Random Acts of Kindness in Jamaica Mon!!

Peace Corps Response Newsletter (Refugee)

2010-05-07T11:21:00.000-07:00

Hello friends and family. Well it has been sometime since my last update. But, I figured I would share with you the article I finished writing today for the Peace Corps Impact Newsletter. It is meant to sum up my overall work in Jamaica and my overall feelings towards the program. I hope you enjoy it :-)

"Peace Corps Refugee"

By Eric Barnett

PCV Mauritania 2008-2009

PCRV Jamaica 2009-2010

My path to the Peace Corps Response was a little different than most. I was evacuated from Peace Corps Mauritania in August 2009 after 15 months of service. I was left feeling defeated, as if my Peace Corps experience and home was taken away from me for something beyond my control; I was essentially a refugee. Yet, I wanted to continue my service in some capacity and Peace Corps Response was my best option. What really appealed to me was being able to choose where I would be sent and the shorter time frame.

I am a Peace Corps Response Volunteer in Jamaica and am assigned to work with the Negril area Environmental Protection Trust (NEPT). NEPT is the managing organization for the Royal Palm Reserve, an eco-tourism attraction in Negril. I was charged with developing a new marketing strategy and writing a new marketing plan for the Reserve, which has been a great transition from my work in Mauritania where I was a Small Enterprise Development Volunteer. Thus far my work in Jamaica has presented me with a unique challenge; because this is the first time my work is so environmentally focused. I have for all intensive purposes, become a conservationist.

The Royal Palm Reserve is a 130 acre nature reserve built in the Negril wetlands in the late 1980s. The Reserve is home to the largest stand of the endemic Jamaican Royal Palm and also boasts one of the largest flocks of the West Indian Whistling Duck, an endangered species. Being an eco-tourism attraction, the Royal Palm Reserve and NEPT are at the forefront of environmental issues in Jamaica. Subsequently, when creating the marketing plan, I have had to take into account completely new aspects, like sustainability.

My favorite aspect of the Peace Corps Response was being able start working almost immediately. Peace Corps recognize the fact that you are already well versed in cultural adaptation and gives you a greater degree of freedom. My training only lasted 5 days, before I was in Negril starting my assignment! Also, knowing that my assignment is only 6 months, the incentive to work is ever-present. A friend of mine basically explained Peace Corps Response as being the same thing as Peace Corps Graduate School and that’s really how it feels for me.

I am currently in my final month of my service with Peace Corps Response, and my experience in Jamaica has given a sense of closure for my overall service. I no longer feel as if I have had my life displaced and it has been truly wonderful being able to see my work through. In other words, this refugee has found his way.

Work Everyday

2010-01-26T09:08:00.000-08:00

So I apologize about the amount of time that has passed since my last blog update. Work has actually been pretty crazy as of recently. Which is really a nice change compared to my service in Mauritania. In Mauritania, being a regular Peace Corps Volunteer, I was expected to find work on my own. Which can be a really challenging task. Here in Jamaica however, being a Peace Corps Response Volunteer, my job is very defined.

So far the majority of my time has been spent on conducting market research (via focus groups, customer testimonials, and competition research) and also starting preliminary promotion for the actual Royal Palm Reserve itself. Also, I have set up a new blog for NEPT (Negril area Environmental Protection Trust) and the Reserve. Check it out at:

www.nept.wordpress.com

This will give you a better idea of what is going on with the organization I am working with and the activities I am working on here.

Finally, I wanna give big ups to Cyn Nishimura, thank you for continuing to follow my blog here on blogger.com. I really appreciate it :-)

Random Act of Kindness: Helped Sandy carry her bike up the flight of stairs to the office we work in.

Little Cottage in Negril (music video)

2009-12-21T12:57:00.000-08:00

To all the people following my blog on facebook. I'm not sure if the video will show up when it transfers from my regular blog. If you can't see it, please go to: actwithkindness.blogspot.com

Negril in a Coconut Shell

2009-12-21T11:39:00.001-08:00

From a little cottage in Negril,
I wrote these lines to you.
From a little cottage in Negril,
I realized I love you still.

Its an amazing thing this time around to have a site that is actually popular enough to have a song and music video written about it. The song by Duane Stephenson, really does a wonderful job catching the essence of Negril...

To everyone in Jamaica, Negril is often referred to as the "Capital of Casual." The vibes of this city are much more mellow than what you find on the rest of the island, which is saying a lot since Jamaica as a whole is laid back.... The crime rate is significantly lower here and the people just seem to have a better outlook on life. Being surrounded by positive people is a true blessing everyday :-)

From the minute I step outside of my hillside Jamaican yard house, I am surrounded by the soothing aromas of jerk seasoning, cooking food, fruit, the sea, and ganja. They mix together and form the smell that encompasses the town. From what I have read Negril proper is only home to about 5000-6000 Jamaicans. Although, it does feel like it is a little bigger than that; I think mainly do to the number of Jamaicans who come to work here and the number of tourists who are in the area too.

Negril itself is divided into 3 distinct parts:

Beach End:
The first part is known as the beach end. This is home to the famous 7 mile white sand beach. It truly is an amazing site and dream to walk down. The sea on this end is perhaps some of the calmest ocean waters I have ever seen. It is a beautiful turquoise blue color and crystal clear. The beach road is lined of either side with hotels and restaurants. They start off with the smaller ones, that give Negril its "Capital of Casual" feel and eventually segway into the large resorts. The resorts are far enough away though that most people don't notice it.

West End / Cliff Side:
The second part is known as the west-end or cliff side. This part is known for its distinct sea-side cliffs, as apparent from the name of it. The cliff side is a little less touristy, but not too much. There if cliff diving and snorking into the deep blue waters that surround it. This is available at a good portion of the bars and hotels. I have tried the cliff diving and it is pretty spectacular!! :-) This side of the Negril is also home to the world famous Rick's Cafe (although I have yet to go there haha). Can be a little tough on a Peace Corps budget to live like a tourist. I am personally a fan of all the small local bars that run along the cliff side too.

The Hills:
Finally the third part (the part I live in!) is known as he hills! This part is built in the hills that are located behind the main drags of Negril. This is where the majority of the Jamaicans who reside in Negril, have their homes. It has a distinctly more Jamaican feel to it. Characterized by its lush green hills and beautiful little communities built into the hill side. Its such a peaceful place (with the exception of the 24/7 reggae music! amazing though haha).

So all three of these parts of Negril meet in the central round-about (pictured above) and form what is known internationally as the "Capital of Casual"

Random Act of Kindness: Cooked dinner twice for my land-lord Romaine. He actually liked my American cooking! I was pretty proud needless to say haha...

Ok Jamaica, I am impressed…

2009-12-11T06:20:00.000-08:00

So my first two weeks here in country have really been a completely different Peace Corps experience for me. From the moment I stepped off the plane and was immediately slapped in the face with some of the most humid weather I have ever experienced; to becoming familiar with my new Jamaican yard community and the workings of it, Peace Corps Jamaica has been a thrill.

In my mind, Jamaica is basically proving to be the anti-Mauritania. Jamaica is the Bugs Bunny to Mauritania’s Elmer Fudd. Of course I am speaking about the country itself and not the Peace Corps. The Peace Corps is pretty much amazing no matter what country it functions in (Come on fellow RIM volunteers ;-), did you really expect me to forget my roots haha). So anyhow, from what I have heard and seen on the ground here, is that Jamaica is home to more churches and bars per capita than any other country in the world. Really kind of a crazy contrast when you think about it…then again you might not have to think that hard about it. Honestly though, that type of statement might explain Jamaica better than any other one. For me, it has been a country of two different worlds. The world the tourists experience (which is pretty awesome) and the world of the Jamaicans (also pretty fricken awesome). It’s just a matter of where you go…

Being in Negril, it gives me the opportunity to essentially see both sides of the equation. When I am on the main drag, many Jamaicans confuse me for a regular tourist and thus treat me accordingly (or they think I’m Jamaican…that is until I open my mouth). But basically, they will try to sell me something. Although I cannot blame-em; gotta make that money son!! (note: that was American slang, not Jamaican lol). However, when people find out that I am working here, it’s a new game. There is a good deal of respect that goes along with that. Also, the Peace Corps being popular enough that lots of people know about it is a new experience too. Kind of nice, not gonna lie.

So in a nut-shell so far, I have truly been enjoying myself. The other volunteers have been absolutely amazing to me and are doing their best to show me the ropes around the country. They have also been going out of their way to really make sure that I feel welcome and part of the group. That really means a lot to me. All in all I feel like I am catching on pretty quickly….all things considered. I would equate it to learning your second foreign language- it’s a little easier the second time around but still a challenge in its own right.

Dear RIM volunteers:

Two days ago I had a free dinner at an all inclusive resort on a business meeting and yesterday I had lunch on the beach while enjoying a cold Red Stripe (hate me haha)….

Love ya,
Papis

Hey I didn’t say being a volunteer in Jamaica didn’t have its perks! Oh it does and they’re great lol…

Random Act of Kindness: The organization I work for here is currently sponsoring a Clean Farming Initiative/Contest for local farmers. Yesterday we visited Ms. Nesbeth's farm near Negril and during our entire visit I carried her backpack for her. Chivalry is not dead ladies..

On the Ground in Jamaica

2009-12-02T16:42:00.000-08:00

Well its been two whole days since we landed on the ground in Kingston Jamaica. Myself and two other volunteers (Patricia from Massachusetts and Debra from Illinois) flew in together from Miami on Monday evening.

Normally when you join the Peace Corps, you have 8-10 weeks of training in country. Since we are working for the Peace Corps Response, our training has been reduced to 5 days!! We will be sworn in on Friday as volunteers...crazy I know, but gotta say its actually kind of refreshing....

So far, everything has just been truly amazing here. The staff so far has been amazingly nice and have been a lot of fun to get to know. On top of that, The Peace Corps office actually used to be a recording studio!!

Kingston itself actually reminds me a lot of Dakar Senegal. Which is great because it feels kind of familiar, but I also have to catch myself because I want to greet everyone in Wolof and French lol. I constantly have to keep reminding myself, no Eric they speak English. Kind of a fun lil challenge... although I do kind of miss having English reserved as a secret tongue amongst Americans...

Well, I should read some of my manuals. Its a lot more self teaching this time around. My next post I will go more into detail about what the country itself has been like so far. The culture is truly unique...

New Beginning in Jamaica Mon

2009-12-02T16:29:00.000-08:00

So as most of you know, recently the Peace Corps suspended the volunteer program in Mauritania back in August. Since then, I applied for and got a position with the Peace Corps Response in Jamaica (where I am right now).

In case your are not familiar, the Peace Corps Response is basically the graduate school of the Peace Corps world. You had to have already served successfully in another country before applying. Peace Corps Response is meant to address very specific needs of an organization or country. In my case, I will be working with the Negril Environmental Protection Trust (NEPT) to help increase tourism to their Royal Palm Reserve in Negril Jamaica. Essentially, I will be helping them to rewrite their current marketing plan and find innovative ways to entice people to visit the reserve. I will be at this post for 6 months (Nov 30, 2009-June 2, 2010).

Anywho, please keep up with my blog and I will be keeping you updated mon...

Axel-Rod Gym

2009-05-20T02:44:00.000-07:00

Just recently we found a little gym in Rosso (my regional capital). Myself, Brandon, and Nick have taken to calling the gym Axel-Rod's gym. Primarily because the gym is made from old car parts. There is a bench press, where the bar is literally a driveshaft and two tires or either side. They have also filled a large container with sand, tied it to a rope and pulley system to work your arms. The dumbbells are coffee cans filled with cement and a bar running between. All of the things are amazing ingenious and pretty effective!

We even have a personal trainer named Amadou to help us out. He literally might be the most muscular Mauritanian I have ever seen. He also wears glasses and is kind of nerdy, so we have taken to calling him Steve Urkle on steroids. But in all he is a really nice guy and really likes helping us out. Although he can be a bit of a know it all....The gym itself is housed in a family's courtyard. Which means, that there are always a lot of people watching you. The wives, grandparents, children, and visitors sort of serve as a cheering section for us, clapping and wooting whenever we have a good set.

I will try and get some pictures up soon. Its going to be a little bit more difficult since my computer was recently knocked off a table and is not broken. So I am working on our bureau computers which can be a teenzy bit slow. But no worries, things will go on :-)

The Wild Animals of Ganni

2009-05-07T04:18:00.000-07:00

Today, I figured I would provide everyone with a little information about all of the different animals that live in or near Ganni. When talking with the other volunteers around Mauritania, it seems like my village has the widest variety of wildlife around. Still not a lot compared to other African countries, but interesting all the same.

So lets begin…

Monkeys: Ganni has a many troops of small monkeys that live around the village. (a few people keep them as pets too). For my cooperative, monkeys are probably the most annoying and successful pests in their field. It’s amazing how smart these animals really are. They will literally plan attacks to steal our tomatoes and watermelons. The monkeys will send out a scout, who will watch all of our positions in the field and then, when everyone is far enough way, he will call his buddies and literally like 10-20 monkeys will come running over this ridge and raid our field. They will grab anything they can and bolt before any of us can even reach them. Some of them will even climb up trees and eat the stuff in front of you out of spite. These animals are really ridiculous.

Warthogs: There is also a large amount of African Warthogs living around the village. People do not keep these as animals as pets. They are way too dirty, and plus there is a social stigma against them because of the laws of Islam. The males can weigh up to like 300 pounds, pretty fricken big haha. They are also pests in the fields, but prefer to eat the squash. However, they are a little dumb, so they’re easier to keep out. I have gone hunting for them with my friend Aliune. We were able to shoot and kill a large male. The other volunteers and I were actually going to eat it for this past Thanksgiving. However, the meat ended up going bad before we were able to. I was rather bummed about the whole prospect. My cooperative was just happy to have one less pest around their field.

Desert Monitors: Mostly near the river, you can find a good deal of desert monitors. There are big lizards (up to 5-6 feet in length) that live in the areas around Ganni. They are a little shyer, so I don’t see them as often as the warthogs and monkeys. However, whenever I do see one, they always give me a little jolt because you don’t see them until the start running away from you. Sometimes, they wait until your pretty close to them. When I first got to Ganni, people used to tell me that they have seen crocodiles in the water, but they were actually just seeing the larger desert monitors swimming. Still a pretty impressive site all the same.

Marmots: The marmots are small little ground rodents that act as the squirrels in my village. They almost look like a cross between an American squirrel and an African meerkat. I’ll see these little guys always running around outside my house in village. They pretty much just behave like regular squirrels. However, I have not seen one climb a tree. They have these little holes they live in on the ground. They’re cute animals though.

Otters: I have only seen these animals twice since I’ve been here. I’m honestly not even sure if that’s exactly what they are. But, that’s what they look like to me, long brown mammals that swim in the river. Obviously not a lot of these animals around, and they are very very shy.

Eagles: There is also a good deal of eagles around Ganni. Two people keep injured ones as pets. They are pretty impressive looking birds of prey. The species in Ganni actually looks similar to a bald eagle. They stand about two and a half feet tall with giant talons. My friends always warn me to stay away from the ones that are kept as pets. Apparently they are rather temperamental. It took me forever to figure out that this weird noise/call I heard in Ganni was actually the eagles. Their call almost sounds like a really weird human laugh. Its really really hard to explain exactly. I’ll try and get a recording one day.

So that’s pretty much it for the wildlife in and around Ganni; with the exception of course of the flies and mosquitoes. But I hate them and they don’t deserve to be in my blog entry lol. Next time I’ll write about the domestic animals of Mauritania! Oh joy, oh rapture! I bet you will be sitting on the edge of your seat until then. So for now “si jamm” go with peace. (Your response to “si jamm” in Wolof would be “jamm ak jamm” peace with peace)

The Hardest Part

2009-04-30T04:05:00.001-07:00

You know, thinking about my Peace Corps service thus far. I have come to realize the hardest part about serving. Its not the ridiculously hot weather, the inability to communicate, the homesickness, the pestering children, the insane amount of flies and mosquitoes, or even overstuffed taxis.

Its not being able to be there for your family and friends back home when they need you. That for me, is the hardest part about my service.....

New Layout

2009-04-26T02:42:00.001-07:00

Gotta keep it fresh.... Thus, I decided to change my blog layout. I think its a little more visually appealing like this. What do ya think?

My Friends (Part 1): Mbaay Fall

2009-04-26T01:26:00.000-07:00

So I think every couple of weeks I'm going to write a small blurb about good Mauritanian friends of mine, who I have met along the way here.

I figured I would start this new section out by talking about my official "Community Contact" as declared by the Peace Corps.

His name is Mbaay Fall and he lives in my village Ganni with me. Honestly he is probably one of my favorite people I have met here. A lot of times with the Peace Corps, the volunteers don't really get along too well with their assigned community contacts. Usually it boils down to cultural differences or the fact the contact is just too busy to help. Or in the case of my one friend Chelsy, kind of a creeper.

But, A community contact is a person the PC finds in your village to help you find work there and integrate into the community. Most of the time, the contacts have worked with Peace Corp Volunteers in the past and has a pretty good idea how things are run. For myself, Mbaay Fall has been absolutely great. Even though he is rather intimidating when you first meet him. He is probably one of the largest Mauritanians I have met with this really deep booming voice. However, the guy really does have a heart of gold. He lives with his wife Colette and 6 daughters!! I also have to say, that his daughters are quite possibly the best behaved and most helpful children in this country. Most of the kids are little jerks!! lol But his daughters are fantasticly nice.

In Ganni itself, Mbaay is a teacher at the elementary school there. He teaches mainly French to the students and some history too. He is also the President of the cooperative I work with G.D.D. . Which may be one of the most well organized farming co-ops in Mauritania. I have also been told that is the main contact in the community for health. Needless to say he is a man of many talents.

Plus, he has really gone so far out of his way to make sure that I am looked out for in village. So thank you Mbaay for being such a great friend to me.

(He's the person on the left in the photo)

Centre Satara (The Diabled Women's Co-Op)

2009-04-20T04:57:00.000-07:00

This past year, my friend Rachel Chapin has been working with a disabled women's sewing co-op based here in Rosso. The co-op actually situated behind the CREN, which is a center to help women with the health of their babies. Both the CREN and sewing co-op are operated by a great bunch of Catholic nuns living here too. They really are the nicest ladies in the world.

About the Co-op:
It is currently a group of 4-6 women who all have physical disabilities in some shape, way, or form. The co-op was created back in 1995 as a way to help these women earn a living. It has been going on pretty strong since then (with the help and care of nuns). Also, one nice cultural note about Mauritania (at least from what I have witnessed), is that the culture here does not really outcast people with disabilities. So most of the women in the co-op are in good spirits too. Which really helps us in motivating them.

In the past the women would mainly focus on clothes, table cloths, and woven key-chains. However, the sales were not always the best. Subsequently, in the past few years the women began to shift their focus a little bit to creating purses and bags. These have proven to be a really big hit with Peace Corp volunteers and French tourists. Thus, the women have recently become interested in exporting their goods to the US.

The Project:
Rachel was already sort of the liaison between the co-op and the Peace Corps. She would sell a lot of their products at our various events. Then this past Christmas, I also had the privilege to help sell some purses for them at our shindig up in Nouakchott. Again, the purses were a big hit. Also, in the past month, the women have also started making laptop computer bags, with foam lining and everything. They used mine and Rachel's Timbuktu messenger bags as their model. They can pretty much copy anything that is shown to them. Pretty amazing.....

So right now myself, Rachel, and Justin Piper (Another Volunteer in Rosso) are putting together a project to help the ladies send their good to the states to begin selling. We are currently working with a contact in the States named Patricia Covert, who is helping us find organizations to assist with the importation.

It is still in the very beginning phases of the project, but I am still very excited. The women are also really excited for the opportunity.

So I will keep everyone posted on the progress. Also, I will try to publish some pictures of the different things they make. They are really beautiful. And believe it or not, they make all of these products on hand crank old fashion sewing machines. Truly impressive....

Back in the Saddle

2009-04-20T04:49:00.000-07:00

Hellllloooooooooooooooo USA!!!

My blog is back up and running. I apologize about the long delays, I was just totally stumped about things to write about. Maybe it was because I was sort of stuck in a rut doing the same things. (Thanks to everyone who helped out with ideas) However, things have been pretty crazy these past two months. 1) because I had a little vacation to Morocco which was amazing! The pictures are up on facebook. And 2) because this past week I have started some really exciting projects.

So I just wanted to give you his quick update. Another entry will immediately follow this one with some cool info about the projects.

Cheers,

Eric

Writer's Block

2009-01-29T02:51:00.000-08:00

Okay Okay Okay I know, I am a fricken horrible blogger. I am very bad at updating..

My bad haha.....

But I do want to ask for help from people, because honestly I don't know what you guys would like to hear about on my blog. Or what types of pictures or videos you would like to see..

So please, if you would give me either a comment or facebook message about what types of things you would like to hear about my Mauritania life, it would be greatly greatly appreciated. I wanna keep everyone entertained lol....

Working in the fields

2008-12-01T00:36:00.000-08:00

Out in Ganni, life has really been interesting the past month or so. I have been finding myself working with the GDD Agricultural co-operative nearly every day. So as of right now, my typical day basically includes waking up around 6:45am and going for a morning run. After that, I make breakfast on my little propane burner (really convenient). My breakfast is usually some oatmeal and coffee or tea. Around 8:30am, the guys of GDD come and pick me up with their horse cart. We all head out to their field for work.

The work varies depending on the day. Currently, we have finished all of the planting and such, so the work has been rather light. However, when we were tilling the fields, all of the work was done by hand, so that really made for some back breaking labor. There are only 3 tools are our disposal. I hoe, rake, and spade....

Around 1:00pm, one of the guys goes back to Ganni and picks us up a lunch of Ceebu Jen (Rice and Fish). We pretty much eat this everday. Its a love hate relationship lol. Sometimes, I am just like man, rice and fish again. But, its usually rather tasty and when I'm hungry, no matter how many times I've eaten it, I still get excited....so yeah love hate relationship.

After lunch we have a quick nap and tea. This is sort of like the tradition in Spain of the siesta. We sleep away the hottest part of the day underneath the big tree in the field. I used to never be able to nap in the states, but I'm getting pretty used to it here.

Then back for work and at dusk we head back to Ganni...

This is sort of the typical day for me right now. I am setting up a meeting with all the guys of GDD in December to start working on an Action Plan for helping them with their business needs...

Good times :-)

Happy Election Day

2008-11-04T04:58:00.000-08:00

Well besides from being a disenfranchised voter, election day is quite exciting in Mauritania. I am surprised by how closely the entire world is following the election. I have people coming up to me all the time either chanting Obama mainly or sometimes McCain. When I do actually get a chance to watch any satellite T.V. the election is all over the place. In this sense I am really enjoying the election from over here. We are planning an all nighter today in the Rosso office to see the conclusion of the election. So I hope everyone is well at home and I'll get more updates soon!!!

Random Act of Kindness: Today I cleaned up Brandon's house in Rosso. It needed to be done lol...

Wolof Fun

2008-10-19T03:16:00.000-07:00

So I was thinking the other day about a few of my favorite phrases and such in my new language of Wolof an I figured I would share some with ya....

1. Fanaan ak Jamm (My favorite)
Translation: Pass the night with peace,
Their equivalent of goodnight, I just think it has a nice ring to it..

2. Fukki Bukki Guddi, Fukki Bukki Becchig (A Wolof Toung Twister)
Translation: Ten hyenas at night, ten hyenas at day.
Those words are pronounces as if oo sound in boot.

3. Ndank Ndank (a useful little phrase)
Translation: Little by little, or bit by bit
Great for all types of explanations of things

The last one was actually a phrase that I made up when attempting to translate the American proverb of "No pain no gain", it actually ends up sounding more poetic in Wolof I think....and the guys I work with in the fields right now, really like the phrase lol...

4. Suduul woon metti, amul xalis ak amul doole (My Wolof poetry)
Translation literally: Without the grace of pain, one does not have money and strength
This phrase was made when I was explaining to my friends of the GDD cooperative why I like working in the fields with them.

Location of my village Ganni

2008-10-09T08:23:00.000-07:00

I have marked on a map of the Mauritania the approximate location of my village. Its right along the Senegal River. So I live on the border between Mauritania and Senegal.

Real work and the hot season is almost over!!

2008-10-09T07:49:00.000-07:00

Well I just wanted to get in a short little blog today. It was a rather exciting afternoon. I had a meeting today with the branch manager of CAPEC Bank Ibu N'Jaay. CAPEC Bank is a micro-financing bank based in Mauritania. They primarily work with agricultural cooperatives in the country. Their main goal is to make credit available to those (the poor) who cannot get get credit through traditional banking institutions for a multitude of bogus reasons.

I talked to him along with the help of my friend and fellow volunteer (Mary: her French is way better than mine lol) just primarily about what steps are needed to open an account there and how to start obtaining credit. The process was surprisingly simple and I'm really excited to bring the news back to my village and the GDD cooperative (the co-op I am initially helping). If you are interested in learning more about micro-financing and the impact it can have for people in developing nations, may I recommend the book "Banker for the Poor" by Muhammed Yunus. It is truly an excellent book and explains his story in Bangladesh and about how he basically started the micro-financing movement around the world. The book really provided me with a great deal of motivation about the work I am doing with the Peace Corps.

lso, I have been getting requests from people to give more information about the the culture, climate, and general life in Mauritania. So I wanted to take a quick second to provide some general info about the weather today. Mauritania basically has three seasons:

Really Hot and Dry (March-May)
Really Really Hot and Wet (June-October)
Hot and Dry aka Cool Season "which is a relative term" (November-February)

So far I have braved the hot seasons of Mauritania where I would say it averages around 100 degrees or so. I was telling my parents the other day, that you know you live in a hot country when even the people who live here aren't used to it and complain about it everyday lol. But honestly, it has been better that what I expected and the nights here are really starting to cool off. So that is a definite plus. Well hopefully that gives you a better idea about the weather here, if you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to ask :-)

Cheers....

The Taxi Brousse Chronicles: Part 1 When 1 Hour Becomes 8

2008-10-04T04:10:00.000-07:00

So I want to start this segment on my blog called the Taxi Brousse Chronicles, its essentially just stories from my trips on the taxi brousses in Africa. For all those who don’t know, a taxi brousse is usually a pick-up truck or van that delivers goods from cities out to the villages. Also, people can pay a fair to ride along. It’s the primary method for getting out to brousse sites such as my own, Ganni. Without further adieu part 1, enjoy:

This happened on Friday October 3, 2008. I had planned on coming back to Rosso from Ganni with my site-mate Rocco on Thursday 2nd, but much to our chagrin our plans were thwarted by Mother Nature in the form of a thunderstorm. This means that the road between Ganni and Rosso floods out and you have to wait a day or two until they dry out.

So on the morning of the 3rd we’re awoken again by the possible threat of rain at about 6am. (We normally catch the taxis at 7am into town.) Then, once the threat subsides a bit and it’s around 7am, we decide to head to the road and see if we can find anyone going into town. The roads were still pretty wet and the clouds looked ominous, so we weren’t totally sure if anyone would come. However, like clockwork a taxi shows up at 7am, this one is a brown pick-up truck that isn’t hauling too much. So we hopped on and there were a few other people on board with us too. A pretty light load, considering I have been on these things with upwards on 28 people. And away we go!!

We get no more than about 100ft outside of Ganni when the treat of rain becomes real rain. Now in general Mauritanians hate the rain, I can’t say I’m too particularly fond of it either, especially sitting in the bed of a pick-up. So we pulled over and the driver whips out a large orange tarp. We were initially really excited, but when we realized that the tarp was completely filthy and covered in dirt, mud, and sand, our excitement quickly faded. Also, there was 1 other taxi brousse that showed up that day and they didn’t have a tarp. So, the tarp was put over our truck bed and also some of the cargo and people from the other taxi was transferred to ours. So there we were huddled in the back of this pick-up, in an orange sweat box, getting filthy, but avoiding the rain. Then, were off again!!

Then probably about 4k outside of Rosso, because the current road we were on was technically still being constructed, you can’t really drive the whole thing. So, in our first attempt at going off the road, our taxi gets stuck. The other taxi behind us sees this and manages to take another way off the road and comes to help pull ours out. However, in the process of this the other taxi breaks down. This happens more than you think here, but somehow someway they manage to fix the other taxi brousse. Then another rain storm hits and we have to wait it out. After the 2nd storm, we manage to get our taxi unstuck and the driver announces were heading back to Ganni because of the condition of the roads. We then begin our merry way back to village, wet, dirty, beaten, and despaired. On the way back, the other taxi brousse gets stuck in the mud and breaks down again. Its been a really long morning already, so Rocco and I decide we’ll just walk the rest of the way to Ganni. Now between when we left Ganni and when we got back it was 9:45am. It took us nearly two hours to drive 4k, come back to Ganni.

The story does not stop here though, oh no, not by a long shot. Right, as we get back to Ganni, our taxi pulls up and tells us they’re going to try this northern road into Rosso on the other side of the sand dunes, and since its on higher ground it shouldn’t be flooded. Rocco said he had taken the road once before and since we were already wet, filthy, and cold, we figured what the hell, it couldn’t get much worse. Also, since the other taxi brousse was a POS, it was not going to be making the trip. So we took on all of their cargo now, which included 3 goats. And were off!! kind of, because they decide we should stop in the Ganni market first and pick up snacks for the road because it’s a longer trip.

Okay, NOW we’re off!! But we have to go 15k away from Rosso to catch the road to lead us to northern pass. The rain had let up to a drizzle though, and there were blue horizons, things were looking up. For a bit on the way to the road, were literally driving sideways because of the slope of the road and the mud. Rocco and I were sitting in the back and were looking at the road straight on practically like we were driving. Also, during this time, the goats were going crazy all over the place and one pooped on my foot. I was not very happy about this. So now, I was cold, wet, filthy, tired, and had a poopy foot. ewwwwwwwww…….

Before we got to the northern pass, we had to drive through some trees and such. One of which smacked square in the head when I wasn’t looking and helping with one of the goats. Also, because the road was well worn and our driver was moving pretty fast, I swear he almost rolled the thing a few times….But on we went!!

Then, we finally reach the northern pass, honest to god, it was probably the most beautiful thing I have seen in Mauritania. It was stunning, like something out of a movie about Africa. It was these huge open grasslands and prairies. We saw a troop on monkeys watching us from the top of one of the red sand dunes in the distance. There were sun rays draping the land, blue skies, and really beautiful rain clouds in the distance. It all just added to the appeal. We would come across small random villages with proper African tents and grass huts. We even stopped at one and they gave us water and milk. There were also herds of animals everywhere!! Only Mauritania doesn’t really have the traditional animals you associate with such a scene, but we do have A LOT of livestock!! Here is how the equivalent went:

Cows = Wildebeests
Donkeys = Zebras
Sheep and Goats = Gazelles
Camels = Giraffes
Dogs = Lions
Monkeys = Monkeys ☺

So, in our defense the trip didn’t really get much worse. The normal 50k trip between Ganni takes about 1.5 hours, this northern trek ended up taking about 6 hours. So in the end our trip took a grand total of 8 hours. But, the beautiful scenery really made the whole trip worth it. So there I was, wet, dirty, tired, stinky footed, scratched head, delirious, but happy…..

Its poop again!!

2008-08-27T13:46:00.000-07:00

So here is a re-cap of today.....

1. I passed my language exam and will officially be sworn in tomorrow as a volunteer!!
2. Had the Peace Corps Olympics / Double Dare Games (my team did great)
3. There was a giant rain storm and the roof leaked on my mosquito net again
4. The sewage line underneath our meeting room / cafeteria broke
5. Now there is raw sewage in the building where we are supposed to sworn in tomorrow, YUCK!!
6. So we have to pack up all of our stuff tomorrow morning so we can get sworn-in, in our dorm rooms
7. The weather forecast for tomorrow in Rosso is 106 degrees. YIKES!!

So in conclusion, our otherwise great day was totally shitted on and tomorrow is going to a hot shit show.....

ITS POOP AGAIN!! man, I cannot wait until I get to my site.

Ci Jamm,

Papis Konate

My New Address (almost a certified volunteer)

2008-08-25T05:47:00.000-07:00

Eric Barnett
Corps de la Paix
B.P. 40
Rosso Mauritania
West Africa

So I am come down to the final few days of training OH SNAP!!

This will be my permanent address for the 2 years here :-)

Already been here almost 70 days. Summer Break 2008 Mauritania!!

Pictures!!

2008-07-17T06:37:00.000-07:00

Ahhhh so many languages!!

2008-07-17T06:18:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know....I haven't been exactly keeping up with my blog on a regular basis. I am going to do my best to try and post more smaller entries, just to sort of keep the flow of things going here.... But i figured on this entry I would give you some insight into the culture of language here, because it is immensely different.

Okay, so first some background on the languages. In Mauritania, there are 5 major spoken languages: Hassaniya, Wolof, Pulaar, Sonike', and French. Mauritania used to be a French colony, so a lot of people have some sort of French background. Hassaniya is sort of a slang version of Arabic. The other three languages are more traditional African languages.... Also, except for French, none of the languages are actually written languages. So that adds a whole new twist to learning.

I am currently learning Wolof with the Peace Corps. I am actually the only person from my 78 person training class who is actually learning this language. So it sort of makes me a lone ranger here. I feel kind of privileged actually. However, not really having any other volunteers to study with is kind of tough. My teacher Amadou Mbooj is really an amazing guy though. He is an excellent teacher and has a great sense of humor, but he doesn't speak any English. So he teaches me in French, which in turn is drastically helping my French lol. Also, my family is really wonderful about helping me with both Wolof and French.

As for the Mauritanians themselves, it seems like everyone here speaks at least 2 languages. Its just something that is ingrained in them. Which is such a major difference from the US. Just to sort of give you an example; a couple of nights ago, myself, Justin, Meredith, and Lily were coming home from a little get together everyone had at the ice cream joint in town (yeah can you believe it!! lol). and we stumbled across my host brother Sharif and some of his friends hanging out. There were about 6 of them in total. So we sat down for a while and just started BSing. So here is how it went.... We all spoke English to one another, then we would speak French to the my brother and his friends. Also, I was practicing my Wolof with them. 2 of his friends were Sonike and were trying to teach us some of that language. Finally, there was a Moor guy there who was sitting next to me speaking Hassaniya. So literally we were throwing around like 5 languages during a single conversation, which actually seems to be the case in Mauritania quite often, even between the actual Mauritanians themselves. Language is just a completely relative concept here lol....

Random Act of Kindness: So my host family has a freezer here, so my mom makes and sells ice bags for people in the city. She fills up little plastic bags with water and freezes them. She usually fills up like 30 and carries them to the freezer. I know they're heavy, so now whenever I see her I make it a point to stick around to help her carry the water around our house. She is always very grateful for the help. :-)

Ambient Noises and Mangos

2008-07-02T05:45:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a crazy transition it has been coming to Mauritania. I have never really been a poetic person, so I will do my best to describe things here....

Perhaps one of my favorite adjustments has been the ambient noises that accompany the day and night. All over Rosso and Africa, farm animals pretty much roam the streets. People let their goats, horses, donkeys, roosters, and the occasional camel go everywhere. They're pretty much silent during the day, just going about their business, which mostly consists of eating trash and pooping. Not really a pretty sight honestly.

For some reason though, when the sun goes down, these animals go no nuts!! lol The donekys all sounnd like their being beaten or something (maybe they are?) The goats attack one another, along with the stray cats and dogs. The roosters wake up at 5am to cock a doodle doo. The horses are cool... lol

Other ambeint noises at night would be the loud rap music that can be heard through out the night, which is cool, reminds me of home... :-) Also, the crying of our neighbor's children. (I think she might have like 20!) My family doesn't really care for them lol.. Then when people do have TVs, they keep them loud. African cities at night are way louder than I ever anticipated.

During the day, the sound of children playing is what you here whenever your off the main streets. On the main streets, the sounds of the market is what rules the air. People all shouting over one another trying to get your attention or arguing over a price. Its basically controlled chaos and I use the term controlled lightly lol.

Other than the noises, it is truly wonderful to be around such kind people. The Mauritanians in general are so incredibly kind. Makes me happy that "random acts of kindness" can be found anywhere.

African Random Act of Kindness: Purchased 2 kilos of mangos for my family after we had lunch. :-) They were absolutly delicious.....

**Still working on the photo thing. Should be able to post them soon, once i get back to the center for a bit

We have arrived!!

2008-06-21T14:53:00.000-07:00

So we made it!! We have finally landed in Africa and what a day it has been....

I break it down for you.

1. Land in Dakar Senegal at 4:30am
2. Takes 2 hours to load the buses and start our trip to Mauritania
3. 5.5 hour bus ride through Senegalese countryside and cities
4. Wait 2 hours at Senegal and Mauritania to take our buses across the Senegal River on a ferry.... (the ferry broke for a while)
5. Arrive in Rosso Mauritania and get greeting by at least 30 Peace Corps workers and Host Country Nationals (lots on handshakes and French and Hassiniya )
6. Have lunch (fish and rice with a tomato sauce)
7. Free time (get african phone number!! 0112224596587 <---that's the whole thing if you wanna call me, I have unlimited minutes if you give me a call. We are only 4 hours ahead...
8. First walk around Rosso with guide. Talk about culture shock! It really is an amazing place though. Today I was happy when a little kid came up and shook my hand and greeted me while I was walking down the street.
9. Talking with some Host Country Nationals (worked on my french)
10. Set up our mosquito nets outside to sleep under the stars.
11. Had dinner (cous cous and goat)
12. Found out we have wireless internet and wrote this blog....

On a plane to Africa!!

2008-06-20T06:08:00.001-07:00

Well I only have a few mintutes before we board the bus and head to Africa. So I figured I would use my 15 minutes of free internet and blog real quick....

These past few days have been amazing. We have been in Hot-lanta for the Peace Corps staging. Its basically a two day event to help "prepare" us for Africa. It really has been a awesome experience thus far. My fellow volunteers are great people, everyone is just so outgoing and well educated and gifted in their various fields. Its a pretty eclectic bunch of people lol... Plus, the government was more than generous with their per diem! So it has really allowed us to live it up during our last days state side.

Because of staging though I am amazingly exicted to head to Africa. We're boarding the plane in a few hours and we'll get their just in time to see the sun rise in Senegal for our bus ride to Mauritania! Good bye North America and hello Africa!!

Au revoir mes amis!!

T-Minus 1 Day: My Address

2008-06-16T22:18:00.001-07:00

In case you would like to write me a letter or send a care package:

“Eric Barnett” PCT
Corps de la Paix
B.P. 222
Nouakchott, Mauritania
West Africa

Well packing is practically complete. I only have a few things left! I am exactly at 80 pounds.....lol no more no less. I only have room now in my carry-on luggage.

Random Mauritanian Fact:

Ethnic Groups: 40% mixed Arab/Black, 30% Arab, 30% Black

T-Minus 15 days: Its coming fast

2008-06-02T11:33:00.001-07:00

Well I figured I would just write a quick note about what's going on.

TIME IS FLYING!!! The 100 days of Eric are rapidly running out lol. But I really couldn't be more excited. I have started getting emails from my trainers and managers in Mauritania. In my basement, I now have a table that is filling up with all the things I'll be taking there.

Next week I'll put up the list of things I am packing for Mauritania!!

Random Mauritania Face:

The Population is 3,069,000

T-Minus 97 Days, Kind Acts Return!! Live Strong!!

2008-03-13T12:50:00.000-07:00

Well to everyone the used to read my blog. I apologize about the crazy long break with my entries (with no real explanation). Simply put, I was busy and got frustrated with posting everyday.....but I am bringing it back!!

So here's all the updates in my life......

I just recently received my final invitation from the Peace Corps and I will be leaving for Mauritania Africa on June 18th! This is going to be a huge life changing event... :-) I am just getting more excited everyday, especially because of all the really great people and fellow volunteers I have "met" via the Internet! So to commemorate this occasion, I am bringing back the "kind acts" (which never stopped, I just stopped posting them)....

Also, my blog will sort of serve as a countdown until I leave. I will also do whatever I can to post while in Africa.

So for today's kind act, I purchased a Live Strong bracelet from Dick's sporting goods. I know its rather cliche', but I really feel strongly about curing cancer. Its such a terrible disease that has destroyed so many wonderful lives....

Helping the smokers.........kind act 56

2008-01-13T07:31:00.000-08:00

Kind act from 1/12/08

Saturday I was helped to clean up Cleveland and helped the smokers have a place to hang out. Me and a few friends had went out clubbing on West 6th Saturday night. Very good time... But, at the end of the evening. We were walking back to the car and we happened to walk by a public ash tray that has been tipped over. It was one of the those really big heavy ones that are made of stone. Someone really had to be on a mission to tip it over. I wanted to help clean up Cleveland, because I really like this city. So, I went over there and muscled the thing back up right (It was really fricken heavy!). There were a few people watching so they were quite impressed...haha So smokers, now its just your job to make sure you throw your butts in the ash tray.

Romero, you awake?...........kind act 55

2008-01-13T07:22:00.000-08:00

Kind act from 1/11/08

This one is actually kind of funny. So Friday night was my deparment's YEE (Year End Event). This is basically what most other companies call a Christmas party. We just keep it nondenominational and party a lot harder!! I really do work for a great department, because everyone has just such a laid back attitude....but, we also get our stuff done too!

Well anyway, we had the party at The Boneyard this year. Very fun bar... And a few of us ended up staying for quite a while even after our private party part had ended. So, at the end of the night, me and my girlfriend were walking out to our car. (She drove for me, such a nice girl). We saw my friend Romero with his head down sitting in his car in the parking lot. I was like oh no, we need to go check on him. So we went over there and as it turns out; he was perfectly fine, he just had his head down because he was looking at his cell phone while he texting some girl he knew!! Romero is definitely a ladies man, perhaps he should change his name to Romeo...

The door for Wendy's.......kind act 54

2008-01-13T07:13:00.000-08:00

Act from 1/10/08

Today when I got home from work. I got home just in time to see my dad balancing his way to the house with his hands full of Wendy's! It really was quite a funny sight. I wanted to make sure he made it through okay, so I ran up there and opened up the door for him! I mean hey, he might of broken his neck!! Don't forget to hold the door for people!! (Men and Women)

Cell phone problems.....kind act 53

2008-01-09T18:17:00.000-08:00

At my job I have a few friends that I goto lunch with on a regular basis. We are good friends so when one of use miss the lunch, we always give them a hard time... So for today's act, one of my friends had to get some things straightened out with his cell phone. He was basically going on a field trip for the duration of lunch. He really didn't feel like going alone. So I ended up going with him to provide some company. The lunch crew has to stick together!!

Follow up.......kind act 52

2008-01-09T18:11:00.000-08:00

kind act from 1/8/08

Today at work one of colleagues had to take the day off. He had quite a decent amount of work that needed some kind of follow up. My work load was rather lite for the day. So when my boos was trying to figure out what to do with his work, I went over and offered up my help. She was very grateful for the assistance and I was able to follow up with almost his entire workload by the end of the day.... Its always great to help out your co-workers...

You must be an angel......kind act 51

2008-01-07T19:08:00.001-08:00

I really like today's random act of kindness.

I have kind of an interesting job at Progressive. I am a Network Specialist with the Progressive Total Loss Concierge Group. Basically it is my job to help our customers find a new car if they have a total loss with their car. You really end up meeting some interesting people through my job.

As for the kind act, I have been helping this lady since last week find a replacement for her little Cavalier. She does quite a bit of driving around the city to help with home health care and various other things. She has been self employed for the past 14 years and loves her job. She also told me about how she has loves the ministry and is very active with her church. She was so proud of the work she did and I had such a nice time talking to her.

So today she had to fax in a copy of her drivers license to finalize the purchase of her new car (A Mazda 5). So when I received her fax, the way the holograms copied on her license, it looked like she had a little halo going around her head. I thought it was neatest thing considering how much she loved her church and helping with the ministry. So I called her after I got the fax and told her she must be an angel. So was just so touched that I shared the little story about her halo. She was just so happy for everything we had done for her. Its these type of deliveries that really make my job worthwhile...

Entertaining the Cousins........kind act 50!!

2008-01-07T19:02:00.000-08:00

This act is from Sunday 1/6/08

Hooray for kind act 50!! This is a huge marker for me. Thank you to everyone who has been reading. Also thanks for all of the encouragement to keep this blog going. Please leave comments whenever you can. It really means a lot to know what you thinking!

Well anyway, as for Sunday's kind act. My little cousins from my Dad's side of the family stopped by with my uncle for a belated Christmas party. Well since there were no other kids the same age, my little cousins were quite bored at first. So I wanted to cheer them up. I figured Nintendo Wii would be the best way to have some fun. Needless to say my cousins wholeheartedly agreed with me! We ended up having an absolute blast. Even my uncle and parents joined in on the fun.... Gotta love Nintendo Wii......

Taking out the Trash.......kind act 49

2008-01-07T18:56:00.000-08:00

This act is from Saturday 1/5/08

This weekend was brother's weekend from my fraternity. It is basically a retreat that is meant to strengthen the brotherhood. This year's retreat we held at the Standford Hostel in Peninsula Ohio.

Because of previous engagements I was unable to attend the whole weekend. So when I showed up late on Saturday afternoon, I made it a point to immediately help out around the cabin. I went through and took out all of the garbage that the brother's had made from the previous night and morning. People were really happy for the help.

PIcking up the kitchen......kind act 48

2008-01-04T21:05:00.000-08:00

At the end of tonight, my kitchen had accumulated quite a bit of clutter. So I wanted to make sure my parents did not wake up to this clutter. Especially since the kitchen was just cleaned today. So just a simple quick thing than can make someone happy when they wake up. Happy Friday!!

Kind Message Dove 1/5.........kind act 47

2008-01-03T18:09:00.000-08:00

Today I started a series of 5 kind acts (not necessarily back-to-back). As I mentioned in my earlier note about the www.thechildhealthsite.com, I purchased something for later kind acts. Well I purchased 5 fair trade message doves made by villagers from Peru. These are ittle doves that hold a small piece of paper for writing a kind message to someone.

So for the first dove I gave 1st to my parents. It was just a short note thanking them for everything they have ever done for me!! I have the best parents a kid for ever ask for. Keep dancing mom and dad!! I love you...

You make great pho.........kind act 46

2008-01-02T21:19:00.000-08:00

On this lovely 2nd day of 2008, my girlfriend and I had dinner at #1 Pho. It was sort of a dinner for beginning again, so to say. Anyway, the food tonight was exceptional and the service was great too. After our dinner we made sure to tell the owner and the waitress how lovely everything was tonight. They were really appreciative for the positive feedback. They actually ended up giving us a coconut bubble tea on the house!! What a great tasting kind act....

Also, I would like to dedicate today's kind act to my boss Roxanne. She truly is the best boss I could ever ask for. I have never met someone who is so genuienly concerned for the future success and wellbeing of her employees. She provides all of us with so much encouragement and advice for bettering ourselves. She also has a way of knowing when people are upset and how to say the right thing. So thank you Roxanne for being a great boss and friend...

Helping with dinner.........kind act 45

2008-01-01T17:40:00.000-08:00

Happy New Years!!

Today I brought in the new year by helping my mom cook dinner. Its was the tradition of my German grandmother to cook pork for New Years Day. Its supposed to be representative of rolling in prosperity for the new year. If you eat chicken, its bad luck because it represents scratching for money. So I wanted to help foster the tradition today by making sure I helped my mom cook dinner. Plus its fun!! I love cooking!!

Picking up litter......kind act 44

2007-12-31T14:56:00.001-08:00

Today while going around work I stumbled across the litter. Therefore, I picked up the litter and threw it away. A small simple act that can go a long way if everyone pitches in!

Meals for the hungry.........kind act 43

2007-12-30T15:49:00.000-08:00

Today I worked again with my family at the Salvation Army kitchen. We served almost 70 hot meals to the needy. Its always a great experience. I want thank my Aunt Linda for putting this on once a month. It truly is a great thing...

Movies for friends........kind act 42

2007-12-30T15:41:00.000-08:00

Act from 12/29/07

On Saturday night I went out with a couple of friends to see a movie. We were all waiting on line, which were moving quite slow. While we were waiting in line, another window became available. So, I jumped over to the line real quick. I ended up picking up the tab for them just to be a nice guy. My friends were a bit upset at first, but were grateful in the end....

I miss you.....kind act 41!!

2007-12-28T22:52:00.000-08:00

So today after work I went our to get some drinks with a couple of people that used to be in my department. Honestly since they left things have just not been the same. So while we were out today I made it a point to tell them how much they were missed... Sometimes going out of your way to tell someone you miss them can really make their day. So take some time and tell someone they are missed!!

Clicking for kids!!....the real kind act 40!!

2007-12-27T17:08:00.000-08:00

Hello all faithful readers. First I would like to apologize to those who have been keeping track of my kind act numbers. I had accidentally skipped number 38. Throwing off my previous two posts. They have since been edited. If you are reading this on Facebook, the problem may still be there since Facebook never seems import my notes correctly.
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Moving on, I would like to dedicate today's kind act to JenX. I used her blog, Daily Mitzvah (http://dailymitzvah.blogspot.com/) to come up with an idea. Its an awesome blog about kindness you can do from home mostly, great read! Anywho, I was rather under the weather today and I needed a good act of kindness I could do from home. So I was reading through her blog again and came across the entry for http://www.thechildhealthsite.com. This is a great website that does not require any type of monetary donation on your part. You simply click the button and your click generates ad revenue for the website to donate to children who need health care around the world. Wonderful idea!! So I clicked today a few times to help the children. Please take some time out of your busy internet life and help someone out!!

I also purchased some fair trade items from their store. I plan on using them for future kind acts. So thank you JenX and thank you in advance to all who clicked for the children...

God Bless You........kind act 39

2007-12-26T17:58:00.000-08:00

Today while at Wal-Mart. There were quite a few people sneezing. So I made sure to tell whoever I could "god bless you" or "gesundheit." Everyone was very surprised and happy that a complete stranger was telling them "god bless you." These simple phrases are really a great way to spread good will.

Team Work for Chuck.....kind act 38

2007-12-26T17:46:00.000-08:00

This act is from December 25th. Sorry about all of the weird dates for posting. Christmas was busy and awesome this year..

Well anyway, for the 25th's kind act. Every year we go out Christmas night to celebrate Chuck's birthday. His birthday just happens to fall on Christmas day. So at night we go out to celebrate "Chuckmas." This year was no exception. So I figured I would be a good brother for him and stay mostly sober. Chuck had a really good time!! So myself, Avi, and Jevon made sure at the end of the night he made it home safe. Merry Chuckmas!!

Small donation.......kind act 37

2007-12-25T06:39:00.000-08:00

Again for those keeping track of the dates. This act was from December 24th. Christmas Eve is the most important date of the year for my family. So I was busy all day....

Well on Christmas Eve my mom had me running all sorts of little errands back forth. So during one of my 3 trips to the grocery store I had a lot of extra change. So I decided it was time to help out one the donation staples of the holiday season. There was a bell ringer for the Salvation Army standing on the outside of the grocer. So I gave all of my extra change. There is just something so nostalgic about donating to the Salvation Army.

A ride to work......kind act 36

2007-12-23T19:39:00.000-08:00

Today's kind act was actually easy to come by. I was visiting my fraternity brothers in Cleveland. My little brother Avi had to goto work at 4pm. So I offered to give him a ride to work, since he does not own a car. He would have to walk or take the bus otherwise.... Merry Christmas Eve Eve!! :-)

Life of the Party......kind act 35

2007-12-22T22:56:00.000-08:00

Today was a good friend's birthday. She is joining the ranks of the mid-twenties crowd! lol... So since we all went out tonight and were pre-gaming at her apartment. I thought it would be a nice gesture to bring some extra beers for all the people at the party. The present was greatly appreciated and is something that can be used by all. Happy Birthday Krista!!!

Good Luck E-Card......kind act 34

2007-12-21T20:26:00.000-08:00

At work today, it was quite sad and happy. One of my good friends since I started at Progressive, was moving on to a different department. We have sat next to each other for over a year now. She was never really much a person for material goods, so I thought it would be nice to send her just a quick little e-card wishing her good luck. Well, as it turns out, Progressive's firewalls prevented the card from being delivered. So when I asked her about it later in the day, she really had no idea I sent one. But, she was very touched the gesture. Ironically enough though, she had sent me an e-card earlier in the week, which I never got either. We had quite a good laugh about this. Good luck Bridget in all that you do....

p.s. If you want to send free e-cards go to www.123greetings.com

Rounding up the carts......kind act 33

2007-12-20T20:15:00.000-08:00

Wow the Christmas shopping rush is upon us... This evening I was finished up all of my Christmas shopping (hooray for being done!!). While heading to my car from the last stop for the evening (Target), I realized my car (which was parked far away) was surrounded by shopping carts. Normally I always make it a point to return my cart to one of the designated areas. So tonight, I gathered up some other carts and returned them with mine. Hopefully it saved a few people from getting dings in their cars...

Let me clean that up for you.....kind act 32

2007-12-19T20:36:00.000-08:00

Today while eating lunch I finished well before everyone else.... I'm a fast eater, what can I say!! lol So anyway, after everyone else had finished their food, I took some extra time to ask if they were done with their food and take their garbage to the trash bag. Actually I helped out the cleaning person too, because she was changing the bag, so I made sure the trash made it into the old bag....

Hopefully that all made sense, I am quite tired tonight.... Thank you again for reading!! :-)

"Rest not, life is sweeping by. Go and dare before you die. Something mighty and sublime, leave behind to conquer time."

You are great at your job........kind act 31

2007-12-18T20:32:00.000-08:00

Quick little act today. I was shopping at Wal-Mart after the CSU vs OSU basketball game, and the lady who was checking me out was a very nice person. So I took some extra time to tell her thank you for being so pleasant...

Are you lost?......kind act 30!!

2007-12-17T20:32:00.000-08:00

Well I have a couple of things to blog about today. First I wanted to wish everyone happy "Random Acts of Kindness Day." It was passed along to me from a fellow kindness blogger (JenX). You should check out her blog too, it is listed on my other kind websites part. So anyway, today you are supposed to perform a random act of kindness for someone and write a blog about it. You can read more about it at (http://unite.blogcatalog.com).

Moving on.... Today's kind act was actually kind of cool. It just randomly fell upon me when I was leaving work. When I was pulling out in my car, this other car just started beeping at me like crazy. I thought it was a friend of mine at first, just playing around. After a while though, I realized it was someone who needed something. So, I got out of my car and went over to them to see what was wrong. It turned out it was a lady who was lost and was looking for a Progressive building. Needless to say she was at the wrong building. I tried to explain where she needed to go, but she didn't really follow me. So eventually I just told her to follow me. She was so happy when I showed her where to go. She ended up thanking me the same way she got my attention in the first place... By beeping like crazy haha.....

Hooray for one month solid of kind acts!!! :-)

Let me help you up.....kind act 29

2007-12-16T08:53:00.001-08:00

This act actually happened at about 2am of my night out. So technically it is Sunday's act lol. Well anyway, when we were leaving the club and walking back towards our car. We passed this other bar "Bar Flyy." While we were passing it, this girl walked out the door and took a major spill. Although, she did not seem too drunk. But, everyone just basically stared and laughed at her. So I went over there and helped back to her feet....

Goodwill to all.......kind act 28

2007-12-16T08:08:00.000-08:00

Just for everyone keeping tabs on my dates. This act was actually performed on December 15th 2007. I was just didn't get a chance to post it....

Well anyway, Saturday's random act was one of my favorites. So I went to Goodwill on Saturday to look for some vests. (Its the best place to find them and not spend $50 bucks like you would at a department store.) When I was checking out, they lay who was checking me out was just the nicest person. She was just so pleasant talking about how lovely the snow was and all the Christmas decorations, etc.. She really made my day. So after I left the store, there was a lady out front who was selling home made chocolates. I ended up buying a little baggie of goodies and took them back into Goodwill and gave them to her. The lady was just so so so happy and grateful. She actually gave me a hug!! lol Needless to say it definitely made my day too. I was smiling the whole way home..

Ouch, how's your back?......kind act 27

2007-12-14T20:16:00.000-08:00

Today's act sorta fell into me. I went to my girlfriend's parent's house for dinner and my gf could barely move. Apparently she had gotten a really bad kink in her back today. So I helped her out by giving her a back rub and running out to get her some icy hot patches from Wal-Mart. She was quite happy for the rub and gifts....

Did you want some water too?......kind act 26

2007-12-13T19:24:00.001-08:00

Today's act was really quite a simple one. I was on my way to the cafeteria at work to get my self a cup of water. I stopped and made some polite conversation with two of my bosses. So after we had finished talking I just asked if anyone needed anything (water, coffee, etc...). My one boss Karnina was very happy by the offer and happily accepted a cup of water. She said it was a nice way to start off her day. Act with kindness and pass it on!!!

Need some shade.....kind act 25

2007-12-12T19:43:00.000-08:00

While at work today I was talking to one of our finance reps Malinda about a deal we were working on. During our conversation, I noticed she kept shielding her eyes because the sun was shining through the window right into her cubical. I happened to notice some broken down boxes in the empty cubical next to hers. So I grabbed one and wedged it so it would stay up and block the sun from being in her eyes. She was really happy with the improvement..

After you....kind act 24

2007-12-11T21:12:00.000-08:00

So today I am not going to lie. I was coming up rather short in the kind act department. At least on ones I haven't already blogged about. So I figured I would steal my girlfriend's kind act since I was standing behind her. So today, we went to go see a sneak preview of "I am Legend." Not a bad movie, but not terribly good either. But, that is beside the point. Our kind act was that when we were leaving there were just tons of people filing out... While walking in queue my girlfriend saw two little old ladies trying to get out of their row in the theater. So my gf stopped and let them into the line. I basically ran into my girlfriend, but I am assuming I would of done the same thing if I was in front of her. So there you have it, my (katherine's) kind at for today...

Washing up.....kind act 23

2007-12-10T20:10:00.000-08:00

Hello Hello... So today after work Katherine's mom invited me over for dinner. She always cooks the most delicious dinners. Yum yum yum.. So when we finished dinner today, I offered to help do the dishes. (a.k.a. load the dishwasher, lol). Actually it is a big help for them though, because Katherine's parents purchased the dish washer only about 7-8 months ago. This is their first time actually owning one. They preferred to do it the old fashion way before. So my life long expertise in dish loading really helps.... merging the old with the new....love it!!

Spare Change for the Children......kind act 22

2007-12-09T18:04:00.000-08:00

While returning to Ohio from Indiana today. John and I decided that we should stop by Wendy's and get some frosties. I was really loooking forward to this. While purchasing the delicious frosties, I noticed a collection jar on the counter for the Dave Thomas Foundation. So I cleaned out my pockets of all my spare change and donated it.... Always keep an eye out for an opportunity to be nice!!

Hey, long time no talk to.....kind act 21

2007-12-08T17:28:00.000-08:00

Well, This weekend I took a little road trip with John Roman to visit our fraternity brother Joey Marginian in Indianapolis. Joey now works for the national fraternity and had to move away from Cleveland. He actually has a really cool job, but can get lonely since he lives so far away now. So we decided that when he got some free time we would come up and visit him. So here we are in Indiana keeping our brother company! Hey, I thought it was pretty nice to drive 5 hours just to kick it....

You got that?.....kind act 20!!

2007-12-07T21:45:00.000-08:00

Hooray! Today is a big celebration, I have made it to 20 straight days of performing at least one random act of kindness!

For today's act, it was the same thing for two different people. In my building at Progressive there are a few different departments. So, while I was walking through my building I came across two different people during the day who were struggling with the door because their hands were full. So I just made it point to give them an extra hand and make sure they made it through unscathed..

Merci Beaucoup.....kind act 19

2007-12-06T19:18:00.000-08:00

For today's entry I wanted more to tell a story about a person who did an amazing random act of kindness for me. Well, in case you were not aware, I was recently accepted into the Peace Corps. If all goes according to plan, I will be leaving in June for Sub-Saharan Africa. I will working with private entrepreneurs in a French speaking country. (I don't know which one yet...)

In order to go on this trip I must complete through French 102 by June. When I found out about my nomination to the Peace Corps, it was too late for me to register for French 101 in the fall semester. Which left me in sort of a pickle to complete French 102 by spring. So I checked around at CSU and Tri-C. The language director at Tri-C said he would have the French teacher call me about possible arrangements.

So Maria Szocs called me and said she would be my tutor and help me get prepared for French 102. I was so incredibly grateful.. So we met up the first week to begin my lessons and of course I brought up how she wanted me to pay her. But, she told me not to worry about it, we could talk about it some other time.. Of course what she meant was that we would not talk about it and she was helping me of her own willingness for free!! I have had over 10 weekly sessions with her and she is quite possibly one of the most caring and generous people I have ever met. I will be forever in her debt for giving me the best act of kindness I could ever ask for..

Today was our last session together and I brought her a small gift of my appreciation....

Merci Merci Merci Beaucoup Maria Szocs. Tu es mon professeur super!!

Ton Ami, Eric

Go ahead.......kind act 18

2007-12-05T19:00:00.000-08:00

I rather enjoyed today's random act. It was a small one that had immediate results. While leaving work today; I was waiting in the normal traffic jam that accumulates at the end of the street. Another car was waiting to pull into the street, so I went ahead and let him pull in front of me. It was just a small simple act.

But the neat part is, near the traffic light, there is a shopping plaza. So when we got close to the plaza, the guy I had let in, let about two or three people pull in and out of the plaza... My act of kindness immediately spawned a random act on his part!!

So in case you have been missing the point of my blog, it is to inspire others to take time out of their day to perform a random act of kindness. It was just really cool seeing an immediate result... Spreading kindness, Wow what a novel idea :-)

Happy Birthday to You!!!.......kind act 17

2007-12-04T16:30:00.000-08:00

Today's act was really quite a simple one, but one that can go a long way for some people. Today was my fraternity brother Sterlin Walker's birthday. So I made it a point to call him today and wish him well on his birthday. Sometimes just taking a little time out of your day to say happy birthday can go a long way. Soooo, happy birthday to all the other people born on December 4th!!

Would you like fries with that?.....kind act 16

2007-12-03T16:33:00.000-08:00

Today's act is really quite awesome if I do say so myself... So, while at work today I stumbled across this website (www.actsofkindness.org). I was quite excited about this discovery. On this particular website they have thousands of small spin-off pages started by its members. They basically recount a random act of kindness they once did. So, I was reading through this one woman's act of kindness. She is from Ohio too, which made it even better! Anyway, her kind act is when she orders fast food from the drive-through. She will ask the clerk how much the person's meal is behind her. If its less than $10 bucks, she will pick it up. Of course money permitting.....

So today, I went to Wendy's for lunch and I wanted to give this act a try. I ordered my food and then when I pulled around to the window, I asked about the guys food behind me. It fell within the budget, so I picked up his lunch for him. I told the clerk to tell the guy "You just received a random act of kindness, pass it on..." Today's act really made me quite happy, knowing that I had most likely just made that guy's day. Hopefully he will pass it on......

Feeding the animals.....kind act 15

2007-12-02T11:11:00.000-08:00

After working at the Salvation Army yesterday, there was some left over white bread. So instead of just throwing it away, we took it home.... Therefore, this morning I went and spread the bread around the tree lawn for the birds and squirrels... gotta help them fatten up for the winter...

Serving a hot meal......kind act 14

2007-12-01T16:14:00.000-08:00

Today I worked at the Salvation Army in Elyria. My aunt runs a program through her church that serves a hot meal to the less fortunate once a month. My parents were there too. So it was a family affair today.... it was great having everyone together!!

Need a tissue?.....kind act 13

2007-11-30T23:19:00.000-08:00

While at work today, my co-worker Geoffrey started having a sneezing fit. I thought I would be nice and offer him some tissue paper. Although, as it turned out, he had a full box of tissues on his desk already. But hey, its the thought that counts!!

Would you like some beans?.....kind act 12

2007-11-29T19:11:00.000-08:00

I was eating lunch today at work. I was enjoying some delicious navy bean soup. When my co-worker Fredrica got a wiff of the beans. She was just being nice and telling me how great they smell. So I figured it would be nice if I offered her some. She didn't accept at first, but after some convincing she tasted some. Its nice meeting people who appreciate navy bean soup. Most people are haters!! But Fredrica is awesome!!

Buying a christmas flower.....kind act 11

2007-11-28T21:34:00.000-08:00

This evening, my mother charged Katherine and myself with retrieving the pizza and wine for dinner. So while we were at Giant Eagle purchasing the bottle of wine. We also purchased two speckled poinsettias for my parents. They were overjoyed to receive the gifts so unexpectedly... I love the Christmas season!!

You look nice today......kind act 10

2007-11-27T18:31:00.000-08:00

This lovely Tuesday at work, one of my co-workers Joanne was wearing a very nice matching brown outfit. So I made sure to tell her clothes were very chic and stylish today. She was very appreciative of the complement..

Clearing the lunch table......kind act 9

2007-11-26T12:17:00.000-08:00

A kind act goes a long way no matter how small or how large. Therefore, today my kind act was a bit smaller, but still greatly appreciated. I was at lunch with my usual gang, and when I took my trash to the garbage can, I offered to take my buddy Romero's trash too. He graciously accepted....simple but satisfying...

Rebuilding The Colosseum....kind act 8

2007-11-25T22:55:00.000-08:00

This lovely sunday night my fraternity (Delta Sigma Phi) had a big meeting. We hold these meetings in a room called The Colosseum. However, some of the raised seating had become unstable and it was no longer safe to sit on. So myself and Brother Tulevski took it upon ourselves to fix the seating and make it safe once again for people to sit on. Proud to be a Delta Sig....

Cleaning the yard......kind act 7

2007-11-24T13:28:00.001-08:00

Today while my dad was at work. I showed my gratitude for letting me move home by raking all the leaves. Definitely back breaking work....especially when its windy!! lol But in the end, I think he will be quite happy..

Cleaning off the car....kind act 6

2007-11-23T14:52:00.000-08:00

This morning I thought it would be a nice to clean off my girlfriend's car. See, since we live in Cleveland Ohio, mother nature decided it would a nice idea to give us some rain followed immediately by snow. So what this creates, is a nice thick layer of ice all over the car. So I took some extra time after I cleaned off my car this morning and cleaned hers off as well. I love surprises...

Playing with the cousins....kind act 5

2007-11-22T20:23:00.000-08:00

Today during Thanksgving at my aunt's house. I decided it would be a wonderful opportunity to play with my little cousins. David 5, Sarah 3, and Lilly 2. Needless to say, being a very large child myself, I had a wonderful time. Gotta love kids and their outlook on life. Eat, Sleep, Learn, and Play!! wonderful..

Cooked entire Thanksgiving dinner....kind act 4

2007-11-21T19:56:00.000-08:00

Today I cooked an entire Thanksgiving dinner. It has become sort of a tradition with my girlfriend's family. See they are Chinese immigrants and don't really know how to cook a traditional American Thanksgiving dinner. So for the past two years, on the night before Thanksgiving, I cook the entire meal for them. I will have some pictures of the event soon!! This was a fun random act of kindness!! :-)

Cleaning up the feast.....Kind Act 3

2007-11-20T23:24:00.000-08:00

Today at work we had a thanksgiving feast. It was absolutely delicious! Afterwards though, there was a huge mess. So at the end of the day, I basically cleaned up the entire mess. Probably about 90% of it. I had to leave before I could finish. I really tried though.....

Holding the door, for everyone!!......Kind Act 2

2007-11-19T19:18:00.000-08:00

Today, while at work and while out and about. I made it an extra point to hold the door for everyone I could. Just call it chivalry to the extreme...

A Small gift...kind act 1

2007-11-18T18:53:00.000-08:00

Today, I was invited to my girlfriend's parent's house for dinner (Chinese Hot Pot). I thought I would make a small gesture of my appreciation and bring them some donuts, milk buns, and a cream tart from the Chinese bakery...

Acting on Kindness

2007-11-17T21:21:00.000-08:00

So I have decided to make the world a better place by performing at least one "random act of kindness" everyday. This will be my blog to document the random acts. Hopefully it will help encourage others to make the world a better place. Viva Amelie!!