tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38254722626594643532011-04-22T03:41:18.868+03:00the world's <i>probably</i> going to hell in a handbasketjust mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17758122607972449998noreply@blogger.comBlogger301100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825472262659464353.post-27989429182858647842008-08-21T19:05:00.005+03:002008-08-21T21:34:55.563+03:00

Levy Mwanawasa, President of Zambia, died on August 19.  I have yet to see a single mention of this in North American or European news.  And I get daily RSS newsfeeds from CBC, BBC, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and I read the Globe and Mail online every day (yes, I'm a news junkie).  Not even a one-line sidebar.Mwanawasa was an important figure in African politics.  As President of

just mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17758122607972449998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825472262659464353.post-797698912005264662008-08-07T20:18:00.003+03:002008-08-07T23:42:14.522+03:00

Judith Timson wrote an article in the Globe and Mail on-line on July 29 about what she calls "voluntouring." (I'm not providing the link because there seems to be a cut-off point for accessing back articles for free - if you want to read it try searching for it on the G&M website to see if you can still access it - I cut and pasted the text to save it for myself).  Basically she says that most

just mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17758122607972449998noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825472262659464353.post-27786419151403801832008-08-07T20:06:00.002+03:002008-08-07T20:17:25.480+03:00

As I've mentioned, I'm not so sure that I like blogging about my life.  I know I'm far away from home and it's nice to update people, but I just don't think I can do it on a blog.  I'm sure I will still let you know the big things from time to time, don't worry.Rather than let this space go to waste and languish as it's been doing lately however, I've decided to use it for some ramblings and

just mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17758122607972449998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825472262659464353.post-46641396094295892982008-07-24T19:46:00.003+03:002008-07-25T11:25:52.644+03:00

So maybe this blogging thing isn't going so well at all.I thought it would be a better alternative to mass emails, but now I'm not so sure. I feel so shy about putting my personal life out there for EVERYONE (literally everyone - with just my friends and family, I'm not that shy at all). I'm probably way overestimating the number of people interested in reading about my life, but a blog is like

just mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17758122607972449998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825472262659464353.post-47633494081589901582008-02-16T22:46:00.003+03:002008-02-16T22:55:29.449+03:00

I'm going to start a new reading list for the next year. In all I read 27 books over the last year, which averages out to about one every 2 weeks. Of course, I read 4 books over the Christmas holidays which were only 2 weeks long, so it didn't quite work out evenly - I'm finding that I read non-fiction much slower than fiction. I'm putting my reading list from the last year here for reference.-

just mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17758122607972449998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825472262659464353.post-1216136665537014242008-02-16T21:27:00.002+03:002008-02-16T22:42:40.876+03:00

Wow! I've now been in Tanzania for a whole year. It doesn't really seem like it - it's hard to believe.In some ways I feel like I've adapted, but in other ways not at all. I can get by with my basic Swahili and I can pretty much navigate day-to-day life without any problems at all. But in other ways I don't feel like I completely fit in. The politics of race are certainly alive and well

just mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17758122607972449998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825472262659464353.post-59022541940131400342008-02-06T20:19:00.000+03:002008-12-10T07:56:14.228+03:00

So, I promised beach pictures, and here they are. For Christmas we went to Bagamoyo, the former capital of Tanzania (then Tanganyika) during colonial times. For New Year's we went slightly south to Dar es Salaam, the unofficial current capital (technically it's Dodoma, but Dar is where everything important happens).Here's me on the beach at Bagamoyo.We only swam in the ocean one time during

just mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17758122607972449998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825472262659464353.post-30833175371013759652008-01-03T22:08:00.000+03:002008-12-10T07:56:14.920+03:00

I got in a wreck on New Year's Eve. I got to say "Happy New Year" to everyone in the Aga Khan Hospital emergency room in Dar es Salaam. Yippee.We were on our way to meet another CUSO cooperant just a short distance from our hotel. We decided to take a "pikipiki" also known as "bajaji." (Bajaj is the Indian company that makes these things and Swahili seems to add an 'i' to the end of all words.

just mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17758122607972449998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825472262659464353.post-60142535442910589172007-12-21T21:36:00.000+03:002007-12-21T21:45:51.930+03:00

I hope that everyone has a nice Christmas and a good New Year. As a fan of "How I Met Your Mother" (thanks Allison!), I agree that New Year's is often the most disappointing holiday of the year. I hope that is not the case for any of you - I wish for all of you to be fulfilled and at peace with yourselves.Me, I'm going to the beach - it's hard to be disappointed there.I won't be back near my

just mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17758122607972449998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825472262659464353.post-2235076337102380002007-12-20T20:54:00.000+03:002007-12-20T21:15:41.135+03:00

I saw one of the most incredible spectacles this morning out my front window. If not for a professional tour guide who happened to be here, I would have missed it altogether.A mother eagle was teaching her babies to fly and hunt. We have a tree in the front of the house which is the territory of some crows and it is nature's baby time. Eagles apparently enjoy crow eggs as a tasty treat. The

just mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17758122607972449998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825472262659464353.post-89161534814775211872007-12-20T20:45:00.000+03:002007-12-20T20:53:08.252+03:00

I've just been inundated with stuff from home - I can't explain how wonderful it feels. It's not just the stuff (although I LOVE the stuff), but being so far away and feeling like I'm losing touch with people and in general feeling disconnected...Getting something in the mail means I've not been totally forgotten - yay!I think there's a homesick cycle that comes around every 4 or 5 months. I've

just mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17758122607972449998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825472262659464353.post-24640204953649947482007-12-16T19:49:00.000+03:002007-12-16T19:56:43.014+03:00

What exactly is cream of tartar? Wikipedia tells me that it is a bi-product of making wine. I made two apple pies this weekend for a cooperant Christmas party and I didn't have any cream of tartar, even though the recipe called for it. I thought, "shmeh, it can't be that important." My pies turned out all watery. Exceptionally tasty, but watery. Could cream of tartar have made my pies have

just mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17758122607972449998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825472262659464353.post-24033672202195073522007-11-29T20:33:00.000+03:002007-11-29T20:38:03.180+03:00

The final tally was 25.5 hours with no power. Mayo, sandwich spread, leftover pesto, biryani paste, and chicken stock were the casualties. We didn't open the freezer at all, so the ice cream made it. It went off at work in the afternoon, which gave me a good excuse to leave early, but was off again at home (boo). Lucky us though, it came back on after about 45 minutes though and the fridge was

just mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17758122607972449998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825472262659464353.post-61939235676086647952007-11-28T12:35:00.000+03:002007-11-28T12:56:56.922+03:00

It's now 16 hours and counting since our electricity went out last night - I'm posting while on my break at work. I will definitely have to throw out the mayo. I now understand why people buy things in tiny little amounts here.I have been thinking I should add another list on the side that would show every time our electricity goes out - or a clicker that would add up the amount of time it is

just mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17758122607972449998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825472262659464353.post-28938358975703360822007-11-12T00:58:00.000+03:002008-12-10T07:56:15.446+03:00

I don't think we have these in Canada - not in Saskatoon, anyway.They are so incredibly beautiful and smell amazing. They stay in bloom for months even though the flowers are always falling off. A pile of Jacaranda flowers on the ground can make even the most dirty, ugly road seem beautiful. There is one along the path where I walk to work and it is so nice to have a carpet of purple to pave

just mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17758122607972449998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825472262659464353.post-3496955706339128822007-11-11T22:38:00.000+03:002008-12-10T07:56:18.611+03:00

I have been wanting to write about ladies for a long time, but I really needed some pictures because a written explanation just wouldn't be enough. People here have been over-photographed, however, and are really sensitive to having their pictures taken. I can totally understand - it's been completely exploitative. But that doesn't help me get some photos to show examples of how things are. I

just mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17758122607972449998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825472262659464353.post-91502680133900022462007-10-15T21:22:00.000+03:002007-10-15T21:34:32.842+03:00

I hope my malaria is gone. The drugs were worse than the parasite. I took 2 days off work to catch up on things at home (using malaria as an excuse) and karma got me back. The last day on meds knocked me down - I needed 2 more days, but I sucked it up. Apparently *everyone* knows (except the white girl) that the meds make you feel very lethargic, give you a garbage-y stomach, headaches, and

just mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17758122607972449998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825472262659464353.post-63814704877905711572007-10-07T20:49:00.000+03:002007-10-08T10:44:04.557+03:00

Seriously. I can't believe it. I don't feel a thing.I went to get checked for some other not-so-nice symptoms that I don't particularly care to describe, but I can summarize by saying that I thought it might be amoebas. They took a finger-prick blood sample (and other unpleasant things) and a couple of hours later told me I had malaria. I asked the doctor about having no symptoms and he said

just mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17758122607972449998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825472262659464353.post-42509537595071750592007-10-02T13:18:00.000+03:002007-10-02T15:15:15.212+03:00

Twice now, I’ve nearly been a robbery victim. The first time was when I was waiting for a bus to leave. It was not full and there were 2 guys. One tried to distract me by making me think he had dropped some coins under my seat, while the second guy tried to put his hand in my bag while I (ostensibly) went looking for the coins. A pretty clever scheme, except I saw the second guy’s hand

just mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17758122607972449998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825472262659464353.post-85949815232696888852007-09-30T13:50:00.000+03:002007-09-30T13:55:03.965+03:00

One of my roommates is a journalist and wrote a story about HIV/AIDS in Tanzania featuring yours truly and it made the front page of the Saskatoon Star Phoenix's weekend extra section. Check it out here.

just mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17758122607972449998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825472262659464353.post-86471607418615248132007-09-23T13:38:00.000+03:002008-12-10T07:56:18.858+03:00

Kili (as everyone here calls it) is shy and elusive. It is often hidden behind clouds, but I managed to get a good shot recently - but still, it's only just peaking out. In real life, it inspires as much awe as the hype suggests. Incredible.

just mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17758122607972449998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825472262659464353.post-48742532617044825362007-09-23T10:46:00.001+03:002008-12-10T07:56:21.623+03:00

I went on a one-day safari to Arusha National Park. It was AWESOME!! Tanzania has 14 national parks - the Serengeti being the largest and probably the most famous. Arusha NP is the second smallest park in Tanzania, but home to an amazing abundance of plant and animal life.I can't explain how incredible it is to see animals roaming free in their natural habitat. After that, zoos just seem

just mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17758122607972449998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825472262659464353.post-47971951416527649352007-09-17T00:28:00.000+03:002008-12-10T07:56:21.872+03:00

I work at the HIV/AIDS unit (Uhai Centre) in the Catholic Archdiocese of Arusha Integrated Development and Relief Office (AAIDRO). As most of you know, Arusha is just west of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Our skyline is dominated by a remnant of the same volcano family as Kilimanjaro – Mt. Meru. There’s no snow, but still beautiful. Uhai means life in Swahili and the Centre works to improve the lives of

just mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17758122607972449998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825472262659464353.post-56511908334520105882007-09-16T23:51:00.000+03:002007-09-23T10:45:21.599+03:00

So it seems that my blog took a summer vacation.A quick summary. In the last three and a half months I have:• Been to Dar es Salaam twice• Been to Nairobi once• Had three sets of multi-day meetings.• Submitted and been awarded a US$200,000 grant for Uhai Centre to train home-based care providers of people living with HIV/AIDS• Prepared and almost submitted a 3-year core funding grant for Uhai

just mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17758122607972449998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825472262659464353.post-87326299838234339232007-05-31T10:29:00.000+03:002007-09-17T00:01:49.776+03:00

10. CONSTANT ANXIETY9. Nightmares about spiders8. Waking up in the middle of the night certain there is a big spider somewhere on the outside of your mosquito net 7. Having to look under your bed before you go to sleep because you are worried a snake might have slithered in and be waiting for you under there (never mind that you’ve been assured it is VERY unusual to find snakes in town)6. Waking

just mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17758122607972449998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825472262659464353.post-23732040788980224862007-05-30T18:18:00.000+03:002008-12-10T07:56:22.093+03:00

You know you’re living in another culture when things you’ve never really thought of before suddenly take on new meaning. We’ve been making small changes to our house in the last few months that are finally starting to make a difference. A few weeks ago I bought a “duvet” (synthetic filled, but still nice and warm) and I have been reveling in my “marshmallow bed.” It’s been quite chilly here (

just mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17758122607972449998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825472262659464353.post-13972907296576113362007-05-24T17:39:00.000+03:002008-12-10T07:56:22.396+03:00

I get up about 7 am. Sometimes later if it’s rainy and grey. In my grogginess I realize that I must turn on the hot water heater if I want a warm shower later. I stumble into the kitchen and manage to get some granola and yogurt into a bowl. Shuffle to the living room and plunk down in a chair (stuffed red velour). Somewhere around the third bite I begin to wake up. I make coffee or have a

just mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17758122607972449998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825472262659464353.post-37337885197011494552007-05-22T12:20:00.001+03:002008-12-10T07:56:22.691+03:00

I didn’t fall off the planet. I’ve just been trying to get in the groove here and it’s tiring me out. Things are starting to take shape. I have internet at home finally and it is so worth it, even though it costs a pile of money. There are three of us in our house now, so it’s not so bad – we all share the cost. Work is both very rewarding and emotionally draining sometimes. I have been

just mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17758122607972449998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825472262659464353.post-14049170538460538552007-03-24T13:21:00.000+03:002007-03-24T13:25:52.973+03:00

I’m finally trying to catch up on keeping in touch! Internet access and connection speeds are definitely a challenge here (i.e. they suck!). I’ve more or less figured out my monthly expenses, so I think I can get internet at home, however I know that there will be a million tiny details and bugs to work out before everything starts running smoothly. Hopefully it will happen soon. I’m feeling

just mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17758122607972449998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825472262659464353.post-73330729781377855782007-03-24T12:14:00.000+03:002007-03-24T12:19:00.198+03:00

So - this post is actually a month old, but since this is my blog about living in Tanzania, I wanted it to start at the beginningGetting thereI left Saskatoon at 11:40 am on February 12 and arrived at Kilimanjaro International Airport on February 13 at almost 9pm local time, crossing 8 time zones in the process. I used the 26 hour transit time for really important activities such as watching all

just mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17758122607972449998noreply@blogger.com0