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About Me

New to my blog and wondering what this is all about?

P1020669[22]I am a Deaf Education Peace Corps Volunteer serving in Kenya.  I am a hearing individual with no prior sign language, so Kenyan Sign Language (KSL) is my first.  My assignment, teaching at a deaf school in Mombasa, will keep me here at least until January 2011, longer if I extend to a third year.  I arrived in Kenya in November 2008.

I specifically requested to be placed in the Peace Corps educational sector as opposed to the IT or business development sector because I feel that I can do more good for more people here.  I hope that over time, my blog can attest to my success.

At the moment I am teaching three subjects: Creative Arts, English, and Maths, the first two lower primary students and the latter at the vocational school.

P1000642[8] Before leaving for Kenya, I was happily and busily employed as Director of New Technology at SDI Media, the global leader in subtitling and language dubbing.  My role encompassed both sales engineering, system design, and project management.  Pictured at left is me (squatted, lower left) in Portugal for an important technical launch.

After work on most Wednesdays (when I was not travelling), I also volunteered for School On Wheels, acting as a tutor for local homeless children trying to get back on track at school.

IM005172[8] In my spare time I also completed The Mustachioed Bandit Meets His End, a feature-length film that I wrote, financed, directed, and edited.  Pictured on the far right is me reviewing script changes on the set.  The DVD is highly accessible,  containing among other languages, English and Latin American Spanish Closed Captions and English, German, and Italian Subtitles for the Hard of Hearing.

Picture 037[4] Prior to moving to Los Angeles, I acquired my BA in Interdisciplinary Computing in the Arts at UC San Diego, where I also managed the student-run television station, fundraised a hefty cash infusion, and handled a volunteer staff of forty.

When I am not busy writing biographies that read like resumes, I also enjoy a little graffiti art:

P1010272[2]

14 replies on “About Me”

I AM a humanities student on holiday and would like to help whenever i can!
Do think i can help?
Anyway i see you are doing a good job. Keep it up.

Am Timothy Liani,founder of Brook Deaf school in Nairobi for both Deaf and Otistic children.
Am in need of a volunteer for our school preferably white man or woman.
Kindly, advice me if you can or connect us to your friends for the same assistance.

Dear Paul,

congratulations to your blog. I really like it! 🙂

It was great meeting you. Besides that amazing train experience ;-P I hope your meeting in Nairobi went well.

Am just arrived in Bangkok, and who knows maybe we’ll see each other again. Somewhere – be very welcome when you are around in Switzerland or so. Are you in that book of faces? I suppose it is the best gadget to simply track and find each other on this planet.

Anyways, all my very best for this year at school.

Take good care,

Sascha 🙂

Hey Paul, I ma a University student in Nairobi;sn Strathmore University. I appreciate very much what the PeaceCorps are doing in Kenya. In fact my entire education is owed to Lynsey and Erick Ortlip who were volunteers back in 2002.

Please keep up with the good job and God bless America.
If there is anything I can do to make ur life comfortable esp should you be arnd Nabirobi pls holla on 0726 387 335.

Hi Paul, my name is Nadiya Abraham and I will be in Loitokitok in May as a Peace Corps VOlunteer and was wondering if you had any advice for me…life, the environment, family, relating, anything! Thanks so much, please send your response to my email address.

Thanks again,

You didn’t arrive in November 2009. I think dates ie Birthdays (your own) are not your forte.

Hi Paul! My friend Dan Mokrauer-Madden said I should contact you. I received an invite for public health in Kenya and am very excited. Your blog’s great–I love the pictures.

Hi, I’ve been nominated to teach visual arts to the deaf in Kenya in 2011, and I have an MFA in art from UCSD. It seems like you might be a very helpful contact for me in the coming months. Let me know if I can email you some general questions. Thanks!!

Hi Paul,

I have recently been nominated to work with the Deaf in Kenya. I am assuming it is the same, if not similar project as the one you were/are in! If possible, I would love to get your feedback and advice! Please email me at avc0179@esu.edu! Thanks and I look forward to hearing from you!

Alyssa Carlson