and "Is the EU a good thing for opportunities for Bulgaria's youth?". We then played a trick on them and crossed the questions: "If all the educated youth take advantage of the EU and leave Bulgaria for work or study opportunities abroad, how can Bulgaria reach it's development potential?" I thought for sure we had stumped them! But to my surprise and delight, we received some very nice and enlightening responses.

Aside from a few of the older participants, who are forever faithful to the days of communism when "everyone had a job, and everyone had money", the general attitude was that people were glad to have been accepted into the EU. They believed that through European funds, they can develop their country to a point that it can be established and sound on it's own. Sustainable. That is, as soon as they can get hold of, and end, all the corruption and scandals that plague this nation. They talked about one agricultural program that had been devastating to other programs. Millions of dollars of EU money was being stolen under the guise of this program so the EU froze all funds for these types of programs, affecting many more people. I think the idea is: hopefully someone will learn something soon. As to the second question we had for them, we found that most, if not all, youth wanted to leave Bulgaria in search of opportunities for either work or school. The EU obviously makes this easier for them because there are less visa restrictions. In fact, they don't even need a passport to enter other EU countries!

When we asked our paradoxical question, they didn't hesitate too long in responding. It seemed the general consensus was that their idea was to go to a foreign country to learn something via university or work, and to bring that knowledge back with them to Bulgaria. Ironically similar to what Tim and I are doing with Supercross08! They couldn't give an estimation for how long they would like to be in a foreign country for, for work or higher education, but it was clear that they wanted to return to Bulgaria for their love of their country. Exclaimed one participant, "And Bulgarian men are the most beautiful in all the world!" Slight pause. "Oh... Sorry." =)

It was really nice to see Apryl again, and to do a project in her community! It was also nice to see a bit of her life: we "helped" with English classes (sorry Apryl), we sat and talked with her friends from the community, we watched her teach Spanish, and we attended a student vs. teacher volleyball fundraiser for a kid with cancer from the community! We stayed long enough in the community and get a nice idea for what life must be like in Rakitovo. In this cold, cold mountain town, I found it very gratifying to encounter the warm hearts of it's inhabitants!

Be Kind to Your Peace-Footed Friends!

2008-04-02T09:21:00.000-07:00

The United Nations mandated University for Peace accepted my application for graduate study in the MA in Natural Resources and Peace Program! Soon, I'll be the smartest person I know!

I'm currently smiling and accepting any of the following: Words of praise or encouragement, positive reinforcement in the form of persistent pats on the back, foot-in-the-door connections to scholarships, student loans or other tuition aid programs, victory hugs, and roses!

This is the next obvious step in saving the world and learning Spanish (the university is in Costa Rica)!

Smoked Turkey Homecoming!

2008-04-01T02:03:00.000-07:00

Our unsuccessful attempt to leave Syria entailed a four-hour bus ride that cost less than one dollar to get to a place we didn't even want to be! We walked up to the ticket counter at the bus station in Aleppo and asked the guy working if he spoke English. "Yes, yes, yes." was his response. We told him that we wanted to go to Antakya, Turkey. We tried to emphasize the fact that we wanted to go to Turkey to clarify any potential miscommunication. Again, he responded with, "Yes, yes, yes." "Turkey!?" we asked with enthusiasm! "Yes, yes, come.", he commanded.

He led us to the bus, of which, he was the driver, and we found our seats. Four hours of winding, mountain roads pursued. We knew there had been some kind of mistake because the town we left, Aleppo, was very close to the border - and after a couple hours of no border we realized we were heading in a wrong direction. In another country this might not have been cause to worry. But Iraq is right next door and I've heard it's not the most pleasant place to be in at the moment.

Around 8 or 9pm, the bus made it's final stop. On the side of a dark road, in the middle of an unknown city, we questioned the ticket seller/bus driver where he had taken us. "Turkey?", we asked, already knowing well enough the answer. He hit realization like a brick wall and seeing it on his face brought endearment to a frustrating situation.

I wanted to ask for a refund on my sub-dollar ticket, but my cheapness has already started annoying my travel companions so I let it go.

Mr. Driver walked us to a nearby intersection and pointed to something. He was giving us directions. To what, we had no idea. My optimism came into play and told me it must be the border! Then my logic smacked down my optimism, and we followed his directions to... the bus station. Thanks, guy.

We were in a town called Latakia, Syria, which is similar sounding, I guess, to Antakya, Turkey. They're essentially the same place for anyone with an accent. But they're very different places for anyone with a map.

Stuck for the night, we decided to find a cheap hotel and make the best of it. And that we did, with a bottle of wine we'd been carrying around for just such an occasion! Travel Tip #238: Carry a bottle of wine just in case you end up in Latakia by accident.Upon our successful second attempt at getting to Turkey, we discovered prices had gone through the roof! Gasoline is over $10 USD per gallon! Granted, the USD is at a shamefully low value, which continues to burden us greatly, but 10 bucks a gallon?! Dang! Needless to say, there were no more four-hour bus rides for a dollar to be had.

We spent the day arguing with bus companies and traveling to Capadocia. Turkey is sort of a transitional country between "Arab-world capitalism" and "the-rest-of-the-world capitalism." That is, prices become less negotiable and more fixed here. In most of the Arab world that we saw, the price of something depends on how you look - combined with how much you proceed to argue. What I remember of "the rest of the world" is that there's the same price for everyone - with slight exceptions for students, old folks, etc. - and they're generally posted. In Turkey, we saw an interesting combination of the two practices. This, many times, consisted of an exaggerated, written or verbalized high price, which was followed by a "special discount" for being their new friend. And by "new friend" I mean, "the person they're talking to at that moment."

We met our hosts in a town called Kayseri, in central Turkey. For a few days we basked in the glory of Turkish hospitality! It was a fantastic few days and we got to see and experience some wonderful things!
After our first few days of Turkish prices, we decided to make a straight shot for Bulgaria instead of exploring more of Turkey. We took a travel break in Istanbul and then pushed on to Bulgaria - my second home!We immediately went to see my host town, Krichim, where I learned to speak Bulgarian, and "grew up" among some amazing families!I can't describe how good it feels to come back to Bulgaria, to be somewhere I kind of understand, to speak the language, to order a glass of wine with dinner, to flirt with waitresses, and to pay posted prices that are the same for everybody! We hung out with friends, told stories, talked about our project, and had a fantastic time!
It was everything we needed before our next project in Rakitovo with Future Foundation to talk about Bulgaria's accession into the European Union from students' perspectives.

What?!? Are you Syria!?!

2008-03-17T17:29:00.000-07:00

I had thought that no country could compete with the hospitality and friendliness of Egypt. I was wrong. Syria impressed me beyond words in every possible way! Perhaps it's because main-stream tourism has not made it here to corrupt the local culure. Despite the media's best efforts, I felt extremely safe and genuinely welcomed everywhere we went!

Team Awesome arrived to Damascus without a hitch and found ourselves a hotel near the center. It's a big city, with lots happening in every direction. We explored the old town around the market place and Omayyad Mosque. Ancient streets ran this way and that - each offering something else to explore. There was so much character to this thriving town, and it gave off a vibe of unmatched friendliness that put us at ease and opened a lot of doors to really see the culture!

Omayyad Mosque was my favorite! The courtyard was filled with families, children, and friends. It was like an extremely crowded park of picnickers, only these people had come to pray and be social. Kids ran and played, women talked about whatever women talk about, and men walked arm in arm - a show of friendship and affection. It was peace in the very definition of the term.

I was inside the mosque and an old man spotted me taking pictures. He waved me over to him where he sat with his grandchildren. He motioned to me that he wanted me to take a picture of him with the two young ones. I obliged and they went rigid in pose. After taking their picture, I showed them the back screen of my camera so they could see the image. He motioned that he wanted a copy of the picture. I asked if he had an email address, thinking "email" was a pretty universal word, and he nodded yes. I opened my notebook and pointed to another email address to make sure he understood and then pointed below it and handed him my notebook and pen to get his address. He signed it, thinking I wanted his autograph! It was all I could do to not bust up laughing, but I persisted in trying to communicate with him despite his lack of understanding English and my lack of understanding Arabic. No use. I thanked him for the picture as well as the autograph and bid him farewell.

I have to admit, I was quite nervous about coming to Syria. After all, I read the news. I hear things like Syria supports Hammas' and Hezbollah's ambitions of destroying Israel. I'm aware that the United States is one of Israel's only friends. I can see that the U.S. is the only nation that supports Israel's brutal and condemning policies towards Palestinians. I know that my president, as embarrassing as he is, called Syria a rogue state and invaded a neighboring country with unclear and debated motivations, which destabilized the entire region to a degree that even my mathematical skills can't seem to calculate. And worst of all, I know that my passport, with a picture inside of it of my beautiful, smiling face connects me to all those negative and appalling things! I can see quite clearly the logic that citizens of this particular region of the globe are angry with citizens from the state responsible for supporting such heinous negativity. Thing is, I didn't encounter any major hostility at all!

Take away the bad politics - which seem to be managed (or mismanaged if you prefer) by the few - and you have a clear picture of the humanity that is the Syrian people. Likewise, the American people. Seeing and showing these pictures was a great and growing experience for me, and my traveling companions! Nearly every smile I gave was returned. Syrians, even upon hearing that we were American, welcomed us to their country and asked how they could help us, if we needed help.

If politicians truly represented the people they govern, the reflection of those peoples' cultures and courtesies could end all conflict! The source of conflict, I'm convinced, is in the misunderstanding of the two or more conflicting parties. Though perhaps it's not so simple? Perhaps there are other dynamics that play significant roles in inequality issues inhibiting peace? Perhaps age old conflicts with forgotten reasons still provide fodder for fantastic feats of foolishness? Or perhaps we should simply try a little harder to understand who these different people are - and investigate whether or not they're even that different at all. We set out to learn of one group who had this exact purpose to their being!

Up in the desert mountains outside a tiny town called Nebek, exists a Catholic Monastery devoted to bridging the gap between Christians and Muslims. In 1982, Padre Paolo, a Jesuit Monk, was assigned to the Deir Mar Musa Monastery. His assignment: "Harmony building". He prefers that term as it is more holistic than "dialogue". His priorities were:

A spiritual life.

Social responsibility and environmental awareness.

Hospitality.

With these goals, he set in motion events that have built this monastery into the beacon of peace, and indeed 'harmony building' that it is today.

The monastery was first constructed in the 6th century, but was in disrepair when he arrived. In 1984 he began a series of summer youth camps to rebuild and expand the capacity of the building. By 1991, he and a staff of volunteers were able to permanently reside at the monastery.

Padre Paolo focuses on similarities between religions to connect the misunderstood gap between practitioners. He said that monastic life is understood by Muslims, and he emphasizes the commonalities - prayer and worship. Conversely, he said asking questions like, "Why did God create Muslims?" helps to address a perspective that Christians can identify with. He continued in saying that, "In the Bible and the Koran, many true things are named in different ways. The question is needed - how is the other, part of my own system?" The connections he drew were that Muslims accept Jesus as a prophet but deny he died on the cross. He asked if that could be interpreted in a different way, and answered, "Yes!" which can open the mind through different interpretations.

He closed our discussion with, "We are a little cell in a big work that is in the Middle Ages, culturally and spiritually. We need to convince the young people to stay on your aim, despite the contradictions around you."

I don't necessarily agree with his religion, but I was extremely impressed with his methods for peace and harmony building! He's found his true niche, one at which he is exceedingly excelling! He said that every Friday (Islamic day of worship) Muslims flood the monastery grounds for a relaxing picnic and worship. He has open and free dialogue with everyone who visits, giving him loads of opportunity to bridge the gap between Muslims and Christians - and he capitalizes on every one of those opportunities!

Now then, if only we could get Padre Paolo to run for office!

How 'bout "Jordan" for a Title?!

2008-03-13T16:53:00.000-07:00

While waiting for a ferry from Egypt to Jordan, we began a couple new friendships with other travelers heading in the same direction. Of course the primary objective of our project is to make connections with local people, but it's been quite insightful to speak with other travelers on things to look out for. And so we plunged into the Middle East as a group of Americans, seven strong!

On our way to the ferry, we met Danielle, a gal from California who just quit her fancy pants corporate job to explore the world and learn a bit about herself. She hasn't left our side, and has been very welcomed company along our journey.

On the ferry, we connected with the Chang Gang, a mother and her three boys who are taking 8 months to explore the world and incorporate what they learn into their education. Denise (Mom, a teacher), Josh (16), Steve (14), and Ben (11) were a bundle of different kinds of energy and a true inspiration! The kids are still enrolled in school and receive homework from their teachers. Moreover, their classes back home have incorporated the Chang Gang's trip into the curriculum, using their eyes to relate the parts of the world they're encountering back to the classroom! How's that for alternative education?!

We stuck together like glue, and called ourselves Team Awesome! Our first mission was to explore Petra. We spent a full day walking through the old, abandoned city turned tourist attraction and one of the seven modern wonders of the world! We explored caves, talked about our life experiences, marveled at how nature had created such a beautiful place and man had manipulated it in such a fantastic way, and tried our best to control our shock at how magnificent a site Petra truly is! We returned to our hotel, exhausted... but not too tired to gorge ourselves on a delicious Jordanian feast and enjoy each other's company for a bit longer.

In the morning, we set out for Amman, the capital. The Chang Gang had a couple homework days scheduled so they retreated to a hotel to complete existing assignments, coordinate with teachers back home, and read up on their next sites. While they worked, Tim, D, and I met up with our couch surfing host, John. He's a British fellow who's been living in different countries for past years in two year stints with English teaching contracts. We had some fantastic conversations on what he's learned in the world, and his perspective on the way things are.

We learned the state of things in Jordan through John's eyes. We dearly wanted to set up a discussion group to talk about the Israeli/Palestinian/Arab conflict and then contrast it with a similar discussion in Israel, but John said it was such a sensitive topic it would be dangerous to bring it up. We learned this to be more or less true in talking to the few locals that we did indeed connect with. It seemed most of the people in Jordan were not Jordanian. They were displaced Palestinians, local Palestinians, displaced Iraqis, Kuwaitis, and loads of Egyptians. And even though the Egyptians come here looking for work, there exists a 40% unemployment rate! But apparently not all of this is from lack of available work. Life is expensive in Jordan - the Jordan Dinar is stronger than the U.S. Dollar, even though that doesn't say much these days. Despite the high cost of living, people seemed generally happy. They were even pretty welcoming to the fact that we were Americans in their country.

While John was at work, we took a day trip to the Dead Sea - the lowest point on Earth! It's 420 meters below sea level! The lowest point on the surface of the Earth! In case it's not part of your common knowledge - the Dead Sea is A TRIP! It's a big ole lake between Jordan and Israel that has such a high salt concentration that nothing can live in it! So the water is crystal clear, very stingy, and people are abnormally buoyant in it! I performed all kinds of scientific tests on it! Such as:

How far can a person walk into the water before floating? Before the water passes your shoulders!
How long can I keep my body vertical while floating? Not long! It was tough to keep my feet from floating to the top!
How far out of the water can a person float horizontally? 'Bout half way.
Can a person swim down below the surface of the water? This test was inconclusive because when I tried I found out that the water burns my eyes more than any other chemical burn I've ever felt. When I asked if Tim and D saw me go below the water, they laughed and told me my ass never made it below the surface... I was crying, but not because they had hurt my feelings. It was because I couldn't wipe the salt from my eyes. I cursed my positive buoyancy while I ran for the showers on the beach.
How bad does the salt water sting a person’s eyes? Very bad! Ouch! It stung my tongue too!

At the beach were a couple of pools filled with fresh water. The water was very refreshing, but I felt like I was an awkward rock with limbs trying to swim. I pretty much went straight to the bottom. No more cursing my positive buoyancy skills!

We also tried out the natural skin cleansing and enrichment of Dead Sea mud. It just seemed like hippie cosmetics to me, and it smelled like sewage... hippies...

We hitched a ride back to Amman and met up with the Chang Gang for Steve's 14th birthday party! It was a night of celebration and future planning! We discussed how we were going to get into Syria. Problem is that Syria requires a visa to enter, and the only way to obtain a visa was to go to a Syrian embassy in our country of residence. Well none of us were going to fly home to jump through those hoops so we just went straight to the border, smiled as big as we could, used our cutest Arabic, were the least obnoxious we could have been, and waited. And waited. Our other Peace Corps friends had tried this maneuver before - one pair had to wait 10 hours, the other guy was temporarily detained and questioned in a holding cell!

In just a hair under 3.5 hours at the border we were welcomed kindly into Syria - a characteristic which proved prominent of this misunderstood nation.

Blown Away by Muslims!

2008-02-27T09:23:00.000-08:00

Over the past two months of traveling, there's been one reoccurring theme that's entered into every discussion and every situation. Islam. It comes up whether we ask about it or not. It's so entwined with everything we experience and it seems to dominate the entire foundation of everything cultural that we decided to look a little deeper at the topic that gets a nasty reputation in the states, and is so overwhelmingly popular in other parts of the world.

We met with a wonderful group of volunteers from Resala, an organization that utilizes youth to inspire and help other, less fortunate youth in a plethora of capacities. 15 young people between 18 and 24 gave up one Saturday night to meet with us and discuss Islam.

Our discussion started with an introduction of our project and what we hope to accomplish. Our first question asked how Islam influenced their values in life - including the decision to become a volunteer for this organization.

We received a lot of answers that focused on a particular idea - that Islam instructs its practitioners to help the people around them. It teaches charity as a value, and that charity can come in many forms, including kindness and smiles. Said one participant, "The most beloved work to Allah is to make everybody happy!" Which is consistent with one of the organization's goals: "Let's make their happiness our aim." Outside of religion, some volunteers mentioned that they got involved in order to develop their country, to make it better, and to give chance to disillusioned youth. My personal favorite was one volunteer who said that he started volunteering to serve Islam through science, but discovered that he found great fulfillment in the work he was doing so that serving Islam was no longer his only reward for his efforts.

These kids are getting tremendous fulfillment from helping other kids in their community and their attitudes of help are inspiring. One guy taught English to a blind girl. Other kids spend their time tutoring orphans or collecting and distributing food to the poor.

During our session of how Islam instilled value into their motivations in life, we were asked numerous times, "What do Americans think of Islam?" It's a difficult question to answer because America is so huge, and so diverse that there isn't just one simple opinion of what Americans think of Islam. It was quite clear though, that they expected a specific answer to the question they had asked. And because Tim and I are so amazingly prepared, we already had an answer for them. However, as prepared as we were, it was difficult to deliver the answer diplomatically. We tried, with great effort, to explain that America is home to many, many different types of people - educated, uneducated, open minded, closed minded, etc. We explained that there indeed are Americans who think that Islam = a religion against the U.S., terrorism, fanaticism, and oppression.

Of course not all Americans think this way, and we explained that too, but the stereotype that does exist needs to be rectified. I went into a spiel on how Tim and I were there that day to establish a cultural link between our two societies, which continue to misunderstand each other. I believe that a severe, and dangerous, lack of information plays a huge role on this stereotype existing in America - and I explained that it was fueled greatly by the media's coverage of religious extremists committing unbelievable atrocities in the name of Islam. As soon as I had finished my explanation of the media being the culprit of why people think this way, one participant admitted, "You know, our media shows us the same thing about you guys. It's the same on both sides."

It's a shame that the perspective of the masses so greatly depends on a third person perspective. However, not everyone has the opportunity to see how things truly are for themselves. I guess the only thing we can do, is ask ourselves that we be able to understand that the information we are being told isn't the infallible truth, but someone else's version of how they interpret it.

Our discussion entered America's perception of Muslims and we quickly heard comments like, "You can not judge a book by its cover", which was funny to hear such an idiom so far from home. The participants implored us to tell America that the only way to understand Islam is to read about it for yourself. They also said, you can't truly learn about Islam from other Muslims because all people are different, including Muslims.

About war - our participants told us that Islam specifically preaches that in any war, the only targets are soldiers - never women, children, or old folks. Of course, when we see news about suicide bombers, we rarely make this connection. This fuels the stereotype, but it's a stereotype only deserved among extremists. And hardly every Muslim is an extremist. We also heard that although Muslims have occupied territory through hostile acts of war in the past, they're the only religion that has never destroyed another culture's history in the occupation.

On the oppression of women, one gal had plenty to say! She said that the clothes she wears to cover her body and head protect her from men around her who could easily objectify her. She said that Islam ensures rights to women, not deprives them. And although we see in the news a very male dominated society, it's the woman who is in charge at home. Continuing, she commented on the rule of a man having the opportunity to have up to four wives. This is only allowed by permission of the first wife, and the rule originated from a war-time, in which there weren't enough men to repopulate the community.

As we closed our two-hour, Saturday night discussion, one volunteer said, "We are all descendants of Adam and Eve. We are all brothers and sisters. Why should we want to harm our brothers and sisters?" Once again, they pleaded with us to tell people to get to the source if they want to have an opinion on something. This seems a simple request, which I'll commit myself to, and hopefully inspire others to follow.

Handshakes and thank-yous followed for a few minutes. Some participants had more specific questions for Tim and myself. While I was engaged in a chat I could overhear Tim defending his spiritual beliefs as a couple kids tried to get him to accept Islam. It made me laugh and reminded me how similar Christians and Muslims actually are.

Volunteer Like an Egyptian!

2008-02-21T15:17:00.000-08:00

I am once again blown away by the friendliness of the people of Egypt. Egypt draws an insane number of tourists each year, generating heaps of opportunities and income for locals. So big is the tourism industry, that the government set up a branch within the law enforcement agency called the Tourism Police. They're police officers whose duty it is to specifically provide tourists with safety. That's not to say that Egypt is a dangerous place, but many western tourists are misled into thinking that it is.

Egypt is rich in history and archaeological sites that are overwhelmed with tourists on a daily basis. People from around the world come to see things like the Pyramids at Giza, the Ramses Temple, the Temple of Karnak, and the Egyptian Museum. They come to relax at a shisha bar or perhaps to take a faluka ride down the Nile and ponder the lives of the ancient Pharos. But the true treasure of Egypt is it's current inhabitants.

You can not walk through a city in Egypt without receiving an onslaught of welcome wishes from locals who are eager to shake your hand. Of course, there are still the guys on the streets that talk up a good conversation and then all of a sudden, conveniently own a store nearby and invite you inside "to give you a business card". But the majority of people on the street are content to say, "Hello!", "Welcome to Egypt!", and more than occasionally someone will speak a bit of English and ask our names and where we're from.

Seeing the smiles on peoples' faces and hearing the love in peoples' voices creates a warm feeling of grand contentment despite the constant background of honking horns and clouds of exhaust that never seem to clear. Life here is happy. Even after Tim and I each had sentimental things stolen from our backpacks, while they sat unsafely locked in our hotel room, I can still say that I'm happy to be here.

In a place where happiness seems to dominate, an unfortunate piece of reality hangs around to balance the scale of life: poverty. Gas is the equivalent of $0.60 USD per gallon, which is twice what it was last year. Mandarins are $0.30 per pound, and Tim and I are able to overfill our ever shrinking stomachs for less than a dollar a meal. Prices here are insanely cheap for western standards because that's all that the local people can afford to pay. And in a society where work is hard to find and money is hard to earn, we found a network of volunteers across the country - giving of themselves for the benefit of their community!

We met with the Youth Association for Population and Development. YAPD is an NGO that runs many different volunteer programs in Egypt. Some of their bigger projects include:

Egyptian Volunteer Center
A project that places volunteers within needed roles in the community.
Youth Training Sessions
A project aimed at tackling the unemployment problem through a group of training sessions.
Youth Hotline
A hotline for abused children.
Health Education Campaign
Education focused on HIV and AIDS awareness.

Over the course of a couple hours in their main office, we met with volunteers and employees. We discussed the best methods to get people involved in improving their communities and why people choose to become volunteers. The motivations of these youth was not money - of course, as volunteers traditionally don't get paid. Their motivation is social networking, making connections, developing their community to have a better society, and establishing a role in their country.

Their whole focus is on getting youth to be active in their communities to influence a positive change in the direction of development. They were established in 1994 and have worked with over 30,000 volunteers, mostly between the ages of 18 and 28. It was fascinating to see so many people involved in developing their communities in a place as difficult as this. The need for the work they do is very apparent, everywhere you look. This is a society of mystery, generosity, kindness, and a huge lack of opportunity.

An example of the need for YAPD's efforts came crashing into reality as crazily as our favorite taxi driver drives through the city. We went out that same night with the hostel guy, Amir, our favorite taxi driver, Farag, and two other guests who were both doctors - one from Lebanon, and the other from Morocco. It started out a good time of relaxing and hanging out, talking about whatever came to our heads. Farag was sitting next to Dr. Morocco and started asking medical questions. Farag, 27, is a wonderful, kind, loving soul and he was very interested in some specific health topics. Unfortunately, he never had the opportunity to learn this information in school and was asking quite basic questions. Like a good, conservative Muslim, he's waiting for marriage to have sex and was expressing his fear that he might hurt his unborn baby if he had sex with his future wife should she someday become pregnant. Dr. Morocco explained the concept of conception in detail as Farag listened intently, stopping to ask anatomy questions now and again. The parts he didn't understand, Dr. Lebanon tried to explain using a bottle of water, an empty cup, and a straw - the only props available. His peers were joking with him, and very much laughing at his expense because he's never learned the details of reproduction. He was asking questions that were funny, from an educated perspective, but also a bit sad and endearing to see his sincere attempt at learning something he knew nothing about. From the laughter, I got the impression that these topics were not maturely dealt with in this culture, thus really reaffirming for me everything that YAPD does in this country.

This organization is huge and they have an amazing network of volunteers who seemed to be very ambitious and giving for their own benefits and the benefits of their communities. It was refreshing and inspiring to see a young group so involved in positive social change.

Southern Tunisia of Death!!!

2008-02-14T10:53:00.000-08:00

Our experiences with our host, Mehdi, and our Tunisian Manager, Amira, were better than anything our wild imaginations could have ever come up with! We enjoyed time with the best of the best - kind, generous, loving, intelligent, ambitious, the list goes on. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear their hearts were made of pure gold! Unfortunately, as I began an exploration of the south, I was rocked back to reality during the first five minutes on the train!

After our projects in Tunisia were completed, Tim and I decided to spend a few days apart to maintain our sanities. I decided to head south to see where Star Wars was filmed, and Tim went hitch hiking and camping somewhere else less Star Warsy.

I bought a ticket on a night train to Tozeur and was reading my book while I waited for the train to send me on a journey to a place far, far away. All of a sudden, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a hand slowly creeping toward my bag from behind me! I turned to look at it more clearly and it shot back behind the seat. I turned and made the facial equivalent of "WTF?!?!" There sitting behind me, was a guy in his mid-twenties, with a big, stupid smile on his face - embarrassed to have been caught and very obviously guilty. In his embarrassment he couldn't think of what to do. I stood up to confront him and he pulled off one of his fake gold rings and tried to sell it to me. Thanks, fella, but no thanks... I packed up my stuff and found another seat after calling him a bad person. Didn't sleep for the rest of the night!

I arrived in Tozeur, a small town that perhaps once had something interesting to offer, but is now just dominated by tourist shops all selling the same tacky souvenirs. I don't like places like these because although the locals go through the motions of being nice and welcoming and smiling - it's all 100% insincere. These types of places are nearly impossible to experience anything true of the culture, or to meet real people.

After I found a cheap enough hotel, I decided to take a walk outside the town, which sits in an oasis, to see if I could find the desert! I walked for over an hour in a southerly direction until finally I had found my way out of the oasis and palm forest and into the great Sahara. As I entered this ecotone, I passed four kids on a cart pulled by a horse. Two were about 12 years old, and two were about 18. They were all staring at me, naturally, as I was way, way out of anywhere tourists and even locals usually go.

Tim and I had been taking private Arabic lessons, 10 hours worth, so I gave them the typical Arabic greeting, which translates literally to "Peace be upon you!" and received what's becoming the typical response to my Arabic attempts - laughter. They looked as if they were ditching out on their afternoon chores as they rode their empty cart laughing. One of them was holding a sickle - a typical farming tool used for cutting tall grass, or woody palm branches/leaves. However, this particular sickle had a different destiny - it was to be used for cutting wandering Andrews...

I walked passed them and they continued on their way. I stopped to take in the view, listen to the birds, and enjoy the peace before my next month and a half of Tim's shenanigans are to begin. I noticed that they had stopped just as the road went around a bend. They backed up and started calling out to me, "Monsieur! Monsieur!" That's French for "Hey guy, come here!" They motioned for me to come over to where they were.

They sat along the only way back to town so I started walking back towards them slowly. After all, they had just corrupted my enjoyment of the peace and quiet, what else did I have to do?

As I neared, I took note that one 18 year old was missing, as was the sickle, and one 12 year old was standing in the road. I greeted them again as my new vocabulary is quite limited and the one 12 year old in the road put out his hand and said, "Cinq Dinars!", which is French for "Five Dinars, Buster!" He was dirty and looked as if his eyes had never before smiled. He was demanding the equivalent of about four USD, so I tried to respond with, "French is for sissies, I speak English!" but what actually came out was, "I don't understand French." The 12 year old on the cart spoke rough, but impressive, English and asked my name. I introduced myself and asked their names and shook their hands. On the cart, Ismael, the only English speaker, and his older buddy, Ahmed, were all smiles. Nabi reluctantly shook my hand but refused to look me in the eyes after I denied his fee for being a foreigner. I praised Ismael's English ability and complimented them on their country and oasis. After a very brief conversation, the two smilers called to their fourth friend, the other 18 year old, who was hiding in the bushes. He came out, sickle in hand, and disappointment all over his face! I extended my hand, testing him, and said, "Andrew". He mumbled something beginning with 'M' and climbed up onto the cart. Ismael invited me to ride with them, but I politely declined saying that I preferred to walk.

I had used my most important Taekwondo training to conquer their ill-willed plans, but still, my drugless high, instilled by my new friends in Tunis, had come crashing down in flames in less than a day! It was a sobering reminder that even in a country of superstars, there can be bad people. The lesson here is not to be afraid of everyone, everything, and everywhere we travel, but to treat each situation as a different situation, and each person as a different person! Maintaining openness and awareness, and perhaps a bit of caution, are key to what Tim and I are doing and are some of the reasons why we are successful!

Be All You Can Be In Tunisia!

2008-02-09T10:44:00.000-08:00

The youth of Tunisia that I've had the pleasure of meeting have been some of the most promising youth I've ever been around! It seems everyone we meet is studying to be a doctor, or a PhD candidate in biotechnology, or already have a Masters Degree in Information Technology, and a number of other higher education students! We've spent our time here with people of great character and of even greater potential! Tunisia's government did a true service to its country when it made higher education free to students smart enough to pursue such a path in life - and indeed it will pay off in the future!

We met with 15 students from Insat University in Tunis to have a discussion about goals, stereotypes, and cultural understanding. These students all belong to at least one of four extra curricular groups: Biotechnology Club, Chemistry Club, Radio Club, and Theater Club. They organized a delicious traditional Tunisian lunch for us, while we hung out, conversed, and bonded for nearly five hours!

Our discussion began with having them introduce themselves and tell about their values and life/career goals. It was quite clear that these kids were shooting for the stars - and I have every bit of confidence in them that they'll make it! Many of their goals were focused on social responsibility, such as creating associations for proper nutrition, biotechnological advancements, and cultural education through theater - and one young man has already started an organization called Ecologically Engaged as a platform to do environmental education for youth in his community! Other goals focused around culture and idea exchanges, traveling and discovery, marriage, and normal goals typical of any college kid: to succeed.

It was inspiring to hear about their ambitions in life and I'm excited for them that their government is giving them the opportunities necessary to further themselves, and in the long run to further their country.

Our discussion moved more toward stereotypes as obstacles in their lives. Some of our participants had at one time or another been negatively affected in some way by a stereotype. And some had been blown away by experiences and people who had broken their previously held stereotypes! They all seemed to agree that stereotypes came from and are propagated by media, conflicts, religion, and a lack of information.

Wrapping everything up, we talked about how to correct stereotypes, and dispel these prejudices and prejudgments. Travel, discussions, and meetings were among the ideas presented to educate people about our differences and similarities. I used good ole Gandhi’s quote, "Be the change that you want to see in the world." to inspire them into knowing that they each have the power to dispel stereotypes by representing the truth about themselves, as this is a practice I hold in quite high esteem.

My favorite comment of the day was in relation to the fact that we are all connected: "If we want to build bridges, we will do it. If we want to cut them - we can too." It is all our responsibilities to recognize stereotypes for what they are, and to look beyond them and see an individual as representing the truth about themselves and no one else!

The meeting was a huge success and gave these kids the opportunity to speak about important issues. In fact, on one tangent, they got into a debate on Islamic principles governing public behavior. Tunisia is not nearly as conservative as Morocco with respect to religion, but still, a healthy, mature debate on a topic like this shows great insight into their culture and is great positive development for them!

My best to you guys and all your future endeavors! Thanks for all your hospitality and participation!

Cous Cous for Pig Skin!

2008-02-05T08:36:00.000-08:00

Our host in Tunis is originally from Bizerte, a rather large city in the north. Mehdi has been an amazing host, showing us hospitality that we could never have even hoped for! While in Tunis on business, Medhi's mother stopped by the apartment and invited us to Bizerte for a cous cous feast! We excitedly accepted and were giddy at the opportunity for some interaction with people from a different age generation.

We learned that Mehdi's mother; Hayet, is an eye doctor and his father, Moncef, is the Mayor of Bizerte! We explained our project to them and asked if we could interview them to get a new perspective on Tunisia! After a cous cous feast that was fit for a mayor and his family, we had a nice little discussion on how they saw life in Tunisia, and the U.S.

Their values and observations about their community were eerily reminiscent of how I've heard my family speak, "The Good Old Days". They value family, respect for others, and love for one's country. With growth, as they told us, the town has become much more of a melting pot and there are people from everywhere and no one really knows anyone anymore. In the past, everyone knew each other and having a social responsibility was easy because everyone around you was your neighbor. They see all the opportunities that today's youth have, and are frustrated that they spend so much time sitting in front of a computer playing games or watching music on television. Their wishes for their grand children are "more responsibly"!

It was so close to the state of life I know in the U.S. we wanted to know their opinion of the U.S.

Moncef began by saying that even though the United States is a young country, it's very strong. The pride of Americans in their country is what makes it strong. And he went on a bit at how much he admired that. He also included that many people are upset with the U.S. for being so strongly pro-Israel, and supporting the injustice toward Palestinians.

Here's an interesting thought: If in your circle of friends one friend continually pissed off other people and got you into fights all the time, what would you do or say to your troublemaking friend? It would be fun to start an online dialogue about that, and I'll let any of my faithful readers comment by clicking on the comment link at the bottom of this article!

Moncef also said that Americans lump all Islam/Arabs together and he wants us to realize that they can be religious without war and terrorism!

On a development theme he said that rich countries should help poor countries, but not by simply throwing money at the development woes. Financial aid should be used for infrastructure and monitored closely so that corruption can't find its place with donated funds. This would help stop illegal immigration and increase employment!

In all it was a very, very enlightening conversation. It was clear to see where Mehdi had picked up his hospitality skills. And so when we returned to Tunis, we tried to return the favor by preparing a proper Superbowl party for him!

Tim and I went all out with the only resources we could find to work with. We bought a couple packs of Tunisian beer, and a couple bottles of wine. We made a vegetable/salsa dip for potato chips, and we constructed some very rough, but delicious nachos! We had a full spread of alcohol and junk food! It rocked! Kickoff was a half hour after midnight due to the time difference and we settled right in to one of the best Superbowls, ever! We explained all the rules of football and the history behind the teams and Mehdi seemed nearly as excited as we were - well, excited as I was - Tim's on a level all his own on this one.

Poor Mehdi, though, as excited as he was, we wouldn't let him go to sleep before the end of the game at 4:30 AM! And he had work later that morning - he's doing his residency to become an eye doctor and someday run his mother's clinic! You're a good sport, Mehdi! Thanks so much for everything you've done for us!

CIA in Tunisia

2008-02-02T04:59:00.000-08:00

This true story is based on an event that actually happened within all realms of my own reality.

Thursday, 2008-01-31, 13:17 Zulu Time.

36° 47' 59.77" North Longitude
10° 10' 51.24" East Latidtude

Agent Wade and 00Judkins were walking down the main street in the center of Tunis, and had a very bizarre encounter that instilled excitement and wonder into their already interesting day.

They were heading for the old town - the medina - where a maze of small alleys are filled with a myriad of shops and cafes when all of a sudden some "random guy" made eye contact with Tim and altered his course to "contact" him.

The agents were just outside of a hotel-ish looking building, on a crowded street when the operative, Superspy, made contact with Tim. He was carrying a cell phone in one hand, and a laptop bag around his opposite shoulder. The laptop bag very obviously contained no laptop at all. Superspy changed his direction and thumped Agent Wade's arm as we walked by. Tim and Andrew looked back and wondered, "What the hell?" as Superspy maintained his eye contact with Tim and made a gesture that neither of the two former Peace Corps Volunteers understood. Then the operative followed them.

Superspy was casual and looked like any ordinary operative on the street. He walked so as not to attract attention and carried himself in a way that let him blend into his surroundings like a fat guy standing next to a hotdog cart.

Tim and Andrew decided to stop at a tourist shop and look at some postcards to see what Superspy would do. He waited for them. They were intrigued and wondered what their next move should be. Andrew wanted to take a picture of the operative to gauge his reaction. Tim shot down his idea saying, "Are you nuts, Double "O" Judkins?! That technique is not the wisest option!" They decided instead, to continue onward to the medina - with Superspy inconspicuously on their tails.

He finally stopped following them at one intersection and watched them disappear into the crowd. They laughed at what their imaginations thought they had encountered and joked about the mysterious, classified contents of the laptop bag. After some manipulative talking, Andrew was able to convince Tim to walk back to the "contact location" to see if Superspy had returned to meet whoever he mistook them for. He was gone though - obviously he terminated any further progress as he felt his confusion had compromised the mission.

Better luck next time, Superspy!

Names and places in this story have not been changed in order to protect the identity of the fat guy next to the hotdog cart.

Sustainable Development in Islam

2008-01-30T11:22:00.000-08:00

In addition to our stereotype discussion in Tinjdad, we got a unique opportunity to sit in on a sustainable development presentation.

At the local high school, Hachimi gave a presentation on a topic that's become a large part of what we're doing, and part of my own personal goals. However, Hachimi surprised everyone at the last minute and tweaked his presentation topic from a simple "Sustainable Development in the World" to "Sustainable Development in Islam".

Islam keeps coming up in every last aspect of everyone's life here. Religion is so powerful and so prominent in everyone's lives. Some rough notes of his outline and presentation are as follows:

Intro
His intro began with, "In the name of Allah, the most merciful." He focused his argument on human entitlement to nature and stressed that we are nature's manager, not owner.

Land Reclamation
He started with verses from Koran and went into human responsibility as dictated by Allah. "Plant a tree, but don't forget that it's a gift from Allah, and if an animal eats from it, you will be rewarded in the afterlife."

Water Pollution
"No one should bathe in the water if they are unclean." He related that the only reason to have clean water is because you need it to clean yourself before you pray. So if the water is polluted, then you can't clean yourself in order to pray.

Sustainable Forestry
"If anyone plants a tree, they will be rewarded in the hereafter. Advise troops to not kill trees or animals."

Knowledge and Education
"Allah taught Adam the names of all things. This is why only humans have the knowlege of nature."

Poverty and Alleviation
"Poverty is described in Islam through a direct connection to language." Meaning there are specific words in Arabic that translate to poverty and alleviation principles.

Responsibilities Toward Underprivilaged Communities
Sustainable development is compatible with Islam in social, econimical, ecological, and political realms.

Questions from the presenter's peers:
What is the water pollution connection to sustainable development in islam?
"View water to clean your body. We need to clean before prayer."

Is there a difference between sustainable development and Islam and other religions?
"No idea."

Do all Muslim nations practice this example of sustainable development?
"Modernization is the problem for other countries. Islam accepts positive points of modernization."

How do we do this?
"Change peoples' minds"

Moderization isn't against Islam?
"Not all countries use koran as source of law."

My Thoughts
This was a challenge for me to write about neutrally. Tim pointed out that due to my natural aversion to religion, not just to Islam, that I'm biased about the twist on this sustainable development presentation. Perhaps so. I should be proud that someone is using something they believe in to make a connection to something that's good for the planet's continued health. I can definitely see the value in using a language that people understand to communicate complex principles. If people don't care about garbage and pollution, why not use a religion, like Islam, to draw a connection to the problem that people can recognize?

It was an interesting perspective on one topic I know well, and on another that keeps popping up and confusing me.

To my faithful readers - If you're not reading Tim's blog, you might be missing a significant part of my story! Some say his blogs aren't quite as magnificent as mine, others say his might be slightly more profound... Check it out!