Video of our reception at the Kingdom of Nso

Bovine Road Block

Streets of Douala - Cameroon's most populous city

A Front Seat View Of The Drive From Douala To Kumbo

A Sampling of Photos from Cameroon

Thoughts and stories to follow...

Flash Slideshow

Just a quick "Home Safe" update, more to come later

After 38 hours of continuous travel, we arrived in Honesddale at 4:00 pm yesterday. The trip to Cameroon was enlightening. What we are taught about this place is misguided and far from reality. I will go into more details at a later date. I am so pleased to have been given the opportunity to be involved with this program. Right now, there is nothing that I would rather be doing.

Here is one of hundreds of photos that I took of the countryside. There is something very interesting about htis photo. Can you see it?

A walk down memory lane

Before this blog came into existance I had another blog that I had forgotten gompletely about. I found it a few months ago and noticed that it was posted on Thanksgiving day 2005, so I made a note to write about it today. I just re-read my post, and it is fun to note the amount of changes that can occur in a years time. It is not that I fundamentally disagree with anything that was written a year ago at all. I just think that I feel a little less jugemental this year than last. That makes me happy. To accept all and exclude none is a big focal point of my daily practice right now.

Link to old blog -> http://lifeisadrivethru.blogspot.com/

Anyway, I do hope that everyone has a fruitful Thanksgiving celebration with their loved ones.

all the best,

Matt D

1,000 unique visitor mark has been passed!

In July we passed the 500 visitor mark, and now 5 months later we have somehow managed to find 500 more readers.  I wonder how many people actually read the site and come back, or how many just stumble across the site while traveling across Blogger.  Anyway, it is amazing to think that we have had a voice that could reach 1,000 people since May.  I sure hope that it has been educational, and at the very least entertaining.

Want to go to Cameroon with me?

Well, the time has come to head to Africa.  I will be leaving with a group of 10 to look into several logistical options for various projects in the country that range from energy farming to schools, to clinics, to cottage industry style jewelry production.  The possibilities are endless.  I am very excited to have an opportunity to be a part of this trip.  This time Briana will stay behind because we have not yet nailed down all of the particulars.  Once things are more concrete perhaps she will get to take a hop across the pond with us.

We will fly out of Newark airport for Paris on Saturday evening at about 7:10pm.  The flight will last 7.15 hours.  I plan to sleep as much of this as possible, but I will also bring the video Ipod along with some movies in case I cannot sleep.  I think we will also have several chances to discuss the mission of the trip as well, but since the majority of the first leg of the trip will take place during normal Pennsylvania sleeping hours, the majority of the meetings will occur the following day.

Once we arrive in Paris there will be a 2 hour and 20 minute layover.  We will leave for Douala from Degaulle airport at 10:30am and will fly south for about 6.35 hours expected to arrive in Cameroon at 5:10pm (UTC +1) on November 26th. (that will be 10:10 am CST)

Once we are there it will be a marathon of meetings, and travel within the country.  The days will be long, but I know that they will be exciting.  I will be sure to journal a good bit and share some of the journal on the blog when I get back.  I will also bring my camera along and will post some video and photos to the blog as well.  I am not planning to take my laptop along as it will not really be very useful to me and not worth the risk of loss and or damage from dusty conditions.  Also there sill be no internet access where we will be (or so I am told), so it would not be a very viable tool of communication.  Actually I am not certain how much contact I will have with home on this trip.  Of course Briana will receive word that we landed safely, but I do not know if I will have a chance to speak with her for the 10 days that we are away, or if I will be going quiet for a while.  If we do not speak, It will be one of no more than 5 days in the past 15+ years that we have not spoken to one another.  That will be a new experience.

In case you have not noticed, the name of this blog has changed to something a little more appropriate.  In the past 5 months I have been shown that fear can manifest itself in so many skins.  To even try to say that all fears are gone would be a fraud.  The path of selfless service however is very much our home right now.  So the next time you see a person holding a sign that says 'will work for food', think of Briana and I, and by all means offer them something to eat.

Much love to everyone!

Matt D

NYC trip summary

Our trip to NYC was very nice. Since we have been living in an extremely rural environment for the past 5 months it was at times overwhelming, but for the most part the change was fun.

The city itself is amazing. I have never seen a city move with more fluidity in my life. The people, cars, busses, and bicycles all move as one giant unit. It appeared to me that the entire city is in a constant state of near collision, but those collisions never occurred. Driving in Manhattan was a true life experience. I have no idea why there are lines on the streets, because not a soul stays within the lines. People merely drive wherever they feel like driving, and they are so bold when it comes to merging. I am now certain that I have seen enough of New York City for my entire life. I am not saying that I do not enjoy the city, it is just a bit much to handle and call it recreation.

It was very nice to be able to take Briana out for a proper anniversary celebration. A month ago we celebrated out 5th wedding anniversary in Davenport, IA while we were attending our friends wedding. There were two factors that made it difficult to celebrate properly. 1 – Briana was sick. 2 – There were a limited number of choices in the city for romantic dining. New York City had just what he Dr. Ordered. We had a wonderful meal at a restaurant named Devi. Devi is sort of like what you get when you mix an Indian restaurant and a 5 star restaurant together. It was delicious and romantic. I would definitely go back if given the chance. Our hotel was super nice, but the downside was that we were forced to stay in Times Square. That place is not my favorite. It is gaudy, noisy, and has way too much going on for any one place on earth, but we certainly made it through with a good nights rest.

I took some photos and a video of the trip, but I am having trouble with the card that they are stored on. I will try to get them uploaded, but if not no one is really missing anything too great.

That is all that there is time for this morning. After lunch I plan to take a moment to give the details about an upcoming trip to a foreign land that is just around the corner…

Heading to the Big Apple

We are heading to NYC this morning, and we will be back early Thursday morning. The trip is 1/2 business, 1/2 pleasure, as both Briana and I have meetings in the city on Tuesday, but Wednesday is going to be devoted to feeling 'urban' again. I plan on snapping a few photos even though it seems that the weather will be a bit on the wet side, but this is the 3rd trip in a year to the big city with no proof but the memories.

When we get back I will post an update of all of the newest. Some of this stuff is WAY COOL!

Great Snow happening right now!

Wow, what a great day!

We helped our good friends move into their home today in Honesdale (7 min away)! Welcome home Luke, Kourtney, Prakash, & Mangala! It has been a long year without you.

I had some great conversation about becoming more involved in the overseas projects today as well, I know things do not seem to be moving quite rapidly enough for this fast food society, but trust me that due dilligence is occuring, and we will begin to save humanity soon! ;-)

We received word today that another dear friend and mentor will be moving to town toward the end of the month, so we are so excited! We feel rich in family. Now if only a couple more people would come home things would be so near perfect!

Now, it is snowing to cap it all off. Really nice snow, and this time it seems to be sticking to the ground. If it sticks around in the morning hours, I will amend this post with photos. Right now it is way too dark out.

That is about all there is. Such a busy day, such a wonderful day. So much happened that I forgot to mention that the month of October was a tremendous success for my professional responsibility here at the Instittue! It would be improper to brag about specifics, but just know that all is VERY well for us!

Thank you for your thoughts, prayers, and well wishes, they mean a great deal.

Matt & Briana

To Hell, then Iowa, and back

I suppose that to appreciate good health one must meet illness every once in a while. I have met illness, and we are agreeing to disagree at this point.

After being ill for three and one half weeks, I am very happy to report that I am whole again. Thank you to everyone who sent their positive intentions and prayers, thanks to those that provided the great treatment and medical care, and thanks most of all to Briana for putting up with me during my mucus marathon. My wife is a true saint. She never once complained or kicked me while I was whining. I am a blessed man.

On the day that I began to feel human again, we jumped in the car and headed out on a 15 hour trip to Davenport, IA for the wedding of our friends Michelle and Travis. It was a lovely time. We started out by driving through the entire state of Pennsylvania (which is very beautiful by the way, fall color was in full effect), then into Ohio, Indiana (we saw Amish people riding in buggys!), Illinois, and then finally we arrived, exhausted, in Iowa for a good night's sleep. It was nice to see Travis that night. It had been 4 months since we had shared one another's company, and I really enjoyed our traditional back and forth. We stayed up late just kidding around as if no time had separated us.

The next morning, was the 20th of October. The 5th anniversary of Briana and my wedding. We had originally planned on spending the day together doing a little bit of shopping, and catching a nice lunch on the riverfront, but unfortunately Briana was not feeling well at all, so we just rested the majority of the morning and then found a vegetarian friendly Vietnamese restaurant across the border in Illinois to have our anniversary lunch. The food was ok, but the company made up for what the food lacked. Even though Briana was not feeling 100% it was nice to have some alone time with her. We have had a great life together, and I look forward to celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary together in 2051. Of course since we dated 10 years before were were married it will actually be our 65th anniversary, but by then, who is counting right? Anyway, Briana, I love you, thank you for your friendship, love, and patience these past 15 years. I am blessed to have the woman that I need, and the woman that I want in the same person. I am not sure that most people can say that with sincerity.

The evening of our wedding anniversary was filled with a wedding rehearsal, and a rehearsal dinner / celebration honoring our friend and Travis's bride to be Michelle for graduating with honors as a Chiropractor! Congratulations Michelle, all of that hard work and dedication has paid off. It will be cool to see where this life of service will take you. For what it is worth, we are very proud of you, welcome to our crazy extended family.

So on October 21, 2006 there was a wedding, and it was very nice. We were very happy to have been apart of it. If anyone has photos of the wedding, please forward them to me so that I can post them.

The next day we all departed for home, but I needed to make one stop. Chicago for some deep dish! It was so yummy, after lunch Briana and I drove around Chicago so that she could get a feel for the city. I think that she liked it. It is a very nice place, but the traffic is out of control. It took us nearly 2 hours to leave the city, so we did not get nearly as far as we had hoped before we stopped for the night in some very small town in Indiana.

The next day was filled with about 11 hours of driving through some pretty good snow. Thankfully it was not freezing on the ground, so it was melting immediately. It will be interesting to see what driving in the snow will be like in the weeks to come. It has been snowing here on and off, but nothing has stuck yet. It is getting colder by the day, so soon there will be some photos of snow to post.

So now we are back, and getting caught back up on work. The international projects are all over the charts with their progress. Just like any thing new, getting the ball rolling is the hardest part. Once momentum sets in it gets easier and easier. I am happy to be involved in the beginnings of the project. It has a real feeling of discovery that I have never felt before. It feels like the future is without limits!

FYI

I am sick :(

Yoga Update + / Learning the secret word

As far as my yoga practice goes, I have mentioned that I plan on using this public forum to motivate me to get my butt in gear.  Well, that is not working...yet.  I do intend to someday get on the path, it just seems to always be tomorrow.  Right now tomorrow does not seem to be coming.

So the secret word is "No".  A simple one syllable, two letter word that is very difficult to offer.  I just had to use it however, and it was nice to feel that it is ok to do so.  Our suite neighbors just came back from a three week trip to the Himalayas, and after 30 hours of travel, I bet that help from their 20+ year younger friend sounded good.

Thing is that I injured my back Monday night while breaking down after a resident appreciation party, and I have been struggling to find any sort of comfort.  It feels a great deal like a broken rib in the fact that it hurts to breathe, to stand, to sit, etc.  The only comfortable position is flat on the back, and I cannot stand to do that for too long.  I had a massage this afternoon that has helped, but it is not fully mended.  I think that if I can manage to take it easy for a few more days that I will be back to 100%

So needless to say it was tough to say it, but it was a good lesson that sometimes saying no today will set you up for many yeses in the future.  I am sure that it seems like I marvel over the silliest things, but you would have to live here to understand.  It is like dog years.  In one year you will learn what it would take (at least) 7 years to learn about yourself in the regular world.  It is like living in a fire in the sense that you had better make this fire your friend, or you are going to get burnt to a crisp.

That's really all that there is to say at this point.  Looks like we have a lot of work to do as there has been commitment to seven different projects in Africa.  WOW, that is going to take some real determination to get done.  I am excited!

New Word / New Experience - Mundan

Yesterday we attended a Vedic ceremony called Mundan for our good friends daughter.  It was quite an experience.  A mundan is very similar to a Christening in the Catholic church.  The idea is that removing the hair that was on the child's head when they are born you are removing undesirable traits from past lives (original sin or karma). 

Below is a chronological slide show of the ceremony:

 

It was a very nice event.  Very relaxed and simple.  There were no real rituals, or odd behaviors.  It was just another Sunday afternoon.  It really reminded me alot of the baptism and dedication ceremonies that I have been to in the past, only this was not done in a church, it was in a friend's living room, and there was not a priest but rather a Pandit.

This will probably seem strange to some, but it was really natural.  A side benefit that I understand is that this actually helps to tone the scalp to allow for a strong new crop of hair to sprout.  That almost makes me wish that I had this opportunity when I was 3 years of age.

Tonight we are having a residents appreciation party so there will be a bon fire, smores, popcorn, ice cream, and fun and games.  It will be a good time.  All in all this has been an exceptional weekend.  All is well in our world, we wish you all the same.

Not really anything to say

just more photos of deer.  This morning there were three in our front yard.  I like that.

I know that it seems like Africa is not going to happen, but you need to realize that Briana is patient, I am patient, now it is you that needs to learn patience.  If we were to go over now things would not be ready.  That could be a bad thing.

Dear Mr. Gore

Welcome back old friend

This morning was different than most for me lately. My eyes jumped open at 5:07am and I shot out of bed ready to face the world. Perhaps it was my promise to become gradually more austere in my pursuit of a yogic lifestyle, or my old friend the sun sent me a message to come and bid him good morning. Either way it was a nice change not to feel tired and glued to the mattress.

I took a stroll out to what we call "sound of music hill" (because it looks exactly like the hill in the movie) to see what it is like in the early morning. It was amazing. The air was so full of energy that I found myself breathing much deeper than usual. It was as if I were trying to pull some of the energy outside of my body inward. I think that it worked. I feel great right now.

The sunrise was very nice to watch, even though it is still very overcast it was nice to get a glimpse of the sun. It is pretty evident that today will be much dryer and brighter than the past week of gloom and rain. I am so thankful for that.

I saw seven different deer this morning in a few different spots. If it is not completely evident, I really like seeing deer. I was in my office the other day with two co-workers who were all wrapped up in a discussion about an international shipment, tariffs, and God knows what else, and there was a doe and a button buck standing 5 feet from the window of my office. I totally spaced out of the conversation as they droned on and on about wooden pallets getting held up in customs because of beetles. Finally they noticed the deer, but did not seem to be nearly excited as I was.

This place still shocks me on a daily basis. It is so very beautiful. The deer on sound of music hill this morning were there before the lights came up, and so was I. I think that when I started to come into focus that I really put a downer on their morning. These were big deer, possibly rarely seen bucks. They stomped their hooves at me, blew, and snorted very loudly. Then they did something that I had never seen a deer do. They bounded off behind a thin tree line making all sorts of racket on the ground with their feet while blowing all the while. Then a moment or so later three heads popped out of the edge of the tree line to check me out. They actually got closer to me by using the tree line as cover. Typically deer just run away and are never seen again, these three put on quite a show.

So step one of the yogic lifestyle happened. I woke before the sun this morning. This of course was unaided by any alarm clock. I hope that this behavior will become habit. The early morning air is so special. I would like more of it in the future. Perhaps soon more aspects of yoga will come to me. I will keep the internet posted. You check back if you would like to know.

A lot of rain going on.

All of this humidity makes me sluggish.  Oh sun, please grace us with your presence again!  You are so missed.