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Ex Fabula: Volunteerism

Art Montes
Storyteller Bob Pothier

Many of us have - at some point in our lives - had dreams of traveling abroad and volunteering to help those in need. Today we'll meet two men who actually did that. Not only did they venture to Samoa and Tanzania, but they brought some fun stories back with them.

While these voices may sound unfamiliar, they have been the "silent voices" behind Ex Fabula: board members who are now moving on to their next adventures. It's with gratitude, as well as sadness, that we say a fond farewell to retiring board members Bob Pothier and Adam Weise.

Bob was volunteering in Samoa when, one day, a local told him straight-up that he was in dire need of a hair cut. So, Bob went to the "barbershop" - or at least the closest thing he could find to one. This consisted of two older gentleman standing beside chairs, out in the open, armed only with a single pair of ordinary scissors.  With a head of hair very different from what these two barbers were used to dealing with, Bob's salon adventure starts there.

Credit Kat Schleicher
Storyteller Adam Weise, shown second from right.

Adam Weise spent his time abroad in Tanzania - where he found himself standing out as the only Caucasian in sight. For all the cultural differences he his own culture and that of the Tanzanians, though, he was most fascinated with what they considered comfort food: a ubiquitous dish named ugali consisting of cornmeal mush, for example, or cow intestines.  As Adam would discover, though, it turned out to be far less about the food he ate, than the act of sharing it with his new friends.

Listen to Bob Pothier and Adam Weise tell their stories:

If you're interested in volunteering for Ex Fabula, you can find more informationhere.

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