Q&A
What projects are you working on now that are most meaningful to you?
My work on the Working Villages model village in eastern Congo is without question my driving passion. Nearly all my time is spent thinking about it or talking about it. Few people have the opportunity to do what they want with their lives. I am one of them, and what I want to do is to create a place where all people can follow their passions and feel fulfilled by their work. While Congo is where I will be for some time, it has always been my dream that someday I can do similar work in my native land of Maine.
Besides your work, what issues/ideas/pursuits are you passionate about?
Apart from my own work, I have a keen interest in the progress of society in general towards a less destructive and more peaceful type of living. Alternative energy, logically consistent economic theory, animal traction, organic agriculture, appropriate technology, healthcare reform and the fight against global climate change are issues that I follow closely.
What do you do for fun?
I suffer from a desperate addiction to British TV. Whether with friends or family, my social life often consists of watching British mysteries: The Avengers, Yes Minister, and Jeeves and Wooster, to name a few. Apart from British TV, I love to play outdoors: hiking, swimming, kayaking or whatever you fancy, Maine has so much to offer outside. I also enjoy playing chess, collecting faeries, lifting weights and talking about how great Maine is. I enjoy reading, though I am quite slow at it, and therefore like to focus on history, economics and Vaishnava philosophy.
Recount a surprising anecdote about yourself that few people know.
Suffering from dyslexia, I didn't learn to read until I was fourteen years old and, as such, developed a really good memory for facts and stories. My parents would read my school assignments to me when I was young and I would remember them and passed through to high school in that way. By the time I hit college my handwriting was not fully developed, and, being a slow reader, I couldn't afford to read my assignments more than once. Ultimately, I went through my entire schooling career without once taking notes for class or studying for a test.
