Blogs from Usa River, North, Tanzania, Africa - page 4

Africa » Tanzania » North » Usa River November 12th 2007

A lot has happened since we got back from our safari. One of my favorite kids left a couple of days ago. Her name was Violet, and she wasn't too happy to leave everything she knows to go home with her dad, and her grandmother. It was really sad to see her leave because I liked her a lot and I will miss seeing her everyday. Also one of the volunteers left on Wednesday. She lives in Australia, and next summer she invited me to visit her there for a couple of weeks. I hope that I can go do that because I have never been to Australia, and I would like to go there sometime. The other volunteer that was here also left. She went to go see her family that came to see her ... read more

Nov 3rd--Good Will Offerings

Africa » Tanzania » North » Usa River November 3rd 2007

KellerWolfs

The other day I was riding local Tanzanian transport to the Masaai market in Tangeru to buy some produce. I've never seen another white person using the local buses until that day and I remember thinking that he looked like an Ole. My alma mater is St Olaf College where Ole's are born and sometimes bred. I thought briefly of yelling out Um Ya Ya to see if he responded. I decided against it and continued looking out the window. At that moment I saw a young girl standing at the side of the road wearing a Kanga wrapped as a skirt with a tshirt that said "St Olaf College". I was so verklemped that I didn't have my camera. It's not often that you see St Olaf Alums so far from a Lutefisk stand. Then ... read more

Oct 29th--Safari Journal

Africa » Tanzania » North » Usa River October 29th 2007

Baby Elephant at Lake Manyara

KellerWolfs

It’s Monday evening and we returned from safari on Friday. We were looking forward to the chance to get away for a few days. Our driver picked us up on Monday morning precisely at 8:30. Our driver and guide Alfred looked to be in his mid to late twenties and he was from the Chonga tribe by Mt. Kilimanjaro. He spoke English very well, was very well informed, was very polite and had a good sense of humor. I didn’t know that credit cards here are hardly ever used. All transactions are in cash including large purchases like a safari. I had to go to Arusha three times to three or more ATMs to withdraw enough cash to pay for our safari. It was amazing getting out of Arusha and seeing how beautiful the country side ... read more

Going on Safari

Africa » Tanzania » North » Usa River October 21st 2007

KellerWolfs

Greetings all. We will be gone on Safari Monday the 22nd through Friday the 26th. It will be good to get a break and to see the beauty of Africa and Tanzania's wild animals. We don't know if we will have internet access. Will update you when we return. Anne... read more

Oct 20th--The International Language of Toddlers

Africa » Tanzania » North » Usa River October 20th 2007

KellerWolfs

After having been working at the Baby Home now for 5 weeks I've observed that no matter the culture or language of the toddler most of them know how to “Give you five.” As I was thinking about this today I was reminded of the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind and how at the end of the movie the only way the earth humans could communicate to the alien ship was through a musical five note sequence. Some of the older toddlers and most of the younger ones here react to whatever I say in English with a real or feigned look of confusion but if I hold my hand out and say “give me five” each one will respond with a grin and slap my hand. Why is it that all children know ... read more

ONE month

Africa » Tanzania » North » Usa River October 15th 2007

oliviakw93

It's been about one month of me being here in Africa. I still am not liking it here that much. I feel a little homesick sometimes and I don't like the fact that I have to be here for two more months. Everyone is feeling that right now. We are looking at flights to go home early because I don't think any of us knew that it was going to be this hard to live here for this long. I think the last time I was in town was when I went to go fabric shopping, so I haven't been in to town in a while. I did go to church on Sunday, but that was the only time I went into town in the last week. The orphanage did get a new baby in ... read more

Oct 7th--Happy Birthday to Alex

Africa » Tanzania » North » Usa River October 10th 2007

KellerWolfs

Anne's son and Tom's stepson Alex Parker Hyatt turned 24 on Sunday, Oct 7th. Even though we have missed being with him on his birthday while he was studying in Boston this was the first time we missed his birthday because we were away. We were able to reach him Monday and wish him a Happy Birthday but the toddlers at the baby home wanted to sing him Happy Birthday. Please watch the attached video to help us wish Alex a very very happy birthday. If you like, send him a Happy Birthday Message to alexhyattguitar@gmail.com. Love Tom and Anne.... read more

Oct 9thMeet David

Africa » Tanzania » North » Usa River October 10th 2007

Tom and David

KellerWolfs

I would like everyone to meet David. At 14 weeks David is the youngest at the Cradle of Love Baby Home. He came here at three weeks on July 17th and weighed only 6 pounds. I weighed him Monday and he now weighs only 7 pounds 2 ½ ounces. He is a relatively quiet baby when compared to some of the others. He sleeps quite a lot. He also always seems to have a furrowed brow that makes him look like a miniature old man. When he first arrived I was told that he didn’t eat much and what he did eat he didn’t keep down. The nannies and volunteers would try to give him formula and he would only take a few ounces and spit it up. The nannies are now trying to feed him ... read more

fabric shopping

Africa » Tanzania » North » Usa River October 8th 2007

oliviakw93

Today was a very good day. Me and some of the volunteers went fabric shopping. It was very fun and there were a lot of choices. I got three different types of fabric and I think that I will get three dresses made. Today was a very fun day and I'm excited to go and get my dresses made. Yesterday me and Lara tried to make cookies. They didn't turn out very good. We used the wrong flour, so next time I will make my dad bake them because he does a much better job at baking than I do. The cookies had a bitter after taste, and one bit was enough for me. Nothing much has been going on here. It was my brother’s birthday yesterday. I was too bad because we didn't get to ... read more

Oct 4th--New Pictures

Africa » Tanzania » North » Usa River October 4th 2007

Bishop Simon Visits

KellerWolfs

I have now successfully driven on the left side of the road two times now. Even Anne said I did a very good job. Not only do they drive like the British here, there is a sense that you aren't on a road but more like a pin ball machine. There are pedestrians, bikes, carts, donkeys, trucks, buses, dala dalas, etc. I made it safely to our destination and am feeling bold enough to consider the possibility of renting a car some weekend. In Anne's last journal entry she discussed our journey to church on Sunday and meeting Bishop Simon of Kilimanjaro. I've attached a picture of all of us with the Bishop. He has been very kind to our family. Yesterday was the day of my mother's funeral so Olivia, Anne and I went to ... read more

Brief history of Tanzania

Shortly after independence, Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form the nation of Tanzania in 1964. One-party rule came to an end in 1995 with the first democratic elections held in the country since the 1970s. Zanzibar's semi-autonomous status and po...more history

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