Beyond Sustainability

Reading: Días y Noches de Amor y de Guerra by Eduardo Galeano

One of the hardest situations for many of us Peace Corps volunteers to find ourselves in is explaining that we are not and cannot be the savior with an unending supply of money. The modern day White Man's Burden is not just one of fostering development but combating past missteps of handout aide. It is a situation, for those of use on the ground, that so often involves crushing some one's dreams and hope right before our eyes. More so, it is something that we have become hardened and accustomed to. In fact, many of us interested in development see it as a necessary evil that is simply part of the line of work. And we justify it in the name of sustainability.

But this is not a story of that.

This is a story that beings at site visit with a scared and intimidated volunteer and a child unaware of the harsh realities life had thrown her way.

Attack of the Worms!

Reading: the Shining by Stephen King

My house is being infiltrated by worms. No exaggeration.

Everywhere I turn they are crawling on my walls, on my floor, in my bathroom, and in my bedroom (so far they have spared my kitchen counter, but that's still cockroach territory.) If I was ever to to write a horror story, it would be based off of these worms, where one of the chilling effects would be having the reader really feel the crunching sound they make when squished. The story would have to involve a hefty amount of embellishment, however, because I am almost certain these worms are harmless.

Annelida invader

Regardless, since the rains have finally started, the worms have been pouring into my house. I almost feel guilty as I have reacted to their coming with an all out blood bath on these rain refugees (do worms even have blood?) At first it was a bit careless - I hadn't figured out that you need to squish close to the head, otherwise they're apt to drag their half dead bodies with them on their unclear quest through my cement wasteland.