I’m finding a serious lack of time to get all my work done, including writing here, in the time spans that I assign for it. Things that I feel like I should be able to get through in a productive day require a week to accomplish, and while maybe this is just a streak of misunderstanding the volume of work in my commitments, I’m troubled by the vastness of the gap between what I think I have time for and what I don’t. I suppose I’m not being fair in considering my work for school part of the list of things to check off. It’s what I do each day and usually a good, effective day’s work requires more work on following days. I’m lacking the common sense to realize that if I get by one week and not have the time for everything, doing those things plus an additional pile of work isn’t likely to happen the next week. My admiration for my high school teachers is only increasing as I realize just how much time they spent in order to offer the level of education they did. It’s really quite amazing.
So anyway, the news worth knowing isn’t too great. I have reduced the feline population in my house to 4 but it did not occur quite like I expected. The first cat to go was actually Chichi, as she had just become too high maintenance for my situation. The opportunity we found to send her on was sudden and well timed as the kittens were eating on their own but also drinking mom’s milk. There was, however, a slight failure in the execution of the plan. My friend, and fellow PCV, was taking her to a friend near his site but needed to make a pit stop first. While attending other matters, the cat escaped. While not really a huge problem, the amusing fact is that the place he was at is about a 20 minute walk from the school I accepted her from. She found her way back and I can say the volunteer and teachers there were not terribly thrilled. The next weekend, Andrew came back with orders for two more kittens and so now I’ve reduced my population from 7 to 4, with plans to reduce to two….males! Felix and Magellan are the brothers I have left who will be staying and the two girls will in time head to new homes.
On the academic front, lecture is continuing. My form 6 class is continuing to forge ahead and I’m happy to say we’re looking slightly ahead of my new schedule! Which at this point, is very welcome news as we’re still a month or two behind where we realistically should be. I am entering material that did not make much sense to me in college so my preparation is slow and meticulous. I always heard teaching a subject was the last step in learning it and I am being converted as I am learning far better than I ever did in my college physics class. Labs are a challenge, due to the combination of unfamiliarity with the subject significantly ahead of teaching it and the lack of experience of working out of a lab environment where everything you need is waiting for you. But we’re making our way. Another struggle is balancing teaching as best I can and teaching how the kids expect me to. I realize that the system here is different, and their approach to learning material has been drilled into them over the last 10 or so years, but is it really that hard to change gears? And, if you can’t, how do you expect to function in a world where most problems need unique solutions. It’s interesting to see the difficulties some people have with outside of the box thinking. We went through two tailors who could not decompose a jacket and skirt and make it into a long sleeve shirt before finally succeeding. Each tailor’s excuse was that it was too much work in the head. Kazi kubwa! So they wanted extra money, but preferred we go buy an entirely new cloth so they could follow the step by step process they’ve learned. Instilling creative thinking is a goal of mine but I feel as though I’m not doing the best job. I’ll have to work on that.
I’ve hit a minor bump in the Swahili process. I had a good three weeks of solid daily Swahili practice, but lately I’ve been sacrificing it when higher priorities take longer. But I have had more good moments where I feel like I’m comprehending more lately, so I want to build on the momentum and try to keep up the learning.
In outside projects, I’m approaching a finished product on my latest transit proposal. Although, anyone who knows me in this context knows it’s never done as I’ve been toying with the same basic idea for around 5 years now. I do feel like this is a better version of what I’ve had before. More practical and certainly more affordable, while still offering much of the opportunities of my other iterations. Seeing the effects of the oil spill in the gulf (admittedly through the lenses of my pro-multimodalist sources of news and analysis) makes it seem as though the dangers of a purely fossil fuel powered society are currently in the spotlight. While it’s easy for the largest cities in America to approach mass transit as a solution to congestion and increasing density, smaller urban centers see them as unjustifiable costs. However, that inherently perpetuates the current problem that only two years ago was becoming a national nightmare before the recession distracted people from it. We need to look at solutions to the problems in communities of all sizes. I think people often see transit enthusiast as anti-car but the reality is a car is a central part (and one I really enjoy!) of life in America. But what if we had an America where not every of-age person required one and people could live an effective lifestyle sharing one vehicle per household? It requires a lot of investment for sure, but I wonder if people could live the lives they want with that. That’s still way better than what people get here in Tanzania.
To continue my pattern of useless discussion, I want to point out the Royals are 9-5 since the Hillman era ended and the Yost era began. I looked back on my last post regarding the Royals and it was actually the game Hillman had been fired before but it wasn’t announced until afterwards. I’m not sure what the difference is now, but this team definitely seems more capable. It’s the same team but it absolutely is not, which brings hope for the future! Just like Billy’s .348 average :)
Well, this post has already fallen into the took-way-longer-than-anticipated category. I have a long list of things I could do today, and only lack the urgency because I have another day of weekend left. We’ll see if I can make it a productive day. Only two more weeks till my next break, which these days feels like a blink of an eye. Hope you have a good weekend!
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
Picture Post Number 2!!!
Welcome to Picture Blog Post Number Two!
I'll start you off with some wildlife. This was taken off my back porch, although the tree he's sitting in has since had some trouble as you will see later!
We went on a walk to see hot springs one weekend while in Mbeya town. This was the walk to the property, complete with a little piece of home!
But turns out this was the hot springs. It was about as warm as a hot bath, not that you could fit in it to take one.
The land we were on is a stone quarry and these massive blocks lay everywhere. They simply cut them out of the wall as it is all stone!
We were then taken to the Bat Caves, profiled as the second billing but they made up for everything the hot puddle lacked! I don't have good pictures of inside it, just this approach and the following of the hole in the top.
Inside there were holes in the floor that went down for well beyond the light of our flashlights which was quite intimidating but we were with people who knew the landscape well and all survived.
Back at home, this was the morning after a Kumbi Kumbi attack, which is a 4 winged termite (I'm told) that comes out this time of year. They died attacking my front porch light. Chichi was quite content however as she really enjoys these snacks!
Next is our hike to Kaparogwe Falls, just southwest of Tukuyu. It was sold as a nice waterfall....which is a ridiculous understatement. First you walk through farms along a footpath and cross this creek.
Then you walk up a hill and around a corner and it all of a sudden is visible. A massive waterfall that you can walk back underneath. This is the view from in the indention in the rock behind the falls about halfway down it's fall.
And my favorite the whole falls. Now to give you an idea of just how big it is, if you can zoom in at all, Katie and Linda are sitting behind the falls in the indention, and they aren't very tall (relatively of course :P)
I'll start you off with some wildlife. This was taken off my back porch, although the tree he's sitting in has since had some trouble as you will see later!
We went on a walk to see hot springs one weekend while in Mbeya town. This was the walk to the property, complete with a little piece of home! But turns out this was the hot springs. It was about as warm as a hot bath, not that you could fit in it to take one.
But the view was gorgeous, this is Mbeya region after all!
The land we were on is a stone quarry and these massive blocks lay everywhere. They simply cut them out of the wall as it is all stone!
We were then taken to the Bat Caves, profiled as the second billing but they made up for everything the hot puddle lacked! I don't have good pictures of inside it, just this approach and the following of the hole in the top.Inside there were holes in the floor that went down for well beyond the light of our flashlights which was quite intimidating but we were with people who knew the landscape well and all survived.
Back at home, this was the morning after a Kumbi Kumbi attack, which is a 4 winged termite (I'm told) that comes out this time of year. They died attacking my front porch light. Chichi was quite content however as she really enjoys these snacks!Next is our hike to Kaparogwe Falls, just southwest of Tukuyu. It was sold as a nice waterfall....which is a ridiculous understatement. First you walk through farms along a footpath and cross this creek.Then you walk up a hill and around a corner and it all of a sudden is visible. A massive waterfall that you can walk back underneath. This is the view from in the indention in the rock behind the falls about halfway down it's fall.Looking out from underneath.
And my favorite the whole falls. Now to give you an idea of just how big it is, if you can zoom in at all, Katie and Linda are sitting behind the falls in the indention, and they aren't very tall (relatively of course :P)Next Stop: Matema Beach! This relatively quiet resort is on the northern shores of Lake Malawi. It is absolutely gorgeous and a wonderful mix of real Tanzania and resortiness. It was a nice break from school and everything else but it wasn't out of Tanzania at all.
It's pretty cool because from the right vantage point, as far north as Tukuyu and Mt. Rungwe, you can see these mountains and the lake shore on a clear day.
It was a relaxing weekend full of kiti moto, volley ball, and beach campfires, which it's advisable not to step in barefoot as Theo learned.
During my In Service Training in Iringa, Chichi gave birth to six kittens. This is them maybe 2-3 weeks old.
It's pretty cool because from the right vantage point, as far north as Tukuyu and Mt. Rungwe, you can see these mountains and the lake shore on a clear day.
It was a relaxing weekend full of kiti moto, volley ball, and beach campfires, which it's advisable not to step in barefoot as Theo learned.
During my In Service Training in Iringa, Chichi gave birth to six kittens. This is them maybe 2-3 weeks old. 
The rainy season caused some of the soil near my house to weaken and problems happened. We got it down without causing too much damage but it could have been much worse!
Recently, we've been doing a better job visiting each other. Granted it helps when Katie's school is having a dance with Theo's school and they provide free (and direct!) transportation!
Our path turned much denser when we started to actually climb the mountain.
After about an hour, we finally reached the the rim of the caldera. The picture doesn't do it justice but it was quite a drop on both sides of the narrow path!
This is the clearest picture we got of the lake. It's quite a ways below the overlook but still way above the surrounding countryside.
This is Katie, Tristan, and I at the top. Tulishinda!
Finally, this was our trip to Ngozi Crater. Hiking began at the highway through generally open plains until we reached what looked like a little path headed under a small group of trees. It became a legitimate jungle and this was one of the more open spots.
Our path turned much denser when we started to actually climb the mountain.
After about an hour, we finally reached the the rim of the caldera. The picture doesn't do it justice but it was quite a drop on both sides of the narrow path!
This is the clearest picture we got of the lake. It's quite a ways below the overlook but still way above the surrounding countryside.
This is Katie, Tristan, and I at the top. Tulishinda!
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Taking into consideration that my comments here are really just a microcosm of my current emotions, but also considering the fact that I’m more inclined to write when I am trying to wrestle through things in my head, I’m frustrated. I tend to only want to write when I feel like what I have to say is something worth listening to, although I’m making the rather brash assumption what I deem worthy is what others need/want to hear. So, my point in all this drivel is that I’m going to try to stop saying anything “meaningful” and start saying….something.
So the last two days have been somewhat unusual in terms of my life so far as a Tanzanian teacher. I have been invigilating (fancy British English – I think – term for proctoring) exams. And today I acquired 5 rulers, two erasers, and very nearly two ripped up tests during the exam. I saw every way of cheating I could have imagined possible and then some more. I’m pretty sure one girl had some notes in her shirt and then when she needed them pulled her arms inside like she was cold and kinda stretched out her sweater so she could read between her shirt and her sweater. What can I do for that one? So I feel the need to give her props on her creative ingenuity that massively outshone the girl who turned around to compare tests with her friend.
But my frustrations of late have to do with more than that, as I’m still struggling through the material and being a good, effective teacher isn’t quite the process I thought it would be. It’s humbling to say the least. I consider myself someone who thinks through problems logically and I feel like one of my greatest strengths is the ability to break a problem down and see it in parts. I thought if I introduced ideas the this way with a focus on the atoms building up to the molecule it would be clear and digestible the first time through. Oh, what little do I know. The funny thing is, I keep coming back to the problem of the parent, where because I said so is what you want to say because you know you’re right and because right now, you just can’t think of a really solid explanation. But that wont fly, and you’re expected to have reasons and explanations on the spot. Partially I brought this on myself, as I encouraged students to ask questions and press for the why. But now the stereotypical Tanzanian give the students notes to copy approach seems really nice.
It’s a struggle, battling between this idea of who you want to be to these people and the parts of your life you didn’t imagine sacrificing for it. I would consider my situation one of constant flux where I’m on a teeter-totter walking from one seat to the other constantly on the ground, and never in the middle balancing. I think I’ve expressed my discontent before but like what I said when I started, this is a little bit of self-therapy. Honestly, I’m not upset with the students (ok my students, I am upset with the testing students) or the administration or any of that. As a matter of fact, my relations with my peer walimu are only improving J. I’m upset with myself because I’m pretty sure I know what I need to do to get stuff done and I just can’t sometimes. I find it amusing how much of the personal growth you’re supposed to get in college, I can see happening to me here. I don’t know that it didn’t happen in Ithaca, but this sort of second go-round is nice. Theo, another volunteer in my area, and I were chatting over lunch one day about how we find ourselves surrounded by textbooks writing our lesson plans and we realize this is what we should have been doing for the last 4 years. Sadly, it takes having someone else depend on me to get myself adequately motivated, and like I said before, I still can’t make myself do it all the times I need to. And I’m spent….
On to more interesting things. We left Seattle and moved to the heartland in terms of weather. After that freaky week-long rain (which was apparently about a third of its usual length) we’re now seeing crystal clear mornings with increasing clouds during the afternoon and a return to cloudless skies in the evening. For some reason, Rungwe looks much more ominous without the clouds. There’s one particular view of it in town where every time I see it from that angle I realize it’s a pretty large mountain and it’s a volcano on top of that. Dormant for a long time of course but it’s fun to imagine myself as a young Pierce Brosnan in Dante’s Peak 2: African Killer saving people in the final minutes before the eruption.
Lately, I’ve been helping type exams. It’s strange how copying something from hand written to a screen in front of you can be way more soporific than reading news articles on that same screen. I suppose there’s the subject matter but it’s surprising how quickly I find myself nodding off when typing
I still have seven felines in my house. One option to get rid of a kitten fell through and I’m waiting for my others to as well, it only seems appropriate. Chichi brought in a mouse earlier, she looked rather pleased with herself but the kitten that took it just growled at anyone else who came close so I’m not sure we’re promoting good family values in this house.
I also got the box of books sent from the youth group at church this week. Let me rephrase, the 3 boxes of books and 1 box of signs are now taking up my living room. I will be sending a more formal thank you but the Peace Corps Volunteer book network appreciates your gifts! Books are passed around here like gossip so they will get good use.
In other news, the Royals have been awful. Zack’s in line for the win right now but we haven’t given the ball to the bullpen yet. Check that. They just put Tejeda in for Greinke. Let the fun begin! This internet is both a blessing and a curse. It allows me the freedom to write when I want to (not that I do as much as I should) but it also allows me to monitor severe weather outbreaks during the evenings in Kansas which translates to 2 am here. So, there are some downsides :P Not that I could do anything to change that, I mean it’s really out of my control. I HAVE to watch.
I welcome questions in the comments sections, or through email if you want to know something but I just haven’t touched on it. I lose sight of the fact that me living in Africa seems mysterious and far away because it’s all so normal now, but if you have questions about culture, lifestyle, or anything in particular, I’ll be happy to narrate excessively for you. Ok, back to a good mood! Partially due to talking it out, and partially due to a double play by the Royals where they’ve had runs scored against them so far this year.
So the last two days have been somewhat unusual in terms of my life so far as a Tanzanian teacher. I have been invigilating (fancy British English – I think – term for proctoring) exams. And today I acquired 5 rulers, two erasers, and very nearly two ripped up tests during the exam. I saw every way of cheating I could have imagined possible and then some more. I’m pretty sure one girl had some notes in her shirt and then when she needed them pulled her arms inside like she was cold and kinda stretched out her sweater so she could read between her shirt and her sweater. What can I do for that one? So I feel the need to give her props on her creative ingenuity that massively outshone the girl who turned around to compare tests with her friend.
But my frustrations of late have to do with more than that, as I’m still struggling through the material and being a good, effective teacher isn’t quite the process I thought it would be. It’s humbling to say the least. I consider myself someone who thinks through problems logically and I feel like one of my greatest strengths is the ability to break a problem down and see it in parts. I thought if I introduced ideas the this way with a focus on the atoms building up to the molecule it would be clear and digestible the first time through. Oh, what little do I know. The funny thing is, I keep coming back to the problem of the parent, where because I said so is what you want to say because you know you’re right and because right now, you just can’t think of a really solid explanation. But that wont fly, and you’re expected to have reasons and explanations on the spot. Partially I brought this on myself, as I encouraged students to ask questions and press for the why. But now the stereotypical Tanzanian give the students notes to copy approach seems really nice.
It’s a struggle, battling between this idea of who you want to be to these people and the parts of your life you didn’t imagine sacrificing for it. I would consider my situation one of constant flux where I’m on a teeter-totter walking from one seat to the other constantly on the ground, and never in the middle balancing. I think I’ve expressed my discontent before but like what I said when I started, this is a little bit of self-therapy. Honestly, I’m not upset with the students (ok my students, I am upset with the testing students) or the administration or any of that. As a matter of fact, my relations with my peer walimu are only improving J. I’m upset with myself because I’m pretty sure I know what I need to do to get stuff done and I just can’t sometimes. I find it amusing how much of the personal growth you’re supposed to get in college, I can see happening to me here. I don’t know that it didn’t happen in Ithaca, but this sort of second go-round is nice. Theo, another volunteer in my area, and I were chatting over lunch one day about how we find ourselves surrounded by textbooks writing our lesson plans and we realize this is what we should have been doing for the last 4 years. Sadly, it takes having someone else depend on me to get myself adequately motivated, and like I said before, I still can’t make myself do it all the times I need to. And I’m spent….
On to more interesting things. We left Seattle and moved to the heartland in terms of weather. After that freaky week-long rain (which was apparently about a third of its usual length) we’re now seeing crystal clear mornings with increasing clouds during the afternoon and a return to cloudless skies in the evening. For some reason, Rungwe looks much more ominous without the clouds. There’s one particular view of it in town where every time I see it from that angle I realize it’s a pretty large mountain and it’s a volcano on top of that. Dormant for a long time of course but it’s fun to imagine myself as a young Pierce Brosnan in Dante’s Peak 2: African Killer saving people in the final minutes before the eruption.
Lately, I’ve been helping type exams. It’s strange how copying something from hand written to a screen in front of you can be way more soporific than reading news articles on that same screen. I suppose there’s the subject matter but it’s surprising how quickly I find myself nodding off when typing
I still have seven felines in my house. One option to get rid of a kitten fell through and I’m waiting for my others to as well, it only seems appropriate. Chichi brought in a mouse earlier, she looked rather pleased with herself but the kitten that took it just growled at anyone else who came close so I’m not sure we’re promoting good family values in this house.
I also got the box of books sent from the youth group at church this week. Let me rephrase, the 3 boxes of books and 1 box of signs are now taking up my living room. I will be sending a more formal thank you but the Peace Corps Volunteer book network appreciates your gifts! Books are passed around here like gossip so they will get good use.
In other news, the Royals have been awful. Zack’s in line for the win right now but we haven’t given the ball to the bullpen yet. Check that. They just put Tejeda in for Greinke. Let the fun begin! This internet is both a blessing and a curse. It allows me the freedom to write when I want to (not that I do as much as I should) but it also allows me to monitor severe weather outbreaks during the evenings in Kansas which translates to 2 am here. So, there are some downsides :P Not that I could do anything to change that, I mean it’s really out of my control. I HAVE to watch.
I welcome questions in the comments sections, or through email if you want to know something but I just haven’t touched on it. I lose sight of the fact that me living in Africa seems mysterious and far away because it’s all so normal now, but if you have questions about culture, lifestyle, or anything in particular, I’ll be happy to narrate excessively for you. Ok, back to a good mood! Partially due to talking it out, and partially due to a double play by the Royals where they’ve had runs scored against them so far this year.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Small updates and too much thought
So things are progressing slower than I might have liked out of the gate but it’s probably to be expected. Current plans for post-IST projects are still in the planning stages and we’ll see how things progress. But in general school news, I’m not teaching the Advanced Math portion of the PCM (Physics Chemistry Math) combination. While a little bummed, I think this is a very good thing. I have a bad habit of biting off way more than I can chew to balance out my laziness at times and I think diving into 4 different syllabuses in 5 different classes would have been a bit much. So now, I instead have 3 syllabuses in 4 classes which looks to be plenty large a load, especially if I’m successful in getting outside projects off the ground. Which projects will be successful? We will see. I’m currently putting my focus on getting off to a strong start with teaching in the classroom and improving the library as a resource. I think that after these two, projects involving a garden and perhaps HIV and AIDS education could be in the works. I’m learning that I am not going to be told what to do beyond teach these classes and if any of these projects are going to happen, I need to be assertive. And since assertiveness is something I’ve always lacked, this will be a good exercise!
Not much other news on the home front. My kittens are starting to look outside of their sleeping space. They level of cuteness is nearing its maximum as they begin to act like cats but still have that baby waddle and fall on occasion. While it’s all very fun to watch, I’m constantly nervous about when they start looking for more food beyond mom’s milk. I could see that being a very expensive situation once they start to grow and have to eat to maintain that growth. Hopefully I’ll have found suitable families for homes by then.
In other news, I just finished reading a book called The New Great Game about oil and its impacts on the Central Asian region. While intended to be first a snapshot of the situation in the area and how oil access dictates it, it certainly paints a dark picture about American intentions in the region. I suppose everyone has their own opinion about why the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are ongoing but I’m feeling less optimistic about our motivations entering them. Regardless, that’s not really my point. The fact is that almost every major player in the region is inevitably tied to oil as it seems to be the only source of money. Often, that money finds its way into the pockets of the country’s elite and not to the public coffers, empowering a ruling class that frequently does not have the well being of their constituents in mind. Those facts made our deals with the governments, allowing bases or other concessions for the war in Afghanistan, worse as we legitimized very undemocratic and oppressive governments. But in addition to that, the book highlighted just how much of our foreign policy, much of it big brotherish in nature, was focused on ensuring a supply of cheap oil. It also highlighted how foreign public opinion of Bush Administration America was decidedly negative as a result. This all got me to thinking about my responsibilities as an ambassador of the US. As much as I’d like to not think so, I am the most powerful image of the US to my students and fellow teachers. The media can say what it wants, and if that’s the primary source of information they’ll probably believe it. But if I contradict the message, my one-on-one relationship is going to have significantly more power. The perception is often that Americans are arrogant and self-centered and sadly, that can easily be proven. Making an effort to balance between giving help and humility can be a challenge at times, especially when you feel like you know the right answer. Americans used to be perceived as the forefathers of democracy and freedom, the shining light in darkness, etc. but now, many see that freedom as something deteriorated to a greedy monster which will only help you if it’s in its best interests. Regardless of our motivations for our actions, I feel like our ability to do good in the world is entirely dependent on the belief that we stand for a free way of life. Without others looking up to us, we can’t carry out our foreign policy, good or bad. Therefore, I see the value of organizations like Peace Corps beyond simply educating some 150 students. But the nation also has to consider sacrificing some amenities like $1.50 a gallon gas in order to maintain the respect and positive feeling from the rest of the world.
I’m getting tired so I can’t say too much more, but I do want to mention something to all my Sedgwick County Readers. I saw on the Wichita Business Journal website the other day that the Intrust Bank Arena ranked in the 45th in the world for ticket sales in the quarter. Now I know it helps that it’s a new venue etc. but let’s remember that it’s generally considered about 5000 seats too small for a major arena. I acknowledge that I haven’t been in town, but from what I see in the news, parking has not been the ridiculous disaster it was supposed to be. And if I remember right, the project was on budget with the tax ending when it said it would, and the opening was only slightly behind the original schedule. So, done right and well is the moral of the story. Perhaps I’m missing things, I’m sure someone would have a list for me if I asked, but that seems like success story based on increasing taxes slightly for a very specific purpose. So instead of using the name of an event that occurred because of a lack of representation not a lack of your own ideas having the majority of representation, let’s sit at a table, talk through things and get stuff done. I’m tired of American politics, or what the media wants to show me. I really hope this is a byproduct of the recession and everyone is just being more vocal about fixing the problem and people can actually have an open debate with reason, understanding, and compromise once things improve. I really really hope.
Not much other news on the home front. My kittens are starting to look outside of their sleeping space. They level of cuteness is nearing its maximum as they begin to act like cats but still have that baby waddle and fall on occasion. While it’s all very fun to watch, I’m constantly nervous about when they start looking for more food beyond mom’s milk. I could see that being a very expensive situation once they start to grow and have to eat to maintain that growth. Hopefully I’ll have found suitable families for homes by then.
In other news, I just finished reading a book called The New Great Game about oil and its impacts on the Central Asian region. While intended to be first a snapshot of the situation in the area and how oil access dictates it, it certainly paints a dark picture about American intentions in the region. I suppose everyone has their own opinion about why the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are ongoing but I’m feeling less optimistic about our motivations entering them. Regardless, that’s not really my point. The fact is that almost every major player in the region is inevitably tied to oil as it seems to be the only source of money. Often, that money finds its way into the pockets of the country’s elite and not to the public coffers, empowering a ruling class that frequently does not have the well being of their constituents in mind. Those facts made our deals with the governments, allowing bases or other concessions for the war in Afghanistan, worse as we legitimized very undemocratic and oppressive governments. But in addition to that, the book highlighted just how much of our foreign policy, much of it big brotherish in nature, was focused on ensuring a supply of cheap oil. It also highlighted how foreign public opinion of Bush Administration America was decidedly negative as a result. This all got me to thinking about my responsibilities as an ambassador of the US. As much as I’d like to not think so, I am the most powerful image of the US to my students and fellow teachers. The media can say what it wants, and if that’s the primary source of information they’ll probably believe it. But if I contradict the message, my one-on-one relationship is going to have significantly more power. The perception is often that Americans are arrogant and self-centered and sadly, that can easily be proven. Making an effort to balance between giving help and humility can be a challenge at times, especially when you feel like you know the right answer. Americans used to be perceived as the forefathers of democracy and freedom, the shining light in darkness, etc. but now, many see that freedom as something deteriorated to a greedy monster which will only help you if it’s in its best interests. Regardless of our motivations for our actions, I feel like our ability to do good in the world is entirely dependent on the belief that we stand for a free way of life. Without others looking up to us, we can’t carry out our foreign policy, good or bad. Therefore, I see the value of organizations like Peace Corps beyond simply educating some 150 students. But the nation also has to consider sacrificing some amenities like $1.50 a gallon gas in order to maintain the respect and positive feeling from the rest of the world.
I’m getting tired so I can’t say too much more, but I do want to mention something to all my Sedgwick County Readers. I saw on the Wichita Business Journal website the other day that the Intrust Bank Arena ranked in the 45th in the world for ticket sales in the quarter. Now I know it helps that it’s a new venue etc. but let’s remember that it’s generally considered about 5000 seats too small for a major arena. I acknowledge that I haven’t been in town, but from what I see in the news, parking has not been the ridiculous disaster it was supposed to be. And if I remember right, the project was on budget with the tax ending when it said it would, and the opening was only slightly behind the original schedule. So, done right and well is the moral of the story. Perhaps I’m missing things, I’m sure someone would have a list for me if I asked, but that seems like success story based on increasing taxes slightly for a very specific purpose. So instead of using the name of an event that occurred because of a lack of representation not a lack of your own ideas having the majority of representation, let’s sit at a table, talk through things and get stuff done. I’m tired of American politics, or what the media wants to show me. I really hope this is a byproduct of the recession and everyone is just being more vocal about fixing the problem and people can actually have an open debate with reason, understanding, and compromise once things improve. I really really hope.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
First reactions to IST
Sorry for the long absence, I’ve had a lot to do. And yet, nothing to do at the same time. But that’s a discussion for a bit later. To make a short wrap up of the last month and a half, I finished school (a week early), bummed around for two weeks, then went to Iringa for a training. Now, today, I just finished an 8 hour trip involving 3 coasters (a vehicle that is about halfway between the size of a small bus and a 15 passenger van) and lots of naps and I’m sitting in my house with 6 kittens squealing from the other room. So, much is new.
I’ve found Peace Corps to be an amazingly varied experience. With the right people in the right room saying the right things, changing the world is easy. But when it comes to traveling alone squished 5-to-a-row on 4 seat rows for 8 hours, that SUV and sub sandwich sounds awfully nice. It was surprising how much seeing my fellow group mates impacted me but once I realized that, it was not surprising how much it I didn’t enjoy seeing them go. Yes, I have an awesome region with awesome volunteers I can see frequently, but if some is good, more is better, right? I feel motivated to travel, which is a nice thing seeing as before I left I found myself in a contented indifference to much else in Tanzania beyond my immediate surroundings.
I hate big posts because I never know what to say and what to let go. I think I’m going to try to work through my thoughts on the training sessions in individual posts here so I can kind of use this as an opportunity to organize my thoughts. So, look forward to such scintillating topics as corporal punishment, HIV and AIDS, gardening, and more! :P
Anyway, my musings for today mostly have to do with my motivation, which is somewhat linked to what I said before I left. I’m feeling motivated to study Swahili again! I expected that because despite my lethargic tendencies I am aware of how little I know. Now we just have to make it happen. I also am looking forward to starting a secondary project. I haven’t matched my thoughts up with my school’s desires but we shall see what happens. I’m thinking permagardening would be a good project given our space issues on campus. But I also can see the need for an improved library. We shall see what all is involved but I just really want to identify a project that everyone is excited about so it keeps going after I’m gone. I want to have a sit down with my headmaster so when that happens I’ll update you on the future.
Outside of sessions talking about a wide range of things, I had a fantastic time with the people. I reconnected with the guy I shadowed during training and met several new people. Each night was usually an opportunity to chat with nearly everyone and fill in the last three months. I found that my connections and opinions of many people had changed. Maybe not dramatically, but I feel like I can relate to everyone more now, for obvious reasons, and that in turn made me understand many more of their……unique tendencies. But, it was awesome to have one of those situations where you realize, the people here are exactly who you need right now. They’re the right balance of activities you always enjoy no matter how horrible you are (basketball) and getting you to enjoy something you never enjoy because they’re just the right group to make it work (dancing). I recognize that it’s hard to stay in touch with everyone you’d like to but I think it’s important to do it with those who you can. I’ve been incredibly lucky to have devoted friends over the years, and where I’ve failed, often they have succeeded. I’m still nursing a pen pal relationship from age 7/8 and a few days together so somewhere something is going right.
So, with that I’ll end on a positive note. I’m so tired, but I’m finishing the day with motivation to continue. Continue work, continue relationships, and continue this lifestyle (although returning to the squatter after 2 weeks with a lovely western toilet may be the most difficult of all).
I’ve found Peace Corps to be an amazingly varied experience. With the right people in the right room saying the right things, changing the world is easy. But when it comes to traveling alone squished 5-to-a-row on 4 seat rows for 8 hours, that SUV and sub sandwich sounds awfully nice. It was surprising how much seeing my fellow group mates impacted me but once I realized that, it was not surprising how much it I didn’t enjoy seeing them go. Yes, I have an awesome region with awesome volunteers I can see frequently, but if some is good, more is better, right? I feel motivated to travel, which is a nice thing seeing as before I left I found myself in a contented indifference to much else in Tanzania beyond my immediate surroundings.
I hate big posts because I never know what to say and what to let go. I think I’m going to try to work through my thoughts on the training sessions in individual posts here so I can kind of use this as an opportunity to organize my thoughts. So, look forward to such scintillating topics as corporal punishment, HIV and AIDS, gardening, and more! :P
Anyway, my musings for today mostly have to do with my motivation, which is somewhat linked to what I said before I left. I’m feeling motivated to study Swahili again! I expected that because despite my lethargic tendencies I am aware of how little I know. Now we just have to make it happen. I also am looking forward to starting a secondary project. I haven’t matched my thoughts up with my school’s desires but we shall see what happens. I’m thinking permagardening would be a good project given our space issues on campus. But I also can see the need for an improved library. We shall see what all is involved but I just really want to identify a project that everyone is excited about so it keeps going after I’m gone. I want to have a sit down with my headmaster so when that happens I’ll update you on the future.
Outside of sessions talking about a wide range of things, I had a fantastic time with the people. I reconnected with the guy I shadowed during training and met several new people. Each night was usually an opportunity to chat with nearly everyone and fill in the last three months. I found that my connections and opinions of many people had changed. Maybe not dramatically, but I feel like I can relate to everyone more now, for obvious reasons, and that in turn made me understand many more of their……unique tendencies. But, it was awesome to have one of those situations where you realize, the people here are exactly who you need right now. They’re the right balance of activities you always enjoy no matter how horrible you are (basketball) and getting you to enjoy something you never enjoy because they’re just the right group to make it work (dancing). I recognize that it’s hard to stay in touch with everyone you’d like to but I think it’s important to do it with those who you can. I’ve been incredibly lucky to have devoted friends over the years, and where I’ve failed, often they have succeeded. I’m still nursing a pen pal relationship from age 7/8 and a few days together so somewhere something is going right.
So, with that I’ll end on a positive note. I’m so tired, but I’m finishing the day with motivation to continue. Continue work, continue relationships, and continue this lifestyle (although returning to the squatter after 2 weeks with a lovely western toilet may be the most difficult of all).
Thoughts on passion
It seems to me that life can be described in many ways, but one way that has been highlighted recently is categorizing life into two forms, those with and without passion. It takes a special kind of person to leave the comforts of home and do work with foreign people in a foreign land. Now, before it starts sounding too much like I’m patting myself on the back let me say that I’m not sure I’m the best kind of person for this kind of work, I may not even be a good kind. I could see, within 24 hours, the passion that my group of volunteers had for the task they were committing themselves to. It may not have been as evident for each character in the story of Peace Corps Tanzania Education class 2009, but there was a genuine willingness to do meaningful work. The problem is simple; passion fades. If excitement were constant, it wouldn’t be important. So the question is what goes beyond passion, beyond excitement. Passion is an intensely powerful force. It makes the irrational rational, the general unique, and the stupid quite reasonable. It can be found for ultimately anything, a sport, a work of art, a career, a god, and hopefully for each of us, a person. It can also be incredibly unhealthy, as passion for a multitude of things destroys multitudes of lives every day. However, what I have been struggling with as of late is an unfulfilled passion for passion. It is incredibly easy to do something when your entire body delights in its required action. However, the self-control required to push yourself through those times when you feel passion-less is a challenge I have yet to master. Compounding this problem is successful procrastination. Nothing reinforces laziness as effectively as successfully avoiding work without consequence. So, back to PC TZ ED 09. It’s easy to be excited and passionate on the bus ride to the airport before leaving, but day 179 in country is a better measure for the passions of your group. Are the motivations still the passion for the world? Or now perhaps your passion is for a job that pays you a living wage, even if it is in a third world country. Do two people with those very different fuels for their fires have any difference in the outcome? If both motivations are equally as strong, passion, in theory, will produce the same product. Ignoring the capitalist argument about the second person needing to be rewarded with more money for more work, it would seem that those benefiting from each volunteer get the same thing out of the deal. So then, does it matter why we’re here, assuming, of course, that each gives their best effort? Does it matter what passion is driving our work, as long as we’re getting the work done? Honestly, I know it’s more complicated than the presence or absence of relevant passion but when you’re facing the paper piles that must be graded, or read, or cleaned, passion for doing what you must is an incredible boost.
UPDATE: The advantages of not posting right away are I get to kind of read between the lines of what I wrote later. Basically this was my way of venting on how I can't motivate myself very often, but hoping that the ensuing IST would. For more on that, read above!
UPDATE: The advantages of not posting right away are I get to kind of read between the lines of what I wrote later. Basically this was my way of venting on how I can't motivate myself very often, but hoping that the ensuing IST would. For more on that, read above!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Didn't have anything good to write about so I wrote about everything....
So my internet expansion during my last semester at Cornell and the following summer before Peace Corps led me to redefine my information gathering experience into more of a blog-oriented experience. Here in TZ, that has actually become quite an advantage as the blogging websites frequently ignore the flashy in-your-face media of the internet information powerhouses and go more for content. One can argue about the value of this content but no one can deny its massive existence. And I think nothing embodies that more than the link dump. While I will link you to absolutely no where with this post, it offers me the opportunity to say quick ideas about things in my life that seem otherwise insignificant and not worthy of posting. Because let’s be honest, life is not made up of extravagant events after fantastic adventures, it’s made up of the good days and the bad, which can be classified one way or another by the smallest of events.
So here it goes….
Thoughts from around the house:
- Cooking was said to be a challenge, and I’ve found that to be both true and not. On the one hand, much of the Tanzanian food choices do take quite a bit of time and effort but planning can allow you very easy meals from time to time. I completely understand the choice to have someone do the cooking for you if you can afford it though. I’ve made it easier on myself by splurging on a few “extras” but if you ignore the start up time for a stick fire, cooking is similar in nature (speed-wise). But I do have a newfound appreciation for family cooks in the US. There is really no way to make a good balanced meal in anything shorter than 30 minutes.
- Fresh fruit is wildly underrated. Granted, it helps that I live in a place where the mango I buy probably fell off a tree down the street a few hours earlier (which means it needs to sit for 3-4 days to ripen but that’s beside my point). Regardless, a pineapple for breakfast (or lunch or dinner) is quite a pleasant experience :D
- Sugar goes on everything. My dinner tonight was kind of a potato stew in which I threw into the mashed potatoes every veggie that was on its way out in my cabinet. So I fried them in some sunflower oil and threw some sugar on. This is my latest experiment, and a success too! Mmmmm caramelized vegetables!
- Preparation is really necessary in food/drink. I can’t count how many nights I’ve wanted something more dynamic but thought about dinner too late, resulting in some variation of spaghetti with variations on top. Also, I have to boil my water, which obviously has to cool before I can drink it. I also run it through a filter, which takes quite a while. So I’ve come to the conclusion I need to start the water almost 24 hours before I want to drink it. That’s a lot of foresight for quenching thirst!
- For those of you who haven’t heard, I now possess (I didn’t pay anything for her so I guess I can’t own) a cat. She is named Chichi, which comes from the Swahili word parachichi which means avocado. That was the first thing I learned she liked to eat, which greatly eased her transition to my house. She’s quite the affectionate creature. Even now she’s curled up on my lap in between me and my computer. At night she finds her way under my mosquito net to sleep on my bed with me. She’s quite pleasant to have around and I’m enjoying her company!
- I never really thought about the value of lighting the space around your house until I came here. My back porch light didn’t work when I arrived and I actually avoided leaving the house, even just to the back stoop or water pipe after dark. Now I’ve had a new light installed, apparently an adapter inside had broken, and my back porch is well lit. It vastly improves my comfort and I’m quite grateful for it!
Thoughts from school:
- I do not understand how teachers can assign homework as frequently as they do in high school. I grade for one class and two subjects and I look at my paper pile in disgust. How did they do it for six periods every day or two?!?
- Homework is a different animal here. Many kids just don’t think they need to do it and so they won’t, not understanding its uses as a guide to the teacher. I can understand not knowing how to do something and not wanting to show that, but isn’t it still better to prove you know something, even if it’s just that you don’t know the material? That’s really valuable information, knowing you don’t understand something. I just don’t get it. But then again, I didn’t get it in the US when kids did that either.
- Tanzanians are obsessed with their exams. One thing I loved about the IB program was its focus on well rounded LEARNING. The tests matter, yes. Are they worth everything? You could make an argument they are because of how much bearing they have on the next level’s activities but IB, fortunately, never saw it that way. There’s more to being smart than knowing facts. People here still aren’t quite over the idea that if you can solve a difficult equation that means you know the material. There’s more too it than that!
Thoughts from the Region:
- If you’ll remember, my first post from TZ was finished by mentioning the earthquake that occurred during the construction of that post. I believe it ended up being around a 5.8 and was followed within 36 hours by a 6.0 nearby (<100 miles). I learned today, through the undeniable source Wikipedia :P, that there were apparently nearly 30 earthquakes detected relating to that quake leading a few people to wonder if volcanic activity could be playing a role. The nearest volcano to that series of quakes is none other than my district’s namesake Mount Rungwe. I’m not particularly nervous but having my own Dante’s Peak experience seems like it could be more excitement than I was planning on when entering the Peace Corps. I can feel the earth shake when I’m lying in bed sometimes but I have been able to tell that a fair majority of these are the large semi-trucks down the way on the main highway. We’ll keep you apprised of the situation, although I’m sure my adventurous is just taking any opportunity to extrapolate the most fantastic event possible.
Thoughts from the World:
The other benefit of my current situation is the ease with which I am connected to the world. I see the big events through the scope of The Wichita Eagle, which also keeps me informed about all the happenings in the ICT. Beyond that my blogs fill me in, so I’ll comment on what I’ve been up to date on.
- The $8 billion in high-speed rail funds were distributed with the biggest shares going to California, Florida, and Illinois. I’m a huge fan of both the California and Chicago-Hub proposals and I think they deserved the money they received without question. Florida’s proposal is more of a thrill ride to get to Disney and to make Orlando a secondary Tampa area airport. But it’s a start. Kansas even got 300K to do a study on restarting rail service through Wichita! At first I would have said give a large portion to a project that we can build as an example of how good high-speed rail can be in the US, but after looking at the numbers of how the money was distributed, I can only applaud the Obama administration. They really focused on not being the only government moeny being spent on a potential project. That's why even Kansas got help. It was a reward for doing your own work. A pact almost, saying if you do your end, we'll pick up ours, which is the way it should be. Now if only we could get closer to the federal/local funding split we see with highways....... :P While giving the largest sums of money to those who have the biggest and most promising projects, they also found ways to help the middle sized markets. For example, Wisconsin has poured quite a bit of it’s own money into developing a rail connection from Madison to Milwaukee and improving service onward to Chicago. The federal government used the funds to assist that project and really push it towards completion. Now Wisconsin is going to have 110mph service between its two most prominent cities in less than 5 years. That’s nearing Acela type service, which hits speeds over 130 but can hardly maintain them in the Northeast Corridor. Now, I’m in the camp that we should go all the way with HSR and build our systems for 220mph operation, but if we can go from no trains to several trains a day at 110mph in some locations with reasonable investments, I think that is fantastic! Let’s hope the jobs bill has more infrastructure money for investments like these!
- The Kansas City Royals are not projected to be a particularly good team. Most of the fans’ analysis says that Dayton Moore continues to fail as a GM and the team is looking at another heavily disappointing season this year. I think the doom and gloom is a little much but I understand where they are coming from. I do think, however, that they won’t be as bad as people project. Granted, a lot of my ideas are built on if-things-go-well scenarios but I think we could be looking at an 75-80 win season. Our rotation is improved, if only by people being healthy (although I have no counter to the point that our management can’t properly manage, especially when people are injured). And I know Zack is very unlikely to repeat his performance from last year, but I think he will be dominant again. Maybe not Cy Young dominant, but a true ace for sure. Meche will be better, and I have to believe one of the Hochevar, Davies, Tejeda group will work out as number 4. We’ll see what happens. On the offensive side, I think we’ll have our struggles, but as long as we can actually get on base and get hits before we put two outs on the board, we could see improvement. Defensive improvements would also help us survive with a less than stellar offense. Some of the acquisitions have been suspect, but if Guillen gets cut (pleaaaaaaase Dayton!) and Kendall has a decent OBP (he was the only one I have a real problem with and that’s mostly money related), I won’t hate the offseason. I know that justifying moves is a terrible thing and it only proves DM should be gone, but it’s better than if we traded Zack and Billy for Low-A pitchers right?
So here it goes….
Thoughts from around the house:
- Cooking was said to be a challenge, and I’ve found that to be both true and not. On the one hand, much of the Tanzanian food choices do take quite a bit of time and effort but planning can allow you very easy meals from time to time. I completely understand the choice to have someone do the cooking for you if you can afford it though. I’ve made it easier on myself by splurging on a few “extras” but if you ignore the start up time for a stick fire, cooking is similar in nature (speed-wise). But I do have a newfound appreciation for family cooks in the US. There is really no way to make a good balanced meal in anything shorter than 30 minutes.
- Fresh fruit is wildly underrated. Granted, it helps that I live in a place where the mango I buy probably fell off a tree down the street a few hours earlier (which means it needs to sit for 3-4 days to ripen but that’s beside my point). Regardless, a pineapple for breakfast (or lunch or dinner) is quite a pleasant experience :D
- Sugar goes on everything. My dinner tonight was kind of a potato stew in which I threw into the mashed potatoes every veggie that was on its way out in my cabinet. So I fried them in some sunflower oil and threw some sugar on. This is my latest experiment, and a success too! Mmmmm caramelized vegetables!
- Preparation is really necessary in food/drink. I can’t count how many nights I’ve wanted something more dynamic but thought about dinner too late, resulting in some variation of spaghetti with variations on top. Also, I have to boil my water, which obviously has to cool before I can drink it. I also run it through a filter, which takes quite a while. So I’ve come to the conclusion I need to start the water almost 24 hours before I want to drink it. That’s a lot of foresight for quenching thirst!
- For those of you who haven’t heard, I now possess (I didn’t pay anything for her so I guess I can’t own) a cat. She is named Chichi, which comes from the Swahili word parachichi which means avocado. That was the first thing I learned she liked to eat, which greatly eased her transition to my house. She’s quite the affectionate creature. Even now she’s curled up on my lap in between me and my computer. At night she finds her way under my mosquito net to sleep on my bed with me. She’s quite pleasant to have around and I’m enjoying her company!
- I never really thought about the value of lighting the space around your house until I came here. My back porch light didn’t work when I arrived and I actually avoided leaving the house, even just to the back stoop or water pipe after dark. Now I’ve had a new light installed, apparently an adapter inside had broken, and my back porch is well lit. It vastly improves my comfort and I’m quite grateful for it!
Thoughts from school:
- I do not understand how teachers can assign homework as frequently as they do in high school. I grade for one class and two subjects and I look at my paper pile in disgust. How did they do it for six periods every day or two?!?
- Homework is a different animal here. Many kids just don’t think they need to do it and so they won’t, not understanding its uses as a guide to the teacher. I can understand not knowing how to do something and not wanting to show that, but isn’t it still better to prove you know something, even if it’s just that you don’t know the material? That’s really valuable information, knowing you don’t understand something. I just don’t get it. But then again, I didn’t get it in the US when kids did that either.
- Tanzanians are obsessed with their exams. One thing I loved about the IB program was its focus on well rounded LEARNING. The tests matter, yes. Are they worth everything? You could make an argument they are because of how much bearing they have on the next level’s activities but IB, fortunately, never saw it that way. There’s more to being smart than knowing facts. People here still aren’t quite over the idea that if you can solve a difficult equation that means you know the material. There’s more too it than that!
Thoughts from the Region:
- If you’ll remember, my first post from TZ was finished by mentioning the earthquake that occurred during the construction of that post. I believe it ended up being around a 5.8 and was followed within 36 hours by a 6.0 nearby (<100 miles). I learned today, through the undeniable source Wikipedia :P, that there were apparently nearly 30 earthquakes detected relating to that quake leading a few people to wonder if volcanic activity could be playing a role. The nearest volcano to that series of quakes is none other than my district’s namesake Mount Rungwe. I’m not particularly nervous but having my own Dante’s Peak experience seems like it could be more excitement than I was planning on when entering the Peace Corps. I can feel the earth shake when I’m lying in bed sometimes but I have been able to tell that a fair majority of these are the large semi-trucks down the way on the main highway. We’ll keep you apprised of the situation, although I’m sure my adventurous is just taking any opportunity to extrapolate the most fantastic event possible.
Thoughts from the World:
The other benefit of my current situation is the ease with which I am connected to the world. I see the big events through the scope of The Wichita Eagle, which also keeps me informed about all the happenings in the ICT. Beyond that my blogs fill me in, so I’ll comment on what I’ve been up to date on.
- The $8 billion in high-speed rail funds were distributed with the biggest shares going to California, Florida, and Illinois. I’m a huge fan of both the California and Chicago-Hub proposals and I think they deserved the money they received without question. Florida’s proposal is more of a thrill ride to get to Disney and to make Orlando a secondary Tampa area airport. But it’s a start. Kansas even got 300K to do a study on restarting rail service through Wichita! At first I would have said give a large portion to a project that we can build as an example of how good high-speed rail can be in the US, but after looking at the numbers of how the money was distributed, I can only applaud the Obama administration. They really focused on not being the only government moeny being spent on a potential project. That's why even Kansas got help. It was a reward for doing your own work. A pact almost, saying if you do your end, we'll pick up ours, which is the way it should be. Now if only we could get closer to the federal/local funding split we see with highways....... :P While giving the largest sums of money to those who have the biggest and most promising projects, they also found ways to help the middle sized markets. For example, Wisconsin has poured quite a bit of it’s own money into developing a rail connection from Madison to Milwaukee and improving service onward to Chicago. The federal government used the funds to assist that project and really push it towards completion. Now Wisconsin is going to have 110mph service between its two most prominent cities in less than 5 years. That’s nearing Acela type service, which hits speeds over 130 but can hardly maintain them in the Northeast Corridor. Now, I’m in the camp that we should go all the way with HSR and build our systems for 220mph operation, but if we can go from no trains to several trains a day at 110mph in some locations with reasonable investments, I think that is fantastic! Let’s hope the jobs bill has more infrastructure money for investments like these!
- The Kansas City Royals are not projected to be a particularly good team. Most of the fans’ analysis says that Dayton Moore continues to fail as a GM and the team is looking at another heavily disappointing season this year. I think the doom and gloom is a little much but I understand where they are coming from. I do think, however, that they won’t be as bad as people project. Granted, a lot of my ideas are built on if-things-go-well scenarios but I think we could be looking at an 75-80 win season. Our rotation is improved, if only by people being healthy (although I have no counter to the point that our management can’t properly manage, especially when people are injured). And I know Zack is very unlikely to repeat his performance from last year, but I think he will be dominant again. Maybe not Cy Young dominant, but a true ace for sure. Meche will be better, and I have to believe one of the Hochevar, Davies, Tejeda group will work out as number 4. We’ll see what happens. On the offensive side, I think we’ll have our struggles, but as long as we can actually get on base and get hits before we put two outs on the board, we could see improvement. Defensive improvements would also help us survive with a less than stellar offense. Some of the acquisitions have been suspect, but if Guillen gets cut (pleaaaaaaase Dayton!) and Kendall has a decent OBP (he was the only one I have a real problem with and that’s mostly money related), I won’t hate the offseason. I know that justifying moves is a terrible thing and it only proves DM should be gone, but it’s better than if we traded Zack and Billy for Low-A pitchers right?
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