Finally!

For a long time I wondered if I should post this blog under a pseudonym and be vague about where I was teaching. Then, I realized that the group of people most likely to read this blog are the ones that already know me. Unfortunately they're also the group that is most likely to get hopping mad if I start trash talking my boss, engaging in un-Christian activities, or forgetting to put the toilet seat down.
So, knowing that I'll get pwned 1ik3 @ n00b if too many people start reading this blog, I shall none the less venture out under my own name, because everyone knows it anyway.

Let the indiscreet use of thick sarcasm begin.

sort of

One of the major problems faced by modern society is that there are simply too many people. This causes a problem. Actually it causes several problems, like starvation, fuel shortages, pandemics, wars and the birth of millions of people willing to listen to talk radio. However, in addition to these major problems there is a small annoyance. The annoyance is that no one really knows what is going on any more; there are simply too many people for anyone to have the foggiest notion. Many people pretend to understand, and a few of them fool everyone quite well, but unfortunately no one will ever know what Bob did with the progress reports, or even who Bob is.

I have encountered this problem over and over this summer. After an entire year of taking classes, networking, and planning my life I was casually notified that I was no longer qualified to teach in Mongolia due to a change in policy.

Two months later, after a hectic period of registering at school I hadn't planned to attend, taking out loans I didn't think I'd need, and falling for a girl I didn't think I'd have time for, the same person emailed me again, apologizing and explaining that the whole thing was a big mistake. Many of the people around me expressed varying degrees of indignation (not including the girl, which was a mixed blessing), but I honestly didn't feel slighted. Really, no one has the foggiest idea what's going on any more. There is no such thing as a competent organization.

There have been many more examples of this phenomenon since then, but I won't bore you with them. Let me say, however, that the confusion increases exponentially when multiple organizations in several countries are involved.

I'll be leaving on Wednesday from Portland Maine, at the lovely hour of 6:18 AM