So I never did get around to posting any blog re my time in Thailand which is shameful given that I was there for so long and was stuck for days in Bangkok. Here it is now though...
Spent 2 days in Bangkok first of all and was not impressed. Perhaps my perception was coloured by my reading about it and thinking about it before I went. I don't know. All I know is that I found it to be big and noisy and dirty, with not that many exciting things to do really. Very disappointing. I also found the people of Bangkok to be different to other Asians. Not so friendly or helpful although it should be noted that this is a generalisation in the extreme!
Moved on to Chiang Mai and the Thailand experience immediately got better. Chiang Mai is an ancient city in the north of Thailand, and is populated heavily by hill tribes who live very peacefully and with only the basic amenities available to them. It's beautiful and not so noisy as Bangkok although its nearly as big. I had some fun there - did some volunteer work with elephants, did a 5 hour zipline course which was amazing fun and met some very cool people there. I also visited the hill tribes and did a days trekking in the mountains- which nearly killed me by the way! The guesthouse that I stayed in was cheap and clean and comfortable and the people who ran it were simply lovely. The only bad thing about Chiang Mai is that it is where I parted ways with Mido which was the right thing to do but made me very sad, so I have some upsetting memories of the place. Otherwise all good.
From Chiang Mai I moved on to Koh Chang, one of the little islands that is situated in the west coast. It has only 5000 inhabitants. I would recommend that it be visited as soon as possible though as it will soon become the Benidorm of Thailand. For the moment however, its got the right amount of amenites and conveniencies without being painfully touristy. The waters are crystal clear, the sand is white and the people are warm and friendly. Beautiful. Also did 2 days volunteer work here- with the Koh Chang Animal Foundation. Run by American Lisa McAlonie, it provides treatment and assistance for the islands small animal population. She also does surgery etc for the islands pets and if the owners cant afford to pay then she doesnt charge them. Lisa is a little bit crazy and I think if I stayed any longer she would make me crazy too! But she is warm and good hearted and I enjoyed the experience.
I stayed in Koh Chang for 6 days then headed back to Bangkok to discover that the airport was shut with protesters at the doors and no flights were taking off. So I had the joy of wasting 5 days in Bangkok- trust me, it was no joy!! But it did give me time to relax a bit and take stock of where I was and what I was doing. 10 months away from home already and it only feels like 5 minutes. Time really does fly by....
Travelling has opened my eyes not only to the differences in the world but also to the similarities. People are just people, no matter where you are in the world. They get up in the morning and try to get through the day, some with a smile on their face and some with a scowl. They have the same trials and difficulties, they have the same joys and celebrations and the same heartbreaks. I remember going to a funeral in Tanzania and although the customs were different, the widow was still a widow and the children had still lost their father. The adults in Kenya were battling Aids with some of the same perspicacity and courage that can be seen at times in Britain. When you suffer a loss or a struggle, you think that you have the toughest of everybody and that no one could understand what you are going through. Travelling has shown me that is not the case and the world is filled with folks just trying to get by. Not to mention the fact that there is a McDonalds on every street corner no matter where you are in the world and that there was a KFC in Cambodia- perhaps not such favourable comparisons. I'll leave it for you to judge, dear Reader.
Till next time.
Wednesday, 17 December 2008
Saturday, 22 November 2008
The Khmer Rouge
This is the second time that I have attempted to complete this blog entry- damn Asian internet connection.....!
I wanted to make sure that I remembered as many details as possible regarding the Khmer Rouge as they are such an important part of Cambodian history. So here are all that I can freely recall...
The Khmer Rouge first started to become a problem in Cambodia around the late 60's/ early 70's, although local knowledge suggests that they were around for a lot longer than that. They were led by the dictator Pol Pot, who can only be likened to Hitler in his mad quest for power and world domination. Pol Pot believed that all those who consisted of the old regime in Cambodia- that is, those who were in charge before his demented takeover- should be removed and gotten rid of. He apparently believed that they were responsible for the difficulties in Cambodia, although in all honesty he was not interested in making life better for those poorer members of the public.
Pol Pot created 2 particular areas where he was able to rid Cambodia of the "filth" that consituted the old regime. One was Choeung Ek, more commonly known as the killing fields and the other was Tuol Sleng.
Choeung Ek was in the countryside and this was where most of the killings took place, so that members of the public would not be aware of what was going on. People would be arrested- sometimes for crimes such as wearing glasses- and taken to Choeng Ek. Here they were made to carry out very intense manual labour, working in the fields nearby, in order to provide good food for the guards. (Said guards were often their former friends and neighbours). The prisoners were often beaten, they got little or nothing in the way of food and they were often tortured. Men, women and children. The Rouge had many different ways of carrying out torture on their victims, but one of the favourites was to hold the head of the prisoner in a barrel of water until they became unconscious. They would then be revived by a flame being held to their face or feet, and the torture would begin again. The Rouge were not really looking for any information or anything that the prisoner could give them. They simply delighted in causing pain and distress to others. According to survivor accounts. the worst times would be in the middle of the night. Sometimes they would hear new trucks arriving, loaded with new prisoners. If the new people did not do as they were told they were simply shot on the spot. At other times the prisoners would be sleeping and the guards would enter the room, seizing anyone that took their fancy and dragging them out. The remaining prisoners would then hold their breath waiting for the terrible sound of the gunshots that would tell them that their fellow was dead. 17,000 corpses have been found thus far in the killing fields and the excavation is not yet complete. Many of the corpses found were those of children. No one seems able to say what crimes these kids had committed that led to their death in such terrible ways. The skulls and clothing of many of the victims are on display at Choeung Ek.
Tuol Sleng was a school until the Rouge took it over during their reign. It was then used as a holding prison for those who were not taken in to the country for whatever reason. The prisoners there were also starved beaten and tortured in many ways. When left in the cells they were chained constantly to the wall. The cells were made from brick and were tiny. They had to be used by the prisoners as a sleeping place- they are not big enough to lie down in-, as an eating place and as a toilet. The conditions were horrific. Tuol Sleng became particularly famous as it was where the Rouge held their final 14 prisoners, just beofre the Vietnamese broke into Cambodia and liberated it. The final 14 were found dead, having died in the most terrible of fashions. They were clearly starved and their bodies were found on the floors of their cells, having been eviscerated while they were still alive. The bodies included 4 women and 2 children under 5 years. Tuol Sleng is now a museum open to the public as is Choeung Ek and the final 14 have been laid to rest there.
Perhaps the most distressing element about this episode in Cambodia's past is that no one has been held to account for it. A war criminal trial is about to begin but in many cases it it too late. Pol Pot himself died in the late 90's- one can only hope that his death was neither peaceful or painless- and so have many of the other large names in this dreadful part of very recent history. They will never be held to account for the deaths that they caused (some estimate as many as 3 million). And the families of those who died will never have the satisfaction or closure of knowing that murderers have been brought to justice.
I wanted to make sure that I remembered as many details as possible regarding the Khmer Rouge as they are such an important part of Cambodian history. So here are all that I can freely recall...
The Khmer Rouge first started to become a problem in Cambodia around the late 60's/ early 70's, although local knowledge suggests that they were around for a lot longer than that. They were led by the dictator Pol Pot, who can only be likened to Hitler in his mad quest for power and world domination. Pol Pot believed that all those who consisted of the old regime in Cambodia- that is, those who were in charge before his demented takeover- should be removed and gotten rid of. He apparently believed that they were responsible for the difficulties in Cambodia, although in all honesty he was not interested in making life better for those poorer members of the public.
Pol Pot created 2 particular areas where he was able to rid Cambodia of the "filth" that consituted the old regime. One was Choeung Ek, more commonly known as the killing fields and the other was Tuol Sleng.
Choeung Ek was in the countryside and this was where most of the killings took place, so that members of the public would not be aware of what was going on. People would be arrested- sometimes for crimes such as wearing glasses- and taken to Choeng Ek. Here they were made to carry out very intense manual labour, working in the fields nearby, in order to provide good food for the guards. (Said guards were often their former friends and neighbours). The prisoners were often beaten, they got little or nothing in the way of food and they were often tortured. Men, women and children. The Rouge had many different ways of carrying out torture on their victims, but one of the favourites was to hold the head of the prisoner in a barrel of water until they became unconscious. They would then be revived by a flame being held to their face or feet, and the torture would begin again. The Rouge were not really looking for any information or anything that the prisoner could give them. They simply delighted in causing pain and distress to others. According to survivor accounts. the worst times would be in the middle of the night. Sometimes they would hear new trucks arriving, loaded with new prisoners. If the new people did not do as they were told they were simply shot on the spot. At other times the prisoners would be sleeping and the guards would enter the room, seizing anyone that took their fancy and dragging them out. The remaining prisoners would then hold their breath waiting for the terrible sound of the gunshots that would tell them that their fellow was dead. 17,000 corpses have been found thus far in the killing fields and the excavation is not yet complete. Many of the corpses found were those of children. No one seems able to say what crimes these kids had committed that led to their death in such terrible ways. The skulls and clothing of many of the victims are on display at Choeung Ek.
Tuol Sleng was a school until the Rouge took it over during their reign. It was then used as a holding prison for those who were not taken in to the country for whatever reason. The prisoners there were also starved beaten and tortured in many ways. When left in the cells they were chained constantly to the wall. The cells were made from brick and were tiny. They had to be used by the prisoners as a sleeping place- they are not big enough to lie down in-, as an eating place and as a toilet. The conditions were horrific. Tuol Sleng became particularly famous as it was where the Rouge held their final 14 prisoners, just beofre the Vietnamese broke into Cambodia and liberated it. The final 14 were found dead, having died in the most terrible of fashions. They were clearly starved and their bodies were found on the floors of their cells, having been eviscerated while they were still alive. The bodies included 4 women and 2 children under 5 years. Tuol Sleng is now a museum open to the public as is Choeung Ek and the final 14 have been laid to rest there.
Perhaps the most distressing element about this episode in Cambodia's past is that no one has been held to account for it. A war criminal trial is about to begin but in many cases it it too late. Pol Pot himself died in the late 90's- one can only hope that his death was neither peaceful or painless- and so have many of the other large names in this dreadful part of very recent history. They will never be held to account for the deaths that they caused (some estimate as many as 3 million). And the families of those who died will never have the satisfaction or closure of knowing that murderers have been brought to justice.
Monday, 17 November 2008
Beatocello
While I was in Siem Reap I noticed that the local childrens hospital, Jayavarman VII (named after one of the great Angkorian kings!) was advertising that they desperately needed blood. I can do that, I thought, and off I trundled. Turns out that Cambodia and particularly SR are having an enormous crisis of dengue fever. This is always present in SE Asia and other parts of the world but has risen its ugly head extensively once more. The kids need blood transfusions to assist in their recovery and without they would die, hence the need for donations. The staff at the hospital were delightful and wanted to chat after they got over their shyness at the "farang"or foreigner coming into their hospital. They talked a great deal about Dr Beat Richter who is the founder of the hospital. It has branches in Phnom Penh and other parts of Cambodia. Anyway they told me that he perfoms Bach on his cello every Saturday night as a way of raising funds and awareness for the hospital, and I promised to attend the one in 2 days time. By the way they look after their givers very well- I was given tea, water, crackers, a T shirt and some iron tablets to ensure that I didn't suffer as a result of giving blood.
So I attended the concert and was immediately captivated by Dr Beatocello (Dr Beat playing the cello!) This man has fundraised and worked for the hospital since before the Khmer Rouge days. Even now he tirelessly works to raise funds for the children that he treats every day. The government give 3% of the funds and the rest has to come from private donations, like the tourists that come to his concerts. By the way his cello playing wasn't bad either. This man has a spirit and a humour and a sense of compassion like no other that I have ever come across. With his work, children in Cambodia can be treated for free. Without it 5 million children in Cambodia would die every year- their parents cannot afford to pay for expensive hospital treatment.
There is no way that I can describe the emotions that raged through me while listening to this man as he humbly explained why the hospital need money. If he was to go back to Switzerland where he comes from, he would be able to make a fortune, yet he stays in Cambodia being paid a fragment of what he is worth and working long days, 7 days a week. He does not complain- he just asks that we are aware of what is going on in poorer countries and if we can help, then please do. I felt admiration and awe at his guts and his determination, not to mention his selflessness. I felt the survivor guilt that people of richer countries often feel when faced witht he reality of life in a poorer country. And I felt guilt that I was not doing more to assist, when I am more than able to.
So I dontated blood. And I donated $20. And I felt bad that it wasn't more. The only other thing I can do is pass this info on to you, dear Constant Reader. And hope that you too will be inspired to help. In any small way that you can.
www.beatocello.com
So I attended the concert and was immediately captivated by Dr Beatocello (Dr Beat playing the cello!) This man has fundraised and worked for the hospital since before the Khmer Rouge days. Even now he tirelessly works to raise funds for the children that he treats every day. The government give 3% of the funds and the rest has to come from private donations, like the tourists that come to his concerts. By the way his cello playing wasn't bad either. This man has a spirit and a humour and a sense of compassion like no other that I have ever come across. With his work, children in Cambodia can be treated for free. Without it 5 million children in Cambodia would die every year- their parents cannot afford to pay for expensive hospital treatment.
There is no way that I can describe the emotions that raged through me while listening to this man as he humbly explained why the hospital need money. If he was to go back to Switzerland where he comes from, he would be able to make a fortune, yet he stays in Cambodia being paid a fragment of what he is worth and working long days, 7 days a week. He does not complain- he just asks that we are aware of what is going on in poorer countries and if we can help, then please do. I felt admiration and awe at his guts and his determination, not to mention his selflessness. I felt the survivor guilt that people of richer countries often feel when faced witht he reality of life in a poorer country. And I felt guilt that I was not doing more to assist, when I am more than able to.
So I dontated blood. And I donated $20. And I felt bad that it wasn't more. The only other thing I can do is pass this info on to you, dear Constant Reader. And hope that you too will be inspired to help. In any small way that you can.
www.beatocello.com
Comment on Cambodia
I'm slightly frustrated by my inability to get my photos to download in SE Asia- the sytems just don't like my USB cable. The poor thing will be starting to take it personally.
Anyway all it means is that I can't give you lot photos to look at on this next blog- unless I can add them later? Anyone...?
So. Cambodia. I was slightly on edge when I got there, due to reading way too much Lonely Planet info. Tip: Read all that stuff and take it as good advice but don't read it as a bible for Gods sake! My worries included getting scammed into staying at the wrong guesthouse, getting ripped off for a taxi fare, getting lost- you name it. And I've been travelling on my own for a while now! Anyway I arrived at Phnom Penh and was graciously greeted by a tuk tuk driver who didn't rip me off and didn't take me to the wrong place. All was well. The guesthouse was lovely and very clean, and PP welcomed me with open arms. I didn't really get to know PP intimately, maybe because I was only there for 3 days and one was wasted as I was unwell (again!) with the very persistent lurgy! But what I did see was stunning. The Royal Palace was just amazing and beats the British stuff into the ground, the Silver Pagoda (which is what I really wanted to see!) was breathtaking and I would highly recommend both. I also went to the Genocide Museum of Choeung Kek- otherwise known as the Killing Fields. Very sad, very horrific and I won't pretend to be able to put it into words. Go and see for yourselves. Another separate blog on the Khmer Rouge coming soon.
Then it was onto Siem Reap, which I preferred to be honest. My room at the guesthouse smelled slightly damp and it had bedbugs, but hey- what can you expect for $8 a day. That also included breakfast, bicycles, laundry and lots more. A great deal. SR has the famous Angkorian temples of Angkor Wat, the Bayon and many others. I spent 3 days climbing around them in the fierce heat but enjoyed every minute of it and it gave me an excellent excuse to have a few beers at the end of the day! Other attractions in SR included the wonderful Angkor museum ( a very happy 3 hours spent there!) the minature Angkor Wat and the Water Festival that was going on at the time. Add that to the tour of the floating villages and some traditional dancing not to mention a Cambodian cooking course and it all adds up to a very happy 7 days.
Just a brief comment and comparison between Vietnam and Cambodia. I am always interested in how different cultures etc are despite being so close together (although why I don't know- its not like the Scots and the English are identical and we are far closer together!) The Cambodians are poorer, there can be no doubt about that. However they are now starting to get back on their feet after years of war, poverty and absolute starvation and the tourist industry is assisting greatly with that. The 2 races look very different with Cambodians being darker in the skin and having rounder eyes. Cambodians are also somewhat quieter than Vietnamese and at first I thought that this was them being stand offish and unwelcoming. After a few days I realised that this is just as a result of them being shyer and quieter, and also not so used to having visitors in their country. But they are a proud and dignified people who are delighted to show their beautiful country off.
And so they should be. Its worth showing.
Anyway all it means is that I can't give you lot photos to look at on this next blog- unless I can add them later? Anyone...?
So. Cambodia. I was slightly on edge when I got there, due to reading way too much Lonely Planet info. Tip: Read all that stuff and take it as good advice but don't read it as a bible for Gods sake! My worries included getting scammed into staying at the wrong guesthouse, getting ripped off for a taxi fare, getting lost- you name it. And I've been travelling on my own for a while now! Anyway I arrived at Phnom Penh and was graciously greeted by a tuk tuk driver who didn't rip me off and didn't take me to the wrong place. All was well. The guesthouse was lovely and very clean, and PP welcomed me with open arms. I didn't really get to know PP intimately, maybe because I was only there for 3 days and one was wasted as I was unwell (again!) with the very persistent lurgy! But what I did see was stunning. The Royal Palace was just amazing and beats the British stuff into the ground, the Silver Pagoda (which is what I really wanted to see!) was breathtaking and I would highly recommend both. I also went to the Genocide Museum of Choeung Kek- otherwise known as the Killing Fields. Very sad, very horrific and I won't pretend to be able to put it into words. Go and see for yourselves. Another separate blog on the Khmer Rouge coming soon.
Then it was onto Siem Reap, which I preferred to be honest. My room at the guesthouse smelled slightly damp and it had bedbugs, but hey- what can you expect for $8 a day. That also included breakfast, bicycles, laundry and lots more. A great deal. SR has the famous Angkorian temples of Angkor Wat, the Bayon and many others. I spent 3 days climbing around them in the fierce heat but enjoyed every minute of it and it gave me an excellent excuse to have a few beers at the end of the day! Other attractions in SR included the wonderful Angkor museum ( a very happy 3 hours spent there!) the minature Angkor Wat and the Water Festival that was going on at the time. Add that to the tour of the floating villages and some traditional dancing not to mention a Cambodian cooking course and it all adds up to a very happy 7 days.
Just a brief comment and comparison between Vietnam and Cambodia. I am always interested in how different cultures etc are despite being so close together (although why I don't know- its not like the Scots and the English are identical and we are far closer together!) The Cambodians are poorer, there can be no doubt about that. However they are now starting to get back on their feet after years of war, poverty and absolute starvation and the tourist industry is assisting greatly with that. The 2 races look very different with Cambodians being darker in the skin and having rounder eyes. Cambodians are also somewhat quieter than Vietnamese and at first I thought that this was them being stand offish and unwelcoming. After a few days I realised that this is just as a result of them being shyer and quieter, and also not so used to having visitors in their country. But they are a proud and dignified people who are delighted to show their beautiful country off.
And so they should be. Its worth showing.
Tuesday, 4 November 2008
Ky Quang and pagodas
So in the last entry I meant to do a comment on the orphanage Ky Quang. Its one of the favourite places for volunteers here to work at and I spent a day working there last week. Its for kids with special needs who are not all necessarily orphans- often the parents just cant cope with a kid with those kind of needs and work and everything else. In this society there is no Social Security!
I was impressed by the first sight of the orphanage- the gates are huge and sweeping and very beautiful. The pagoda (or Buddhist temple) welcomes you as you enter and its enormous with many lovely statues and religious artifacts that cost a fortune. Surely I thought, the kids must love living here. How wrong I was.
The orphanage itself is disgusting. It smells. There are hundreds of kids living there and in the main they are very much left to there own devices. Lots of them need special therapy to assist them to thrive and they don't get it. Some kids sleep on the bare metal of a bed frame because they dont have a mattress. Some of the kids have behavioural problems that the nurses deal with by tying them or chaining them to a post. No one entertains the children or makes any effort with them. The food is like swill and I would find it inedible.
I later found out that any money donated to the orphanage will be used by the monks for the pagoda and not for the benefit of the children. Thats why the pagoda is so beautiful and ornate- it has been built with the generosity of Western and Vietnamese donors, using money that was supposed to be used for the benefit of the children.
The most sickening thing I saw at Ky Quang was the 32 year old woman. She has lived there for 20 years and is considered completely "crazy". She is kept tied or chained up 24 hours a day and all the helpers and other kids will come up to her and poke her or spit on her to make her scream. They know that she cannot fight back against them. The nurses partake and encourage this behaviour. No wonder the poor girl is "crazy".
Unfortunately there is nothing to be done in this type of situation. Culturally this is how countries deal with their unwanted children. Its just heartbreaking, not to mention depressing, for people like us to walk in and have to see it, when we know that so much more could be done, and should be done. It would be very easy to adjust to this environment and not see the hearbreak in it when working there every day. I'm so glad that I chose another project and not this one. I would definitely be arrested for shooting my mouth off about it!!
The photos are just a few of the kids. They are mostly left to lie in bed all day- no one makes any effort to stimulate or occupy them. Therefore all the behavioural stuff just gets worse and that is used as an excuse to keep them there.
Think of that next time you are complaining that the bus is late.
Till next time.
Saturday, 1 November 2008
Ending time in Vietnam
Well, its almost time to be leaving Vietnam, with a certain sadness in my heart. I love this place and if I had time I would be staying for longer. Events of the last few days have soured the experience here for me (having money stolen from me by a travel agent does not rate as one of my all time favourite things, it has to be said!) but I still am able to recognise that the people of Vietnam are warm lovely and friendly and are anxious for people to return.
I finished working in the cooking house 2 days ago, with great sadness. The work has been hard and hot and sometimes the pernickitiness of the people has driven me insane. They slap you really hard if they don't approve of the way that you are chopping and that makes me crazy! But in the main they love having international volunteers and are always eager to welcome new people.
We visited the Mekong Delta for a day last weekend. Its well known for its part in the Vietnam war, as its all on waterways (the Vietnamese version of Venice I guess!) and the Viet Cong used them to great effect for silent attacks. Its beautiful and peaceful, and we travelled on the waterways for most of the day. We went to a coconut candy factory (yum! And photo included) and visited a beekeeping place for honey tea. It was a fun day enjoyed by all. The photo included here is of one of the women who paddled our boat- these guys are hard core! They look tiny but they are strong!!
What else..oh yeah we went out for numerous nights out as everyones time here is coming to an end and must be celebrated. So cocktails and visits to our favourite veggie restuarant in De Tham, Zen. It looks like a cafe but the food is lovable!
Oh and we did a Vietnamese cookery course. It was a laugh although I have to say it was overpriced. But the food was delicious and it was fun doing the cooking in a tiny cramped space the size of a shoebox! I cooked tofu with mushrooms and onions and it was delicious!
So its time to make up my mind about where to go next. I am becoming ever more conscious of time ticking on. I am also becoming aware that the more travelling you do, the more you become aware of how big the world is- and how long you would have to travel to see it all. Maybe I'll have to be away longer than I first thought.....who knows. Right now I'm enjoying being a gypsy, unsure of where to lay my head from one night to the next, not knowing where I'll be in 2 weeks time. The sense of freedom is intoxicating- and addictive.
Till next time.
Friday, 17 October 2008
Life in Ho Chi Minh City
So life in the above city- hereafter referred to as HCMC for the sake of my fingers!- continues in the breathless pace that is Saigon. The traffic remains crazy, the traffic lights are fun and I have a 2nd degree burn on my leg from the exhaust of one of the motor bike taxis! I managed to then get it infected and had to pay yet another visit to yet another hospital. I must start calling this blog "Travels around hospitals of the world!" Anyway they fixed me up but I nearly fainted when they charged me 3 million Vietnamese Dong. Its only about 100 quid but its a lot of money for one doctors visit- thank God for travel insurance!
I must mention that I'm becoming a bit of a celebrity in HCMC. I have done 2 interviews and photos for local newspapers which was quite fun. Then to my horror today a film crew turned up and filmed us packing the food!!! Picture the scene: its 100 degrees and about 90% humidity. The room is small with ovens all blazing and there is about 20 people crammed into the small space. Sweat is dripping off us all and I am red in the face (the Vietnamese people not so much!!) Then this perfectly dressed, absolutely beautiful little Vietnamese woman pops up out of nowhere and says brightly "I interview you now yes?" Of course the proper answer is "No you maniac get out of my face!!" but instead I politely say "Yes of course no problem!" The camera man is close enough to examine your fillings and I really just want a shower and some make up!
The pictures included are of the full day tour that we did to the Cao Dai temple and the Cu Chi tunnels. Both were amazing. The temple is one of the only places in the world that a mix of religions are practised under one name. The name of the religion escapes me at the moment, but its a combination of Catholicism, Buddhism and Hinduism. We were priviledged to observe the worshipping ceremony that takes place which was beautiful, and very different to anything else I've ever seen before. The photos are of the entrance and the ceiling decorations. It was quite the most extravagant building I've ever seen! The other photo is me getting to grips with the M60 at the Cu Chi tunnels. They charge to for the bullets and then you carry on. Its the first time in my life that I've fired a gun and it will certainly be the last. It was terrifying and the kickback on the shoulder is incredible! I may have already commented on the tunnels but its worth saying again. They are tiny. The Vietnamese are very small so they fit down them but even then its a tight fit. I cannot imagine how awful it must have been to fight a war in them and be bombed and stuck there for days. The Vietnamese have even more of my respect after seeing that!
So I think thats all for now. I'm sad that I don't have more time here but there is a big wide world out there and I'm dying to explore it!
Till next time.
Wednesday, 8 October 2008
Disappearing off the face of the earth
Oops. So the blog has been sooo neglected of late. I just checked out the last post and its so old! Things have changed quite a bit since then!
First of all South Africa. I finished there a few days ago. It was an awesome experience but I'm glad to be on the move again. Also the area that I was staying in was so white and bland that it could have been anywhere.
Egypt- it was sooo amazing! We went to Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, Dahab, Jordan and then back to Cairo. The people that I met were fun and I'm so glad that I met them. I think my favourite parts were the pyramids- obviously!- and probably Jordan, although it was very expensive. I could have spent longer in Jordan quite easily. Petra was beautiful and fantastic and I loved it. We also did gorge walking and quite a bit of climbing, including climbing 800 steps to an ancient monastry. In the 120 degree heat, thats not easy! Of course I also met Mido who became my constant companion for much of my time in Egypt and is still in contact so thats an added extra!
But to bring this old blogger right up to date, enough of the past!! I am currently blogging from Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam (also known as Saigon and both are considered correct). This place has to be one of my favourite places that I've visited. I think that the people are responsible for most of that. They are welcoming and sweet and warm and ready to laugh at almost anything- including me!! They will also bend over backward to please you and make you happy. I am working in a charity cookhouse for sick people, both those who are in hospital and those who have been released but still need some assistance. So in the morning I get there and we chop all the veggies and tofu (all the food that we cook is vegetarian which is good for me!). Then the food is cooked and we all eat some of it for breakfast/lunch. The food is amazing and certainly way better than the stuff that we give our patients at home! After food we rest- in a cute little room upstairs on a bamboo mat. Then the food has to be bagged and packed, then we go and deliver it. This is my favourite part of the day. First we go to the hospital and leave their food there. Then we go to a different area and set up a kind of soup kitchen where the poor patients can come with their containers and collect some food. These people can eat! The rice that they can consume is amazing and they are all soooo skinny its ridiculous! The Vietnamese are naturally small anyway- the women all look like 12 year old children. We all laugh at the clothes shops. The mannequins that they use are European and the clothes here are too small even for the mannequins!!! Even the men are tiny- Tien picked me up at the airport and I was afraid that he was about to snap in half when he picked up my ruckie. He is 3 inches shorter and at least 100 lbs less than I am! Carlee, one of the other volunteers gets many stares because she is over 6 ft tall and they are not really used to that!
The volunteer house is cool- its very basic accommodation but its fine and the other volunteers are great. We are all doing loads of different projects but we all hang out in the evenings and go for dinner, drinks etc. The work is tiring for everyone, especially because of the climate. Its not always sunny but its always hot. And the humidity is a killer. You have a constant layer of sweat all over your skin just from sitting still!
So far Vietnam is great! I haven't had much chance yet to check out Saigon but there are loads of museums and cool places to visit. There is also the opportunity to travel a lot over the weekends so I think I am going to visit the Mekong Delta, Hanoi and maybe Sappa. I also have some time once I finish work at the end of the month, so I can do some moving around then.
So thats it! Blog updated! I want to add some photos but the reader here doesn't recognise my USB cable for some reason. So I will have to figure out how to organise that at some point! But in the meantime you will have to be happy with just my ramblings!!
Till next time
First of all South Africa. I finished there a few days ago. It was an awesome experience but I'm glad to be on the move again. Also the area that I was staying in was so white and bland that it could have been anywhere.
Egypt- it was sooo amazing! We went to Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, Dahab, Jordan and then back to Cairo. The people that I met were fun and I'm so glad that I met them. I think my favourite parts were the pyramids- obviously!- and probably Jordan, although it was very expensive. I could have spent longer in Jordan quite easily. Petra was beautiful and fantastic and I loved it. We also did gorge walking and quite a bit of climbing, including climbing 800 steps to an ancient monastry. In the 120 degree heat, thats not easy! Of course I also met Mido who became my constant companion for much of my time in Egypt and is still in contact so thats an added extra!
But to bring this old blogger right up to date, enough of the past!! I am currently blogging from Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam (also known as Saigon and both are considered correct). This place has to be one of my favourite places that I've visited. I think that the people are responsible for most of that. They are welcoming and sweet and warm and ready to laugh at almost anything- including me!! They will also bend over backward to please you and make you happy. I am working in a charity cookhouse for sick people, both those who are in hospital and those who have been released but still need some assistance. So in the morning I get there and we chop all the veggies and tofu (all the food that we cook is vegetarian which is good for me!). Then the food is cooked and we all eat some of it for breakfast/lunch. The food is amazing and certainly way better than the stuff that we give our patients at home! After food we rest- in a cute little room upstairs on a bamboo mat. Then the food has to be bagged and packed, then we go and deliver it. This is my favourite part of the day. First we go to the hospital and leave their food there. Then we go to a different area and set up a kind of soup kitchen where the poor patients can come with their containers and collect some food. These people can eat! The rice that they can consume is amazing and they are all soooo skinny its ridiculous! The Vietnamese are naturally small anyway- the women all look like 12 year old children. We all laugh at the clothes shops. The mannequins that they use are European and the clothes here are too small even for the mannequins!!! Even the men are tiny- Tien picked me up at the airport and I was afraid that he was about to snap in half when he picked up my ruckie. He is 3 inches shorter and at least 100 lbs less than I am! Carlee, one of the other volunteers gets many stares because she is over 6 ft tall and they are not really used to that!
The volunteer house is cool- its very basic accommodation but its fine and the other volunteers are great. We are all doing loads of different projects but we all hang out in the evenings and go for dinner, drinks etc. The work is tiring for everyone, especially because of the climate. Its not always sunny but its always hot. And the humidity is a killer. You have a constant layer of sweat all over your skin just from sitting still!
So far Vietnam is great! I haven't had much chance yet to check out Saigon but there are loads of museums and cool places to visit. There is also the opportunity to travel a lot over the weekends so I think I am going to visit the Mekong Delta, Hanoi and maybe Sappa. I also have some time once I finish work at the end of the month, so I can do some moving around then.
So thats it! Blog updated! I want to add some photos but the reader here doesn't recognise my USB cable for some reason. So I will have to figure out how to organise that at some point! But in the meantime you will have to be happy with just my ramblings!!
Till next time
Sunday, 17 August 2008
Shamefully White
So I've been promising myself for sometime that I would get around to an entry on the whole political situation and the apartheid thing. Finally here it is!
About 3 or 4 weeks ago I visited the District 6 museum which, surprise surprise, in in District 6. This was one of the districts that was allocated as "White Only" when apartheid took its grip in the early 60's. This was despite the fact that the area was already full of black and coloured folks. By the way its ok to say coloured here, it means someone who is not pure black and not pure white. For example one of our tour guides Ursula has a black father and a Chinese mother so she is coloured.
Anyway, there were many districts that were allocated as white only and the government got really busy moving out all the black folks to make room for the tetchy white folks who wanted the area because it was nearer to the city centre and had better amenities and so on. The way these removals were done was horrific. The government just sent trucks with no warning and folks sometimes had as little as 20 minutes to pack up the homes that they had been living in for 20 years, and their families and move out. Their belongings were tossed into the trucks and no one cared whether they got damaged or not. This obviously was traumatic enough but to make matters worse, the black were then moved into areas that were far away from Cape Town and the areas that they knew. They had to travel for 4 hours sometimes to get to work, costing a lot of money and meaning that they left for work at 4am. Their social networks were cut off as they were removed from their friends and they had no money to keep in touch. Often they lost their jobs because they were late or couldn't afford to get there. The black areas became known as areas that were high in the crime rate and in illegal activities, but no one ever made the connection between this and the fact that people had been moved too far away. Instead everyone shrugged their shoulders and said "What can you expect from the blacks?". Add to this the fact that "Whites Only" sign started creeping in everywhere, the blacks had no reasonable access to amenities, medical care and so on, and its not surprising that the tensions rose in the way they did. About 10 years after the start of apartheid, a group of young black men made a peaceful walking protest against it as their children were not getting good education. They were gunned down by the (white) police and most of them were killed for expressing their opinion. One of the photos above is of the monument that was set up- rather late!- by the government in their memory.
Even now in South Africa things are not really any different. The country is only 15 years out of apartheid- isn't that incredible!- so its unrealistic to expect massive changes as yet. The funny thing is that when you talk to Ursula about the differences, she says that in some ways the black and coloureds were better off under apartheid. This is what she had to say:
"As a coloured person I had "Cape Coloured" marked on my identity card so that any government officials could identify me and decide that I should not be in the white area. Apartheid was a terrible time for us all and very scary, as the government could do as they pleased with us and no one would stop them. However, at least when they decided at that time to move us, they would build us decent homes to live in, proper brick homes that were dry and had electricity. But now, the black people are just left to live in townships. They are still separated from whites because they have no education or prospects so can't afford to live in a decent house. They have been forced to build these tin shacks in these townships (the biggest in Cape Town, Khayaleitcha, hold nearly 2 million black and coloured people) and the government say that they dont have to help beacause people are making their choice. My people are not making choices, they have had this way of life thrust upon them and the government do even less now to assist than they did before."
So apartheid may not officially exist in South Africa any more but unofficially its still very much in existence. The lower ranking and poorer paid jobs here are held down by black people- the shop workers and construction workers, the road sweepers and sadly the homeless people who sleep on the beach are all black. The doctors and dentists are all white and drive big, fancy cars. They live in places like Table View and the blacks live in the townships.
Isn't that shit? I've never felt so ashamed to be white.
Tuesday, 12 August 2008
Buzzin' in the heid!
So much has happened recently that that's exactly how I feel! However, I will attempt to condense it all somewhat....
So I finished work last week- an awful feeling. I've had a few issues with HOH and the way that it is run, but the bottom line is that you are there for the benefit of the kids and after 6 weeks they become very much part of your normal life. So I miss them greatly and I plan to pop in and visit just before I go for good.
We went on the Cape Point tour last week (wee photie included!) which was tremendous. We went to Hout Bay, Simons Town, then onto to Seal Island, Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope. It was magical to see all the places that I've read about and learned about at school and to put it all into reality.
Then I started my diving course on Friday. The first session was just watching DVD's and learning the theoretical stuff- which is far more lengthy that I ever imagined by the way! But Saturday was great. We went to Seapoint about 30 mins along the road to get to the swimming pool. Before you run away with the image of a chlorinated, heated, indoor swimming pool, let me disabuse you of that notion. The pool is outside, filled by the sea which crashes in next to it and on Saturday it was about 7 degrees in temperature. In other words, bloody freezing!!! Our first task was to swim 400 metres in our swimming costumes with no wet suit- somewhat good for blowing the cobwebs away! Then we were supposed to complete 5 dives with different tasks- we only got 3 done. Some of the stuff is really hard and it takes a bit of time to get used to breathing underwater, especially with 50 pounds of gear on your back! I had to come away early as I was feeling ill and I missed the lesson on Sunday so now I have to catch up cos this weekend we go into the sea for 4 real dives!!!
The swimming in freezing water didn't assist my cold in any way and yesterday I had to finally relent and go to the doc. The first thing he said when he looked at my throat was "Ewwwwwww!" so I'm guessing it wasn't good! Throat infection, glandular infection and chest infection all diagnosed so now I have to take a million horse pills and rest- bleuuch!
I also made the decison to go on a second wine tour which was great fun- hey it had nothing to do with the wine, all my friends were going too! So much wine, cheese and chocolate consumed yet agin- not too great for the diet but yuummeeee!
The photos l-r are: Bonnie, Chelsey and me. The 30+ girls on the Cape Point tour. Me at the Cape of Good Hope, the most SW point in Africa. Lunchtime for Simdi who is thriving and getting big- ish!
So its nearly time to get going again- I'm sure I've said that before! I go to Kruger National Park for a short safari on 25th, then I'm off to Sahrm El Sheik for a 9 day break. I've booked self catering accommodation so I get my own little place. Then on the 13th I'm off on a 17 day tour of Egypt which sounds amazing. Then back to SA for a couple of days and then off to Vietnam on 3rd October. I'll miss SA- its been refreshing and good fun and more than therapeutic after the horrors of Nairobi. But I'm also looking forward to getting somewhere new. I read in a travel book somewhere that the "mark of a gypsy traveller is he who never rests, who appreciates where he is but who is also looking to the next location, the next horizon, the next challenge".
Sounds good to me!!
Sunday, 3 August 2008
Just an update
So I haven't really been keeping up with the blog in the way that I should be- oops!! Trouble is that lots happens and I don't really have time and then I can't remember whats going on !!
Its been a bittersweet time recently as people that I have become very attached to have left and I find that difficult. Steph left on Monday and I felt really upset about that as we have literally spent every waking moment of the last 4 weeks together! (We did a second sky dive in honour of her leaving- magic time and I've included a piccie!) We worked together and played and partied together so it feels strange that she is not here now. Chelsey left the week before and left a great hole in the company. Also I went out on Thursday night with Bonnie, someone else that I really hit it off with. However, we went to a place called Mandelas which was the best fun I have had in SA so far. The organisation pick you up and ply you with local drink on the bus as you pick up all the others. Then they take you to a township in Hout Bay which is about an hours drive from Table View, and give you a bit of the history of the creation of townships (I'm going to do a whole other entry on the townships and apartheid so bear with me!) Then we go to a local shebeen (or pub) and the locals just hang out with you and drink beer. Dirt floor, basic electricity and the best singers and dancers that I have ever met. Once again a glimpse of the Africa that I know and love. Home cooked local food- samp and beans, mealie pap and chakalaka (maize and beans, maize porridge and spicy veggie stew)- all delicious in the extreme. Then jukebox music and dancing and having fun till its time to go home. Food, transport, entertainment and alcohol as well as a unique experience all for R225 which is about 9 quid- much cheapness!
Things at work are fine- I only have 4 shifts left to do. Then I think I'm going to travel SA for about a week (the Garden Route), then go to Kruger National Park with Rhian, one of the other volunteers and then probably take a bus trip in Egypt to take in Luxor, Alexandria and all the places that I didn't get to in February. I also have my diving course to do next week which I'm looking forward to in the extreme!
The house is busy as always with the comings and goings of different volunteers for different projects- you do get tired of being welcoming to new people at times! We sleep in the outside bedroom so sometimes its nice to get away from the crowd. In the main the volunteers are girls, and in the main they are in their early 20's so I confess to feeling like a proper old fart at times!
Oh I nearly forgot to say that at last I have managed to get myself a bike!!!!! I will of course have to leave it behind when I go but it means that I have transport for the next couple of weeks. Brand new mountain bike, air pump and lock for R800- about 55 quid!! I plan to go out cycling today as the predicted rain has not materialised and its beautiful and sunny.
Oh the photos- well one is of Table Mountain- yeah if you didn't get that one you shouldn't be allowed out on your own! I plan to go and climb it next week. Apparently it only takes about 2-3 hours. The other is simply footprints in the sand which is a reference to the Footprints poem which I love. The coast here is so beautiful and most addictive. I can't stop taking photos. There is a little coffee shop called Carluccis just around the corner from work where I go to get a hit of caffeine in my lunch hour and I always take my book to read. However between chatting to the extremely pleasant owner (who has my Sprite Zero and my flat white coffee ready for me every day when I go in!) and gazing at the wonderful ocean, I never get much reading done!
Thats about it for this time. Nearly time to move on again. Doesn't life just pass you by!
Sunday, 20 July 2008
I survived!
For those of you who have possibly been on another planet for the last few days and dont know, I did a sky dive yesterday. It has to be the coolest and most exciting thing I've ever done, and I'm off to do it again in a week's time ( when we booked it I was like "Errrmmm, thats still a tandem dive right? Even though its our second jump?" The guy was like "No, we chuck you out of a plane from 9000 feet on your own after 20 mins instruction and one jump." Cheeky bastard....)
Anyway the dive- when we got to the jump height I began to think that maybe I wouldn't be able to do it after all- 9000 feet is incredibly high, in case no one realises! We also got a fantastic day for it, very clear and sunny so we could see the ground clearly from that height and were able to start contemplating it in death terms! There is a rush of high speed wind when they roll up the side of the plane (these things are tiny, 6 of us were cramped in it- the skydiving was probably safer!) then I had to watch Steph do the jump first. Her last words as she dived were "Holy fucking shiiitttttt....." then she was gone. Then it was my turn. "Sit on the side of the plane, swing your legs back, put your head against my shoulder. One two three- jump!" 40 seconds of freefall at 120mph before the parachute opens then a leisurely descent admiring Table Mountain and the West coast of the Cape. Beautiful. Can't wait for the second time. Oh and I also have it all on DVD to prove that I did it!
Mama Africa's last night for dinner to celebrate- great food and fabulous African live band which had the place jumping. Had a fab night and didn't get home till 10 am this morning. Ach well, you only live once right!
Busy week ahead- working Mon and Tues (by the by its amazing that at the end of 3 12 hour shifts you can think "I never want to see another fucking kid or hear another Barney song for the rest of my life." Then by the end of your 2 days off you are thinking "I wonder how Sisi's cold is? I wonder if Klunks is walking yet? I wonder how Adrian is doing?" And you are actually looking forward to seeing them. Crazy but true!) I've attempted to add a photo of Adrian smiling away and hopefully its worked. This kid came to us 2 weeks ag. He's 17 months old, HIV positive, mum is dead and he has been living on the street with dad who is an alcoholic. He has been woefully neglected and left very much to his own devices, terrible chronic excema and some behavioural problems. Also one of the sweetest kids I've ever known.
Then on Wednesday we are off to stay the night at Vicky B and B- the smallet hotel in the world! Also hope this image has successfully been added! Its in the black township and the rooms are small but very beautiful. Vicky started it about 10 years ago in the hope that white tourists would come and stay there and they do!
Thursday off to visit Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for political reasons for so long. (By the way his 90th birthday here was such a big deal- every time you go to the ATM it says on the screen Happy Birthday Madiba- his tribal name and a mark of respect. Go South Africa!) Then Friday we are going paragliding- I've already done it but its fun to do it again. Then working the weekend and that will be another week gone by. 3 weeks in already- I cant believe it!
As always I have more to say and add but enough is enough! I still have email to do so I must rest. I've had no sleep ya know- feel sorry for me........?!
Till next time!
Tuesday, 15 July 2008
Livin the good life in SA!
Well, so far I can't complain in the least about SA although I'm sure I'll be able to find something. The area that I am staying in is painfully white and affluent, the shops and activites are great and I'm not short of company or of things to do- what more could I possibely need?!
The volunteer house is set up so that folks come and go on a regular basis so sometimes its a bit difficult trying to decide who is who and what project they are doing. Aviva has numerous projects on the go, all over South Africa so sometimes folks only stay here for 1 or 2 nights before moving on to go to work. The main volunteers that I am working with on the same project are all getting ready to finish up in about a week, and I will miss them very much but there are more coming in a few days so the house will remain busy!
Work- hmmm.... Well suffice it to say that the woman who runs Home of Hope (Elanor) and I have not exactly gelled. We will definitely not be bosom buddies for the rest of our lives, there is no doubt about that! However, she is a committed and passionate woman who has dedicated all of her life to caring for kids who have been neglected and I have to respect and admire her for that. She and Richard, her husband run the home from their own house and have people coming and going at all hours of the day and night. They also have their own kids that they are bringing up and they have adopted 3 kids from the home also. So they are pretty busy!
The kids are great. All under 2. They all have different histories but all have been neglected abused or abandoned for different reasons. We currently have 4 HIV babies, one preemie, and one who is on a tracheotomy and needs very special care. One of my favourites, a little girl who is approximately 9 months old, was raped by her father. She now screams the place down when you lie her down to change her or bath her.
The routine is pretty crazy when you have 12 to look after. Dressing and breakfast in the morning, then some activities, then lunch and naps ( yeah right!) then supper and baths and bed by 6pm. 12 hour days, but they are so busy that they don't feel long at all!
Spare time- well, I have a skydive booked for Saturday, I want to go sandboarding, I'm dying to try kitesurfing and I'm on the hunt for a bike- again- so that I can cycle the coast line. It's perfect as its so scenic and not at all strenuous. We also just hang out, go out for dinner and drink a lot of wine- hey its South Africa, it would be rude not to! Oh, and theres also a great gym about 10 minutes walk from here so I joined on the spot. They have great facilities and an indoor heated swimming pool- result!
Although there is loads to see and do and I'm really happy, I had a strange experience yesterday. We went on the cultural tour, which is part of the package that Aviva offer. Its a lot to do with the apartheid years and the terrible stuff that black and coloured people (its OK to say that here!) had to go through. All very interesting but the best part was the visit to the township. Suddenly I was back in the Africa that I know and love- where folks stop and say hello, where there is an energy and vibrancy that I recognise, where its busy and crazy and fun. Table View where we stay is beautiful and luxurious but frankly you could be anywhere. So it was nice to have a glimpse of real Africa again and I'm going next week to stay for a couple of nights in the township to soak up the atmosphere.
Anyway thats all for now. I have more that I want to say on some stuff but my fingers are getting really sore and this entry is long enough. Also its freezing in this corner and I want to get back to the lovely roaring fire that we have tonight (did I mention that its freezing and raining and blowing a gale and snowing! I feel right at home!!!)
The volunteer house is set up so that folks come and go on a regular basis so sometimes its a bit difficult trying to decide who is who and what project they are doing. Aviva has numerous projects on the go, all over South Africa so sometimes folks only stay here for 1 or 2 nights before moving on to go to work. The main volunteers that I am working with on the same project are all getting ready to finish up in about a week, and I will miss them very much but there are more coming in a few days so the house will remain busy!
Work- hmmm.... Well suffice it to say that the woman who runs Home of Hope (Elanor) and I have not exactly gelled. We will definitely not be bosom buddies for the rest of our lives, there is no doubt about that! However, she is a committed and passionate woman who has dedicated all of her life to caring for kids who have been neglected and I have to respect and admire her for that. She and Richard, her husband run the home from their own house and have people coming and going at all hours of the day and night. They also have their own kids that they are bringing up and they have adopted 3 kids from the home also. So they are pretty busy!
The kids are great. All under 2. They all have different histories but all have been neglected abused or abandoned for different reasons. We currently have 4 HIV babies, one preemie, and one who is on a tracheotomy and needs very special care. One of my favourites, a little girl who is approximately 9 months old, was raped by her father. She now screams the place down when you lie her down to change her or bath her.
The routine is pretty crazy when you have 12 to look after. Dressing and breakfast in the morning, then some activities, then lunch and naps ( yeah right!) then supper and baths and bed by 6pm. 12 hour days, but they are so busy that they don't feel long at all!
Spare time- well, I have a skydive booked for Saturday, I want to go sandboarding, I'm dying to try kitesurfing and I'm on the hunt for a bike- again- so that I can cycle the coast line. It's perfect as its so scenic and not at all strenuous. We also just hang out, go out for dinner and drink a lot of wine- hey its South Africa, it would be rude not to! Oh, and theres also a great gym about 10 minutes walk from here so I joined on the spot. They have great facilities and an indoor heated swimming pool- result!
Although there is loads to see and do and I'm really happy, I had a strange experience yesterday. We went on the cultural tour, which is part of the package that Aviva offer. Its a lot to do with the apartheid years and the terrible stuff that black and coloured people (its OK to say that here!) had to go through. All very interesting but the best part was the visit to the township. Suddenly I was back in the Africa that I know and love- where folks stop and say hello, where there is an energy and vibrancy that I recognise, where its busy and crazy and fun. Table View where we stay is beautiful and luxurious but frankly you could be anywhere. So it was nice to have a glimpse of real Africa again and I'm going next week to stay for a couple of nights in the township to soak up the atmosphere.
Anyway thats all for now. I have more that I want to say on some stuff but my fingers are getting really sore and this entry is long enough. Also its freezing in this corner and I want to get back to the lovely roaring fire that we have tonight (did I mention that its freezing and raining and blowing a gale and snowing! I feel right at home!!!)
Saturday, 28 June 2008
I made it!
At last,the final post from Kenya, and now I can't wait to get going. To even say that makes me so sad as I love East Africa in principle but just haven't enjoyed Nairobi- in case you haven't noticed by now!
I want to record some of the happier memories that I will be taking away with me. They have to be based around the members of the group. They are so strong and brave and even though the group has ejected them as of last week, they are starting again with nothing. As Joyce, the ex treasurer said to me " Heather, I have been working to counsel those with HIV for 20 years and did it without a penny. I can and will do it again". The courage and determination of these women just moves me to tears and I always find myself wishing that there was more that I could do to assist. However, they survived very well without me and will do so again.
I'm doing all this backwards, but we had a meeting with the donor last Friday and unfortunately she was in support of our glorious chairman. He is very good at self promotion and has wonderful skills in making himself sound good. If only he could turn it to something legal! Anyway, I would have believed him too if it was me so can't really blame her. Then an election was held for the committe members. The chairman has been very busy bribing and intimidating members, so of course they all voted him in. They also booted out the secretary, the treasurer and the 2 volunteers that I have been working with, and put others in their place that will allow himto do as he wishes with the money and so on. Hence the reason that these hard working women now find themselves without a job or any money coming in. 2 of them are widows with no one to assist them and they have 9 children between them. Life really sucks sometimes and its just not fair. But then I guess you all knew that anyway!
Anyway, happy memories! Walking with the volunteers, doing home visits and talking of everything under the sun. Sitting in the office, discussing sex lives and the price of eggs! Laughter and singing at every opportunity, despite going home to no food and hungry children. Seeing some members who are sick slowly returning to health and knowing that they are going to get better, at least this time. Providing relaxation therapy and seeing it really make a difference.
Anyway its time to go and make some memories elsewhere.
Till next time.
I want to record some of the happier memories that I will be taking away with me. They have to be based around the members of the group. They are so strong and brave and even though the group has ejected them as of last week, they are starting again with nothing. As Joyce, the ex treasurer said to me " Heather, I have been working to counsel those with HIV for 20 years and did it without a penny. I can and will do it again". The courage and determination of these women just moves me to tears and I always find myself wishing that there was more that I could do to assist. However, they survived very well without me and will do so again.
I'm doing all this backwards, but we had a meeting with the donor last Friday and unfortunately she was in support of our glorious chairman. He is very good at self promotion and has wonderful skills in making himself sound good. If only he could turn it to something legal! Anyway, I would have believed him too if it was me so can't really blame her. Then an election was held for the committe members. The chairman has been very busy bribing and intimidating members, so of course they all voted him in. They also booted out the secretary, the treasurer and the 2 volunteers that I have been working with, and put others in their place that will allow himto do as he wishes with the money and so on. Hence the reason that these hard working women now find themselves without a job or any money coming in. 2 of them are widows with no one to assist them and they have 9 children between them. Life really sucks sometimes and its just not fair. But then I guess you all knew that anyway!
Anyway, happy memories! Walking with the volunteers, doing home visits and talking of everything under the sun. Sitting in the office, discussing sex lives and the price of eggs! Laughter and singing at every opportunity, despite going home to no food and hungry children. Seeing some members who are sick slowly returning to health and knowing that they are going to get better, at least this time. Providing relaxation therapy and seeing it really make a difference.
Anyway its time to go and make some memories elsewhere.
Till next time.
Saturday, 14 June 2008
Death approaches early in Africa
I wanted to use this blog to update on some of the members. So many of them have been helped by the kind donations from the UK, but there are others that money can no longer help.
Miriam was one of the first members that I met when I came to Kenya and she was very sick at the time. That was sorted out but now she is "down" or sick once more. I think that her TB has returned and there is something else wrong but I can't tell what. She had to go back to the hospital the other day- I had to give her the money for bus fares as our bloody chairman has spent all the money, damn him!- but the hospital are not saying what is wrong with her. That usually means that there is little that they can do for somebody. She looks dreadful and is very weak, hardly able to walk. I'm not sure what is going to happen to her. She is 24 and a prostitute, a fate that befalls many African women as they have no other way of making money.
Lydia is our other member who is dreadfully ill. She was in hospital about 3 weeks ago with TB and was eventually released home. Now she is suffering from meningitis. She is taking medication but she is not able to eat anything for about 2 weeks now, meaning that her ARV's will not work and she will fall prey to all other infections that are around. We visited her on Friday and she was barely conscious that anyone was there. I think she will almost certainly die. I suggested that we have her admitted back to hospital to have IV food, but the hospitals here are not like Western hospitals. If they think that she may die and not be able to pay her bill, they will just leave her to die on the floor of the corridor, unless someone is kind enough to pick her up. She will also pick up more disease outside the hospital than in it, so it is safer to leave her at home. Her mother takes care of her and is very worried about her. Lydia is 26.
I also wanted to comment on the attitudes of African men towards HIV. Most of them carry a very great stigma and will not let anyone know if they are positive. So many of them even refuse to be tested, and will not take drugs if they find out that they are positive. If a man finds out he is positive he will always blame his wife, although African men have up to 20 girlfriends when they are married and usually don't use condoms. We visited a non member the other day who wanted advice. Her husband is very sick, constantly vomiting and having diarhorrea, but refuses to go to the hospital. He also beats her every day when she takes her ARV's as he has instructed her not to take them and she refuses. He insists that the drugs will kill her! This is a common view among Africans especially men. They also believe that they are not suffering from HIV, they are suffering from witchcraft, someone has put a bad spell on them, AIDS is propaganda from the government and all sorts of nonsense. And this is as likely to come from educated men as from uneducated men!! No surprise then, that death comes early in Africa.
Miriam was one of the first members that I met when I came to Kenya and she was very sick at the time. That was sorted out but now she is "down" or sick once more. I think that her TB has returned and there is something else wrong but I can't tell what. She had to go back to the hospital the other day- I had to give her the money for bus fares as our bloody chairman has spent all the money, damn him!- but the hospital are not saying what is wrong with her. That usually means that there is little that they can do for somebody. She looks dreadful and is very weak, hardly able to walk. I'm not sure what is going to happen to her. She is 24 and a prostitute, a fate that befalls many African women as they have no other way of making money.
Lydia is our other member who is dreadfully ill. She was in hospital about 3 weeks ago with TB and was eventually released home. Now she is suffering from meningitis. She is taking medication but she is not able to eat anything for about 2 weeks now, meaning that her ARV's will not work and she will fall prey to all other infections that are around. We visited her on Friday and she was barely conscious that anyone was there. I think she will almost certainly die. I suggested that we have her admitted back to hospital to have IV food, but the hospitals here are not like Western hospitals. If they think that she may die and not be able to pay her bill, they will just leave her to die on the floor of the corridor, unless someone is kind enough to pick her up. She will also pick up more disease outside the hospital than in it, so it is safer to leave her at home. Her mother takes care of her and is very worried about her. Lydia is 26.
I also wanted to comment on the attitudes of African men towards HIV. Most of them carry a very great stigma and will not let anyone know if they are positive. So many of them even refuse to be tested, and will not take drugs if they find out that they are positive. If a man finds out he is positive he will always blame his wife, although African men have up to 20 girlfriends when they are married and usually don't use condoms. We visited a non member the other day who wanted advice. Her husband is very sick, constantly vomiting and having diarhorrea, but refuses to go to the hospital. He also beats her every day when she takes her ARV's as he has instructed her not to take them and she refuses. He insists that the drugs will kill her! This is a common view among Africans especially men. They also believe that they are not suffering from HIV, they are suffering from witchcraft, someone has put a bad spell on them, AIDS is propaganda from the government and all sorts of nonsense. And this is as likely to come from educated men as from uneducated men!! No surprise then, that death comes early in Africa.
Saturday, 7 June 2008
Corrupt bloody Kenya
You can refer to the email as to the reasons for the title of this post. I'm not sure why it bothers me so much but this place is the most corrupt that I've ever come across. And no one is clear from it- it exists in politics, in the police. In a country where you can't trust the police or the government, who do you turn to in times of trouble? And of course as I already said, its affecting our wee project and may well get in the way painfully! The general public don't really bat an eyelid, they just accept it but for someone who is coming from a country where the politicians are scrutinised and questioned, its hard to think its OK.
I knew last week that there was something that I'd forgotten to add. When I got back to Oldy, I found that one of the teachers had lost her husband so we went to the funeral. It was a different experience! For a start the widow did not join the general throng, she sat separately in a manyatta (she's Masai) and everyone went to her to pay their respects. Food and chai were given, then songs and hymns sung over the deceased who lay in a shiny white open coffin decorated with purple ribbons- Africans love ribbons! The women all shrouded them selves in bright kangas and then we filed past the coffin to pay our last respects. The women left at this point and each collected a single rose on the way to the maize field where he was to be buried. Then the men followed with the coffin which was spaded over with dirt. The women went forward with their roses and placed each one singly on top so that at the end it was covered with roses. It was all very simple but very affecting, especially as Africans shout and cry very publicly at times of loss which I found quite nerve racking!
But back to Kenya. The members of the project are continuing to be happy that they have some way of working and supporting themselves, and getting some food for their children. That makes all the difficulties worth while. And we have a set and proper programme for counselling and for home visits (on Fridays we have to go to Kawangware which is 6 miles away- and there is no money for bus fares so Shanks pony it is!!). So we are more organised and also starting to be known within the local community which is a good thing. So its not all bad despite my doom and gloom view point at times!
Well, I'm going to close now. Its Saturday, I actually have the day off to be a tourist and with that in mind I'm off to the Langata Giraffe Centre where they take care of orphaned giraffes. No idea how to get there but isnt that part of the fun?!
Till next time x
I knew last week that there was something that I'd forgotten to add. When I got back to Oldy, I found that one of the teachers had lost her husband so we went to the funeral. It was a different experience! For a start the widow did not join the general throng, she sat separately in a manyatta (she's Masai) and everyone went to her to pay their respects. Food and chai were given, then songs and hymns sung over the deceased who lay in a shiny white open coffin decorated with purple ribbons- Africans love ribbons! The women all shrouded them selves in bright kangas and then we filed past the coffin to pay our last respects. The women left at this point and each collected a single rose on the way to the maize field where he was to be buried. Then the men followed with the coffin which was spaded over with dirt. The women went forward with their roses and placed each one singly on top so that at the end it was covered with roses. It was all very simple but very affecting, especially as Africans shout and cry very publicly at times of loss which I found quite nerve racking!
But back to Kenya. The members of the project are continuing to be happy that they have some way of working and supporting themselves, and getting some food for their children. That makes all the difficulties worth while. And we have a set and proper programme for counselling and for home visits (on Fridays we have to go to Kawangware which is 6 miles away- and there is no money for bus fares so Shanks pony it is!!). So we are more organised and also starting to be known within the local community which is a good thing. So its not all bad despite my doom and gloom view point at times!
Well, I'm going to close now. Its Saturday, I actually have the day off to be a tourist and with that in mind I'm off to the Langata Giraffe Centre where they take care of orphaned giraffes. No idea how to get there but isnt that part of the fun?!
Till next time x
Tuesday, 3 June 2008
Blogging again from Tanzania
See the email as to the reasons why I'm blogging in Tanzania!!
Anyway I arrived here on Friday and I'm heading back to Kenya today. I stayed in Oldy of course, with my lovely family who welcomed me like a Queen, with open arms. It was lovely to see them all again and I discovered that Mama Last is pregnant again. She has offered the baby to me as a "mtoto jifty"- a gift child,in the hope that I will take it back to Scotland and raise it! Needless to say I've refused but its the nearest I've come to having that "jumper baby"that Mands is always talking about.....!
I had the strangest feeling when we crossed the border from Kenya to Tanzania- I felt immediately that I was home- isn't that the strangest thing? Anyway its underlined for me that the Africa I prefer is not the dirt and noise of the cities- its the wide open landscapes with acacia trees everywhere and no human presence except the distant bright spot that is a Masai moran ( or warrior), wearing the traditional checked blue, purple and red blankets that are their clothes, walking to his manyatta (the Masai walk dozens of miles together and call it a short stroll!)
I should really say something on stuff in Nairobi. The work has not really chnaged, although it remains for me difficult and frustrating. We got a delivery from the Kenya Red Cross last week- we got registered with them through my insistence, I might add. Anyway we had 50 kilos opf porridge lying around the office for 3 days until I asked why it hadn't been divided and distributed. There was no good answer so I threw yet another tantrum and insisited that it be done immeditately which it was. People are literally starving to death in front of our eyes while there is food lying around! I am also investigating the large supermarkets and other charities for food donations- if I wasn't doing it no one would! The lethargy and apathy that is present here is shocking at times. I can't bring myself to be too harsh as these people are seriously sick but sometimes I could bring their end about a little quicker!!
Talking of sickness we have an outbreak of typhoid in the slums. Its not really surprising as conditions are horrifically dirty, but its awful to see such a disease present when the cure is so simple. There are so many people in Kenya with no access to clean water and the bloody government does nothing about it. We have clean water brought in every day but it doesn't last long with so many people needing to drink and wash, so often folks have to fall back on other means. And the slums are so dirty. The concept of rubbish collection has not yet reached Africa, so piles of nameless rubbish are left around to rot as they will. The smell is incredible, and the children often hunt through it looking for something to eat. You have to jump the rivers of filth as you are walking around and my greatest fear is that I'm going to fall in one day!! Oh and the toilets. Most people live in one room, divided by a curtain, one side for sleeping,one for eating. The cooking is done in the street on small charcoal stoves. These rooms house families of 8 or 10 people and they don't have toilets. These are outside, 3 between maybe 150 people. Add to this that they are squat toilets that don't lush, and that the people who are using them are often ill and have stomach conditions- well, they are pretty awful. I've used them once or twice while doing home visits, but now I've become like a camel and I wait all day till I get home. Who knows what you could catch otherwise!
I got the news last night that Caroline has had her baby. I'm excited and proud and just a little sad that I'm not there for the happy event- except in spirit! When I think of all the life that I'm missing out on while I'm here and the fact that she and Ezzy will have a 2 year old boy instead of a baby by the time I see him- its a temptation at the lowest points to jack it in and go home. Thank God I'm tough enough to see it through!!
I think thats it for now. I always forget what I was going to say until I get home and I think,oh bugger,I should have mentioned this and that. Its impossible to tell you folks everything, and some of it you wouldn't believe anyway!
See ya next time, Constant Reader! x
Anyway I arrived here on Friday and I'm heading back to Kenya today. I stayed in Oldy of course, with my lovely family who welcomed me like a Queen, with open arms. It was lovely to see them all again and I discovered that Mama Last is pregnant again. She has offered the baby to me as a "mtoto jifty"- a gift child,in the hope that I will take it back to Scotland and raise it! Needless to say I've refused but its the nearest I've come to having that "jumper baby"that Mands is always talking about.....!
I had the strangest feeling when we crossed the border from Kenya to Tanzania- I felt immediately that I was home- isn't that the strangest thing? Anyway its underlined for me that the Africa I prefer is not the dirt and noise of the cities- its the wide open landscapes with acacia trees everywhere and no human presence except the distant bright spot that is a Masai moran ( or warrior), wearing the traditional checked blue, purple and red blankets that are their clothes, walking to his manyatta (the Masai walk dozens of miles together and call it a short stroll!)
I should really say something on stuff in Nairobi. The work has not really chnaged, although it remains for me difficult and frustrating. We got a delivery from the Kenya Red Cross last week- we got registered with them through my insistence, I might add. Anyway we had 50 kilos opf porridge lying around the office for 3 days until I asked why it hadn't been divided and distributed. There was no good answer so I threw yet another tantrum and insisited that it be done immeditately which it was. People are literally starving to death in front of our eyes while there is food lying around! I am also investigating the large supermarkets and other charities for food donations- if I wasn't doing it no one would! The lethargy and apathy that is present here is shocking at times. I can't bring myself to be too harsh as these people are seriously sick but sometimes I could bring their end about a little quicker!!
Talking of sickness we have an outbreak of typhoid in the slums. Its not really surprising as conditions are horrifically dirty, but its awful to see such a disease present when the cure is so simple. There are so many people in Kenya with no access to clean water and the bloody government does nothing about it. We have clean water brought in every day but it doesn't last long with so many people needing to drink and wash, so often folks have to fall back on other means. And the slums are so dirty. The concept of rubbish collection has not yet reached Africa, so piles of nameless rubbish are left around to rot as they will. The smell is incredible, and the children often hunt through it looking for something to eat. You have to jump the rivers of filth as you are walking around and my greatest fear is that I'm going to fall in one day!! Oh and the toilets. Most people live in one room, divided by a curtain, one side for sleeping,one for eating. The cooking is done in the street on small charcoal stoves. These rooms house families of 8 or 10 people and they don't have toilets. These are outside, 3 between maybe 150 people. Add to this that they are squat toilets that don't lush, and that the people who are using them are often ill and have stomach conditions- well, they are pretty awful. I've used them once or twice while doing home visits, but now I've become like a camel and I wait all day till I get home. Who knows what you could catch otherwise!
I got the news last night that Caroline has had her baby. I'm excited and proud and just a little sad that I'm not there for the happy event- except in spirit! When I think of all the life that I'm missing out on while I'm here and the fact that she and Ezzy will have a 2 year old boy instead of a baby by the time I see him- its a temptation at the lowest points to jack it in and go home. Thank God I'm tough enough to see it through!!
I think thats it for now. I always forget what I was going to say until I get home and I think,oh bugger,I should have mentioned this and that. Its impossible to tell you folks everything, and some of it you wouldn't believe anyway!
See ya next time, Constant Reader! x
Saturday, 24 May 2008
Diggin the heels in in Kenya!
I haven't really blogged much since coming to Kenya and I'm not sure why! I'm just as busy but somehow I don't seem to have much to say- not a normal state of affairs for me!
Its been a busy and chaotic 3 weeks- cant believe that I'm nearly half way through already! Things at the group are starting to look up significantly, mainly due to the kindness of those at home who have donated money. It means so much to these people to be able to work and feed themselves and their children.
But sometimes they frustrate the hell out of me too! We had a general meeting today which began well, but degenerated fast. Its a long story and I won't go into it but there was a woman there who has been bad mouthing our members who got very angry about it. All fine and fair enough but it ended up in a physical fist fight in the middle of the street, headed by our chairman. It was incredibly violent not to mention shameful. I called the committee together after the meeting and told them very sternly that if I ever saw such a thing happen again I would be removing myself from the group. They were all incredibly shamefaced and apologetic- Africans are so childish at times!
Anyway, its all interesting stuff! The language here is different to Tanzania- still Swahili but mixed more with English. A Kenyan will start a sentence in English and finish it in Swahili. They also speak a lot of Sheng- a kind of street slang that is a combination of different languages.
Oh and I'm here to report that tribalism is alive and well in Kenya. It came as a shock to me because there is no such thing in Tanzania. Here, the main tribes are Kikuyu, Luo and another which I can't remember! No one likes the Kikuyu and regards them as cold and not worthy of interest. However they are the most powerful and abundant in the country which may account for some of it. It was mainly Kikuyu that were killed in the post election riots at the beginning of the year and this fact hangs over the country like a fog.
People with HIV are interesting too- that sounds like an mad scientist experimenting on folks but thats not what I mean. The ARV's and the disease itself can attack the brain and make them very forgetful. They also have less control over their temper- hence the debacle today. Its very distressing for people who realise what is happening to them. And it can happen to the kids as well, which affects their performance in school and so on. Kids also have very little chance of living to any age- once someone starts ARV's the body begins to work and resist them. Eventually everybody on ARV's will need a new strain. Obviously if you are 50 you wont need to go through this very often but if you are 2 years old when you start taking them the chances are that you will use all types of ARV then run out of options. Then you die.
This disease is a killer and a fucking nightmare- more has to be done to help eradicate it.
Anyway enough of the depressing stuff. Not too much else to report. I live with the local pastor who is called Margaret. She has a house girl, Maggie, who I share a room with. She does all the cooking and cleaning and is always delighted to have volunteers. She is about 20 and is keen to wait on me hand and foot. I won't let her do my washing and if I'm quick I can usually get away with doing some of the washing up. Otherwise she beats me to it every time! They are pleasant folk and Margaret is very involved in the project, so she understands how difficult it can be.
So thats all for now. Moving through Africa, a little tired of being the object of curiosity, being called mzungu and so on. But it has to be admitted, I love Africa and its true what Karen Blixen says " The hardest part of Africa is the leaving it". I can appreciate the sentiment.
Till next time.
Its been a busy and chaotic 3 weeks- cant believe that I'm nearly half way through already! Things at the group are starting to look up significantly, mainly due to the kindness of those at home who have donated money. It means so much to these people to be able to work and feed themselves and their children.
But sometimes they frustrate the hell out of me too! We had a general meeting today which began well, but degenerated fast. Its a long story and I won't go into it but there was a woman there who has been bad mouthing our members who got very angry about it. All fine and fair enough but it ended up in a physical fist fight in the middle of the street, headed by our chairman. It was incredibly violent not to mention shameful. I called the committee together after the meeting and told them very sternly that if I ever saw such a thing happen again I would be removing myself from the group. They were all incredibly shamefaced and apologetic- Africans are so childish at times!
Anyway, its all interesting stuff! The language here is different to Tanzania- still Swahili but mixed more with English. A Kenyan will start a sentence in English and finish it in Swahili. They also speak a lot of Sheng- a kind of street slang that is a combination of different languages.
Oh and I'm here to report that tribalism is alive and well in Kenya. It came as a shock to me because there is no such thing in Tanzania. Here, the main tribes are Kikuyu, Luo and another which I can't remember! No one likes the Kikuyu and regards them as cold and not worthy of interest. However they are the most powerful and abundant in the country which may account for some of it. It was mainly Kikuyu that were killed in the post election riots at the beginning of the year and this fact hangs over the country like a fog.
People with HIV are interesting too- that sounds like an mad scientist experimenting on folks but thats not what I mean. The ARV's and the disease itself can attack the brain and make them very forgetful. They also have less control over their temper- hence the debacle today. Its very distressing for people who realise what is happening to them. And it can happen to the kids as well, which affects their performance in school and so on. Kids also have very little chance of living to any age- once someone starts ARV's the body begins to work and resist them. Eventually everybody on ARV's will need a new strain. Obviously if you are 50 you wont need to go through this very often but if you are 2 years old when you start taking them the chances are that you will use all types of ARV then run out of options. Then you die.
This disease is a killer and a fucking nightmare- more has to be done to help eradicate it.
Anyway enough of the depressing stuff. Not too much else to report. I live with the local pastor who is called Margaret. She has a house girl, Maggie, who I share a room with. She does all the cooking and cleaning and is always delighted to have volunteers. She is about 20 and is keen to wait on me hand and foot. I won't let her do my washing and if I'm quick I can usually get away with doing some of the washing up. Otherwise she beats me to it every time! They are pleasant folk and Margaret is very involved in the project, so she understands how difficult it can be.
So thats all for now. Moving through Africa, a little tired of being the object of curiosity, being called mzungu and so on. But it has to be admitted, I love Africa and its true what Karen Blixen says " The hardest part of Africa is the leaving it". I can appreciate the sentiment.
Till next time.
Friday, 9 May 2008
The joys of Nairobi
Well it may have to be a very quick post as its getting late and I have to be back in the house by 6 pm. Nairobi is a lot more dangerous than Tanzania- I really must stop comparing!!- so we are advised to be home by 6. It is very restricting and its one of the things I dont like about here. Add to that the traffic, the noise, the not so friendly people and so on and I'm not as happy here as I was in TZ!
Anyway, there are some good bits. At the weekends I can go swimming although it means a trip into town. Easy getting there a complete nightmare getting back. It took me 3 hours the other day just because I was waiting on a bus. I'm hoping to get a bike but even then its not safe to take it into town as the drivers are just nuts. The matatu drivers are the worst (Nairobi version of the dala dala) and they dont care who they kill! I can also walk a fair bit, there is a cinema and a great coffee house about 40 mins walk away, and a number of things to do at the weekends. I haven't arranged any of them yet but give me time!
I also like the work, and when I'm sitting listening to someone's AIDS story or trying to figure out how to get more food for the members I'm utterly happy. Its in between times that I get a bit restless. The group members are very unsettled and suspicious which is no surprise given their experiences. My only saving grace is that I'm female. Also I'm mzungu and am considered to be an expert in all things for some reason- talk about pressure!!
I do feel isolated at times especially when I want to get things off my chest. However, I'm aware that its a bad time of year for me just now and that I'm still Tanzania sick, so I'm sticking with it as best I can. The weekend is here- although I work Saturday mornings- so I'm looking forward to doing some nice stuff! I'm constantly shattered but that is just a reaction to the heat. Its much hotter here although this is the cold season! Its 90 degrees for fucks sake!!
I do have a few more things to add but the sun is about to set and if I'm not in by 6 Margaret begins to worry. Sigh- I'm 35 and still being babied.....
More next time- farewell!!
Anyway, there are some good bits. At the weekends I can go swimming although it means a trip into town. Easy getting there a complete nightmare getting back. It took me 3 hours the other day just because I was waiting on a bus. I'm hoping to get a bike but even then its not safe to take it into town as the drivers are just nuts. The matatu drivers are the worst (Nairobi version of the dala dala) and they dont care who they kill! I can also walk a fair bit, there is a cinema and a great coffee house about 40 mins walk away, and a number of things to do at the weekends. I haven't arranged any of them yet but give me time!
I also like the work, and when I'm sitting listening to someone's AIDS story or trying to figure out how to get more food for the members I'm utterly happy. Its in between times that I get a bit restless. The group members are very unsettled and suspicious which is no surprise given their experiences. My only saving grace is that I'm female. Also I'm mzungu and am considered to be an expert in all things for some reason- talk about pressure!!
I do feel isolated at times especially when I want to get things off my chest. However, I'm aware that its a bad time of year for me just now and that I'm still Tanzania sick, so I'm sticking with it as best I can. The weekend is here- although I work Saturday mornings- so I'm looking forward to doing some nice stuff! I'm constantly shattered but that is just a reaction to the heat. Its much hotter here although this is the cold season! Its 90 degrees for fucks sake!!
I do have a few more things to add but the sun is about to set and if I'm not in by 6 Margaret begins to worry. Sigh- I'm 35 and still being babied.....
More next time- farewell!!
Wednesday, 30 April 2008
Leaving Tanzania
My heart is breaking- I'm leaving beautiful Tanzania. This is my last day and tomorrow I go to Nairobi. That will also be a wonderful experience I'm sure but at the moment I want to stay here forever!
There are so many things that I don't want to forget from here and its impossible to mention them all but heres just a few....
Insects. Being a girl and a wuss I'm terrified of them and had prepped myself for many creepy crawlies. Actually there has only been 2 incidents. The first was when a kind of earwig thing crawled into my inhaler and I used it. Fortunately I was able to cough the thing up but not too nice! Then there was the spider who decided that my trainer was a cosy place to sleep but didn't tell me till I had put it on and it crawled out of the hole in the top- I think the locals thought I was doing the Highland Fling!
Collecting water with the kids- everybody here thinks I'm nuts but I think that the kids have to work far too hard. So when they go for water I go with them to help. Its actually great fun cos thats when you see everybody as they walk past. I developed the habit of walking to the drinking water tap every day just so that I can speak to the kids as they are coming out of school and say hi to all the villagers.
The family- all heart broken as I left them. I've promised to try and visit. They called me last night to tell me that they missed me- I'd been gone for 4 hours.
Elinamay- a subject in the email so wont go on for too long. But one of my best friends, who also fancies himself in love with me. He's 17!! In Africa it would be perfectly acceptable for us to be a couple, but I think I would feel like a cradle snatcher! Anyway one of my everlasting images of Oldonyosambu is him sitting on the step of his house, watching me leave and nearly crying. Its nice to think that you'll be missed, but I hate when people are so upset!
Things to remember about Tanzania:
The continual fascination with the white person. I'm curious to know how long I would have to live here before it wore off.
The friendliness of the people. Everybody says hello and greets you- not just to be polite but because they want to know how you are.
The Masai- it occurs to me that I've not really mentioned them. Thats probably because they are just one of many tribes here and are not considered anything out of the ordinary. The Masai here are slightly scorned as they are not "true"- they are not nomadic and have settled with crops and so on. There are hundreds of tribes in Africa but here are mainly Masai, Chagga and Pada- all with their own languages and customs.
The colours and sounds- in Old its beautifully peaceful and you can see the stars at night with no pollution from electricity- breathtaking. And the women wear bright colours cos the dirt doesn't show so much but they look beautiful.
The way everybody helps everybody else. In Tanzania children can travel hundreds of miles by dala dala and no one will hurt them. The conductors will make sure that they are going in the right direction and they can usually sit on someones knee if its crowded- as it invariably is. The dala dala conductors act tough but they are kind hearted and will also help you if you have a lot of baggage to carry on market day. Can you see LRT drivers doing the same?! Other passengers will also help you if you are overloaded.
The beautiful beautiful country side. I will carry it in my memory wherever I go.
Well, my computer time is running out so I have to finish. Everything else will have to be committed to memory.
Farewell Tanzania!!
There are so many things that I don't want to forget from here and its impossible to mention them all but heres just a few....
Insects. Being a girl and a wuss I'm terrified of them and had prepped myself for many creepy crawlies. Actually there has only been 2 incidents. The first was when a kind of earwig thing crawled into my inhaler and I used it. Fortunately I was able to cough the thing up but not too nice! Then there was the spider who decided that my trainer was a cosy place to sleep but didn't tell me till I had put it on and it crawled out of the hole in the top- I think the locals thought I was doing the Highland Fling!
Collecting water with the kids- everybody here thinks I'm nuts but I think that the kids have to work far too hard. So when they go for water I go with them to help. Its actually great fun cos thats when you see everybody as they walk past. I developed the habit of walking to the drinking water tap every day just so that I can speak to the kids as they are coming out of school and say hi to all the villagers.
The family- all heart broken as I left them. I've promised to try and visit. They called me last night to tell me that they missed me- I'd been gone for 4 hours.
Elinamay- a subject in the email so wont go on for too long. But one of my best friends, who also fancies himself in love with me. He's 17!! In Africa it would be perfectly acceptable for us to be a couple, but I think I would feel like a cradle snatcher! Anyway one of my everlasting images of Oldonyosambu is him sitting on the step of his house, watching me leave and nearly crying. Its nice to think that you'll be missed, but I hate when people are so upset!
Things to remember about Tanzania:
The continual fascination with the white person. I'm curious to know how long I would have to live here before it wore off.
The friendliness of the people. Everybody says hello and greets you- not just to be polite but because they want to know how you are.
The Masai- it occurs to me that I've not really mentioned them. Thats probably because they are just one of many tribes here and are not considered anything out of the ordinary. The Masai here are slightly scorned as they are not "true"- they are not nomadic and have settled with crops and so on. There are hundreds of tribes in Africa but here are mainly Masai, Chagga and Pada- all with their own languages and customs.
The colours and sounds- in Old its beautifully peaceful and you can see the stars at night with no pollution from electricity- breathtaking. And the women wear bright colours cos the dirt doesn't show so much but they look beautiful.
The way everybody helps everybody else. In Tanzania children can travel hundreds of miles by dala dala and no one will hurt them. The conductors will make sure that they are going in the right direction and they can usually sit on someones knee if its crowded- as it invariably is. The dala dala conductors act tough but they are kind hearted and will also help you if you have a lot of baggage to carry on market day. Can you see LRT drivers doing the same?! Other passengers will also help you if you are overloaded.
The beautiful beautiful country side. I will carry it in my memory wherever I go.
Well, my computer time is running out so I have to finish. Everything else will have to be committed to memory.
Farewell Tanzania!!
Friday, 18 April 2008
Second bloody attempt- grrr!
Well, I spent 40 mins last week updating the blog for all of my adoring readers- ok 2!- then at the last possible minute the internet crashed and all was lost. I was devastated! So I will try to recreate.....
Zanzibar. Loved it. Fab. Recommend it to anyone. Hot and exotic. Did much shopping and went on the Spice Tour which was a fascinating look at the spice plantations which provide many exports. Fresh growing cardomom, vanilla pods, chilli, and many more. Then went for dinner with some folks that I met to the world famous Fodorhani Gardens. Fab street food, lobster, shark and felafel plus so much more- yum!!
The rest of Tanzania. Still loving it although getting tired of being called mzungu constantly. I explained to the family last week that I don't object to being described as mzungu- cos I am!!!- but object to it as a permanent name. I'm fairly sure that if they came to the UK and I called them mafrika all the time (black) it would be offensive and a massive human rights issue to boot!
Teaching. Its hard and tiring but its all worthwhile when they finally get it! The secondary school is easier as the kids have more English and are more willing to learn. There is a definite resistance to learning English and Swahili here as the kids want only to speak their tribal language which is all they speak till they come to school at 5 years. So they don't want to speak anything else till they get older and realise how much of an advantage it can be to speak English!
Quick word on Swahili. It continues to be difficult for me although I am starting to pick up a lot more since I am living in a constantly Swahili speaking household. There is about 100 different ways to say hello- and thats not an exaggeration! If you are greeting someone older than you you must say "Shikamoo" and the elder responds "Marahaba". I have to respond to this as school as all the kids use it but I must use it to the Director of Education or to a grandmother on the street. its also common to say "Shikamoo bibi" (greetings grandmother) whether its your grandmother or not- same goes for father (baba) Mother (mama) sister (dada) or brother (kaka). Then if you are greeting someone your own age you say "Mambo" and the response is "Poa". A generic greeting is "Habari?"- hows things- but you can also say" Habari gani'- whats the news, "Habari za leo"- how is it today- "Habira za suburi"- good morning and so on. You can reply with nzuri- good, saffee-clean, poa- cool and so on. Confused? Yeah try living here for a while!
No idea whats next for me. It was supposed to be Nairobi but the company has collapsed, I'm assuming due to the riots etc. And they have 700 quid of my cash and I've booked my flight- grrr! I'm off to do a walking safari then who knows. Maybe Egypt for a bit and kill time till South Africa.
Still rainy season here. Must recount a quick story. A few weekends ago we decided that we were going out drinking and dancing. Started out to get the dala dala to Arusha when the rain came on. Torrential and I kid you not! The street rapidly turned into a river and we had to turn back. We had left the key to the house at Mama Gladness' house (thats Brightsons mother, she cooks all our meals and is a sweetheart) so we went to collect it. The tiny path to her house was quickly knee deep in water and Emma and I rapidly lost our shoes to the mud and the swift current. We had to walk 2k in barefeet, up to our knees in water and who knows what else! Thankfully theres not too much broken glass around here! Only in Africa!!!!
I'm sure that theres a million other things I should be recording but I forget them all. Oh my 17 year old suitor Emme, who fancies himself madly in love with the mzungu and wants to marry her! Its tough being irresistable! And the 5th form boy who said to me "I live in (some village or other!) and there is a mzungu living there. Her name is Sharon. You must know her right?!" Yeah cos all the mzungu know each other personally......!
Caroline tell Robert that I've not seen any lions yet and the only crocs have been at the game sanctuary. Still you never know...!
Thats all for now. Chins up, chists oot, give em hell!!!
Zanzibar. Loved it. Fab. Recommend it to anyone. Hot and exotic. Did much shopping and went on the Spice Tour which was a fascinating look at the spice plantations which provide many exports. Fresh growing cardomom, vanilla pods, chilli, and many more. Then went for dinner with some folks that I met to the world famous Fodorhani Gardens. Fab street food, lobster, shark and felafel plus so much more- yum!!
The rest of Tanzania. Still loving it although getting tired of being called mzungu constantly. I explained to the family last week that I don't object to being described as mzungu- cos I am!!!- but object to it as a permanent name. I'm fairly sure that if they came to the UK and I called them mafrika all the time (black) it would be offensive and a massive human rights issue to boot!
Teaching. Its hard and tiring but its all worthwhile when they finally get it! The secondary school is easier as the kids have more English and are more willing to learn. There is a definite resistance to learning English and Swahili here as the kids want only to speak their tribal language which is all they speak till they come to school at 5 years. So they don't want to speak anything else till they get older and realise how much of an advantage it can be to speak English!
Quick word on Swahili. It continues to be difficult for me although I am starting to pick up a lot more since I am living in a constantly Swahili speaking household. There is about 100 different ways to say hello- and thats not an exaggeration! If you are greeting someone older than you you must say "Shikamoo" and the elder responds "Marahaba". I have to respond to this as school as all the kids use it but I must use it to the Director of Education or to a grandmother on the street. its also common to say "Shikamoo bibi" (greetings grandmother) whether its your grandmother or not- same goes for father (baba) Mother (mama) sister (dada) or brother (kaka). Then if you are greeting someone your own age you say "Mambo" and the response is "Poa". A generic greeting is "Habari?"- hows things- but you can also say" Habari gani'- whats the news, "Habari za leo"- how is it today- "Habira za suburi"- good morning and so on. You can reply with nzuri- good, saffee-clean, poa- cool and so on. Confused? Yeah try living here for a while!
No idea whats next for me. It was supposed to be Nairobi but the company has collapsed, I'm assuming due to the riots etc. And they have 700 quid of my cash and I've booked my flight- grrr! I'm off to do a walking safari then who knows. Maybe Egypt for a bit and kill time till South Africa.
Still rainy season here. Must recount a quick story. A few weekends ago we decided that we were going out drinking and dancing. Started out to get the dala dala to Arusha when the rain came on. Torrential and I kid you not! The street rapidly turned into a river and we had to turn back. We had left the key to the house at Mama Gladness' house (thats Brightsons mother, she cooks all our meals and is a sweetheart) so we went to collect it. The tiny path to her house was quickly knee deep in water and Emma and I rapidly lost our shoes to the mud and the swift current. We had to walk 2k in barefeet, up to our knees in water and who knows what else! Thankfully theres not too much broken glass around here! Only in Africa!!!!
I'm sure that theres a million other things I should be recording but I forget them all. Oh my 17 year old suitor Emme, who fancies himself madly in love with the mzungu and wants to marry her! Its tough being irresistable! And the 5th form boy who said to me "I live in (some village or other!) and there is a mzungu living there. Her name is Sharon. You must know her right?!" Yeah cos all the mzungu know each other personally......!
Caroline tell Robert that I've not seen any lions yet and the only crocs have been at the game sanctuary. Still you never know...!
Thats all for now. Chins up, chists oot, give em hell!!!
Saturday, 22 March 2008
ugali ugali ugali
Ok I lied just time for a very quick post on the blog. See email for ugali references!!
Things to remember:
African sunrise and sunset.
Being helped off the dala dala last week by Oomba, a Masai gentleman who insisted on walking home with me! No language between the two of us but still managed to communicate.
the maize- its every where and whispers constantly.
Laughs and jokes with the family during the week- so warm and welcoming and loving- they want me to stay forever.
The fact that one of my Primary 5 pupils finally was able to say what his name was and how old he is- I nearly burst with pride!!
Off to Zanzibar on Monday- no hotel booked as yet but what the hell, I'll just turn up!
Missing home on occasion but managing to enjoy anyway. Only 4 weeks left till moving on to Nairobi- doesn't time fly when you're having fun!!
Things to remember:
African sunrise and sunset.
Being helped off the dala dala last week by Oomba, a Masai gentleman who insisted on walking home with me! No language between the two of us but still managed to communicate.
the maize- its every where and whispers constantly.
Laughs and jokes with the family during the week- so warm and welcoming and loving- they want me to stay forever.
The fact that one of my Primary 5 pupils finally was able to say what his name was and how old he is- I nearly burst with pride!!
Off to Zanzibar on Monday- no hotel booked as yet but what the hell, I'll just turn up!
Missing home on occasion but managing to enjoy anyway. Only 4 weeks left till moving on to Nairobi- doesn't time fly when you're having fun!!
Saturday, 15 March 2008
End of 2nd week
Yep not an original title but all that I can think of at the mo!
Been working at the Masai village this week and for the next 6. I say village but its enormous, must be easily more than 3000 people there, its just that they are all scattered. I'm not actually staying with the Masai which is a disappointment but am with the headmaster and his family. His wife Mama Last (all women here are called Mama, mother or sister- including me!) is the kindest, hardest working woman I've ever met in my life. She waits on me hand and foot, does all my cooking and washing and is horrifed if I offer to assist.
The school is basic and poor although most of the kids have exercise books and pens so call it a bonus. I'm teaching Standard 5 and 6 and Form 2 at the secondary school. The younger kids are incredibly shy of the mzungu but the older ones are bolder and ask a ton of questions- not all English related either!
Life is tough for the kids- some of them must walk 7 or 8 miles to get to school. They must be there for 7 am and then they have to clean the pupil and teacher toilets (squat toilets- yuck!), sweep and wash all the floors of the classrooms and offices and be ready to line up at 7.30. Then they have to sing the 2 Tanzanian national songs go to class. Most of them do this on an empty stomach. They must wear uniform or stay at home. If their family can't afford it, then they dont go to school. If they step out of line at all they are whipped with a switch which I must confess that I can't bear to see.
It feels as though I've been away from home for much longer than 2 weeks! So much has happened and so much to take in. School is in session for one more week then we have the Easter holiday for one week. I was going to visit Zanzibar but Cosmas said that we would all go to visit his parents in Kilimanjaro so I cancelled. Now he's decided that we are not going and its too late to get a reasonable flight to Z- grrrr! However, I have been invited to one of the teacher's wedding on the 29th so I'm really looking forward to that!
I must mention the food! Before coming to Oldonyosambu I was warned not to expect any decent food as it would all be meat based, so I prepared myself to starve. No such thing! We leave for school at 7 so eat breakfast at 6.30. Its usually eggs or bread or chapati. 10am break is chai and andazi- a kind of doughnut thing without the sugar. 12noon break is the same. School finishes at 2.30pm and then its home for lunch- usually rice with green veggies or ugali (very solid maize porridge- incredibly bland and only edible with something else. Its a staple here and the Tanzanians love it) Then 8 pm its dinner and Mama Last creates something wonderful with beans or lentils- often makandi, made with red beans and maize or plaitain stew- all wonderful. The calories in the chai alone are horrific. Sometimes its black tea with a ton of brown sugar, sometimes white tea with sugar and sometimes milk with brown sugar. No wonder Africans have bad teeth! And I'm starting to look pregnant!
This weekend I'm back in Tengeru. The Irish are leaving tomorrow so open fire and sing song and many beers tonight. Then back to Old tomorrow and another week of work. Ain't life tough!!
Been working at the Masai village this week and for the next 6. I say village but its enormous, must be easily more than 3000 people there, its just that they are all scattered. I'm not actually staying with the Masai which is a disappointment but am with the headmaster and his family. His wife Mama Last (all women here are called Mama, mother or sister- including me!) is the kindest, hardest working woman I've ever met in my life. She waits on me hand and foot, does all my cooking and washing and is horrifed if I offer to assist.
The school is basic and poor although most of the kids have exercise books and pens so call it a bonus. I'm teaching Standard 5 and 6 and Form 2 at the secondary school. The younger kids are incredibly shy of the mzungu but the older ones are bolder and ask a ton of questions- not all English related either!
Life is tough for the kids- some of them must walk 7 or 8 miles to get to school. They must be there for 7 am and then they have to clean the pupil and teacher toilets (squat toilets- yuck!), sweep and wash all the floors of the classrooms and offices and be ready to line up at 7.30. Then they have to sing the 2 Tanzanian national songs go to class. Most of them do this on an empty stomach. They must wear uniform or stay at home. If their family can't afford it, then they dont go to school. If they step out of line at all they are whipped with a switch which I must confess that I can't bear to see.
It feels as though I've been away from home for much longer than 2 weeks! So much has happened and so much to take in. School is in session for one more week then we have the Easter holiday for one week. I was going to visit Zanzibar but Cosmas said that we would all go to visit his parents in Kilimanjaro so I cancelled. Now he's decided that we are not going and its too late to get a reasonable flight to Z- grrrr! However, I have been invited to one of the teacher's wedding on the 29th so I'm really looking forward to that!
I must mention the food! Before coming to Oldonyosambu I was warned not to expect any decent food as it would all be meat based, so I prepared myself to starve. No such thing! We leave for school at 7 so eat breakfast at 6.30. Its usually eggs or bread or chapati. 10am break is chai and andazi- a kind of doughnut thing without the sugar. 12noon break is the same. School finishes at 2.30pm and then its home for lunch- usually rice with green veggies or ugali (very solid maize porridge- incredibly bland and only edible with something else. Its a staple here and the Tanzanians love it) Then 8 pm its dinner and Mama Last creates something wonderful with beans or lentils- often makandi, made with red beans and maize or plaitain stew- all wonderful. The calories in the chai alone are horrific. Sometimes its black tea with a ton of brown sugar, sometimes white tea with sugar and sometimes milk with brown sugar. No wonder Africans have bad teeth! And I'm starting to look pregnant!
This weekend I'm back in Tengeru. The Irish are leaving tomorrow so open fire and sing song and many beers tonight. Then back to Old tomorrow and another week of work. Ain't life tough!!
Friday, 7 March 2008
First post- currrent location, Arusha Tanzania
At last I have a few minutes to write up this damn diary- I think it may have been easier to keep a written one! And I only have 5 minutes left on my internet time so I'd better be quick!
So. Tanzania. Its hot and beautiful although we have just entered the rainy season (fecking typical, I come from Scotland to Africa and I get the rain!). However it really only rains at night and then its like a monsoon. Never seen anything like it. Not even in Edinburgh.
I've been working at the orphanage this week. 32 kids under 2. No running water and no disposable nappies. Can you imagine! Its been really good fun though and the kids are wonderful. As are my fellow volunteers the fighting Irish, Deirdre, Anna Marie and Siobhan. And the American nutcase, Cynthia. All great fun.
Going up to the Masai on Sunday to begin work on Monday. No electricity, running water or English speakers. AAAAHHH! You may never hear from me again.....................................
So. Tanzania. Its hot and beautiful although we have just entered the rainy season (fecking typical, I come from Scotland to Africa and I get the rain!). However it really only rains at night and then its like a monsoon. Never seen anything like it. Not even in Edinburgh.
I've been working at the orphanage this week. 32 kids under 2. No running water and no disposable nappies. Can you imagine! Its been really good fun though and the kids are wonderful. As are my fellow volunteers the fighting Irish, Deirdre, Anna Marie and Siobhan. And the American nutcase, Cynthia. All great fun.
Going up to the Masai on Sunday to begin work on Monday. No electricity, running water or English speakers. AAAAHHH! You may never hear from me again.....................................
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