A man confessed to murdering a Peace Corps volunteer in the Philippines. Here is the link the to the story:
Yahoo News
As a former PC volunteer, this story hits close to home. PC is not an easy gig. I was once told by a US Marine while I was serving in Honduras that he would "Never serve in Peace Corps, it makes serving in the Marines look easy."
Serving in PC is about risk versus reward. In order to succeed, you have to be willing to put yourself in harms way. Volunteers are sent to remote places alone and are expected to fend for themselves. Unfortunately, tragedy happens when you do this. Considering how many good men and women are serving in PC, it's surprising that there isn't a higher rate of crime against the volunteers.
When something like this sad event takes place, it's big news, thankfully. Julia Campbell was doing what not nearly enough people are willing to do. She was giving of herself in order to make this world a better place. Peace Corps is an outstanding organization that I am proud to have been a part of.
Showing posts with label Peace Corps. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Peace Corps. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Saturday, June 10, 2006
My Neurosis or Painful Pants?
Ok. I am about to relate to you all a VERY traumatic experience from my past, and its aftermath...this is NOT easy!
It was Independence Day weekend, Lake Yahoa, Honduras. I was spending a long weekend with my Peace Corps co-workers. Let me preface this by saying the area around the lake is very jungle-like, lots of scary critters. We stayed in some sub-standard motel-like shacks that were just feet from the water. I took an overnight bag and made the mistake of leaving it unzipped on the floor throughout the night. Much to my chagrin, one of the above-mentioned scary guys crawled into my bag.
The weekend was a blast, we partied in classic Peace Corps style. I got home Tuesday night. Exhausted by the 9 hour bus ride, I didn't bother to unpack my bag, just went straight to bed. I woke up the following morning and decided to wear my blue dockers-style pants that I had taken to the lake with me, but didn't wear. Grabbed 'em out of my bag, slipped them on, and trotted over to my office. Unbeknownst to me, the bad guy, a FREAKING SCORPION, had set up camp inside one of the legs of the pants that I was wearing!!!
After about 15 minutes of pleasantries with my co-workers, I felt something biting my right knee. (Remember, I was living on the edge of a rainforest, mosquitoes are Honduras' national bird.) I thought that a mosquito was biting my leg, so I swatted my leg a few times and that was that...NOT! About 2 seconds later, the stinging feeling in my knee got really intense...I started to freak out a bit. Before I knew it, I was dancing around the office trying to figure out what was eating my knee! All of the sudden, a black multi-legged thing dropped out of my pant leg, it's a good thing it did because I was about 5 seconds from ripping my pants off in front of about 10 Hondurans...lol. As soon as it hit the floor, one of the guys in the office yelled out "alacran, alacran!" (scorpion, scorpion!). One of the secretaries quickly ran over to my side and smashed it with her shoe while I was whimpering like a big baby.
The evil beast (I'm guessing it was about 3 inches long) had stung me 4 times! I guess they don't like to be swatted? Anyhow, the pain was incredible and word of the incident spread fast throughout the town...I was the dancing gringo with scorpions in his pants! To add to the madness, there must have been a second monster in my bag because the next day I found one in my bathroom...what a nightmare.
The point of this story is that, since the incident, everytime I wear that same pair of blue pants, my right leg itches! Scary, eh? It just happened again yesterday, that's why I am relating this to you now. I'm hoping that this post will somehow stop this madness, perhaps appease the scorpion spirits...I need help people!
It was Independence Day weekend, Lake Yahoa, Honduras. I was spending a long weekend with my Peace Corps co-workers. Let me preface this by saying the area around the lake is very jungle-like, lots of scary critters. We stayed in some sub-standard motel-like shacks that were just feet from the water. I took an overnight bag and made the mistake of leaving it unzipped on the floor throughout the night. Much to my chagrin, one of the above-mentioned scary guys crawled into my bag.
The weekend was a blast, we partied in classic Peace Corps style. I got home Tuesday night. Exhausted by the 9 hour bus ride, I didn't bother to unpack my bag, just went straight to bed. I woke up the following morning and decided to wear my blue dockers-style pants that I had taken to the lake with me, but didn't wear. Grabbed 'em out of my bag, slipped them on, and trotted over to my office. Unbeknownst to me, the bad guy, a FREAKING SCORPION, had set up camp inside one of the legs of the pants that I was wearing!!!
After about 15 minutes of pleasantries with my co-workers, I felt something biting my right knee. (Remember, I was living on the edge of a rainforest, mosquitoes are Honduras' national bird.) I thought that a mosquito was biting my leg, so I swatted my leg a few times and that was that...NOT! About 2 seconds later, the stinging feeling in my knee got really intense...I started to freak out a bit. Before I knew it, I was dancing around the office trying to figure out what was eating my knee! All of the sudden, a black multi-legged thing dropped out of my pant leg, it's a good thing it did because I was about 5 seconds from ripping my pants off in front of about 10 Hondurans...lol. As soon as it hit the floor, one of the guys in the office yelled out "alacran, alacran!" (scorpion, scorpion!). One of the secretaries quickly ran over to my side and smashed it with her shoe while I was whimpering like a big baby.
The evil beast (I'm guessing it was about 3 inches long) had stung me 4 times! I guess they don't like to be swatted? Anyhow, the pain was incredible and word of the incident spread fast throughout the town...I was the dancing gringo with scorpions in his pants! To add to the madness, there must have been a second monster in my bag because the next day I found one in my bathroom...what a nightmare.
The point of this story is that, since the incident, everytime I wear that same pair of blue pants, my right leg itches! Scary, eh? It just happened again yesterday, that's why I am relating this to you now. I'm hoping that this post will somehow stop this madness, perhaps appease the scorpion spirits...I need help people!
Saturday, May 27, 2006
Updates From Mis Amigos
This past month was supposed to be a monumental time for me. It was my scheduled end-of-service in Peace Corps. Had I not been hurt, I would've been finishing up down in Honduras right about now. I struggled for a long time after I was given my walking papers from PC. It's was such a struggle for me to get a chance to serve, I was heart-broken when my time was cut short.
I have been getting gobs of emails from my brothers and sisters in the Corps letting me know what they are up to. Many of them are freaking out because coming home is often much more difficult than leaving. PC is about as far as you can get from a 9 to 5 job/life. Coming back to the States during such a turbulent period doesn't help matters. I think many of them are going to do what I did, check out other opportunities abroad.
One of the few folks that seems to have something solid is Huey, he's got a gig doing some engineering work at a national park in Alaska. Speaking of Huey (Huey is his nickname, his real name is Jason), before he left Honduras he bought an old Land Cruiser and drove home to Minnesota. I would've been with him had I been down there. Most of my the people I served with are insanely talented and resourceful, I doubt many of them will struggle too much finding their way.
We had plans to hold a reunion in Vegas some time in the near future, I hope we can make that happen.
I have been getting gobs of emails from my brothers and sisters in the Corps letting me know what they are up to. Many of them are freaking out because coming home is often much more difficult than leaving. PC is about as far as you can get from a 9 to 5 job/life. Coming back to the States during such a turbulent period doesn't help matters. I think many of them are going to do what I did, check out other opportunities abroad.
One of the few folks that seems to have something solid is Huey, he's got a gig doing some engineering work at a national park in Alaska. Speaking of Huey (Huey is his nickname, his real name is Jason), before he left Honduras he bought an old Land Cruiser and drove home to Minnesota. I would've been with him had I been down there. Most of my the people I served with are insanely talented and resourceful, I doubt many of them will struggle too much finding their way.
We had plans to hold a reunion in Vegas some time in the near future, I hope we can make that happen.
Sunday, July 24, 2005
Why Teach? & Peace Corps Thoughts
Some of you out there may be wondering why I chose to travel 9000 miles in order to pursue a teaching opportunity?
As I mentioned before, I am a former Peace Corps volunteer. I served in PC in Honduras. I was sent there to build/improve water systems. About 5 months into my time there I was injured. I separated my collar bone from my sternum...a very serious injury. As a result of the accident I wasn't able to do the water system work, it was far too physical. Frustrated by my inability to use my left arm, I decided to come up with work that wouldn't require me to risk further damaging my shoulder/arm. After talking with many folks in my village I decided to start some English classes.
I spent about a two weeks developing a curriculum and speaking with other volunteers who had experience teaching. I posted several fliers around town and about 15 people showed up eager to learn. The classes were a little rough at first, but as time went on they began to flow. I felt very comfortable and the community was quickly warming up to me.
I really hoped that the doctors in Honduras would be able to handle my condition...unfortunately they were pretty clueless. Three orthopedic surgeons in Honduras were unable to properly diagnose/treat the injury. Approximately 3 months into the classes I was finally pulled out of my site by Peace Corps and sent to Washington D.C. so the American doctors could check me out. It took just one appointment in D.C. to determine that my injury was much more severe than the docs had thought in Honduras. Peace Corps HQ in D.C. decided it was a bad idea to send me back to Honduras and that, sadly, ended my life in Peace Corps. Their justification for terminating my service was I could easily aggravate the trauma and the insurance risk was too high...sigh.
The English classes were an unwitting victim of my termination. I was really in a groove in my makeshift classroom. My desire to get back to that situation is one of the driving forces in my push to teach again. Taiwan is an excellent place to attempt to regain that groove.
As I mentioned before, I am a former Peace Corps volunteer. I served in PC in Honduras. I was sent there to build/improve water systems. About 5 months into my time there I was injured. I separated my collar bone from my sternum...a very serious injury. As a result of the accident I wasn't able to do the water system work, it was far too physical. Frustrated by my inability to use my left arm, I decided to come up with work that wouldn't require me to risk further damaging my shoulder/arm. After talking with many folks in my village I decided to start some English classes.
I spent about a two weeks developing a curriculum and speaking with other volunteers who had experience teaching. I posted several fliers around town and about 15 people showed up eager to learn. The classes were a little rough at first, but as time went on they began to flow. I felt very comfortable and the community was quickly warming up to me.
I really hoped that the doctors in Honduras would be able to handle my condition...unfortunately they were pretty clueless. Three orthopedic surgeons in Honduras were unable to properly diagnose/treat the injury. Approximately 3 months into the classes I was finally pulled out of my site by Peace Corps and sent to Washington D.C. so the American doctors could check me out. It took just one appointment in D.C. to determine that my injury was much more severe than the docs had thought in Honduras. Peace Corps HQ in D.C. decided it was a bad idea to send me back to Honduras and that, sadly, ended my life in Peace Corps. Their justification for terminating my service was I could easily aggravate the trauma and the insurance risk was too high...sigh.
The English classes were an unwitting victim of my termination. I was really in a groove in my makeshift classroom. My desire to get back to that situation is one of the driving forces in my push to teach again. Taiwan is an excellent place to attempt to regain that groove.
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