24 September 2010

Funnyquote Friday

Here's the quote for this week, paraphrased,

"[Much like the Red Cross,] in this day and age
and no matter where you are in the world,
Blackberry® can save your life."

This little gem had my fellow trainees and I rolling (figuratively) on the ground with laughter.  The situation was this: at the Youth Parliamentarians' meeting on Sunday, one young gentleman regaled us with a beautiful poem about the island of St. Christopher that he had ostensibly memorized.  However, after reaching a particular point he could not recall how to continue, and after attempting once again and reaching the same impasse, he deftly consulted his Blackberry for the next line.  And in the same serious voice, while we were anticipating the continuation of the ballad, we instead are met with the glorious witticism intoned above.  Later that evening, when representatives of the Red Cross were being recognized for their contributions to society on the island, our very clever and charming host pointed out that, like Blackberry, the Red Cross can also save your life.

To business: I shy from saying "I gotcha...", because there was, as with all things I do, a degree of truth in my vision of, perhaps one day, getting a ring in my left ear.  But the reality of the situation is that while I am a representative of the Peace Corps, and especially before firmly ingraining myself in the community here, to do so would be counterproductive to my goal of being approachable to all types of people while differentiating myself from common stereotypes of Americans.  Thus, the primary intention for posting my idea was to create an impetus for readers to feel compelled to post their comments – a sort of internet ice breaker, if you will.  And it worked.  Thanks to each of you that posted your thoughts, and to each of you that considered but decided against it, I say Remember, it gets lonely here shouting at the blogosphere, so I appreciate some two-way conversation now and again.  And it's free, so take advantage.

Before I forget, my friend is in St. Vincent and she keeps a blog as well, which contains a fantastic slideshow of many of the sights I have had the pleasure of sharing in St. Lucia.

I went to my work attachment at the NSTP (the National Skills Training Programme) yesterday, and enjoyed a staff meeting in the morning where they officially welcomed me to work and where we officially said farewell to the PCV preceding me in that capacity.  It was a joyous sort of goodbye, with a review of accomplishments since having taken him on board, and the wish for happiness and fulfillment in his future pursuits.  I feel very welcome there, and am quite comfortable with the idea of working there for the next two years, God willing.

2 comments:

  1. Hey Chris!
    I just got back from a weekend retreat in south Georgia (below Atlanta) at some family's weekend home/hunting lodge. stocked with 3 tv's (with Dish where I saw GT lose to NC State, and UGA lose to MS State.) It was a nice place to play games, take a hike, and devotionals. Anna and I got Florida tix, but it's going to be a sad, sad day in Jacksonville come October 30. I don't even know if we'll be going to a bowl game, bc we have to be 7-5 this year bc we're facing 2! FCS teams. how lame is that. My apartment is working out well. no more scorpions, just a roach about every 2-3 days... Jaris came over for the first game b4 he left for Jordan, and we tailgated, and watched the game in the stands.
    I'm teaching a small group study for guys at my church on thursday nights. We're studying the minor prophets, and this thursday we'll be finishing up Hosea. pray for me, bc I always get really nervous during the meetings. We'll study Joel, Jonah, and others later on. Have you read Hosea?!? Chapters 1-3 are crazy. I'm doing ok in my classes.
    5/6 of my classes start with an M this semester. I have 3 Mgmt classes, 1 Marketing class, 1 MSIT class (statistics) and 1 professional Accounting class, which is basically an English class for Accountants, so really basic English, haha.
    I was in the Chem building the other day and saw something about a Vet school on St. Kitts. called Ross Univ. You'll have to find out about that if Anna isn't accepted to UGA Vet school. I'm sure she will be, but I'd rather go to the Caribbean, lol. I was asking about Grenada, bc I had heard about a vet school that was there earlier, but it wasn't accredited. so you'll have to see if Ross U. is accredited.
    Don't forget that Anna and I are praying for you. Have fun in the Caribbean! Are you taking sunset pix yet? POST MORE PIX!
    Love,
    Jonathan

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  2. Hey Jon,

    Where was the retreat? Jonesboro? Milledgeville? Tifton?
    Sorry you had to sit through both of those games; must have seemed like a waste of time. And I hope the 7-5 record issue isn't really an issue come November.
    You're teaching a Bible study?! That's so cool! Yes, Hosea is rather eye-opening at first, and I imagine there are some themes in there that some Christians would struggle with understanding, but much like the story of the Prodigal Son, the real love of God's Kingdom is shown through the story.
    Yes, the Ross School of Veterinary Medicine is a big deal around here. I'm almost positive it is accredited, and I know that it is internationally recognized and generally respected. There are students down here from North America, South America, Asia, Europe and Africa, and most of them stay/live in my part of town, oft contributing to the misconstruction that I am also a Ross student.
    I promise I'll have more pics soon. Love you too!

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