October 6, 2011 – Peace Corps Worldwide

Watching the Congressional Hearing

Oct 06 2011

Watching the Congressional Hearing today chaired by Senator Menendez and entitled “Peace Corps, The Next 50 Years,” and then reading Chuck Ludlam (Nepal 1968-70) testimony that he gave to the House Committee on Natural Resources regarding a Peace Corps Monument, I came up with the notion that the Peace Corps is a lot like the late great heavyweight boxing champ, Rocky Marciano. Do you remember Rocky? I mean, the real one, not the movie. Rocky Marciano was a hero of my youth. I watched him fight on a small black-and-white television in the livingroom of my farmhouse back in Illinois. No one could take out Rocky. He defended his title six times and never lost. He didn’t have much style. He wasn’t another Kid Gavilan or Sugar Ray. No fancy footwork or dazzling smile. He was called The Brockton Blockbuster. Rocky kept coming at you regardless of how many times he was hit. He never seem to get hurt. The Peace Corps . . .

Friends of Nigeria Archive at American University

Oct 06 2011

American University in cooperation with the Peace Corps alumni group, Friends of Nigeria, has established an Archive to preserve items from Peace Corps Volunteers who have served in Nigeria. The Archive is over a year old and is another example of the special association between American University and Nigeria. American University of Nigeria is affiliated with American University. For further information on this archive, please contact Susan McElrath, the archivist for this collection, copy and paste this email: archives@american.edu In an earlier posting, I had identified the Friends of Colombia Peace Corps Archive at American University as the only Peace Corps country to have its own archive. The Friends of Nigeria Archive at American University is also a member of that very select group of two. Many their number increase.

Nancie McDermott's (Thailand 1975-78) Pies Aren't Perfect

Oct 06 2011

By ANDREA WEIGL – McClatchy Newspapers Nancie McDermott wants you to bake pies. But she doesn’t insist on a homemade pie crust. Her recipes don’t assume you own a Kitchen Aid standing mixer. Your pies do not have to turn out as pretty as the pictures in her latest cookbook, “Southern Pies: A Gracious Plenty of Pie Recipes from Lemon Chess to Chocolate Pecan.” “I would like to be the enemy of perfectionism,” McDermott says. “There’s so much of that in food.” Rather, she says, “let the beautiful thing inspire you, not intimidate you.” This is the 10th book from McDermott, of Chapel Hill, N.C., whose previous books include “Southern Cakes” and “Real Thai,” along with a series of cookbooks with quick-and-easy recipes. McDermott said being a Peace Corps volunteer led her to become a food writer. Raised in High Point, N.C., McDermott graduated from the University of North Carolina . . .

Archive - October 6, 2011