alexcottin

“Life is a challenge.” It’s been three days since I first set foot in West Africa, but, as with most trips to the field, it’s taken me a while to fully grasp where I am. Today, I find myself in the outskirts of Monrovia, Liberia’s capital, just outside one of Merlin’s health clinic, staring at the license plate on the back of a motorcycle parked next to the rehabilitated facility. “Life is a challenge” it reads unassumingly. I don’t think there is a single human being with a remote understanding of modern history who will refute this truism, especially as it applies to the continent of Africa. Life has been, is (and I’m afraid) will continue to be) a challenge. But, as is the case with many marginalized, destitute parts of this often times-forgotten continent, one ... read more

We’ve all been there – clumsily standing in an elevator, or (more painfully), sitting next to that awkwardly close neighbor engaging in the coerced “small talk” on a long flight – an ungrateful exploration in the art of time wasting. It IS an art, and if 30 mere, yet abundantly-lived years of existence have taught me anything, it’s that I am not an artist! I truly admire those who can hold a seemingly natural conversation about the most mundane of topics and somehow appear genuine while doing so. I envy them. Let’s get back to that underwhelming plane conversation. As the lackluster banter unfolds, covering all the bases of pure dialectical boredom, the inevitable query arises: “So… What do you do?” Now, depending on the threshold of appropriateness, or maybe just the length of the trip, ... read more

There is something uncontrived, something pure and meaningful about reconnecting with people who have made an impact on one’s life. For me, this is often manifested in the notion of “coming back” somewhere – not just to see someone, but to experience some place again and appreciate the changes. The modern Dictionary defines “evolution” as a “process of gradual, peaceful, progressive change or development, as in social or economic structure or institutions.” Given the overwhelming (negative) amount of press that has come out lately with respect to the progress (or in this case, lack thereof) in Haiti, it would seem somewhat illogical to qualify the situation as evolutionary. Well, allow me to humbly demystify this fallacy: THINGS ARE IMPROVING IN HAITI! Of course, I can only confidently speak on behalf of Merlin and, more generally speaking, ... read more

Thomas Fowler, in the Quiet American, emphatically states that “you come to Vietnam and understand a lot in a few minutes. The rest has got to be lived. They say whatever it was you were looking for, you will find here…”. After a mere week in Vietnam, I’m not sure whether I understand more or less of this fascinating country… Frankly, with all due respect to Mr. Fowler’s character (in what has become an emblematic film for anyone interested in learning about the country), I didn’t know what I was looking for and, honestly, I prefer to keep it that way. Maintaining a low level of expectations and being flexible and spontaneous are essential, I’ve found for any successful traveling experience – and successful it was! Perhaps it’s the effusive yet genuine smile from every stewardess ... read more

AS PART OF MERLIN'S EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM, I SPENT TWO WEEKS IN HAITI, FOLLOWING A DEVASTATING 7.0 EARTHQUAKE THAT RAVAGED THE ISLAND ON JANUARY 12TH. THE FOLLOWING IS A RECAP OF MY PERIODICAL UPDATES FROM THE FIELD. ------- (The first few days) 12 Jan Just wrapping up my day at the office when a New York Times Alert pops in to my inbox, indicating that Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere had been ravaged by a 7.0 Earthquake. I could only imagine how devastating that was for such a precarious island. CNN was already fearing that the death toll would be astronomically high. Surely, Merlin would be responding. It had to! Hard to say exactly what we would do given that the London team was well into the night. Despite the uncertainty, I tried ... read more