If someone said to me "Okay An, here is unlimited resources and money - now go build a magical paradise", this is how I would do it:
1. Dig a giant circular hole. (No, make it bigger than what you just imagined. How about I give you a number of 264 square kilometres to give you a better idea of what I mean). 2. Lay down vast grasslands, pour in some lakes, rivers and salt fields. At the edges put blobs of enchanted forest, murky swamps with lush marshes, giant cactus and some jungle. If you were to try and climb out of the hole you would be faced with thick jungle-like vegetation and might have fun swinging on vines or climbing miniature waterfalls. If you get lost you might want to climb one of the numerous knobby snot yellow bark trees to try and orient yourself. 3. Add elephants, hippos, rhinos, buffalo, zebras, monkeys, wildebeest, gazelles, warthogs and pink flamingos (for colour) and let them call this home. Of course, there are also a million more birds in all sizes, shapes and colours (but no crocs because they don't get along with anyone and lets let the odd lion, cheetah or leopard wander in so that the population stays in check). 4. Do not let humans destroy it.
Okay okay, so likely nobody is ever going to give me money so I can build it - but it's okay because what I have just described is a place in Tanzania called Ngorongoro Crater. It already exists. What it used to be was a giant volcano until it erupted 2 million years ago. Then it did a funny thing and collapsed. (This is otherwise known as a Caldera). Sound amazing? Well, it is. The perfect African snowglobe comes to mind, minus the chocking plastic roof and oh yeah, the snow.. ;) In fact, it's the type of place you half expect to see the odd Dodo bird or Wolly Mammoth..
Don't hate me. We just spoiled ourselves with a four day camping safari in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro area. It was beyond words and worth every single penny - and it cost a lot of pennies but I could have happily done it for another month.
Rainy season is just ending and the Serengeti is much more lush than I ever imagined it would be. *As an aside, the rainy season ended early and then started again and now it is sporadically raining so the wildebeest have stopped in mid-migration and are standing around a bit confused as to what is supposed to happen next.. all one million of them*. But, I will get back to them shortly. So the Serengeti isn't a large flat dry plain of yellow grass with one tree like I had imagined.. it's stunningly beautiful and green and there are mountains. We saw every animal I mentioned above (except for the Rhino) and I'm sure there are a few I've forgotten. Like Impala and numerous types of buck. And we did see a crocodile.. in fact one almost ate me.
Tenting is frigging scary (but fun and soooo unexpectedly cosy). Getting out to go to the washroom at night is not recommended. One of the girls in my tent (she will remain nameless) was in tears at about 3am because she had to go number 1.. and so I held out the flashlight and played the brave night watchman while she crouched in front of the tent..she was literally in mid steam when she flew back in to the tent due to a giant animal coming around the side of the tent. We didn't keep the flap open to see what it was but it was big and snarly. Did I mention we had seen the leopard a 3 minute drive from the camp dining on a fresh kill? Eek!!
Every moment really was incredible but the highlights were a cheetah who was not camera shy (Denise has the most amazing video of her contemplating going after some wildebeest for a mid day snack) and a pride of 7 lions who were lazily sleeping on a giant rock (rare for them to be out in the open like that during the day).
Wildebeest and Zebra appear to be the best of friends and migrate together (it's sort of cute - they actually form a single file zig-zag line at times - it's very organized of them). I also have a whole new respect for wildebeest.. not only are they damn ugly (yet super cool looking) but they are also incredibly brave. We watched the cheetah watch them for hours.. and they formed a long defiant line as if to say "hi we know you're there and if you want one of us you are in for a serious fight". Incredible. She still had them at a standstill hours later when we were returning to the camp..but this time she was sitting like a queen on a giant rock over looking the field of them.
Ngorongoro is the area that the Maasia are from (I think I've mentioned the dude who protects us at night in Buswelu - the one who is damn good with a bow and arrow. He is Maasia and incidentally he could get you between the eyes with the arrow, even after a few beers so I wouldn't mess with him). So this is where he comes from. Traditionally the Maasia are cattle herders and were booted from the Serengeti but still have grazing rights in Ngoro.. I don't know that much about them except that they drink blood. Ew.
Ngorongoro is so dramatically different than the Serengeti..it's as if someone drew a line and said okay one stops here and the other starts here so the landscape must be totally different so we know for sure. With that said, if you ever get the chance to visit Tanzania you should - it is the most amazing country and I highly recommend it. The people are friendly, it's safe, the food is decent, the scenery is breathtaking and I can't recommend it enough. I might feel differently in about 7 days when I descend from Kili..gulp. We are being picked up tomorrow morning at 8 am and just paid a $1000US to climb a mountain for 6 days. Apparently it's worth it.. I guess we will see. And yes, this month is proving to be the most expensive of my entire life.. :) Just wait till I buy my new camera...
6.14.2007
Asante Sana Squash Banahhna
We spent our last day with the kids on Saturday and decided a games day would be a good way to have some fun before going. We played egg & spoon and wheelbarrow races and ended everything with a waterballoon toss which turned into a kick ass water fight and everyone was drenched by the end of it! It was hilarious!! We also decorated cupcakes and friends of ours visited to play football with the kids (which they loved) and they also brought sodas, chocolate and samosas for a treat. Gloria made us a special lunch (pilau with beef!) and we even had special seats for the day. It was so adorable and a really fun day overall. It was sad saying bye to them.. even knowing we are back in three weeks!
Asante Sana means thank you in Swahili and I want to say a huge thank you on behalf of Joel, Gloria and the children. They are all extremely gracious and almost in shock by the amount you have managed to do. Thanks to your very generous donations Denise and I managed to raise a total of $3100. This is huge!!!!. Normally they don't get much more than the volunteer donation of $300 (times 4 volunteers) that we pay per month. This is what gets them by each month.. and now you probably wonder what we did with the money right?
Electricity: Yup, they will have electricity thanks to you. We took $800 (and topped up another $1200 donation from a company that had done some fundraising in Britain) in order to bring the kids electricity. In total it cost $2000 and it will reduce their monthly costs because the generator is more expensive to run than the monthly electricity bill will be. Asante sana a million times :)
Rice: An entire year supply!!! (another $800)
Those were the big items. We also bought medication for each child (for a month they had to take pills and use a special shampoo) and we managed to clear up the fungus that was all over their heads and bodies (it was pretty nasty and uncomfortable for them). We bought 17 pairs of (used) school shoes, 7 new mattresses (really good ones that won't deteriorate in a month like the ones they currently have), 9 new mozzie nets, 10 new schoolbooks and reading books and a basketball net. We had a delicious chicken dinner (it's real treat to have meat) with sodas for our first sleepover and we also treated them to sodas when they went to the beach for the day. We had a pizza party (most of them had never had pizza) which was a total hit and we had a kick ass dance party after. Those kids can dance like nothing I've seen before. It was pretty amazing and so much fun! We also printed pictures of them and decorated their rooms and did a nail painting party (even the boys joined in). We also took one lil guy for a few doctors appointments (malaria, worms and bronchitis) and bought tons of meds to get him better and organized a full checkup (I am happy to say he is negative for HIV and overall pretty healthy).
We tried to do a mixture of fun and practical... and I still have $250 to spend which I may use in July or save. I am fundraising right now to send them to the Serengeti at Christmas time (it will cost about $500US for all of them to go) so we are half way there.. :)
ps - keep you eye on the mail.. there are some hand made thank you's on the way...I think they will make nice fridge art in my opinion :)
6.05.2007
Why aren't the cows wearing shoes?
Yesterday I was sitting with a couple of the girls while they made Mendozi (basically a doughnut which they eat for breakfast and interestingly enough Denise and I have realized that if you put a chocolate bar inside when it's still hot and dip it in sugar you are eating heaven). We were chatting and watching Happy (one of the twins) throw her pink flip flop at the cow and chase it around the yard (they don't normally have cows in the compound.. they own a few which they keep at the farm next door but Joel decided that he wants the cows to be 'free' for a few days - personally I think they are a lawn mower and why not!?), it donned on me that we miss so much of the kids personalities because, well, we don't actually speak the same language. My Swahili is much more limited than their English and humour is one of those things that becomes impossibly hard to translate. I mean, we have a hell of a lot of fun but basically we miss all the cute things that little kids say. Like when they wonder why the cows don't have to wear shoes or they tell Davey (who is only three and incidentally sitting on my lap nursing a fat lip) that I am going to have to take him to the hospital to have his head cut off *and I'm nodding and smiling reassuringly at him without a clue*. haha. I'm going to have the kids translate more often :)
So we had some of the other volunteers over last week for dinner (apparently I can cook - who knew???) and I came to an understanding about parenthood. It was only after Denise and I spent the entire evening telling stories to our guests about the kids (obsessively) that I had a moment of "oh I get it when parents do that"... I mean we actually had to restrain ourselves from showing them a slide show of pictures on the laptop!!! On Sunday morning we went to church with them because it was kids day and they had been preparing special songs and dancing and performances all week. It was amazing. I was so proud of them.. and Denise and I beamed through the entire thing- I guess the truth is that we are at the mercy of these kids. What I can't imagine is what it actually feels like to be a parent if I can totally fall in love with these guys in a month.. scary and amazing at the same time :)
What else.. oh yeah, so we leave Mwanza on Sunday (for safari) and we have been feeling really beat up about leaving and totally apprehensive. *We had to move out of our house and into another compound until Sunday to make room for the shiny new volunteers - last night our shower turned on by itself and the night before the doors kept slamming shut.. we are SO SCARED in this compound it's a bit silly. And we have two guards this time!! Anyway..*.
To be honest we weren't totally sure how we were going to say goodbye.. and of course as fate would have it we found out on Saturday night that the volunteers for July cancelled (pole for them but talk about potentially lettting down 40 orphans cause you realize three weeks out you can't afford the flight!!) so what else to do but take their spots? :D So the fantastic news is that we leave here June 9th (Serengeti Tour, climb Kili and then recover on the beaches of Zanzibar) and return in July for another month of teaching and spending time with the kids. Denise and I are so happy it worked out like it did and we will cancel a bit of what we had planned (don't know what yet) but that isn't a big deal. There is always another trip :)
Off to have dinner with friends and organize arts and crafts for tomorrow.. try not to be too jealous that i will be camping in the Serengeti in a few days ... and I won't think about the fact that you are stuck in rush hour traffic ... oh wait. No I think your alarm clock just went off. Time to get up ;)
So we had some of the other volunteers over last week for dinner (apparently I can cook - who knew???) and I came to an understanding about parenthood. It was only after Denise and I spent the entire evening telling stories to our guests about the kids (obsessively) that I had a moment of "oh I get it when parents do that"... I mean we actually had to restrain ourselves from showing them a slide show of pictures on the laptop!!! On Sunday morning we went to church with them because it was kids day and they had been preparing special songs and dancing and performances all week. It was amazing. I was so proud of them.. and Denise and I beamed through the entire thing- I guess the truth is that we are at the mercy of these kids. What I can't imagine is what it actually feels like to be a parent if I can totally fall in love with these guys in a month.. scary and amazing at the same time :)
What else.. oh yeah, so we leave Mwanza on Sunday (for safari) and we have been feeling really beat up about leaving and totally apprehensive. *We had to move out of our house and into another compound until Sunday to make room for the shiny new volunteers - last night our shower turned on by itself and the night before the doors kept slamming shut.. we are SO SCARED in this compound it's a bit silly. And we have two guards this time!! Anyway..*.
To be honest we weren't totally sure how we were going to say goodbye.. and of course as fate would have it we found out on Saturday night that the volunteers for July cancelled (pole for them but talk about potentially lettting down 40 orphans cause you realize three weeks out you can't afford the flight!!) so what else to do but take their spots? :D So the fantastic news is that we leave here June 9th (Serengeti Tour, climb Kili and then recover on the beaches of Zanzibar) and return in July for another month of teaching and spending time with the kids. Denise and I are so happy it worked out like it did and we will cancel a bit of what we had planned (don't know what yet) but that isn't a big deal. There is always another trip :)
Off to have dinner with friends and organize arts and crafts for tomorrow.. try not to be too jealous that i will be camping in the Serengeti in a few days ... and I won't think about the fact that you are stuck in rush hour traffic ... oh wait. No I think your alarm clock just went off. Time to get up ;)
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