tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63244981679196619992024-03-20T02:49:36.797-07:00Jessica's Tales of TanzaniaSnapshots and stories from Jessica Kelly's work and adventures with the Western Heads East Project from May - August 2008 in Mwanza, Tanzania.Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13914270531928973284noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6324498167919661999.post-59701503045044211162008-09-09T17:12:00.000-07:002008-09-09T18:15:18.916-07:00Home in the Other LondonMy apologies in advance for the brevity of this entry. All I can say is readjusting to the pace of Canadian life is a little challenging after living in Africa for three months!<br /><div></div><br /><div>I had a wonderful 10-day through Ireland, Scotland, and England. I would say the highlight was visiting Fort William (in the Scottish Highlands), where we stayed at a farmhouse at the base of Ben Nevis (the highest mountain in the U.K.).</div><br /><div></div><div>This week I am back into the full swing of life at Ivey -- talking debits & credits, venture capital, market segmentation, etc. Needless to say, it hasn't left me very much time to really reflect on my trip and how I have changed. However, almost everyday something triggers a memory of Mwanza, so I'm sure my family and friends will be hearing miscellaneous stories and reflections from Africa for months to come!<br /></div><br /><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244194815045055650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNhD2kC8evxvOtawmfrkFvk0EtUjn5-hmevtp4oPa4_qUzwUGrMyy5knC7KZg0jmDd05OJNL9yb1NT8a-FoqhqsTZvJaXUNcwK7Y1i7FNTyHE4rV4pLO1lcD0XBOJ5zpFGY0Rai54RuRA/s320/P1030258.JPG" border="0" />A park in Dublin</p><br /><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244180265702865794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBFQ5QyeKyPLtFPocEo_ZJOQwYOjxmJgHfDwzCpuk9rPNjBzAiije895vgQxhuvLX-CgR46Fm8tDU8dbnmMwLgNEyS9v_OxguTmmY4Nzy8X7-a_nsUnQy0kMivht7rPXz0-MR_KG1o-nI/s320/P1030621.JPG" border="0" /></p><p align="center">My artsy shot of Big Ben<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244180275710942370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYgHqkpvtyc-WYYfq4mHgEapdjF-W5ZZ2g-uquC3kRrr3ckdghz17HfE3O_jcsDCwAoYVpLEaBd9HmsyWfsu5Y0IjkbHh9DtvyQLFUnHzGOVGRsn866sFgZvZgUjVmcxVt0A806rlHjqY/s320/P1030460.JPG" border="0" /></p><p align="center">The farmhouse at the base of Ben Nevis (note the sheep)</p><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244180261053922786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbk-LSVyUbavtuQhy8wdXCDJRhGKNBmoeM5rdlDVOQarHC74GgK4HJOOxlCl-Hhmq4GB_z6y4xbsPbeSU_glrMa8ov6rkqklSuL03Ec45HxDPgV0IhKhOR982xDBjxiwTTm_0Db7hQYqQ/s320/P1030227.JPG" border="0" /> </p><p align="center">A quote at the Guinness factory in Dublin<br /><br /><br /></p><br /><div></div>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13914270531928973284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6324498167919661999.post-59983176962255920992008-08-20T13:26:00.000-07:002008-08-20T14:48:29.937-07:00One Fish Two Fish, Red Fish Blue FishThanks to the wireless internet at the Dubai International Airport I am able to share a few pictures of my adventures since leaving Mwanza on the 10th. I am just about to begin the last leg of my journey home through the U.K. More photos and stories to come!<br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div>The 41 hour train ride to Dar Es Salaam...<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236705482466686930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpSUoVcLq52LG6tAEiCdYtx3SUtc6X89oIWkcOivwM8_K9M6rGTf1EBeQ1jZ79-8BsGxjVhKRAg3afMk5Ibphuldi54pK4ZAH-lu752PP9hWtlhgYFkax5BErNdO9FrNYAyWa9gJb3gc0/s320/P1030006.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236705497479684498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4_BYFbrzQ_sC1gQK72rGe6ELH6_L-It5lYcWJVz1GzRXW_L9A2hXypXw7FBq7rbJA8_e3o1Ga6EkR0U6Mo6vBcTVA-ZSEquMFB-jxF26-6SDYAl2Y099kOzLT148qoFX4jfDuo8f8us/s320/P1020977.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236704240980624354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA8Q6A9q9-Yg7CL-WHFEwqdjT1K6hEa2l8Z4OEh_Ve4hvXckQK7FAkJ1g3G20tZcPGkZznLC65LKjizmGh7PR_GJO9onhNaTFS6ldDHuR6-FKV5NrMr7WrdPh_JqhKtOAJSe3v4NjyXpQ/s320/P1020974.JPG" border="0" /></div><br /><br /><div>Bwejuu Beach (East Coast of Zanzibar)<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236708897720277474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilepC1vRp45jwKno5tHyFa354AKp4ytKilA042bLkejZQFEXgTGKaXi1OgpaFfq2SNCkfv__hcl6YqaXWQJQ9S2q2dJyg5XMdY4NaM7QjBc-ffOMEFkC3926F57m4GXa8gQqtF7be5Go0/s320/P1030042.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236708888863047330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRJB1xLqRrBkdythHe_zx1TxRMfqANF9mosHui2BDcC_n1Wi3lmxCy2Q7UHp_cM_yTjuaxfud7egKBJNINgR3VckKgfsb74h-DtIUxh_vBEoW6iasXWS8B2Eib0cMxjbVQkJKxdkb-cpk/s320/P1030017.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236708906697084866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYJZ9Bf9I7lrHo797ktlp0xk0lS5W4gVbiJdTozC99tAr2L8uf9eXnQ7m9oRCDKR1UlfRoL14MiQkMgZRXiy-T48OjJNfb8MtSUqBhLzRmImLrR0CCkkJAJUE7Jlxbv1yQVWTu8aSbOuY/s320/P1030046.JPG" border="0" /><br />Kendwa Beach (Northern Zanzibar) & Snorkelling Trip <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236718469888648818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk4ZkdxX_TzTD03gIOxevSqKo8wtJUB-rj8K4EUDjafAEb9rX5-3r81ijkshpXmCoKzjXiB3SXdZOOAcsytCAD8g329b8hoW7Ze2czkQt1c1Wm51XiAe5ehxzokiT-PJaBUNVLN0YzVjU/s320/P1030203.JPG" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236708910831139250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6QFU7Kx1ogD3BTiRWicSOT9UJz1AjACrd9iez5WOIg3gtpCAuxbBXOp0NKeim1XjpnCWuhcr6jpUDFnh6aI6OaxrsiCV1bofLaXoAhGWJGIaD0tJosygcfOK_Un3Px7uuUWA3rYTYtLk/s320/P1030174.JPG" border="0" /></div><br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236708919342174706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWiTbxag45ePU7PPoyjxZctOdhSxXrQ8VfJkC2sAsEGHPh-JKs8MdnTV1fUS8xGUkl-hlc_mq9PQFriNKoZkHwWIfHHvGkmbPeAr9J1Ggz98SesXZM7SLB_FDDl99z-RGdrjlyNDQW9xs/s320/P1030177.JPG" border="0" /> </div></div></div></div></div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236719952030673602" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg1ydnrx-_vsLgpiqIpTmHoMNurnrMtpz9gqht3cs-LYKJzkyY0QB4iDdQ0q3CvmYP7lRWVraV1Aqg_2Obi9R2j2dFvViHZx3d5GuteMH9ImjnzoF4G1aGoX1v3VnRgAqywm1TMvha15g/s320/P1030081.JPG" border="0" />Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13914270531928973284noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6324498167919661999.post-83192620787061782872008-08-08T06:06:00.000-07:002008-08-08T08:26:24.178-07:00Kwaheri Mwanza!In 48 hours, I will be packing my bags and preparing for my train ride to Dar Es Salaam (and my 20 day trip home to Canada via Zanzibar and the U.K.). The last three months have been rich with new experiences and new friends, and it will be very difficult to say goodbye to my Africa home and my Africa family. That said, I am certainly looking forward to returning to lands of English, warm showers, and driving on the right side of the road!<br /><div><br /><div><div>The past week has been a whirlwind, but here are a few highlights:<br /></div><div>Last Saturday we attended the wedding of Joey and Jennie – two friends from frisbee. While waiting outside the church, a car pulled up with a bride (not Jennie) inside. We all starting joking that doing two weddings simultaneously would be the most efficient thing we’d seen in Tanzania, and sure enough, that’s exactly what they did! The ceremony was all in Swahili (especially impressive given that Jennie’s originally from the U.K.), but the choir was great and the traditional Tanzanian wedding customs were fascinating (no smiling?). </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232141958165132402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr77mbC2k_DUMTVuXDjfUsSfcPBQrt0nJGAmWTvis8ERREmNvpi53BK0UTS32Li_Oq841uuSPLT6xnIb2fA07STnRwQY1RWQ2TLvnWRYitWt5raY7OpXEtUj4_mWcr7tVfj5s4EKD2mg4/s320/WeddingJ&J.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232136963414252578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSGdWLQas4rTLPhx-mqADzx5-T7jtcy9GwgjL-4khOfXHwfCMAfQgOTqbiwMU2CLvx63jEdDeIm63GO7mM3cF9FaSsN5S471xf68KQLMSsb3SwWJ_7SeFUNW2YPgE2wUW9Vfkg4wYGlDM/s320/Wedding.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>Sunday morning we went to church in Mabatini with Mama Paskwalina, the leader of the Yogurt Mamas. The church was absolutely packed (probably about 300 people), yet the priest (an American), still managed to spot us and call us up to the front to introduce ourselves. I threw in a little Swahili for good measure, which made Mama Paskwalina proud. After church, we were mobbed by people who wanted to say hello and shake our hand. It’s a very strange contrast to sometimes to be treated as a celebrity and sometimes to be treated as someone to be taken advantage of – all because of where you are from and how you look. Here is a picture of Sabrina and I with Mama Paskwalina and some of her family. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232133822705378818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ZJOzaqZoyfG2Nu57TPYex_8hvjQxW0Y7ZONtAvYD3Z48p7X2l8vrrTTING8zp9L73SHi2MynKZcUCmvS_iv-OLpUXZk51JWfrh8tUmRsRh-8ArqYRAzCuSLJQZPs6syRW7JQU6sxO9Y/s320/Church+with+Paskwalina.jpg" border="0" /> </div><div>Osama and I have been working quite extensively to develop a new system for how Western Heads East provides financial support the Yogurt Mamas. This week was spent solely working to test and implement this new system. As always, there were unexpected hiccups and delays – language misunderstanding, power outages, etc. – but hopefully in the next few weeks Osama will be able to tie up all the loose ends in my absence. I definitely owe Osama daily coffees back at Ivey for all the work he’s going to do! With the system ago, the Yogurt Mamas should be freer to be more proactive in their business decision making. They are all very smart and very capable women– I’m sure that will continue to do great things.<br /></div><br /><div>Today is a holiday here in Tanzania – “Nane Nane Day”/Farmers Day. This morning we attended the Nane Nane festivities – a sort of hybrid fair/farm show. This is the first summer in about five years that I have not spent significant amounts of time working at farm shows and events, so it was sort of nice to walk through grassy aisles of livestock, irrigation pumps, and fertilizer. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232144549734263714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3OEhofasNBs-K14ZFIeu0m8HNjc92iGYqKTk7s7i3wUzMze8mqAwhvL1-5CIsm1tLgIFantFToLz2XBIGqyskrAF8CX27Z3CJhRZz9WTi1LQRUU4_M6nNpJBgUkWUir1AwIFYF8oNhoA/s320/Farm+Show.jpg" border="0" /><br /></div><div>I’ve written a lot about “firsts” experiences over the past few months, but this week there have been a lot of lasts. Thursday was my last time at Tunza Beach for our customary night of sunset, yoga, chicken/pineapple burgers, and crepes suzette. Sabrina was adamant that I would successfully do a headstand since it was my last night of yoga. She had to “spot” my efforts, so there is no photographic evidence, but I swear I did it. Sabrina likes to take pictures of the less flattering yoga poses and, as you can see, I wasn’t very impressed.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232141002489071474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrpNoYbsYAIDAHV-8cN5AqOMq_6AntC9loyikWj0QYf9JaDFzhgzBIMVvwwqAbrT2Gq5oKF0qZMdRs020f6YOSorXezvsRTNgQzM9h4QU5ptQqOaFvoAmgSHxKeT61RUGpo7yCbmrtyPk/s320/Unimpressed+Yoga.jpg" border="0" /><br /></div><div>Tomorrow will be my last day of frisbee and my last visit to the yogurt kitchen to have chai (tea) with the Yogurt Mamas and to say goodbye. I will certainly miss laughing with them over spilt yogurt and my mispronunciation of Swahili words. They are some of the strongest women I have ever met, and I will think of them often.<br /></div><br /><div>There are many more stories to tell, but they will have to wait till I return home on the 31st. My winding path home begins with a train across Tanzania (see photo of “first class” ticket below), so wish me luck! <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232165886336499346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEik-9pvBPW5cVUXpu4B4sm1vuQrbWhXexD06FmxV-9wp2-AxkcH2F7G_AnVgB7gxiA4vLyDUPkMW76giVbEdGYtcMB3jMUWCUqveI7Cthyphenhyphen6HM8VZh1_zjwKhcOFbDgwBVAXXDeVvUb_8/s320/Train+tickets.jpg" border="0" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ZJOzaqZoyfG2Nu57TPYex_8hvjQxW0Y7ZONtAvYD3Z48p7X2l8vrrTTING8zp9L73SHi2MynKZcUCmvS_iv-OLpUXZk51JWfrh8tUmRsRh-8ArqYRAzCuSLJQZPs6syRW7JQU6sxO9Y/s1600-h/Church+with+Paskwalina.jpg"></div></a><div> </div></div></div>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13914270531928973284noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6324498167919661999.post-49995081775536095712008-07-29T03:52:00.000-07:002008-07-29T04:28:59.817-07:00Field Trip WeekendSaturday morning, Sabrina, Osama and I went for a little field trip with the Yogurt Mamas.<span style=""> </span>The Yogurt Mamas sell their yogurt in bulk quantities to Shaloom (an HIV care house here in Mwanza) so we were all invited to attend the Shaloom Youth Centre’s Talent Show.<span style=""> </span>We asked Mama Joyce to arrange a daladala to transport all of us there, but I did not have high hopes for attendance from the Yogurt Mamas.<span style=""> </span>My did they prove me wrong – eight of the ten mamas came and in matching pink outfits no less!<span style=""> </span>The MC included the Yogurt Mamas in his introductions of special guests, so they were able to receive some recognition for all the hard work they do.<span style=""> </span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTifZDMvNXe7BLo0LdAYw0lO5D0V3mWLSoC0FayYGablqC-AmFpKGhhyOnB1JJnHFFtWXycukSdq0OsCmLlRTS0ORPq829ZqTL0Q15qHfDOKVlvpA_CxoBqO1KmRmqae5atA5zX7ooV0w/s1600-h/YMs+in+Pink.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTifZDMvNXe7BLo0LdAYw0lO5D0V3mWLSoC0FayYGablqC-AmFpKGhhyOnB1JJnHFFtWXycukSdq0OsCmLlRTS0ORPq829ZqTL0Q15qHfDOKVlvpA_CxoBqO1KmRmqae5atA5zX7ooV0w/s320/YMs+in+Pink.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228395720447795554" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span> All the performances were great, but as with any event the audience is often as fascinating as the show itself.<span style=""> </span>One particular young girl, sitting in a blue child-size lawnchair, caught my eye.<span style=""> </span>She had brought her little twin brothers to watch the show, but both were a little tuckered partway through the performance.<span style=""> </span>From her little plastic chair, this remarkable little girl (like some many African kids) doubled as a parent…amazing.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuvIb1J83MGrwEk4L1-mfHVGGHbgqrJotUWUG_jocZONl6cIU9xQAgzNUH6_IiTZYLP2IQE_81n2Rv3N65-KyAgUPr0-5VtX8HXA51wPatmExRpBeMm6XnwuKO207KK6I9ffpFQeVVhNw/s1600-h/Sleeping+Twins.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuvIb1J83MGrwEk4L1-mfHVGGHbgqrJotUWUG_jocZONl6cIU9xQAgzNUH6_IiTZYLP2IQE_81n2Rv3N65-KyAgUPr0-5VtX8HXA51wPatmExRpBeMm6XnwuKO207KK6I9ffpFQeVVhNw/s320/Sleeping+Twins.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228393746082533906" border="0" /></a><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Sunday we spent the day at Tunza Lodge – very reminiscent of a day at the cottage in <st1:place><st1:placename>Snug</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Harbour</st1:placetype></st1:place>.<span style=""> </span>After breakfast we went out wakeboarding, and despite being a year out of practice, I managed to get up on my first try.<span style=""> </span>I can now check “wakeboard in lake where crocodiles live” off my list of personal challenges!<span style=""> </span>Later, Jan (the owner of Tunza) took us out to a very cool rock peninsula.<span style=""> </span>Here are Sabrina and I in the rock den.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoJsIwVyF9ps6FqaKOuT_fJgwxYdPZE06G9-QyhXJM2kN_wYv8shgeQSp0Zdpf6FWRI_zP_JK-cKvUc_dQLSBTt6jjl4z6Keq6x_HxOUcyKnhJNIzsrMc_LX4kyEiORry4Y0zXwvP5K1g/s1600-h/Under+the+Rock.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoJsIwVyF9ps6FqaKOuT_fJgwxYdPZE06G9-QyhXJM2kN_wYv8shgeQSp0Zdpf6FWRI_zP_JK-cKvUc_dQLSBTt6jjl4z6Keq6x_HxOUcyKnhJNIzsrMc_LX4kyEiORry4Y0zXwvP5K1g/s320/Under+the+Rock.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228389336609523298" border="0" /></a><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span> My inner <st1:place>Georgian Bay</st1:place> kid decided it was essential to climb to the highest rock, so with Jan’s help we went exploring.<span style=""> </span>Here I am pondering my next move –this is about the time I decided to get serious and lose the purse!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-IrJcz9PM19hyCVyhsMyN_aQ8qkS-f7_pFZYw7Qn8yQOAJwHDlk6KGvhJxJPelUrg5qX9Sc1qF9ERGMb4stm-Tv0hAQJUNf0IgpJh6EJmEgL3CQxfhWc-Gl4ycpFAYGApUbmG3jy-e20/s1600-h/Next+Move.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-IrJcz9PM19hyCVyhsMyN_aQ8qkS-f7_pFZYw7Qn8yQOAJwHDlk6KGvhJxJPelUrg5qX9Sc1qF9ERGMb4stm-Tv0hAQJUNf0IgpJh6EJmEgL3CQxfhWc-Gl4ycpFAYGApUbmG3jy-e20/s320/Next+Move.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228388237111680370" border="0" /></a></p>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13914270531928973284noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6324498167919661999.post-67358648700792819152008-07-22T02:51:00.000-07:002008-07-22T03:08:38.632-07:00Where's Waldo & Other Photos from Buswelu Elementary School<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOFJ7tfjV9EF-oQm9lNnAvVjboJWGTehVuVsZYOO4i80m8pBMp6bqa8xHbqS-zLvucE_xJbu9PlC06VMftfbS37FYmurSTta6_yw5ANlI-uWAtsHqjDwLILlXIY2W1HM8k8iBailCUf50/s1600-h/Girls.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOFJ7tfjV9EF-oQm9lNnAvVjboJWGTehVuVsZYOO4i80m8pBMp6bqa8xHbqS-zLvucE_xJbu9PlC06VMftfbS37FYmurSTta6_yw5ANlI-uWAtsHqjDwLILlXIY2W1HM8k8iBailCUf50/s320/Girls.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225777701606864738" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMHxnGrqP0AoEUwL6ueUQoc-pSaVB7HWKoGaYvh2p6IC2aK68ehr9mB55lL8s8eGk1FMYidLWbx0zJWduo14hvdf6prlLl9gTo0AUeETuG3lXvGCHzkYQnoF7bgb1dVEsYI1U7D9nLk3Q/s1600-h/Cute+Girl.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMHxnGrqP0AoEUwL6ueUQoc-pSaVB7HWKoGaYvh2p6IC2aK68ehr9mB55lL8s8eGk1FMYidLWbx0zJWduo14hvdf6prlLl9gTo0AUeETuG3lXvGCHzkYQnoF7bgb1dVEsYI1U7D9nLk3Q/s320/Cute+Girl.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225777147806380738" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3WAclpoP6CiFSwzeOEhqRFiCVAy2AVaB1lh-ytd7YNR6cC268Xlr10OkItRZlx2SRBnQ_QCkaRzI13f2GnW-0rPcO6JAVlj8eDBhb97ilOBYrgwHE6Xf9OhAldfKy8_ARW3tP54mCrUY/s1600-h/Buswelu+Boys.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3WAclpoP6CiFSwzeOEhqRFiCVAy2AVaB1lh-ytd7YNR6cC268Xlr10OkItRZlx2SRBnQ_QCkaRzI13f2GnW-0rPcO6JAVlj8eDBhb97ilOBYrgwHE6Xf9OhAldfKy8_ARW3tP54mCrUY/s320/Buswelu+Boys.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225776554836056050" border="0" /></a>Where's Waldo?<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7TRiiQo2eMxXm9YIrOe_dW_CFRJ2e03IfE37CT_BEX-mQPha1uARyL0_-mad2eV0a3bKOMZhFRD2gyzJqoE082bBdVnNHXydnY3xZNRhp5lLKFY1n-xezN5b7x0jo_Dgaok4Mql6K6Ek/s1600-h/Where's+Waldo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7TRiiQo2eMxXm9YIrOe_dW_CFRJ2e03IfE37CT_BEX-mQPha1uARyL0_-mad2eV0a3bKOMZhFRD2gyzJqoE082bBdVnNHXydnY3xZNRhp5lLKFY1n-xezN5b7x0jo_Dgaok4Mql6K6Ek/s320/Where's+Waldo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225775935620470386" border="0" /></a>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13914270531928973284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6324498167919661999.post-47285940409905949042008-07-20T01:36:00.000-07:002008-07-20T02:43:51.884-07:00Top 5 of the Week<div><div>5. Discovering that denim is tasty...</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225024888115995618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZP_1te_wRA5g_6OjlLxj7hmox9Z1xLoLIcHo9Z0nBkf9Q16Ml8YpRnfq9DGe7TxxBfHSGgOrJiC-WsqF3Te-D4SXGDB9_S8dy9UxUJRqVed7Rxoyksl8QypjaMSWSLSz3SN-UMUgawso/s320/Esther.jpg" border="0" /> 4. Freckle incident...<br /><br /><p>On Friday I was leaning against the counter at a little book shop. All of a sudden the female shopkeeper started rubbing my forearm. Then she pointed to a freckle on my arm and asked "what is this?" It was a good reminder of how the smallest of differences can be so intriguing. </p><div>3. Lake Victoria sunset at Thursday night yoga...</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225029271506661442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVJY4F-J4frGRiYb1scHTNaBSH0BT6b5BThyGOCykn36vQLXepJZLjCQIPRS0awDHXtUg4pwxYfZWdJ2XBytgjRmbIUyVYlXztCoI7ykDwTEL0QG3ERm1KnbqwddCn0WezUOykaHfSH98/s320/Tunza+Sunset.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>2. English lessons with the Yogurt Mamas...</div></div><div><br /><div>On Wednesday afternoon Sabrina and I visisted the yogurt kitchen to do an English lesson with the Yogurt Mamas. We had just gone through a list of basic verbs, so I was asking the Mamas to construct basic sentences. I was hoping for something along the lines of "Jessica cooks rice." Instead, Mama Elizabeth comes up with "Tomorrow I will go to town to buy kenga [fabric] to sew a blouse." Wow!</div><br /><div>1. Water fight...</div><br /><div>On Thursday evening we invited our housekeeper Pendo to have dinner with us. We insisted that she was the guest and was not allowed to do dishes (with minimal success). Lesson learned: don't try to stop Pendo from doing dishes; she <strong>will</strong> start a water fight and you <strong>will</strong> lose. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225026596200350642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhykFKfuRAG0yLBwqsOrFk8TgrW6XvF5tsXFmttyuWNDIw0oMWbKl4zmy0kTYneYP-HtXhmswufCaYc9JLh59pTXgxPrdQjprg1VuIX3i01s0JpUk_9WLCKfGU4CWd16B3qLgIWBJb0poI/s320/Water+Fight.jpg" border="0" /></div></div>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13914270531928973284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6324498167919661999.post-19042711661329164462008-07-06T00:43:00.000-07:002008-07-06T01:41:02.613-07:00“HAPANA!” & Other Adventures of the WeekIt’s the end of another busy, yet wonderful week here in Mwanza. With the addition of two new roommates (Jaimie and Sabrina) we now have four Canadians in our apartment, so we had some mini festivities in honour of Canada Day. At breakfast we did a wonderful rendition of “O Canada” and then during dinner (of poutine and red cake) we compiled our Canadian music for a little canuck medley.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219806674958263362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlokF5RMTHew7AW5Cw4YdRie0MCkMLBPVPfGbdtLvTbojgYrdB2mQhuxXT_I_y3p8Ojt86Jmh-kt7wMWkAlSKH-T2jn_PdWO80xnIDeLsfPZHcHKMbJiTiFB7_gJfN2Ib7IljpUwHu4Vk/s320/Canada+Day.jpg" border="0" />We are progressing, slowly but surely, on our work at the yogurt kitchen. Our case study is nearly completed, and we are laying the groundwork for helping the Yogurt Mamas with their business plan. This week they changed the pricing of their yogurt to more accurately reflect the cost of production – a change that was well overdue. Ruben and Jaimie are doing a clinical trial about the effects of probiotic yogurt on the health of HIV/AIDS patients, so the Yogurt Mamas have ramped up production in order to supply the yogurt for the study participants. The extra yogurt accumulating in the fridges seems to have been the little push they needed to get out into the city and seek out new customers. They made one delivery to a first-time customer on Friday of 20 litres! At this rate, the Yogurt Mamas will be expert businesswomen in no time!<br /><br />With about 10 hours of Swahili lessons under my belt, I’ve gotten pretty comfortable making purchases and bargaining for prices. Beautiful fabric is sold in hundreds of shops here, so it has become my spontaneous purchase of choice. On my way to Swahili lesson on Monday, some pink fabric caught my eye so I bought it. I didn’t really have time to haggle the price, nor was I that concerned about the 75 cent price difference it would make. Wow…was that a mistake! At home I took my fabric out of the package to show Sabrina and Pendo (our housekeeper) took it from me to inspect. She was quite distraught that my fabric was of substandard quality and even more upset that I had paid the “wazungu” (foreigner/white person) price. She insisted, in Swahili of course, that I go back to the store and get new fabric. When I suggested that I would go “kesho” (the next day) she yelled “HAPANA!” (No). So needless to say, I had to go back and switch my fabric. Lesson learned: don’t show Pendo your purchases and if she asks what you paid, lie by 20%.<br /><br />Yesterday Sabrina and I visited the Forever Angels baby orphanage again. Many of the babies at the orphanage are there simply because their parents cannot cover the high expenses of an infant, so it is not uncommon that the children are eventually returned to their birth parents. Therefore it is quite common for parents to visit the orphanage (or even be employed by the orphanage), so they can continue to spend time with their child. One mother visited yesterday, but it was definitely not the idyllic picture I had imagined. The mother looked nothing like a mother. She was in fact a child herself – timid, petite, only 14 years old. I’ve heard many stories about young mothers here in Africa, but age is just a number until you see a face. It was just one of those situations that fills you with so many different emotions that you aren’t really sure what they all are.<br /><br />On a happier note, my sunglasses provided endless entertainment for the kids!<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219813752879379490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG4SPjF-zocbSAaIi_AaNTEvKvdgMCzdQauoSjRlbb9sKYJ1hbV-D12JWx2ydjYrjNOoaul35AWirMJOAeV3tXzspbSWmQIJFhBy_p9iXHGWW2iABmahn5zcKM0LTrq-bJ3XgaeC3NqNo/s320/Sunglasses4.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219813747638850610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6iPeKeG6A3Q6JYQ0DzX9A2gSvqODQpqx2KZoZWo3u7nMD9BpPdGoU6YDM72qlNj8oFQIITueah6VaYUgOzAl9NAEvJxqKBLtizx8THmEe_sK4PAxzzh0Yt3S577tYE7TZchBWtBkzDxY/s320/P1020291.JPG" border="0" /> Aside from these highlights, life is as usual here in Mwanza. When I first arrived here, someone warned me to take photos of everything in the first few weeks, as things would cease to surprise me. They were absolutely right – it’s amazing how quickly everything starts to seem normal. For the benefit of those at home in Canada, I have compiled a few photos of what I mean by “life as usual”…<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219817531608188338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO8XBwfmtBs9cvRF7FqhYywmtUdn56lT7ozjcaES6Yke1fbMfuS_FefmCr61XcwjWx9xsy7ckn42jrHpI7F7fmknsqPv76yfnNJrGxRqTtRab3v_xl6J9e2ed-9x8giFPdq1mBYJMzp9A/s320/Jaimie.jpg" border="0" /> <div align="center"><em>Jaimie buying a snack</em> </div><div align="center"> </div><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219806676966957714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6MH5x9Rd7qEveAwDkpEka5aZD6G5zuZUWmK-t9j06e1fuS1mn26GAaZkucUv5WKuH2l2Ftc527PqCV0-B5v8HPNIIl_uXgIZo-RhIa8y6CVuO2gppTy7vVBZ3ZWhsoVdaVyzN3vDWJoc/s320/Cows.jpg" border="0" /> <em>Down the street from City Hall </em></p><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219806678077730722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh02RXvNRQLEuwJHOzanQOkjyqwKtmSOTRYWlPTlz2kmFT1Y9qyC4evIKrHRjXkRYPRb8hTMLrKJb28wrMMJx19AJioeWGS0vf_b4fAB2JmJWO1pS_OASJeCDF8RaTZJGNDpYaX93262-4/s320/Construction.jpg" border="0" /> <em>Construction in Mwanza (note the scaffolding of tree trunks) </em></p><em><p align="left"><br /></em>Mwanza style transportation...</p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219806682963402770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivM_g7fOz-CRDK4Csp-BBBJaa5Rp2yyzZ3fQM_kduSItCSKO-_08NtciRL_G6WRJe6Vq4Itu6GErz53TGP6UeUfsOJ1GSHSBJwj_ws7UaloRbyiV-RLaoM2o7kVFPoDrORoRS3TY199UQ/s320/Daladala.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"><em>“Daladalas”, Mwanza’s public transportation, are these little vans. Having over 20 people in one is not out of the ordinary.</em> </p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219816036053675714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS7y0IUvwwkiit-xpt9m7GLvi5QytLhBFECzPwfEOrpAGgI_xD-b0qAbA6QCZcfZf5jvLzA1uixzxVgMhFcubAbRFmCC24ceLi5ihtmCyiuZPLeCT6Rs6SStrCXz-DfxwDV1FVSX4LhwI/s320/Bicycle.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"><em>And yes, that is a bicycle towering with plastic pitchers </em></p><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219816007636163602" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE8RYVHLz4YcEECSBvhL-tJXkORjI0tkQbiTfWf3Nf2neJXTdA4I5pz_kVBUvcFo1b0Ep4Oz572Z0iyjGBQKofz6XVD4-pAwk7Ujo8AhBRIRVnZdAei5pvpT3HtP7MXhSTeXa6VWiTdvc/s320/Sewing+Machine.jpg" border="0" /> <em>And yes, that woman is carrying a sewing machine on her head </em></p>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13914270531928973284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6324498167919661999.post-23509641675630349322008-06-29T08:33:00.000-07:002008-06-29T10:47:01.010-07:00Sunday Adventures in Mwanza<div align="center">Visiting "Forever Angels" Baby Orphanage<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217353588509890834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJcS8gHzy59ELrL-ZJzuW3kXxqrH2ZageiSdMn69_GMd7poqfzBso-sqRxFJSCbD66xzv0CtdPALmGHuDeJ029wqD1grsxVxdIV0Y8vpoysvJ1ge5SHnV9NTSRFjP3fck7jlHZKYxz5yQ/s320/P1020065.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217341686960606994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlW8Fxg4SjOrL05GPsrXUw69guhZ0BQQ0tLNNXgofNYbP7hoHnaTVbnAWWldTbw_foUJ0F1lZbVQQpAQsooacNYKwXgxqEUaGIZUvA1AUYYYF60uTb_mNQBA_a4tCdysObYhRhnfae-Ts/s320/P1020064.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217359806284316914" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmzNoIn1ozHFXBKxhHTjQbaVA2ekAjcQXAFHfukZu2hoRdC5ecK1iASM2FJq0w0PuYdcaQCevdew8PpgubBz4QK2Sp0rP6wZvbEKVAo3b6YRzboKVzX0kvD7izs3I1M9lnGL9OcRehAMM/s320/P1020099.JPG" border="0" />Hike up to the "Dancing Rocks" (Me, Jaimie, Sabrina, Ruben)<br /><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217350948578791522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKoywh_o0xxFd3fq5fjOmDOJdF4fhpnurbeDPbeGUL1lu06vuHVQLxraUZIUmWHW2oUi5eYDSZPvwR8ZKWHfMptjR-53dXMv7eO6hyphenhyphenkWEyTMWhI9K9f6r5jCxT7WRCEWe2JwUmEnBZUrk/s320/P1020172.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217357423288309746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwVRZHqQ6JBOdoRduMxitwArWNuAXEuxq5DqezA3Qj0M5iky28QHmKuTpjJ3FDb3ASk1h0Al_O8MMBiiNsvJCBNatozU0GV1sER-cZ9rAuX3RTYXqf1niZA4BBbSte5HLTaSPcG2VAm3Q/s320/P1020164.JPG" border="0" /><br /></div></div>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13914270531928973284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6324498167919661999.post-52510894961460404492008-06-25T03:57:00.000-07:002008-06-25T04:01:32.059-07:00My favourite Swahili wordAfter six lessons of Swahili, I have decided upon my favourite Swahili word. I don’t have a favourite English word, so why have a favourite Swahili word I really don’t know – I just do.<br /><br />The word is “karibu,” pronounced with an emphasis on the “i” so as not to sound like any form of Canadian wildlife. The direct translation is simply “welcome,” yet its uses seem to be boundless – you literally hear it spoken thousands of times each day. When you walk into a shop, you hear “karibu.” When you are inviting someone to a social event, you say “karibu.” When you are offering to share food with someone, you say “karibu.” There are many other examples as well:<br />Karibu ndani [welcome inside]: “Come on in!”<br />Karibu tena [welcome again]: “Come again!”<br />Karibu kiti [welcome chair]: “Have a seat!”<br />Karibu Tanzania: self-explanatory<br /><br />Although there are English equivalents to all of these phrases, the common use of the welcome seems to create a gracious conversational atmosphere that doesn’t exist with English. Any international person living in Tanzania will tell you that Tanzanians are some of the most welcoming people they have encountered. They are proud to invite you into their homes and places of work, regardless of how big or small their home may be, or whether they own a supermarket or sell vegetables along the road. This idea of welcoming is evident in the culture, but especially pronounced in conversation and language. It would be nice to incorporate “karibu” into my vocabulary back in Canada, but its likeness to “caribou” would likely lead to some strange situations…Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13914270531928973284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6324498167919661999.post-76155924530175717842008-06-22T03:54:00.001-07:002008-06-22T06:00:56.134-07:00I would have been a terrible pioneer...We've had a very busy week in Mwanza since my last entry! Last Sunday evening we went to the home of Pendo, our housekeeper, to have dinner with her family. Her home consists of two detached rooms -- she sleeps with her three daughters in the room where we ate dinner and her five sons sleep in the other room. Her husband has three wives, so he is seldom around. I asked Pendo how many children she had at my age -- 4!!! Like our visit with Mama Asha, my camera was a big hit, so we took lots of pictures!<br /><br /><div><div><div></div><div align="center"><em>[With Ruben, Pendo, some of Pendo's children, & some neighbour children]</em></div><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214660330343283890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgExJCVW5FCjiQCZe9uY1K6GjJXYrTj2Ly-oMV7mQ8AS6TBTznx2mmzmVcC-cpd2favngGY0rz1mtpVTsMqCBrGV2G5ZERqLqhm-E-yjl5aAbawQuSr64mXch30vxBupkJPrQaI1bzmfm8/s320/P1010885b.JPG" border="0" /></div><br /><div align="center"><em>[Pendo's three daughters]</em></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214660336440759090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifbKmlJpuDz2Vm77pNaylSqkXWwWwK9ufw_5lI6o7DkBZGiWpDMeFSnsOAwqubtLXEWX-e246MWI2sslIQJ4W2WPTE2T6g6Jmo8hETYnTENzlM7KgwlMlIU3-LKVs1KkDD9Hk6M_kVBFU/s320/P1010873b.JPG" border="0" /></div><br /><div align="center"><em>[Pendo's neighbours standing in the doorway]</em></div><div align="left"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214660340985107330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiodf2LU868hAass3v2cH9Cv8Q76q03k80Es-YCJTMVmF9cw2F2DpQ01VMrzNwIgJdudCJVIHz2V3JcNGeLgsOqm5MPnHpB9L1DilZ4nt_5xPgmWeHrq7-j-XqBggnRhqID4oVCKUSrgV0/s320/P1010875b.JPG" border="0" />The other highlight of my week was travelling with the Yogurt Mamas to their new land plot outside of Mwanza city. They have received funding from the Tanzanian Social Action Fund (TASAF) to purchase eight cows and build housing for them. A mainstay of TASAF's philosophy is that they want the local groups that they fund to feel a real sense of ownership of the project. For this reason the Mamas are required to make a contribution, equivalent to 5% of TASAF's, mostly in-kind through their labour. They land was previously used as rice paddies, so dirt mounds divide the land into small rectangles. On Monday, I went with the Mamas to work dismantling these boundaries. To call these women tough would be a huge understatement -- they worked all day in the sun, and all they ate was boiled sweet potatoes and tea! They kept telling me to go sit in the shade and were perpetually (in a very motherly way) checking my hands for blisters. Needless to say, my contribution to the digging was neglible, but it was some great bonding time with the Yogurt Mamas. </div><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="center"><em>[My very sad attempt at digging]</em></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214671453399612578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsy03GcmF41VWrtZtbpAeJ0owqpPNsSSaWM-5WFJrEFjLiD_ZdTI6znjnxaNkFrbN3SCDc5iBnrk6zPdajf5YbkzHXBIHKdpWKSXLd97YAA0Ae10DJ5X2Xt0lo75HAxLyyf5uHR4xLcG8/s320/P1010904b.JPG" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214684525761054178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3QeYslYCNOtYFHDG3aZUDZS7Z_K_CcX6LPEjuPY0DU-JGOEI-X-AI0CWlkVktPQBPztXvmhlwHTflnKEiysdGLhu5VJmQtyxyGUBa57h6tt0_Bygm0AyLIwtfeoTB_TNZu1kp0hPn6_0/s320/P1010907a.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214689475011077058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSswE_Tl3W0jJIGzeoG0FdAloJUvQE8yoHyKAgkbm-4-w9ZaHC0Ro9vML1AvK7qOB7lPkR62VPnEnP9fv3XpHrtJVBY8wLSbnld_MGrGQmF8mBCrZJc1B7Grh4PzOCYXsGNVBYz3apDrE/s320/P1010908b.JPG" border="0" /> <div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"><em>[Trekking back to the road after a long day's work]</em></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214685988035222930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisUbgYnp7yCVsp68jl0Lu_yJInrogkYeMPF9zkmqPj91NFrGeyhbVm7UF5O9JnfvgWd71rnfs22zpuvyzo7xwDFAdgvsx2Ib97SjIxvoajLJBtBvh1p6FGhZdeV4ebdPj-mg7U3MTFXOg/s320/P1010929b.JPG" border="0" /></div></div>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13914270531928973284noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6324498167919661999.post-19211712340631629972008-06-15T03:42:00.000-07:002008-06-15T03:48:48.923-07:00Mwanza Botantical Garden<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiOFxY1kGzkQxEDlyPtV86ffcKcIPalnOZmTcc1AQ0Lo-DwZz9YbBZbDofOALt5HCfwtOgaTxNHhWJVh8BFh-RyOiHAKLJauV1ITZoGzho64a4Adjz1ET8gmLYHcS2h7rl6xF3hQzv6-8/s1600-h/Mwanza+Garden.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212057998981011650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiOFxY1kGzkQxEDlyPtV86ffcKcIPalnOZmTcc1AQ0Lo-DwZz9YbBZbDofOALt5HCfwtOgaTxNHhWJVh8BFh-RyOiHAKLJauV1ITZoGzho64a4Adjz1ET8gmLYHcS2h7rl6xF3hQzv6-8/s400/Mwanza+Garden.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13914270531928973284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6324498167919661999.post-77782481045410116442008-06-15T03:39:00.000-07:002008-06-15T03:41:41.761-07:00Having the mayor on speed dial?!In the week ahead, Melanie, the International Research Coordinator from the University of Western Ontario is visiting Mwanza. In preparing for her arrival, I have been busy booking meetings on her behalf, and in the process learning a lot about the social norms of appointments and communication. <br /><br />First, planning ahead seems to be a foreign concept here. When I made requests for appointments the following week, most people thought I was from Mars. <br /><br />Second, a communication infrastructure built almost solely on cell phones has very interesting dynamics. When I was first given the list of appointments to book (the Dean of the Medical School, the Chair of the Medical Research Institute, the Mayor, to name a few) I thought I was being sent on mission impossible. With no phone numbers, I had to visit the offices of these individuals. On more than one occasion, this is what happened: I arrived at the office and asked his/her assistant if they were available, the assistant responded “He/she is away at meetings/vacation/trips, but you can reach them on their cell phone.” I am so used to the Canadian approach of deflecting communication from high ranking officials, that I was absolutely floored with how freely they distributed personal contact information for these individuals. <br /><br />Yesterday morning I called to confirm an appointment with Leonard Bihondo, the Mayor of Mwanza, Tanzania’s second largest city. Apparently I am a saved contact in his cell phone, since he knew my name when he answered. Then we had a candid conversation about how our Monday morning meeting would jive with his personal weekend plans to visit his home village. Talking weekend plans with the mayor on his cell phone…unbelievable….Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13914270531928973284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6324498167919661999.post-26651180391491215822008-06-15T03:14:00.000-07:002008-06-15T03:32:31.902-07:00Learning to Make YogurtWednesday morning Osama and I arrived at the kitchen early in the morning so that we could observe (and participate in) the yogurt production process from start to finish. Milk is transported directly from farms to the kitchen by bicycle each morning.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212051234151662226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="178" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJSIMXUqW-tRBRt51-_3xMwqYVfc47HzxNBsf1UkuIxh6H_89cYc8owFnXygjDpXTGDX_pg_xB4aDq2A8MH9QVhtinJYzEZxdGS5VhRPfg-LmDnYopDVTlg8Yp0eUiXtPuN_XHHBfL5EY/s200/Milk+Delivery.jpg" width="243" border="0" /><br /><div align="center"><em>[The milk delivery]</em> </div><br /><div align="left">A small portion of the milk (about 4 litres each day) is pasteurized and sold as milk, mostly to mothers with HIV who want a safer alternative to breastfeeding. This little side project was initiated by the Yogurt Mamas themselves, to fill a demand they recognized in the community. The remaining milk is transformed into the probiotic yogurt that is the mainstay of the business. This is a fairly tedious process that involves a lot of sitting and stirring, as we learned through experience! The women are very conscientious about their work – checking temperatures meticulously and sterilizing equipment between batches. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212052848402243858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgeIEndcKNl1XGqJB8LUH0deCtdwadhPb_wba1tEhIROUcfsSe_qm0Z5PXs90f873EDz9URpg8BRq4jkKsq8KlexIXQMAurRMmixihpl089gdeWTXnAJXz9tVCe3mylKC6pLqLhBI-BVQ/s200/Pouring+Milk.jpg" border="0" /></div><div align="center"><em>[Pouring the hot milk into the cooling container]<br /></em></div><br /><div align="left">We also delved into the kitchen’s recent sales records to discover that on a typical day, about 17 litres of yogurt are sold from the kitchen and about 21 litres are given free to people affected with HIV. </div><div align="left"><br />We also began piecing together the financial records of the kitchen, so that we can help advise on pricing decisions. Handwritten Swahili receipts can be a challenge, but thankfully I already learned numbers in my language lessons! This will likely be an ongoing challenge for the summer, but we now have a very good handle on the cost associated with producing a litre of yogurt.<br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212052859272855762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFWQzGsuuC5NIVus1I0-GdJlHgDMc7WSMdfLObg1w2WTnSfA0ey4pXhaRAeya_acX2yaAfJvi7RBRAjX0g23-tVnyuys19DJuJFUS14HQDCFGPATjzizk6Z-NI0CdNx6LLC1QVNjiEUWQ/s200/Cash+Register.jpg" border="0" /> <div align="center"><em>[The Yogurt Kitchen cash register – yes, that is a Nestle powdered milk can] </em></div><div align="center"><em><br /> </div></em><div align="left">To help you better visualize the project, here are photos of the kitchen (inside and out) and most of the women that make it happen.<br /></div><div align="center"><em><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212052874199090802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0UstOZQbx8JMOTLHu7IP64ZtkpbS6Y3RD5JOgNEO8A-i4p2MJI_7Opw_-ELc4VT7LyQqBcQRr5MiY96allEVcrop_mQRFM3ZzMWhz65D_5uXQF_cWC2NY38Ng_3U8wCXgWZ50zbu2k4c/s200/Me+and+the+Mamas.jpg" border="0" />[With nine of the ten Yogurt Mamas and our translator] <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212052863848298594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaF9rPvLrsllgU4IIYm0kabvspxPY0HMpg-aagkFDsii9cI3oqnyXtU4b_X7vYldp9CL1wD9hiYkEBjjI1gM0QYgMTlbxcD7a-gr8dju7qNbrb2THrGJ97lXLE53Nuei3odW0J8U7zDqk/s200/The+Yogurt+Kitchen.jpg" border="0" /></em></div><div align="center"><em>[The outside of the kitchen] <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212052860327723298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSfk3jHW20CAd_z13AczSkiKwR6GPu0vHw5Bt4u7XTaDOgk9-SpQKXo-VB0g-iwtH9WeZ-35P1I5R7E6PWARjzDftMN43c8pj_Udb6m0p1SETalc9vqg4-y4ebqVCJSpgQxkPNPF4brIA/s200/Inside+Yogurt+Kitchen.jpg" border="0" /></em></div><div align="center"><em>[The inside of the kitchen]</em></div>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13914270531928973284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6324498167919661999.post-27900802587867490832008-06-09T03:19:00.000-07:002008-06-09T04:16:52.034-07:00Getting to Know the Yogurt MamasIt’s hard to believe I’ve been in Mwanza for over two weeks! Although many things are starting to become familiar and route, there are always many firsts as well: playing my first game of Saturday pick-up ultimate frisbee, shopping for the first time at the chaotic market, attending a bilingual English-Swahili church service.<br /><br />My classmate, Osama, arrived on June 5th so we are now moving ahead with our work. With the help of a translator, we have already learned a lot about the yogurt kitchen. Here are the highlights: Twelve women, respectfully called the “Yogurt Mamas,” produce probiotic yogurt at a kitchen in Mabatini, about a 25 minute walk from our apartment. With purchased milk, and probiotic culture produced at NIMR (the National Institute of Medical Research) they produce about 50 litres of yogurt daily. Each day about 30 litres are distributed (free of charge) to HIV patients and the remainder is sold to the local community for 1,000 shillings per litre (approx. $1 Canadian). They have also purchased a plot of land outside of the city where they hope to expand the business and keep their own cows. Tomorrow we are going to observe the Yogurt Mamas in action, so pictures of the kitchen will be coming soon!<br /><br />Yesterday afternoon Osama and I visited with Mama Asha (one of the women that work at the yogurt kitchen) and her family. We received such a warm welcome! Although there were some language challenges, we had great fun with the international language of skipping ropes and bouncy balls! We also experienced our first home-cooked African meal, including tomato salad, fish, and ugali. Ugali is a dough-like African staple that is served hot and eaten with your hands (after you squish it around in your hands like play-doh). They were all laughing at our poor ugali eating skills, but by the end we were getting the hang of it!<br /><br />Here are a few pictures from our visit with Mama Asha…<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGADvqCTVJwmznpmYdq_DFUrgkKFMHcWBhVtO9u78pUivqZOB1CRlEGNk5jbibf9RFPKBhgPipclDSZkfwEaSoq_n1mez3cp0qb0Uex8KIau5sTjWajKC6MhEePRPfj5ANq7uMUpIz9pQ/s1600-h/Skipping+Small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGADvqCTVJwmznpmYdq_DFUrgkKFMHcWBhVtO9u78pUivqZOB1CRlEGNk5jbibf9RFPKBhgPipclDSZkfwEaSoq_n1mez3cp0qb0Uex8KIau5sTjWajKC6MhEePRPfj5ANq7uMUpIz9pQ/s200/Skipping+Small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209834619322587090" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-LEottXPbHv8IrFJV1PQKUWRNtWtws9lHzLjaCdZpfMQJvSCOsRsJsmt_70SpHjZwfSMjMDi-Fw3B5xGxP99MD6qUPyInD770gPN-MZVx9Ek1ro92XjHNLAO74tXfVBEKA9UXRaSS6BA/s1600-h/Me+Skipping+Small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-LEottXPbHv8IrFJV1PQKUWRNtWtws9lHzLjaCdZpfMQJvSCOsRsJsmt_70SpHjZwfSMjMDi-Fw3B5xGxP99MD6qUPyInD770gPN-MZVx9Ek1ro92XjHNLAO74tXfVBEKA9UXRaSS6BA/s200/Me+Skipping+Small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209833806263129762" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMTNKk6tZ3qzOx0dhl0BWFBgxRi6qZREBXQCGDIffqyAj3sbdGIUi_hYe7gHmvjESyxA16VS48mh4MrxqHHht-m-cxVxQqkJ03BN1sJmkD0-k540EnUM-QXIkFYJZWEijV3Eofhpet5Wk/s1600-h/Family+Small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMTNKk6tZ3qzOx0dhl0BWFBgxRi6qZREBXQCGDIffqyAj3sbdGIUi_hYe7gHmvjESyxA16VS48mh4MrxqHHht-m-cxVxQqkJ03BN1sJmkD0-k540EnUM-QXIkFYJZWEijV3Eofhpet5Wk/s200/Family+Small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209829372141809666" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5oq8tdmjEKC3zYTZzGEzXmtph83YOKQKHprS4-ocqlCNm6fokfkTPZAJProjJKqRRyOSbHzURzzx-Vasxud_CaJBcs5t-5ZRA1Ns00uGVQKTNV4ZkmZkHX3vPO2ZY-f50tRqM3FGFex4/s1600-h/B&W+Small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5oq8tdmjEKC3zYTZzGEzXmtph83YOKQKHprS4-ocqlCNm6fokfkTPZAJProjJKqRRyOSbHzURzzx-Vasxud_CaJBcs5t-5ZRA1Ns00uGVQKTNV4ZkmZkHX3vPO2ZY-f50tRqM3FGFex4/s200/B&W+Small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209828825927290066" border="0" /></a>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13914270531928973284noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6324498167919661999.post-88940344688724482332008-05-29T01:12:00.000-07:002008-06-05T05:22:53.502-07:00Lions and Zebras and Giraffes - oh my!I just returned from a spectacular 4-day, 3-night camping safari with a group of 10 Dutch students. We spent the first two days in the Serengeti National Park where we spotted all sorts of wildlife. We even saw (with front row seats) a lion hunt a wildebeast! The third day we spent in the Ngornongoro Crater, which is absolutely breathtaking. The crater is about 20 km in diameter (the result of a sunken volcano) and is virtually a patchwork of different ecosystems and landscapes. The campsite at Ngornongoro was spectacular! I literally had to dodge zebras to get from the campfire to my tent!<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">I will be washing dust out of my hair for weeks, but it was definitely worth it! Neither words nor photos<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRD79o2bVws5MdLiCpT2cYNIBapZjRD3SSaAmecXlj9Ttp0mfMtgW4mxQqMbmDtDXfwyfnCF-X6IzAc3BHBrijGFQxO9eB2wvtqVqFJqn64O567yzca6sO8_arP7tQzf7oJp5D7vbNZF4/s1600-h/P1010431b.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206139750207311954" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRD79o2bVws5MdLiCpT2cYNIBapZjRD3SSaAmecXlj9Ttp0mfMtgW4mxQqMbmDtDXfwyfnCF-X6IzAc3BHBrijGFQxO9eB2wvtqVqFJqn64O567yzca6sO8_arP7tQzf7oJp5D7vbNZF4/s200/P1010431b.JPG" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPf6Asd3HJJDJ7CqpLFZCtjb8jOUbHWhtil_4_5WgPNRTKOw01KAC2kmVe6gGKOtSvspOU9nRf8xe1-NdGdZ-7E1JCpGCxOql0LXzSYXSH5Q5FPeN3QfIhuIzbCjavp_66VwwecFodNIs/s1600-h/P1010292b.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206135919096483874" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPf6Asd3HJJDJ7CqpLFZCtjb8jOUbHWhtil_4_5WgPNRTKOw01KAC2kmVe6gGKOtSvspOU9nRf8xe1-NdGdZ-7E1JCpGCxOql0LXzSYXSH5Q5FPeN3QfIhuIzbCjavp_66VwwecFodNIs/s200/P1010292b.JPG" border="0" /></a> can do the safari justice, but nonetheles<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQy9vkFNFpjX9H3YJx6ea6jbR63aO0LH8o4-iWvAXJ80RqKta0hyZBhyphenhyphennotPgnBzg8vvqT1MsL5dx9pFV5g2Zy8-tM3ZDN2ynN39WAU56OnyeZGSJmzcLlrisRZXgvP8TGxRMggOzWzcc/s1600-h/P1010616b.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206133367885910034" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQy9vkFNFpjX9H3YJx6ea6jbR63aO0LH8o4-iWvAXJ80RqKta0hyZBhyphenhyphennotPgnBzg8vvqT1MsL5dx9pFV5g2Zy8-tM3ZDN2ynN39WAU56OnyeZGSJmzcLlrisRZXgvP8TGxRMggOzWzcc/s200/P1010616b.JPG" border="0" /></a>s here are a few of my favourite shots.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLv-7QlCjUrYp0sh-j-Gj26PlILjoMr_JeCUAdRUunALA3M9DWb0-_hDmBLcQZUiggPD9S7Q8GNS8gSufred8_cSgTRGhBNNKg7BqATWYz24vONYJMuEmcWs3uSWiPKVUaHprsFVcIDrI/s1600-h/P1010502b.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206135923391451186" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLv-7QlCjUrYp0sh-j-Gj26PlILjoMr_JeCUAdRUunALA3M9DWb0-_hDmBLcQZUiggPD9S7Q8GNS8gSufred8_cSgTRGhBNNKg7BqATWYz24vONYJMuEmcWs3uSWiPKVUaHprsFVcIDrI/s200/P1010502b.JPG" border="0" /></a>..<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDD5fQZIWsxLVOr2948BBe-T1YSI3SsN0O0bmTmplw0xtxK59FfwQ-mPwmUD-Ase4f0vHQwqgx9Wxav2R03zwNnSDieucRfr0LBITlIplPM5bqJoF_c-v7Aen2QVODD8U36p-HmaX2yf4/s1600-h/P1010556b.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206139745912344642" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDD5fQZIWsxLVOr2948BBe-T1YSI3SsN0O0bmTmplw0xtxK59FfwQ-mPwmUD-Ase4f0vHQwqgx9Wxav2R03zwNnSDieucRfr0LBITlIplPM5bqJoF_c-v7Aen2QVODD8U36p-HmaX2yf4/s200/P1010556b.JPG" border="0" /></a></div>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13914270531928973284noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6324498167919661999.post-13432430421959793132008-05-23T07:15:00.000-07:002008-05-23T07:26:52.570-07:00Getting Settled in MwanzaHujambo!<br /><br />I arrived safely in Mwanza on Wednesday afternoon and Ruben (the current intern) has been helping me to get oriented ever since. My apologies to anyone whose email I have not responded to. I am quickly discovering that internet in Tanzania is like the internet back on the farm -- an activity that requires a newspaper to read during the downtime!<br /><br />Yesterday I spend a few hours with our housekeeper Pendo. Communication was a challenge, but nonetheless she took me on a tour to meet some of her friends and visit her home. Along the way, she taught me some Swahili as well.<br /><br />Today Ruben and I visited the kitchen to meet the "Yogurt Mamas" and the International Language School to sign me up for Swahili lessons. <br /><br />Ruben has arranged to go on a safari in the Seregenti from Sunday to Wednesday with a group of friends, so I might go along. It's a little early in my trip, but why wait?Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13914270531928973284noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6324498167919661999.post-85187155475542263482008-05-19T04:48:00.000-07:002008-05-19T05:29:39.156-07:00Weybridge Visit<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeM8rLgVet06ySAa7dTTcEWbNL2rIJjfFZ24ZFlMMnqBLd8eoWLozMuOegShlL3kzxAtjguSjdjFS3T3aylxmAccX3XJbnga4hTVn8-fyAYMs_nIb_IVw4ZRSigMg8QAMYK55fkIJWuLw/s1600-h/P1010189.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202064455655313954" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeM8rLgVet06ySAa7dTTcEWbNL2rIJjfFZ24ZFlMMnqBLd8eoWLozMuOegShlL3kzxAtjguSjdjFS3T3aylxmAccX3XJbnga4hTVn8-fyAYMs_nIb_IVw4ZRSigMg8QAMYK55fkIJWuLw/s320/P1010189.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD40b9ryPKbqoc7JUCXM1IOqWUBiQjGteu8LicZEROZs3M5v_F7f8ly210XO166Nx044BovhwrRoErxYEAarwWHxqnk06CST7uveFSGpFCBDrMzkMFphSlnJXCmBYCeWNlaZgWUWrLjoA/s1600-h/P1010202.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202064464245248562" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD40b9ryPKbqoc7JUCXM1IOqWUBiQjGteu8LicZEROZs3M5v_F7f8ly210XO166Nx044BovhwrRoErxYEAarwWHxqnk06CST7uveFSGpFCBDrMzkMFphSlnJXCmBYCeWNlaZgWUWrLjoA/s320/P1010202.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>I've spent the past two days visiting with my classmate Mary Jane and her friend Joanne in Weybridge, Surrey, UK. Yesterday I took the train to a nearby town, Guildeford, to visit the grounds of an old castle and do a little hiking along the river -- it was beautiful! Last night we went to a local pub for fish & chips and pub trivia. We lost miserably at trivia, but had fun nonetheless. This evening I head out for my Tanzania-bound flights. There are some lengthly layovers, so it will be a few days before I reach Mwanza, but I will check in as soon as I can.</div><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg65yCO1FNWrFt74vimavWa3BTl9L6VNjhE20pQOZHrq6-Ozf3ZlqAc36SQ0hGjHt5_QTBbyhN_nPyCoPpzDKStVYEvGuV6dddd9-IK8d38CDN6x9665kRM4XFPR6LefMGcskFPMoN-0PY/s1600-h/P1010234.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202064472835183170" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg65yCO1FNWrFt74vimavWa3BTl9L6VNjhE20pQOZHrq6-Ozf3ZlqAc36SQ0hGjHt5_QTBbyhN_nPyCoPpzDKStVYEvGuV6dddd9-IK8d38CDN6x9665kRM4XFPR6LefMGcskFPMoN-0PY/s320/P1010234.JPG" border="0" /></a></p>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13914270531928973284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6324498167919661999.post-3014645391815773082008-05-10T21:43:00.000-07:002008-05-12T19:41:15.245-07:00Some departing thoughts...<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">A few months ago I spotted this quote on the blog of a former Western Heads East intern and it came to mind this weekend as I was packing...</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">You get a strange feeling when you are about to leave a place, I told him, like you'll not only miss the people you love but you'll miss the person you are now, at this time and place, because you'll never be this way again. </span><br /><br /><blockquote></blockquote><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><em>-- Azar Nafisi, Reading Lolita in Tehran</em></span>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13914270531928973284noreply@blogger.com2