Stuart ni miye tulienda ku nyumba ya Stuart hii asubui.
Yeah, I wrote that without looking. I'm actaully picking up quite a bit of Swahili and can begin to express myself with the language. I usually can't understand what people are saying at all, but I'm working on it. Usually when I say anything beyond "Jambo" the response is "Oh, you know Swahili. ksdnfengzlkgaointoiwengasildhgklabgalkhfionzadgqehgthnsg" and they start speaking like they are seeing a friend they haven't seen in 12 years and are only going to get to talk to them for 3 and a half minutes. I wanted to have a grasp of the Swahili language by the end of October, and since it's the end I was thinking about how I've been doing.
I'd say it's going pretty well. There was about a week and a half where my learning was pretty slow, but now it's taken off again. I made flash cards and have been taking 4-6 of them and looking at them throughout the day. If I'm reading, after every page I'll go over those 4. While getting ready in the morning, I'll glance at them all the time. That intensive studying is really working and I'm encouraged by my progress. Today I figured out how to make plurals of words after looking at two words I knew displaying the two main rules for plural making. Stuart was kind of impressed. It was a good day.
So what did I do today? Well, Stuart and I had my lesson at his house this morning (that's what the sentence at the top says) and that was really cool. We tlaked on the way there and it was a good opportunity to see a different part of Goma and was a great learning opportunity as we looked at things in his house and talked about them.
So we went from teh hospital and his house was only 10 minutes away or so. It was along a drainage ditch, so we were walking on top of the 1 meter deep pit and winding through the back parts of the city for about 2 minutes. We entered a small gate and a wooden fenced compound and there was a small courtyard of dirt/lava and a long townhouse on each side of the courtyard. Stuart lived in the back most appartment in the row, and his house was kind of cool. He is the only one living there and he is pretty educated and fairly well off, but the apartment was made of wood, and had a metal roof, and electricity (whenever the city had it) and it was a great experience. If I go back, maybe I'll ask to take some pictures, but I didn't feel comfortable doing that yet.
I also saw a chicken next to the building. It wasn't Stuarts, but it's so cool to me how developing countries just have food production all over. Every piece of dirt is used and there are goats and chickens all over too. We need more goats and chickens in the cities of the states. It would be so much cooler that way.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Monday, October 29, 2007
Wilfrieda's back
Well, it's about time I think, but she and her husband are back. They had a great trip and learned a bit while they were gone too about various things. We headed out to Mawe Hai this morning and I talked to her husband a lot while we were there about different thing's I've researched while they were gone and their feasibilities.
As we looked at the moringa seedlings I noted again the poor germination rate. Tomorrow we are going to replant the seeds in the pots that didn't germinate and I'm taking the seeds to Maji tonight and I will soak some and take some and do a germination test. If the test shows poor germination, then there is nothing we can do. If it shows high germination rates, then we have a problem and need to change something.
While we were at Mawe I heard him yelling to someone about compost. While they were gone they learned about compost with turning the piles and many different techniques. Where they learned toted 18 day compost which is very reasonable, so that's what they want to try. I was super excited about that because like at Maji, Mawe Hai wastes a lot of matter. They often just leave the matter in piles to rot slowly and under the rain and slow decomposition, a lot of the nutrients are washed away from the finished product anyways. One day while they were gone I actually designed an experiment for different composting methods, so I think we will probably go ahead with that very soon.
He was very interested in ethanol production from the sugar cane. That came about because they didn't have gas for the water pump so they were carrying the water up from the lake by hand. It didn't look very fun to me. I asked about what happens to the sugar cane and it is all just for human consumption. They do not make sugar or molasses from it here in North Kivu (where Goma and the fighting is). It would be very possible to get some sugar cane and start doing experiments on distillations, but we still wouldn't have anything to run it in. I need to find out how to convert water pumps or generators to run on ethanol and then maybe we can go forward with that. Me researching that is limited by my non-mechanical background, but I'm pretty sure if I try I can figure it out, or at least figure out if it is possible or not.
We talked about different legume trees as well and there are three for sure at Mawe Hai. The one they forgot what it was but one of the workers knew. Tomorrow I'll have them write it down so I can research them. The legumes fix nitrogen from the air into the soil and are also high in protein so they are good animal feeds.
Cooking oil was another thing we talked about. All the oil is imported here and while it would take 3 or 4 years for the oil palm trees to bear fruit, that is an option to consider. He was very interested in the process and the design of simple presses so I think I have my work cut out for me. I'm going to try and summarize a lot of the stuff I've been thinking about and bring them up over the next couple days to Wilfrieda and her husband and when Lyn gets back we can all talk about it.
It was also a good day because I am trying to use as much Swahili as possible and going to Mawe Hai is a great place for that. I know that if they mis understand me, it's not too bad (unlike if I go to buy something and get misunderstood and I end up with a bus, a chicken and a hammer when I really wanted a shirt) and they are always trying to help me. It is cool to finally be able to start saying things in Swahili, although understanding people is still hard. My vocabulary isn't big enough to catch all the different ways people say things, but that will come with time.
In case you haven't noticed, I'm slightly excited to be doing something again. As we replant tomorrow I'll enjoy actually working again (and maybe if I'm lucky, I can help with building the shed at Mawe too (check out the pics in album 2)).
As we looked at the moringa seedlings I noted again the poor germination rate. Tomorrow we are going to replant the seeds in the pots that didn't germinate and I'm taking the seeds to Maji tonight and I will soak some and take some and do a germination test. If the test shows poor germination, then there is nothing we can do. If it shows high germination rates, then we have a problem and need to change something.
While we were at Mawe I heard him yelling to someone about compost. While they were gone they learned about compost with turning the piles and many different techniques. Where they learned toted 18 day compost which is very reasonable, so that's what they want to try. I was super excited about that because like at Maji, Mawe Hai wastes a lot of matter. They often just leave the matter in piles to rot slowly and under the rain and slow decomposition, a lot of the nutrients are washed away from the finished product anyways. One day while they were gone I actually designed an experiment for different composting methods, so I think we will probably go ahead with that very soon.
He was very interested in ethanol production from the sugar cane. That came about because they didn't have gas for the water pump so they were carrying the water up from the lake by hand. It didn't look very fun to me. I asked about what happens to the sugar cane and it is all just for human consumption. They do not make sugar or molasses from it here in North Kivu (where Goma and the fighting is). It would be very possible to get some sugar cane and start doing experiments on distillations, but we still wouldn't have anything to run it in. I need to find out how to convert water pumps or generators to run on ethanol and then maybe we can go forward with that. Me researching that is limited by my non-mechanical background, but I'm pretty sure if I try I can figure it out, or at least figure out if it is possible or not.
We talked about different legume trees as well and there are three for sure at Mawe Hai. The one they forgot what it was but one of the workers knew. Tomorrow I'll have them write it down so I can research them. The legumes fix nitrogen from the air into the soil and are also high in protein so they are good animal feeds.
Cooking oil was another thing we talked about. All the oil is imported here and while it would take 3 or 4 years for the oil palm trees to bear fruit, that is an option to consider. He was very interested in the process and the design of simple presses so I think I have my work cut out for me. I'm going to try and summarize a lot of the stuff I've been thinking about and bring them up over the next couple days to Wilfrieda and her husband and when Lyn gets back we can all talk about it.
It was also a good day because I am trying to use as much Swahili as possible and going to Mawe Hai is a great place for that. I know that if they mis understand me, it's not too bad (unlike if I go to buy something and get misunderstood and I end up with a bus, a chicken and a hammer when I really wanted a shirt) and they are always trying to help me. It is cool to finally be able to start saying things in Swahili, although understanding people is still hard. My vocabulary isn't big enough to catch all the different ways people say things, but that will come with time.
In case you haven't noticed, I'm slightly excited to be doing something again. As we replant tomorrow I'll enjoy actually working again (and maybe if I'm lucky, I can help with building the shed at Mawe too (check out the pics in album 2)).
Moving day
I moved on Saturday. My room was too big and had three beds for only one person to be staying in. There is another team coming from Minnesota tomorrow (Tuesday) so I moved into a smaller room. I think it's going to be all right.
My window now faces the new house they are building for Joe and Lyn. I like the view and I think there might be a possibility for me to use the space outside my window to plant stuff in. It is out of the way that it wouldn't interfere with the flower gardens of the main guest house and I might be able to have a small garden there. Or if not a garden, I can maybe compost there. So much stuff is thrown away here and tossed in the lake. Besides vegetable wastes from the kitchen, there is a lot of other plant waste because of the grooming of the flower beds. They take wheel barrows full of stuff and dump them into the lake and then bring in cow manure to fertilize the garden with. Sounds like a waste to me that can be stopped. Maybe I can make my own soil via composting and plant in it to show the benefits of it to the house staff. Sounds like a plan to me.
The room is shaped in a weird sort of L that makes it a little interesting. I think what I'm going to try and do is put my bed on the small part of the L and use the longer side as my desk space, a sitting place, and maybe have some potted plants inside too. The walls are white, the ceiling is white, and the floor is bare concrete, so it could use a little pick me up. The only thing that really stands out is the pink mosquito net over the bed. I'll maybe get some pics up on facebook soon, but not until tomorrow at least.
I want to build a shelf to go over my desk. Besides adding something to the room (the desk is white too) of another color, it will vastly increase my shelving space and hopefully release the desk from the clutches of clutter. Now with my computer on the desk the rest is filled with all sorts of stuff that could all have a place on a shelf. I also want to build a shelf for my clothes. That can go in the small side of the L with the bed. Now my clothes are spread out on another bed in the room which I will hopefully flip up against the wall (I need to make sure, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to be the only one in the room for a long time).
The plants are going to go by the window and in the corner opposite the door will go a sitting area. I am looking for a comfortable chair (I like the one's that are in the living room of the main house, but don't want to take one without asking) and I figured I'm going to be here for over a year yet, so it's worth it. A small table or mini stand to hold a book, my computer, or my feet would complete that part.
I need something to go on the walls too. It looks so plain right now. If I find any good African pictures, I might get them. I can always bring them back with me too if I roll them up.
The ultimate plan then is to close off the small part of the L with a curtain or sheet hung from the ceiling to make a separate sleeping place from the working place. If I get a cool curtain, it will add to the room, and I refuse to get a white one - that would add to what I'm trying to get away from. Anyways, I'm pretty happy with the move and am excited to see what happens. I think it will work well and as an ultimate bonus, the bed is nicer in the new room.
My window now faces the new house they are building for Joe and Lyn. I like the view and I think there might be a possibility for me to use the space outside my window to plant stuff in. It is out of the way that it wouldn't interfere with the flower gardens of the main guest house and I might be able to have a small garden there. Or if not a garden, I can maybe compost there. So much stuff is thrown away here and tossed in the lake. Besides vegetable wastes from the kitchen, there is a lot of other plant waste because of the grooming of the flower beds. They take wheel barrows full of stuff and dump them into the lake and then bring in cow manure to fertilize the garden with. Sounds like a waste to me that can be stopped. Maybe I can make my own soil via composting and plant in it to show the benefits of it to the house staff. Sounds like a plan to me.
The room is shaped in a weird sort of L that makes it a little interesting. I think what I'm going to try and do is put my bed on the small part of the L and use the longer side as my desk space, a sitting place, and maybe have some potted plants inside too. The walls are white, the ceiling is white, and the floor is bare concrete, so it could use a little pick me up. The only thing that really stands out is the pink mosquito net over the bed. I'll maybe get some pics up on facebook soon, but not until tomorrow at least.
I want to build a shelf to go over my desk. Besides adding something to the room (the desk is white too) of another color, it will vastly increase my shelving space and hopefully release the desk from the clutches of clutter. Now with my computer on the desk the rest is filled with all sorts of stuff that could all have a place on a shelf. I also want to build a shelf for my clothes. That can go in the small side of the L with the bed. Now my clothes are spread out on another bed in the room which I will hopefully flip up against the wall (I need to make sure, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to be the only one in the room for a long time).
The plants are going to go by the window and in the corner opposite the door will go a sitting area. I am looking for a comfortable chair (I like the one's that are in the living room of the main house, but don't want to take one without asking) and I figured I'm going to be here for over a year yet, so it's worth it. A small table or mini stand to hold a book, my computer, or my feet would complete that part.
I need something to go on the walls too. It looks so plain right now. If I find any good African pictures, I might get them. I can always bring them back with me too if I roll them up.
The ultimate plan then is to close off the small part of the L with a curtain or sheet hung from the ceiling to make a separate sleeping place from the working place. If I get a cool curtain, it will add to the room, and I refuse to get a white one - that would add to what I'm trying to get away from. Anyways, I'm pretty happy with the move and am excited to see what happens. I think it will work well and as an ultimate bonus, the bed is nicer in the new room.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Flash cards
I've come to the conclusion that I really need some flash cards. I'm learning Swahili and I understand the sentence structure and how to describe things, and my computer is great; I have a dictionary, a verb guide, practice sentences and "words I want to know" documents that are really helping me. I made the dictionary and verb guide and they really seem to be great. Only problem is all my stuff is on my computer now so it's impractical to carry around with me. I'm pretty sure the computer is the easiest way to organize the things I'm learning right now because you don't have to allow a certain amount of space on a notebook page for expansion. All one has to do is click "enter" and a new line appears. But it's not enough. I need to practice raw vocabulary and I think flash cards will be the way forward, so I need some index cards or something like that. I was going to use regular printer paper if I had to but I couldn't find any in my room so I'm going to try and find index cards, cut them down to size, and see what happens.
There is a doctor here now doing fistula repairs. She is originally Dutch and now lives in Uganda, and has been doing fistulas almost exclusively since 2000. There is a backlog of almost 100 patients here at the hospital and when she showed up they flocked to her singing and thanking her. She is a very interesting person to talk to because she's been in Africa for a very long time. Oh, and she was also the one who as soon as I pulled over for the flat got out of the car and went with whoever was giving her a ride.
We were talking last night at dinner and she was talking about the nature of the fistulas. She said only 3 or 4 out of a hundred were because of the most brutal rapes where bamboo, knives, or gun barrels are used and the rest are of a different result. What happens when the soldiers rape young or unhealthy women is they get pregnant. That then brings shame to the families and the families try to hide the young victims. When they are too young or unhealthy to give birth naturally and really need a Cesarean Section, the families don't even try going to the hospitals because of the shame, so they have the child anyways, resulting in the fistula. I thought maybe this would only happen to the young women though and all the older women must have had the damage done in the actual act, but that was explained too as some of the women have had their fistulas for 20 or 30 years. I'm not trying to downplay all the media from this region, because the most brutal rapes are the ones that get all the attention, but it is not like that all the time. Most of the time the fistula still comes from rapes, but are the result of the pregnancy from the rapes.
I thought Wilfrieda was coming back this week, but I heard a rumor that she ran out of money and couldn't get back. Someone was trying to get her money but the gist is she's not here yet and I'm still chilling. I don't mind too much, but I'm really at a standstill now having run out of ideas to research and needing to know more information about the local situations before I go any further. That said, now it's the rainy season, but I think I might re-look at solar cookers again. I checked them out a lot when I was in the Philippines and I think I might do some more research on that.
I also just found out some of the girls are going to Salt and Pepper for Indian food in a half hour for lunch. I've never been there so I'm probably going along. I hope it's good.
There is a doctor here now doing fistula repairs. She is originally Dutch and now lives in Uganda, and has been doing fistulas almost exclusively since 2000. There is a backlog of almost 100 patients here at the hospital and when she showed up they flocked to her singing and thanking her. She is a very interesting person to talk to because she's been in Africa for a very long time. Oh, and she was also the one who as soon as I pulled over for the flat got out of the car and went with whoever was giving her a ride.
We were talking last night at dinner and she was talking about the nature of the fistulas. She said only 3 or 4 out of a hundred were because of the most brutal rapes where bamboo, knives, or gun barrels are used and the rest are of a different result. What happens when the soldiers rape young or unhealthy women is they get pregnant. That then brings shame to the families and the families try to hide the young victims. When they are too young or unhealthy to give birth naturally and really need a Cesarean Section, the families don't even try going to the hospitals because of the shame, so they have the child anyways, resulting in the fistula. I thought maybe this would only happen to the young women though and all the older women must have had the damage done in the actual act, but that was explained too as some of the women have had their fistulas for 20 or 30 years. I'm not trying to downplay all the media from this region, because the most brutal rapes are the ones that get all the attention, but it is not like that all the time. Most of the time the fistula still comes from rapes, but are the result of the pregnancy from the rapes.
I thought Wilfrieda was coming back this week, but I heard a rumor that she ran out of money and couldn't get back. Someone was trying to get her money but the gist is she's not here yet and I'm still chilling. I don't mind too much, but I'm really at a standstill now having run out of ideas to research and needing to know more information about the local situations before I go any further. That said, now it's the rainy season, but I think I might re-look at solar cookers again. I checked them out a lot when I was in the Philippines and I think I might do some more research on that.
I also just found out some of the girls are going to Salt and Pepper for Indian food in a half hour for lunch. I've never been there so I'm probably going along. I hope it's good.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Moringa update
My internet has been excessively bad all weekend and posting pictures hasn't been an option. Now though there are pics up from Mawe Hai from Friday.
I went out to Mawe in the morning by myself and was rather surprised by the road. It is fascinating how much the roads change here. It's more like a river than a road, always changing and never the same. The potholes were all in different spots and the side of the road (where a lot of the driving occurs) was different too. Sometimes we go off the road onto the side to avoid potholes but then the side of the road gets its own potholes, so you are always on your toes. At one point though I was going almost 70 km/hour and that was pretty much the fastest I've ever gone here so that was fun.
The moringa is growing fairly well I think. It's been almost a month and the plants that are growing are doing all right, but I'm pretty disappointed at the germination rate. Something really cool though is the branches of Moringa we planted are growing now too. They have sprouts and I'm really excited about that. If those would grow well and might even be better than the seeds (you can plant them from 2 feet to 4 feet long so that's a pretty big head start over the seeds) we could use that for short distance, short transition time plantings.
They are also expanding a lot at Mawe. They have beds formed and are waiting for soil to put in them. It's cool to go too because it is always changing with different things being planted and harvested and is cool to see function. I'm really excited to see how it will change over the year I'm here.
I'm hoping Wilfrieda will be back this week and we can talk and start doing some stuff again. I'm running out of ideas and feel like actually doing some work. There are pics of the Moringa under the second album on the right hand side of the site. Check it out, and they should be the last pictures now.
I went out to Mawe in the morning by myself and was rather surprised by the road. It is fascinating how much the roads change here. It's more like a river than a road, always changing and never the same. The potholes were all in different spots and the side of the road (where a lot of the driving occurs) was different too. Sometimes we go off the road onto the side to avoid potholes but then the side of the road gets its own potholes, so you are always on your toes. At one point though I was going almost 70 km/hour and that was pretty much the fastest I've ever gone here so that was fun.
The moringa is growing fairly well I think. It's been almost a month and the plants that are growing are doing all right, but I'm pretty disappointed at the germination rate. Something really cool though is the branches of Moringa we planted are growing now too. They have sprouts and I'm really excited about that. If those would grow well and might even be better than the seeds (you can plant them from 2 feet to 4 feet long so that's a pretty big head start over the seeds) we could use that for short distance, short transition time plantings.
They are also expanding a lot at Mawe. They have beds formed and are waiting for soil to put in them. It's cool to go too because it is always changing with different things being planted and harvested and is cool to see function. I'm really excited to see how it will change over the year I'm here.
I'm hoping Wilfrieda will be back this week and we can talk and start doing some stuff again. I'm running out of ideas and feel like actually doing some work. There are pics of the Moringa under the second album on the right hand side of the site. Check it out, and they should be the last pictures now.
Flat
When in a country where you don't know the language and there are people everywhere and police and militias are all over, you don't often want to stop on the side of the road if you aren't going to quick go into a shop and quickly get out. So when there was a weird sound coming from the car whenever I accelerated I didn't really want to stop. A surgeon from Holland who now lives in Uganda didn't notice anything, or if she did she didn't say anything anyways. Finally though there was a space on the side of the road I was comfortable pulling over into. There weren't too many people and I had to check it out. Something wasn't right.
As I had thought the back tire on the passenger side was flat. I was pretty disappointed because I thought I was doing a really good job of avoiding potholes and couldn't think of one pothole that was worse than any other I did and was trying to figure out when it would have happened. Either way though, the tire was definitely flat.
I put in a call to Harper as a guy came to the window and started chatting with the surgeon. Soon she was leaving with this guy to go to the hospital and left me, who had no clue what any of the 6 people around the car were saying, by myself. Harper was calling the hospital and they would send someone, but I didn't really want to wait. Getting out and fixing it myself was much more comforting than having every Congolese person who walked by try and talk to me through the window. I opened the trunk and was looking for the tire jack... couldn't find one. There was a tire iron under the driver's seat so I got that out.
There was one guy who said he would help me. If I could only find the jack I wouldn't need his help and I could do it myself. Oh well, I gave in knowing what would happen. Someone had the tire iron and was taking the spare off the back and someone else went to get a "crank." Soon the spare was off and the flat tire loosened. The crank was brought and in no time at all two people had the tire fixed, but there were also 4 watching. As it got closer to being done the guy who was helping me said something about "see we are finished, now we just wait for a gift from DOCS*" I knew that was coming.
They finished and I grabbed the tire iron and the spare tire and trunked them. Then I got in the car and shut the door with the window only open a bit and looked for some money I pulled out a couple dollars and the guy laughed. I was thinking 5 maybe, but you can't start like that.
"Maybe 10" he said indicating all the people who had helped.
"Whatever" I told him "two people helped and the rest watched."
"Come on, we need 10"
"No way. 5 at the most."
"5? no."
"Fine" I said as I gave him a dollar and 200 franks (like 40 cents) and closed my wallet.
"Ok, 5. And 1 for crank. I need gift for man with crank."
"all right" I said as I handed him the 5 as well. I drove off after saying thanks thinking we really need a tire jack in the car. I wonder if there is one and I just didn't see it. Anyways, I knew it was going to cost me and besides not minding the 5 dollars, it was a great cultural experience and happened remarkably like I thought it was going to.
* DOCS is what HEAL Africa used to be called and around Goma it is still often called DOCS HEAL Africa or just DOCS
As I had thought the back tire on the passenger side was flat. I was pretty disappointed because I thought I was doing a really good job of avoiding potholes and couldn't think of one pothole that was worse than any other I did and was trying to figure out when it would have happened. Either way though, the tire was definitely flat.
I put in a call to Harper as a guy came to the window and started chatting with the surgeon. Soon she was leaving with this guy to go to the hospital and left me, who had no clue what any of the 6 people around the car were saying, by myself. Harper was calling the hospital and they would send someone, but I didn't really want to wait. Getting out and fixing it myself was much more comforting than having every Congolese person who walked by try and talk to me through the window. I opened the trunk and was looking for the tire jack... couldn't find one. There was a tire iron under the driver's seat so I got that out.
There was one guy who said he would help me. If I could only find the jack I wouldn't need his help and I could do it myself. Oh well, I gave in knowing what would happen. Someone had the tire iron and was taking the spare off the back and someone else went to get a "crank." Soon the spare was off and the flat tire loosened. The crank was brought and in no time at all two people had the tire fixed, but there were also 4 watching. As it got closer to being done the guy who was helping me said something about "see we are finished, now we just wait for a gift from DOCS*" I knew that was coming.
They finished and I grabbed the tire iron and the spare tire and trunked them. Then I got in the car and shut the door with the window only open a bit and looked for some money I pulled out a couple dollars and the guy laughed. I was thinking 5 maybe, but you can't start like that.
"Maybe 10" he said indicating all the people who had helped.
"Whatever" I told him "two people helped and the rest watched."
"Come on, we need 10"
"No way. 5 at the most."
"5? no."
"Fine" I said as I gave him a dollar and 200 franks (like 40 cents) and closed my wallet.
"Ok, 5. And 1 for crank. I need gift for man with crank."
"all right" I said as I handed him the 5 as well. I drove off after saying thanks thinking we really need a tire jack in the car. I wonder if there is one and I just didn't see it. Anyways, I knew it was going to cost me and besides not minding the 5 dollars, it was a great cultural experience and happened remarkably like I thought it was going to.
* DOCS is what HEAL Africa used to be called and around Goma it is still often called DOCS HEAL Africa or just DOCS
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Security Antennas
A lot of organizations and some people around here drive with these
huge black antennas sticking off the front of their cars. HEAL doesn't
have any, but a lot of the other organizations do. I thought it was
some sort of radio thing, but what it actually is is a security
antenna. I'm not sure how it works, but if something happens to the car
there is a company that will be alerted and they will know where you are
by GPS and stuff like that. It is kind of like Onstar or something like
that in the states, or an alarm system for houses where they call you
and see what's up. There's probably a button too that you can press and
send some sort of an SOS signal. I just thought that was kind of
interesting.
huge black antennas sticking off the front of their cars. HEAL doesn't
have any, but a lot of the other organizations do. I thought it was
some sort of radio thing, but what it actually is is a security
antenna. I'm not sure how it works, but if something happens to the car
there is a company that will be alerted and they will know where you are
by GPS and stuff like that. It is kind of like Onstar or something like
that in the states, or an alarm system for houses where they call you
and see what's up. There's probably a button too that you can press and
send some sort of an SOS signal. I just thought that was kind of
interesting.
Sorry if some of the posts recently have been hard to read. I can
send in posts via e-mail which is a lot faster than logging into the
blogger website (sometimes it doesn't load at all) and it hasn't been
picking up my paragraph breaks so I'm trying to indent now. If you
don't see any indentations, that hasn't worked either.
I put up some more pictures under the second album, including a
couple of the very security antennas I was just talking about, and other
pictures that Don took when he was here just driving around Goma.
Now it's back to work. I'm designing an experiment to be done at
Mawe Hai to try different ways of composting things to see which way is
the best and also show the workers that a good compost pile is better
than just leaving the stuff out in huge piles to dry out and maybe
decompose in a couple years. I sure hope it works.
Heal My People - Maniema
One of the girls from Maji left yesterday for Maniema province with a
rather large group of people from HEAL. She will be there for a month
studying microeconomic enterprises for her schooling. The team however
will be doing a lot of different things and will be there for more than
a month. About 20 people have been at HEAL from the province doing
training and attending a conference about various things and they are
being accompanied back to Maniema by about 5 HEAL staff from the Heal My
People program.
rather large group of people from HEAL. She will be there for a month
studying microeconomic enterprises for her schooling. The team however
will be doing a lot of different things and will be there for more than
a month. About 20 people have been at HEAL from the province doing
training and attending a conference about various things and they are
being accompanied back to Maniema by about 5 HEAL staff from the Heal My
People program.
Heal My People was started at HEAL Africa because after the women who
were repaired from fistula surgery and sexual violence counseling were
going back to their communities, there was nothing for them to really go
back to and the situation was unsafe. Heal My People works in a
holistic capacity and I'll highlight some of the things that they are doing.
They work with training counselors to identify and counsel women who
have been sexually abused. These field workers are trained in what to
say, how to help encourage women, and help them move on with their
lives. They also help identify women who need to come to HEAL for surgery.
Microeconomic projects are started in the communities and evaluated.
The projects focus mainly on widows and victims of sexual violence and
they are designed to help them re-enter society. Often widows and
victims of sexual violence are outcasts in society and they live on the
margins of a village scraping together a subsistence. The microeconomic
projects help the women and also the community at large by providing
services and goods. Many of the women who come to HEAL for surgery or
further healing learn how to read, write, sew, or do crafts and these
are sometimes used in the projects as well as any other ideas the women
might have.
Mawe Hai also plays a part in the holistic approach of Heal My People.
People come to Mawe Hai for training and some of the widows are trained
in vegetable production and they can take that back to their communities
with them. Mawe Hai tests seed varieties and production practices to
see which ones are the best and then takes those technologies into the
communities, and Heal My People is one way that happens both with just
training and with microeconomic projects started with knowledge and
skills from Mawe.
They sometimes also do things such as family mediation (making peace in
families) and trying to educate communities on everything from AIDS to
nutrition to agriculture. They often work through faith organizations
(usually churches and mosques) and they use natural or indigenous
organization structures to reach people.
It is kind of hard for me to see where one project at HEAL ends and
where another begins and that is because there is no end and beginning.
Instead of a flow chart sort of thing showing all the different projects
of HEAL and their different aspects, I needed a web diagram to show how
things interrelate. Once I started making the diagram in my head, it
just got huge and pretty much every aspect had a line drawn to every
other aspect somehow. HEAL does a good job of using all the resources
available to holistically develop communities. Please pray for the
Maniema team: for their safety, their health, their effectiveness in the
communities, and their effectiveness on people's lives.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
And then I woke up at 5am...
I woke up this morning around 5 with an pain and incredible churning
sensation in my stomach. I was in bed for a bit, then decided maybe I
should go to the bathroom. It sort of felt like I had to throw up so I
grabbed a bucket and went back to bed. But laying down was actually
worse than standing or sitting up, so I kind of sat on the edge of my
bed and really felt like something was going to come up. I went to the
bathroom thinking I had to throw up, and then decided it was coming out
the other end.
sensation in my stomach. I was in bed for a bit, then decided maybe I
should go to the bathroom. It sort of felt like I had to throw up so I
grabbed a bucket and went back to bed. But laying down was actually
worse than standing or sitting up, so I kind of sat on the edge of my
bed and really felt like something was going to come up. I went to the
bathroom thinking I had to throw up, and then decided it was coming out
the other end.
Needless to say, I was up for a while and I didn't take meds right away
because I was feeling nauseous as well as the diarrhea. Eventually the
nausea went away and I popped some meds and a little after 8 I was back
in bed (after telling the girls I wasn't going in today).
I was awoken at 10 by the sight of Mama Ngezela and the sound of her
speaking to me in (I think) Swahili (could have been French too, I was
kind of out of it). Her arms were out at her side in posture and tone
that said "hey, what's up?" Since I have no clue how to say I was sick
(I was feeling pretty good now) and I didn't want to try and act it out
for fear she would get the wrong idea (that happened once in Switzerland
with Uehli's mother in law, but that's a story in and of itself) so I
just said "minachoka" (I'm tired). It was the first thing that came
into my head and worked effectively to make her go away - sort of. She
came back with breakfast and hot water, tea, and coffee. It was pretty
nice. I ate a bit and an hour later was still feeling pretty good, so I
ate some more and have felt pretty good since 11:30 or so.
I might have tried to go into the hospital this afternoon, except we are
under what we like to call Presidential Power right now. It actually
has nothing to do with political dealings or increased security or
anything like that. All that means is President Kabila is in town so
the power is on all day with very few interruptions to show that
everything is running smoothly. That's Presidential Power, and I like
it, so I can do all my computing and research at Maji Matulivu (the
guest house). Kabila is in town again about the rebel situation.
Nkunda has been around for 3 years on and off and Kabila made one of his
platforms for the elections late last year that he would bring peace to
the country, and I think he's about had enough. Nkunda was supposedly
talking peace and negotiations, but the government is hunting them
down. Kabila has now given the army orders of disarming Nkunda by force
after Nkunda wanted to talk and Kabila said disarm first. Nkunda
refused sighting safety reasons so Kabila gave the order today. It is
not clear when the Congolese army will begin its offensive, but it
should be soon
(http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=322254&area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__africa/)
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Day in and day out
With Lyn gone, and Wilfrieda on vacation, both my bosses are gone, so
I'm on a vacation. Well, maybe not a vacation so to say, but for sure
I'm not doing a lot of field work. I've recently been spending lots of
time in the computer lab not for their connection (I usually connect
through my cell phone because it is more constant and doesn't cut out)
but for the generator power. What I really need is a solar panel and a
battery, and then I wouldn't even have to come into town.
Unfortunately, my laptop battery only lasts about an hour, so without a
power source I'm soon grounded. I've been looking up lots of different
possibilities, everything from medicinal plants to local tropical animal
feeds to industries suitable for coops of farmers to pursue. There is a
slight glimmer of peace floating around as Nkunda appears to be on the
defensive now, but there will be violence and instability for a while.
It is a catch 22 where economic development might really help stop the
rampaging bandits and people could get jobs and support themselves, but
without stability it is hard to stabilize an economy. Things like palm
oil and ethanol production on a small, sustainable way and managed and
marketed through coops might be an option. Just throwing that out there
in case someone has a lot of knowledge and wants to contact me with some
info :)
I'm on a vacation. Well, maybe not a vacation so to say, but for sure
I'm not doing a lot of field work. I've recently been spending lots of
time in the computer lab not for their connection (I usually connect
through my cell phone because it is more constant and doesn't cut out)
but for the generator power. What I really need is a solar panel and a
battery, and then I wouldn't even have to come into town.
Unfortunately, my laptop battery only lasts about an hour, so without a
power source I'm soon grounded. I've been looking up lots of different
possibilities, everything from medicinal plants to local tropical animal
feeds to industries suitable for coops of farmers to pursue. There is a
slight glimmer of peace floating around as Nkunda appears to be on the
defensive now, but there will be violence and instability for a while.
It is a catch 22 where economic development might really help stop the
rampaging bandits and people could get jobs and support themselves, but
without stability it is hard to stabilize an economy. Things like palm
oil and ethanol production on a small, sustainable way and managed and
marketed through coops might be an option. Just throwing that out there
in case someone has a lot of knowledge and wants to contact me with some
info :)
I'm working now on a rabbit production guide. There is a possibility to
increase production because rabbits are small, breed "like rabbits" and
can eat grasses and leaves of plants to survive. They might be a really
good way to introduce more protein to people's diets as well as
providing them with live rabbits, meat, and furs to sell (not sure what
the furs would be used for, but I'm confident the Congolese will think
of something). The really cool thing about what rabbits eat is here it
is available year round so no supplemental feed is needed. That said,
there are also local feedstuffs that can be used to feed rabbits too
such as sweet potato, cassava, and bananas. I'm working on researching
diets that use these materials for maximum production and limited
costs. Research isn't bad, but I'm really just waiting to get started
on more projects.
But all those projects need to wait until Lyn or Wilfrieda get back, and
the moringa is growing. I went to Mawe Hai two days ago and some of the
plants were just coming up. They are hard to spot but they shot their
stems up without leaves for a couple inches, and so it looked like a
circular blade of grass or something. I think it is still too early to
obtain any data about the germination rates, but so far I'm kind of
disappointed. In the pots that were planted before I got here the
germination might only be 60% or so, but I'll actually have to count to
see for sure. That's pretty low to me and sounds like a waste of seeds
and pots. I'll probably run out to Mawe Hai Early next week, and then
again at the end, and will post any changes.
I added a couple links on the right hand side of the site. There is a
link with news from Central Africa. This covers the DRC and the
surrounding areas, but now with the active war, most of it is on the
DRC. There are also two picture albums on facebook, and I found I can
share them with everyone and you don't have to be a member so check
those out. I tried to semi-organize them by grouping like pictures
together, but I make no promises. All the pictures are labeled with a
description though, and if you have any questions, just drop me a line.
I have plenty of time to answer e-mails.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Violence in the Congo
To most of the world,
There are a couple things to notice from this opening paragraph. The first is that I keep saying Rwandan Tutsis and Hutus. That’s right, but there are also Congolese Hutus and Tutsis as well. As many people know, when countries were formed, someone sitting in a chair in
The second thing to notice is that the Rwandan Tutsis pushed the Hutus out of the country. Where did they push them? Well into the
The third thing is that
After the Hutus arrived in the
The conflict was supposed to be over in 2002, but it continues today. It is a more localized conflict now with a lot of the western half of the country fairly stable and struggling with its own problems of resource mismanagement and extreme corruption (http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=321036&area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__africa/), but the battle still rages in the eastern half. Today’s problems involve a rebel general, Laurent Nkunda, and the problems are linked to the Rwandan crisis yet again.
Nkunda is a Congolese Tutsi and he accuses the government of allying with the Hutus. He has been around for a long time, but various measures to make peace and try new things have moderated or increased his violence throughout the years. Earlier this year, or late last year, he tried to make a march on Goma and the UN intervened, attacking with helicopter gun-ships, stopping him and killing hundreds of rebels. I actually met one of the pilots who claimed to be part of the mission and if they try and do it again “we’ll kick em again and show them their place.” (I’m skeptical of his actual involvement in the conflict, but it was a good quote none the less. He seemed to have no problem inflating what he actually did to impress the ladies I was with, but his sentiment is largely held, that if they come to Goma again, the UN will get actively involved). The UN will protect the provincial capital Goma, but it is powerless to stop the conflict at large both due to non-involvement issues and because the conflict is so widespread even the largest UN peacekeeping force in the world is vastly undermanned.
The government of the
The fighting continues along Hutu and Tutsi lines. The conflict is not over and continues to get worse. Civilians are still fleeing the areas, flocking to refugee camps in Goma and nearby cities. All the while,
What is needed is for the kingdom of God to reign in the Congo instead of the different warlords and cruel militias
Driving to Mawe Hai
The drive from the Hospital to Mawe His is about a half hour or 40 minutes, and the only disappointing thing is you almost drive right past Maji Matulivu, so you just wasted 20 minutes. I actually really enjoy the drive. People always ask and apologize if they have to stop somewhere and I always tell them not to worry. It’s actually my favorite part, getting out somewhere and experiencing part of life in Goma. It is so easy to ignore everything, and not pay attention to anything in the car except how uncomfortable and bumpy it is, but I never do that. I’m always looking, always trying to understand.
Here stores clump together. I saw it in the
There are a lot of places that do carpentry on the side of the road. All the boards are pretty much the same when they are bought and sold, and from there they plane and shape them into beds, benches, and tables. Beds are by far the most popular thing on the side of the road, and given that everyone uses the same boards, they all end up looking somewhat the same. Watching them work driving past I don’t think does them justice. One of these days once I’ve polished up my Swahili a bit (or even acquired enough to maybe start thinking about trying it out) I want to stop and talk to some of the workers. I think it would be cool, and it would be a great opportunity to learn about what an average person in Goma does.
There is a lot of sugar cane here. The kids especially chew it and it’s really sweet. After all, it is called “sugar” cane and they make sugar from it. It is pure sugar in juicy, plant form and isn’t good for them, but it is cheap and available. They bring in huge semi-like trucks filled with sugar cane and toss them off the back. They look kind of like bamboo staves, maybe like 5 or 6 feet long, and people crowd around to buy the sugar cane, not to eat usually, but to resell for others to eat. They take it from the truck and carry it on their heads somewhere, and cut pieces of it to sell. Some people sell sugar cane all day, and it is so cheap, I can’t imagine its all that profitable of a job.
We also pass a refugee camp on the way to Mawe. Huts made of sticks and branches house thousands of people as relief organizations try and register people and take care of their basic needs. From afar it almost looks like muskrat houses before a big winter. They are big for muskrats, but really small for people. Some are bigger than others, so I don’t know what dictates the size, but there are just so many people there, and they are always sitting around the camp because they have nothing else to do.
I like driving in Goma. It takes a fair bit of concentration, but there are times when you can see some really cool stuff. Granted, I could see really, really cool stuff if I walked to Mawe Hai, but that would hinge on me getting there in one piece.
Friday, October 5, 2007
Pictures!
I've had pics up on Facebook for a couple days and tried getting some on the blog with no success. Then I noticed a little public link at the bottom of the page to share my photos with everyone. Definitely a look to see where Josh is staying, what he's doing, and what the heck Mawe Hai and Moringa even look like. Click on this:
http://wisc.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2288187&l=f481c&id=8626644
http://wisc.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2288187&l=f481c&id=8626644
Life continues in Goma
There are four of us at the guest house. Its me and three ladies. There was a bit of commotion with Joe and Lyn gone. The mamas (the maids, cooks, etc...) see no point in staying there late into the night for four twenty somethings, so they have been leaving around 5 or so. There are supposed to be three guards at night. They all have police jobs during the day and then guard us at night because only the police are allowed to have guns, which is a bonus as a guard. There has been one guard the last couple days. There are supposed to be three every night. And they are the same ones.
Christina was pretty unhappy because given the situation in Goma with the army not being paid and everything, she went out with one of the other girls a couple nights ago and was going to take a guard with them. They couldn't because there was only one. Before he left, Joe said if we went out at night, even in the car, to take a guard, and now they aren't even here.
So here is what happened. The guards get paid something like 35 dollars a month from HEAL to guard at night. But they also get fed. They get to eat whatever is left over from dinner. Well, with the mamas not staying late, they have not given the guards any food since Joe and Lyn left so two of the guards stopped showing up. Why show up to work to get paid 35 dollars a month when you were told 35 and food? Well we solved that problem. We are going to put all the left over food in the outside kitchen and leave it unlocked until 10 when the power goes out and we all head to our own rooms to sleep. The stupid thing about it is because there are only four of us, we have had so much food left over there was almost not enough space in the fridge the one day.
Its always interesting to see what the systems are in other places and how they interact and how easily they can be thrown off balance.
Oh, and I got my driver's license the other day. All it took was 15 dollars and some info, but I feel I'm getting the hang of it. I drove home from the hospital that day and I didn't think it was that bad. Basically driving here is just a function of time and comfort. The more time it takes, the more comfortable the ride. The faster you go, the less comfortable the ride. I probably ride a little on the faster side/less comfortable side because then you just get over the discomfort faster since you are going to experience a bit no matter how carefully and slowly one drives. Stupid almost roads (that's what I call them since there are so many pot holes and rocks sticking up every
Christina was pretty unhappy because given the situation in Goma with the army not being paid and everything, she went out with one of the other girls a couple nights ago and was going to take a guard with them. They couldn't because there was only one. Before he left, Joe said if we went out at night, even in the car, to take a guard, and now they aren't even here.
So here is what happened. The guards get paid something like 35 dollars a month from HEAL to guard at night. But they also get fed. They get to eat whatever is left over from dinner. Well, with the mamas not staying late, they have not given the guards any food since Joe and Lyn left so two of the guards stopped showing up. Why show up to work to get paid 35 dollars a month when you were told 35 and food? Well we solved that problem. We are going to put all the left over food in the outside kitchen and leave it unlocked until 10 when the power goes out and we all head to our own rooms to sleep. The stupid thing about it is because there are only four of us, we have had so much food left over there was almost not enough space in the fridge the one day.
Its always interesting to see what the systems are in other places and how they interact and how easily they can be thrown off balance.
Oh, and I got my driver's license the other day. All it took was 15 dollars and some info, but I feel I'm getting the hang of it. I drove home from the hospital that day and I didn't think it was that bad. Basically driving here is just a function of time and comfort. The more time it takes, the more comfortable the ride. The faster you go, the less comfortable the ride. I probably ride a little on the faster side/less comfortable side because then you just get over the discomfort faster since you are going to experience a bit no matter how carefully and slowly one drives. Stupid almost roads (that's what I call them since there are so many pot holes and rocks sticking up every
Monday, October 1, 2007
Army Bandits
While Goma is safe from major conflict between the Congolese army and those of the renegade general, Goma is not completely safe. The Congolese army isn't paid and they get hungry and have families to take care of. That's when the army that is supposed to be protecting becomes an object of terror.
Saturday night there were two women from HEAL Africa who went to visit a Christian sister who had lost two family members in the last week. It was getting late so they had two of their sons come and meet them at the sister's house and walk them home. About 7pm (it gets dark just after 6) about 10 men attacked them, pushing them to the ground, and threatening them with guns and machettes. They tore the earings out of the women's ears and demanded cell phones and money. All four complied, but for good measure they shot the one lady anyways. Thank God it was only in the arm and it didn't even hit any bones! She should be operated on today to take the bullet out and repair the damage and she will be all right. Her and her friend were both pretty shook up, and its no wonder why.
All the time more and more troops come to Goma to aid the fight against the general, and every day there are more men running around with weapons, power, and no food.
Saturday night there were two women from HEAL Africa who went to visit a Christian sister who had lost two family members in the last week. It was getting late so they had two of their sons come and meet them at the sister's house and walk them home. About 7pm (it gets dark just after 6) about 10 men attacked them, pushing them to the ground, and threatening them with guns and machettes. They tore the earings out of the women's ears and demanded cell phones and money. All four complied, but for good measure they shot the one lady anyways. Thank God it was only in the arm and it didn't even hit any bones! She should be operated on today to take the bullet out and repair the damage and she will be all right. Her and her friend were both pretty shook up, and its no wonder why.
All the time more and more troops come to Goma to aid the fight against the general, and every day there are more men running around with weapons, power, and no food.
My Birthday in Goma
I woke up on Saturday the 29th with a meeting planned for that morning. It never happened. The guy I was supposed to meet with was asked by Lyn that morning to do something before they left (and they are gone now) and so we rescheduled the meeting and I had nothing to do. I jumped in the lake and ate breakfast. Louise was leaving and she was going to go to the border and I decided why not go along and see it? We went to the hospital for an hour or so and then to the border. It was kind of cool, but nothing special. Then back to the hospital because one of the girls was giving a talk.
I was in the computer lab just messing around and Christina asked if I wanted to join her and some other people for Indian food. I figured sure, why not? We get in the car and go from the computer lab to the hospital. There outside the hospital was a UN truk with two Indian guys in it and 3 people Christina knew. We followed them to the airport and after a little negotiation with the guards (we had to park outside and couldn't drive into the Indian UN part... the congolese guard wouldn't let us) we went in to the helicopter division of the Indian Army.
The officers club had couches, soft chairs, a nice cable TV (Australia was trouncing India in Cricket), and... A/C. It was cool (finally in more ways than one) and we just talked to these pilots for a while. The food was still being cooked, and I had little in common with them, but we talked about each other's lives and what we did.
Then the food was served in the mess hall, which was also A/C'd. It was amazing. The food was so good and as we were eating it, one guy kept walking around with two dishes at a time (there were five and rice all together) asking if we wanted more. Needless to say, I ate too much.
Then it was time for dessert. He brought out Chocolate ice cream and we scooped that onto our plates. Nuts were brought to the table along with little cake like bar things, and then he came around with vanilla ice cream. And then he came around again with the ice cream. needless to say, I ate too much of that too. It was so good, and I don't think I'll have ice cream again for a very long time.
I thought we were done, but then it was picture time. We all formed for a group picture and there were 6 normal people and these 2 UN pilots. It was sweet. Then we walked around a bit. They have a tennis court, a volleyball court, a basketball court, a screen where they project movies, and we saw the helicopters. He showed us (very simply and matter of factly) that when you fly, if you push forward on the control stick you go forward, pull back and go backwards, left you go left, and you get it if you go right. He made it sound like that was it, definitely showing off, but it was pretty fun. We got some pics in the helicopters too so that was nice. They also said to come back for a movie or to play some sports or something, so I have a feeling I might meet them again someday.
Back at the house I was chilling, reading, and doing nothing. I was really full when dinner came around but I sat down and socialized a bit. The girls were going to a party, but I wasn't going to go. It was a suitcase party where you bring a change of clothes in a bag and then switch with someone. I was just going to enjoy writing about the day and sending some e-mails.
Well, someone knocks on my door and here its Christina and 3 people I don't know summoning me to the party. There was no way I was going to spend my 21 birthday alone in my room. I would have protested, but the one guy was really big, so I grabbed a bag of badger clothing (thanks mom!) and headed out.
It was a very interesting group of people, many of them pilots for an organization here, and other foreigners from all over. Maybe there were 20 people or so and when the bags were passed out, it was definitely a gender switch. I ended up with a black skirt and tank top and some white beads and some sort of headwrap thing. I figured it out eventually.
The UN pilots showed up too and we had Indian music and they were dancing Indian style and we were sort of copying them and creating some sort of jumbled up confusion. I didn't dance much but it was all right anyways. As with all cross dressing events though, someone goes too far, so I just ignored those people. I don't think I'll go to all the parties that go on, but I'll probably catch a couple. There was lots of Coke and Fanta anyways, so it was a bonus.
All in all, it was a pretty sweet day thanks to the Man upstairs looking out for me and making sure I was fed well.
I was in the computer lab just messing around and Christina asked if I wanted to join her and some other people for Indian food. I figured sure, why not? We get in the car and go from the computer lab to the hospital. There outside the hospital was a UN truk with two Indian guys in it and 3 people Christina knew. We followed them to the airport and after a little negotiation with the guards (we had to park outside and couldn't drive into the Indian UN part... the congolese guard wouldn't let us) we went in to the helicopter division of the Indian Army.
The officers club had couches, soft chairs, a nice cable TV (Australia was trouncing India in Cricket), and... A/C. It was cool (finally in more ways than one) and we just talked to these pilots for a while. The food was still being cooked, and I had little in common with them, but we talked about each other's lives and what we did.
Then the food was served in the mess hall, which was also A/C'd. It was amazing. The food was so good and as we were eating it, one guy kept walking around with two dishes at a time (there were five and rice all together) asking if we wanted more. Needless to say, I ate too much.
Then it was time for dessert. He brought out Chocolate ice cream and we scooped that onto our plates. Nuts were brought to the table along with little cake like bar things, and then he came around with vanilla ice cream. And then he came around again with the ice cream. needless to say, I ate too much of that too. It was so good, and I don't think I'll have ice cream again for a very long time.
I thought we were done, but then it was picture time. We all formed for a group picture and there were 6 normal people and these 2 UN pilots. It was sweet. Then we walked around a bit. They have a tennis court, a volleyball court, a basketball court, a screen where they project movies, and we saw the helicopters. He showed us (very simply and matter of factly) that when you fly, if you push forward on the control stick you go forward, pull back and go backwards, left you go left, and you get it if you go right. He made it sound like that was it, definitely showing off, but it was pretty fun. We got some pics in the helicopters too so that was nice. They also said to come back for a movie or to play some sports or something, so I have a feeling I might meet them again someday.
Back at the house I was chilling, reading, and doing nothing. I was really full when dinner came around but I sat down and socialized a bit. The girls were going to a party, but I wasn't going to go. It was a suitcase party where you bring a change of clothes in a bag and then switch with someone. I was just going to enjoy writing about the day and sending some e-mails.
Well, someone knocks on my door and here its Christina and 3 people I don't know summoning me to the party. There was no way I was going to spend my 21 birthday alone in my room. I would have protested, but the one guy was really big, so I grabbed a bag of badger clothing (thanks mom!) and headed out.
It was a very interesting group of people, many of them pilots for an organization here, and other foreigners from all over. Maybe there were 20 people or so and when the bags were passed out, it was definitely a gender switch. I ended up with a black skirt and tank top and some white beads and some sort of headwrap thing. I figured it out eventually.
The UN pilots showed up too and we had Indian music and they were dancing Indian style and we were sort of copying them and creating some sort of jumbled up confusion. I didn't dance much but it was all right anyways. As with all cross dressing events though, someone goes too far, so I just ignored those people. I don't think I'll go to all the parties that go on, but I'll probably catch a couple. There was lots of Coke and Fanta anyways, so it was a bonus.
All in all, it was a pretty sweet day thanks to the Man upstairs looking out for me and making sure I was fed well.
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