Friday November 13 –

I walked around Monduli, took some pictures.

Sunday November 15 –

Haya, haya, haya. (ok, ok, ok)

I just got home from my solo Arusha Weekend. Took a cold shower and then heard a knock and a little voice at my door.

It was Isaack – He came up to visit me all by himself!

He wanted to play with my computer so I sat him on my lap and then put on a podcast. After not even a minute he started to feel really heavy and his head fell a bit to the side... in a matter of seconds he had fallen fast asleep. So I picked him up and let him sprawl out on the couch and he’s still out cold. I guess he didn’t have his nap yet.

Talk about fulfilling my maternal quota for a while.

Oh and he’s finally decided on what to call me: deffa. A-freakin-dorable.

Speaking of fulfilling: ARUSHA!

While Rach is off on her multi-country adventure, I had to think of something exciting to do this weekend. On Thursday I confronted Mckenzie about maybe joining them for a night in Arusha. She, of course, said yeah and after a few phone calls I was headed into town on a dala dala (also respectively known as the double d’s) to meet them at the Meru Inn.

It was Mckenzie’s birthday weekend so we went out to dinner at this place called Nick’s Pub that had very good chicken (and wine^_^). We sat outside, under the tarp next to 40 Danish agricultural students who sang Happy Birthday to Mckenzie in Dutch. Very cute.

Then we headed off to Maasai Club which was an indoor/outdoor loungy-type place. Very cool with enough tables to sit and a smaller dance floor to the side. I had a blast.

They all wanted to go see a movie today, but it was such a nice day, I wanted to walk around town and get some shopping done. So I said thanks and goodbye and headed off on my own – liberated.

I was just walking aimlessly, really. No rhyme or reason. Hmm, how about this street – or this one?

After a few turns I found the market and a few more turns BOOM! I see Christian. Rachel and I met him the first time we went into Arusha alone and he lead us around and helped us find what we were looking for.

What luck!

He even remembered me and took once again to leading me around. I told him I wanted to see more of the market then do some “touristy” shopping and he did just that.

I got some really cool photos at the market I wouldn’t have been able to get if he weren’t with me: butcher shop, a kid holding a chicken, and a guy who was selling traditional medicine.

I wanted to thank Christian so I took him out to lunch. The food was so good (I can’t even remember where we ate...some local diner) and it was only Tsh 7,000 for the both of us and we had more than enough food! Amazing.

Overall, one of the most successful weekends yet!


Sunday, November 22 –

Oopsies...it’s been a while. I blame Rachel because when she got back (Tuesday) I had someone to talk to again and therefore didn’t need to write nearly as much. BUT I did miss a lot... I think.... darn...

Mama has returned from Japan Wednesday
- she gave us plastic Tokyo Towers as souvenirs...eesh
- She’s leaving again in a few days for two MORE weeks! Craziness

Thursday was Orkeeswa as always...
- 2 more interviews down
- We played pictionary with the kids. Rachel made Obama a word...ahah
Bibi’s (grandma’s) brother passed away
- Rita (Mama’s younger sister) came to visit Bibi
- Charles (Mama’s older brother) came with his daughter the next night

I knew we weren’t going to do anything for Thanksgiving, so one night when everyone was around the table, I accepted that night as Thanksgiving.
It was a pretty perfect scene too:
- too many people crammed at one table
- so many people, some had to eat in the living room
- more than one conversation going on at once
- even though there were two different dominant languages, there was never really an uncomfortable lull in the conversation
- too many choices for a main course
- mashed potatoes and peas
☺
Friday Rachel and I decided to go into Arusha. We had lunch at the House of Hamburgers, which was pretty good and we just missed the rain.
Then I led Rachel to the Touristy center Christian showed me last weekend.
We took the place by storm, bargaining like pros. So much fun. Such great stuff.
Once we were done, we were a little hungry so we bought one of those grilled corn from one of the women cooking them on the sides of the street...soooo good!
The sun was setting so we headed over to our favorite field and watch it go down and eat our corn. So peaceful.
We checked in at the Meru Inn then went out to eat at Via Via (no one there) and went to the Maasai Club to meet up with Mckenzie and a few of the Orkeeswa staff.
It was a really slow night, so we sat and talked with these European boys. One was from Sligo, Ireland! I’ve been there FYI. Haha funny.
Overall it went well, now that Rachel has gone out with them, she says she’ll definitely go again. They’re really great people and it’s nice to have people who know what they’re doing, know where they’re going, know some locals, and have a car:P
Saturday Rachel and I went to the Impala Hotel to swim! It was so refreshing☺ Then over to Shoprite for some errands and the used book store again. The guy who worked there, Moody, even remembered my name from three weeks ago when we went the first time. Nice.
On the way home, the (huge) dala-dala we were on busted a tire...
Great>_<
I’m not exactly sure what took so long, but I was cold (sunburn) and tired – overtired in fact – so I got pretty silly chatting with some younger girls who were sitting near us.
It was pretty miserable and 45 minutes later we were yet again on our way.
Baba picked us up and thank goodness he did because right as we were pulling up to the house it started to pour and we would have gotten stuck in it.
The rest of the day that I can remember was just hanging out. Not much time left.

Saturday November 28 –
A week ago I asked Rachel is she wanted to join the family for Church the next morning (Sunday) and she agreed it would be a good thing to do especially since Mama was now home – so it would be everyone together – well everyone but Bibi.
We found out Monday or so that Mama would be leaving yet again to do a second half of her Japan studies.
Now she has to spread the knowledge she gained there, here in TZ.
I’m not going to lie, it took me aback...I was NOT prepared for that AND Mama Christian would be leaving Thursday...OUR FAMILY IS FALLING APART!
But more on that stuff later – back to church:
We walked there together, sat in a different section than Mama because she was a church elder.
Rachel and I had to stand up when they asked if there were any visitors. Being two of the three white people in the congregation of about two to three hundred people, they all knew we hadn’t been there before.
Baba introduced us in Kiswahili because, yeah, that’s what the entire service was spoken in besides a few random phrases from the visiting former prime minister.
Baba tried to translate a bit but mostly I was busy brainstorming the format of the guest book I wanted to make the Msinjili’s as a thank you gift.
It’s about half was in its construction right now and even though it doesn’t compare with the perfection of my Italy water-color books, I must say I’m pretty impressed given the lack up supplies.
My Suffolk ID card was used to spread the glue.
The glue was from the donated school supplies from Rachel’s church.
A skirt we bought at the Thursday market was used as the cover material.
We altered the T-shirts we got from climbing Meru and used the scraps as the surface for the embroidery.
The embroidery hoop is made from the top rim of a large Blue Band (butter) container and a rubber band was used to keep the material in place.
Hooray for innovation.
So yeah, three weeks left...oh my...
We’re going to Zanzibar in a little under a week. I am sooo excited!!
We’re going to do Stone Town for a few days (do a snorkeling trip and visit some islands one day) then go to the East coast for some much needed beach action.
I want to be tan tan tan for Christmas!
We get back to Monduli from Zanzibar and have one week left! Oh dear...
I’m still waiting on letters:/ Hopefully I’ll get them before we fly off. But I’m sure if any arrive after, Baba will send it to good ol’ 14 Garfield☺
Nyumbani ni Nyumbani. Home is Home. The Swahili version of Home Sweet Home.
I’ve basically just hung out this week. It’s the short rainy season so it rains randomly throughout the day so walking around is almost futile if you don’t want to get wet / three inches of mud on the bottom of your shoes.
Wednesday we went to the Primary school to give out the rest of the school supplies Rachel brought over. I got some really great video of that and then the amazing mud houses they were constructing...there were honestly brilliant. Definitely some future architects among them.
Thursday we opted not to go to Orkeeswa and go to the Thursday market to find fabric for Baba’s guest book. We worked on that a bit ten went over to the Orkeeswa faculty house for a little Thanksgiving Day celebration.
The food turned out to be excellent: Spicy juicy chicken, mashed potatoes, and a veggie mix of green beans, broccoli, and carrots. Mmm perfect.
We even played a cheesy food trivia game, which I thought was great because it reminded me of all the silly games I play whenever I’m at Nana’s for the holidays. This game might win the prize for most ridiculous.
We were lucky to be surrounded by such nice people and actually be able to celebrate. It sure beats my Easter in Ireland:P

Monday, November 30 –
So hey, it’s the last day of November 2009!! I have yet to write about last Friday in Arusha, so I’ll do that.
Rachel and I wanted to do something fun with Ndimwenya (host sister) before we left, so I figured it would be fun to do into Arusha for a day. Turns out, it was her first time in Arusha without Mama or Baba...haha oops. Baba seemed like he was okay with it:P
Our goals: Get a bunch of earrings for cheap at the market, lunch at Pepe’s, get Ndimwe’s watch fixed and find a place to get her ears pierced!!
We traveled by none other than the dala dala’s where this Indian woman was upset we weren’t going to the stand she wanted so she started hitting one of the conductors pretty harshly. Scary in the moment, but a pretty funny story now that nothing came of it.
Pepe’s was delicious as always...seafood pasta (I couldn’t wait til Zanz for the seafood...but when I’m there I’m getting a HUGE crab or something...don’t worry there will be pictures;))
After a lot of (figurative) dead ends, we found a place that pierces ears. Ndimwe got her two first holes (pictures will be up soon!) and Rachel got two second holes☺ If I didn’t already have two holes, I would have gotten some as well...but alas.
The both looked very pretty^_^
Then to the market, where I bought 5 pairs of earrings each for about a dollar...awesome.
We had so much fun and were even home in time for dinner...with MANGOS!!
Saturday I finished the Guest Book – it looks awesome! We’re giving it to him before we leave for Zanzibar because I can’t take the suspense
Sunday (yesterday) we went to the market. We wanted to get some cheap used clothes...my favorite. I got some really cool pieces☺
Today we went to the Maasai women market and the other stores in that area.
We bought Tanzanite!! I’m very excited about that. I bought 5 rough and different colored pieces and one nicely cut piece that I will hopefully find a nice setting for when I return home.
Tomorrow I go to the Conservation Office in Arusha to talk to the National Director of Mali Hai...Turns out they have a conference tomorrow and a bunch of Mali Hai teachers / leaders will be there too and the woman said I will be able to chat with them!!!!
I love it when things work out like that!!

Time’s a tickin.

Thursday, October 29 –

Thirty-one days in the life of the culture.

I’ve already done enough in my project and enough exploring / adventuring to feel much more accomplished than I did at this time in Ireland.

Back tracking:

LAST Wednesday and Thursday were all about interviewing. It went well for what I can remember. So now I have 14 interviews under my belt.

I also attended a Mali Hai meeting at Orkeeswa. It was pretty funny. The kids weren’t in the mood for more lecture, and that’s what Thabit (the teacher) was doing. They just wanted to have fun so I was pretty silly. I did learn a few things about environmental issues specific to Tanzania though☺

Friday I was supposed to meet with Baraka at Irkisongo but I couldn’t find him so I left. I didn’t really mind though. I had a headache from the malaria meds so I didn’t feel like doing much work anyway.

The sweet thing was he came to our house to apologize and see if I still wanted to do it.

By that time I was over it and already thinking about our soon-to-be Mt. Meru adventure, so I politely declined and told him I’d get in touch sometime next week.

Friday night we just went back to “our” house and talked for a while.

I love those moments: where we just detach ourselves from the current situation...

Right now I am extremely uncomfortable and unsettled because I can’t get online or shower (the two things I missed the most while climbing Meru) because the power is out>_< (No, I haven’t talked about Mt. Meru yet...patience).

Saturday Rachel and I finished packing and were off to Arusha to Mama J’s for one night before starting our Meru Trek.

We found the hotel easily, dropped our stuff in the room which had hideous Pooh patterned curtains, and went to walk around.

We actually went inside two fancy hotels to check out the décor. The first was pretty disjointed, but the second...oh my God...it was almost disgusting it was so nice.

There were restaurants and shops inside and a very oasis-like pool area with plants everywhere. Gorgeous. Rachel says we might be able to go back one day, pay five bucks and swim! THAT would be heavenly.

We also want to try and find a bookstore. USED bookstores, not school bookstores like we’ve found before.

We walked and walked. It was nice not having a set agenda. We noticed there were a lot of weddings celebrations: Whole bands set up in the bed of pickup trucks and lines of cars decked out in streamers.

We actually got a good look at one party who got out of the parked car and starting dancing conga-line-style around it with the bride inside until she was ready to get out and travel...to the church? Not sure...somewhere.

So yeah. BOOM culture. Very cool.

Another very cultural thing we came upon by chance was a football practice. It was down this dirt road, across a broken concrete lot, down a littered hill on a field that was more dust than grass.

To our left was a mosque and a wall of concrete covered in graffiti – some actually beautiful designs.

To our right was the setting sun behind huge white puffy clouds.

We sat at the top of the hill watching the practice. At first people stared, but slowly I began to feel like an accepted element in the scene.

So yeah, then we went out to eat Pepe’s Italian and Indian Restaurant (interesting combo, I know) down the street from our hotel.

It was a very serene setting, a bit touristy but we were one of 5 groups there, so we weren’t overcrowded. The food was VERY good too.

Sunday morning we were supposed to be picked up at 8:00am.

They were an hour late...

We were not happy, but once we were underway, excitement took over.

It was a 45 minute drive to Arusha National Park...no biggie.

We had the same driver who took us to Ngorongoro Crater, Benno. our cook Robert was sitting in the front with him, then our ‘assistant guide’ Bryson was in the center with us, and Lulu (porter/waiter) in the back.

We finally arrived at Momella Gate and unpacked. We could see about 15 men just waiting to be picked as porters. It was kind of a strange feeling. I’m glad we weren’t the ones who would pick them. All that negotiating was left up to good old Benno.

After a while (and a not so amazing boxed lunch) we were off with our Ranger Guide Ozzie (Oswald was his real name, but he liked Ozzie better, so cute) and Bryson.

I wanted to be sure we went the fig tree arch way and we did☺

We even walked really close (super close) to a herd of buffalo who didn’t look too happy to see us.
It was pretty scary because we were on the same level as them...not like in Ngorongoro where we were in the jeep. We were on the same level and they were huge. We were safe, though. Ozzie carried a huge gun and looked ready and able to use it.

Through the fields, into gorgeous rainforests(!!), up gravel roads. We stopped at a lovely waterfall and patch of green grass that could honestly have been the setting for a Garden of Eden scene in a movie.

Pure beauty.

Then up and up. It took us 4 hours to reach Miriakumba Hut where we were ready to relax.

I’m very glad we went through a tourism agency. They treated us like royalty:

Dinner was served in the dinning lodge (there was only one other group there) where a piece of Maasai fabric served as the tablecloth. Cute.

Monday was Rachel’s Birthday. I decided I wanted to do something special, so I set my alarm for 12:00am and woke her up, gave her my make-shift card and bracelet, then told her there was more of a surprise on the top bunk (the packet of cards from her family).

She was like... “Baba?” and I sat on her bed with her as she opened about 25 cards from loved ones...it was really cute and I could tell she appreciated me thinking it through.

Monday-day was a little sad. Half way up these crazy steps it started to rain and get colder. At first my body hated life but then I got this amazing second wind and was all-good.

We saw all kinds of animals. At one point we stopped and Ozzie pointed to the left.

Just there was a giraffe eating leaves from the tops of the acacia trees, which were at eye level because right off the path the ground sloped down sharply. So, there we were standing about 10 meters away from this huge giraffe basically eye to eye. So cool.

There were also a lot of black and white colobus monkeys and also a whole family of baboons (hundreds). The baboons were migrating to a different part of the forest and looked like a trail of ants crawling across the distant hill.

Once we got to Saddle Hut, it really started to rain. We were supposed to climb up to Little Meru, but the rain kept up, so we couldn’t. The rest of Monday was spent praying the rain would stop so we could hike up at 2:00am Tuesday morning.

By this time, I had already acknowledged that if we were going to be able to climb, we most likely would not summit and I was, and still am, totally okay with that.

We woke up. It was clear. We were on our way.

The fact we had to wake up that early was really tough and my body was not feeling it.

It was so dark. I was scared almost every step of the way, wondering if that one step would keep me solid or let me slide down the face of the mountain.

Surprisingly there were no serious injuries the whole way. Only bruises and extremely sore muscles.
But anyway, we made it to Rhino Point! Hooray! I was SO excited because of all the reading I’ve done about it, I was THERE! We kept on going though, we were hot and getting out of breath more and more easily:-/

Then Ozzie said we weren’t even half way...and I knew it was not going to happen.

It was still dark, getting colder, ad we felt like we were on the moon besides the fact the wind was blowing so hard it was almost knocking us down.

I made up my mind that we would make it half way. That was my goal.

Rachel didn’t seem to like that thought, though.

My lower back was starting to hurt and my breath was becoming more and more stagnated. It was interesting... she definitely pushed herself more than I think I did... but I think I had the responsibility to stay smart and turn back at the right time to ensure we were able to decent safely.
Rachel even said she would have made it to summit but she probably would have gotten hurt.

So here we are SAFE and still feeling accomplished.

We had a final dinner ALL together on Tuesday night. All the other times it was just Rachel, me, and Bryson. But THIS time we had Ozzie and all the porters and they sang happy birthday to Rachel. It was really cute and a lot of fun.

Ozzie told us we should be proud. A lot of people stop at Saddle Hut...and that people were surprised we made it that far. Go us!

I think if I did the Little Meru in clear weather, I would have been able to do it...Bryson has climbed Kili three times and he said it’s much easier and that he’d never try to climb Meru again!

Speaking of Kili we saw it from Miriakumba Hut Sunday! So majestic!

“Some journeys change mankind forever.”

The decent was really hard. Just down, down, down, down. Muscles tensing over and over. I think that’s what caused the most pain these few following days.

Once down we waited for Benno at pick us up to take us on our game drive through Arusha National Park.

We saw flamingo (Rachel’s favorite). Not just a dozen or even a hundred, but thousands of them clinging to the shore of Momella Lake.

We also saw giraffe in a few different places, all very close.

But really the rest of the game drive wasn’t amazing.

It started to rain and I was tired and had a headache and all we were doing was driving through a forest. Tree, tree, tree...

We stopped to look at, just look at, the small crater but we couldn’t see much. Whatever I wanted to get home and shower and check mail and facebook but alas the next day the power was out: no electricity for internet or hot water for a shower.

We were pretty miserable, but we went to get credit anyway. Then later we went to the Thursday market to buy more fabric for our soon-to-be clothes.

Mama is still in Japan so her sister-in-law came to help out and she brought her two year old son Isaack. She’s a seamstress and we’ll be able to have her make things for us! I’m very excited!
Poor little Isaack was afraid of Rachel and I the first night, but last night we played soccer with him. So he’s getting used to us. He even came over and sat next to me. Aww.

So yeah, that adventure is over. It’s Halloween tomorrow. Moshi Soon, Arusha sooner, then Zanzibar at the end of the month into DECEMBER!
Sheesh.


Thursday, November 5 –

Wow time, time, time. The weekend was pretty uneventful. We went to the Sunday market early, watched them set up, got bothered by annoying kids and brainstormed InterFuture: The Musical, because we thought it would be hysterical.

I bought some really nice woven purple Maasai fabric that I’ve been wanting and a rice saucer that would make for a cool center piece/fruit basket.

Monday I thought I wasn’t going to do anything then Baba asked if I could go to Irkisongo to finish up my last two interviews there.

So after lunch I went over. They were very smart but also very quiet. But hey! Now I’m done there! Although I might go back and help them plant the tree saplings they have waiting to be planted in the school yard.

Tuesday we went to Arusha and honestly, it was one of the best Arusha trips ever.

Emotionally speaking I’m here, and I’m there.

Loving it here but also missing there. Can’t have it all.

That’s why we have to take breaks and have Arusha days like this one.

We visited the tribunal again. Saw the nuts-o security guard again, actually got some paper work on it and witnessed yet another amazing / creepy court session.

This time we were there for an hour and a half. They were talking to a 26year old nephew of one of the main leaders of the genocide. That would have put him at about 11 years old as he followed his brother and others around probably participating in the killings as well.

He was not as good as the old guy in terms of keeping the prosecutor going in circles with random facts but he was just as scary and just as much of a bad guy.

But, the really scary thing was, he is only there as a witness. At this point they’re just trying to get the main leaders behind bars. It’s almost impossible to convict what this man did when he was 11 years old. So, at the end, after he told the court he thought of the whole thing as a game, the slaughter of innocent people a game, he was free to go.

Yes. Go...into public. That really struck a blow to my reality. That there are, in fact, evil people just walking in our midst. Everywhere, not just Tanzania.

We left, I had a burger at McMoodies (mmmmm) and then we were free to shop around at these tiny and touristy shops. I spotted this beautiful basket with a tan, dark purple, and light purple woven design with heafty handles. I wanted it.

The woman said Tsh10,000 ($8.50) and I said that was too much and thought about it as I checked out the rest of the place. I went back and said Tsh6,000 and she brought it to Tsh7,000. Boom! That’s how we do!

I love this basket. It’s something I’ll actually be using when I get back to the states.

We went to Shoprite and got snap peas, raspberry jam, a frame for the picture I painted for the Msinjili’s, chocolate for Ndimwe, Munch-a-lots, and Twix.

Oh yeah we also went to a book shop where I got two pretty cards. One for mom (teehee) and the other would be really cool to use as a children’s room interior design concept. Oh yeah, that part of the brain is still switched on☺

Then just as we left Shoprite and were ready to head back home, Rachel spotted a used book stand!!! We went over like flies to a light and had a blast looking and laughing at all the hysterical titles. I actually found some good ones though:

- Green Home
- Millwork
- 1988 Edition of National Geographic
- Color Harmony

All together they were supposed to cost about Tsh24,000 but I asked if he would take Tsh20,000 and the guy (who was pretty funny. His name was Moody. Hhe definitely fit his name) silently just pointed at me as if to say, “You got it.”

Wednesday was help-Rachel-hand-out-her-donated-school-supplies-to-kids-at-one-of-the-Primary-Schools Day. It was pretty adorable. They were quiet and very well behaved the whole time but you could tell they loved it and were super excited on the inside.

I finally received some letters!!! It was really cute. Baba came up to our house, opened the door slightly and showed the two letters in one hand through the small opening.

I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t want to be fooled. I had waited so long I couldn’t believe they were finally here.

I still have three more letters out there taking their sweet &*( time getting to me...but at least I know they’ll get here sooner or later, and aren’t lost in an abyss.

Thursday was Orkeeswa. Two interviews. Uneventful.

That night I had the crazy idea of going to Arusha to a club Via Via and overnight it...somewhere, to which Rachel said an immediate, “Okay.”

We went to this Japanese place. I had sushi. It wouldn’t have been bad if it weren’t for the soy sauce...something just wasn’t right about it. But at least I can say I tried it. The tempura was amazing though.

It was still pretty early, we tried to find Via Via, but due to lack of planning we didn’t know exactly where we were going so we decided to turn around before we got lost and try to find a place to stay.
We ended up at the Arusha Backpackers Hotel because we saw it had a roof deck!

We got a room and went immediately up to the roof deck to lounge. There we were, sitting on a bench with zebra print fabric staring at a faint outline of Mt. Meru lit by a huge bright moon surrounded by a few scattered clouds. Awesome.

Moshi tomorrow! Road trip!


Wednesday, November 11 –

Well well well...the ambition finally came to me to document the accounts of the weekend in Moshi and Marangu.

We left Monduli Saturday morning (missing laundry day which is seriously hurting my ‘wardrobe’) and attempted to eat lunch at McMoody’s in Arusha.

I say attempted because even though we ate, it was one off the worst meals out I’ve ever had.
For one, I wasn’t feeling particularly well.

For another, Rachel wanted to sit upstairs.

We were hot and wanted passion juice. Simple request right?

WRONG.

We didn’t even get out orders in for about 15 minutes. The drinks didn’t come, Rachel saw them go to two other tables. So we asked again.

20 minutes pass, our food comes. We ask a THIRD time for the juices.

We finished our food and still waited. Rachel even went down to complain and ask AGAIN. By this time my patience was wearing thin and I really wasn’t feeling well.

We watched our waiter come up the stairs empty handed and then again with the family’s food who got there after us and left before us. I decided it might be a good idea to move downstairs.
The people were NOT taking a hint.

I went up to the counter and complained, a woman then came out with one cup and told us to sit.
We got the other and finished...now we had to wait for the bill.

My patience was gone. I can only be treated like I’m invisible for so long, as a paying customer even!
So we put the money on the table and I said, “Hi, we’re leaving, the money for the bill is on the table,” and walked out.

Liberated? Yes.

Still pissed off? You bet.

Thankfully Rachel still had her head on straight and found the bus to Moshi (about 2hrs).

We had seen a bit of the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro through the clouds while on the bus, but nothing prepared us for the first time we really saw it (from Moshi-remember we saw it while climbing Meru)

We got out of the crazy bus station and wandered wherever. I was taking a tip from Rachel’s lifestyle this weekend and not planning a thing, even where we were staying.

So we wandered, found a place: Philips... it was closed. Another place... it was closed too. This really amazing one called the Livingstone Hotel was completely (and beautifully) broken down and abandoned. Got some good photos of that^_^

But it turned out the FIRST FOUR places we came across to stay, were closed/ abandoned.
We kept walking along more of a main stretch. I happened to look behind me and BAM, there was Kili! Great sight.
Along this stretch there were (thank God) plenty of hotels and we finally settled with the Kilimanjaro Backpacker’s Hotel (same branch as the one in Arusha – though the one in Arusha was better).

So once we knew where we were staying we wanted to find a better viewpoint of Kilimanjaro.

We started wandering and I happened to look up because there were all these white birds hanging out in the some trees in front of a hotel and noticed it had a roof deck!

I was like, “Raaaach? Can we go up there?” She didn’t see it at first but then was like, “Oh yes!”
I was thinking we might have to pay some sort of fee since we weren’t staying there, but we basically marched upstairs without looking back.

The view was PERFECT! And there was a bar so I got two cokes and we stayed there for a while, took pictures, then went to find a place to eat.

We found a cool place that ended up being the local hot-spot to watch “the game” and the food was amazing. Imagine pieces of chicken that are actually edible...haha can’t get better than that:P

The next morning (Sunday) we headed off to Marangu. Once there this one guy followed us asking us if we needed a guide for the waterfalls, but we were like no, we don’t need a guide. Normally I just write these guys off as annoying and leave it at that, but this guy was actually nice enough to point us in the (right) direction of one of the waterfalls☺

Tsh3,000 to see the waterfall...no bigs.

The falls<3 <3 <3 Gorgeous.

There was a couple, and the girl encouraged us to swim and go under the falls and offered to take pictures of us. I barely thought twice about it.

The water—flowing down from Kilimanjaro—was perfectly cool and felt amazing.

Once under the falls I let down my hair and absorbed it all. So exhilarating.

A moment in time.

We hung out on some rocks to try to dry off a bit, but it barely worked.

So it was on a dala dala back to Moshi, then back to Arusha, then back to Monduli...

Long day, but I felt great. It was just like that feeling after a day at the beach (sans sunburn): that heavy tiredness and willingness to curl up and sleep just about anywhere.

Monday I registered for classes and got everything I wanted! It might be because I’m a senior and get first registration, OR just might be because InterFuture hooked us up and let us register at 12:00am US time, 9am-ish here. Saweet.

My poor journal is getting so full I will most likely be moving to a new book in the next week or so. I can’t wait to show it to you all!

I’m predicting I will be able to update two more times before I come home, so keep posted☺

Time will be out before we all know it!

Peace&Love

 Tuesday, Oct 13 –

Today was a pretty horrible day.

It started off okay: sitting on the front steps enjoying my morning coffee. But that was the end of it.

First, I was making a bracelet for a staff member at Orkeeswa Secondary School who commissioned one from me. It was looking a bit girly so I decided to start over and soon after I did, the string broke, so I had to start over AGAIN! >_<

That may sound like nothing, but in that moment, I knew luck was not on my side.

Next, Baba told me to meet Juliana (Mali Hai leader for Moringe Secondary School) sometime after 12:00pm. Okay. Fine. Easy.

I showed up at 1:00pm only to be lead by an unwilling student to her office where I was told by a few students Juliana was absent...That didn’t make sense. She told Baba to have me meet her there on that day. I didn’t trust them and asked an adult who was walking by. He said she was in class. Better, but still not a good situation for me.

I was flustered that nothing...nothing at all...was connecting. So, I just wrote her a note and left.

Later Baba called her and she told him it was his fault for not calling back and confirming that I would be arriving and at what time...Gahh...

I thought ‘African Time’ was supposed to be very flexible and relaxed. Guess not.

I then had to get over to Irkisongo to film a math class for Mama (She’s going to a conference in Japan and needs an example of a typical class. She’ll be gone three weeks!)

And when I say film, I mean videotape with a huge boxy 1980’s camcorder. It was such a pain in the butt because it was hot and I had to stand and stay focused and the first battery didn’t work at all.

I then switched to using my camera, but after only a few minutes it ran out of memory. Rachel (thank goodness she came) went to get the replacement battery for the camcorder, which ended up being the better battery that Mama thought she put in in the first place. Needless to say, it was yet another frustrating situation in one day.

Next, I was supposed to meet with the student leader of the Mali Hai club at Irkisongo, seeing I was already there. Baba said the headmistress would find him for me. BUT it turns out she was leaving early and wouldn’t be there.

Then she mentioned something about meeting Friday morning, but nothing more. When I talked to Baba later on he said SHE SAID that we had confirmed I would be meeting with the students leader at 8:00am on Friday.

I said no such thing. Bahhh communication barriers!! They really are giving me a hard time.

By this time, I had already acknowledged that things were not going my way.

And yet...

Hanging out in our house, cutting up magazines, listening to Wicked and Little Women soundtracks, playing our ‘Garage Band’ songs and just laughing at stupid things rebooted my mood.

After dinner Mama started on yet another story-telling rant. This time the subject was what we would call ‘Urban Legends.’ We were enthralled to the core. Listening as she spoke of ‘creepy people’ going into houses at night, some ‘flying’ around on rice basket hover crafts, 12 year old cannibals and things like that just made me crack up to the point of tears.

So, what else? We basically did nothing all weekend. Rachel and I were going to go to the ‘Dusty Market’ on Sunday, but she wasn’t feeling so hot, so it postponed our plans for a later date. I mean I guess I could have gone alone, but I didn’t need anything...or want to walk all that way, really...

I haven’t gotten any letters yet and I CANNOT wait any longer!! L

Tomorrow is Nyerere Day (their late beloved former president)! It’s a public holiday and the family is home from work and school!

Baba said he’s taking us to the Maasai galleries...not exactly beading with the Maasai girls, like all the Tanzania alumnae talk about, but I guess it’s something. Maybe they’ll have jewelry there! I’d like a pair of earrings.

Let’s just hope my bad luck wears off for the rest of the week so I can get some stuff done! Okay? Okay.

 

Wednesday, October 14 –

Something terrible happened today... We went out to lunch with Baba, and then to some tourist shops (obscene), then to some Maasai women’s huts, then home. Where does the terrible thing come in you may be wondering? It wasn’t until we got home and we noticed our place was cleaned...

I ran down to thank Mama because it looked so nice and I was walking back and Rachel came running down and I was like, “Whoa, there!” and then looked at her quizzically. All she said was, “Well yeah, my Gullie.”

Time out: Gullie is a bit of fabric left over from a blanket her mom made for her sister when she was born, but then when Rachel was born she adopted it as her own. Her first word was Gullie. She took it to hockey games, job interviews and barely spent a night without it.

“Oh shit.” I said and followed her into the house. She didn’t know what to say so I explained what it was to mama who just stood there looking at us.

We were like, “Where is it?!”

I had a flicker of a thought earlier that it might be in the burn pile... but forgot that because it could still be in the trash somewhere right?? Wrong...

Mama burnt it.

We went over to the smoldering pile to poke around in it, but mama said it was most likely gone,

...and Rachel. Poor Rachel didn’t know what to do with herself. She came back up, called her mom (as I would have done).

I didn’t really know what to do in this situation either. I had Joshua (my bear) give her a hug and then I had this feeling we could find it in the pile if we poked around a bit more... then I had the idea to collect a few ashes and spread them when we got to the top of Mt. Meru. I don’t think she wanted to do anything like that, but I prompted it and went along with it (because I thought it was a cool idea and would make for a great story, AND a motivation to get to top).

Later, she was trying to think of ways to substitute it, because it helped her sleep. Without it, she knew, she would not sleep. I suggested she take the strap of her bag she got in Ghana (from a girl who was selling them to benefit orphans) and she’s actually going to do it. So, it’s nice that I feel like I am helping a little bit.

“It’s always easier when it’s not you” – Sharon Lepine

I have to keep that in mind. Time for dinner...

 

Thursday October 15 –

Want to explore Africa? à Spend a day in Arusha.

So if you haven’t figured it out already, I skipped out on Orkeeswa today and went to Arusha insteadJ When I told Baba he was like, “It’s good not to pressure yourself.” I was happy he didn’t harp on it.

Rachel came too, of course, and picked the most uncomfortable seats on the dala dala. We were right on top of the engine and my feet were honestly cooking which made the rest of my body boil as well.

It was definitely going to be a hot day. We got off the dala dala early because we couldn’t handle it anymore. We wound our way through a HUGE market toward the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) at the Arusha International Conference Center (AICC). We actually found a courtroom, sat down, put the headphones on, and switched to English.

It was very cool. We sat in a room separated from the courtroom only by those one-way mirrors you see on the criminal investigation shows. There was a television too that allowed us a view of the accused. He was 73 years old, with a long white beard, and white round squat hat. He was being accused of using his own property for a secret headquarters and killing at least one man.

The scary thing was you could tell he had been corrupt for a very long time because he could lie with ease (except for a slight shifting in his chair) and brought up random completely irrelevant facts to try and deter the prosecutor from his path of questioning, trying to distract him with some other fact or problem that didn’t even matter or worse didn’t even exist. He did ‘well’ keeping the members of the court going in circles.

Then at 1:00pm they took a break for lunch. We didn’t go back but plan to in the future.

The compound was really pretty and I’m excited to explore it more soon.

We wanted lunch. We got lost. We found “Pizza Place” and rejoiced.

It was actually a pretty cool place. It wasn’t too touristy and you could tell that locals didn’t mind eating here. We were lead out to a small lounge-like hut with low comfy chairs. The food was good and the server was a sweetheart.

We did a bit more shopping, but decided to go early.

So, not a bad day in Arusha...I’m sure there will be many more.

 

Tuesday, October 20 –

It’s been a while since my last update...I will start with Friday and go from there. Ok?

Friday I had to be at Irkisongo by 8:00am...ewe.

I met with Baraka (Student leader of Mali Hai at Irkisongo – love him) who showed me the room where we’d be meeting then went to get kids for me to survey and interview.

10 total.

The same thing that happened at Orkeeswa happened here. The survey was confusing...but, like Orkeeswa, they picked it up fairly quickly and it was just a matter of definitions that I stumbled over (yet again).

I interviewed 4, and then had to go to Moringe School to meet with Juliana to finally schedule a time to meet with the Moringe Mali Hai students.

Baraka was such a sweetheart, he walked me all the way to Moringe, waited for me while I met with Juliana, and walked me back to Irkisongo.

I then interviewed him...thought it would be smart to walk back home to catch lunch, and then return in the afternoon to see how many more I could get done.

After three students, I was so burnt out I had to leave. I was exhausted but pleased with the amount of work I was able to get done.

The interviews are taking on average 25 minutes each! But what they’re saying it good and relevant. I just have to space them out more than I did in Ireland to give each other them the proper amount of focus.

It’s really going well and I can already compare and contrast a few things between the two countries.

Saturday Rachel and I headed off to the Maasai women’s huts at Snake Park. I wanted wood utensils (that I will probably use as salad servers for the rest of my life). We popped in and out of the small huts filled with jewelry and household things.

I found a beautiful two-toned spoon and fork pair with long smooth simple handles and also a necklace of large green painted clay beads... stunning. Both those cost under $10.

Sunday we went to Dusty Market. Rachel needed warmer clothes for Meru and we both wanted Maasai sandals that are made from scraps of tire (awesome). Love errandsJ

Monday: 6:30am Ngorongoro Crater!

Our driver was this sweet guy named Benno. He knew when to talk and when to be silent and let us just enjoy the ride. He was definitely intelligent: whipping out facts about the rift valley, and crater, and animals left and right, but didn’t show off about it. What he said was always relevant to the moment.

Needless to say Baba and Africa Trails hooked us up with an experience of a lifetime. Or as Rach put it: An experience of a hundred million lifetimes. Which is true. How many people get to see something anywhere near as amazing as the Ngorongoro Crater? We are so lucky.

It had rained for the first time since we’ve been here on Sunday and even Monday morning it was still on and off and very foggy.

We were worried it would be so foggy we wouldn’t be able to see the crater very well. We kept driving up and up, feeling the altitude. Through the main gates we saw a mysterious looking rainforest. I really do LOVE rainforests... just magical.

But we couldn’t really see anything...but then we descended a bit more and as we rounded one corner we saw. We saw a huge beautiful field with distant shadowed mountains rising to the bright blue sky spotted with white puffy clouds that made patterns over the miniature huts and barns below. *sigh*

We realized, if it hadn’t been foggy at first we would have seen this view from further off and it wouldn’t have been such a huge (and beautiful) surprise.

By this time we were both taking pictures like lunatics and we weren’t even in the crater yet.

We checked in at the gate and descended down down down... We saw Zebra, and then two lions mated right before our eyes! The male was absolutely sweet about it, biting the females early lightly from behind...adorable...beautiful. I will never again believe animalistic tendencies to be only raw and unbridled.

After the female flipped over onto her side as if to say, “That was great.” As the male just stood there panting and staring into the distance as if to say, “I am the king.”

Benno told us they dedicate all of their time to mating and will not eat for 5 days straight.

We also saw warthog, ostrich, wildebeest, hyena, cranes, hippos staying cool in a beautiful pond with white birds hanging out in the reeds, then two elephants but they were pretty far away.

Lunch was interesting: “Beware of the birds,” Benno said.

I was thinking, yeah, they’ll be annoying us because we have food...whatever.

Not they’ll actually be hawks swooping down attacking our hands to snatch whatever it is we have with their talons. Needless to say, I went to eat in the jeep.

After lunch, we drove and drove and drove, saw a male lion in the grass far off, kept driving, and came across the carcass of a zebra just beginning to be picked apart by vultures...scary and fascinating. Vultures are pretty amusing animals if you ask me.

By this time my camera battery, and memory were running out, BUT I was still able to capture the elephant herd we spotted on the way out. One even crossed right in front of us!

The animals are great and all, but I was thinking: Even if the animals didn’t live here, it would still be an amazing destination. The golden fields, orange sands, brilliant blue skies, modest water supplies and gigantic crater walls all measure up to one of the most beautiful natural places in the world. The animals are just a bonus.

We barely did anything the whole day. We rode in the jeep and looked, but on the ride home, I was beyond tired. Rachel and Benno were talking about something and I was staring out the window checking behind me every other minute to see the progression of the sunset...just beautiful and basically impossible to capture with a camera.

Today I went to Moringe Secondary school and surveyed and interviewed three students. I really wasn’t in the mood to go, but once I was there, in their special Mali Hai office – decked out with a sign and clippings of photos / maps inside – and started talking to them, it was great.

I’m going back tomorrow, then Orkeeswa Thursday, then Irkisongo Friday...whoa holy project week!

Then Saturday we go into Arusha to stay overnight in a hostel, then leave for our four day Meru Trek!! It’s coming up soo fast!

I have to remember to do something special for Rachel’s birthday (it’s Monday). hmmm

 

Until next timeJ

Hope you enjoyed it!

 Thursday, October 1 –

 Oh dear, it’s October. Goodbye September! The rest of yesterday was non-eventful.

 One cool thing though was the design of the Teacher’s College. The layout was almost Asian inspired: long corrugated
aluminum covered exterior hallways connecting the brick buildings. I definitely want to go back and take pictures and find 
out the name of the architect.

 After that we walked around town a bit more. Rachel gave out pens to some kids. They got so pumped. Then we got cokes
and sat down in the sun on the stoop of the shop.

 We were there a while when I looked down and found some scraps of fabric. Some really cool different patterns that Rachel
and I are brainstorming the amount of cool crafty things we could do with them. I’ll let you know.

 

 Friday, October 2 –

 So, nothing is really happening today. But yesterday? Now that’s worth talking about.

 We met the Orkeeswa Secondary School staff in town at 8:00am.

 While we waited I witnessed my first (and hopefully not last) cockfight...it was hysterical AND I got it on tape.

Once there, we weren’t really sure what to do. We didn’t want to be in the way and ended up sitting and reading and weaving
friendship bracelets for most of the time.

 Makenzie, one of the teachers, asked if we would help correct some letters the students were writing to their sponsors, and of course, we said yes.

 It was a really cool experience. Some were much stronger than others, but all equally impressive. You could tell by their
attitudes they wanted to learn, wanted to get it right, and sincerely appreciated our help.

Then it was time for netball.  

Netball is almost exactly like basketball, but you can’t dribble and the baskets do not have backboards. The “court” was higher
up on a patch of dust seemingly in the middle of nowhere. It was a beautiful view though: hills, mountains, and savannah in a
360-degree panorama of East Africa...yeah I was there...

The game was slightly entertaining. One thing is for sure: the students LOVED watching. The faculty members were especially
funny. They really knew how to put on a good show.

I heard some bells behind me and turned around and saw about 30 goats chillin in the bush and a little sandy puppy. I got
closer to take some pictures and noticed a small, very dirty, pissed off Maasai boy back in the long grass. I wanted so badly to
take a picture of him, but word is they don’t like getting their picture taken.

I let some students take the camera for a while but they started taking pictures of the goats and then even the boy who looked
like he wanted to kill us. I told them to stop and was surprised by the lack of respect they had for him. It was sad.

 BUT, when I was looking back at my photos in my camera, they got a really good picture of the boy, and I wouldn’t have if it weren’t for them. Oh well...

The game was over and it was time to go home. I didn’t get to do my survey or interview anyone but there’s still time. I’ll be
back and I think it’s better for the students to get to know me or at least used to me a bit more.

Oh I forgot to mention Robert (headmaster) had a worker take us over to the Primary School on the other side of the chasm.
Down the hill, the up the hill. 

The difference in the students’ reactions compared to the secondary school was really remarkable. The seven year olds acted
like they’ve never seen a white person before in their lives and it may be true.

Rachel wanted to watch the kids, but the guy asked if she wanted to meet the rest of the staff and she said yes. She didn’t want to be disrespectful, so she said yes. We entered the room labeled ‘Staff,’ they talked to her and I just sat there drinking tea with doughnutsJ  

514 students there. Woah. Their clothes were in tatters, but their spirits were bright.

The staff wanted Rachel to teach. She said a reluctant yes and I still didn’t say anything.

It was definitely a longgg day. We got back after school ended and still basically had the rest of the afternoon to wish we had awaken later in the day.

As for today, we didn’t really have any plans, so as a result, nothing really happened.

Writing, writing, writing, and updating...Arusha Tomorrow!!

 

Sunday, October 4 –

I am sitting here in our pimp African suite. It is 12:00pm on the dot. My laundry is done and hung on the line to dry and my new letters with a few magazine clippings are sealed in their properly addressed enveloped ready to be taken into town.

The place was looking a bit scattered, so I tidied a little. Now that it is nice and clean and organized, I can finally sit down and clearly account for our day in Arusha.

The only time I had really seen Arusha was going through on the way to pick up Rachel from the airport. It was nowhere near that busy yesterday, but it was still a tasked to duck and weave the masses on the streets and sidewalks.

The drive on the dala-dala wasn’t bad. Dala-dalas are 15 seater vans used for public transport. It can (not comfortably) hold anywhere up to about 25 people. I can’t imagine not getting seats and having to stand for the hour-ish ride. It shouldn’t even be called standing room...they’re on their feet, yes, but they’re hunched over the people in the seats below them because of the low roof...nooo thank you.

Then: We arrived Arusha.

Brilliant purple jackalunda trees lined both sides of the street. Dala-dalas flew by with men hanging out the windows either staring you down or shouting something (to get you to accept a ride) or both. It’s pretty easy to ignore them, but doing so without feeling like a snob, is a different story.

Our first stop was the bank. We only waited in line for about 10 minutes even though the line made it look like we’d be there for 25. I already know I’m going to spend a fraction of what I spent in Ireland...love it here.

Baba then took us to find postcards. I got one with a bison with a white bird perched on its head. Pretty cute. 50 cents (U.S.). Why not?

We stopped in a place called McMoodies for lunch... Pretty Westernized but the pizza was pretty good.

I thanked Baba for taking us because I could imagine Arusha was not his favorite place to go, and he said “Oh Steph.... I hate Arusha.” HAHA...I thought he might.

It can be compared to the sentiment Rachel and I have for the most touristy parts of Boston: The North End / Quincy Market... yuck...I understand.

We stopped at a market where he picked up a few things. It smelt of fish and rotting food but the colors were just beautiful. It really made me want to get out my camera, but I didn’t want to offend anyone and in fact, neither of us took either of our cameras out the entire day! Bummer. Next time.

While walking around, some guy shouted, “Mambo” to us and I responded, “Poa” and he was definitely impressed that I knew the correct response and I was white. Nice.

We went to Shopright, which was pretty hysterical. It was basically a huge (not air conditioned) Walmart. It had anything you’d need, but, according to Baba, at a hefty price.

Then we walked up to where the buses first leave for Monduli (I guess we were done for the day – I just think Baba didn’t want to wait around for the ‘real’ crowd to come in. His philosophy: Go in. Do what you need. Get out).

On our way to the buses, the environment changed. I forget exactly when, but all of a sudden I felt much more comfortable (probably the lack of traffic) and I liked a lot more of what I was looking at (probably because tourists don’t usually make it to this area and the things that were being sold were functional, African to African merchandise and not catered, stereotypical items for the Wazungu (white people)).

Also, no one was in your face about selling things. No one was calling out of windows or coming up to you with a handful of hats or sunglasses to sell.

No, this place, whatever it was called, was like a safe haven. Like we just learned the secret to Arusha: Stay away from the main streets. Things are much cooler off the beaten (or in this case, paved) path.

I definitely want to come back here!

When we returned to Monduli, we were both pretty tired, but instead of the cranky “I hate life” tired, we were both in silly moods. Together. It is great to be able to indulge in a feeling instead of trying to control it because others’ aren’t feeling the same. Yay for Rachel!

 

Tuesday, October 6 –

So it’s Tuesday. I haven’t really much felt like writing lately. Possibly beacuse things are becoming more and more familiar to me as time goes on. 

So, tonight I am just going to write and hope what comes out makes some kind of sense.

Remember when Baba said the Kiswahili saying:

“The first night you have a guest, feed them the best food.

The second night, they can share in the food you normally eat.

But on the tenth day, hand them the hoe,

And put them to work in the garden.”

Well, it’s about my 15^th day and after dinner (where Mama told me she was ‘not impressed’ with the amount of food I ate even though I ate a lot and took the last piece of chicken she offered. Oh dear.) I was helping clean off the table (I had done that for a few nights now) and wanted to see if they would let me continue to help clean and put away in the kitchen.

So, I asked and Baba said, “It’s not yet day ten,” but I playfully scolded him and told him it was number 15 for me (Yikes! That means more than two weeks!) 

To that he replied, “Oh, in Tanzania 1 day means 10 days...” and Rachel was like, “That means we’ll be here 100 days before we’re allowed to help!” And Baba goes, “Ahuh.”

Aha, oh what sillyness. They are so great. 

At dinner, Ndimwenya was pulling apart her orange peel and I looked at her, others talking around us, and mouthed, ‘What are you doing??’ just poking fun at her mannerisms and she laughed. I seriously love her. I have to think of a mad cool gift to get her before I leave.

Last Sunday Rachel bought some fabric at the ‘Dusty Market’ to make skirts and she let me have a piece for a headscarfJThere was a bit of scrap left over and I cut out some of the patterns and sewed them into my green tank top racer backJ Yay, for craft time!

It was really great just to walk around at the market, again really wanting to take pictures (I really have to learn how to ask that in Swahili). So far I know I want to buy those black tire sandals that the Maasai are famous for wearing and the lime green recycled bag that has ‘Mambo/Poa’ (What’s up / I’m cool) on it...awesome.

Of course, I want fabric as well (I actually laid out a few really simple designs that Mama said her sister-in-law could make for me). I just want to be sure I really love the pattern / colors because there are soo many places to get it, my choices are endless!

Rachel and I are thinking about heading back to Arusha this Friday (by ourselves!!) to get some serious shopping done...We’ll see.

Today, I met with Mr. Marandu who has been involved with the Mali Hai (environmental) club for about 18 years! He was retired but was reemployed by the government because of teacher shortages. He wasn’t super relevant to my project... he was environmental, yes:

-Active in Mali Hai (even still had his old membership card that he carries around with him everywhere)

-Planted trees around Monduli / believes in beautification and conservation

...but he didn’t really have any current / direct contact with secondary school students who participate in the club.

He spoke a lot about how the environment was implemented in almost every subject other than math; that the students were encouraged to be a part of at least one group and may join Mali Hai because it’s an adventurous group compared to the others, and a whole lot about the Maasai (probably because he’s a direct descendant).

I couldn’t even make plans to meet with students because the headmistress wasn’t there because of exams (that never seem to end). Baba is going to call to clarify the situation. Love him.

As Mr. Marandu was saying goodbye he said he invited me along to the Maasai Girl’s school to speak with people around their piping system that has been there since 1941!

I met the (not too friendly) headmistress and another woman named Mercy who later showed me around the campus and invited me over for dinner one night...how sweet!

I gave her my card. I hope she emails me! 

I bought a CD of their Maasai Girl’s Choir. Some really good songs, others not so much. I definitely plan on making copies for the grandmothers (shh) and Mr. Toritto from HCHS.

What else? It would be really nice to hear from people...I am definitely too impatient for letters...

I’m posting the first batch of photos on facebook tomorrow! Pretty pumped on that.

We watched BBC Ocean documentaries this afternoon. Bioilluminescence and the like... pretty amazing.

Finally, Mama Vik (the cleaning/cooking woman) is sadly no longer working here at the Msinjili’s. At first I thought: Msinjili Family Scandal! Then, she came over to visit today and she and Mama were laughing so there definitely aren’t any hard feelings. Oh, me and my overactive imagination:-P

The new woman, Mama Willi, is much quieter and leaves the radio on during lunch to cut through the silence. We really enjoyed Mama Vik while we had her; her slowly improving English; the fact that she actually cleaned our corner of the world; just her general vibe will totally be missing from my morning routine... Mama Willi has a lot to live up to:P

Kwa Herini!

 

Thursday, October 8 –

Here I am sitting outside Orkeeswa Secondary School facing the sunlit Mt. Meru in the distance.

I really like coming here. I may just come and hang out every Thursday until I leave. Who knows?

I’ve done my share of friendship braiding and reading so I am driven to writing: my last resort, because, if you haven’t noticed yet, I don’t have much to write about.

The pre-form students just finished playing a game of Simon Say (to reinforce names of body parts). That was funny and they really seemed to enjoy it.

Aww, Hunter (a staff member) is playing guitar... it reminds me of the days I would hear my brother Brian playing downstairs in the front room and go to listen as a secret audience at the top of the stairsJ I think when I’m listening to an acoustic guitar all is well inside me. I feel a sense of calm that not much else can really create for me. It makes me want to whip out my half soles and leotard and perform some lyrical masterpiece for the mirror.

I think I want to make it a life goal of mine to learn how to play guitar. I think I could really do it...

Oh! The bell rang... (a girl hitting a sick against a pipe hanging from a tree). Time to start my project after a whole day of waiting. Until later.
 

Saturday, October 10 –

Until later is right! It’s Saturday and I desperately need to rewind. It’s been a GREAT two days:

The Mali Hai meeting at Orkeeswa on Thursday was challenging. I had to explain the numbering system on the survey about three times. I realized it was an overwhelming page and now know to be slower in introducing it next time.

By the end (after countless definitions of ‘recognition,’ ‘guilt,’ or ‘escape’) they really seemed to get it. That still doesn’t ease my mind about the correctness of their answers. So next week, when I go back to interview them, I will be able to check if they put what they truly meant.

So yay! It has started. My InterFuture project has finally taken physical formJ

Later, Rachel and I went to the Thursday Market (not that impressive). We sat on a concrete wall to people-watch and sneakily take photos. An older man came up to us and started speaking to us in English. He had really bad teeth but I didn’t want to write him off because of that...but then he started talking about “snuff” and Rachel and I were like –he can’t mean what we think he means.

Then another guy came over and tired to sell us some and give us some to try... It honestly looked like cinnamon or nutmeg. We kept saying, “Hapana, asante” (No thank you) but they were not getting the hint. We had enough and decided to leave

We asked Baba at dinner what was going on. He said it was tobacco.

Ohhhh, not illegal... The Maasai, instead of smoking it, stiff it, hence the name, snuff. For the record, we didn’t try it.

After dinner we felt social so we stuck around. I showed Mama and Baba a lot of the pictures I have taken so far. They especially liked the one of the sunset. I told them, “You live here!” Baba kept saying, “Yes, but it takes an artist” and I ate it up. I LOVE when people acknowledge that part of me.

We were all just sitting in the living area and chatting. Baba told a story how he encountered a leopard walking home one night!! He later said, while laughing up a storm at one of Rachel or my antics, “You are good company” and that honestly made my day.

Such a sweet family.

Friday we slept in and left for Arusha around 11. We had a list of things to get but no stress to complete everything by a certain time. We were on our own time.

We met with Stella from African Trails Limited to get more Mt. Meru details and pay a deposit.

While we were hanging out at the office, the news was on and announced Barack Obama won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize! Wow!!! How exciting!

I’m sure there’s going to be a fair amount of controversy, seeing he’s only been in office for 9 months. But the way I look at it, this is just another pressure on him. He has to continue to prove he deserves it and keep up his efforts for peaceful or at least positive relations with other countries.

I think it was a good choice. At least in my opinion, if a person I didn’t know was awarded, I may not think twice about his or her work or a global goal of peace, but since Obama is well known across the world, I feel the message of the pursuit of peace is far reaching. I think a lot of people are ‘rooting for him’ and hope he can continue the ‘good fight’ and not cave under the pressure. (Stephanie Lepine reporting from Tanzania:-P)

Stella and her team at African Trails Limited were VERY nice and hospitable (cokes and bread) and then we were set free in Arusha.

At first, hustlers were coming at us from every angle trying to make sales so we just walked in any direction to get away from them.

We found a seamstress place (we needed black thread). A guy came over to us and asked what we needed. Instead of showing us where to get thread in that shop, he said follow me. He was 0% creepy so we let him take us over a few blocks to get black thread that we had to bargain for. His name was Christian and he was very sweet.

We asked him if he knew of a place where we could have rubber stamps made for us. He didn’t, but he found a friend who did. So the friend led us over a few more blocks.

At first (you wont believe this) they wanted tsh70,000 for two stamps. That’s about $35 dollars each! Absolutely ridiculous. Especially since Baba informed us they should be about tsh10,000 each. I didn’t even feel like bargaining and was ready to just walk away. My price was tsh20,000 and it really didn’t seem like they would go that low.

After all, we had time to come back another day to another place to get another price. I was done, BUT then he kept bringing it down:

tsh60,000

I still laughed in his face.

Next: “Okay $25 each.” I think changing from shillings to dollars is another tactic they try to fool you with.

I still said no, but I have to admit, I was a little more hopeful.

Then: tsh22,000.

We still said, “No way.” We can get it for that price in the states (about $20).

So he finally said tsh20,000 each and I smiled and said, “Okay,” seeing that was the exact price I started at.

It was a lot of fun to know that they couldn’t take advantage of us like they would other wazungu (white people). Even though Baba said no more than tsh10,000 we got them down to A LOT less than their original price.

The result is absolutely great!! It’s the logo for my soon to be webiste ‘The Couch Conspiracy.’ J

Then, to return the favor of taking us to all these places, we went over to Christian’s shop: Hakuna Matata Shop (no they hadn’t heard of ‘The Lion King’).

Once we entered I was like a kid in a candy store; so many beautiful patterns! We happily dug through piles of neatly folded kangas in a nearly pitch dark shop (due to the power outage).

I finally picked one I liked and asked what the saying meant. It turned out to basically be my life motto: I don’t do things because others do them, I do what I like. (Baba later translated it as, I don’t act with pride, I just act with what was bestowed upon me, and he said it was perfect).

I was going to get two to be nice but then he priced all three (Rachel got one too) at tsh45,000 and I was like NO WAY!

We got him down to tsh10,000 each and I only ended up getting one. In being ridiculous with his pricing, he lost a sale. Not my problem.

The ride home was beautiful. The sunset must have been the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen in my entire life. I am making that my official first ‘African Sunset:’ the sun was hot pink and massive, soft scattered clouds floated around it as it was still visible peaking over the various hills as we drove along.

We were listening to Rachel’s music and I couldn’t help feeling an overwhelming flood of happiness through every fiber of my body.

The perfect day:

Messages received from home the night before.

The sunset.

The music.

The basic fact that I am in Africa.

It all took hold of me in that moment. Captured in time. Nothing could touch me.

Simon and Garfunkle’s “Homeward Bound” was my favorite song for the scene, because, for the short three months we are here: This. Truly. Is. Home.

Once back in Monduli, I had to argue with the dala dala man to give us the correct change. I did it in a way that was funny, but still serious. The crowd of people really got a kick out of watching this little mzungu defend herself using Swahili numbers.

It was really funny and I was proud of myself for 1) knowing how to say two thousand and four hundred shillings in Swahili 2) standing up against this man who cheated us of our money because he thought we were ignorant and 3) helping reverse at least some of the crowd’s attitude that not all white people who visit are clueless and can stand up for themselves, but still have a good attitude about it.

When he gave me the correct change I said, “Asante sana.” (Thank you very much) in a sarcastic “So there” attitude and “Usiku Mwema” (goodnight) with “Good riddance” flare.

The crowd loved it and we got the right change.

All’s well that ends well? I suppose this time, anyway.

<3  

 

Here marks the beginning of documentation for the second half of my InterFuture travels: Tanzania!

Monduli, Tanzania, to be exact. The basic format will be modified from my journal entries, that I will hopefully keep up with daily. 

Leave comments or email: lep11917@suffolk.edu!

I hope you enjoy:)

 Well, here I am...with nine days left. Nine days, that is, until I fly to Amsterdam to defend my project and work on analysis for four odd days, then spend the rest of the time celebrating, well celebrating that I'm not in my country until the day I turn 21:P

I apologize for not keeping up with this as much as I hoped. I get more fulfillment out of scribbling in my real journal and gluing things in, than just typing in a sterile environment like the internet. 

SO MUCH has happened, I barely know where to begin. 

Not focusing on project elements (which has been a trend lately) I'll talk about the fun times. I do work best under (vast amounts of) pressure...thanks mom:P

Lynn (host sister), Derek, Martina, Michelle, and I went to BELFAST in Northern Ireland to see Kids in Glass Houses in concert. It was so good and Belfast is really cool. If you go to Google maps you can even "walk in the streets" around the gorgeous city hall. 

So okay, A LITTLE on my study. In March, I visited three schools in March, Marion College / Portmarnock School / Dominican College (which is actually a secondary school). Of course, I would have liked more, but I got 21 interviews from them, and THEN just last Monday I got 2 interviews from two boys who were involved without going through their school. Fair play to them. Which is great, because it adds another dimension to my study. 

I also met with Eco-UNESCO's leading lady and volunteered for two of their youth events for observations: Tree Week (which was actually just one day) and The Youth Forum (which was actually in a tiny room). Needless to say I was not impressed with the way things were organized. Now that I'm writing this though, I'm glad I did them, because I have a pretty solid idea of the student's attitudes who were involved. They just did not want to be there.

Then March 15th, I went to Marian Square to soak up the weekend St. Paddy's Day festivities. There were so many people (a lot of families and strollers and children) but there was still a lot to see. The artists, musicians, dancers, drummers, and general people watching kept me occupied (though I was by myself) for a few hours! 

St. Patrick's Day was pretty insane. I got into town really early to beat the crowds and I have NEVER hear the city SO quiet. I brought my fold out stool and found a spot. I would have been fine the entire time, except for this one huge russian guy in a black sweater wedged his way in between me and the person to my right. He started the parade with just an elbow on the bar and ended with his entire body along it, and THEN still had the nerve to push. Needless to say, I missed a lot of the parade, but it was okay because I met this little girl name Sophia who told me what was coming up and if it was pretty or colorful or not. "Look look at these guys!" She'd say. I'd ask what they looked like and she'd reply "It's a band, and they have gold and blue on!" She made my day. 

I then went to a "Traditional Irish Concert" in the National Concert Hall. The music was very good, the lead singer was completely full of himself. and the dancers were so so. I met a guy from the states and we ended up talking. He told me he did martial arts with his son for 15 years. I though oh, this must have been a little while ago and he said, seeing I started at 45...THAT took me by surprise. Not only that, but it also made me think, "Yeah...I guess it never really is too late."

From March 23rd to April 1st I was on a 10 Day All Ireland Tour allll along the coast. I think the amount of pictures I took, speak to how much of an amazing and once in a lifetime trip it was. I basically hung out with Aussie's the whole time and was dubbed the Token American because, surprisingly enough, I was the only one. Here's a list of what I saw because it would take forever to go through it all step by step:

Slea Castle (where Madonna and U2 have performed)
Monasterboice Monastery (celtic high crosses)
Sir Oliver Plunket's severed head in St. Peter's Cathedral
Overnight in Derry

Dunluce Castle
Giant's Causeway (lovved it)
Carrick-a-rede Bridge
Overnight in Belfast

Glenvaugh National Park + Castle
W.B. Yeat's Grave
Overnight in Derry

Seaweed bath (yes you read it right...soo lovely) in Sligo
Carrowmore rock formations
the town of Knock where 15 people witnessed an apparition of Mary
Overnight in Cong (where they filmed the movie The Quiet Man)

Quiet Man House
Hiked to the top of Croagh Patrick
Doolough Valley
Overnight in Galway

Cliffs of Mohre
Overnight in Dingle

Slea Head
Overnight in Kilarney

Ring of Kerry
Overnight in Kilarney again

Umm I forget
Overnight in Cork

Guinness Storehouse
Phoenix Park
Back home in Donaghmede

I mean, it may not sound like we did a lot in a day. But seeing sights combined with traveling to where we had to be that night, took up a lot of time. And of course stopping for food:) 

Since the tour I've been in a bit of a purgatory with my project. Neither here nor there. I am excited for Amsterdam and I'm excited for home and celebrations, so I would rather just not think about "What needs to be done." 

Springtime here just all of a sudden happen. They didn't really have a sloppy and rainy spring like we do at home. All of a sudden it was just nice and sunny with flowers blooming and trees budding everywhere. So beautiful!

I am a little too tired to do a serious proof read, so please excuse the mistakes and haphazard format. 

But I at least hope you enjoyed this little update. 

Peace. 

Boy o boy. Let's just say the comforting fact is I have not been here longer than I have left to be here. When that time comes, it is going to be very sad. 

I have done a lot. And I have not done a lot. 

I did get to the Dubin Zoo near Phoenix Park. DID YOU KNOW that the roaring lion at the beginning of the MGM movies was from the Dulbin Zoo?? I mean, no I didn't see him, he would have been one old lion, but I thought that was a pretty cool piece of trivia. 

My two favorite things were the baby elephant (1 year old) It was so tiny and cute with the pudgy rolls of baby fat, just like a human baby. AND "Flippy the Hippo:" This thing was hysterical. There was a rectangular in-ground pool of murky water, silent and still. Then all of a sudden you hear WHOOSH and turn your head just to catch this hippo litterally launching himself off the side and going into a barrel roll before he disappeared back below the water. You stand there and think, "Wow, that was a once in a lifetime sighting, to see a hippo do something so strange!" Then 3 minutes later, he does it AGAIN! It was the most entertaining thing in the entire zoo. You could tell he was having so much fun just spinning around, feeling weightless in the water. So yeah, I like hippos. 

I did make it to Howth, 3 separate times. Once I learned how to use the DART (equivalent to the commuter rail from Boston) I was unstoppable. Well, for the bay area anyway. I read that I could hike the summit at Howth and thought, this is what I need right now. And was it ever (pictures on facebook). You follow a narrow and shallow dirt path up, steep cliffs feet away plunging into the Irish Sea to your left, various craggy rock and prickly vegetation to your right. Blue sky streaked with clouds and a cool breeze that does little to keep your from sweating. Every 100 steps or so you see just inches more of Dun Loaighaire (Leary) and the sky of the slowly setting sun across the bay. Once I saw the full scene, it was seriously awesome (and to quote the comedian Eddie Izzard) "Using the original meaning of awe-some. To be fully in awe. Not just 'Awesome hot dogs, only 1.99!'" But truly awesome, like I was looking across at some Greek painting of an interpretation of heaven or Utopia. 

I find the BEST things so far have really just snuck up on me. Before I went on the hike I climbed along the rocks near the beach (again, pictures on facebook). I rounded a corner and saw a medium size waterfall slipping from the green stringy grass 30 feet above down to the rocks and rubble below. That was another 'awe-some' moment. I was all alone and I felt like I had been the first to set eyes on this 'secret' corner of the world in thousands of years. 

I'm not sure if I've written this already, but it's so good, I'll write it again, "Ireland can be that place you missed as you traveled around Ireland looking for Ireland." :)

I took a Historical Walking Tour around Dublin. It was okay, but the guide was good looking so that more than made up for it. Does it mean I'm getting old if I start to look at men's hands for wedding rings? *gulp* Oh dear. 

We went to the Dublin Castle (which isn't really much of a castle). I went into the cafe/gift shop and ate lunch on a really comfortable couch that I swear I was going to get kicked off because I didn't buy anything from the cafe, but I didn't. There was a huge book of ancestry, so I had to see if I was in there.  Believe it or not, it had Lepine, Ostrander, and Wagner...weird. 

I went to my very first rugby game and let......me.......tell.......you. It's like football with a soccer uniform. It was Ireland vs. England with a French referee. If anyone got hurt, he would sit and be treated on the field while the others continued to play. There were also 7 attractive French boys sitting in front of us that provided further enjoyable viewing. It was fun. All I needed was a guinness, but moving around was a such a pain, I decided against it. It ended in a 13-13 tie if anyone cared.

I have been able to accomplish a good amount of souvenir shopping for folks back home:D My plan is to put all of them in a box, along with other things I wont think I'll need and ship it to the states when I'm leaving. That way I wont have to worry about them while I'm in Amsterdam. 

Last weekend I slept over Lynn's friend and now my mutual friend Linda's gaff (house) Friday and Saturday night. It was a very nice change from the night life in City Center and I felt it was good to be experiencing this side of the culture, kind of on the inside. She was a very good hostess and her boyfriend, Sean, was the DJ. It's cute because I knew them both before they were going out. Anyway, it was fun and I look forward to Linda's 21st birthday party she's having at her house the week before I leave. 

Lynn's 19th birthday was Tuesday and we went out dancing Tuesday AND Wednesday. So needless to say, I am staying in tonight and getting some much needed rest before I head to County Wicklow tomorrow to see Sally's Gap and Glendalough. I hope the rain holds out!!

This week has been huge for my project. I visited Marian College in Ballsbridge and interviewed 7 boys who were hysterical. I volunteered for Eco-UNESCO's Tree-mendous Tree Week event where three secondary school groups met us at Marion Square where we did some fun activities, planted a tree, and did a scavenger hunt around the park. I felt like I was back at camp Nonotuck. One of the leaders, Ian, noticed that I was extremely comfortable working with the kids and said something to the effect that it seems like you've worked with kids before and that I fit right in. "These people" are so nice, no wonder I wanted to be around them.

Then I went to visit Portmarnock Community College in none other than Portmarnock. I met two guys from California on the way there who were only here for a 5 day business trip! I couldn't do that. The teacher at Portmarnock that organized this meeting was brilliant. She arranged for me to interview 9 students: 7 volunteers and three non volunteers in the principal's board room (sweet). The school was especially peaceful. Once I set foot on campus, the sun shone down, there were healthy gardens and birds singing and very little trash: instant serenity. Pretty impressive for a high school. 

Now I have to step back and analyze what I have and see if I can make any inferences or need to e-mail them and ask further questions. Along with continuing to make dates with the other organizations and school's I'm in touch with. 

I am hopefully getting more pictures up on facebook tonight:) We'll see!

Hope your enjoyed the entry!

Peace

 *Goes to check calendar* Oh my goodness... Today marks the beginning of my third week here. 

I thought I kept this at a regular update, but I guess not. Oh my, the things you have missed!

First: Just a few initial observations:

-People rise late. School starts at 9 and the Abbey Theatre was still closed at 10:15am. 
-Dublin has walls...if you think you're headed in the right direction, think again. 
-Construction seems to be happening 27/7. Cranes in the air, men in the ground, 24/7.
-When you think you've found the city center, you haven't found the city center. 
-Dublin is a lot bigger than I think (1/31/09).
-Dublin is pretty small (2/13/09).
-There definitely is a higher percentage of red heads than in the U.S..
-Choosing which side of the sidewalk to walk on is much harder than you think. 
-Not looking for anything results in seeing a lot. 
-When you feel like you're going the wrong way, turn back, or ask that cute "dark one" a block back. 
-Men are most helpful in their directions if you remember to listen to what they're saying instead of staring in awe at their eyes. 
-Lip reading does not work in Ireland. You're better off looking away and trying to make sense of what it generally sounds like they're saying. 

Tuesday night (Feb. 3rd) I went to a "Green Talk" at the South William's Bar on, none other than, South William's Street, by suggestion of my country coordinator Erik Van Lennep, a sustainability expert. I was able to get a beer and go upstairs to a "private" room to chat with people from all walks of life with the common connection of wanting to live sustainable lives.

I met a man named Eric (coincidence) who worked for a foreclosure business and was also connected with An Taisce (The 100% non-profit National Trust for Ireland - huge for my project) very indirectly. We talked about Obama, the recession both in the U.S. and Ireland, and I spoke about my project. We listened to two speakers who were honestly very dull, and, after giving him my card, I bolted to go to a Trinity lecture for Green Week only to find I could not find the right building. It was raining...I went home. 

The rest of Trinity College's Green week was okay. The snowy weather interfered with the bussing system, and therefore interfered with me getting to any of the night lectures. I did make one lecture Friday about integration of sustainable education into regular courses, and not to have a separate class. 

It was an interesting lecture that basically explained their case study. I was pleased to know I could hold a conversation with those who were truly in the profession and make relevant points on the topic. 

What was even more interesting, even strange, was that one girl was an interior design teacher and another woman was a drama teacher, who came in late, and everyone in the room was involved in the sustainable lifestyle. I had to laugh to myself. Parts of each of these women made up who I am. Very strange.

Early that day (Friday Feb. 6) I was looking for the right building and out of the blue I saw a familiar face. 

First take- 'Hey that guy looks like a guy I know from back home'
Second take- 'Wait could that be the guy I know from back home??' - he had looked back at me too
Third take - (we had passed each other) 'Oh my God it IS that guy I know from back home!!'

I yelled out to him, because he had looked back at me as well. "Youu!" It took me a few seconds to dig his name out of my memory. It was Brady. He had remembered mine as well.

Julie (my friend from home) had an art class with him and she thought we would get along, so the three of us hung out once. He was a great person, worked with troubled kids, but I went back to Boston, and nothing happened. 

But now he was HERE...talk about strange. I gave him my number and told him to get in touch with me the next day and we'd go out together. He must have lost his phone, or had my number wrong, because I haven't heard from him since and he's not the type to "forget."

That night was Trinity College's "Turn You Junk into Funk" fashion show. It was FREEZING and these girls (and one guy) walked outside of the Pavilion Bar (ON Trinity College campus) in nothing but, well...trash. For what it was, it was the best Green Week event yet, and had the highest attendance. Maybe next year they'll re--think all the lectures and try to do more interactive events.

Lynn met me there after the show, we had a drink and headed over to see "The Heathers" (Irish twin girl duo) at this club called Poison. They sounded great. Nice harmonies. Can't say much for the band that was on after them. A little scary...and wasted. Hah!

I am taking a beginners ballet class every Thursday till mid March with Lynn. It's good to go back to the basics:) They offered a free hip hop workshop Saturday Feb 14th and of course I was there in my glory. It was pretty tough, but I still had fun. 

I think I have sent out maybe 80 e-mail to schools, volunteer networks, organizations, foundations, you name it. I've maybe gotten 14 back, and 4 of them were positive. The good thing about the positive ones, is that they are REALLY positive. "Sure! You're project sounds great! We'd love to help!" I do need to start making phone calls though. As painful as they are. 

I have a meeting Monday with the President of Eco UNESCO (google it..ahah), so that is exciting. She said she could put me in contact with Green Schools and leaders of community organizations. For this project I've found I'm going to have to work my way down to the students from their organizers. 

Tuesday (Feb. 10th) was a very eventful day. I went to the National Gallery, National Library, and National Museum all in one day because they're all in one block. The gallery was beautiful: Jack B. Yeats' - "Men of Destiny" was gorgeous. I saw a piece by Titian, one by Vermere, and "The Taking of Christ" by Caravaggio (their most popular piece at the time).

The library was so-so. It reminded me of the BPL (Boston Public Library). It had an W.B. Yeats exhibit though that was very well done. 

The museum was bar far the best. Bog bodies, countless pieces of gold jewelry preserved in the boglands, paleolithic stone, an old stone wheel, a viking ship, a skeleton crouched in a hole with only a food bowl next to her. Just such interesting things:)

The best part about that whole day was that it was absolutely free!! No cover charger, no fee to check your bags. And people said Ireland was expensive! Please...

Wednesday I went to the Number Twenty Nine Georgian House. It was 3Euro. I wouldn't recommend it. It was interesting and visually pleasing, but the tour was rushed and I felt the woman didn't know anything besides what she had to know to give the close minded tour. Then I walked basically across town to the Garden of Remembrance (breath taking) and tried to get into the writer's museum, but it was inexplicably closed. Next week. 

Also next week I'm going to the zoo! And hopefully tomorrow I'm going to Howth (Google Earth it)

So there goes another lengthy update. Hope you enjoyed:) Don't be afraid to leave comments!

Peace, love, and happiness. 

I have not written since I landed here in beautiful, snowy(?) Ireland = Five days worth of news. Are you ready for this?

First Flight: I am the only passenger in a row of 4. Rachel, Nicole, Beckee, and Felix were all in the back corner (with window views).

I sat in my seat thinking, man I wish I had asked the "flight attendant" if I could sit with them.

--The seatbelt light came on--

I thought, 'I wonder if I could make it?'

I mustered up the courage to ask, and she said,  "Quick go!" (in a nice way)

So the remainder of the flight I sat next to Rachel who had never flown before. We saw the sepia glow of cities beneath us as we flew clear over Ireland to Amsterdam. We watched movies on the individual screens and, once we landed, rode about 2 miles on a highway built for planes (with bridges!)  to the airport .

It was a great experience, even though my left ear still pops every once in a while. 

Second Flight: I don't remember. I was in and out of sleep, woken here and there by a few loud conversations. 

The cab driver's name was Brian. He was great. We talked about the recession (U.S. and Eire), Obama, lay offs, over development and so on. One thing he said that I will always remember in reference to the recession was, "When America sneezes, the rest of the world catches a cold."

Brilliant. 

So, I made a pretty hysterical first mistake as a silly American: I went to the wrong house... I was close though!

When I got to the correct number, the last name was not the last name I received in the e-mail, but it was the right place. Phew.

I met Pauline (PAU-line, not Pau-LEEN) who welcomed me in and said, "Oh you must be exhausted." Truth was, I wasn't. I downed a coffee at the airport. She talked a mile a minute and I found myself saying, "I'm sorry?" a good two dozen times. 

I ate the sandwich she made me: wheat bread, butter, and cheese. That's it. I thought, 'Great! All my friends in Africa are going to come back slimmer and tan, and I'll just come back plumper and whiter." Obviously over exaggerating, but still funny. 

That afternoon I slept 6 hours, woke for supper, met Lynn (Pauline's 20 year old daughter), Gay (Pauline's friend), and Chiara (an Italian girl (coincidence?) who lived with Pauline about a year ago and who also dated Gay's son). It's like I walked into a soap opera! A soap opera without men....truth be told, it's kind of nice. 

Pauline was gone Friday, Saturday, and Sunday because she took  her mom to visit Gallway where she grew up. Adorable. 

Friday I wandered Dublin map-less (on purpose) only to come back exhausted and realize I didn't even cross the Liffey. I basically only covered 1/8 of the "City Center." 

Saturday I did some errands at the Donaghmede shopping center which isn't any more than a 10 minute walk away (super convenient). Then it was time for take two of my map-less adventures in City Center. This time I made sure to cross the bridge. I did a little shopping, but didn't get passed Henry St. and O'Connell St. (beautiful and very historic). 

Saturday night Lynn took me out:) Very sweet. I met her friend Linda, Linda's friend Sean, their friend Derek, and Derek's friend Michelle. Phew, though I spent most of the night calling Derek and Michelle, Dylan and Melissa, I think I'm on track now. 

We went to this one pub called the George, which wasn't all that great. Then we traveled to Break For the Border.

Normally one would have to pay to get in since it was after 10pm. But while I was waiting in line I wondered if I could get away with just confidently walking in. Maybe I'm just that invisible or people thought I had gone out for a smoke, but no one stopped me and I got away without paying 10 Euro! Whoohoo! We ended up with dancing and I got  a free drink from this sweet guy named Paul (I saw the bar tender pour it, for all your paranoid individuals out there). Bulmer's = amazing cider

I really wanted Sunday to be a lazy day, but I bought this 5 day Rambler pass and you can use it as many times as you want in five days, so I felt like I should go into City Center again and check out this Grafton St. that I've been hearing about. 

It was pretty cool, mainly a shopping center, but at the end it opened up into this beautiful park called St. Steven's Green. Google earth it!

Monday was Trinity College's Green week launch. It hailed. No joke. 

Senator David Norris was the honored guest speaker and said something to the effect that with Bush we were all suffering, in conflict, and worried about global warming. Now, with Obama (pointing to the snowy sky) everything seems to be chilling out a little bit. I thought that was so perfect and witty, I instantly became a fan of the openly gay senator. 

After the launch I went shopping with Lynn. I need to find a nice top because we're going out to a "posh" bar called Lilly's tomorrow night. Alas, I didn't find anything, but there's always time tomorrow. 

Today Green Week held their "fair" which honestly, was quite disappointing. It was set in a hallway area where people zoomed by for exams and lectures. Few stopped to look at the tables or pick up info packets. I went out into the crowd and got 20 people to fill out the survey I had prepared. It wasn't the best day, but now looking back on even just accomplishing that much, it makes me feel better. 

The weather has been downright dreary: rainy, snowy, hail-y? Just like New England. Plus I haven't been able to shake this cold I think I picked up at the conference, and being cold and damp on a half hour bus ride home doesn't help.

Enough complaining though! Dublin is beautiful! And I haven't even seen all of it yet!

Sorry for the length. I will try to update more often, so this pile-up of days doesn't happen again. 

Cheers!