The Travels of Tilde

 

Well, isn't it funny that after a recent post about mail, I should get some? & from Tilde at that.

Tilde, oh what a girl. Oh, this lady. She's wonderful. Fate and Karim brought us together when we both randomly set out on a solo trip to the Sinai Coast hosted by Tour Egypt . We became insta-friends.

Together we've climbed a mountain, swam in the Red Sea, been pained by hives & bus crashes, healed from hives & bus crashes, experienced an Egyptian 'aquarium', doubled our weight in bottled Coke, toured Zamalek, watched a Godfather marathon with my Sudanese pals, played hours of backgammon, toured Coptic Cairo (made it there & back with our flawless Arabic), bought Egyptian cotton sweat pants from City Stars, made plans for our future and then went on a hunt for Twilight* in Arabic (I swear it wasn't for me). 

& now, I've been so lucky to be added to this woman's travel postcard list. So far I've gotten postcards from Switzerland, Paris & Hong Kong. Funny, I'm still waiting for one from Denmark - where the lady calls home. Someday, when I can afford a slice of pizza in Copenhagen I hope to visit my dear friend.

*We found it.

In Care

Aww, shucks.

I missed National Letter Writing Week which, apparently, is the second week in January every year.

Do you still write letters? I do! (I even got some stockin' stuffer stamps). Sitting down with a stack of paper (& records, because it's my firm belief that every letter needs a soundtrack -- with that, press play nowwww for a wonderful Pasty song about letter writing), a good pen and a cup of tea - is one of my favorite pastimes.

& wouldn't you know, coming home after work and finding a letter addressed to moi also on the top of my favorites list hinthinthinthinthinthinthint. 

So. This week (since, I'll just assume you all missed the Letter Writing Week memo too) sit down and write a letter to a pal. You'll love it. They'll love it.

& let me know if you want to be pen pals...
& don't even get me started on my dreams of cutesy stationary sets.

Tea Parties I Like

Since moving away from my loves in Iowa 'I miss you' has become a common phrase in conversational Jeanna English.'I sure wish I could have some tea/coffee/beer with you right now.' - comes in close second.

So naturally - I find these tea party teabags from donkey products genius. Tea with rock stars? Or leaders in world peace? Yes please! You can even buy a pack that allows you to create your own teabag. I can't stop snickering (even thinking about DIY?!...).

No seriously, I'm tickled pink by these lil'guys.

To easily entertained you say? Probably.
Added to my never ending wish list? Definitely.

Images via donkey products

TOUR EGYPT

Didn't realize how much I missed Karim and Ahmed until I read "A Tale of Two Brothers" an article about their successes as businessmen in starting and running Tour Egypt.

These brother's took me under their wing and offered everything from 3AM rides home, mountain climbing encouragement, food, adventure, employment opportunities & a real shower offers & genuine friendship. They truly changed the shape of my experience, I owe them many thanks. & probably trip to Canada.

(Photo Via Pablo/ Tour Egypt)

African Sister

An immediate way to kill an uneasy morning:

"Assalam Alaykum
Hey friend how are u?
I miss u so much!!!!!
take care :) 

farida seif "

Love her.

Where There is Joy There is Henna

A few weekends ago my dear friend Jess came up to visit & because it's 'what we do' - there were many adventures involved. Including, but not limited to: a 5 mile Kayaking trip down the Cannon River (the next weekend I did a 12 mile with Mike - still sore), an authentic Turkish meal at the Black Sea (even after a few appetizers & main courses we found room for baklava/Turkish coffee), & most notabily a trip to Minneapolis' own SomaliMall for henna. 

Henna is a plant native in some regions of Africa, southern Asia, and northern Australasia (I had to look it up too). Since umm - forever* it's been used to dye skin, hair, fingernails, wool, leather, and silk. The earliest texts link henna skin dying with celebrations of a woman's marriage/fertility.

Henna is a symbol of luck, beauty, and joy - and the most detailed and exquisite patterns are saved for brides to be. Today the hands and feet of many husbands to be are dyed as well. This pre-wedding celebration is sometimes called 'The Night of Henna'. It is not uncommon to see women with simple henna designs on their hands and fingernails daily. But intricate designs are saved for weddings, holidays, and celebrations.

 

Henna can be a great way for women to make money too! At Karmel Square a young woman named Hawa decorated Jess and I. She was trained by her older sister Halima, and together they were apprenticing their niece Eda. Business women?!

It's the beauty of henna that really gets me.
The small shops & spaces where women come together to be decorated with henna - are truly magical. You can feel girl power. It breaks through all differences of background, race, language, religion, etc. Be it in a hotel room in D.C. with girls from Tanzania and Nigeria, Khalda's living room, a hole in the wall beauty shop, or a small space in Karmel Square (Somali Mall) - henna brings women together & makes them feel good!

*for more detailed information on henna click here. 

Stat

I believe it has already been confirmed that I have the world's best, most beautiful, sympathetic, inspiring, thoughtful, understanding, fun, adventurous, interesting, etc. friends. & now, it's really time to live with one of them. 

yr. ago

Sandpoint, Idaho. 

Jess in Ghana

To end my week of blogging celebrations, I'm unveiling a new blog segment - thattttt doesn't have a name yet. :) Each month, I will be interviewing a friend (colleague, relative, etc) about one of their travel experiences. I've been blessed with some outstanding/adventurous friends, and it would be simply evil to keep them to myself. 

It only feels right that my first interviewee is the beautiful, selfless, up-for-anything, faithful - Ms. Jessica Crawford. You may recognize her name because Jess was my Rwandan roommate/partner in crime, IRIS co-worker, and continues to be one of my closest friends. She is my go-to girl for inspiration, motivation, and anything travel-related. I can always count on Jess for good conversation and together we've consumed gallons of coffee, tea ... and wine. The Rwandans thought we were sisters - and I think on some level they were right. & now ... I'll let you fall in love with her: 

Where did you go (where IS it), how long was your visit, and why? 

I studied abroad for 5 months at the University of Ghana in West Africa (in between Togo and Cote d'Ivoire and right under Burkina Faso). The University is located in Legon, a small "suburb" of the capital city of Accra.  

Cultural facts, please: 

Ghana’s population is around 24 million. I would say that most of the country is Christian, although there are a number of Muslims. Most people still hold on to some traditional beliefs as well. Adinkra symbols are used to express different emotions or communicate wisdom or lessons (i.e. the gye nyame symbol mans “accept God” and is prominently displayed on posters, taxis, businesses, etc)

The food is spicy! They use a tiny red pepper in almost all of their foods, so not a lot of variety but very spicy. My very favorite dish was red-red; beans cooked with lots of pepper with a side of fried plantains. Yum! Other traditional dishes are kenke, fufuo, and banku – each made with either ground up cassava, maize, or plantains. It comes out as a mushy ball (sort of like sticky mashed potatoes) and you just pick off pieces with your fingers and dip it in soup. Messy, but so so good!

The easiest way to get around in Ghana is on tro-tro’s, their public transportation system. It’s surprisingly efficient and very cheap! A ride on a tro usually consists of very close quarters, marriage proposals, trays of dead fish in your lap, and an occasional goat nibbling at your ankles. Definitely miss the tro-tro’s!

Most difficult cultural adjustments: 

My situation might be a little different than others I was with. My most difficult cultural adjustment stems from an experience I had – I encountered a pretty scary situation the first night I was in Ghana which destroyed my trust in the people. While I usually approach situations trusting until proven otherwise, I started my time in Ghana with a wall built up to the people. I didn’t necessarily even realize it was there until it started to break down and I realized how much I had been shutting out and refusing to let myself love or discover. So I would say learning to trust was my most difficult hurdle, one I did not think would be a problem for me.

Favorite story: 

Such a hard question! There are so many things that flashed through my head when I read this! The one that probably baffles me the most and still gives me chills a little bit though: For a couple weeks I’d been trying to get together with a man that I had only been introduced to on facebook but was a Chiropracter who had attended Palmer Chiropractic in Davenport. We were ‘introduced’ (via facebook) because of a trip I’d taken to Madagascar and his hope to initiate his non-profit there. It hadn’t worked out yet though and I had basically given up hope that it would.

My friend Ryan and I headed to beach miles outside of town one day. We’d never been there and it ended up being quite the trek to get there. By the time we arrived it had clouded over but we were still determined to spend some time by the ocean. There were only three other white people on the beach. Would you believe that it was Jay, the chiropractor and some of his coworkers?!

I ended up telling him about this children’s home that I’d hung out at a couple times. One of my last weekends there I showed him where it was and introduced him to the kids and the staff. The adjusments he made that day on the children made huge differences! He ended up moving back to the area a few months later and did regular adjusments on the children and community members in the area. All stemming from a chance meeting on a beach in Africa :).

Trip highlight: 

Again – so hard! Three things popped in to my head, I hope you don’t mind if I quickly share them all... Easter Sunday a few of us spent the day at a Leprosarium on the outskirts of Accra. A leprosarium is a home for lepers, only a few of them still exist. It was incredible to spend the day hearing their stories and seeing how they live. They were possibly some of the most generous people I have ever encountered and had such a positive and refreshing outlook on life. It was truly beautiful.

I worked at a children’s home in the Volta Region of Ghana called Hardt Haven Children’s Home (www.hardthaven.org) It is an incredible facility for children with HIV/AIDS. I fell in love with the kids there and learned so much from them. It was definitely the hardest saying bye to them.

Finally, a few friends and I took a couple weeks off of school and made our way up through Burkina Faso, in to the Dogon Country in Southern Mali, and ended up in Timbuktu, on the edge of the Sahara. Besides seeing AMAZING sights and meeting wonderful people, we all learned a lot about each other, ourselves, and the cultures we traveled through.

What did you learn about yourself?

I came away with an intense confidence in myself, that I had never possessed before. My semester there allowed me to discover so many things about myself. Everything we did just tested our limits so much. Before, when I had been uncomfortable emotionally or mentally I was able to count on my physical surrounding or material possessions to provide comfort. Or when I was uncomfortable physically I could count on my emotional stability to calm me down. However, it’s when both of those things are taken away, when you’re neither emotionally or physically comfortable that you’re really tested and able to discover so much about yourself.

Favorite Souvenir: 

Hmm..couple options. Either a bomb leather bag I got for a  steal on the beach in Kokrobite or the ring that our friend Abua made for me in Timbuktu inscribed with a traditional Tuareg good luck symbol.

Essential travel item: 

Journal – don’t dare try to travel without one.

Where next? 

Excellent question! I’m in the process of applying for some internships either in DC or California. Meanwhile, I’m waiting to hear back from the University of Leeds in England where I would complete my Masters in Global Development and Education. So, we shall see!

What is something you wish the WORLD knew about Ghana? 

I just want to take everyone I know there! They are a welcoming and loving culture; they see everyone as their brother and sister.

After coming back though, I was introduced to an issue that I wasn’t aware of during my stay there. Ghana is one of the world’s major suppliers of cocoa. However, child labor is still prominent on the cocoa plantations. Children are kidnapped, purchased, or coerced in to working on these farms; often the children are from neighboring Burkina Faso or Mali, a little farther north. I was mortified when I learned about it and could not believe that I lived so close to that and didn’t even know.

THANK YOU JESS! 

I hope you all enjoyed the first of many travel stories!! Happy weekend to all... xoxo

val di fassa

Postcards are great.

There is no room for anything but simple, happy notes.

Their stamps are cheaper.

It means someone was thinking about you.

Getting mail is always fun.

Thanks Tilde Andersen my favorite (and only) Danish friend, who brightened my day with a postcard from Italy!

... this post would be more climatic if I had a scanner, ay?

ps: Emily gets home from London tomorrow. I can't wait to see pictures & hear stories!

Epic Thank You Card.

Iowa. You treat me so well, & all I can do is say THANK YOU!

Thanks to my Rwanda ladies, who remind me how small and fragile our world is. That a small group of woman can change the world. & it's okay to enjoy 3+ servings of Kenyan food in a single sitting.

Thanks to Mike and his roommates for always letting me barge in as number 5. Mikey, your shoulder saves me every time. & the microwavable burritos weren't that bad.

Thanks to my Alexandra's (Doffing and Jones) for always being on the same page as me.

Thanks to Sarah for the delicious meal and even better conversation. I have no idea where you get all your optimism and love for life- but it's contagious.

Thanks to IRIS and LSI co-workers/friends for reminding me of what I've done and believing in what is yet to come. Experiences within your walls have shaped me both professionally and personally in ways I can hardly comprehend. I've been so lucky, and catching up is always a blast.

Thanks to Thai Kitchen for heart shaped rice.

Thanks for Saturday night company. You kids are my family (meaning: I love you and you can't get rid of me). Your hugs and spirits will change the world.

Thanks to the brave and beautiful women who performed the Vagina Monologues. Each year the stories move me in a different way, but I am always inspired.

Oh, and Thanks to Mom and Dad for helping an unemployed daughter out by filling the Jetta with her beloved gas.

What a week can do for the soul. Life is beautiful.

Something to do today: call a friend.

Something Old

Do you ever just need some inspiration?

I sure do.

Normally my mind goes like this: inspiration = new.

How could I possibly find a fresh idea in something I've already experienced? Then starts the seeking out of new art exhibits, books, parks, clothes, places to travel ...

This week though, I've found my inspiration in the comforts of old (and been loving it).

The streets, restaurants, and overall culture of Ames and Des Moines have reminded me of the beauty in the known. & at the same time, the beauty in the unknown - for it's important to remember that there was a day when I knew not a soul nor street in this state.

A simple re-evaluation of past internships, travels, and jobs has increased my confidence, excitement, and worth which have all been slipping from my grasp for far too long.

Most importantly, I've discovered a new, refreshed, proactive sense of motivation after bottomless cups of coffee with good conversation and old friends.

& to think, I've had all these revelations in old clothes. :)

Something to do Today: Appreciate the things that are right under your nose.

Weekend.

Unfair politics, special treatment.

Fog.

Friendship, Al hamdulillah.

We Packed Apples and Water

OMG I saw the pyramids.

I could have sat at the edge of the Great Pyramid for hours soaking in all the people (there is a true sense of excitement and wonder illuminating from everyone), the camels/horses/donkeys- dressed in their best, children trying to sell postcards to every 'madam and sir', the "camel ride? camel ride? low price!" guys, history, tourist police (mostly just around for picture taking), the desert, a mild eeriness, Giza Cairo skyline, the overall greatness-vastness of the pyramids/Sphinx. It's been days since I've been there and I still cannot even start to wrap my mind around how those beasts were made.

Khalda and her friend Abdullah made sure that I had the ultimate pyramids experience. They wouldn't let me leave the Khafre's Valley Tomb until I dropped a coin in the 'good luck' well. They made sure we took horrible tourist photos (pushing the pyramids, petting the Sphinx). And I just had to ride a camel. That ended up being quite the adventure- ending in separation from my friends, a lot of yelling, an angry camel man, a trip to the tourist police, and a few tears - ahh, but most importantly... a lot of really great pictures. Because come on, me on a camel ... that is just hilarious. Oh, and Mother- I didn't fall off, even though I know you would have loved that.

I got the best sauna experience of my life when I went inside one of the Queen's Pyramid's and the Great Pyramid. Let me repeat - I WENT INSIDE two pyramids. To do this is not an easy experience nor for the claustrophobic. It is done by crouching down really low in a tight space, then climbing (in the Queen's Pyramid you descend) a ridiculous number of steep metal rods, holding on tightly to wooden planks while you stare at the ass in front of you, and like I said- it is hot in there. It is all worth the 50 LEs- 10USD (and in my case two days of sore legs) in those moments where I overcame the fear of crashing and looked up and around at the interior walls of the pyramid.

All around the day was simply FUN. Khalda, Abdullah and I had such a good time wandering around, taking a break in the air conditioned Solar Boat Museum, trying to remember what we've learned about ancient Egypt, laughing, taking pictures, and people watching. At the end of it all- we chowed down on some falafel and passed out on the metro.

I have seen the sunset at the Giza pryamids. Sometimes, I don't know what I've done to deserve experiences like these...

MISR! Mountian! Mummies!

Okay, well.... I've been up a mountain and back.

This weekend (the weekend here is Friday/Saturday) Khalda and Anwar treated me a nice vacation on the Sinai Coast. I went with a tour bus of about 20 people - a wonderful mix of Americans, Europeans, and Egyptians, etc. Mostly comprising of students, interns, journalists, volunteers, human rights activists - ma people! It was utterly exhausting and relaxing at the same time.

We drove all night to arrive at Mount Sinai around 3AM and started our trek. Thank God I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Otherwise I probably would have never signed up. Little did I know that the "nice hike" mentioned in our trip agenda was actually a hike up the second largest peak in the Middle East. Mount Sinai is the mount in which Moses is said to have spent his 40 days and 40 nights to receive the 10 commandments. It is 7,500 feet high ...

7K and 2.5 hours - of a rocky/sandy, dark, cold, camel filled path & 700 "steps" of small steep steep steep rocks, shaking legs, and a racing heart - later I reached the top with my new insta-friend/motivator/partner in panting/hotelmate Tilde (a sweet, sweet, woman from Denmark who is interning at the embassy). We made it just in time to see the sunrise. Even through it was a hazy sunrise dulled by sand, dust, and my own hunger- it was definitely one of those "life moments".

I felt pretty proud of myself too... until I saw a group of elderly people with canes reach the top- no problemo.

The way down? Well I wasn't thinking about life then...mostly just my demise if I stepped badly on one of the 3,000 "steps" on the "stairs of redemption". At least on the way down there weren't any camels in my face.

We spent the rest of the weekend in Dahab - relaxing by the Red Sea. I've never seen clearer water. It felt SO good. Think - paradise ... with no green. Mountains, sea, and tourists everywhere. I probably should have snorkeled or diving, but I was having too much fun laying without the sound of dogs, people, or car horns.

It was really nice to have some down time and meet some people working in Cairo. Talking to people who could understand me at normal talking speed was indescribably comforting. Being back in the city isn't too bad though. I missed Khalda, the pushing, and adventures of crossing the street.

- I've been spoiled -

Last week Khalda and company brought me to an Egyptian football game. Egypt is hosting the U20 World Cup right now, and it is seriously the only thing people are talking about. So we headed to Cairo Stadium to check out the Egypt (Misr)- Paraguay game. SO. MUCH. FUN. Spirits were so high (until we lost...), everyone had painted faces, a flag and/or drum in hand, lots of chip eating, cheering, and I've never done the wave so many times. In Egypt football is life- and I could feeeeeel it. It was such a fun experience. ... that I think is going to be repeated sometime this week.

I also got to check out the Egyptian Museum. In true Egyptian nature its mostly a chaotic maze of ancient unlabeled artifacts. More like our 6th grade rendition of ancient Egypt rather than a world known museum. No matter, it was somethin'else to be able to wander around such old pieces. Some of my personal highlights were the ancient royal jewelry room, any/everything King Tut, and the mummy rooms. I made fun of Khalda for being too scared to go in the mummy rooms, but I can't lie- they were pretty freaky.

Next week I'm going to start tutoring English at St. Andrew's Refugee Services I'm pretty excited to meet some more refugees, help out, and see how another program works. In just two visits I can the staff is over their head in work, but I hope I can steal them away for a bit to get some advice and conversation.

More later, Khalda is home from work - Alhamdulillah - (a common Arabic expression that means "Thank God")

All the Love,

Jeannnnnnna

Khalda Ahmed Mohamed

Where do I even start to talk about my new roommate/friend...

Khalda : use your throat (a slight cough helps) and say hall-lee-da

Likes: Bollywood, Dancing, Chips, MiniMe, Michael Jackson, everything Sudanese, Shopping, the color Pink, Pizza, the Sunset
Dislikes: My Hair, Cats/Dogs, Camels, Egyptians/Egypt (we're trying to work on that), Stairs

Oh this woman. She is always making me take pictures of her and following it with, "So you won't forget me", but in reality I couldn't forgot her if I tried.

Khalda is 29 years old and originally from Sudan has been in Cairo for 3 years. She is living in the city as a refugee, which doesn't make her life easy here. Not helping out her situation is the fact that her heart (Mr. Anwar) lives in Des Moines, and has been for the last 4 or 5 years. But still she almost always has a smile on her face. Her ultimate goal is to make it to the US to live with Anwar in Iowa. The best way to describe Khalda is by her former jobs- a nurse and primary school teacher.

We've been clicking well.

Most apparent with a quick review of our sleeping situation is our shared amount of stubbornness. Khalda believes that because I am the guest I should sleep in her bed, and she on a mattress pad in the living room. I feel that she should be able to sleep in her own bed. So most nights one can find Khalda sleeping on the mattress pad in the living room, and I on the couch. This set up has lead to nightly 13 year old giggle sessions over our men in Iowa, some of our best English/Arabic lessons, once there were sit-ups, and a lot of movie watching (mostly a mix of Bollywood and old 90s movies). I've been learning a lot about Khalda from her reactions to American movies.

Here are some Khalda reviews (remember- MBC MAX Cairo Movie station has limited options):

2Pac the Resurrection: after a full two hours of rap, drugs, arrests, and rape charges all Khalda had to say about 2Pac was, "What a shame he never got married".
Austin Powers 2: even the mention of MiniMe can get this lady on the floor laughing... and the dancing, she loved the dancing.
Fighting Temptations: after this movie Khalda couldn't stop proclaiming her love for Beyonce, the word 'booty', and African American church choirs.

Anyway, we use the bed mostly for clothing storage and napping.

If it wasn't for our love our humor and laughing - A. I'd be home already or B. one of us would probably be seriously injured by the other. I need to record her laugh before I go home because its the definition of sweet and so dangerously contagious. Most of our laughs come during our nightly "intensive" (our normal lessons are all day/every day while we simply live and help each other out with vocab, grammar, spelling, and reading) language lessons ... usually including snacks, TV, lots of soda, pajamas, and a lot of making fun. Right now I'm helping Khalda with her reading (trying to really emphasize Past/Present/and Future). While I am working my way through the Arabic alphabet... omg it is hard. I'm not used to using my stomach help me speak nor doing crazy tricks with my throat and tongue. Needless to say, we are both struggling through each other's native tongue... but trying to have a good time doing it. Khalda is at an early intermediate level of English and doing SO WELL. Daily she is my personal translator. Sometimes I wonder if I'm teaching her at all.

I must confess- there is one thing I know I'm not teaching her... "You're welcome". Khalda has learned somewhere (I have a theory that it was The Godfather or something) that the best response to "Thank You" is "Don't mention it". Kind of normal, yes, but not when you hear Khalda's mobster/slurred version of it. I know that I will have to teach her "You're welcome", but for now I can't bring myself to end the hilarity.

More than just teaching language we've been learning a lot from each other. I am learning to dance, cook, and how to dodge cars in Cairo traffic correctly. Khalda really wants me to help her loose some kilos - we'll see how that goes. As much as I keep reminding her that 1. the gym is my idea of hell, and 2. I came to be a personal English teacher NOT trainer - she just won't loose the idea. So we'll see what happens... if anything I can use a gym for their shower (the basin bathing has been getting old and a bit awkward). I am doing my best to teach her basic things about American culture though (including a few lectures on hygiene, cleanliness, and food safety). We are both having a good time, and even when the woman frustrates me all she has to do is say, "Jeannnnna don't be mad at me" and hand me a chicken sandwich (true story) and all will be forgiven.

Khalda Khalda Khalda. It's going to be an interesting two months.

*the Picture is Khalda and our friend Rusha in Ismalia City

Dance like an Egyptian

I've been trying to mentally recap everything I've been doing in the last few days but it is a hard task when you don't know when yesterday ended and today started.

Saturday was the last day of Ramadan and Sunday marked the beginning of the Eid. So it was new PJs (a tradition I love) and a frightening amount of toy cell phones and guns (a tradition I kept my mouth shut about) for the kiddies. Sunday was filled with naps (we didn't sleep on "Eid eve"), spankin' new clothes, visiting relatives, and eating. Lots of eating. Basically all of Sunday I was lost in Arabic chatter, but during my daze of nods and smiles (when I heard my name) I was able to think a lot about the ways holidays are celebrated in the US (my simple conclusion: the same, excpet we add alcohol). Celebrating the Eid made me excited that I'll make it back to the US in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I feel really fortunate that I was able to take part of such a special time of the year for billions of people worldwide.

Even staying up all night on Saturday wasn't too difficult- I was on quite the culture high. Khalda, her friend Nabib, and his daughter Amira and I went to the Suez Gulf and walked around. We smoked Shisha, drank cokes, and chowed on some street food - it was some kind of hot tomato soup like liquid with beans (since then- I've fallen in love with street food; I've had a gyros, falafel, kushari, and bamboo juice).

After our relaxation by the gulf we checked out the pier (which was deafening/beautifully sounded by drums ... and techno). There were so many people hanging out, selling tea, riding bikes, and listening to the music. There were also lines and lines of decked out boats full of more rope and dangle lights than the tackiest of houses during Christmas. Nabib treated us to a ride on one, and that's where it happened- my FIRST encounter with Egyptian dancing. Oh my Lord do they dance. It was SO fun - all the drums, hips, techno, and snaps - I felt like I had my first surreal moment of culture. So when we went home, naturally I gathered all the women and children - and we danced. Frankly, I don't think I've got enough sass and sex in me to mimic Egyptian dancing (I do better walking like an Egyptian- har har), but alas, I'm trying- and in the process giving Khalda and friends a good laugh.

I saw more dancing today when on my boat ride down the Nile. Its just so fun to see everyone come alive with the music and dancing! Some of the kids started break dancing, and although I almost got kicked in the face it was definitely a highlight (and I've got a decent video). The views were amazing on the boat ride- if only the country wasn't full of liter!

Another highlight of my weekend happened after the dance lesson (remember- it's like- 3 AM now :)), I got to go to the hair salon! It was literally a hole in the wall jam packed with women. Khalda and her friend got hair removed from their faces and brows with string- once I saw tears I turned down their offer of taking a go at me. (Eventually I let them 'sting' a side burn- it wasn't too painful) I also turned down Khalda's offer to pay for me to get my hair straightened... the iron, well, it was a metal rod that sits over a flame until it touches your hair. No thank you. I'll keep my hair, even if Khalda thinks its crazy.

Oh Khalda, Khalda, Khalda... I love her. I think one of these days I'll write a entry specific to her. If it wasn't for her generosity and bubbly nature- I'd probably be home with y'all already. Things are getting better everyday. Although, we are back in Cairo now and it's size is really intimidating! I'm trying to use the Arabic I've learned more often (the whole 10 words of it) my "Thank You", "Hello", and "Water" in English need to stop coming so naturally!

I hope all is well in the States, people here ask about you often.

All the Love,

Jeanna

Africa, Again.

Hello All,

Whether you've: heard it via the family grapevine, been asked for travel advice, opened my the eyes to the world of refugee advocacy, provided moral support (I needed a lot to buy my ticket), given me travel advice, or have no idea what I'm even talking about- you've all helped me in this next (2 month) life step.

I'm heading to Cairo, Egypt tomorrow!!

I will be living in Cairo for two months with a Sudanese Darfur refugee to help her learn English. This opportunity came about after my internship with Lutheran Services in Iowa Refugee Cooperative. My new roommate and host, Khalda Anwar Ahmed is the fiance of a former client of LSI.

While I'm living in Cairo, Khalda will be my personal tour guide to all the countries tourist spots, as well as a teacher of Arabic, cooking, and culture. Most importantly I hope we can build a beautiful friendship. I hope to return to the United States in November with a better understanding of life as a displaced refugee, African/Middle Eastern culture, and more travel/language/teaching experience. (Then yes, it will finally be time to put that degree to use with some kind of job and/or grad school :)).

I have re-issued my Rwanda blog -- http://jeanna12.blogspot.com/ and I'll do my best to keep it updated. I encourage you all to follow my journey- in fact, I'd love it!!

I also welcome e-mails and cards!! You can e-mail me for my address and skype.

Thanks for all your support, and I hope we can keep in touch while I'm away - or when I get back!!

All the Love,

Murabeho

I'm beeeehind on my blogging.

Last week we had a good fix to our homesickness. We met Jodie and her son in the airport. She lives in Texas and tries to come and visit her family at least once a year. So we were kindly welcomed into the home of her sister, for a BBQ Rwanda style. It was such a nice night, and extremely relaxing. There was a lot of food and even more dancing.

This past weekend we traveled to Butare, smaller city in the southern part of the country. We were able to visit the National Museum of Rwanda, the National University of Rwanda, the biggest Catholic Cathedral, and the Murambi Genocide Memorial.

The National Museum of Rwanda was interesting and I was able to learn a lot about the history of Rwanda. There were tons of artifacts there, and they were all gorgeous.
The National University was fun to drive through as well. Before leaving I read the book “Left to Tell” which was the story of a genocide survivor, and she attended this university. During the genocide the National University was attacked and many students were killed.
We went to mass on Sunday at the Catholic Cathedral. It was interesting going to a service in all Kinyarwanda.
The Murambi Genocide Memorial... I do not think I can possibly explain the things I saw there in a blog. I still have not even been able to write about it in my journal.

This week... after being the truck for so long during the weekend all of us girls felt like dancing. So Aloys told us to check out the Kigali Business Center's nightclub. We went there on Sunday night and danced the night away. It was so fun, and I think we all needed to move around.
We've been trying to spend as much time as possible at the Orphanage. We've had a day of frisbees, another of fake tattoos, and yesterday- we got to see some amazing football skills. Turns out the kids are even better when they are playing with real balls- and not plastic bags tied together.

This might be my last blog for a while, or until I get home. I'm sorry they have been so vague lately we've had jam packed days and limited Internet access. The time here has been going so quickly, and I am both excited and devastated about arriving back in the US on Sunday.
Its going to break my heart when we have to say goodbye to the children today. Not only the children but all the people we've meet since coming here. The first day we got here, many people told us “You will never actually leave Rwanda” ... knowing that my flight to Tanzania is looming tomorrow- I'm starting to feel the reality of their words.

Throughout this trip I have seen some of the most beautiful and the most heart wrenching things of my life. The pain and suffering the people of Rwanda have gone through is impossible for me to imagine- and their strength and forgiveness amazes me every single day. I hope that I can learn from the people of Rwanda and take their strength, motivation, optimism, and willingness to work towards change into my own life.

Muzungu's In the Mist

On average it takes us about an hour and a half to get any food around here, and just as I was warned the Internet really doesn't always work, but "Hakuna Matata" (it REALLY DOES mean "No Worries"). I hope you haven't all missed me too much during this week of limited communication. :)

Since last Tuesday we have visited:

The Gisimba Orphanage:

I saved this section for last, as my heart is filled with love for Gisimba. But now it is time for dinner. So I will have to write later about this wonderful place.

The Gisimba Nursery School:

Unlike in the States, there is very little daycare in Rwanda. So many times, when families can afford it, they send their children to nursery school. The kids are typically 3-6 years old. We were able to visit the nursery school located at Gisimba Orphanage. The school is for both orphans and children in the community.
Jess and I were put in charge of a classroom for two min. by the time the teacher was present again- we had: a handful of children running outside, two children writing on the chalkboard, no one sitting, nearly all the kids sitting on top of their desks, every child screaming... all but one, the one who was crying in the corner. The teacher just laughed.
We all were more successful at recess, when all of us had a wonderful time playing with the kids.

The Kigali Institute of Education (KIE):

This is one of the biggest Universities in Rwanda, we didn't get to have much interaction with the students because they were taking exams. But it was a beautiful campus. We are going there a few more times in the next few weeks.

Green Hills Academy:

Is a nursery- secondary school run by a Canadian woman and her husband. It is in the top three schools in Rwanda. Its very prestigious and a lot is expected of the students. Our group was split and given tours by Mimi and Tony, the Head Girl and Boy. They were both great guides and knowledge gained was great on both ends. (The food there was good too). For about two hours in the afternoon, we were all put into different classrooms. I was with 3 year olds. There was a lot of snot, crying, confusion, and "Teacher Jeanna! Teacher Jeanna!" ... but they were cute. And I do still think so even though I think after my time with them, is the most tired I've been this whole trip.

Dominick's Secondary School (I cannot remember the name):

It was really interesting going to this school because there were so many similarities between high schools in the US and their secondary school. The only difference was that our schools have more "stuff". Jess and I went in front of the class, it was mostly students who have 1-2 years left until University or graduation. They had a lot of great questions about universities in the US and our experienecs at ISU and in high school. Oh, and they really wanted to know who I was going to vote for.
If I ever want to find a Rwandan hubbie- this is where I need to go back to. As I seemed to have picked up an admirerer somehow. He begged that I never forget him, and called Dominick soon after we left to tell him, "Wish her a safe trip, and ask her never to forget me" ... I do not remember his name. The story is pretty funny/cute, remind me to relay when I return.

Kinigi:

This city is about two hours of Kigali, its much colder when you're closer to the moon ;) . The view just outside of our hotel room were green hills and huge volcanoes.
Kinigi is home also to the Rain forest where the gorillas live. With D as our guide, Peter as our porter, and two mysterious guys with guns as our guards... After a three hour trek, uphill, in the rain forest (I'll admit, I fell once- in the mud. AND I had a few lovely minutes of ants - biting ones- in my pants) I was able to see one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen- Gorillas. So, the animal itself maybe not the best looking, but the way they live is extremely interesting to watch.
They way that they play, and use their hands and feet. The way they communicate... it is shockingly human like. We got to watch them for about an hour. During that time the Hirwa group was snacking and getting ready for 'nap time'. We were lucky enough to see the group that has five babies! Ohmygoodnesscute.
Thankfully, some unknown but wonderful people cleaned my shoes for 500 Francs or 1 US dollar- they are cleaner then they were when I packed them. My white backpack maybe permanently brown and I may never get over my new fear of ants- but I can now say I am one of the few people who has seen (up close and personal) 12 of the 300-400 gorillas left in the world.

Gisenyi/Lake Kivu:

Paradise is only two hours and one loooong bumpy, pot hole filled road away from the Gorillas. Aloys* so kindly took us to the town of Gisenyi after we "wet ones" ourselves apres les gorillas. Gisenyi is home to the Primus beer plant, Lake Kivu, and the Congo boarder in the distance. We were spoiled and were able to relax all of Sunday. I successfully got sun burnt through two applications of sunscreen. (SPF 30 m'dears). But I'll take the newly appearing freckles and red nose with a smile as they remind me of my day on the beach and two nights of falling asleep to the sound of waves crashing into the shore.
OH! and after a nice dinner Aloys drove us to the nearby 'airport' and we were able to see a 'glowing' volcano. Its actually located in the Congo, it hasn't errupted since 2005, but you can see the red in the sky.

A rural primary school:

Rwanda claims that their education is equal throughout the country. It has not taken long to see that is not true. One our way back to Kigali this morning we stopped by a rural primary school. By the way, when I say "stopped by" I mean, we drove up the steepest, most narrow road I've ever encountered with cliffs of green and lakes on both sides. (The Plum City snowmobile path doesn't even compare to this mess).
The kids were beautiful. Although there is always the barrier of trying to communicate with mixes of messy French, Kinyarwanda, and English- a smile means the same in each language. Like in the other schools we were able to pair up and sit in on different classrooms. The P3 (about the same as 3-4 grade) students were learning "In Front of", "Behind of", "In", "In Between", etc.
After we presented the school with some gifts of books, pens, pencils, etc, the kids danced for us. Oh, they danced and they danced. ( I cannot wait to come home and show you the videos).

We've also been fortunate enough to have meals with people such as:
Robin, a women from the US who is opening a secondary school in Rwanda.
Craig, my new BFF who works for Joint Aid Management helping bring awareness of AIDS, nutrition, orphans, and women's rights in African countries.

... Only my memories and my journal can remember all the other little ways in which my five senses have experienced Rwanda. I am in love with a country. Its been hard to process everything, because are on constatnly on the go... but in the last week, everyday has brought so many wonderful experiences, I fear that soon my heart, my brain, and my body are going to fill up with too much... too much, I don't know, happiness, kindness, love, growth, knowledge ...

I hope all is well in the States. Remember to keep appreciating the litle things.

Love Love Love.

* In addition to Aloys' previous duties, he is also: our money exchanger, our phone card buyer, our alarm clock, the pot hole/speed bump avoider, reservation maker, our French/Kinyarwanda teacher, our personal "hurry up with the food" man, body guard, and according to Leah our "Faithful Friend" (I feel as if this list needs to be a reappearing segment in my blog as every day this man finds more and more ways to save us)