Career Info

Despite my reaquisition of my old D.C. apartment, I have in almost no way taken back my old D.C. life, but rather have taken on many new roles in the old district. Despite the rigors of coursework, I never seem to run out of adventures that warrent updating this shamefully lazy forum.

Admittedly, I have been reminded of the need for a little update given all the job changes I have made over the past few months (and all the questions I've fielded). I honestly have to sit down sometimes because thinking about it makes me a little dizzy, yet incredibly excited. So, without further ado, here is a little rundown of my jobs/internships for my second year of grad school. Hope this clears up any confusion, and thanks for putting up with my nuttiness.

Fall Semester- I worked for Department of State, INR-OTR, aka (for those who don't speak acronymics) Intelligence and Research Office of Outreach. I finished there in late January. Excellent opportunity, and I got to see Secretary Clinton.

Spring Semester- I am currently working at CRDF- http://www.crdf.org/ . It is a nonprofit, NGO that began 15 years ago and has offices in Russia, former USSR countries, and increasingly in central Asia, the Caucusas and the Middle East. Their goal is to promote international scientific and technical cooperation. It began with wanting to find a way to provide nuclear physicists from the USSR with gainful opportunities to use their talents to keep them from having to resort to selling their expertise to a country or non-state actor who would use it for some diabolical means. Now they try to promote and fund r&d around the world and promote nonproliferation. Here is a recent article by my boss about a bill we're pretty excited about on our 3rd floor of 1530 Wilson Blvd.

After graduation, I have accepted an offer to participate in the Nonproliferation Graduate Fellowship Program. As a contractor with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Washington state, I will work here in D.C. for the Department of Energy for one year. After a week in Washington State getting oriented, I'll be headquartered in L'Enfant Plaza, which is only 5 metro stops from me. I'm working in the Office of Weapons Material Protection, and hopefully some projects will see me on a plane, answering to the name Kheezer, and filling up my passport. They do a lot with Russia and to say I'm excited does a disservice to the racing heart that fills me with with a faraway look in my eyes, an exhuberant smile, and a slight twinge of accomplishment when I think about the year to come.

I owe more posts about my trip to Eastern Europe, about my new status as a father to my best friends child, etc etc. Life's crazy, but I wouldn't have it any other way!

Cheers!

Yesterday, I peed in a hole in the ground...

and yes, it was a public restroom. Does this sound strange? Well then obviously you need to take a trip to picturesque Eastern Europe, where the only thing hotter than your face after you accidentially piddle on your shoe is the fashion:

Kiev, a cool city? I had no idea. I didn't even know two weeks before that I would be coming to this Ukranian locale of colored revolutions and poisoned politicians. Only that it would be an easy stop on a route taking me across Europe and ending up back in Italy. Also, that it was incredibly affordable to take an overnight train from Moscow, where I squeaked by just 3 hours before my visa would expire and I would have ended up in Russian incarceration upon being caught by border guards. My bouquet of Russian experiences is vast, but I can do without that one...


Stepping off of the train with my enormously heavy suitcase (but Russian elephants make excellent souviniers!) I had little choice as I was hounded by men to help me with my bags and give me a taxi ride. I let one take it as he already had it to the third step towards the exit by the time my hand came detached from it and paid him entirely too much as he threw it into the trunk of another middle aged, overweight man who nicely told me in Russian that he would happily take rubles if I did not have any grieven to offer for the taxi fare. I bet you will.

He drove me to an address that I had from Marina. To be honest, I had no clue where I was going, simply that it was close to a metro station and that Marina and Valentine think the world of this couple who would take me in. Once again, I threw myself into the unknown in search of a new experience. Once again, I was plesantly surprised by the blessings which have been mine since embarking on this adventure.

Eventually.

At first, I found myself waiting outside their door. No answer. Damn. Maybe I am at the wrong address? Well, not much I can do now... off to the world of Ian Flemming. Oh Goldfinger, what misadventure are you trying now? I know you will end up decaptiated or blown to bits...

Thankfully, the couple showed up about half an hour later, rambling apologies, and oblivious to the fact that James Bond just woke up on a plane- Goldfinger had tricked him again! Oh no! Well, I would have to wait to see how Mr. Bond got himself out of this predicament, on to meet the family.

Natasha and Peter had wed when Natasha was only 16. One can sense immediately both her total love and devotion for her husband and family and also her longing something more... all the while not finding the two irreconcilible, which is why I think she finds so much solace in God and also takes in adventurous travelers. Peter got his master's degree in business and now the two of them run a remodeling business from the house. Peter works from his car and is gone until very late in the evening. Natasha works for the church in additon to keeping Peter's books. They have a wonderful 11 year old son, Bogdan, who is lazy about his English studies and both loved and hated all the attention I gave him.

They saw their apartment as humble but by my standards was rather spacious for the region. Their kitchen was large with plenty of counter space and a full sized fridge, and their son's room, which was vacated for my stay, was almost as big as their room. Bonus- I got to share my living space with a small box turtle! This situation was rather agreeable to me. Then it got better. Natasha is fiercely proud of her nation's customs (they're not Russian!), especially the cuisine. Soon after their return home a great meal was placed before me. Fish, chicken, vegetables, potatoes, and to top it off, Ukranian chocolate, made by ... The company makes chocolate that could compete with the Swiss if only they could master export marketing...

Ah well, the city was wonderful, easy to get around, and rather revealing. Sales reflected the crisis-ridden economy while the caliber of the stores exposed how much Ukriane had westernized before their economy went belly-up. The ice cream is less than a dollar, and comes in the form of creamy soft serve in traditional chocolate and vanilla, but also chocolate mixed with orange or vanilla and blueberry. It is divine and they are even kind enough to dip it in chocolate if you would like before placing the cone on a scale and charging by the gram.

Their metro systems is not as large as Moscow's, but then neither is the city. Metro gets one wherever he or she wants to go, boasting many communist sculptures and arched ceilings. Entrance is attained with a blue plastic token that is placed in what can only be described as a recycled cheezy slot machine.

When I returned home one night, I was offered a cup of coffee and some chocolate. I never refuse, as it always made Natasha's face drop and no one wants that. Expecting a cup of Nescafe instant sludge to appear before me, my shock was apparent when she placed a tiny cup approximately 18 inches from my eyes. No, it was not the distance, it was truly a tiny cup... an ESPRESSO cup? Could it be true? REAL coffee??? How had I missed it before? Behind Natasha sat an espresso/cappuccino machine. Oh heavnly glory! Real coffee! I sipped it as slowly as possible, wanting it to last.

If you want to knwo how the Kiev folk feel abuot Russia, well look no further than the stature commemorating Russo-Ukranian unity. That giant distraction you see is a jumbo screen squat in front of the statue, blaring Ukranian advertisements and stealing the thunder of the good comrades shaking hands and bringing together their neighboring lands into one nation. How'd that turn out for you?

The Chernobyl museum also displays lingering bitterness at the Soviet Union. It is both a commemoration of those who died and the courageous individuals who saved lives, and a searing attack on the government that enabled its occurance and payed so little mind to it afterwards in both press accounts and in acknowleging the full effects of the disaster which still affect (like that grammar?) Ukranians today and have rendered a portion of their land uninhabitable.

Like Moscow, Kiev has a World War II memorial that trumps anything we could make in the US. Until your men have been killed on your own soil and you have watched yoru children starve, I don't think any country can appreciate the ravages of war enough to put the passion into their statues that these countries' artists display. The pain in the images and the pride at victiory is palpable as speakers play victory music for visitors. It's an interesting phenomenon to bring both extreme grief together with great triumph and the impressions these memorials make on one do not leave one's memory.

After feeding me some of Ukraine's most traditional dishes, taking me to a historical outdoor museum showing 17th century Ukranian agrarian lifestyles, and bonding with me on a level I never thought possible with people who don't speak English, Natasha, Peter and Bogdan took me to the train station and saw me off as I continued my journey. Five days with them was not enough and I will forever be grateful to this beautiful family. Beautiful, friendly, and historical Kiev captured my imagination. The train ride from there would be 25 hours... in a cabin shared with only one other person... this could be interesting...

Contact Information

New Cell Phone Number: (+1) 717 451 4045

Current Mailing Address:

62 Baltimore Street
Spring Grove, PA 17362 (And no comments about how Jefferson is too small to have postal delivery...)

Mailing/Street Address After September 1:

1713 D Street, N.E.
Washington, D.C. 20002

Yes, this is the same as before! Vinnie and I are moving back into the old place.

"There are places I'll remember...

all my life, though some have changed..."

In what seems like an eternity ago, (but truly was only 5.5 years... maybe i am getting dimensia), someone special mailed me a mixed cd while I was living in southern Germany. This person did not stop with the normal 18-ish tracks but instead took head on the challenge that mp3 format provides and put over a hundered songs on said disk. I popped it into my broken laptop that could only handle two tasks: playing music and solitaire (I seem to have a knack for destroying laptops whenever I go to Europe...) and was awestruck as song after song took me to new places, inspired me, sometimes made me just want to stare at a wall. I realized that this was probably the best mixed disk anyone would ever create for me, each song placed intentionally upon the shiny surface it just for me. This person really knew me, heart and soul, inside and out. I was humbled.

But just because something is perfect for a moment of your life does not mean you keep it forever... and like the beautiful southern German city that had become my home, like the friends I returned to, like so many things in this amazing life, I left behind the person who created and sent me the disk, but did so with a full heart, knowing that one does not have to hold on to everything but can take pieces of it with them always as they chart new courses.

So as I rode to work for my last time on the old yellop number 142 marshootka, the Beatles created the soundtrack for my thoughts as I prepared to leave Moscow. I smiled as I relfected on the past month:

On Marina and Valentine who had become my weekend warriers, who would take me in that last weekend and host me in their one room home, as we watched the simpsons together, debated gender roles in marriage, and shared our dreams of houses with gardens and nice kitchens.

On my amazing job. The chances I took by coming to Moscow for an internship I had created with a director who no longer worked at Big Brothers Big Sisters (a place that had even had an intern before), well distasterous could have been the outcome. On the contrary, I got to work under a great businessman who gave up his earning potential and prestigous job to work in a nonprofit, but kept his clear head and business savvy attitude, skills that are desperately needed in this up and coming Russian NGO sector. He gave me projects, deadlines, and most importantly, he made me use all that stuff I have been studying, not just to write papers, but to have meetings with him where we would both just throw ideas at each other, yell at each other, and just get excited about where the young organization would go under his leadership and with the work of his team.

Usually I spend July 4 with family, poolside at Aunt Lydia's enjoying a bbq... but year, I think I actually had more fun as I spent that Saturday bouncing around like a 10 year old on Red Bull and pixy stix and, giving out flags, and trying to charm people into becoming volunteers for BBBS

And my hosts. What words do you have for people who have no idea who you are but are willing to take you in, to share their culture, their hopes and concerns, their time and their laughter. I know I leave this country with friends.

Sergei who loves American cars, Italian women (part of the reason they took me in, haha! it was an American who was just living in Italy!), and providing for his family. (For the record, he was pretty relieved when I showed up and was not 500 lbs and refrained from eating everything in their house... ah stereotypes- not to worry, I retalliated by shaking my head in utter disbelief when he told me he doesn't like vodka, telling him he actually did but just doesn't remember)

Nadia- her free flowing laughter eminated her warm soul; a humble yet beautiful woman who prepares such simple food every day with so much love you think you are being spoiled every time you eat. Not a dream enters her head that doesn't involve a better life for her children and husband yet she is grateful for the blessings they currently appreciate and wants for little.

Dear little Pasha, who is unsure we can get married when he is older because I may be a little too old, but for now is fine with being friends.



And Katya, my little girl who calls me her aunt.

*************************************************************************************

Sitting outside Moscow's world famous metro line, trying out one a cigarrette marketed towards women. They are very slim, and have pink flowers on them. (No no, I am not a smoker, but I do like to experience as fully the culture as possible. Plus, how often can you get fancy smokies that cost less than a dollar a pack?) Dressed in a mini skirt and nice blouse, I sat there getting my picture taken and decided I felt wonderfully girly. So this is why Russian women dress this way, smoke special cigs, wear crazy heels... you can't help but love embracing your feminity any way you can in a city that often forgets the virtues of chivalry...
Moscow, Moscow, you never seem to completely release me from your strangely provacative grip. I will return.

i know i'll never lose affection for people and things that went before. I know i'll often stop and think about them...

In my life, I've loved them all.

Moscow Mods?

That's right, Turns out Moscow, which has prettymuch everything you want in a big city, also has an underground Mod scene. The Vespa-worshipping, suit and dress clad hipsters take over clubs like Sixteen Tons and get old Mod revival bands travel from the other side of the iron curtain to provide the soundtrack for forgetting about everything and dancing your little booty off. Sixteen Tons is an amazing destination because its record collection is expansive and includes tons of rare vinyls whose music you'll never download on I-Tunes. DJ's here actually still spin records, and the crowd is small but energetic.

How did I stumble upon this Jewel? I have a friend who always seems to find the coolest people and the best music in any city.

Nope, you can't get away from SAIS'ers, we're everywhere and can't seem to stay away from one another. So George, Hodur and I found ourselves hanging out before going to the club, meeting locals and drinking beer in the park like everyone does on a Saturday night... Lets cut the niceties, I can't pretend it's only weekends that this takes place. This way to kill time and braincells occurs perpetually here and is not limited to nighttime, especially since it doesn't get dark here until like 11:00.
But after dinner in a cafe without a sign on the door (you have to 'just know'), 30 cent ice cream cones, and a good amount of cheap Baltika, or Redds on my part (the girly Russian beer that you have to have the proper chromosomes to drink), we went back in time as we stepped into the club, being offered free cigarettes from the good people at Lucky, and expanding our definition of good music as Secret Affair showed us that they can still rock a crowd.

If you want to know how I got home (safely, no less!!!!), ask me personally, some things would scare readers of this blog who have a tendancy to worry...

Still without good computer access!

Still having issues with finding a computer that I can successfully type on, probably on Saturday I will be able to write more. For now, here is a quintessential photo of any Eastern Europe journey. I do love Trabbis...

Traveling across Eastern Europe via train on my way back to Italia to see the parts I was too studyriffic to see before... Naples and Pompeii ahoy!

The laptop died so I will have to wait for my arrival to Italia and depend on a friends computer to construct long blathering posts about my past few adventures. I am writing on a Hungarian keyboard now... the y and z are switched and all the special characters are very hard to find...

Off to explore before I hop on another train!

All aboard!!!!!!!!!