Friday, December 19, 2008

Home...brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

36 hours of travel, including time to hunt for a cheap pair of socks at the Schipol airport in Amsterdam. My body is not amused at moving from the 30+ degree heat of Longido to today's -29 windchill in Ottawa. I am, however, delighted as always with the wonders of my refrigerator and boundless hot water. Tap water is too cold to drink...hurts my teeth. The grocery store has far too many choices in the laundry soap aisle. High speed internet is fun. Thinking about seeing my sons and retrieving my dog tomorrow morning is exciting! Driving in snow when I haven't driven in months was a bit disconcerting. My favorite hot and sour soup made the drive worthwhile.

I'm home. There are, I suppose, only 5 shopping days left til Christmas, if in fact I had any intention of doing much of that. The next few days will be dizzy ones I suspect, as I try my best to keep one foot in each world. Soon enough I'll be swept up into this one, and Africa will be only a memory until it's time to give into the pull to that other 'home' once again.

I've posted a few of my favorite pictures at Facebook.

Monday, December 15, 2008

More Transitions

Sitting in an Arusha hotel room, enjoying a wee bit of air conditioning...filled my face at the Indian buffet lunch after a long hot shower that would have been pleasant had I not needed to stop midway, get dressed and go seek housekeeping help to deal with a shower head problem that threatened to flood the entire room.

Yesterday was incredibly relaxing but somewhat mind boggling as I found myself sipping red wine and swimming in a gorgeous private pool with the most beautiful vista I've seen in Arusha. The contrasts here are hard to fathom especially after such a long stint out in rural Longido.

I left the village early Saturday morning with Happiness...bound for a town called Monduli where her little guy, Bryan, lives with her mom, while Happy works with us in Longido. Reminded me why I don't much enjoy traveling around the district. We waited one hour in Longido, sitting in a dala-dala (mini van) waiting until a total of 20 or so passengers had assembled such that we could hit the road. The highway to Arusha is under construction thanks to a huge Chinese project to improve the entire road between Nairobi and Arusha. A great thought, but meantime traffic is subjected to these wild detours, nicely called 'diversions', down bumpy and incredibly dusty gravel 'roads' built for the occasion. Between being mashed into the side of the vehicle by my overabundance of seat mates, and not being able to see at points where we were literally in a cloud of dust, I was not a terribly happy camper on arrival, mid-way, at the Arusha bus stop. From there we hopped into another overloaded dala-dala and made our way to Monduli. Enjoyed a pleasant lunch with Happy's mom, played a bit with Bryan and then, back to the bus stop for the return jaunt to Arusha. Once again, an hour or so of waiting for the bus to fill to capacity before departure. Overall, I think I covered about 170 km. Driving time was 3.5 hours. Waiting time 2 hours. Accumulated dust and grime...immeasurable. Arriving at Corey's at the end of the day....priceless.

And now, a few days to kill in Arusha, waiting for my Wednesday night flight to Amsterdam.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Two Sleeps

It is Thursday morning and I can't quite grasp the fact that I will leave Longido on Saturday morning and make my way towards the city and my flight home on Wednesday night. My inbox is full of news of Ottawa transit strikes and blustery weather and changes in political leaders and a gazillion bits that seem like news from another planet.

Here my head is far more filled with thoughts of all the things not yet completed...errands to run today, people to say goodbye to, pictures not yet taken, clothes needing washing, figuring out how to pack an ostrich egg for a transatlantic crossing, children to hug tight so I won't forget how good those hugs feel, a final hike up to say goodbye to Johana and my beloved camp.

Let it snow!! I'll deal with that soon enough.

Monday, December 08, 2008

The Director



This young man is the director of our drama production, which will spread word of the Girl-Mothers program in several of our nearby villages. He's an incredible 'natural' on stage, and great fun in general. I couldn't resist the close up shot of his socks!

Numbered Days

As always the final few weeks have flown by in a blur. Somehow it's already December 8th. This Saturday I pack my bags and say goodbye to Longido. Happiness and I will travel to Monduli (near Arusha) so I can visit with her Mom and little Bryan pre-departure. Then I'll head into Arusha and likely spend my last few African days there...reacquainting myself with hot running water, television and an abundance of fresh fruit...perhaps I'll even manage a bit of Christmas shopping as I doubt I'll be up for much of that on my return to Ottawa. I fly out on Wednesday evening and arrive in snowy (?) Ottawa on Thursday night, after a 12 hour layover in Amsterdam.

And, as always, my feelings about leaving are truly ambivalent...it's always so hard to say goodbye to people I've become so close to. This time it's hard to leave when the project is just gearing up...I'll miss the almost daily excitement as new hurdles get jumped and the project moves forward. I'll miss the warm sunshine even if it does wear me down. I'll miss marsala chai...all spicy and milky and yummy enough that it could (almost) induce me to give up on my morning coffee. I'll miss being 'koko Jo' to all my little ones...and starting each day with hugs and smiles from their adorable wee faces.

But 'home' has it's pulls as well. Family and Christmas and my trusty beagle await. I'm really energized about starting some serious fund raising, now that I know what's at stake and how much change we can bring about for so little money. I'm looking forward to starting back to school – one more course in my International Community Development certificate and a foray into Philosophy as I try my hand at a first Applied Ethics course at the Dominican University. I'm looking forward to seeing how the new and improved Jo re-adapts to life in Canada with a decidedly different viewpoint on life and love than on departure...excited to see what's around the next corner.

Friday, December 05, 2008

Absence of Ageism -- Fountain of Youth??

I just spent a really pleasant afternoon coaching a group of high school students who are preparing to do a community drama about our Girl-Mother program. They'll be heading out next week to start visiting several of the villages, in an effort to spread word of the program by way of their performance.

Terrific bunch of young people, and clearly they enjoyed my approach with them as well. Our session ended with everyone asking for my phone number...I gave it out, though with a caveat that I was not really one to stay up late and wouldn't appreciate calls after my bedtime. I know from experience that I'm going to start receiving all these cute text messages at all hours of the day, just to say 'hello mama, how are you??' And it's always a little strange to realize that a group of kids that age, back home, would have so little interest in initiating ongoing connections with a near-senior-citizen.

Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Speeches, speeches...so boring...


The little girl who's so obviously bored with this ceremony is one of my favorite photo subjects (she's the one missing a few teeth in a posting a few days ago).

Almost Lost my Skin...yikes!

Clean hair...clean clothes...clean feet. I feel like a new woman and am more than content with the face that smiles back at me from the mirror in my room. My dear friend Sarah (the founder of the Montessori pre-school here) looked at me carefully over lunch, and declared that after only 2 days she's happy to see that I'm getting my skin back. I'm not totally sure what she means, but I'm quite happy to know that I got away before I lost my skin entirely!!

Wouldn't you know it...the wind that drove me from the mountainside stopped last night. I guess it truly won the battle. As soon as I finally gave in, packed up and left, it had done its job, and was able to stop. I'll take that as a clear-cut sign that I was meant to come down here and be with my friends for awhile!

Yesterday's team visit to Kitumbeine was a huge success. The father has not only agreed to call off his daughter's impending marriage, the whole family ended up thanking us profusely for starting the program and addressing such a huge problem. So much validation...don't have the words to explain how satisfying it feels to have listened to that little voice in my head years ago, taken a chance on following its direction, and now to know that the outcomes are so, so positive.

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

Theories of Relativity

Funny, I've only been at the LOOCIP guest house for a few hours...my bags are packed up at camp but I won't be able to have them transported down til evening...and I feel like I've moved into an ultra-modern room (though you'd chuckle, I'm sure, if you could see it).

Some government meeting is taking place at the main hall so the generator is turned on and with this bonus blast of electricity mid-day, I am finally able to indulge in listening to some of the great music that Matthew loaded on my laptop pre-departure. Nothing quite like a little Bach in Africa, when you just want to stop and chill out. I know that later today I can have a real shower. Last night the girls gave me a real treat...they warmed me a full basin of water, handed over a brush and a bar of soap, and let me indulge in half an hour of foot soaking and scrubbing. At least now I know what colour my toes actually are at this point! What a luxurious time it was...a gazillion dollar spa treatment couldn't have felt better!

It was tough to go and pack up my things at camp. Not sure who will miss me more...Johana or the dogs, and it's always hard to make people believe that you'll really come back when you say you will. I guess they've all seen people come and go, never to return in spite of what might be said to the contrary.

The girl-mother team is out in the village of Kitumbeine today, doing a mediation with a traditional Maasai father who wants to marry off his pregnant daughter as soon as possible. She, the daughter, has been with us almost two weeks now, and is so hopeful that the team will be successful in changing her father's mind. Fingers crossed...one way or the other this few hours of meetings will determine this beautiful young woman's future potential. She will either get to continue high school after the birth (she's already finished her third year), or very soon she will be married to the man of her father's choosing and have to resign herself to the role of a traditional wife.

Transitions

Sunday night I opened my phone to check my gmail. It was 12:01 on 12/01. My tent was heaving like never before...stuff was falling off my table...the frame was really moving in the wind. I made up my mind at that point, that I'd had enough...hit the limit of my courage perhaps, but in any case...had enough. I came and slept Monday night with two of the young women who comprise my Longido 'family' and woke this morning with a clear decision to go and pack my bags and move down the hill to LOCIP for the rest of my time. The alternative was to try and find an earlier flight home, and this is so much more pleasant a decision!! I'm really looking forward to being part of this little community again, as this was my home for 6 months, first trip and it's been strange to be staying so far away from the comings and goings of everyday family life here.

No regrets, and I'm truly looking forward to coming back to camp in May, when I'm told the windy season will be but a distant memory. For now...well, I get to look forward to the thrill of 3 hours of electricity every night...no shortage of water for half-way decent showers. 7 weeks at camp have been awesome. I discovered a lot about myself, and I suppose it's fitting that I should also have learned my limits there.

Monday, December 01, 2008

Lazy Sunday

On days like today I realize how this place really teaches one (well THIS one anyhow) how to do pretty darned close to nothing with a weekend, without guilt or regret. Let's see. I got up. Made coffee. Decided to treat the others to a batch of french toast...yes Jo, you really can make pancake syrup by boiling up brown sugar and water awhile. Fed the dogs. Took a 4 km walk into 'town' and back...to buy smokes and powdered milk and stop off for a cup of milky spiced chai with Halima at the mid-way point. Back home to cool off in my tent and get lost for a while in a New York Times crossword puzzle book (nice to check and ensure the vocabulary is still relatively intact and fun to carry on what for years was a Sunday morning tradition back home). Feeling a little anti-social today, so just as well that pretty much everyone I know will have been at church and not offended by my not stopping in for morning greetings.

Can't believe it's the end of November today. Six weeks have pretty much flown by, and I'll be home and shivering in just 18 days. Looking forward to tomorrow...we get to see the dress rehearsal of a drama that has been put together by LOOCIP staff as a community sensitization tool around the Girl-Mothers program. Should be fun, and hopefully it will provide a strong means of getting word out to the villages about the program. While all the usual 'official channels' have already been informed, we're learning that news of the program hasn't been filtering down to the vast majority of girls and parents who need to know it exists. With luck, this drama presentation, which will go out to several of the main villages over the next few weeks, will help to correct that situation.

And now...a sunny afternoon with nothing more pressing on my to-do list than to take a shower once the tank is nicely sun-warmed. Oh yes, and to eat an avocado that Paula, our latest camp visitor, brought from Arusha (along with mangoes, pineapple and big juicy oranges...all treats that rarely make an appearance here in Longido).