Another Day Another Sangura

So today brings the 8th member to our pet collection. Snowy joined us today, the cutest little white blue eyed bunny you've ever seen. Girls are being very careful and gentle with her after the accidental tail removal this weekend...see Shawna's blog for the gory details. All is moving along well in a positive and productive direction. Our office is getting internet tomorrow( however long ago I wrote about our office is how long this has taken...welcome to Tanzania) the porters have finished their training...awaiting word from the Kilimanjaro Park Warden as to when they can take their practice trip....Shawna brought amazing amounts of gear and we are hoping Elena can bring the rest?!
Tait, the Peace Corp volunteer at Tumaini Center stayed with us this weekend....she and I are working on how best to give the Feb. climbers a taste for Tanzania and the work that GAA does here. We have settled on a home visit...our guests will get to go to a house of one of our students and join their family for a meal...and perhaps a tour of a home/farm/ whatever the case may be...I think it will be an amazing and genuine experience, we are going to do a few practice runs with the studenats so they are prepared.
Nell and Pearl are still absolutely thriving....they have loved haivng Elle here to join in on their crazy animal games. I know for sure I saw a rabbit with a feather boa leash the other day,,,,just one a many humorous visuals...chickens on their heads...etc. The neighbors have a brand new baby and have already entrusted Pearl(LULU) with holding her. Pearl can't get over how tiny the baby's hands and feet are...Nell and Elle have not been allowed the right to hold the baby...but after the tail incident, I think they are smart to be cautious.
Shawna has commented that she doesn't think we will come home...just gives you an idea of how well we are doing here and how happy we all are....we will come home, but it will be hard....my love for this country runs deep.
Love to all of you!!!!
Peace!
sarah

Shawna's Blog

Ok so THIS ONE is trying to outdo me too!!! But for your benefit and viewing pleasures she's got photos...
While I am getting a bit of blogging fatigue, I think I'll give you all the link to hers for the next few weeks...but stay tuned, I'm flakey we all know that. I forgot to tell you all that while driving in Malindi (coastal town off of Kenya) I saw a woman wearing a Chicago Park District T-shirt? How did that get there????
Shawna's blog is girlsinafrica.blogspot.com
ENJOY.....

Eric Schoonveld is Pearl's "arch enemy"

I just peeked at my notes for the past few days and remembered a hilarious conversation I had with Pearl. We were riding in a bus on the way to Turtle Bay (god i miss it) and Pearl blurted that "Eric Schoonveld is my arch enemy". I was so shocked that I said "WHAT???" She proceeded to tell me that he had the audacity to take her to the Sox game and she was a Cubs fan...well actually she hates baseball....well actually he DID buy her ice cream and a cool shirt. It was so funny...watching her realize he was really actually great...not sure where the enemy concept even came from?
So this morning the three girls headed off to school....Elle admited to a bit of nervousness last night but went running through the campus this morning with the Wood-Prince girls in hopes of getting to see the turtles before school started. Nell was super sweet to Elle...telling her she would sit by her all day and answer all questions and share her homework file with her. I think Nell is feeling similar to me with Shawna. I am feeling a sense of accomplishment at all we have learned and figured out since we have been here...didn't really realize how much until I am explaining and showing things to Shawna. We have made some wonderful friends...who i am excited to join with my Chicago buddy. I feel like i have so much I want to show them but also want them to have the joy of discovering their own revelations. I am also realizing I need to be in better touch...it's easy to forget here that people are wondering about us....wanting to share in our experience...whether it be my friends and family...or Nell and Pearl's....I downloaded pictures which is a start...can someone tell me how to get them on a Snapfish type album to post for all??? Comments please?? I am trying I swear.
The weather today is glorious...we are going to go pack a picnic to take to the girls at school...children usually eat with their families who take nice long lunch breaks to spend with their children....what a concept uh? I found myself explaining to Shawna today that we never really have that ridiculous rushing in the morning here...not sure why, my biggest challenge is usually getting Nell to leave the animals....we now have 4 kookoo (chickens) and 3 sangura (rabbits). Our gardener now has a full vegetable garden going in the back( it is Spring here)....he gave us Chinese lettuce(?) this morning....so now I am off to blow Shawna's mind in the market getting veggies for salad!!!
Love to you all....
Peace...continually....
Sarah

OH HEEEEEYYYYY GIRRRRRLLLLL

Wow was it great to see Elle and Shawna at the airport last night when we picked them up in the "happy people bus". I'll let Shawna comment on that ride later...but picture black lights and graffittiish painting on a minivan...blasting Cindi Lauper, of course....only in Africa. The surreal feeling of having a friend...hearing about everything there....the rush of words and feelings was pretty great. I don't think I really realized how long it has been since I had a conversation about the familiar. She brought all the things I asked...tampons, vitamins, my mail.....and my magazines. I tried to read the US Weekly last night and acually got overwhelmed. WHAT IS WRONG WITH BRITNEY????? no but seriously, I never have noticed that there are ads in these magazines so acutely before....mmmm....that spicy chicken sandwich from Burger King sure looks yummy. I had to put the first one down....I still don't even know what happened to poor Owen....was it Kate or the drugs?? Someone help....I can't digest the pop culture in this environment....
So now the Schoonveld girls are napping after their long journey...Nell and Pearl are watching new movies and I'm afraid to go face Britney.....and Anna back from the dead through little whats her name.
I forgot to mention that when we flew to Kenya we flew right over Kili....we had a perfect view of the inside of the crater. It was great to be able to show the girls where I've been and where i will be when I am away from them again....they both squealed that they wanted to go up there....the glaciers looked magnificent from that angle.
Shawna brought all the gear for porters and I have to say i am overwhelmed at everyone's generosity and her work in getting it all here. we are giving the kids their certificates of asccomplishment this Friday and I am happy that Shawna will be able to witness the fruits of her labor.
Love and Gratefulness!!!
Sarah

"HOME"

I really felt like coming home last night as we traveled from Kenya to Tanzania...such a nice feeling. Our trip was just seamless...glorious. We stayed at a beautiful place right on the Indian Ocean...amazing blue waters and white sand beach. It was a wonderful place for kids...programs and games going all day long for them to join in on or not...no pressure..very Africa. I had characterized this place as Disney-esque prior to our trip...sooo not!! It was so calm and the people so relaxed. Our only real stress was keeping the strong sun off Nell.
The girls and I snorkled one day...it is so fun to do with them. They learned last year in Hawaii and had such a great experience that they just jumped right off the boat into the water...we held hands and looked at the colorful schools of fish below us. I have to say, I feel a bit guilty sharing all of this because it was sooooo great....again...lucky lucky lucky. I know it, we know it....we are appreciating it. Nell and Pearl can now do flips off the side of the pool! Oh...and they had ice cubes there!!! We hadn't seen ice since we left Chicago....ah, the litttle pleasures of life.
Shawna comes in tonight and we have no mattresses for them yet...my challenge for today. Also trying to get back in better touch with everyone. We have really had a major power issue...and the internet provider I have been using just increased their prices by 8 times their former price...can they do that???? I have been trying to download a disk of pictures I have for a couple weeks...I hope to do that this weekend....
We are invitited to a wedding tomorrrow...we'll see how Shawna is feeling because I think that could be a great time! I am sure we won't stick out! HA!!!
Short for now...but we are back safely...eagerly awaiting our guests!!!! I'll write more tomorrow about their arrival!
LOve to all....peace....please.
Sarah

Shiny Beautiful Children

Ok...so some classic comments from Nell and Pearl lately. I think I mentioned that Nell and Pearl are the only Americans in their classes....there are also few white faces as well. Pearl told me yesterday that "you can tell African Kids by how shiny and beautiful they are"....she has always been prone to coming up with her own deductions about things...but I loved this one. Then Nell came into my room last night with a very serious face. She said her teacher had talked to them about deodorant and that a few of the boys in her class used it...and should she? She wasn't quite sure what it was or what it was for, but I think the way the teacher talked about it to them made it seem very grownup and almost mysterious. I assured her that she didn't smell but she may someday....she still wanted to use it anyway. So luckily I have a natural brand here that I gave her for her back pack. She thought maybe she should take an extra shirt to use a guise for going to the bathroom when she would apply the deodorant. This was so hard to deal with with a straight face....I had to show her how to put it on this morning...Pearl watching the whole time wide-eyed. It was so funny...but Africa is a quite...um smelly....so I guess this is a significant place for her to learn about BO...those of you that have been here are laughing right now!!!
We finally got the sungura's(rabbits), thus far, no baths. Nell's been "nipped" once....but I think after Amy's early demise they are more apt to listen to my advice about handling these creatures. A mom at school today brought Nell ANOTHER one...because basically Nell begged her. So now we have three...........one for Elle TOO!!!!
So Oct. and Nov. are the "short rains" seasons...and today, like clockwork...it's raining. It is actually a welcome reprieve from the dust and heat...short rains are also just for a portion of the day...so NBD.
All is well...we are looking forward to our adventure within our adventure this weekend. And then the Schoonveld girls get here!!! WOOHOO
Love to you all
Peace from Africa
Sarah

Falsani blogging smackdown

Ok....this Cathleen Falsani character is trying to make me look bad...here I was over here in Tanzania feeling all proud of my little blog...the consistency, slight humor, somewhat informative....then THIS ONE comes over with her fancy schmancy Mac and little teeny tiny microphone. Humph.....oh did I mention the smart, very warm seeming, husband joining her...or perhaps celebrating their tenth anniversary on a private island off Zanzibar....WELL...I never.
As Debra Pickett said about Ann..."wanted to hate her" but she quickly drew me in with her Chicago comparisons (she compared the slums of Nairobi at night to Halsted street and it worked coming from her), things being the size of Grant Park....sheesh. She got me. I like her.
You have to check out her blog. falsani.blogspot.com called cleverly of course..."the dude abides'. She's got video clips (of course she does) and great pictures ( naturally).
Today was great....went to Arusha to meet her and maurice.....got our plane tickets secured (finally) to Kenya....crap....there goes the power....I bet Falsani brought a generator!!!