Climb every mountain

I am super-psyched for Kilimanjaro. In 6 weeks we'll be on the mountain. We’ve done lots of preparation but still have quite a bit to do. I think we’ve finally ordered the last bit of gear – spare camera batteries. It takes so long for us to receive mail here that we are nearing the drop-dead date for when we can order and receive in time. (We’ve bought so much crap that I’m already thinking ahead to the next trek. I’d hate to use this stuff once and then have it sit in the closet for years. I’m obsessed with Nepal right now, second to Kili.)

Mike weighted my pack (all those bricks of soap from Costco that we bought last August!) and I’ve done my local mountain hike with it three times now. It’s only around 20 pounds and I don’t want it to get much heavier. I feel healthy and strong though. The pack is working out great. I feel the weight in my hips and quads, not my back or shoulders, and that’s good.

We’re so focused on climbing the mountain that the week-long safari afterward has been at the backs of our minds. It will be so relaxing compared to the trek. I got Mike a Blu-Ray player for Christmas and one of the first discs we watched was the Planet Earth episode on great plains. It got us really excited for the safari. I also reread the Northern Tanzania chapter of my Tanzania guidebook to refresh myself on the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Olduvai Gorge. I can’t wait to see all the animals!

Happy New Year! May your mountains be climbed in 2009.

Reading in 2008

I joined a challenge on Goodreads to read 50 books in 2008. I’m surprised I barely made it past the halfway mark, considering how much time I spent on planes and trains and without Internet access and regular American TV this year. Some of the books I read though are really long.

1. From Bloodshed to Hope in Burundi by Robert Krueger

2. Daisy Miller by Henry James

3. The Snows of Kilimanjaro by Ernest Hemmingway

4. The Last King of Scotland by Giles Foden

5. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

6. Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi

7. The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Bank

8. Cotton: The Biography of a Revolutionary Fiber by Stephen Yafa

9. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

10. Gorillas in the Mist by Dian Fossey

11. Girls in Pants by Ann Brashares

12. Dark Star Safari by Paul Theroux

13. Confederates in the Attic by Tony Horwitz

14. The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson

15. Take the Cannoli: Stories of the New World by Sarah Vowell

16. When a Crocodile Eats the Sun by Peter Godwin

17. Thunderstruck by Erik Larson

18. Isaac's Storm by Erik Larson

19. No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy

20. When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris

21. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

22. Trespass by Valerie Marin

23. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

24. Forever in Blue by Ann Brashares

25. The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent

26. The Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell

27. I’m nearly finished with rereading Anne Rice’s The Witching Hour. It will be done by Wednesday night. Hmm, maybe Thursday morning.

Sneezin's Greetings

Greetings to all of you in cold climates who will be having white Christmases this week!

Here I am in 80-degree (26 C) weather trying on all the layers I'll need to wear at the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro (where it's way colder than 80 degrees):


I think I'm getting a flu shot today. I haven't had one in about 10 years. And why should I have gotten one? I'm one of those young healthy adults who have been discouraged from getting them recently because I'm not a child, I'm not elderly, and I never worked with children or the elderly. But a nurse that I work with here made a convincing case as to why I should get one this year.

1. I'm in a different place filled with different germs than I'm used to. I think my immune system is starting to get tired of battling new germs.

2. I'll be traveling this winter and be in contact with many international people who have the flu or have been exposed to it. I don't want to get sick on vacation and I should try not to bring the flu back to Bujumbura.

3. If I do get sick with something, it will be easier to rule out specific diseases based on the vaccines I've had. (Oh you had that flu shot, well then these symptoms could be malaria or avian flu!)

4. She's getting a boatload (actually a plane load) of flu shots in today and it will be free.

So what's left to ponder? I certainly don't want to be responsible for the Burndian flu epidemic. I guess I'm getting the shot.

Shopping at Mutoyi

Another little office write-up on local shopping.

We don’t have Crate and Barrel in Bujumbura, but we do have Mutoyi. Mutoyi is where you’ll find hand-made ceramics and other products from the Italian mission. The ceramics are colorful glazed clay and they range from coffee mugs, pitchers, and teacups to vases, candlestick holders, and electric lamps. You can also find woven placemats and hanging baskets, linens, and wooden carvings.




In this small indoor marketplace you’ll also find mission-raised chickens and a variety of fresh-made baked goods.

After you leave the building and blink into the blinding sunlight, look across the street for the “tartine” sign. Cross the ditch and draw the curtain and you’ll find yourself in a bakery and ice cream shop. Yes, this is fresh ice cream, scooped to order into a cone or cup (depending on which they have). Small containers of ice cream are also available sometimes.

To get to Mutoyi, follow chaussée du Peuple Murundi past Hopital Maison Medical. You’ll see a sign for the Jabe neighborhood on your right and an arched entrance to a church on your left. Turn right. Look for the blue and yellow painted building with arched windows on your left. The entrance is on the corner.

A Taste of Burundi for You

There are a lot of rumors brewing about the coffee here in Burundi. We were told it was some of the best in the world, and we were psyched to try it. But when we got here we were disappointed and couldn't wait until our Peets from California arrived. We think the "good" coffee gets exported while the cheap stuff stays on the shelves here.

I've discovered where the good coffee goes: Burundi: Starbucks Now Sells Locally-Grown Coffee. I'm curious to know who can find Burundian coffee at their local Starbucks. Let me know if you see it! I'm also curious to know once and for all how it tastes compared to what we can buy here. Mom, if you're reading this, send me a bag. :) (OMG I'm living in Burundi, having my Burundian coffee imported from the United States! I'm a big carbon footprint loser.)

Two Things

1. Mike and I had our first tennis lesson on Sunday. The instructor said we both did quite well for complete beginners. He moved us on to the backhand right away since we both had good forehands.

My extendors are a little out of shape, though, leaving my arm a bit shaky. Now it's just a tad sore. But we're excited to continue with lessons. We think it will be a good activity for the two of us to do together. It's somewhat self-contained, we can do it any time, and there are tennis courts all over the world.

2. Yesterday we visited the two orphanages that we'll be donating Christmas toys to. Oh, those kids are so adorable and heart-breaking. I wanted to take them all home with me. They walk right up and take your hand and say Bonjour. Comment t'appelle tu? Je m'appelle... ("Hello. What's your name? My name is...") They know how to get themselves loved.

Television

I feel like I’ve been away from the United States long enough to be disconnected with the pop culture. I’ve heard the new James Bond movie is out now and isn’t there some lame-looking romantic comedy about Christmas? (I’m just guessing about that lame Christmas movie – I assume there’s one every year.)

We get South Africa and British tv and they are a little behind the United States. They show American programs a season or two behind. “Boston Legal” just started season 4. One channel has season 1 of “Dirty Sexy Money” and another has season 2 (it’s so confusing to watch out of order, but I can never remember which channel is showing which season). I resisted watching that show for a long time but now I’m unfortunately hooked.

Is there a show called “Carpoolers” in the United States? If so you should check it out. I suspect it’s an American show rather than a British one because it takes place in Los Angeles and none of the actors have British accents. But I never saw it on in the States. I’m starting to love this show. It’s not as great as “Arrested Development” (nothing ever will be), but it’s filling a void left by the “Seinfeld” and “Simpsons” reruns that aren’t on here. And it has Jerry O’Connor, who I think of as the poor man’s Jason Bateman. It’s created by Bruce McCullough of “Kids in the Hall”. (All the Kids are Canadian, which makes me think it could just as easily be a British show as American.)

I kind of miss the “South Park”/“Futurama” hour on Comedy Central. I really miss “The Daily Show” and “Colbert Report”. CNN International does a half-hour weekly global edition of “The Daily Show” and it’s not nearly enough Show to keep me happy.

We have a channel called “go” that’s only on for four hours every night. It’s the Commonwealth cousin of the CW. It shows stuff like “Gossip Girl” and “Greek” and I’m positive it must have had “One Tree Hill” and “Gilmore Girls” on at one point. It seems to be stylized after an Atari game, its branding is all green and pixilated.

There’s a South Africa reality channel with the most hilarious TV-show name of all time: “Spa of Embarrassing Illnesses.” I can’t believe I haven’t found time to watch that yet.

Embroidery Project at Centre Guilgal Orphanage

Two posts in one day. Can you dig it? I'm going to be wicked busy for the next few days and I want to share the little write-up I did for my office about the women's shelter that does the embroidery.

At the Centre Guilgal in Bujumbura, girls and young women are learning a craft to secure their futures: Embroidery. Thanks to the collaboration of Margriet Zuure-Stolk and Suzanne Nyanzahe, the young women are creating beautiful fabrics to sell, including tablecloths, napkins, and pillowcases.

“I was roaming the streets and hardly ever had any food before I arrived at the orphanage,” Jeanine says. Thanks to the Centre Guilgal and the efforts of Margriet and all the people who buy the lovely tablecloths Jeanine will soon be living independently.

Suzanne started the Centre Guilgal in 1995 to help give homes to children orphaned by the war. But the children needed more than just a home—they needed skills that could help them gain independence. The boys were taught carpentry and the girls took up sewing.

“When I visited the orphanage for vulnerable girls and boys I saw two girls working hard, learning to sew and embroider,” said Margriet. “But what next? The centre had a problem. After the formation there was no money to let the girls move towards an independent life. I thought it would be a good idea to let them embroider tablecloths which then could be sold. From the money all my friends, colleagues, and family paid for the tablecloths I bought sewing machines. Since then the centre has received a considerable order. We started with two girls, now there 35 girls working on all the orders and 26 have their own sewing machines.”

The girls not only learn how to embroider and sew but they also learn about production, selling, and marketing, bookkeeping and other self-supporting skills, and English.

Margriet continues, “What is so wonderful about this project is that it gives young girls and women a chance at a new future. The tablecloths (serviettes, pillowcases, placemats, etc.) are truly beautiful and have been embroidered with much love and dedication. Everyone who sees them is wildly enthusiastic.”

“Create your own tablecloth” is the slogan at Guilgal. Custom-made items can include animals, palm trees, and Burundian women.


More photos at flickr.

Some notes

It’s been just about a year since we found out we were moving to Burundi. We found out right before Christmas.

What a year it’s been. While I’m not a huge fan of year-end retrospectives, I think I have a few things worth mentioning.

We lived at four different addresses this year. Five if you count that while we lived in a hotel for three months they had us in two different rooms (the first one flooded). Remember, we started the year in California? Then lived in the Virginia and D.C. area for 8 months or so before arriving in Bujumbura.

We moved to freakin’ Africa. That’s pretty cool. Bujumbura is just about the exact opposite of Walnut Creek, San Francisco, San Diego, Washington, D.C., or any place else you can think of in the United States.

It still blows my mind to think about actually being here. It’s frustrating that I can’t have everyone come visit and see for themselves what it’s like. It’s so hard to put into words sometimes. Plus you get immune or desensitized to certain things and at some point they don’t seem noteworthy any more. Par example, Mike points out proudly now that not only can I tell the difference between gunshots and a car backfiring, I don’t panic when I hear the sounds. As long as it didn’t hit you or your house, you go about your business. It’s a talent I never really thought about having to acquire before coming here.

Bits of things I’ve been meaning to blog about for awhile:

I love the Burundian two-handed wave. Our gardener gives it to us every morning and I’ve caught myself waving two-handedly back at him. Burundians are quiet and reserved, yet can be quite cheerful, especially when the Primus is flowing.

It cracks me up that one of the few American movies our cook has seen is Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure. How random is that? Bicycles are coveted here.

We know a guy named Jesus. He works with Mike. That’s Jesus, pronounced the English way, not the Spanish way. It’s not his real name but it’s what everyone in town knows him by. (I only just learned his real name last week.) He’s one of the company drivers and it never ceases to amuse us to say “Jesus is my copilot.” He’s in one of the running clubs here, so it’s also amusing to say “We run with Jesus.”

Have I mentioned that there are driving schools here and I’ve seen cars labeled “Student Driver” on the road, but if they even have traffic laws here they’re never enforced?

There’s a boucherie next to my office, some of the best meat in the city and some imported cheeses and European chocolates. But every afternoon it smells like meat outside. At first I thought that was better than some of the other smells that could be around (the men’s bathroom is around the corner from my office door and men’s rooms here don’t always have doors), but now the daily meat smell makes me a little queasy. I briefly consider vegetarianism every afternoon. It’s not necessarily the smell of spoiled meat. It’s just the smell of meat.

That leads me to my last note of the day: Men’s rooms here don’t always have doors. Sometimes they aren’t even rooms, just urinals stuck to a wall in a hallway. I don’t have to worry about using them obviously. But it’s a little jarring to be at a restaurant looking for the ladies’ room and walk by a urinal stuck to a wall, or worse, walk by someone actually using it.

Get ready for the feats of strength

Holiday party planning is in full swing. The party’s on Friday, so once it’s over I get to sleep until Christmas.

Not really.

I’ve thrown myself into activities to divert my attention from… I’m not homesick exactly but I feel a bit off. Of course there’s the party on Friday. I’m also working on toy donations for local orphanages. (Check out Toys for Tots in your neighborhood! If we can do it in Bujumbura, you can do it wherever you are.) We may do the toy delivery on Christmas morning! Not that these kids have much of a notion of Christmas, but it’s a day we have off and there’s no big family meal to prepare for, so it’s a day of free time.

Today I hosted a woman who works with a local women’s shelter that does embroidery for tablecloths, napkins, and other linens. She came into the office with many products and also took custom orders for more. It was a great success! A lot of people stopped in to see the embroidery and learn about the shelter. I’d like to do events like this with more local artisans and organizations. It’s convenient that the shopping comes to you and you’re supporting local enterprises.

I’m also organizing talks on avian flu and malaria next week. Fun!

I sound so great, don’t I? As George Costanza once said, “I could be a kick ass philanthropist!” That reminds me, Festivus is coming up soon too. There must be an aluminum pole around here somewhere.

Yay!

I've been busy at work. Thanksgiving came and went. I had a lovely dinner with some co-workers and friends. I had a boring weekend while I sat around thinking about our last shipment of belongings that arrived on that Friday but didn't make it out of customs quickly. It finally got delivered on Wednesday morning.

I have my sewing machine! Yay!

We have a three-day weekend this weekend. Yay! I'm going to sew and bake cookies for the upcoming office holiday party all weekend long. (What a happy homemaker I am!)

Mike should be home one week from today. Yay!

Lots to "Yay!" about today.