News

Pictures are worth a thousand words!

Been bad about posting photos for the last few months. So I selected some of the most fun below

To see some of the projects that I have been work on click here. Future project photos I will also put here in this album.
Project Photos

Random pictures of my time in Peace Corps. Check regularly for new photos.
Random photos in the PC


Bonus Video of Corcodile
And for the bonus, check this video out where my new site mate, Corby and Keri, gets initiated to PC by trying to get an alligator out of the pond of our landlord. The Crocodile was ended up in the pond when Hurrican Mitch passed through the area and flooded the area and dislocated the crocodile. Since then he has eaten numerous dogs drinking water at the pond's edge. This day, a dog was half eaten and they decided to remove the alligator using the half eaten dog as bait. This attempt failed. I went back a month later and try a trap, but the crocodile got away. Now we are waiting for the water level to go down and also seek a home for it before trying again. Stayed tuned for future videos. You never know, I might end up on Animal Planet. Funny to read the comments. I guess we have to be crazy to live in the jungle and to be in the Peace Corps.

Crocodile Video

Come back often for more photos.

Back in Paradise

I am back in what seems like paradise. I am sitting at home in the States looking out at the blue skies and the fresh clean air passes through my window as I type. I am back on a two week vacation as much needed break after a increasingly busy last couple months in Guatemala. The tilapia project which we have been planning and pushing for the last year has finally come to fruition with the planting of 10,000 fingerlings in river cages to be ready for harvest in Feburary 2007. The women's back-strap weaving group of 15 have increased to over 70 women working on various arts and crafts projects and giving classes in the areas of women's issues such as health and rights. With the increase in members and activities of the womens group, we have now begun the construction of a much needed building for the ladies to meet and work. Ironically, the job as a volunteer has taken on a schedule that is very similar to a regular job in corporate America. In a way that signifies the sucess that we have had, and something of which I am proud. But nevertheless, one needs a break once in a while.

So with the summer, my family traveled to the States like an annual migration of birds, to enjoy the beautiful Boston summer and to get away from the opressive heat of Taiwan summer.

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Travel back in History with me

Below is one of the mass emails that I got recently that I thought was really interesting.  It was particularly interesting to me not as a reader but someone that seems to be mentioned in the email.  The email is suppose to be little tibits about history, but reading it seemed more like reading about current news for me.  

Read below! You will find it not only interesting but also have a trip back in time with me and get and understanding of where I am living now.  (my comments are added in ITALICS)

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What time is it?

TIME what as strange concept. We are so tied to time, that we rarely give it a second thought when someone asks you "What time is it?"

This question has caused much confusion over here where I live due to daylight saving time change for the first time in Guatemala. This was enforced by the Ministry of Energy and Mine with the goal of saving over US$3 million yearly by taking advantage of the earlier sunrise.

This may not cause much problem for those people who are used to following their clocks and watches. But where we live, the people follow the sun and change their habits according to the sunrise and sunset. In the past, the watch was just a way to put a number on the position of the sun. But recently, people that are used to getting up when the sunrises to work in the field and eat dinner when the sun goes down, all of the sudden they cannot believe it when the sun just rised and instead of saying it is 6am it is now 7am. They think they are late and will be caught in working in the sun longer.

But this has not only affected the farmers in the village. I noticed that I now can't rely on my watch anymore. Leaving my work to eat at 7pm just does not seem right anymore. It seems to early, i am not hungry yet! But I used to have to rush to eat before 8pm as the local little restaurant closes at 8. Nervertheless, I reluctantly left my work before 8 just to make sure that I get dinner. When I arrive, I find that not only is the restaurant open, but it is far from closing as the streets are still filled with people. And why not, the sun has barely set. I noticed that the restaurant did not change it hours, it still closes a hour or so after the sunset and opens when the sun comes up -- regardless what the goverbment says the time is.

So now when people ask what time it is, they have to confirm whether it is the official time or the old time. It has confused the heck out of people. So simply, I now do not relie on my watch but simply follow the sun.

This leads me to think, how in the developed world we do really live in an artificial bubble, following a man made concept of watches, clocks and the concept of Time, when we simply can just follow the nature-ie the Sun. But then that is hard in the developed world when our schedules are dictated by the time people tell us. And conversely, there is no way to follow the sun, simply because we sit inside an artificial bubble, namely a windowless office..what other choices do we have except to simply follow the time that other people tell us.