Articles
A Late-Life Adventure: My Two Years in the Peace Corps
By Lawrence Brane Siddall
It was past midnight and I
couldn’t sleep. A cold wind rapped at the leaky windows, and
what little heat there had been in the small fourth-floor
apartment of my school had long since departed. The building was
like a fortress, almost 100 years old, now empty and locked for
the night. In a few hours a torrent of 650 adolescents would be
roaring through the halls below. I was feeling restless and
edgy. It had been my worst day. Going through my mind was what
to do about the noisy and disruptive behavior in one of my
classes. I was still having trouble keeping this class quiet
during lessons, and my patience was weakening. I hadn't yet
figured out what I was doing wrong. I was thinking of going to
the director, but what would I tell him? After six weeks I was
having doubts about teaching for two years in this foreign land
3,000 miles from home. From under my covers I stared into the
darkness and wondered what I had gotten myself into.
Full Story
A Special Gift
By John Dwyer
Peace Corps Online
When President Kennedy announced the formation of the Peace Corps I was newly married and beginning what turned out to be a very erratic career. The Peace Corps was of great interest to me but the timing just wasn't right. I have always had a hankering for things international and enjoy meeting new people and exploring different cultures. As a young veteran in the late fifties, an army buddy and I drove to Mexico City from Los Angeles to attend college on the G.I. bill. My goal was to get a degree in international relations. My goal wasn't reached. I returned home. I was concerned about the $60.00 a month car payment I had left my parents to handle. My buddy stayed on and ended up a professor at a California college. Fortunately my curiosity for the world was not left behind in Mexico City.
Spotting the Advantages of a Language Barrier
By John Dwyer
3 March, 2006
A few years ago, in San Francisco, I attended a book signing and lecture by a well known travel writer. After the lecture a member of the audience asked the writer how he felt about traveling in a country where he did not speak the language. The writer replied that it sometimes leads to experiences because it forces one to be inventive to communicate. He said that in such circumstances people often uses exaggerated gestures and facial expressions. He believed that the humor in such expansive expressions can break down barriers and lead to a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. An experience in Greece gave me a chance to test the writer's theory.
In Honour of a Thai Taxi Driver
By John Dwyer
15 December, 2005
The anticipation of landing at a strange foreign airport brings a bundle of conflicting thoughts to the mind of the traveler. At least it does to this traveler. When I am a passenger in an airplane on a final approach to a foreign airport I experience a feeling of both the excitement and uneasiness of looking forward to the unknown.
Afghan IDP Camps: A Look at Structure
By John Dwyer
14 June, 2004
Camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Herat, Afghanistan, have been in existence since the mid-1990s. Because of the long drought that beset Afghanistan, IDPs were flocking to urban areas and it was for those IDPs that the camps were formed. Subsequently, victims of destruction caused by the chronic wars and those who had fled their villages because of ethnic tensions, arrived at the camps. All were poor and most were landless.
Sweet Moment in a Sad Land
By John Dwyer
Orange County Register
29 December, 2002
In a world torn by terrorism and religious strife, one is apt to overlook the humanity that exists in the majority of people of all ethnicities and religions. During this season, with its talk both of war and of the tradition of giving, I am reminded of a chance encounter with a saintly little girl on a Balkan road.
The Beggar
By John Dwyer
Over50andOverseas.com
Beggars always make me feel uneasy. Especially young beggars. My mind is filled with conflicting thoughts when they approach me. Are they really needy or are they scamming? Should I give them something or shouldn't I? Passing them by without giving is worse - I feel guilty.
Bethe and Marcel Dufresne - Hartford Courant
Bethe and Marcel Dufresne are journalists who live in Connecticut. In the summer of 2009 they traveled to Kenya with the organization American Friends of Kenya. Bethe and Marcel wrote a series of articles about their trip for the Hartford Courant. The articles describe their satisfying and fulfilling experience. Below is a link to the articles.
Volunteering Over 50
by John Dwyer
I remember when President John F. Kennedy announced the
formation of the Peace Corps in 1961. I thought it was a
wonderful idea that arrived too late for me. I was married and
had a young family and responsibilities at home. Thirty years
later on October 24, 1991 I found out I was wrong. I was a Peace
Corps Volunteer headed for Guatemala. It is now nearly seventeen
years since that day. Although my Peace Corps experience was not
everything I had hoped it would be, the doors that it opened
have led to a very fascinating part of my life.