Victoria Falls

It may be dry season, but Vic Falls is still an amazing place.  Try to catch the rainy season though!

zambia

Culture shock begins at gate 17

I have spent the past nearly 4 weeks traveling to Swaziland, Zambia and Uganda assisting with a documentary about youth involved in HIV prevention. My role was to ask the questions while Shawn, an MCC employee, ran around coordinating and filming everything. I’m not quite Katie Couric, (lacking the stiletto heels, blonded hair, and talent), but stumbled along, and enjoyed meeting many interesting young people.

I had been looking forward to returning to Africa since Africa and African people have a special place in my heart and I am still trying to figure out what I miss so much in Bangladesh. African people just have a vibrancy maybe that I’m drawn to. I certainly love the wild nature that can be found there.

Each place we visited was different. Swaziland was young adults who visit churches to do a drama and music program and help establish support clubs to promote abstinence among unmarried and faithfulness in marriage. It was a group of young people really talented (a number of them could take American Idol, I’m telling you) who were really committed to their cause and really fervent in their faith. It was fun to meet them and join them for some of their activities. I was able to go visit a friend in South Africa who has married and moved there permanently. Having added 2 little daughters to her family since my last visit, it was great to see her. I realized I had been to her house in 2001, 2003, 2005 and now 2007, so this trip was destiny, I’m sure of it.

The next stop was Zambia, where we spent the first night with the MCC reps, Sigi and Lois, who are responsible for me joining MCC in the first place. They fed us cappuccino’s topped with dark chocolate, shortcake and fruit (nectarines…. After 15 months with no sign of a peach or nectarine, what a treat!), later dinner of Sigi’s spaetzle, and we were sent off to Choma (about 4 hours from Lusaka towards Victoria Falls) for the project. We were looking at a youth peer educator program at the Brethren in Christ school (Brethren in Christ is part of the Anabaptist group and fairly connected to MCC). The youth were really well spoken and especially animated when discussing in a small group about the issues they are facing. We took a day trip to Vic Falls which is impressive even if it is lacking water at the moment. The morning before we left I went to my old workplace and saw my former boss and current friend, Reberiah. I was really pleased to hear that the things I was working on there are still going forward like the schools I worked with are using the radio program which walks the teacher through a set of lessons improving the quality. One of the schools that my aunt has been raising money for is gradually being built and should be finished with the latest installment. Home based care groups are growing and have more resources now.

Final stop, Uganda, and although I didn’t have any friends to connect with here, I was excited to go somewhere I’d never been. In Uganda we were visiting a project called AEGY which trains peer educators in schools and has care and support programs for people living with HIV/AIDS and for orphans. This project was fun because we got to visit communities and people. One thing I was amazed by was people’s openness about being HIV positive. There is still stigma, but at least people participating in AEGY’s programs are bold and active in their support groups. We visited some homes, interviewing a couple who were both positive and leaders of a support group, as well as meeting some children. I have been a bit haunted by a few children I met who are living with HIV. One is a young girl…by size you’d guess she’s 2, but the expression on her face of wizened sadness, makes me think she’s probably quite a bit older. I don’t believe she’s on ARV’s (AIDS medication), and certainly looks like she could use them. Another girl is only 18 years old, and has been scarred and crippled with HIV and herpes. She also had given birth to a still born baby. I kept saying that any youth who saw what had happened to her would surely be turned off casual sexual relationships.

In Uganda I was reminded what it’s like in Africa constantly being greeted with the local word for white person( in this case, “mzungu”) which DOES get old…although maybe not as creepy as the unabashed stares of Bangladesh villagers. As we drove back to Kampala we stopped and saw some falls on the Nile River…that was a treat! I also relished a bacon and avocado salad before heading back to a country without much of either!

I heard about the cyclone headed toward Bangladesh that evening, and it seems we (the cyclone and I) were scheduled to hit near the same time. Sure enough, it hit Dhaka right when I was supposed to be boarding my flight. So instead I managed to score a lounge chair in the “quiet lounge” (aside from the loudspeaker directly ahead announcing each flight loading) of Dubai airport, and arrived in Dhaka about 12 hours late….little to pay in light of all the loss of lives that has been experienced here. My friends’ colleague was flooded in the previous blight, and now had a tree land on their house. Getting it from all directions, but again, Bengali’s are used to suffering and calamity and take it with resignation and grace.

I was pleased to finally head to gate 17 for boarding, and this is when you leave the normal planet and enter the “Bangladesh Zone”. I doubt I can describe this in a way you can truly understand until you yourself make the journey, as it’s like nothing else you’ve experienced. You reach the gate, and instead of the wide range of families, tourists, backpackers… it’s men. Bengali men. Lots of Bengali men. Maybe a few women, clothed in Bhurka’s or a sari, perhaps also a child or two, but a heavy majority, men. The call for pre boarding in not the usual quiet group of people in wheelchairs and families with strollers and young children….it is hundreds of men crowding into the gate, ever pushing forward even before the gate is open. The people needing the extra time and assistance to board haven’t a chance and resign themselves to moving aside until the hordes have moved through.

Once on the plane, things don’t really calm down. Trying to keep people in their seats, wearing their seatbelts, with their cellphones off. Few of the stewards speak any Bangla, and 95% of their passengers are speaking no English. There are always multiple reminders not to smoke in the bathroom as people are caught doing so. As soon as the plane touches ground and is hurtling down the runway, people are up and grabbing their bags from above. Comical if it wasn’t so indicative that you are arriving in a place where your normal mode of operandi is suddenly topsi turvey!

flood update 3, 14 March

I'm heading to the beaches of Sri Lanka (OK, most ofmy time will be sitting in conferences, but will see the beaches too I hope!) so won't have much info fromthe flood zone for a while. Most of you have seennews now of the floods, and people do continue tosuffer. There are still many, many people living onthe sides of the roads in make shift houses, made moreunpleasant by ongoing rains. Not one prone to usinglittle sayings, I still have to say, "when life givesyou lemons, make lemonade" is one that Bengali's havecertainly taken to heart. The PARE program of MCC that I work with has been busydistributing relief supplies. For people who areliving in the makeshift house without cookingsupplies, they are receiving food that can be eaten asis as well as water treatment items. People able tocook food are receiving rice, oil, salt, lentils, oralrehydration salts and water treatment. There is always concern that the food gets to theright people, and this is always a challenge. Thereare always people who didn't receive it with obviousneed. At the same time, looking at the peoplecollecting the food, it's obviously they could haveused more food before the flood as well.

Riverfront property...written 30 July

Here's some photos of my riverfront property! I have ten people staying in my house right now -- 2 of whom are babies and think I'm the scariest thing they've ever seen.....get hysterical if I come within 10 feet. People are sleeping on the stairwell, on the roof, everywhere really, but many more are continueing to evacuate. Luckily have a stash of drinking water and a gas cannister to tide us over and the electricity is still working for the most part, as well as the phone line obviousely. In the next hours MCC will decide if we're doing some relief work or just need relief ourselves!

The River (written July 30th, 2007)

If you remember my first visit to my current home, I was pretty excited to be a couple miles from the beautiful Jamuna River. This river is now nearly waist deep at my house. I live on the second floor, and my office is a 3 storey building, so I am safe (able to wade between the two places at least for now) with water and food, but I am certainly an exception here. Please pray for my neighbors who are sufferring greatly right now. The rain has stopped, but this is water flowing from the floods in India and Nepal, so who knows how long it will continue. MCC is currently considering relief efforts, but there is a lot involved and it means suspension of other work for some time. The amazing thing is how good natured people are. A little girl started talking to me this morning. She greeted me, asked me where I was going. I asked her how her house was. With a big smile she said, "It has water, but we caught two fish." So there you go....the Bengali look on the bright side attitude. The longer people are marooned, and as water and food become more scarce, the situation will be more devestating.

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers

Here you go, Cis

I was "tagged" and told to post 8 things people may not know about me...and since I don't want whatever dire consequences would come from failing to do so, here we go....

I think I can eat popcorn with parmesan cheese and brewers yeast every day of my life and be perfectly happy!

I like to pray when I go for my walks so I don't get distracted by my need to organize my sock drawer or dust under the bed. I also haven't noticed people being particularly alarmed by me talking or singing under my breath.

I think people are more beautiful the darker they are....opposite of what darker people tend to think. I really wish they would stop buying "Fair and Lovely" whitening cream and be happy with themselves.....or trade me.

I've always been scared of spiders, and stuffed that fear a big until I saw how massive they can be in Bangladesh. Now I'm terrified again.

My favourite holidays are active....hiking, canoeing, snorkelling, cycling....

I try to be intellectual and choose good movies and books, but truth be known....nothing beats a good romance! Please don't knock a Meg Ryan film in my presence!

hmmmm....i'm at 6 now...2 more.

My favourite colours are orange and purple...not necessarily togehter, but sometimes....sure!

When I get scared I tend to utter words which can't be repeated here.....so you think I'm a nice, calm person until you almost run into me with your car or swerve in front of my motorcycle....then you'll maybe be surprised a nice girl likes me knows those kinds of words.

Was that ok, Cis? hope so!!!

Wheels!

I finally got my motorcycle learners permit and motorcycle. It still is hard to get my head around after the years with Peace Corps knowing I would be sent home immediately if I ever rode on a motorcycle. Still, I was surprised how excited I was to have my own wheels. My first day out and about in my town, I ended up heading across the bridge to the Jamuna Resort, where I just couldn't resist jumping in the pool for a swim, clothes and all. Mind you, for most Bengali's, this is the typical swimming attire! Even at the beach, swimming (for women) involves wearing shalwar camisse which includes baggy trousers, top, and large scarf. It does feel as if one may drown swimming this way! Anyway, regardless of the attire, the swim was nice, and even more so, the freedom. Now the not so fun part has come.... passing a written test (passed on my second 3-1/2 hour trip to Dhaka), a verbal test, and coming next week, the figure 8 test. Wish me luck!

Life after Nepal

Nepal was fabulous, but there has been a rather hectic and crazy life after Nepal and I just haven't had time to sit down and write. The HIV pilot program was pretty much wrapped up on the 29th, and now we rapidly have to try to figure out what should be duplicated with 3 different partner organizations, get the staff trained, and get going on it. I'll tell you more about the whole program soon, but also wanted to let you know that MCC's Commonplace Magazine, which is free and sent 6 times a year, will feature our program in the next issue.

Hopefully I'll get back to you tomorrow to tell you about my travels in India, and maybe a bit more about the work we've been doing. Also, I really appreciate hearing from you, so if you actually read this blog, could you comment or send a brief email...it would really make my day!

Words

Nepal....majestic mountain range...often hidden from view and you'd never even imagine they could be there....and then...just a brief break in the clouds and there they are in all their glory. Wheat fields of different shades of maturity. Women drying the ripened grains in the sun. Wrinkled old woman asking about my bracelets and if they signify marriage as theirs do. A Nepali woman giving me a seat out of the hail storm while demonstrating the traditional Gorung bag she is in the process of weaving. Watching storm after storm roll across the mountains as they disappear under dark clouds and re-emerge. Listening to stories of life as a Bhutan refugee, whose family was kicked out of Bhutan for being Nepalese, yet not given rights in Nepal, and still longing to go home after 16 years, turning down opportunities for an American visa. Resting at a Nepali farm house and being told I look and laugh like the younger sister. In my travels I have met many wonderful people, but never so many who made me feel so welcome and who gave me such an authentic view of their lives in an area that sees many passing by. And why may I never be able to reintegrate into the US.... $6 for a nights accommodation, 2 meals, 4 cups of milky tea, and I think that's a bit pricey!

Himalaya's

Our MCC retreat, for MCC ex pat staff from Sri Lanka, India, Nepal and Bangladesh, with some guests from different places joining us as well, was held in Phokara. Phokara is a town nestles by a lake surrounded by the Himalaya's Annapurna range. During our 4 day retreat, however, you would not know this was the case. They were almost completely hidden until most people had returned to Kathmandu, and only those of us who stayed on a bit were able to truly see their glory! (you've got a few photos that aren't so great because it's not uploading the right ones....TECHNOLOGY....sometimes NOT my friend!)

A picture's worth...

I have 364 photos, which will probably convey the idea that I LOVE NEPAL!!! I had a really wonderful time visiting MCC's HIV partners, touring Kathmandu, hanging out in Phokara, and doing a 2 day trek (all I could fit in). O, yeah, and with the MCC retreat, my real reason for being there, as well. I definitely want to go back for more, and for those of you planning your holidays, put Nepal on the list. Rather than waffling on, look at what I saw!

NEPAL!!!

Working with MCC in Bangladesh doesn't have a lot of the extravagent perks you'd get with a lot of international organizations (that darn adherence to MCC value of simplicity of lifestyle) but a staff retreat in Nepal is certainly a treat! I arrived on Tuesday afternoon with a few extra days to visit HIV projects of MCC Nepal. My schedule had to be changed due to some political disruption and fuel crisis, but I was still able to visit a few sites...one with an interesting van ride up a steep mountain (hill in these parts, but to me, a mountain!) to see a very well organized peer educator program in what I would consider the middle of nowhere! Kids climb mountains for 2 or 3 hours to get to school, and how they bring in food and such is a mystery to me. It gave me good inspiration for MCC Bangladesh's newly emerging peer education program! Thursday night I had dinner with a colleague I'd worked with in Zambia and his wife which was really a nice treat (ate a massive, juicy steak...num!). With the change in program I ended up with a day to explore Kathmandu yesterday, which was interesting. I went to an ancient square of religious monuments, hit the local shops, ate organic veggie full lunch, and then visited Boudha...a place of Tibetan pilgrimage....all very interesting. Now I'm in Phokara and our retreat will begin shortly. I'm hoping to arrange a day or two of trekking before leave but won't have much time. Photos and more tales shortly!

Beaches

Another 6 hours on a bus, and we were suddenly seeing sparkling waters. We took a ferry ride to the island of Koh Chang, a ferry ride, and then trekked until we found the “o so cool hippy hangout” described by Lonely Planet. Seeing that everyone else also reads Lonely Planet, it was full, but eventually we did find a nearby place of similar coolness and price range (about $4 for a small primitive hut with a bed big enough we figured the 3 of us could sleep). The best part was having dinner right on the water…a setting that would be out of our price range in most countries.

The first place we went had a new place which was described as the last remote beach in Koh Chang, so we decided to go there the next morning. It was about a 2 hour drive, the last bit of which did convince we certainly were at least making a good attempt to “get away from it all.” Once again we had a primitive hut with a bed which we decided really wasn’t big enough for the 3 of us, but we didn’t decide that until after 2 rather cramped nights. We swam, laid on the beach, read, and spent the evening sitting around tables eating and relaxing listening to the waves. Our second day we had booked a snorkeling trip, and since we were a bit remote, the 3 of us were picked up by a small motor boat and taken to the large boat with everyone else. Wielding our cameras, passports… we were shocked as choppy waters began splashing into the boat…by the time we reached the large boat we were completely drenched and had had a few rather harrowing moments, not to mention that our camera’s were barely dry. We dried off in the sun until we reached the snorkeling/diving destination which was really beautiful. Brightly coloured fish, interesting coral…it was really beautiful. After lunch we did a second excursion to national park waters where we could swim around a small island and see a wide range of underwater scenery. This was to be my highlight of the whole trip.

Planning our trip back to Bangkok in time for New Years eve, I discovered that we were a day ahead of ourselves when I went to book the bus ticket. We debated but decided to go ahead and head back to Bangkok and spend our “bonus” day there. It was lucky we did because after that everything was closed for the holiday so we wouldn’t have been able to see any of the attractions otherwise.

Rather than the government Mercedes bus we took to Koh Chang, our return boat was a tourist wonder….double decker bus, wild painting on the outside, hot pink interior, with films such as Mission Impossible and Snakes on the Plane for our viewing pleasure. The swaying bus made me a bit sick, but the laughs at such a gaudy display was worth it.

Birthday

I really wanted to skip this one, since as some as you know, it's a rather large number we're reaching this year. So my plan was to just let it skip by unnoticed and pretend it didn't happen. But MCC staff weren't about to let that happen! Rebecca talked me into coming to Dhaka for the weekend and have lunch with them after church. Shortly after we arrived the rest of the expat staff showed up to suprise me with a birthday lunch of really wonderful Indian food. After a great meal and me alienating a few people with predictions of where they'd be when they were 40, we headed to our country reps for coffee. I was completely shocked to walk in and see work colleagues and friends wielding signs and blowing noisemakers. Cicely and Reba had gone to great lengths to call all the people on my phone and invite all the people who have become special to me in my time here. It was such a surprise and really special...even though they also let everyone know exactly what milestone I was reaching so no longer can I convince anyone that i'm really 29!

Chang Mi, Thailand

As MCC Bangladesh volunteers, we are accustomed to long hours on rickety busses swerving to avoid various bikes, rickshaws, and animals. Therefore, a two hour flight to Bangkok was just too easy. We headed straight for the train station and after eating my favourite Thai meal (green curry with tofu and vegetables) we embarked on an overnight train ride. We were able to get sleeper seats, after a small diversion following the advice of an o so helpful Thai man informing us that seats were sold out for weeks, even months, but luckily we could get bus tickets just behind the station. Luckily, as we pondered the purchase at the bus station, we realized Lonely Planet discussed just such a scam. We went back to the train station just to check, and lo and behold, plenty of train tickets readily available! I’m used to scam artists in Africa, but they are typically easier to spot.

We were a bit late but finally pulled into Chang Mai around noon the next day. We took a while to figure out what we were doing, it’s difficult when you can’t trust any of the advice you’re given, but things looked much better after lunch and finding a room. For lunch I enjoyed long standing Thai favourites….falafal pita and cappuccino…ok, maybe more popular in other parts of the globe, but completely unheard of in Bangladesh so a real treat. In fact, our culinary journey through Chang Mai would maybe not appeal to those of you NOT living in a developing country, but for us it was truly exciting… “O look, they have wheat bread.” “Do you mind if I get a Starbucks mint mocha” (that wasn’t me…I found plenty of fabulous coffee alternatives- Thai coffee is really good and Italian coffee was also available). Being used to all the fabulous vegetables in Thai food, I was a bit surprised to see their huge affinity for pork. Street vendors everywhere are selling sausages of different types and sizes. I bought some pastries with an overwhelming (and disgusting) taste of lard.

OK, but we’ll never get through the journey at this rate, so let me go to lists

Night 1 – walked through one temple en route to night market where we lost each other and seemed to find completely different areas. I found an overwhelming amount of craft booths, and had a 30 minute head and shoulders massage which was nice but definitely different from massages as we know them

Day 2 – journey in the back of a pick up to a large temple where Thai people go to pay homage. Was a bit shocked at how many food vendors, trinket salesmen, and massage. I did actually take advantage of the massage because by the time we got up there, I had such a head ache and was so car sick I needed a time out. Temple visit was followed by stops at kings gardens and cultural village. See photos.

We did another night at the night market, this time managing to stick together.

Day 3 – Christmas day. I’d been having such a headache, I hadn’t booked any of the excursions. I woke up raring to go, however, and managed to get added to a trip to Doi Inothon, the highest point in Thailand. We stopped at 2 waterfalls which were really pretty, a village where we could see the women weaving traditional cloth, and then on to the peak. The brochure had sided like it was a bit of a trek to the peak. I think the description of this will maybe help you have a glimpse of the real Thailand, and I was less than enamoured. You first view the surroundings from the parking lot…very pretty. You walk a quite short paved path to the giant sign marking the highest point, you walk a few feet further (it actually seemed we went up more) to a Buddhist altar, and a short distance again to a snack shop and trinket shop. When we’ve hiked out to Cape Lookout in Oregon we have joked that it would be nice to have a vending machine out there, but seriously, in Thailand, they would.

That evening we had a nice Italian dinner followed by a stop at the coffee shop and joining all the other foreigners making skype or MSN calls at the internet café. I even found a mince pie to complete the holiday…the place selling them was more like an Irish pub so I was mocked mercilessly for charging into a bar and ordering a mince pie, but well worth it!

Day 4- our final day in Chang Mi so we visited the arts and cultural heritage museum which was interesting and very well done. After a snack, we headed for the train for another overnight journey back to Bangkok.