One more time....with feeling! (A repeat from a few weeks ago, but worth noting...)

Lately I have been extremely interested in Greg Mortenson's programs: Pennies for Peace and the Central Asia Institute.

The Central Asia Institute (http://www.ikat.org/) has a mission statement of:
"To promote and provide community-based education and literacy programs,
especially for girls, in remote mountain regions of Central Asia."

The CAI seems to be interested in something which I am completely passionate about: Mountain cultures. More specifically, I am so interested in how topography effects the development of culture, especially in mountainous regions. Mortenson also started another organization called Pennies for Peace.

Below is an excerpt from Pennies for Peace (http://www.penniesforpeace.org/home.html):

...to Pennies for Peace, a program of Central Asia Institute (CAI).

Pennies for Peace educates American children about the world beyond their experience and shows them that they can make a positive impact on a global scale, one penny at a time.

Our best hope for a peaceful and prosperous world lies in the education of all the world’s children. Through cross-cultural understanding and a solution-oriented approach, Pennies for Peace encourages American children, ultimately our future leaders, to be active participants in the creation of global peace.

To participate in the Pennies for Peace program, please start by completing the registration form and returning it to Pennies for Peace. Feel free to contact us anytime for more information.

What is the Power of a Penny?

The penny, 1% of a dollar, is symbolic of the '1% of Gross Domestic Product' goal set by the United Nations. The goal was for wealthy countries to give foreign aid to impoverished nations each year.

Pennies for Peace teaches children the rewards of sharing and working together to bring hope and educational opportunities to children in Pakistan and Afghanistan. A penny in the United States is virtually worthless, but in Pakistan and Afghanistan a penny buys a pencil and opens the door to literacy.

Please join us in Pennies for Peace!

These two programs seem to be contributing towards/highlighting positive change in Asia. Funny thing, I was cleaning out my cabin at NCOBS for the season a few weeks ago and I kept finding all of these spare pennies. I thought to myself: "I should look in to starting a NPO called 'Pennies for Peace,' I wonder if that name is taken?" So I hopped online, and within minutes I had discovered that the name was already taken. A few seconds after that, I thought "Right on, someone beat me to the punch- and what an amazing 'punch' this really is, how can I contribute?"

So, I am still thinking about all of this. I hope that our future generations of American (United States, Canadian, Mexican, Central and South American) children will all have positive/healthy opportunities to learn more about the importance of these eastern cultures and about their own cultures, and how these different groups may interact to be allies for one another, instead of adversaries. Just a thought...

At any rate, I just ordered 3 Cups of Tea, written by Mortenson. It is supposedly a chronicle of how these programs came about and sheds light on the man who is Greg Mortenson. If anyone else has read this book already, please feel free to leave a comment or two about your impressions of the book, the organizations- anything that can help you and me learn about how we, as one of the most privileged countries in the world can be a serious and genuine ally for everyone.

____________________________________________________________________

I am also really interested in this book simply for its references to K2 - the second highest (and often considered the deadliest) peak on our planet earth.

Information about K2& the Karakoram Mountains:

k2climb.net

Wikipedia Karakoram information

Karakoram essays, photos and resources

A link to Google Images search of Karakoram


It's my big brother's birthday today! WooHoo! Happy Birthday Aaron! He turns 31 today...
I am so blessed and happy to be in Seattle to help him celebrate!
Likewise, as my west coast visit for 2007 draws to an end, I am excited to see my friends and family back on the east coast. I look forward to some quality catch up time with folks, climbing, and preparing for a season with NCOBS in the Florida Everglades...

Big Hugs,


Kevin

A Nor'easter, eh?

Special Thanks to Adam Pellillo for this beautiful photo of the Cheat River, taken from Snake Hill.

Wow -- ice storms, heavy winds, snow, sleet, slick roads, "buy your milk and eggs,"... What is to come of this "wintry mix"? I hope that you and yours will take measures to protect yourselves throughout the country, wherever you are- be it Vermont, new Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, The rest of New England, the mid-Atlantic... I mean EVERYWHERE!

Very chilly weather comes down, as spirits go up...for some faiths and creeds the winter festivities have already begun! I wish and pray for you the happiest togetherness, times for reflection, peace, and celebration!

I will be staying put in Virginia to be with family for Christmas. I am so excited to have many a great book to dive into this winter... I am currently reading:

http://www.elschools.org/publications/KurtHahnSchools.gif

http://www.ccra.net/covers/cover.cfm?isbn=0872203263



http://www.sharpendbooks.com/images/covers/wway.jpg


After these, I will attempt to tackle:

http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/e/e8/180px-Way_of_the_Peaceful.jpg

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/0684836319/ref=dp_otherviews_0/002-3768890-5141655?ie=UTF8&s=books&img=0



http://www.ccsf.edu/Library/exhibits/three_cupscover.jpg

All the while, I hope to be practicing:


http://www.etsu.edu/math/gardner/1710/sullivan7a.jpg

AND...


http://www.get-hiking.com/images/mountaineering.jpg

Anyway, these are my reading/academic goals right now, other than studying to re-take the GRE, and eventually apply to grad schools down the road...

UNH?
Mankato?
I dunno..... the options are endless.....

To all of you who are with loved ones during these winter holidays- be safe, be merry, celebrate. Breath is life.

So be it,


Kshon


p.s. What is new with you? Let a guy know...

Round and round and round it goes, where it stops? ...

As of Saturday evening, I am back in Manassas, Virginia...

I look forward to seeing folks back home and along the eastern seaboard-- I had planned one final road trip to New England, but unfortunately, I think this might now be out of the question...for now.

This winter holiday season will be relaxed for me I think: Staying with my folks, visiting with friends, a bit of training, climbing, and preparing myself for a winter season in the Everglades of Florida with North Carolina Outward Bound. I will be leading Canoeing (possibly sea kayaking , but not as likely?) courses in the 10,000 Islands outside of Everglades City -- and I excitedly anticipate being able to see all of my friends who will be down there...

So, a shout out goes to Jarod and Joanna, as they are most likely embarking on a joint adventure through life that will lead them first to Montana - home of beautiful country side, The Depot (my favorite restaurant in Missoula), Conrad Anker, and Greg Mortenson.
This is great for so many reasons! Just to name a few:

1) Climbing rules! There is certainly plenty of it on those hills, and I am excited to get out and visit, climb, and adventure with two of my best friends...
2) Conrad started the Khumbu Climbing School to educate Sherpas bound for the big peaks how to stay safe* in the Himalaya, and Greg started Pennies for Peace and the Central Asia Institute- both organizations for which I am passionate. It would be neat to catch up with both such figures and fetch more ideas for a school that Joanna, Jarod and myself are excited to open one day.
3) I love the mountains
4)Big Sky
5)Backcountry
6) Fly fishing
7)Adventure with friends.

As I consider the plans of my future, I see visions of Grad School (Outdoor/Experiential Learning), potentially PhD work (focusing on mountain cultures? Perhaps?). I also see in the more immediate future, more focus on climbing, going higher, going colder, getting crampons and axes and seeing what Daumal is exactly talking about... The hills and cliffs of our beautiful world are calling... they also demand immense respect. I am excited to pay that respect.

This planet is beautiful. Its people are beautiful. I pray for the day that we (the people) and it (the land) will be completely sustainable with our symbiosis. I also will commit to educating the future, and the present about the past, and the choices we have to make about the history that is not yet written... so that the dimension of People to People can be pursued with love, compassion, moral courage, and tenacity towards Peace and sustainability for all...

Children run this world.

Why do we (in the most universal, collective sense) seem to generate scenarios where the children need to run from this world?

Call me idealist. Call me what you will. Let us use our will to do what we will, and to empower the children to discover a will of their individual own so that they might be able to pick up the pieces of our mothers and fathers, and place them like pieces in the puzzle of life. May the children figure out the solution to the jumbled mess that is our present presence, and, like a present, they will present the gift of peace, if we will only give them room to breathe it so...





Big Hugs,



Kshon


Blast from the past:
Me at ADV WV, second year - 2004

*safe being a relative term. As we know, in nearly everything we do, there is inherent risk and danger...nothing is truly safe.

A Quote For the Mountain Seekers...

"You cannot stay on the summit forever; you have to come down again. So why bother in the first place? Just this: What is above knows what is below, but what is below does not know what is above. One climbs, one sees. One descends, one sees no longer, but one has seen. There is an art of conducting oneself in the lower regions by the memory of what one saw higher up. When one can no longer see, one can at least still know." Rene Daumal



p.s. Check out the new videos I added... BBC World News, some footage of Greg Mortenson, and ... (drumroll please) ... a REALLY neat organization called "Friends Without Borders" (site)

--Goodnight Moon

Central Asia Institute, Pennies for Peace

Lately I have been extremely interested in Greg Mortenson's programs: Pennies for Peace and the Central Asia Institute.

The Central Asia Institute (http://www.ikat.org/) has a mission statement of:
"To promote and provide community-based education and literacy programs,
especially for girls, in remote mountain regions of Central Asia."

The CAI seems to be interested in something which I am completely passionate about: Mountain cultures. More specifically, I am so interested in how topography effects the development of culture, especially in mountainous regions. Mortenson also started another organization called Pennies for Peace.

Below is an excerpt from Pennies for Peace (http://www.penniesforpeace.org/home.html):

...to Pennies for Peace, a program of Central Asia Institute (CAI).

Pennies for Peace educates American children about the world beyond their experience and shows them that they can make a positive impact on a global scale, one penny at a time.

Our best hope for a peaceful and prosperous world lies in the education of all the world’s children. Through cross-cultural understanding and a solution-oriented approach, Pennies for Peace encourages American children, ultimately our future leaders, to be active participants in the creation of global peace.

To participate in the Pennies for Peace program, please start by completing the registration form and returning it to Pennies for Peace. Feel free to contact us anytime for more information.

What is the Power of a Penny?

The penny, 1% of a dollar, is symbolic of the '1% of Gross Domestic Product' goal set by the United Nations. The goal was for wealthy countries to give foreign aid to impoverished nations each year.

Pennies for Peace teaches children the rewards of sharing and working together to bring hope and educational opportunities to children in Pakistan and Afghanistan. A penny in the United States is virtually worthless, but in Pakistan and Afghanistan a penny buys a pencil and opens the door to literacy.

Please join us in Pennies for Peace!

These two programs seem to be contributing towards/highlighting positive change in Asia. Funny thing, I was cleaning out my cabin at NCOBS for the season a few weeks ago and I kept finding all of these spare pennies. I thought to myself: "I should look in to starting a NPO called 'Pennies for Peace,' I wonder if that name is taken?" So I hopped online, and within minutes I had discovered that the name was already taken. A few seconds after that, I thought "Right on, someone beat me to the punch- and what an amazing 'punch' this really is, how can I contribute?"

So, I am still thinking about all of this. I hope that our future generations of American (United States, Canadian, Mexican, Central and South American) children will all have positive/healthy opportunities to learn more about the importance of these eastern cultures and about their own cultures, and how these different groups may interact to be allies for one another, instead of adversaries. Just a thought...

At any rate, I just ordered 3 Cups of Tea, written by Mortenson. It is supposedly a chronicle of how these programs came about and sheds light on the man who is Greg Mortenson. If anyone else has read this book already, please feel free to leave a comment or two about your impressions of the book, the organizations- anything that can help you and me learn about how we, as one of the most privileged countries in the world can be a serious and genuine ally for everyone.

____________________________________________________________________

I am also really interested in this book simply for its references to K2 - the second highest (and often considered the deadliest) peak on our planet earth.

Information about K2& the Karakoram Mountains:

k2climb.net

Wikipedia Karakoram information

Karakoram essays, photos and resources

A link to Google Images search of Karakoram


It's my big brother's birthday today! WooHoo! Happy Birthday Aaron! He turns 31 today...
I am so blessed and happy to be in Seattle to help him celebrate!
Likewise, as my west coast visit for 2007 draws to an end, I am excited to see my friends and family back on the east coast. I look forward to some quality catch up time with folks, climbing, and preparing for a season with NCOBS in the Florida Everglades...

Big Hugs,


Kevin