Gratitude

Executive summary and updates: Remember that if you try to e-mail at the oberlin.edu address and it bounces back, you can try again later. Sorry that the forwarding service is having trouble again, or so I hear. Or you can post here, of course. Thanks to those who have. I'm posting two photos I just got today, but otherwise this note has no new updates...it's all thanks yous. :-)

One last pre-departure post. I've carried with me since that busy period from the holidays to the time I left LA a list of folks I want to thank for so many things, along with the note cards to do the writing and thanking, and so on. Reality has intruded on my best intentions and made me recognize I'm not going to do the individual thanks I'd hoped to, prior to getting swept up in travel, training, and then trying to act like I know what I'm doing in China. My critical self tells me an entire post of thank yous is far too Oscar-like to be worth doing, but I want to close the circle on this wave of support that's carried me to the airplane door, so to speak...even if it does seem maudlin. So here, with regrets to anyone whose sweet tooth can't handle it, and deeper apologies to the many I'm surely missing, are some notes of appreciation for people who've given me support and courage, in no particular order.

My colleagues at PPG made me feel so valued and appreciated that I truly left that job humbled. It is so much more than the individual or group physical presents you gave me, or that Pat and Ed treated us all at the lunch you guys organized -- though all of that was greatly valued (and the B&N gift certificate is now travel and info books on China, and the REI certificate brought my bike to Oberlin with me). It's the warmth and generosity of your spirit that's really touched me. Thank you.

I don't know where to begin with Gary, but I want to acknowledge that he may be doing more single-handedly to make my travel year(s) wonderful than anyone, including myself. When I mentioned an intention to get an MP3 player, he not only said he'd pick one up on his next Best Buy visit, but he then researched them and came up with a really great and unusual (non Apple) one, and far from stopping there, he's been diligently converting my 300-some CD's and, since I left before he was done converting, he's set up a special FTP site and written all the scripts so I can condense my music library to a 1" x 4" x 6" miracle for my travels. Thank you.

Two yoga teachers in particular made my last weeks in LA both healthy and spiritual, and have given me the base from which to maintain my own practice now. Thank you to Micheline Berry and Hala Khouri. One yoga teacher put me on the path to a deeper practice: thank you to Cindy Michel.

Oberlin Shansi has provided me a home this month and the support and encouragement to leave with the job unfinished, fully supporting me in this rather crazy undertaking, because they know it matters to me and think it may bring a little more generosity to the world. For that, and for giving me goals and tasks I could shine at this past year, I am very grateful.

The ways in which friends and family have supported me in this whole undertaking defy listing. My brothers (and Jill) have both offered to take my mail while I'm traveling; both they and my Mom have told me how much they respect what I'm doing, and even say they're feeling empowered by it. This truly humbles me.

Steve and Sharon provided the vacation time and distance from my life to reach this decision; time on Kaj and Bob's boat let the thoughts come clearer; Howard and Gene, Amy and Nancy and Kip, are all always pillars...plus Amy and Nancy have been there done that, so they can help me when I get down. Steve and Joezen let me bid adieu to LA tennis and an LA culinary landmark, plus my beloved doubles partner, for the time being. Mike and Sue helped clear out my apartment, and Susan has given Kona a home (Mike, Susan -- feel free to post an update telling me how Kona's doing...hint hint?)

Aunt Judy and Jen have been unstinting in their encouragement, and I'm letting this serve as a thank-you for the physical items of beauty Judy's left me to travel with for the time being. (Yes, they're going with, little tokens of family and home.)

I'm running out of steam but I just know I'm missing people. Please forgive me. Oh yes: thanks so much for posting comments! I love it -- what a cool way to communicate! Now if I can just figure out which Kate and which Steve have said hi, I'll be able to sleep soundly.

Be well and stay tuned. Peace.

Paul at Orientation

Darren, who sent this to me and was my roomate at the hotel MSF put
most of us up in, reminded me that this is a picture of "the guy who said
he was going to be quiet for a while." My type A personality won out.
Sorry, folks. Oh, gotta mention Tony, who's helping keep the board
from collapsing: in a room full of mostly medical staff, let's note
that it's an administrator and a logistician who coordinated the group
feedback session. How's that for playing to type?

MSF Orientation Photo #1

I got a few pictures from Darren, one of the people who did MSF
training with me, so I thought I'd post two of them for you. This is
the group...if you look closely, you'll see me at the back on the
right. This was day three of intense talk -- but we all look pretty
alert, don't we?

--
Paul Brockmann
paulbrockmann@world.oberlin.edu
get updates & communicate w/me & my friends at
http://paulbrockmann.blogspot.com/

The Countdown Phase

Howdy Again Folks!

I'll try to always put the basic important developments and updates up front, often as bullet points, in my blog entries, so if you're real busy you can read that and skip or skim the balance. This'll be my MO going forward. Think of it as the executive summary. :-)

--I encourage and request folks to make any general and support comments and questions right on the blog. If it's really for my eyes only, of course you're welcome to e-mail. But 1) I'll do a lot less e-mail once I'm on the road; 2) I've always liked to personally answer all e-mail notes, and am falling behind with all else to do, and feel bad about it; and 3) Above all, I'm hoping this blog can build community and connection with this great group of my friends and others to come.

--Thanks again to everyone for your support and encouragement. It's amazing. Please keep in mind that I'll need it even more once I get to China, especially about two to three months AFTER I get to China, when history tells me I'll hit a real wall of personal and intercultural challenge. :-) Hint, hint. That's when the blog comments will be GREAT!

--MSF has booked my flights to Paris. I leave 2/26 in the evening. They have my passport and are working on the one month visa for China. My posting for China will depend on my successfully completing the training course on administration, finance and logistics in Paris and Bordeaux, but I am trying to be confident. The course ends 3/10, and I've asked for ten days to visit family (exchange family) and friends in Germany and the U.K. (possibly Holland/Switzerland as well), and to debrief and integrate what I've learned before the hard, long flights to China and my need to hit the ground running.

End of executive summary, beginning of detail and backstory. I finished the rough draft of the 24-page Shansi history booklet very early (4:00) Wednesday morning (I'm not even bothering with schedules anymore: when I sleep, I sleep; when awake, I'm working on something), and presented the rough to our graphic designer and two committee members as well. Feedback positive, and I'm feeling GREAT about the work we've done. Many of you have seen this work, and I've put many of you on the mailing list. Those who'd like to see the booklet when it's done, or the other publicity and P.R. documents from our committee (on all of which I was the lead writer, editor and conceptualizer), should feel free to go to www.oberlin.edu/shansi, and contact the office asking to be added to their mailing list.

Having cleared that big hurdle, Thursday I moved on to...vaccinations! Woo hoo! For China postings, MSF asks me to get vaccinated and/or boosted for: hepatitis A & B, Japanese encephalitis, rabies, diphtheria, tetanus, polio, and typhoid. The first four are multi-shot series, and mercifully I fought with insurance to get Hep. A & B three years ago, since the longest of that pair is a six-month series! I got rabies and Jap. Enceph. started Thursday...so I've got sore shoulders and those viruses floating in my bloodstream as I write...and will get shot #2 next Thursday. The final shot will be due 3/17, when I'll be who knows where. Details, details.

In France, I'll also have to be tested for HIV (an insurance thing for MSF France; if I seroconvert while on assignment, they provide coverage if I can document prior negative status), and TB. Once in China, I'll need to be tested for HIV again to convert my tourist visa to a work and residence visa. So of course my current paranoid fear is I'll somehow come up positive in China, not get my visa converted, and have to come home in disgrace having let my family, friends and MSF down.

I've got about a two-inch stack of briefing paperwork from MSF on the China projects and am VERY excited about the work. The Nanning AIDS treatment project has been open, it seems, since late 2003 -- so is quite new. Site was chosen due to combination of high incidence of HIV infection, lower standard of available medical care than in several other parts of China, and Guangxi provincial government (it's actually an autonomous region, which has some meaning on the ground) was interested in and supportive of the project. I'm not yet up to where I know how many patients are in treatment, but I'm excited to get in so early on an important project for both MSF and China, as I see it.

The project in Baoji, which I now know is in Shaanxi province, three hours' drive from Xian (of terra cotta warrior fame, and not far from accessible portions of the great wall)(see map below), is also very interesting. It seems it's a residential and educational facility for roughly 40 to 50 children in difficult circumstances (homeless, etc.; many developmentally challenged), which tries to prepare them for reintegration into main society. The kids range from 6 to 18 in age, and mirror the general gender demographic in China, which is to say many more boys than girls. The Baoji project, it seems, has been open since the late 1990s, and may have been MSF's first project in China, though I don't know enough to say that. I do know one other operational section, Brussels, is running a project or projects in China.

Once I get to France I'll be taking some pictures and hoping to post them here. The course is in two parts -- admin/finance in Paris, then around midpoint we travel to Bordeaux for the logistics part. I'll try to get shots of MSF Ops Center in Paris, maybe the Logistics Center in Bordeaux, me drinking wine to wipe away my worries over my ability to pass the course in French and then pass the HIV test in China, etc. To do so, of course, I must first acquire a digital camera. So keep looking. And please post any questions you have or would like more info about on the blog -- I'll try to get answers posted when I can.

Expect me to go silent after next week, for at least two weeks or so. I'm sure I'll post at least once from Europe after the course, before I go the China. But during the course I think I'll be crazily boning up on the French business and logistical vocabulary.

Next posting will be this weekend or early next week, and its topic will be "Thanks." You'll have to tune in to find out what it all means. :-)

Love you all. I'm closing with a picture of Kona, because I miss her. :-(

Young Kona in Brooklyn

Since I'm missing her, I figure putting her picture up here is a way I
get to see her when I'm in China. Plus for you who know her, maybe
you'll be happy to remember her, too. I'm sure she's happy in the
Sierra Foothills with Sue. :-)

The Latest News from Paris and New York...about China

Howdy Folks!

When last I wrote, I let you all know that the possible China post with MSF was still up in the air. A big news flash came with a call on Wednesday from my HR Officer (HRO) at MSF, who had the following questions and information:

1) How does Paul feel about taking the training course for administration, finance and HR in French?
2) The other Chinese-speaker has definitely said no to the position (wants a non-admin spot), so there's just me and one other person.
3) They need to put someone in the spot ASAP, and since the next English-language course isn't until May, that's too late.
4) Their plan is to get someone in the next French-language training, which begins Monday, February 28 in Paris, and when the course is done on March 10 to more or less immediately fly that person directly to China.

Naturally, I said yes. So, pending confirmation from the project desk in Paris (my HRO hopes to hear early next week), I currently expect I'll be en route to France two weeks from today, for eleven days of intensive training in French (eek!), thereupon to leave more or less immediately for south China. I'll be responsible for HR (national and international staff) and finance (including payroll) for two projects, one providing AIDS treatment in Nanning, and one providing medical care for street children in Baoji.

I would/will be based in Nanning, the capital of China's southern Guangxi Province, which as you'll see on the attached map (below) is quite close to Hanoi in fact. It's also very close to Hong Kong, which is one of the main airline hubs for Asia...hint hint. So, once you've given me a few months to adjust and hit my stride, I do hope you'll think about coming for a visit, or at least meeting me for a weekend in Hong Kong!

I've also posted a map of France below, since I'll be training first in Paris, then in Bordeaux in southwest France. Bordeaux's where it'll get cool: it's the site where MSF manages a huge on-airport warehouse from which they staged, for example, all the pallets of emergency relief supplies they sent out for the Tsunami-relief efforts. As you can imagine, being the operations geek that I am, I can't WAIT to get see the operation in Bordeaux!

For those of you thinking "gee, this sounds like the good life, Paris & Bordeaux..." may I remind you that my last training days for MSF included 11- to 13-hour days of training. And that was in English. No, don't pity me...but don't envy me, at least not 'til you hear more. But do wish me luck.

Thanks for reading, and feel free to post commments here or to write me personally.

Hello, France!

Here We Come, China!