Apparently Bill Clinton is in town and staying really nearby. This really has nothing to do with us except it's filled up all the local hotels. So a couple who specially requested our room has forced us to relocate, again. So we've lost our bathroom door. It's unfortunate...but we're all still coping rather well.
I stayed back at the hostel today. It seems that each day there are two of us that are ill or somehow or another under the weather. For the most part we're doing quite well. The babies have been passing around eye infections and colds...we've managed to keep the germs at bay. But we've all had to get a little extra rest every now and then to help. Today Val and I stayed behind. We helped move our room then Val fell to sleep while I sat on our little porch and read. There is an artist that the hostel employs called Justin. The little Nik-Nak shop is filled with his creative offspring...over the last few days I've noticed him cutting and sanding lots of small round circles. They are coasters. He cuts and paints them with safari designs. So, as I sat on my little porch, reading a book I read first in the 5th grade I noticed Justin carry over a large tray of these cricles. Painted a lovely bright blue. The sunshine hit them in a just a way that intrigued me...so I moved closer. Then he brought over a tray of shiny red circles and yellow and then red and yellow stripes. They sat in the sun, all day, to dry. I was really sort of blown away by the purity of the colours but also of Justin's patients. He's been working on these coasters for days and only now is he painting them. Later I noticed him painting the same scene on each coaster.
I've been thinking a lot about the work I see people do here in general. The nannies, for example, are so skillfull at taking care of 32 babies! Yesterday I fed baby Neema. By the time I'd fed just one baby the nannies around me had fed a few each. Playing with toddlers can be exhausting and they do it every day! By the time our group arrives back at the hostel each night many of us are ready for bed or a nap, at least...but here these women are doing it all day!
The other day Davona's, the director, twin daughters baked a cake for the toddlers. They brought it out on a large sheet that read "Come fly away with me"...I was confused by this for a moment but I realised the half eaten cake had been a butterfly! The toddlers knew something special was about to happen as soon as the twins brought a small table outside. Their eyes sort of filled with excitement and they payed close attention to the door the twins had come from. The cake was presented and in each little hand a piece was placed. Before too long all of their little faces were dribbled with pink frosting. Simony and Zawadi were among the first to finish their pieces. They got up and headed back to the table for more. Jessi, rightfully, decided that more was a bad idea! They'd each had pretty big pieces and snack had only been a few moments before...so she took the cake inside. I was standing in the middle of the group when tears began to swell in their eyes. Before too long I was surrounded by 10 screaming toddlers! It seemed like everyone of them was crying...though I suppose I recall a few sitting contently...still eating their own cake. Big Neema and Maria were about to join the chorus when Jackie broke a tiny piece of her piece off for each of them. By tiny I mean nearly microscopic! So neither was satisfied for long...Abby, having realised Jackie was handing out free pieces tottered over for some and Neema pushed her back. Jackie broke off three more tiny pieces but the three girls began to cry. I was beside myself with uncertainty! Who do I comfort first? Do I comfort anyone? Should I just start crying too?! But, alas, the moment passed and before too long something else had caught their attention and off they went to explore!
Goodnight.
Maria
PS...Oops there are 10 toddlers...how can I forget little JJ?!
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
to market for baby food...
jambo!!
today val and I got to go to the market with Susan, the Cradle cook, and Sarah, a fellow volunteer. It was a great experience. They only hold this market once a week. It is mostly food, produce and fruit. The colors were amazing. The people, the sounds, the smells. It is hard to explain, but it was Africa.... The babies eat a vegetarian diet, so we had to get LOTS of veggies!!! Their food always looks so yummy too!!!
Trying to keep folks healthy here. There has been a mixture of colds and stomach troubles, but usually do not last long. WE are a good group for extra TLC though.
All is well!!! miss everyone back home, but loving and enjoying every minute here!!running out of time, AHHHH!!! :)
love molly
today val and I got to go to the market with Susan, the Cradle cook, and Sarah, a fellow volunteer. It was a great experience. They only hold this market once a week. It is mostly food, produce and fruit. The colors were amazing. The people, the sounds, the smells. It is hard to explain, but it was Africa.... The babies eat a vegetarian diet, so we had to get LOTS of veggies!!! Their food always looks so yummy too!!!
Trying to keep folks healthy here. There has been a mixture of colds and stomach troubles, but usually do not last long. WE are a good group for extra TLC though.
All is well!!! miss everyone back home, but loving and enjoying every minute here!!running out of time, AHHHH!!! :)
love molly
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Arusha, Usa and the Cradle
Hello out there!
So sorry it has taken us so long to post. We have limited and expensive internet access and by the time we all check our personal mail our time is through.
So The Outpost (hostel) has been our home now for a week. It's a nice place with a pool and lovely gardens...lizards on the walls and wild dogs that bark every night. It's quirky but I think we're all really happy and comfortable here. We're making friends with the staff...they're all great. I'm rooming with Katie, Kara and Val. Celine, Chris and Molly have their own room but Jessi and Christina might be returning there soon. We're keeping our fingers crossed that they'll get to keep their little bungalow for the duration of our stay. But Kathy, the owner, recently told them that their mosquito net should be fixed soon and they'll be expected to move back into their old room. As for our room we've moved, too. Our hot water stopped working so Val worked it out that we'd get a new room. I really like this new one better. We've got a bathroom door! Katie and I have taken over one end and Kara and Val are on the other. This works well since Katie and I tend to fill our spaces with our much loved belongings and Kara and Val prefer neat and put away.
Each morning we are picked up by a dalla-dalla...a mini bus. Tanzanian's are excellent drivers...so as we speed down the bumpy road in our rickety bus at 70 mph, passing other vehicles and people, I've learned to be more and more relaxed...they know what they're doing! At the Cradle we're greeted by the toddlers and nannies...but shortly there after we head to the bathroom where we put smocks over our clothes. Davona, the director, recommended this on the first day but we all ignored it. By the end of the day most of us were covered in spit up and goodness knows what else...so on our second day we took her advice!
There are 9 toddlers...Maria, Cory, Ben, Zawadi, Abby, Jackie, Phillipo, Simon and Neema...so it works well. Simon has really taken a liking to Christina but aside from that it seems we each spend a little time here and there with each of them. It became quickly clear that just a few minutes of loving quality time spent with each of them is invaluable. We take them for walks through the campus...they love to go up to the guava tree and eat right off it! It's rainy season so we're often limited for part of the day, so inside we read books, do puzzles, act silly...whatever. Last time I made the mistake of putting Abby into one of the baby swings...next I knew I had a line of 9 toddlers all wanting turns on one of three swings! In the end everyone got a turn and though I had to wade through some tears and tantrums in the end we were all happy.
The babies are another joy. There are 23 of them! We've got many of their names down but still every now and then it seems you discover one you've never held before! Some of us have our favourites and that's alright because there's lots of love to go around!
Tanzania, as a whole, has been pretty interesting. We went to the market yesterday and managed to make good through the streets for a while. Then suddenly we were surrounded by men trying to sell us things. I was standing with my back close to a wall as objects were thrust at me from every angle. I kindly refused repeatedly and was beginning to find it a bit overwhelming when Molly took my arm and lead me to open space! We'd been here for nearly a week and yesterday we walked all over town...but it wasn't until we stepped out of the marketplace that we realised we're sitting right under Mt. Meru. There it was before us, towering into the sky. Vermont's got mountains but not quite like this! It's been too cloudy to see but yesterday for a short time the clouds broke. It's amazing! I've been most curious about some of the ads I've seen. There are western ads everywhere...a black and white image of a white man's chiseled torso and beneath it read, "you too can look like me just hold a Sprite". Many of the ads are very similar to those I've seen back home but with black people in them...and I wonder why these companies don't put black people in their ads at home....Coca Cola has a huge campaign that says, "come to the coke side of life" I don't get it. There are cigarette ads everywhere...we might be driving through the most remote seeming area then there'll suddenly be an ad for something like Speedos or Bic...
Today we went on our first safari. We had lovely drivers: Zac and Jeremiah. I rode with Chris, Katie, Christina and Kara. Our destination today was Arusha National Park. It took us about 40 minutes to get there so we got to see many small villages and a lot of lush landscape. Zac and Jeremiah popped the tops to our safari trucks and there we were surrounded by the most beautiful green things, with screaming wild flowers and creatures. We saw giraffes, zebras, buffalo, mongoose. There were baboons right near us! We drove for some time, stopped briefly for lunch then drove some more. Next we left our truck and went by foot to a waterfall. It was so amazing...as though the Earth had just opened up and there we were at the bottom of paradise...and we're so small! We walked on after a while and found some giraffe. When all was said and done we invited Zac and Jeremiah out to dinner. They were great friends for the day and really made it a lot of fun. It's hard work though, holding yourself up as your vehicle bounces over rocky roads and through muddy ditches...so everyone is in bed right now and I think I'm off to join them!
Tomorrow we're back to The Cradle!
Hope you're well where ever you are.
Maria
So sorry it has taken us so long to post. We have limited and expensive internet access and by the time we all check our personal mail our time is through.
So The Outpost (hostel) has been our home now for a week. It's a nice place with a pool and lovely gardens...lizards on the walls and wild dogs that bark every night. It's quirky but I think we're all really happy and comfortable here. We're making friends with the staff...they're all great. I'm rooming with Katie, Kara and Val. Celine, Chris and Molly have their own room but Jessi and Christina might be returning there soon. We're keeping our fingers crossed that they'll get to keep their little bungalow for the duration of our stay. But Kathy, the owner, recently told them that their mosquito net should be fixed soon and they'll be expected to move back into their old room. As for our room we've moved, too. Our hot water stopped working so Val worked it out that we'd get a new room. I really like this new one better. We've got a bathroom door! Katie and I have taken over one end and Kara and Val are on the other. This works well since Katie and I tend to fill our spaces with our much loved belongings and Kara and Val prefer neat and put away.
Each morning we are picked up by a dalla-dalla...a mini bus. Tanzanian's are excellent drivers...so as we speed down the bumpy road in our rickety bus at 70 mph, passing other vehicles and people, I've learned to be more and more relaxed...they know what they're doing! At the Cradle we're greeted by the toddlers and nannies...but shortly there after we head to the bathroom where we put smocks over our clothes. Davona, the director, recommended this on the first day but we all ignored it. By the end of the day most of us were covered in spit up and goodness knows what else...so on our second day we took her advice!
There are 9 toddlers...Maria, Cory, Ben, Zawadi, Abby, Jackie, Phillipo, Simon and Neema...so it works well. Simon has really taken a liking to Christina but aside from that it seems we each spend a little time here and there with each of them. It became quickly clear that just a few minutes of loving quality time spent with each of them is invaluable. We take them for walks through the campus...they love to go up to the guava tree and eat right off it! It's rainy season so we're often limited for part of the day, so inside we read books, do puzzles, act silly...whatever. Last time I made the mistake of putting Abby into one of the baby swings...next I knew I had a line of 9 toddlers all wanting turns on one of three swings! In the end everyone got a turn and though I had to wade through some tears and tantrums in the end we were all happy.
The babies are another joy. There are 23 of them! We've got many of their names down but still every now and then it seems you discover one you've never held before! Some of us have our favourites and that's alright because there's lots of love to go around!
Tanzania, as a whole, has been pretty interesting. We went to the market yesterday and managed to make good through the streets for a while. Then suddenly we were surrounded by men trying to sell us things. I was standing with my back close to a wall as objects were thrust at me from every angle. I kindly refused repeatedly and was beginning to find it a bit overwhelming when Molly took my arm and lead me to open space! We'd been here for nearly a week and yesterday we walked all over town...but it wasn't until we stepped out of the marketplace that we realised we're sitting right under Mt. Meru. There it was before us, towering into the sky. Vermont's got mountains but not quite like this! It's been too cloudy to see but yesterday for a short time the clouds broke. It's amazing! I've been most curious about some of the ads I've seen. There are western ads everywhere...a black and white image of a white man's chiseled torso and beneath it read, "you too can look like me just hold a Sprite". Many of the ads are very similar to those I've seen back home but with black people in them...and I wonder why these companies don't put black people in their ads at home....Coca Cola has a huge campaign that says, "come to the coke side of life" I don't get it. There are cigarette ads everywhere...we might be driving through the most remote seeming area then there'll suddenly be an ad for something like Speedos or Bic...
Today we went on our first safari. We had lovely drivers: Zac and Jeremiah. I rode with Chris, Katie, Christina and Kara. Our destination today was Arusha National Park. It took us about 40 minutes to get there so we got to see many small villages and a lot of lush landscape. Zac and Jeremiah popped the tops to our safari trucks and there we were surrounded by the most beautiful green things, with screaming wild flowers and creatures. We saw giraffes, zebras, buffalo, mongoose. There were baboons right near us! We drove for some time, stopped briefly for lunch then drove some more. Next we left our truck and went by foot to a waterfall. It was so amazing...as though the Earth had just opened up and there we were at the bottom of paradise...and we're so small! We walked on after a while and found some giraffe. When all was said and done we invited Zac and Jeremiah out to dinner. They were great friends for the day and really made it a lot of fun. It's hard work though, holding yourself up as your vehicle bounces over rocky roads and through muddy ditches...so everyone is in bed right now and I think I'm off to join them!
Tomorrow we're back to The Cradle!
Hope you're well where ever you are.
Maria
Sunday, May 27, 2007
made it to arusha....
Jambo!! that means hello!
we are here in Arusha! Yesterday we took a 10 hour bus ride from Dar Es Salaam to here. IT was long...but amazing to see what Tanzania is like. At first the landscape was pretty flat, but then we came into the mountains which were amazing and beautiful. There are villages throughout the country side, but to me it seems like we would be in the middle of nowhere and then one would pop up! We saw children playing, women carrying various items on their heads, and people living thier lives. Often when we stopped at various bus stops men would try to sell the passengers bananas, nuts, and other things. We bought some fresh bananas, 20 for $2! They were delicious!! :) The bus itself was pretty comfortable, and they played funny American music VERY loudly. Barry White and the group that sings Red Red wine....
We are now at our final destination. It is very comfortable. IT is not as fancy as the hotel on the coast, but I am glad. The rooms here are very cute, and the eating area is open air. We all have mosquito nets, which was funny to sleep with last night. IT might take a little getting used to. We have two family rooms, 4 in one, 5 in the other, except Jessi and Christina get a 2 person bungalo until their mosquito net for their bunkbed is fixed! Lucky them!! :)
All is well and I think we will check out the city a bit today, sunday, before we head to the Cradle of Love tomorrow.
-molly :)
we are here in Arusha! Yesterday we took a 10 hour bus ride from Dar Es Salaam to here. IT was long...but amazing to see what Tanzania is like. At first the landscape was pretty flat, but then we came into the mountains which were amazing and beautiful. There are villages throughout the country side, but to me it seems like we would be in the middle of nowhere and then one would pop up! We saw children playing, women carrying various items on their heads, and people living thier lives. Often when we stopped at various bus stops men would try to sell the passengers bananas, nuts, and other things. We bought some fresh bananas, 20 for $2! They were delicious!! :) The bus itself was pretty comfortable, and they played funny American music VERY loudly. Barry White and the group that sings Red Red wine....
We are now at our final destination. It is very comfortable. IT is not as fancy as the hotel on the coast, but I am glad. The rooms here are very cute, and the eating area is open air. We all have mosquito nets, which was funny to sleep with last night. IT might take a little getting used to. We have two family rooms, 4 in one, 5 in the other, except Jessi and Christina get a 2 person bungalo until their mosquito net for their bunkbed is fixed! Lucky them!! :)
All is well and I think we will check out the city a bit today, sunday, before we head to the Cradle of Love tomorrow.
-molly :)
Friday, May 25, 2007
We're Here!
We landed in Dar es Salaam early this morning after 2 long flights. We also laid over in London for about 10 hours. The driver from our hotel picked us up and sped us through the busy streets of Dar. We passed all sorts of people, some in what we know as traditional dress, others in very modern western dress. There were city buses everywhere crammed with people. Our van was pretty full itself. The ride to the hotel took about 40 minutes...but I think many of us were half asleep. Our hotel is located outside of town quite a ways. So we passed the plain structured houses...rusty tin roofs and lopsided cinderblock walls, of roofs made of leaves woven together then we passed huge compounds with massive walls all facing the ocean. We're sitting right on the Indian Ocean. The sands are white and the water is crystal blue in some spots. Though we can't walk along it because there is a fence or something like that that keeps our hotel off it. Our hotel is really luxurious. We've got three rooms, three to a room. Each room has a bathroom and a fan and TV! It's nice to have a place to rest up after all the travel but we're all eager to get on to Arusha. Tomorrow we will go by bus...it will take 8 hours!
Celine and Kara and I went out with a Taxi driver to the city centre to buy our bus tickets, exchange money and get bottled water. The driver, Miller, was very kind and he pointed out sites along the way. He showed the houses of the first three presidents of Tanzania since it's emancipation from Britain in 1961. There are bliboards everywhere advertising things like mobile phones and Coca Cola. We passed some pretty western looking shopping centres. At one point Miller directed our attention to Times Square. There were all sorts of western like shops but passing along in front was a young boy pushing a huge wheelbarrow full of grass. There are men delivering eggs on their bikes and on the back are just stacks of eggs! We were all very nervous as we watched them dip in and out of traffic. There are very few streetlights or stop signs. It took us 3 hours to go into town and back! Tomorrow we have to leave at 5:30 to catch our 8:30 bus! I think we'll be alright though none of us have any idea what time it is, anyway.
Well, we'll talk more soon!
Maria
Celine and Kara and I went out with a Taxi driver to the city centre to buy our bus tickets, exchange money and get bottled water. The driver, Miller, was very kind and he pointed out sites along the way. He showed the houses of the first three presidents of Tanzania since it's emancipation from Britain in 1961. There are bliboards everywhere advertising things like mobile phones and Coca Cola. We passed some pretty western looking shopping centres. At one point Miller directed our attention to Times Square. There were all sorts of western like shops but passing along in front was a young boy pushing a huge wheelbarrow full of grass. There are men delivering eggs on their bikes and on the back are just stacks of eggs! We were all very nervous as we watched them dip in and out of traffic. There are very few streetlights or stop signs. It took us 3 hours to go into town and back! Tomorrow we have to leave at 5:30 to catch our 8:30 bus! I think we'll be alright though none of us have any idea what time it is, anyway.
Well, we'll talk more soon!
Maria
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Hello to everyone,
I'm Chris, the second eldest in this incredible group of Young women. Getting to know our group members has been a pleasure. For as young as we are, our passions are deep. A genuine concern for a peaceful and just world, and a true concern for all humanity. Although we may not be able to save the world, we will join hands and focus our energies to make a difference, in Usa River and right here at home.
I am both honored and thrilled to be traveling with such compassionate young ladies.
A wise man( my dad) , once told me "If you are going to dream ...you might as well..dream big"
Two of my biggest dreams were to go to college and to travel. Here I am 20 years later, with a loving, supportive man by my side , four beautiful daughters and 2 precious little grand daughters. I am attending college and getting ready to travel to Africa. There were some rough roads, and my dreams didn't become reality exactly when I wanted them to, but point being, if you believe in yourself and find the strength within... Amazing things happen. Don't ever loose sight of your dreams!
To all of my family and friends who have supported me in my endeavors and helped to make my dreams come true, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Who could ask for anything more?
I love you all dearly and appreciate you more than you'll ever know. I am truly blessed to be among you.
Chris
no sleep 'til Tanzania
I cannot sleep! I started my first pills for anti-malaria, mefloquine last night. I had some really cool dreams last night and tonight I have not had a wink of sleep. The nervousness mixed with the chemicals... it is 4am now, 8 days 'til we depart. I am thankful that thus far I have not had any psychoatic symptoms (that I am aware of, haha) which is a rare sideffect of this med.
I am so excited for this adventure! That is probably what it is. I will simply use this time to practice my Swahili.
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