disillusioned

i feel like a kid who has just found out santa claus isn't real.

let me explain. yesterday, i found out that Greg Mortensen is a sham. For those of you who don't know, Mortensen was a mountaineer with an endearing story about how he started the Central Asia Institute. The CAI's mission is to build schools in underpriveleged parts of Central Asia, specifically remote parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan. He co-wrote a book entitled Three Cups of Tea about his experiences. The story is obviously romanticized and exaggerated, but it paints a portrait of a selfless man who wants to provide education to those in need to combat a host of problems. Not only that, Mortensen provided his HUGE fan base and supporters with the tiniest candle flicker of hope in a place where people, both living in these regions and abroad, sorely need. Too much horror seems to come out from that part of the world and anything, ANYTHING positive is warmly received. Well, the candle has gone out.

When I first read Three Cups of Tea, it wasn't because it was on some bestseller list or won some award. I simply saw it on a shelf, read the blurb and picked it up. I was immediately engrossed by his tale. I was so touched by this man's spirit that I have personally recommended the book to hundreds of people. Furthermore, I have written articles based on his experiences to teach people about the grand things he has accomplished. For a time, I simply couldn't stop raving about Greg Mortensen. In fact, I recently recommended that my boss read his book and have based an entire unit in a text book I'm writing around him. This book is for students and I couldn't think of a more positive example of how a human being should behave.

This was all before yesterday. As I was researching a related unit about charities, I came across http://www.charitynavigator.org/ which gives comprehensive information regarding charities all over the globe. I typed in the Central Asia Institute and was looking over some of their stats which seemed amazing. Then, I noticed a small 'advisory' concerning this charity. I clicked on the link and the shitstorm began. Last Sunday, 60 Minutes did a piece on Greg Mortensen and it was nothing short of a scandal. Of course, I was in denial and thought that this is the same network that Dan Rather used to work for so their credibility is in question. I continued to read further and discovered a related essay written on http://www.byliner.com/ by Jon Krakauer, author of Into the Wild. Krakauer was a staunch supporter of Mortensen at the beginning, but quickly came to realize just how much of Mortensen's experiences were fabrications. Krakauer continues to dissect and disassemble all the facts from the fiction. And there isn't much truth left after sifting through the wreckage.

When I found this out yesterday, I went through all the classic stages; denial, anger, remorse, and then...? well, I still haven't reached acceptance yet. I have to say that things don't look good for Greg Mortensen and I can't imagine what he'll do next. All I really have to say is: why? Why would you do this to people? Not only the people you were supposedly helping abroad, but for the millions who wanted to believe in something good. I know I may have been naive for believing something so wholeheartedly, but I don't want to be that jaded and for the first time in a long time, I actually did believe.

I'm not angry anymore Greg, I'm just not a believer.

5 years in Taiwan (and still smiling :)

Wow. It's a hard fact to wrap my head around, but I have officially been in Taiwan for

5 years. Sometimes it feels like longer, but most often than not it feels like I'm fresh off the plane. Am I a glutton for punishment, or can I just not get enough of a good thing? I'm pretty sure it's a little of both with a cup of stubborness and a pinch of curiousity mixed in for good measure. Whatever the case may be, it's been....memorable.

Here is a short list of the lessons/things I've taken from this place:

- open yourself up and the rewards are untold
- humility

- what racism and stereotypes feel like

- patience (an ongoing lesson)

- the value and importance of a support network

- you can go home, but you can never go back

- frustration can be a positive emotion if it fuels the fires of change

- first impressions may be important, but they are not the only impressions that should leave a mark

- it is possible to have a life and be happy doing; in short, to have it all

At times, my time in Taiwan has been trying; the language a pain, the enigmatic cultural differences seemingly insurmountable at times, as well as the sheer amount of obliviousness exhausting. At the same time, I encounter something or someone that brings my joy and wonderment almost daily.

That keeps me coming back for more, but more accurately, that's what makes me stay.

Thanks Taiwan; I'm happy to be here and look forward to what else you have in store.