Yesterday, Timmy and I drove to camp for the annual staff reunion. Before we left, I was thinking about what sort of post I could do about the trip-- probably something talking about how I love New Jersey's distinct four seasons and how evident they are at camp. I experience camp mostly in the summers, when it's hot and humid, but reunion is always very chilly, usually with snow on the ground. In the past few years I've been able to visit during spring and fall as well. Each has their charm.
However, I have little to say about camp, because I spent more time driving to and from camp (three hours fifteen minutes each way, usually takes two) than I actually spent at camp yesterday (four hours). This is mostly Monmouth County's fault. After the blizzard earlier this week, it is just a wreck. Granted, Ocean County isn't much better, having received some of the highest snowfall in the state, but the Parkway in Monmouth was like a terrible obstacle course in which the lanes would just disappear abruptly. We did see a few trucks trying to clear snow out of the far lanes, but it was incredibly frustrating. We arrived at camp at dusk. I didn't get to see the lake, which I hear is quite icy at this point. Warren County only got about four inches (compared to our 28+) so it was easy driving in the northwestern part of the state, but still very pretty and serene. However, because it was dark, I didn't really get to see camp under snow. At least I got to catch up with some old friends.
It's always surprising when we get snow, especially substantial snow, at the shore, where our climate is moderated by the proximity of the ocean. For us to get so much and up north, which has "mountains" and no ocean, to get so little is mind boggling.
30 December 2010
14 December 2010
updates from Malawi
In the past few weeks, I've received a few emails from Mwalabu (program director at Blantyre Synod Health and Development Commission) and Bonongwe (VIP's village worker) through Liz (the woman from Allentown who lead the trip). These emails have been updates on the status of various projects that I witnessed the early stages of back in August, including photos that got me a little teary:
well in use
school being built-- beginning stages discussed here
It's incredible to see progress, even from so far away. I can't explain what it's like to see a hole in the ground or a pile of bricks and take part in discussions of plans and how wells and schools closer to the villages will change lives, and then see these things actually happening and knowing the difference that is made. It's absolutely amazing.
well in use
school being built-- beginning stages discussed here
It's incredible to see progress, even from so far away. I can't explain what it's like to see a hole in the ground or a pile of bricks and take part in discussions of plans and how wells and schools closer to the villages will change lives, and then see these things actually happening and knowing the difference that is made. It's absolutely amazing.
be safe, friends!
Last night I was running an errand with my friend Purba in New Brunswick. The light turned green, I put my car into gear and started to move, only to hear her yell out-- as she did I noticed a kid sprinting in front of my car. Not someone out to exercise, just someone in a hurry. He didn't appear to look at all, just ran full speed into traffic and kept going down the street. I probably would have hit him if Purba didn't notice him and yell. Granted, I wouldn't have been going very fast, but still.
I subscribe to the headlines of NJ.com in my Google Reader, and have noticed a ton lately about pedestrian and cyclist accidents, often resulting in death. The most recent one was yesterday afternoon on Route 1 near Rutgers, before that was actually a Rutgers student killed while biking last week. And actually, just now searching in my Reader to see just how many articles about such accidents have come up in the last few weeks and month, another one came up-- a guy my age from Toms River was hit in Brick earlier this week, and died this morning.
Obviously, sometimes pedestrians aren't paying attention (like that kid last night), and obviously, sometimes drivers are not paying attention. I feel like I see people running red lights way more now than when I started driving. What is with the general attention deficit on the roads lately?
We all have our moments. I drive quite a lot, and I think I'm pretty good at it, but I have my moments too. However, I'm constantly checking out what's going on around me, trying to be aware of other people's moments, because sometimes I feel like no one else is paying attention to anything else on the road.
Please walk, bike and drive safely. Be careful. I like you and don't want to read about you next.
17 November 2010
another whirlwind trip to VA
This past weekend I made my 8th trip to Virginia this year, this time to help celebrate the marriage of my awesome college roommate Brittany and her awesome husband Adam! Of course, I spent a few extra days before and after, visiting with other friends in the area as well.
First, I have to say, Northern Virginia continues to charm me. Well, the traffic is still not charming, nor is the overdevelopment, but I keep finding new things that I enjoy. First was Jammin Java in Vienna. I traveled down on Thursday night so that I could just wake up and get to work on some thesis things Friday morning. However, I beat the librarians to the local library, much to my chagrin. So I wandered down two blocks to Jammin Java, which is awesome for reasons including, but not limited to: good selection of teas (and all of the coffee type beverages that coffee drinkers would appreciate), they were playing my favorite Radiohead album when I walked in, they apparently had Dogfish Head on tap (it was 9.30 in the morning, I didn't find out what brew in particular), well priced, nice staff... sweet little music venue, I imagine. I also later found out that the owners are from Jersey. Of course it was awesome. I happily worked here for a few hours before hitting the library.
Also very charming in Northern VA: Mad Fox Brewing Company in Falls Church, where my dude and I met up with my beer buddy and his girlfriend. My full review is here. The short version: AWESOME.
However, beer of the day probably goes to the incredible Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout, acquired at The Big Hunt in D.C.
Not the tree of the trip: that awesome mulberry tree. Taylor and I had planned on going back with my tree measuring tape (I know I'm a dork) to figure out how old it is, but I forgot the tape. Argh.
The wedding was on Saturday in Fairfax at Historic St. Mary's chapel. What a lovely little church, and a really sweet wedding. I lived with Brittany from sophomore year onward and really enjoyed getting to know them both through those years. It was awesome to see them finally make it official! It was also pretty sweet to catch up with the rest of our sweet suite.
On Sunday morning, I went to Kitty's with Taylor for brunch and English soccer. Brunch was good, and I fulfilled a life goal to consume Guinness before noon (clearly the beer of the day, as a result). I don't think I have a drinking problem, but I was jealous when I received a text message from my beer buddy during the World Cup saying he was enjoying a game with a Guinness... at about 9 AM. We ended up heading into D.C. to hang out with Luke for a while before eventually meeting our friends Scott and Alison for an excellent dinner at Dishes of India. It was great to catch up with them over such a delicious meal.
On Monday, I headed back to Jersey, specifically my office on Livingston Campus of Rutgers University in Piscataway, which I took a rather inefficient route to reach, avoiding tolls and touring things aside from I-95. It was a productive afternoon and evening in the office after taking my sweet time getting there. Always tough to get back to work after such a great weekend, but that thesis is calling, and it is again right now...
09 November 2010
the Colleen authority of NY and NJ
At the end of last week, I had some unexpected journeying through New Jersey. While I love NJ dearly and am always excited to check out new places in the state, the circumstances were not the greatest-- the new beau was coming to visit for the weekend from Virginia and totaled his car en route. Taylor thankfully walked away unscathed.
And so I had the opportunity to drive to Bellmawr late Thursday night to retrieve him from a state police station, and down to Deptford the next day to help him empty his car and say goodbye to it. Both of these drives involved heading straight through my beloved Pine Barrens and hanging out in semi-rural Wawa country on the other side of the state. Not much going on down there, though we did stop for an afternoon snack at a perfectly legit Jersey diner. The drive was fine, and the grey skies actually provided a lovely backdrop for the changing leaves.
The weekend was redeemed with a trip to New York City that had been planned all along to see an exhibit of artistic maps at Pratt University. I mean, really artistic. Like the gelatin Lady Liberty and New York Skyline. The exhibit had the term "psychogeography" in the title... so not my particular branch of geography, but very interesting nonetheless. This was Taylor's original excuse to come visit, since he's a cartographer.
Other highlights of the city included discovering Odessa Cafe over by Tompkins Square Park and the Joe Strummer mural, a total gem of a diner with well priced good food; hanging out in Central Park (tree of the day: black maple that dropped its leaves all over the rock we sat on there); meeting up with one of Taylor's friends from college for a beer and to see Megamind, which I thought was pretty great. All in all, a good trip to the city.
And so I had the opportunity to drive to Bellmawr late Thursday night to retrieve him from a state police station, and down to Deptford the next day to help him empty his car and say goodbye to it. Both of these drives involved heading straight through my beloved Pine Barrens and hanging out in semi-rural Wawa country on the other side of the state. Not much going on down there, though we did stop for an afternoon snack at a perfectly legit Jersey diner. The drive was fine, and the grey skies actually provided a lovely backdrop for the changing leaves.
The weekend was redeemed with a trip to New York City that had been planned all along to see an exhibit of artistic maps at Pratt University. I mean, really artistic. Like the gelatin Lady Liberty and New York Skyline. The exhibit had the term "psychogeography" in the title... so not my particular branch of geography, but very interesting nonetheless. This was Taylor's original excuse to come visit, since he's a cartographer.
Other highlights of the city included discovering Odessa Cafe over by Tompkins Square Park and the Joe Strummer mural, a total gem of a diner with well priced good food; hanging out in Central Park (tree of the day: black maple that dropped its leaves all over the rock we sat on there); meeting up with one of Taylor's friends from college for a beer and to see Megamind, which I thought was pretty great. All in all, a good trip to the city.
31 October 2010
Happy Halloween!
my first costume since I was in elementary school...
And just to take the geographic nerdiness up a notch-- I downloaded the theme song and listened carefully to the words to see if they used any outdated names for the places that Carmen Sandiego goes. The show was on early to mid nineties, so I didn't think it would affect it too much. However, I got the warm fuzzies when I realized that it totally goes against that perpetual myth that African countries change their names all the time. That comes from the people whose geographic education was limited to perhaps grammar school during the few decades when those countries were becoming independent from their colonial rulers, methinks. Anyway, the only antiquated name? Czechoslovakia!
sanity and insanity
So I went to that rally that's been in the news lately.
Actually, I did more travelling than that this weekend. And when I discussed it with a friend of mine, and someone within earshot of our conversation asked why I was leaving the state, my friend replied, "Because that's what Colleen does!"
I began in Philadelphia, visiting some of the historic/tourist sites for the first time since... class trips in elementary school, I believe. We spent some time around Independence Hall, seeing the Liberty Bell (and hearing Sousa's march a zillion times-- as a French horn player, I'm not Sousa's biggest fan, never having played anything but offbeats). We also stopped by the Christ Church cemetery, where Ben Franklin is buried, where I took pictures of ginkgo leaves in senescence (clearly the tree of the day).
Also, we spent some time at Yards brewery. Beer of the day: probably the George Washington Tavern Porter.
Like I said, I went to the Stewart/Colbert Rally in D.C. yesterday. It was difficult to get there-- we left later than we should have and every train was packed. We eventually got on the Metro at Courthouse, getting to the Mall just minutes before the National Anthem. It was a lot of fun, though we couldn't hear some of the time and were definitely not anywhere near the stage but got the occasional peek at a jumbo screen a bit ahead of us. There were so, so many people there. It was a bit crazy, but a beautiful fall day to spend outside.
Tree of the day: this incredible mulberry near the Washington Monument.
Leaving was ridiculous. Every Metro train was absolutely packed. Thankfully we were only taking it to the third stop in Virginia... passing it later on the highway I saw it was still absolutely jam packed. People were being really impatient self centered about it, too. Despite the conductor announcing at every station, "Keep in mind, you might not be able to get on this train, more are coming!" six people would try to replace every two that got off, and then would complain about how tight it was. Very frustrating, and very uncomfortable. I'm not a huge fan of crowds but occasionally overlook that in favor of some interesting adventure. I definitely enjoyed the day, especially the signs, but the insanity of the Metro was kinda lame.
Driving back early this morning, I had the joy of watching the sun come up in the Pine Barrens, so I guess the tree of the day is a repeat: pitch pine!
foggy morning in the Pinelands National Reserve
How to Lie with Maps was kind of cool to read after the fact. (It's also the title of a really great book I had to read in my undergrad Cartography course.) I'm not a conservative hater (I'll respect anyone's opinion as long as they can back it up), but I think Glenn Beck is kind of out of his mind.
Actually, I did more travelling than that this weekend. And when I discussed it with a friend of mine, and someone within earshot of our conversation asked why I was leaving the state, my friend replied, "Because that's what Colleen does!"
I began in Philadelphia, visiting some of the historic/tourist sites for the first time since... class trips in elementary school, I believe. We spent some time around Independence Hall, seeing the Liberty Bell (and hearing Sousa's march a zillion times-- as a French horn player, I'm not Sousa's biggest fan, never having played anything but offbeats). We also stopped by the Christ Church cemetery, where Ben Franklin is buried, where I took pictures of ginkgo leaves in senescence (clearly the tree of the day).
Also, we spent some time at Yards brewery. Beer of the day: probably the George Washington Tavern Porter.
Like I said, I went to the Stewart/Colbert Rally in D.C. yesterday. It was difficult to get there-- we left later than we should have and every train was packed. We eventually got on the Metro at Courthouse, getting to the Mall just minutes before the National Anthem. It was a lot of fun, though we couldn't hear some of the time and were definitely not anywhere near the stage but got the occasional peek at a jumbo screen a bit ahead of us. There were so, so many people there. It was a bit crazy, but a beautiful fall day to spend outside.
Tree of the day: this incredible mulberry near the Washington Monument.
Leaving was ridiculous. Every Metro train was absolutely packed. Thankfully we were only taking it to the third stop in Virginia... passing it later on the highway I saw it was still absolutely jam packed. People were being really impatient self centered about it, too. Despite the conductor announcing at every station, "Keep in mind, you might not be able to get on this train, more are coming!" six people would try to replace every two that got off, and then would complain about how tight it was. Very frustrating, and very uncomfortable. I'm not a huge fan of crowds but occasionally overlook that in favor of some interesting adventure. I definitely enjoyed the day, especially the signs, but the insanity of the Metro was kinda lame.
Driving back early this morning, I had the joy of watching the sun come up in the Pine Barrens, so I guess the tree of the day is a repeat: pitch pine!
foggy morning in the Pinelands National Reserve
How to Lie with Maps was kind of cool to read after the fact. (It's also the title of a really great book I had to read in my undergrad Cartography course.) I'm not a conservative hater (I'll respect anyone's opinion as long as they can back it up), but I think Glenn Beck is kind of out of his mind.
26 October 2010
Lighthouses
On October 16-17, JACK had a reprise: the NJ Lighthouse Challenge.
People might ask, what is so alluring about sitting in a car with people for two days straight driving all over the southern New Jersey coastline? Well, clearly you don't know JACK, or love New Jersey nearly as much as we do (which is a lot a lot a lot). The weather was beautiful and it was a really fun and different way to spend time with some really amazing people. We started on the Delaware River overlooking Philadelphia and ended on the Sandy Hook Bay overlooking Manhattan. We were kind of celebrities for our way cool T-shirts (thanks Jamie for the design!). It was a lot of fun and we already have an idea for next year's T-shirt... but here's a little info on each of the NJ lighthouses and affiliated stops, in case you were curious. On day one:
1. Tinicum Light, Paulsboro: We almost missed this, located amidst little league and pop warner fields, slightly inland from the Delaware River. We climbed this one, and found a nice view of Philadelphia and, much further away, the Delaware Memorial Bridge. The top had this little trap door that you had to throw your entire weight against to get out on the platform. Good start to the day!
2. Finns Point Light, Pennsville: A cute and quiet stop-- the lighthouse itself was not open so there was not much fuss going on... until JACK showed up on the scene. Come on, what would you have done? Four of us, four tables, we clearly needed a picture with them... and I even stopped and gently placed myself on the table instead of diving on with my full weight, in hopes that something like this wouldn't happen.
3. East Point Light, Heislerville: This lighthouse was at the end of a lengthy detour, right on the Delaware Bay. The house itself was really beautiful on the outside, though the inside appeared to be a bit dilapidated. However, it recently received a preservation grant and will be seeing some major interior renovations imminently. Also in the area: one of the state prisons. I guess they can't get into too much trouble down in the Pine Barrens.
4. Cape May County Museum, Cape May Court House: Nothing much to see here except for a first order Fresnel lens that used to shine in the Cape May Lighthouse. This is the biggest kind of Fresnel lens, and depending on how many panels around they are, is how many seconds are between the light hitting a given focal point and thus sending a flash out to a relatively stationery ship (360 degrees divided by how many panels).
5. Tatham Life Saving Station, Stone Harbor: This place was really cool and really informative. Before the US Coast Guard, the east coast had a Life Saving Station every five miles. These had a pretty impressive system to save a ship in distress. Their motto: "You have to go out, you don't have to come back." Intense.
6. Hereford Inlet Light, North Wildwood: Possibly the prettiest little light we saw. It was a beautiful old house with really gorgeous gardens on all sides and a walkway along the ocean.
7. Cape May Light, Cape May Point: After watching the sun set at Sunset Beach (how appropriate, in more ways than one), we climbed this lighthouse, one of the tallest in the state at 199 steps. It gave us a beautiful view of the colors on the horizon, where the Delaware Bay and Atlantic Ocean meet. We were disappointed that it was the most expensive fee to climb, rather than a voluntary donation, because this is probably one of the houses that gets more attention in the state, as it's in a seasonally touristy area. But, beautiful view and well kept grounds.
We stayed at a hotel on the beach in Wildwood Crest. Very peaceful this time of year. Day two included:
8. Absecon Light, Atlantic City: It took us quite a while to get here because traffic was competing with a marathon that morning, but we made it. For those keeping score at home, this is where my post- Lighthouse- Challenge- Facebook profile photo came from. This was one of our more impressive timer group shots, as the anchor was way across the yard from the house, though still not as impressive as the moment caught on camera in Heislerville the day before...
9. Tucker's Beach Light Replica, Tuckerton: Kind of the lamest one, not going to lie. The real one fell in the water during a nor'easter in 1927. The replica was just a house in the Tuckerton Seaport with an area on top that was a similar shape to a light encasement. It was the easiest to climb though-- actual stairs with real railings, not the narrow spiral stairs that I so adore but definitely complicate the ascent.
10. Barnegat Light, Barnegat Light: This is sort of my home lighthouse, even though it's on the next barrier island south-- by the way the bird flies, it's the closest, but you can also see it from Island Beach State Park, which is near my homeland. Jamie, Amanda and I ended up climbing it for these very reasons, spotting the Seaside bridges as well as Katie sitting on a bench 218 steps below us.
11. Barnegat Light Museum, Barnegat Light: Some interesting things in this small museum. Another Fresnel lens, some nice gardens.
12. Sea Girt Light, Sea Girt: We ate our lunch next to the ocean here. This was really nice but really busy when we were there, so we didn't stay for long.
13. Sandy Hook Light, Fort Hancock: We were planning on finishing here, but some construction and weird traffic patterns and an earlier misunderstanding in the directions lead us here second to last. What a lovely park. We were looking forward to climbing and seeing a sweet view of Manhattan, but we heard that Twin Lights was closing early and didn't want to not finish the challenge after our incredible efforts thus far. Sweet park, we decided this National Recreation Area would be well worth its own visit, between the lighthouse itself and the historic fort surrounding it (and also the beach, we love the beach).
14. Navesink Twin Lights, Highlands: WE FINISHED THE CHALLENGE! This beautiful lighthouse (do you call it lighthouses if it's one building?) was near impossible to get to, but really nice once we made it up the hill and found it. They also had a Fresnel lens on display, as well as some Life Saving Station gear. We could still see Manhattan and the towers on this were way shorter than Sandy Hook Lighthouse. To celebrate, we had a ridiculous timed photo shoot.
And, if all else fails, this is how you know we spent two days in south Jersey: despite spending most of the drives on very rural, undeveloped stretches of highway, we saw 17 Wawas (21 if you count the ones in Toms River heading back to Amanda's house). All in all, a most excellent adventure.
People might ask, what is so alluring about sitting in a car with people for two days straight driving all over the southern New Jersey coastline? Well, clearly you don't know JACK, or love New Jersey nearly as much as we do (which is a lot a lot a lot). The weather was beautiful and it was a really fun and different way to spend time with some really amazing people. We started on the Delaware River overlooking Philadelphia and ended on the Sandy Hook Bay overlooking Manhattan. We were kind of celebrities for our way cool T-shirts (thanks Jamie for the design!). It was a lot of fun and we already have an idea for next year's T-shirt... but here's a little info on each of the NJ lighthouses and affiliated stops, in case you were curious. On day one:
1. Tinicum Light, Paulsboro: We almost missed this, located amidst little league and pop warner fields, slightly inland from the Delaware River. We climbed this one, and found a nice view of Philadelphia and, much further away, the Delaware Memorial Bridge. The top had this little trap door that you had to throw your entire weight against to get out on the platform. Good start to the day!
2. Finns Point Light, Pennsville: A cute and quiet stop-- the lighthouse itself was not open so there was not much fuss going on... until JACK showed up on the scene. Come on, what would you have done? Four of us, four tables, we clearly needed a picture with them... and I even stopped and gently placed myself on the table instead of diving on with my full weight, in hopes that something like this wouldn't happen.
3. East Point Light, Heislerville: This lighthouse was at the end of a lengthy detour, right on the Delaware Bay. The house itself was really beautiful on the outside, though the inside appeared to be a bit dilapidated. However, it recently received a preservation grant and will be seeing some major interior renovations imminently. Also in the area: one of the state prisons. I guess they can't get into too much trouble down in the Pine Barrens.
4. Cape May County Museum, Cape May Court House: Nothing much to see here except for a first order Fresnel lens that used to shine in the Cape May Lighthouse. This is the biggest kind of Fresnel lens, and depending on how many panels around they are, is how many seconds are between the light hitting a given focal point and thus sending a flash out to a relatively stationery ship (360 degrees divided by how many panels).
5. Tatham Life Saving Station, Stone Harbor: This place was really cool and really informative. Before the US Coast Guard, the east coast had a Life Saving Station every five miles. These had a pretty impressive system to save a ship in distress. Their motto: "You have to go out, you don't have to come back." Intense.
6. Hereford Inlet Light, North Wildwood: Possibly the prettiest little light we saw. It was a beautiful old house with really gorgeous gardens on all sides and a walkway along the ocean.
7. Cape May Light, Cape May Point: After watching the sun set at Sunset Beach (how appropriate, in more ways than one), we climbed this lighthouse, one of the tallest in the state at 199 steps. It gave us a beautiful view of the colors on the horizon, where the Delaware Bay and Atlantic Ocean meet. We were disappointed that it was the most expensive fee to climb, rather than a voluntary donation, because this is probably one of the houses that gets more attention in the state, as it's in a seasonally touristy area. But, beautiful view and well kept grounds.
We stayed at a hotel on the beach in Wildwood Crest. Very peaceful this time of year. Day two included:
8. Absecon Light, Atlantic City: It took us quite a while to get here because traffic was competing with a marathon that morning, but we made it. For those keeping score at home, this is where my post- Lighthouse- Challenge- Facebook profile photo came from. This was one of our more impressive timer group shots, as the anchor was way across the yard from the house, though still not as impressive as the moment caught on camera in Heislerville the day before...
9. Tucker's Beach Light Replica, Tuckerton: Kind of the lamest one, not going to lie. The real one fell in the water during a nor'easter in 1927. The replica was just a house in the Tuckerton Seaport with an area on top that was a similar shape to a light encasement. It was the easiest to climb though-- actual stairs with real railings, not the narrow spiral stairs that I so adore but definitely complicate the ascent.
10. Barnegat Light, Barnegat Light: This is sort of my home lighthouse, even though it's on the next barrier island south-- by the way the bird flies, it's the closest, but you can also see it from Island Beach State Park, which is near my homeland. Jamie, Amanda and I ended up climbing it for these very reasons, spotting the Seaside bridges as well as Katie sitting on a bench 218 steps below us.
11. Barnegat Light Museum, Barnegat Light: Some interesting things in this small museum. Another Fresnel lens, some nice gardens.
12. Sea Girt Light, Sea Girt: We ate our lunch next to the ocean here. This was really nice but really busy when we were there, so we didn't stay for long.
13. Sandy Hook Light, Fort Hancock: We were planning on finishing here, but some construction and weird traffic patterns and an earlier misunderstanding in the directions lead us here second to last. What a lovely park. We were looking forward to climbing and seeing a sweet view of Manhattan, but we heard that Twin Lights was closing early and didn't want to not finish the challenge after our incredible efforts thus far. Sweet park, we decided this National Recreation Area would be well worth its own visit, between the lighthouse itself and the historic fort surrounding it (and also the beach, we love the beach).
14. Navesink Twin Lights, Highlands: WE FINISHED THE CHALLENGE! This beautiful lighthouse (do you call it lighthouses if it's one building?) was near impossible to get to, but really nice once we made it up the hill and found it. They also had a Fresnel lens on display, as well as some Life Saving Station gear. We could still see Manhattan and the towers on this were way shorter than Sandy Hook Lighthouse. To celebrate, we had a ridiculous timed photo shoot.
And, if all else fails, this is how you know we spent two days in south Jersey: despite spending most of the drives on very rural, undeveloped stretches of highway, we saw 17 Wawas (21 if you count the ones in Toms River heading back to Amanda's house). All in all, a most excellent adventure.
28 September 2010
Tuesday 31 August and Wednesday 1 September
Our last full day was spent around Blantyre, shopping, packing, relaxing a bit. I bought some hymnals to share with my choir back home and some other small things. We had lunch at an Italian restaurant, which seemed a little odd to me, but was good. Usually when I travel, there's some food that I'm excited about having when I get home. (When I was in Mexico, it wasn't food so much as having a glass of cold milk!) We had so many different things in Malawi, familiar or not, that I wasn't determined to have anything in particular upon my arrival.
I packed like a champion. Because my duffel bag was so full of donations on the way over, it was very light and mostly empty for the return trip. I even put my second carry on in there to check it all as one bag, just taking my backpack with me for the flights.
We cooked dinner together. After the meal, we cleared the table and played a really lively game of spoons.
I didn't lose!
The night was peaceful and quiet. The team spent some time together before we went to bed, reflecting on the adventures of the past two weeks. I think this has confirmed what I've long believed-- my life is definitely leading me to serve others. I don't know if that will be with the church, or the government, I don't know if that will be close to home or really far away. I just know.
The last day arrived without any rush. I woke up pretty early on my own and took my time dressing and wandering over to the Machinjili's main house, where I helped Liz slowly set the table for breakfast. This is the first thing you heard about when I returned. It was a peaceful morning filled with oatmeal, bananas, papaya and tea. It was bittersweet goodbyes with Bonongwe and Mwalabu at the BSHDC. It was the shortest car ride of the entire trip to the airport. It was holding back tears as the Chinupule Women's group and the Machinjili family bid us safe travels.
Liz and Serah Machinjili, followed by the Chinupule Women's Prayer Group
It was amazing.
PS: We did not bring the chicken with us for our long journey home.
I packed like a champion. Because my duffel bag was so full of donations on the way over, it was very light and mostly empty for the return trip. I even put my second carry on in there to check it all as one bag, just taking my backpack with me for the flights.
We cooked dinner together. After the meal, we cleared the table and played a really lively game of spoons.
I didn't lose!
The night was peaceful and quiet. The team spent some time together before we went to bed, reflecting on the adventures of the past two weeks. I think this has confirmed what I've long believed-- my life is definitely leading me to serve others. I don't know if that will be with the church, or the government, I don't know if that will be close to home or really far away. I just know.
The last day arrived without any rush. I woke up pretty early on my own and took my time dressing and wandering over to the Machinjili's main house, where I helped Liz slowly set the table for breakfast. This is the first thing you heard about when I returned. It was a peaceful morning filled with oatmeal, bananas, papaya and tea. It was bittersweet goodbyes with Bonongwe and Mwalabu at the BSHDC. It was the shortest car ride of the entire trip to the airport. It was holding back tears as the Chinupule Women's group and the Machinjili family bid us safe travels.
Liz and Serah Machinjili, followed by the Chinupule Women's Prayer Group
It was amazing.
PS: We did not bring the chicken with us for our long journey home.
Monday 30 August part two: closing ceremony in villages, back to Blantyre
We arrived back from safari quite a bit later than originally planned (oh, Malawi time), but they held the goodbye ceremony for us. Racing sunlight, introductions were condensed to the group scale instead of the lengthy traditional individual style. The ceremony was great-- lots of singing and dancing, and someone was translating the entire time. My favorite was hearing a song I knew-- my church sings it as "Siyahamba ekukhanyene kwenkos'", but in English it's "We Are Marching in the Light of God". It was nice to have something so familiar.
We quickly presented the hundreds of pounds of donations that we had carried into the country-- the sun was already behind Zomba Plateau at this point and we were fast losing light. We were also presented with a few gifts:
a guinea fowl
the group was given a box of fruits and vegetables. I was given a tool that they use to sift flour, which I was awful at when I helped cooked in the village, but I was just absolutely in awe of this kind gift. Wherever I end up next in my life, you can bet this will be proudly displayed in my kitchen.
the sun setting behind Zomba Plateau
Night fell quickly and beautifully. We said our goodbyes. I sat in the back of Mwalabu's truck with a few other men and a pile of empty duffel bags. As we drove each of the men home (people who worked with VIP, helping with logistics and translating), the stars came out. It was a cool, beautiful night and I just stared at the sky, trying to soak in the incredibleness of it all.
That guinea fowl would become a ridiculous part of the evening. Somehow, once again, I was the only one keeping track of the bird in the slightest. As I rode in the back of the truck I knew it was on the floor in the truck. Then, we all heard a scream and Randa jumped out of the truck (while we were stopped at Mwalabu's house to drop off his children). She didn't know the fowl was at her feet, and then it moved! We ended up moving it up to the front seat with Bob, where it ended up riding for the rest of the trip that evening.
The team plus Mwalabu and Bonongwe went out to dinner after this. The place Liz had elected to go to turned out to be closed, so then we joked about getting pizza. One woman told King Bob to make it so!... and then we pulled into a place called Domino's! It was a little funny. The place did make pizzas but also served all sorts of other things. I had a vegetable curry.
At one point, Liz, Bonongwe and Mwalabu left to pick up the plans for the school at Matawali. It was really exciting to see the plans printed out, knowing the bricks were made and the people were ready. Things are truly moving forward in this place.
Liz and Bob looking at the school plans
After dinner, which took the restaurant about an hour to prepare (which was fine since three members of our party were out hunting down those school plans), we headed back to Blantyre. It was very hard to stay awake during the drive, but I fought the drowsiness in order to spend as much time talking with Mwalabu about plants as possible. We arrived back at the Machinjili's at close to 11PM, tired but fulfilled.
We quickly presented the hundreds of pounds of donations that we had carried into the country-- the sun was already behind Zomba Plateau at this point and we were fast losing light. We were also presented with a few gifts:
a guinea fowl
the group was given a box of fruits and vegetables. I was given a tool that they use to sift flour, which I was awful at when I helped cooked in the village, but I was just absolutely in awe of this kind gift. Wherever I end up next in my life, you can bet this will be proudly displayed in my kitchen.
the sun setting behind Zomba Plateau
Night fell quickly and beautifully. We said our goodbyes. I sat in the back of Mwalabu's truck with a few other men and a pile of empty duffel bags. As we drove each of the men home (people who worked with VIP, helping with logistics and translating), the stars came out. It was a cool, beautiful night and I just stared at the sky, trying to soak in the incredibleness of it all.
That guinea fowl would become a ridiculous part of the evening. Somehow, once again, I was the only one keeping track of the bird in the slightest. As I rode in the back of the truck I knew it was on the floor in the truck. Then, we all heard a scream and Randa jumped out of the truck (while we were stopped at Mwalabu's house to drop off his children). She didn't know the fowl was at her feet, and then it moved! We ended up moving it up to the front seat with Bob, where it ended up riding for the rest of the trip that evening.
The team plus Mwalabu and Bonongwe went out to dinner after this. The place Liz had elected to go to turned out to be closed, so then we joked about getting pizza. One woman told King Bob to make it so!... and then we pulled into a place called Domino's! It was a little funny. The place did make pizzas but also served all sorts of other things. I had a vegetable curry.
At one point, Liz, Bonongwe and Mwalabu left to pick up the plans for the school at Matawali. It was really exciting to see the plans printed out, knowing the bricks were made and the people were ready. Things are truly moving forward in this place.
Liz and Bob looking at the school plans
After dinner, which took the restaurant about an hour to prepare (which was fine since three members of our party were out hunting down those school plans), we headed back to Blantyre. It was very hard to stay awake during the drive, but I fought the drowsiness in order to spend as much time talking with Mwalabu about plants as possible. We arrived back at the Machinjili's at close to 11PM, tired but fulfilled.
26 September 2010
being Presbyterian in New Jersey
Sometimes, my awesome adventures get more awesome.
So, after Tuesday's adventure, it was my goal to continue to let life take me cool places, but to maybe keep it under control, at least till my thesis gets done (draft one due in less than a month!). This weekend I had a few outstanding plans: Saturday was babysitting the Z children up at camp, and getting together with some of the Human Ecologists somewhere in between camp and home. Both of those were excellent-- I had little Will attached to my arm for almost the entire afternoon (we go way back) and had a lot of fun playing outside in the beautiful weather before kicking it back and owning at Cranium while eating awesome foods from around the country and world and trying Sangria for the first time at Kristen's house (she rocks).
Today's plans included singing at the early service at my church (in the place of someone who might not have made it due to her imminent grandchild) and then heading out to Allentown to visit with my Malawi teammates and report back to their congregation about our incredible time there this summer. It seemed pretty straightforward and like maybe I wouldn't end up driving off anywhere else. But then I felt the urge to go on facebook while I ate my Cheerios before church and right at the top was my friend Emma: "is being commissioned at Allentown Pres. this morning." Not that New Jersey is huge, but I think being Presbyterian makes it smaller! She was the chaplain at camp this summer. She is from western Pennsylvania, from a town where I chaperoned my church's junior high mission trip last summer-- I have slept on the floor of her high school, I have worked with people from her church, including a guy whose mom used to babysit her and apparently saved her life when she was young, making it possible for me to know her and make all of these connections in the first place! And now, here we were, in Allentown. It was really awesome to see her! We decided lunch was in order, so I figured we'd head over to Hightstown to a diner my cousin brought me to once, because that would put us next to a nice county road that would send her north and west to Princeton Seminary, and me south and east back home.
Except I missed the diner because I was too busy enjoying that part of the state-- very historic, roads are all named for towns (Hightstown-Princeton Road) and taverns (Burnt Tavern) and mills (Browns Mill), interspersed with quite a bit of farmland.
So then I lead her north on CR 571 figuring we'd find something to eat. I just continually missed signs until it was too late. Until we were practically in Princeton. We eventually stopped for Chinese food which we went back and ate in her dorm. It was so so awesome to catch up, a really nice surprise added to an already pretty wonderful morning for me. So cool what a small world we live in, especially when that world is in a small state and we're part of a big community within it.
Goal for the week is actually to do no excessive driving, more specifically, to stay in my town except when I go to school on Tuesday.
So, after Tuesday's adventure, it was my goal to continue to let life take me cool places, but to maybe keep it under control, at least till my thesis gets done (draft one due in less than a month!). This weekend I had a few outstanding plans: Saturday was babysitting the Z children up at camp, and getting together with some of the Human Ecologists somewhere in between camp and home. Both of those were excellent-- I had little Will attached to my arm for almost the entire afternoon (we go way back) and had a lot of fun playing outside in the beautiful weather before kicking it back and owning at Cranium while eating awesome foods from around the country and world and trying Sangria for the first time at Kristen's house (she rocks).
Today's plans included singing at the early service at my church (in the place of someone who might not have made it due to her imminent grandchild) and then heading out to Allentown to visit with my Malawi teammates and report back to their congregation about our incredible time there this summer. It seemed pretty straightforward and like maybe I wouldn't end up driving off anywhere else. But then I felt the urge to go on facebook while I ate my Cheerios before church and right at the top was my friend Emma: "is being commissioned at Allentown Pres. this morning." Not that New Jersey is huge, but I think being Presbyterian makes it smaller! She was the chaplain at camp this summer. She is from western Pennsylvania, from a town where I chaperoned my church's junior high mission trip last summer-- I have slept on the floor of her high school, I have worked with people from her church, including a guy whose mom used to babysit her and apparently saved her life when she was young, making it possible for me to know her and make all of these connections in the first place! And now, here we were, in Allentown. It was really awesome to see her! We decided lunch was in order, so I figured we'd head over to Hightstown to a diner my cousin brought me to once, because that would put us next to a nice county road that would send her north and west to Princeton Seminary, and me south and east back home.
Except I missed the diner because I was too busy enjoying that part of the state-- very historic, roads are all named for towns (Hightstown-Princeton Road) and taverns (Burnt Tavern) and mills (Browns Mill), interspersed with quite a bit of farmland.
So then I lead her north on CR 571 figuring we'd find something to eat. I just continually missed signs until it was too late. Until we were practically in Princeton. We eventually stopped for Chinese food which we went back and ate in her dorm. It was so so awesome to catch up, a really nice surprise added to an already pretty wonderful morning for me. So cool what a small world we live in, especially when that world is in a small state and we're part of a big community within it.
Goal for the week is actually to do no excessive driving, more specifically, to stay in my town except when I go to school on Tuesday.
24 September 2010
Monday 30 August, part one: safari part two
We woke up early to take a morning walking safari, just to increase our chances of seeing elephants. I woke up before the alarm to the not-so-distant sound of hippos burping, which is surprisingly peaceful first thing in the morning. Maybe it was just the context of being on safari in Central Africa that made their loud, rumbling, groaning noises so pleasant. Anyway, the walk was escorted by Danger, and also Lastone (pronounced Lah-stone, not Last One, but I can't help but notice the deeper implications of the spelling) who carried a rifle. Just in case.
We saw monkeys!
Tree of the day: sabistar. It flowers like this in the winter. The flowers are poisonous, which explains how they're so intact. They fall off and leaves grow during the rainy season into spring and summer.
And then we saw some elephants marching off in the distance!
Danger told us about being charged by an elephant. Shortly after he'd completed his training as a safari guide, he and a friend were out walking when they accidentally interrupted a parade of elephants by walking between the larger group and some straggler at the end. Straggler was not pleased. But this is what you do when an elephant charges (good to know): first, they will do a fake charge. This is to line themselves up with the enemy. Then, they back up. Once they start backing up, that sets the direction they'll charge in. They are too big to turn when running with all of that weight. So the enemy/victim-to-be should then step aside a few meters, because the elephant will not be able to tell such a small change, and will thus go ahead with the charge instead of taking the time to line up properly again. Danger said the elephant ran right past him. His friend thought he was dead though, and went back to the office and told everyone. They were all quite impressed when he showed up later.
me with Danger and Lastone
So after breakfast, we took a boat safari down the lovely Shire River. We saw quite a lot of animals, but it exciting was when we got pretty close to a large parade of elephants!
AND THEN LATER WE GOT REALLY CLOSE TO AN ELEPHANT WHO WAS ON THE SHORELINE HAVING A SNACK AND WE WERE MAYBE 10 FEET AWAY!!!
We watched in awe and took tons of pictures of her. We had actually be called over because a few people working in the office by the boat landing were looking for a bit of protection and the guards weren't coming fast enough. We picked them up in the boat and went back to watch her some more until some guards arrived, just in case the elephant wandered any closer to their office. It was really amazing though. She just chomped away at some leaves and didn't really mind us so much. She's such an incredible animal, it was so, so SO awesome to be able to get so close and just admire how beautiful and enormous she is!
We continued on. Saw many hippos sitting in the water. They can't actually swim, they are too heavy. They walk along the bottom. If they're "swimming" it means they're in too deep water and they're falling. They can hold their breath for six minutes though, which I guess is enough time to stroll back to higher ground.
So amazing. After lunch and settling the bill (surprisingly hard for a tourist destination-- they didn't seem to have a lot of cash to make change with, so it was quite an effort to make sure they were being square with us, though it did all work out in the end). With lunch came my Carlsberg Extra Special, which was not any more exciting than the Kuche Kuche flavor wise but a little bit stronger. We checked out, took a boat ride back across the river and were eventually met (late) by our driver, who managed to get us safely back to the village for the closing ceremony that afternoon...
We saw monkeys!
Tree of the day: sabistar. It flowers like this in the winter. The flowers are poisonous, which explains how they're so intact. They fall off and leaves grow during the rainy season into spring and summer.
And then we saw some elephants marching off in the distance!
Danger told us about being charged by an elephant. Shortly after he'd completed his training as a safari guide, he and a friend were out walking when they accidentally interrupted a parade of elephants by walking between the larger group and some straggler at the end. Straggler was not pleased. But this is what you do when an elephant charges (good to know): first, they will do a fake charge. This is to line themselves up with the enemy. Then, they back up. Once they start backing up, that sets the direction they'll charge in. They are too big to turn when running with all of that weight. So the enemy/victim-to-be should then step aside a few meters, because the elephant will not be able to tell such a small change, and will thus go ahead with the charge instead of taking the time to line up properly again. Danger said the elephant ran right past him. His friend thought he was dead though, and went back to the office and told everyone. They were all quite impressed when he showed up later.
me with Danger and Lastone
So after breakfast, we took a boat safari down the lovely Shire River. We saw quite a lot of animals, but it exciting was when we got pretty close to a large parade of elephants!
AND THEN LATER WE GOT REALLY CLOSE TO AN ELEPHANT WHO WAS ON THE SHORELINE HAVING A SNACK AND WE WERE MAYBE 10 FEET AWAY!!!
We watched in awe and took tons of pictures of her. We had actually be called over because a few people working in the office by the boat landing were looking for a bit of protection and the guards weren't coming fast enough. We picked them up in the boat and went back to watch her some more until some guards arrived, just in case the elephant wandered any closer to their office. It was really amazing though. She just chomped away at some leaves and didn't really mind us so much. She's such an incredible animal, it was so, so SO awesome to be able to get so close and just admire how beautiful and enormous she is!
We continued on. Saw many hippos sitting in the water. They can't actually swim, they are too heavy. They walk along the bottom. If they're "swimming" it means they're in too deep water and they're falling. They can hold their breath for six minutes though, which I guess is enough time to stroll back to higher ground.
So amazing. After lunch and settling the bill (surprisingly hard for a tourist destination-- they didn't seem to have a lot of cash to make change with, so it was quite an effort to make sure they were being square with us, though it did all work out in the end). With lunch came my Carlsberg Extra Special, which was not any more exciting than the Kuche Kuche flavor wise but a little bit stronger. We checked out, took a boat ride back across the river and were eventually met (late) by our driver, who managed to get us safely back to the village for the closing ceremony that afternoon...
23 September 2010
a brief but awesome interruption in Malawi stories and life in general
I woke up Tuesday morning believing that my day would consist of teaching two sections of Human Ecology, taking the train into the city to meet up with a few friends from college and possibly have dinner with another friend before heading back to my car at Rutgers and driving home to Toms River.
Shortly after the first section ended, I received a phone call from Taylor. He and Justin had driven up from Virginia late the night before and stayed with our friend Brendan in Ocean Grove. The three were going to see Pavement in Central Park and we were all going to meet up for a while first, as far as I knew. Except Taylor told me they were on the Turnpike, how do they get to my classroom?
Within half an hour they had successfully found parking and navigated the Rutgers bus system and were standing outside of my classroom door. At this point, I learn they have an extra ticket to the concert, so the plans changed to us all going into the city together from New Brunswick. Sweet! As much fun as it would have been to have them sit in on my second class, I sent them over to the grease trucks on College Ave for lunch while I taught. Afterward we met up and got on a train to NY Penn Station.
Once in the city, it should have been easy enough to get to Central Park and find this concert. I had never been to the Rumsey Playfield in the park before but we figured it all out. Someone had been "injured" further up the line from where we needed to go, so there were huge delays and we ended up having to switch trains. Brendan had insisted the concert was at 5.30 which sounded a little strange to me but we went with it. I didn't know better since I hadn't planned on going until it was too late to check the details myself. Doors were 5.30; they were still setting the stage. And we foolishly went in, rather than killing time elsewhere. At least it was good company and a totally gorgeous day.
The concert was great!
group shot waiting for the subway train
We got back to New Brunswick close to 1AM. Justin and Taylor both had work in the morning in Virginia, and Brendan still needed to get home. What am I responsible for on Wednesdays? Little to nothing (besides working on that thesis, of course). And so, after driving 60 miles to Rutgers, teaching, then spending the rest of the day in the city, I drove Justin's car first to drop off Brendan in Ocean Grove (about 40 miles), then to get Taylor and Justin back to VA while they caught a few hours of sleep. It was about 225 miles to Taylor's in Northern Virginia, and I drove all of it, arriving a little before 6AM. We decided it'd be cheaper for me to take a train from Washington, D.C. and Justin was rested enough, so he drove the last two hours to Richmond, practically straight to his office. I took the Metro to Union Station, Amtrak to Philadelphia 30th Street Station, SEPTA to Trenton, NJ Transit back to New Brunswick, Rutgers bus back to the campus where my car was, then drove home a very tired girl. Very tired, but feeling fulfilled by another excellent adventure.
Shortly after the first section ended, I received a phone call from Taylor. He and Justin had driven up from Virginia late the night before and stayed with our friend Brendan in Ocean Grove. The three were going to see Pavement in Central Park and we were all going to meet up for a while first, as far as I knew. Except Taylor told me they were on the Turnpike, how do they get to my classroom?
Within half an hour they had successfully found parking and navigated the Rutgers bus system and were standing outside of my classroom door. At this point, I learn they have an extra ticket to the concert, so the plans changed to us all going into the city together from New Brunswick. Sweet! As much fun as it would have been to have them sit in on my second class, I sent them over to the grease trucks on College Ave for lunch while I taught. Afterward we met up and got on a train to NY Penn Station.
Once in the city, it should have been easy enough to get to Central Park and find this concert. I had never been to the Rumsey Playfield in the park before but we figured it all out. Someone had been "injured" further up the line from where we needed to go, so there were huge delays and we ended up having to switch trains. Brendan had insisted the concert was at 5.30 which sounded a little strange to me but we went with it. I didn't know better since I hadn't planned on going until it was too late to check the details myself. Doors were 5.30; they were still setting the stage. And we foolishly went in, rather than killing time elsewhere. At least it was good company and a totally gorgeous day.
The concert was great!
group shot waiting for the subway train
We got back to New Brunswick close to 1AM. Justin and Taylor both had work in the morning in Virginia, and Brendan still needed to get home. What am I responsible for on Wednesdays? Little to nothing (besides working on that thesis, of course). And so, after driving 60 miles to Rutgers, teaching, then spending the rest of the day in the city, I drove Justin's car first to drop off Brendan in Ocean Grove (about 40 miles), then to get Taylor and Justin back to VA while they caught a few hours of sleep. It was about 225 miles to Taylor's in Northern Virginia, and I drove all of it, arriving a little before 6AM. We decided it'd be cheaper for me to take a train from Washington, D.C. and Justin was rested enough, so he drove the last two hours to Richmond, practically straight to his office. I took the Metro to Union Station, Amtrak to Philadelphia 30th Street Station, SEPTA to Trenton, NJ Transit back to New Brunswick, Rutgers bus back to the campus where my car was, then drove home a very tired girl. Very tired, but feeling fulfilled by another excellent adventure.
20 September 2010
Sunday 29 August: safari part one
One year ago on this day I was specifically not in Malawi because I was at Chris and Kerin's wedding. I am so glad I could be part of that wonderful day, and everything seems to have worked out for me, too.
My congratulations for these two continue. I love you both so much!
Like August 29, 2009, I spent the morning in a church.
The pastor at the Sakata CCAP reminded us all a lot of the old man in the Six Flags commercials, except tinier and more cartoony. I really wonder how old he is. I'd guess 80s, honestly. He was really kind and actually kind of funny, but he had this twitch around his mouth and these huge glasses that reminded me a lot of Uncle Don's in the Marines:
Anyway. Church was a short two and a half hours-- the sermon came about an hour and forty minutes in but we were all kind of surprised that we had been sitting there so long. This included a lot of singing and also time for translations (which we hadn't gone in expecting but were certainly happy to receive from Mwalabu). The pastor began his sermon talking about how having lots of different colored flowers makes for a more beautiful garden (even if people in the village couldn't tell the white flowers apart). It was actually very sweet. We presented him with a stole with the PCUSA cross on it. He was very excited because stoles aren't very commonly worn in Malawi, or in Africa. He was excited because it would strike his academic colleagues with fear that he is better educated. That kind of amused me, since I definitely dress a particular way when I teach in hopes that my students will believe I'm actually qualified (and not still in high school, as I know my face suggests). We also gave him Bibles and hymn books in Chichewa and English, as well as a blue hymnal from my church (more a ceremonial gift-- I did not meet a single person who could read music during my entire stay in Malawi). They were very excited.
After the service, we shared a light meal and spent a bit of time with the youth choir. Then, three of the women and I left for an overnight safari in Liwonde National Park along the Shire River (pronounced shee-ree), while Liz, Bob and Charlie stayed behind for some more serious logistical meetings for VIP.
Because everything in Malawi is on Malawi time (read: late), we arrived after our first safari drive was scheduled to depart, which it did, without us. But we settled in quickly and were taken out to meet our guide, "Danger by name, not by nature." Seriously. His given name was Danger. "That is the name my mother gave me at birth." Seriously.
We saw some amazing and beautiful things as the sun set.
Tree of the day #1: Candelabra Tree. Not a cactus. Really cool looking!
Tree of the day #2: Mopani. I did not get a good photo of this. Mopani is Chichewa for butterfly, which the leaves resemble.
Tree of the day #3: baobab, which is sort of the stereotypical African tree. There are some on the continent that are thousands of years old. We didn't see any that old, we mostly saw them with some massive scars from elephants colliding with them (sometimes accidental, sometimes as a scratching post).
Water buck having a drink
It was so beautiful. The air was fresh and the weather was perfect. And when everyone would stop talking about how silent it was... it was so peaceful. It was incredible. I loved hearing the sounds of branches snapping as different creatures had their dinners, and the far off groan/burp/call of the hippos. It was really awesome.
We did see some elephants! They were off in the distance, munching on some trees. Danger held up a filtered light-- red light is the only color that doesn't wreck night vision in animals (including humans).
You can kind of make them out-- it's a big one in the middle, facing left, and some babies hanging out with her.
Since we were with the church, drinking was not really acceptable in the villages, nor in the city because we were always with other people from the church. However, on safari, that rule could be overlooked. Beer of the day: Kuche Kuche, which is somehow Chichewa for "you can drink this from night till dawn without getting drunk." Three different Malawians told me this, so I guess that's really what it means. Such a fascinating language. And such a plain beer with low alcohol content that you probably really could drink all night without noticing. This beer is brewed by Carlsberg, whose first brewery outside of Denmark was actually in Malawi near the city of Blantyre.
All in all, a very cool day. We went to bed early. I was kept up for a little while by the sounds of the wind and the hippos and other critters, but I really didn't mind it. It was so serene, and I was excited to see more of it the next day...
My congratulations for these two continue. I love you both so much!
Like August 29, 2009, I spent the morning in a church.
The pastor at the Sakata CCAP reminded us all a lot of the old man in the Six Flags commercials, except tinier and more cartoony. I really wonder how old he is. I'd guess 80s, honestly. He was really kind and actually kind of funny, but he had this twitch around his mouth and these huge glasses that reminded me a lot of Uncle Don's in the Marines:
Anyway. Church was a short two and a half hours-- the sermon came about an hour and forty minutes in but we were all kind of surprised that we had been sitting there so long. This included a lot of singing and also time for translations (which we hadn't gone in expecting but were certainly happy to receive from Mwalabu). The pastor began his sermon talking about how having lots of different colored flowers makes for a more beautiful garden (even if people in the village couldn't tell the white flowers apart). It was actually very sweet. We presented him with a stole with the PCUSA cross on it. He was very excited because stoles aren't very commonly worn in Malawi, or in Africa. He was excited because it would strike his academic colleagues with fear that he is better educated. That kind of amused me, since I definitely dress a particular way when I teach in hopes that my students will believe I'm actually qualified (and not still in high school, as I know my face suggests). We also gave him Bibles and hymn books in Chichewa and English, as well as a blue hymnal from my church (more a ceremonial gift-- I did not meet a single person who could read music during my entire stay in Malawi). They were very excited.
After the service, we shared a light meal and spent a bit of time with the youth choir. Then, three of the women and I left for an overnight safari in Liwonde National Park along the Shire River (pronounced shee-ree), while Liz, Bob and Charlie stayed behind for some more serious logistical meetings for VIP.
Because everything in Malawi is on Malawi time (read: late), we arrived after our first safari drive was scheduled to depart, which it did, without us. But we settled in quickly and were taken out to meet our guide, "Danger by name, not by nature." Seriously. His given name was Danger. "That is the name my mother gave me at birth." Seriously.
We saw some amazing and beautiful things as the sun set.
Tree of the day #1: Candelabra Tree. Not a cactus. Really cool looking!
Tree of the day #2: Mopani. I did not get a good photo of this. Mopani is Chichewa for butterfly, which the leaves resemble.
Tree of the day #3: baobab, which is sort of the stereotypical African tree. There are some on the continent that are thousands of years old. We didn't see any that old, we mostly saw them with some massive scars from elephants colliding with them (sometimes accidental, sometimes as a scratching post).
Water buck having a drink
It was so beautiful. The air was fresh and the weather was perfect. And when everyone would stop talking about how silent it was... it was so peaceful. It was incredible. I loved hearing the sounds of branches snapping as different creatures had their dinners, and the far off groan/burp/call of the hippos. It was really awesome.
We did see some elephants! They were off in the distance, munching on some trees. Danger held up a filtered light-- red light is the only color that doesn't wreck night vision in animals (including humans).
You can kind of make them out-- it's a big one in the middle, facing left, and some babies hanging out with her.
Since we were with the church, drinking was not really acceptable in the villages, nor in the city because we were always with other people from the church. However, on safari, that rule could be overlooked. Beer of the day: Kuche Kuche, which is somehow Chichewa for "you can drink this from night till dawn without getting drunk." Three different Malawians told me this, so I guess that's really what it means. Such a fascinating language. And such a plain beer with low alcohol content that you probably really could drink all night without noticing. This beer is brewed by Carlsberg, whose first brewery outside of Denmark was actually in Malawi near the city of Blantyre.
All in all, a very cool day. We went to bed early. I was kept up for a little while by the sounds of the wind and the hippos and other critters, but I really didn't mind it. It was so serene, and I was excited to see more of it the next day...
18 September 2010
Saturday 28 August: school plans and a well dedication
This day had a very slow start. We were all various extents of tired and sore, but we were able to sleep in a little, and then spent a long time waiting for a ride to the village. Liz, our leader, had gone ahead with Mwalabu and Bonongwe to meet with a surveyor and get plans ready for a school in another village. Eventually, Mwalabu came back for the rest of us, and took us to visit the site of the school for Matawali village. Here we learned about the second half of the brick making process as well as a bit about the education system in Malawi.
To finish the bricks, they are stacked into a solid structure like this pictured above. Well, solid except for the small openings on the bottom where the fire is stoked. The stack of bricks, called a kiln or oven, is then coated in mud for insulation and topped with grass. This is a job that men do. They stay up all night for a day or two, stoking the flames on the structure. When the grass on top catches fire, they know the whole kiln has been fired and is complete. They let the flames die out, and let it cool for a few days. This stack has about 54,000 bricks in it.
We talked about the school project with a few elders, one of whom only said one sentence of English the whole time: "You can call me Corpse." I kid you not.
Corpse in the middle
To be a teacher in Malawi, one goes to a teachers college and is then placed in a school somewhere in the country with little to no say. They can quit, of course, but otherwise have very little choice in the matter. Apparently the one thing they all want is electricity in the provided housing. People don't mind teaching in village schools so long as there is electricity. School plans almost always include teacher and headmaster housing. Here in Matawali, there would also be space for recreation. This land was donated by someone in the village.
This meeting took place under what was clearly the tree of the day: a kachere tree.
A type of fig, this type of tree was traditionally where chiefs would hold meetings, because of the awesome shade. This tree in particular was easily over 30 feet around. In a place like New Jersey, a tree that size could be 400-500 years old. With Malawi's climate, I'm going to guess it was probably a bit less, like 250-300. Still. Ridiculous. Imagine all of the things that have happened around that tree. Nearby was the remnants of a structure that Corpse told us was built in 1912. Part of me wonders if he constructed it and that's how he knows that. (He told us that year when we asked how long they have been making bricks this way. His response was, "Well, that building was made in 1912, so at least that long.")
The rest of the day was spent at a well dedication celebration. There was a lot of singing and dancing for a while, followed by many speeches. The dedication itself involved a "ribbon cutting", VIP's President Bob cut a string with a small pair of scissors. Everyone cheered as the chief drank the first cup of water pumped. Safe, nearby water supply. So awesome.
We were given gifts of a rooster and a sack of bananas. They told us this was so we would not be hungry during our long journey home. I'm not sure if they were joking or not, but we were pretty amused.
These people prepared lunch for us, which was very similar to our lunch in Kalino. I ate with a man named Felix who spoke some English, Liz, our leader, and a woman named Jeannie, who is exactly my age and could not wrap her mind around the fact that I am not married and do not have children. It was interesting to see just how different life is. She has a six year old and a two year old. She got married before she was 18. That's security there. Security here is me getting a masters degree and not having a husband or children.
After lunch, I went with Charlie back down to the well to take some pictures. There were a bunch of children there, playing and reenacting the ribbon cutting with imaginary scissors and string. They would count, in English, "3... 2... 1..." and then cheer wildly as one child walked through the makeshift fence to the well. Charlie was having trouble getting a clear shot of it for the VIP documentary, so I whipped out my camera to distract everyone.
This photo cracks me up. Everyone is pushing and posing. I have quite a few versions of this shot, but this one is the most meaningful to me, because the young mother jumped in the back. At first, I was kind of annoyed, because I'm thinking, this is something children do, and you're ruining their shot. But then I realized... she is a child.
It was a really good day in the village. It's amazing to see the progress happening and the excitement surrounding it. It was also nice to end a little early and have a leisurely dinner back at Namangazi. A dinner that included our gift... I personally handed him over to the cook! (...but did not eat him myself, which I almost wish I did have a little-- I have way more confidence in the way that chicken was raised than in our own meat industry in the United States... but that alone is not enough to get me to eat meat.)
To finish the bricks, they are stacked into a solid structure like this pictured above. Well, solid except for the small openings on the bottom where the fire is stoked. The stack of bricks, called a kiln or oven, is then coated in mud for insulation and topped with grass. This is a job that men do. They stay up all night for a day or two, stoking the flames on the structure. When the grass on top catches fire, they know the whole kiln has been fired and is complete. They let the flames die out, and let it cool for a few days. This stack has about 54,000 bricks in it.
We talked about the school project with a few elders, one of whom only said one sentence of English the whole time: "You can call me Corpse." I kid you not.
Corpse in the middle
To be a teacher in Malawi, one goes to a teachers college and is then placed in a school somewhere in the country with little to no say. They can quit, of course, but otherwise have very little choice in the matter. Apparently the one thing they all want is electricity in the provided housing. People don't mind teaching in village schools so long as there is electricity. School plans almost always include teacher and headmaster housing. Here in Matawali, there would also be space for recreation. This land was donated by someone in the village.
This meeting took place under what was clearly the tree of the day: a kachere tree.
A type of fig, this type of tree was traditionally where chiefs would hold meetings, because of the awesome shade. This tree in particular was easily over 30 feet around. In a place like New Jersey, a tree that size could be 400-500 years old. With Malawi's climate, I'm going to guess it was probably a bit less, like 250-300. Still. Ridiculous. Imagine all of the things that have happened around that tree. Nearby was the remnants of a structure that Corpse told us was built in 1912. Part of me wonders if he constructed it and that's how he knows that. (He told us that year when we asked how long they have been making bricks this way. His response was, "Well, that building was made in 1912, so at least that long.")
The rest of the day was spent at a well dedication celebration. There was a lot of singing and dancing for a while, followed by many speeches. The dedication itself involved a "ribbon cutting", VIP's President Bob cut a string with a small pair of scissors. Everyone cheered as the chief drank the first cup of water pumped. Safe, nearby water supply. So awesome.
We were given gifts of a rooster and a sack of bananas. They told us this was so we would not be hungry during our long journey home. I'm not sure if they were joking or not, but we were pretty amused.
These people prepared lunch for us, which was very similar to our lunch in Kalino. I ate with a man named Felix who spoke some English, Liz, our leader, and a woman named Jeannie, who is exactly my age and could not wrap her mind around the fact that I am not married and do not have children. It was interesting to see just how different life is. She has a six year old and a two year old. She got married before she was 18. That's security there. Security here is me getting a masters degree and not having a husband or children.
After lunch, I went with Charlie back down to the well to take some pictures. There were a bunch of children there, playing and reenacting the ribbon cutting with imaginary scissors and string. They would count, in English, "3... 2... 1..." and then cheer wildly as one child walked through the makeshift fence to the well. Charlie was having trouble getting a clear shot of it for the VIP documentary, so I whipped out my camera to distract everyone.
This photo cracks me up. Everyone is pushing and posing. I have quite a few versions of this shot, but this one is the most meaningful to me, because the young mother jumped in the back. At first, I was kind of annoyed, because I'm thinking, this is something children do, and you're ruining their shot. But then I realized... she is a child.
It was a really good day in the village. It's amazing to see the progress happening and the excitement surrounding it. It was also nice to end a little early and have a leisurely dinner back at Namangazi. A dinner that included our gift... I personally handed him over to the cook! (...but did not eat him myself, which I almost wish I did have a little-- I have way more confidence in the way that chicken was raised than in our own meat industry in the United States... but that alone is not enough to get me to eat meat.)
Friday 27 August: Kalino Village
The day we have all been waiting for... brick making day!
A primary school is going to be built in Kalino Village through Villages in Partnership. Since we were in the neighborhood, we thought we'd help make some bricks! Most people make their own bricks for a house or school or whatever, then hire someone else to come in and actually build something out of them. In Kalino, they made bricks out of a patch of earth that they were growing vegetables on last year. What does that say about the soil that they're farming in...
So, to make bricks: first, mud is mixed. Typically, women fetch water, but some men helped. Then, we grab a chunk of mud and slam it into the molds, which have been sitting in water so things don't get too cake-y and dried up.
Then we flip the molds over and leave the bricks out in the sun to dry. We did this by assembly line after a while.
We probably a couple thousand bricks. It takes 30,000 to build a modest home (by their standards; in the US it might be more of a nice, big shed). I'll leave you in suspense about the next steps in brick making for now (we got the full explanation the following day in another village)...
After I washed up a bit to help the women cook lunch, Violet insisted I walk to the well and carry a bucket of water on my head. It wasn't an unreasonable request, or even something I was particularly avoiding. But Violet really, really wanted me to do it, just once. We walked down to the well, which was only a few minutes away from where we were working. Many villages have to walk much further, but in Kalino, the Muslim community had put in a borehole well very close to the middle of the village. Violet wrapped her chitenji up into a little pad for my skull to carry the half-full bucket of water that I'd pumped. I felt terrible because she filled her bucket to the very top (I'd guess 15 gallons) and was carrying it on her head without any sort of buffer. I tried to get her to take back the chitenji since she was letting me carry a lighter load, but no luck-- she is a strong but stubborn girl. It wasn't the most comfortable or graceful thing I did, but I did it, and she was very happy that I had the experience. I was pretty happy too, I think mostly because it seemed very important to her that I try.
I am not in this picture, this was a family walking to a village that was further away from the well
The mosque in Kalino, which the well was built next to
There was a little "tea" break with some boiled cassava and thobwa, this awful lukewarm grainy beverage made from water, corn flour and ground millet. I am pretty adventurous when it comes to trying new foods (at least, vegetarian foods) but this was not something I will not be making back home. Then, we began cooking lunch!
The women all sat together shelling nuts and beans, cutting up other vegetables. Yes, I washed my hands pretty well-- I know what my feet look like here. There was lots of talking, although I wasn't particularly involved in any conversation, but it reminded me a lot of having too many women in the kitchen cooking holiday meals together, what my mom often refers to as being very carefully choreographed (and is so impressed how my sister-in-law has joined the dance so gracefully). Granted, we weren't walking around a busy kitchen here, in fact, they barely had any kitchen tools at all, but it was a really great time of fellowship.
Later, I got to help over the fire as well. Here, I am taking a turn stirring nsima, which I can only describe as trying to stir concrete:
Lunch ended up being completely vegetarian, which is just a fact of life for these people most days, but I was certainly grateful.
We had nsima, nsima made with some ground nuts mixed in, rice, cabbage (made with ground nuts, tomato and onion), lettuce (cooked in the sun with tomato, onion and salt), papaya (cooked with salt and ground up nuts), some fried bananas, and a sort of hot peanut butter (made by grinding nuts and cooking them with a little oil and salt). I ate very well!
I joined a Village Savings and Loan group called Titanzani, which means "let's help each other". Basically, a group of friends and family in a village got together and decided to contribute a little bit of money each week that any member could borrow in a time of crisis or just for entrepreneurial reasons. It then gets paid back, with interest, and each member receives a share of the interest back. The money is kept in a box with three locks, so that three different people hold the keys, avoiding any sort of corruption. I didn't have much to contribute and I don't plan on hunting down my cut of the interest, but they were really excited that members of VIP had joined them (Charlie, the youth pastor/documentary maker on our team, is also a member of this particular VSL).
Tree of the day: moringa tree, which I learned about on a walk to the well with Mwalabu. The leaves of the tree, crushed up and cooked (usually with porridge) work just as well as ARV's in treating HIV/AIDS. Incredible. There is a lot of research being done on how to do this sustainably and on a larger scale, but it's so amazing that these possibilities exist.
After a day of hard work, we went back to Namagazi to quickly shower and then visit the Chinamwazi CCAP church for a time of worship and potluck dinner. There was a lot of singing and dancing, and despite our exhaustion, it was really great. We were all given chitenji of our own!
Men don't wear chitenji, so they wrapped Bob's around his shoulder like kings used to wear them
so so so many dishes!
my plate, piled high with vegetables
Dinner was great, although lunch had been a bit late in the afternoon and I was still rather full. I had a pineapple Fanta and sat with a bunch of choir members and youth workers, talking about what our programs are like at my home church and what sorts of things they're up to. It was all very good, but I was so exhausted. Liz rescued me from conversation around 10.30 and we probably didn't leave for another 20 minutes. I was so, so happy to climb into bed after such a long day.
A primary school is going to be built in Kalino Village through Villages in Partnership. Since we were in the neighborhood, we thought we'd help make some bricks! Most people make their own bricks for a house or school or whatever, then hire someone else to come in and actually build something out of them. In Kalino, they made bricks out of a patch of earth that they were growing vegetables on last year. What does that say about the soil that they're farming in...
So, to make bricks: first, mud is mixed. Typically, women fetch water, but some men helped. Then, we grab a chunk of mud and slam it into the molds, which have been sitting in water so things don't get too cake-y and dried up.
Then we flip the molds over and leave the bricks out in the sun to dry. We did this by assembly line after a while.
We probably a couple thousand bricks. It takes 30,000 to build a modest home (by their standards; in the US it might be more of a nice, big shed). I'll leave you in suspense about the next steps in brick making for now (we got the full explanation the following day in another village)...
After I washed up a bit to help the women cook lunch, Violet insisted I walk to the well and carry a bucket of water on my head. It wasn't an unreasonable request, or even something I was particularly avoiding. But Violet really, really wanted me to do it, just once. We walked down to the well, which was only a few minutes away from where we were working. Many villages have to walk much further, but in Kalino, the Muslim community had put in a borehole well very close to the middle of the village. Violet wrapped her chitenji up into a little pad for my skull to carry the half-full bucket of water that I'd pumped. I felt terrible because she filled her bucket to the very top (I'd guess 15 gallons) and was carrying it on her head without any sort of buffer. I tried to get her to take back the chitenji since she was letting me carry a lighter load, but no luck-- she is a strong but stubborn girl. It wasn't the most comfortable or graceful thing I did, but I did it, and she was very happy that I had the experience. I was pretty happy too, I think mostly because it seemed very important to her that I try.
I am not in this picture, this was a family walking to a village that was further away from the well
The mosque in Kalino, which the well was built next to
There was a little "tea" break with some boiled cassava and thobwa, this awful lukewarm grainy beverage made from water, corn flour and ground millet. I am pretty adventurous when it comes to trying new foods (at least, vegetarian foods) but this was not something I will not be making back home. Then, we began cooking lunch!
The women all sat together shelling nuts and beans, cutting up other vegetables. Yes, I washed my hands pretty well-- I know what my feet look like here. There was lots of talking, although I wasn't particularly involved in any conversation, but it reminded me a lot of having too many women in the kitchen cooking holiday meals together, what my mom often refers to as being very carefully choreographed (and is so impressed how my sister-in-law has joined the dance so gracefully). Granted, we weren't walking around a busy kitchen here, in fact, they barely had any kitchen tools at all, but it was a really great time of fellowship.
Later, I got to help over the fire as well. Here, I am taking a turn stirring nsima, which I can only describe as trying to stir concrete:
Lunch ended up being completely vegetarian, which is just a fact of life for these people most days, but I was certainly grateful.
We had nsima, nsima made with some ground nuts mixed in, rice, cabbage (made with ground nuts, tomato and onion), lettuce (cooked in the sun with tomato, onion and salt), papaya (cooked with salt and ground up nuts), some fried bananas, and a sort of hot peanut butter (made by grinding nuts and cooking them with a little oil and salt). I ate very well!
I joined a Village Savings and Loan group called Titanzani, which means "let's help each other". Basically, a group of friends and family in a village got together and decided to contribute a little bit of money each week that any member could borrow in a time of crisis or just for entrepreneurial reasons. It then gets paid back, with interest, and each member receives a share of the interest back. The money is kept in a box with three locks, so that three different people hold the keys, avoiding any sort of corruption. I didn't have much to contribute and I don't plan on hunting down my cut of the interest, but they were really excited that members of VIP had joined them (Charlie, the youth pastor/documentary maker on our team, is also a member of this particular VSL).
Tree of the day: moringa tree, which I learned about on a walk to the well with Mwalabu. The leaves of the tree, crushed up and cooked (usually with porridge) work just as well as ARV's in treating HIV/AIDS. Incredible. There is a lot of research being done on how to do this sustainably and on a larger scale, but it's so amazing that these possibilities exist.
After a day of hard work, we went back to Namagazi to quickly shower and then visit the Chinamwazi CCAP church for a time of worship and potluck dinner. There was a lot of singing and dancing, and despite our exhaustion, it was really great. We were all given chitenji of our own!
Men don't wear chitenji, so they wrapped Bob's around his shoulder like kings used to wear them
so so so many dishes!
my plate, piled high with vegetables
Dinner was great, although lunch had been a bit late in the afternoon and I was still rather full. I had a pineapple Fanta and sat with a bunch of choir members and youth workers, talking about what our programs are like at my home church and what sorts of things they're up to. It was all very good, but I was so exhausted. Liz rescued me from conversation around 10.30 and we probably didn't leave for another 20 minutes. I was so, so happy to climb into bed after such a long day.
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