a moment

 

I love it & the funny thing is - I can't remember what we were laughing about. 

PS:  I spied Jess on the Invisible Children Blog today, I got weepy - literally seeing my friends fulfilling their dreams is just, wonderful.

Turquoise

 

I haven't heard from Khalda yet, but the woman has been adding pictures to facebook. So, I'm assuming she's okay. Drives me crazy, that one.

Happy to see she's okay, though - & looking beautiful.

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. 

la porte

World Cup Fever 2

This time, Rwanda style. These pictures are from Gisimba Orphanage in Kigali (Mosquito Stadium to be exact). ISU donated some soccer balls and needless to say they were an upgrade from cloth filled with sand! 

World Cup Fever 1

I may know little about soccer (football), but a little bit of World Cup fever is too fun to pass up! & naturally, I'm a sucker for the idea of it all - countries of the world coming together to share a common interest and have fun while doing so?! Hell yes. 

During my time in Cairo I was fortunate enough to attend two FIFA Y20 Cup games, and they were fuuuun. Red, Black, and White painted faces. Drums, horns, and flags everywhere. MISR! MISR! MISR! I can only imagine the energy in South Africa for the big boy games! Sending waves and wishes of fun, safety, and a bit of jealousy to my dear friend Ian who is in the heart of it all!

Goodbye YES7

Ms. Ashley

On a less serious note than yesterday...
I like this girl. & this picture. & that hat. :)

On a Tanzanian Safari!

h2o

Today, is World Water Day. It seems to be good timing for such a day, ya? Snow melting has started the worry of flooding, and spring rains are soon there way. And while those issues hit close to home, most of us still have a plethora of water to drink, cook, and bathe with... in our very own homes!

But today, is a day to remember the importance of water. Everyone knows that water is needed to sustain life; yet millions around the world do not have access to it. Let alone clean water. This year's theme (decided by the United Nations) is "Clean Water for a Healthy World", urging governments to increase their dedication to clean water acts, in addition to the ongoing fight for water access. 

Let's play a game?? 

"Where in the WORLD is that WATER?" 

a. 

b. 

c.

d.

Comment and let me know how you did! (I know it wasn't too hard, & very dorky). Or send me some pictures of water you've seen around the world.

Something to do Today: conserve, conserve, conserve. Or maybe: purchase a reusable water bottle, turn off the water when you're brushing your teeth (that's 25 gallons a month!), check for leaks, cut shower time in half ...  Check out this site for 100 [easy] Ways to Conserve Water. Lets stop taking water for granted!! 

ANSWERS: 

a.) Alexandria & Cairo, Egypt 
b.) Cairns, Australia 
c.) Welch, Minnesota 
d.) Kigali, Rwanda 

She's Backkkkkkk

Ohh, my baby's back from London.
Stories to come soon.

welcome

Gisimba Orphanage; Kigali, Rwanda

spring.

Snow is Beautiful

... but I'm ready for springtime and an afternoon picnic.

No passport needed.

Storm House; Ames, IA Tower's Field

Veil Me

Today's top story on the BBC website is, "France MPs' report backs Muslim face veil ban: A French Parliamentary committee has recommended a partial ban on women wearing Islamic face veils." Should this ban get passed face covering veils will no longer be allowed in, "hospitals, schools, government offices and on public transport."

BBC article:( http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8480161.stm)

First off... I cannot say that I understand everything (the personal, the political, the religious, the feminist, the submission, the pressure, the comfort, etc.) about veiling. I cannot say I have a background on French policy, nor the Koran. I cannot even say that I have a clear opinion on the matter.

But here is what I CAN say:

-I've seen the the negative treatment of veiled women in United States hospitals, airports, and city streets. Smart, kind, beautiful women, who are all wonderful mothers, daughters, and friends.
-I've lived with a woman who chooses to veil for the respect of her parents, community members, and mostly, herself and her God.
-I've veiled my own body out of respect and fun (and only once because of pressure).
-Most of the women with whom I've been in contact have had the choice to veil or not. On the contrary, I also realize that not all women in the world are allowed to choose and that, is a serious issue needing attention.

-I know that there are different types of veils ranging from popular hijabs to more full covering niqabs and burkas.
-I believe that Vogue could have a hay-day with the spunk, colors, patterns, and creativity of female Islamic fashion. (Aesthetically, I was never let down on the women's Metro cart in Cairo).
-I know that early Christian women veiled (including the Virgin Mary).
-In my experience, most women do not veil in their own homes around close family and friends (both male and female) that they love and trust.

My dear friend Khalda, beautiful with and without her veil. Always blue, pink, or floral.

In my opinion, there is nothing to be scared of - if only we can respect a women's personal decisions, reexamine our ideas on beauty, and fear not things we do not understand.

Something to love today: personal style.

Some Warmth For These Cold Days

breathe

"Anybody can get worked up, if they have the intention. It's peacefulness that is hard to come by on purpose." - Barbara Kingsolver, Pigs in Heaven
Trying to see the bright side.

Hot Pink Bow Tie

Apparently, I'm not the only one in the apartment that impulse buys. Welcome to the daily life of Khalda and Jeanna:

[Khalda walks in the apartment]
K: Look what I got for my cousin's kids! [Holds up a black plastic bag]
J: Khalda, what is INSIDE the bag.
K: I'm too scared to get it out. AHHH I'm way too scared. [With one finger she pulls out this nasty furry toy cat that I scoffed at yesterday on the street] AHHHHH. I GOT IT!
J: OHMYGOD [Laughing hysterically]
K: [Turns on the beast - which prompts its eyes to turn neon green, start screaming like a dying animal, wagging its tail, and walking around the room] I'm so scared.
J: If you think it is so scary, why did you buy it?
K: I don't know, the fur is nice. [Silence - except for the demon-cat] But Jeanna, I'm really scared. Turn it off.
J: Plllllllease Khalda, don't forget to say please.

morningtimefun

Nothing like a rainy day to make you buy ridiculous things.

Cherrios: 6 US Dollars.
Tea pot that looks like a chicken: 25 US Dollars.

I would simply die and go to heaven if it crows when hot.

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...

Picture Book