December Library Display

/in ,

by Anne Newins

The library volunteers have identified an eclectic group of nearly eighty books for your holiday reading.  Spanning a variety of genres, one common feature in the collection seems to be snow.  Below is a sampling of some of the books on display.

Cindy Bollens and Julie Mahoney

Romance:

The Snow Bride, by Debbie Macomber

Nantucket White Christmas, by Pamela Kelley

The Wish, by Nicolas Sparks

 Historical:

Log Cabin Christmas Collection, various authors

Snow Falling on Cedars, by David Guterson

The Winter Soldier, by Daniel Mason
Mystery:

A Fine and Bitter Snow, by Dana Stabenow

Blood on Snow, by Jo Nesbo

Arctic Chill, by Arnaldur Indridason

Books about polar exploration, poetry, and short stories are also included. The display is located in front of the fireplace near the main entrance to the library.

RVM Campus Snow Routes

/in ,

In mid-November, drivers at RVM encountered barricades and detour signs on some of the campus roads  The reason — a dress rehearsal for snow-and-ice season, with the  employees practicing getting onto campus via the “Snow Route.” The Snow Route (shown in the map below) is designed to keep traffic off of the steepest streets, which experience has shown are difficult or impossible to negotiate under slippery conditions.

Traffic control is set up and manned by the Security Department, while road clearing is handled by the grounds team of Facilities Services. Jens Larsen, Director of Security, explained that Transportation is also involved in shuttling staff up or down the hill when RVM Drive is closed.

When asked about the decision and set-up process, Jens said “We sometimes pre-stage road barricades that direct this route if we know bad weather is coming, but the timing always depends on the time of day and what staff is on the hill when the weather hits.”

The plan is to divert all employee traffic in and out through Mira Mar and the South Village. Conditions may dictate closing parking lots and additional roads depending on the nature of the event. Ice is typically a bigger challenge than snow, because it just hits without any visual clue that it has arrived.

RVM has a snow hotline (extension SNOW-857-7669), primarily for staff to call before driving to work.  However, residents can also use it to determine current conditions. The road controls help ensure the safety of residents as well as staff. When conditions are poor, One Call Now is used to try and warn staff and residents to NOT venture out unless it is an emergency, and notices are also programmed on Channel 900.

The Grounds team is well equipped for plowing, scraping and salting, but the time required to restore normal safe travel conditions will depend heavily on the nature of the event and the staff available to work on it. When roads and walks are treacherous, residents are urged to stay home if at all possible, and to use Manor Transport if they must go out.

 

If you would like to download a PDF of the map, CLICK HERE

COVID UPDATE

/in ,

What to do:  if you haven’t already, GET A BOOSTER.  It significantly increases immunity and decreases disease severity.

For information, contact  Aaron Williams, RVM Infection Preventionist, x7409, awilliams@retirement.org

 

What to wear: a well-fitted high-quality mask.  In order of effectiveness, N95, approved KN95, layered surgical and cloth masks, surgical mask, and do NOT rely on a cloth mask only.

For more information, see:  https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/24/health/cloth-mask-omicron-variant-wellness/index.html

 

What to know:  Current data and statistics on the local COVID situation.

For information, see:  https://jcgis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/324ac6f9a39e4121a2ee4f04156856ca

MEDFORD TO PARIS —BY RAIL?

/in ,

NIT WIT NEWZ

(Nit Wit Newz is an unauthorized, often unreliable, on-line news source designed to keep Manor residents abreast of the inconsequential, trifling, and superficial events that dramatically shape and inform our everyday lives here at Rogue Valley Manor.)

   MEDFORD TO PARIS —BY RAIL?

Scene: International Olympic Headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Date: The Present

Under Discussion:  The possible addition of new events to the 2024 Summer Games of the XXXIII Olympiad in Paris, France.

Participants: Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee; nine committee members; a committee assistant; Jordan Mo, de facto manager of a delegation from the U.S.A; several U.S.A delegate members.

(The sound of a gavel.)

Thomas Bach: This meeting will come to order. Who is our first applicant?

Committee Assistant: Ms. Jordan Mo from the United States.

TB: Welcome, Ms. Mo, please introduce yourself to the committee.

JM: My name is Jordan Mo, and I’m from Medford, Oregon.

TB: Medford?

JM: That’s right, Medford—the fruit basket of the Pacific Northwest. It’s where Harry met David.

TB: I’m not sure we’re acquainted with Harry and…

JM: In fact, we have for you, Mr. President, a Harry and David Holiday Gift Pack of their sumptuous pears. You may wish to share them with the committee.

TB: Thank you Ms. Mo, but it is our policy not to accept gifts from those who are petitioning us. Please proceed with your proposal.

JM: I shall. We would like the game, Mexican Train, to be added to the events in the upcoming 2024 Olympics in Paris.

TB: I’m afraid this committee is not familiar with that event; can you give us a few details?

JM: Mexican Train is a board game that can be played by…

TB: Let me interrupt you, Ms. Mo. The Olympic Games have never included board games in our competitions.

JM: We are fully aware of that, Mr. President. That is why we came here today to make our case. We are almost a quarter of the way through the twenty-first century and it is well past time that the most important and prestigious sporting event on our planet, the Olympic Games, begin nurturing and promoting mental acuity as well as physical agility.

TB: Whoa, Ms. Mo. What exactly are you proposing?

JM: Healthy minds, Mr.President, healthy minds. I needn’t remind you that they are just as important as healthy bodies. Mexican Train, like most board games, requires the disciplined application of a person’s mental powers. But that’s not all, there’s another equally important argument to add board games to the roster of Olympic events.

TB: Really? And what might that be?

JM: Adding Mexican Train to your menu of events would eliminate the specter that the Olympics discriminates against one of the world’s sizeable demographic groups that heretofore has been disinvited to participate in the games.

TB: Ms. Mo, the Olympics have made a conscious effort through the years to include all nations, genders, ethnic and racial groups. We are an all-inclusive organization.

JM: Not quite, Mr. President. The Olympics have ignored the mature among us. I’m talking about seniors, yes, seniors like you and me. Age-ism is a terrible thing.  Certainly the Olympic Committee does not want to appear to discriminate against this large and influential group—the world’s seniors.

TB: Well, no, of course not, but…

JM: Seniors can, and do, play board games.  And they play them well, very well—I might add. Ignore us no longer. Mr. President, GRAY MINDS MATTER!

TB: Well, I did notice that message on the T-shirts your delegation is wearing.

JM: So you see, the inclusion in the Olympics of the Mexican Train board game not only promotes the importance of brain power, it provides the Olympics with a full spectrum of worldwide participation among all age groups, not just the young and restless. No longer would you be vulnerable to age discrimination allegations.

TB: Hmm.

JM: Moreover, you might consider this. I’m sure it has not escaped your attention, Mr. President, that there has been a steady erosion of television viewership of the games in recent Olympiads. That trend accelerated at the Tokyo events last summer. If I’m not mistaken, the sale of television rights is the largest source of the committee’s income. The addition of events that include older participants would certainly increase viewership among that large and significant cohort. Put simply: more viewers mean higher future television rights. Merely a reminder, sir.

TB: We’ll take that point under advisement. I must ask you: do you or any of your delegation have a financial interest in Mexican Train?

JM:  Oh no, no. I live at a senior community in Medford and introduced the game to a number of my fellow residents. We are all merely amateurs and have no connection to the Mexican Train Company. The game has not only taken off in interest among my community, but their level of skill has raised our players to world class status. Frankly, our team is ready to display their talents on the world stage. As an aside, I like to think that should you accept our proposal, our team stands a good chance of bringing home gold to Medford in 2024.

TB: Well, I suppose…

JM: Just imagine, Mr. President. If Mexican Train proves to be a success in Paris, you can look forward to adding chess, cribbage, Monopoly—all sorts of games to future Olympics. You now have the Summer Olympics and the Winter Olympics, why not an Autumn Olympics devoted exclusively to board games?

TB: Now, now, Ms Mo, as we say in the Alps—let’s not get too far over our bob-sleds. Your proposal represents a seismic change in the Olympics as we know it. And, in fact, it would present us with massive logistical headaches should it be implemented. Off hand, I’d say your chances are not that good. But, in fairness, you can be assured that the committee will give your proposal all due consideration.

JM: We ask no more than that. Thank you, Mr. President.

Committee Member #7:  Ms. Mo, excuse me. I wouldn’t mind having one of those Larry and Davis pears.

TB: Ignore that request please, Ms Mo.

Committee Member #7:  Sorry.

TB: Now, it appears that we just may have time for one more applicant proposal. Who would be next?

Committee Assistant: That would be a Ms.Jeanette Bournival. She’s from Oregon—Medford, Oregon. Her proposed event is a game called Rummikue—it’s a board game.

(A gavel raps three times)

TB: Meeting adjourned.

—A. Looney

The Herrons’ Peace Corps Adventure in Belize….. and The Gambia

/in ,

This is part of a series of articles on the experiences of RVM residents in the Peace Corps.  Also in this issue is the article on Russy and Anita Sumariwalla; the November issue featured Joni Johnson and Asifa Kanji and David Drury.  Stay tuned…

Another Peace Corps Adventure- So good that they signed up for # 2

by Joni Johnson

Jean Herron, a resident at RVM since Bastille Day, 2001, joined the Peace Corps with her husband John in 1985.  He had retired not long before and was not quite ready to settle down.  Jean, who had not yet retired, decided to join him in a new adventure, and so the Herrons were off to Orange Walk, Belize, for a two-year experience from 1985-1987.  Jean had been a high school English teacher in Eureka.  John had a varied career, first in forestry for ten years, then as a high school chemistry teacher, also in Eureka.

According to folk stories, Orange Walk got its name from the many orange groves that had hugged the banks of the New River, which flows through the town and was a major trading route centuries before for the Maya. The town is a cultural mix of Mestizos (Spanish-Maya), Maya, Chinese, East Indians and Creoles.

Jean and John’s assignment was to train elementary school teachers. To prepare, they did the second half of their three month Peace Corps training 53 miles south of Orange Walk, in Belize City, home of the only Teachers Training College in the country. In Orange Walk, because they made a substantial salary of $350, they were able to afford a house with running water and a toilet and even hot water, when the water heater for the bathroom was turned on and left to heat for a while.  Water was potable with a few drops of Clorox.

For the first year, both John and Jean taught elementary teachers how to teach. The Belizean teachers were there on provisional credentials and were required to attend classes and receive support.  Jean also taught an English class every day from 10 to 12, changing elementary schools each day. In addition, she and John did demonstration lessons for their teachers in each elementary school and then left the teachers assignments to complete. They did all of their traveling on a motorcycle, John driving and Jean in the back.  At one point, Jean, tired of always being in the rear, decided to do the driving.  Unfortunately, John was 6’4” and significantly heavier, and with the weight distribution having changed dramatically, a push on the accelerator caused John to fly off the seat.  Luckily, he was wearing a helmet.  From then on, he was the driver.

Jean continued her position as teacher trainer throughout their two years in Belize. However, John transferred to the Forestry department to help the Belizeans with their forestry efforts.  Belize has extensive forest and abundant mangroves.  Among the environmental issues facing Belize are deforestation and the management of forest resources. It is generally believed that the amount of deforestation that has occurred in Belize is much less than that which has occurred in other rain forest countries.  When Jean’s daughter, Kathleen, visited Belize in 2013 she noticed how proud the natives were of how they were managing their forest resources. This was one of the projects on which John had worked.

After their return to the United States in 1987, the Herrons were still not quite ready to settle down.  And so they reapplied to the Peace Corps. This time they were sent to The Gambia, which is the smallest country in mainland Africa and totally surrounded by Senegal except for its western coast along the Atlantic Ocean. It was a British Colony before achieving its independence. Senegal, on the other hand, had been a French colony.

This assignment proved more difficult for the Herrons for several reasons. In addition to English, they needed to learn a native language (Mandingo).  The culture proved more challenging because of the hardships they saw, not only in terms of poverty but also in terms of culture.  Women were definitely relegated to second class and were expected to handle everything except the raising of cash crops.  Because of the extreme poverty, there was a great deal of corruption. When financial aid came in from a variety of foreign organizations to pay for various projects, the money would often be embezzled and the projects would receive significantly less than what had been offered. The Gambian system of extended families put financial demands on the wage-earners, which contributed to the corruption.

Jean and John enjoyed their experience with a completely new culture in
spite of their frustration with the system, even learning to eat from communal bowls. This time, Jean helped students develop their school gardens. She had been a big gardener during her time in Eureka, California.  And so she helped the teachers and their students improve their garden projects. John worked again in forestry with the Gambian Forest Service, teaching lessons on forest conservation.

Unfortunately, the Herrons could not fulfill their two-year obligation in The Gambia. John fell seriously ill after the first year, and they had to return home. Luckily, he was able to recuperate over time. But they were sad to cut short their stay. Jean loved her Peace Corps experiences.  She and John appreciated the kindness and respect they received from their new friends in both Belize and The Gambia. Jean often told her children, “The Peace Corps gave us the chance to make a difference in the lives of many people, and we became better people because of it.”

Let Me (Try To) Entertain You

/in ,

RVM Programs and the Pandemic

by Bob Buddemeier 

Remember when?  Back in the (pre-COVID) day, almost every Thursday evening and some Tuesdays, there would be live entertainment in the Manor auditorium.  Mostly a wide variety of kinds of music, but also occasional dance, lectures, or other performances.  Programs are funded by the Residents Council, with occasional chip-ins from the RVM Foundation

All were booked and arranged by Mary Jane Morrison, chair of the Program committee.  Bert Chumbler handled the technical set up and advertising, and Ollie Sontag looked after seating and getting in the residents from the licensed facilities.  Jo Ann Basin and I helped out around the edges with programs, thank-yous, etc.  It was a comfortable routine, with auditorium-only shows – “live performers deserve a live audience” was Mary Jane’s position.

L to R: Mary Jane Morrison, Performer Marty Davis,  Bert Chumbler, Ollie Sontag

Then — the dreaded virus.  Suddenly, a whole new dimension was added to the “live” in live audience and live performers, and keeping them literally alive meant not having them present alive in person.

And yet, a locked down community needed entertainment and distraction more than ever.

As the saying goes, when the going got tough, the tough got going, and as soon as Mary Jane could get approval to have outsiders back in the auditorium, we started having Thursday evening programs broadcast on Channel 900. The process, over more than a year and a half of the pandemic, went through multiple stages as shown in the chart.   From the original regime, we went through the initial shut-down and then into the televised restart.

Restarting programs involved major booking problems – since people could not get together to rehearse, almost the only groups available were solo performers or husband and wife teams.  Until social distancing and lockdown controls relaxed, we could get no orchestras, choruses, dance studios, etc.  Fortunately, some of the local performers were ready to step in on short notice, and Sarah Karnatz graciously shared her list of Bistro performers, some of whom accepted auditorium gigs. Although artists are permitted to remove their masks while performing, all performers must be vaccinated in order to be booked.

An important contributor to the shift to Channel 900 presentations was Mike House, RVM staff AV technician.  He had always seen to the sound quality for the auditorium show, but now he took over the tasks of broadcast and recording quality control as well as on-stage sound.

When restrictions loosened up somewhat, more groups became available for booking, but the auditorium was pressed into use as a dining venue.  Both the shows and the dinners managed to get done, but it was sometimes an uneasy compromise.  While the auditorium was being used for dining, there were difficulty adjusting sound levels, and sometimes competing noise from the diners.  Some performers found dining sounds (dishes & chatter) bothersome and felt it lessened the quality of their performance.

As it sometimes will, progress happened, and RVM began to transition to new video equipment and software.  And as is almost always the case, progress was not smooth and simple – for a number of weeks it was necessary to record the performance on one Thursday, and play the recorded version on Channel 900 the next Thursday.  This arrangement was generally confusing and frustrating for all involved.

However, we are now back to relative normality – the broadcast system is working, the auditorium isn’t used for dining, and we are able to bring in medium-sized groups.  But set aside relative normality – will it ever be absolute?  Mary Jane says she hopes that we can go back to live audiences by September 2022 at latest – maybe Spring, with luck.  In the meantime, she says that “What is missed most is feedback from the viewing audience.  Performers often tell us how much harder it is to perform to no audience.”

As long as occupancy restrictions are in effect, we will stick with broadcast only rather than trying to ration a limited number of seats among the residents.  When restrictions are finally lifted, Mary Jane plans to try an experiment: “When we open up to a full audience (100-150) we’ll still broadcast over Ch 900 provided that there is still a respectable size audience in the auditorium – otherwise we’ll have to limit it to auditorium only.”

One of the other problems with broadcast-only is that we have no idea about the size or reaction of the audience.  If you are watching and enjoying the program, let one of the Committee members know.  It helps to ensure that the show goes on.

NIT WIT NEWZ

/in ,

(Nit Wit Newz is an unauthorized, often unreliable, on-line news source designed to keep Manor residents abreast of the inconsequential, trifling, and superficial events that dramatically shape and inform our everyday lives here at Rogue Valley Manor.)

THE MEAN STREETS OF ROGUE VALLEY MANOR

Hi Mom.

Harold, is that you, dear? I was beginning to get worried. I thought you’d be here by now.

Well, I just got off the freeway and discovered my GPS is on the fritz, so I don’t know how to get to your place. I’m hoping you can phone-talk me there.

Of course, of course it’s very simple. Oh, I’m so happy you could make it up here for Thanksgiving and see my cottage. Now tell me, where you are?

I’m parked on, let’s see, Barnett Street just past Highland and I’m pointed east.

Yes, yes, I know exactly where you are—you’re less than five minutes from me. I’m so excited. I ran across an old photo album of mine with dozens of pictures of you and Betsy as kids. You both were so…

Yeah, that sounds fun, but I should move off this shoulder and get out of traffic. Barnett’s pretty busy.

Oh, for sure. As I say, you’re practically here. One right turn and then just follow your nose.

Sounds good.

The first street you’ll come to, just a few yards ahead of where you are is, oh dear me, it’s— Ellendale, yes, that’s it, Ellendale. It winds a bit, but that’s the only turn you’ll have to get to my place. So, there on Ellendale, turn right.

O.K., I’m making the turn. Ah yes, I can see the entrance to the Manor straight ahead.

Perfect. Now just follow Ellendale into the Manor and you’re on the way.

Yep, I’m driving through the entrance and looking out over a well-tended golf course. Boy Mom, it looks like you and Betsy picked out a great place for you to live. I should have brought my golf clu…

Yes, I love it, it’s just wonderful.

Hey, five, no six turkeys just crossed in front of me. Is this a service the Manor provides the residents on Thanksgiving? Everyone gets to pick and dress their own turkey?

No, don’t be silly, the Manor is delivering a turkey dinner for the three of us right here to my place. Where are you now?

I’m going up the hill past the golf course and, oh, oh. I must have taken the wrong turn looking at those turkeys.

No, you can’t take a wrong turn.

Mom, the street sign says I’m on Rogue Valley Manor Drive not Ellendale.

That’s where you should be. Don’t worry.

You mean the street changes its name willy nilly from Ellendale to Rogue Valley Manor Drive just like that?

My dear, just keep following that road. You’re doing fine. I told you it winds a bit.

Umm, well…hey, I can see some cottages here on my right. How nice. Trees, lawns, well-trimmed shrubs, and, look at that, a huge, handsome park. You did yourself proud picking this place, Mom. Oh, my gosh, there’s a family of deer over there. I suppose you’re going to tell me the Manor brings in reindeer for Christmas. Pretty good, turkeys for Thanksgiving, reindeer for Christmas— what happens on Groundhog Day? But, what the…? I’ve got to keep my eyes on the road—look, the street sign says I’m now on Shannon Drive! I swear I didn’t make a turn.

Harold, you’re fine, just fine. Don’t pay any attention to those street signs. They’ll just confuse you.

Are you sure? I thought they were designed to un-confuse you.

Harold, I hear a woman’s voice. Did you bring a girlfriend with you? How nice. I can set another place…

No mom, my GPS just kicked in. She’s giving me directions to your place.

Well, she certainly has a beautiful voice. I’ll bet she’s a lovely young lady…

Holy smoke, she just told me that I’m no longer on Shannon Drive. How could that…

And she sure seems to know her way around here. If I were you I’d…

Mom, she’s not in my car. She’s just a voice on my GPS. It’s as if she was, you know, on my radio. I don’t know who she is. She just gives me directions.

Well, maybe when you get here you can tell me what CBS station she’s on. I sometimes get a little confused driving around this….

That’s GPS, not CBS. But Mom, can you believe it? Now she’s telling me I’m on something called Malama Way. What’s a Malama?

You know, I asked Dorthea that very same question a couple of days ago—she’s my new neighbor from Maui— she says it’s a Hawaiian word that means, if I can remember— to take care of, or to serve.

Well, the signs up here would do me a service if they wouldn’t keep changing their names.

Just be patient, dear, you’re almost here. I’m standing out on my front lawn in my blue jersey dress—the one you always liked.

But you don’t live on Malama Way, you said you live on Lake Village Drive. Oh wait, there’s a big sign here. It looks like Malama stops and turns into four different streets. And, my gosh, three of the streets have the same name—Lake Village Drive! I don’t get it! Whoever’s in charge of naming streets around here should be charged with malpractice. First Ellendale changes its name four times and then it empties into three streets—all with the same name. You’d think Ellendale could share some of its names with the three Lake Village Drive streets?

Harold, just take the Lake Village Drive that’s on your right. Ignore those other two. Half way down the block, look for me. I’ve got a new hairdo, that’s why I’m wearing that blue dress so you’ll be sure it’s me. Oh, I see your car now. You hoo! Here I am. And here you are. Now, wasn’t that simple, sweetie? Those pilgrims didn’t need silly street signs to find Plymouth Rock, did they?

Well, ’m not so sure. You know the Mayflower was supposed to land somewhere in Virginia not Cape Cod. But never mind. It’s so great to see you, Mom! I love your cottage. I think I’ll park over there across the street.

Betsy should show up any minute now. She’s been here before so she won’t have any trouble finding us. This is going to be such a marvelous…oh, that’s my phone again. Betsy, Is that you?

Hi Mom, I know I’m right close to your cottage, but I don’t think I took the right Lake Village Drive road. Is it the one in the middle or the one on the left?

No, no dear, it’s the one on the right.

Yes, of course. You know, I think I made that same mistake before. Did Harold get there O.K.?

Oh my, yes. It was just like I told him, once you get to the Manor, you can just follow your nose.

—-A. Looney

What’s New in November

/in ,

Do you want to get a personal email notification of a new Complement issue or new material?   Email us at openinforvm@gmail.com and we will put you on the mailing list

Past articles are all on display;  If there is a “Load More” link at the bottom of the page, clicking it will bring up the older articles. 

EXTRA EXTRA EXTRA

Our sister publication, VIEWPOINTS, offers an opinion piece on the issues of multi-species evacuation:

Problems of Pets and Preparedness 

by Bob Buddemeier

 

And in this month’s Complement:

NEWS & VIEWS

 

Peace Corps in Turkey 1967-1969, by Joni Johnson
      – The lead-off article in our resident Peace Corps Series — a formative experience

A Peace Corps Ramadan: Mali 2011-2012, by David Drury
      – Fast forward four decades — a resident career capstone

Behind the Shelves at the Manor Library, by Anne Newins
      – A tell-all tale of the local book nook

         in Big, Borrowed, or Both

3550:  the Portland Mirabella quarterly magazine (most recent issue)

Mirabella Monthly, Newsletter of the Seattle Mirabella (October issue)

 

ARTS & INFO 

Turkey, Anyone? by Tom Conger and Connie Kent  
      – The bird that keeps on giving

RVM November-December Event & Entertainment Schedule

November Library Display, by Anne Newins
       – A list of the checkout champions

Let Me (Try To) Entertain You, by Bob Buddemeier
       – Pandemic program presentation

Nit-Wit Newz — The Mean Streets of RVM, by A. Looney
      – How do visitors find their way?
     

PREPARE

The entire Prepare page is being revised and updated — check back frequently

Why the Fake Quake? by Bob Buddemeier
– At least pretend to Drop, Cover, and Hold

Not brand new, but more relevant than ever:

Pet Preparedness, by Vicki Gorrell
– “Let meowt onto the woof!”

RVM Campus Evacuation Guidelines for Fire

 

 

 

 

 

A Peace Corps Ramadan: Mali 2011-2013

/in ,

by David Drury

David Drury and Asifa Kanji served in Peace Corps together while in their 60’s, from 2011 to 2013. David did small business development work, and Asifa did health and nutrition.  Their first assignment was in Kayes, western Mali, the hottest continuously-inhabited town in Africa. After 14 months service they had to be evacuated from Mali, due to a coup and invasion, but they went on to do Peace Corps assignments in Ghana and South Africa. This story is adapted from the his-and-her memoir 300 Cups of Tea andThe Toughest Job, by Asifa Kanji and David Drury, 2015

A Peace Corps Ramadan–and Thanksgiving

Ten years ago Asifa and I were serving as Peace Corps volunteers in Mali, West Africa. In that year August was the month of Ramadan, a time of reflection and fasting for Muslims. Although people still go to their regular jobs, they take no food or water from sunup to sundown. At work my colleagues did get a bit sleepy in the afternoons, and the soft drink machine was unplugged for the month, but everyone took it in stride. Growling stomachs and parched mouths notwithstanding, most folks were cheerful and mild. Even the nicotine addicts – of which there are many among Malian men  – sighed philosophically and waited for sunset. Allah cooperated with relatively balmy weather that year, but Ramadan is a lunar fast and moves backwards through the calendar year by year. Not so many years from now it will come during the searing 120 degree heat of May, and I wonder how the faithful will cope. As for Asifa and me, we did eat lunch and kept ourselves hydrated, but always in private. No one expected us to fast.

Although the days are austere, the nights of Ramadan have a special cozy feel as families turn inward to break their fast together. It is a time for reading from the Koran or listening to radio preachers, patching up old quarrels, giving to the poor. And like the Christian Lent, Ramadan ends with a joyful bang: the feast of Eid Al Fitr, started by the Prophet himself so they say, not long after his flight from Mecca to Medina to escape assassination.

On Eid day Asifa and I were invited to celebrate with our friend Moussa and his family in Kayes Ndi, a three or four mile walk to the far side of the river in the western Mali town where we lived. We set off mid-morning, dressed in our very finest Malian gear, me awkwardly hiking up my long boubou against the mud and the dust. Got to look respectable, you know. It felt like Easter morning, the streets full of smiling people looking splendid as can be and exchanging jolly greetings with total strangers. How could we resist? We Eid Mubārak!-ed and Aw sambe sambe!-ed our way through the market and across the bridge.

 

Eid Mubārak!   

With Moussa’s family we sat down to a fine festive supper, starring charcoal-roasted mutton and capitaine, a large river fish stuffed with fragrant greens. I must say, it was the best damn meal I ever had in Peace Corps, served up with love and the all-out generosity that is so typically Malian. But feasting isn’t really the point of Eid Al Fitr; in between prayers at the mosque, Moussa took us around with him to call on neighbors and friends, paying his respects, catching up on news of the family, and exchanging blessings special for the day.

May this be our first feast and not our last.

May your life be as solid as an iron bar.

May worms not alter it, nor termites.

May God have pity on the departed.

May God accept our prayers.

Each good wish answered, of course, with a fervent Amina! Amen. Kids, too, had a field day, dressed in their holiday best and going around the neighborhood in small flocks of friends to beg for sweet rice cakes. The grownups give them blessings and a small treat. It reminded me a little of Halloween, maybe, or English wassailing, but less rambunctious.

Dressed in their holiday best

As we headed home from celebrating this second-greatest of Muslim festivals, the strangest thought popped into my mind: Bring Back Lent. “Where did THAT come from?” I asked my brain. Then I thought about it. Of course: Lent is in many ways the Christian Ramadan.

When you strip away the religious trappings, Ramadan and the traditional Christian Lent are really the same idea – a mass spiritual exercise, a time of sacrifice and renewal that the whole community takes part in. Picture a world where, for one month out of the year, everybody you know sets out on that same journey, to take stock of who they truly are and how they treat the people around them, and to rise above the discomforts of hunger and thirst. A month when people are conscious of trying to be good. It’s a discipline many of us in the West have never learned; but, like jogging, it goes better if you do it in company. Islam does it on a global scale.

Christmastime is the closest our culture comes to a mass spiritual exercise, I suppose (not counting Superbowl), but we have turned Christmas into a season of indulgence and not much else, and given up on the austerities of Advent. That’s a pity, because the shared self-sacrifice of a Lent or Advent creates opportunities for soul-searching that just don’t seem to happen when we are too comfortable, or do it alone. We have lost the centuries-old tradition of using the run-up to Christmas and Easter to make ourselves better persons.

So here’s what I was thinking as we walked back over the bridge, bellies and hearts full of Eid cheer:  Thanksgiving is the best of our North American holidays. It celebrates no military victories, no revolutions and no particular religion, though it is at home with all religions. How much more joyful would Thanksgiving be if the whole week leading up to it had been set apart by tradition, like Ramadan, as a time of fasting and reflection? And if everybody did it?

Betsy Portaro- One of the Very Early Peace Corps Volunteers Danced with Belafonte

/in ,

This is one of the last two of our series on  the experiences of RVM residents in the Peace Corps.  Also in this issue is the article on David Guzetta and Carolyn Auker.  The December issue featured Jean and John Herron and Russy and Anita Sumariwalla; the November issue contained articles on Joni Johnson and Asifa Kanji and David Drury.

 

by Joni Johnson

Betsy Portaro joined the Peace Corps in 1963 shortly after graduating from college, only two years after the Peace Corps started.  She spent two years in Guinea, West Africa.  Her major at Boston College had been Psychology but she had studied French while in high school and college and so she entered the Peace Corps light years ahead of most of the volunteers destined for the Republic of Guinea which had just received its independence in 1958.  Her program planned to send two types of groups to that country.  One was for an agricultural project and the second was for teachers of English as a Second Language.  Oddly enough, she first entered as part of the agricultural team to keep company with one of the wives in that group so that there would be more women in a group made up largely of men.

You can see the Betsy of today in the Betsy O’Connell of 1963.  She was feisty and brave and adventuresome.  She wanted to join the Peace Corps for a variety of reasons. It’s connection to JFK was very appealing.  But most of all, she wanted to see the world.

The first part of her training took place in Vermont at a school for International Living that was relatively empty in the summer.  There were approximately 35 people in her agricultural group.  The second group, training nearby to be ESL teachers, were mostly women.  The training in the US was a combination of physical training (boot camp) and language studies as well as understanding the Guinea culture. After two months, the two groups were taken by plane to Conakry, the capital of Guinea where the last part of the training would take place.  Within a month of their arrival, Kennedy was assassinated.  As you can imagine, the volunteers were in shock. Many Guineans knew little about the world outside of their own country. There were few TV’s and radios. But those that had heard the news offered sympathy to the volunteers.  It was a very difficult time and everyone was heartbroken.

During their last month of training, this time in Conakry, the volunteers would practice their French and get used to the culture “in vivo”.  Betsy remembered that the boys had to learn how to spit in order to be accepted. The main religion was Islam (currently at 85%) which meant that the women often wore burkas or at least a veil.  And most of the men kept their distance. Betsy remembered that the men in the city wore long robes and the men from the country wore short robes. The women volunteers were told to wear simple dresses that came slightly below the knees

Guinea was a beautiful country.  There were three major tribes and then smaller tribal groups in the various regions. The mountains had the best weather. The coast was extremely humid and the desert was hot and to the volunteers, felt airless.  Conakry was on the coast with a high humity and a climate considered tropical monsoon. One of the tribes was heavily business oriented and was thrilled that the Americans were coming.  However, it was a bit of a disappointment since most of the volunteers could buy very little on their $50 a month allotment.

.Betsy’s first job for the Peace Corps was working as a social assistant in a hospital helping the supervisor translate anything into English and welcoming the new patients that were ambulatory.  However, after a short time, Betsy was transferred to the city of Labé (Tropical Savannah climate at an altitude of over 3000 ft) to teach English as a second language in the high school there. Labé is currently the second most important city economically in Guinea even though its population is rather small (about 200,000). I am sure that in 1964, it was even smaller.  Betsy was called Mademoiselle Teacher throughout the rest of her stay in Guinea.  During her second year, she moved again, this time to KanKan (Also with a tropical Savannah climate but significantly hotter than Labé) where she taught English to 9th and 10thgraders.  The head of the school there had only one ESL book and asked Betsy to get more copies from the Peace Corps.  They managed to scrounge up six more books. So the students would sit together at round tables and share the books with one another.  Because this was the first group of Peace Corps volunteers that served in Guinea, the Peace Corps didn’t know what they would need to fulfill their tasks.

Even in the early years, the Peace Corps fulfilled its three major goals:

  1. To help the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.
  2. To help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.
  3. To help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans

While we don’t have much information about the results of the agricultural unit, certainly the ability to offer ESL classes given by native speakers who were there to meet and share their lives with the residents of their host country definitely met the Peace Corps criteria for success.

Here are some of Betsy’s quotes:

“They loved that I was an American.  Most of them had never met one.  And they were impressed that I had traveled so far to be with them.  They were all interested in my hair and the color of my skin.

“I found that some of the culture was difficult for me because it felt as if women were treated as second class citizens.  Very few were in the government.  Some were teachers.

“I loved being in the Peace Corps.  I would always talk with the students after school because they wanted to spend more time with me.  At the end of my stay, it was difficult to leave, but at the same time, I was ready to come home. I missed my family and I missed the ease of life in the United States. The Republic of Guinea was a very poor country, but also felt very glamorous for me.  After I had been there for a year, half the people knew who I was.  This did not happen in Boston.  And when I returned, I really didn’t leave the Peace Corps completely behind.  I worked for them in Washington DC for over a year.

“And yes… Thanks to the Peace Corps and the Republic of Guinea, I danced with Harry Belafonte. He had come to Conakry for almost a week in search of dancers for his company.  He asked me to dance.  I almost passed out!”