tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37058793317309238182011-11-28T04:23:19.992+03:00Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10839971622785652266noreply@blogger.comBlogger391100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705879331730923818.post-85452791668186519662009-01-28T09:12:00.002+03:002009-01-28T09:17:13.354+03:00

I distinctly remember having one conversation with a few individuals before we left for Tanzania back in September."Why do you think the other volunteers want to go?""I think some have intentions to help others, others to help themselves. I'm most afraid that some people will go with the only intention to return to brag about the 'hard life' they endured."Let's just say, it was a telling

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10839971622785652266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705879331730923818.post-19897690036980444902009-01-22T01:10:00.002+03:002009-01-22T01:14:32.895+03:00

On a car ride to find the aunt of one of our street kids, we asked him: "what was the worst thing that has happened to you on the street?"He replied:"One day I was riding a bike and I fell. As I fell on my bike, one of the bike spikes on the gears pierced my penis. There was blood everywhere and, for the next month, each time I had to go to the bathroom, urine would painfully come out of the

Michael Nguyenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10056280281135805284noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705879331730923818.post-64554896238181020902009-01-05T09:44:00.002+03:002009-01-05T10:09:14.361+03:00

I miss you.It's been three weeks since I left Tanzania and I miss you so much. Looking at pictures of mine and everyone else's trip, I know you'd be so happy. Your picture is everywhere. I've been talking to many of my friends and family about my trip to Tanzania - I think you would be proud. You would be proud of your country, of your people, and mostly, I think, you should be proud of yourself.

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10839971622785652266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705879331730923818.post-84686391990510533982008-12-28T20:30:00.002+03:002008-12-28T21:00:24.478+03:00

First and foremost, thank you for the loyal readers who have followed this blog since day one. As I have found, I'm not the best blogger - too infrequent, often too short, and now, the blog is a misnomer. However, life goes on. =)So as promised, here goes 1 of many, hopefully, of post-trip blogs.A: Unaitwa nani?B: Mimi?A: Ndiyo.B: Naitwa B....translation...A: What's your name?B: Me?A: Yes.B: My

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10839971622785652266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705879331730923818.post-53764413199940346952008-12-24T23:45:00.003+03:002008-12-25T00:39:35.138+03:00

Before all the heavy stuff we're supposedly going to post about eventually, I wanted to share some things that we learned while we were in Tanzania.Music is a big part of the culture, whether it is traditional music or more modern music. I would try to say more about Bongo Flava, but honestly, I'm no expert. We heard it all over the place and of course, we're now hooked. So the magical YouTube

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10839971622785652266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705879331730923818.post-15656388566599998822008-12-21T14:28:00.001+03:002008-12-21T14:30:24.991+03:00

After almost two days of travel, Michael and I arrived safely into San Jose earlier tonight!Lots more to come, especially pictures and highlights, but for now, Siku mwema!

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10839971622785652266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705879331730923818.post-49173832611296693532008-12-13T10:27:00.003+03:002008-12-17T10:10:35.529+03:00

This past Monday, the first of 24 orphans moved into their new home. Baraka and Tumsifu are twins who lost their dad a year ago. They are three years old, but look half the age due to malnutrition. Their mother, left with 4 other children, was unable to care for them properly due to her mental illness. I first met them at Samaritan Village - they could not walk and did not make a sound. Now,

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10839971622785652266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705879331730923818.post-28772388115636247432008-12-06T11:18:00.004+03:002008-12-06T11:26:55.064+03:00

GOOD NEWS!I got off the waiting list for I-House and will be living in I-House for winter and spring quarter!! THANK YOU UCSD.I just received this news about 3 hours before I will be boarding a bus for a 22 hour bus ride through Kenya into Uganda to whitewater raft the Nile River. I'm sooo EXCITED. Some of the people going with me will also be bungee-jumping into the Nile but I don't think I have

Michael Nguyenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10056280281135805284noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705879331730923818.post-85454453285230133522008-11-30T11:18:00.002+03:002008-11-30T11:32:53.791+03:00

I will vent a little because I am very stressed that I am looking for housing from an internet cafe halfway across the world for January. Let me outline you the gist of my problems..There are 2 types of study abroad programs: EAP and OAP. EAP is UC sponsored and OAP is not. UCSD guarantees students 2 years of housing UNLESS you miss a quarter (ex. study abroad), because then you lose that

Michael Nguyenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10056280281135805284noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705879331730923818.post-14656732929409793732008-11-27T18:21:00.002+03:002008-11-27T18:26:59.938+03:00

After two long weekends back to back, we are finally back in a 5-day week of work. With one car completely out of commission for the week, we have cut down our activities that require a car and instead, been doing a lot more manual work on site.In more exciting news, one of my street kids is out of jail!! However, two others are now in jail. I guess it happens a lot more than I had originally

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10839971622785652266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705879331730923818.post-21926976062599967652008-11-13T09:51:00.005+03:002008-11-13T10:08:18.771+03:00

I have gotten many many mosquito bites here in Tanzania. So far, I've been quite lucky and not contracted the dreaded malaria parasite. Last week, however, my luck (and Sue's) ran out. Sue and I both got malaria. The expensive malaria prophylaxis I bought in the states was usurped by a single mosquito. Ironically, the anti-malarial medicine I took to defeat malaria was only 3000 shillings, a mere

Michael Nguyenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10056280281135805284noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705879331730923818.post-13057411275459828882008-11-01T11:46:00.000+03:002008-11-01T11:48:01.245+03:00

Yesterday was a definite high.You're in for a treat today. I'm so happy to share this story. I'm not sure how I feel about using their real names so I'll give them initials only for now.As you already know, every MWF, our group of volunteers meets with twenty to thirty (the number keeps changing) street kids at an unnamed site in town. We feed them and teach them English and anything else they

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10839971622785652266noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705879331730923818.post-45607705210101505032008-11-01T10:28:00.009+03:002008-11-01T11:22:48.360+03:00

Meru from Site (props to Sue for the picture)Sue stop looking!Bubbles!Sue why so surprised?!!Chaos!

Michael Nguyenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10056280281135805284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705879331730923818.post-18219819581919154312008-10-29T23:34:00.002+03:002008-10-30T00:03:00.817+03:00

I'm living a dream.Life here is not dreamy in the usual sense of the word. I love it here for completely different reasons than reasons for loving it at home.It's been so hard to blog or write lately. I want to make sure what I write and what I say accurately portrays my experience.So how do I say this?One of the kids I've been working with does not know how to write. He doesn't even know how old

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10839971622785652266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705879331730923818.post-67512003093257658412008-10-29T10:38:00.001+03:002008-10-29T10:40:40.501+03:00

Teaching in a foreign country is quite challenging.Last week, we started our HIV teachings at Mateves Secondary School and a nearby primary school, the name of which I do not know. I wish I had a picture to show the image of all the 120 staring faces the first time I entered the classroom. I'm not going to lie, I was quite nervous in the beginning. Aside from the language barrier and the

Michael Nguyenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10056280281135805284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705879331730923818.post-67453654501811707752008-10-22T20:03:00.000+03:002008-10-22T20:04:22.391+03:00

Hello all.The title explains the lack of posts.We've started teachings at local secondary and primary schools!! It's crazy and much more hectic now than before. It's exciting and crazy and everything else, but I'm so glad that we're here.Last weekend, a group of us climbed Mt. Meru. See Stephen's blog for pictures. Mine will go up eventually. What else...I'm loving the work with the street kids.

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10839971622785652266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705879331730923818.post-69226598842854565872008-10-12T11:06:00.008+03:002008-10-13T21:58:49.795+03:00

The orphanageBird's Eye view of SiteArusha at night

Michael Nguyenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10056280281135805284noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705879331730923818.post-7998745131236274932008-10-06T11:44:00.004+03:002008-10-06T12:08:50.060+03:00

...clearly the result of having internet on site.And now I can't remember what I was going to post about. This weekend in town, I spent four hours trying to find a working ATM. Did I already blog about this? Here is my problem. There is so much going on and so little time to communicate it. I wish I could RSS feed you my brain waves. I think it'd be easier. Although blogging does make me sound

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10839971622785652266noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705879331730923818.post-77884418996446330092008-10-04T17:21:00.002+03:002008-10-04T17:29:43.720+03:00

I had no idea it would be this hard to blog while being here. A huge part of me just wants to absorb everything to the fullest and keep it to myself so that when I go home, my memory would have encapsulated it all. Another part of me wants to share it all as I experience it so you all can feel what I've been feeling here. The introvert in me is winning.One of the most memorable (not in a good way

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10839971622785652266noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705879331730923818.post-55299435053202213972008-10-04T14:35:00.002+03:002008-10-04T15:15:21.452+03:00

Hey Everyone!I'm in Arusha right now and things are going great. I've spent almost 2 weeks here and Tanzania has been amazing! I'd had quite a ridiculous experience in Tanzania and I'd like to first discuss the work Sue and I are doing here.Our days are fairly structured. On MWF, we go out to Arusha to a set location and serve food to the street kids of Arusha. At times, up to 50 kids show up to

Michael Nguyenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10056280281135805284noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705879331730923818.post-20108612609758306402008-09-29T19:47:00.003+03:002008-09-29T20:21:14.003+03:00

No way! Unbelievable!There is wireless internet on site. It's nice, in a way, but I don't really like it. This experience is super different with power (solar panels) and internet. With that said, this post won't be long, but I wanted to share a few pictures (scratch that, only one.) with you all.=)I wish it was bigger, but rather than uploading again, this will have to do.

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10839971622785652266noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705879331730923818.post-23924772906451141512008-09-27T21:04:00.002+03:002008-09-27T21:13:01.442+03:00

I've got 10 min 35 sec left to blog.We haven't had power in Arusha all day today, but it was amazingly productive.We made friends the owner and chef of a local Shanghai Restaurant. Good Chinese food that we COMPLETELY beasted. Jess Gu, he remembers you! And he told us that we were the future of China (although he knows we're from Taiwan and HK) as he served us a dish of crab on the house. Our

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10839971622785652266noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705879331730923818.post-48990381225254954712008-09-22T18:33:00.000+03:002008-09-22T18:37:20.619+03:00

After many many hours flying, waiting, and waiting some more, we've finally arrived in Arusha, Tanzania! Currently we're staying at a hostel in town and will be going to site in two days. We met up with some volunteers every step of the way and ended up at JRO with a total of 8. All is well on this side of the world and we're super excited to be here.As for the long walk we expected, we were

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10839971622785652266noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705879331730923818.post-42102436134796809232008-09-20T09:19:00.003+03:002008-09-20T09:21:40.113+03:00

It's finally here!!We're leaving San Jose tomorrow morning and will arrive in TZ early Monday morning.Um, yeah.Some more lessons learned so far: packing sucks excitement can be overwhelming I don't know what else to say, except to please PLEASE keep coming back and check for updates! I love the comments we get and can't wait to share more with you all.

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10839971622785652266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705879331730923818.post-8282350932259364212008-09-20T08:13:00.002+03:002008-09-20T09:20:47.892+03:00

Will you feel guilty traveling to Zanzibar or safari knowing the the amount of money you spend on these activities could support an orphan to go to school for a year? There is some guilt, but not to the point that would make me not go. My primary purpose of going to Tanzania is not to monetarily support orphans to attend school. Although my program fees contribute to the orphanage which will

Michael Nguyenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10056280281135805284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705879331730923818.post-32745203318759589782008-09-19T05:16:00.007+03:002008-09-19T05:58:33.456+03:00

Packing for a trip is always a sweet mix of excitement and worry. "I'm leaving in 2 days!", "Do I have enough pants?", "Did I give my parents a copy of my passport?", "I can't believe its finally time."I can't believe it's this close. My heart pounds as I stuff insect repellent and clothes into an empty backpack. Each heartbeat is a second closer to my long awaited journey, a journey I would even

Michael Nguyenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10056280281135805284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705879331730923818.post-58537242587902502182008-09-18T18:47:00.000+03:002008-09-18T18:48:22.189+03:00

How will you deal with a situation in which a child doesn't want to stay at the orphanage because they were used to being on their own?This is something we have taken into consideration upon picking and choosing (as politically incorrect as it sounds, every center like ours needs some sort of criteria) kids to stay at our orphanage. OHS has been talking with some street children our volunteers

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10839971622785652266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705879331730923818.post-70831694606199554142008-09-16T03:32:00.002+03:002008-09-16T03:35:19.672+03:00

Post your question, we answer.Comments = good.1-way blog = not as good.So please, talk to us.

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10839971622785652266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705879331730923818.post-78487185058932053262008-09-09T08:20:00.002+03:002008-09-09T08:30:43.265+03:00

Our orphanage is brand new. As far as my knowledge goes, we have yet to have permanent orphan-residents. What I've been told is that part of our job is to find and bring orphans to our center. So far, the only qualification is that they are truly orphans. Although this seems obvious, it is not all that simple. Many of the children our volunteers have met and have spoken to are street children,

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10839971622785652266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705879331730923818.post-62542095813547572312008-09-06T05:20:00.006+03:002008-09-09T07:21:33.627+03:00

So last weekend Sue and I talked to Mrs. Germeraad about her trip to Tanzania (as it turns out, she went with Mrs. Hinkle earlier this summer to help teach English in a village near where Sue and I will be). I learned a lot, about her personal experience and her take on the general situation in Tanzania. A very interesting comment Mrs. Germeraad mentioned was the hopelessness that native teachers

Michael Nguyenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10056280281135805284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705879331730923818.post-85916821862869486232008-09-04T03:13:00.002+03:002008-09-04T03:23:24.526+03:00

This has absolutely nothing to do with OHS or going to TZ. However, it is entertaining so here we go.Simba = lion. Creative, I know.Nala = giftMufasa = named after a king of pre-colonial KenyaPumbaa = foolish or dumbfoundedRafiki = friendSarabi (Simba's mom) = mirageScar = because he likes giving people scars?Zazu = also just a proper noun.Timon = see aboveBit of trivia: What was the Lion King's

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10839971622785652266noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705879331730923818.post-76829805524823928252008-09-03T19:35:00.001+03:002008-09-03T19:56:00.548+03:00

my mosquito repellent is called jungle juice. i believe that speaks for itself.

Michael Nguyenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10056280281135805284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705879331730923818.post-61392991100995804002008-09-03T10:59:00.002+03:002008-09-03T11:06:57.277+03:00

One Heart Source is the name of the organization Michael and I will be working with in TZ.If you are interested in donating, first off, THANK YOU!! No joke, it is because of you people who have made this dream a reality for me. OHS is a registered non-profit, which means your donations are tax-deductible, if you so choose.To make a donation, simply mail a check to One Heart Source at:

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10839971622785652266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705879331730923818.post-33464209662749155272008-09-02T07:16:00.002+03:002008-09-02T07:46:20.606+03:00

UCLA beats Tennessee(18) 27-24 in overtime in the Bruins' first game with Rick Neuheisel!!Aside from this exciting game and good news for the Bruins...Thanks, Jess, for your question! Here and when we're over in TZ, we would love any comments, questions, or suggestions you all may have. We'll do our best to respond to them ASAP.And to answer your question, there IS internet in the town of Arusha.

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10839971622785652266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705879331730923818.post-53273232198104745562008-08-28T00:10:00.005+03:002008-08-28T02:31:33.973+03:00

P.S. (Pre-Script, in my world) This is a long one. So you get the main ideas before I bore you to death, here's a summary:Still in America, but I've learned a lot alreadyPeople = kind and generousMoney = importantDreaming = goodRealizing a Dream = AmazingEveryone needs hopeHUGE thank you to everyone in my life - you all have been listeners, maybe unwilling, to my rambling, dreaming, ranting, and

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10839971622785652266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705879331730923818.post-16760711267800633262008-08-22T21:59:00.002+03:002008-08-22T23:21:59.700+03:00

After a slow, long week with little work to do, my mind has had lots of time to wander.In my hours of Internet surfdom, I've found blogs of some of our volunteers. Joe and Stephen are recent grads of UCLA and are a part of the OHS Fall Group. Their blogs are beautifully done complete with photos and thoughts. In the weeks before we join up with them and even when Michael and I are in TZ, visit

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10839971622785652266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705879331730923818.post-33851277955938103202008-08-10T21:29:00.007+03:002008-08-11T21:43:23.167+03:00

Hey guys it's Michael,If you had asked me 3 months ago the first things that came to my mind when I heard or saw the word "Tanzania", I probably would have thought of the following things:1. Africa2. AIDS3. Ethnic Cleansing4. Leonardo DiCaprio in Blood Diamond (hey, it's a good movie)3 months later, the things that now come to my head when I hear "Tanzania" are much different. I, like many around

Michael Nguyenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10056280281135805284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705879331730923818.post-16820203856872486102008-08-10T08:59:00.007+03:002008-08-19T01:29:11.206+03:00

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10839971622785652266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705879331730923818.post-33126618775551920332008-07-31T01:08:00.007+03:002008-07-31T01:50:01.404+03:00

In other words, Hello!Welcome to Greetings from Tanzania! Don't be confused, we have yet to leave the States, but I wanted to update the site. In the upcoming weeks, Michael and I will be preparing to embark on an experience of a lifetime. With One Heart Source, we will be traveling to the Arusha District in Tanzania and spending three months there starting an education-based orphanage center. As

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10839971622785652266noreply@blogger.com1