Thanks for a great trip!

Many thanks to everyone who made this trip back to the States so great! Thanks for the great food, good times, laughs and encouragement (and for updating me on the latest technological developments and celebrity gossip!). It was really wonderful to see so many friends and family and I can't wait to see all of you again! Maybe next time it will be in Cairo; you're all welcome any time!

Outbreak response center

After leaving Greenville, I headed down to Atlanta, where I've been working at the CDC and catching up with old friends for a couple days.

Today I was at the CDC working and one of the girls I was meeting with offered to take me down to the outbreak response center, where the response to the H1N1 influenza outbreak is being managed. I have to say, it was kind of awesome. It looked like a scene out of a movie.

Imagine a big room with semi-circular rows of desks dotted with computers and packed with people, all facing a wall divided into eight giant screens, each one filled with a map or table or diagram or bullet points. Then add, behind the big room, several smaller rooms, each filled with computers, people and television screens. Add a constant buzz of sound with keywords like "influenza", "H1N1", "another case" and "investigation" and you'll have a pretty good sense of the scene.

It was certainly impressive. CDC has pulled a huge portion of its regular employees from their offices around the CDC campus in Atlanta and has brought in a number of employees from around the world and placed them in the emergency response facility. Even from the little bit of time I spent there, I knew this was an incredible meeting of minds. Very impressive.

Artisphere in downtown Greenville

Unfortunately, today was my last day in Greenville, but, I have to say, I can't imagine a better way to have spent it than downtown at Artisphere with my family!

Artisphere, Greenville's annual arts festival, is taking place this weekend, "showcasing the arts, reflecting the area's international flair, and maximizing existing arts programs by providing a diverse menu of experiences that center around the arts visual and performing and Greenville's multi-cultural offerings to appeal to visitors from throughout the world, as well as citizens throughout the region." A whole section of Main Street is shut down to traffic and business as usual is put on hold while the streets are filled with visual and performing artists. It's a really incredibly fun event!
And it could not have been held in a better location on a more beautiful day! Sometimes when I'm away from Greenville for a while, I guess I forget just how absolutely beautiful the city is. Days like today remind me so I took a few pictures while we were downtown at the festival.

Downpour

This just doesn't happen in Egypt! I can't really remember the last time I saw rain like this! (I recognize that this may not be interesting at all to those of you who are in places where it rains, but just try to imagine it from the perspective of someone who lives in the desert...)

It's always hard to take pictures of rain...

All that white stuff in the pine needles is HAIL!

Driving in the States

As crazy as the traffic is in Cairo, I've gotten used to it. I've become so used to it, in fact, that I'm now more nervous driving at high speeds down an empty highway than weaving through traffic on a crowded street with inches of room to spare between other cars, buildings and pedestrians.

Funny how strong a role perspective plays!

Congratulations, Matt & Clarice!

I've been back in the States - in Charleston, South Carolina, to be specific - since Tuesday to celebrate the marriage of two of my very good friends. The past few days have been fantastic and I'm thrilled today to have been able to be present for the wedding itself.

Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Clemmens!!

The Big Apple

I haven't been to New York in years, but on my way back to Cairo from Greenville, I decided to stop by for a couple days to visit some friends. Even though I spent the vast majority of my time there just hanging out and catching up with those friends, I still spent a little time walking around the city and seeing a few sights. I had a few hours to waste on Friday morning and wandered down 42nd street, from Grand Central Station to Times Square.
On my way, I passed the New York Public Library, so I went inside and I absolutely loved it! I was disappointed photography wasn't allowed inside; the building is incredibly beautiful.
I also walked through Bryant Park, which is probably most famous as the home of New York Fashion Week, even though it was currently the site of a free ice skating rink. I was dying to take a turn on the ice, but unfortunately didn't have time to stop longer than just to take a look.And that was it for seeing any famous (or even pseudo-famous) places; the rest of the time I just spent hanging out and having fun!

There's no place like home

I know, it’s a cliché. We’ve all heard it a million times. “There’s no place like home.” And with three clicks of her ruby red slippers, Dorothy is finished with Oz and she’s instantly whisked back to her life in Kansas. I may not be an exact Dorothy – instead of three heel clicks, it took me three very long flights (wait, make that four, since the second was delayed, so I missed the third and was re-routed which added a fourth leg to the journey); instead of being finished in Oz, I was only taking a break from it (Egypt is probably as crazy as Oz most of the time, so I’ll let that comparison ride); instead of making an “instant” journey, I spent approximately 28 hours traveling; and instead of going to Kansas, I went back to South Carolina (a much better choice, in my opinion) – but I can still relate. However cliché it may sound, there really is no place like home.

I was able to spend just over a week at home recently and it was such a refreshing time. As much as I enjoy my life and my work in Cairo, I had become exhausted and stressed, and a little time at home was just the break I needed. I spent time with my mom, my brother, my grandparents and numerous friends who came to visit for a lunch, an afternoon or an evening; I ate meals at my favorite restaurants and wandered through some of my favorite places in Greenville and Clemson; I celebrated and laughed and (almost) cried as one of my oldest friends was married; I drank as much sweet tea and ate as much bacon and BBQ as I could (there’s no pork in Cairo); I relaxed and I enjoyed the time I had to spend with the people I love.

So a huge thanks to all of you who made this trip home so wonderful. There really is no place like home, and even though I’m rarely there, I never forget it.

Clemson Memorial Carillon

Just before I graduated from Clemson University, I had an opportunity to climb up to see the Clemson Memorial Carillon in Tillman Hall. It was something I wanted my brother to also be able to do before he graduates. So today, after lunch at Ancheaux's and a little sneakiness...

Mice on Main

Today I had a little fun being a tourist in my own hometown. 'Mice on Main' is something of a scavenger hunt in downtown Greenville that was inspired by the children's book, 'Goodnight Moon'. The project was developed by one of my fellow CCES students for his senior project. He raised the funding and commissioned a local sculptor to make nine mice sculptures that are now scattered throughout Main Street. So this afternoon, one of my dear friends and I wandered through downtown and had fun searching for a few of the mice.

Mr. and Mrs. McMillan

Congratulations, Elizabeth and Everett! I'm SO glad I got to come back to Greenville to spend some time with you and celebrate your wonderful wedding! As Laurie and I said in our toast...

"...to Everett, the husband, and Elizabeth, the wife,
we raise our glasses to your long and joyous life!"

Ok, Cairo is not cold.

I expected it to be chilly in South Carolina in January, but I certainly did NOT expect it to be FREEZING!! I think God heard me complaining about it being cold in Cairo and decided to show me that it's not really that cold in Cairo. So now I take it back. Cairo is not cold. South Carolina is cold.

Heading home!

I'm about to head back to the U.S. for about ten days, and I could not be more excited! I cannot wait to see family and friends and get away from the craziness of Egypt for a little while.

Not that I've been very good about posting on here lately, but it'll probably be a while longer before I post anything else...

Vote

I saw a video similar to this one a few weeks ago encouraging people to register to vote, and tonight I ran across this one. I thought the first one was clever and this one is pretty good too so I wanted to share it.

First observations of America

A few observations from my first twenty-four hours back in America...

The aerial view of the Blue Ridge Mountains make me homesick for the hills of Rwanda. The steering wheel is on the left side of the car but cars drive on the right side of the road. The internet is amazingly fast. Air conditioning is incredibly cold. Hot water is really, really hot. I look like a clown in make up. Americans have so much land and so much of it they don't even need or use. Driving is much easier without buses, motos and pedestrians. Real mattresses are much, much better than Rwandafoam. After a year without preservatives in my diet, my stomach isn't quite ready for American cuisine. I miss the cord hanging on the wall by my pillow that turns off the lights in my room when I'm ready to go to sleep. Apparently there don't have to be fruit flies and cockroaches in the bathroom. My malaria medication may have been more useful if it had been in Rwanda rather than in my dresser drawer in South Carolina. Ice can make drinks really cold. It's strange to hear everyone speak English all the time.

Flight turbulence

I think I've taken one too many bumpy flights over the past year. On my flight yesterday from Detroit to Greenville, there was a little turbulence. I didn't think anything of it until I realized the passengers across the aisle were looking around nervously. I continued reading my book. The turbulence grew worse and I kept reading my book. After a little while, I realized I had become the guy I used to watch on my flights in Africa, the one who had clearly seen worse and more turbulent flights and therefore wasn't worried about the current one. Though the flight from Detroit may have been a little bumpy, it wasn't anywhere near as bad as some of the flights I took in Africa. I'm not sure if that gave the people around me the impression that I was calm or that I was crazy.

Back to the United States

I think I may have just returned from the smoothest trip I've ever taken between Africa and the United States. I arrived at the Kigali airport two hours before my flight and had no trouble checking in - no issue over whether my ticket was paper or electronic, no suggestion that I didn't actually have a booking on the flight, no cancellation of the flight, no request that I pay more than the standard amount for my excess baggage, no trouble at all. We arrived in Nairobi on time and then departed on time as well. The flights to Amsterdam and then Detroit were also smooth. Only the final flight from Detroit to Greenville was delayed, and it was only delayed by about fifteen minutes.

It was't a bad trip at all.

Access to Life Exhibition

If you live in the D.C. area, I have to encourage you to visit the Access to Life Exhibition. It's going to be at the Corcoran Gallery of Art from 14 June through 20 July. Here's a description of the exhibition:

Eight extraordinarily engaged artists from Magnum Photos have ventured far from home to visualize some of the external aspects of individual lives marked by AIDS and its consequences. Supported by the Global Fund on the ground, Jonas Bendiksen, Jim Goldberg, Alex Majoli, Steve McCurry, Paolo Pellegrin, Gilles Peress, Eli Reed, and Larry Towell each embraced the responsibility to document with objectivity and compassion the role of medical intervention in the fight against a life-threatening illness. Their new work appears for the first time in Access to Life.

These photographers interacted with many communities throughout around the world. Their connections extended beyond those directly suffering from AIDS, to include loved ones, children, parents, and literal families, no less than families of affinity and choice. In bringing all these people together for this project, Access to Life proposes that these citizens of nine separate countries are united across political and geographic borders by their common struggle to forestall mortality and to participate in global networks of compassion and solicitude.

One important goal of this exhibition is to recognize the many individuals who participated in this project. Together they have allowed us a lyrical and bracing glimpse into the lives of people stirred to care for the bodies and souls of those they love.

The website for the exhibition is impressive too. It's: http://accesstolife.theglobalfund.org/exhibition

The "g-word"

I just finished reading the speech Barack Obama gave earlier this week and was quite inspired. The quote that stuck with me most, though, was his definition of "the common threats of the 21st century - terrorism and nuclear weapons; climate change and poverty; genocide and disease."

He said it. The "g-word". Genocide. A word that is rarely uttered by the leaders of the United States. A word describing events and actions that this nation has ignored over and over again. A word that our government emphatically refused to use in 1994.

On the 11th of May 1994, over a month into the Rwandan genocide, State Department representative Mike McCurry was asked in a press briefing, "Has this government been able to determine whether any of the acts committed in Rwanda since April 6 constitute genocide?" He answered, "I don't know that they've made any legal determination on that."

On May 17th, the United Nations Security Council finally admitted "acts of genocide may have been committed." Over a month after this admission, on June 10th, the United States continued to refuse to describe the events occurring in Rwanda as "genocide". Note that at this point, over sixty-five days had passed since "acts of genocide" had begun in Rwanda. In this time, hundreds of thousands had been killed. Since the UN had used the term "acts of genocide", State Department spokesperson Christine Shelley was asked in a briefing "How many acts of genocide does it take to make genocide?" She responded, "That's just not a question that I'm in a position to answer." The follow-up question was asked, "Well, is it true that you have specific guidance not to use the word 'genocide' in isolation, but always to preface it with these words 'acts of'?" Her response was a jumble of excuses.

Four years later, in March of 1998, President Clinton finally admitted, "We did not immediately call these crimes by their rightful name: genocide."

Now, fourteen years after the Rwandan genocide, a candidate for the office of President of the United States has not only used the "g-word", but he has mentioned genocide as one of "the common threats of the 21st century." In this nation that has refused to acknowledge genocide so often in its past, even this mention of the "g-word" gives me hope that possibly, just maybe, there is the slightest chance that next time events like those that took place in Rwanda in 1994 occur, our government might choose to acknowledge them appropriately and take action. While I know there is no guarantee, even the mention of the word "genocide" is a step forward in my mind.

For the rest of Barack Obama's speech from 3 June, visit: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2008/story?id=4988344&page=1.
It's a read I would recommend.

A little America

Here in Kigali, the cost of anything that has been imported into the country, particularly food items, is simply exorbitant. A box of plain cornflakes is at least $7; a can of tuna is $4; a regular-sized bottle of balsamic vinegar is $10; a bag of chocolate chips is sold for as much as $66. Thus, any food from outside the country is an exciting commodity. At my house, I keep a small cabinet that is my treasure chest of food. It's really hilarious. I don't consider myself someone who loves sweets and has to have them on a regular basis, and yet the majority of the American food in my cabinet is sweet. There's pancake and biscuit mix, instant oatmeal, drink mix, hot chocolate, m&m's, chocolate bars, granola bars, chocolate chips, cake mix, cookie mix, icing, chocolate pudding, canned tuna; there are even three boxes of cereal that I bought from a friend who had brought them but was leaving the country for a new job. It's a funny relationship that the ex-pats here have with imported food. It's such a treat that even items that you would never particularly seek out in the States become valuable and exciting.