Month: March 2004

  • Congragulations to my cousin Arielle, who just got engaged last night!!!


    TOPIC: CARRYING A DEAD GUY


    OK, so, this isn’t a gimmick to get people to read my blog.  I’ve tried pleanty of those.  This is real, and this is the first time i’m telling anyone outside of Outward Bound.  So, if you’re reading this, you’ll be the first to hear.


    About a week ago, my training manager runs up to me, and says, “You interested in doing some search and rescuse” About 4 seconds later i was running to get some gear to head out into the mountains.  About 8 of us went, piled into the back of one of these tiny, cramped, seatless S. Africa vehicles, called bakkies, that are much more funny to look at than fun to ride in.


    After driving about 2 hours, not knowing exactly where we need to be, we start making our way along overgrown truck trails, needing to reverse several times, pushing the truck through the mud.


    We arrive to where we see an ambulance.  It’s about 8pm, and completely black out, so we have our headlamps on.  There we find out, the hiker we’re looking for is already dead.  We’re just here to help carry him out.


    So, we walk 15min. where we find the body on the ground, already covered in a tin foil sort of bag.  The medics give us a peak at his face, my first time seeing a dead person, and it looked like a wax figure.


    We moved to body onto our stretcher, and he was heavy.  We’re talking around 130kg, or 260lbs. The next hour and a half, 8 of us rotated and lugged the stretcher along the trail, occassionally stopping to re-adjust the massive body, requiring us to put our hands all over the dead man. 


    Surprisingly, all of this was fun.  There was no adrenaline of a real search and rescue, and no wondering whether the guy would be saved.  He was dead.  And so we were just getting a rare opportunity to do something that would end up making it’s way onto my blog, or into someone’s telephone conversation.  We never even got the guy’s name.  Occassionally, we’d stop and eat snacks by the dead body, some lit cigerettes.  Mostly, we laughed at the fact that we were actually carrying a dead guy.  I mean, if it’s not funny, then it’s depressing, and who wants depressing.


    Also, had just read Tuesday’s w/ Morrie a few days earlier.  My life now seems to have patterns everywhere.  Here’s a book about a guy who knows he’s gonna die, is ready for it, and is able to live out his last days on his own terms.  This guy we picked up on the mountain, was in his mid-30′s, had no idea this would be his last day, and had no opportunity to have any closure on his life.  Instead of being surrounded by loved ones, he was surronded by myself, and a few other foreigners working for Outward Bound, just looking for an opportunity to add “Carried a Dead Guy” to their resumes.  Weird.


    TOPIC: MY FRIEND’S BLOG


    Anyone interested in reading a blog of a friend of mine, who is doing a master’s degree while in London, check this out.  If i had the time, i’d love to read everything she writes, because it’s really fun stuff, and you’ll really get a feel for this girl just by reading. hope some of you check it out.


    Daraiseurotrash


    TOPIC: NEXT CHAPTER


    So, I’m done w/ Outward Bound for a while.  My 7-day course w/ Lovelife was amazing.  My friend Gilby, who sounds smart as hell when he talks, describes S. Africa as Japan in the ’50′s, which I think means, nobody is paying any attention here now, but this place is gonna be huge soon.  Anyways…Lovelife, is going to be a large part in the development.  Basically, it’s a lifestyle that is being marketed all across the country.  It’s becoming cool even, to be involved.  People are beginning to wear Lovelife clothing like it’s Nike, and if you ask me, a country based on Lovelife’s mission, is much better off than one based on sneakers.


    So….now i can travel again.  New people, places, foods, stories, information.  New focus for my head.  I’m very excited.


    Life plans:


    3-weeks travel
    3-week lead instructing a Chrysalis course at the new Cape Town site
    Home for 10 days, hopefully relax and have some briies
    Working at B’nai B’rith Perlman Camp for 2mos. as a ropes course specialist
    End of Aug. till Thanksgiving – several options


    1) Travel the US, hopefully have a published book, visit different universities, market and sell book, increase awareness about Dan’sjournal, which is simply a lifestyle. 


    2) Travel the US, doing a rock climbing tour of the country


    3) Find work w/ Outward Bound in the States


    4) Work to create new OB courses focussing on college aged students.  Possibly create courses to bring students to S. Africa


    Then again…i’m up for any other kind of adventure.  Maybe be a pizza boy in Hawaii, just because i can.  Anyone w/ a really cool suggestion, please share.


    S. Africa is a very exciting place to live right now.  One of my students said the best thing about apartheid was it put blacks in a position to prove themselves, to aim for better things.  There’s momentum here.  At home in the US, the equivalant of something like Lovelife might be Americore, which due to budget cuts, has no chance of achieving the popularity and the affect of Lovelife.  There’s so many small movements going on, but your average American, and you can get your evidence right here on Xanga, is waiting for life to happen to them, instead of happening to life.  Anyways…did i mention that i got to carry a dead guy the other week?


     


     

  • TOPIC: UPDATE


    Just spent an amazing 4 days in Cape Town.  Did my first lead climbing w/ my friend Eugene, who climbs almost daily.  Did level 17 and 18, which I think is 5.8 or so US if any climbing fans make it to this post.


    About to head out to the Sedgefield farmer’s market, the one day a week when this quiet town comes alive w/ crafts, food (mmmmmmmmmm….falafel) and fun loving hippies.


    Tom. I start my first course as a solo instructor.  It’s for a program called Lovelife, I think their website is www.lovelife.org


    It’s a massive South African program, funded by Bill Gates (Bill, if you make it here, we could use some funds at OB S. Africa).  They have billboards all over the country about HIV/Aids, and living healthy lives.  The 7-days coming up are part of their orientation for being Lovelife instructors, so i’ll be taking them hiking, rapelling, canoeing, and doing some ropes course stuff w/ them, plus listening to them sing a lot.  They always sing a lot in South Africa.


    Well…falafel awaits.  Kentucky is on to round 2.  I have them beating the Dukies in the finals, i’d love nothing more than for that to happen.  For those who have followed my NCAA picks, i’ve picked kentucky since i was a kid.


    For soccer fans, Arsenal is looking good.  2 upcoming games against Man. U, and chance to clinch the Premiership, and the FA Cup, plus a quaterfinal match-up w/ Chelsea, for a chance to meet Real Madrid in the semi’s.  Is anyone else as excited as me, or have any idea what i’m talking about?!?!?!?!


    Anyways…hope everyone enjoys their weekends.  Will post again probably in a week.


    Cheers,
    Dan

  • Topic: Make me popular


    Hey…well, in the spirit of being drunk a bit…i wanted to ask whoever makes it to my site, and whoever is a usual, if you could all comment on the post w/ my pictures.


    Hopefully…i can get a bunch of posts (i know i shouldn’t have to ask like this) but i’m really hoping to get my site popular, because i do want to get some of my ideas out there, and to promote outward bound, and to promote my book which i hope to publish after i get back to the states.


    I just feel like i have a ton of potential w/ all my energy, visions, and what i’m doing now, and i think part of creating change is selling your ideas.  So…please, help me sell, leave a comment, good, bad, neutral, and let’s see if i can’t make my site as it was originally, a forum for discussion and practical change in the world, not just a chance to write stuff and make people go, “oh…interesting,” Well…i’m out, let’s see what happens.


    -Dan

  • Topic: Cape Town


    So, i’m in Cape Town for a few days.  Spent the afternoon rock climbing w/ my good friend Eugene, who works at my summer camp.  Really difficult stuff, but good to just get out there and do it.


    Tonight, went out w/ him and my ex-girlfriend from here.  Had absolutely nothing to talk about, really quite awkawrd.  So, I decided to put down a few beers ( still feeling them now) and after gettign really bored of her just chatting w/ my friend, me chatting w/ eugene, i started looking out the window as a mob of about 300+ blacks were walking in the streets.


    I decided to disappear for a bit, and then i was the lone white guy amongst the crowd.  There was a big soccer match, the Chiefs versus Ajax, and all these people came down to watch.  So, there i was, having some nice chats about the game, a 0-0 tie, but everyone said it was great watching their hard effort.  Many were heading back to townships or shantytowns, and when i asked them about it, they said the life wasn’t the best, but they always kept their spirtis up.  I mentioned what  I do at Outward Bound, and several people wrote down information, saying they would love the opportunity to change their lives and have better chances at finding jobs.


    All in a all, a great day, and a great evening.


    -Dan

  • NEW PICTURES FROM SOUTH AFRICA AND OUTWARD BOUND!!!!!!!!


    A FEW MORE REASONS TO BUY A DIGITAL CAMERA (KEEP IT DRY) AND GO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT, TRAVEL, PLAY, EXPLORE…



    ONE OF THOSE PICTURES THAT JUST CAME OUT RIGHT



    TOP OF TABLE MTN. AND THE TABLECLOTH



    THE THINKER



    HOW FAR TOO…




    PERFORMERS AT V&A WATERFRONT, CAPE TOWN




    INSIDE A CAPE TOWN TEMPLE



    SURF KAYAKING AT BUFFALO BAY




    BRIIE AT MIKE PAGODIN’S HOUSE, OPERATIONS DIRECTOR OBSA





    A BLURRY PICTURE TO GO WITH MY BLURRY MEMORY OF NEW YEAR’S







     


    Andrew McNeil, a fellow American, enjoying a perfect sunset at the OBSA base camp



    VIEW OF TABLE MOUNTAIN, CAPE TOWN



    STUDENTS FROM YORK HIGH SCHOOL, IN GEORGE
    RAFT BUILDING ACTIVITY



    COFFEE BAY, IN THE TRANSKEI, OR HEAVEN IF YOU ASK ME



    HOLE IN THE WALL,



    THE THINKER…



     







    DINNER AND DANCING INSIDE THE HEADMAN’S ROND











    YORK HIGH SCHOOL, THE MATRICS (SENIOR)



    CAN THEY MAKE IT OVER THE BERLIN WALL????





    LOW ROPES COURSE




    AFRICAN ART THAT WAS TOO EXPENSIVE FOR DAN TO BRING HOME

















    CAPE POINT, WHERE THE ATLANTIC AND INDIAN OCEANS MEET





    BOULDERS BEACH, AND LOTS AND LOTS OF REALLY REALLY COOL AND VERY VERY AWESOME PENGUINS!!!!!!!














    5,4,3,2,1, BUNGEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!








  • Topic: Edward De Bono


    Anyone ever here of this guy?  Just picked up a book about him, came up w/ the term “lateral thinking” and big fan of making school more practical.  Apparently he’s a pretty big name that i somehow have never came across.


    Topic: Update


    Life has been pretty ordinary around here, which I don’t like, since I prefer doing extra-ordinary things, but in a few weeks i’ll get to do some more traveling!!!  Been doing a lot of sailing, which is a new skill for me.  Been working on articles for the Outward Bound International newsletter about OB S. Africa, especially how all there programs are partnered with major programs that work to improve the lives of S. Africans.  There’s actually a new program starting this week called OB Global.  Students from Boston are being flown to S. Africa, do an Outward Bound course, then get to do some cultural things in the country and community service projects.


    A friend of mine just told me there’s websites where you can e-mail books to be published.  Anyone able to give me leads, that’d be sweet.  I really hope to get this published, hopefully have it in college book stores, and maybe spend time in the fall traveling around to speak w/ college students, profs, and admin.


    All for now.


    -Dan