Indonesia!

About a month ago, I touched down in Jakarta, Indonesia.  It is the farthest east I have ever been, and in fact, its so far east, I think its actually west.  Or just about.  It is basically completely the other side of the world.

Of course, I forgot to write about it or put in any pictures the first time.  It wasn't terribly exciting so for the most part, there wasn't all that much to see. We stayed in Bekasi, which is sort of a suburb of Jakarta, but really its all just part of one huge city.  Jakarta is giant, something like 10 or 14 million people and while it is definitely more developed in terms of infrastructure than some of the giant cities I have been in, at the end of the day, a city is a city.  Unless its a giant city, and then its just a city with even more traffic.

Malls are a really big thing there.  Malls and Starbucks are basically on every corner.  So you know, Starbucks are pretty much the same everywhere.  I have to say, once I ordered my double soy latte, and it tasted just like a double soy latte at home, well... there is just something so reassuring about that.

I read a book once in a political theory class about the rise in "nowhere spaces", spaces in the world that are all sort of exactly the same, like a McDonalds or, as it turns out, a Starbucks, that are completely uninfluenced by the culture or geography in which they exist and are the same everywhere.  And by being the same, by being everywhere, they essentially exist nowhere.  It was a discussion of globalization and while interesting, the reality of the nowhere spaces is kind of nice.  Its just a comforting feeling to know that in the midst of new food, new drinks, new reactions to foods, new languages and everything else, that you can go to your nowhere space and order something that you know will be what you want.  That said, there are maybe too many nowhere spaces when there is a Starbucks, a Domino's, a Pizza Hut, a KFC and a McDonalds all within 500 feet.

Anyway, back to the malls...

We went to one mall and saw a covered wagon ferris wheel at an inside amusement park

And some statues that I have no idea what to make of...

A different mall had a Beatles tribute concert that brought out all of the twisting skills of the local teenagers.  And one mall, blessedly, had wine.

Lest you think we spent all of our time in malls, let me correct you.  We spent most of our time here... In a conference room, teaching.

And getting a lot of these looks...

But teamwork always clarified when we failed.  And now our students have become the master (trainers).  

So I am back for Round 2, when our students teach new students, and so forth.  Before I get into that though, here are a few more pictures from my first visit...

We went to a bird park...

The fearsome Cassowary.  Really.  Its the most dangerous bird in the world.  It killed someone.  In 1905.  

And it sounds like a dinosaur from Jurassic Park.  Shani was very brave against the fearsome bird...

I was not.  Razor sharp talons.  Thats what those guys have.  So I hung out with this fellow.  Much more speed.  And taste in outfits..

And then after the bird park, we saw some traditional dancing...

And explored a replica of a traditional house in Papua, complete with carvings of ummm well... carvings of something....

And we took a tram ride...

All of this happened in Jakarta.  Now I am back again, in Yogyakarta (pronounced JogJakarta) and will post a few more pictures and rambling thoughts in the days to come.

Greetings from Uganda

Hello all,
It has been almost six years since I have been back in what I consider the heart of East Africa and it feels so nice to be back.  The first time I was in Uganda was in 2007 for my masters thesis work and then when I lived in Rwanda in 2008/2009, we made a few weekend trips up to visit the big city.  Its amazing to see how much has changed, and how much has not.  Traffic is still terrible, but the air seems a little cleaner.  Compared to other places I have been lately, it seems much cleaner than I remember.  I don't think I really realized how lush and green it was when I was here the first time, but now looking out over the surrounding area, there are more trees and bushes than I recall seeing in Ethiopia, Ghana, or Nigeria on my last few trips.  And people are as friendly as I remember.  Very warm.  Everyone has a greeting and a smile.

Unfortunately, the second I got off the plane I was hit with a major cold.  I blame the 13 month old demon in child form who sat next to me on the plane and coughed all over me, my food, and everything I had with me.  I had a great window seat in the exit row originally but then I agreed to switch with a young mother so she could sit next to her five year old.  Apparently they were split up by 27 rows.  So up I went 27 rows, thinking "sweet, nice deal" and giving myself a pat on the back for being a good humanitarian switching from a window seat to a middle seat.  Until I realized I had switched into the bassinet row.  That's the row where they set up all the clip in bassinets so the screaming, tiny people can sleep.  And two of the three screaming tiny people did sleep.  Just not the one in front of me.  I think he was up for literally the entire 12 hour flight kicking, throwing things, grabbing things, dropping things, until the last twenty minutes of the flight.  Thats when he decided it was time to sleep.  Anyway, short story long, I got hit with a major cold and have been confined to my hotel room for the past two days, alternating between sleeping and blowing my nose.  My co-worker arrives today and is bringing me DayQuil so hopefully this will soon be a distant, cough medicine-hazy memory and I will leave my hotel and actually see something other than the view from my bed.

If and when that happens, dear friends, I will post some pictures and snappy narrative.  Until then, please excuse me while I go blow my nose...

Home away from home

I have been to Addis so much in the last year that it is starting to feel like a second home.  

Know how to get from the airport to my bed?  Check

Know how much it should cost to take a cab?  Check

Know that I am getting ripped off by a cab even though I know where I am going?  Check

Sitting, pretending to listen to people but really not hearing a word they are saying?  Checkmate

I have been here so much and worked with the same people for so long, that it is comfortable coming back.  As comfortable as one can be without sit down toilets at work.  OK, sure, apparently squat toilets are more hygienic but I don't care.  I'm an American and I like to sit down when I pee.  Luckily, I got upgraded at the hotel I am staying at.  When I checked in they gave me the key to a room that was deadbolted when I tried to get in (was someone else staying there? Possible.  I don't think so though.  I think it just somehow magically bolted itself from the inside.).  Since no one could get in, they gave me the room next door.  Which is basically a suite.  It is legitimately the size of the apartment I lived in for four years during my PhD.  Jacuzzi tub and a sit-down toilet.  I mean all the toilets are sit-down in the hotel, but not every tub is a jacuzzi tub.  Upgrade!!  So I am quite comfortable this time.

Something that throws me off though is that I am getting used to not understanding a word that anyone says, since everyone speaks in Amharic.  And since I don't understand a word that anyone else says, I forget that they can still understand what I say.  At least some of it.  So yesterday when we were in the cab (with a lovely driver who was not ripping us off), and I was complaining about something (hopefully nothing to do with Ethiopia), it surprised me when the driver started talking to us in perfect English.  Turns out he has two degrees from Addis Ababa university.  And it threw me off, because I have to admit that one of the things I have grown used to with travel is the language bubble.  So much of the time, you can say whatever you want, because no one will understand a word that you say; its like walking around in a little impermeable bubble.  If you are in a bad mood and want to complain about the fact that the person next to you really needs to take a shower, you probably can.  If someone is wearing a cropped t-shirt when they should be not wearing a cropped t-shirt, you can probably note it.  If the waiter is really cute, you can probably point it out.  Buuuuut, then something will remind me that maybe you better not do that.  Because maybe the taxi driver understands you, and maybe the man who needs to shower understands you, and maybe the crop top understands you, and almost certainly, the waiter will understand you.  So probably, its better to remember that the bubble is more like a screen door.  Some stuff gets in, some stuff gets out, and if you aren't careful it will hit you in the ass.

Good thing I wasn't saying that the cab driver was cute (although he was) or that he drove like a maniac (which he did).  

New blog name

I decided it was time to change the name of the blog.  The stories of the Littlest Linnea had a time and a place, but since lately my postings are more about my personal reflections on the world at large and less about specific adventures, it seemed like I needed a change.  Worry not, the blog won't change much.  I won't post more than a couple of times a year, the postings will largely be the ravings of an overly educated professional traveler, and my pictures will still mostly be of buildings with the occasional circumspect people shot.  And probably I will change the name again soon because I didn't really think too hard about this one.

I chose it for a couple reasons.  One, I wrote my dissertation on indirect demographic estimation techniques.  Don't worry if that doesn't mean anything to you.  Its just the idea of trying to estimate something without having all the information that you would really like.  Sort of a general metaphor for what I do, what we all do, really.  It would be great to have all the facts all the time, but since we don't, we do the best with what we can.  And of course transit, because it seems like I am traveling as much as I am home.  Always in transit, somewhere.  And since there are very rarely direct flights from point A to point B, in travel or in life, it seemed like a fitting name.  And so, for the next hour or day or year or however long it is until I change the name again, Indirect Transit it will be.

And I might even update this soon because I am probably going to Ethiopia in a couple weeks.  And on the way back I am going to try to swing by Istanbul.  So hopefully I can update with some new photos and adventures from a whole new part of the world! 

Nigeria

So some of you may know this and others don't, but I just got back from Nigeria.  I contemplated posting something while I was there, because when I am traveling that is usually the only time that I post things, but decided against it.  The reason being that if you didn't already know, you would have no reason to worry.  And if you did already know, I was emailing my mom to let her know that I was fine.

Why would you worry, you might ask?  Well, if you read the news or watch the news or just have general access to the media, you might have heard of ebola.  Which is running rampant in West Africa right now.  I mean according to the media, ebola is practically already here.  Outside your door.  Just waiting for you to open your door and walk right into a big cloud of ebola...

But here is the thing, its actually pretty hard to get ebola.  People are most contagious right before and right after they die.  So unless you are taking care of someone on the brink of death from hemorrhagic fever, or are taking care of someone right after, you aren't likely to get it.  Doesn't mean its impossible, of course, but its not airborne, you can't get it from mosquitos, and since I don't meat, I can't get it from undercooked meat.  And since I went with public health instead of direct patient care, I am also not getting it from actually helping people.  Gross.  Helping people...

Ebola is real and its an epidemic and the infrastructure of West Africa is not suitable to deal with it. Social customs and financial constraints are absolutely leading to a public health emergency (things like this certainly don't help ((https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/166257-ebola-sparks-panic-across-nigeria-as-citizens-scramble-for-salt-water-bath-remedy.html#sthash.Y1En3Jko.dpbs)).  But its important that it not be blown out of proportion so that fear mongering takes over.  There are congress people advocating for closing the borders to foreigners from West Africa (here is a tip to those semi-racist congress people... American residents who travel to West Africa can also carry the virus.  Letting them back in when you are excluding everyone else isn't really going to solve the problem).  Screening everyone, no matter their country of residence is probably a better way to go.  Isolating people suspected of having the disease is critical.  But the random dude next to you at the supermarket who coughs, probably doesn't have it.  Remain calm.

There can and should be more done to control the epidemic.  Most countries (and I dare say the US is one of them) is ill-equipped to handle the kind of emergency being faced by Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, and Guinea today.  Being educated, being compassionate, and being rational helps though.  Educating the public instead of frightening them might also help.  At the risk of sounding a little farther to the right than I am comfortable with, there is something to be said for being frustrated with the "lame stream" media (God.  I said it.  I hate myself a little bit).  Sensationalism doesn't help people.  Facts and objective reporting might.  Since it seemed rather unlikely that that philosophy would suddenly infiltrate the media while I was gone, I figured I would let you all know that I am safe and sound and healthy when I got back.  And not have you worry overmuch while I was gone.

And because no soap box speech is complete without some pictures, here are some pictures I took of my time in Nigeria.  Please note, there are no bodies or hazmat suits anywhere.  Just some pictures of my very talented Nigerian co-workers.  And some family planning advertisements we saw.  Yay!!!

Venice at night

As you may or may not know, I am perilously close to finishing my doctorate.  Perilously because, as excited as I am to finish, it means that I am about to close one chapter in my life and face the whole rest of the unwritten novel.  Which is daunting.  But its also worthy of celebration.  And because I have the single greatest best friend in the whole world, she decided to get married just when I was finishing and to do it in style in Italy.  Was that really for me?  No, not at all, but still... great friend.  So here I am.  Celebrating two wondrous events with a two week vacation through Italy. And because my mother likes adventure and "wants to see Venice before [she] turns 66", she is adventuring with me.  But today it was just me.

I have to admit I was a little lame today.  I flew into Milan and then hopped a shuttle bus and a train to get to Venice.  While I am glad that I came first to Venice, I was too tired to try to take pictures of anything and when I got here, I crashed.  I am so envious of people that can survive on four hours of sleep.  That is not me.  I need eight.  Or at least six.  And when you are flying, even when you luck out and score the only seat on the plane without a neighbor and "sprawl" out on the luxuriousness of two seats, garnering mad-dog envy stares from everyone else around you, well, newflash, you still dont sleep that well. So when I got into Venice, I just crashed.  I mean, I took the public boat through the grand canal and wandered the streets for a while trying to find my hotel, but THEN I crashed.  I woke up in time to wander the streets at nightfall though and here are some of the photos I took.

Venice is a different city at night.  During the day, there are people EVERYWHERE.  Although as the waiter at the restaurant I ate tonight said, its nothing compared to high season.  I shudder.  But at night, its quiet.  The streets are empty, even the piazzas.  And its beautiful.  Venice is beautiful in the day too, at least from what I could see on the public taxi sitting next to the Spanish couple that argued for twenty minutes with the ticket collector about whether or not they should have to pay a fine for not purchasing the correct ticket (at least I think that is what they were arguing about since the ticket collector was arguing in Italian and the Spanish couple in Spanish and I was just trying to stare uncomfortably anywhere else because I was stuck right in the middle).  But what I could see was lovely.  It truly is a marvel of engineering.  You dont even realize that you are literally walking on water until all of a sudden the street you are on dead-ends into an alley of water.

Anyway, once I woke up, I took some pictures of Venice at night and here they are.  For those of you who might come in the future, follow Rick Steve's advice and take a break during part of one day, take a rest, and wander at night.  Totally worth it.  Plus you get to sleep.  Aces...

In case you wonder what I do

Here is a little taste.  The first is an article that I helped write that was recently published.  The idea is to quantify how much gains could be achieved in life expectancy if maternal mortality, one of the most preventable forms of mortality, could be achieved.  The second one I had absolutely nothing to do with but it very much speaks to why I have chosen to go into a field that studies and advocates for family planning and reproductive health.  For so many reasons, family planning is one of the most important keys to improving health, development, wealth, education, and other opportunities for women and men all over the world.  We are so lucky that women in our country have the ability to control when and if they want to have children and the freedom to take advantage of that (although there are so many, many people who would limit that right).  The ability to control the number and timing of children can allow women to receive more education, participate in the labor force, regain health between pregnancies, and limit their risk for maternal mortality (bringing these two articles together).  Even when I am worn down from work and dissertation, articles like the second one remind me how important it is that women be allowed to choose their reproductive destiny for themselves.

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0086694

http://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21598646-hopes-africas-dramatic-population-bulge-may-create-prosperity-seem-have

Taking photos when traveling

As you may have noticed, most of my pictures do not have people in them.  I would much prefer to take and look at pictures with people because people are endlessly fascinating.  But having been lucky enough to travel to so many places and having been lucky enough to be raised in an extremely picturesque place myself, I have now come to realize how strange it is taking pictures of other people when they are just going about their daily lives.  Taking pictures of them makes me feel like I am treating their real lives the same way I would treat animals on a safari.  Now that doesn't hold for festivals or public events, when the whole event is sort of one big picture taking opportunity.  But when it is just people going about their lives, I usually hesitate to shove a camera in their face.  Doesn't mean I won't subtly try to take a picture of something that brings a smile to my face, but I try not to be too much the ugly American about it.

So here is a picture I tried to subtly take by turning my head in the complete opposite direction and pretend I wasn't taking any pictures at all.  I just loved the color that this man was painting his house.  I think we need more over the top, cheerfully painted houses in the states.  Who could stay in a bad mood if they passed a house painted the color of a sunflower?



Oh and not to have a spoiler alert or anything, but tomorrow is a big festival in Ethiopia and I am really hoping to get a few pictures of the festivities.  Not everything needs to be ruined by my constant fear of cultural imperialism.  Some things can just be appreciated, even by me.

Back in Ethiopia

This 365 day challenge is, well... it's challenging!  At first, I thought it would be fun to take a picture every day but after a few days, it started to get harder.  I started to think that maybe people aren't really all that interested in seeing a picture of my life every day and its a little self-aggrandizing to think that they are.  But then I remembered, that if they don't want to see it, they don't have to and for the most part I am trying to put pictures of beautiful things that make me happy.  So how can that hurt anyone?

What I am realizing is that this a great challenge to help with creativity and with seeing the beauty in the world.  When I was in Belize, where it is gorgeous and picturesque every day it isn't too hard; turn around and there is a photo opportunity.  But today (and yesterday) I flew from Baltimore to Ethiopia.  And when you are on a 13.5 hour flight and spend four hours in the airport on top of that, there aren't that many opportunities to take a picture.  So it starts to make those creative muscles work, trying to think of something that you can take a picture of that isn't a selfie or a picture of food (both of which I am guilty of).  Some days it is a bit of a loss, like today.  I took a picture but it was just from my hotel room at sunset because I had slept for most of the day, completely ruining any chance I had of not having jet lag, and wasn't feeling up to wandering around the neighborhood trying to circumspectly take a photo of someone's food stand or something.  But other days, instead of seeing something beautiful and thinking "oh, that's nice, I wish other people could see that" and going along on my way, I stop and I take a picture and I share it.  Or, instead of focusing on all the ugly things there are in the world, I have to force myself to see the beauty in things.  Or to focus on the things that make me happy so that I can capture those and share them.

Maybe it is self-aggrandizing and maybe no one in the whole huge internet universe really cares about another sunset I saw.  But the fact that I made myself get out of bed so I could capture the gorgeous colors in the Addis sunset and appreciate the fact that there is beauty everywhere, even if I am too grouchy and jet lagged to want to see it,

made the challenge worth it today.

I might just turn this into a photo blog

There are million photo sharing sites out there but I just can't seem to figure them out.  Other than instagram, I just get confused.  So while I can't promise to update this any more often than I have in the past, I was thinking if I just try to add a few more photos from time to time, it might make it easier on me.  Anyway a picture is worth a thousand words right?

If that were true, I could just turn in 20 pictures and my dissertation would be done...

Anyway, here are a few of my favorite pictures from my Belize trip so far...

Temple 1 through the trees in Tikal, Guatemala.  Tikal is a world heritage site that has a huge array of Mayan ruins that span hundreds, maybe thousands of years of Mayan history.  If anyone is in Belize or Guatemala, its a must.

The view from the top of Temple 4.  Getting Dad to smile is always a challenge but he almost made it here.

This is the view from the Singing Sands Inn in Placencia.  Its not the most perfect panorama but you get the idea.  It was a beautiful sunset with Dad and I sitting on the dock watching the world go by.

The sunset on Caye Caulker.  We walked past a dock full of people just watching the sunset.  The golden sunset was too much to pass up.

If that code works, this should be an instagram picture of the horizon as I waited for the scuba boat to pick me up this morning.  Its obviously a little blacker than it should be since I was taking the picture into the sun, but it really isnt too off color.  There was a big storm front coming in and it made the whole horizon this beautiful, monocramatic color.  Not the best for scuba (it was canceled, it turns out) but still beautiful.

Mom and Dad and I went for a walk yesterday and watched the storm front roll in in the afternoon.  I loved the sun on the hut with the front rolling in behind.  We barely made it back for the rain came, but it was worth it!

Also, I just realized I have a predilection for shots of the horizon.  I will mix it up more in the future!

I posted a picture on instagram today, where most of my pictures will be, but Caye Caulker nicely gave me a few photo ops today so here is another one or two.

And just because photo manipulation is fun...

14 in 2014

I don't really do resolutions.  They always just seem like an opportunity to set yourself up for disappointment.  "Hey, here is a thing that I feel bad about.  I am going to fix said thing about myself.  Surely, when I inevitably succeed at this, I will feel so much better about myself..."  Except that it never happens and I just end up feeling bad about not only whatever I resolved to change but also about how I failed to change.  So, instead of doing that, in 2012 I came up with 12 new things I wanted to do before 2012 ended (and by extension before the world ended.  I guess the Mayans got that one wrong).   There aren't really any rules other than they are things I want to do and things I haven't done before.  I didn't make the whole list that year although I did get a couple big ones checked off, but I am going to resurrect the list this year.  It's not really a big deal if I finish them all or not, but just having the list makes me try new things

So, the 14 things that I want to do in 2014 are...

1. Finish my dissertation (This is non-negotiable and completely boring)

2. Scuba dive (doing this tomorrow with my Mom.  Checking one off right away)

3. Bike trip in Italy.

4. Take a picture every day.  (This is probably the closest thing to a new year's resolution.  Most of the time it will be on Instagram and certainly I wont be able to post every day when I am traveling but I will catch up if I miss a day.)  Here is #1 off the coast of Caye Caulker in Belize.

5. Go rock climbing

6. Go to a concert at the Bowery Ballroom

7. Take a cooking class

8. Try reiki

9. Go to the American Visionary Art Museum

10.  Go to a college or professional football game (I can't believe I STILL haven't done this.  That's what I get for going to small private schools)

11. Muddy buddy.

12. Go to Paris (This will either be immediately before or after #3)

13. Go to Club 342

14. Korean Karaoke

Many of these wont mean anything to people not in Baltimore.  But thats ok.The idea is just to try new things or finally do those things that I keep saying I am going to do and never getting around to.  It doesn't really matter how big or small or silly they are, as long as its something that I can look forward to and something that will give me a new experience.

Cheers to 2014!  A year for adventure!

Warning...soapbox ahead

There is something terribly embarrassing about being in a foreign country, particularly in a place with conservative values, when Miley Cyrus’s “Wrecking Ball” video starts playing on the big screen tv.  For those of you who don’t know, it features the dubiously talented Miley Cyrus naked, riding a wrecking ball as it crashes into a wall, with obvious physical enjoyment.  And just in case that is too subtle, she also grabs a metal pipe and performs some suggestive oral actions.  But why is that embarrassing for me?  Its not like I would ever do that and maybe I shouldn’t be so prudish.  Except that when I am in a place where every white person is lumped together under the dubious category of forenge (foreigner), I might as well go out to find a building site because to most people Miley Cyrus and I are virtually indistinguishable.

We live in a world where the majority of people learn about America through its popular media.  Is it any wonder that when the image we peddle across the airwaves is a young naked girl dry-humping construction equipment, conservative leaders in other places can convince people that Americans are morally bankrupt, more concerned with sex, money, and consumption than thoughtful, deliberate living?  And that in times of economic and social instability, it is much easier to unite people under a banner of “us” against “them” than offer constructive solutions, especially when “them” seems to be a society that celebrates debauchery and turpitude?   Should we truly be surprised that there are some people out there who despise our culture?  Should I be truly surprised when men in other countries assume that all American women have loose sexual mores?  What else should they think based on what they see and hear?

I am not saying that this view is correct, nor am I saying that the exploration and acceptance of sexuality without shame is equivalent to immorality.  I think on the whole, most Americans are genuinely caring, earnest, and kind people, if somewhat naïve about the effect our economic and political processes have on the rest of the world.  I think that the ability to have open and honest conversations about sex, gender, and the celebration of pleasure are all incredibly important, and positive, aspects of American culture .  If anything, we should do more to lessen the restrictive morality around sex (hello, abstinence only education) within our country. 

But I don’t think that packaging up nude, nubile pop-starlets for mass consumption and shipping it overseas is really an effort to engage in that conversation.  Nor is it an attempt to show the rest of the world the good parts of America; that women are allowed to be the equals, if not superiors, of men; that we are becoming increasingly intolerant of racism and homophobia (at least I hope we are), that we are a culture that is made up of every country, allowing us to learn a little about the world just by talking to someone who grew up somewhere else.   But what I see when I am overseas is consumption, sexual gratification, and political ineptitude.  These are, tragically, as much a part of America as civil rights, social safety nets and religious tolerance, but we do ourselves a disservice by not insisting on not only portraying ourselves better, but also being better (apologies for all the double negatives).

Do I blame Miley Cyrus?  Of course not.  She is a victim of our obsession with pushing boundaries to raise advertising revenue, not an ingenious social commentator.  But maybe instead of celebrating the newest pop-tart’s sexual exploitation, we could just take a second and think about whether that is really the image we want for America?  Whether we want people to associate the USA with freedom, independence, open dialogue and equality or with sexually suggestive music videos and inept governments?  Because from where I am sitting, all I see is a lot of twerking and political grandstanding.  And it’s hard to prove that there is much else. 

I don’t have any sort of recipe about how to change things, but I think that it probably starts somewhere around trying to be better people instead of just trying to consume and exploit.  And maybe with electing leaders and not wing-nuts.  Instead of taking every criticism as a threat and every suggestion as an insult, maybe we could celebrate what is truly good about our country, while thinking critically about what we can do to improve it and ourselves.

I think I may have gotten off track somewhere so I am going to get off my soapbox now and be grateful there aren’t any construction sites around.

Back to the topic of resilience

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There will be many days when the internet does not work.  I mean, aren't we all a little surprised I have internet at all?  I know I am.  Somedays the internet doesn't work and some days, surprise! It does.  So in the spirit of surprise, some days you won't have any updates from me, some days you will have more than one.  It will be a surprise for us all!  So with that in mind, here is post number two for today.

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Back to the topic of resilience, it is amazing how quickly people can get used to things.  I am of course basing this only on my own experience, but I think resilience is pretty universal so I am going to go ahead and assume that my experiences speak for everyone else’s.  Let’s just roll with that assumption, shall we? 

When I drove into the IMC compound (or as those of you who read the posts in correct order would know, I more rode into the IMC compound as a melted puddle of sweat), I was pretty taken aback.  I mean I wasn't expecting the Hilton or anything, but still, I was pretty taken back.  Even in Afghanistan and near the IDP camps in Uganda, I stayed in guest-houses that had running water and toilets. And walls.  And even trees.  Not really the case here.  Instead of a guesthouse, there are rows of tin shacks.  The floors are covered with peeling linoleum, although I suppose that that is actually a luxury.  There are hardly any trees and there is dust everywhere.  I suppose that not even an NGO can control the weather and make itself a little Garden of Eden, but still it was just surprising.  And the pit latrines… Well, is there anything else I need to say?  Pit.  Latrines.

But two days later, everything feels pretty normal.  I know which room is mine and have become pretty comfortable in it.  I kind of enjoy the outdoor showers.  The food is basic but I like that everyone gathers around the giant flat screen tv to watch football at meals (Yes, there is a flat screen tv and sports night.  Even here.  Dudes.).  The mornings are beautiful.  The compound is perched on a cliff and this morning the program manager showed me “the tower” which is basically just a tin shack up a little higher, but if you climb up and look across the cliff, you can see for miles across savannah.  With the rain coming, everyone swears that in just a few days everything will transform from red and dusty to green and I can only imagine what the view will be.  I have even gotten used to the pigeons scrabbling around on the tin roof in the morning.

I haven’t gone out into the camps yet, that happens tomorrow. Once I do, I am sure that I will be jolted back out of my comfort zone again.  There is a limit to how far my comfort zone can stretch and I imagine that the boundary is just a little bit passed where I am now and does not include real, true poverty.  No one’s comfort zone should have to include that.  I think it is safe to say that if life was a little bit fair and people cared a little bit more for each other and a little bit less about their possessions, maybe no one's comfort zone would have to include poverty.  Maybe we could all agree that no one’s comfort zone really needs too include much more than the basics.  Except for maybe the latrines.  Maybe we could agree on some slightly nicer latrines.