I've Finally Been Outdone!!

Feb 01, 2012

Part 1
It’s 520am. I’m wide awake. I can’t pinpoint one cause of my extreme alertness but rather a multitude of causes that of course I’ll share with you! (obviously :).

But first, some background info. I’m in Mwanza!!! HORRAY!! I made it! I’ll give you a quick run down of the week before departure. On Monday (jan 22) I took the 600am bus to Moshi, at the base of Kili. It’s amazing how your sleep patterns can change so drastically in such a short time. Now, getting up at 400am is hardly a shock to the system. In fact, I actually like getting up at 400am as I can enjoy a few hours of only +25C instead on the constant scorching +40C. I was checking out the thermometer the other day and it read +34C inside. It’s was 820pm! I haven’t seen it dip below 29C inside and even than, it was around 430am. I did see it climb as high at 37C and that’s inside, in the shade, which means that I can only guess what the temperature is outside in the sun! Anyways, I digress! (shocking :).

So, off to Moshi (which is not to be confused with my friend, Uncle Moshi). I had a nice visit with my friend Rasta Rich (a jewellery maker & seller whom I’ve worked with in the past). Unfortunately for me but fortunately for them, other friends have moved away. Some to study, others for work. It’s funny, the city looks the same as when I left, but clearly, life has moved on. It’s so hard to believe I’ve been away for over two years. I had a nice visit with Rasta Rich. I made some paper bead necklaces and sold some stuff. By the end of Tuesday, my sea urchin sting had swollen to new proportions! Even walking on it was a challenge. I hurried off to the internet café and did some research. Apparently digging out the spines with a pin is NOT recommended. Whodda thunk it? The internet wisdom recommended using vinegar to dissolve the spines. So, I hobbled to the store, bought me some vinegar and headed back to the guest house. I did a hot water soak and a vinegar soak. By this time, the swelling had already worked its way up my ankle. I didn’t get any luck after the first soak, but by the second hot water soak I was able to squeeze out the spine along with some tears! It was very exciting! It was a decent size too! I considered keeping it but it was nowhere near as impressive as Walter the Worm so I tossed it. It felt much better once I actually got to spine out. I guess all the running just worked to push it deeper and deeper in my foot!

I headed back to Dar Wednesday morning after a mere 39 hours in Moshi. I spent the rest of the week in Dar getting work done on the internet, checking out a football game between two Tanzanian men’s teams and the highlight was going to see Twiga Stars, the women’s national soccer team take on Namibia in the African Women’s Championship qualifier. The game was amazing!!!! There is a new stadium is Dar that holds 60 000 people and though it was far from full, it was still an impressive sight. I couldn’t believe how many people came out to support the women’s team. It was amazing! Not only were there close to 20 000 people, everyone was fully enthralled in the game. The men and women were ecstatic! Everyone was wearing jerseys and cheering like crazy! The men couldn’t say enough good things about how great the women played… and it was totally legit praise… not like.. “they played well….. for girls..” Twiga stars ended up winning 5-2 and one player whose nickname is “fundi”, which means “expert”, scored 3 goals and 1 assist. She was amazing!!! She had sweet passes, never hogged the ball and could walk by 2 or 3 players without blinking an eye. It was impressive!!! Way better than the men’s game I has seen the day before!

So, Monday morning (of this week), I once again got up at 400am and said goodbye to my house mates in dar. Have I mentioned my house mates yet? Forgive me, if I have, but they were pretty awesome people so I think they deserve a quick shout out. So, there was “wifi” who is the wife of a friend of Uncle Moshi’s. His friend is working in Arusha so Wifi was renting a room at uncle moshi’s with her 2 kids Nasala (Na for short) and Mariam (Mamu for short). Wifi is my age and is AWeSOme!! She works so hard around the house. I felt ridiculously guilty and tried to help as much as possible but I already know for fact that I don’t make a good African wife. Wifi would get up everyday and clean the house, make tea, take care of her kids, and then prepare lunch and dinner for us. Wifi made awesome beans with shaved coconut! I loved them!!! I tried to contribute by carrying water from the pump, cleaning a bit, and washing some dishes, but I avoided the kitchen altogether. I know what skills I have and which ones I definitely don’t!! Wifi’s kids were 3 ½ and 1 1/2. Na, the older one is super quite and calm and Mamu, the younger one is crazy! She’s always talking and running around shaking her booty! They were super cool kids!!! I also lived with Babdogo (Uncle Moshi’s uncle who only like 23 years old) and his wife, Mama Asubuna. Asubuna is their first kid. He’s almost 2 and Mama Asubuna is probably 18 or 19 at most, so you can do the math. Asubuna was living with us for a while but he went to stay with his grandma because Mama Asubuna is 8 months pregnant and could pop any day. It pained me to watch her. So, those were my housemates. I said good bye, and then Uncle Moshi and I headed up the hill to the main road with my 4 bags in tow.

I got on the 6am bus to Mwanza and at 1030pm, a mere 16 hours later, I pulled into the Mwanza bus stand with a warm welcome from TABITHA!!!! HORRRRRRRAYYYY!!! Let the work begin. We headed to her house (2 little rooms in a strip of side-by-sides) and I crashed instantly. We got up yesterday and headed to kisesa, the village nearest to our land, to find a house. We looked at a big one up on a hill but decided it was too big, too far, and too expensive (133$/month). We found another house that we thought had already been rented but to our JOY and good fortune, the people hadn’t moved in yet… So, as is the way of business here in Africa, we showed them our money and we got it!!!!!!! Hoorrayyy again!!! Things are looking up!!!! It’s a beautiful house!! Simple cement construction, 3 bedrooms, a room for a kitchen, a sitting room, bathroom and shower inside (but no running water), electricity, and 3 little rooms outside for cooking and storage!!! Very exciting and the price was right- 70$/month!! It’s awesome! We were both excited! It’s super filthy right now and there is more bat poop than I prefer, but.. it’s great!!! :)

So, now back to the present…it’s 520am. Our plan is to go clean our new house today, but for now, we’re at Tabitha’s “house”. Like I said, there are a multitude of reasons that I’m awake… For one, it’s super hot and being that her house is 2 small rooms, circulation is minimal and she doesn’t have a fan. Two, there are lots of mosquitoes. I have a net but somehow they still manage to find your ears and buzz away. Three- sometime around midnight, the neighbour started fighting with her boyfriend. Apparently she is one of the neighbourhood drunkards. She was screaming for a couple of hours and apparently things got violent. I couldn’t understand most of what was going on so I stayed in bed. Tabitha was outside for a while with the rest of the neighbours. Apparently she was beaten until she passed out. Crazy stuff! I knew something was up when it suddenly got quiet at 3am. She was taken to the hospital and her boyfriend was beaten by the other women in the neighbourhood. The police eventually took him away. Not a pleasant situation. The last reason that I haven’t slept last night… is actually beyond my sharing in a bulk email. I know I promised to keep you along for the whole ride, but this time, as I alluded in the subject line, I’ve finally been outdone. Even I will spare you the details on this one. If you’re really curious, I don’t want you to feel left out, so feel free to google “side effects for women taking antibiotics in hot climats” I’m sure you’ll find your answer. It’s been a painful 6 days since I started taking antibiotics for my foot! And a 16 hour hot bus ride didn’t help… so needless to say, there have been quite a few sleepless nights. Hopefully any day now, I’ll return to full health!!!!!!! Fingers crossed!! :)

Part 2- 02 Feb 12
It’s Thursday at 800pm. I’m sitting on a rock outside my new home, typing this email, enjoying the starry sky and listening to Beyonce belt out Single ladies. All and all, not a bad way to pass the time. We officially moved in today! We did a huge clean on Wednesday, with help from Tabitha’s friend and her daughter and daughter’s friend. It was a big job, sweeping, mopping, scrubbing the walls, etc.. but we got it all done and it looked amazing! Tabitha and I were exhausted by the time we got home as neither of us slept much the night before due to the fighting. This morning, we got up at 500am and packed up the two rooms. It’s amazing how much stuff Tabitha has! I felt bad about my four bags, but Tabitha definitely put me to shame! We hired a little pickup truck, loaded up our stuff and we were on our way by 730am. We got ¾ of the way there when the pickup died. The driver worked some magic and we were off in no time. Then, while trying to manoeuvre down a crazy bumpy, rocky, sand road, we managed to get a flat tire! Oh, the fun never stops! The driver got the tire off, took it back to town, got it patched up and we were once again, on the road. He managed through the crazy paths without flipping the truck, and we were very thankful! He delivered everything to our house and we got to unpacking and setting up! Tabitha’s friends came over and helped us set up and roasted some corn on the cob! Delicious!! It was a great day and now, Tabitha and I are sitting outside, relaxing after 3 busy days! By Sunday we should be out at the property and I’ll be sure to send back some pictures!

I hope you are all doing well!! I hear the weather is still a little too hot for “winter”. Be thankful it’s not +40C!

Oh yeah, last thing before I go. I forgot to mention it last bulk. So, while I was in Zanzibar, I was at the internet café. I took my phone out to check my phone number and put it down beside my keyboard. When I finished, I of course, left without my phone. I walked the 5 minutes to the bus stand, got on the bus and made it to the second stop before I realized. I jumped off the bus, started running back but then decided it would be faster to hop on another bus and head back. So, back to the bus stand, ran back to the internet (which definitely got some laughs from the locals, I guess they don’t see many fat girls running). AND to my complete joy, the worker at the café had picked up my phone and put it behind the counter!!! So, score one for the good guy! I guess it’s a tie now! One phone stolen, one phone saved! After all this, I’ve even figured out the moral of the story.. I gotta start remembering where I leave my phone!!! :)

Okay, peace, love, and lots of hugs! Tomorrow is Mama Africa day so give a little extra lovin’ to your African mamas (or in their absence, your white mamas will do too!)

Amazingamandaintanzania

All Work and No Play….

Jan 20,2012

…. Keeps the Dangers far away!

In all honesty, despite the Mayan claims that the world is going to end, I actually thought that this was my year! This year, things would just … you know.. work out!! I believed that this year, I would stop sacrificing my body, mind, and health for your reading pleasure. I was wrong!!

So, now, as always, for your reading enjoyment I’ll bring you up to date on the drama that has happened in the 10 days since I landed on the African Continent.

On January 10^th at 11:30pm, I landed safely in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. I had a warm welcome from my long-time friend Uncle Moshi (who had actually come to welcome me the night before to no avail…. Opps! I wasn’t clear about the date in the email!!) But despite waiting until 1am the night before, he was still there at my arrival to welcome me home and help carry my many bags. I was quickly reminded of just how hot Dar is… and the scary part was that it was 130am.

I crashed as soon as we got to his house (which required a decent drive through deserted streets followed by a 15 minute walk down a dirt road with potholes bigger than Winnipeg has ever seen). The following two days I was reminded of just how hot the midday heat is while we did rounds visiting friends and “family”. On Saturday, Uncle Moshi and I headed to Zanzibar.

I don’t want to give away the rest of the email but I’ll just give you one little hint…. My foot cream and sun screen are both in the same kind of refillable container.

So, off we went to Zanzibar to visit some more friends and family (in 2009, I spent 4 months in Zanzibar. Two months living with a local family and another two months living with in a massive house with 15 – 20 other random local dudes). After spending close to 3 hours slugging around Stone Town (the capital), we gave up on finding a reasonable priced guest house and stayed with one of Uncle Moshi’s friends who rented a room in a house in the boonies (or the Zanzibarian equivalent of the boonies). The room was fine but didn’t have a fan and since I had only been back for a few days, my sleeping-without-fan tolerance was extremely low. At 930pm, we tried to find a fan and a nice swindler happily sold us his fan for the price of a night in the guest house ($30). We decided it was worth it since we could at least take the fan with us.

So, that was all fine, nothing too exciting. Here’s the start of the fun.

Oh wait, I skipped over the other fun. On Friday, I bought a cellphone line for 66cents. I put it in my phone which I had bought in early 2009 and had taken home with me and had brought back again with me this time. It was a beauty little nokia phone that had a flashlight and could hold a charge for like 8 days. On Friday I left it in the livingroom while we went out and by Friday night, my lovely little phone decided it was all grown up and left the nest for greener pastures. It was a sad night as it was the first thing that was really stolen from Uncle Moshi’s house since he moved in. The other housemates (a young couple with 1 kid and one on the way and a young mom with 2 young kids whose husband is in Arusha) were all shocked too. But, as they say in Swahili, “nimeshapoa” (I’m over it).

So, that was the first excitement. All the other trips to Africa, the first theft didn’t happen until at least the 2^nd month. Times are changing and apparently not for the better.

So back to the Zanzibar story. Saturday, we headed out to the beach. This is where, I selflessly sacrifice my body to ensure enjoyable reading! We took a little bus up north (the bus is really a little flatbed truck with a roof and benches along each side. It fits about 5 people on each side, but of course 9 or 10 end up actually sitting on each side. We spent all day playing in the water, enjoying the scenery (along with the hoarders of tourists) until we both managed to step on some type of sea urchin. I’m not sure what it was and it was definitely not sure what I was, so it decided to inject 5 of its spikes into my foot. Less than pleasant! Luckily, my lovely mom (thanks mom!!!) had used a pin to attach a note in my shoulder bag so we used the pin to attempt to dig out the evidence. No luck! It’s been 6 days and my foot still has yet to heal.

After the foot incident, we decided it was time to head home. It was already 430pm and we had been on the beach since 11am. We got back to Stone Town (the capital city) and visited my old neighbourhood. we had a Fanta with my old homestay family and kicked it with my friend who I used to sell fish and chips with on the street at night. He has since given up the fish and chip business for a fruit stand. I fully approve! The work is easier and I personally would much rather eat bananas than French fries! We grabbed some juice from a friend and headed back to the boonies. Even before we made it home, I could feel the burning all over my body. Remember what I said about the foot cream and the sunscreen???

So, yeah, in the packing rush, I grabbed the jar of foot cream, which was far less useful than the sunscreen and which mean that I spent the day at the beach without sunscreen. I foolishly thought I wouldn’t be too bad since I hadn’t been wearing too much sunscreen the days that we walked around Dar. This is where all you “all-inclusivers” and “snow-birds” can have a good laugh, as I’m sure you’ve learned that hard way too!

So, we were barely back at the house when I started feeling the burning! YIKES!!! After struggling to sleep I got up at 400am only to discover… (sorry family..I didn’t want to tell you until it was all better..) not only had my body turned fully Sebastian (you know… the lobster in little mermaid) but also, my entire face was swollen. I linked the cause to the mango in the juice I had at my friend’s house, which was the same mango in the juice I had had for months while I was here, but this time, it decided to work its magic for evil instead of for good. So, there I was, red as a tomato and just as round! Uncle moshi and I joked that I became fully African. My nose was just as wide and as flat is his and my lips just as big! Good times!!! Well, not really, but what can you do!

We left the house by 530am to beat the heat and I checked myself into a guest house with a fan to wait out the swelling and the sunburn. Fortunately it rained that morning and made everything a little more tolerable! Maybe good luck really was on my side! :) Maybe 2012 really will be my year! Uncle Moshi headed back to Dar to go back to work and I went to buy a new phone (to replace my stolen one) and then headed to the guest house to chill out. On the up side, I finally had the time to relax! :) I guess there was a silver lining! I read the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in 2 days! It was a good read and I was happy to be able to send it on its way to someone else’s hands (Fran- I swapped the book at a book shop in Zanzibar. I hope whoever buys it decides to check it out on book crossing!). After a couple of days, the burning subsided a little and started to blister which was a hot look considering my face was a still a little puffy and now scabbing over since the swelling and sunburn combo was more than it could bear! I did meet 2 very nice Aussie couples and showed them around for the day. I think they were happy for the tour! By Thursday, the swelling was gone and I headed back to my old stomping ground to sell some fruit and chat with old friends. Fortunately, they all informed me that indeed, I had gained weight! :) I had three answers for them.

1- I tried to convince them it was swelling from the mango

2- they didn’t remember correctly and I’ve always looked like this

and then, if neither of those worked, I resorted to number 3, which was saying that they looked fatter too! Apparently that response was less well received! :)

I hung out for a couple of days and helped with the fruit business. I also started running in the morning on the beach, same place that I used to back in 2009. There were still 100s of people! The run was great but because of the sunburn, the sweat just pooled and my arms and back were covered in juicy blisters! (more than you wanted to know right? Sorry, I just feel like if you’re going to come along for the whole ride, you need all the details. Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong! :)

Speaking of unnecessary details, let me share the silver lining that came while I was in Zanzibar. After more than 6 months of ridiculously frequent bowel movements (like how tactful I was, I wanted to say after 6 months of pooping 5 times a day.. but I didn’t, I said “frequent bowel movements”:)

So, yeah, after 6 months of too much poop, I got CONSTIPATED!!!! It was super exciting!!! I had 3 full poop-free days!!!!!! Very exciting! Especially since I was running again!

Saturday, after buying another batch of scarves and some beautiful paintings, I got on the boat back to Dar. That’s where I am now!! My skin is flaking nicely and I should be completely peeled in a couple of days. This morning, I got up at 600am. When for a run with Uncle Moshi for 45 minutes (with 2 big hills!!) and then did some stretching, came back home, I attempted to wash my filthy clothes (I only had 1 pair of shorts and 2 shirts for the 8 days I was in Zanzibar) and then I filled and carried 12 buckets of water (10-20L each) from the neighbour’s pump (which fortunately is very close) and then I washed yesterdays dishes.. and all that was before 10am! I was going to go shower but even showering is a lot of work so I decided to rest a while and bring you all up to speed!

Im heading to Moshi (the base of Kili) on Monday for a couple of days and then for real, I’m on my way to Mwanza. I should be there by next Monday at the latest.

I hope you are all enjoying the weather, where ever you are! If there is snow, then enjoy it extra for me! I’ll send sun if you send snow!

Also, if anyone is interested in scarves, there are another 70 that should be in Winnipeg by the 31^st. They’re super pretty as I handpicked them! They make great gifts and the proceeds, of course, support the construction of Hero Home.

Well, that’s all for me! I’m sure more things will happen to write home about! The trip to Tanzania is shaping up to be just like all the others.. which means good reading for you guys! :)

Take care! All the best! Be in touch! Feel free to let me know what kind of misadventures you’re having! It makes me feel better! :)

Hugs

Amazingamandaintanzania

Still my fault???

JAN 12, 2012

Alright everyone. It begins again. The ridiculously long emails from the heart of Africa. As always, I promise that they will be lengthy, perhaps verging on “overly wordy” and will always include some of the following:

- Chaos

- Excitement

- Adventure

- Comic relief (usually at my own expense)

So, let’s not waste any more words and we’ll get started.

For those of you who don’t know. Despite making claims of leaving in October, November, and December, I finally flew out TODAY (today being January 9^th). While an early departure would have allowed me an earlier start on the construction of GO!’s second project- Hero Home- a home for street children and orphans in Tanzania, I will admit, I was happy to be able to spend a third consecutive Christmas season in Winnipeg. Although, I would have been much happier had I had the opportunity to enjoy the WINTER weather that I love so much and see so little of while in Africa (this no snow things definitely does NOT float my boat. People assume I escape to Africa to avoid the cold, when in fact, I love the snow and was sad that snow didn’t love me back this winter). Anyways, I digress (which for any of you that have followed along with my last 2 African adventures, you’re quite familiar with my digressions and embrace them with open arms.. right?? ;)

So, I spent a wonderful Christmas in Winnipeg (and even got in a pick up hockey game, a Jets game and tobogganing. Not bad, considering the weather). Christmas was also a wonderful time for GO!. We kicked off the holiday with Westwood Collegiate’s Children’s Christmas Carnival which was a great success!! The students did an amazing job organizing and the community came out to enjoy- that’s what we call a WIN-WIN! Bannatyne School also joined in on the fundraising over the holidays and we collected over $600 in silver collection at their two Christmas concerts! Stevenson School and Linwood School also joined in with gingerbread and candy house raffles which were also successful!! Along with the school fundraising, we also launched our 100 People + 100 Dollars Christmas Campaign. The support was OVERWHELMING! Donations came pouring in from around the globe- LITERALLY! We had donations from Winnipeg, Toronto, Yorkton, Texas, England and even Australia! In the end, thanks to the incredible support, we were able to raise over $3000!

So, now that you have all the background info, fast forward 2 weeks and here we are. January 9^th. I’m on a plane, flying over the Atlantic, on my way to bring the dream of Hero Home to life.

Here’s how my trip started. Any guesses? If you’ve read any of the emails about my previous trip starts.. you’ll have a good idea of how it went down.

So, despite my best efforts at trying to be organized and finished packing before the night before departure, the powers that be had other plans in the form of the “Black Screen of Death” (a term that Mark introduced me to while I was sitting on the floor staring at my darkened mac book with a stress & frustration induced tear streaming down my cheek.) Needless to say, it wasn’t a term I wanted to become familiar with. Despite valiant attempts from Tony to resuscitate Vinny, my vintage mac book, I was forced to take it in to the Apple store only to be told they “don’t look old machines.” How Rude! :( So, Saturday plans of finishing packing were replaced with computer shopping. That’s what everyone wants to do on their second last day in the country, right? I was able to buy a snazzy new netbook from Computer Avenue (no I’m not getting commission for that plug, I am just happy with my new Netbook!)

So, due to that chaos, I spent all of Sunday finishing up packing. By 5:00am, I was almost done and grabbed a quick 2 hour sleep (more than I got other years!). Up at 7:00am, I finished a few last minute details and was on the way to the airport by 945am. After a relatively stress-free check in (for once I’m not traveling with 5 or 6 massive boxes.. just 2 little bags) I said goodbye to my parents and Janice and then had a teary goodbye with Mark which was kindly interrupted when the nice man from Delta Air informed me that I needed to be through customs 1 hour before my flight and as it was, my flight was in 50 minutes. Opps! I jumped up, grabbed my carry-ons and gave Mark one last goodbye :( Made it through customs with ease (luckily I was an old pro with the set-up after all the time I spent at the new airport back in my employment days). I got into the boarding room and got to see to great friends from WAA who stopped by to see me off. I had barely dried my tears when an announcement came on with the FINAL BOARDINC CALL for my flight. Now, this is where the subject line comes in. Is it honestly still my fault if I miss my plane when I’m on time (more of less ) for my flight and the plane decides to leave early???? Seriously?? There are plenty of time when I get to the airport early and would happily leave but the plane decides not to go until it’s scheduled departure time or later and yet when I arrive on time (or a few minutes late) somehow the plane can just decide it wants to leave early! I don’t know how I feel about it! :) oh wait, I do know how I feel. I don’t like it!

So, I heard the final boarding call, jumped up once again and dashed to the boarding gate. Shockingly, the plane was completely boarded 30 minutes before the scheduled take off! Crazy stuff I tell ya! Anyways, I spent most of the flight alternating between weeping and sleeping (usually with my mouth wide open! Don’t you hate it when that happens!! Sometimes gravity can be a real bummer). I made it to Minneapolis early only to find out that the plane was delayed for an hour (which actually turned into 2.5 hours). See.. that’s exactly what I’m talking about. I get there early, the plane leaves late. I get there a little late.. it leaves early!

So, now I’m on my way to Amsterdam then Nairobi and then Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. I should land in Dar around 11:30pm if all goes well.

That’s all for now! Not bad- a page and a half of typing and I’m not even in Tanzania yet! :)

I hope everyone has a wonderful new year! It was great seeing lots of you over the holidays! Please feel free to keep me posted on your lives! I love getting emails! I’ll be sure to send out updates about Hero Home. There may be a blog in the works too. Not sure. Hopefully some video clips too!

Take care! Happy 2012!

Amanda

PS- just one last update. I’m in DAR. The rest of the trip was uneventful. I’ve forgotten just how hot it is here. WOW! Scorcher!! Take care! Enjoy the cold for me!