Happy, Happy, Happy....

New Years brings hope, excitement and new energy for me. In the past, I would spend New Year’s Eve having a decent meal on the early side of the evening to beat the crowds.  We would be home and in front of the TV before a lot of people had left their houses.  We would rise and shine early on the first of the year and linger over coffee and dreams of the year to come.   We sat with a yellow legal pad, bank statements, investment statements and a tattered sheet of paper from the year before. Last year’s list would undoubtedly look like this:

Save $$XXX done dated xxx

Save $$$ XXX

Invest in XXX done dated xxx

Invest in XXX done dated xxx

Pay off XXX  Interest rate 12%   done dated xxx

Pay off XXX  Interest rate 10.5% done dated xxx

Purchase XXX done dated xxx

Purchase XXX done dated xxx

Purchase XXX

Purchase XXX

Items were highlighted and dated when completed.  My lists were very productive, efficient and useful.

Inevitably not everything was completed.  The UNDONES were the first to move over to the new year’s list.  And then we would sit and make a plan for the year that was upon us.  What did we want?  How much money should we save?  Should we build a barn, a pool, a new garage?  Should we buy another car?  A motorcycle?  Another TV or furniture?  Spread out on the kitchen table was the plan for the year, as well as all the reasons that I needed to work as hard as I did.  

For the last three years, New Year’s has been a little different. The “We” in my life has changed. There are no financial statements hanging around.  Investments aren’t on my radar.  Making sure I have enough money to sustain myself for another year is all that matters. I don’t think beyond that anymore.  I spend New Year’s Eve with friends and stay out late, eating kettle corn, going for tea, playing cards, walking around town, watching fireworks.   I let out my “Oohs” and “Aahs” as we huddle in the cold staring at the greens, blues, yellows and reds that burst into patterns in the sky.  We hold hands and hug each other and wish each other Glad Tidings for the next year, as well as for the next twenty four hours that are ahead of us. We have all come to learn that the gift of life is not in the things we have, but rather in the moments we spend with each other.  

The “We” in my life has become my posse, a group of friends who has carried me through the trials and tribulations of a life well lived.  They believe in me.  They tell me I can do things.   They use words like “honesty”, “gratitude”, and “courage”.  They talk about fear, anger and loneliness.  They are authentic.  They push me to be a better person, by being examples themselves.

This year’s lists have expanded into my hallway.  There are four 8 1/2 x 11 sheets of white paper as well as some miscellaneous stuff, including three white index cards, taped to my wall.

The index cards have been around for a while.  They have made it through many transitions.

Card 1 reads “What do I want?”

Card 2 reads “Serenity”

Card 3 reads “Peace”

A pink index card says “Clean Out”.  This too has been around for a while.  It reminds me to get rid of things...regularly.

There is a full face shot of James, one of the oldest boys at Flying Kites, smiling back at me.  He has beautiful white teeth and spectacular dimples.  His eyes twinkle and scream “Come back to see us.”  James is quiet, shy and reserved.  Yet there he is, hanging on my wall, pushing me to do things that I didn’t think were possible.  

The four pieces of paper are each a list of their own.

To Pack/Kilimanjaro Hike

Medical Issues/Fundraising Ideas

To Purchase

To Do

Each task is boldly written in black sharpie.  Line items are written with purpose and intent.  

It’s count down mode.  Count down to the New Year.   Count down to getting technology issues straightened out.  Count down to seeing the kids.  Count down to being in the presence of greatness... yet again.  

When I wrote Orphanage in Kenya last year, I couldn’t have imagined what that would mean. It’s a life beyond my wildest dreams.  Dream Big Dreams.  They CAN come true.

Thank you for a great 2010 and for being part of this journey.  

I wish you all peace, serenity and your own set of miracles in the year to come. 

Holiday Gratitude.....

That's Major Moss, commonly known as Spike in our family.  

That's the award ceremony when he was promoted.

That's my little brother.

He left his six month tour of Iraq on Sunday, got stuck in Qatar for a few days and will be home in St. Louis on Friday.  He is going to beat Santa to his house.

The three piece tree was snapped together the day after Thanksgiving.  The multicolor big bulbs scream "FUN" out my front window.   There are strings of multi colored lights zig zagging throughout the inside of the house.  The strands outside resemble a clothes line.  The neighbor's elegant white lights that perfectly drape each shrub say "Peace.  Harmony."  We aren't on the same page.

There are not a lot of presents this year.  There's not a lot of hub bub.  There's not a lot of stuff.  However, the house has been full of friends, food and laughter.  People pop in.  There are discussions about love, gratitude, helping others and hopes for the new year.  No one cares that my lights don't match.  They just want a cup of coffee and to laugh out loud.  There's no cost for this.

Everyone has a roof over their head.  Some friends don't have jobs.  Some have health issues.  Some aren't doing so well.  But none of us are alone.  It's a posse of people that support each other.  When we hear each other's stories sometimes we think "WOW... I thought I had it bad" and then realize that our life looks a little better.  

On Friday I will become a crazy cat lady and load Punky and Mazey into the mini van and head over the river and through the woods towards Binghamton, to spend time with my family.  The cats will either find a spot on the dashboard or stare out the windows from the passenger seat at the passing vehicles.  When we arrive at the homestead, my brother's dog will be terrorized by my furry kids.  Chaos will erupt for a period of time.  My sister and my niece will try to calm down the dog.  There will be hugs and kisses and "How was your trip?" My dad and nephew will unload my car.  "Do you want something to eat?"  Eventually, we will settle in to that comfortable routine that each family has.  And once again, I will fall into the love that is so special in my life.

The holidays are special but I am grateful that this exists in my life each day of the year.  

Happy Holidays.

Getting Ready...Again

Ok Hannah.... I am tired of looking at the seventy two pictures that you took the last day I was in Njabini.  We need some new stuff.  I’ll be there January 10, 2011.

Things I will do different....

I am bringing my laptop.  The blackberry is phenomenal for posting to Facebook but writing on that dinky screen was totally annoying.

I am not bringing thirteen boxes painted with big yellow smiley faces.  That big lady at customs scared me.  If you want to help, please donate and tell me what you want me to buy.  The matrons say we need black shoes, trousers for the boys and toothpaste.  Not a bad shopping list.

Groundbreaking for the Carly “Pie” Liptak Memorial Clinic was a few weeks ago.  The generosity of Josh and Jared Furtado is allowing for the construction of this facility at our new campus.  My guess is that this building will be completed in February.  I hope to be part of the process of getting it up and running.  Maybe furniture????  Ha!!!    

Below is the vision for the Flying Kites Njabini Campus.  It is aggressive, ambitious and exciting.  These children deserve the same amenities we would provide for our own children.  It is not too much to expect that the world's population has clean water and clean air.  It is not too much to suggest that infrastructures for transportation and healthcare exist in developing countries.  There is nothing that is too much to imagine.  "Dream Big Dreams".  Flying Kites has taught me well.

Sometimes I wonder "Why do I keep wanting to name my stuff FEAR?"  It sounds so depressing or scary or emotional.   I know the answer.  Every time I make a decision I get scared.  My decision in July to NOT go back to work was SCARY.   If I didn't sell furniture than who was I?  A few people asked "What are you doing?"  "Writing a book," came the answer, hesitantly.  The chuckles came quickly from the other end of the phone.  I hate to admit it, but I would also giggle.  I was scared to admit that I was doing something out of the ordinary.  I was scared what people would think of me.  I was scared that I wasn't good enough.  And yet, somehow, I spent weeks holed up in my basement surrounded by stacks of paper.  I wrote and edited and made a strategic plan of what my book would look like.   I threw out tons of pages that read something like  "Waa, Waa, Waa" complaining... whether it was about relationships or furniture or money or cancer or friends.   I lightened the load in so many ways.   It was the cheapest therapy I have ever had!!!  Now I don't know if I was really writing a book or just trying to figure out how to recreate myself.  No matter what...it was scary and it was work.

My writing teacher told me I would need a "platform" if I really wanted to write a book.
A what?
A platform.  As she described it to me, it is having a presence on the internet.  Today's publishers are no longer just looking at manuscripts.  They want to know if their potential client has done anything to market themselves.  So somehow in this process,  an orphanage in Africa is making me learn a TON about technology...  Please check out new website/platform.   

www.fear-lol.com

I have learned about widgets and gadgets and counters and html and url.  So much more than I really wanted to know but it's just part of the plan now.  My hope for this website is twofold...
(1) create an identity on the internet  (if you have people you think might be interested in this story or this cause PLEASE pass along)
and
(2) motivate people to not take themselves too seriously and help others, even if it is a simple "Good Morning" to a stranger on the street.  The only way I have been able to come to some kind of balance in my life since my cancer saga has been to push through my fears and do something equally challenging for the good of others.  Let's make the world a better place, a little bit at a time.. WE CAN DO IT!!!!!!!

It's A Wonderful Life and I am so happy to bring you along for the next ride.  

Laugh Out Loud....

Toyota, cleaning house and washing sneakers

Toyota is HUGE in Kenya.  Everywhere  I went, there were Toyotas.  They all had different names than in the US but they were very similar.  There was a Corona that looked just like a Corolla.  There were cars similar to the Camry and the Avalon.  Our safari vehicle was a Toyota. The SUVs that have the spare wheel on the outside all have covers that say “The car in front is always a Toyota.”  

We had private drivers a few times that had Toyotas.  I loved sitting in the front seat with them and asking them about their cars.  They all loved their vehicles.  Some of them had upwards of 300,000 miles on them.  They had been purchased used from Asia and ended up at the coast in Mombasa.  The people i spoke to were thrilled to buy a car with 100,000 miles already on it and run it for several more years.  They maintained the vehicles and were generally pleased with this brand.  

I asked on numerous occasions about Honda but I didn’t get any feedback on this brand.  The next best thing is Nissan.  So, if you ask me, I will continue to purchase my Toyotas.  If they can hold up in THAT environment and last like they do over there, I will keep driving my Sienna minivan with the 220,000 miles on it.  It looks like i might be able to get another couple years out of it.

This brings me to another point - maintenance.  In Njabini, there is not excess anything.  People take care of what they have.  Every morning at the center the floors were swept and washed.  I think a lot of this had to do with seventeen kids living there but i know that even in the homes of the locals keeping things tidy is important.  Everyone is respectful of their “stuff” whether it be a thatched roof hut or a cinder block house or a shed in the middle of the forest.  The gardens are always tended to. The walkways are clean.  The rubbish is picked off the ground.  Everyone does the best they can with what they have.  As i have reentered my old routines, I find there is great joy for me in doing daily tasks such as washing the dishes, cleaning the windows or doing the laundry.  They remind me of a place not so far away that had these tasks as the biggest thing i had to do in that day.

This weekend I needed to clean the stench out of the 2001 Toyota mini van.  I emptied the contents of the vehicle and started from the top down.  The windows got windexed.  The doors were polished.  the carpet pads were removed and washed out with soap and water and a great brush.  The interior carpet was scrubbed and vacuumed.  It was a purging.  I realized I was grateful that i had a car.  

And then i thought about my shoes.  The matrons always washed their shoes.  I tend to let my get filthy and think there is nothing i can do about it and just buy new.  Embarassing.  I yanked out my sneakers that were covered in Njabini dirt and sprayed them with Shout.  The brush and i got to work.  I cleaned each sneaker for a good ten minutes, rinsing every so often with the water hose.  I thought about how Lucy Obama had taught me how to scrub my shoes.  She must have thought i was a doltz.  This may not seem like a big deal and maybe other people do this regularly, but to me it was like getting a brand new pair of sneakers.  I was on a roll so i pulled out the LL Bean hiking sandals and did the same thing.  

I had just saved $25 on a car wash, $100 on a new pair of sneakers and $50 on a new pair of sandals.  I had used my parents soap and brush and water hose.  I realize I am becoming frugal.  I can live on a lot less.  I am very happy knowing this.  

HBO's A Simple Act...

Please watch it.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Continuing to evolve....

One week later... different coffee shop.... different part of the state... different computer... different email address...different i-pod...different address (it's now DNP 2528 - my license plate number)..different attitude.

Yes, i have changed. And I willing to make this very public. I want to question things loudly and allow people around me to question themselves AND ME. I am being asked "Why Africa? Why not help people here in the states?" A friend suggested that Africa allows Americans the opportunity to believe in the goodness of humanity and allows us the chance to make a difference in a way we are challenged with here. My father suggests that there are children in West Virginia, Louisiana, Brooklyn in need of assistance. I don't disagree. Are there orphanages here in the US? Absolutely. Are there adoptions that need to happen here? Yes. Are there services available in the United States to help those in need? Yes. Is there corruption here too? Yes. There are just different levels of help needed in different parts of the world. I am questioning the inequalities that exist within our planet.

Part of my re-entry also includes my regular visits to the hospitals. I found out that my radiation oncologist lived in Tanzania for a year in the 80s. He was involved in doing some testing to find out if mosquitos carried the HIV virus as the epidemic was starting. He also climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro. It's on my bucket list. I have to make this happen. It is just too much of an adventure challenge for me to pass up. This is one of Flying Kites fundraising projects www.fkadventurechallenges.org Check it out. At the second hospital, I needed to have my regular blood work done that will hopefully tell me i am cancer free next week. It was wonderful to see all my nurses and doctors and social workers and everyone who was part of my 2009. These are very special people. My medical team was very supportive of me when i said I was going to Africa. "Go.. Go live your life" they all smiled at me as i was shaking inside. And now i am trying to get all of them to go back with me. It's so do-able. It's just about getting on an airplane and heading east with one or two stops in between. And then it is all about what happens between your ears. And isn't that the story of our lives? Really? How do we want to think about things?

One more thing that has been going through my head is my writing class. I started in January with the thought that i wanted to write a book about my cancer experiences. I was kind of pissed off when my teacher asked me "Why is your story so different?" on the first day of class. I didn't know. It was different because it happened to ME. And that seemed like it should be enough. We met on a monthly basis and shared 750 words and we got to evaluate each other's work. I had zero experience and i was in a class with speech writers for governors and English professors from the local university and freelance writers from the local newspaper. I was a furniture sales person that just likes to write. In the middle of the six week class I announced that i would not be finishing it - I was going to Africa. The teacher told me to keep writing. Keep telling my story. Now my story consists of living out of my van and/or my motorcycle for six weeks with just enough clothes to fit in two saddlebags, a couple laptops and a pillow and blanket. I have decided that i am content living like this - for now.

A story from my last week i was in Kenya...
I had hopped on the matatu in Nairobi headed back to Njabini. I was the only white person on the bus and everyone was wondering where i was going to sit... almost like i had a disease or something. I ended up in the back of the bus next to a young lady. She spoke very good english and we had a fantastic conversation. At some point the conversation turned to Africa as a whole. In general it seems that Rwanda has become the most friendly culture within this area of Africa. I was very ignorant when the genocide happened (1994). Actually, i was pretty ignorant up until May 1, 2010. There are only two tribes in Rwanda, the Tutsi and the Hutu. Long story short, about 800,000 Tutsi were killed during a very short time period. The woman in the seat next to me told me about a friend of hers who had lost her parents. They had been massacred by their next door neighbor who had been a friend of the family in the past. Years after the killings, the murderer went to the children of the couple to ask for forgiveness. The children sat with him, drank tea and let him know that what was done was done and that although they had been angry, sad and devastated because of his actions, they forgave him. They are friends again. I don't know how people do this. THIS is an act of faith. I am told that because of the pain the country as a whole has gone through, they are basically a gentle lot. My perception (because of my ignorance) was about mean people and machetes and jungles. Not the case.


I often wonder now, why didn't i just commit to doing a 5K run and raising money for cancer research? Why didn't i just volunteer at the oncology center? Why didn't i organize something to help others with cancer? And now I know. I did not want cancer to BE my life. It takes up enough of my time as it is. I didn't want it to control every part of my brain. THAT is not what i wanted my life to be. However, I wanted to do something to help. I needed to give back. I needed it to be something bigger than just the United States or Brooklyn or West Virginia or breast cancer. I needed to look at the world view of need and acknowledge my ignorance, my short sightedness and really push me out of my comfort zone - language, culture, color. It was the only way to move on for me.

Below is one of the links that got me to really believe in this cause. My problems can be so small. As I learn more, I know that everything is relative. EVERYTHING. I hope you get a sense of the cause when you watch this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-YaLd2SF7c



"It's a world of laughter, a world of tears
It's a world of hopes and a world of fears
there's so much that we share
that its time we're aware
it's a small world after all."

CHORUS
It's a small world after all.
It's a small world after all.
It's a small world after all.
It's a small, small world.

There is just one moon and one golden sun
And a smile means friendship to everyone
Though the mountains divide
And the oceans are wide
It's a small small world.

CHORUS"

DISNEY LYRICS

Re-entry, integrity and daydreaming

Yes, I have arrived safely back in the states. As I sit at a coffee shop with my i-pod plugged into my head, i am trying to disappear in the middle of everything. Spending five dollars for a coffee and a bagel reminds me that I fed a family of six for a week with thirteen dollars. I am avoiding going to the grocery store, Target and any large facility. I am basically avoiding a lot. I can't tell people what happened to me in Njabini. And I guess I wonder if people REALLY want to know or if they are just being polite. OOOPS.... I might be a bit angry right now. A guy in a Peace Shirt just walked by and my automatic response was - WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? And WHO AM I to ask that question? I don't have a clue what his story is. Maybe he has spent years in Rwanda in the Peace Corps. Maybe he sends money every month to those in need. Maybe he sits with his ailing mother and holds her hand every week. I don't know anyone's story other than mine and I have no right to judge others. NONE.

I have spent hours looking at facebook pictures from the last ten weeks... a high school reunion that i missed, a sorority reunion that i didn't get to attend, hundreds of pictures of smiling kids and snow topped mountains and watering holes and houses built of sticks and cow dung.

I am questioning my integrity. I wonder.... did i do this so people would say "wow---that's awesome.. going to africa to work with kids. you are amazing." listen, do i enjoy that? Absolutely. I get a rush from the attention. There is a piece of me that says i should help others and not tell anyone about it. THAT'S true integrity. However, when i ask myself about my motives, i know that deep in my heart, i went to make a difference. Could i have done this and been quiet about it? I don't think that is within my character. I wanted to share this experience with my friends and family for lots of reasons. I wanted to bring you all along with me as best i could. I would be truly thrilled if all of you could share the passion that i have for this place. i thought i was going to help these children but as usual, that wasn't what happened. africa saved me from myself. society says to do the "safe" things. africa says "do the right thing". Think about starving children. Pay attention to HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis in developing countries. Cancer isn't even on their radar. They are more concerned about getting de-worming meds. Healthcare reform for all? Is that just a right of Americans? Read the newspaper and learn about the world. Be aware of bombings in foreign countries and try to understand why we can't all just get along. Be open to the bigger picture. Activism? No way. Make a difference? Yes, we can. (OMG.... Am I really saying that? I am the girl that wants to stay in her own pink bubble and mind her own business. I wanted other people to do the work and just stay safe and secure in my white, middle class society. REALLY?) By sharing this experience with all of you, I hope i have shown you a small piece of Africa and there might be a spark of enthusiasm to try SOMETHING outside of your comfort zone. Ultimately, I hope that i can pull some of you along to participate at a greater level for this cause, whether it be climbing Mt Kilimanjaro with fundraising goals to go with it, sponsoring a child (sending money) or just praying for these kids at night.

i'm daydreaming about Reality TV shows, New York Times Bestsellers, anything that would create a HUGE awareness and some funding for Flying Kites. Sometimes things this big just seem like pipe dreams but I am reminded to Dream Big Dreams, Work Hard and Stick Together. And then I remember that if it is supposed to happen, it will - somehow.

Other revelations of late...
Air conditioning is an amazing invention.
Cars are over rated.
I don't need three closets of clothes.
I don't need half the shoes I own.
I can travel for weeks on end with not much more than a big back pack.
Wet ones are fantastic
Washer/Dryer --- wonderful.
Summer is a great season.
Being true to yourself is hard to do.

Ice cream? What's that?

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Note to self...

Saturday
Village Market Mall with kids
Pet store
Big Nakumatt
Waterslide park
Pizza
Ice cream

Highlight according to joseph - the fish in the pet store. So easily amused.

Sunday
4th of July
Church with the kids
8 Scottish and 4 Kenyan scouts arrive - same people as on train to mombasa
Sheep roasting on BBQ
Confetti bonfire and dancing to the Land Rover stereo.
Bonfire and s'mores

Monday
Tricia, Devon and Brendan leave. I am glad to be leaving on a sunday so I won't have to deal with the school kids' goodbye. Went to Nairobi - shopped at city market (an experience onto itself) and met up with julia and frannie for dinner at thai chi and goodbyes. The duck curry is superb. As we packed everyone into the car outside the terminal, there was a guy who had set up his business between two taxis. His business is sharpening machetes on a tire wheel. I almost didn't think twice about it. TAB- That's Africa Baby.

Tuesday
Took an awesome shower at the Terminal Hotel. The temp was right. The pressure was good. Everything was great. I washed my hair (which badly needs cut and color) TWICE and just hung out there for a bit. Yes, I noticed that the water was backing up around my ankles but whatever. The thng that didn't really cross my mind was that the floor is flat with a drain and there is only about a half inch lip at the door. By the time I left my mini steam room, room 106 had become Lake 106. And it didn't bother me much. I didn't have much to get wet since changing clothes only happens every third or fourth day. However, when I left the room I was a little surprised to see the hallway and room 105 were now also part of this waterway. Oops. And the girls in room 105 weren't as easy going. Sorry. TAB

Julia and I went shopping some more at the market and headed back to Njabini. The scouts are working on extreme home makeover for a single mom with eight kids. She is getting new walls in her house and the children's bedroom is being expanded from a 8x10 space to 20x10. (EIGHT kids sleep in that space.). Some windows were added to the rooms and we added a painting of lions to promote the owner's inner strength.

Wednesday
Back to Nairobi for meeting with design fellow from Architecture for Humanity. Fantastic meeting with lots of possibilities. There are local chapters of this organization all over the world. Projects for non-profits can be posted on their website for the rest of the community to see. Their ideas of how to work in the design community and help others in need is very innovative. www.architectureforhumanity.org
(Thanks Barb)

My brain is in "return" mode even though I still have three full days left with the kids. I've bought too many matchbox cars and fancy handkerchiefs and high school musical sticker books of late. The chocolate is being dished out hand over fist as well as basically any request from these kids. The SUCKER stamp on my forehead seems to be blinking neon. I keep thinking that I shouldn't spoil them and then I pinch myself and remind myself that one boy was saved by his grandmother right before his mother boiled him to death. Huh? How many cars do you want? Can I ever erase those memories? No way. But can I help make his future better, one day at a time? You betcha. As long as I am here I can hug that kid up and let him wiggle and scream and tell me that he doesn't want me to kiss him while the whole time he has that smile on his face that all boys get when they want to look cool but really like what you are doing. It just cracks me up.

I wonder what it will be like to come back to America. No donkeys or cows in the roads. PAVED roads. Electricity 24/7. People speaking english. Warm water. Temperatures over 50 degrees and pretty sundresses. Nice sheets. Empty house. Hmmmm...

Peace out. Help someone else. Pay it forward. Dream Big Dreams.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Why?

We had a volunteer meeting last night to go over food, chores and everyday operating issues. A story was shared with us about one of the boarders. A matron had walked into the kitchen and found this young boy standing by himself staring off into space. She was concerned and asked if he felt alright. He responded "I was just thinking about how much I suffered and how much I have now."

This boy joined Flying Kites in January after the chief had let our director know about a child sleeping behind the shops at night. To meet this child you would never know or begin to imagine the hardships he has endured. He smiles and laughs and loves hugs and enjoys bikes and the dog and video games. He is 9 years old.

That's why.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Starfish, Camels and 40 Thieves

A dow is a boat carved out of a tree that can seat five people - kind of like a row boat but not. Stability is questionable but it's pretty neat. Instead of oars, our guides used sticks to push us through the shallow waters full of sea urchins. It took about 20 minutes to reach the spot that the locals have deemed Starfish Village during low tide. Three mzungus hopped out and followed small Ali around. He picked up one, two, three starfish in a matter of minutes. They were bright red and blue and yellow and all different sizes. The underside of the starfish has hundreds of tentacles that automatically pull inside the shell when it is picked up - kind of like a turtle. We all went around and gathering about a hundred of mostly five legged creatures. We stacked them, wore them as hats, stuck them on our shoulders. We tried to write "Hi Mom" with starfish but they wandered off quicker than you would think. The locals have decided that they would leave the starfish in their natural habitat and share this with visitors rather than removing them and selling them as souvenirs. Oh- they also made makeshift necklaces with the critters for photos only. Very creative.

Our afternoon was spent at Diani Beach. We rode camels up and down the coast line. These animals are pretty huge and when they either go up or down, its quite a ride. They were very friendly and didn't smell as bad as I thought they would. I guess I was a little surprised that camels were hanging out at the ocean but eventually nothing is a big deal here and I just go with it.

Forty Thieves is a restaurant on the water that has the waves as its front porch with people body surfing right up to the picnic tables. The name comes from the story of Ali Barbour killing forty thieves single handedly as they were stealing from house after after. There is also a neighboring restaurant called Ali Barbour that's located in a cave with hundreds of candles and more of that fine dining, romantic eating kind of gig. We wanted simple. Forty Thieves was perfect. The World Cup was on and we got to see a bit of that.

There are a lot of Muslims on the coast so we saw quite a few women in full black burkas. Even though it is "winter" here it is warm and I wondered what material their outfits were made of. A lot of the African women wore amazingly colorful printed skirts and matching wraps. There were yellows and blues and reds and pinks and purples - every color of the rainbow walked down streets. They were strikingly beautiful against the rest of the streets which are dirt brown with garbage strewn along the sides. They carry bags of potatoes or jugs of water on their heads and stand tall and proud. I have no idea how they do the sacks of potatoes - they are so lumpy.

The overnight train headed back to Nairobi left four and a half hours late because the train ahead of us had a "capsizement". I don't know where this word comes from but it could be a cross between capsize and something else. It seems as though this is no big deal either since when we asked one of the kenyan travelers he said "no worries. 80-90 percent of the trains are good." So glad we didn't experience any of the fires, dead elephants or derailments that have happened in the past.

When we finally arrived back at Flying Kites, we were greeted by the kids with huge hugs and screams. I was thrilled to learn that Ruth had been staying here. She ran up to me and we rolled around on the ground and screamed together. We are both so happy she is here. I don't know for how long but for the time being she has a bed and a new school uniform. That feels so good.

Peace out...
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Sand Island Resorts, Tiwi Beach

The overnight train from Nairobi to Mombasa is just like out of an Agatha Christie movie - not that I have ever really watched one but I can only imagine its the same. This is the only train in Kenya and I think it was built following WWII as a method to transport goods from the port of Mombasa to the center of the country. Six of us climbed aboard and settled into our first class, $36/night sleeping quarters. The dinner bell rang promptly at 7:15 and the restaurant car was dressed in white linens and white place settings. The wait staff wore black and white. The food was upgraded rice and lentils with the addition of either chicken or beef. It was about the same as "home" just a nicer presentation and more jerking to and fro while trying to shovel into your mouth. The toilets were just holes in the floor so you could see the tracks flying by while aiming. At night, we stuck our heads out the windows and watched nothing after nothing go by for a while. The moon was almost full and the stars jumped from the sky. Every so often there was a stray person standing in a field. I couldn't begin to understand what they were doing.

The morning breakfast bell rang at 630 and we had the standard eggs and toast with the addition of baked beans and sausage. Watching the scenery as we got closer to our destination, it was obvious that we were leaving rural areas and headed to more urban settings. We passed a dump that looked like it was straight out of Slum Dog Millionaire. There were people standing on top of it and huts that had sprouted from the mounds. Kids picked through the piles and in a moment we were gone.

By 930 we were in Mombasa ready to get to the beach. Our cottage is a self contained unit on the coast in Tiwi Beach which is about forty minutes south. We made our stop at the Nakumatt (which is the Kenyan version of WalMart) and shopped for food and necessities. The big goal was to get some cheese. Cheese, cheese, cheese please. We got a brick of cheddar and about 6 boxes of EZ Mac. I am traveling with 18-20 year olds. They crack me up - buy water? No we can boil it. I am like "are you kidding me? $2.00. Get the water.". We leave with umpteen bags and Phillip, our driver, heads us towards our new residence. The paradoxes don't hit me as they are happening.

Mombasa is an island. There are bridges every direction except south so we boarded the ferry and ended up in the next town - something that starts with a "M". It was a huge market town with vendor after vendor and the poverty and debris that has become "normal" to me. We eventually arrive at Sand Island Resort which consists of 8 cottages in the middle of nowhere. There is a great sense of hospitality in this country and the locals are always glad to have new blood arrive.

The house is about 100yds from the Indian Ocean. We are surrounded by palm trees, overgrown grass and coconut trees. The beach is deserted and the water is warm. There are tons of little beach craps and a couple of the guys we are traveling with are enjoying crabbing. Some locals came with bunches of fish that were caught within hours. We picked from about eight different kinds with different shapes, sizes and colors and had them fileted for dinner with too much rice and veggies.

This morning we spent time with Francis Foster, the 78 year old owner of this establishment. We stopped in the fruit "store" which is really like a garage attached to his house and then ended up staying for tea and his life story. It seems as though his family came to uganda in 1915 because of cotton. They were hunters and he has huge ivory tusks at the entrance to his office. They are bigger than the doors themselves. He told us about lion and elephant and rhino expeditions. Sadly during one of the lion chases, uncle robert's gun jammed as he was trying to unload his second shot and the mountain of an animal was bearing down on him. He ended up with a broken neck but was still speaking. He told the family to not create more hardship by getting sunstroke. Tough right? Robert eventually died in the bush and a shallow grave was dug for him and a cross made by one of his workers was placed as a header.

Francis's father had started a book about their adventures and Francis has finished it. There are pictures of the family standing atop elephants and multiple sets of tusks lining the cars and unusual family pets. There were baby gorillas and tame cheetahs and odd birds sitting next to teddy bears and terriers. Francis is alone and has never been married and was rather ecstatic with the opportunity to share his story with people. I think this is the same anywhere. Old people just want to be listened to. I guess everyone does but for someone who has most of their life behind them, there must be a need to pass on information or to at least feel validated that their life was meaningful.

Other recent points - the crabber boys found a place to go cliff jumping. It was probably fifty feet up and we all went. Geronimo!!!! This morning we found a mango half eaten on the counter. Our best guess - a fruit bat. Our cottage is not tightly constructed, ie. Walls don't meet roof so this is a distinct possibility. We are making plans to go camel racing tomorrow. I am SUCH a tourist!!!!

Hugs to all!!!

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Lake Naivasha, family outing at Hell's Gate, no water

Time is doing it's thing again and getting away from me.

This weekend a few of us made a quick trip to Lake Naivasha and went on a boat ride to see hippos. We also had the kids, matrons, all volunteers and all FKLA staff join us on sunday for a hike in the Hell's Gate National Park. There was a bus load of people and it was like a regular field trip. We weren't surprised when the bus was running a little late but it was startling to find that they were at the police station. Everything can typically be paid off but for some reason the expired insurance tag was a big deal on that particular morning. Whatever. They were delayed half an hour and let go on their way. We all did our little version on a hike which means about a half hour walk in dust with 16 kids ranging from 6 to 13 in a dust bowl checking out the zebras and warthogs along the way. By then kid's feet hurt and they were tired and you know the deal so there was a crew sent back to get the bus. But now we weren't all going to fit so big kids were thrown on top of the bus. And when I say big kids, I mean the college age ones and older. We haven't gotten to the point of strapping orphans to the rooftops yet but my guess is that some of them would love it. We did do another small hike through the lower gorge of Hell's Gate which is where angelina jolie filmed tomb raider II. It was like a mini Grand Canyon. There were hot water springs that amazed the kids. I was reminded of the geysers in saratoga and thought about how similar places are even when they are worlds apart.

Our trip home was uneventful but upon arrival we found that we didn't have water. Oops. It was just another one of those things that we get used to here. It's been a couple of days now and it seems acceptable. The hotel down the hill charges $6 for 12 hours and we have rotated turns in the shower. Doing dishes is interesting but I am reminded of how lucky we are here at "the center".

My friend Ruth is officially going to be a Flying Kites Day Scholar. She has been roaming around town for too long and she has found her way into the hearts of some of the founders and people that run this facility. It brought tears to my eyes yesterday as I walked her from class three to class one so that she can start to get her basic english and swahilli down. She smiles and laughs and waves with two hands. She is getting measured for a new uniform and has some new socks and shoes. She loves football and seems to be excited to be accepted here. I am not sure what emergency plan will be put in place to deal with her epilepsy but I am confident that the individuals here will handle the situation with care and the utmost concern.

We have two new boarders that arrived last week. During our recent medical and physical exams we found that one of them is HIV positive. The emotions around this are mixed. Initially it was concern over whether this child had been born with the disease or if there was abuse involved. After a trip to the hospital, there is some relief that no abuse has occurred. The way to look at this from a positive aspect is to be grateful this child arrived when it did. Treatment is available and the disease can be monitored. The alternative is difficult to imagine.

Flossie the cow will have her baby within the next three months. Matilda the cat has moved into her castle and has never had so much attention. She lucked out. I haven't heard much about the rabbits lately so I am assuming they are still alive and we haven't eaten them yet. Josie the dog is hanging in there and hasn't eaten Matilda but there are definitely some side bets going on this one.

There are numerous projects that I want to help with for this organization. Below is a list that I would love to have help with-
1- not all the boarders here have sponsors. Really important.
2- our new school is close to done. The building has been built for $60,000. It has four classrooms and will be the new learning center for seventy children. These kids deserve this. Unfortunately, we need approximately $10,000 to finish the inside. We will reuse existing furniture but need to finish the electrical and other interior details.
3- The Adventure Challenge team is currently mid stream on their hike up Mt. Kilimanjaro. This is the first time this event has been done for FKLA and it promises to be a fantastic event. I am hoping to put together a team next year of 15-20 people that will participate. It's a two week trip that includes a visit to the children's home and them a personal goal to be completed. The fund raising goal is $5000 per person and as far as I am concerned this is a cheap adventure vacation with a meaningful purpose. What's better?
4- We are looking at other non-profits to assist with our Oasis program in regards to renovating other orphanages in the city of Nairobi. The goal is to give these facilities access to information in a group format. It's a bit overwhelming but something to work at.

Dream Big Dreams. Good stuff. Looking for help. So much more to follow.

Lentils and rice has become my favorite dish. The scale says I have dropped some pounds but I don't want to trust it. Clothes are loose because washing/drying them is semi-optional. Who knows? We'll see when I get home. One more reason to visit Flying Kites Kenya- weight loss program.

Peace out.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Njabini celebrates The Day of The African Child

At 5:30am the sky looked a bit ominous. "Please don't rain. Please don't rain", was the chant. Batches of eggs and loaves of toast were made for the boatloads of people that were strewn throughout the house. One by one they arrived in the kitchen and the tasks for the day were dispensed.
Take a motorbike to the site to decorate.
Make sure the generator has arrived.
Mobilize people in town.
Pick up more chairs.
Get the tents set up.
Unload the bananas.
Set up the speakers.
Make sure the laurie had arrived.
Gather everyone at the KCB Bank.
Decorate the vehicle to lead the procession.
Brian was on top of his game and has this amazing way of communicating and getting everything done. Toby had been on Good Morning Kenya style a couple of times. Radio ads had been running. Fliers had been distributed at churches and the local schools were involved in the poetry contest. The 2012 Presidential Candidate had been invited. We had no idea what this would turn in to. Fingers were double crossed. We were just hoping for a good turn out.

By 7:00am volunteers were arriving at initial meeting point. It was said that Kenyans are not an early morning people but it wasn't true on this day. School children were in their uniforms and I assumed they were headed to school (yes- secondary school is open on saturday and the kids spend the day cleaning.) The shops were closed but some folks were milling around town and a few motorbikes were buzzing about. And bit by bit they started showing up. One school group at a time. The radio station that would be broadcasting the event. The TV crew. More people. The motorcade of motorbikes. And it grew. As the parade made its way to the Caltex Petrol station, it was clear that this was going to be bigger than expected. There were lots of schools all there - actually the schools had been closed for this event. Buses had brought in the National Choir Champions to participate. Students were in their uniforms and the different colors of blue, green, orange made a brilliant patchwork. Along the 2 mile-ish stretch to the new school, it continued to grow. Traffic came to a screeching halt. We added more and more and more people along the way. It became a sea of people. The town was having a party. Best guess to date is 4000 people.

As we rounded a corner during our trek, the new school shone bright on a hill in the distance. It is two stories and has been painted white with large windows throughout. There was a trail of people making its way to the site. 500 t-shirts had been handed out along the way so the spots of people turned to red, green, black and white - the colors of the African flag. Tall pine trees framed the scene and a babbling brook ran in front of the school. A few small houses with rusted metal roofs surround the school. Landscaping had just been finished with a beautiful stone walkway and newly planted trees and shrubs. It was a new construction site that is making an impression in rural Kenya.

The event itself was packed with speakers and clowns and musicians and children. All the presenters were on the roof of our two story building with nothing even close to a railing surrounding it. When the Kenyan pop-star finally took the stage, the skies opened up and it started to rain. It had this Woodstock "feel" to it. Dancing in the rain, surrounded by children, not understanding any of what was being said and being one of the only mzungas in a huge crowd of Africans - it was a trip. I had moments of fear thinking "if this turns into a riot, what do we do?". I am pretty sure there wasn't much of a plan for that. Especially when two fireworks were set off and people thought they were guns and started to run. YIKES! Luckily, It quickly settled back to the festivities but it was scary for a few minutes. The goal was to have a fun filled day with the focus being on education and human rights and that is exactly what happened. The winners of the poetry contests presented their works with much enthusiasm and gusto. They displayed no fear delivering their message in front of thousands, even as the rain came down. And then Jimmie Gait was on stage and the entire lawn was on its feet singing Haratiti - or something like that. It was a great opportunity to make up the words as I sang along - literally. I got the dance moves down and that seemed to please all the kids around me. I think they were a bit surprised that a white person would actually dance with them. I was thrilled to hold their hand or wink at them or just be part of this event. It was magical.

At the end of the day, it seems like this was something that will make a difference to the children here. It will change the perception of white people. It will show that we care about the community and the children specifically. It will show that people are willing to invest in education and trying to help improve the lives of children around the world. It shows that they are important. It makes me smile and warms my heart. I am so glad I had the opportunity to be part of such an event.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Transcending...

I was horrified to think that The Terminal Hotel in Nairobi was the place I would be staying five weeks ago. Last week, I was grateful for the place, dirty mosquito nets, hideous bed covers, a few ginormous bugs and construction next to my head. Dirt, cow dung, saliva, snot, cabbage, bunk beds, porridge, damp clothes and beans have all become "normal". Surprisingly, it doesn't take that long to assimilate into a culture.

Rafting the Nile was an experience of a lifetime. My body has taken a beating and has the bruises to prove it. The adventure started as soon as we stepped out of our door as the travel consisted of seven matatu rides, a couple of quick exits from these buses due to police checks ahead and licenses that seem to be optional, impending fines, jail time and removal of vehicles, some motorbike rides, a layover at a place with a real tub and shower and working hot water and I am sure some cows and chickens along the way. I am proud to say that I have still not paid for a ride on the back of a bicycle but I will add that the padded seats and fringe that adorns these seats on the back of a two wheel vehicle is rather impressive. Pedaling for a living would definitely keep the pounds off but man, it does not look easy.

So we ended up in Jinga, Uganda - the adventure capital of Africa - and it is magnificent. Dinner at The Black Lantern was gourmet (but then again as my friend Rosaleen says - after not eating for three days a cracker would taste good). We were perched along the banks of the longest river in the world, listening to the roar from the power of the water and witnessing monkeys swinging from the treetops. We had made it!!! We were really doing this. There was a dreamlike state attached to this trip which is tough to put into words. We didn't have reservations anywhere and totally floated through Nivasha and Nykuru and Eldorette and Bongoma and Malaba and across the border and met Violet and Gabriel, two new friends who helped us not get totally taken for all our money along the way. "We are all God's people" these strangers announced when we were vulnerable enough to tell them we didn't know what we were doing. And so yes, we arrived unscathed at The Nile.

We loaded into the bus and were given some preliminary instructions that consisted basically of "Use Sunscreen". Within an hour three boats were full of people and ours was dubbed Team Estrogen by Doug, the bad boy with elephant tattoo along his chest, British accent speaking, very tanned guide. Off we went with very little upper body strength but lots of enthusiasm. It was a 15km paddle on a warm, sunny day. The banks of the Nile have been changing and will continue to evolve - mostly because of man's involvement. Forty years ago the natural forest was cut down and pine trees, maize and other agriculture was planted on the short hills. There are no longer hippos or elephants and very few crocs in the Nile. Nile Perch (fish) were introduced some years ago and this has changed the makeup of the water as algae is a food source for perch. The water is now greenish rather than a clear blue. And the biggest change that is happening is that the new dam is being built. It is already half way across the river and should be completed in february 2011. This will flood another section of the area shortly. It sounds like there are another 6 dams planned for the Nile. These dams are generating power for Nairobi and probably some other towns/villages along the way. Yes, the area is developing and will continue to change. The Wild West of Africa will eventually transition to developed Africa. Time.

We negotiated wave pools and some falls and The Bad Place and The Other Place. I use the term "negotiated" loosely as lots of time was spent overboard and crashing through areas and bouncing up and down gasping for air. Adrenaline rush galore. Laughing so hard my stomach hurt. I bought the t-shirt and the CD and everything!!!

We arrived back home on Tuesday and have since become an extremely busy house. Nine volunteers, the employees of FKLA Rhode Island, professional photographer and friends of friends have arrived in preparation for tomorrow's event - Day Of the African Child. People are sharing beds, sleeping on sofas and the floor, bouncing off walls, tutoring bunches of kids, cleaning, decorating, doing windows, sorting t-shirt, making name tags...you name it. The place is in production mode. The event tomorrow will make national news and create an awareness about this organization and its message that will catapult it into it's next stage of growth. The new school will be unveiled and dedicated. The 2012 Presidential candidate will be here. Jimmie Gait - a superstar here- will be performing live on the roof of our building. Facepainters, musicians, and other entertainment will be floating through the crowd. It will be festivities galore!!! Wish us well!!

Dream Big Dreams!!!!!!!
B

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Good Morning from Daniel and I.

This is my buddy Daniel. He has the most adorable smile and the happiest outlook. He is outgoing and very smart. He loves to build paper airplanes and wants to know how things work. Daniel is one of the kids I tutor and he has recently written a book titled "King Daniel" where he told a story about himself and the animals he likes. This morning's treat was a baby chameleon that he brought to the office door. He loves to play tic-tac-toe and hangman. Any time these kids get to spend one on one with an adult is precious. I love his little dimples and the way he cuddles in at movie time and how he makes the sweetest cluck, cluck, cluck sound when he thinks something is "smart" or beautiful.

When he came in this morning to sweep the floor we sat and chatted for a bit and took this picture to send to America. I hugged him and asked him a rhetorical question "How am I ever going to leave all of you?" I don't know the answer and there is really no reason for me to ponder this since I still have a bunch of time left here. However, I am about halfway through and the time has flown by.

Mariam also came in this morning before school and showed me her writing that she did yesterday. It was a prayer to God. She thanked him for making trees because they provide shade for us to sit under and they have berries for animals to eat and they give us wood to make furniture. I couldn't help but smile.

I received a note from a friend on facebook who has a friend that was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Chemo started yesterday and she was looking for advice on how to be a good support person. It was so easy to go back to that spot in my brain and come up with suggestions and remember all the wonderful, giving things people did for me - like grocery shopping, cleaning my house, taking me out to breakfast, cooking for me and just plain listening to me bitch. Coincidentally, yesterday I shared some pictures with my new friends from last year at this time when I was bald. I also got a weave yesterday - 6 hours in a bad chair with three women working on my head. I had no idea what these women went through to get their hair to do what it does. Talk about painful!!! It's just good to have hair and be able to play with it. Cancer seems like it was so long ago. Africa has reprogrammed my brain - exactly what I was after.

The lessons are wonderful...

This too shall pass

We are never alone

If we do the right thing, the right thing will happen

People are the same no matter where you go

The world is a small place

One person CAN make a difference

All the fears that I have had at home seem so meaningless here. I questioned myself about doing this by myself and now I know it could not have happened any other way.

Tomorrow Olivia (my surrogate daughter who is now embarrassed that I got a weave and doesn't really want to be seen with me but has admitted that I entertain her) and I are going to Uganda to go white water rafting on the Nile. I love the fact that we really don't know where we are staying or how to get there but that most likely it will all work out. Rock on!!!

Peace out!!

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

More safari notes

Our driver, David, was absolutely fantastic. He had been educated at University of Nairobi and studied tourism, local wildlife, birds and botany. I would have believed everything he told me until he mentioned that dogs belong to the cat family because of their paws, of course. So take what you want and leave the rest. Maybe its just entertainment.

I'm going to ramble and just share my notes.

-during WWII Italians were POWs in Kenya. They built the road through the Great Rift Valley to Masai Mara in 1942. There is a beautiful small stone Catholic Church tucked away on this road that was built at that time as well. The contractors on this project were British women because it was felt that women were not corrupt.

-there are trees on the plains called Yellow Fever Acacia. They line the river beds. When italians were caught during the war, they were sent to the river. They soon caught yellow fever from the mosquitoes living there but believed it was because of the trees. Hence, the name.

- the Great Rift Valley was created when tectonic plates separated and the ground fell. These plates continue to move and the valley is growing larger. There are mountains that are growing at the same time. I think the Aberdeeres are one of the ranges growing but I'm not sure.

- one of kenyas largest exports is flowers, roses specifically.

-when Masai people get sick they are taken to the bush and tied up. A goat is killed and the person is smeared in blood and left for overnight. The rope that is used to tie them up is very long so that the next morning when someone comes to check on the sick one they tug at the rope from far away. If there is resistance this is a good sign. The person has strength. So they are left for another twelve hours. If the sick person still gives resistance later that night then they will be brought back to the village. These are the lucky ones that have not been eaten by lions or other animals.

-Wildebeest must migrate with zebras because they have bad sight. One lion can kill 10 wildebeest at a time. It is believed that God made this animal with leftovers of others...
Head from the beast
Neck from the lion
Tail from the horse
Body from the buffalo
Tongue of a giraffe

-jackals are scavengers and are also called midwives. They will pull the baby out of a mother as it is giving birth and disappear with it. I think that it does this with lots of different animals.

-elephants live to 60 years old. Gestation period is two years. Females give birth in a group and any female can nurse any other females baby. Elephants have six sets of teeth. One comes in, then falls out. Second comes in then falls out. Same for third and fourth. When they get to this point they are older and start having a problem controlling their urine and struggle with masturbation. (Can you believe this??? Remember - maybe its just entertainment.) Anyway- the elephant's only predator is man so typically they will die of old age. When this happens the rest of the herd digs a hole and buries the deceased. The herd then mourns for three days before they leave the burial spot.

-giraffes have problems because of their lpng necks. They live to be anywhere between twenty and twenty five years old. They sleep and give birth standing up. If the baby isn't taken by a jackal or die from the long drop, then it should be fine. Giraffes can develop high blood pressure, their spots get darker as they get older and they are one of the only animals that can see color.

- lions are in heat for seven days straight. They copulate every fifteen minutes during this period and this is determined by the female. After the seven days, the pair stays together for three days to enjoy the honeymoon and then they separate. Male goes to the males and female goes to the females. After a month, the female goes someplace quiet to give birth so the male doesn't eat the cubs. When born, the babies have their eyes closed for ten days. After that they can start to go hunt but still remain with mom. Cubs nurse for up to eighteen months and the females will not mate during this time. (That's why the males don't want the cubs around - supposedly.)

- cheetahs are the fastest animal on ground. Accelerates up to 105 km/hr for only 200m.

- serengeti is a masai word that means endless plain.

-ostrich can run 45 km/hr and can rip things apart with its nails. They are dumb birds and believe that if they can't see you then you can't see it. So if it is being chased it will stick its head in the sand. Duh.

I think those are the highlights. If I remember more, I'll update you.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Masai Mara

The day started out leaving Camp Wildebeest and the city of Karen around 7. David, our driver from Ol' Moran Tented camps was very punctual which rarely happens. Olivia and I were the first to be picked up in the very safari green huge sized Land Rover. Our next stop was to pick up another group in Karen. We met the rest of our party - another six college students here doing volunteer work from Norway, Canada, Poland and the US. It's wonderful. I feel like I am part of that back packing across Europe gig that I never did in college. So now I have these new friends that are studying to be either teachers or pharmacists or sociologists telling me about the schools that they are building and the HIV mobile units they are working on or the women's health centers they are trying to develop. They talked about where they have been in Kenya and what they have done and so now I may be white water rafting down the Nile next weekend.

It took us about four hours to get to our new camp and along the way we learned about the Masai Mara tribe. If I haven't mentioned it before - I will now. There are 42 tribes in Africa. Within each of those tribes there are sub tribes so it gets very confusing. The tribes all speak different languages but the mother tongue is Swahilli. The Masai Mara is one of the smaller tribes but they are most famous because they have worked hard to keep their heritage in place. These people are nomadic herders but the government is now requiring that they stay in one place so the children can be educated. All Masai do not wear the traditional garb. There are typical townspeople here who are Masai and have become Westernized. But there are also rural villages about an hour out of town that are what you would expect to see in National Geographic with the hoops in the ears, the red blankets wrapping them and the multiple necklaces. They also all mostly have sticks in their hands to move the cows or goats.

As David drove us out into the middle of this place he talked about the culture. Part of this is the initiation ceremony that I have discussed before. Boys are gathered around the age of 13 to be circumcised. They can not flinch or they will be banned from their family. What I learned today is that this group of boys/men are then basically considered brothers. When they come back from the bush their goal is to find a wife. If one of these males gets married, the wife is basically the common property of that brotherhood. So, should the husband need to leave the area to gather a cow or something, any of those other men are able to go sleep with his wife. They are to leave their spear at the door as a sign that there is a man in the house. If the husband returns and sees a spear, he goes elsewhere until the appropriate time to return. I guess the children don't really know who their fathers are and somehow it still works.

There are a lot of other stories to go with this trip but I will save them for another time. We ended up at the camp and I was pleasantly surprised. We had lunch, rested a bit and went out for evening safari. As we drove into the park we saw a herd of impalas and another herd of wildebeest. The impalas looked like minature deer with prettier black and white markings on their backs. The wildebeest look just like buffalo except with that long face and some crazy horns and grey instead of brown. Ok- maybe they don't really look like buffalo but that's how big they are. After being in the park for about half an hour, it started to pour. All I could think was that we were going to have a washout and maybe tomorrow would be better. Oh well. But we kept driving. And off in the distance we saw these little black dots. I pointed them out and asked what they were. The kid in front of me said "bushes". Shit. I totally laughed it off. And we kept driving and driving and the rain let up and before you knew it we were pretty close to these "bushes" which happened to be a herd of water buffalo - probably over 200 of them. They were right in front of us and have been desensitized to land rovers. We scooted around for everyone to get pictures and continued driving a bit and then "HEY it's a lion" came out of someone's mouth. Before you knew it we were watching two male lions cross our paths. Their manes were huge and they were the regal creatures you think they would be. They strutted and moved with dignity amongst the cars that were radioing each other to alert of a big cat siting. As we watched them meander through the plain, David announced that the lions were hunting the water buffalo. He explained that there needed to be two males in order to take down one buffalo due to size differences and the fact that the herd of buffalo can attack a lion. So the cats seperated one buffalo from the pack and before you knew it we were watching a kill happen. We learned that the lions will first attack the testicles of their prey to immobilize them. Once their victim is down, they will then tear at the intestines. And this is exactly what we saw. The circle of life. We watched the feast for a bit and then a female lion was allowed to join. They will eat for two days on this buffalo. Then it will feed the vultures and the hyenas. We might be able to see some of this tomorrow.

And now I am in my army tent that is covered in a thatched room with a full tiled shower and bathroom attached. My belly is full from a fabulous meal and I have enjoyed some hot water. The crickets are chirping and there are some other strange noises that might be animals or birds. But it is downright amazing that I have had this day. I am so blessed.

Peace out.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Scariest thing yet

Meet Furry. This is the mascot at Wildebeest camp. The name sounds so African, doesn't it? Don't you just think of a place out in the middle of a jungle or something like that? I did. Well, that's not the case. We are in an awesome tent that has its own bathroom with a stand up shower, flush toilets, and a sink as well as wonderful beds. There is a beautiful lush courtyard with very African type plants and lights decorating the space. However, this tranquil setting is located behind a steel door surrounded by rock walls about 200 yards away from the LibyaOil station. The gas station sits on a major road that's something like an expressway. So I am not listening to lions and tigers and bears. I hear some crickets, the people in the tent next to me and traffic. The good news - we had pizza and ice cream for dinner!!! And we found gummy bears and pringles to have as snacks. Woo hoo!!!!

The ride into Karen (the town we are in) was probably the most danger I have been in so far. Olivia asked a very good question of our driver, joseph.
"Are there speed limits here?"
We got an answer that didn't surprise me. "Nope."
The lines down the center of the road are optional, if they exist at all. And drivers don't have a problem passing on the shoulder and screaming at the top of their lungs. There were numerous times when matatus were headed straight toward us in our lane. Its like a game of chicken on a constant basis. And then just add in roundabouts and its disaster waiting to happen. As we were getting to camp, we were stuck in a "jam". What we saw was the end of a bumper car ralley with a matatu and a car just wrecked up and then all the other traffic beeping and yelling and trying to get to wherever they were going. People were getting out of their cars and it was pure mayhem. Joseph was part of it. In and out of the car. Yelling at this one, then that one and blah, blah, blah. All I could do was put my head down and chuckle, hoping against hope that we would get to camp wildebeest in one piece. And we did. The ride was treacherous but I kept thinking "Disney. Disney. Disney."

I don't know if I have mentioned this yet but we are having an event in June. It's the Day of the African Child. Brian has been planning this for a number of months and it promises to be a festive occassion. There is a poetry contest, a parade, food, facepainters, entertainers and it will all happen at the site of FKLA's new school. It is very exciting and I am so glad that I will be here for this. The school kids from Flying Kites are preparing a song and it will be performed that day. It's just like a school play or a lip sync contest - Africa style.

Every day I scroll through the pictures I have taken since I have been here. I have come to know fourteen kids. I am learning their stories and their histories and in spite of this I often forget how tough their lives have been. They are so well adjusted that I have a tough time comprehending that one of them was found in the forest and another had a mother that wanted to boil him and another was raped by her uncle. I just don't understand this. These kids just want to learn to speak english or grasp the concept of multiplication or play with an i-pod. So simple. And yet so difficult.

Earlier this week as I was riding into nairobi on a matatu, I experienced first hand some of the government corruption. There were policemen stationed along the road, kind of like an inspection check point. All matatus needed to stop and check in with the cops. And by the way, the passing fee was 50 shillings I think. And we must have been pulled over four or five times within a forty five minute drive. There are so many people with their hands out here - any way to make a buck. Extortion is not against the law. Reminder - the Wild West.

At the same time there is another group of people who gets it. There are a lot of teachers here working on building a foundation within the children. There are agencies involved with trying to get people tested for HIV. There are government officials trying to rid their communities of corruption. None of this changes over night. Its going to be a long road but it is very interesting to watch and be exposed to. We are so very fortunate in the USA and we must not take it for granted.

With that - toodles.

Bethany

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry