Endulen

We got to Endulen late and there was little light left.  After the luxurious accommodations in Mwanza, I had a moment when I stepped into the hostel at the hospital. 

It was only the next morning when talking to Ken that I realized that there was suppose to be toilet paper in my bathroom (don’t get grossed out, I had some paper in my computer case for the road trip).  But before that, I was not looking forward to having to do what Ken decribes as the “Asian” method aka using your hand and then washing it.

After a cold bucket shower, I felt so much better and the room was comfortable.

Ken and I are now staying in the head doctor’s house until we leave on Friday.  His accommodations mirror the hostels but my bed is bigger and the bathroom is too.  The shower head actual works so no bucket shower but I have to say, I think I prefer them as the water pressure is pretty low.

The landscape is gorgeous and the Masaai are definitely exotic!  There are several Masaai that work for the field school that Jennifer is running and they are also in the hospital and are the predominant tribe in the area.  We may have one of them working with us next week as translator. 

It is very interesting as English is taught in the schools here as a second language.  It makes me think that the Calgary School Board is making a mistake in making French not mandatory any more.  Many of the people in TZ speak more than 2 languages as Swahili is the national language and then English is also taught but then each tribe has it’s own dialect. 

Lions, Elephants and Giraffes, Oh My

The trip from Mwanza to Endulen took us through the Serengeti and near Ngorogoro Crater.  Although my safari trip got cancelled we still got to see some amazing things.

We saw zebras, water buffalo, baboons, wildebeasts, elephants, giraffes and lions. 

The lions were right by the road just resting. No word of a lie, they were maybe 10 feet from the car when we stopped.  And NO, I did not get out of the car!  I will post pictures when I get to Zurich and have a better internet connection.

By far though, my favourite is the giraffes.  They are incredibly majestic and absolutely gorgeous!

Our adventure saw us have not one but two flat tires and the wheel bearing had to be repacked as well.  Any of the mechanical men in my life would have been amazed with the mechanics that worked on the bearings.  Their “tools” were in a canvas bag and there was nothing more complicated than a socket wrench!  I tried to think what Rosco would have thought if he had been standing there watching and it made me laugh!

That being said, poor Salehe (our driver and one of the research assistants) had had it by the end of the day.  I do have to say that man, he can change a flat tire fast but thank god we had two spares with us because we were in the middle of nowhere when it happened both times.

First Work Exchange Organized

Oh so much has happened since I last blogged so I will be doing several blogs today.

Before I left Mwanza, I managed to e-mail one of the hosts on HelpX that is close to where Veve will be doing his boat building course.  I didn’t expect a quick response but got one.  I will be helping Susun (see Host 5369 on www.helpx.net) during some or all of the time that Veve is on course.  She is not in the same city but probably within driving distance so Veve and I can see each other on weekends (I am hoping).

She also may have two young girls from Taiwan staying with her so it will be a full house but I am looking forward to talking with her as she sounds interesting and has quite a few good reviews from other helpxers.

A Wonderful Woman

Mange's wife, Schola, is possibly the nicest person I have met.  She has been incredibly kind to me and I need to find a way to thank her.

I had asked her where to buy a kanga (a piece(s) of material that TZ women use to cover themselves) and she offered to take me to a place that had good quality material.  Well, it ended up that she did not take me because instead, she went to the place, picked up a bunch of them and then brought them to me at the apartment to choose from them!

And if that is not incredible enough, tonight, she and Mange came over for a short visit (they live just down the street) and she handed me a bag.  Sometime after meeting me, she had eyeballed me, guessed my measurements and sewed me a dress!!!!! And it fits perfectly!!!  The material is a red batik and looks fabulous on me.  It is a simple cut and  it ties up at the shoulders.  It is just what I needed as I have been feeling very underdressed when we have gone out while here.

To boot, we went to Laura and John's (across the hall - both of them work at the UofC and are here on a different project) for dinner and I got to wear my beautiful dress.....and it garnered some compliments!

I will have to knit her something but will have to think long and hard because it has to be something she will like.

White Woman Causes Pipi Stampede

I learned my lesson about pipi (candy) today!

After we "process" the kids, they get a candy (which I must say are pretty good) and generally, you tell the kids they are done and hand them their candy and they don't seem all that enthused about it.

However, today after we were mostly packed up, Ken and I showed a large group of the kids (maybe 30ish) the game where you try to slap your opponents hands before they can pull them away.  I then played it with one of the kids.  At the end, he asked for pipi, I suppose because he felt he had won the game - which I thought was fair.  I happened to have one in my pocket so without thinking, I whipped it out and gave it to him.

That is when all hell broke loose and the hoard moved in on me because they all wanted pipi and there was still a bulge in my pocket.  I had to physically pull the stuff from my pocket to show them it wasn't pipi.

Thank god for Kimwaga (he is an instructor in anatomy and runs the anatomy lab as well) stepped in and saved the poor white woman - cause they were like sharks during a feeding frenzy!

I have learnt my lesson!

The Crime Element is at Work Here!

They say things come in 3s.  I hope so because that would mean that the crime spree is done.

After I had my pocket picked, Christine Gibson (from UofC but on different project) had her camera stolen from her purse in a very nice restaurant.  Thank god her wallet was in a zippered pocket in her purse or it would be gone as well.  Just a note to anyone traveling in 3rd world countries.......it does not matter how nice the restaurant, keep your purse on your lap.  Not even at your feet as we heard a story about someone having it stolen from between their feet.

John (also from UofC but here for a different reason) was mugged, not once but twice yesterday.  They tried to mug him the first time and got nothing and then they got him a little while later and got $100,000 TSH (about $70 Cdn).

So, we are hoping that we are done with the crime thing here.

Down $3,000 Tanzanian Schillings

Went for a walk on my own today and passed on the outskirts of the market.  I believe this is where the culprit made his move.  I am not sure as I felt nothing and I am a little bitter about this as the least he could have done was cop a feel at the same time.

My only solace is that the bugger only got $3,000 TSH which is a whopping $2 Canadian.

Thank god my larger bills were in the pocket on my leg which has buttons to close it.  Then he could have gotten about $60,000 TSH.  It's only about $40 CDN but still!

Jennifer was telling us a story over lunch wherein she was in a market in some small city in Ethiopia with one of her students and the student looked down and this little kid had his hand in the student's pocket.  The only problem was that the kids hand was stuck in the student's pocket and he couldn't get it out.  The picture of this poor little kid being pulled along with the student made me laugh.

Speaking of laughing, Ken has told me that the first time I laughed in the school where we were doing our research last week, it apparently scared the kids.  He said they did not know what to make of it at first.  Oh, well, I guess all the culture shock is not just being experienced by me.

TIA - This is Africa

Apparently, TIA is a common saying amongst those Westerners that work within Africa as things change quite frequently and with very little planning or notice.

I experienced this today!  It turns out we will be going to Endulen, TZ late next week and will be doing our research project out there.  Now, I can tell you that this excites me as the Bachelor of Health Sciences' (BHSc) field school is going on in Endulen and as I had helped with some of the Canadian logistics for several years, this will be a real treat!

However, the logistics of making this happen are mostly out of my control and I am doing just fine with that although I do have opinions and need to express them (apparently my friends tell me I express my opinions in a strong way - thanks girls!).  Jennifer has been very kind to listen to my opinions and for this I thank her.

So, I have had to contact Veve to ask him to gather some clothes for me as it gets quite chilly in Endulen whereas it does not in Mwanza.  Luckily, part of the BHSc contingent coming has not left Calgary yet and I very much hope they can connect with Veve to bring me clothing.

The other up side to this is that we will be driving across the Serengeti to get to Endulen which means I will be going on a safari!

I have to say that I really like being the schmengie (sp?).  I am not responsible for any of the decision making or ensuring that anything happens.  I just show up and do my work and at the end of the day, I am done! Now, if only I could find a job that paid me really well while letting me be a schmengie!

Day One in My Life as a Research Assistant

Day one of the actual research has been completed and all I can say is that I am having fun!!!!

We went to a school close by and it looked like we had hoards of kids to process.  At one point, they were all around us and it was like being an animal in a zoo.  They were just so utterly fascinated with us.  I scared them a couple of times (they were only 7ish) by chasing them a bit.  They laughed and kept coming back.  I have to learn more Swahili so I can play a game with them.

Processing the kids is a bit like a production line.  We all have our jobs to do and if one person gets bogged down, it slows everyone’s progress.

The weather is hot and by the end of the day, I feel grimy.  But we have this wonderful apartment to come back to.  The shower is very fancy and can have water jets coming at you from different areas but I just use it the old fashioned way.  I will post pictures of the apartment this weekend when I have some time.

I have also become a morning person!  I have no choice as we have to be up early to get ready and have breakfast.  And breakfast has to be a substantial one as we don’t stop to eat until we are done processing the kids and back home.

There is lots of poverty here in comparison to Canada’s standard of living but it Is beautiful.  I said to Ken and Paula today that there may be poverty but many of those we see as being impoverished have a sense of pride in what they do have and that needs to be honored.

I have also started to get to know the Tanzanian contingent of the team.  Salah – he is the driver and handles getting the kids to fill the spit kit and closing them up – ick!  He is a better man than I as sometimes the kids miss the kit.  Kimwaga – he handles taking the kids information and consent form and is very friendly.  Mateo – doesn’t speak English but can read out numbers so he takes the kids weight, height and a couple of other measurements.  Me – I work the computer to take the pictures of the kids – it is not hard at all but I am glad that Benedikt gave me the opportunity to do it.

Let the Commitment Start

So, I am sure that many of you may be wondering what we are actually doing on our sabbatical since I haven't written about that at all.

We have put this off because we have been having a hard time finding someone to take the cats or rent the house.  But we threw caution to the wind and Michel is registered in 3 one-week Boat Building courses - in Rockland, Maine! Check it out at www.atlanticchallenge.com!

In the next couple of weeks, I will be trying to find a farm in or around Maine, where I can work while Veve is learning his new skills.

Depending on when we rent out the house, we are going to try and stop in Winnipeg on the way there for a visit.  Then, after Maine, we may go to Montreal to visit the other half of the family.

That is the plan so far.  I know, not my usual organized way but I am trying to be very footloose and fancy free for the next year so brace yourself, there may be many changes on the horizon.

Flight of the Condor

Sorry that I have not been posting as of late.  What with getting everything organized (or at least trying to) for the sabbatical, training my replacements at work (Sharon, don't give me shit about this!) and getting ready to go to Tanzania, life has been just a tad bit crazy.

But, here I am in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and I had Condor for dinner!  It did not look like chicken nor did it taste like chicken but it was quite good.

The trip to get to Dar saw Ken (the other member of Team 3) and I leave Calgary to fly to Toronto and then onto Zurich where we overnighted.

Ken is a Air Canada Super Elite member so I have spent much time in the Executive Lounges in Calgary, Toronto and Zurich - quite ritzy.  

Speaking of ritzy - apparently the apartment we are staying in in Mwanza comes with maid service and all the western luxuries!

I gave Benedikt a hard time about sending me all the way to a third world country.......to live better than I do at home!

Tomorrow we are on the last leg of our journey with a flight from Dar to Mwanza - only 1.5 hours - yay!  There we will meet Paula and Warren of Team 2.  I am looking forward to getting down to work and am only just starting to get excited and a little trepidatious.