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).
Saturday, June 28, 2003
My brother, Cameron, recently got a job as the director of photography for a film called Fish Bowl. According to it's site:
"Fishbowl" is a new dramatic short film to be directed by award-winning director Kayo Hatta. To be shot on location in Hawaii this coming August 2003, the story is based on excerpts from Lois-Ann Yamanaka’s critically-acclaimed novel, Wild Meat and the Bully Burgers and is being co-produced by PBS Hawaii for public television broadcast.
Cameron is quite thrilled to be selected for this project. As am I. Way to go bro.
Friday, June 27, 2003
It's been a week since I visited Seattle and I realize I still haven't posted a summary of my trip. Sorry about that. Here it goes.
I left work a little early (4:00 p.m.) to fight traffic to JFK. I'm glad I did, for I arrived less than 45 minutes before my flight's scheduled departure at 7:15. Once on the plane, I was able to relax for it was a strait shot to Seattle. I arrived Friday evening around 10 p.m. and was at the hotel by 11.
On Saturday morning, the four of us (Cameron, Mom & Dad) started off our day with a walk to the Space Needle. We didn't go up the Needle until lunch time for we were to distracted and impressed with Seattle's new Experience Music Project museum, which sits at the base of the Needle.
The EMP museum is a highly interactive music museum that was designed by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry. The museum explores rock ‘n’ roll, its roots in jazz, soul, gospel, country and the blues, as well as rock music’s influence on hip-hop, punk and what not. It features sound studios where Cameron and I could play guitar, keyboard and drums. Best of all, every visitor is given headphones and a scanner that you can use to scan any display for more information or to hear a few tunes from the featured artist. This was a great museum, for we sent most of the day there.
Around lunch, we took a break from the EMP's information overload and headed up the Space Needle. Built for the 1962 World's Fair, the 605 foot tower offers great views of downtown, the harbor, and nearby lakes. It also has a revolving restaurant, which we didn't patron.
After the Needle, Cameron and I headed back to the EMP to learn more about Hendrix, Clapton, Nirvana, and more. But at 5 p.m., the four of us met back up for the traditional Pearce-vacation IMAX movie. We went to see James Cameron's Ghost of the Abyss, a 3D film that explores the wreck of the Titanic. One of the best 3D films IMAX has made yet.
After the movie, the four of us hopped on Seattle's Monorail for a little ride downtown. Also built for the 1962 World's Fair, this monorail has only two stops; but it still runs great.
We then walked down to the docks to find a nice place to eat. Dinner was at one of those restaurants that requires it's patrons to wear bibs. The waiter dumped all of the shell fish right on the table, requiring us to crack open the shells ourselves. After dinner, Cameron and I headed out on the town. Visited several fun bars and probably had a little too much fun to begin the next day at 9:00 a.m.
That was day one, Saturday.
For Cameron and me, Sunday morning came too soon. But we made it up and began the hike back down to the docks. After about an hour wait, we boarded a boat for a tour of the harbor. The weather was great, making the two hour trip very enjoyable. We then rode a trolley to the main market, where we witnessed street performers, vendors tossing fresh fish, lots of produce, and some crafts. After lunch, we did another IMAX. By that time, Cameron had to head to the airport for his flight.
Mom stayed in the market while dad and I went to see The Hulk (not so good). A few hours later, I was at the airport boarding my redeye back to JFK.
It was a lot for one weekend, but it was worth it. I was hurting Monday morning as I struggled to stay awake at work after having only a few hours of sleep on the plane. I should be used to it by now, for I'll be doing it again in a month when we head to Las Vegas for the weekend.
Thursday, June 26, 2003
I realize I shouldn't complain, but I will anyway. It's getting hot in Norwalk, CT. Yesterday reached the 90s and today should get to 94F. Since many of the houses in the northeast are several decades old, they don't have central air conditioning. This includes my place.
I find it kind of funny how uncomfortable I am finding this heat when just one year ago I was living just seven degrees north of the equator. Curious, I decided to check the weather in Guyana, just to see what I would be experiencing there.
Though not as hot in Guyana, not a single day this week will we cooler than 85 degrees or have less than a 60 percent chance of precipitation. Three of the next seven days have a 90 percent chance of precipitation or greater. And it's not even the rainy season in Guyana.
To get to the point of my story...yesterday, I caved in, drove to Wal-Mart over lunch, and purchased a $188 air conditioner to install in my bedroom window. My bedroom is in the attic, so I can't tell you how happy I now am and how much better I slept last night.
I still feel guilty, though, for my Peace Corps friends down in Guyana go weeks, if not months, without feeling the luxurious blast of a cool, crisp, air conditioned greeting upon entering a room or building. Heck, a few of them don't even have electricity.
Nonetheless, it doesn't take long for my personal Jack Frost to help me relax and play it cool.
Thursday, June 19, 2003
The family is meeting in Seattle for a short weekend. Parents are flying from Raleigh, brother from Los Angeles, and I'll be departing from New York. Folks are there for a wedding and talked my brother and I into coming up for the weekend. I fly out Friday after work and return on the red-eye in time for work Monday morning. Long trip for a short weekend, but it should be fun.
Speaking of trips, I'm still trying to decide what I want to do for the Fourth of July weekend. Of the four states I haven't visited, Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire are three of them (Montana is the forth). Perhaps I'll make a trip north, just to get them off my list. We'll see. Have a good weekend.
I sent of a second postcard to my Guyana Peace Corps friends today. In the next three months, I plan on sending them a card every other week in memory of our times together one year ago. Here's what the latest card said:
Dear Friends,
By this time last year, we were all being entertained by Hans saying, "Seriously dog, why do you have to be that way," Anna learning how to hacky sack, Steve's smurf-blue head from all of the sunscreen he had put on, people randomly falling out of those weak plastic chairs, a card game called Knaves, and all of the Banks beer our pitiful allowance would allow. As I like to say, "Good times, great oldies."
We always had time to pass, and together, we found ways to entertain ourselves. I was amazed at Steve's ability to make up new words to old songs, Patrick's skill at negotiating free samples from the Banks brewery, Shannon's ability to infect others with her giggle (I suppose my laugh had a similar effect), Darren's stories about "This, that, and the other," Russ' luck of getting hit by a bus and walking away, Lisa's frequent surfer-girl sayings, Tammy's ability to stand in a field of mud without getting dirty, and countless other memories.
You each made an impact. I imagine you still do today. Keep it up, for you've got a friend in Norwalk, CT, pulling for you.
--Jason.Pearce.net
Wednesday, June 18, 2003
Interesting news. After reading Peace Corps Online's "Protest at the Peace Corps" story, I placed a little post at the end telling others about my experience with the Peace Corps." I wrote:
Guyana's Country Director Earl Brown (2002 � 2004) has twice sent volunteers home for expressing their first amendment rights.
In August 2002, I was given early termination for promoting a better understanding of the Guyanese on the part of Americans via my personal Web site, audio diary, and photo album. Though the site was public at one point, I tried to appease the Peace Corps by adding passwords and other barriers of entry to protect my personal comments from others, to no avail.
In February 2003, two more volunteers were sent home due to a personal email sent to friends and family. Through forwarding, their message made it back to Guyana, their community, and the Peace Corps. Though private, their message wrongfully ended up reaching unexpected recipients and they were sent home because of it.
It's disappointing that the Peace Corps strips volunteers of their right to freedom of expression via personal Web sites, private emails, online photo albums, and the many other ways that they might choose to communicate with friends and family. Volunteers cannot promote a better understanding of Americans if they are not permitted to behave and communicate as Americans.
My comments apparently attracted the attention of Hugh Pickens, publisher, of Peace Corps Online. Pickens sent me an email asking if he could do a follow-up story on First Amendment rights within the Peace Corps by featuring my case in next month's issue. Here is what he wrote.
Date: Mon, 16 Jun 2003 22:20:36 EDT
Subject: Peace Corps OnlineDear Mr. Pearce,
I read the post you made on our Peace Corps Online web site regarding your Peace Corps termination and went to your web site to read the details. Your case raises some very interesting issues regarding free speech in the Peace Corps in the internet age that I think need to be discussed in the Returned Volunteer community.
I'd be interested in doing a follow up on our "Protest at the Peace Corps" story from this month's issue and do a story based on your case for our next month's issue. It seems to me that your case is not really a case of "political free speech" like we saw in the Dominican Republic but more akin to the Marjorie Michelmore post card case in Nigeria in 1961 that you can read about at:
http://www.peacecorpswriters.org/pages/0001/001pchist.html
What I'd like to do is present both sides of what happened in your case. I'd like to present the summary of your case from your point of view from your page at:
http://net.jasonpearce.com/peacecorps/cos/caseforappeal.html
and I'd like to present the Peace Corps' point of view as summarized in the CD's letter at:
http://net.jasonpearce.com/peacecorps/cos/memoregardingdeparture.html
Please let me know what you think about my idea.
Best Regards,
Hugh Pickens
Publisher, Peace Corps Online
Peru, 1970 - 73I sent him an email this evening accepting his invitation and offered other suggestions as to how I can help him present a fair and informative story. I look forward to seeing how this all develops.
Monday, June 16, 2003
PeaceCorpsOnline.org, an Independent News Forum that is not affiliated with the US Peace Corps, recently posted an article that concerns first amendment rights by volunteers serving in the Peace Corps. Having been kicked out of the Peace Corps for exercising my rights by maintaining a personal Web site, audio diary, online photo albums, and Guyana RPCV listserve, I had great interest in this story. Here is a description of the story:
The story is about a group of sixty Peace Corps volunteers in the Dominican Republic who had planned a peace demonstration at the US Embassy against US policy in Iraq in March. Three days before the demonstration was scheduled, Peace Corps officials sent an e-mail to all volunteers warning that anyone taking part could face administrative separation. Fearful of being sent home, the vast majority who had planned to protest dropped out, and in the end, only three protesters showed up. Peace Corps investigated the case but found no grounds for discipline, which made co-organizer Andy Kauffman bitter that the larger march was suppressed. "We were basically silenced," says Kauffman.
Should volunteers retain the same first amendment rights while serving overseas as they do as citizens living in the United States? Is it all right for Peace Corps Volunteers to protest US foreign policy if they do not identify themselves as volunteers? Should the Peace Corps spell out rights and responsibilities of new volunteers and have them sign a contract in which each volunteer acknowledges the conditions under which political expression can be made while serving as a volunteer? Read the story, make up your mind, and leave your comments.
Sunday, June 08, 2003
I also wanted to add a new Peace Corps posting over the weekend, but failed to make the time. I will add that I mailed all of the remaining GUY10 volunteers a post card on Friday. The cover of the post card said "Dot-Com, Dot-Gone. Glad you are not a dot on the radar." This is funny because Country Dictator Earl Brown used to always say "Now I don't want any of you showing up on my radar." Well, I must have been a huge blimp on his radar while I was there. I'm just glad the others have managed to fly lower than I ever did.
Here is the content of the postcard:
Dear Friends,
It's been one year since we met and nine months since I've left; yet, I still find myself thinking about the whole experience often. I hope you are doing well and are happy with your assignment and community.
I'm now in Norwalk, CT (hour north of NYC), and am serving as director of operations for a Moroccan-owned Web development firm. Though I stay busy, I can't imagine my work impacts others even half as much as your work does daily.
So consider this note a letter of praise and encouragement. I'm glad you are still there. You've made it halfway. And I wish I could have been there to enjoy it all with you.
Then again...I do get a hot shower every morning, I drive an Audi and curse at traffic, I catch all of the movies, I sometimes fall asleep on my couch watching HBO, and there is no saltfish in the house.
In the next three months, I plan on sending a few more of these cards everyone's way, so keep a lookout for them.
--Jason.Pearce.net
I spent most of the day wrestling with the task of modifying my Xbox. It took me about five hours to properly take apart, solder in the mod chip, and reassemble. I can�t believe I had as many problems as I did. But I think I got it up and running. Now I just have to figure out how to flash the mod chip with a new BIOS, install a new operating system, and a whole bunch more.
Thursday, June 05, 2003
In preparation for performing some plastic surgery on my Xbox this weekend, here are a few notes that I'll need.
How to open the Xbox
This guide will walk me through opening up the Xbox and taking out the motherboard so that I'll be able to solder in the mod chip. Parts needed for this procedure are:
- A Torx 20 screw driver
- A Torx 10 screw driver
Next, I install the mod chip
I'll be using the HeaderPin Install for X-ecuter2 Lite method. I like this method because there will be less soldering. But I'll still have do some soldering, and will refer to this guide in doing so. Also looks like I'll need these tools:
- 15-Watt Soldering Pencil with Grounded Tip (RSCN 64-2051)
- 0.032" Diameter Lead-Free Solder (RSCN 64-025)
- Adjustable Wire Stripper/Cutter (RSCN 64-2129)
- Desoldering Braid (RSCN 64-2090)
- Anti-Static Wrist Strap with Cord (RSCN 276-2397)
Next, I'll have to deal with the dreaded soldering of point DO
This is the hardest soldering point of all because it is small and close to a lot of other circuits. Another method for point DO is this one.After the soldering is complete, I then reseat the motherboard and its components. I'll restart my Xbox, and will hopefully be presented with "Xecuter2" directly underneath the Xbox logo. This is the sign of a properly installed Xbox mod chip.
After adding a mod chip to my Xbox, I'll give my game console a serious face-lift by replacing the Microsoft dashboard with a new one called Evolution X (EvoX). I'll need to be sure I've downloaded the most recent version of Evox by first checking their website.
After getting a copy of Evox, I'll need to modify the evox.ini file to meet my needs. Detailed instructions on modifying the evox.ini file are found here, here, or here.
Once I'm happy with the evox.ini file, I'll burn EvoX to a CD-R or CD-RW. I'd like to burn it to a DVD-R, but I don't have a burner. To do this, I'll reference this guide.
I'll need to create an ISO image to burn. Not just a standard ISO image, however, but an XISO image. This guide, and perhaps this one, will help me here. Once I've created the CD-RW, insert it into my Xbox and turn on the console; I'll see the ExoX dashboard. Now I can FTP/telnet into your Xbox and copy files onto my network.
Once I've copied all of the contents of my Xbox's 8 GB hard drive to a safe place on my network, it will be time for me to install the new 120 GB drive. I'll first set the jumper on the new drive to cable select. Then I'll put the EvoX setup CD in the Xbox drive and turn on your Xbox. I'll choose the "Configure new hard drive" option, which will partition and set up the hard drive. Then I'll repeat the FTP process, but this time I'll copy my data to the new drive. Reboot. Lastly, I'll need to remember to lock the drive, which I'll learn how to do here.
Lastly, I'll install Xbox Media Player. I think I'll get into the details of that project once I've complete all of the above mentioned steps. Wish me luck.
I'm thrilled. Today, the Xecutor 2.1 Lite mod chip and the Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 9 - Hard drive - 120 GB both arrived in the mail. So it looks like I'll be tinkering with my Xbox over the weekend. I can't wait.
Wednesday, June 04, 2003
I almost forgot to mention that I heard from Tammy Sue Cole today. Tammy was one of the volunteers who was a part of our group of 23. She's a wonderful Texan with a kind heart. She was also one of the first volunteers from our group that I met, for we found each other online a few months before arriving to Miami.
Tammy served for about six months before returning back to the States. We've been lucky to keep in touch with each other, and today was no exception.
Today, when I booted up my machine at work, I was greeted with an Instant Message from Tammy. I believe we spent 15 minutes commenting on fond memories from one year ago.
One of my favorite memories of Tammy is of her playing ultimate Frisbee. Every Sunday afternoon, Peace Corps volunteers would gather at the National Park in Georgetown to play a few games of ultimate Frisbee.
Though it is the national park, the grounds are often un-kept, there was often standing water from all of the hard rains, and of course, there was lots of mud. Before long, most of us would be covered in mud, sweating like mad, and nearly collapsing from exhaustion. Everyone except for Tammy.
If I wanted to find Tammy, she'd be standing in the middle of the field, without a drop of mud on her, wearing fancy moisture-wicking clothing, and would be waving her arms saying "I'm open."
Tammy, it sure would be nice to meet you at the park this Sunday for a little game of Frisbee. It's been great keeping in touch.
Arriving to new, never-been-there-before destinations is always exciting for me. Having visited 40 countries, studied abroad in London and Costa Rica, and lived in four states, you could say that I'm skilled at adapting to new environments. Perhaps I am. Even so, I knew that I lot of adapting was going to be required when I stepped off that plane as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guyana one year ago today.
Though my Peace Corps preparations began nearly two years ago when I began the laborious application process, the adventure didn't really start until Monday, June 3. On this day, 23 excited, eager, and nervous volunteers arrived in Miami, Florida, for what the Peace Corps calls "Staging." There was supposed to be 24 of us, but one volunteer, Peter Petzold, didn't arrive. We never learned why he didn't make it.
Our day in Miami was mostly spent meeting some of the greatest people on Earth. Some of us gave up jobs, some had never left the United States, six came as married couples, three were over the age of 55, and all of us were both excited and scared at the same time. Though there was so much that was unknown about the next two years of our lives, on this day, we all knew we were in it together. And seemingly overnight, tight bonds and friendships were born.
My last night in the US was spent with a Lambda Chi Alpha former staffer and friend Sean Torres, who lives in Miami. Though he and I hadn't heard from each other for several years, he had recently invited me to his wedding, which was going to be held in Spain just months after I left for Guyana. His wasn't the only wedding I missed. For I also miss my college roommate's wedding, Doug Finberg, as well.
Sean and I visited in the hotel restaurant, had some beers, and I enjoyed a hefty steak -- thinking it would be the last one I'd have for several years. The others, well, they went out on the town. The funny thing about their evening is that most of them ate a a Cuban restaurant where they enjoyed Caribbean dishes of fish, chicken, and rice. Many of them later regretted this decision for about half of the meals served in Guyana are much like what they had for their last meal in the States.
My roommate in Miami was Hans Anderson. At age 23, Hans was the youngest member of our group. He is also one of the most knowledgeable persons I know when it comes to computers and programming. Though he wasn't one of the six Information Technology volunteers, he sure was useful to have around. Hans also had a great sense of humor. When we were going around the circle explaining why we joined the Peace Corps, most people said they joined to help others or to try new things. Hans? Well, Hans said he joined the Peace Corps because it was part of the Witness Protection Program. We all had a good laugh.
Though I have great admiration for Hans, he has some funny peculiarities. One of which I learned the morning I woke to begin my live in Guyana. I woke to find an empty bed next to me. Not only was it empty, but all of the sheets were pulled off of it. At first, I thought that I over slept and that the maid had already come it to begin cleaning up the room. But no. As I got up to walk to the bathroom, I noticed Hans was sleeping on the floor. Apparently, that's where he sleeps. He's been sleeping on the floor for years and likely is still doing so deep in Guyana's forest today.
Well, I was glad to sleep in a comfortable queen sized bed, with air-conditioning, and no bug net. I then enjoyed the last long, hot shower that I thought I would have in the next two years. I packed my things, headed downstairs for a big breakfast, and boarded the bus with the other volunteers by 10:00 a.m.
The big concern for the day was weight limit. Most of us well exceeded the Peace Corps' weight limit of 80 pounds. That's 80 pounds total for two years worth of stuff. Only a few of us were under this limit. Hans, for one, packed only a medium-sized backpack and his violin. Me? Well, one bag weighed 70 pounds and the other 45. I was way over the limit. Thankfully, the airline checked them all without fuss. That was a big relief for all of us.
In the airport, many of us stocked up on magazines, candy, and other items that we didn't think we'd find. We passed the time learning more about each other while at the same time, holding some things back, for we knew we had two full years to fill.
It wasn't until around 8:00 p.m. that our flight finally landed in Guyana. Excited to have arrived, we headed for the immigration/customs area to get our passports stamped. After waiting in line for about a half hour, some of the Peace Corps staff arrived to speed up the process. We found our bags, loaded the trucks, and began the hour-long drive into Georgetown.
On the way, my driver James explained why they were late meeting us at the airport. He said there was a bad wreck on the road and several people died. When we passed the wreck, all I could see was a charred mini-bus on the side of the road. Only later did I stumble upon some digital photos of the victims on one of the Peace Corps' computers. Not to go into detail, it was a bad wreck.
That night, we stayed in a hotel located along the coast of Georgetown. The rooms were air conditioned and had running water, so our first few nights of making adjustments were mild. We were told not to leave the hotel without being escorted by Peace Corps staff. This was tough news for many of us, for as Americans; we are used to having the freedom to do what we want when we want. At the same time, we understood their safety concerns, so long nights of cards and games kept us busy the first few nights.
Arriving to Guyana was a relief. The past few months built up a lot of anticipation and wonder, all of which was about to be answered now that I had arrived. After all, it was good to be home, which is what Guyana was to become for the next two years.
Monday, June 02, 2003
One year ago tomorrow, I set forth to begin my Peace Corps experience in Guyana, South America. Though I expected my service to last two years, I was given only three months.
Much was gained in those three months (friends, sense of purpose, satisfaction, and countless stories), and much was lost (opportunity, trust, and confidence in Peace Corps leadership).
In the next few months, I'm going to touch on some of the highlights of last year's Peace Corps experience, as well as some of its pitfalls. I'll also try to provide you updates of some of the other volunteers who are still serving. Unlike mine, their story continues.
Though my Peace Corps story has ended, it does remain. Thanks to my online Monologue, others have found my website, read my postings, viewed my photos, and commented on my experiences.
Not a month goes by that I don't receive a personal email or phone call from an interested Peace Corps volunteer. I've even been contacted by reporters who are doing stories on Peace Corps safety, governance, country directors, or applications. My story continues to be heard.
At one point, I devoted a full section of my site to the Peace Corps. I've long pulled the links down to this section, but the content still remains. In fact, if you use Google to search for "guyana peace corps," you will still find my site as the number one hit. Of course, "pearce corps" is also a top hit in its own, funny little way.
Much has changed over the last year. I hope to relate some of what I know now to what I learned last year. Mostly, I just want to take the time to remember and comment on one of the greatest and most difficult journeys I've ever made. Though my path was short and ultimately met impassable obstacles, my experience as a Peace Corps volunteer was impactful.