What's Update

4th last day at MEDA Peru today. It's been 7 months on this continent, which seems like a while but everything is relative. Sat in a meeting today with the two bosses and a retiree, Phil, who used to work for the World Bank. I mean I've learned a lot in my time here and I've written a lot about it but I've still got only 7 months experience while Phil has been working this field and this continent for twice as long as I've been born. So I sit through an entire days meeting, all keen and awake, ready to give my two cents at a moments notice but ultimately can't contribute a single thing. Nary a peep. I just contribute lots of nodding. It is a good way to convey interest and understanding without interrupting.

For example: What are goals worth pursuing? What seems like it should work but doesn't? How do you get attention? How do you persuade communities? How do you communicate to donors? How can you be sure what you're doing is right? Has this ever been done? What happened in Colombia? What happened in Bolivia? I don't know. I'd just nod and pretend they're rhetorical questions.

Wednesday is last day. Easter holiday after that will be spent in Peru and then my visa expires and I gotta be out by the 19th of April. I'm taking a bit of a detour on my way back to Canada. Two and a half months to grow my hair, somewhere in South America (Colombia or Brazil). Excited yes. Call me Al. The main drawback is that I'm going to miss the hockey playoffs. At least the Oilers aren't making it.


Peace out, mangroves. It's been a blasty-blast.