Monday, November 25, 2013


life isn’t about finding yourself, its about creating yourself.”- George Bernard Shaw

            Our first term is winding down here at St. Constantine’s and my batteries are ready for a good recharging. It has been a very interesting experience for me so far, just learning what it is to be a full time teacher and learning the culture of the school and new city. I came here to teach, but I have really been the one who is being taught. It probably is more so that I am exhausted of keeping up with all I’m learning needs to be done then actually my teaching load.
            For the past year I have had a picture of an amazing basketball court in Nepal as my computer screen’s background. On the picture I added the text of the quote by George Bernard Shaw above, “life isn’t about finding yourself, its about creating yourself.” I try to remind myself of this everyday as I am looking to develop my own personal values, beliefs, and practices as a professional now. I am not trying to just find out what the best way of teaching and succeeding in life is. I am working on creating that success in my own way.
            While reflecting on my last 3-4 months I have sometimes become frustrated as I feel like I’m searching with all my might for the right way to do things. Frustrated that when I was used to getting guidance and being directed by rules and procedures I am now left completely on my own in the dark. The quote above though acts as a fire blanket draped over that frustration burning in my brain.
            I could rant about how the quote could apply to interactions between people, and you cant just expect to find anything when you depend on others, so you have to constantly take things into your own hands and create the success. I won’t go into too much of my own thoughts of the quote. I just want to write these thoughts down so I can try to understand the feeling of inspiration I get when thinking about what I have accomplished and even more so the potential for more.
            I was reading a bit of the philosophy of the City Year organization. One of City Year’s keys to Putting Idealism to Work is to think outside the box. When someone thinks outside of the box they are not just finding the solution, but they are the creating the solution. Too many of our ideas and our doings are solely based on other’s guidance or expectations. We search and search and search for this guidance and expectation, and even if we find it there will usually be a flaw.
Nobody is perfect right? I disagree. When we create our own accomplishments we have done something perfectly. I’m talking about creating something that we personally believe is the best for the situation (be it ideas, solutions, objects…ect) and creating it to the best of our ability; Leaving none of our ideals and passions out of it’s creation. If we do this, then we are perfect. There can be no flaws in this creation as it has been done the way we imagined it.
This is the ideal that I have accepted in this past term. I’m no longer going to sit, wait, and try and find my answers and what I need to do. Instead I am going to create it all. I want to do it my way because when I do it will be perfection. If I try and find what others want me to do I will continually be behind, I will keep being left out of the loop and I will feel unaccomplished. Instead I will take what I know is needed at the school and I will do my best to create that in my own way.
Just as George Benard Shaw also said, “Some people see things as they are and say why. I dream things that never were and say why not?” I want to be one who looks at this school I’m at and ask questions and search for answers. Instead I want to look at the potential of this school and dreams of the school and say why not.

 PJB players no longer basketball players. They are now eagles soaring together as a team. A life created by passion, enthusiasm and love.

Monday, November 11, 2013

So it's been forever since I've posted here. Life has led me down so many different paths and introduced me to so many great new ideas and ways of living and loving. I am now in Arusha, Tanzania about to wrap up my first term as PE teacher, coach and Athletic Director (sportsmaster as they call it) at St. Constantine's International School. The campus is beautifully tucked on the outskirts of the city surrounded by the Burka coffee plantation at the foot of Africa's 5th tallest mountain, Mt. Meru.

Experiencing Africa Arusha-style has been much different than experiencing Africa Goma-style, but it has been very exciting and enjoyable. Just like any experience it has had its ups and downs, but living in Africa just give a sense of peace through it all.

Early morning exercise has become a routine for me. Starting with about 2 months of Insanity I have begun running certain mornings. Below are some observations I made this morning on an early morning 10k run:


Africa
Arusha to be exact
5:45 a.m. and my sense are rested and relaxed
The chill of cold night is still encapsulated by the clouds.
The dew works, to no avail, to perfume the aroma of day old dung and musty foliage.
New life springs forth in greens and yellows, developing races and ethnicities unseen outside the womb of the rift valley.
Pavement pounds the souls of my shoes and gravel grinds under the strength of my strides.
Mount Meru acts as a muffler to the raging sounds of the city as the machine gets warmed up with early morning commutes.
Wild life are doing just that, living the wild life.
Birds give their own call to prayer battling the muezzin at the local mosque as toads and crickets scamper for cover in the multitudes of bush.
Young monkeys jump and run around, waking their parents as if it is Christmas morning.
The battle between the rising sun and resting night clouds produce the most tangible terrific blues, whites, grays, and oranges.
Children smile the smile which can only be given when a new opportunity to succeed is given, and with that smile the have succeeded to make the world a better place.

The clouds battling Mt. Meru as the sun rises