With a jam-packed month of MD/PhD interviews beginning Tuesday next week, I've had a relaxing couple weeks in cold Anne Arundel County Maryland. For Christmas I received two oven-safe frying pans with lids, 3 large mixing bowls, a wire wisk, adjustable measuring spoon and cup, and a complete set of knives! As tempting as it is to take all this equipment back to New Zealand, I've decided to hold it safely here in Maryland for my indefinite return to the U.S. most likely in May. I've had a great time cooking in our large fully equipped kitchen here, serving pad thai, fish tacos, and salmon linguini among others. I've been doing a lot of reading, including a couple Science and Nature magazines, but have most enjoyed Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson. Amazingly, I had not heard of this guy before stumbling across the book at an airport bookstore. His Central Asia Institute has been building schools for girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan for the past decade and a half. Some of the stories he recounts about being led on wild goose chases by self-interested businessmen resembled some of our experiences in Tanzania. I agree wholeheartedly with Mortenson's view that educating youth, empowering women, and in general promoting peace in the tribal regions of central Asia does far more to protect American security than bombs and guns. Mortenson's schools do not teach extremist Islam (like the madrassas) nor Christian/American values, but unbiased (as is possible) history along with basic reading, writing, and math. A young Muslim who wants to go on jihad has to get approval from his mother, and an educated mom is far less likely to approve of violence than an uneducated woman. One of Mortenson's comments really hit home: that American soldiers on the ground in Afghanistan, who have immediate contact with the people and culture, have a far better understanding of the issues than detached State Department officials planning the wars. Apparently Three Cups of Tea has become required reading for military commanders.
I'm pretty excited for interviews. I'll get to visit some new cities and universities as well as meet a lot of new students and researchers. I should probably invest in one of those travel pillows though.
