One Year of Service...

Yesterday marked one year of service since swearing in as a Peace Corps volunteer.  Ironically, I was back in Kamenice where we swore-in at Joni Ranch.  I was a part of a group of 6 TEFL volunteers who were observing our trainees in the classroom.  We have trainees in Kamenice and three nearby villages -- Koretin, Toponice, and Rogaçice (Rogan).  My group was in Rogan and they did an amazing job in the classroom.  

The mosque in Kamenice that we walked by everyday during training

Sip Cafe -- one of our favorite hangouts

My village was the longest distance from Kamenice

Thirty-one volunteers arrived with KOS 10 and one had to return already for family reasons.  So the group was split between the four locations.  They meet up for certain training activities, but have their language lessons in their villages in a room in the school there.  The in Rogan is brand new and it was beautiful.  The only problem is the heat doesn't work, so during the winter, they had to move back to the old building.  Although the weather was beautiful while I was in Kamenice (blue skies, sunny, and low 70s), the school was really cold.  The class sizes were small.  The largest class was sixteen students and the students were well behaved.  I observed trainees in 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th and 9th grade.   For the most part, students had better English than my high school students at the professional school in Kaçanik.

I enjoyed seeing the other volunteers.  Three COD volunteers also made it to Kamenice during the time we were there -- Kevin, Sarah, and Chad.  We had a chance to hang out in our volunteer community and to also hang out with the trainees from time to time.

On Thursday, the volunteers will be finding out their site placements and this weekend they will visit their sites.  I remember that was an exciting time for us last year and we are anxious to see where the new volunteers will be placed.

I was in Kamenice last week for observations on Thursday and Friday.  We stayed at Jehona, which is where our tech days were held during training.  Interestingly, several of the rooms had no keys.  They said that they would be watching out for the rooms.  Jehona is an old hotel and the mattrices were very hard and the rooms were outdated, but very clean.  We had to go into Prishtina Sunday, so that we could meet our driver at 7:20 am at PC offices Monday morning.

I had a wonderful evening on Monday, with my host family.  Ganja sent me a photo and I knew she was in the bakehouse making flia and I let myself in the back way and went directly to the bakehouse.  She gave me the biggest hug.  She finished the flia and then we went in to have coffee.  Soon the whole family was there and I enjoyed a wonderful evening in a place I felt really comfortable.  They will be hosting the TEFL volunteer that will be assigned to Kamenice and the elementary school there.  

I went for a walk with the new response volunteer that will be replacing Addie.  She has an apartment in the same building.  We went for a walk through Germia Park.  She is closer to my age and was a teacher of high school biology, micro-biology, and environmental science.  She will be working on environmental science curriculum with the ministry.  She is very athletic and loves to hike.  We will be hiking together again during her six months in Kosovo.

Yesterday, while I was in Kamenice, I saw a high school student who was part of the Access Leadership group in Kamenice.  We had volunteers working with the group and I went twice during training to help out.  Drilon (the student) remembered me and stopped to say "hi".  That group was halted as their funding was partially through an USAID grant.  I am sorry the group has been halted and I hope they will find alternative funding.

On the short walk from the bus station to my apartment, I ran into familiar faces including a talented young lady I met at the prom at the Gjimnaz.  She was walking with her mom and she introduced us.  I knew I was back home in Kaçanik.

Now for my next adventure, I will be joining Thom, our son Matt, and his girlfriend in Lake Ohrid, North Macedonia for a few days before coming back with them to Kaçanik.  

There was only one hoop house last year and no chicken pen

Looking out from the balcony of my host families house

Me and Ganja

The family had flia while I had a fried egg and tomato salad and whole wheat bread

Spring weather views from our balcony

Breaded eggplant with sauce

When you don't have a house...

 We spent the last month back in Madison arriving on September 7th after being away for most of the summer.  There are many reasons its good to be back.  We were staying on the westside of Madison in the Parkwood Hills neighborhood.  We were fortunate to be a short bike ride from a nice Saturday morning farmer's market on the west side of Madison.  It is not as big as the market on  a capital square, but it has plenty vendors and a great variety of fresh foods.  We have enjoyed the variety of restaurants in which there are typically vegan and vegetarian offerings.

The neighborhood we stayed in (as well as many neighborhoods in Madison) had many parks, walking trails, shaded sidewalks, and bike lanes.  I never needed a car to get to any of them.  Madison continues to  become more and more bike friendly as number of bike lanes and trails are being added each year.

We spent three weeks house and cat sitting for a lady (Cathie) in Parkwood Hills area of Madison.  This was a short walk to West Towne Mall and Memorial High School.  We sat for two Ragdoll cats, Penny and Cameo.  We connected with Cathie through a website called TrustedHousesitters.  Thank you Cathy Statz for recommending the website.  This was a nice house sit and the cats were easy enough.  Cathie was able to take two trips -- one to Banff and one to Shannon, Ireland.

Penny

Cameo

The location was convenient to the Lussier Community Center and there were many opportunities to volunteer in a number of capacities while house sitting at Cathie's.  I helped cook meals twice for the after school program, sorted food donations for the food pantry, and helped clients get their food from the pantry.

The Owen Conservation Park was just a 1/2 mile walk from Cathie's house.  Some of the parks in Madison have an arrangement with a goat farmer.  The goats are brought into parks to help clean out the invasive plants that create undergrowth around the trees.  They use temporary fencing to keep the goats in certain areas and they goats were there for a couple weeks.

And neighbor.com just announced Madison as the #1 most neighborly city in America. The rankings are based factors such as charitable donations, volunteer work, and low crime rates. This year the factors also included population changes and voter turnouts to account for citizen engagement and investment in their communities.  The cities that top these rankings reflect the core values of unity and neighborliness that make a community truly great. This I always feel is true of Madison.

Today, we started a house sit for a newfie in Minong, Wisconsin.  We are staying at a log cabin near several lakes.  We will be here for a week.  These are a few pictures taken on our walk to the lake.

The cabin we are staying out

The rainbow over Big Bass Lake

Cyrus, the newfie swimming in the lake

Peak Oil by Matthew Weiss

Peak Oil, Cuba, and Transition Towns

by Matthew Weiss on Tuesday, September 7, 2010 at 7:53pm

I don't normally write these things. I wouldn't have written it if I didn't think it was important.

I not an expert. I have included links to the same places I have been getting my information. Read them please.

Peak Oil is when oil production reaches its highest rate. After peak oil, oil production decreases. I had heard about peak oil before. I thought about it as a good thing; oil prices would go up for a little bit until renewable energy became profitable and then everyone would drive electric cars and be happy. I hadn't realized that peak oil has many implications. That our current agricultural systems depend almost entirely on oil. That the difference in standard of living between the United States and the rest of the world is created by our artificial lowering of oil prices. Its very easy to realize this from Brazil

This article is on peak oil:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_oil

Predictions for when peak oil will occur range anywhere from that it has already occurred in 2007 (it takes at least 5 years of hindsight to confirm peak oil) to the 2025 prediction made by peak oil. What is important is the estimates for when global demand will surpass supply. The United States Department of Energy predicts that this will occur in 2015. The effects on the economy will be similar to when demand surpassed supply during the oil crises of the 70's, the difference is that the situation will not get better but instead gradually worse. Suburbs will become the slums of the future. In 2005 the USDE released the Hirsch report. It pretty much says world oil production will dive, soon and abruptly. It states that Peak Oil will disproportionally effect the U.S. Economy as compared to the rest of the world. It suggests mitigation starting immediately, however, it states that it will take 20 years at minimum to develop alternate fuels and reshape the economy and that under best circumstances there will be a 10 year recession in which oil and alternatives are virtually inaccessible.

A summery of the Hirsch report: http://www.acus.org/docs/051007-Hirsch_World_Oil_Production.pdf

Wikipedia does a good job getting main points: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hirsch_report

In 1991 when Soviet Russia stopped sending oil to Cuba, Cuba experienced what is know as the special economic period in a time of peace. The effects on Cuba's economy mimic the effects that peak oil will have on the U.S. Economy. Before 1991 Cuba used more fertilizers and pesticides on its crops than the United States did. The special period shut down their agricultural system entirely. Cuba managed to survive by radically changing their agricultural system. Cuba now has one of the highest rates of organic and local farming as well as some of the only large scale permaculture Permaculture - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia in the world. This all occurred with minimal starvation.

Article on the special period: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Period

Documentary on the special period: http://www.powerofcommunity.org/cm/index.php

In the U.K. and Ireland where governments are, like the U.S., not responding to the threat of Peak Oil, communities have taken it upon themselves to establish transition towns. Transition towns are cities which have made efforts to be have selfsufficient energy, economy and agriculture. Their idea is that “Action by the government will be to late, action by the individual will be to little and action by a community might be enough soon enough”. The town of Tontes England is on track with its goals that will make it completely selfsuffecient by 2015. Similar steps have been begun in a couple places in the U.S. namely Colorado.

PBS show on Transition Towns: Transition Cities | Studio 12 | PBS Video

U.S. Transition Town website: Welcome | Transition US

Plan for the first Transition Town: http://transitionculture.org/wp-content/uploads/members/KinsaleEnergyDescentActionPlan.pdf

Transition Town Handbook: http://www.transitionnetwork.org/tags/primer

Brenda's Recommended Videos and Web Sites -- Eco and Sustainability

Video Picks

Collapse -- Documentary by Chris Smith, airing the viewpoints of Michael Ruppert. Michael Ruppert, a former LA Police Officer and freelance writer, talks about Peak Oil and the collapse of society as we know. Although somewhat alarmist, much of what he says is plausible and back with fact. You can watch this video for free in 6 parts at http://www.disclose.tv/action/viewvideo/37886/collapse_an_interview_with_michael_ruppert_1of_6/ , on youtube, or rent it through netflix.

Also visit Michael Rupperts web site at http://www.collapsenet.com/

Food, Inc. -- This movie will definitely change the way you look at food and how it is produced in the U.S. This movie can be easily rented and is definitely worth watching. See the movie and then visit their web site http://www.foodincmovie.com/.

The End of Suburbia -- This video is about oil depletion (peak oil) and the end of the American Dream. Can be rented at netflix or online at http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/the-end-of-suburbia/ .

Web Sites

• Madison Gas and Electric -- Sign up for Green Power. https://www.mge.com/my_mge/ServiceForms/WindPowerRes.htm
• Transition Network -- http://www.transitionnetwork.org/
• Madison Area Permaculture Guild -- http://madisonareapermacultureguild.org/
• Transition Communities and Sustainable Habitats -- http://www.sustainablehabitats.org/
• Transition United States -- http://www.transitionus.org/
• Transition Wisconsin -- http://www.transitionus.org/
• Life after the Crash -- http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/
• Community Garden Madison Area Information -- http://www.cacscw.org/get_a_garden.php
• Non-GMO Shopping Guide -- http://www.nongmoshoppingguide.com/
• Non-GMO Project -- http://www.nongmoproject.org/
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