Another lifetime ago, when I was a young(er) man, I had the good fortune to hitch my wagon with VSO (Voluntary Services Overseas). At the age of 26, I was starting to realize that if I was going to fulfill my dream of travelling and possibly working abroad, then it was time to actually do something about it. While I didn't exactly fit the criteria of desirable volunteers, I did work hard to get a certificate for teaching overseas (TEFL). I had attended some of VSO's local presentations for volunteer recruitment, and basically pestered the organizers in order to get my foot in the door. At that stage of my life, it was imperative that I got as far away as possible. I needed desperately to go out into the world and forge a new life for myself. I needed to prove to myself and also to everyone around me that I was up to the challenge.
After several months of participating in workshops and interviews, I was in fact deemed a suitable candidate for becoming an overseas volunteer English teacher. I had to anxiously await news from VSO as to where I was to be deployed. A few months had passed and I finally received word that I was selected for a position in Mongolia! While most soon-to-be volunteers were given 2 or 3 options, I was given a take it or leave it choice. Naturally, after consulting an atlas, I took the "take it" route. Soon afterwards, a package arrived in the mail with literature about my future posting. I was to be employed through TACIS, which was a consulting group formed through the European Union, dealing with establishing small and medium business ventures throughout the country. Specifically, I was to be assigned to a pilot project based in Suhbaatar, a northern Mongolian town at the very northern part of the country. Suhbaatar was the first stop along the famed Trans Siberian Railway, entering Mongolia from Siberia!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
First Blog - Maybe Last?
This is it...my first foray into the world of blogging, my first attempt at putting myself out there. At this point, I really don't know what the purpose of this exercise is. I guess it's mainly self-serving, but hopefully an enjoyable read. I am not sure what the format or context will be of this blog. Perhaps it will be a rambling piece consisting of meandering thoughts, observations, pissed-off rants, social commentary, and humorous anecdotes. Maybe it will be pure fiction, written in a narrative form, voiced by my alter ego. Whatever it turns out to be, I am certain it will be somewhat self-indulgent. I just hope it also turns out to be entertaining.
I started off in the porn biz about fifteen years ago....ok, that was purely meant to grab the readers' attention. I am not, nor have I ever been involved in the porn industry (unless you count having watched one or two videos here and there). I wonder if these are the type of people who take their work home with them. "Not tonight, I have a headache. I had a very stressful day. My (insert body parts here) are too sore." Anyhow, that is one job I don't think I am equipped to do. I am man enough to admit it. I'm no Dirk Diggler. I would also fear getting bored by it all. I mean, if you can potentially be bored with that career path, where else could you possibly find job satisfaction?
At any rate, this isn't exactly where I had planned to start off, but that's what happens when you let the fingers type where they may. Speaking of typing, I have actually reached a point in my life where I can type with a fair amount of accuracy without looking down at the keyboard. It only took me twenty years to reach this milestone, but I am proud nonetheless. The little things in life are worth a pause to reflect upon sometimes. It is often too easy to overlook certain accomplishments, and not give yourself a pat on the back. The typing thing is probably not the most shining example of this, but such things as completing a certain task or getting through school or feeling good in one's job are very important things to take pride in. I don't actually believe in being defined by my career, though it often has a defining role in how my life proceeds. I have been very fortunate in that I have a good job and get compensated pretty well for it. There is a great deal of security behind it, in that it would take some sort of cosmic shift in the universe for me to lose it (or I just simply fuck it all up).
Again, not too sure I want to delve into my whole life history here. I fear coming across too self-indulgent, and boring my audience to tears. I gave the title "Pro-Lost or Pro-Found" to this blog as a sort of tongue-in-cheek starting point. I am always looking for ways to be profound, but half (ok - more than half) of what I spew forth hardly ever resonates. I usually end up sounding more like a smart-ass, than anything else. I guess my humour has developed a bit of an acerbic tinge over the years, and I am pretty quick at twisting others' words (mainly my wife's). I have to use my uncanny and incredibly clever (I think) gift of the gab a bit more sparingly, in order for her to appreciate it much more. Yeah - that's the ticket!
The other part of the blog title, "Pro-Lost", is an homage to my favourite show, "Lost". For those who have been living on an island for the past 6 years, this show has become a cultural phenomenon. It has divided viewers into two camps: those who really don't like it, get it, or want to get into it at this point, and those who are absolutely sucked into its vortex. I sit firmly and proudly in the fan camp. Rarely has a show enticed me the way this one has, and from the armchair recliner I sit in every Tuesday night, it is an incredibly well-written show and extremely well-acted. I can see how it is not every one's cup of tea, as it is not exactly a thing of pride to be addicted to a television show. However, I will give the writers a great deal of credit, in the sense that while the show on the surface is a thriller/action/drama, it encompasses so many references to ideologies, theologies, and mythologies. The references, veiled or obvious, often go beyond my level of comprehension, and it makes me want to investigate the topics further. Great works of literature influence the plot lines, as do physical and metaphysical theories postulated by the great minds of civilizations, past and present. Anyhow, there is a sense of finality, as the final season of the series enters its halfway point. Each episode has been brilliant thus far. I will leave it at that for now, but reserve the right to post my own theories about the show in future blogs.
Well, that is all for now. Feel free to point out any flaws, or to heap praise on my brilliant and witty dia(b)logue. Any feedback would be much appreciated. Thank you for reading...
Geoff
I started off in the porn biz about fifteen years ago....ok, that was purely meant to grab the readers' attention. I am not, nor have I ever been involved in the porn industry (unless you count having watched one or two videos here and there). I wonder if these are the type of people who take their work home with them. "Not tonight, I have a headache. I had a very stressful day. My (insert body parts here) are too sore." Anyhow, that is one job I don't think I am equipped to do. I am man enough to admit it. I'm no Dirk Diggler. I would also fear getting bored by it all. I mean, if you can potentially be bored with that career path, where else could you possibly find job satisfaction?
At any rate, this isn't exactly where I had planned to start off, but that's what happens when you let the fingers type where they may. Speaking of typing, I have actually reached a point in my life where I can type with a fair amount of accuracy without looking down at the keyboard. It only took me twenty years to reach this milestone, but I am proud nonetheless. The little things in life are worth a pause to reflect upon sometimes. It is often too easy to overlook certain accomplishments, and not give yourself a pat on the back. The typing thing is probably not the most shining example of this, but such things as completing a certain task or getting through school or feeling good in one's job are very important things to take pride in. I don't actually believe in being defined by my career, though it often has a defining role in how my life proceeds. I have been very fortunate in that I have a good job and get compensated pretty well for it. There is a great deal of security behind it, in that it would take some sort of cosmic shift in the universe for me to lose it (or I just simply fuck it all up).
Again, not too sure I want to delve into my whole life history here. I fear coming across too self-indulgent, and boring my audience to tears. I gave the title "Pro-Lost or Pro-Found" to this blog as a sort of tongue-in-cheek starting point. I am always looking for ways to be profound, but half (ok - more than half) of what I spew forth hardly ever resonates. I usually end up sounding more like a smart-ass, than anything else. I guess my humour has developed a bit of an acerbic tinge over the years, and I am pretty quick at twisting others' words (mainly my wife's). I have to use my uncanny and incredibly clever (I think) gift of the gab a bit more sparingly, in order for her to appreciate it much more. Yeah - that's the ticket!
The other part of the blog title, "Pro-Lost", is an homage to my favourite show, "Lost". For those who have been living on an island for the past 6 years, this show has become a cultural phenomenon. It has divided viewers into two camps: those who really don't like it, get it, or want to get into it at this point, and those who are absolutely sucked into its vortex. I sit firmly and proudly in the fan camp. Rarely has a show enticed me the way this one has, and from the armchair recliner I sit in every Tuesday night, it is an incredibly well-written show and extremely well-acted. I can see how it is not every one's cup of tea, as it is not exactly a thing of pride to be addicted to a television show. However, I will give the writers a great deal of credit, in the sense that while the show on the surface is a thriller/action/drama, it encompasses so many references to ideologies, theologies, and mythologies. The references, veiled or obvious, often go beyond my level of comprehension, and it makes me want to investigate the topics further. Great works of literature influence the plot lines, as do physical and metaphysical theories postulated by the great minds of civilizations, past and present. Anyhow, there is a sense of finality, as the final season of the series enters its halfway point. Each episode has been brilliant thus far. I will leave it at that for now, but reserve the right to post my own theories about the show in future blogs.
Well, that is all for now. Feel free to point out any flaws, or to heap praise on my brilliant and witty dia(b)logue. Any feedback would be much appreciated. Thank you for reading...
Geoff
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