Emelleb

emelleb

Emelleb

I first started this blog five years ago when I decided to escape to Thailand after working as a gender and development consultant based in Washington, DC for three years. I figured I could have take a little break from the rat race, have fun and help women in the community at the same time. Language proved to be challenging, so I'm not sure how much I did the latter, but I certainly had lots of fun!

Over three years later, during which I shuttled in and out of eight countries to support five US government-funded projects promoting gender equity to improve health outcomes, I find myself living overseas again. This time, I am in Tanzania with perhaps an even loftier goal of trying to advocate for policies that encourage gender equitable behavior by men, prevent gender-based violence, and encourage uptake of HIV and reproductive health services. I guess I like a challenge! I am plugged into a great project and working with an excellent team, so this time, I hope to say with more certainty, that I made some sort of impact.

I plan on working hard, so my journal entries may be fewer and far between. But I still planning on having fun. Hopefully you will enjoy my musings and perspectives on both work and play!

Where is the Peace for Women?

Africa » Tanzania » East » Dar es Salaam February 20th 2011

emelleb

Tanzania may enjoy peace throughout its communities and society in general, but within intimate partner relations, violence is abundant. Having researched and analyzed policies and programs on violence against women in this country for the past several years, I am well aware that prevalence of physical and sexual violence that women experience at the hands of their partner is quite high, at around 40 percent. But witnessing these acts of violence--as I did the other night--is quite another thing. I was out having dinner with new Tanzanian female friends in a nice neighborhood of Dar, enjoying the discussion. They were telling me that young women these days exchange sex for gifts or money so that they can buy fancy phones, clothes and cars--a phenomenon called transational sex in the HIV field--thus, driving the HIV epidemic. Still, ... read more

Salaam

Africa » Tanzania » East » Dar es Salaam October 31st 2010

emelleb

Tanzania is a peace-loving country. You have only to examine its language to figure that out. Tanzanians have a plethora of ways to say that everything is fine, ok, peaceful, and so on. Salaama, mzima, nzuri, poa, safi, etc., etc. When I asked my Swahili teacher how one says "I'm not doing well", she told me that I shouldn't say that because it raises too many questions! Better to just say, you're fine. Language is indeed a reflection of culture. Recently, Tanzania held presidential elections, which it holds every five years. The incument, Kikwete, was re-elected, although there were many grumblings of dissatisfaction with his performance. When I asked my taxi driver why, if they were unhappy with him, did people still vote for him. My wise, if not-so-educated or conversant in English taxi driver explained ... read more

A Good Decision

Africa » Tanzania » East » Dar es Salaam October 17th 2010

emelleb

Greetings from East Africa, where everything is warmer and the sun shines brighter. I have had a great week so far! I must admit, I did wonder what I got myself into after what seemed to be an unwelcome arrival to an unserviced apartment without drinking water, pillows or sheets (thankfully I brought the latter in my overstuffed suitcase). Apparently, our office staff screwed up my hotel reservation. Reminiscent of my first nights in Italy and Thailand, I found myself thnking about the great life I left behind and wondering, "is this really home now?" In the next couple of days, however, things took a quick and much better turn, and I knew that my next great life would begin here in Tanzania. The world has become a bit smaller, and thanks to contacts here and ... read more

Hovering in Between

Asia » Thailand » Central Thailand » Bangkok May 16th 2007

emelleb

Many people come to Bangkok to either flee from or chase something. In fact, when I first arrived and told people that I had just moved to Bangkok, they asked me in sometimes not so subtle ways whether I was having a bit of a quarter life crisis. I adamantly denied that I was doing anything of the sort. I came in the interest of career goals, I insisted. There was no inner conflict I was grappling with, no demons that brought me to the city of angels. I came to achieve my goal of working in a developing country while still being able to enjoy all that the Thai culture and setting have to offer. It’s not hard to understand why so many come to Thailand to find an alternative lifestyle. It is exotic and ... read more

Saved the Best for Last

Asia » Laos » West » Luang Prabang May 15th 2007

emelleb

Laos is one of the few places on the tourist route but still has the feel of old world Asia left. It was exactly the escape I needed from the smog, motorist and people-filled metropolis of Bangkok. It reminded me that I am a small-town girl at heart. What is there to see and do in Luang Prabang? Well, there really isn’t much by way of tourist attractions that wow. It’s the unique experience of small town life in Asia coupled with the beautiful countryside that make the trip memorable and special. In Laos, I saw the cutest Hmong children (no more than 3 or 4 years old) running along the road with straw baskets larger than them balanced on their backs; a duck and her chics hurried along behind. I saw the sunrise from a ... read more

For Sale

Asia » Thailand » Central Thailand » Bangkok May 13th 2007

Clubbing with the Girls

emelleb

In a place where shopping is the common pastime and everything is for sale, including people, I suppose one cannot help but be eyed as another item in the vendor shop, or cart, as the case might be. Such has been my experience living in Thailand as a young woman of Southeast Asian descent, and to many, someone that looks “same same” as a Thai. In DC, I tried not to dress overly feminine or overly revealing because I was concerned that I would not be taken seriously as a professional. In Bangkok, I find myself doing the same so that I am not misperceived as another type of “working girl”. A Thai American friend of mine told me that a White American male friend of hers that she was out with was approached by ... read more

Vietnam on the Tourism and Development Curve

Asia » Vietnam » South Central Coast March 16th 2007

Vietnamese fried wonton

emelleb

Ok, so it’s been a while. So I finally hit a place whose market has not been totally overtaken by the tourists—Vietnam. Scams by rip-off taxi drivers and hotel proprietors aside, Vietnam is, for now, a travel deal! The food is cheap and damn good (you can see that most of the pictures are of food, thanks to my fellow traveling foodie), and so are the accommodations and tailors! (I had three coats made for no good reason but that I liked them and they were cheap. Never mind the fact that I live in Bangkok where the weather is always above 30 degrees Celsius.) I have come up with my own little development curve based solely on my experiences in Southeast Asia. It’s probably nowhere near accurate, and yes, my research is hardly rigorous (consisting ... read more

Back in Bangers

Asia » Thailand » Central Thailand » Bangkok January 24th 2007

emelleb

To be in Bangkok or to no longer be in Bangkok? That is the question. My trip back to the US didn’t exactly give me the clarity that I wanted on the next steps that I should take in life. But it seems in life that things become less clear before they become clearer. After hopping around half the largest metropolitan area’s of the US of A—DC, Philly, New York City, DC again, Chicago, Philly and then flying out of New York—I came back to Bangkok feeling not like I was coming home. I didn’t expect that really. After all, I had been here 10 months, and Bangkok, well, is not quite a homey sort of place. Even for those expats who have lived here for years, it doesn't feel like home. The reasons for this ... read more

Suspended Reality

Asia » Hong Kong » Hong Kong Island December 7th 2006

Pub Crawling in Lang Kwai Fong

emelleb

The Asia expat scene, I am finding, is one big “suspended reality.” I borrow this term from a writer friend here in Bangkok, and I find it quite fitting. Life in Bangkok is an especially extreme version of this suspended reality. Men enjoy a veritable sexual playground; 27-year olds go into semi-early retirement (no, I’m not talking about myself here!), and Thanksgiving is celebrated on the beach in 90 degree weather. Perhaps most prominently, life is one long party made up of individual parties that seem to stretch into each other. Like it or not, for now it is my reality. So, when I went to Hong Kong, I enjoyed a pleasant respite from that reality of mine. Pollution, while still present, does not overwhelm one with the stench from open sewers. Professional, conservative attire is ... read more

Greetings from Georgetown!

Asia » Malaysia » Penang » George Town November 2nd 2006

Our Mansion in Penang

emelleb

Georgetown, Penang—the Malaysian island—that is. No, my DC friends, I have not returned home to my beloved city yet, as much as my lungs and mind are screaming for some fresh air and relative quiet. Georgetown in Malaysia, however, does have some characters that just might rival the characters of DC, and gay divas that are even more “fabulous”, or at least work hard at it. Case in point was the Guest Relations Manager at our homestay, a fabulous renovated 19th century electric blue mansion formerly the home of the “Rockefeller of the East”, Mr. Cheong Fatze. Mrs. Lo (We were never clear what his name was, but we affectionately and laughingly called our pseudo-host this after he directed us to a local restaurant and advised us to tell them, “Mrs. Lo sent you”.) thankfully took ... read more

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