I am currently working for two organizations that have quite fun-to-say acronyms. The first is the Zanzibar International Film Festival (beginning Friday) and the second is the Zanzibar Indian Ocean Research Institute. The zed really adds a flavor to these things doesn't it?
Anyway, my return to Africa was uneventful in terms of travelling. I didn't get my Chinese food in Addis because Ethiopian customs wouldn't let me leave the airport for some reason, but aside from that it was a smooth ride. Upon arrival I met an Israeli and a Brit who joined me for Ethiopian food and billiards in what was my only night in Nairobi before heading back to Mikinduri.
Being back in Mikinduri for what was likely my last visit was a little bittersweet. The problems with the feeding program had been addressed (all programs had been cut to 150 children a week visiting one central site), the feeding complex had been improved (floors! windows! water!), one borehole had been completed (yay!) and the main office moved from a rented area in the market centre to our feeding complex outside of town. Furthermore, the addition of an accounted (the wonderful Cicily) has cut down on wasted funds enormously. Pretty good stuff if you ask me. The people I had been working with were happy to see me (since my visits are always surprise visits), excited to hear about what Israel was like and really pleased at how things had turned around since the "April 2007 Dave/Pete" Report was published.
The visit would have been perfect had village politics not derailed our committee meeting to the point where Silvanos (the head consultant and my close pal) threatened to quit (he didn't). I also got to visit my police buddies one last time and enjoy the horrendous village matatu ride home for (thank the lord) the last time. If there's time I'll head back in August, but it looks like I'm pretty booked so it may not happen. If that's my last visit to Mikinduri until my next trip to Kenya I leave proud that I worked to the fullest extent of my ability and something positive came of it. Volunteering In Afria experience #1 was a resounding success.
Cheers,
-Dave
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Finally, an Israel post
So yeah, internet has been surprisingly elusive over the past little while, leaving me with no serious second entry for Israel as of yet. Well, until now anyways.
Cruising around the Holy Land with the family was unsurprisingly excellent. The trip had its definite high points. Haifa was a fun night getting to know the teens on the trip, Petra (in Jordan) was absolutely stunning, praying at the Western Wall (once during the week and once for Shabbat) was an earthshattering experience and hiking Masada was...well...sweaty. Jerusalem solidified its position as one of the greatest cities I´ve ever had the pleasure of staying in and Eilat solidified its position as a bad ripoff of Vegas. There was quality bonding time with the Mom and sisters, Chinese food, hookahs and enough falafel to kill a smallish sized bear. I made some friends among the younger folk in the audience and wound up enjoying Jerusalem visit number two with good company. Yad Vashem was a nice shift from the US Holocaust memorial´s brutality (which is not necessarily a criticism, just an observation), to a message of hope for the future.
An interesting sub-plot to the trip was the state of Reform Judaism in Israel. In the Holy Land (I love saying that) Reform Judaism seems more poised to try and create a sea change in the country, letting people see religion as something relevant to modern day. Congregations here seem to face constant harassment from Orthodox communities, discrimination in local politics (making it harder to get access to public land, recognized conversions and marriages, etc) and a vast community of secular Jews who aren´t necessarily begging to return to religion. In this light the Reform movement seems almost revolutionary, aiming to bridge the gap between secular and orthodox Israeli communities not only with regards to faith, but with regards to politics as well. My impression of the American Reform movement has always been that members often join more out of the desire to justify eating pepperoni pizza, than to link the past with the present. Needless to say, being in the presence of a community of true "reformers" was really nice.
Anyhow, since the trip I´ve split my time about evenly between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, enjoying the former far more than the latter. Jerusalem had a nice blend of faith and fun, whereas Tel Aviv is all clubs, bars, beaches and strip clubs. That´s not to say Tel Aviv is boring (no I did´t go to a strip club), but rather that it feels too seedy to be the centre of the Jewish state. In the end, a few more days in Jerusalem would have been a good call, but hey...hindsight is blah blah blah blah.
I´m off to the airport in 2 hours for a quick lunch stop in Ethiopia (I´m thinking Chinese food) before I return to Kenya en route to Zanzibar. Whew, 2.5 months left.
Before I head off, here´s some more Fanta for you.
Fanta Strawberry (UAE import)- Pure sugar. It tastes like a more natural version of Robitussin.
Exotic Fanta - I have no idea what´s in this, but it´s gross. Too much sugar, not enough distinguishable flavour.
Grapefruit-pineapple Fanta - Just amazing. The fruits play off each other surprisingly well, creating a sweet, yet crisp soda with just enough tart to create a flavour one could actually call "complex". A rare soda indeed.
That´s all for now. More Fanta to come I´m sure.
Cheers,
-Dave
Cruising around the Holy Land with the family was unsurprisingly excellent. The trip had its definite high points. Haifa was a fun night getting to know the teens on the trip, Petra (in Jordan) was absolutely stunning, praying at the Western Wall (once during the week and once for Shabbat) was an earthshattering experience and hiking Masada was...well...sweaty. Jerusalem solidified its position as one of the greatest cities I´ve ever had the pleasure of staying in and Eilat solidified its position as a bad ripoff of Vegas. There was quality bonding time with the Mom and sisters, Chinese food, hookahs and enough falafel to kill a smallish sized bear. I made some friends among the younger folk in the audience and wound up enjoying Jerusalem visit number two with good company. Yad Vashem was a nice shift from the US Holocaust memorial´s brutality (which is not necessarily a criticism, just an observation), to a message of hope for the future.
An interesting sub-plot to the trip was the state of Reform Judaism in Israel. In the Holy Land (I love saying that) Reform Judaism seems more poised to try and create a sea change in the country, letting people see religion as something relevant to modern day. Congregations here seem to face constant harassment from Orthodox communities, discrimination in local politics (making it harder to get access to public land, recognized conversions and marriages, etc) and a vast community of secular Jews who aren´t necessarily begging to return to religion. In this light the Reform movement seems almost revolutionary, aiming to bridge the gap between secular and orthodox Israeli communities not only with regards to faith, but with regards to politics as well. My impression of the American Reform movement has always been that members often join more out of the desire to justify eating pepperoni pizza, than to link the past with the present. Needless to say, being in the presence of a community of true "reformers" was really nice.
Anyhow, since the trip I´ve split my time about evenly between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, enjoying the former far more than the latter. Jerusalem had a nice blend of faith and fun, whereas Tel Aviv is all clubs, bars, beaches and strip clubs. That´s not to say Tel Aviv is boring (no I did´t go to a strip club), but rather that it feels too seedy to be the centre of the Jewish state. In the end, a few more days in Jerusalem would have been a good call, but hey...hindsight is blah blah blah blah.
I´m off to the airport in 2 hours for a quick lunch stop in Ethiopia (I´m thinking Chinese food) before I return to Kenya en route to Zanzibar. Whew, 2.5 months left.
Before I head off, here´s some more Fanta for you.
Fanta Strawberry (UAE import)- Pure sugar. It tastes like a more natural version of Robitussin.
Exotic Fanta - I have no idea what´s in this, but it´s gross. Too much sugar, not enough distinguishable flavour.
Grapefruit-pineapple Fanta - Just amazing. The fruits play off each other surprisingly well, creating a sweet, yet crisp soda with just enough tart to create a flavour one could actually call "complex". A rare soda indeed.
That´s all for now. More Fanta to come I´m sure.
Cheers,
-Dave
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Tomorrow is country number seven!
So yeah, I'll be in Jordan in 8 hours. Crazy stuff. Israel has been spectacular. We've gone bar hoping in Haifa, cruising around Old Jerusalem, enjoying life by the Dead Sea. It'll be a long entry one day, but this laptop is out of juice. If you're impatient you can gimme a ring. My Israel number is +972523654769. I have no idea what country codes or anything may need to be added to that, but it's a start right?
Cheers,
-Dave
Cheers,
-Dave
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Out of Africa
So I'm in Israel, although the trip took a little longer than expected. Nairobi to Khartoum, 45 minute layover, Khartoum to Cairo, 3 hour layover, Cairo to Tel Aviv, 4 hours until we board the buses. Seeing the family in the airport was great, seeing the family in the airport wearing a custom made Kenyan suit they didn't know I had was better, seeing the family in said suit while a group of ultra-orthodox Jews watched us looking really confused as to why everyone was so excited was pretty hilarious. The fam seems to be well, even if I am somewhat under the weather with a headcold of sorts and culture shock is somehow being kept in check. You know you've been in East Africa too long when you're Jewish, yet the replacement of Swahili with Hebrew as the "language being spoken by everyone that I only sort of understand" makes you kind of sad. Aside from that, it's a little hard to go from a society where "warm shower" is a fairly relative term to one where people get nervous about the complimentary shampoo/conditioner combination at the hotel drying out their hair.
An aside, as I sit typing this in the hotel lobby (wireless!!!!!) a small child (a toddler really) is trying to play with the fish in the fountain just by reception. The mother keeps trying to keep him from falling in, but the kid seems pretty adamant about playing with the fish. There's no real point to all this, it's just pretty adorable.
Anyhow, my last few days in Nairobi were fun. One last round of partying with my Peace Corps. buddies, a sumptuous meal of Indian food and a lot of juggling of luggage that had been stored around the city. The flight, while uneventful, was fairly uncomfortable. Partly due to the captain's refusal to stop pointing out landmarks we couldn't see (it was night) and partly due to Kenya Airways concept of a what a "Kosher Meal" was. Kosher? Yes. A meal? Not so much. I feasted on unfrozen fried balls of something (maybe fish, maybe falafel), fried squiggles (unidentifiable), a still frozen fruit cup, a frozen pastry and matza. The matza was nice, but the rest left quite a lot to be desired. I miss KLM sometimes.
Upon arrival in Israel (after a few delerious hours in the very spiffy Cairo airport) I decided to enjoy my first trip to a Kosher McDonalds (the Big Macs at 6:45 AM always taste best anyhow) and begin my ritual sampling of the Fantas of the world. Here is a synopsis of my trip so far:
Orange Fanta (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Israel): fairly standard soda, but seems to vary from place to place. Sweeter in the West than in Africa, and boardering on Orangina in Israel.
Fanta Citron (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi): This is what you generally get when you order lemonade. Invented for those looking to make mixed drinks, it's perfect blend of sweet and sour leaves quite a crisp, refreshed feeling in your mouth.
Black Currant Fanta Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania): A-mazing. The sugar content of this soda is off the charts, so drinking the 50 cl bottles should be considered a "sometimes" treat. Guaranteed to wake you up after a day spent on the back of a truck in 35 degree (celcius) heat.
Fanta Ananas (Zanzibar): Pineapple-y goodness. Not really my thing, but it certainly has it's moments.
Fanta Maracuja (Rwanda): If G-d drinks Fanta, this is his flavor of choice. The beverage engineer who decided to create this passionfruit infused concoction needs to be shortlisted for a Nobel Prize. Not to be cosumed in large quantities (its sugar content rivals our buddy Black C), but absolutely perfect to add a little sweetness to lunch or a mid-day snack.
Mangorange Fanta (Israel): A blended Fanta? Heavens to Betsy! While I initially wanted to write this hybrid off as a monstrosity (I tend to dislike Mango), the orange complement is slightly redeeming. This is best described as "not repulsive."
Grapefruit Fanta (Israel): This drink is a serious curveball. Sour Fanta? Can it really be so? Indeed, our final entry is a wonderful escape from the insta-diabetes feeling you get from most Fanta out there, even if the sugar content is probably about the same. Sour, tangy and crisp, grapefruit Fanta is really starting to grow on me.
Raise your cans of Fanta up high.
Ready?
Cheers,
-Dave
An aside, as I sit typing this in the hotel lobby (wireless!!!!!) a small child (a toddler really) is trying to play with the fish in the fountain just by reception. The mother keeps trying to keep him from falling in, but the kid seems pretty adamant about playing with the fish. There's no real point to all this, it's just pretty adorable.
Anyhow, my last few days in Nairobi were fun. One last round of partying with my Peace Corps. buddies, a sumptuous meal of Indian food and a lot of juggling of luggage that had been stored around the city. The flight, while uneventful, was fairly uncomfortable. Partly due to the captain's refusal to stop pointing out landmarks we couldn't see (it was night) and partly due to Kenya Airways concept of a what a "Kosher Meal" was. Kosher? Yes. A meal? Not so much. I feasted on unfrozen fried balls of something (maybe fish, maybe falafel), fried squiggles (unidentifiable), a still frozen fruit cup, a frozen pastry and matza. The matza was nice, but the rest left quite a lot to be desired. I miss KLM sometimes.
Upon arrival in Israel (after a few delerious hours in the very spiffy Cairo airport) I decided to enjoy my first trip to a Kosher McDonalds (the Big Macs at 6:45 AM always taste best anyhow) and begin my ritual sampling of the Fantas of the world. Here is a synopsis of my trip so far:
Orange Fanta (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Israel): fairly standard soda, but seems to vary from place to place. Sweeter in the West than in Africa, and boardering on Orangina in Israel.
Fanta Citron (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi): This is what you generally get when you order lemonade. Invented for those looking to make mixed drinks, it's perfect blend of sweet and sour leaves quite a crisp, refreshed feeling in your mouth.
Black Currant Fanta Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania): A-mazing. The sugar content of this soda is off the charts, so drinking the 50 cl bottles should be considered a "sometimes" treat. Guaranteed to wake you up after a day spent on the back of a truck in 35 degree (celcius) heat.
Fanta Ananas (Zanzibar): Pineapple-y goodness. Not really my thing, but it certainly has it's moments.
Fanta Maracuja (Rwanda): If G-d drinks Fanta, this is his flavor of choice. The beverage engineer who decided to create this passionfruit infused concoction needs to be shortlisted for a Nobel Prize. Not to be cosumed in large quantities (its sugar content rivals our buddy Black C), but absolutely perfect to add a little sweetness to lunch or a mid-day snack.
Mangorange Fanta (Israel): A blended Fanta? Heavens to Betsy! While I initially wanted to write this hybrid off as a monstrosity (I tend to dislike Mango), the orange complement is slightly redeeming. This is best described as "not repulsive."
Grapefruit Fanta (Israel): This drink is a serious curveball. Sour Fanta? Can it really be so? Indeed, our final entry is a wonderful escape from the insta-diabetes feeling you get from most Fanta out there, even if the sugar content is probably about the same. Sour, tangy and crisp, grapefruit Fanta is really starting to grow on me.
Raise your cans of Fanta up high.
Ready?
Cheers,
-Dave
Friday, June 1, 2007
Next week in Jerusalem!
So I'm back in Nairobi. The remainder of travelling in Rwanda and Uganda by my lonesome was quite entertaining as I kept running into the same backpackers I had met on my way into Rwanda the first time around. More Mexican food, more parties and a good deal of catching up (I was a little proud that I had been the only one to venture into Burundi, while everyone else regretted not joining in on the fun). From Kampala it was back to Nairobi where (surprise surprise) I ran into some more travel buddies I met in Uganda. We had a nice night or two on the town and Dro, Jesse, Alec and I had a farewell sushi dinner.
That Friday I met a nice young lady named Aviva and we went to the only synagogue in Kenya (that I know of). It was a gorgeous, 95 year old building (dedicated by the queen in 1912!) with a congregation of about 11 people. An odd experience to say the least, I met the Israeli ambassador to Kenya, an aid to the US consular department and a few African Jews from Uganda and Ethiopia. The service was short, but sweet (it even included Manishevitz wine!!!). I didn't know all the tunes they used, and I was a little out of place in flip flops (my only closed toed shoes had been destroyed by some nasty fungal invasion from the Ugandan wetlands), but we had a good time.
From Nairobi I headed with Silvanos back to Mikinduri for a surprise check up on their progress. Since my last visit they had convened in Nairobi for a restructuring meeting based on Pete and my report, and the results were mixed. Money is now being handled by a CPA (so no more corruption!) and sub-committees were shook up to removed inert members. Projects were still lagging waaaaaay behind their supposed "end" dates, Bishop (who I like less and less these days) was still meddling in the affairs of others and maintenance of buildings (pest control, cleaning, fixing, etc) was pretty non-existent, but I am confident that after some initial growing pains over the next few weeks things will turn around. I'll be back on the 23rd of June for a final check up, so I'll hold judgement until then.
In other news, I get to see my family in Israel in three days!!!! YAY!!!!!!
Cheers,
-Dave
That Friday I met a nice young lady named Aviva and we went to the only synagogue in Kenya (that I know of). It was a gorgeous, 95 year old building (dedicated by the queen in 1912!) with a congregation of about 11 people. An odd experience to say the least, I met the Israeli ambassador to Kenya, an aid to the US consular department and a few African Jews from Uganda and Ethiopia. The service was short, but sweet (it even included Manishevitz wine!!!). I didn't know all the tunes they used, and I was a little out of place in flip flops (my only closed toed shoes had been destroyed by some nasty fungal invasion from the Ugandan wetlands), but we had a good time.
From Nairobi I headed with Silvanos back to Mikinduri for a surprise check up on their progress. Since my last visit they had convened in Nairobi for a restructuring meeting based on Pete and my report, and the results were mixed. Money is now being handled by a CPA (so no more corruption!) and sub-committees were shook up to removed inert members. Projects were still lagging waaaaaay behind their supposed "end" dates, Bishop (who I like less and less these days) was still meddling in the affairs of others and maintenance of buildings (pest control, cleaning, fixing, etc) was pretty non-existent, but I am confident that after some initial growing pains over the next few weeks things will turn around. I'll be back on the 23rd of June for a final check up, so I'll hold judgement until then.
In other news, I get to see my family in Israel in three days!!!! YAY!!!!!!
Cheers,
-Dave
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