The Attack: The Death of Big Whitey

May 5, 2012 by Steve Peifer

They came after midnight. There were seven of them, and they attacked two of our guards. They snuck up behind the first guard and hit him so hard that he was knocked unconscious and was treated for a concussion. The second guard saw them and tried to fight them. They overpowered him and beat him until they broke his leg and then they tied up both guards.
Because other computer centers had been broken into, we had reinforced all the doors....

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Dude: The Joy of Being a Cultural Ambassador

May 16, 2010 by Steve Peifer

I have twelve students who require obtaining educational visa’s in order to study in the United States. It involves compiling a packet of eleven different documents and then making an appointment at the US Embassy for an interview. The US Embassy interestingly schedules all appointments at 7am. So, you arrive at 7am and stand outside for hours with hundreds of others before they let you in, and then you sit inside for several hours waiting for your student’s turn. Often,...

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He Is Too Fat to Put On the Belt: Becoming an Honorary Masai

December 10, 2009 by Steve Peifer

Your neighbors may have unusual days, but I bet I can beat you on this one. Our friends the Mitchells had a baboon jump on their roof, and he fell through the ceiling. No matter how your neighbor’s day was, it was better than having a 150 lb. baboon in the middle of their home. They weren’t home so no one was hurt, but the baboon made a real mess of things, and trust me:  cleaning up after an angry...

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Winning $71 Playing Poker in the Kuwait Embassy: Sixteen Days with the Holy Missionary in America

June 20, 2008 by Steve Peifer

Some trips start poorly; this one started great. The day before I left, I received an email from Harvard saying they were going to accept one of our students from their waitlist. I called Shannon, and I could tell that she hadn’t heard the news. I encouraged her to look at her email, and to call me if she wanted to talk later. Five minutes later, perhaps the most hysterical phone call I ever received was a wonderful prelude to...

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