TANZANIA BOUND!

Never a Dull Moment

2009-07-15T09:50:00.003-04:00

A few weeks ago I decided to go "home" to the Ottawa Valley for awhile. Sadly, one of my aunt's had just died, and I wanted to take advantage of my 'free' time, to go and stay with my uncle...do what I could to help him through this horrible transition period.

One thing led to another. There was no more denying that this country girl was ready to get back to the woods and the water. And, once I put that out to the Universe, things started happening.

Eight days ago I went to look at a little place in the village of Chapeau, Quebec. I fell in love...knew immediately that both the village and the house felt more like home than anything I could have imagined for myself. 6 days ago, my offer to purchase was accepted. 4 days ago, a home inspector gave the place his blessing...it's a 1940s house but all the right upgrades have been done and it's move-in ready with no necessary investments. Yesterday I met with a banker to finalize a ridiculously tiny mortgage. Today, there are only a few formalities left to complete (none should prove to be obstacles) and very soon, I will own my new home.

It is a perfect place to write. My terraced little lawn ends in the Ottawa River. My canoe can come out of hiding and be happy once again. I can come out of hiding and be happy once again. The location, though a little off the beaten track, is absolutely perfect...smack dab in the middle of all the folks that matter most to me here in this part of the world.

Then again...

2009-03-30T13:36:00.002-04:00

A few days ago I realized that the time has come to stop talking about writing a book and actually do it! It will tell the tale of my inner and outer travels, the power of paying attention when the universe tells us what we are meant to do. Thank you to each and every one of you who has been with me through the journey, and encouraged me to share it with the world. I'm finally ready to try.

Realities

2009-03-14T07:51:00.002-04:00

More changes. Economic realities being what they are, it's time to accept the rather difficult fact that it's time to re-enter the workforce for awhile. First round retirement has been a non-stop adventure that leaves me looking forward to more of the same, but...

I've completed the International Community Development program, and decided to put my philosophy/ethics studies on hold (though the newly ignited excitement around philosophy isn't going to go anywhere!). For the foreseeable future, my Longido adventures will need to be lived vicariously while I keep my focus on generating money to support the Girl-Mothers program.

So now...adventures will be of a more home-grown variety. No less interesting I'm sure, just different.

Today??

2009-02-05T07:42:00.001-05:00

Today, perhaps, I will finally get round to unpacking the last duffel bag. It sits, hides, behind my bed so I'm only reminded of it on rare mornings when the night before was restless enough that I need to actually go back there to properly readjust the bedding on that normally unruffled side, the side some part of me always holds on reserve for another.

There's always a last duffle...on my return it catches the odds and the ends and the bits and the pieces of things that aren't really needed here but for whatever reason I choose to bring home rather than leave them behind in faraway Africa. Unpacking it requires that I acknowledge that I have chosen to be here, and carries the same degree of mental struggle as would going out to buy the much needed blinds for my too-light windows. Too big a leap to say this is my home...this is where/how I have chosen to be, in a space just big enough for one plus the ghost of a beagle...moreover that I'll likely be here long enough to make the investment in leave-behind blinds worthwhile.

I have been sleeping without darkness since I chose this home in September 2006.

Today, perhaps.

Adventures of a different sort

2009-01-10T07:28:00.002-05:00

I miss this one-sided conversation with whoever you are out there. Not posting underscores a view that "Jo's midlife adventures" are somehow on hold, when in fact I most need to remind myself to seek the adventures in every day, even here, freezing my now reduced butt off in the midst of an Ottawa winter.

The African journey is only on hold. All the questions it's raised, all the inspiration to do more to help, has led me to start adventuring in academia. I'm now officially registered in a Certificate in Applied Ethics program at the Dominican University here in Ottawa. My first two classes felt like no less an adventure than my first day in Longido. For starters, I don't speak the language. Philosophy?? Me?? All those years of formal education, initially so focused on the sciences then economics mostly of the mathematical sort, and suddenly I feel like the only 50-something on the planet who hasn't read Plato...doesn't know one 'ism' from another. But the adventure comes in suddenly finding myself old enough and fearless enough to look a professor in the eye and say "I don't understand this" and ultimately learning something totally new. My brain is excited...looking forward to the challenge of the next few months.

Home...brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

2008-12-19T22:16:00.002-05:00

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.

More Transitions

2008-12-15T07:25:00.000-05:00

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.

Two Sleeps

2008-12-11T00:47:00.003-05:00

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.

The Director

2008-12-08T10:10:00.004-05:00

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

2008-12-08T10:08:00.001-05:00

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.

Absence of Ageism -- Fountain of Youth??

2008-12-05T08:40:00.002-05:00

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.

Speeches, speeches...so boring...

2008-12-03T06:37:00.001-05:00

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!

2008-12-03T06:32:00.000-05:00

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.

Theories of Relativity

2008-12-02T06:22:00.001-05:00

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

2008-12-02T00:39:00.002-05:00

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.

Lazy Sunday

2008-12-01T01:26:00.000-05:00

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).

More Photos while the Connection's Good!

2008-11-28T06:08:00.001-05:00

The group shot is me with some of the young women currently participating in our Girl-Mothers project. The others are random pictures of friends and neighbours.

Homeward Pull

2008-11-28T06:04:00.000-05:00

Even without checking the calendar I am beginning to feel the pull for 'home'. My only pair of shoes, my flip-flops, are at that point where there's far more flop than flip going on (please make it 2 more weeks...please!!) I can tell from the reflection in my laptop screen that I'm due for a haircut, never having been totally comfortable with the spiky punk look. The pups are becoming too attached...it's time to let them come to see Johana as their alpha provider, not this mzungu who is just passing through.

Money's running thin. Time is running out on the gazillion to-dos, to-visits, to-remembers. I am oh so satisfied with the progress I've seen in the projects...I know it's time to get back to Canada and focus on making money so the team here can keep going forward by leaps and bounds. I want to go home so I can start planning for coming back, crazy as that sounds. I'm telling everyone that they'll likely see me back here for May, June and July...for African winter, when my energy doubles with the cooler temperatures...when I can comfortably dress in jeans and T-shirts without fear of melting in the noon day heat.

I have gotten so much out of this trip on a personal level. Time to reflect and ponder from our mountain retreat has been incredible. So much sorted out, learned, discovered and re-discovered. I will be coming home braver, bolder, bedraggled, besotted, bouncier, blessed....BETTER!

And now, back to it, with the remaining time.

The Amazing Shrinking Woman

2008-11-27T07:11:00.002-05:00

Probably good that I don't have access to a weight scale. I only know that my pants are falling down on a regular basis, so I'm limited to the couple with drawstrings. My ankles must be smaller because my anklet chains keep falling off too. I think I had breasts when I left Ottawa...now where did I leave the darned things?? They certainly seem to have disappeared. Perhaps that's why the old gals look so sympathetic when I walk past them. Traditional Maasai believe that breast size is a direct indicator of the amount of, shall we say, "nookie" one is indulging in. Clearly they know that I'm downright deprived! (Heaven only knows what they think of some of the buxom young volunteers floating around the village these days!!)

My tan lines are probably pretty hilarious too, though I can't be sure as I haven't seen myself in a proper mirror in weeks. My hands and forearms are dark brown (by my standards anyhow)...my feet, well, maybe it's just dirt, but no, the flip flop tan lines are pretty obvious...I expect my face is brown too, since I never use sunscreen. The contrast to my pasty white legs has to be striking.

I'll Huff and I'll Puff....

2008-11-25T06:34:00.003-05:00

Yes indeed...the story of the three little pigs keeps filling my half-dreams. The wind on the mountain seems to grow stronger and blow longer every evening. I lie in my bed, dozing, then awakening when the sides of the tent billow in and poke me. I think of that story of childhood, and wonder what the odds are that my house of canvas will hold up better than the ill-fated houses of straw and sticks. Last night was the worst (so far). I was convinced they'd find me this morning, hidden under my bed, with the roof trusses caved in on top of the tent, and me.

It's reminiscent of being in a boat on a rough sea. The canvas noises are of course just like those of full sails. The wood frames creak like ancient masts, the guywires whine and squawk as the gusts come through. The wind even found her way under the tent last night, and at one point I swear my bed was making little jumps. There weren't a whole lot of options to consider, either. I could have slept in the latrine I suppose, but trust me...no. Or I could have shared the kitchen building with Johana and the dogs and the various creepy crawlies that like to go in there at night, but again...no. Instead I went to the front porch, smoked cigarettes while staring at the most gorgeous starscape...amazing that while we were being battered and blown about, those stars didn't move the tiniest bit. It was a calming influence, and eventually, exhausted, I managed to brave the return to my jumpy bed and a few hours of sleep. They tell me it will get better....by February!!!

Mayai....Oh My

2008-11-21T06:58:00.000-05:00

I definitely need to sign up for kiswahili classes before my next visit. My inability to teach myself is made clearer by the day, and this morning's mixup was almost too sad to be funny.

Early this morning I noticed a woman coming along the ridge to camp, and eventually recognized her as my Koko (grandmother) from the village. Seemed odd that this old gal would be making the trek up to see me, but hey, lots of things seem odd so I was only curious as I went to give her my greetings and a welcome. She was toting a rather large bag, and luckily Johanna was home to translate. Apparently, the bag contained the objects I had asked her for recently. Now...understand that I had zero recollection of asking Koko for anything, so I was somewhat mystified. Things didn't come any clearer when she pulled out two beautifully beaded ostrich eggs. I may forget minor things on a regular basis (let's chalk that up to menopause, shall we?) but c'mon....I would not have forgotten asking someone to make me a couple of fancy ostrich eggs!! She insisted I'd asked, and reminded me that it was about a week ago as we were walking around the village with the troupe of Canadian visitors. They had taken a picture of her beside me, surely I remembered??? That part I DID remember, and then the light bulb came on. In the course of that meeting I had told Koko that sometime soon I would come and buy some eggs from her. During my earlier visit, her family had been my primary source of chicken eggs. Somehow it seems, while I was overconfidently talking about mayai (that's said my-eye) I hadn't thought to qualify with the 'chicken' part, even though I actually know that word in kiswahili too (it's kuku). And, hey, who wouldn't jump to the conclusion that there was an ostrich involved in the request??...easy mistake!!

Long story short...she wanted $10 per egg. Everyone agreed that was nutso extravagant for something I didn't want in the first place, but I felt so bad about the confusion and her trek to the camp, that I offered to take just one, for $5, and she was overjoyed that we'd come to that sort of compromise.

All's well that end's well. Somebody is getting a beaded ostrich egg for Christmas....maybe the person who emails me the funniest story about why THEY deserve to be the recipient!

Best Laid Plans

2008-11-18T06:16:00.002-05:00

Let's just call this "the day the kitchen shelter fell down" and not go into a whole lot of detail. Nobody was hurt. Some lessons are harder to learn than others.

One Month In

2008-11-18T06:15:00.000-05:00

(wrote this November 15th...I suppose that says something about the number of communication issues I've been having as of late...oh well...)

I celebrated this anniversary of sorts by redecorating my tent...well, in reality, by shifting the positions of my 2 beds and 2 tables, but hey, it's a huge difference in floor space and Johana agrees it looks a whole lot better than before! Then I gave the kitchen a thorough cleaning, and found my first scorpion in the process. Luckily it was just a wee one (even the full grown ones here aren't deadly...though they can give you a nasty sting that leads to a painful day of dealing with swelling and such). Going to have to be more careful about daily sweepings under all the boxes that are in the kitchen to prevent a recurrence of that sort of visitor.

I'm food obsessed today. Maybe that's a one-month thing, or maybe it comes of the fact that in the past few days I've noticed that my pants are starting to fall down if I don't wear a belt. We're eating a lot of pasta up here, so it's not that I'm not taking in enough calories....probably the weight loss is mostly due to the necessary hikes up and down the mountainside, in flipflops no less. Anyhow, I want a chicken breast – a real one, meaty, juicy, in some sort of sauce that isn't based on tomatoes. I want a warm, crusty roll with butter melting on it and some really good cheese. A small steak would be a nice change from the fresh fire roasted goat meat that the warriors carve up for us at every celebratory event (though I must say I still love the roasted goat liver, when I can manage to get some of that. It's typically reserved for folks far more important than I.) Ooooh, and a monster-sized bowl of fresh green salad. Sigh. I hate knowing in advance what I'll be dreaming about tonight...probably will end up gnawing on my pillow like that fellow in the McDonalds TV commercial.

I've decided that it's time to get beyond the 'vacation' stage, and buckle down to some actual work at LOOCIP for month two. No shortage of tasks I can pitch in on, I'm sure.

Thank you to everyone who has responded to my appeal for donations to the Girl-Mother program. I have great news!! Last week my kaka (brother) Ngeresa came back from his third Parliamentary committee appearance with the mind-boggling news that effective immediately, all girls who are involved in our program will be allowed to return to government school after their babies are born! It's going to take some time to get the law changed (sounds like a 3 to 4 year process here), but we've broken down the door, and getting this special permission for the girls we're aware of, is a huge step...one that clearly sets a precedent and spells out the government's intention to follow through with the necessary changes. Needless to say, Ngeresa is now, more than ever, officially my hero!!! And now, with awareness of this spreading in nearby communities, I expect we'll start to see the girls come in to the project in far greater numbers than before.

November 11th

2008-11-13T05:24:00.000-05:00

Strange night. It's darker inside my tent than out. There'd be great moonshadows if not for the fact that it's such a blustery evening. I've been feeling, dare I say, a little under the weather today...likely a phrase to be taken literally. We had another gusty downpour last night and the tarp we'd rigged to try and keep the back of my tent a little drier only worked to reduce the morning puddles a little. It was a tough night for sleeping. These big tents puff in and out with the winds, flaps flap, metallic clips tinkle, and the rain, well it drips or pelts or whatever it happens to feel like doing. I told myself I was at the seaside, and eventually fell asleep.

Stuck around camp today and hauled bricks and logs to reinforce the bottom of my tarp barricade...so far it's working. We had two intense, but relatively quick, downpours today, and so far the floor is still perfectly dry. Progress!! Tomorrow we have visitors coming in from Canada, so there's been a flurry of last minute improvements. In a twisted sort of way, it felt like being on one of those ever-present home decorating shows...the sort where everything is supposed to get accomplished in 24 hours. Amid the downpours we had someone painting our kitchens, another trying to finish off the dining shelter, and lots of general tent and site maintenance in between. Another sprint tomorrow morning, and we should be looking good and ready to welcome our visitors.

It's the time of the hilarious red bugs. These little critters are all over the ground since the rains started. They are absolutely the most amazing red...cartoon red...brilliant almost florescent red...they look like they're lit from within-- Tiny, harmless, and every time I see a bunch of them I feel like laughing. And I'm not sure if it's them, but in the moonlight, the ground is covered by tiny glowing lights...like grounded fireflies, or fallen little stars.

I've turned a corner here at the camp, since the night of the big storm. I've had a few solo nights and have truly come to enjoy them. I suppose part of me figures...what could be worse than what we've been through? And while I probably shouldn't tempt the fates to show me that answer, I've really gone past a whole level of unfounded fears, and am light years more comfortable now. Maybe I've got a little of my grandpa's 'hermit' nature going on...I was actually a bit resentful (only a bit...it's actually wonderful to have us all back together) when everyone came back to camp yesterday, after having the place to myself for a few days!

Misc Photos

2008-11-09T04:17:00.002-05:00

Stormy Weather

2008-11-09T03:30:00.000-05:00

Let me begin the story of a few nights ago, by saying that right now I am safe and well, the sun is shining, my tent is providing cozy shade, and the world is a lot greener than it was yesterday. I want to give you that happy ending in advance of telling my adventure story, since I do hate to worry those of you back home.

The long awaited rain arrived yesterday afternoon. Some of our surrounding sub-villages had reached the point of desperation and had gone to give goats to the 'witchdoctor' in the hopes of moving things along. Perhaps that had some influence. It was no ordinary rain. People are saying that yesterday will become part of local history, as there has never been such a furious rain storm here.

I like to think that Lordidi, the 13 year old Maasai boy who was with us throughout the adventure, will someday tell his grandchildren about that day. The day of the storm. For him, the first time he ever slept, at least part of the night, in a 'real' house, in the company of 4 wazungu to boot! He will tell them about the endless rounds of lightning and thunder. He will tell them how we were all driving in the village in the trusty ancient Land Cruiser when suddenly the sand road we were on turned into a raging river. How we slid from the road and ended up mired with the vehicle on a 45 degree angle. How the water was swirling right up to the windows on his side. How we called for help (thank goodness for cell phones) and despite mighty efforts by all who came out to assist, couldn't get the vehicle out, even after the river subsided and once again the road became a road. How Corey, trying to scope out our situation in the pelting rain and darkness, illuminated only by a headlamp and lightning, managed to save a young boy who was desperate to get home, even though that meant crossing the waters that had filled the gully on his road home, and would have swept the wee fellow away. How hours later, we ended up at the LOOCIP guest house (where I lived last year) and managed to round up blankets and sheets and settle ourselves in for a reasonable rest of the night's fitful sleep. How this morning we learned of how many goats had died at the nearby bomas, either from drowning or simply from exposure to the night-long driving rain. How someone carried a dead bushbuck down from the hillside. How a tractor finally managed to pull our vehicle free from the mud. How, when we returned to camp mid-morning, Jotu's tent floor was covered in mud and water (thank goodness I'd detected a bit of leakage earlier in the evening, and had moved all the gear that usually lives under my beds to higher and drier locations).

His grandchildren will listen with wide eyes.

Hot Time...Summer in the City

2008-11-06T05:32:00.000-05:00

(wrote this Tuesday...posting on Thursday...let's just say I've missed the boat on a few internet connection possibilities...finally back on line, back in the village)

Came to Arusha this morning. I was getting a little bummed out up on the mountain, and was advised by many to get myself out and about for a few days of R&R far removed from the loneliness of my perch. Interesting trip, as usual. The Peugeot's are designed to carry a driver and seven passengers. Today's driver saw nothing wrong with putting two extra people on board, so I shared a single seat for one hour with a young Maasai fellow. Quite the sensation...one hour propped up on one buttock, one arm cradling my computer laden backpack, the other arm draped around the shoulders of this young fellow I'd never met...him pressed into my chest, nicely tucked under my arm (he fell asleep midway and I suppose we'd have been quite a picture for someone looking in...this young fellow cuddled up by sheer necessity, head bobbing, my arm protectively around him).

Stepped into my favorite Naaz hotel...modest but safe and clean...and almost wiped out on the tile floors. The soles of my flipflops were totally encrusted with the thorny burrs I collect by walking around camp. On the sand they sort of work like studded car tires, giving me a bit of extra traction on the hills. On tile though, it felt like I was wearing ice skates. So, spent an hour picking them out of my only shoes.

How to describe the joy of a hot shower, with more than enough water for a full shampoo and careful rinse and even a detailed foot scrubbing? Bliss! Then I grabbed a terrific Indian buffet lunch downstairs, met up with an old friend from last year, and found myself an ATM that was compatible with my bank card. Back in my room now, watching TV news of the US Election and munching on Malaysian knock-off Prigle-y sort of chips. The novelty of this city time will undoubtedly wear off quite quickly, but I intend to make the most of the next two days or so.

When is a Cheetah not a Cheetah??

2008-10-30T08:00:00.002-04:00

...when it turns out, after many clarifications and translations, that the goats above our camp were not in fact killed by a cheetah, but rather by a roving pack of wild dogs. They are actually an endangered species here, and the last sighting in our area was 8 years ago, so it's really quite exciting that they passed through our neighborhood.

And while we're doing riddles...how do you fix the zipper on a safari tent when you're trapped inside and feeling a little claustrophobic about trying to get out through a one foot opening??? Candle wax and elbow grease...great combination. Ah the things I'm learning!

Of Mountains

2008-10-30T07:49:00.001-04:00

Thursday...a beautiful cloudless morning with the mountains finally in full view after days of hiding, from the porch of my tent.

Kilimanjaro...the elusive beauty. Most days you can look in her direction and see no sign whatsoever that she even exists among the clouds. And on days like today when she stands so clearly visible, it is sad to see so readily how her fabled snows have continued to decline. It is difficult to realize that we have done this...with our foolhardy bickering over the reality of climate change and our endless contribution to it. I shudder to imagine what it will mean when those snows are gone...what the implications will be for this already thirsty, no, at times parched, country.

Perhaps Kili's role is to continue as the beautiful siren...the mermaid luring so many to come to Africa, hoping that they will look beyond the well-oiled tourism machinery and take the time to get to know and love a more real Tanzania far from the souvenir markets and multi-star hotels.

There is a tree that obstructs the Kili view from my porch. I must stroll around camp a little to see the summit. They have offered to remove or radically prune the offending tree and I continue to decline. I have more than adequate compensation in the fact that Mount Meru is at the very center of my porch view. It is Meru, a little less shy than her big sister, and graced with far more intriguing lines, that will be permanently etched in my dreams of Africa.

I have cooked the pups their daily pot of maize porridge and little dried stinky fish. They are contentedly curled up together for an after breakfast nap. My tent is swept, as are the kitchen and latrine. The dishes are washed and I'm as well showered as I get. Each day I seem to get through my necessary morning chores a little faster, as they become more and more routine. I am trying, by cellphone text messaging, to sort out logistics for a small building project we need to undertake at camp...to get confirmation about necessary materials, find out if there is a vehicle available to bring them to camp, when, how much...and while I know that as in most projects here it will all somehow come together, it is difficult to keep the frustration level down at this point.

Kathrijn and I were alone at camp last night and indulged ourselves with a wonderful vegetable (and vitamin) filled meal--A plateful of cucumber and tomato slices, and a side dish treat of boil-in-a-bag curried potatoes and peas that I brought from home. The wind came up strong by 8pm and Johana was late getting back to camp, so we decided to calm the little bit of anxiety we both felt, with steamy mugs of hot chocolate (something I must remember to bring more of next time as it's an expensive luxury item in Arusha) before hunkering down in our respective tents.

And now, off to the LOOCIP Centre to see what I might be able to contribute today. So far, this really has felt like the promised 'vacation' but I know that within the coming week I'll be begging for some concrete jobs to sink my teeth into this time around.

Friends and family...I miss you all and hope you're well. I hear the snow has already started to fall in Ottawa – I don't miss that!! Thank you Mike for my first phone call from home. Thanks to all of you who've taken time to write. Your emails never fail to make my day.

Head & Shoulders, Knees & Toes

2008-10-28T02:48:00.002-04:00

As I walked to the village yesterday, past our boma, one of the little fellas came out to greet me. He attends the Montessori pre-school in Oltepesi, and was very pleased to tell me, oh so clearly: "My name is Paolo". And then, he insisted that I join him in a few choruses of the English song he has learned, so.... started my morning with some rousing rounds of Head & Shoulders, Knees and Toes. Commuting at its best.

Montessori Pre-School in Oltepesi

2008-10-28T02:26:00.001-04:00

2008-10-27T04:24:00.000-04:00

Sunday evening. As a result of last minute changes of plans, I've been given another shot at spending a solo night at camp. It is 7pm as I write this and the light of my laptop screen is all there is between me and the blackness that's just arrived as quickly as it always does. Thank goodness for typing classes in high school...I can't see my keyboard! I have kerosene lanterns but it's windy and the wobbly light would probably be far more eerie than the darkness. Even Johana is gone for awhile. He didn't look too tempted by the thought of sharing my lazy dinner of ramen noodles (with a fresh tomato on the side) and has gone to his home for some REAL food. He'll be back by 8:30 as usual, and I know he'll pass by my tent to ensure I'm okay before he goes off to his puptent to read my Swahili/English phrasebook by the light of his hand-powered flashlight.

Miles away there are occasional lights that seem to descend from the sky. In reality they are the lights of cars entering this valley on the Arusha-Nairobi highway. On Friday there was a high speed collision involving a local car and a large truck, not too far from Longido. Tomorrow, sadly, I will attend my first burial ceremony here, as the young nephew of my dear friend Vickie (aka Mama Farrajah to readers from last trip) was killed. Three others were apparently seriously injured. Pole sana.

Many thanks to Matthew for loading up my computer with music pre-departure. Tonight, for the first time, it will serve as good company and be well worth the use of available battery powered time. Of course, if the boma singing starts, I'll revert to that in a heartbeat. Meantime, this is a delightful break from the ever-present cricket songs...who'd've thought I'd ever find myself sitting in a tent on an African hillside listening to the Wyrd Sisters? For that matter...who'd've thought any of this???

2008-10-26T08:08:00.002-04:00

School shoes...outside the Oltepesi village Montessori school.

Johanna with Meru, our littlest pup.

A Greener Sunday

2008-10-26T07:34:00.000-04:00

Sunday, October 26th....I know the Sunday part because I heard the singing coming from the Baptist church in the village early this morning. The 26th part? I only know that because my computer tells me so.

I woke to a new sound and then a wonderful fresh new smell. The rain has come!! How strange to feel chilly with just one blanket. How good to see the trees looking greener after just one little rain shower to dust them off a bit. And now, nearing noon, what a treat for this heat-weary mzungu...a day still cloudy and breezy and, for me, comfortable. I celebrated the rain by allowing myself a teensy bit of extra shower water and an inaugural go at shaving my legs in cold water...dodging around all the little puppy scratches that adorn them of course.

It was good to have Happyness staying with me last night. We came up to camp about 4pm and I couldn't figure out why there were so many young men in the immediate area. Johanna explained that earlier in the day it was discovered that a 'cheetah' had eaten 3 goats a little ways up the mountainside. Now, I must interject...Happy tried to explain to me that sometimes a cheetah isn't a cheetah. I didn't exactly end up understanding (when do I ever, totally??) but SOMETHING ate the goats and that certainly warranted a great deal of discussion and concern around here. We were, as always, assured of our safety down here at the camp though, so with the wind low I actually had the best sleep yet, helped along I'm sure, by the pleasure of hearing someone breathing in the bed beside mine.

This morning I learned to cook maize porridge for the dogs. They've had a few days of the extravagance of my oatmeal and powdered milk, but that's ridiculously expensive as dog food.

I feel good today. I'm looking forward to a visit soon, from my friend Abel who says he'll come to greet me after church. Then back to the internet centre which hopefully will be open as promised so I can post this and reply to some of the emails that came through last evening.

Tomorrow it may all change, but for today I think what I feel most (and what I came here most needing to relearn and truly internalize) is acceptance. A long catch-up conversation with Happyness last evening reminded me of why I generally feel less anxiety here in Longido. Here it is somehow easier to reconcile acceptance of the present, with the contagious faith and hope in fulfilled dreams tomorrow. Here, everything is possible so long as we continue to believe in that possibility. No need or even sense in trying to rationalize away the hopes and feelings that back home came with a boatload of obstacles. This is not a place conducive to falling out of even lopsided love.

Early to Bed and Early to Rise

2008-10-25T07:34:00.002-04:00

Last night I fell asleep to the singing of the children living below our mountainside perch. It was such an incredibly beautiful lullaby, and, since I tend to retire early with the 7pm sunsets here, the music went on long after I'd climbed under my net. This morning I woke to crowing roosters and the echoes of the baboons arguing further up on the mountain. Rolled over to find the rising sun was a blazing red ball...tried to take a photo but the camera wasn't able to capture what I was seeing, and I still don't know enough about how to change settings and such. You'll just have to trust me...it was absolutely way better-than-postcard perfect!

Because the others have gone to Arusha for the weekend, I've invited my 'daughter' Happyness to come for a sleepover tonight. My first 'tent guest'! So, I spent the morning reorganizing my gear and making up the second bed in preparation for her visit.

The puppies are thriving! They have already learned where 'home' begins and ends, and they come running at the sound of their names. I'd forgotten how nasty little puppy teeth and claws can be though...they've got me well scratched up in their exuberance!

Must keep this short today. I'm off to the shops area to pick up some soda for tonight. I'd forgotten how much I love Bitter Lemon. Anyone looking for a cause can start petitioning Coca Cola Ltd. to make the stuff available in Canada!

3 Generations at Yesterday's Thank You Celebration

2008-10-22T06:54:00.000-04:00

Settling In

2008-10-22T06:32:00.000-04:00

This morning we visited the boma of the family who have graciously permitted us to establish camp on their land, delivering the gifts of flour, tea, sugar and oil to the mzee (male head of the household) for distribution to his wives. My tent, (now dubbed “Meruview” because Mount Meru is the prominent feature of the incredible panorama that greets me each time I pass from my tent to my porch), is situated such that I can look down the hillside to the boma...and my evenings are full of sounds of singing children, cowbells, and bleating goats.

Johana, our watchman and general helper here at the camp, arrived this morning with two puppies and as I write this, he's busy building a dog house made of bricks for the pair – Kili and Meru.

I wish I could explain how serene and beautiful our little camp is. I will try to upload lots of photos when I'm next in Arusha, but that likely won't capture the view of stars from the window beside my bed, nor the little bush beside my porch that comes alive with the songs of a gazillion wee birds every morning.

We (currently 'we' are Corey, Katrijn (a visiting student from Belgium), and me) were laughing yesterday as we hiked to LOOCIP to begin the workday...wondering if there could possibly be a more beautiful commute to work than ours!

As always the days are going by so quickly. Sunday I was fortunate that a visiting team from Rotary in Arusha was being given a tour of many of the LOOCIP projects, so I was able to join them and get myself updated on how much has being going on since last year. The Montessori classroom in Oltepesi is now housed in a marvelous traditional Maasai structure (still under the original tree), so now the school supplies are well stored and the children can attend irrespective of the weather. There have been so many positive changes to that and many other programs since I left in June 07.

Yesterday, I was treated to a surprise thank-you party. The first five girls taking part in our Girl-Mother project came to Longido, some with their parents, all with their babies, to greet me and to speak about the value of the program in their lives. How do I tell you how deeply that touched my heart? You'll be hearing more from me about this program because the time has come to seek out some financial assistance beyond what I and a few wonderfully supportive friends can provide, to see our current successes continue to expand and reach more and more girls.

Time to pack up my computer and walk down to the LOOCIP Centre and then to the village for a bit of shopping for basic provisions at the Wednesday market.

I'm again able to receive emails on my cellphone here at the camp (great reception on the mountain!). Given an uncharacteristic bout of insomnia, it's wonderful to be able to check my mail in the middle of the night and find friendly messages from home. Thank you to those who've been contributing to that antidote to the inevitable twinges of missing home. I will be staying solo at the camp for a few days starting Thursday evening (with Johana here to keep me company). Bit of a test for myself, I suppose. There truly is nothing to fear here, but the darkness and the sound of the wind pulling at my tent flaps, and the baboons chattering away higher up the mountain, will require a bit more courage than I'm usually called upon to display in Ottawa. Wish me luck!

Karibu (welcome)

2008-10-21T07:57:00.002-04:00

Sunrise

2008-10-21T07:53:00.001-04:00

Longido at last!

2008-10-20T02:56:00.002-04:00

Forgive me if I sound distracted. There is a large noisy cow outside the window at the new internet center. It has taken an hour of juggling IP addresses, but I have unbelievably connected at a reasonable speed from the comfort of a new building on the LOOCIP compound.

Saturday, moving day, began with a bang. Well actually more of a screech. We were hit by a lorry as we made our way to our waiting transport from Arusha. The ugly metal on metal sound as small Suzuki met the side of large lorry was far worse than the ultimate superficial damage. In the end it only amounted to a frustration and a delay.

We got our gear piled into a hired Peugeot...a great one with no evident duct tape holding any necessary bits on, and a terrific driver to boot...and made our way to Longido through the familiar but dusty landscape. Arriving at the complex was a regular hugfest. My wee Arnold has grown so much and came running for hugs from Mama Jotu. So many welcoming faces.

Our tent camp is difficult to describe..hopefully I can upload photos soon. The panorama from my tent porch includes Kilimanjaro, Mt. Meru., and miles and miles of big African sky. The trees are full of birds especially in the early morning.

The only downside so far, is the night wind which begins at 9pm and goes til after midnight. My tent howls and flaps and I haven't been able to learn to sleep through the noise yet. But, the mesh window at my bedside lets me look out at a blanket of stars in the blackest night you could imagine.

I'm rushing to vacate this space for an incoming class. I will try to write again soon.

Healthy, happy, getting adjusted, all's well.

Tanzanian re-entry

2008-10-16T12:45:00.002-04:00

I had been anticipating the smells...the delicious ever-present wood smoke and florals, and wasn't at all disappointed from the moment I stepped out of the plane following an uneventful and mercifully short journey this time -- only 24 hours of travel time from door to door.

It all feels like 'home', so incredibly familiar. Last evening found me at my favorite Arusha eatery, sitting outdoors next to a busy street with my collegues Corey and Stephen, sharing platters of barbequed fish and chicken and roasted sweet plantain. A charcoal water heater nearby, with a spigot for hand washing pre and post the feast, consumed without cutlery (unless you place a special request for it, and really...who'd want to!?!) So much more enjoyable to have 30 friendly fingers tearing off chunks of delicious fish, and scrambling for the yummy bits of shredded cabbage and carrots in whatever that delightful sauce was. Cold African beer to wash it all down.

The jacarandas and bougainvilleas are in full, glorious bloom. The weather is perfect...cool enough for a duvet at night, deliciously warm in the daytime. Today was spent buying odds and ends for equipping our tent houses, and hopefully we'll be travelling to the village (how, has yet to be determined) on Saturday.

The internet seems to be slower than ever, so it remains to be seen if I'll be able to start publishing photos anytime soon.

Home...in so many ways this does feel like home, though here in the city I know that in reality I likely could never feel comfortable living behind a gated fence, separated from my neigbours this way.

Justin Hines - Wish You Well

2008-10-04T17:15:00.000-04:00

From my new favorite Canadian singer/songwriter, a song that says "Goodbye 'til I'm back" better than I possibly can.

Prelude to Longido Visit #3

2008-09-25T16:21:00.000-04:00

September 14th, 2008. One month, precisely, from today I will have fallen down the rabbit hole, stepped through the mirror and found myself inhaling the smells of an African evening. The very act of saying that brings the anxiety up in my throat. And yet, I choose...

Thirty something days until...thirty something days to fill in advance with the things I know from experience will be most missed. Consciously and sometimes not I already find myself standing too long in a hot shower. I overindulge in cheese and yogurt and all those things that require the presence of a refrigerator in one's life, knowing full well that soon cheese will come to mean an occasional treat of a triangle of strange stuff bearing the image of a laughing cow (laughing, I'm sure, at the thought that some would consider the contents to be cheese). I'm drawn to the smörgåsbord of international cuisine that's available to me here, to seeing the latest films, to going to the theater and eating Cheetos just because for a little while longer, I can.

Thirty something days to overindulge my trusty dog in the hopes she'll not decide she loves her foster 'parents' more than me and sulk when the months are gone by and it's time to come back home with me. Days to fill with preventative inoculations and dental checkups and visa applications and nights to obsess over not having a loving face to memorize up close and keep ready for the nighttime ritual.

Each day in Africa ends, for me, with a need to recount the day and either laugh or cry...often alone, I resort to telling the day's stories to a pitch black sky filled with unbelievable numbers of stars, close enough to touch. I tuck myself in, under the mosquito netting around my bed, and not having a wealth of prayers in my repertoire, calm myself with some combination of “Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep” and the Serenity Prayer. And I learned, last time, that it's enough, well almost enough, to then be able to conjure up the vision of that loving face...there to listen and share and hold tight to til it all starts again with the next sunrise. And yet, with or without a face safely stowed in my carry-on luggage, I choose...

I choose to go back. I've finally got part of the answer to the “what's in it for you?” question that everyone who works in international development needs to search for the honest answer to. Africa is teaching me remedial lessons I somehow missed in the somewhat dysfunctional course of my life. Africa is introducing me (never too late) to a gamut of honest-to-god emotions...forcing me to express them, and trust them, and honor them as real. In the extremes of any African day, it is impossible not to feel and express the spectrum that is somehow kept tucked away, or denied, or at best politely muted or timidly acknowledged here...In Africa, I am flat-out angry, joyful, terrified, hopeful, sad, proud, fearful, frustrated, lonely, grateful and fearless. In Africa I laugh from my belly and can soak a pillow in tears. I choose not to miss the opportunity to keep learning these things, late perhaps, but never too.

Today I spent twenty minutes inside a noisy MRI machine, having my brain scanned. I needed a plan to deal with the otherwise inevitable claustrophobia...I chose to shut my eyes tight and spend twenty minutes walking through my Tanzanian village, seeing the faces of the friends there, smelling the ever present smoky smells, pausing for cows to cross the sandy road, hearing the greetings and the taunts of nervous children. I smiled at the thought of the MRI technicians maybe puzzling over a spot detected in the scan...glowing warmly with the distinct colors of an African sunset.

I choose.

Tanzania Re-Bound

2008-09-03T15:22:00.000-04:00

Coming soon to this very spot...the adventure continues with travels to Tanzania and (hopefully) to northern Kenya, starting October 2008. It's been a challenging year-plus since my return to Canada, but the time has come to get my feet back onto African soil. Some of what were only notions in the earlier postings are now for-real projects...I'm looking forward to providing first-hand updates from Longido. So stay tuned and watch for new entries beginning approximately October 10th.

home

2007-07-05T08:56:00.000-04:00

So here I am, back on Canadian turf and feeling pretty dazed and confused around just about everything.

I've discovered Facebook, and have posted a lot of my photos there. If my little bit of tech-savvy is functional, I believe the following links will allow everyone access to the photo albums I've created there. If not, well, please pop me an email to complain!!

Back to Longido: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=5074&l=04a2e&id=645672497

Camping in Africa: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=5065&l=fee2b&id=645672497

Almost Home

2007-06-16T01:16:00.000-04:00

First, my excuse for the communication gap. I've had a long stint in the village during which, coincidentally, the email network I can normally access by cellphone decided to fluctuate between intermittent and non-existent! I am now in Arusha for the last time this trip and am making final preparations to leave Africa (via Kenya) on Monday.

Packing up my room has been harder than ever this time. It's amazing to realize that I've already put in a total of 6 months in Longido this year, and really strange to try and imagine not waking up in Africa next week.

So much has happened in the past few weeks. First of all, I have a new name. My Maasai friends had a great discussion about what to call me, one night at dinner (sitting around the outdoor cooking fire at Mama Farrajah's, warming our toes while we ate). I am now Noorkiramat which loosely translates to "the one who cares" (though someone last week told me it means "the one who belongs to the pastoralists" so who can be sure??) Either way, I accept it with pride, and love the responses that are evoked when I'm introduced to a new Maasai person that way.

Work-wise I ended up having to put in a lot more time than planned, setting up a simple manual accounting system for LOOCIP. And then, there were two days of facilitating a training seminar for the groups who wanted to learn about record keeping and writing up simple business plans for themselves. As usual, there are a pile of not-quite-done projects to carry home in my bags and try to finish off back at my own computer.

Plans are moving forward for the establishment of an emergency shelter/counselling centre for pregnant unmarried Maasai girls and I'm hoping we'll see at least a first phase up and running by November.

Having had all of my money stolen from my friend's house in Arusha mid-May has added a whole new element to this last month. My neighbors understand that I've had to be pretty tight with the replacement funds I've managed to get from home, and as a result have pretty much adopted me with respect to sharing meals and such, so as to not jeopardize the availability of money for various projects I've been supporting. As a result, I've been eating a much broader variety of truly local food, and been growing ever-closer to my neighbors. So much goes on in the process of preparing and sharing food as a family.

There have been some pretty wild moments too...some I'm still trying to process sufficiently to be able to describe them (keep an eye on post-return postings for more photos and some stories that haven't yet been told).

I'm trying to prepare myself for arriving to the heat of an Ottawa summer. Here, the past few weeks have brought progressively cooler temperatures, such that even in Longido I've needed a couple of blankets each night, and mornings definitely require lots of a layers and a sweater. Here in Arusha it's even cooler and part of me is wishing I had some proper socks and shoes (friends will know that's a pretty extreme statement from the woman who refuses to wear socks in Canada, except between Halloween and Easter). I may have to find a tanning salon...otherwise people will crack up if I appear in shorts or, yikes, a bathing suit. I have a tanned face and my forearms and feet are nice and toasty brown (well, by MY standards anyhow). The rest of me is never exposed to the sun here, so let's just say I'm dealing with an extreme version of a 'trucker tan'.

Must get back to packing, and then catch my ride out to the village.

Noorkiramat

Ups and Downs

2007-05-22T08:18:00.001-04:00

The past few days have been such a roller coaster ride. I've (indirectly, don't panic) been robbed of all the cash I had left for this month's projects and expenses, I've had a motorcycle ride--deliciously helmetless (low speeds, again, don't panic) through the stunningly gorgeous nearby countryside, I've pigged out on Indian food in the city, watched old movies on HBO India, been inspired to think big and try selling CNN Africa on the idea of coming up here to cover some of our projects. I've had some good laughs...then almost cried...and waffled between "I want to go home...NOW" and "I never want to leave this place", more times than I would have imagined possible. I've marvelled at a world where technology lets me run to an ATM to restore my lost funds...and then marvelled even more at the fact that I am so incredibly fortunate to have that option! I've travelled to Arusha in the saddest looking Peugeot of the fleet...cracked windshield, masking tape over the blade-less wiper arm that sprang to life at will several times through the trip, indescribable engine noises at startup, and nine of us sitting in the seven available passenger seats...some more calmed than others by the windshield stickers which declare the car to be "Protected by the Blood of Jesus". I'm sitting at my 'dining room' table, with a cool breeze blowing through the house (everyone keeps telling me how COLD it is, though I'm ever so comfortable in just my jeans and t-shirt), listening to the chorus of bird songs that is so ever-present I rarely even notice any more. Somewhere a few houses down, Arnold is having a good giggle about something, and it's tempting to stop and go out and get my afternoon hugs from the little guy.

And, since this is Africa, and time spent here in the village is the best lesson anyone ever could have in 'living in the moment', I'm now shutting off the computer and heading outside to do precisely that!!

Of compost, rodents and the deep chill

2007-05-13T13:21:00.001-04:00

Back in Longido after a very quick visit to the city (I needed to get some chocolate into me). I was teaching a class on business planning Saturday here at LOOCIP so I needed to come back to the village early in the morning. The class was fun as always. It's tough having to teach via a translator, but my co-teacher and I have pretty much got that down to a science and we've even got a few comic moments built into our spiel now. The students love it when I tell them stories about starting a business in Canada, or about how I'm really bad at negotiating prices and on arrival here was being charged about 4 times the going rate for everything from tomatoes to clothing. At the end of the class, there was the customary formal closing of the session by the class leader. I was really touched when this fellow stood up and said something loosely along the lines of "thank you teacher and please don't leave us until we have learned to do this work well".

Today's been a quiet day, but as always one with a few surprises.

This morning Mama Farrajah's kids came by to clean the house...I always feel lazy when I ask for help with the housework, but honestly I know that I couldn't possible manage to bend over and 'mop' the floors with a rag for more than a couple of minutes. So, the whole crew arrived to get the job done. Loveness wondered about using the bucket on my back stoop for a wash bucket. However, I knew I'd thrown a few bits of overripe fruit into it yesterday...the beginnings of a compost bucket (something I'm trying to encourage all the women of the compound to start doing). So, I tried explaining that to her, and was somewhat bewildered by the look I was getting...one of those 'are you nuts, lady??' looks. Anyhow, she set the bucket down and went off to find a more suitable one. A few minutes later, Michael was peering into the bucket and he too was getting my brief lesson in the values of composting. He kept staring hard into the bucket and was giving me the look as well. Round about that time, I happened to walk over and look into this controversial bucket...only to see a sadly drenched baby rat lying on top of my rotting bananas (it rained last night). I thought it was, literally, a drowned rat...but just then I saw some definite twitching going on.

Now, these kids are getting used to my sensibilities when it comes to the treatment of animals, so I guess they weren't too surprised when I asked Michael to dump out this soaked little rat onto the ground so it could go and find its mama. Poor little thing was so bedraggled, but managed to get on its feet and scoot off into the grass. So, maybe I've been here too long. I remarked to someone the other day that I had been sitting out on the stoop, watching the rats go back and forth from the grassy area to my garbage pit, and thinking how darned cute they were. They're not much like the urban rats back in Canada...the adults are only about the size of the white lab-type rats that Drew used to keep as pets and train to do tricks. And, their faces are more like hamsters or gerbils...without that ratty snout and beady eyes thing going on!

Much of the rest of my day was spent trying to keep warm. It's been raining off and on for the past few days and the temperature has really dropped suddenly...probably only about 65F today. Last night I slept comfortably under two blankets...something I couldn't imagine doing most nights. Apparently it may get even cooler over the coming weeks as we get into the African winter. And here I am, one fleece sweater to my name. Guess I'll need to hit the used clothing stores in Arusha next time I go to town. Who knew???

Back to Business!

2007-04-28T08:20:00.000-04:00

Now that one of my blog-fans has emailed to say I'm sounding too much like a tourist and had better get back to work (thanks a bunch, Quinn!!) I think it's high time I wrote about what I'm up to here at LOOCIP these days.

First of all, I've been working up operational budgets for the organization and several of our individual projects. It's amazing how much optimism there is going forward when money is so incredibly scarce.

One of the programs I'm hoping will take off is called LECHE -- Longido Early Childhood Education. A wonderful Maasai woman named Sarah has started this program in the past few months. She's a retired schoolteacher and a big supporter of the Montessori method. Her dream is to establish Montessori pre-schools in small rural villages throughout the district, giving 2 to 6 year olds a real leg-up before they head off to the Primary School system. Because the mainstream schools here are primarily of the rote-learning variety (i.e. keep quiet, sit still and write down everything you are told so you can repeat it at exam time) this possibility to introduce creative thinking to young children is really exciting. The rural Maasai children will also become exposed to concepts that may otherwise be foreign to them on arrival at the primary boarding schools such as Kiswahili (the official school language). This should improve their confidence at Primary School as well as their chance of success and interest in continuing their education.

We were given a tour of the two currently-existing school sites last week--one housed in a LOOCIP-owned building in our village, the other about 6 kms away in the sub-village of Oltepesi. The Longido classroom had us snapping pictures like crazy -- 25 or 30 little tykes, ever so cute and busy sitting on their floor mats working with Montessori activities such as puzzles and stringing brightly coloured bottle caps. The Oltepesi school is the one that really captured our hearts though...as of now, the "school" consists of an area under a large shade tree. Because there's no money yet to go forward with setting up a proper Montessori classroom, activities are limited...the children were delighted to entertain us with the songs they've been learning, and to show us how they are learning to write numbers in the sand with sticks. To watch these eager little faces, so excited about coming to school, and yet with absolutely no facilities or supplies...it's hard to see without wanting to help out. We're putting together an information package and hoping to drum up some support from Canadian donors and schools. The project needs surprisingly little...$15,000 Cdn will enable Sarah to go forward with having a building constructed on land which the community has donated in Oltepesi (including living quarters for a teacher, a latrine and a small kitchen area) and will cover the teacher salaries and operational costs for both sites for a full year. If we can help to make that happen, next step is to assist Sarah to go forward with her bigger dream -- expanding to create a network of these pre-schools throughout the District.

Photos below: First, a little charmer at the Longido Montessori Pre-School....

The Oltepesi 'classroom'...

...and one of the Oltepesi students...

Last week also saw me repeating one of my favorite activities from my last visit...giving condom demonstrations and information to a group of women who were attending a training session which Corey was running at LOOCIP. Always makes for an interesting time!!

And, with time marching on, I'm still hoping to get a new project off the ground in Longido. My hope is that we can establish a counselling centre and short-term emergency shelter for unwed pregnant Maasai girls from area schools. I continue to meet with girls who are willing to share stories about the problem as well as other members of the community -- all of whom so far are 100% supportive of the idea, and eager to see it get started. There is such a lack of support for girls who find themselves pregnant. Government policy does not permit them to continue at school, from the moment pregnancy is confirmed. It seems there are virtually no services providing counselling or advice and most importantly, no one working to help bring families on board to support their daughters through the pregnancy but also allow them to return to school later. For the most part, girls who leave school to go home and have their babies are forced into marriage and will not have another opportunity to return to school. The stories I'm hearing are heartbreaking...young girls committing suicide or having high-risk illegal abortions rather than having to return home and give up on their dreams of going forward with an education. What I hope to see, is a facility that will offer caring, non-judgemental counsel and support in a broad range of areas--medical, legal, nutritional and educational, as well as offering a safe place where the girls can stay on a short-term basis.

So yes...perhaps I AM being just a bit more of a tourist this time around...but there is some serious work going on too!

Rainy Day in Arusha

2007-04-20T02:00:00.000-04:00

Who'd have thought it could rain so long & so hard in Tanzania. I fell asleep to a huge thunderstorm last night (friends will know that's a GOOD thing in my view) and awoke to a continuing downpour. Heading back to Longido this afternoon after a relatively quick city-visit.

Sorry the postings are rather sparse. Perhaps much of this is becoming second-nature to me now, and as a result I may forget that even the everyday bits could be interesting to folks back home. I will try to find a free evening back in the village to write some updates.

Meantime, I'm happy and well, and making a good beginning at what I hope to help establish as a new community project for Longido District...I'm consulting with all sorts of folks about the possibility of opening a counselling and Emergency Shelter centre for unwed pregnant "girl mothers". The need is huge...the available services seem to be minimal. Hopefully we'll be able to go forward with this and truly make a difference in a number of lives. More info to come as (hopefully) things become more concrete.

By the way, I've just enabled email via my cell phone and am assuming it will work in the village as well as it does here! So please, keep those warm and wonderful emails from home heading to my joallgo@gmail.com account. They always brighten my day! My replies will be short -- nothing like trying to type on a phone keypad!?!?

Jotu

Not Quite the Easter Bunny!!

2007-04-09T13:17:00.000-04:00

Chalk up another new experience...waking from a pup tent in Arusha National Park (where my friend and colleague Corey & I were the only campers in the entire place) to the sight of the Easter warthog and her two young ones contentedly grazing a stone's throw from our camp. She initially inspired thoughts of bacon for breakfast, but we let that pass and settled for watching the wee ones tussle about in mock fights between munchings.

We spent 24 hours in the park, mostly puttering along nasty roads through the rainforest, up the slopes of the mountain and along the lip of a crater. Arusha Park is relatively little-visited compared to the far more famous (and expensive) National Parks in Tanzania. Supposedly it offers limited opportunity for wildlife sightings and such. However, we saw zebra, buffalo, various gazelle-like critters, colobus and blue monkeys, baboons, some great birds and brilliant butterflies. And, after spotting piles of coconut-sized elephant poo every few meters along the road to a viewing spot at about 2000 feet, we were thrilled to see a small herd of forest elephants who were happy to pose for a photo shoot. Only thing we'd hoped to catch of a glimpse of, and didn't, was a leopard. Oh well, got to save something for another day!

Jotu! Jotu! The Cow, She Eat Your Pants!!

2007-04-04T04:49:00.000-04:00

Greetings from Longido! I came back to the village on March 26th after taking a few days of R&R in Arusha, to recover from the 48 hour journey and to try to make progress in the fight against a nasty cold I'd brought along from Canada.

It's good to be back. Quite amazing how quickly I've slipped back into village life, and how incredibly wonderful it is to meet up with so many friends again. I got off to a great start with a road trip to Engaranaibor, have (for the first time) been spat on by an old man -- a blessing that wasn't extended during my first stay, and have begun to take more matters of daily living, such as cooking real meals from scratch, into my own hands.

So, this morning began with a sleepy-eyed walk to the neighbor's house to pick up 2 cups of milk, fresh from the source and still warm and frothy. Then home to pasteurize it, strain it, cool it, boil water, make coffee and (finally) a great morning latte! With my instant oatmeal plus the addition of a new find from the village market -- pears! -- I was able to put together something that passed for a reasonable breakfast.

I learned a critical laundry lesson today -- never hang your laundry on a line that's stretched over grass! After going through the joys of handwashing my clothes in my little tub, and rounding up some pegs for hanging it out, I was interrupted by cries of "Jotu! Jotu! The cow she eat your pants!!" My young neighbor appeared at my door bearing a pair of trousers which while filthy, didn't seem to have suffered too badly from the cow's little taste-test. Of course, while we were inspecting the pants and sending them back in the direction of my bathroom for rewashing, it was discovered that the cow had moved on to try a once-white T-shirt. Clearly that didn't meet her standards either and was trampled to the ground full of mucky hoof prints. The cow was hustled away by one of the nearby boys, my remaining laundry was relocated to another clothesline (this one over sand), and I chalked up another lesson learned.

Today, April 4th, I'm actually back in Arusha (hence the posting after a long delay). I'll be in town for about a week, as this is the Easter Break for many. Hope to go camping in Arusha National Park, and to have the chance to catch up with friends here in town. Will keep you posted!

Jotu

Back to Africa -- Today!!!

2007-03-20T07:21:00.000-04:00

After the crazy six week flurry that was my visit home, I'm off to Montreal today to catch an evening flight to Amsterdam. Tomorrow night I'll be boarding a plane to Nairobi and Thursday I'll be making my way on to Arusha for a few days before returning to Longido.

Apologies are due to a number of folks I simply didn't have time to connect with while I was in Canada. I really had no idea how many loose ends I'd be busy tidying up nor how quickly the time would fly by. I think that when I come home again late in June, I'd best throw one big party and ensure I get to see everyone at once!!

Thanks to everyone who's contributed to my bulging return baggage full of medications, small toys for the kids, and computer training supplies. I can assure you that every bit of that will be appreciated at its destination.

I'm not sure what sort of schedule I'll be keeping this time around, but will do my best to keep the blog updated on a weekly basis. Those of you who were corresponding with me on the super-slow @habari.co.tz address should know that I may not be reestablishing that account this time around. However, news and greetings from home are always a treat at my gmail account when I get web access.

And now, once again....let the adventure begin!!

Jotu

Back in Ottawa -- for a while

2007-02-07T16:53:00.000-05:00

Five days back and I'm still feeling a little lost and confused about being here. I've caught myself referring to Longido as "home" at least a half-dozen times, and have broken the news to friends and family that I'm hoping to get myself back to Africa before mid-March.

I'm enjoying my high-speed internet access and am happy to finally post a few more pictures for those of you who won't have the opportunity to see them first-hand.

This first one is my African dream house. It's actually a chapel, but I love the concept of the round house.

This is Arnold, taken back when he was still terrified of getting too close to me!

And this is the young man who was so delighted with seeing his photos full size on my laptop that we kept going back outside to take more shots! This was my attempt to capture him mid-jump.

On the right...the bride from the Boxing Day wedding, accompanied by one of my young housemates.

My debut as a Maasai dancer...

and more scenes from the wedding celebration.

Hours to home

2007-02-01T06:35:00.000-05:00

Forgive my silent period...the past couple of weeks have been a wild ride and I couldn't really sort out what to say nor find much time to sit and write.

Here's a high point to tell you about -- I saw my first elephant, up close and personal. I was one of four people crammed into the front of a 2-seater Land Rover pickup truck, driving 60 km over horrible dirt roads to the village of Kitumbeine. TEMBO has 2 sponsored girls at secondary school there so we were off to pay their fees for the term. En route, we spotted a lone bull elephant near the roadside. Since I was travelling with 2 fearless Maasai men (as opposed to a tour service) we got way closer than good sense probably should have dictated. Afterward, I was assured that one of the men "knew elephant psychology" and was absolutely certain we were in no danger whatsoever. I'll never know, but sure got a lecture from some wazungus here in town, when they learned how close we'd been to the beast! Believe it or not, my camera battery chose that moment to die, so I have no proof of the proximity!

Almost as exciting, on the way back, with absolutely nothing but hot dry plain between Kitumbeine and Longido, we lost part of the axle from the Land Rover. Somehow, we managed to make it home -- by that time I'd decided the more comfortable option was to stand in the back of the pickup, holding the roll bar for stability. I've got a nasty sunburn as a result, but it truly was fun to be back there looking out at the surreal landscape with the wind in my hair. Tina was with me and I got her to join me in pretending we were flying. Of course back home this would be deemed unsafe these days (though I recall lots of drives in the back of a truck as a kid), but somehow in Africa it all works out.

So here I am, back in Arusha, with only a few hours before my flight to Amsterdam this evening. With an 8 hour layover there, I've got 27 or so hours of travel time to look forward to. Oh well, with luck I'll sleep my way across Africa tonight.

So many people to say goodbye to, even here in the city where I've spent relatively little time for the past few months. I've pretty much run out of money, so souvenir shopping was really limited. Just as well though, cuz no matter where I am on the planet, shopping is one of my least favorite activities. For now, I'll just finish up here, then head off for a last cool Bitter Lemon before my airport ride arrives.

Once I'm home, I'll post a lot of my photos for those of you who've been asking to see more.

Stay tuned for news about my plans for adventure #2, coming real soon.

Jotu

Sprinting to the Finish Line

2007-01-19T14:16:00.001-05:00

It gets harder and harder to find time to write postings. With only about two weeks left before I leave Longido (probably January 31st), the list of things I really want to get done seems to be never-ending.

And just when it's time to leave...I'm getting signs of yet another step forward in my acceptance here. Little Arnold is finally happy to run to my arms for a hug. Today I saw (and contributed to the demise of) the biggest spider-like critter to have ever appeared here in our relatively bug-free guest house...yikes, I'll be tucking in the corners of my bed net tonight! My young housemates seem to have forgotten that I'm mzungu, and think nothing of offering to share a humble dinner of sorghum porridge (which I'm actually quite okay with accepting, so long as it's not an every day thing!). I continue in my role of problem-solver, but as the weeks go by the problems become far more personal and at times far more serious. There are still a lot of shared laughs...but now we've grown into occasional shared tears as well. In short, I'm feeling very much like part of this huge family.

My TEMBO colleagues called the other night from Canada, asking what I wanted stocked in my fridge on my return. At the time I was so taken aback by just the thought of having a refrigerator, that I couldn't come up with much in the way of a list of contents for it. But a few hours later I found myself food-obsessed for the first time since arriving here (other than my craving for Indian food which I've satisfied twice now in Arusha). I'd actually been able to put all thoughts of missed food out of my mind since arriving here. Amazing to remember how much I love cheese, yogurt, whole grain bread, asparagus...the list goes on and on. Actually, the list DID go on and on when I got around to sending an emailed reply to the grocery provision offer.

So yes, it'll be great to come home for a while. To see my family, my friends...celebrate a little late Christmas with them...toss a log onto my fireplace...stare at the fridge in awe...remember how it feels to be cold...thrill to high-speed internet...all such things.

The $180 Bath

2007-01-10T01:40:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I said I wouldn't do it. But you know, after 2 months and a long recent stretch out in the village I really needed a chance to recharge and my bathtub craving was becoming obsessive. So, here I am in Arusha having spent 2 nights at the rather lavish (by my current standards anyhow) Impala Hotel (chosen because of the existence of tubs). I'm now well rested, and feeling cleaner than I have since November. Add in the great Indian and Chinese food served at the hotel and hey, this was a good Christmas present to me. I'm ready to head back to the village this afternoon and work like crazy for my final 3 weeks there....refreshed and relatively clearheaded.

Almost New Year's Eve - December 30th

2007-01-01T12:04:00.002-05:00

This will be one of those meandering posts. It's been raining every day since the 27th...today the sun peeked through for the first time in days. Add a nasty cold to that (why, with all the medicines I packed, didn't I think I might need something potent for cold and sinus conditions), and yeah, I'm feeling a wee bit blue.

I guess it shows on my face. As I walked home from lunch in the village this afternoon, at least two people sympathized with me for being so tired. The real clue that my mental state may be a little on the obvious side, was when Maalai popped by to say hello, and I learned through Joseph's translation that he was asking me how I was doing with my loneliness problem. Yikes! In my best efforts at African-ness, I certainly have never told anyone that I was even a little bit lonely. On top of everything else my favorite askari is a mind-reader!

Mostly though, I'm just more than a little tired. Yesterday I taught a dozen people the basics of preparing business plans. I actually had quite a bit of notice that I was going to be leading this class...a whole week in fact...but of course Christmas and the Boxing Day adventure took priority over course planning, so I was less than well prepared to do this. Apparently though, the very fact that I'd pre-done a course outline was downright impressive, and as a result the man who was supposed to co-facilitate the session with me decided I was more than able to handle the full day solo! A quarter of the scheduled participants missed half the day because their vehicle had been stuck on the road from their village (probably the same crevass that caught us on the Maasai wedding trip, only with a few extra days of rain added to the problem!)

Teaching adults, here at LOOCIP, is a whole new experience. Essentially, anyone who has any information that might be considered useful to others, is a potential teacher...with or without benefit of any notion of how to actually teach. And, the most surprising people have the capacity to simply stand up, without any preparation, and teach a class for hours. Of course, I was determined to create an interesting day out of potentially dry material, especially once I discovered that most of my students had really limited reading or writing skills. Language, of course, was problematic, but the head trainer here at the centre did a valiant job of translating my efforts a sentence at a time, even doing his best to mimic my tone and delivery. We did have some fun...I tossed in a few little dramas, got the participants answering questions (and led wild applause each time a correct answer was given), and told as many personal stories as I was able to toss into the mix. I learned a fair bit about the ins and outs of some of their proposed microbusinesses -- buying and selling goats, making bricks, setting up a 'dry grocery' kiosk in a remote village. And the class learned a fair bit about me. I opted to teach them the principles by using a simulated business, and chose in true Canadian style, to establish an imaginary sort of Tim Hortons by the roadside here in Longido. Coffee (kahawa) and Mandazi (almost doughnuts) were our only products, and the name "Kahandazi" seemed to fit well (yes, I did check first to ensure it wasn't a swear word in Swahili). The class was a little taken aback by my enthusiasm for ensuring we set ourselves apart from other eateries by having a super-clean latrine, assuring my rather skeptical audience that this could have make-it-or-break-it consequences when it came to attracting the passing tourists. Mostly, it worked out well though I'm a little concerned that next time I come to Longido I may find a rash of coffee & doughnut shops have sprung up along the roadside. I wouldn't mind a bit if a whole lot of super-clean public latrines were to spring up along the same stretch.

Boxing Day Adventures, Maasai style!

2007-01-01T12:04:00.001-05:00

Okay, so maybe I didn't find the best Boxing Day sale ever, on who-knows-what. Maybe I didn't manage to score my usual haul of bargain priced wrapping paper for next Christmas. And maybe I didn't get to eat seemingly endless leftover turkey and dressing. BUT....I did have a pretty interesting Boxing Day nevertheless.

Still full from all the Christmas meals, I was picked up late morning by a crew of wazungus from Arusha. The family of Cheri who had been my housemate here for some time, were all visiting for the holidays (some from Canada, some from Sri Lanka), and we'd all been invited to attend a traditional Maasai wedding celebration in the small village of Engarinaibor. I have no idea how far away it is...can only tell you that it takes an hour and a half to get there by jeep, on some incredibly bad roads.

We were warmly welcomed on arrival and introduced to the bride and groom. Everyone except our party was in full traditional Maasai dress...even Steven who is the Executive Director of LOOCIP and normally wears only Western clothing, was fully decked out in his Maasai finest--sword, stick and all. The groom's face was decorated with designs drawn in red ochre, and his hair was pulled into a top knot which had a very blond extension flowing from it...looked like some sort of animal tail. Overall, the effect was really pretty scary. The bride's face was partially covered by a special headdress. She was really tiny, and looked to be about 12 years old, but I was assured she was actually 18 (from a family of uncharacteristically small folks!) The actual wedding had taken place on Christmas Day. We were there to share in the celebration portion only.

First we were taken for a walk away from the house, where the men were cooking a slaughtered cow and some rice. We were offered cooked meat and bowls of rice to share. The meat arrived in our seating area, a little way apart from the main fire site, carried on a large stick. Steven's brother proceeded to carve off chunks and serve them up for us. Women are not typically invited to share in any of this. However, it seems that it's acceptable for any woman who is not wearing typical Maasai clothing, to take part (though perhaps the presence of three mzungu females accounted for us being seated away from the main group).

Next, we walked back to the house to watch the women dancing. Turned out 'watching' was not an option. Before I knew what I was getting in for, I accepted an offer to join the group. I was then given two large neckpieces to wear...one about the size of a pizza pan, the other a bit smaller, as these are critical to the dance moves. Essentially, if you get your shoulders going just right you can make your neck ornamentation bounce just so. I was placed in the centre of the group and was doing fine to that point, bouncing like I'd been born to it. And then, the jumping began. Now, most of you probably know that the Maasai are known for their jumping ability--from a standing start, they can make great vertical leaps. Silly me, I thought only the men jumped but was about to be proven wrong as again and again I was urged to join with another woman at the centre of our group, and leap like my life depended on it! One small problem arose though. As often happens, I think this group of gals mistook me for a much younger woman, and they really weren't open to accepting that I was quickly worn out by all of this. Oh well, it was a blast and I've got the pictures to prove it!

Next, a well deserved breather, accompanied by a cup of milk-chai and then we were off to watch the arrival of group after group of morani (Maasai warriors). They came in single file processions from all directions, and began a sort of dance competition that lasted for ages. Each group in turn formed a chanting and dancing circle and then they too got into jumping mode. What a sight! I have no idea how many people were ultimately in the main pasture field, but the crowd seemed huge. After a group had danced sufficiently, they slowly moved off and let another begin.

Still panting from my own dance experience, I decided to take a breather and go inside the house to download my photos of the day. I had a chance to show them (once again thankful for the longlife battery on my laptop) to a group of moranis who had gathered in the house. As always, everyone was thrilled to see the pictures on the 'big screen'.

Night was falling (the sun always sets just before 7 here, year round) so the wazungus were asked to join the men of the family at a bonfire a short way from the house. On arrival, after almost stepping in a warm goat carcass in my flipflops, we were seated on benches around the fire, elbow to elbow with the group of men. Goat meat was cooking on sticks over the open fire, and everyone wanted to tell and hear stories from the others. Unfortunately, we rarely had a translator available, so clearly something was lost there, but the spirit of it all was tremendous. I got some extra points by being the only mzungu who accepted the first meat offered--fresh roasted goat liver. Stephen had assured me that this was one of his own herd, and that his goats are faithfully dewormed every 3 months. I happen to be a fan of liver when it's properly cooked, and in recent years have stopped eating it mostly out of fears about the various hormones and such that we're told are given to our cattle back home. With this one being 100% organic, I was happy to partake. It was delicious, though I couldn't get the thought of an accompanying pan of fried onions out of my head!

After the rest of the meat was cooked and shared, it was time for us to pile back into the vehicle and make our way to a guesthouse in the nearby village. We were doing great until our vehicle slipped into a crevass in the muddy road, and left us hung up to the axle on one side. After a fair bit of fruitless pushing, our driver and Joseph (the only one of us who could speak the language) decided to leave the rest of us behind and try to get to the village on foot, find a rescue vehicle, and return to tow us free. So, that left 6 of us, with only one small flashlight, standing around by our vehicle under a sky threatening rain, with at least a 3 hour wait ahead of us. However, one of our members was Felix, ( the Ghanain who was also one of my earlier housemates) and he's not one to stand around not working on a problem. Felix managed to find the jack, rig things up, and get us in a position such that one quick push freed the vehicle. We piled in and drove to catch up with the others at the village. By the time we got there, the guesthouse had given up on our ever showing up, and had given away our rooms. So, not long before midnight we decided to pile back in the vehicle and make our way home. There had been some rain during the day and at times the roads were unbelievably slippery. Luckily our driver has had many years of experience driving in Africa, and got us through everything the road tried to throw at us. Round about 1:30 am, we got back to Longido, and I opened the guesthouse doors to the whole crew. We were all totally exhausted, and 'home' has never looked so good.

Guess the holiday sales will have to wait 'til next year.

Jotu

And so, this is Christmas

2006-12-29T17:25:00.002-05:00

Christmas was ushered in during the wee hours by the first real thunderstorm I've experienced since coming to the village, and I awoke at 6am to the sound of an unrelenting steady rain. While I'd planned to go to mass at 7:00, a couple of cups of coffee and a warm bath later, I decided it would be foolhardy to go and get myself soaked given the state of my cold. I settled for some quiet meditation, alone with God on the back stoop, and hoped I wouldn't subsequently be declared to be a pagan by the community.

By 9am the rain had slowed to a drizzle so I popped over to Mara's little house in the compound to deliver his Christmas present. What a sight! While he had been away with us on the retreat in Arusha (a grand total of 4 days away), there had been a major termite invasion in his house. The place is now covered in many unbelievably large piles of termite-leavings (I have no idea how these critters work so fast...the mind boggles. I started to think about why my guesthouse isn't subject to similar infestations then thought better of pondering that too far. Here I am, Ms. Environmental Sensitivity and I'm probably living in a house that is drenched in some sort of nasty insecticide to keep the pests at bay...yikes! That would certainly account for some portion of my feeling not-quite-right healthwise.)

Then, I had a run of visitors. Mama Farajah came to the door as she was arriving for a late start at work. She gave me a wonderful Christmas card, complete with pop-up Nativity scene. We shared hugs and best wishes as she headed to the hostel to start a normal workday.

Next came Maali. I had given him a card and a 5,000 shilling note yesterday, with thanks for keeping me so safe and sound here. So, he popped in at the end of his night shift to wish me a Merry Christmas, offer many hugs and to thank me for the gazillionth time for my friendship and kindness. I think it's now official, although it was probably always true. My Maasai askari friend would probably step boldly between me and a lion if required, armed with nothing more than his stick and short spear.

And then, a phone call at 9:40 from Justinian, the acting Director of LOOCIP, hoping I was okay since I'd missed the 7:00am Mass which had just ended (hey, only 2.5 hours long). I assured him I was okay, hoping all the while that I wouldn't be judged too harshly for my no-show, and wished his family well.

Around 11am Joseph came by, having fought his battle with the termites, to give me a Christmas card and to share my coffee with 2 of his friends. Cremora (the Coffeemate available here) is quite the hit with everyone. Personally I prefer the boiled cow's milk I'm served in other people's homes but my consumption is too small to warrant buying a milk supply from the pastor next door, without access to refrigerated storage. One of Joseph's friends is a traditional Maasai moran (young warrior) and he was fascinated with seeing photos of Joseph on my laptop. I'm not sure if he had ever seen a photograph of himself or any of his friends. Thus began a photo session which gave us all a lot of laughs.

At noon, my first host of the day showed up to let us know it was time to come for Christmas lunch. We had a terrific meal, with roasted meat and potatoes and lots of other goodies. They had another pair of visitors there from the US and the husband, being originally from Montreal, was quite familiar with Ottawa and keen to share stories. Joseph & I slipped away shortly after 2pm and stopped to wish Nai a Merry Christmas at her home. Of course the first request was that I sit and join them for a meal, but I had to beg off from that one, with a promise to share food with her at New Years. We came back to the guest house, where I hoped to get in a few hours of digestion prior to our evening invitation to dinner. However, shortly after arriving, I was asked if I would come and meet with a group of seven young men who were visiting here, on a very short break from their school. Of course I agreed to go and chat with them, and on arrival discovered there was a meal laid out. Never one to offend, I put tiny bits of chicken wings and rice on my plate, loosened the waistband on my skirt a notch, and got into a great conversation with this group of fine young fellows about their aspirations on completion of their A level exams this February.

And here I'll digress a bit about how money is shared here in Africa. Remember that $10 I gave to Mama Farajah yesterday to help with Christmas expenses? Well, I can almost certainly imagine that much of that money went to providing today's square meal, and a tiny bit of celebration to be shared with her son Ivan's classmates, none of whom could get home for Christmas. This is the African way. Whatever you have, you share.

At 7:30pm, we headed out for our final Christmas celebratory meal of the day. What a surprise to arrive at this home, and find a small artificial Christmas tree, and strings of twinkling lights. Again, far too much food was offered (and consumed, since this Mama wasn't interested in taking no for an answer) and then we watched a Story of Jesus movie in badly-dubbed Kiswahili. The company was wonderful, and made for a terrific finale to the day. And then, home to bed, as Boxing Day promises an amazing adventure. I'm off to participate in a Maasai wedding celebration in the village of Engarenaibor...a potentially nasty road trip, but I'm sure a huge adventure is in store. Stay tuned.

Merry Christmas

Jotu.

and to all a good night...

2006-12-29T17:25:00.001-05:00

Christmas Eve in Africa. It's 7:25pm and the generator, which normally growls into 'on' mode at 7pm has finally come on. I was hoping it hadn't been given the night off!

I've hung my Christmas garland brought along from Canada. I've got my new African Christmas dress sort of pressed for church in the morning. No iron, so I just dampened and pushed and poked everything into submission before drying. I used up a gazillion cell phone credits and called a lot of near & dear folks back home, to send holiday wishes from afar. What a wonderful time that was!! I've wrapped the one real present I'll deliver tomorrow to the family who invited me to share the evening meal, and written my little Christmas cards to others. I should probably have bought a goat for my host instead, but that's hard to pull off on Christmas Eve, and I'm not really into goat rustling at this hour. There's a lot of singing in the air tonight...possibly choirs practising for morning, perhaps just families breaking into song. Everyone is happy that it's Christmas, but there isn't a bit of commercialism attached here in the village. How refreshing!

Everyone I meet in the village (and myself included) is fighting a nasty cold. I'm told it was brought on by the change in the weather, only I'm not too sure what that change was. Hmmmm...not so windy these nights...for a while there a big wind picked up every night at 9ish and played its tricks with my tin roof. Yesterday we had a short heavy rain. Other than that, everything feels about the same to me (hot, basically), so I'm not at all sure what I'm supposed to blame the cold on. I only know I'll be eternally grateful to my TEMBO friends who left a good stock of facial tissues with me when they returned to Canada in November.

I think I'll tell you about my friend Mama Farajah tonight. She's Vickie, but as Farajah's mom, she usually gets the other title, just as to her I'm Mama Matthew (first born child). Vickie is now the hostel attendant here at the compound. Remember descriptions of the hostel? My first home here in Longido? (if not, perhaps I only THINK I wrote about it ages ago...can't get online to check). Anyhow, Vickie works 7 days a week, usually 12 hours or more, cleaning, laundering, airing mattresses in the sun, killing termites and generally trying to do the impossible...make the rundown hostel look attractive enough to guests that they'll consider paying the 2,000 shillings (about $2) price for an overnight stay. For this, she earns about $90 per month, and I'm not sure where even that salary is going to come from next month, when World Vision's transitional funding for this place runs out. She's a divorced single mother with 6 children, ranging from the adult Farajah, to Esau who is mentally ill, another son Ivan off at secondary school somewhere outside of the village, eldest daughter Loveness who is one of our TEMBO sponsored girls entering her final year of secondary school, son Michael who's just found out he passed the exam for secondary school and aspires to be a professional soccer player (and how I hope he got a sponsorship somewhere to attend secondary), and youngest daughter Larrie (about 10), who hangs out a lot at my house, playing with my modelling clay and various other toys and often, out of nowhere, pitching in with my housework by doing dishes or such without being asked. There's also baby Arnold (Farrajah's son) who still breaks into tears if I try to touch him, but otherwise has progressed to smiles and giggles when I'm around. It was Mama Farajah who taught me how to get my kerosene stove under control, and who so kindly took on the moonlighting job of cleaning my house when I first moved in to the guesthouse. On my return from Arusha yesterday, she was quick to run out and greet me with a yell, a smile and a huge welcoming hug, as she normally does every day when we first meet.

I think Mama Farajah has to work tomorrow, and I can't for the life of me understand why no one stops to think how much she deserves the day off with her family. I took her a Christmas card today, and a small gift of 10,000 shillings ($10) suggesting she might be able to use it to buy some nice treats for Christmas dinner for the kids. Well, like I've told you before, you don't often see a lot of strong emotional response from folks here, but she was moved to tears, I was pronounced to be a gift from God, and made a permanent member of the family. It takes so little to bring so much joy and gratitude here.

I wish you all the best possible gifts of Christmas. I know that my day tomorrow will be full of heartwarming moments shared with the wonderful people of Longido.

Merry Christmas, friends.

Jotu

City Girl II

2006-12-20T08:14:00.000-05:00

End of my second full day in town. It's raining again, which is really quite a refreshing change from Longido weather of the past few weeks. Everyone seems to be talking about climate change here. It's very real to people that something's just not right. Droughts, heat waves then excessive rain, all of which cause incredible difficulty here – to livestock, crops, roads, you name it. Sad to realize that a country which is adding so little to the problems of global climate change may bear the brunt of those changes without sufficient financial resources to really cope with them.

Today I overate (ending with the cold bottle of beer I just finished minutes ago, before scurrying home in the downpour), spent an inordinate amount of time on the internet, enjoyed a visit to the Arusha home of Tina, our field coordinator in Longido, bought excessive amounts of Christmas chocolate at the ShopRite mzungu supermarket (plus replenishment of my stock of tuna fish and ramen noodles of course), enjoyed a long phone conversation with the women of Project TEMBO in Ottawa, spent lots of time talking to the street vendors, and generally had a good time. I think this stint of town-time was just what I needed. Thank you to everyone who is taking the time to send emails. I treasure them all.

And now, to sleep. Hopefully the rain means that the street noise will be minimal tonight and I may actually get a solid night of snoozing.

City Girl

2006-12-19T01:57:00.000-05:00

It's December 19^th (I think!) and I'm back in Arusha for a few days.

I decided to do the sensible thing, and started my urban stint yesterday with a visit to the doctor at a good clinic. Still fighting a low-grade fever most days, and that makes it really hard to get out and cope with the midday heat of a typical sunny day. Not fun having my functional hours reduced to 2 or 3 in the morning, and 2 or 3 after dusk. Anyhow, happy to report that they tested my blood and I show no signs of malaria or the standard host of other usual suspects. Really glad to hear it's not malaria as that was what various village folk suspected, and quite happy to accept the good doctor's prognosis that it's probably a touch of the flu.

So here I am waiting out an afternoon rain in my room at the Lutheran Hostel, grateful for a rare, cool period. Humble digs...but for approximately $8 Cdn per night, it's more than adequate. Showers with hot water (most of the time), flush-toilets (of the sit-upon variety), electricity (again, most of the time) and a front door guard – what more could this mzungu ask for? Well, how's about a bathtub? I've got a craving for a bathtub, which is kind of silly since I've always been more of a shower person at home. Guess it's something to do with wanting what you know you can't have. I'd probably need to book into one of the really upscale hotels here to fulfill that wish, and it simply wouldn't be worth it. Somehow when you position a $100+ per night hotel room against new friends who have virtually zero income, it just isn't reconcilable.

So instead, I'm going to give myself a few days of small indulgences--lots of nutritionally balanced meals, no morning alarm clock, maybe a new novel or two from the bookstore. I enjoyed an amazing meal of Indian food last night, shared with good friends and a little wine. Perfect!

I was surprised (when will I learn to expect the unexpected?) to see the city restaurants and hotel lobbies filled with artificial Christmas trees, and hanging Santa decorations. As I collected my emails this morning at the internet cafe, I was suitably serenaded by the background strains of “I'll have a blue Christmas without you”. Somebody really likes that song...I think I heard it 3 times in the hour I was there! There is thankfully no sign of such Christmas commercialism in Longido. Everyone is very excited about the holiday coming. Lots of talk of buying new clothes and shoes for the event. I think the day itself is pretty well focused on church followed by a family gathering with lots of good food. I keep trying to get a clear handle on the concept of gift-giving so I don't find myself short of suitable things to give. However, as in most things, I don't seem to be able to get a clear answer. I think it's really quite arbitrary, but I expect that anyone I do buy a gift for will be more than happy to receive one.

I'm not sure how I'm going to approach the Christmas church attendance issue. Last Sunday I was invited by one friend to her daughter's confirmation ceremony at the Lutheran Church, and was also invited to another friend's son's baptism. Fortunately both were at the same church and the same service. Now I say fortunately, because otherwise I would have had to make a difficult choice and insult one or the other. The flip side is that by the time we got through both of those ceremonies, as well as communion for the confirmation candidates and the church elders, and not one but 3 different rounds of passing the collection plate, four hours had passed. The music was wonderful...a huge choir from the Secondary School, as well as a smaller women's choir. Singing along with Swahili hymns is do-able. The tunes are quite universal and since kiswahili is a phonetic language, even I could join in, at least while the unknown lady beside me was willing to share her hymn book. Perhaps I wasn't doing so well after all – halfway through the service she chose to start sharing the book with the man on the other side of her instead. The goats were a good diversion too. Someone donated them at collection time, to be auctioned off after the service for funds toward the church's new building fund. Similarly, someone donated a bag of eggs and a gallon jug of fresh milk for auction. But, the long sermon in Swahili was definitely a tough stretch for me, perched on a rough wooden bench. All this to say that whichever church I choose to attend on Christmas, I really must try to get an honest assessment of the probable duration of the service in advance, so I can at least arm myself properly with cool clothing and bottled water if necessary.

Little Pleasures - Dec. 15th

2006-12-18T09:46:00.000-05:00

Small things mean a lot when life is reduced to the simplicity of just getting by each day. Last night I had a dinner date with a British woman who is doing volunteer language training here, with a group called Mondo Challenge. She brought along another volunteer from the US, newer to the village, as well as their supervisor from Arusha. Joseph joined us (to ensure there would be someone to walk me home in the dark after dinner) and so it turned into quite the little party. And, surprise, there was fried chicken on the menu (lately, chicken seems to appear no more frequently than once every 2 weeks, unless I special order it a few days ahead). In addition, for the first time I've ever experienced, they were frying up some tilapia fish from Lake Victoria. What a feast! Especially with a big heap of chipsi (fries) on the side.

Today little Arnold, who's probably almost two years old and one of the children who's been absolutely terrified by the very sight of me (happens about 20% of the time I'd guess) was finally won over by patience and toffee. He's now willing to look in my general direction, if not to look me in the eye, wave bye-bye and say Bye Jotu. One down...

And, today I decided to get tough with the stove. I sent Maali the askari off to buy me some kerosene and new wicking, as the latter seemed to be the source of a lot of concern when anyone would look at the stove. Armed with my multi-tool and the helpful advice of Mama Farrajah, the beast was dismantled, reassembled, refuelled, and is now behaving reasonably well. I was in a stay-at-home mood this evening so I skipped out on the usual trek to the village and ended up cooking ramen noodles with a can of tuna fish dumped in. Not gourmet fare, but my pantry (aka plastic bag) of supermarket food from the city is not very well stocked. Besides, just the fact that I was eating something different from the usual fare made it taste pretty darned good.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow. First thing in the morning Mary, our TEMBO librarian, is hosting a very special ceremony for her daughter Happyness. She has worked very hard to put together an Alternative Rite of Passage ceremony, as her daughter is now at the age when, (despite the process being officially illegal in Tanzania) her daughter would normally be circumcised as she enters womanhood. Mary travels throughout the region giving seminars about the problems of FGM (Female Genital Mutilation), trying to spread the word throughout the Maasai community about the inherent dangers in this process, and discussing alternatives. As has been done in other communities (though tomorrow will be a first for Longido), groups are working hard to promote these alternative ceremonies -- much of the tradition is retained...the girls are still taken aside and taught what they need to know by their mothers and female relatives, there is a large celebration, gifts are given...all the good bits remain, but the actual act of circumcision does not take place. I've been called upon to make my first official speech, and am hoping to win the crowd over with my introductory 5 lines of weak Kiswahili. Unfortunately, this all starts at 7am, mostly because that's the only hour the District Commissioner could fit into his schedule, and it's important that he attend to demostrate his support for this new ceremony to all in attendance. Yikes, this means I'll need to be up before 6am if I want enough time to heat some bathwater and toss back a little coffee. I've had to temporarily return my large-sized thermos jug to its owner for a few days so I can't make the necessary preparations tonight.

And so, I'd best put this posting to bed.

Continuing...next day. I just strolled down to the village in the sweltering mid-afternoon heat, hoping to check my email and submit this blog post. Unfortunately only 2 people have the key to the office which holds my precious dial-up connection. One is in Nairobi today, the other, nowhere to be found (which is rather hard to pull off in a village this size). Oh well, tomorrow may prove more fruitful, and meantime I'll just carry on.

The ceremony was really something to see. But first, let me digress (and the delay in getting around to describing the event will be fitting...you'll see) and tell you a little bit about "African time". An old aboriginal friend of mine back in Canada, used to excuse his frustrating perpetual lateness by sayng that he ran on "In'jun time". Well, let me tell you...he had nothing on this community. First of all, when someone tells you an hour to meet, you need to double check whether that's Tanzanian time or English time. The two clocks are different. Here, the morning begins at 6am with the sun, so for example the invitation I received for this morning's ceremony said 1:00 asubuhi (morning). That in itself could lead to sufficient confusion, BUT, it gets way more difficult when you toss in the idea that almost nobody here is even remotely time-conscious. I probably drive the locals crazy. They ask me to arrive at their home at some fixed hour and golly, I appear at that time, usually to find them in some state of semi-undress, only beginning to prepare for my arrival. (Some of you know, I've never been very savvy about the concept of arriving fashionably late).

So...this morning I ran around by candlelight heating bathwater, making coffee, packing up things for the ceremony, trying to find Joseph because I'd been entrusted with all of the office keys last night and he hadn't come by to pick them up yet, and promptly at 6:50 as discussed, I was on Tina's doorstep ready to walk together to the 7:00am event. To her credit (the poor woman is getting used to my crazy punctuality) she was only minutes away from being ready to go. We managed to arrive at Mary's home shortly after the appointed time and found everyone in the process of setting up the yard for seating, making streamers, firing up pots for food, beginning to dress the girls for the ceremony and such. We were ushered indoors to chat with everyone and wait. The previously mentioned District Commissioner, who had called for this early start time to begin with, showed up at about 8:30, and things started to swing into action.

The women gathered inside the house and laid out a stiff cowhide that is traditionally used to perform the circumcision on. Happyness was put through a simulation of how she would normally be held by the women during the actual act (no knives, I promise, and I do have pictures of a beautiful smiling young girl quite unperturbed by all of this), then, wrapped in a kanga (like a sarong, worn by all women here as an overskirt or apron when they're doing cooking, cleaning etc.) to symbolize her new womanhood, and taken outside to greet the crowd. I was then sent to join the head table and after a few introductory remarks, it appeared that speeches were to begin. Alas, the DC decided that since it was so early in the morning, there hadn't yet been time for a sufficiently large group to gather, in order to justify him making a speech. He declared that we would take a break and reconvene an hour later, at 10:00am. So, Tina and I headed back through the fields to her home for chai and an opportunity to sort out childcare for the rest of the morning. Back at 10:00 and hey, no surprise here, the DC had sent someone to assess the crowd and it still wasn't up to par so he delayed again. I think it was close to 11:00 when he finally appeared and things started up again. A groups of young girls, probably a few years ahead of their circumcision dates sang songs and did a little drama about how they didn't want to be put through the traditional ritual. And then, the speeches...I can only tell you that some folks here really have the gift of the gab, as my mom used to say.

Shortly after noon, I stood to give my quickie congratulatory speech and then had to beg off and leave. By this time I'd been frying in direct sunlight way too long and was near collapse. A quick goodbye to our hosts, a moment to give Happyness a little gift, and we were off. Of course everyone was concerned that I was going to miss the food, but I'd honestly reached the end of my heat-tolerance. The highlight of the morning for me, came when one of the elder women who has obviously been performing FGM for many years stood and said she would never do so again. Hopefully, today marked a real point of change which will spread rapidly through the community. Just so you know, it is now 6 pm and I can still here the boombox pounding from the general direction of Mary's house. I expect that all afternoon there have been new arrivals and that this party will last long into the evening as friends and relatives from throughout the area come and go.

Half-time check - Dec. 16th

2006-12-18T09:45:00.000-05:00

I've just realized that I'm six weeks into my 3 month stay. Half-over already! It's really hard to believe this much time has passed, and it seems impossible to imagine that it will soon be time to think about packing up and coming home again.

What have I learned so far? Well, I can now almost consistently pee directly into the 4" x 6" hole of the average concrete latrine. Just think, I might have gone through life without mastery of that feat!

I've learned that I have lived an incredibly privileged life, full of so many things that are delightful but unthinkably extravagant relative to what's really needed to get by.

I've learned about many things that we seem to have lost track of in North America...what it REALLY means to selflessly help your neighbours, how to live in the moment and do what needs to be done right now (even if that means messing up somebody else's schedule!), what honest gratitude looks like.

I've learned that probably the only thing that could really make me crazy out here would be to not have the possibility of communicating with my friends and family at least every few weeks.

I've learned that when you're walking down the village road and somebody comes up behind and pulls the backpack off your back, you are NOT being mugged. Rather, someone has decided that you look like you could use a lightening of your load and will lug the pack the rest of the way home, more often than not grabbing a hand to hold at the same time.

I've learned that when you practise it long enough you can learn to walk confidently in the dark, just using your eyes as best you can and trusting that your feet really know what they're doing on a familiar stretch of road.

I've come to accept the Thermos as one of the great inventions of our time.

I've learned that unquestionably I am able to live alone, quite fearlessly, without pining for companionship. I've also learned that it would be amazing to have somebody in my life who could share this sort of journey, as I know it will be far from my last.

I wonder what the next six weeks will teach me.

2006-12-18T05:38:00.000-05:00

What can I say? The kids are adorable and they keep running up when I've got my camera, yelling, "Picha! Picha!". Who could resist?

This is a well-equipped Longido kitchen. You would NOT believe the feast that came out of this one!

Photos

2006-12-18T05:08:00.000-05:00

Back in Arusha today, so I will again try to upload some photos for you!

This little sweetie, standing against the wall of her family hut, is just one of hundreds of gorgeous wee ones, who steal my heart on a daily basis.

This is one of the bomas in Kimokouwa. These particular huts are quite large compared to some I've had the honour of being invited to enter.

Yikes..these are taking over 5 minutes each to post, so I'd best hit the publish button every few pictures so this isn't time wasted.

A Bird in the House

2006-12-13T12:03:00.000-05:00

Okay, so picture this...I'm in the bathroom of the guesthouse when I suddenly hear this whacky banging around in the living room. Out I go to check this out (I might add proudly, downright fearlessly...though of course it's broad daylight and there are other people around outside). Here's this midsized black bird flapping around the living room/dining room area. Somehow, he's not getting the picture that with all the sunlight streaming through the open front door, just maybe that would be a swell spot to try an escape. No such luck. He'd rather just flap around from window to window.

So, after about 10 minutes of attempting to encourage him in the right direction with my broom, I'm stumped. Obviously, assistance is in order.

Have I told you about the askaris? These are the young Maasai men who guard our front gate in the evenings, make sure the generator is turned on and off, and do who knows what else. Our askaris, named Paulo and Maari, are both terrific young men, though since neither speaks English I've only had rare opportunities to converse with them beyond basic greetings. They wear traditional Maasai gear...hard to describe, but essentially multiple layers of sarong-like cloth, tied at one shoulder, and covering them pretty much from chest to knees. The resultant tunic is belted and there's a sword-like weapon hanging from the belt. Beyond that, there's an ever-present stick in one hand. On the 'cold' nights, I usually spot the askari huddled in the little guard's house at the gate, wrapped in yet another piece of fabric called a shuka. Sometimes you can barely see even a glimpse of a face under there...especially with Maali who seems terribly sensitive to the cool evening air.

Anyhow, back to the bird story...a peek outside to see who could help, reveals Maali strolling near my house. I manage to invite him over, thanks to basic handsignals (and, I suspect, the universally understood look of a woman sorely in need of assistance). Amazingly enough, my Swahili course has actually prepared me for this precise situation...for whatever reason, one of my 10 available phrases in short-term memory is "the bird is flying"...ndege anaruka. Accompanied with a bit of pointing, I'm actually able to get my point across (for a change!). So, in comes Maali...I arm him with the broom, and the chase is on. He isn't having much more luck than I'd had, but the entertainment value is great and has us both laughing like crazy. Wish I could do justice to the picture of this tunic clad, well armed man, jumping around my house with a broom. Last time I had so many laughs was when I was called upon for a bat-trapping caper in Ottawa a few months ago.

Ultimately, we steered the unwelcome visitor out the front door, and life returned to normal.

And that, my friends, was the high point of my day (so far...it's only 5pm and you just never know what lies in store!)

jotu

Life Cycles

2006-12-12T23:53:00.000-05:00

Just pondering how some things have come around again in my life, so many years and so many miles later...

I grew up in Point Alexander, a mile from the highway, at the end of a dirt road. As such, the sound of a car in the driveway always sent me racing to a window to find out who'd come to visit, or what stranger had managed to get lost. When I moved away to Guelph at 16, I remember how it took me a few days to get used to the fact that I had to ignore the sound of nearby vehicles. Now, I've come full circle. There are very few vehicles in Longido and I definitely live at the end of the road (a nearly impassable road on occasion, especially when there's heavy rain). So when vehicle noise is heard, it's impossible not to look out to see who has arrived, or to determine if I need to go out to open the driveway gate for a visitor.

When I was a pre-teenager I took ballet lessons in town. Since we lived several miles away, my dad would come to pick me up after my classes. We had our routine...each night after class we'd stop at the drug store to pick up two bottles of Gini to drink on the way home. Gini (which I'm quite sure has been off the market for many years in Canada now) was this wonderful bitter lemon soft drink. I remember it coming in smaller-than-normal green pop bottles, with the outside painted to look rather like a raffia-wrapped European wine bottle. I never lost the taste for Gini, though perhaps as much because it was such a reminder of special times with my dad, as for the taste. And now, yikes, I find myself with daily access to a Coca-Cola product called Krest Bitter Lemon which is, in fact, my Gini once again. Lightly carbonated, one of the few 'sodas' that manages to taste refreshing in the absence of refrigeration, and not so syrupy sweet as all the others here. And, free memories with every bottle, to boot! Here's to you, Daddy! Wish you could see your 'kiddo' now!

I expect that my growing up in an isolated rural setting has a lot to do with the peace I find in living here now. As a child, with very few nearby playmates, I learned to spend hours reading, poking around outside learning about bugs and various little critters ranging from tree toads to chipmunks, and finding ways to amuse myself when, technically, there was 'nothing' to do. I remember in the winter, falling asleep with eerie night noises...used to be that packs of wolves would come across the frozen Ottawa River and end up quite close to our house. Never suspected that would be preparation for lying alone in the pitch black of an African evening, listening to all the unidentifiable night sounds.

I'll spare you all the details about a few years of my childhood spent living with a two-seater outhouse, far too often home to big, but harmless (or so I was promised), wood spiders...

Funny how life just keeps going around, huh?

Contemplative, but content....

Jotu

on the mend

2006-12-10T14:29:00.000-05:00

Saturday, December 9th.

My mystery illness seems to be letting up. I decided to take a chance on trying to tolerate a proper breakfast this morning...so far, so good! Joseph walked with me to the restaurant as I don't yet have the strength to carry my backpack, loaded with the laptop for the daily email connection attempt. We stopped on the way to visit with Nai, a wonderful woman who is a community leader of sorts (best known here as an opinion leader). She is becoming a real 'dada' (sister) to me as time goes along. Her mother hustled me off to show me an ornately beaded skirt of the variety I've promised to purchase before I leave in February. Not sure if Canada will be ready for this outfit, but if I choose not to wear it, it will make an incredible wall hanging just the same! Everyone is talking about the new Maasai beaded cell phone holder (a gorgeous mini pouch to string around my neck) which I custom ordered from one of the TEMBO beadmakers. Perhaps I'll start a new trend, especially since EVERYONE here has a cell phone.

Even the relatively mild morning sun was hard to take on the walk home, so I think I'm probably still battling some fever. Now I KNOW I packed a thermometer, but haven't yet been able to find it in my bags of 'stuff'. I'll need to take some time to try to reorganize, and hopefully it will appear. One of the things on my to-do list is to go to the local woodworking shop (hope I can find it again...what I'd give for signage!!) and ask about having a shelf built for my bedroom. Shelves, cabinets and such are a rarity here, so I've got all these duffle bags, grocery bags and boxes, piled around my room.

The kitchen is a classic...empty room except for a stainless steel sink/drainboard which was put in especially for visitors. Cooking (on the small kerosene burner I mentioned before) is typically done on the floor. Things are stored in litttle piles on the floor...dishes, cookware, foodstuffs. I don't know how the local women survive the stress on their backs from constantly working in a bent over position. Nor do I understand how they manage to create such incredible meals with minimal facilities. They put my culinary skills to shame, each time I'm invited to share a meal with a local family.

So, at risk of appearing terribly extravagant, perhaps I'll ask about purchasing a shelf for the bedroom AND a cabinet of sorts for the kitchen.

Several hours later...the thermometer has been found...of course it was tucked into a corner of the last bag I rummaged through, so that exercise cost me most of my remaining energy! Oh well, managed to organize a few things in the process. Fever is minor...certainly not high enough to warrant a visit to the local clinic, which is a woefully underfunded facility doing its best to assist the local people with virtually no medications or equipment. I could be hyper-cautious I suppose and make the trek to the hospital in Arusha, but nature seems to be taking its own course, and I suspect this was a minor case of food contamination.

So, here I was, hanging around the house and spending time with my Rosetta Stone cd-rom based course in Kiswahili, grateful for the 8 hour laptop battery that I purchased for this trip. I can know inform you that I'm now able to say: The birds are flying; the boys are on bicycles; the children are running and jumping, plus assorted phrases about cars, colours and (a high point!) I know my numbers to 10. My vocabulary is sadly lacking still, but everyone is so supportive of my efforts to learn, however limited the results so far. If I manage to come out with a couple of appropriate words at the right time, everyone around me comments on Jotu's new facility with the language.

In the midst of the aforementioned running and jumping children, I was summoned (with zero prior notice, of course!) to come to the conference hall and introduce myself to a group of people from the region, who are taking part in a monthly Community Development class here. So, in a flash I ditched the flimsy sleeveless top, zipped the legs back onto my trousers, and sprang (well, not quite) into action. Fortunately I've got almost no hair now, other than a fringe of bangs (mwanamke ana nyeule fupi sani, another appropriate phrase I've learned -- The woman has very short hair) so primping was not required. On the way to the hall, where I thought I would be expected to discuss Project TEMBO, I was informed that the group had been promised a water-expert from Canada. Things get so blown out of proportion at times. I've made it VERY clear that I've had limited training in Bio Sand Water Filtration, and that my interest in rainwater harvesting is even less supported by any sort of 'expert' qualification. Nonetheless, I continue to be introduced in this fashion and have to be very clear when I stand to speak, that I'm not about to introduce any major water projects in the next few weeks!

Life is never less than very interesting. Each day continues to hold a surprise.

New Challenges

2006-12-10T14:27:00.000-05:00

I suppose if there's really a character test in all of this for me, this week might be it. I returned to Longido village on Tuesday afternoon, via 'shuttlebus' which runs from Arusha to Nairobi. It was wonderful to see Mt. Longido getting closer over the hour of travelling, and to really fell like I was coming 'home' to the village.

After scurrying about to find someone to help me back to the ADP with my bags (my attempts to prearrange that the night before had gone unheeded at this end) I arrived to face my new reality...living solo in the guest house, now that my former housemates have gone to the city until after Christmas.

The guesthouse is really quite nice...3 double bedrooms, a common living room, dining room and kitchen and indoor plumbing! Cold water only of course, and yes, while there's a flush toilet which is light years ahead of many of the local facilities, it's still just a porcelain hole in the floor. (I'm developing muscles in my knees quite foreign to most North Americans...enough said).

I spent my first evening sitting on my back porch, introducing myself to a family of swallows who've nested in the eaves, watcing other birds and a gorgeous African sunset, sipping lemon tea (after I bravely tackled lighting my kerosene single burner stove...a task I'd formerly left to my housemates). We have 3 hours of diesel generated electricity each evening (7 - 10) so after using that to charge my phone, computer and such, I trundled off for my first solo sleep. Of course it turned out to be one of those noisy nights we have here every few days. Dogs were barking incessantly (I really didn't want to know at what!), the hyenas were laughing, cows kept being rowdy, and of course the ever-present roosters couldn't figure that it was nighttime and they ought to keep quiet. Add a good bit of wind banging at all the windows and doors and I'm sure you'll understand when I say night one alone was a bit nerve-wracking. That did get better the following night...I actually managed a few hours of unbroken sleep, and I know it will continue to get easier. Really glad I had practice living solo back home though! There's a certain reassurance too, in the fact that no one here seems at all concerned about me living alone. I know that if there was anything to fear, they'd be urging me to make other arrangements.

Second day back I resolved to start turning the space into my own, so I splurged and hired a woman to come and give it a really good cleaning. You can sweep an African house about every hour, and remove fresh sand that's managed to come in on shoes, blow in through the windows, etc.etc.. I've got that part mastered, but I just wanted to give the place a real top to bottom washing, and frankly I don't have the strength, equipment or know-how to do that here. Anyhow, ended up with a whole family here while Mama and elder sister tackled the place. Such a treat now...everything is really fresh and clean. Now to see if I can maintain that!

Busy days setting up the new TEMBO office space and trying to get into a routine with my colleagues. And big news! -- I now have a dial-up connection which I can get to by simply toting the laptop to the main village a km away. Connection fees are frighteningly high, though the service itself was quite reasonable to establish. It's just going to make my life so much easier to be able to stay in communication with Canada more often than every 2 weeks. Those of you who want to send emails can do so to my new address: jotu@habari.co.tz Please note though that this is dial-up...and on a cellular system at that, with big per minute connection charges, so PLEASE don't send any attachments, photos, etc... Anything large should continue to come to me at my gmail address, and anything that's really important should be cc'd to both addresses such that I'll be sure to receive (eventually!). I should also be able to keep the blog entries coming faster now, as I'll email them to my son, who can post them for me. Photos will have to wait for my town visits, and hi-speed access. Hope to be in Arusha again December 18-20.

The days fill up quickly. And everything has to be planned such that it makes allowance for nothing ever happening quite as planned. Meeting times are flexible...most often things are late, sometimes they just don't happen. I'm learning a whole new level of patience, and find myself reciting the Serenity Prayer more often than ever before. But, I'm happy to at least slowly see things coming off my to do list, and hopefully my presence here can keep our projects going forward at a reasonable pace.

Yesterday (Thursday), after spending a fairly normal work-day, I was hit hard and fast with some sort of illness. No idea whether I ate or drank something problematic, or whether perhaps I got a touch of malaria. Only know that I was a total feverish mess, with all sorts of G-I distress going on. Luckily there were folks around when it happened and everyone was great about pulling together a plan to ensure I wouldn't be left alone for the night. One of my young buddies here at the ADP was kind enough to agree to move into one of the guest house rooms for the night, so he could take care of me should things get worse. The extra presence was reassuring, and it was a treat to wake up, still a little rough around the edges but much improved, and find that my tea water was already boiled and waiting for me. I'm lying low today as I write this. Definitely on the mend but feeling pretty weak.

I am beginning to feel so much a part of the community here. My circle of rafikis (friends) continues to grow. I keep hearing how much my Kiswahili is coming along, when in fact that's a bit of a joke. I really must find time to focus on my language studies now that I have all of these evenings alone. I'm still limited to basic greetings and such, and am really frustrated by not getting a handle on the languages faster. Oh well...this too will come...patience!!

Another Day's Adventure

2006-12-02T04:32:00.000-05:00

November 25th was definitely the most emotionally difficult day I've experienced so far. The morning started well...I headed to the village of Kimakouwa with my friend Joseph Mara along to act as translator...we were scheduled to meet with 4 households who are currently testing solar lights that TEMBO has installed in their boma huts. The meeting went quite well (I could write pages about the protocol around African meetings, as I'm coming to understand it) but as we neared the end there was a flurry of cellphone activity going on. Joseph let me know that we'd been asked if we could assist with transporting someone to the clinic in Longido, as there is no medical care available in Kimokouwa village. Of course, I agreed that we'd use the land rover and help in any way we could.

Kimokouwa is a very spread-out village, and the various bomas are spread out with very few connecting 'roads' between them. Of course, all the rain we've been expeiencing lately has left the ground very muddy and unstable in places. So....as it turned out we were sent to one of the more distant bomas. The rover was loaded with most of the men who'd been at our meeting, as well as a woman who'd run in to ask us to please come quickly. As we attempted to make our way to the patient's home we managed to get stuck to the top of our wheels in mud. Lots of cooperative efforts got us back on the 'road' quite quickly. Eventually we reached a gathered crowd...the patient was brought out to the road in a wheelbarrow. She was a young Maasai woman and as best I could understand the story, had given birth that morning to a stillborn child. The mother was in a great deal of pain and distress and the midwife knew that the situation was beyond her training. It was an amazing stroke of luck that we'd brought a vehicle to the village that day.

The midwife and a group of women managed to get the patient settled into the back seat of the Rover and we headed off for Longido. Of course, nothing ever seems to be simple here, and as luck would have it, we ended up stuck, not just once more, but twice, in the fields of mud. While the Maasai women stayed in the back of the Rover with the patient, I got out and tried my best to help out with the work of extracting the jeep. Men were running off in all directions to cut branches to put under the wheels for traction. A small boy was sent running off to find a hoe we needed for some strategic digging under one of the tires. People flowed in from all directions to help with pushing, or, in the case of the women and children, to simply watch the proceedings. I'm learning that the Maasai aren't often quick to show negative feelings. But, as time passed and we continued to be frustrated by our slow progress through the mud toward the highway, I saw a tremendous amount of anguish on the faces of many of the onlookers. Eventually, we reached solid ground, great cheers went up from everyone, and we piled back into the Rover to make our way to the clinic as quickly as the Rover would let us.

I have not yet been able to determine whether the woman was treated in Longido or moved to the hospital in Arusha, nor even whether she's come through okay. I'll continue to try and inquire when I return to the village in a few days.

May I never again complain about the quality of medical care, wait times and such, once I return to Canada.

Settling In

2006-12-02T04:14:00.000-05:00

First, let me apologize for the delay in postings. This is my first time into the city in over 2 weeks, so opportunities for an internet connection are few and far between.

It's really difficult to begin to describe Longido and my reactions to everything I've encountered in the past few weeks. Everything is big and has a surreal edge to it, and I'm having a hard time taking it all in.

I'll begin with the amazing beauty of this place. The village sits at the base of Mount Longido, which I've yet to climb but certainly will. On a clear day you can stand in the soccer field which adjoins this complex, and be surrounded by a panorama which includes Mount Longido, Mount Meru, Mount Kilimanjaro and in between, the biggest sky I've ever seen and stands of acacia trees (which have always been part of my imagination's view of Africa).

At night, the stars are phenomenal, being so close to the equator as we are. I love to sit outside in the dark of evening and stare at the sky. More often than not there's the sound of singing coming in from somewhere not far away, or at least the sounds of the neighborhood cows, goats and dogs.

Let me describe a recent eventful 24 hour period to try and draw you a picture of my current life.

Saturday (Nov 18th?? I tend to lose track) was my first solo day in Longido, having seen Jo & Arlene off at the airport the night before. That evening I went down to the village (about a 1 kilometer walk) for the evening meal with Joyce, a young Maasai woman who's doing an internship here as part of her Journalism degree. We had our typical meal...rice, beans, greens (and I splurged on a Kilimanjaro beer) and were about to make our way home when it began to rain a little. Since I was armed with an umbrella and flashlight, we thought nothing of beginning the usual trek home in the dark. Not far from the restaurant, Joyce turned to me and said, very seriously, "Jotu, we have to find shelter NOW". I still can't figure out how she heard it coming so much sooner than I did, but moments later we were in a monsoon-style downpour, doing our best to run toward a small shop with space to shelter ourselves under the eaves. The shopkeeper was kind enough to invite us inside to wait it out. We were both soaked and shivering at that point and so, out came the cellphones, trying to connect us with one of the 3 possible vehicles in the village that could come and take us safely home in the storm. Eventually we did connect with a young man and, for the price of some much needed petrol, got ourselves back home. That was my first experience of actually feeling cold here, and I was grateful that I had an otherwise too warm nightshirt along, as well as some blankets.

Next morning I set off on a day long adventure with Dr. Steven Kiruswa (the Executive Director of LOCIP) and Joyce, to visit their villages in the interior. I was hoping to see some animals along the way, as so far my sightings had been limited to baboons, one hyena, and unidentified rodent-like critters in the hostel! The drive out didn't provide a lot in the way of wildlife, beyond seeing a pair of ostriches which we raced along the road! Our return voyage was a different story though. At one point we spotted a herd of zebras, who actually raced out to the roadside and crossed right in front of us. Then a bit later we saw a group of 8 giraffes drinking water from the pools on the road. They were amazing...just moved far enough away to let us marvel while they waited for us to move on so they could get back to the matter (water) at hand. Add to that a few groupings of Thomson gazelles and some assorted birds, and it was an amazing mini safari!

We visited with Steven's family for a while. I got to experience the traditional Maasai 'milkshake' (his word, NOT mine!!) which is fermented milk in a sterilized hollowed gourd..shaken hard (by Steven's brother, in the photo) to produce little curds. It was something of a cross between buttermilk and runny yogurt, with a smoke flavour due to the smoke-sterilization process. Proud to say I managed to get down the full glass I was offered, with no ill-effects. Lots of gorgeous little children to play with there, and my bag of mini-Mars bars was well received!

Then I went off with Joyce to walk to her family boma, located about 10 minutes away and not accessible by car because of some wild ravines. Luckily we were joined by Joyce's brother and another young man, who got quite a chuckle about helping me up and down the banks of the ravine on the way! Once there, I was invited into Joyce's sister-in-law's traditional twig & dung hut, where she was resting with their 5 day old baby. I was asked to hold the baby, and was delighted to do so once my eyes had adjusted to the darkness of the hut...til then I'd just been led along to where the bed was, so I could sit by the mom and baby (all the while hoping I wouldn't accidently sit ON either mom or the baby in the dark!). We visited a while, took some pictures and drank some chai, before having a quick visit with Joyce's father in another hut and her 2 mothers in yet another.

On the way back, I was privileged to be invited to not only attend, but participate a little, in a village meeting. Most of the matters under discussion were unrelated to my visit to Tanzania, but since these particular villagers have some existing Biosand water filters (though different from the systems I learned to build in Carlgary), Steven wanted to plant the seed that I have knowledge about the filters and might be in a position to consider setting up a training program for building home filters at some point. The people were really very excited by that prospect, so I'll be motivated to try and get that going within the coming months.

By the time we got back to Longido (after all those wildlife stops) we were all really tired and hungry, and stopped in the village for rice, beans, green beans (a relatively new food here!), cabbage, and a meat stew..(.a real feast) before returning to the LOCIP complex and my guesthouse room, just before the onset of another round of heavy rain.

All told...an amazing day. But, not really any more amazing than each one I've experienced since arriving in Africa on November 3rd. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?? Each day I wake up wondering what the next adventure will be!

TANZANIA COUNTDOWN

2006-10-25T08:35:00.000-04:00

Somehow the past few months have managed to zip past. The house is now sold, I'm settled into a little apartment, my business is now in its 'dormant' stage for who knows how long. And now, with just over a week to go, it only remains to do a little more shopping for interesting bits (like a solar powered charger for my camera batteries) and then to see if it'll all fit in my luggage within the prescribed weight allowance. 100 pounds for 90 days...hmmm...we shall see!

Just received an email from my TEMBO colleague Jo who left for Tanzania last Sunday, and will be there to meet me next week. Somehow, it all seems rather unreal at this stage to be chatting with her on the other side of the planet.

Speaking of Jo (the other one, that is) don't be surprised if you see me referring to myself by my new name. We decided that having two Jos at TEMBO meetings was far too confusing. So, I was determined to come up with something close that would work whenever we're together. Henceforth, I'm Jotu, as in “Hi, I'm Jo too”. Our friend Greg John who's way ahead of me in Swahili skills provided the proper spelling, and as of now I'm fairly confident that Jotu doesn't have some indecent meaning in Swahili that will result in total embarrassment down the line.

I expect that my next posting will find me on African soil, in some internet cafe in Arusha.

Til then: Happy trails!