Sorry it has been so long since my last blog. When I got home, there was much to do and to boot, I broke our computer so badly that we had to replace it. Now, we don’t have Microsoft Office (on my list of things to go buy) and our HP printer will not talk to our new HP laptop. So, we were hobbling along but now we are merely limping slightly.
I just want to cover some things that happened in Africa that I didn’t get a chance to talk about since my last blog.
Laetoli Beds
Not far from the Endulen field school is the Laetoli Beds (not for sleeping). Just imagine, fossilized footprints that are 3.5 million years old!
We went to look at them on one of our weekends. It was actually quite disappointing as they are covered by several different layers of material to protect them as they are out in the open. However, they have taken a cast of the footprints and I got a picture of the cast (but I did not sign it!).
For those interested in finding out more about this, you can check out Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laetoli) or for those that might something a little more scholarly, you can check out this article by Russ Tuttle from the Journal of Archaeological Science (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0305440390900284). Benedikt is friends with Russ and I think Russ may have been his supervisor at one time.
Haiti
While I was in Endulen, we got the good news that we have been accepted for a one-month volunteer position in Haiti with All Hands Volunteers on Project Leogane (http://hands.org/projects/project-leogane/). We were originally looking for a 3 month stint in Haiti so I will get busy later this week and try to find some other organizations that might like to use our skills either before or after the All Hands posting.
All Hands wants us from October 13 thru November 12. After experiencing Tanzania via working with locals, I am very excited about working in Haiti! I know Michel was a little disappointed not to get a 3 month posting but I am sure that All Hands gets many requests and they need to meet their needs in the way that works best for them.
So, I will prepare everyone now…………we will be hitting up all family, friends, acquaintances and even some strangers to help support All Hands and any other NGOs we volunteer with!
Godwin’s Farm/Ag Research
I find it interesting how sometimes the most unexpected things morph into the best experiences. While we were in Endulen with the UofC field school, many of the students helped us with our research. Then, one afternoon, I got to help the Veterinary Medicine students with some of their research.
This entailed us going to Godwin’s farm. Godwin is the lead translator for the field school, he is Maasai but does not dress in a traditional fashion (not when he was with us at least). He lives on what I would call a semi-traditional Boma (a mix of traditional buildings and western buildings) and has 2 wives that I know of and a fairly large number of goats, sheep and cows.
One of the research projects revolved around ticks, their prevalence and the spread of disease from the ticks to cows. Part of their data collection required them to count the number of ticks on designated cows. They then treated them and would have to go back 2-3 times (after I left) to see how the treatment was working. I absolutely loved it!!!!!! Mind you, I didn’t have to touch the animals – I was a note taker – but I don’t know that I would have minded. Erin (curly hair) got pooped on and Erin (straight hair) got covered in the really toxic tick treatment stuff and the idea of being pooped on did not totally gross me out. I had such a good time, that even now, it makes me a little sad that I did not get to help with the follow up data collection.
I do have to say that working for the University has made me realize all the areas of interest that I would like to explore and in a mildly regretful way, all the options that were open to me when I was young that I didn’t take. However, I am about to undertake a year’s sabbatical and that may not have happened if I hadn’t followed the path that I am on.
Yoga in TZ
OK, I have to start but apologizing to Mange and Frank. “Gentlemen, I am so sorry but I just couldn’t resist. If this truly upsets you, let me know and I will take it down.”
Cary (hope I am spelling it right), one of the grad students at the field school, is also a certified yoga instructor. One night, she gave a class and I took my camera along. Several of “da boyz” were participatory and very open to the class. Below is a picture of Mange and Frank in baby pose where you put your feet up in the air, grab your big toes and rock from side to side! I hope Schola gets to see this picture!
Frank (Vet Med faculty member) even talked Coretto (hope I am spelling that right too), one of our Maasai security guards to give it a try. I was actually quite impressed with the openness of the men to give yoga a go. Way to go boyz!
Adam’s Fire Fascination
Adam, one of the Vet Med students, practices Poi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poi_(performance_art)) and was teaching anyone was interested! Then on one of our last nights, he gave a performance with fire! It was amazing! Unfortunately, my camera’s battery was running low so there is only a few moments to watch on this video.
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