"Lazarus Cooke" wrote in message
om...
In article , riverman
wrote:

I needed to find out if a potential job offer in Sofia, Bulgaria was
going
to materialize, which would have (happily) precluded SWMBO and me having
to
go to Boston for the job fair. However, as is common in this profession,
negotiations seemed to come to an abrubt hiatus a fortnight ago, then we
got
a sudden and unexpected 'thanks, but no thanks' email. Rats. They
probably
has us lined up on deck, and didn't need us in the end.

Shame. I had a lot of good times in Bulgaria when I was young. And I'm
damn sure there are still trout in those Rhodope mountains.


Yeah, I was saving the announcement until it was finalized. Like all fish
that get away, this one has gotten sweeter with time. They contacted US,
which is rare and encouraging, they needed a couple to create their entire
HS curriculum (which is what we did here in Congo), the school is in a
beautiful part of Bulgaria, the rivers are full of trout, there are
mountains, rivers, ski slopes....I can fish, canoe, camp, buy myself a nice
4WD, there's no coup attempts weekly........damn, I gotta go cry now.

--riverman

"riverman" wrote in message
...

there's no coup attempts weekly........damn, I gotta go cry now.

Last night when I got home from work, my bride was watching Oprah. The show
was a special on the Congo and how difficult the living is for the people,
with the insurgents raping and pillaging the village folks.

If it's any consolation Riverman, Myself and many appreciate what you are
doing for the people... I mentioned to my wife, that I knew of you from ROFF
and that you teach in the Congo, she was impressed when I told her you were
from the US.

Be safe,
JT

"Jeff Taylor" wrote in message
...

"riverman" wrote in message
...

there's no coup attempts weekly........damn, I gotta go cry now.

Last night when I got home from work, my bride was watching Oprah. The
show
was a special on the Congo and how difficult the living is for the people,
with the insurgents raping and pillaging the village folks.

If it's any consolation Riverman, Myself and many appreciate what you are
doing for the people... I mentioned to my wife, that I knew of you from
ROFF
and that you teach in the Congo, she was impressed when I told her you
were
from the US.



Thanks for the nice thoughts, JT, but in the fairness of full disclosure,
I'm not doing anything with the locals, and I'm definatiely not doing
anything apreciable. I work in an international school, teaching the
cooperative and privilidged kids of diplomats, missionaries, businessmen and
the government. We are pretty well funded, live behind 10 foot razorwire
topped walls, are guarded 24/7, and earn more than 99% of the country.
(Which isn't saying much, I realize. We also earn considerably less than
that remaining 1%). There's really nothing noble about what I do here....I
teach school in a recognizable instutution, and if I wanted to get access to
the interior to teach the locals, I would probably get stopped nine
different ways to Sunday by bureaucracy, danger and territoriality. Having
been mugged by soldiers last year, terrified by incoming rounds in several
coup attempts, and generally panhandled to death by the population of
Kinshasa, I am feeling so ready to move on from here that there is no
shade of honor or nobility anywhere near my being. Sorry.

-riverman

BTW, SWMBO saw that same episode last night while I was working late, and
mentioned it to me. We visited that part of Congo last year during a pause
in the wars, and saw some of the situation first hand. I do have some
friends who work out there, and THEY really deserve an appreciative pat on
the back. Its as bad as it looks on TV.

--riverman
(not actually IN the middle of nowhere, but you can see it from here)

"riverman" wrote in message
...
BTW, SWMBO saw that same episode last night while I was working late, and
mentioned it to me. We visited that part of Congo last year during a pause
in the wars, and saw some of the situation first hand. I do have some
friends who work out there, and THEY really deserve an appreciative pat on
the back. Its as bad as it looks on TV.

Regardless, the stories you have told in the past have me think twice about
living in such a place and make me realize you would have to have a fairly
large set of steelies to do so.

No matter how many world away, it's difficult to see people live in such
miserable conditions. You can let your friends know their work is
appreciated.

Taker easy,
JT

"Jeff Taylor" wrote in message
...

"riverman" wrote in message
...
BTW, SWMBO saw that same episode last night while I was working late,
and
mentioned it to me. We visited that part of Congo last year during a
pause
in the wars, and saw some of the situation first hand. I do have some
friends who work out there, and THEY really deserve an appreciative pat
on
the back. Its as bad as it looks on TV.

Regardless, the stories you have told in the past have me think twice
about
living in such a place and make me realize you would have to have a fairly
large set of steelies to do so.

No matter how many world away, it's difficult to see people live in such
miserable conditions. You can let your friends know their work is
appreciated.


Well, it IS true about the steelies, and it sure makes wading while fishing
a real bitch!

:-)

--riverman

"Jeff Taylor" wrote in message
...

"riverman" wrote in message
...
BTW, SWMBO saw that same episode last night while I was working late, and
mentioned it to me. We visited that part of Congo last year during a
pause
in the wars, and saw some of the situation first hand. I do have some
friends who work out there, and THEY really deserve an appreciative pat
on
the back. Its as bad as it looks on TV.

Regardless, the stories you have told in the past have me thinking twice
about living in such a place and make me realize you would have to have a
fairly large set of steelies to do so.

No matter how many worlds away, it's difficult to see people live in such
miserable conditions. You can let your friends know their work is
appreciated.

Taker easy,
JT

Someone mentioned proof reading earlier, I might have to try that sometime!
:(

JT

"Jeff Taylor" wrote in message
...

"riverman" wrote in message
...
BTW, SWMBO saw that same episode last night while I was working late, and
mentioned it to me. We visited that part of Congo last year during a
pause
in the wars, and saw some of the situation first hand. I do have some
friends who work out there, and THEY really deserve an appreciative pat
on
the back. Its as bad as it looks on TV.

Regardless, the stories you have told in the past have me thinking twice
about living in such a place and make me realize you would have to have a
fairly large set of steelies to do so.

No matter how many worlds away, it's difficult to see people live in such
miserable conditions. You can let your friends know their work is
appreciated.

Taker easy,
JT

Someone mentioned proof reading earlier, I might have to try that sometime!
:(

JT

"Jeff Taylor" wrote in message
...

"Jeff Taylor" wrote in message
...

"riverman" wrote in message
...
BTW, SWMBO saw that same episode last night while I was working late,
and
mentioned it to me. We visited that part of Congo last year during a
pause
in the wars, and saw some of the situation first hand. I do have some
friends who work out there, and THEY really deserve an appreciative pat
on
the back. Its as bad as it looks on TV.

Regardless, the stories you have told in the past have me thinking twice
about living in such a place and make me realize you would have to have
a
fairly large set of steelies to do so.

No matter how many worlds away, it's difficult to see people live in
such
miserable conditions. You can let your friends know their work is
appreciated.

Taker easy,
JT

Someone mentioned proof reading earlier, I might have to try that
sometime!
:(


Eh? I read your post 4 times and did not find any typos at all, unless you
meant the closing 'taker easy', which I thought was intentional. Is this
one of those puzzles like counting all the 'E's on a Rolling Rock bottle?

--riverman
(BTW, proofreading is one word....g)

On 1/25/05 5:33 PM, in article , "riverman"
wrote:


--riverman
(BTW, proofreading is one word....g)

Don't start with me, mister!

:-)

Bill