Jara goes to Africa!

If Only I Could Bring It All Home With Me

smallj — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 19:25:16 +0000

I can’t sum up my year in Africa. Nor could I bring home all the things that I loved. But here are some of the things I miss, and the memories that make me smile.

1. Buying cheap produce on the street. There’s nothing like leaning out of a bus window and buying an already peeled orange for 15¢.

2. While it can also be frustrating, the “no rush attitude” is precious. Hakuna matata, right? The sense of calm and tranquility in everything ranging from business transactions to daily activities is mind-blowing. But the level of stress associated with this attitude is minimal, and things always work out in the end.

3. The people make do with what they have, and they do so happily. For the things they don’t have, they certainly don’t lack creativity. Want to play a game of soccer and don’t have a soccer ball? Just collect some plastic bags, roll them all up into a ball and tie them with a string. Can’t afford a toy? All you need is four bottle caps (as wheels) and a plastic bottle (as the body of the car) and a stick to pull your new toy car along. My parents will tell you the story about the man in Zanzibar who was using a wheelbarrow with a flat tire but used a string to lift the weight off the tire. You have to admit that they are pretty damn creative.

4. When my family and Elior came to visit, Elior thought he was going to Kenya. Pretty much up until he boarded the flight for Tanzania.

The right clothes for safari. Just the wrong country. No big deal.

5. Tanzanians are huge on greetings and it is rude to ignore this custom. While at first I found it annoying to ask 20 questions when I only wanted to know where something was, the idea sort of grew on me. By the end of the year, not a taxi ride went by without me asking about their house, family, marital status and health of their children.

6. Swahili. It was exhausting for me to speak Swahili, but the response and look on peoples’ faces upon seeing the white girl speak Swahili was priceless. There are some words and aspects I really like about the language too. For example, shikamoo, a greeting used to show respect for your elders. Or pole (polei), a word that literally means sorry and is used for everything from a person tripping or sneezing to a death in the family. Or calling everyone either dada (sister), kaka (brother) or shemegi (in-law) even though you just met.

7. Speaking of Swahili, things often got lost in translation – or so we thought. This story was written so well by Julie that instead of rewriting it, I’m just going to provide the blog link: Funny Hot Dog Story.

8. They sell alcohol in a bag. It is a little 2 oz. packet that is so easy to smuggle into the club. What a smart idea.

Julie and I pouring Konyagi into a coke

9. When I stayed in Tofo, Mozambique I didn’t wear shoes at all. Not to the beach, not to the market and not even to the bar at night. It is such a small beach town and all the roads are made of sand that I didn’t even bother to put on a pair of flip-flops for the week. People who know me well know this is my ideal living situation: no shoes.

10. In the beginning, the rain pounding on a tin roof in the middle of the night would always wake me up. But then I started to like the sound – it was soothing. There was something beautiful about the rains in Africa. Maybe because it meant I was excused from everything. Drainage isn’t up to par, so the roads quickly become rivers. Unless you want to swim to your next destination, you just stay where you are.

11. To continue with the rain theme, when I was a little girl, my sisters and I would float bottle caps in the water on the sides of the road after it had rained. When it rained in Tanzania, it poured. And as the roads turned to rivers, I couldn’t help but think that floating bottle caps as a kid in Tanzania would have been way more fun.

My street after a quick rain

12. The sense of community. I would often see 3-year-olds wandering down the street alone. I thought it was crazy until I realized that everyone in the community was looking out for them. Pretty admirable and respectable, considering I don’t even know my own neighbors. This sense of community is also why group loans in microfinance have been so effective.

13. The lack of confrontation. There’s nothing like seriously bargaining for something while laughing and smiling, even though the likelihood was that I was annoyed and angry for being charged “mzungu prices.”

There’s plenty more, but I’ll leave you with a funny story.

14. One day I was waiting for a dala-dala at Posta, one of the main stops. To get to my apartment from Posta, I had to take two buses, which meant switching and paying twice. There was a direct dala-dala but it didn’t come very often. I decided to wait for the direct bus. When it arrived and started to slow as it neared the stop, I did what I knew all the Tanzanians would do. I ran alongside the bus and started throwing elbows as I pushed and shoved my way onto the bus. I don’t even think the dala-dala ever came to a complete stop as people got off and on. I know, it sounds crazy, but if you don’t go along with it you’re likely to end up face down on the road as you get trampled on. I got a seat by the way, and with traffic the ride took about an hour.

The next day, Rita, the Kiva coordinator at Tujijenge had a funny story to tell me. She was on a dala-dala entering Posta when someone on her bus said, “Look! Even the mzungu (white person) is running and pushing to get on the dala-dala.” As Rita looked out the window to see this spectacle, she realized that “this mzungu” was me. She didn’t understand why I was running for a Posta-Mwenge bus when they come so frequently. But when I explained that it was in fact a Posta-Kawe bus, Rita said, “Oh, good thing you ran, that bus is very rare. Did you get a seat?”

Me painting on Emily's wall in her NYC apartment

Well, I’m back in the US now so I guess this is the end. Thanks to everyone for reading!

Why My Headlamp Was So Essential

smallj — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:54:27 +0000

With frequent power outages, many long bus rides, and a lack of internet, I read quite a few books this past year. I wanted to share the list with everyone as most of them were quite good.

The Bang Bang Club: Snapshots from a Hidden War (Greg Marinovich and Joao Silva) – A great book about 4 photo-journalists who took photos during the apartheid era in South Africa, and the impact their jobs had on them.

Three Cups of Tea (Greg Mortenson) – A bestseller about a man who opens schools for girls in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The Invisible Cure (Helen Epstein) – Informative book about why HIV/aids in Africa is so rampant and what to do about it.

Dreams of My Father (Barack Obama)- Insight into our current president, and the childhood that shaped him into the person he is today.

Into Thin Air (Jon Krakauer) – A quick read about a deadly climb up Mt. Everest.

The Grass is Singing (Doris Lessing) – A waste of time….

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (Jonathan Safran Foer) – An addictive but slightly strange book about a 9-year-old on a quest for answers.

100 Years of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez) – A classic book that is beautifully written, but I found it to be a bit dragged out.

Swahili for the Broken-hearted (Peter Moore) – An account of a traveler from Cape to Cairo with many opinionated observations stated as facts.

They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky (Benjamin Ajak, Benson Deng, Alephonsian Deng) - A heart-wrenching, page-turner about two brothers and a cousins’ experiences of being lost boys of Sudan. The book is written by them.

When a Crocodile Eats the Sun (Peter Godwin) – A white Zimbabwean journalist writes about his life in the country under the oppressive Mugabe regime.

The End of Poverty (Jeffrey Sachs) – A must-read for anyone in development, but I personally don’t always agree with his ideas and found the book to be a bit dense.

The Constant Gardener (John le Carre) – Even better than the movie!

The Fate of Africa (Martin Meredith) – A historical account of Africa that is an essential read in order to understand Africa today.

Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius (Dave Eggers) – A mediocre fiction novel, which at some points is very comical.

The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver) – A beautifully written and engaging book about a missionary family to the Congo.

We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed with Our Families (Philip Gourevitch) – A great and informative book about the Rwandan genocide.

Dead Aid (Dambisa Moyo) – A great book on why aid isn’t working in Africa and some alternative solutions to ending poverty.

Shantaram (Gregory David Roberts) – A fantastic book about a criminal fugitive who builds a life in Bombay, India.

Excited for America

smallj — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 04:38:30 +0000

To get myself excited to be returning to the US, I made a bucket list on the plane of all the things I was looking forward to doing (or eating, for that matter) upon my return.

1. Getting a haircut

2. Getting a new license so I have some ID and can drive again (it was stolen last October)

3. Fettucini alfredo from Maggiano’s

4. Sleeping in a room with a/c and a warm duvet

5. A hot shower

6. Pizza

7. Starbucks

8. Unlimited fast internet

9. Dr. pepper

10. Late night pizza

11. A bowl of cereal

12. Fixed prices

13. Privacy (stayed in dorms mostly when I backpacked)

14. No mosquito net

15. Splenda

16. Talking on my cell and not worrying about running out of credit

17. Free tap water at restaurants

18. Fresh mozarella, pesto and tomato on ciabatta bread

19. Ability to warm up food in a microwave

20. Cafes

21. Personal space

22. To have more than 5 shirts

23. To see all my shirts at once

24. Washer and dryer

25. To blend in and speak English

26. Drive, on paved roads of course

27. Mac and cheese

28. Getting a wax

29. Chipotle

30. Netflix

31. Playing golf

32. Seeing the fam, Roy and friends

33. A bagel

A Lesson in African Geography: My Route

smallj — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 16:20:17 +0000

This is more or less the route I took…

Backpacking in Summary: A Tally

smallj — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 23:44:15 +0000

I spent the last few months backpacking on my own around East and Southern Africa. While I’ve taken a few other trips this past year, this is a summary of the last two and a half months.

I visited the following countries: Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Malawi, Mozambique and South Africa.

Top 5 of my backpacking trip:

Approximate number of hours I spent on buses: 178 hours or 7.4 days or 10680 minutes. I have a feeling this is largely underestimated because I only added up the long bus rides from one destination to the next but not when I just moved around a place.

Favorite countries: Rwanda and Mozambique

Place I stayed the longest: Tofo, Mozambique

Longest bus ride: Nairobi to Kampala (~14 hours)

Most expensive activity: gorilla trekking in Rwanda

Worst hostel I stayed at: Doogles in Blantyre, Malawi

Best hostel I stayed at: Chimp-trekking lodge in Budongo, Uganda

Best beer: Kilimanjaro (500 ml) made in Tanzania

Only country with no international ATMs: Rwanda

Biggest avocados: Malawi

Country with least infrastructure: Mozambique

Best climate: Rwanda

Longest stretch I went without showering: 3 days

Most vicious mosquitos: Mozambique

Most unreliable guidebook: Lonely Planet

Safest capitol: Kigali, Rwanda

Most memorable meal: Macaroni and cheese (that I made)

From Mzungu to Gringa

smallj — Sat, 30 May 2009 21:50:33 +0000

I spent a few relaxing days in Jo’burg with my friends, Leor and Josh, whom I met while backpacking with my sister in India in May 2008. Jo’burg was the last stop on my trip. From there, I flew back to the US. I couldn’t believe that my time in Africa had come to an end. I was excited to return to the US. But it has definitely been one of the most amazing years of my life, and I wasn’t sure I was ready to leave the African continent just yet. Unfortunately (or fortunately), plane tickets make you set semi-permanent dates in advance.

Instead of returning directly to the US for good, I thought it was best to soften the reverse culture shock blow. And considering I don’t have a job anyway, I decided to head to Nicaragua and Mexico to participate in a Spanish immersion program. My plan is to return to the US for good (aka at least a few months) in mid-July.

Definitely Spontaneous. Possibly Crazy.

smallj — Thu, 28 May 2009 16:43:36 +0000

I sadly left Tofo after 6 days to head to Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, for a Rotary meeting. Maputo was a surprisingly nice city. I spent two days there; I attended a Rotary and Rotaract meeting, enjoyed live music in the evenings, and wandered around town with someone I ran into who I knew from Kiva (small world).

But I really missed Tofo. I missed Johnny. I missed not wearing shoes at all – even to the bars at night. I missed the tranquility of the town. I missed the beautiful sunrises over the ocean and sunsets over the palm tree forest. I missed the friendly greetings, conversations and laughs with the locals. I missed chatting with the kids selling bracelets on the beach. I missed the hammocks at Fatima’s. And I missed the friends I made who work in Tofo.

If I really pushed Jo’burg to the last minute, I had three days to kill. In Africa, with its vast distances, three days isn’t much. But the beauty of traveling by myself and with no itinerary is that I can be spontaneous (i.e. returning to Uganda) and sometimes even crazy. In this case, I missed Tofo enough to do something crazy – go back! We are talking an uncomfortable 9-hour bus ride that departs Maputo at 5:30am and arrives in Tofo at 2:30pm. And then, approximately 38 hours after arriving, boarding a bus at 4am to return to Maputo. Was it worth it? Absolutely! I’d do it again in a heartbeat. And to top it off, the following day I took a 10-hour bus ride to Johannesburg.

Teaching the kids how to use a camera. Not a bad shot, huh?

In Love with Johnny

smallj — Tue, 26 May 2009 23:58:35 +0000

One thing that always breaks my heart when I travel to underdeveloped countries is the children. It breaks my heart to see them grow up in poverty without any opportunities. They wear ragged clothes, often don’t have shoes and are small and skinny for their age. Johnny is no different. He lives in Tofo, without any parents or siblings. He is ten years old, and relies on tourists and the locals in Tofo to help him survive. I never saw him wear shoes or a shirt, only his batman shorts.

Anyone who has been to Tofo recently probably knows who Johnny is because he is very friendly. On my first day in Tofo, I was sitting on a bench in town and he sat down next to me. He speaks some English, and asked me my name and age among other things. While Johnny isn’t much different than other poor orphans in Africa, something about him is special. Johnny didn’t turn down food that I offered him, but he never asked for it. What he did ask for and encourage was to play. I think he is just really lonely because he was always so excited to see me and play. Whether it was me swinging him around or him hanging from my friend, Marcus, he was always full of laughter.

I saw Johnny playing by himself in the ocean one morning and went to play with him. We had fun jumping the waves together but when a big wave would come, he would jump into my arms out of fear. No one ever taught him how to swim. I was holding him for a while in the water (he’s small and light for his age) and after giving me a kiss on the cheek, he fell asleep in my arms. He obviously doesn’t receive enough affection.

When I was leaving Tofo, Johnny cried. I almost cried too. I meet a lot of cute underprivileged children, but I just fell in love with Johnny. My friend, Charles, promised me he’d look after him after witnessing my affection for Johnny. It would have to do, but it didn’t feel like enough. I wanted (and still do) to take Johnny with me.

Johnny is friendly, but shy in front of the camera

Johnny sleeping in my arms

Shark, Shark!

smallj — Fri, 22 May 2009 21:11:58 +0000

Typically when someone yells shark you get your @ss out of the water as quickly as possible. But in this case, I was jumping into the water as fast as I could. I was on an “ocean safari” in Tofo, Mozambique in search of whale sharks. Often spotted in shallow waters off the coast of Mozambique, it is possible to swim alongside these gigantic creatures. Whalesharks are supposedly harmless to humans except for when they unintentionally strike with their large fin (don’t swim too close). They can grow to be up to 12m (~40ft) long, but I was happy I didn’t see any that big. It was a once-in-a-lifetime and awesome experience to swim alongside whalesharks! What wasn’t so awesome was when I got stung about 5 times by blue bottle jellyfish. They have long tails that you get tangled in and that sting you. I know what you are probably thinking. No one peed on me; I just dealt with the pain.

A Whaleshark off the Coast of Tofo, Mozambique

This is a SMALL Whaleshark

The large fin you don't want to get to close to

An Eternity in Tofo

smallj — Thu, 21 May 2009 17:05:03 +0000

After 3 nights in Vilanculos, I headed a few hours south to Tofo. I was really excited to visit Tofo because there is a lot of hype about it and it is the place I was trying to visit four years ago when I got in that car accident.

My initial thought upon arrival was, “what in the world am I going to do here for 6 days?!?!” It is just a beach, and I get bored sitting around. When I asked other tourists how long they had been in Tofo, the shortest response was a week. After staying in Tofo for the 6 days, I understood too. I had to leave to meet with the Rotary club in Maputo, but I could definitely stay here for an eternity.

The View from Tofinho Point

The Hammocks at Fatima's Backpackers