Down, dirty, closeup, personal -- Pix. Tragedy & what you don't see on CNN or BBC.

And true.

Al, when I went in the PC 20 years ago the qualifications were very demanding. Only one in six applicants made the grade for the next step which is: Once selected you had to attend a week DEselection boot camp which weeded out the misfits (and I use that word sarcastically) -- I saw Phds and masters degree holders, good guys and gals by anybody's measure, fall by the wayside for reasons I personally could not determine. I think there were about 550 volunteers who wanted to go to Nepal. 26 made it.

At the time I was bosom (if you'll forgive the vernacular) buddies with the sister of then Speaker of the House, Jim Wright, and a nicely worded letter from him to the Head of the Peace Corps suggesting that I had "the right stuff" for Nepal seemed to help in my being selected as one of the volunteers -- although the selection committee insisted it had no effect whatsoever on their decision.
 
Hmmm. ... do you think he would write ME a letter of recommendation? :D

I'm looking into AmeriCorps right now. ... but even IF I can qualify, there won't be any bountiful, beautiful 23 year old Nepali girls lining up to greet me :( .
 
Don't know if he's still around and haven't heard from his sis in a long time. And, I'm not sure what the PC is doing in Nepal these days. I used to hear from a volunteer in SE Nepal but not recently. He told me that the PC might pull out of the country due to current situation. Not hearing from him is a bad sign.

One thing is certain. If I were a volunteer in Nepal today I think I'd refuse a post in the western half of the country.
 
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