Christmas

The dogs
My dad's basement
Tahnee and Nick
Matt and Carri
Briana, me, Tahnee and Autumn

December 29, 2009

I am currently sitting at the Fargo airport awaiting my flight to Los Angeles. It was nice to be home for a while and I got to spend some quality time with my family. After a few days at the Scott’s in San Diego I flew back to North Dakota and spent the first week in Langdon at my mom’s house. I went in to help out with basketball practice a few times because the high school team is severely hurting for players this year having only eight girls on the varsity, one of whom is an eighth grader. I also went in to play with the pep band and met up with Mr. Kram to play some saxophone duets.

I spent the next two weeks at my dad’s house in Bismarck. I ran some errands during the day and went to my sister, Tahnee’s house in the evenings to workout. The rest of the time was spent relaxing in front of the TV, sitting in the hot tub or working on paperwork for the Army or Navy. For those of you who don’t know I am planning on joining the armed forces in order to pay for my medical school. I was supposed to have a physical done with the Navy over the break as well as a physical fitness test. Unfortunately this didn’t happen and I am now forced to wait until the end of May to get started on the Navy application. The Army, however, has been very accommodating. I finished up some paperwork for them right before I left home and should be good to go with them.

Christmas brought a little bit more excitement. The original plan was for my three sisters, my stepbrother and me to meet in Bismarck for Christmas Eve. Early Christmas morning us four girls would head up to Langdon to open presents and then go to Munich for a big family gathering. Mother Nature had other plans.

Matt made it to Bismarck early evening on the 23^rd. Briana had flown into Minneapolis early that morning and when Tiffany got off work they started the long drive. They got out of the city late and ended up stuck in traffic for hours. A little bit after Fargo they hit the ditch. Luckily a policeman was close behind them and called them a tow-truck. They finished the drive going a whopping 45 mph and got to the house around 3:30 in the morning.

We spent the next two and a half days stormed in at my dad’s house. I’m just glad everyone made it to at least Bismarck. On the 26^th we all went our separate ways. Matt headed back to Fargo and Tiffany back to Minneapolis. Briana and Tahnee rode together back to Langdon while I took a detour and stopped in Rugby for the night to see some old friends. The big family gathering in Munich was held that day but unfortunately we did not leave Bismarck in time to join. Tahnee, Briana and I opened our presents on the night of the 27^th. The next day Tahnee drove back to Bismarck while I finished packing before heading to Fargo for the night with Briana. We ate at Applebee’s (thanks for the gift card dad!) and went to see Avatar. We spent the night at Matt’s house and after a few errands and a stop to see our uncle Russell this morning; she dropped me off at the airport.

I am not as nervous about traveling this time. I think this is partly because I’ve now done an extended trip in a foreign country by myself and partly because Warren is coming with me for the first week and a half. We will spend the first week in Auckland. On January 4^th I will meet with the employment agency and hopefully by week’s end I will have a job. I will be in New Zealand for 11 weeks. On March 22^nd I fly to Santiago, Chile where I will spend the week. On March 28^th I fly to Lima and then up to Cuzco the next morning where I will start my four weeks of Spanish lessons. The last four weeks I will be doing a service project in Cuzco with mentally and physically disabled children.

It was really good to be home for a while but I think I am ready for the next phase of my trip. Keep tuned for more updates!

Beaches and fireshows

Favorite spot on the beach
Fire show!
Cute girl on the beach
My alcoholic picture. Hong Thong with a straw. Don't worry there's coke in there too.
Scott and I at the club

November 28, 2009

Last Saturday we left Lumtaphern Dam and drove to a hotel in a nearby town. After a little bit of internet time we met up to go have dinner. Four of us, Scott, Imogen, Sheena and myself, opted to pay for our own meal and got some pizza. It was beyond fantastic. After dinner we did a quick stop at Tescos to pick up some beverages before heading back to the hotel. There was a club connected to the hotel that had live performances so we went there for the night.

The next morning we met the rest of the group that had been teaching and headed to the island of Koh Samet. Scott and I rented 4-wheelers for an hour one day and on Wednesday the group went on a boat trip that consisted of snorkeling, fishing and sunbathing. The rest of the week consisted of mostly eating and lying in the sun. In the evenings we would all eat together and a live acoustic band would perform. They put out small tables on the beach and we sat on the floor. After the band was done performing they would have a fire show on the beach. The restaurant also had a club where the band would perform. We were there almost every night.

On Saturday we left the island and headed back to Bangkok. We had one last meal together and then went our separate ways. A lot of the group is continuing on in their travels and almost half will be in either Australia or New Zealand in the coming months. The rest are heading home and so am I. For a month anyway. I changed my flight a few times but I am very excited to be coming back to the states. I will be in California for a few days starting on December 1st and will be in North Dakota that Saturday.

I was able to do a lot of things here in Thailand. I learned about Buddhism, visited many temples and even had the unique opportunity to stay with the monks. I ate a lot of rice and other Thai food and met some friendly locals. I went trekking through the rain forest, explored some caves and camped out under the stars complete with meteor shower. I went to the zoo and got to feed the giraffes and take pictures with the monkey-humans. I went on a bike ride through Singburi and spent a day at Dream World. I spent a week on the island sunbathing, snorkeling and chilling out. But most importantly I met some really cool people that I am going to miss a lot. If any of you are reading this, good luck with everything and make sure to keep me updated. I will let you know if I ever make it to England. And for those of you at home, see you soon!

Trekking and Stargazing

Old Tractor that made me happy
Happy jumping by the dam
The girls taking my hair out

Our transportation

The Waterfall

November 21, 2009

On Monday eight of us drove out to the first campsite in Phutoei National Park. The other four headed back to the eco-house to teach. After setting up our crappy tents, we had a wonderful dinner of fried rice and pineapple. We spent the rest of the evening playing card games and chatting. The next morning we packed up and headed out to the starting point.

The first day was not too difficult. We stopped often and had lunch on the way out of a bag. We saw a few waterfalls and even climbed up one. Our leader, Joe (as in G.I. Joe), was one of the park rangers and cleared the path for us using his machete. Egg was the other ranger with us and Paris also joined. After three hours of hiking we came to the last waterfall, Taperngkee, and stripped down to our bathing suits for a shower. After that we hiked the last ten minutes to our campsite and set up camp. I spent the rest of the day sleeping, eating and enjoying a cultural dance performed by the children of the local hill tribe.

That night there was supposed to be a meteor shower. We woke up at 4 am to see it. I saw about 5 shooting stars in a short amount of time but the others were not impressed. I guess they expected all the stars to be shooting at once. One girl even asked me if one of the stars that were already there would fall. Not the smartest group I am traveling with.

On the second day we left at 10 am to explore some caves. One of the dogs even joined us for the adventure. The first was easy to walk through and although we saw a few bats was not very exciting. We were able to explore a bit further in the second one and even climbed up on top of the ridge. A Buddha image could be found in this cave as well as the third one.

The third cave was by far the coolest. Five of us, Imogen, Scott, Nicky, Maryanne and I, accompanied by Joe made the trip. There were a few parts where we had to crawl and there was a lot of going over and under rocks. We saw a few bats and had to crawl right by one of them. We got to a dead end and Joe told us all to turn off our lights. I decided that would be a good time to let them hear my Phantom of the Opera scream. On the way back out I was leading for a little bit. We had to crawl by the bat again. I shined my flashlight on it so I knew where it was. It moved so I decided to crawl past it as quickly as I could. Soon I heard Scott yell “it’s moving…IT”S FLYING!” and soon after the bat flew out of the narrow opening right by my head. After every calmed down we preceded to the exit.

Back at the campsite we had a delicious dinner and then played some more card games. That evening most people retired to their tents but Scott and I drug our sleeping bags outside and stargazed. I only know a few constellations but we had fun chatting and making up our own.

On Thursday morning we trekked up to the top of the nearby mountain. It is around 1200 meters above sea level and took us just over an hour to reach the top. On the top of the mountain there is, of course, a Buddha image. We took some pictures, had a snack, enjoyed the view for a bit and then headed back to the campsite. After lunch the rangers convinced us to go see Dragon Cave. What they didn’t tell us was that tennis shoes and a flashlight would be necessary. I ended up climbing up and over in my broken flip-flops, getting fed up with the situation (I didn’t trust these guys in the first place) and walking back to the truck. That night we ate spaghetti and garlic bread and then played card games. Seven of us stargazed although most headed in around 8:30. Scott and I stayed out until midnight and then called it a night.

Friday morning we loaded up into the back of a pick-up truck and headed to Lumtaphern Dam. The place we stayed was nice. We had mattresses to sleep on and a shower. I took my braids out and lost about half my hair in the shower afterwards. They also stocked up on drinks and snacks for us and had a karaoke machine down by the water. We had a drink or two and stargazed that night but the bugs were bad and we were all inside by 10 pm. That’s it for now. I’ll try to post one or two more times before I leave Thailand. Miss you all!

Dream World and the Zoo

Dream World!

White Tiger (for you B)

Snake

Monkey-humans

Snow World

November 15, 2009

Friday we decided to switch things up a bit and go to Dream World, which reminds me very much of Disney World just a bit smaller. Scott, Nicky, Jackie and I split off from the rest of the group as soon as we entered the park. We started our day with some pictures in love town and then moved on to other cutouts that included James Bond, the Flintstones and Superman. After that we ventured into the Giant House. I felt really small for once and thoroughly enjoyed climbing into the giant boots and onto the giant chair for a picture.

After a quick snack we went into the haunted house and onto some other rides including Hurricane, Raptor, Bumper Cars and Space Mountain. They even had a hanging roller coaster and a log ride that ended in a giant splash. Not a bad thing on such a hot day. We had lunch at KFC and ended the day with an action show, some time in Snow World and a 4D picture show. Snow World is an indoor play place where you can build a snowman, sled and take pictures next to the North Pole. They give you a jacket and boots to wear since it is -2* C inside. Reminded me a bit of home. For the 4D picture show they gave us 3D glasses and then made us feel like a part of the show by spraying us with water among other special effects. On the way home we stopped again for KFC and enjoyed a DVD showing of Prison Break Season 1.

On Saturday morning we got up and headed to the zoo. We were able to take pictures with a couple of monkeys that were dressed up as well as with some baby tigers. Further over they had two giant snakes. After lunch we went to see a 100-year old market in Samchuk. It was crowded but a cool thing to see.

On Sunday I got up early to watch the first half of the Notre Dame football game. We were losing 10-3 when I left. We then packed up and drove to the resort where they had a pool, Thai massage, a golf course, a basketball court and Internet. They also provided entertainment that night in the form of a cultural dance. The rooms had air conditioning and I spent most of my time there sleeping. Up next: trekking through the rainforest. Should be fun!

Buddhism and bikes

Giant Buddha.
Me being happy in front of happy monk (he's happy cause he's fat...).
We got bored of temples so we took this picture.
Following monks to get food. Yes we all had to wear white and yes we do look like escaped mental patients.
Me and my bike.

November 13, 2009

Monday morning we woke up at 5:30 to go feed the monks. Every morning they walk around and collect food from the villagers to eat for their breakfast and noontime meal. Girls are not allowed to touch monks, so we scooped the rice into bowls they had with them and put the rest of the food in a basket on a cart.

Instead of going back to bed like everyone else I decided it was time for me to start running again. I was finally feeling healthy and honestly I just miss working out. It is extremely hot here even at 6 in the morning but I managed a twenty-minute jog. I got back to the house and sweated it out for another twenty or so minutes then showered and rested until breakfast. The rest of the day was spent learning about Buddhism and visiting another temple featuring a giant Buddha, happy monk and pictures of the different heavens and hells of Buddhism.

For part of our Buddhist education we watched a documentary about the Buddha, his life and his teachings. The Buddha, born Siddhartha, was a prince and grew up in a palace. His father tried to protect him from the outside world and prevent him from becoming a religious person because at his birth it was foretold that he would become either a great spiritual leader or a great king. Obviously his father wished for him to follow in his footsteps.

Siddhartha got married and had a son but soon after got his first glimpse of human suffering. He left the palace shortly after to seek spiritual truth. After a long journey of self-discovery he found meditation to be the way to enlightenment. Henceforth he was known as the Buddha, or the fully enlightened one. Even though the Buddha preached about not worshiping idols he has become one of the most worshipped figures in history. Maybe worship isn’t the right word. It is more like respect as shown through money offerings, chants, incense and prayers.

Buddhism today teaches that there is no creator god and that the path to true enlightenment lies in following precepts that were set out by the Buddha and of course, meditation. The five precepts that everyday people are to follow are similar to the Ten Commandments:

1. Refrain from killing (both human and nonhuman).
2. Refrain from stealing.
3. Refrain from sexual misconduct.
4. Refrain from lying.
5. Refrain from drugs and alcohol.

There are also three more precepts that can be undertaken which include no eating after noon until the sun rises the next morning, no wearing jewelry, lotion or other cosmetics, no listening to music, dancing or attending entertainment performances and no sleeping or resting in ornate places. We were supposed to follow all eight during out temple stay Tuesday night.

We got to the temple around 4 in the afternoon and after a brief walk around town and of course another temple visit we returned to our temple for the evening. We joined the monks in evening chants and then practiced meditating with them for half an hour. It was hard to do because the head monk kept interrupting to give us instructions on how to meditate but it was also very calming. The rest of the night was free. I

The next morning we got up and followed the monks around as they got their daily food. We then slept for a few more hours and then got up to eat. After that we fed the fish in the pond the extra rice and helped clean part of the temple. We had one more meal around 11 and then got a final blessing from the head monk. Overall the temple stay was all right but not nearly as insightful or demanding as I had anticipated.

In the past year or so I have been moving away from religion. Some of it just strikes me as false while other parts of it seem to cause more harm then good in the world. I have been hoping that this year would give me some insight into not only other religious beliefs but also into my own religious beliefs. I really believe that religion is something that everyone must figure out for him or her self and that the religion you are born into needs to be questioned before taken as being true. I guess I am still questioning what is true for me. I know this much: that I believe there is a God and that religious tolerance is the only way people will get along in such a globalized world. I also know that a part of me misses organized religion but it feels fake to go on pretending that I believe in it all. Hopefully I will figure it all out soon.

Thursday morning we went over to Lemon house to check the tents that we would use for camping. I wasn’t sure why we would need to check the tents until we got them out. They are old US army tents but the poles were all put into buckets that we had to dig through in order to find ones that were the correct size and not broken. A lot of the tents also have holes in them or zippers that are broken. We managed to find some decent ones but it could be interesting camping next week.

Most of the group then went for a bike ride around town. We stopped for lunch, which was delicious. It felt good to get a workout in other than running. The rest of the day was spent in Singburi. We went to the pool for a few hours before eating out at KFC and having dessert at Dairy Queen. I know it’s very American but it’s been a while since I have had food like that and it tasted quite good. That’s it for now. Miss you terribly.

Monkeys and waterfalls

Royal Temple and stairs (happiness, love, wealth)
Giraffes!
Bridge over the River Kwai
Superpeople at level 7 of Erawan waterfall
Monkeys at the monkey temple

November 10, 2009

On Friday morning we went to Lopburi to see the monkey temple. The monkeys receive free food and can go wherever they want in the city although they tend to stay near the temple area. They will sometimes jump on you or try to steal your stuff but they were definitely nicer than the baboons in Livingstone.

After eating lunch at a local Thai restaurant (sitting on the floor) we went to yet another temple. This was one of the royal temples and was called Wat Phra Buddhabat, located in Saraburi province. To get up to the temple there were three sets of staircases. The first represented happiness, the second love and the third wealth. After picking a staircase you hold your breath and walk up. I picked happiness. This was one of the most beautiful temples we have seen and housed the Buddha’s footprint, although we could not see it because it had been covered in order to preserve it.

After getting back to the house we ate and went across the street to the bar. I had my typical two orange juices and we played cards. Around 9:30 a group of about twenty people from the other house showed up in cowboy and Indian costumes. I still wasn’t feeling that well and went to bed early.

Saturday morning eight of us got up early, got in a taxi and rode to Erawan National Park to see the waterfall. We were dropped off around 10:30 am and given until 4 pm to explore. The waterfall is gorgeous and has seven levels with hiking between each one. We took our time but eventually made it to the top. On the way up we stopped at level 5 to swim and besides being nibbled on by the fish it was quite fun. On the way down we stopped to swim at level 3 where you could go sit behind the waterfall. I really wanted to stop at level 4 where the rocks were used as waterslides but it was really busy so we skipped it.

That night we stayed at a fairly nice guesthouse. The showers were hot, there was a pool and the food was good. We wandered around a bit that night to explore the city of Kanchanaburi. Maryann and I stopped for a drink at the bar and then called it a night.

The next morning we woke up and drove to the bridge over the River Khwae. The railroad and bridge were built by POW's of the Japanese during WWII. Over 100,000 people died in the construction of the railroad thus leading to the name the Death Railway. Toward the end of the war the bridge was bombed and destroyed. Later the railway was sold to the Thailand government and eventually rebuilt.

For the afternoon they had told us that we were going on a safari, which sounded very exciting. Unfortunately in was just a ride through the zoo where you could feed the semi-tame animals. One exciting part was the giraffes that stick their heads in through the window looking for the food. After the “safari” we explored a bit more of the zoo and went to a couple of shows. They don’t treat the animals very well here. We went to a dog show where the man hit the dog in front of us because we wouldn’t do one of the tricks. And then there are the tigers that they keep chained up so you can take pictures with them. We ended our zoo trip with a crocodile wrestling show where I am almost certain the crocodiles were drugged. We then drove back to the house and chilled for the evening.

The next few days are devoted to learning about Buddhism. We will stay at a temple to learn about their beliefs and practices. I am excited to finally learn about the religion instead of just visiting the temples.

Elephants and temples

Asian Elephant ride
Old temple ruins
19 day-old baby elephant
Oldest Buddha
My Krathong

November 3, 2009

Yesterday I was awoken at 5 am by Thai music and public announcements. Apparently that is how they wake people up here. I went back to sleep until breakfast, which included hard boiled eggs, fruit and toast with jelly. After breakfast we had a quick meeting and then our leader, Paris, took us around town. We saw some crocodiles, some really cute puppies and got to see how people in the village live.

When we got back to the house we hopped in the back of a truck/bus and headed to a local restaurant for lunch. It was quite good and we met another group doing a similar program. After lunch we went to make coconut bracelets. Mine ended up being an anklet although I also bought a bracelet with my name carved on it in Thai alphabet. On the way back to the house we stopped by the local market and bought supplies to make a krathong.

Loy Krathong Day is celebrated annually during the full moon in the month of November. Krathongs are made or bought at the local market and floated down the river. They are made of banana leaf, flowers, a candle and incense. You add a piece of your hair and your nails, put in a small coin, light the candle and incense, make a wish and put it in the water.

To do this we traveled about an hour from the house to the fairgrounds. There were carnival games, praying, fireworks and even a main stage where concerts and pageants were being held. Basically something for everyone. After we floated our krathongs we wandered around for a bit and then headed back to the house.

Earlier that evening some of the local children stopped by the house to throw us a welcome party. They performed a drum dance for us as well as a candle dance and a cane dance. At the end they invited us to join them. They had on traditional clothing and had their hair and makeup done.

I woke up around 8 am this morning and had breakfast. We left at 10 am to go see some temples. We saw four in all. They are all very different. The first included some very old ruins and next to it was a newer temple. The third temple had one of the oldest Buddha statues in it and the fourth featured a giant reclining Buddha.

We also had the opportunity to ride on some Asian elephants and visit the elephant city. The elephants here a slightly smaller than the ones in Africa, and have smaller ears and more coloration. Their trainers sit on their heads and control them with a stick that has a poker on the end. We even got to see a 19-day-old baby elephant.

The day ended with a dinner cruise and karaoke. The food was good and very filling. Karaoke was interesting to say the least. Overall the cruise was cold and rainy but still a good time. We then drove the hour and half home and headed over to the bar for a snack.

November 4, 2009

Yesterday morning I woke up feeling feverish, stuffed up and generally not good. I had had a sore throat for the past couple of days and when I looked at my throat noticed some spots on my tonsils. We had a Thai language lesson at the house in the morning but I spent most of the time lying in bed. That afternoon we went to see a temple and then went to Singburi. After dropping everyone else in town Paris and I went to the private hospital to see the doctor. They did a blood test, throat swab and tested me for H1N1. The tests came back negative but I was given antibiotics, Tylenol and an anti-inflammatory.

I asked Paris a little bit about the medical system here in Thailand. The government pays for public healthcare. Patients must pay just one dollar for consultation and treatment. The downside is the long lines and possible lower quality of health care offered. The private sector, however, is very nice. The doctor I saw studied in the United States and spoke very good English. They did the tests quickly and got the results back almost instantly. It did cost a bit more ($50) but probably worth not waiting in line all day.

That evening we ate out and had Thai-style BBQ. They brought raw meat, including pork and squid, vegetables and a Thai grill for us to cook it on. They also brought us out green curry, fried rice, noodles and dipping sauces for the meat. It ended up being a very good meal. When we got back to the house I crawled into bed and stayed there until the next morning.

Today I am feeling a little better but my throat still hurts. We visited a school today to play with the children. I took a few pictures but mostly just sat and watched. This afternoon we have another Thai language lesson followed by a Thai cooking lesson. I am planning on attending these but we’ll see how I feel.

Thailand

Chinatown
Thai baby
Luke and I (and my new hair)
Royal Palace
Temple of the Emerald Buddha

October 30, 2009

I am currently sitting at the Hong Kong International Airport waiting to get on my final flight to Bangkok. It is a beautiful airport with even more beautiful scenery around it. The floor to ceiling glass windows give wonderful views of the mountains surrounding the airport on three sides and the Pacific Ocean on the other.

Johannesburg was wildly uninteresting. I got picked up from the airport and taken to Mzibi Backpackers, which is basically a fairly nice house that has been outfitted to accommodate guests. I got a free upgrade to a room with a queen-sized bed. I ventured out of the house only once to go grab a pizza at the local pizzeria. The rest of the time was spent watching satellite TV, sleeping, going on the internet and eating the snacks I had packed from Livingstone. It still managed to cost me around $75 for the two days but at least I was safe. I could not sleep on the flight (all twelve and a half hours of it). There was only two people in the middle four seats, which would have been great if the other five foot nothing woman did not decide she needed three seats to herself. I ended up watching movies, documentaries, comedy shows and playing some games that were included in the in-flight entertainment.

November 1, 2009

The flight to Bangkok went well and I made it to the Royal Hotel without incident. I met two of the other girls, Rachel and Becky, at the front desk and we went out for lunch. I spent the rest of the afternoon sleeping and then went down to the lobby at 8 pm to meet up with everyone else. There are eleven of us in total, two boys and nine girls. The age range is 18-26 and everyone else is from England. After getting slightly lost we backtracked and found the famous backpackers street, Khao San Road. We ate, wandered for a bit and then went to listen to some live music at a third floor bar.

Saturday morning I got up for breakfast and then attended the group meeting at 9:30. After a quick stop at the ATM, Luke and I went to the Royal Grand Palace to see the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Everything was plated in gold and was very ornate. It was quite stunning to be honest. After the temple we headed over to the dock to catch a boat to Chinatown. The boat cost us 13 Baht per person (about 50 cents). It was very crowded in Chinatown and we had trouble finding a restaurant so we hired a tut-tut (motorized three wheel vehicle) to take us back to the hotel.

After lunch and a nap we went back to Khao San Road. I bought a skirt and a couple of shirts and then decided to get my hair done. I paid way too much for it but wasn’t in the mood for bartering. My hair is now braided and reaches to my waist. There are even pieces of blue braided in. We then enjoyed dinner and went back to the hotel to drop off our bags. It was Halloween and even though we didn’t dress up we decided to go out. We went to a couple bars and headed back around 1:30 am. It was a really fun night.

This morning I ate breakfast and packed up. We were picked up around 1:30 pm and driven out to the Brown house. It is located about 12 km outside of Singburi. They cook three meals a day for us but it is all vegetarian. They have internet and a television. There are lock boxes for our stuff and we have keys to the rooms. The rooms have bunk beds in them and a bathroom with a shower and western style toilet. We took a quick look around the village today but it looks like we have a fun couple of weeks planned to get us acquainted with Thai culture.

That’s it for now. Miss you all!

Goodbye Africa

Netebe Village
Yuyi and random baby at HIVE
Brave getting us Mahuluhulu
Sam and the Mahuluhulu (aka best fruit ever)
Saxophone marching in the parade

October 26, 2009

For my last post from Zambia I thought I would start with some random things that have happened in the past few weeks that I haven’t written about yet and then end with some general comments on the trip as a whole.

Last weekend there was a regatta being held out by the African Queen boat club. The rest of the volunteers were either at Chobe for the weekend or helping with the Indian festival being held at Amit’s sport’s club so I went to the regatta by myself. I was one of the only Mzungus (white people) there but it was a lot of fun. Each race featured three or four teams. The captain would down a coke and then run and jump in the raft. They then paddled down and around some buoys and back and then jumped out of the boat, grabbed their flag and ran to the master of ceremonies. The winners of each round then proceeded to the next round until they had a champion.

Last Monday while building at Maanu Mbwami School the vice president of Zambia came to speak to the community. Naturally Sam, Malou and I stopped building and went over to listen. His speech was less than inspiring. He promised to fix the broken water well in the community but also took credit for building the roads that the Japanese government was building in Livingstone. He even gave the government credit for building the new school buildings. That we were building. Brilliant. I found out the next week that the ruling party lost the local elections.

Last Wednesday morning while I was weighing babies at Linda Clinic, a program was being held by the government to give bikes to a peer-mentoring group. The group goes around to local communities and teaches children things like alcohol awareness and the dangers of drugs and alcohol through music, skits and talks. The bikes will help them reach farther away communities. The mentoring group started the program with a drumming and dancing bit where a few of the guys were dressed as woman. Then a few people spoke and the program ended with a skit and the presentation of the bikes.

Last Friday morning we went out to Netebe community. It is a rural village that has very little access to health care. Four of us went out to do home-based care while the other four volunteers stayed at the school to give health talks. We saw only five patients but did plenty of walking in between. It was not as gratifying as I thought it would be but it is mostly because two of the patients had no complaints and the others were chronic unknown problems that weren't life threatening and we weren't really able to treat.

Friday night we all went to eat at Ocean Basket. It was quite pricey but the food was fantastic. Afterwards we went to Fezbar for dessert. I had the apple crumble but there was also chocolate cake. We played some pool and then headed over to Limpo’s for a few drinks. At one point Charlotte went up to get us another round, which left me sitting by myself. A grown man tapped me on the shoulder and asked me to buy him a lager. I said no and then proceeded to ignore him but it seems that white people cannot go anywhere in Zambia without being asked for money or gifts. After Limpo’s five of us made a quick stop at Step Rite for some chicken before heading to a dance club called Fairmount. Around 3:30 am we called it a night and headed home.

The next day was Independence Day. We wandered into town in the morning to watch the parade but I was soon back at the house. I spent most of the day sleeping but apparently there were numerous festivities going on all around town. They included mostly music, dancing, speeches and alcohol.

Sunday morning I got a cab early and went to Zambezi Sun. They have a breakfast buffet that runs from 6:30 to 10:30. I sat down around 7:30 and did not leave until 10. In total I had six courses that included cereal, fruit, meat and cheese, muffins, an omelet, some breakfast meats and three glasses of fruit juice. When I went to get my first plate I loaded it up with fruit and then went to get some cereal. I had to put the fruit plate down to put milk in the cereal and it ended up falling to the floor. So, not only was everyone in the place looking at me but the plate had landed on my big toe and it was bleeding fairly significantly. I stood there for a while debating what to do. I decided that the hotel staff could clean up the plate so I hobbled back to my table with the cereal. I wrapped my toe up in the napkin and wiped the blood off of my sandal and proceeded to eat my cereal as if nothing had happened.

Today I am just wrapping up some stuff around the house and around town. I might possibly go swimming this afternoon and will probably go out tonight. I need to remember to pack too. I tried to exchange some of my old clothes at the curios market but they kept wanting money on top of what I was giving them and I really do not want to spend money on souvenirs right now. I stopped by the post office as well but the package mom sent me is still not here (guess you’ll be getting back some really old cookies in a month or so…).

Back at the house the staff is on strike. Guess I will not be getting my lasagna tonight. Hopefully things get resolved. I would really like to see the drivers and rest of staff before I leave tomorrow. I have loved getting to know this town and the people in it. I am going to miss it. But I will be back. Someday.

That’s all until Thailand. I fly out tomorrow around 1:30 and will then be staying in Johannesburg for two days. On Thursday I fly out to Bangkok with a short layover in Hong Kong. I will be travelling around Thailand with eleven other people. I will post when I can but internet might be a little bit trickier there. Miss you all!

Bad Day

African Dancers at Linda Clinic
Charlotte teaching Life Skills
Maanu Mbwami School
Kids at Mwandi School
Maramba farm

October 24, 2009

This last week has been by far the toughest of my time here in Zambia. I have seen projects fail due to a lack of community support and I have been greatly disappointed in my own ability to help others. I have had some of my own ideas shot down and witnessed how some people within the organization don’t seem to care about the people we are working with.

On Monday I helped out with a building project at Maanu Mbwami School. They used to be taught in thatched roof mud huts that leaked during the rainy season and made learning difficult. They also lacked adequate classroom space for their pupils and, as a result, different class levels were forced to rotate classroom time and spent only a few hours a day in school.

We have already completed a one-room schoolhouse and are currently in the process of creating another two-room classroom block next to it. The leader of the school, Pastor Smokes, has recently been complaining that we were not working fast enough, but the biggest problem we have is that the community is not helping us build the school. There are only nine volunteers currently at the house and we are therefore unable to send more than two or three to the building project a day. When we were working at the last building site, Malota School, we had three or four men from the community helping us everyday. We need the support from the community not only for the sheer man power but also because if they take part in the building they will feel a sort of ownership towards it and take more pride in the building.

On Tuesday I was supposed to go to Mwandi community and help with home-based care, but the caretaker did not show up. This is one of the only projects I had not done here and I was excited to finally get the chance to do it. It is a poorer community, much like Nakatindi, and lies on the outskirts of Livingstone. Unfortunately the community support for the farming project and home-based care initiative is not there. A man named David had been running the farm and home-based care, but no one else was stepping forward to help. Last month David started taking classes at the local college. This meant that there was no one to take us out on home-based care and no one to tend to the farm. We have temporarily pulled out of the farming project and home-based care is receiving their final warning before we also pull out of that.

On Wednesday afternoon I helped out with a Life Skills Class for adolescents. During the course they learn about how to write a resume, interview skills, first aid, drugs and alcohol awareness and HIV prevention and awareness. I think it is a great class but we started late and were forced to end early when the kids were being pulled from the class to play in the nearby netball and football games. I did not teach the class the next day but a similar thing happened with the class ending early so the children could practice marching for the upcoming Independence Day festivities.

Thursday was a particularly depressing day. In the morning I went to Nakatindi community home-based care. One of the patients was a single mother of two. Her husband had left while she was pregnant with her second child and never returned. Both her and her 3-year-old daughter Elizabeth were HIV+ and taking ART, meaning that their CD4 counts were already below 300. The baby was 11 months old and his HIV status is currently unknown. He had tested negative at the age of 5 months but tested positive 3 months later. They took a third test but because the test samples for children under the age of 1 have to be sent to Lusaka they have to wait another two months for the results.

There is a chance that an HIV+ mother can transmit the virus to her child during childbirth, during birth or when breastfeeding. The mother can take medication right before birth to help prevent transmission and the baby takes medication soon after birth that is supposed to impart partial immunity for the first few months of life. Since almost no one around here can afford formula and the nutrients in breast milk are so important for the baby’s growth and development, mothers are advised to exclusively breastfeed for the first 6 months. Giving the baby other foods while breastfeeding may weaken the immune system and allow HIV transmission. After 6 months HIV+ mothers are told to stop breastfeeding and look into other food options for their baby.

Now try explaining this to a woman who is unable to afford enough food for herself, let alone her two children and has no source of income. When Elizabeth was a baby a group of nuns from the Catholic Church had brought formula and other food to the house but when those nuns went back home there was no one to continue the program. The baby had also just finished a round of TB treatment while the mother and Elizabeth still had a month left of theirs. They had been treated for a cough but it was still present while the mother also suffered from severe chest pain.

We advised them to go to the clinic, although they had already been there many times and have run into problems with either the clinic not having the medications they needed in stock or just not being able to help them. We gave them some Panadol but there was not much else we could do. It is so hard to see a family in a situation like that and be so powerless to help them.

Sure, I could give them money or buy them food, but what good is that going to do them when I leave? Like the nuns it would be a short-term solution to a long-term problem. The children will most likely be orphans soon and being HIV+ and on ART so young, their future is bleak. I could sponsor one of the children (which I have thought about) but then I think about all of the other children out there in the same situation and it all seems so hopeless. What good am I really doing here? I give someone Panadol for a few days or a week of multivitamins or clean and dress their bedsores once and then what happens? What if we aren’t able to send someone to home-based care? Do the caretakers go out in the field without us? They have no supplies of their own and although they are supposed to be trained to handle and treat the things we see, when we go out in the field with them they just translate and show us to the next patient.

I agreed that home-based care needed to be changed. The patients, the caretakers and the community are too dependent on us. If we are not able to be in the field, there is no one left to do it. I was involved in the writing up of the new home-based care sheets and I agree with some of it, but I think we went too far in the other direction. They cannot help themselves as much as we want them to be able to. They cannot go to the clinic every few days to get painkillers and vitamins and they cannot afford to buy dressings for their wounds or to buy antibacterial creams. Our new policy of limiting medication and telling everyone to go to the clinic seems both uncaring and naïve. It makes it seem as if African Impact has no idea what life must be like for them.

And it is not just during home-based care that I wonder what good I am doing. In the clinics, what good does taking someone’s vitals do if the doctor isn’t going to look at it? We are supposed to help ease the load on understaffed clinics, but when a nurse asks me to come help her with baby weighing and then leaves in the middle because she is tired, or I go to find a nurse to man the pharmacy and find three staff workers hanging out in the back room, I find it hard to see how we are helping. I could say similar things about many of our other projects as well, like when the teacher sends her class over to art club because she is tired and wants to take a nap.

Things aren’t all bad here. The Maramba farm and home-based care projects are excellent. There is a dedicated group of community members that run the farm and go out to visit patients in the morning. The food from the farm is either given to patients in the community or sold at the market. The proceeds then go to maintain the home-based care program and also to help orphans in the community. Adult Literacy and HIV education classes are also held at Maramba farm and are excellent programs that promote lifetime learning and sharing of knowledge in the community.

Another excellent program is the home-based care course. This 10-week course is designed to train the next group of caretakers. They learn about a large range of topics including wound care, counseling, physical therapy and medications. The hope is that we can work together with them as a team and that they can function on their own when we are not around.

We also have some new project ideas in the works. One idea is to do health talks in the mornings at the clinics instead of just helping with vitals and filing. The topics of the talks range from nutrition and hygiene to HIV and opportunistic infections. The nine volunteers at the house have all taken a topic and will prepare two pages worth of notes for future volunteers to use for these talks. My friend, Sam, is working on another idea. He wants to contact Food International and see if we can work as a referral company for them. We would identify patients that are in desperate need of food and give Food International the name and address. They would take care of the rest.

I think as you get to know an organization better it gets easier to see the flaws in their philosophy and their programs. Sometimes it also gets harder to see their good points. A major problem for the organization is consistency. With such a high turnover of volunteers every month it is difficult to make sure that every one stays consistent with the guidelines. It also makes progress within projects difficult. For example, the sports volunteers have had some great programs in the past including one called Come Play Girl that encouraged girls to become more involved in athletics. Eventually though the volunteers that started the program left and the program stopped.

I believe in a lot of things that African Impact is doing for the community. I see a willingness to fix programs that do not work and put on hold projects that are not helping the community or are not sustainable. I really have enjoyed my time here and I feel like I have learned a lot. I am still sorting out in my mind how much good I have done but if nothing else, at least I have had this experience and will hopefully be able to use what I have learned.