Cheers...Off to Macedonia with you...

Here is to my baby brother who will soon be departing for a two year run with the Peace Corps in Macedonia. I am concerned of course. Naturally. I want him to stay healthy and happy and safe. He spent three years in Japan, two of which were in a rural part of the country and while his experiences were positive overall, I do worry about how he will be treated, perceived, embraced as a 6'7 black man from the states. Particularly since we're not very popular right now and frankly, deservedly so.

He starts his orientation on the 26th. With that said, he's a grown ass man, I know he can and will take care of himself. But I'll still send him care packages.

On another note, not completely unrelated, the news story about the possibility of opening up the Peace Corps to the military is well, rather disturbing and given the present administration's arrogance, rather naive as well. So possibly instead of foreign countries just having to worry about folks in uniform or Blackwater mercenaries, they can worry about if their Peace Corps volunteer is a CIA spook too.

Just lovely.