1. Zambia Weaving Reed Mats

    When I first got to my Peace Corps village, I made friends with the oldest and most crotchety man in the village.  I made friends with him because he wove these beautiful reed mats and I wanted to learn how to make them.  At that point in my service, I didn't know that only men who were "retired" (old enough to do nothing else) wove these reed mats.  My language skills were rudimentary and he spoke no English.  I figured this would be a good way to improve my language skills and lea...

  2. Panama Kids at Play

    Two Ngobe-Bugle children at play. 

  3. Panama Desfile de Navidad en Puerto Armuelles

    I had the absolutely privilege of being Santo Claus in the 2009 Desfile de Navidad en Puerto Armuelles, Chiriqui.  This event is perhaps one of the biggest throughout the year. For over a mile stretch the float threw out cookies and candies and children were constantly brought up to sit on my lap for a photo. "Santo Santo dame galletas!"

  4. Panama El Gigante y Hato Chime Tour Guide

    During tech week in Hato Chami de la Comarca Ngobe-Bugle, a group of 5 volunteers set out each morning at 4:30 AM to hike the local summits.  On one of our many sunrise morning hikes we were accompanied by a local inhabitant and his horse.   Upon reaching the top our guide was insistent upon two things; one, taking a pictures with "El Gigante" (which is me) and having his current tenant ride the horse back into the village.  

  5. Ivory Coast Chef du Village

    Coulibaly Doh, the Village Chief of Sohouo, is proudly wearing his new t-shirt, which was given to him as a gift from some friends who visited me during my service. 

  6. Mongolia Walking home with host brother

    My friend and I lived with Mongolian host families during our summer training, and our duu's (Mongolian for younger siblings) would follow us everywhere, every day. After one Sunday afternoon study session at another Peace Corps Trainee's felt tent, our duu's came to pick us up.

  7. Kenya The Vomit Clinic

      Excerpts from my blog at http://bigtummyinkenya.blogspot.com February 4, 2006. My friend Julia runs the village vomit clinic. She calls it an herbal medicine practice, but when sick people come over to your house and barf into a basin so you can analyze it, I call it a vomit clinic. She has been running it for about four years, and people come from as far as Kapsabet, the district capital an hour and a half away by bus, seeking the healing powers of puke. The vomit potion is a family secre...

  8. Paraguay Condoms on Bananas

    A safe sex workshop excercise, practicing putting condoms on bananas in a girl's school in Horquetta, Paraguay. 

  9. Paraguay World Map Prison

    Putting the finishing touches on a three month project to paint a world map on the classroom wall of a prison in Concepcion, Paraguay. 

  10. Paraguay How I Learned Guarani

      The Peace Corps is not a travel agency.  I sat nervously in the recruiter’s office, exhausted from the two-hour interview, when I was asked the golden question.  “What part of the world would you like to serve?  Remember, we assign volunteers where their skills are most needed, not because they want to be tourists.”             I desperately wanted to live in Central America.  The climate! The food! The beach! But I was better prepared than that.  “I would like to serve in Central America s...

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“Sunset at the Railroad” by PCV Nicholas Baylor Hall. Namibia, 2011.