Mauritania: Soccer, Power Outages, and Holidays

“if you meet the right people and dont get too discouraged you can actually do things here”

Such are the encouraging words from Adam volunteering in Mauritania. It’s been a while since we’ve heard anything from Adam — part of this might have to do with them being without power for the last 9 days. Ouch. Overall, everything seems to be going well. Dr Adam has some ideas on HIV/AIDS awareness that links into youth soccer programs which would be really cool, as I know Adam is a big soccer (aka “football” for the rest of the world) fan.

Perhaps, if the UNICEF/FIFA thing doesn’t work out, we could try to donate t-shirts and soccer equipment for him. That would be really cool.

Otherwise, it sounds like he’s making Holiday plans like the rest of us, some of which focuses on drinking (like the rest of us).

Check out all of Adam’s Peace Corp photos here: http://picasaweb.google.com/adam.fiebs

The Full letter:

hello!

well it has been a bit since i have dropped a line. it has been a bit busy around here as of late. aside from visiting some parts of mauritania i have yet to visit i have made some strides on the work front. mainly ideas mostly and a lot A LOT of talking about them with members of the community. among them organizing a community soccer tournament for kids on world aids day, dec. 1, and educating them about hiv/aids. i am trying to do this in conjunction with UNICEF and FIFA which would be awesome because they can donate sports equipment and the like as well as t shirts etc etc. UNICEF has this thing called sports in a box which donates a ton of equipment to third world countries needing them. so cross your fingers and all will be a success. aside from that talking about a traveling vaccination program for children in more rural sites and maybe something on clean birthing kits. but more details to follow.

 

 my language is getting better a little bit each day so i dont make a fool of myself nearly as much as i did when i first arrived. but i feel it is part of the territory as a peace corps volunteer. aside from that, all is great! only frustrating part is trying to explain that you are a volunteer and that no, you wont be bringing any money into the place. but if you meet the right people and dont get too discouraged you can actually do things here. again, ask me this question in 6 or 8 months and i could be less or more enthusiastic on this point.

 

but in all. things are good. i am looking forward to going to nouakchott for xmas and actually having a beer!!! whoo! and then saint louis in senegal for new years which i hear is eden among peace corps mauritania volunteers. those senegal and mali volunteers have it good

 

i will try to post new photos soon. our electricity has been out for the last 9 days and it came on for 3 hours last night. enough time to charge a computer. hope all is well and thanks to everyone who has sent me packages! they are great!

 

adam fiebs

The Creepiness Factor of Cellphone Cameras and The Internet

While I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve recently fell in love with Tumblr, and it’s ability to post cell phone pictures, there’s something creepy and slightly obnoxious going on over R.O.C.K. on the CTA.

 

      

    

Sadly, the poor taste only begins with what I’m assuming is a John Mellencamp song reference. 

Here’s the gist of what RotCTA does — “David Rockwell” takes covert cellphone pictures of people on Chicago Transit Authority trains and buses (they also accept submissions from others at ROCKontheCTA@gmail.com) and then posts them for the world to see.  David describes his blog thusly: 

a somewhat snarky, sometimes cranky, borderline stalker-y view of the world from my seat on the bus. No offense meant to anyone.. all of these stories are just made up. I really know nothing about you. And I care even less. I love watching the urbanites as they do their daily dance along the train tracks and bus routes…They make me happy. And sleepy.

Borderline stalker-y indeed.  It all seems harmless, but the site irks me for the following reasons:

1. They are rarely that funny
2. They are more likely to be mean-spirited and petty
3. Their idea of a “hunk” is any dude dressed business-casual
4. Their idea of a stylish or cute girl is a trixie dressed business-casual
5. As you’d expect, photos are taken almost exclusively on the northside brown line and red line.
6. Tons of creepy anonymous ass photos, and even some moose-knuckle.  Why?

If you’re on the CTA and you’re old, overweight, asleep, not cool looking, or a minority; prepare to be ridiculed anonymously.  Otherwise keep using public transportation in Lakeview and you might just become famous — if you wanted to or not.

TeeCycle… in the news and in your drawers

Can I say how jazzed I am about this…. though I have very little to do with most of it so far?

T-Shits are selling like hotcakes! If hotcakes were nearly as cool as vintage cotton awesomness. These two are available no-more *sad face*:

Check out Tim, talkin’ tees in the (Marquette) Tribune here:

Cigelske, his wife Jess and friend Brian Battle (both Marquette alumni), post new pictures of T-shirts daily on the blog (with them as models). The idea for the business came to him last fall, he said.”I was picking through an issue of Rolling Stone and found a glut of ads in the back for T-shirt companies,” Cigelske said. “They all seemed to be kind of the same companies selling these $20 shirts with semi-clever slogans that people would get sick of in two weeks if they bought it.”

Also Gabbing about TeeCycle.Org, the end of the pop-collar era, and why The Super Mario Bros. trump The Blues Brothers on Kramp & Adler’s morning show on 102.1: (mp3 podcast here)

Plus a nice shout-out from T-Critic today who’s blogging ’bout “T-Shirts, T-Shirt Companies, and Things That Should Be T-Shirts”.

Hot Chip, Cool Bar

Remember the time when people said “synthesizer” instead of keyboards? Incidentally, it was also when fashionable gals were wearing like, tights under skirts, and um, leg-warmers. Well, my nostalgia-prone friend, for better or for worse, that time is back.

When Hot Chip (nay “Hawt Chip”) took the stage at The Metro earlier this month, four-fifths of them took their stations behind a wall-o-synths. Shaking the venue’s collective booty as much as 5 pasty Brits can shake an equally pasty crowd, they started the set with the throbbing dance-funk of “Boy From School” and carried the energy through the set. Mind you, Hot Chip is NOT a poke-around-behind-a-laptop band. The emphasized live element makes for a terrific show — for every electric drone and bass beat there’s dreamy pop harmonies, guitar hooks, and yes, even the beloved cowbell that’s all the rage these days. Can’t wait for the triangle to make it’s homecoming.

For the encore they banged out a riotous version of “Over and Over” and a few days later someone reminded me I screamed “SYNTH GODDDS!” at some point. Probably when the song segued perfectly into a cover of New Order’s “Temptation” — a well-deserved nod to the Kings of Pasty Dance-Pop.

While my friend was busy slurring tequila infused come-ons downstairs at Smartbar, the remainder of our group took two quick lefts out the door and ducked into arguably the most tolerable bar in Wrigleyville: The Gingerman Tavern. An oddly shaped spot that occupies the wedge between N. Clark and Racine. It’s no coincidence this bar is stumbling-distance from The Metro. The mix-matched chairs, tables and billiard balls complement it’s equally eclectic clientele. That said, if anyone knows of a better Wrigleyville bar, I’d like to hear it, drink there, and then tell you why you’re wrong.

photos by Pegs. Thanks Pegs.