Behind the Screen
The opinions, views, and insights stated within this Monologue are my own. The facts, fallacies, and errors, however, belong to someone else (see disclaimer).
Friday, February 28, 2003
My new cell phone from T-Mobile arrived today. It's a Motorola V66, which weighs in at only 2.8 oz. I think the photo I posted a few days back is close to life size.
If I could compare it to something, I'd say it's about the size of two hotel-issued bars of soap. It's 1.5 in x 0.8 in x 3.3 in. It reminds me of the "Men in Black" scene when Will Smith is given that really small cricket gun. Until I put the leather case on the phone, I felt like I was going to break or lose it.
Basically, I think the phone rocks. It will rock even more when the FM radio accessory/attachment arrives.
I did plan ahead and registered the phone with a Norwalk, CT, phone number. As with all of my contact information, I'll be updating the Contact Info section of my site as things develop.
Can you hear me now?
Today is Peace Corps Day. In the spirit of celebrating the Peace Corps' birthday, I've decided to again share my Peace Corps experience with others by removing the password restriction to this section of my personal website.
According to the Peace Corps, the spirit of Peace Corps Day is to celebrate its third goal "To help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans."
Peace Corps Day
"Each year on Peace Corps Day, ... Volunteers celebrate the Peace Corps' birthday by sharing the knowledge and insights gained from their overseas experiences with their communities in the United States. As all Volunteers know, part of the Peace Corps' mission is to educate Americans back home about the people with whom they lived and worked. This is an opportunity to promote a better understanding of the people of your host country by the people of your current community.""No matter how long ago you were a Volunteer, students, neighbors, and colleagues are certain to be curious about your host country's culture, customs, and languages. By sharing your experiences, you make far-off places and people come alive, and you add a new dimension to your community. With a little planning, you will stimulate their interest while reliving the excitement and exhilaration of your Peace Corps service."
I couldn't agree more.
Although I have removed many links to the Peace Corps content that once filled my website, the pages and their content still remain.
Much of the content can be found in my Monologue's archives from June 2002 to August 2002. You might also have interest in the old Peace Corps section of my site, links to two MP3 audio diaries I recorded during service, as well as information about my Close of Service.
Wednesday, February 26, 2003
One of the exciting aspects about getting a job is that I get to "come back to society." All this time I've been operating without a car, cell phone, high-speed Internet connection, and more. Being a gadget guy, I now get to have fun picking out some toys.
My newest edition will be a cell phone. Today I ordered myself a Motorola V66 phone with T-Mobile service.
While it's not the most modern phone, lacks a color screen, and doesn't wirelessly sync with other devices via Bluetooth, I think I'll still enjoy it. A $150 value, T-Mobile was giving it away for free.
It does have one very cool feature. It has a built in FM stereo radio. The additional headset, powered by the phone's battery, turns the phone into a stereo FM radio. Using the phone's navigation keys, I will be able to change stations and store up to nine favorite stations. Plus, the radio automatically mutes for an incoming call and resumes playing when the call has ended.
It should arrive in a few days. Can't wait.
It's official. As of yesterday's phone call with Khalid Gourad, I will soon be an employee of Gourad Media Group located in Norwalk, Connecticut.
Two weeks ago, February 12, I flew up to Norwalk to meet Khalid, his staff, to see his office, and to explore the area. Since my visit, we've been in mild negotiations, which concluded when he returned from a business trip to Morocco.
Khalid is Moroccan and offers several free online services for Moroccan's who have relocated to the US, like the website Wafin. It is likely that I'll have the opportunity to make a trip to Morocco some time during my career with GMG. Here are some quick facts about Morocco
- Full country name: Kingdom of Morocco
- Area: 447,000 sq km
- Population: 29 million
- Capital city: Rabat
- People: 55% Arab, 44% Berber, 0.7% foreigners
- Languages: Arabic (officially) with Berber dialects, as well as French, Spanish and English.
- Religion: 98% Muslim, 1% Christian, 1% Jew
- Government: Constitutional monarchy
- King: King Mohammed VI
- Prime Minister: Abderrahmane El Youssoufi
Speaking of facts, I should also shed some light on Norwalk, for I'll be moving there by April 1. Located 50 miles from downtown New York, NY, it will take an hour and 20 minutes to drive between the two cities under normal traffic. There are train stations in Norwalk, so I should be able to use public transportation if I choose.
Here are a few links to websites that provide some more information about the area:
- Norwalk, Connecticut U.S.
Norwalk, CT community site, includes local merchants and weather.- South Norwalk (SoNo)
Restaurants, bars, shops, attractions, and events in the historic South Norwalk area.- Norwalk Transit District
Public transportation services in Norwalk.- Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk
City's aquarium.- Norwalk City Hall
Norwalk CT Government, Living in Norwalk, Norwalk Tourism & History, and events.Stay tuned, for I'm sure I'll keep you posted as things develop.
Monday, February 24, 2003
Three weeks ago, I heard the awful news that Guyana Peace Corps country director, Earl Brown, sent two more volunteers home for "publishing" their Peace Corps experiences via a personal email to friends and family.
At the time, I knew little about the incident, which is why I didn't want to jump to conclusions. Nonetheless, I still tossed and turned a few nights thinking about the fate of these two volunteers. I've since received a copy of an email sent by one of these volunteers regarding their departure.
A married couple, these two volunteers served as role models of how I hoped I would be seen by members of my community once I began my service. I think very highly of them both and assure you that Guyana suffered a big loss due to their departure.
Here are excerpts of their story. To protect their privacy, I'll call them Chris and Sally.
After Sally and I returned from vacation, Sally was met with a cold reception at her office. The director told her that there was some "tension" that had arisen, and that Peace Corps staff had been notified.
We called Peace Corps three times that day and spoke separately to Kitty (security), Terrence (assignment director), and Earl Brown (country director). They informed us that "allegations" and "accusations" had been made against us, but would give no further details.
When asked how we should prepare for the meeting, Earl told us that if we had done nothing wrong, there would be no reason to prepare. No further advice was given.
At the meeting, it was revealed Sally's office had a copy of a personal, private email I had posted sometime in September of last year. I do not know how they obtained it; it was not a newsletter, and although there was a large recipient list, it was not sent to any organization or group affiliated her office.
In it, I expressed my views about questionable practices that were rumored to occur at her office, including demonic exorcism as a part of their counseling sessions, and the sharing of their belief that prayer is a substitute for medication. I obviously never intended for her office to see the email.
The true intent was to seek advice regarding a difficult situation where her office, however flawed, was the only agency providing HIV/AIDS awareness to the community.
Besides voicing their displeasure at the email, her office fabricated additional accusations against us that, unprepared, we could not disprove, and the meeting degenerated into a farcical smear-fest of their-word-versus-ours.
Besides the email, the meeting was completely vilifying and unfounded. Terrence and Kitty (Peace Corps staff) made no effort to speak on our behalf, but joined the firing squad of accusations against us.
On more than one occasion, when I tried to defend myself against outright lies, Kitty told me to "shut up." The meeting ended with Sally's office saying they no longer trusted her or me in their organization. Terrence apologized for my insensitive behavior.
We were then cashiered to our home and given less than an hour to pack for a trip to Georgetown, where we met with Earl. The first words out of his mouth were "This is just like Jason Pearce all over again," evidently disregarding the distinction between a public-domain website and a private email, dubiously obtained.
Although I regret my comments were interpreted as undiplomatic and critical, the email was private and never intended for public domain. I wrote the email from hearsay that I obtained from several different local sources, including other volunteers from Sally's office.
At our next meeting, Earl asked what I had learned from my experience. I had not spoken more than twenty words about the friends I had made and people I met when he cut me off and interjected, "What about 'cultural sensitivity?' Or 'humility?' I would have expected this kind of behavior from a volunteer that had only been at their site a few months, but not from an experienced volunteer like you." He ordered us pack our bags.
When we arrived home to pack, we found two of our friends waiting for us in tears. Within half an hour, our house was filled with almost thirty friends, neighbors, students, and business and community leaders, including Gordon Bradford, the regional chairman, the highest-ranking official in Region 7.
While we were saying our goodbyes, a friend handed me a petition to Peace Corps that had gone around town.
The petition has 204 signatures from students, the owners of the five largest businesses, the leadership of the Department of Education and the Regional Office, the Regional Democratic Council, the regional chairman, the hospital administration, three different international volunteer organizations, parents of students, respected religious and community leaders, and, interestingly, members of Sally's office, including one who sat in on the meeting two days prior.
A copy of the petition was sent Sally's office, Peace Corps Guyana, and the U.S. Embassy to be given to Ambassador Godard.
That afternoon, Earl told us that he'd received the petition, along with numerous phone calls along the same line. His concern, however, was with the image of Peace Corps.
Earl's two major concerns were that we had irrevocably damaged our effectiveness in our community, and that if my email were ever leaked to the press, it could damage Peace Corps' image throughout Guyana.
Earl informed us that he was giving Sally a non-disciplinary interrupted service, and that I had the choice of administrative separation or resigning. After much consideration, I decided to resign. The thought of continuing with this process in this bureaucracy is sickening. I have the support and thanks of my community; Peace Corps' affirmation matters little compared to that.
After I had turned in my resignation, Earl told us that we were booked on the next flight out of Guyana, which was leaving early Saturday morning (Jan.18). After admonishing us one last time (and calling the stability of our marriage into question: "What kind of relationship do you have where you'd write something like this behind your wife's back?"), he informed us that he would visit our community on Saturday to, as he put it, "mend fences."
As he saw it, we had "divided the community," What the people of our community had to say would have no bearing on our leaving the program; we were to be out of the country before Earl even arrived there. We were ordered not to communicate with anyone in our community.
Peace Corps Guyana has lost its way, ideologically. It is more concerned about maintaining image than serving Guyana. It is more concerned about the individual control issues of staff members than volunteer effectiveness or community needs. It is more concerned about making an example of problem volunteers than promoting a smooth entry into sites or developing site placement. It considers volunteers to be expendable and disposable, and not a resource.
Like any bureaucracy, it looks for the easiest way to cut its own workload, and if that means unnecessarily dismissing volunteers to provide two fresh new sites for incoming trainees, so be it. Peace Corps Guyana is not what Peace Corps should be about.
I make no excuses for my action in writing the email; I do not attempt to justify or minimize the severity of it. I recognize my mistake and understand the results of it. But: I submit that, if Peace Corps Guyana had acted differently, with the mindset of considering the best interests of its volunteers and the communities they serve, those results would have been different, and the outcome would have been far less damaging altogether. Blame me for the spark, blame them for the gunpowder they threw on it.
--Chris
Tuesday, February 18, 2003
Big news. I emailed an acceptance letter to Khalid Gourad of Gourad Media Group. If we are able to hash out all of the compensation details, I'll start on April 1, 2003.
I haven't had a job since May 2002, so I figure it's time for me to actually do something productive (and get paid for it). More details on my new job will follow.
I forgot to mention last week a story about my rental car. When I arrived to the counter, the Dollar guy tried hard to "up-sell" me to a Jeep or van. I was already happy with my price and premium car selection, so I declined (three times).
When my car finally arrived, I noticed that it had only three miles on it. I was the first driver. It had that fresh new-car smell and everything.
My only mishap occurred on I-95 on my way up to Norfolk. Upon entering a toll both area, I got stuck in an EZ Pass lane instead of a Cash Only lane. Forced to travel on through it, I figured I could "fix" the problem at the next toll booth.
Naturally, there were no more toll booths. So on the way home the next day, I tried to pay the toll I owed to the next toll attendant I met. They wouldn't accept my payment.
I then called EZ Pass, asking them if I could turn my self in, provided them the license plate of the rental car I was driving, and pay the toll plus applicable fees over the phone. Again, they wouldn't accept my payment and had no way of processing "good Samaritan" orders.
So now I'm stuck with getting the fine, plus a car rental fine to boot. All for making a simple driving error with no ways of making amends.
Friday, February 14, 2003
Earlier this week I traveled to Norwalk, Connecticut, to interview for a position at Gourad Media Group.
Norwalk is located about an hour north of New York City along the coast and I-95. Its population is 83,000. So while many have not heard of the city, it's still a good size.
Gourad Media Group was founded by Khalid Gourad in 1997. Khalid was born in Morocco and is energetic, talented, and would likely be fun to work with.
I have received an offer from Khalid, one that I'll be considering over the weekend. I'm excited about the opportunities and am ready to return to the working world. At the same time, waking up before 9:30 will take some adjusting.
Sunday, February 02, 2003
Went skiing this weekend with two fraternity brothers, Martin Hill and Shawn West, and 60 Raleigh Jaycees. Conditions were great for both skiing and partying, making it a great weekend. I spent two days snowboarding mostly greens and blues. I could make most runs without falling at all, but the occasional wipeout would always keep me on my toes, then heels, then toes again.
Forbes is going to be featuring an article called "Best Fraternities For Future CEOs" in its upcoming March issue. The article's idea and research was influenced by a friend of mine, Jon Williamson. One of Jon's hobbies is collecting fraternal alumni directories, and then reading them. He has a gifted memory, which helps him match names and ages to notable individuals, like Forbes's list of 500 CEOs. Way to go Jon.
Best Fraternities For Future CEOs
Davide Dukcevich, 01.31.03, 12:00 PM ETNEW YORK - Don't be surprised if you see your company directors exchanging secret handshakes at the next board meeting. After all, about a quarter of all chief executives on the Forbes Super 500 list of America's largest corporations were members of college fraternities.
Despite what movies such as Animal House suggest, fraternities and sororities are more than just freshman rush and beer busts. The social skills that help students gain admittance into the Greek system are the same aptitudes that can later give them a leg-up in corporate climbing. Plus, once they've graduated, they can tap into the network of past fraternity brothers or sisters who litter all tiers of corporate America.
The numbers certainly seem to back this theory up. A mere 8.5% of full-time university undergraduates are members of either a fraternity or a sorority. Not only have fraternities been the breeding ground of those 120 Forbes 500s chief executive officers, they also have spawned 48% of all U.S. presidents, 42% of U.S. senators, 30% of U.S. congressmen, and 40% of U.S. Supreme Court justices, according to data from The North-American Interfraternity Conference.
Wachovia CEO G. Kennedy Thompson said that Beta Theta Pi, which he joined while an undergrad at the University of North Carolina, gave him "the opportunity to meet people from different backgrounds and places, and the connections have continued beyond my university years to my business life."
He is also a member of the fraternity that produced the most CEOs among the biggest 500 companies in the country. Beta Theta Pi can boast of 11 such CEOs, Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Sigma Chi are tied in second at nine, Lambda Chi Alpha has eight, and Alpha Tau Omega seven.