School & Library

January 30,2011

6:43 PM williamjohn.shields: hey dad

7 minutes

6:51 PM me: Hi William

10 minutes

7:01 PM williamjohn.shields: hey sorry

7:02 PM me: Cool how was your weekend?

7:03 PM williamjohn.shields: good

went to a waterfall

7:04 PM me: Great, get in the water?

williamjohn.shields: yeah

it was so clear!

7:05 PM me: Sounds beautiful, who did you, go with

williamjohn.shields: some teachers from school

7:06 PM how was your weekend?

me: Sounds like you have a good0group

7:07 PM Spent most of the day cutting up branches that came down during the storm

7:08 PM Mom got a box of books for you from Carol - they look perfect

7:09 PM We finally have everything for your package; we'll also send the box of books.

williamjohn.shields: oh you don’t have to do that

im still kind of lost of how to raise money for shipping

me: It 0will probably go book rate so it will probably take longer

7:10 PM We will bear the cost of sending a box here and there

7:11 PM Mom told you about the MCPS service - they will send extra book to anywhere in the world that needs them

They have warehouse of books

7:12 PM williamjohn.shields: really?

they will?

i can find their contact

7:13 PM but mom doesn't happen to have any contact info does she?

me: Of course she does; it is through Carol

7:14 PM Mom here. I sent it but ill send it again

williamjohn.shields: oh ok

sorry!

7:16 PM me: Oy have to send them a letter with info about your need and I don't know much else. A friend of carols told her about it at Hoover

Sorry that's You

7:17 PM I will send it tmw

7:18 PM williamjohn.shields: not an email?

a letter??

7:19 PM me: I think so. All I have is a name and address. I will check the website

New Library

January 21, 2011

William,

It was great talking to you last night, I have slept on your ideas about the library in Narra and as you might guess I have a few suggestions. Oh, who’s kidding who as usual I have a lot of suggestions.

The first one is - think big but act small. By that I mean, your overall concept or mission should be expansive and not limiting. The ‘act small’ part is to start with modest goals and concentrate on the detail of the particular task at hand. The philosophy is if you do a good job on all the little things the big things will take care of themselves (at least, to the point of opening opportunities for the big things).

I suggest you start with a brainstorming session, with whomever and whenever time and circumstances permit. Write every idea or thought down, regardless of practicality or how you think it might relate to your overall vision. Do not concentrate on organizing these ideas – not yet anyways. Make this a running project. Use your old phone as a portable Dictaphone so that you can note ideas you have on the spur of the moment.

As a separate activity set up categories of issues with which you will need to deal with to be successful. For instance, book acquisition, transportation, fund raising, partnerships, accounting, public relation and communication, budget, manpower, space, advisers, cultural issues – the list goes on.

Once you have gone through this exercise it is now time to begin to construct a business plan. Business plans have a standard form – you can find many examples on the internet. Try and tie everything together and set-up a time-frame (make it realistic, not optimistic) – everything happens slower than you expect or want it to happen.

The next step and this step precedes solicitation of books or funds, but not advice on how to proceed or the researching of problems encountered and successes of similar projects, is the design of a communication structure (you are going to be working in a global environment); set up a simple blog – start writing short pieces on the project like:

“Today I spoke with Mike Sula and he offered to run a book drive through Chinatown Coffee…”

Set up a Flickr (or similar site) for photos – very important – take photos of teachers, students, classrooms, school and city. Set up a twitter site and a YouTube site, not to mention a group on Facebook.

Keep in mind the general information theory – all computers and advertising is based on this theory. That is, information is conveyed most effectively through repetition.

I’ll leave it at that for now. I will follow through on the ‘Friend of the Library” and talking to Scott about military transportation, and my transportation vendors.

I look forward to talking to you soon.

Love,

Dad

Teaching, Boredom, and Libraries

January 20, 2011

GChat

8:15 PM William: hey dad
8:16 PM Bill: Hi William, how are you?
William: good, you?
8:17 PM Bill: Pretty good, how the weather still raining?
William: its actually very nice today
8:18 PM Bill: Great, what shape is the school in?
William: its amazing
8:19 PM how absorbent the ground is
8:20 PM Bill: Good drainage, drying out quickly?
But much damage at the school?
8:21 PM William: no damage really
actually the drainage here is horrible
that's one of the problems
but apparently what caused the flood was mining
8:23 PM Bill: How's Ernie?
No kidding, how is that?
Strip mining?
William: yeah
so at the mountain
the ground absorbs no water
and just creates runoff
that carries a ton of sediment
8:24 PM Bill: Is there a problem with mud slides?
Did it do much property damage?
William: no mudslides luckily
at least not in town
8:25 PM we\re far enough away from the mountain
Bill: Good to hear
William: things are pretty much back to normal here
how are things at home?
Bill: So you are teaching today?
William: there are periodical tests today
so no
8:26 PM but Monday we start teaching essays
which is dumb
because we should teach grammar
and the assigned essays are not on the internet
or in any books we have
so now I’m looking for substitute essays
8:27 PM Bill: What are they on?
8:28 PM William: the Philippines
by postwar Filipino authors
I’m sorry
8:29 PM but Filipinos make for almost sickeningly ornate writers
anyways, even if i could find them
the students wouldn't be able to understand them
the Filipinos that do know English often use impressive words so that the Filipinos who sort of know English cant understand what they're talking about
8:31 PM Bill: How about wiki?
William: yeah, I’m trying What’ new at home ?
8:33 PM Bill: We are suppose to get a little snow tonight - I'm still riding everyday.
8:34 PM Mom and I saw a couple of movies 'The King's Speech' and 'True grit.'
8:37 PM Work is very busy - I'll have to hire another employee
8:38 PM Otherwise things are the same.
8:41 PM So how's Ernie?
William: oh, he's well
he and spark (the other dog) are always getting into trouble
they're still very small
8:44 PM Bill: Ha-ha, remember when Mike was young and chewing the table legs?
8:46 PM Mom (Marilyn) here sweetie. Whaddya mean by trouble? Chasing chickens?:)
William: they're scared of the chickens
just being under every ones feet all the time
8:47 PM Marilyn: It’s been in the 40s last few days but going back to the deep freeze tomorrow
8:48 PM William: yikes cold winter so far?
8:49 PM Marilyn: I was talking to an older man today walking his black lab named Patrick. Looked so much like Mike. Very cold winter but very little snow unlike Jeannie up north
8:51 PM They have had tons
William: so i hear
8:52 PM well we deserve a reprieve after last winter
Marilyn: No kidding, no complaints from me
8:53 PM How is the teaching? Anything we can get?
8:55 PM William: not really
today and yesterday is testing
so classes on Monday
I’m at the school though
looking for appropriate essays to teach
the next unit is essays
which is ill-conceived to begin with, if you ask me
but then the essays that they assign aren't on the internet
so I’m looking for other ones
8:56 PM Marilyn: I am still going to basketball games. They beat army last nite alto barely William: oh wow!
good for them
Marilyn: Are there certain criteria? Subject matter?
8:57 PM I expect they should be short to begin with?
8:58 PM William: yes, preferably by Filipino authors
but the Filipino authors write in English with way too many big words
Marilyn: Hmmmm
William: the students wouldn’t be able to understand, paradoxically
9:00 PM Marilyn: Maybe after this semester you can talk to them about curriculum? Any fkexibility?
William: there is some and they're been relatively open to suggestions from me
Marilyn: Flexibility
9:01 PM William: my co teacher agrees that teaching grammar is more appropriate
Marilyn: That's great
9:03 PM R u doing this in the library? R we interrupting?
9:06 PM We can talk to u later if that's better
9:10 PM William: no sorry I was talking to a teacher about a trip he wants to go on
9:11 PM Bill: Np, anything else new?
9:13 PM William: nothing at all
9:14 PM Bill: Bored?
9:19 PM William: often but not too bad I just read a lot
9:20 PM Bill: Try writing
9:21 PM Make a game of it write in a0 different style everyday
William: i have been writing a bit
9:22 PM Bill: Good, it's tiring but you can get absorbed in it
9:24 PM William: yeah I like it when i have the energy but usually its at the end of the day and I’m tired I want to do more on the weekends
9:25 PM Bill: Teaching is very draining; you are always on
9:31 PM William: yeah no kidding
and i hate shifting all the time between teachers
the most draining is trying to plan for so many different things they kind of jerk me around
the peace corps can be the worst with that kind of thing
9:32 PM they encourage you to bring problems to them
but flexibility is the answer to everything
and i understand that
Bill: It will get easier
William: but then don’t pretend that you're availing yourself to help us with our problems because that’s not help
9:34 PM Bill: You are pretty much on your own, frustrating but it with pay off
William: right i just don’t like they're attitude
9:35 PM its a tough love with a touchy-feely face
that just comes off as passive-aggressive, ugh
Bill: I understand but try and find something to distract you
William: yeah, just venting
9:36 PM Bill: Hippies on steroids
William: yeah, they're the worst
9:38 PM Bill: But maybe you have to adjust your goals and expectations of what can be accomplished in a given period of time.
9:44 PM William: this doesn’t have much to do with my expectations I think they're sort of low its just some of the things they do are really bad and aren't hard to change
9:46 PM Bill: I understand that it can get to you
William: i mean of course
9:47 PM but whatever
I’m not even sure what I’m complaining about anymore
Bill: I guess I'm not helping much, sorry
William: no, its ok
9:48 PM you just need to vent sometime and not have your problems be explained or given solutions I remember one time during a trip to Manila I was sharing a room with my friend Shashank and this other guy Steve
9:49 PM Bill: You're right
William: and Shashank and i were kind of fed up with the Philippines and complaining about different cultural things and Steve was just disagreeing with everything we were saying and wasn't giving an inch it became a pretty intense discussion not because he didn’t agree with us
9:50 PM but because he disagreed with us when we were just trying to vent
9:51 PM Bill: Ok, I understand, no more feeble attempts at solutions just listening
William: right but I’m making things sound much worse than they are!
9:52 PM in more positive news
I’m starting to think about building the school's library and ways to get donated books from the u.s. and would appreciate any ideas. I’m already thinking of appealing to the Asia Foundation
Bill: I know
William: Einstein
American University
Boy Scouts of America
9:53 PM I'd appreciate any ideas you have
Bill: Maybe we ca do something with The Fiends of the library
William: oh! great idea
9:54 PM Bill: The books are probably the easy part of the problem - the shipping cost is the tough part
9:55 PM William: right, thats going to be very expensive
9:56 PM Bill: Maybe through the AP military system, I'll talk to Scott
William: oh wow thanks
Bill: Maybe Einstein would be interested in being a sister school
9:57 PM William: right, I would need to raise money for shipping in addition to books what courier did you use to ship my box?
9:58 PM Bill: You could set up exchanges and maybe one of their projects could be to raise funds for sending the books.
9:59 PM I used the post office; but there are alternatives. Also an eagle project might be about to help
William: oh great idea
10:00 PM Bill: Start small and go from there
10:01 PM I can talk to the shippers we do a lot of business with and see if they can help
10:02 PM Also ORBIS has a deal with FedEx maybe I can call in a favor
10:03 PM Think about the types of books
10:04 PM William: right
thanks so much
i think maybe
fiction and reference
well non-fiction too
10:05 PM mostly fiction
they have internet
Bill: But what about reading level
William: so have access to all sorts of reference material
right
I ideally want to make this library available to all but think young adult
and also high school level literature
10:06 PM Bill: What about audio books on cassette?
William: not really they wont listen I don’t think they have trouble making it all the way through a Justin Bieber song
Bill: Listening to stories in English could be a big help in teaching
10:07 PM Ok
!0:08 PM I'll make some calls
10:09 PM William: wow dad
i really appreciate it
10:10 PM Bill: Maybe one of the military guys0at CNAS could help to get the military to assist with transport
10:11 PM You might think about writing the people you know at CNAS and see what they think William: that’s a good idea
10:13 PM Bill: They all have high level connections and given the pr thrust of military relations and the high Muslim pop. of Palawan.
William: that’s a good point I'll see if i can track them down
10:14 PM Bill: And they know you, that's a big deal, they know what they do will not be a waste
Start with you old boss see if you can get her to talk it up
10:15 PM Write a blog about your idea for Tom Ricks
10:16 PM If he put it in as part of an apple that in itself could raise enough funds to get things going. Appeal not apple
10:17 PM Write to Nicholas Kristof at the WPost he's specializes in development issues10:18 PM William: oh good idea he's just the sort of bleeding heart i need
10:19 PM Bill: There are a few around
10:20 PM William: I just got Mike Sala to set up a book drive at Chinatown this is so easy! but the shipping will be very hard
10:21 PM Bill: Persistence will be the key
William: right
10:22 PM i have to go eat
very excited now though
love you
thank you
10:24 PM Bill: Love you too, I'm talking to AU see if they are interested in helping

Floods in Narra & Other Matters

January 17, 2011

5:38 AM Dad: Hey William

William: hey!

5:39 AM Dad: Have time to chat?

William: sleep well?

sure

literally

nothing has happened since we last talked

Dad: Yes, sorry I crashed out on you

William: not at all

5:42 AM Dad: I'm trying to convert my life to the morning; in the evening I generally too tired to do much more veg out in front of idiot TV. In the morning I feel like doing something.

5:43 AM William: hey

I have to go eat

be back in like 10/15

Dad: Let's talk photography; but with one caveat - I'm ..... OK

6:18 AM Dad: Finished?

7:42 AM William: hey sorry

I walked out of my room

and there were a dozen marines on our porch hanging out

Dad: No Problem

William: and they coerced Dad to come drink with them

they have automatic rifles

Dad: Ha-ha

William: so I was inclined to say yes

I'm still not really sure why they're there

6:43 AM Dad: Good idea

William: they are here for flood relief?

I think?

what’s up about photography?

though I should go back out in a minute

6:44 AM Dad: Looting probably; ask if you can take their photos and get names and units they'll love it

William: that’s probably true

Dad: Go we ca talk later

William: this morning was an extreme case

everyone looked really sad

but usually Filipinos love pictures

alright

love you

thanks

Dad: I hear you

6:45 AM Love you too

6:55 AM William: and just like that

they're gone

into the night

7:02 AM William: dad?

7:03 AM Dad: I'm here

They may have been there checking on you.

7:04 AM William: I don’t think so

I think one of them is related to the Teopes

7:05 AM Dad: Oh, that makes sense.

7:06 AM So what happens with the school, I imagine you'll be doing clean up for a while.

7:07 AM Any sign of water receding?

William: I don’t know

I haven’t been since this morning

where I am there’s not flooding

my town goes

7:08 AM National Highway

Narra Ave.

Rizal Ave.

are the main roads parallel to the national highway?

and up until Rizal there was flooding this morning

Dad: Back to business; names and approximate ages; so we can get appropriate small gifts.

7:09 AM William: oh

Herman Teope

55

Hermanita (no joke) Teope 50

Dad: That's good

William: Reynante, 13

Carmela 10

7:10 AM Dad: Great, thanks; would they like something with something typical?

7:11 AM William: whatever

they'll love it

7:12 AM Herman wears that national cathedral hat a lot

7:13 AM Dad: Ok, so no problem with something that is obviously American. Do you need any rain gear?

William: not really

since they're appalled that you would go anywhere when it’s raining anyways

7:14 AM and I have a rain jacket

Dad: Because I have ponchos I could send

William: that's alright

Dad: Ha-ha, American ways are different

William: though I did think of you when the marines all threw on ponchos to leave

7:15 AM true

7:16 AM Dad: Ha-ha, I do have gear coming out my ears!

7:17 AM So tell about language, do you use Tagalog at home?

William: yes

all the time

they don’t do much English

but not much at school

7:18 AM though my co-teachers are easing into more Tagalog

I’m slowly getting better

but need to put in more effort

7:20 AM Dad: Great, you have Rosetta Stone that may help.

William: yeah

I need to start using that again

I keep intending to....

Dad: Also kind in mind language learning is not an even learning curve - you can go for months with no seeming progress and then all of a sudden make great leaps forward.

William: right

same with Spanish

7:21 AM Dad: It is hard to get started, I'm having same problem getting back into French and Spanish.

7:22 AM William: yeah

I would have more incentive

but my Tagalog is serviceable at home

and not needed at school

but since I’m staying with the family

to deepen our relationship I need to get better

7:23 AM Dad: And broaden social contacts!

William: yes

of course

7:24 AM Dad: You will, it takes, you can only work at it and be patient

7:30 AM Dad: I am glad you are staying with the Teopes for the time being; it will be good for language, the Ernie, and you will eat better. And despite lack of privacy you will be less lonely.

7:31 AM William: definitely

less lonely

it makes a lot of sense

I was so ready for my own place less than a month ago

but now I’m in no hurry

I spoke to martin in Nicaragua

he’s in the same boat

7:32 AM Dad: How does he like Nicaragua?

William: I think he likes it

the beginning of teaching for him has been spotty

7:33 AM Dad: Do many people speak Spanish in Narra?

William: no one speaks Spanish in all of the Philippines

contrary to reports that a few people speak it

no one does

Dad: Does he like his posting in Nicaragua?

7:34 AM William: I think so

I haven’t heard much about the place though

I think he was hoping for south America

but is happy

7:35 AM Dad: Yea, I've heard that after a hundred years of American involvement't in the Philippines only the very old speak Spanish.

Are you still glad you are in the Philippines?

7:36 AM William: yeah

I mean

at first

I didn’t love this country

and some times I feel the culture is kind of shallow

7:37 AM but I like it more and more

Palawon is less of a, excuse Dad, but clusterfuck

the people are a bit more with it

Dad: Good to hear.

7:38 AM William: and Filipinos are SO nice

and it is beautiful

so I could’ve done worse

I do often think about the fact that I had a choice between this and eastern Europe

and how different they are

7:39 AM Dad: I understand, Manila is a typical developing world city; dirty and everyone hustling.

William: yeah

it’s crazy

even Zambales was kind of nuts

Olongapo I hated at first

but it grew on Dad a lot

7:41 AM Dad: Ok, explain the places, I thought you were in Subic for training; what was Olongape?

William: Subic is complicated

it’s sort of like los Angeles i.e. la city, county, metro area, etc

there's subic bay

then there's Subic Freeport

7:42 AM which is the old us naval base, now a giant mall sort of

most people think of this when you say Subic

that is attached to Olongapo

a large city

on the other side of the bay is subic town

where I was

much smaller

and we weren't even in the center of the town

but about 2 km away

7:44 AM Dad: And that was Zambales, right? Thanks that clears it up.

William: right

the province is Zambales

Olongapo straddles Zambales and Bataan

as in the Bataan death march

7:45 AM Dad: Ok, some of this I knew but could put it together.

Thanks

Tell me about the food.

7:46 AM William: food is good here

lots of really fresh fish

here

tons of rice of course

occasional meat

Dad: I know a lot of veg. But what kind and how are they prepared?

7:47 AM Much seafood?

William: everything grilled

or fried

lots of seafood

and it’s so good

what’s new at home though?

7:48 AM Dad: Sorry I missed the earlier fish reference.

Well let's see, Rob and Vickie had to put Haley down.

7:49 AM They are both taking it very hard.

William: I’m talking to rob now

7:50 AM Dad: Rob is putting in new bathrooms for the Ivory’s.

Good on Facebook?

7:51 AM Nora is in Galway and has started a Blog.

7:52 AM Andrew is busy with work and girlfriend.

January 15,2011

William to Dad

Reynante Teope and me, just now.

Peru - Part I

November 30, 2010

Preface:

William,

I’ve been writing this letter since I left for Peru; I should have sent it in stages. It is still incomplete, and the accompanying photos are not ready yet. I’ll leave this letter at its present state and continue with the narrative in subsequent letters.

In future messages:

The Eagle has Landed or the Mark of the Eagle

Condors – Colca Canyon

Radio Arequipa

Partying at the Farm or What is a Mariachi Band doing in the Farm Land of Arequipa

Food, Food, Food, & Pisco Sours

It sounds like you are doing well. Did you ever get the Kindle? What can we get you for Christmas? We need the address to send you things.

November 16, 2010

William,

Well, I am finally on my way to Peru. In fact, I’m writing on the plane. I am on the first leg of the trip – Miami and then on to Lima from there. I am staying in the Miraflores neighborhood – have you been there: It is supposed to be an artist colony – probably like Georgetown; some galleries, bars, and fancy shops and restaurants.

I have been trying to make this trip since last February – it is being paid for by a grant which if I do not use by the end of the year the money for the trip disappears. Actually that is a bit misleading, while it is true that the funds are restricted to 2010; I am sure that the fund will pay for at least one trip to South or Central America a year. The fund is reserved for work in Latin America.

I want the fund to pay for a trip to the Pan American Association of Ophthalmologist Meeting (PAAO) in Buenos Aires in June 2011, so I did not want to miss either of the trips. Hopefully there will not be a conflict with the trip to Vietnam/Cambodia as there was with the Berlin/Australian trip last June.

This trip should be more interesting a more relaxed than the trip to Australia or the Chicago trip – both of which were bears – very productive bears but too busy to be anything other than work.

I am spending 2 full days in Lima; not much pressure of this part of the trip – mostly meet and greet, show the flag and make sure that as many people remember us as possible. I do have a dinner meeting on Thursday night with the Clinton Foundation representatives for Peru. It should be interesting they are dedicating big money to Peru and rumor has it that they are frustrated with the lack of progress – loads of dedicated money not being spent – everything too slow. I can help them spent the money.

After Lima I’m off to Arequipa, Arequipa is the main event of the trip. I am giving a lecture on technological procurement to health ministry officials, local ophthalmologist and the heads of a couple of Hospitals. I have known the main players in Arequipa the longest; some of them have become friends. It was the group from/Arequipa that were behind making me an honorary member of the Peruvian Ophthalmological Society.

I am hand carrying about 6 thousand dollars in technology for the Arequipa group. Hand carrying is a NGO way of saying smuggling. The duties are so onerous in the developing world that you practically have no choice; unless you are either willing to pay a bribe or get a Certificate of Donation processed. These countries are trying to protect the local business men; the problem is their mark-up can easily double the price and that is after customs are paid. The most notorious country is Egypt – they require the NGOs to purchase all items from in-country vendors regardless of where it is manufacture red – it’s outrageous – this is free equipment, paid for my the NGO. So we use the euphemism ‘hand carry’ to cover suitcase technology. It has never been a problem; US customs once in Miami gave me a lecture 3 or 4 years ago, but that has been the only time it was ever an issue.

After Arequipa I go to Piura for a couple of days – it is in the far north, desert country as you know. It is so far north that the inhabitants refer to themselves as Piurians not Peruvians. Finally back to Lima and then home. I will miss Thanksgiving by a day.

Andrew is having one of the Mike’s over for dinner and Rob and Vickie are coming, so the house will still be full. I am sure it is not decided yet and won’t be until the day before Thanksgiving but Mom and Andrew are playing with the idea of not having turkey and the usual fixing. I can’t say I blame her – it is a ton of work; but for me it just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without the usual traditions. Mind you the usual traditions usually do not involve much on my part – Mom would say that I have a tradition of not doing any work that day so my opinion is not relevant.

On the way to the Metro (Metro sucks by the way – the last Metro scandal involves the escalators – it seems they bought the model that has the worse service record – are you surprised?) this morning Andrew said he had chatted with you very shortly on Facebook the other night and that you had arrived at you work site in Palawon. So how is it? I know it early but that is the time for the most interesting observations. One question I would appreciate if you would answer – what will you be doing? Teaching in an elementary school, high school, working with English teachers, what? Mom and I would find that answer extremely interesting.

It is time for a break, we are dropping into Miami and my ears are hurting – better go and tap my bladder – more later.

Miami to Lima - Several hours later

I just finished dinner; it’s a good thing I’m from Pittsburgh and don’t have a discriminating palette, despite the questionable cuisine, I like dining on a plane; I eat slowly (no where to go) and listen to music and every once in a while I have a glass of wine to smooth out the trip.

The trip from Miami to Lima is a little over 5 hours – not so bad. I have music and the Kindle, and writing to you to keep me busy. The one thing about these trips that burn my ass is putting the seat back. Most airlines make people bring the seat back to the upright position at least for meals – not the case tonight. The only saving grace is aisle seats; I’d have a hard time if I was locked into one of those casket-like experiences.

In some ways I am a little glad not to be home for Thanksgiving – I always fixed Mike a plate, I’ll miss that, it was special for him. Of course, that was before he took over the kitchen with rotating chefs – now if you want to talk about a discriminating palette. Mike in his old age acted like a diva New York food critic, and your Mother made it a daily act of mercy to read his mind and prepare just the right meal to satisfy Mike ‘The Dog.’ This bizarre behavior must have something to do with latent Catholicism.

I just flew over Panama - another trip across the equator. I’m getting a little tired of typing on a ‘V’ shaped computer screen and keyboards. One last thing before I leave for the evening – I finally got a blackberry smart phone. The advantage is that it has international ‘push’ email and international chat; also international calling, but too expensive to answer the phone except in an emergency. Speaking of technology, I’m glad to hear you ordered a new Kindle – it will prove essential particularly in your circumstances – I hope you got a case; to my mind just an important. If I neglected to mention it last time, that’s on Mom and me also, so if you did not order it, get it – it might help saving you from the heartbreak of technological disaster. More later!

November 18, 2010

It’s 6:00 am and I’ve been in Peru for about 32 hours. I made a big mistake talking to you about the ‘hand carry’ practice; I cursed myself – I got caught on my entry into Peru. I was carrying about 6,000 USD of equipment and either by pure chance, my suspicious mug (I cut my hair down to about a quarter of an inch – I now match some profile), or x-ray screening they pulled me over upon arrival to do a hand inspection of my bags – one bag actually. They found the big item I was carrying; they retrieved the paperwork I signed declaring that I had nothing to declare and marched me off to the security area – I guess the whole area is a security area.

You probably remember the area, you go through immigration, then claim your bags and then you go to the declaration station; they collect your declaration forms and then you go through a portal and press a green button – if it lights green you move forward, if red you get inspected.

Before I left I asked my contact about the customs situation – his response, ‘press the green button with confidence.’ It did not work. I do not think they actually have the detection technology built into these portals; rather, I think they follow the thinking of the traffic police that set-up blow up cops in patrol cars on the side of the road to make you think they are checking for speeding – bottom line I think it is random. Without getting into too much detail, after opening the bag and discovering the big item they did not look any further and moved on to the interrogation phase – no hot lights or rubber hoses. They were actually pretty polite. All the time I trying to decide the best mixture and truth and lies to use that would be most effect in getting me out of this mess as cheaply as possible.

After two hours of selective lying and the luck that they couldn’t find a value of the instrument online they accepted the value I gave them added a few hundred dollars and told me I would have to pay taxes on that amount, I should not forget the stern lecture on respecting the laws of Peru. I did not get fined or ‘frog walked’ out of the terminal – it cost me a little over a hundred dollars – in cash, no credit cards accepted, I was freed and nothing was confiscated.

It’s been six years that I’ve been doing the ‘hand carry’ thing and the first time I’ve been caught with the exception of the incident at US customs in Miami.

So far, the trip has been productive, the highlight has been we had a meeting with the COO of the Clinton Initiative in a Ramada at the airport – money let’s them do things that we wouldn’t even think consider – they rented a conference room for the meeting – we’d have just pushed a couple of chairs together in the lobby. The meeting went well enough that John and I were invited for a visit to their headquarters in Harlem for follow-up discussions. I doubt if we will get any direct funding but they have developed IT and patient outreach tools that could be very useful. Their goal in Peru is to sponsor 50,000 cataract surgeries in 4 years.

The hotel we are staying at is a modest one, more than adequate, clean and with free wireless internet – they only other luxury I could wish for would be a coffee pot in the room. When I first arrived and they took me to my room we got off the elevator and everything was dark – they have motion sensors on the lights and the hall lights come on as you walk down the hall and turn off as you pass. A few years ago I would have thought of this was typical developing world energy conservation, now I think of it in terms of things to come in the US.

Today is fairly light, I have to attend a few meetings this morning, and a dinner this evening but otherwise I am free – I have general maintenance work to do on my Program but nothing critical – catch up work. Your Mother for the first time asked me to bring her something back from Peru – she wanted me to find her some opals. This is significant since she never asks for anything, so maybe today I will go on an opal search. I would feel extremely bad if unsuccessful, not because she would be upset if I fail but because in all the years we have been married she has asked for so little – nothing really; the things I have gotten her have generally been too lame to mention.

Tomorrow I am off to Arequipa, the Hospital I am visiting has set up a welcoming reception for Friday night or Saturday It is it a Social Clinic – not sure what the next few days hold for me; I do not have a formal schedule.

November 19, 2010

I have just found my seat on the plane to Arequipa, the altitude is higher – the taxis driver to the airport from my Hotel in Miraflores told me to make sure I chew on some coca leaves as soon as I arrive otherwise I will get a headache. He said they sell the coca leaves in any ‘Botica’ (small 7-Eleven type shops).

My second day in Lima was a bit more disorganized. I spoke to my contact in Arequipa about 7:00 am – his wife recommended that I try and find the opals (opalo) in Lima – she thought the price would be better. I had a few meeting to attend and I wanted to make a visit to the ‘Clinica Divino Niño de Jesus.’ It is on the grounds of the Children’s City (Cuidad del Niños); the Clinica is on a large parcel of land shared with an orphanage and home for unwed mothers and victims of domestic violence The land and orphanage is owned by the catholic Church the Clinic rents space on the land – it reality, the Clinic is part and parcel of the Church- most of the support come from the congregations in Lima – technically it is an independent entity but the Founder and President of the Clinic is very – I am now the proud own of a stature of El Divino Niño de Jesus’ – not to mention a extensive assortment of holy cards and Catholic brochures. I joke but this woman is very impressive – she is in her mid sixties, he husband is an ophthalmologist in private practice and she decided to start an eye clinic for ‘los pobres.’ In four years she has raised the money for 4 ophthalmologist, surgical suites, optical shop, pharmacy, and cafeteria, not to mention exam rooms, special testing, and electronic medical records – they do about 6 thousand surgeries a year and growing rapidly.

This is where I come in, they need cheap consumables; a friend is putting together a consortium of VOSH (optometrist charity & Rotovision (Rotary Club Eye Charity) to make the donation – it’s my job to get the consumables and equipment and get it to the Clinic.

Well, enough of that, after I visited the Clinic I meet with a doctor I know that lives in Lima – she is a pediatric ophthalmologist; works for free – and has for many years – how she does it I haven’t a clue – she is not wealthy. Anyways, she offered to help take me to a place that I could find opals – it was a very large Indian Market – literally hundreds of stalls – and yes I did get lusted.

I spend about 2 hours trying to get the best deals on a string of opals for Mom. As it turns out opals come in many shapes, color – it is all dependent on the location in Peru from where they are mined. Finally, I picked a type that I thought mom would like, and began the negotiation process between two vendors – I got them down about 30 USD, but not quite where I thought I could get; but they would go not further.

November 26, 2010 – Thanksgiving in Piura or There-abouts

It’ is 1:20 am; exactly, 1 hour and twenty minutes after Thanksgiving. This is the first time I have been away from home for a major holiday since your mother and I were married; but not your first time – I believe it was Santiago. I’ve been thinking of you all day. I guess because we are both away from home on a Holiday. Not a big deal for me, I’ll be home in a few hours, but for you I imagine this was one of the hard days.

I’m on the flight from Lima to Miami – the 11:55 PM to 5:30 AM flight, and then on to Washington National (since your mother is going to read this I’ll call it Washington National rather than Washington Reagan – I know you understand). I arrive in the District around 10:30 AM. The guys writing for the flight magazine says the people in the know – the 'cool kids’ say that ‘Washington’ and ‘DC’ are out, only to be used by Washingtonians un-initiated into the hip culture of the ‘District.’ I, of course get it, how could I not I’ve read about it in the bible of the District hipster – ‘AmericanWay’ the American Airlines Flight Magazine.

Christopher Walken said (original or quoted I’m not sure), ‘That just because it happened to you does not make it interesting’ I think for the rest of this letter I’m going and try of forget that little pearl of wisdom.

Let’s work our way backwards – at least from the order of the day’s perspective.

I awoke at about 5 AM – a bit late for me. Dr. Socola (my host in Piura) was scheduled to pick me up sssssssssmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkksssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmml[]\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ dozed off with my fingers on the keyboard – I think I’ll set this aside for the moment..

I’m back, and now on the flight from Miami to Washington National. I usually have a hard time sleeping on a plane. It’s usually too uncomfortable to sleep and Ambien gives me nervous leg syndrome. However, last night I tried a combination of Xanax and Ambien – and wouldn’t you know, it worked – for the first time I slept for more that a few minutes – my traveling pharmacy comes to the rescue. I awoke refreshed, although a little stressed by the chaos of waking just as we were about to land – all my things were all over the place and I haven’t completed my custom declaration form.

I felt like Carol Tanek on a flight with the boys at 10 and

Caitlin at 3 – a nightmare enough to send chills down my spine.

As much as I would rather have been at home, my day turned out to be interesting. I was pick-up at 7; had coffee and was off to the rotating eye clinic sponsored by Dole on a large banana cooperative. It took about two hours to get there, about half of the distance on dirt roads. Although Dole does not own the banana plantation - it’s a cooperative; they do provide medical care for the workers and their families. After the first 3 or 4 patients I get the gist of the set-up so I was off exploring. It was hot, dry, sun without shade, and dusty. The farmers village was almost barren of plants – the ones that did exist looked more like scrub desert plants than real plant – in some cases no more that a stick and a dusty leaf. The farmers and their families were friendly and curious - no hostility or shyness, I guess they like the Clinic. It covers different specialties each day. It is interesting though they almost to a man and woman refuse to have cataract surgery. I do not know what’s behind it and not for not asking, but they are clearly afraid.

Dogs, horses, donkeys, goats, kids, and chickens all share the communal space. The dogs made me a little nervous – even the ones that look half dead lying in he hot sun of the afternoon will jump and start barking at you if you come too close to the house. I had a donkey on my tail for about half an hour – I thought the damn thing was going to bite my butt. I did get a gentle love tap from a goat – it did not respect my artistic choices, I think it felt that I was spending too much time taking photos of the donkey – animal jealousy has been ignored by academia too long.

While the village looks barren, the banana groves are lush – jungle like in fact they have a very sophisticated irrigation system. Despite the fact that the area gets little or no rain for major parts of the year, water does not seem to be a problem.

Nobody seemed to mind me roaming around.

To Be Continued….

Love Dad

Pump Boats & Jeepneys

August 25, 2010

Hello again,

Still here in Manila. We today broke what was becoming an indistinguishable morass of PowerPoint slides, questions and answer periods and polite applause- for everyone!- with an hour long trip to the beach for a water safety course. We fit 6 or 8 onto wooden over sized canoes with outriggers and motors called 'pump boats', motored 100 yards off shore and jumped out to practice water emergency techniques. Depending on where I'm posted (we find out tomorrow), I'll have to do some regular travel in these crafts.

Otherwise, all else is good. It's like summer camp here, lots of young people being shuttled from one sessions to the next, with meals in between. My roommates in Rm. 215 of the Island Cove are both nice guys. After returning from the beach we went to the mall, an institution of which Filipinos have much pride, and walked around. We got there in these cartoonish mini-buses called jeepneys, which are usually aluminum and adorned with all sorts of decals and paintings, sort of like the women painted on the side of WWII-era bombers. If I had to choose a cartoon from which they would hail, it would probably be Hong Kong Fooey, but maybe that's just the Asian thing. I bought some much needed books at the mall, realizing after breezing through 150 pages of The Constant Gardener that I hadn't brought nearly enough reading material and that I'd need to restock. I got George Eliot's Adam Bede, a Paul Theroux travelogue on Patagonia, Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections, and Tom Wolfe's Bonfire of the Vanities. With a small library in my possession I feel much better about leaving for training on Friday morning.

Anyways, hope all is well at home. I expect real updates, not just, "oh you know, the usual". That does nothing for me. Anyways, I miss you all and love you.

William