Posts Tagged ‘Peace Corps’

I recently began converting an old Peugot Monaco frame into a fixie. While very familiar with most aspects of bike repair, the old frame represented new challenges. Before I began buying a bunch of replacement parts (I found the frame without a seat and seatpost, wheels, brakes, chain. While also having a loose bottom bracket), I headed to Outdoors, Inc. Fortunately, I found Jason there and he demonstrated how to remove the bottom bracket and he set me up with some new bearings and a lockring tool (not something found commonly in stock at other shops). Jason also understood — without me saying directly — that I wanted to do the repairs myself. He removed the components of the bottom bracket and got me what I needed and threw it into a ziplock bag — ready for the work in my garage. The staff then helped me measure and order all of the components I needed to make the conversion. When the components came in I had some problems with the seatpost sizing, since the Peugot has an odd size seatpost. Mike (who also builds his own frames (Magnolia, if I remember correctly)) took the time to describe what I should do to shim a post in order to make it fit.

Furthermore, since I use bicycles as my primary form of transportation, Isaiah has been more than helpful and diligent in making sure that I was aware that parts I order were in and ready for pickup.

The bike repair staff at Outdoors, Inc. is knowledgeable, helpful and organized. With that being said, they need to make sure they continue to help bikers learn how to fix their rigs. After all, there aren’t bike repair schools readily available to teach repair techniques. And, if you hadn’t accommodated my needs for instruction, I would have gone elsewhere.

Outdoors, Inc. Midtown receives a 5 Broken Down Car rating. Cheers to you!

I can’t help but feel a little sorry for my dad who is serving in the Peace Corps in Azerbaijan currently.

When I served in the Peace Corps, only 8 years ago, I didn’t have access to a telephone, electricity, running water or sanitation systems. While having many of those things wouldn’t have changed my experience much, they are what make my experience unique. While visiting my father in Azerbaijan last year, I realized that cell phones would have changed my experience drastically, negatively.

During our visit (my wife went as well), my father was perpetually calling or texting other PCVs or Azeri friends. He was always in the process of contacting someone or being contacted. From my perspective, the ease of communication kept him too close to other PCVs in his area. It did help him stay contacted with his Azeri friends but I’m sure they would have found him without a phone.

Dad always complains about other PCVs missing text-scheduled rendezvous. Makes sense, you disconnect yourself from others through text. It’s not as if you stood face to face with someone and made plans to get together. While I was in Haiti, we made plans in person months in advance. We made sure we arrived at the occasion unless some Haiti-esque problem struck us down. Often, we would arrive and sit and wait around for hours at the rendezvous point. We would sit and talk with whoever was around, usually Haitian friends of your friend. We did this contently because, after all, we had only set a date for the rendezvous, not a date and an hour.

I can’t help but feel some of the PC experience has been lost by handing out phones to volunteers. Don’t get me started on allowing them to have televisions and DVD players. It’s my understanding that PCVs in Azerbaijan watched DVDs until all hours of the night and woke up every afternoon. In my humble opinion, if you’re going to do that, stay home in the U.S. and waste your own money on worthless movies. I regress.

I think I would recommend to volunteers going into the Peace Corps now to ditch the cell phones except in emergency situations or during working hours. Outside of that, spend your time getting to know the people and try living like they do. That is what Peace Corps is about.

I like to maintain maneuverability while bike commuting so I use a backpack to carry my clothes, food and repair kit to work. While I’ve wanted to, I have never tried a bike commuting-designed messenger bag. I can’t get rid of my current backpack.

I bought my backpack sometime in the spring or summer of 1999. I was wrapping up grad school and preparing for service in the Peace Corps. This was the first Lowe Alpine backpack I bought. I liked the size and the belts the pack offered. I believe I bought it for around $150.

The pack went with me to Haiti in September of ’99. I carried it almost everywhere I went in my 27 months there. The pack suffered extreme abuse during the two years, being transported in the back of pickup trucks, camions, on top of buses, dump trucks, etc. I also used it on countless hikes from one place to another. I used it on bike trips into the provincial capital on semi-weekly trips. I carried 30 lb tanks of propane, young trees, groceries, clothes and rum, of course.

The first couple of years after I came back from Haiti, the pack was not used extensively. I basically used it to carry workout clothes on my daily commutes in my undesirable vehicle. I now use the pack on my 16 mile round-trip bike commutes in Memphis, TN. The pack has also made two return trips to Haiti and one trip to Azerbaijan to visit my father in the Peace Corps.

I have only three minor dents in the pack to date. Soon after I purchased the pack, the nylon cord holding a metal clip for keys (I assume) in the upper pack compartment became detached. I’ve never missed the clip, I don’t think. My wife, then girlfriend, burned the end of one of the straps on the muffler of a motorcycle taxi in Haiti. And, this year two small wear spots in the upper compartment developed which are not yet holes. None of the straps, including the shoulder straps show any signs that they may some day detach from the pack.

After almost ten years of constant use the Lowe Alpine Contour Mountain 50 is still going strong. While not the prettiest to look at due to sun fading, the pack remains fully functional.

The pack receives a 5 Broken-Down Car Rating.
(Click on Rating System at top of page for explanation of the rating)

Likes: Durability
Dislikes: None
Best Uses: Travel, Peace Corps Service, Bike commuting, Extreme loading and wear conditions

The pack as it currently appears:

Lowe Alpine Contour Mountain 50

I will soon be adding journal entries and letters from my service in Peace Corps Haiti from 1999-2001. Some journal entries may be graphic so I advise caution in choosing to read them.

I recommend starting at the beginning and reading in chronological order. Click here to start at the beginning of my service. Read from the bottom of the page up.

Well, only have 5 days until I go to P-au-P for the last as a PCV. I think it has passed the time when I needed to return to the States. I am thoroughly sick of this place. Although, I think it is good that I am leaving while I’m sick of it. That way I won’t feel like returning any time soon.

Anyway, on the 6th we will travel to P-au-P. On the 8th Ernante has her interview at the American consulate. Then we will just stay in P-au-P until the 16th, when we fly back to the States. We would come back if it wasn’t for me having to be in P-au-P on the 13th for three days of medical observations before I can COS. The long stay in P-au-P won’t be bad though. I think Kris will be coming in to visit with us and Mike and Wisline will be there too, since they are going back on the 16th too.

I just heard something that really ticked me off and provides evidence for a theory I hold about Haitian culture. Michelin was talking about Josh Bean’s (PCV) fiancé. She was saying how she and already passed the exam (the baccalaureate) at age 21. Well, supposedly, she (Fedya) composed with one of her cousins who told Michelin that Fedya wouldn’t let her copy off of her exam. So, Michelyne said Fedya was a selfish individual because she passed and didn’t let her cousin cheat of her so that she could pass too. The is a recurring idea throughout Haitian culture: “If you have something I don’t, then you should give me some so we can both have.” It’s like a system of unorganized communism. And it works only slightly worse than organized communism. I have never been more pro-capitalism than I am now.