But then I started to do a little more research into the realities of the job and realized it’s a lot more about paperwork than blowing things up. Plus, it would mean working for the government. That meant two really bad things: conforming and losing my moral compass. In fact, a year or two earlier, my AP chemistry teacher asked me why someone with my creativity would want to work for the government and he was right. Even in a sort of “non-governmental” organization like Peace Corps, all the bureaucracy and political sh*t bothers me. Furthermore, the thing that first attracted me to working for the CIA, my sense of justice, is the very thing that made me realize I shouldn’t work for them. Talk about being morally bankrupt. Abu Ghraib was enough for me to know I want nothing to do with it.
Plus, I like to brag about my exploits. Just look at my blog. I’m a narcissist and love promoting myself and all the cool things I do. It would kill me to have to keep mum about single-handedly saving the gold supply of Fort Knox from becoming radioactive. At any rate, the point is that I decided long ago that becoming a spy was not for me (unless I could be all Moe Berg about it).
So, I find it really ironic that Peace Corps placed me in a country where they think all the volunteers are spies! We are followed around and all our movements are monitored because of this. I imagine our handlers get rather bored watching us walk to work, watching us walk to the dukon and listening in on our phone conversations. After 18 years of watching volunteers they must realize that we just teach English and health. And just what information do they think they have that we want? Their secret recipe for palow? It’s not only the government though. I stumbled upon this article about a conversation that took place in a Turkmen chat room.
http://globalvoicesonline.org/2011/09/21/turkmenistan-global-village-or-village-behind-the-globe/
At least there are some level-headed voices that point out that most people who visit a different culture would take pictures. I’m really curious which of our volunteers is the shady character in question. To be fair, I can think of a couple who might arouse suspicion even in the US!