tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295467042012-02-16T22:13:55.107+01:00"An Adventure is Just a Misfortune Correctly Understood" -Kipling, or Chesterson-------------- "I am tormented with an everlasting itch for things remote" -Melville---------------------- Statements and comments made herein are my opinion and observations only and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or beliefs of the organization I work for. Some may offend, some may not...Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.comBlogger681100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-31662773983790210332008-01-11T03:17:00.000+01:002008-01-11T03:20:24.185+01:00

It just didn't seem right to use the same webpage for our new adventures in China, so as of today, we created a new blogspot page. To access this one, simply go to:http://www.archiedoesasia.blogspot.comAny day now I'll get motivated enough to actually post a few...anyday.

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-42439265991357668732008-01-10T02:56:00.000+01:002008-01-10T03:05:14.013+01:00

If this works I will be absolutely amazed. If this short, completely useless blog is published it means that I have found a way to skirt the Chinese Information controllers! I'm a genius! Or not.Anyway, I apologize that it has been quite some time since I've sent any updates from our new locale. It seems that all blog websites are forbidden by the People's Republic of China Communist Party.

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-64968389680863079052007-09-27T10:22:00.001+01:002007-09-27T10:22:59.765+01:00

I awake at some point in the night to the eerie sound of howling wind whistling thru the window frame and door jam opposite my bed. I lay in my boxer shorts on top the tobacco colored (supposed to be white) sheet and listen to the insistent sound. With my eyes closed I can imagine, in my half asleep and imaginative state, that I’m somewhere in the arctic, on the tundra. I lie inside my tiny

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-85978009955905988062007-07-17T10:53:00.000+01:002007-07-17T10:59:24.280+01:00

When it is 125 degrees every day, sometimes it IS necessary to post such signs. One never can be too cautious against the threat of spontaneous combustion in the desert. I was relieved to see that Algerian authorities have taken such a proactive stance on the matter, as I’ve always wondered whether it's better to stop, drop and roll, or just break for the nearest shower for a refreshing

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-11627326602201056062007-07-17T09:15:00.000+01:002007-07-17T09:27:17.138+01:00

The illustrious Mr. Murphy was laughing from high above today. It is known by most who know me even half well that I am one of the world’s finest procrastinators. I can procrastinate like no other, when faced with a decent enough challenge. As of recently, I have been taking online courses to finish a degree I began millennia ago in a galaxy far away. This time I aim to finish, though

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-10424833275987247292007-07-09T20:25:00.000+01:002007-07-09T20:27:10.455+01:00

It was particularly warm last night. Granted ‘warm’ is a relative term around these parts, because, well...ok, hell, ‘warm’ doesn't exist here. This is a land of harsh extremes. So let's start over. It was freaking hot last night. I spent the evening hours in Hassi Messaoud, our operations hub for the flying we do throughout Algeria. I shoveled down a lovely meal of something indiscernible,

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-26480410311007872412007-07-06T17:10:00.000+01:002007-07-06T17:11:38.207+01:00

I flew today to nowhere.With me flew only my copilot.When we arrived in nowhere there was nothing.To my left: there was nothing.To my right: there was nothing.Behind me was the instrument that brought us to nothing in nowhere.Above me sat the merciless sun that burnt this nothing.We walked to a trailer.Inside the trailer a man welcomed us to nowhere.He told us to be careful.That there is no one

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-50733354255797113612007-06-25T09:36:00.000+01:002007-06-25T09:38:39.270+01:00

'So I was pulled up at this robot (stoplight) and this bloke walks up to the car with all these sunglasses. He says 'hey mon, how bouts some sunnies (sunglasses)?' and I tell him to piss off. He asks me again and I tell him to piss off. He was a huge guy though. He doesn't leave so I roll down my window and tell em I wanna try on a pair or two. He hands a few in and I'm laughing at how

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-77889544220587391272007-06-23T10:17:00.001+01:002007-06-23T10:34:20.251+01:00

My Beautiful, Kooky, Bullfrog lovin better half during our brief RI stint...It is Friday, June 22nd, 10am. Outside the dry air is already close to 115 Fahrenheit. It is sweltering. The wind is a steady 20 knots, making the conditions outside comparable to a convection oven.I sit inside a concrete room with 1 small window and an air-conditioning unit that struggles to keep up with its difficult

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-43174852372882160972007-05-29T20:36:00.000+01:002007-05-29T20:37:04.439+01:00

Sitting in my own little, hot, stinky, dry, and often times bug infested world, (Chad that is, not my room, though some times those particular adjectives may apply quite nicely) I forgot what it was like to work in the ‘Aviation Business’. What do I mean? A lot of things, but mainly the whole “HURRY UP!….and wait” side of aviation, that anyone who has ever worked in the industry can relate to.

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-4817773494060541542007-05-26T15:20:00.000+01:002007-05-26T15:37:30.391+01:00

afternoon glow. Beautiful even when one is hungover.It would seem that at some point in the past 12 months I lost my ‘drinking’ common sense along with my sense of self-preservation. This morning I awoke on a stranger’s carpet somewhere in the vicinity of Johannesburg. A blanket that smelled of mothballs was thrown over my crumpled body and my face was glued to the floor by solidified drool.

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-18658517665669476802007-05-03T16:19:00.000+01:002007-05-03T16:20:31.942+01:00

Last night Not Lloyd and I sat on the back porch listening to the silence that is such an unnatural event around here. Above and to the east, the nearly full moon lit up the night sky, but was being chased by a menacing black wall. Looming in the distance was such a ghastly, black apparition that it nearly gave me the chills watching as it devoured the moon in one swift and graceful movement.

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-77937650628928780912007-04-27T23:23:00.000+01:002007-04-28T00:10:39.260+01:00

I'm getting tired, to be honest.I've told many of you this very thing when speaking to you on the phone. Everyday I am part of some amazingly crazy story, some hectic piece of lawless Central Africa, and yet when I come home I want to write, but I cannot. I try to document what is happening sparingly so that maybe when I come home and regain some of my energy for this I'll be able to write

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-62765069456541299772007-04-08T19:51:00.000+01:002007-04-08T20:22:21.130+01:00

Concerned emails flood in after I write something negative, as I did the other evening. I appreciate it, because it shows me that people care about me and are keeping up with what is going on in my strange, sometimes foggy head. That being said, everyone has to understand that: 1. There is so much negative around me here that it is hard to stay positive all the time, and I need to vent here and

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-66417160304769056682007-04-06T22:53:00.000+01:002007-04-06T23:00:22.386+01:00

Each time I leave this corrupt sandbox I find it harder and harder to muster up the motivation to come back. I find myself tired of experiencing and shrugging of the recurring problems that mire Chad, in fact I struggle greatly now not to lose my patience in a violent way when they occur. I'm both ashamed of this and also cognizant that I'm not alone in feeling this way. Elizabeth and I spent

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-81439918569408319262007-03-11T21:54:00.000+01:002007-03-11T22:35:53.721+01:00

...a thousand words, and quite frankly, the heat and questions regarding which type of wedding cake I prefer have sapped my creative energy as of lately. Just kidding E. But, with that, I'll leave you with a few pictures to account for the past 2 weeks or so. Lets see here...There was Angelina's visit: ehhhhh, she's ok. This coming from a guy who has recently taken to drooling on his pillow

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-2911694189638709282007-02-22T21:36:00.000+01:002007-02-22T22:04:42.194+01:00

Here are some recent pictures of the big Dogdore Sockball Championship. Team Anglophone Funny Looking White Guy VS. Team Dogdore. Needless to say, I kicked some 8 year old butt! Kids...ppphhht.THE CROWD OF ORNERY ONLOOKERS GATHERS, ROOTING FOR THE HOME TEAM. LITTLE DID THEY KNOW, TEAM SISSY HEAT SENSITIVE FUNNY LOOKING WHITE GUY HAD A PERSONAL SOCKBALL VENDETTA.STEP ONE...THE RULES OF THE

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-87790342297861471252007-02-20T17:09:00.000+01:002007-02-20T17:35:55.622+01:00

This is the post that is the post I never thought I'd be writing, at least to all of you from Chad. But so it goes, life defies us, and often times when it does, it's something beautiful:A while back, oh, let's say about 3 days after arriving in the luxurious wonderland that is Chad, I was dragged along on a 'training' flight by our (now ex) French Chief Pilot. He had me sit in the back as we

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-7793979540904664272007-02-11T12:21:00.000+01:002007-02-07T02:35:41.191+01:00

Everyone screws up here and there...everyone. No matter how perfectionist, how focused, how inspired, impressive, or impeccable, sooner or later the individual or individuals will balk, and screw the proverbial pooch. That's why I had to laugh the other day, in a sick, twisted kind of way, when I heard about how those silly, genocide crazed, ethnic cleansing enjoying, blissfully bloodthirsty

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-34818279759891836502007-02-04T13:47:00.000+01:002007-02-04T13:53:45.523+01:00

When the phone rings at 5am, its not a welcome noise to me. And so it was last weekend when at 515 or so my little Nokia began singing electronically to me. First instinct: grab the alarm clock and stare absent mindedly at it trying to gauge just what is happening here. Second instinct: grab the phone and answer. "aaaarggh, Hello?""Jesse, this is Joseph with IRC in Bahai, aaaahhh, look, go

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-39920437074959054802007-01-20T16:39:00.000+01:002007-01-20T16:46:56.414+01:00

It would appear that if a vote were held worldwide, after learning of my not so fearless actions the other evening, I would surely be adorned with the honorary title of "World's Biggest Sissy". Yep, that'd be me, sorry Dad.My trip home went well, for the most part. It was bittersweet in an odd way. I went to Rhode Island, the tiny, flat, yet family inhabited New England state that kept up with

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-67979204572524114632007-01-19T09:01:00.000+01:002007-01-19T09:06:50.165+01:00

I, being that I'm quite frequently on airplanes crisscrossing here or there, am curious why people spend so long in aircraft bathrooms. Granted men have the unsavory reputation for staking a claim with newspaper in hand and camping out for extended periods of time on their mighty porcelain thrones, but an aircraft lavatory is hardly a royal seat. I can think of few more cramped locales, which

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-78888884342420301722006-12-30T12:24:00.000+01:002006-12-30T12:31:34.758+01:00

"No, she does not have any identification...I do not know where she has left it. I, I, I..ughhh." a local Chadian UNHCR employee rambled to me the other morning, in a slur of French and English while we were in Guerada. He was gesturing towards his wife, the woman who had misplaced her ID. "Look, you guys make the rules, and then expect us to follow them. And those rules, my friend

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-1813260428241628362006-12-25T20:25:00.000+01:002006-12-25T20:51:56.890+01:00

Merry Christmas from Tchad!High Frequency radio squelch is my lovely Christmas music this morning as I sit inside our little Ops room in our compound. When one cannot have Bing Crosby singing holiday classics, the next most logical choice is alien/robotic C-3PO sounding noises belching from a small desk mounted unit. I wish I could tell everyone that I'm feeling the holiday spirit and that I'm

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-10016192662888871132006-12-17T23:04:00.000+01:002006-12-17T23:06:02.650+01:00

And now to John at the WABC weather desk:"Well Tom I'm sure you noticed those dark clouds moving in last night, but truth be told we won't be seeing any moisture out of them. Yep, sure enough folks, they'll just keep rolling thru ahead of this frontal system that's been slowly creeping up on us for quite sometime. Associated with that frontal system you can expect light to moderate unorganized

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-17119385583977532862006-12-07T20:32:00.000+01:002006-12-07T21:21:13.023+01:00

The relative peace and organization that is the fluid inside the shell or the bubble that surrounds the beautiful country of Thailand cataclysmically exploded into a million tiny pieces and was strewn everywhere as soon as we stepped inside the Ethiopian Airlines departure lounge a few evenings ago. Pop. From single file lines, scrumptious seafood pad thai and glistening coral filled waters we

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-82790983989864327792006-11-19T20:40:00.000+01:002006-11-19T20:42:30.061+01:00

A mud caked, sickly, and emaciated puppy was found curled up beneath a bucket in CCF's Abeche compound about 2 weeks ago. In the 'big' scheme of things it was just a drop in the bucket...actually more like a single molecule of H20 in the bucket...but it still got our minds and hearts' attention. Elizabeth washed the whiny bag of uncoordinated and clumsy bones, and began nursing it back to

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-81515404396148786302006-11-15T21:42:00.000+01:002006-11-15T21:44:55.624+01:00

Today a pasty white woman, with entangled varicose veins covering her face, who looked like she belonged in a sealed and sterile bubble approached me as she got on the airplane. I had seen the pasty white woman the previous day greet the NBC Today Show reporter Ann Curry after we had brought her NBC TV crew back from Goz Beida. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15655588/'Good morning Jesse, my name's

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-19583848227187372002006-11-15T20:31:00.000+01:002006-11-15T20:43:31.428+01:00

I usually awake in the mornings to a muffled rumble of a struggling generator, a high pitched whine whose intensity rises and falls as the perpetrator's wings beat about my head, and to the constant 'thwump-thwump-thwump' of the overhead ceiling fan. I lay only in my boxer briefs atop sheets that as of lately have been dampened from my sweat due to my air conditioner's inoperativeness. Some

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-76568440076216892132006-10-29T12:35:00.000+01:002006-10-29T19:58:30.198+01:00

I find myself more frequently staring off into oblivion, as Myriam or whomever I am flying with is at the controls, daydreaming excessively. I’ve had incredibly vivid memories and imaginings of food, places and people, the things I miss most about home. Last week during all the security concerns, during all the evacuations and chaos, after the airplane would level off in the cooler, more

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-39969702762035867902006-10-26T20:12:00.000+01:002006-10-26T20:15:31.591+01:00

Her fingers were slowly moving up the inside of my leg, teasing me as she went. I squirmed and she stopped, I was greatly disappointed. She picked up on my disappointment and started again, this time also walking her fingers up my chest. Then something struck me as not right, something was askew, strange…my chest itched and her finger was scratching at my leg. What the hell is…?I opened my

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-269504241722162902006-10-23T12:00:00.000+01:002006-10-23T14:41:14.845+01:00

And so it begins.Elizabeth called me last night after I cancelled our dinner plans, and I answered thinking she was intent on rubbing in just how good the curry she cooked was. Instead she informed me that rumors were flying that Goz Beida had been overrun by Chadian Rebel forces, a new conglomerate of old separate groups, now known as UFDD (United Front for Democracy and Development). She new

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-84590992081670572462006-10-21T15:01:00.000+01:002006-10-22T09:11:26.290+01:00

Bright, shiny new Chinese knock offs of the classic Kalashnikov automatic rifle, known world wide as the AK47 are seemingly everywhere in Chad these days. (Its amazing what a little oil money can buy…yep we’re buying the brown stuff from them and helping to keep the cycle going!). At the airport men nap in the shade of dwarfed trees, fatigued from heat and Ramadan fasting, with the glistening

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-88817841021096265502006-10-08T10:41:00.000+01:002006-10-08T11:10:00.187+01:00

I was sitting down today with others at a large table. Many wore translucent masks that showed their faces but distorted their mouths and features, all having big red smiles permanently molded into the plastic. There was this mist of incessant bickering that made it difficult to see and my eyes were beginning to strain from my efforts to.Suddenly the guy sitting across from me stood up very

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-1160045485565052292006-10-05T11:49:00.000+01:002006-10-05T11:51:25.570+01:00

Comical but frustrating, is how I silently summed it up, sipping a warm beer at Club Nightriders late last night. Three scantily clad, beautiful women stood arguing in Kiswahili 4 feet from my spot, I was sure the claws would come out soon. Last Sunday, upon my return from Zanzibar, and at Bill, our African Chief Pilots request, he, Ed McConnell (my Idahoan roommate in South Africa) and I went

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-1160044982257382942006-10-05T11:04:00.000+01:002006-10-05T11:43:09.773+01:00

"Well if dey didn't stamp ya passport comin in I ain't gonna stamp it now" said the Ugandan immigration woman as I passed by the podium she sat at on my way to the gate my aircraft was to depart from. My kind of country. Aaaah, its all good, lets just say you weren't here, then everyone's happy. I climbed aboard the prehistoric 737 operated by AirTanzania and was soon on my way east southeast

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-1159369101688695542006-09-27T15:38:00.000+01:002006-09-27T15:58:21.850+01:00

Awakening to a gentle rain in the morning accompanied by a cacophony of bird songs can mean only one thing. In the past, while working for the airlines and sleeping in a different bed almost every night, every once in a while I'd wake up and for a brief moment be confused about where I was. Dubuque? Pueblo? Raleigh? Phoenix? Over the past week its been a bit of the same, I've been all over the

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-1158781379892701502006-09-20T20:15:00.000+01:002006-09-20T20:42:59.973+01:00

Phew, so I made it back to Chad, good Lord did I miss this place. (Sarcasm)I arrived back in N'djamena Tuesday morning, 4am, and had to hop another airplane for Abeche, on the eastern border, at 7am. Goodtimes. Just as I thought, things are really getting messy out here...the rains have let up, only to have the heavens rain other things upon the villages and heads below...bombs and bullets.So,

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-1157794622529371372006-09-09T10:07:00.000+01:002006-09-09T10:45:12.046+01:00

The rain is back.We had 4 days of uninterrupted sunshine. Tropical, skin searing, blazing sunshine while our airplane was out of service awaiting parts. Now, with the inoperative parts rendered operable, and the aircraft gods smiling down upon us again, the weather gods have decided its time to return from their brief rest and relaxation recess and play once more. A flat corrugated, tin roof

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-1157403374179531012006-09-04T21:50:00.000+01:002006-09-04T21:56:14.193+01:00

This came from an impromptu Chadian news page, another blog from someone in/around Abeche...But besides this, things have been heating up along the eastern border. The IRC had another disastrous encounter...another truck stolen, and the French has been stepping up their military patrols greatly. Every morning I wake up to French built Mirage fighter planes taking off and landing...Thursday,

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-1157143796970827392006-09-01T21:41:00.000+01:002006-09-01T21:50:05.196+01:00

Its 830 pm. I'm bored beyond comprehension. I sit locked inside my concrete compound, mud and mosquitoes, clothe less children who defecate in the middle of the road as you try to pass, and here and there a call to prayer, are all that await outside the gates in the electricity-less blackhole. Guess that sounded a bit cynical, huh? I have scarcely left the inside of our house today, maybe 5

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-1156969294369541732006-08-30T20:29:00.000+01:002006-08-30T21:21:37.030+01:00

Shhh...don't tell anyone I took these, I'd hate to see what'd happen to me. This is the super exciting, lavish, extravagant, temporarily muddy, mosquito-filled, metropolis of N'djamena, the largest city in Chad, and capital. The city's population is a suprisingly high 721,000, though I constantly wonder where all them live, especially now that half the northern section is underwater and people

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-1156802235443312432006-08-28T22:54:00.000+01:002006-08-28T22:57:15.463+01:00

In the 4 years I flew the Beech 1900 I had never realized the rear most cabin wall was easily removed. Recently we ripped it down in a sweating, heat stroke bordering frenzy to accompany the carriage of the limp, lifeless body of a 10 year old boy who was beaten into a coma by rebels in the vicinity of my favorite locale, Goz Beida. Where were you on this one Sultan? We threw 2 seats to the

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-1155842685373067532006-08-17T20:03:00.000+01:002006-08-17T20:24:45.490+01:00

Due to the overwhelming demand, the Chad to Chad Broadcasting Network has decided to provide further pictures of Uganda. These pictures, it should be noted, are not very exciting. In recent studies, viewing these pictures has caused narcolepsy in 67 out of 92 viewers. In further research, it should be noted, it was proven that viewing these pictures may cause discomfort whilst sitting atop a

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-1155668171361411232006-08-15T19:11:00.000+01:002006-08-15T19:56:11.400+01:00

FRUIT MARKET OUTSIDE KAMPALA, with avacodos the size of softballs!">The other morning I awoke from a dream that I was at home, nestled in bed with an ex-girlfriend. It was safe, comforting and warm…soothing for the soul. I felt peaceful. The alarm went off and she stared at me quizzically yet still smiling, ‘Well, are you getting up?’. I smiled and opened my eyes, immediately finding the room

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-1154855935223642992006-08-06T10:10:00.000+01:002006-08-06T10:18:55.243+01:00

Friday was a good day for a smoke.Can nothing go smoothly for me here in Africa? I admit that if it continuously did then I would be complaining about the lack of spice and adventure in life, but how bout some moderation(?) for those of you listening in upstairs. Huh guys? The ‘epic’ Beechcraft 1900D trip for N’djamena to Entebbe, Uganda proved nothing but. I sit relaxed with a full stomach,

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-1154614340497141932006-08-03T15:06:00.000+01:002006-08-03T17:59:07.983+01:00

18 more hours in N’djamena before the epic 1900 flight begins. 1400 miles. 4 usable emergency airports scattered hundreds of miles apart. Fuel adequate enough to get us to our destination, holding for 6 minutes then immediate diversion to an alternate airport in a different country 200 miles away. While doing the flight planning for this little endeavour the other day I realized, “jeez Todo,

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-1154120192346412932006-07-28T21:54:00.000+01:002006-07-28T21:56:32.370+01:00

Not even a week ago I wrote of Goz Beida as a picturesque valley, inundated with birds but almost a bit idyllic nonetheless? I rescind any peaceful leaning I may have implied. Chadian reality slapped me hard in the side of the face today and I was snapped out of my dreamy romanticized view of the landscape and thrown into the situation that IS Chad. Last night while eating dinner, Darcy’s phone

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-1153768222568718802006-07-24T19:26:00.000+01:002006-07-24T20:10:22.746+01:00

The view west from our house, across the Sultan's seat of the Chadian Ouaddaï Region and the 4th largest city in Tchad, home to over 55,000 people, Abeche. To the left, though its invisible, is one of Ol' Idris Deby's grand houses. Mr. Deby is the current 'elected' president who continues to change the Chadian constitution to allow himself further terms, a standard in African democracy. I mean

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-1153682291055676262006-07-23T19:39:00.000+01:002006-07-24T19:14:43.590+01:00

Even while huddled beneath the protective veil of my princess like green tent I can still hear them. They want me. They desire me. They, as I’m sure you’ve by now guessed, are the disease laden mosquitoes that Africa is soooo famous for, and they are out in swarms now that the rains have arrived. It seems not a matter of ‘if’ but more of ‘when’ I will get that illustrious mind and stomach

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-1153254754763347802006-07-18T21:24:00.000+01:002006-07-18T21:32:34.776+01:00

Tonight I realised I am a bit worried. The picture thing? No. Worse. My insides truly disapprove of Africa. I always prided myself on being the owner of an iron stomach. I have eaten some nasty things in nasty places, yet here I find myself the greenhorn, the rookie, the WUSS. And my organs aren't diggin it so far. Hopefully the tolerance will build to the point that I'll be able to munch

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-1153088085463215732006-07-16T22:43:00.000+01:002006-07-17T13:04:17.083+01:00

For those of you who read this post last night and wrote me since then, I apologize. I was pretty confused and pissed off about the '3rd' strike I received in regards to picture taking.Therefore I have edited it and subtracted the 3 beers I had in me when I wrote it as well. Anyway, for those of you who did not read it...good, lets just keep it that way. What happened was this: On our way to

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-1152823814187175612006-07-13T21:14:00.000+01:002006-07-17T14:05:03.770+01:00

I am quickly realizing that photography in Chad is a touchy subject, sometimes literally, and the 'touching' isn't very enjoyable. Twice, in one week now I have gotten into situations due to my even-quite-discreet taking of pictures. Both times made me quite uncomfortable so I need to find an alternate solution. It seems that a majority of Chadians: 1. Hate the French 2. Think I am French 3.

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-1152802943871365922006-07-13T15:48:00.000+01:002006-07-13T16:02:23.880+01:00

A calm after the rainy season storm...Our Twin Otter, N899AS at rest momentarily in the premier African vacation destination, IribaOk, logic puzzle for pilots, and everyone else for the matter. You've heard of Where's Waldo? books...how bout this one...Where's Iriba airstrip? Its in there, I promise.

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-1152737190707720242006-07-12T21:36:00.000+01:002006-07-13T15:05:00.223+01:00

The rainy season has arrived suddenly and clamorously, literally with a bang. It went from crystalline blue skies seeming to stretch from Indian to Atlantic Oceans to towering thunderstorms reaching high into the heavens in the span of two hours. Yesterday I flew for the first time on a ‘revenue’ flight, as a FO, not a Captain (thankfully, because I had only 1.2 hrs in the airplane at that time).

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-1152473507191226192006-07-09T19:52:00.000+01:002006-07-09T20:31:47.210+01:00

Just thought I'd throw a couple pictures on here from today's activities, I'll write more later...hope everyone had a great weekend! Sorry if it reads like a childrens story. JesseAfter a rough day of automobile security watch, Monsieur Le Monkey finds himself exhaustedtheres but one thing to do...nap. This is done after, and only after throwing his food at me and grooming my arm and leg hair,

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-1152306780528619982006-07-07T21:21:00.000+01:002006-07-07T22:13:00.586+01:00

Bonsoir Madames et MonsieursDuring the 5 ½ hour flight back down the dark continent from Paris I found myself surrounded by screaming Chadian children, French diplomats and, even worse…redneck American oil workers, a motley crew if there ever was one. We glided down over the amazingly expansive Sahara, such an unbelievable sight to behold, it surpasses any open and desolate space I had ever

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-1152035865354900162006-07-04T18:43:00.000+01:002006-07-04T18:57:45.363+01:00

Answer:The sale of 14 spherical objects from a table whilst sitting beneath an umbrella is STRICTLY FORBIDDEN, in this location, especially if you are lacking a neck.

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-1151947310931779242006-07-03T18:12:00.000+01:002006-07-03T18:21:50.946+01:00

Two days and counting until Tchad…My impression of South Africa has been slightly skewed so far, though I plan to give it another chance to redeem itself. Everyone I’ve spoken to around here, S.A. natives included, have all said the same thing: Johannesburg is not South Africa. It would be similar to a foreign tourist visiting Detroit and assuming all of America was of it’s magnificent caliber.

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-1151600533648217522006-06-29T17:40:00.000+01:002006-06-29T18:02:13.650+01:00

Thursday, June 29thWe arrived home today to find that the house has been further secured, making it a veritable fortress, putting us right up there in the ranks of the paranoid majority of South African whites. The best part is, though, that the “reinforced” steel bars they put on the doors can be easily be bent and most likely ripped from the entry way with one swift kick. Quality. The

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-1151599178278099202006-06-29T17:37:00.000+01:002006-06-29T17:39:38.290+01:00

Wednesday, June 28thFor all intensive purposes, I am done with my training here in South Africa. Two nights ago I completed the last step in my validation course, by taking a check ride in an antiquated, underpowered Piper Seneca, an airplane I have never flown before. Ed and I were selected to go first, as I mentioned on Monday night, and Ed requested to precede me on the ride. This seemed

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-1151252337318341712006-06-25T16:24:00.000+01:002006-07-04T18:38:33.926+01:00

Saturday, June 24thAt the risk of sounding queer, I’ve got to say that today, I feel fat. Wow. No exercise + no nicotine + hours spent lying around reading manuals + boredom eating= Jesse feels fat. I think its quite justified. I feel like I do nothing more than sleep, eat and read, with a random car ride mixed in here or there usually for the purpose of getting a beer or two. I sincerely hope

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-1150738632517695452006-06-19T18:18:00.000+01:002006-07-08T20:53:29.870+01:00

Ever though about taking a 3 cylinder lowriding Hyundai Getz, the gayest of gay cars, into the South African scrub for some wildlife viewing? We did. Im just glad it wasnt gray and that no male rhino found it attractive. That would have been ugly.speaking of rhinos, heres a white one that was with its baby right next to us...One of many zebras we spooked when I sat on top of the roof to take a

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-1150389890689585532006-06-15T17:41:00.000+01:002006-06-15T17:44:50.700+01:00

Thursday, June 15thTonight, we celebrate. We are done with the tedious and stale rules and regulations concerning South African airspace. With any luck I can brain dump them tonight with some fine amber colored, bubbly, and alcoholic beverage and never worry about them again. Confidence inspiring coming from a pilot, eh? Don’t worry Mom, I’ll at least bring a clean pair of underwear when I fly.We

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-1150212335368627952006-06-13T16:22:00.000+01:002006-06-13T16:25:35.366+01:00

Two random and boring pics from here...

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-1150211915407403692006-06-13T16:16:00.000+01:002006-06-13T16:18:35.410+01:00

Tuesday, June 14thToday was exceptionally unexceptional again. These days spent making our eyes red reading and rereading Air Law again and again are shit. But it’s a necessary step in the process. Many, actually most of the aircraft that AirServ uses are leased from a South African company, therefore they are registered in this republic. Anytime you operate another country’s aircraft you must at

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-1150211773615212062006-06-13T16:13:00.000+01:002006-06-13T16:21:45.513+01:00

Sunday, June 11thIts been 5 days since I arrived in the Republic, though it honestly feels a bit longer. I arrived early Tuesday morning, completely exhausted, eyes bloodshot and clothes wrinkled to the contours of uncomfortable airline seats that I feebly tried sleeping on. The night before leaving I amassed just about 3 hours sleep, no problem though, I’ve got a 17 hour flight to catch up!

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29546704.post-1150015671124189582006-06-11T09:46:00.000+01:002006-06-11T09:47:51.130+01:00

Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182222943171899267noreply@blogger.com1