beckaleck

2am - Somewhere beyond civilization a bus travels the long stretch between Nairobi and Mombasa. A violent thud. Stunned silence, followed by excited voices and now the whole world appears to be gently rocking back and forth. I pinch myself- I'm awake, relatively sober... this must be reality. It seems the bus is experiencing some technical difficulties. I don't know very much about motor vehicles, but I do know that (ideally) you want all four wheels on the road at all times. No such luck in our case. The bus is half- trapped in a sand ditch (the driver was attempting to overtake), kind of careening back and forth with the right- side wheels firmly lodged in the mud, the bus making a 45 degree angle with the road. People begin to calmly exit from the ... read more

Im not really in Nashik, I am in transit (destination unknown) and would like to share some thoughts. Ive come to realize a lot about the concept of 'humility'. Humility is much more of a process of realization than it is a finite character or emotion. I think it has a lot to do with understanding yourself in the context of the world - understanding that the things in society that lend you your pride and superiority can really isolate you from the learning experiences of life. When you think about it, there is so much bull that gets in the way of really connecting with ' the other'. We constrict ourselves with strait jackets of pride by building barriers with looks, money, "class", sexuality, gender, nationality, religon, 'education'... its all so ridiculous. Having a post- ... read more

Early Impressions... Harare feels a lot like suburban France- although there is nothing distinctly French about it, but I guess suburbs have that timeless, universal effect of squandering culture. The architecture in the capital is strikingly diverse- there is the strong British colonial presence, mixed in between clusters of post- modern and experimental buildings. One thing that is truly unfortunate about Harare, and probably the whole of Africa (if you'll allow me to generalize) is that the wealthier you are, the higher, sturdier and more electric your fence is. In the wealthy neighborhoods od Harare, Dar, Lusaka and Nairobi, neigbor- to- neigbor contact is minimal, there are no visible lawns, no reckless children playing on the streets. Strolling through them is highly unpleasant, you feel like a tiny mouse wandering through alleyways of large, closed cardboard ... read more

Kondwa and Beyond... So for the past three weeks Meg, Ally, Nick and I have been spending our days at the Kondwa Day Center for Orphans doing S.E.E.D. stuff, painting and attending Home Based Care visitations for HIV/AIDS victims. It has been a really positive experience, I have new hope for the world - and a new perspective- more on this later. (character description: Nick is a sucessful rasta painter/ sculptor whom we met at an art gallery. He decided he was in love, Angela hijacked him to come paint at Kondwa, we all became jolly good friends. He invited Meg, Ally and I to come stay at his place, so we moved in.) Our lifestyle in the evenings was unabashedly Bohemian. After the long walk home from the orphanage we would bang on drums, sing, ... read more

Kids are so damn brilliant. They really do have it all figured out, before society gets everyone all confused. I think your perspective on the world peaks with maximum clarity at the age of seven, and its all downhill from there. Three weeks at the Kondwa Centre did the impossible and uncovered my deeply embedded maternal instinct, one that I was afraid i simply didnt have. The Kondwa Centre is a day centre for orphans and vulnerables aged 4 to 9 in the N'Gombe compound on the outskirts of Lusaka. The children are fed 2 meals per day (meals they otherwise wouldn't get), and are taught at the preschool/ kindergarden level. Its community- based, meaning that funding isn't consistent, but comes in spurts from Zambian and foreign donors alike. The person who keeps it all alive, ... read more

These past few weeks have been interesting, to say the least. Much has happened, much has changed. When I left off, we were about to board a dhow from Mombasa to Zanzibar. That journey, slated to take ~16 hours, took closer to 40. It was incredible, and dhow is my new favourite means of transport. My most vivid memory of the trip was sitting out over the front of the ship, legs dangling over the cargo below, with 4 of sailors. We sat for hours - in a motionless silence- from sunset to stars to the first shades of light before the sun hits the horizon. The ocean has this way of numbing the mere human into a trance and holding one captive with memories, thoughts and ideas. Anyhow, we arrived at the Zanzibar sea port ... read more

Greetings from Mombasa where the fish is fresh and life runs on island- time. Mombasa is a vibrant mix of influences and flavours and laid-back-ness- a stark contrast from the rough bustle of Nairobi. Life is good in the company of friends, with the night sky, the sea breeze and the kindness of strangers, Our new friend and tour guide, Sultan, loves his ganja, and as a result a lot of time is spent sitting in circles with the diverse locals discussing the state of the world and the concept of "one love". Today was a great day. In the morning, Meg and I went to the shipyard and negotiated our passage aboard a cargo ship that will take us from Mombasa to Zanzibar Island at the crack of dawn tomorrow. We had to write a ... read more

Dear Elizabeth When my dad died of cancer, I was told it was a painless death- in the palliative care ward of a top-of-the- line treatment care facility. I was 19. Surrounded by my closest friends and family, I was left with his joyful wisdom in my heart and the world at my fingertips. I had no responsibilities- I was born into money. When your dad dies of cancer (in a matter of weeks), it will be a slow and excruciatingly painful death. Unlike my dad's case, there are drugs available to treat your dad's type of cancer, but, hey, you cant afford them. You are 9. You are aware that after your dad passes away, you will be left to care for your 4 younger siblings (and probably leave school). Your mum will be working ... read more

We just spent a week in rural Ugenya, chilling as only villagers know how to chill. Meg and I were placed in the village of Ukwala (along with Mike, a cool guy from the Netherlands). We were being hosted by Chris ( co-ordinator of the Matibabu Foundation, a partner organization with Community Support Group) and his family. The Matibabu Foundation is a Kenyan development initiative that tackles everything from mosquito net distribution, to a reigonal HIV treatment facility to a youth centre- with astonishing grace. The funny thing about blogs, im discovering, is that you cant see peoples expressions in response to them, so i have no idea if im being ridiculously dull or incomprehensible or redundant or whatever. Also, I hope that this blog is construed less as self- promotion and more as 'knowledge' transfer. ... read more

Im naked. Africa has stripped me of my ridiculous sham of an ego far more quckly and effectively than I ever imagined it could. We have been in Kenya for just over a week now - still riding the waves of culture shock. These have been some of the most colourful yet challenging days of my life. I think I fell in love with Kenya the second that Meg and I set foot in the arrivals gate at the airport in Nairobi and were met with the smile of Dan Ogola. We had blindly contacted Dan via the internet- I had lifted his email off of a website to ask some questions about the Kibera slums. As such, there was no one to verify the legitimacy of our host and we were prepared to spend our ... read more