1.23.2008
Bamboo Chicken
1.21.2008
Some Sad News
Some of you may remember a couple of months ago when I wrote about meeting
Belize's most famous musician (and spilling my lunch on him). Andy Palacio
was a cultural icon that brought the Garifuna music of Belize to the world,
winning the UNESCO Artist for Peace Award on the day that I met him.
Belize's most famous musician (and spilling my lunch on him). Andy Palacio
was a cultural icon that brought the Garifuna music of Belize to the world,
winning the UNESCO Artist for Peace Award on the day that I met him.
Yesterday Andy Palacio died. This is a big hit for Belize, for the Garifuna
people, and for the world in general. He was an amazing musician and
important part of the cultural preservation movement in Belize. The New York
Times wrote an article about his passing:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/21/arts/music/21palacio.html?ref=music
1.18.2008
Playing in the mud
It was an unassuming enough invitation, a day of canoeing at a nearby protected area where a good friend has been working as a Peace Corps Volunteer. We had just finished a particularly difficult swim back into the cave. The water still being a little high, I nearly lost my swimsuit bottoms several times as I swept through raging currents in a dark underground river. A boat ride through a gentle lagoon while looking at birds sounded about as easy as it gets.
A couple of days later I arrived at the designated road junction at the appointed time. Jeff was there reading a 10-day old copy of the New York Times, having had arrived from the other direction by bike. We started walking the 3-miles in to the village where the park, Aguacaliente Wildlife Preserve, begins, and were soon overtaken by Mike and his friend Andy who was visiting from the states. The guys stashed their bikes in the bush and the 4 of us headed towards Laguna. Once at the village we put on our mud boots and started the somewhat muddy trip towards the lagoon, where we would find a large wooden canoe. Problem one: someone from the village came up to us and informed us that the large boat was leaking, so we would have to fit into the smaller, lightweight canoe that was dry-docked at the visitors center. Not a problem for seasoned adventurers such as ourselves, so we continued on the trail turned raised boardwalk.
It was a pleasant stroll on the wooden planks above the soft jungle floor, and we reached the visitors center quickly. Two of the guys agreed to carry the boat from the center to the lagoon. Fifteen minutes later we came to the lagoon, well actually it was a muddy stream that led to the lagoon, but it was the end of the trail. We put the boat in the water, and as we carefully boarded, we all realized that this was going to be trickier that we had first anticipated. Wobble left, wobble right, water coming over one side, then the other, and soon the whole boat and all it’s occupants were in the waist-deep mud. We all stood up laughing and waded back to shore to try this again. Surely we weren’t going to be outsmarted by a canoe, but this time we would use sticks to stabilize. Try number two got us about 20 feet past the dock before the entire boat sank. At this point, not being much of a fan of murkey swamp water, especially when up to my shoulders in it, I panicked and reached the shore breathing hard, swearing off canoes forever (this is actually the 2nd time in Belize I have done this). No worries, Mike says, there is a land route.
The land route was cruelly misnamed, as there was far less land and far more water. Ducking under thorn bushes, balancing on water-rotted logs, and slogging through greenish mud for almost an hour and we arrived. At what I cannot really say, but I stopped where I was, sent the guys ahead, and enjoyed the view from the log where I sat. They went on for awhile more, coming back to me by swimming through the lagoon rather than wade the muddy shore. Back to the dock, over the boardwalk, through the village, out to the road and I was thoroughly wet, dirty and exhausted, but I had seen an Amazon Kingfisher catch a sardine, which was cool. I emptied the water out of my boots, caught my bus, showered and enjoyed a hard-earned Belikin, thinking that maybe next time I should just go to the beach.
A couple of days later I arrived at the designated road junction at the appointed time. Jeff was there reading a 10-day old copy of the New York Times, having had arrived from the other direction by bike. We started walking the 3-miles in to the village where the park, Aguacaliente Wildlife Preserve, begins, and were soon overtaken by Mike and his friend Andy who was visiting from the states. The guys stashed their bikes in the bush and the 4 of us headed towards Laguna. Once at the village we put on our mud boots and started the somewhat muddy trip towards the lagoon, where we would find a large wooden canoe. Problem one: someone from the village came up to us and informed us that the large boat was leaking, so we would have to fit into the smaller, lightweight canoe that was dry-docked at the visitors center. Not a problem for seasoned adventurers such as ourselves, so we continued on the trail turned raised boardwalk.
It was a pleasant stroll on the wooden planks above the soft jungle floor, and we reached the visitors center quickly. Two of the guys agreed to carry the boat from the center to the lagoon. Fifteen minutes later we came to the lagoon, well actually it was a muddy stream that led to the lagoon, but it was the end of the trail. We put the boat in the water, and as we carefully boarded, we all realized that this was going to be trickier that we had first anticipated. Wobble left, wobble right, water coming over one side, then the other, and soon the whole boat and all it’s occupants were in the waist-deep mud. We all stood up laughing and waded back to shore to try this again. Surely we weren’t going to be outsmarted by a canoe, but this time we would use sticks to stabilize. Try number two got us about 20 feet past the dock before the entire boat sank. At this point, not being much of a fan of murkey swamp water, especially when up to my shoulders in it, I panicked and reached the shore breathing hard, swearing off canoes forever (this is actually the 2nd time in Belize I have done this). No worries, Mike says, there is a land route.
The land route was cruelly misnamed, as there was far less land and far more water. Ducking under thorn bushes, balancing on water-rotted logs, and slogging through greenish mud for almost an hour and we arrived. At what I cannot really say, but I stopped where I was, sent the guys ahead, and enjoyed the view from the log where I sat. They went on for awhile more, coming back to me by swimming through the lagoon rather than wade the muddy shore. Back to the dock, over the boardwalk, through the village, out to the road and I was thoroughly wet, dirty and exhausted, but I had seen an Amazon Kingfisher catch a sardine, which was cool. I emptied the water out of my boots, caught my bus, showered and enjoyed a hard-earned Belikin, thinking that maybe next time I should just go to the beach.
1.08.2008
6 Months to go
The thing about Peace Corps is that two years is a very long time. But then again it is just a moment. Today it is the prior. One week into 2008, I am racking my brain on how I am going to pass the next 6 months, or 25 weeks, or 190 days. I suppose I have work to do, but the teaser of going home for Christmas and seeing how successful, hip, and urban all my friends have become has thrown me off my game. It's hard to concentrate on protected area management and rural water systems when every time I close my eyes I see snow covered Douglas Firs, and when I lay down at night I can almost feel the weight of the down comforter on me. In the morning I walk outside expecting the morning paper to be laying on my stoop and as I make my coffee I can taste the double americano from my favorite espresso stand near UW. These figments of my imagination will fade as I adjust back to this tropical reality. And soon these sensory wishes will be real again, but for the moment that long stretch of time between right now and sometime in July will continue to taunt me with seeming infinity.
A message from my Dean
I just came across another inspiring article that was written a couple of months ago, this time by the Dean of the Evans School of Public Affairs, where I am currently working on my MPA (or will be again soon). To read her insight on environmental policy and change, go here
Green things happen when we all work together - http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2003986041_archibald01.html
Green things happen when we all work together - http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2003986041_archibald01.html
1.07.2008
One Last Night
Turns out I can be bought, or at least my seat on my flight back to Belize
can. For the outrageous price of $600 in flight credit on American, a night
at the Sheraton and 3 meals, I was more than willing to step aside and let
the airline give my seat to someone else. So instead of arriving in Belize
and beginning my long journey back to Blue Creek on the 2nd, I spent one
last night in the USA. Propped up by no less than 6 fluff pillows, I ordered
room service and watched late night TV, courtesy of American Airlines. The
hotel even took me to Walmart (don't judge me) so I could pick up some last
minute supplies.
can. For the outrageous price of $600 in flight credit on American, a night
at the Sheraton and 3 meals, I was more than willing to step aside and let
the airline give my seat to someone else. So instead of arriving in Belize
and beginning my long journey back to Blue Creek on the 2nd, I spent one
last night in the USA. Propped up by no less than 6 fluff pillows, I ordered
room service and watched late night TV, courtesy of American Airlines. The
hotel even took me to Walmart (don't judge me) so I could pick up some last
minute supplies.
The next day I arrived at the airport refreshed and ready to begin my
journey back to Blue Creek. My spirits were lifted when a fellow Belize
volunteer and I found out that we were traveling back on the same flight
together from Dallas. We tried to get adjacent seats, but the flight was too
full for any unnecessary switching. As the flight began boarding, I gathered
my things and handed my ticket to the agent. The little screen flashed the
message "duplicate seat" but the agent did not notice and waived me through.
My travel agent mother had warned me earlier that this flight was very full,
so I was not surprised to find someone already in my assigned seat. I turned
back to ask the flight attendant what to do, meanwhile mentally preparing
for an alternate mode of transportation back to Belize. He took my boarding
pass back up to the gate agent, leaving me to chat with the pilots as the
very full flight continued to board. He returned shortly and to my surprise
handed me a new boarding pass, "you'll be in seat 4B," he kindly told me. I
was standing right next to my new seat, in first class! I could hardly
contain my joy. Me, a lowly servant of the US Peace Corps, sitting in the
front of an international flight. I waived to my friend back in coach to let
him know I was still on the flight and took my seat as the doors were
closing. Warm mixed nuts and champagne found their way to my seat as we
taxied down the run-way. For lunch I enjoyed salmon, Cesar salad, and white
wine with a fancy chocolate for dessert. Three hours later I arrived in
Belize, warmed by the white and spoiled by the deluxe service, only to be
immediately ripped-off by my first taxi ride back into the city. I hauled my
bags from one to bus to the next on my long journey back to Blue Creek,
eventually making it back Friday morning. The reality of being back in my
home, Belize, was a good and bad thing. No more warm nuts and wine, but oh
how I missed that jungle green.
1.03.2008
"Restoring the Corps" Op-Ed
An Op-Ed piece that was published back in November that I just found and thought I would share. It sums up why I think that this is a worthwhile job and much more than a two-year vacation.
_____________
The Baltimore Sun
To win the peace, restore the corps
By Arthur S. Obermayer and Kevin F. F. Quigley
November 27, 2007
The United States can win any war on the battlefield, but we have not learned how to win the peace. We are losing the fight to win over the people we are trying to help. But there is a way to right our course for the future - by looking to our past.
Overwhelming military superiority is not the key, because its use wreaks havoc and destroys lives. Moreover, our traditional public diplomacy efforts have not worked, with Karen Hughes the most recent government PR chief to resign after accomplishing very little.
The decline of the U.S. in world opinion demands that we find more effective ways to regain a leadership role. Primarily, we should aim to help people achieve better health, education, housing and jobs in countries that need it the most.
On that front, our nation has achieved some successes: the Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe after World War II, recovery efforts following the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, and aid in the wake of Pakistan's devastating earthquake two years ago (making Pakistan one of the very few nations where approval of the U.S. has risen in recent years). Now, however, only our military has the means to such ends.
U.S. foreign aid is primarily structured along impersonal, government-to-government lines, and most government agencies have proved ineffective working on a people-to-people level. The one government entity with a positive record in this area is the Peace Corps. But despite the Peace Corps' success since its inception in 1961, its budget has remained small.
President John F. Kennedy wanted 100,000 volunteers overseas within 10 years. Today - although 20 additional nations are seeking Peace Corps help and three times as many volunteers apply as can be accommodated - budgetary limitations have kept the number of volunteers down to 8,000. However, there are 190,000 alumni, represented by the National Peace Corps Association. They yearn for continuing involvement in a mission that has transformed not only their lives and those of people they have helped but also their perspectives on the world.
Among the alumni is Connecticut Sen. Christopher J. Dodd, who served as a volunteer in the Dominican Republic. Based on that experience, he is sponsoring a bill to double the size of the Peace Corps. In the months after 9/11, Sen. John McCain of Arizona and President Bush both advocated major growth of the Peace Corps. Unfortunately, there was little follow-up.
Like Mr. Dodd, other alumni want to help now, and their expertise is invaluable. Most are mature leaders in business, education, government and the nonprofit world. Many are primed for a new career challenge that a managerial role in the Peace Corps could offer. They have the motivation to resist outside influences and to distinguish an expanded role for the Peace Corps from the political and bureaucratic vagaries of government agencies.
To have a significant impact, the Peace Corps needs to be at least 10 to 20 times larger. But even with renewed alumni participation, it cannot grow quickly enough on its own. Through its separate, distinct operation, it must enlist the vast array of nonprofits doing grass-roots work abroad. They fall into three major categories: nongovernmental organizations, non-proselytizing faith-based groups, and universities. In addition to growing its own operations, the Peace Corps could also help fund these nonprofit efforts. There are thousands of American philanthropic initiatives from which it could select programs for expansion grants.
The time is right politically to broaden the scope and impact of the Peace Corps. The millions who donate to such charities represent a powerful constituency who would back the move. Its objectives are nonpartisan and should be supported by Republicans and Democrats.
In the media every day, everywhere, we are witness to suffering. As we see the conventional, military-based approach to conflict resolution failing, we must seek alternative means to ending wars and winning the peace. The cost of an expanded Peace Corps would be roughly 1 percent of our current military budget. Can we afford not to act promptly?
Arthur S. Obermayer is president of the Obermayer Foundation, which focuses on social justice issues. His e-mail is arthur@obermayer.us. Kevin F. F. Quigley is president of the National Peace Corps Association. His e-mail is president@rpcv.org.
Copyright © 2007, The Baltimore Sun
After its publication in the Baltimore Sun, the op-ed was sent out by the Los Angeles Times-Washington Post News Service (reaches more than 300 media outlets in the US and over 600 worldwide), and based only on online searches, was selected and published in The Christian Science Monitor, Sacramento Bee, San Jose Mercury News, Modesto Bee, Arizona Daily Sun, Buffalo News, The Repository (Canton, OH), Cincinnati Post, Orlando Sentinel. The Day (Connecticut), The Press of Atlantic City, the North Jersey Record and Herald, and the Newport News Daily Press. Based on email responses from readers, we know it also appeared in the Columbia (Washington state), Syracuse Post Standard, and the Atlanta Constitution. It has had a lot of further coverage through media summaries, blogs, and links from organizations as diverse as The Network of Spiritual Progressives and Spotlight on Military News and International Affairs. Some of the others are the Early Bird (military), SWJ (Small Wars Journal), Blogrunner, U. So.Cal. (John Brown's Public Diplomacy Review), and Center for Strategic and International Studies Commission on Smart Power. It has also generated a lot of comments on brogs, for example, Topix alone had 19 in response to the original op-ed.
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_____________
The Baltimore Sun
To win the peace, restore the corps
By Arthur S. Obermayer and Kevin F. F. Quigley
November 27, 2007
The United States can win any war on the battlefield, but we have not learned how to win the peace. We are losing the fight to win over the people we are trying to help. But there is a way to right our course for the future - by looking to our past.
Overwhelming military superiority is not the key, because its use wreaks havoc and destroys lives. Moreover, our traditional public diplomacy efforts have not worked, with Karen Hughes the most recent government PR chief to resign after accomplishing very little.
The decline of the U.S. in world opinion demands that we find more effective ways to regain a leadership role. Primarily, we should aim to help people achieve better health, education, housing and jobs in countries that need it the most.
On that front, our nation has achieved some successes: the Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe after World War II, recovery efforts following the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, and aid in the wake of Pakistan's devastating earthquake two years ago (making Pakistan one of the very few nations where approval of the U.S. has risen in recent years). Now, however, only our military has the means to such ends.
U.S. foreign aid is primarily structured along impersonal, government-to-government lines, and most government agencies have proved ineffective working on a people-to-people level. The one government entity with a positive record in this area is the Peace Corps. But despite the Peace Corps' success since its inception in 1961, its budget has remained small.
President John F. Kennedy wanted 100,000 volunteers overseas within 10 years. Today - although 20 additional nations are seeking Peace Corps help and three times as many volunteers apply as can be accommodated - budgetary limitations have kept the number of volunteers down to 8,000. However, there are 190,000 alumni, represented by the National Peace Corps Association. They yearn for continuing involvement in a mission that has transformed not only their lives and those of people they have helped but also their perspectives on the world.
Among the alumni is Connecticut Sen. Christopher J. Dodd, who served as a volunteer in the Dominican Republic. Based on that experience, he is sponsoring a bill to double the size of the Peace Corps. In the months after 9/11, Sen. John McCain of Arizona and President Bush both advocated major growth of the Peace Corps. Unfortunately, there was little follow-up.
Like Mr. Dodd, other alumni want to help now, and their expertise is invaluable. Most are mature leaders in business, education, government and the nonprofit world. Many are primed for a new career challenge that a managerial role in the Peace Corps could offer. They have the motivation to resist outside influences and to distinguish an expanded role for the Peace Corps from the political and bureaucratic vagaries of government agencies.
To have a significant impact, the Peace Corps needs to be at least 10 to 20 times larger. But even with renewed alumni participation, it cannot grow quickly enough on its own. Through its separate, distinct operation, it must enlist the vast array of nonprofits doing grass-roots work abroad. They fall into three major categories: nongovernmental organizations, non-proselytizing faith-based groups, and universities. In addition to growing its own operations, the Peace Corps could also help fund these nonprofit efforts. There are thousands of American philanthropic initiatives from which it could select programs for expansion grants.
The time is right politically to broaden the scope and impact of the Peace Corps. The millions who donate to such charities represent a powerful constituency who would back the move. Its objectives are nonpartisan and should be supported by Republicans and Democrats.
In the media every day, everywhere, we are witness to suffering. As we see the conventional, military-based approach to conflict resolution failing, we must seek alternative means to ending wars and winning the peace. The cost of an expanded Peace Corps would be roughly 1 percent of our current military budget. Can we afford not to act promptly?
Arthur S. Obermayer is president of the Obermayer Foundation, which focuses on social justice issues. His e-mail is arthur@obermayer.us. Kevin F. F. Quigley is president of the National Peace Corps Association. His e-mail is president@rpcv.org.
Copyright © 2007, The Baltimore Sun
After its publication in the Baltimore Sun, the op-ed was sent out by the Los Angeles Times-Washington Post News Service (reaches more than 300 media outlets in the US and over 600 worldwide), and based only on online searches, was selected and published in The Christian Science Monitor, Sacramento Bee, San Jose Mercury News, Modesto Bee, Arizona Daily Sun, Buffalo News, The Repository (Canton, OH), Cincinnati Post, Orlando Sentinel. The Day (Connecticut), The Press of Atlantic City, the North Jersey Record and Herald, and the Newport News Daily Press. Based on email responses from readers, we know it also appeared in the Columbia (Washington state), Syracuse Post Standard, and the Atlanta Constitution. It has had a lot of further coverage through media summaries, blogs, and links from organizations as diverse as The Network of Spiritual Progressives and Spotlight on Military News and International Affairs. Some of the others are the Early Bird (military), SWJ (Small Wars Journal), Blogrunner, U. So.Cal. (John Brown's Public Diplomacy Review), and Center for Strategic and International Studies Commission on Smart Power. It has also generated a lot of comments on brogs, for example, Topix alone had 19 in response to the original op-ed.
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1.02.2008
Winter for a while
Today I will back to vivid green, constant rain, and motivation melting temperatures, leaving behind the snow covered pines, short days and nose-numbing winds that I love. One thing that I have learned over the past 18 months is that I am not a hot weather person. The Scandinavian blood that runs through these veins is about fed up with the heat, so for the next 6.5months I will spend my time convincing my body that it is actually in a Finnish Sauna, and that at any moment we will be able to jump outside into the snow bank and continue on with our life in the Northern latitudes.
For the past 11 days I have been able to spoil my Viking self with various winter activities and more layers of clothing than most Belizeans would have in their closet. I shoveled 8 inches of snow from my parents driveway in my fleece pants, over-sized boots, and new hooded U of WA sweatshirt. I wore knee-high leather boots with my jeans and sweater without breaking a sweat,topping the package with scarf, hat, and gloves. Aside from Christmas day, the most perfect day of my trip was spent remembering how to ski at the local mountain (because here in the Pacific NW, everyone gets a local mountain). After attempting to snowboard for exactly 12 minutes, I threw in the towel and rented skis, a sporting equipment I am much more familiar with. The rest of the day I spent cruising down powdery Rocky Mountain slopes. Thighs burning, I even ventured down some untouched black diamond terrain, but mostly I stuck to the blue square easy cruising. With blue skies above and ice crystals sparkling in the air, I was tempted to trade in my life in the jungle for a career as a ski bum. I avoided that temptation, but I will continue to dream about the swishing sound of carving through fresh powder and the quiet solitude that can only happen on the top of mountain in the winter time.
For the past 11 days I have been able to spoil my Viking self with various winter activities and more layers of clothing than most Belizeans would have in their closet. I shoveled 8 inches of snow from my parents driveway in my fleece pants, over-sized boots, and new hooded U of WA sweatshirt. I wore knee-high leather boots with my jeans and sweater without breaking a sweat,topping the package with scarf, hat, and gloves. Aside from Christmas day, the most perfect day of my trip was spent remembering how to ski at the local mountain (because here in the Pacific NW, everyone gets a local mountain). After attempting to snowboard for exactly 12 minutes, I threw in the towel and rented skis, a sporting equipment I am much more familiar with. The rest of the day I spent cruising down powdery Rocky Mountain slopes. Thighs burning, I even ventured down some untouched black diamond terrain, but mostly I stuck to the blue square easy cruising. With blue skies above and ice crystals sparkling in the air, I was tempted to trade in my life in the jungle for a career as a ski bum. I avoided that temptation, but I will continue to dream about the swishing sound of carving through fresh powder and the quiet solitude that can only happen on the top of mountain in the winter time.
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