Ailey in Kyrgyzstan has discovered the joys of lying. If my experience is any indication, she will excel as a volunteer.



Ailey in Kyrgyzstan has discovered the joys of lying. If my experience is any indication, she will excel as a volunteer.

Spring and the Lies I Tell

Spring is here!!! It's coming and the reason I know is that everything is melting. While I was teaching class last week a huge chunk of ice fell of the roof past the window and crashed to the cement courtyard below. The entire class stopped amid gasps of awe and wonder. A mini avalanche, just for us! Because its spring and because spring is about new beginnings, I have some confessions to get off my chest. The first one is that I hate Askar Akaev. He is a shitty, corrupt president running a farce of a democracy and, also, he has a unibrow. The second one is that I'm beginning to hate my site-mate, Sean. If you read this Sean, that's right, you suck. The third and most heavy confession I have to make is that I have begun telling lies to win arguments. The first occurence was during pre-service training outside of Bishkek. I and volunteer-to-remained-unnamed were having our usual daily fight, this time about Uggs and where they originated. Volunteer-to-remain-unnamed said, "Uggs are from Australia and were originally used as surfing shoes. Sheepskin is an excellent way to warm you feet." Of course, he was right and I knew that he was right. But because I was sick and tired of his rightness, sick and tired of his all-knowingness, sick and tired of the way he pronounced information gleaned from Newsweek and CNN.com as if it were direct information from the head of the KGB himself, I told a lie to make him feel bad. "Oh no, my friend, that's simply not true." The lie spilled out of me like juice out of a ripe pear, "Uggs are from New Zealand where the shepherds created them to keep their feet warm during mid-summer blizzards." "Are you sure?" he asked. "Yes, I'm sure. I looked it up on the internet before I came here." My heart was beating faster from the success of my lie. It was exhilerating! Later, in the privacy of my room, I laughed long and hard - what a stupid lie to tell. But then, last Sunday, I found myself doing it again, this time to win an argument about why the Kyrgyz government paints the bottom half of the city's trees white. "It's to protect against insects," I said, which is true. "I simply don't understand," my friend replied. "In America we have many trees and the bottom halves are never painted white." "That is where you are wrong!" I yelled. "I have SEEN trees painted white in America! In Georgia they paint all the trees white to protect against insects." This is totally untrue. Actually, I don't know, because I have never in my life been to Georgia. I also have no plans to ever find out, I'm simply saying I lied to win and I won. Is this a bad thing? Perhaps I should become a politician. I don't know if I should work on correcting this new habit of mine, or hone it. Which will be better for my future career path? Anyway, I'm going to go outside and enjoy this fresh spring rain. At least its not snow and ice. Bye for now.

When this story was posted in March 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:


Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers

The Peace Corps Library Peace Corps Online is proud to announce that the Peace Corps Library is now available online. With over 30,000 index entries in 500 categories, this is the largest collection of Peace Corps related stories in the world. From Acting to Zucchini, you can find hundreds of stories about what RPCVs with your same interests or from your Country of Service are doing today. If you have a web site, support the "Peace Corps Library" and link to it today.

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Crisis Corps arrives in Thailand After the Tsunami in Southeast Asia last December, Peace Corps issued an appeal for Crisis Corps Volunteers and over 200 RPCVs responded. The first team of 8 Crisis Corps volunteers departed for Thailand on March 18 to join RPCVs who are already supporting relief efforts in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and India with other agencies and NGO's.

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This Month's Feature Stories - only on PCOL Dream Come True - Revisiting India after 34 years The Coyne Column: Read Winning Vanity Fair PCV Essay Tomas Belsky's paintings inspired by service in Brazil RPCV reunites with friend after 40 years RPCV reviews "Los Heraldos Negros" by Cesar Vallejo Photo Essay: Taking it to the Streets

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March 26, 2005: This Week's Top Stories PCVs in Kyrgyz Republic Are Safe 25 Mar The Coyne Column: A Good Friday Message 25 Mar Frederic Zenhausern developing "biometric bodysuits" 24 Mar Robert Blackwill calls for US co-operation with India 23 Mar Margaret Krome promotes alternate crops 23 Mar Al Kamen says allies disappointed in World Bank 23 Mar Ambassador Randall L. Tobias speaks at PC 22 Mar Becky Binns helps organize 30-hour fast 22 Mar Fred Poses meets with Vice-Premier in China 22 Mar John Hoff unionizes substitute teachers in Hawaii 21 Mar Bill Moyers takes time to "sit and vegetate" 21 Mar Tony Hall says Ethiopia may need more food aid 21 Mar Taylor Hackford's 'Ray' wins four NAACP Image Awards 21 Mar PCV seeks tap shoes for students in Moldova 20 Mar Adam Donaldson learns to believe in Baltimore 20 Mar Allen Andersson builds libraries in Central America 19 Mar Senator Sarbanes' quiet leadership will be missed 15 Mar

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March 26, 2005: RPCV Groups in the News Houston RPCVs sponsor "Around the World in a Day"on April 6 25 Mar Minnesota RPCVs need Photos for Exhibition 24 Mar Vasquez to visit DePaul University on April 6 22 Mar New Jersey RPCVs host exhibit in Maplewood on April 2 20 Mar Maryland RPCVs eat crab cakes in Annapolis 17 Mar Connecticut RPCVs held fundraiser on March 5 3 Mar RPCVs: Post your stories or press releases here for inclusion next week.

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RPCVs in Congress ask colleagues to support PC RPCVs Sam Farr, Chris Shays, Thomas Petri, James Walsh, and Mike Honda have asked their colleagues in Congress to add their names to a letter they have written to the House Foreign Operations Subcommittee, asking for full funding of $345 M for the Peace Corps in 2006. As a follow-on to Peace Corps week, please read the letter and call your Representative in Congress and ask him or her to add their name to the letter.

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Add your info now to the RPCV Directory Call Harris Publishing at 800-414-4608 right away to add your name or make changes to your listing in the newest edition of the NPCA's Directory of Peace Corps Volunteers and Former Staff. Then read our story on how you can get access to the book after it is published. The deadline for inclusion is May 16 so call now.

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March 1: National Day of Action Tuesday, March 1, is the NPCA's National Day of Action. Please call your Senators and ask them to support the President's proposed $27 Million budget increase for the Peace Corps for FY2006 and ask them to oppose the elimination of Perkins loans that benefit Peace Corps volunteers from low-income backgrounds. Follow this link for step-by-step information on how to make your calls. Then take our poll and leave feedback on how the calls went.

Make a call for the Peace Corps PCOL is a strong supporter of the NPCA's National Day of Action and encourages every RPCV to spend ten minutes on Tuesday, March 1 making a call to your Representatives and ask them to support President Bush's budget proposal of $345 Million to expand the Peace Corps. Take our Poll: Click here to take our poll. We'll send out a reminder and have more details early next week.

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