Mimi?

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 name is B.

After a few months in Tanzania and after my Swahili was no longer miserable, I noticed something very particular about the conversations I had with Tanzanians. Upon being asked a question about themselves, most Tanzanias respond with "Me???"

Now, being a foreigner and all, I figured it may be my lacking Swahili abilities. So I waited to eavesdrop on a conversation between two locals. Strange! The same thing happened.

I tried this many times: with kids, with my peers, with middle-age adults, with elders; with the wealthy, with the middle-class, and with the poor. "Mimi?"

I tell my good friend Lillian about this and she denies the existence of such a thing. I pull her to eavesdrop on another conversation and lo and behold, Mimi? is the first response given to any question. She tells me that surely she does not have this silly habit. I agree, sarcastically, of course.

A few days later, I ask Lily what she's doing that very weekend (in Swahili) and what does she say in response? "Mimi??"

I burst out laughing.

She caught herself right after falling into my trap. She laughed too, but then we began to talk about why this odd habit exists. She suggested low self-confidence and high self-doubt.

I asked another Tanzanian about this and he suggested it as a stalling tactic. By asking a question in response to another question, it gives the responder more time to formulate an answer.

Both theories seem faulty. It seems unlikely that an entire nation's people has low self-confidence and high self-doubt. Almost as unlikely, does it seem possible for a question like "what is your name" or "how are you" require extra time.

So with no other leads, I returned to America a month later, still asking the same question. Why oh why does this happen? One quick Google search later, I find a 12-page linguistic report on Swahili. Maybe that will shed some light. If not, maybe I need to change my major and find out for myself.

Mziki

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 has enabled me to find many of these songs and the music videos (I didn't even know they existed!).

So behold, the magical YouTube powers and enjoy this amazing music.

(Side note: a few are not from TZ. P-Square is a Nigerian hip-hop group whose music is mostly in English)

This first one is by a group called Nako2Nako. It is based in Arusha, TZ, the town in which we spent all of our weekends. Many of the street kids that we worked with admire these guys - with good reason. They even have a myspace! http://www.myspace.com/nako2nako however, none of their music is on the page...but they do have a more comprehensive background on them there.

This next song is called Bado Nipo Nipo. The song doesn't really start until 38 seconds into the song and I'm not too sure why, but it is super catchy. You may find yourself singing the three words you can understand for the rest of the day. "Bado Nipo" literally translates to I'm not there yet. If only there were translated lyrics online!

This one is one of Michael's favorites! Ignore the long beep at the beginning. I don't know if it's stylistic or a fluke, but the song then starts. For the longest time, I thought the song was saying "habari nokio" but turns out the song says and is called "Habari Ndio Hiyo," but sounds more like "habari nohio" because of the slurring of ndio and hiyo. It means: That's the news! If you're sick of these videos already, don't give up on the later ones! Just come back later and check them out. I miss them dearly.
 

This next one is one of my favorites. And as I did with many of the other songs, I was mistaken on the words of this one as well. The song is called Una and is by P-unit & DNA. The chorus which says: Una jump, unaruka, una shida, zina shuka, means - You jump (English), you jump, you have problems, they fall off.

As you can see, this song is big since it's being played on MTVAfrica. The video is of higher quality and clearly P-Square has a larger budget. However, no music set from my trip is complete without this song called Do Me. Enjoy.

Nyumbani

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!

The day has come

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, just two weeks later, they are running around screaming their heads off. (I have a video of that in effect, but it'd take a day and a half to upload...so that'll have to wait)

There has been a whirlwind of events since I last updated. It has resulted in the loss of many of our volunteers. It's sad, almost tragic, that this is how we will end the volunteer program. All the times we've joked about how we should have a Survivor-type scenario with people getting voted off - happened all at once. Nonetheless, it is what it is and we do with what we have.



There was a beautiful rainbow out today - stretching from one side of Mt. Meru to the other side of our hill. Very picture perfect, unlike the ending of our program here.

On a different note, lots of things have happened with the "6 boys in Sekei". A week ago, I was about to give up on a few of them. After a strict talk with Joyce, Jacob, and Godi, their behavior improved. These boys have become some of my best friends here, despite the ever-present language barrier. (As I write this now, the boys are having more serious talks with OHS staff due to bad behavior, disrespect, and general guideline-setting for their time with OHS.) I'm going to miss them so much. We've laughed and worked together and fought and argued, but I think they now better understand our unique bond and relationship. It's hard, if not impossible, to know the personal influence, if any, I have had on these boys, but they have taught me so much about patience, poverty, persistence, loyalty, myself, Tanzanian street culture, and so much more. As my time winds down to an end, I can see its on the boys' minds as well. Emanuel asked me today, not when I will leave, but when I will return to Tanzania. Only time will tell.

We've been working on the cow pen, cementing the ground - hard, tiring work, but fun for sure. I've really enjoyed working along side these boys.

None of these entries end well or at all, but that's how it goes. Someday, I will return to this beloved place.

More on this later, I'm all out of Internet time for now!

How UCSD is actually fair (and so is life...sometimes)

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 the guts to do that and will be passing on that experience. I am actually very lucky because in 18 months, the Nile will be dammed and there will not longer be any rafting on the Nile River in Uganda.

So right now..I am super relieved and super excited for the next couple of days. Thank you UCSD!!

How UCSD is unfair

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 contract. However, if you go on an EAP program, your contract is maintained; if you go on an OAP program, your contract is dismissed. EAP and OAP programs are both encouraged by the study abroad office, but I guess one is a little better than the other. I-House was an alternative I turned to for housing, but I was rejected. The worse part was I did not get to know until this week that I was rejected, halfway across the globe. I am also on the UCSD waiting list for housing, but who knows if that will fall through..Blah.

Back to apartment hunting..

My advice: If you are a going to study abroad as a sophomore..DO EAP.

where did all the time go?

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 thought. In any case, it was good news that he was out.

I've been awful with uploading pictures because it takes YEARS with slow internet connection, but maybe this weekend, I will be more adamant about it. Last weekend I was in the most beautiful place - Zanzibar. At an Italian resort, we were just as out of place as before, but definitely enjoying the experience more. All three meals - all you can eat. We took it literally and spent three days eating and sleeping and laying on the beach. It was wonderful.

Yes, I did feel a bit guilty, but what can you do.

That's all for now, hopefully more this weekend!

Just another mosquito bite

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 2.25 dollars. At this point in the volunteer program, about 50% of the volunteers have contracted malaria and it has become quite normal as more and more of us fall to the parasite. The way malaria is "counted" is by the number of malaria parasites per 200 white blood cell count. If you score the max of a 10 count, you essentially are dead from malaria. Sue and I both scored a 2 on the Richter-scale for malaria. No worries parents, we both feel great after taking our medication. Just another day in Tanzania! haha..

Something good

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 want to learn (mostly math! thanks mom). We are organized into four families and each family has about five volunteers and anywhere from six to fifteen kids each day.

ANYHOW, I love my family and the kids are all unique and difficult at times, but I enjoy the consistency of seeing the same bunch of kids day after day.

Wednesday (10/29), I asked the kids to set a goal for themselves. A personal goal to achieve by Friday (10/31, happy halloween). We went around the group and each set a goal, volunteers included. My goal was to find out more information about how to transfer a secondary school student from one government-sponsored school to another. Four of the boys, M(15), B(15), BJ(15), and A(13), wanted to learn to play soccer. (Most of the street kids already know how to play soccer and many of them are pretty good. However, some don't like soccer so much or don't know much.) MS(16) was going to teach us a game, HZ(19) was going to teach us Swahili or Math, and AN(17) was going to learn 10 new Spanish words.

Then came yesterday.

In our circle, I asked if they remembered what I asked them to do on Wednesday. Some nodded in guilt, knowing they had not attempted their goal, others nodded in excitement, to show what they had accomplished. I started with M. He completely avoided eye contact and stared at the ground. I asked him if he had learned anything new with soccer. He continued to stare at the ground. I asked him again and he gently shook his head. Slightly disappointed that M, enthusiastic student and hard worker, failed to take me seriously when I asked him to set a goal, I started to lecture a little (haha). I said something to the effect of, "I'm not upset with you for not attempting your goal. But, I do want you to know that I'm serious when I ask you guys to set a goal for yourselves. Work towards your goal or set one that may be more realistic. This is your life. Take responsibility over your own life. If you want to get off the streets, make it happen. If you don't, that's okay too, but you are getting older and if you want to do something with your life, it is in your hands. We are here to help, not to do it for you. I promise you, I will do whatever I can to help you achieve your goals." As cheesy as it sounds in writing, I meant every word of it. It was quiet for a little and then we moved onto B. He nervously stood and grabbed the soccer ball. Juggled it three, four times, and sat down after receiving a little applause. Vania, fellow family volunteer, later told me she's seen him do this trick before. BJ attemped the same and received a similar response. Now, A has only been on the streets for a month or so. His older brother is also in our program and they both are very well-mannered and very enthusiastic learners. Earlier in the day, I saw him playing soccer with the older boys (18+) and I thought, how odd. He really is not very good at soccer, like me, and was getting laughed at by some of the older ones. Now it made sense, he had remembered his goal and was trying hard to achieve it. I was ecstatic. He showed us the same juggling trick, but the sight earlier was more than enough justification.

We moved onto MS who asked us to skip him. He wanted to teach the game at the end so we moved on to HZ. HZ asked to skip him as well, only to buy some time. AN proudly stands up and recites not ten words, but ten Spanish phrases and words and explains to us in English each meaning. After enthusiastic applause, HZ stands and begins to ramble in Swahili. "Wewe! Hatujui unasema nini." "You! We don't know what you're saying!" With advice and tips from Lillian, our TZ volunteer, HZ started over. With the little English he knows, he taught us six or seven verbs and other words in Swahili and English. After more enthusiastic applause, MS is ready to start.

MS stands up and asks us all to join him standing. In Swahili and then in English, he asks us to split into two groups and proceeds to instruct us. He teaches us the Human Knot game step by step and soon, our family, volunteers and street kids together, are laughing and playing. Usually, I see the young boys' (~age 9) family playing kid games and laughing week after week. I was so happy that MS taught us a game for everyone to enjoy together. Happy is an understatement. Not only was our family laughing and playing together, even the most unwilling kids included, some of them had achieved their goals and others, hopefully learned a good lesson.

This is the kind of work I believe is good. This is the kind of aid I believe can last. This is the kind of help I believe does not cause dependency. I love these kids.

Picture Update v2!

Meru from Site (props to Sue for the picture)










Sue stop looking!


















Bubbles!


















Sue why so surprised?!













!

















Chaos!

some verbal throw-up

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 he is because he's been on the streets for just that long. For the past two weeks, I've gotten to know him better. He gets fed breakfast, lunch, and dinner in exchange for help washing Kilimanjaro tour buses. He wants to learn, but as any student would, gets frustrated. I ask him whenever it happens if he wants to learn. He always responds with a firm yes. Then I have his attention for the next five minutes.

A week ago, he stopped showing up to our MWF meetings. I thought, maybe he lost interest in learning to write (first the ABCs and then just his name), maybe he lost interest after I declined to give him my phone number, maybe he left town. I asked around and got "he's in town" as an answer. Until today.

Today, I was told that my friend is in jail. My friend who does not know his own age - my guess is 15 or 16. My friend. In jail. Why? Stealing? No, he's in jail for raping a woman. The friend who was telling me the news tells me it's not true. This friend is also one that frequently comes high on glue. I tell him thanks for letting me know and take a step back.  What now?

I have no answers.

Another kid I work with shows up today visibly upset. I ask once and he declines my offer to talk. I give him his space and let him be. After lessons and food, I sit with him to do some work. Then he starts to talk.

He tells me the story and proceeds to ask me not to share the story.

I felt bad and then I felt proud. He acted with maturity way beyond what I've seen and known. I'm so proud of him and wish I could share why. But take my word for it, this boy will go far in life regardless of my involvement.

On our way home today, I told Kate this: I think they've taught me more in the past four weeks than I can ever teach them.

And I think that's okay. Actually, I think that's amazing.

All of this is true, but I don't feel like this is an accurate portrayal. I also don't know what else to do. I'll keep trying.

Teachings

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 difficulty to keep the some of the kids interested, things have gone great. I'm slowly learning what works well and what doesn't work well. It's surprising how some of the school activities that I loved as a kid, these kids love just as much (given I modify things here and there to account for such a huge class). Teachings have been very promising; I can really tell that some of the kids really really want to educate themselves about HIV/AIDS, and I am glad I can help them obtain the knowledge necessary to protect themselves. There have been a lot of interesting questions from the kids and a lot of misinformation..It's easy to see how incorrect information helps spread HIV. One of the kids did not know if a HIV pregnant mother could give HIV to her baby and another thought ARVs prevent you from infecting others with HIV...

On a lighter note, one of the funniest things that have happened so far involve a certain song we've taught the kids. Every class, we begin by singing a song with the kids that goes to the Ole Ole Ole tune. It goes:

Tujifunze Tujifunze, (Let's learn, let's learn)
Elimu ya Ukimwi. (Today about AIDS)

We repeat the song 3 times, each time increasing in volume and spirit. The kids really love this song and really get into the song. At the primary school last Tuesday, as we were leaving, the kids began singing the song. Jacob makes a quick sprint in the room and says something in Swahili. Right after that, the kids were screaming the song at the top of their lungs and jumping on their desks and clapping with all their might. It was crazy!


Side note to my mom: I got amoebas about 3 weeks ago because I did not wash my hands and ate dirty food so I got very bad diarrhea and a fever. I went to the hospital but the doctor tried to rip me off so I discharged myself and bought all the medication myself and I'm fine now. Sorry I did not tell you earlier, I did not want to worry you extra. I have many mosquito bites but am malaria free so far. Yay!

Hello!!!

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. I can't wait to share some of their stories and my experiences with them with you all. It is hit or miss. Some of these kids have amazing potential and ambition. Others are really just there for food.

I'm really not making much sense, I just want to say hello and yes! We are alive and well.

The orphanage now has color and is making much progress everyday!

My farmer's tan is terrible, but I absolutely love being here.

Pictures!

The orphanage














Bird's Eye view of Site














Arusha at night

2 posts in one week?!

...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 more intelligent than a direct feed, I wouldn't mind cutting out the middle man - my fingers and consciousness.

The strong personalities are coming out. Some slowly peeping and others exploding out into the open. It has been a personal and communal struggle to deal with all the personalities whether clashing in strength or in character. But then again, this is bound to happen anywhere. Not really specific to being in TZ, but nonetheless, I think it is worth mentioning. Point mentioned, done.

Yesterday, I took the dala dala from town to site. (dala dalas are the main mode of transportation for locals here - vans packed with people pounding on the doors when they need to get off - wikipedia doesn't do it justice, but maybe some more googling will help) Well, to the main road that leads to site. The entire trip from the hostel in town to our site in the boonies took a total of an hour and a half. When we approached the dala dalas waiting on the side of the street, the drivers saw only $$$. Wazungus, or foreigners (or more technically, white people), always attract the same look. It's annoying and understandable at the same time. I dislike it, regardless. This driver actually kicked out three people originally in the dala to accomodate our needs. I guess that's how it goes.

Sitting next to Michael was a man who did not give the usual "I see Wazungu" look. After telling him our destination, he nodded understandingly. He had met with a mzungu and a mchina (a white man and a Chinese man) who were trying to buy a car. Joe and Stephen, that's you. Anyhow, he was super friendly and reminded me of how easily we are pointed out in this community. The way we conduct ourselves can leave a long-lasting impression and we should be careful with ourselves.

Um okay, lost my train of thought. I LOVE the comments though, thank you for continuing to read!! That's it for now, I guess. I'll try to upload more pictures soon.

Endless Surprises

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) moments so far took place at Samaritan Orphanage. We travel there two times a week to work and play with the kids there. My favorites are the babies. All they want, like all babies in the world, is to be held and coddled. Unfortunately, with one full-time Mama, there's no way all the babies get the attention they want and need. This one darling baby is named Josephat and I played with him a lot. During our time there on Thursday, I noticed the absence of reaction to the things around him. When other babies cry, he is unaffected. At first, I assumed he was calm and patient, like Bahati (the 1yr 7mo-old who helped inspire OHS' beginnings). However, after an hour or two, I realized that wasn't the case. A clap behind a baby's head yields a surprised blink, but a clap behind Josephat's head does absolutely nothing.

The boy is deaf.

Fresh Start

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 get food. The ages range from 11-19, some having spent an entire decade living on the streets. We bring a soccer ball so they can play the beloved sport of futbol and those who don't play soccer usually sit on the side and talk to us. We hope to start English classes next week, with the goal of giving these kids a chance to life by knowing and being able to communicate in English (as many jobs here cater the the mzungu, foreigner, population). I remeber the first time I went out, the image that shook me up was when kids would find dirty plastic bags and ask for us to just put extra food into the bags so they could eat it later. We were each assigned a child to provide more individualized attention to the kids and I was assigned Hamza, an 11 year old boy that has been living on the streets for a year. He is a very very nice kid that decided to leave home because his stepmother beat him while his father was away farming Tanzanites. He loves ndeges (airplanes) and his favorite color is, surprisingly, pink! I'm very excited to mentor him and really want to help him find a home.

On T,TH. we go to the Good Samaritan Orphange to play with the kids there, an orphange which houses babies, toddlers, and young kids. We usually bring art supplies for the kids and spend some time playing games and drawing with them. Some of us also spend time helping the one mama that has the watch over 30 kids with basic chores like folding laundry. I've become close to one child named Moses. He is 8 and is quite a intelligent child. I remeber the first time I saw him, he was quite shy and none of the other volunteers were talking to him, so I approached him. He was looking at his math homework and I soon discovered he had quite an interest in school. His English is amazing for his age and I see a lot of potential in him. Last Thursday I was outside the orphange playing frisbee with one of the other kids when Moses runs out of the house and gives me a big hug with a giant grin on his face. I'm glad he was happy to see me :]

I will post more later!

Blogging on Site?!

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.

Lightning-speed Post

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 Mandarin skills paid off, so did our easily foreign appearance as we recognized the two Chinese men from our hostel the night before. I've also seen the two men walking on the streets of Arusha, looking just as out of place as I'm sure I do. Either way, the food was good, and we loved the taste of home. The most veggies I've had in a LONGGG time.

The diet, indeed, is mostly rice and beans, but it is so much better than that. Those are definitely the things that fill you up, but the cabbage dish the mamas make are delicious as are anything else we get treated with (or so it seems).

Yesterday we went on an all-day adventure on Mt. Meru. Although we did not climb the thing just yet, we hiked to a waterfall with a guide named Mwalimu (Swahili for teacher, lol. he thought it was a weird name too). Lots of team bonding so far around the campfire and in our little mud huts. I WILL find a time, SOON to post pictures, but we've had enough trouble getting POWER on the weekend in Arusha, much less Internet.

Today we also went to market today to buy fabric, pick up skirts we got made, and such.

Um. yeah. I know it's a lot of rambling and probably does not make sense, but I'm so happy to be here and cannot wait to REALLY start our program this Monday.

Tanzania(ns) is(are) more beautiful than I could've imagined.

Karibu!

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 lucky enough to get picked up by Jacob (a local who works with OHS) and dropped off at the hostel. Tomorrow we'll get more acquainted with the town and then get ready to see our own site!


The drive here was entrancing. More on this later, but everyone stares and the kids all smile and wave. It's unreal that we're finally here, but adjustment will happen quickly, I'm sure and many more stories will follow!

Time to go!

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.

Q & A

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 support a group of orphans to attend school, what I bring to Tanzania is information and friendship. Information as in the ability to help educate people about the transmission of HIV/ AIDS and friendship, as in I will extend my hand to those society has turn its back on and chose not to remember. Because of this, how I spend my money does not reflect my dedication to this cause. It would be foolish of me to not spend any money so I could send all my money to support these orphans. I have to take care myself as well and at this stage in my life, cannot dedicate my full efforts to this; especially when I have not even moved out and began supporting myself.

Packing

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 consider calling an odyssey (given that Homer allows me). Time can't seem to go fast enough. I've waited long for this opportunity and it is so close. I'm ready to make a difference. I'm excited.

Am I prepared? I'm worried that maybe I should buy a pair of REI pants. Do I have enough money for 3 months abroad. I better not forget my malaria pills. Are my tennis shorts thick enough to prevent bug bites? My Swahili is not that great, I hope I can pick it up fast. Will I-House accept my application for housing? What will I do if I don't get housing? Will I get the oppurtunity to achieve what I set to accomplish? I'm worried.

A question asked:

Is AIDS just an inevitable form of population control as was the black plague?

AIDS is not a form of population control because people know exactly how to prevent a new infection. Numerous studies have provided us with enough information to know exactly how this disease spreads and how it debilitates the human body. It is not the weak and helpless that fall victim to this disease; it is the poor and uneducated that are infected by HIV. In many developed countries, HIV education and treatment is top-notch and there has been great success in reversing the spread of this disease. In many third world countries, however, HIV infections are still on a rampant rise. For example, pregnant mothers in many developing countries can not afford or do not know about drugs such as Nevirapine that reduce the chances of mother to child HIV transmission by 50%. In a country like America, a pregnant HIV+ mother would not even have blink before doctors started her on Nevirapine. The spread of AIDS is not a population control; it is the absence of education and international intervention.

Some Answers

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 have met during the summer and asked that they meet at a certain place and time every week. The ones that come are given some food and are a little bit closer to having a home. The ones that are consistent show us a desire to have a home and a family. We do this because we are not there to tell them what is right, only provide a good, solid option for living. If they do not want to be at an orphanage, we certainly won't make them.

How will you react to resistance when you teach community education workshops that challenges the "traditional" way things are done? For example, sex education or contraceptive use? 

I expect that a lot of the resistance will not all that apparent to us volunteers. Why? These community workshops are completely voluntary on their part. Those who attend want to hear what we have to say, maybe knowing that it challenges their current knowledge of HIV/AIDS. In terms of their "traditional" way things are done, our workshops hope to cater to those traditional ways by only allowing males to give condom demonstrations to males and having females speak with expecting mothers about preventing HIV transmission to their newborns. Contraceptive use is not unheared of nor uncommon in Tanzania. They have their own national brand of condoms called Salama and its usage is very popular. What does challenge the traditional way is that condom usage is solely the responsibility of the male. It is not proper for wives to ask their husbands to use condoms because it suggests promiscuous behavior and infidelity (men are allowed to have multiple wives, but not vice versa). To cater to this, we have tailored our curriculum to encourage males to use condoms and expose women to the benefits of condoms while encouraging them to use female condom (aka diaphragm) to protect themselves.

Great questions, Sue! Thanks for asking. As for Anonymous, we will post the responses to your questions soon! Feel free to ask more questions.

Your turn.

Post your question, we answer.


Comments = good.

1-way blog = not as good.

So please, talk to us.

How would you choose?

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, but not orphans. Many of them had left their villages to find work in Arusha. Some had even left orphanages in search for a way of life with less restriction and more freedom. As disheartening as it seems, I guess it was naive of me to think that our help would be in great demand by all.

After being sparked by Michael's question, hence the title of this post, I want to open up this question to all of you. How would you choose? What kind of criteria would you create?

The basics: Is this child an orphan (specifically, are both parents deceased)? Does this child want help?

Another thing I think you all should know. In the words of OHS...

The purpose of empowering education is to promote academic enrichment, life skills, and character development of the children to build effective lives and become potential community leaders, so that they may continue the cycle of positive social change.

Education is the way we choose to help.

Pioneers

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 in Tanzania have towards the deteriorating situation there. Mrs. Germeraad worked closely with several Tanzanian primary school teachers and told us that, despite their optimistic and welcoming appearances, on the inside, they are quite overwhelmed with sadness, depression as they watch the young be destroyed by violence, poverty, and disease. Although she tried to comfort her fellow educators, it is hard to give hope to those who have spent their lives seeing failure all around them.

I hope to those who I meet and encounter overseas, those who have given up all hope, those who are calloused from misery, those who believe that tomorrow does not bring a better future, I can show and prove to them that they are wrong, that in the end, people can make a difference, and that by helping one person escape this cycle, you have already changed the world.

Bloc Party - Pioneers

If it can be broke then it can be fixed, if it can be fused then it can be split
It's all under control
If it can be lost then it can be won, if it can be touched then it can be turned
All you need is time

Nothing is hopeless. Believe.

Per Jen's Request

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 = gift
Mufasa = named after a king of pre-colonial Kenya
Pumbaa = foolish or dumbfounded
Rafiki = friend
Sarabi (Simba's mom) = mirage

Scar = because he likes giving people scars?
Zazu = also just a proper noun.
Timon = see above



Bit of trivia: What was the Lion King's original title?

jungle juice

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

How to Donate

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:
One Heart Source
PO Box 24293
Los Angeles, CA 90024

In the memo, feel free to put in the name of specific volunteer(s) if you wish to contribute to so-and-so's fund in particular. If that is not your cup of tea, you are welcome to leave it blank - this ensures that the money goes to the organization and straight to the children.

Now that it is September, counting down the days is a whole lot easier!



17 days...

GO BRUINS!

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. Mateves Village, where we will be centered, is a half-hour drive away from the budding town of Arusha and has no internet. However, we will be visiting Arusha (FYI, I tend to refer to it as "town" - and Mateves as "village") on the weekends for supplies, hot shower (if so desired), and of course, connection with the folks from home!


This weekend, Michael and I went shopping for supplies and got super-compact sleeping bags (for easy carrying) and LOTS and LOTS of insect repellent.

Malaria = bad.

That's it for now, thanks for reading!

Thank You!!

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 already
  
• People = kind and generous
• Money = important
• Dreaming = good
• Realizing a Dream = Amazing
  
• Everyone needs hope
  
• HUGE thank you to everyone in my life - you all have been listeners, maybe unwilling, to my rambling, dreaming, ranting, and unending excitement
  

My journey to Tanzania is a long (and fortunately so) and exciting one. I have yet to leave California, but feel that I have learned so much from this experience already. From Day 1, I knew this would be a great challenge for myself, part because of the preparation and part because of the trip itself. And it is because of the challenge, that I strived to accomplish something new.

Days 1-5 upon acceptance were ones full of excitement, frustration, joy, and disappointment. Maybe I expected too much of my first-generation parents, but let me tell you, they were not happy. When I was home a few weeks prior, I told my dad of my application to One Heart Source and he was very supportive (maybe naively so). I thought my acceptance into the volunteer program would be similarly received. I was naive, too. My mom, who was not home during my visit, was shocked. Every phone call that week started calm and ended in tears. I thought, "This is it. Every kid has their pivotal argument with their parents and here is mine. Things will never be the same." It wasn't a fun week, but I was not about to give up this chance.

The people from OHS I had met at the introductory meeting weeks before blew my mind! They were truly inspirational. I loved their goals, their dreams, and saw myself working beside them. Almost two years into my college career, I was thrilled to meet a group of people I felt at home with. Don't get me wrong, I made good friends before this, but this felt too good to be true. I wasn't going to let it go.

Days 6-20 I rarely called home, in fear that a conversation about Africa would only yield to more argument and more dismay. The arguments had become repetitive, time consuming, and unproductive.

As the Calming Period came to an end, other goals surfaced. I had, for the time being, given up on convincing my parents that I was doing something good in this world, not ruining my life. Money was the next hurdle. Where was I, a full-time student and part-time tutor and shuttle driver, going to get $4500?

Then, there was the facebook event. And then countless messages, e-mails, and phone calls.

And somewhere out of this mess, you showed me great amounts of generosity. The monetary amount is not what surprised me. Almost FOURTY donors contributed to my Tanzania fund. Many more of you have helped in many other ways. Probing questions, insightful suggestions, worrisome cautions and lots and lots of encouragement and expressions of support have greatly helped me realize my dream. Thank you.

The journey from Point A (wanting to go to Africa) to Point B (going to TZ in just 24 days) has been a great one. Although there is a long and exciting journey ahead of me, the one so far has been amazing. I have surpassed my own expectations and am so excited to keep moving forward.

Planning for this trip has been my largest challenge yet. Playing tuba was tough, so was playing and then quitting rugby. This, tops it all. I wanted it more and it required more work than ever before. Hope, love, and lots of dedication has made this possible. Everyone needs hope. I believe we can bring hope to some of the orphaned children in Tanzania. I believe we will.



Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for all of your help.

I can't wait to tell you more.

In 29 days

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 their sites for more thorough and very likely more eloquent updates.

I'm nervous, scared even. I'm excited, more than anything.

Our reasons, our purposes, their lives

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. Africa
2. AIDS
3. Ethnic Cleansing
4. 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 me, have been somewhat ignorant to the problems that plague the African continent. Today, I am much more educated in the problems that plague the specific nation of Tanzania. Looking back at my old list, number one of my list still works. Tanzania is most definitely in Africa, Sub-Sahara Africa to be specific. Numbers 3,4 on the other hand..ehhh..not so much. There is, however, currently violence in neighboring Kenya, but Tanzania has not been the breeding ground for many racial wars. Blood Diamond was definitely set in Africa, but more than 1000 miles away from Tanzania. Set in Seirra Leone, Blood Diamond has nothing to do with Tanzania.

Number 2 on the list..a totally different story. AIDS is a huge problem in Tanzania and I'd like to post some numbers from the OHS site just to show how big and how devasting of a problem HIV/AIDS has been in the nation of Tanzania and inform you guys a little about why I am going to Tanzania.

-In Tanzania alone, there are currently 2.4 million orphans, with 1.1 million of them orphaned by HIV/AIDS. Tanzania is the country with the second highest number of orphans due to the epidemic worldwide. It is projected that by 2010 there will be 2.9 million orphans, and increasing numbers for at least the next decade.

-6.5% of the population between 15-49 is HIV positive.

-Currently there are 52 orphanages caring for 3000 children in Tanzania. NONE are community-based programs that foster academic and practical education, life skills, and community leadership development.60% of females will turn to prostitution, and 80% of males become incarcerated at least once within three years.

-On the streets of Arusha, Tanzania, with every square mile there are more than 1,200 orphaned street kids.

-Mother-to-child transmission of HIV accounts for 18% of newly infected in Tanzania.

This is their lives and my reason and my purpose for being a part with OHS.

[sidenote]

Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony was crazy cool.

I believe in angels

Hamjambo!

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 we speak, there are volunteers from UCLA, USC, and other universities working hard to build the center and volunteer quarters. The 10-acre land is in Phase I of development and hopefully by the time our Fall Group is done, 3-acres of it will be developed.

In merely 51 days, we will be leaving San Jose for a far away land. As dreamy as it sounds, I face this near-future with excitement and a great deal of anxiety. Throughout the past few weeks, my driving hours to and from work have been occupied with mental preparation for what's to come. I'm also almost done with Greg Mortenson's Three Cups of Tea and the imagery of destitute living situations Mortenson and David Oliver Relin provides has been overwhelming. Although the climate and landscape of Tanzania is quite different from that of Pakistan, poverty knows no limits. The difficulties may vary, but the extent of what lacks is great in many places throughout the world. Much of my anxiety comes not from the drastic change in living standards I am about to face, but from a mixed-bag of excitement and uncertainty that comes with knowing very well my fate may turn out to be like Mortenson's. But like I am always told, take one step at a time.

My job at the Tech Museum's summer camp is wrapping up with only two more weeks in store. Once that takes place, it'll be time for serious planning. An actual packing list, a camping backpack to store all my things, a long shopping list, review of Swahili and OHS curriculum and lots and lots of thinking. Honestly, the excitement is hard to contain. I spend much of the day daydreaming, wondering, and waiting for September 19th to come my way. When co-workers ask about my upcoming trip, my mood shifts. I feel my spirits lifting and find myself much happier with everything that is going on. No words can express that feeling. Maybe, just maybe, I've found it. Maybe this is my calling. Maybe this is my greatest passion. Maybe this is what I'll do for the rest of my life.

But then again, I remind myself:
Take one step at a time.

Some ways you can help:

• Donate - money, soccer balls, anything else you think we may need
• Suggest - give tips on traveling, supplies, medical things
• Questions - get us thinking