I Need Some Help From You, The Football Loving American Reader

After a rough week, I decided to visit NFL.com. It's the little things that make life easier, lol. Doing so made me realize just how much I miss football. The real football, not soccer. Now, it took 20 minutes to download a video clip of the Texans 2 minute come back against The Dolphins, so imagine how long it would take to get an entire game....a very long time. So hear is what I ask of you, my family, friends, and loyal readers all across the country, if you could please record any NFL games for my viewing pleasure and send them to me here in Cameroon it would be much appreciated. I feel that this would even help with Peace Corps goal number 2, to help the host country nationals better understand Americans. What better way then through football? Sure they love American politics, but only because that is what the news shows them.

Favorite teams: Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons, Seattle Seahawks, Washington Redskins

Of course, when playoffs start, record and send all no matter who plays.

Also, The Ohio State vs. Michigan game would be welcome, along with any good college bowl game.

These can be sent on VHS and I will find a TV and VCR to watch them on. That would actually be the easy part.

And maple syrup....I'll post another list of items that would be useful here later... once I write one

Thanks!

For Grandpa

I would like to take a moment out of my day, and of yours, to remember my grandfather, John E. Mazan. He passed away October 15, 2008. He is 88 years old. He loves his family. He is a good man who wishes the best for everyone. He told me many times, and just recently, that he lived a long and happy life with my grandmother, Ruth. They have been married 61 years. I was lucky enough to be part of his life and will miss him very much. It is difficult to be away from home at this moment, however, I know he wouldn't have it any other way.

As many of you know, he loved to send jokes via email, I think it is only right to post what I think is one of his favorites:

There was a man and his wife working in their garden. The wife was in front of her husband...leaning over. He said to her, "Honey, your rear is wider than our barbeque." She said nothing. The man got up,went into the house and came out with a tape measure. He proceeded to measure her across the back side then the barbeque. He said,"See...you are two inches wider." She said nothing. That night they went to bed and the man started to get ornery...she pushed him away. "What is wrong?" he asked..."Well," she said..."You don't think that I'm going to heat up this big fat barbeque for one little weenie, do you?"

A Point of Reflection

I have been in Cameroon for only 4 and a half months, 11 weeks of which was training.  The thought of returning home and ending my service had run through my mind once or twice before, usually that happens every time someone decides to leave.  However, my post mate asked me, "If you go home, are you going to come back?"  I said, "Well, yes, why wouldn't I?"  So I went to bed with that question lingering in my head.  Then, I was awoken at 4 a.m. for the call to prayers from all directions, every mosque in my neighborhood had turned their loud speakers past 10 to 11, so it seemed.  Then after that stopped, the roosters started to make their own call to prayer.  One rooster would crow as loud as it could a minimum of 10 times with a pause of one and a half measures between each crow, and just like the mosques, all the roosters in the surrounding neighborhood followed suit.  I am therefore led to wonder what came first, the chicken or the mosque.  This is still going on actually, neither group will end their public announcements, and I am still awake because of it.  Which led me to reflect on the question my post mate asked me.  At first I had thought just as before, go and come back, no big deal.  Then I started to ask myself, what if I didn't come back?  Would I miss cold showers, limited variety of food (not really that good either), dust, rain, difficult travel, crowded bush taxis, train rides.  Would slipping back into anonymousness be a bad thing? 

Then I began to think of what I have been doing here thus far.  I have been teaching 12 hours a week and have started a library project for the school.  When I say started, I really mean I have thought about it, written a proposal for the principal, and that's about it.  The rest of the time I spend in my house either asleep, cleaning and doing laundry, or wasting time by watching movies. They say the first 3 months are the hardest and I believe it.  I've been trying to adjust to and understand the school system here.  I'm frustrated and do not understand how anyone can expect someone learn a language if there are 100 students in every class.  Perhaps 10 percent of the students actually have the text book, which isn't really a practical text book for learning English in my opinion. 

I joined Peace Corps because I thought it would be good for my career.  I'm sure that if I finish my service it will be.  However, is it good for me?  I can now remove my jeans simply by unbuckling my belt, I guess if you can't lose weight by dieting then you should join the Peace Corps or come to Africa.  Are there other roads I can take to achieve the same thing?  Perhaps.  Although, life may be easier if I had a clear idea of what I want to achieve. 

Now, it's later on in the evening, the loud speakers have started once again.  Seems fitting though, that they are going on when I am writing this like I was this morning.  I think the rain will hinder the roosters from starting competition this time.  This morning I think I was pretty close to going home and staying.  If I go back to the U.S. right now, I don't think I would come back.  Not after having lived here for this short time.  Before it was a mystery, now it no longer is.  I expect setbacks and frustrating circumstances, what sane person would come back to this when they could live somewhere else?  Yet, there are times when it's easy and fun to be here.  I named this blog Brilliance or Madness; there is definitely an unclear border between the two, just like there is an unclear border that separates the parts of me that want to stay from the parts that want to leave.    

I've decided to stay here though and see what unfolds next. 

The Relevant Gentlemen's Society

Now, A good friend of mine came across the web page of the Relevant Gentlemen's Society and browsing their site came across their creed. Seeing that I am the winner of best and worst moustache of the June 2008 Ed/SED Stage, I feel it is my duty to report this to all. Although it may seem irrelevant to anything what so ever, is still very very entertaining. These are rules for any man with a moustache to live by. Provided by http://www.relevantgentlemanssociety.com/?page_id=2 (I promise next post may hold some relevant information...actually on second thought, I shouldn't promise that.)

Creed
As a member of the RELEVANT Gentleman’s Society, I dedicate my knowledge and skills to the advancement and betterment of mustache acceptance and human welfare.

I pledge:

To give my utmost to advancing mustache style, dignity and performance;

To participate in none but honest mustache enterprise;

To live and work according to the highest standards of mustache conduct;

To place service before profit, honor and standing of the mustache before personal advantage, and the public welfare of the mustache above all other considerations;

In humility and with need for Divine and Mustache Guidance, I make this pledge.

Canon 1.
A mustache wearer should refrain from conduct that is detrimental to the public.

Canon 2.
A mustache wearer should hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of his mustache.

Canon 3.
A mustache wearer’s primary responsibility is to 1) God and 2) his mustache.

Canon 4.
A mustache wearer should promote the general welfare of all mustachekind.

Canon 5.
A mustache wearer should maintain the confidential nature of the mustache/wearer relationship.

Canon 6.
A mustache wearer should use care to avoid advertising or solicitation that is misleading or otherwise contrary to the public interest of mustaches.

Canon 7.
A mustache wearer should maintain professional integrity, fairness, and dignity when dealing with members of other facial hair choices.