neighbours

(january 13, 2012)

i am openly critical of people who visit a country on holiday and return home needing to do something about the poverty that they likely witnessed from their safari mobile or while on their wander through a capital city or rural area.

i don’t doubt people’s motives or believe that they don’t mean well in deciding to take up donations of used clothing to ship overseas or want to start their own foundation to put girls through school, but the reality is that what is witnessed on a two week vacation is not going to be easily fixed by starting a new ngo or from someone naively adopting a community or individual as their personal cause.

however, these same values have been challenged recently.  first, when i was put on the spot to explain why stopping our safari mobile on the side of the road in rural tanzania to give away our football to a stranger was a bad idea hidden by the good hearts and intentions of family members.  trying to explain that by picking out a child from the side of the road to give away a prized football could cause them and others to expect or hope that future vehicles travelling by with foreign faces will also deposit footballs.  and the last thing that is needed is more children hanging around roads waiting for gifts to come.  it would also make more sense to have the football donated to a school that could ensure it was available to more children to play with.  and to give the ball to the teacher in front of the students to prevent it from going missing or being taken out of the school.

luckily, we came up with a creative solution that didn’t make me look like a total asshole and included giving the ball away to a local tourism company that we were travelling with that has developed a sport and education programme in a village near their safari lodge that we had recently stayed at.  but it was interesting to see that as soon as there was effort involved in finding the office, a shop that sold a pump and other items to include with the ball, and dropping it all off, the interest in ‘doing good’ decreased, probably because the ‘problem’ was now no longer in front of our eyes.

another challenge has come whenever i walk out of my house to head into town.  my street is optimistically called 3^rd street, but it is really a dirt alleyway without a street sign and you wouldn’t be blamed if you drove right by it on the main street (which happens rather regularly with delivery drivers…).  on the same street where i live in relative luxury is a house that was clearly bombed and/or burned during the civil wars.  and now a few families are living as squatters in the property without electricity or running water.

on the other side of my house is a similar beachfront lot with a house that was once undoubtedly a gem on the coastline, but now is a skeleton of what it once was.  and again, it is occupied by a family with a newborn that sometimes wakes me up in the early morning hours, our houses are so close to one another. 

and i can appreciate how those same people who come to a place like liberia and are overcome with the poverty and want to do something to remedy such an ethical wrong would also look at the disparity that exists right on my street.  and part of me just wants to give the kids that i see, having their daily baths or playing in their backyard that is cordoned off with pieces of scrap metal, whatever change i have in my pocket because i know a few liberian dollars will go much further for them than for me.

but, i also realize that just as giving away a football on the side of the road, my few liberian dollars are not going to overcome the systemic challenges facing a country and its people still rebuilding after devastating civil wars.  and because someone before me has clearly given something away on my street, i am regularly asked for ‘a chocolate’ or ‘a dollar’ or ‘a pen’ by the kids.

instead, i do what i can and purchase local produce and support the small enterprises in my neighbourhood and the greater city of monrovia.  in fact, i am now looking for a good tailor to make something out of all the fabric i have collected!

the week ahead

after my complaining about having a houseguest (who is a marvellous cook, i do admit), i will be spending the next week on my own in the big city of monrovia.

truth be told, i wish i was also heading out to the field to see more of the country, but instead i will be making the most of my time.  i have found a few shops that i want to check out: afropolitan and Jola House Creations and i'd like to take a trip to waterfront market to buy some lapas, but am a bit nervous to go alone partly because i have no idea how much anything should cost and partly because i envision it being a cacophonous and seemingly chaotic place.  i could be entirely wrong, but may enlist mary's help to navigate it.

one of the challenges to life in monrovia for me is that there are few options for transportation and i feel as though i can't be as independent as i'd like.  we don't have a car, although i recently learned that we could have one if someone had renewed his license (and knew how to drive standard...).  the yellow shared taxis that ply the roads are seemingly ubiquitous, but also come with a queue of people ready to fight their way to squeeze into the car doors and i'm not sure how exactly payment or the system works, which will cause me quite a bit of stress.

there are the motorcycle taxis, driven by young men often with a version of trendy (and sometimes lens-less) sunglasses regardless of the time of day.  the un security briefing includes a prohibition against using these, but we tried them out on the weekend and i must admit that it was a much more pleasant way to come home after a day in the city than being stuck to the synthetic seats of a dilapidated taxi.  very breezy and rather exhilarating, if not a bit dangerous.

the typical mode of transportation i use is a car service operated by 5 guys.  their cars are not always so reliable, as we found out while we were stuck for an hour this past weekend, but they are very friendly and a great resource about all things liberian.  they tend to be available when you call, but it means that you have to hire them for short journeys or by the hour.  and when i am in a shop knowing someone is waiting for me, i can't help but rush through my shopping.  i think that this is something that i will just have to get used to otherwise i will spend the next few months rushing about and worrying about how long i am taking.  the other downside is that if you just want to wander about and catch a taxi home, you can't.  i either plan a pick up time or location or call them and hope they are free to collect me when i'm ready.

after my week of living like a bachelorette again, i will be packing my own bags to head to dar es salaam, tanzania to celebrate christmas on the other coast of africa.  let the countdown begin!

a lot to process

i am just going to ease back into this blogging thing.  even though i HAVE made a deal to blog twice weekly.

and not that i haven't had about a thousand ideas of stuff to write about as i prepare to pick up my life and relocate to monrovia, liberia in 1 short week.

but baby steps.

and today those baby steps revolve around my panic that air canada's flight attendants have decided to strike as of this thursday.  the first legs of my journey are with air canada so here i am on thanksgiving sunday worrying that i might not be able to get to monrovia.  and this is all complicated with the fact that only 3 days after i arrive, i am booked on a non-refundable flight to casablanca, morocco.  eesh.

and this comes at a time where i am struggling with so many conflicting emotions.  i suppose that it goes without saying that leaving your hometown (again), your job, your house, and your network and friends and family, is tough.  the goodbyes, the realization that i will miss months, if not years, of my new niece's life, and knowing that i am leaving a vibrant social network is sad.

this is tempered with the excitement i have for moving to a new country, a new city, and a new house that promises to bring adventure and hold a bright future.  i am thrilled to be able to enjoy a holiday to morocco, christmas in tanzania, and daily life in a city that will certainly mystify, confound, and surprise me in equal measure.  i was ready for a change, as evidenced by my moaning for months about figuring out what i want to be when i grow up, and here it is.  it just happens to come with a lot of thoughts, feelings, and stress.  but then again, if it were easy, everyone would do it.  and if it weren't a challenge, i probably wouldn't be interested.

proudly supporting my little (big) bro

my little bro is going to go to tanzania at the end of this school year on a grade 12 trip and part of his responsibility before he leaves is to do some socially responsible activities in his own community. so he and my step dad have decided to do the AIDS walk this year here in calgary.

if you would like to support a 17 year old to get more involved in his community (and he is a pretty cool 17 year old, if my opinion counts), support the awareness raising efforts of organisations on HIV/AIDS, support organisations that assist those living with AIDS, or if you just want to donate money to a worthwhile cause, take a look here!

26

dear 26,

man, was that a year. you were so much easier to deal with than 25, thank the good lord.

we did a lot together, you and i. we travelled to a few different african countries – we got stung by sea urchins in zanzibar, we safaried with the fam in kenya in the safarimobile, we hung out on a few different indian ocean beaches, we hiked and camped in the rift valley, we fell in love with ethiopia and the smell of frankincense, we melted and battled malaria in egypt, and we roadtripped in tanzania. we also visited in london, and were canadian bound twice.

together we met some pretty fantastic people and have a lot of stories to tell about our year together. some that can only be brought out when children are not present and some that we have photographic proof of (thank you facebook). we worked harder than we’ve ever had to work at a job. and got paid less than we’ve ever gotten paid for a real job.

there was a good amount of stress that we shared though, and i think we can partially blame that for the new creases i found with you. i won’t blame you though, i know it is not your fault. i believe that you wanted the best for me and i trusted you. unlike that 25. jerk.

between current jobs and future careers, i worried a lot this year. i will probably never stop worrying, but it would be nice if you could have told me that it will All Be OK when i was in mid-crisis. and there were a few.

together we met a soldier and had cheese and wine on patios during thunder storms, field trips to war cemetaries, safari lodges, african camp sites, the produce section, and a lot of indian food. we dealt with distance, work commitments, directional changes, differing perspectives, previous relationships, travels to south africa (him), egypt (me), and tanzania and canada (us). i began to rethink all the things i thought i wanted. most are still on the table, but i was challenged in new ways and i think you knew all along it would be ok. thanks for that, if i haven’t said it before.

26, we’ve moved into a new nest together and in the process had to navigate some friendships that were heading off the map. but i would say we built more than we tore down this year, much of which will last through 27 and beyond. i think we made a good team. here’s hoping your friend 27 will be into teamwork as well.

but what is up with being sick so much this year? i have never been the sick kid before, but between sinus infections, malaria, coughs, colds, sore kidneys, and a touch of the laryngitis, i think that i need to pay more attention to my health in future years and perhaps this was a gentle reminder. and sunscreen, i must remember sunscreen. but really, enough with the sick. it doesn’t suit me.

and here i must bid you adieu. keep up the good work. and if you she her, tell 27 that i have some big expectations for the upcoming year.

lu

changes and adjustments

because my blogging has been sporadic at best lately, i present you with a list.

• i am signed up to run a 10km race this sunday. i haven’t run 10km in over a year and i fear that i will be collecting my lungs off the streets of nairobi if and when i drag my arse over the finish line
• i have already planned the greasy breakfast i will eat after i finish the 10km
• i am moving and i am very excited about it. in a few weeks i will be the proud resident of a 2 bedroom flat that is warm and cozy and everything i need right now.
• i went to tanzania last weekend as it was a long weekend here in kenya and the part of my life that i love right now is that i can take road trips to have camping adventures in tanzania on weekends
• arusha is a great town
• cadbury's chocolate tastes a lot better in tanzania
• the jacarandas are in bloom and although they may share responsibility with every other flowering plant for my allergies, their purple flowers make me smile on the inside whenever i see them
• it is 49 days until i come home for christmas and i am already so excited. a bit premature on the excitement, perhaps, as my trip will be only 22 days in comparison.
• my newest obsession is listening to Alison Krauss
• The Historian, although a book about vampires, is a great read, if not a little long
• the u of c is giving George Stromboloupolous an honorary degree, interesting
• my job is all about hurrying up to wait lately. it got old about a week ago
• when one of your good friends is working in darfur and then your hometown’s newspaper’s front page says ‘two canadians kidnapped in darfur,’ it is more than a little unsettling
• dating someone who was married before can be rather difficult at times. worth it entirely, but difficult.

dear internet,

i am sitting in my new office that has much better light than my old office (and i therefore will not be affectionately calling it The Cave as i did my old one) but i am crawling over furniture to get to my desk and my phone and internet function only when they damn well feel like it, which can be a bit trying. but i am feeling much better after a near-spirit-death experience this past week.

perhaps my change in mood and disposition is because i am currently drafting interview questions so that i can hire an intern. i guess you can feel like you are making progress when a year after you were the intern you are responsible for picking a new intern. it should be good and i will not be too cruel in asking them how they feel about doing my photocopying and envelop licking. because i am no diva and am more than happy to do envelop licking but it will be nice to have someone track people down on the phone. how does a country exist without voicemail?!

in entertainment news, i saw Super Bad last night and although it was not super bad, it really wasn't that great and the best part of the movie was the popcorn. or when i asked the guy if they had some butter to put on top and he explained to me that they were 'a little behind' and did not yet have buttered popcorn. who knew buttered popcorn was a sign of the times?

i made a dish with shrimp last night and this is perhaps the second or third time i have ever cooked them and i am not sure i really enjoy the shrimp when i have cooked the shrimp myself. i am going back to my no-meat, no-fish, no-shrimp cooking regime.

i have also sourced myself a new kitchen table and chairs. thank god, because making a delicious meal and then sitting down to eat it on your couch like an impoverished student got old long before i finished my years of post-secondary education. i am also rather looking forward to 2 long weekends in a row, both of which will be spent camping. the first weekend will be the dress rehersal for the real deal the following weekend where, if all goes well (and it often doesn't in the east africa planning department), i should be popping down to tanzania to check out the ngorongoro crater and olduvai gorge. i love the birthplace of humanity.

uh oh, problem with the new office space. now that the bathroom is across the hall from my office, i can hear when people decide to snarfle into the sink. what else do you call that noise where people suck out all the mucus from their sinuses and spit it out? well, someone just did that. and when they interviewed me and i said i was comfortable working in an international and multicultural environment, i don't think i was thinking of that! kenyans, somalis, canadians, pakistanis, brits, italian, filipinos, eritreans, americans, sudanese... never a dull moment around here.

hearts and thoughts, they fade

valentine's day in kenya is pretty intense. shops give specials, the hospital excused fees for some people, and there are little kiosks set up selling the cheesiest bunches of red roses (i really don't like roses, i don't know why, seem too artificial - but tulips or calla lillies and i'm yours). everyone wishes you a happy valentine's day and i had totally forgotten until this morning. normally i like to do something valentine's-y for my friends. last year i baked cookies and packaged them in handmade bags with cards. this year, my efforts have fallen short.

to celebrate this valentine's day i watched The Last Kiss. i liked it. the older i get, the more grey relationships seem. not as black and white as i once naively thought. and the movie reflects that in the most sad and painful way. but it is also hopeful, i think. it reminded me of The Breakup. are movies reflecting reality more these days or am i just seeking out the movies that represent life a little better? it was funny, in The Last Kiss, the person i thought i would be rooting for at the beginning totally wasn't and i found myself hoping for a different outcome. i guess you could say the movie made me think. and those are the best kind.

ok, i lied, to really celebrate this valentine's day i am going to zanzibar, which really ain't so bad. i leave in just a few hours and i haven't even packed yet, but i think it will a great time as long as i remember my bikini, my kikoi, and my sunscreen (no sunglasses since i lost one pair and broke the other). how can you argue with a beach, tropical ocean water, swahili culture, and a few good books?