This guy.

"You know the difference between you and me? I want to be the guy. You want to be the guy, the guy counts on."

- President Bartlett to Josh Lyman, The West Wing

Sometime during season 4

In addition to adding one more reason to the infinite list on why Josh Lyman and I are soul-mates, the aforementioned quote, I have recently realized, succinctly defines my current assessment of self.

Within the scope of career, of relationships, and of life, I've prided myself in being a person - that for lack of a more refined, scholastic term - gets shit done. My resume and past employers would croon over my willingness to do what others might not, to accomplish more than what is asked for, and to do it all with a smile on my face. I consistently expect myself to overcome any self-doubt and push aside any self-interest in order to facilitate the most efficient outcome for that of the greater good.

It is only recently I've been wondering to myself - why? Since a young age, I've seen myself wanting others to foster an image of me as responsible, reliable, and true to my word. In recent conversations with my best friend back in London and my current sitemate-extraordinaire, I've been challenged with assertions such as 'well, why aren't you 'the guy'?', 'what makes you feel the need to carry those expectations?' and 'why can't you just say no?'. Honestly, I'm not really sure what the answers are to any of those questions at the moment.

What I am sure of - after a year of facilitating cross-cultural communication while being a PCV, after a year of lobbying in Orange County for environmental legislation with Greenpeace, and after four years of studying International Relations at a truly international university - is that I'm looking forward to the path I've dictated for myself in being civil servant. Somewhere along the line, whether it be my parents, my superiors, or my surroundings, something has instilled a sense of duty within me I recognize I am not one to avoid.

Despite the difficult times I've been through, will go through, and most certainly am experiencing right now, it's important to contextualize those events and resolve them as not being a part of the bigger picture. F. Scott Fitzgerald once said, 'The test of first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.' For me to simultaneously hold the frustration, resentment, and disappointment I may feel at times with my current situation in conjunction with the perspective, hope, and determination I have to not only make it work, but to make it better, I believe speaks to what Mr. Fitzgerald was alluding to.

To put it very ineloquently - I do believe I embody a certain level of intelligence, and I want to use that power for good and not evil.

So I address this to you, future bad guys - watch out. This guy, a guy some other important guy counts on, is ready to battle.

Ps. I truly apologize for any self-righteousness or pompousness that may have come across during this entry. I simply felt compelled to put my internal mission statement to paper, er, blog.

The Times They Are A-Changin'

The October 15h issue of Rolling Stone features an interview with Obama, reflecting on the usual agenda such as the economy, global warming, and the BP oil spill. However, things you probably won't read anywhere else but RS include the following:

What do you think of Fox News? Do you think it's a good institution for America and for democracy?

[Laughs] Look, as president, I swore to uphold the Constitution, and part of that Constitution is a free press. We've got a tradition in this country of a press that oftentimes is opinionated. The golden age of an objective press was a pretty narrow span of time in our history. Before that, you had folks like Hearst who used their newspapers very intentionally to promote their viewpoints. I think Fox is part of that tradition — it is part of the tradition that has a very clear, undeniable point of view. It's a point of view that I disagree with. It's a point of view that I think is ultimately destructive for the long-term growth of a country that has a vibrant middle class and is competitive in the world. But as an economic enterprise, it's been wildly successful. And I suspect that if you ask Mr. Murdoch what his number-one concern is, it's that Fox is very successful.

What do you think of the Tea Party and the people behind it?

I think the Tea Party is an amalgam, a mixed bag of a lot of different strains in American politics that have been there for a long time. There are some strong and sincere libertarians who are in the Tea Party who generally don't believe in government intervention in the market or socially. There are some social conservatives in the Tea Party who are rejecting me the same way they rejected Bill Clinton, the same way they would reject any Democratic president as being too liberal or too progressive. There are strains in the Tea Party that are troubled by what they saw as a series of instances in which the middle-class and working-class people have been abused or hurt by special interests and Washington, but their anger is misdirected.

And then there are probably some aspects of the Tea Party that are a little darker, that have to do with anti-immigrant sentiment or are troubled by what I represent as the president. So I think it's hard to characterize the Tea Party as a whole, and I think it's still defining itself.

What has surprised you the most about these first two years in office? What advice would you give your successor about the first two years?

Over the past two years, what I probably anticipated but you don't fully appreciate until you're in the job, is something I said earlier, which is if a problem is easy, it doesn't hit my desk. If there's an obvious solution, it never arrives here — somebody else has solved it a long time ago. The issues that cross my desk are hard and complicated, and oftentimes involve the clash not of right and wrong, but of two rights. And you're having to balance and reconcile against competing values that are equally legitimate.

What I'm very proud of is that we have, as an administration, kept our moral compass, even as we've worked through these very difficult issues. Doesn't mean we haven't made mistakes, but I think we've moved the country in a profoundly better direction just in the past two years.

You had Bob Dylan here . How did that go?

Here's what I love about Dylan: He was exactly as you'd expect he would be. He wouldn't come to the rehearsal; usually, all these guys are practicing before the set in the evening. He didn't want to take a picture with me; usually all the talent is dying to take a picture with me and Michelle before the show, but he didn't show up to that. He came in and played "The Times They Are A-Changin'." A beautiful rendition. The guy is so steeped in this stuff that he can just come up with some new arrangement, and the song sounds completely different. Finishes the song, steps off the stage — I'm sitting right in the front row — comes up, shakes my hand, sort of tips his head, gives me just a little grin, and then leaves. And that was it — then he left. That was our only interaction with him. And I thought: That's how you want Bob Dylan, right? You don't want him to be all cheesin' and grinnin' with you. You want him to be a little skeptical about the whole enterprise. So that was a real treat.

Below is a clip of Dylan's performance at the White House during an event celebrating the Civil Rights Movement back in February of this year.

Full article available at: Rolling Stone

Ground Control to Major Tom

My friend Matt - whose blog can be checked out via the links on the right - recently wrote a post about competition and rivalries within the PCV community - in regards to whoever 'roughs-it' more is somehow a more valid PCV than another. I'll let you read his blog in order to weigh in on that argument, but it got me thinking how my own home stacks up against others within the PCV world.

At one point or another, every person I've spoken to on Skype has wanted a virtual tour of my home here in Sedona-miz. And though I do have internet in my house, my computer is attached to at least three cords and the telephone at any given time. Thus, not the most portable thing to lug around in a spur of the moment interest in my living quarters.

So, after doing a massive clean yesterday - which included squeegeeing water from one end of the house to the other and out through a tiny mouse hole - I felt motivated enough to do a little video tour which can now be viewed below. I apologize in advance for my utter awkwardness.

My Home in Morocco:

And for comparison's sake:

A PCV's Hut in Zambia:

A PCV's Apartment in China:

Today is a Horse of Many Different Colours

"I'm not comfortable with violence, I know this country has enemies but I don't feel violent towards any of them."

- 'President' Bartlett, The West Wing

Today began my adventure to make my way through the entire series of The West Wing. I found myself, by the second episode, physically compelled to hug Martin Sheen after hearing him speak the words above. If only every world leader felt this way.

On the ninth anniversary of September 11th, I find myself exhausted. Not by daily activities, not by overbearing responsibilities, and most certainly not by current work load (Happy L'Eid everyone!), but rather by the media coverage surrounding a certain Terry Jones and his Dove World Outreach Centre. The volume at which this has received attention is deafening. And I'm still uncertain as to how exactly the world let a maniacal, single, radical, voice speak for an entire nation.

What surely began as a Gainesville local news blip about an off-his-rocker pastor with a demented plan to mark this tragic day, the international media followed - chomping at the bit of a shock-factor headline. In allowing a minuscule fraction of radical opinion to penetrate the image of America both domestically and to the far reaches of the world, ignited an equally radical response from those nations we have already been building to resolve unsteady relations. From Pakistan to Afghanistan, burnings of American flags and effigies of Mr Jones followed mere mention of their holy scripture being torched.

With both ideologies being so utterly rash and audacious, the impulse to grab each side by the ear and drag them to separate corners permeates my instincts. The level of frustration, bafflement, and helplessness goes beyond words. Being an American and realizing these bonfire planners also call themselves American is nauseating enough. Being an American in an Islamic Kingdom watching this blasphemy on television with your Muslim family is frankly embarrassing, if not mortifying. With all the love and generosity that has been shown to me over the last year of my service, I can't imagine how some Americans are being brainwashed by such a man as Mr Jones.

He mentioned at one point that he would only suspend burning plans if he was to meet with the Imam (or Iman as he incorrectly put it) and was promised that the Islamic Centre would not be built near ground zero. To quickly list few of the infinite reasons why this completely illogical and uncalled for - the centre would be two blocks from ground zero not marking where the two towers once stood, remember that one time we had a first amendment?, the centre includes multi-faith prayer rooms, a swimming pool, a children's play space, classrooms - anything a successful community centre would have. The entire discussion over the ill-placement of this compound is beyond me.

America desperately needs to be reminded that 'It was not a religion that attacked us that September Day, it was al-Qaeda', as President Obama spoke recently. Islam is a beautiful religion. As is Christianity and Judaism. And so, this weekend marks significance in all of our walks of life. Whether it is celebrating our first year of Peace Corps service (pats on backs fellow '09 volunteers), remembering those we lost on that fateful September day, celebrating L'Eid al-Fitr and the end of Ramadan, or Rosh Hashanah and the Jewish New Year, I urge you all towards peace, love, and compassion, and at least an attempt at understanding.

Top 5...

So due to my lack of cognitive function while half-assting, this entry will be in list form.

Top 5 things that occupy my time right now:

- Finding random things to blog about (which can be counter-productive to my intelligence level... see my recent hair-related post.)

- Talking to my cat like he understands me (who else can I vent about how big a douche Don Draper is? A remarkably attractive douche nonetheless.)

- ...Watching Mad Men. I recently acquired the entire series on my external hard drive . Dangerous.

- Hanging out with the site mate. He brought me banana bread today. He made banana bread yesterday so he could bring it to me today. We literally schedule fake activities in order to occupy time. Oh, Ramadan.

- Tidying. Sometimes I just bake something so I have something to clean up. I can't wait for work to start again.

Top 5 things I google to kill time:

- http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/ (you're welcome.)

- http://www.2birds1blog.com/ (again, from Alli & I to you, you're welcome.)

- Things vacation related, so mostly things London & St Andrews. Just recently Paris as Alli & I are beginning to plot...

- http://www.foodnetwork.com/ and http://allrecipes.com/ to make the most of what produce is available this season.

- My favourite restaurants' menus at home. It's like food porn. I'm ashamed. Only a little though.

Top 5 foods now available at souq:

- Figs! Oh the glory.

- Melon, more specifically one we call bitekh. Not sure what the equivilent is in English, but it kind of looks like 'Hey Arnold!' 's head but yellow with parallel grooves. Delish.

- Cauliflower. The closest I or my pocketbook is ever going to get to broccoli, so I'll take it.

- Grapes. Though, if only they were seedless.

- AVOCADOOOOOOOOS. Alhamdulilah.

Top 5 newly acquired albums:

- Buena Vista Social Club - Buena Vista Social club.... what took me so freaking long?

- Otis Redding - The Very Best of Otis Redding... his cover of The Stone's 'Satisfaction' is spectacular.

- Espoire 2000 - Calculeuse - I dare you to not dance around the room you're in right now to this. I dare you.

- Gorillaz - Demon Days - I had completely forgotten how good they were. Kids with Guns strikes a chord somewhere within my shoulder-control-nervous-system. I can't help grooving along even at inopportune times. In public places.

- Edith Piaf - The Very Best of Edith Piaf - You know, preparing for my Spring Paris trip... and being Marion Cotillard in my next life. Padam, padam, padam....

Top 5 reasons I wish I had been in the states this summer:

- My brother's Anchorman themed going away party. Neat-o gang!

- Seeing Wolfmother do this. And this. A little piece of me dies every time I watch that.

- Summer + beach + booze + bbq + sports + music festivals

- I miss my dogs.

- Air conditioning.

Top 5 reasons I'm glad I was here instead:

- Avoided getting too heated over Arizona SB 1070

- Moroccan Summer Camp on the beach

- Experiencing a full-fledged Ramadan

- Hanging out with the host-family

- 4's good.

Top 5 movies I wish I could have seen in theatres:

- Inception

- Scott Pilgrim vs the World

- Shutter Island

- Alice in Wonderland

- Black Swan (but, wait, I do! I'll be home when it's still out insha'allah)

Top 5 things I hated about Sex & the City 2:

- 3 couture outfits on a camel trek? Seriously?

- The fact the whole thing was blatantly Morocco with CGI'd Abu Dhabi-ness cut & pasted into the background.

- The pretty disgraceful comments the made against Islam and the ridiculous scenes that followed them.

- The karaoke sequence made me physically uncomfortable.

- The entire thing.

Top 5 things I love about Ramadan:

- How satisfying anything and everything tastes the moment the sun goes down.

- Harira. My host-mom makes a grated carrot based version. Fantastic.

- Fish balls. My family is a big fan.

- Village's communal daylight hour suffering.

- The fact it's ending in less than a week.

Top 5 things I'm looking forward to these next few months:

- Dar Chebab opening again and more posts about actual work than what I'm biding time with.

- Helping to train the newbies once they arrive in country in a few weeks and getting to go to Fez to do it.

- Eid Kbir and all of the meat and nasty bits that goes along with it.

- Heather visiting at the end of October and the arrival of my new site mate!

- Going home via London on the 13th of December. Only three months to go.

Top 5 things I'm not looking forward to these next few months:

- Travelling out of my site A LOT and working a total of around 5 weeks in Sedona-miz before shipping out in December.

- Smelling like sheep for the month following L'Eid

- My host-sister moving to Marrakech for University... tear... but I'm so proud!

- My brother leaving tomorrow for Iraq and not seeing him for two straight years.

- My site mate leaving in November. I may or may not cry. You can probably bet on it.

Ps. Remember that one time people used to comment on my blog? Where'd you all go!

Operation New Dawn

“Operation Iraqi Freedom is over, and the Iraqi people now have lead responsibility for the security of their country.” - President Obama

Yesterday, President Obama spoke from the Oval Office to the American people, informing us that the combat mission, which has lasted for the last seven years in Iraq, is now over. After 20 months in office, the President has begun to follow through on his campaign promise. With Operation Iraqi Freedom now complete and the remainder of troops due to return by December 2011, his attention will now focus on the domestic economy and the ongoing war in Afghanistan. As of today, the majority of troops have been pulled out of Iraq, leaving nearly 50,000 in-country to help rebuild and reorganize as part of Operation New Dawn.

Source: Centcom via http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11147300

"We have sent our young men and women to make enormous sacrifices in Iraq, and spent vast resources abroad at a time of tight budgets at home... Through this remarkable chapter in the history of the US and Iraq, we have met our responsibility. Now, it is time to turn the page." - President Obama

Joining rank with those still stationed, my brother will be deployed next week, exactly one year to the day after my own departure to Morocco. Despite any apprehension or anxiety about my brother's deployment, this seems as good a time as any to be there. Combat having, in theory, come to a close, his role will now be to train, advise and support those of a war-torn country. It seems we may not be so far apart in job description as we once thought.

My mom always says she doesn't know what her or my dad did wrong to drive both of their kids so far away from home. I, for one, think it speaks more to what they did right.