I bet some of you are wondering where I have disappeared to, right?
Since University is on “winter break” I decided to explore a little to see a different culture and get an idea of what Rotary is doing in the rest of Africa! So, I skipped off to Egypt!
My tour of Egypt started in Alexandria, a beautiful city on the Mediterranean coast. I received a very warm Egyptian welcome by two extremely kind Rotarians, Alex and Dalia, and their three-month-old baby, Joe!
When I first arrived they gave me a tour of their beautiful home and explained where the shower and washing machine were located and also informed me that there was wireless in my bedroom. I can’t imagine that anyone was ever so ecstatic as I was. All I could think about was HOT water! It was wonderful…
Dalia spoiled me with amazing food and warm hospitality and makes the thought of going back to Uganda, so much more difficult.
I attended a Rotary meeting and was taken to a wonderful clinic that the Egypt Rotary operates and has fully stocked with brand new, high quality medical equipment. A service that is provided to Egyptians living in the slum areas. The clinic can treat just about anything from small to larger operations, eye care clinic, dentistry, and beyond that has a computer room, children’s classrooms, sewing rooms, meeting rooms, and a pharmacy. It was easy to see that this project receives a lot of TLC from Rotary and is one that they are very proud of.
I was also taken care of by Rotarian Raggie, his wife, and daughter, Ingy. Ingy is a few years younger than me and is very active in Rotaract. She was so generous with her time and took me around to many sights in Alexandria (and to Starbucks…I know its not Egyptian, but oh how nice after months without it!)
A very special thanks to Dr. Raggaie, the very first Rotarian to respond to my e-mail and welcome me to Egypt/
After spending a week in Alex with my wonderful hosts, new friends and an exceptional Rotary I headed to Cairo to pick up my friend Amber and view some of the other sights that Egypt offers.
We started by taking the sleeping train to Luxor where we spent days exploring tombs and temples and walking along the Nile. Luxor is a historical importance to Egypt, but too overrun with tourists and pushy money hungry locals, for my liking. . The Nile River, creates the East and West bank, divides the city of Luxor. Locals say that the sun rises in the East and sets in the West, so life is on the East bank and death belongs on the West bank... and that is where we find all the tombs of the pharos. It was very interesting places, but the obnoxious and hassling touts made it just about unbearable.
Next we headed by bus to Hurghada through the Eastern desert and Red Sea Mountains to the Red Sea Coast. After over-nighting there we took a two-hour ferry across the sea to Dahab where Egyptian culture seems to be lost somehow, and money and partying come into the spotlight. It was nice to be on the Red Sea, but depressing at the same time. It is winter and too cold for me to dive (and many of the fish and coral life are more numerous in the summer).
Next we explored Sinai where we took a desert safari and climbed though, in, over, and around boulders! The Land Rover we were in got stuck in sand…that was pretty exciting!
The last stop was Cairo…now my advice for anyone who travels to Egypt…spend more time in Cairo and Alexandria then anywhere else. I was very lucky and two of my new friends from Alexandria came to visit me in Cairo. Amber had already gone back home so it was nice to have someone to chat with! Rotarian Mostafa, an extremely welcoming and friendly individual is a true give to Rotary. He showed me some wonderful sights in Cairo such as the pyramids: the ones at Memphis (which were the original pyramids…later replicated by the ones at Giza), dinner on the Nile, a huge market. I have forgotten the spelling! Islamic Cairo, among other things…
Egypt was a wonderful place, but the Egyptians are what made it! I was warmly welcomed, treated with care and kindness, and hospitality that is truly for the record books.
Thank you to all Rotarians, Rotaractors, and Interactors that made my Egyptian voyage a blast!
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Friday, January 11, 2008
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Pictures from Christmas
I hope you enjoy...these are just a few of Josh's visit to Uganda. I hope you all love our African X-mas tree!
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Kenya
I am sure that many of you have been seeing Kenya on the news lately. On December 26th Kenya held elections that resulted in all out chaos. Many have been killed and the death toll is still rising.
The chaos is a result of Kenyans who feel they were cheated and lied to. During the voting on the 26th it appeared as if the opposition leader was leading the election. After a long four days of counting votes and in the middle of the night Kibaki was sworn in. It appears that in some areas of Kenya there were more ballots than people and to everyone’s discontent they were all in favor of Kibaki Everyone wonders where these voters came from!
As no one can be really sure, but from what I have read and heard is that the newly sworn in President of Kenya is actually here in Uganda, staying at one of the most expensive hotels with his family. I imagine it is in fear of his life…but what about the lives of his citizens…his people…for the 300 that have been killed already and for the numbers that will be killed in the upcoming days or months…or however long this saga drags on. A president should be someone who is willing to stand on the front line, fight, protect, and make positive decisions for all his countrymen and women. Not escape and watch from afar.
Because Kenya is the closest port for shipping many of the goods that Uganda receives come via Kenya. (To take a bus from Kampala to the capital city of Nairobi it only takes 8 hours). One of the most important and much needed commodities is petrol. In Uganda, like Canada, petrol is purchased by the liter. In Uganda one liter of petrol sells for around $1.40 USD but now, after only four days of problems, one liter costs an average of $5.00.
One of the positive outcomes is that there are not as many cars on the roads, but it makes transport very difficult. (Especially now for us Muzungu who are getting even more exploited, first we are white and then there is a fuel shortage!)
The airport has to redirect all the flights from the Entebbe airport to Nairobi to refuel and then carry onto their original destinations.
There is much talk about this conflict in Kenya now and its very difficult to know the truth in the details. It is being said that the votes will have to be recounted, that the president should step down, that the elections should be redone. As for now only time will tell, but it find it horribly sad that once again people are dying for standing up in what they believe in and what is rightfully there’s…in Kenya’s case…a president chosen by the people!
The chaos is a result of Kenyans who feel they were cheated and lied to. During the voting on the 26th it appeared as if the opposition leader was leading the election. After a long four days of counting votes and in the middle of the night Kibaki was sworn in. It appears that in some areas of Kenya there were more ballots than people and to everyone’s discontent they were all in favor of Kibaki Everyone wonders where these voters came from!
As no one can be really sure, but from what I have read and heard is that the newly sworn in President of Kenya is actually here in Uganda, staying at one of the most expensive hotels with his family. I imagine it is in fear of his life…but what about the lives of his citizens…his people…for the 300 that have been killed already and for the numbers that will be killed in the upcoming days or months…or however long this saga drags on. A president should be someone who is willing to stand on the front line, fight, protect, and make positive decisions for all his countrymen and women. Not escape and watch from afar.
Because Kenya is the closest port for shipping many of the goods that Uganda receives come via Kenya. (To take a bus from Kampala to the capital city of Nairobi it only takes 8 hours). One of the most important and much needed commodities is petrol. In Uganda, like Canada, petrol is purchased by the liter. In Uganda one liter of petrol sells for around $1.40 USD but now, after only four days of problems, one liter costs an average of $5.00.
One of the positive outcomes is that there are not as many cars on the roads, but it makes transport very difficult. (Especially now for us Muzungu who are getting even more exploited, first we are white and then there is a fuel shortage!)
The airport has to redirect all the flights from the Entebbe airport to Nairobi to refuel and then carry onto their original destinations.
There is much talk about this conflict in Kenya now and its very difficult to know the truth in the details. It is being said that the votes will have to be recounted, that the president should step down, that the elections should be redone. As for now only time will tell, but it find it horribly sad that once again people are dying for standing up in what they believe in and what is rightfully there’s…in Kenya’s case…a president chosen by the people!
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Happy Holiday
Happy Holidays!
In the past month a lot has happened. I finished school at the beginning of December and wrote exams for one complete week, Monday to Saturday without fail. It was very tiring and, in my opinion, a complete waste of time. I need challenge and push in my education and here I feel I get neither. I am not trying to be deliberately negative, it’s just that when a student perusing a Masters degree is asked, on a final exam, to define prejudice and give exams of how to put an end to it, I continue wondering how informative this “education” really is. Oh well…I might need therapy and start my Master’s all over when I get home.
Josh arrived on Dec 17th very tired, very white, and a little annoyed. Air Canada had lost his luggage. Because I had warned him of this, he did pack on extra pair of clothes. It was almost one week before he got his suitcase. (For those of you at home who may think it’s not a big deal…it is…in Uganda we don’t have washers and dryers we have our hands).
I was very excited and my emotions went though a rollercoaster waiting for him to walk out those doors!
There have been several things that I have been waiting to see here in Uganda, but I wanted to wait for Josh to arrive. It’s not the same when you have seen something once and show the other around. It’s nice to experience new things at the same time.
When people live and experience new lifestyles things about those individuals change. The change is not something that can be explained or, sometimes, even recognized, but it’s a change that can end lifelong friendships and relationships. As people age their hobbies and interests transform, but add a drastic variable into the equation and somehow even the most familiar can become a stranger. I have tried with all my might in the past four months to tell Josh about my new life and environment. He listened and tried to understand, but as he admitted to me after only several days after his arrival, there was absolutely no way he could have “understood” without coming here. This trip widened Josh’s understanding and acceptance of difference and culture. I am very happy that I was able to be the one to see him and guide him on his first trip abroad.
On December 19th Josh and I traveled 7 hours to Northwestern Uganda to Murchison Falls for a Safari. We were very lucky and were able to have a game drive, hike, and boat cruise to view the animals. It was so amazing to see animals in their natural habitat without bars and signs that read, “do not feed the animals”. One of the best things about the safari was that we were able to see two lion mothers, each with their three cubs, eating a cobb (a little like a deer) that they had just hunted.
One thing that I never noticed from watching animal planet is that hippos are extremely personable animals. They will actually make eye contact with people. I guess maybe it is their way of saying “ as long as you stay in your boat and leave me alone, I will reciprocate!” We must have seen over one hundred hippos in the Nile that day and their grandeur is absolutely amazing. It truly does take seeing them up close to realize their power.
One thing that has constantly annoyed me beyond belief is the desperate need for money and the willingness to lie and cheat me to get it. I take motorcycle taxis (Bodas) to get around. They are fast and get me where I need to go. Just because I am white they charge me double and sometimes even triple the price. I now know the price and argue till my ears bleed, but the whole situation angers me tremendously. It takes much energy to deal with these men 3-4-5 times a day, just so I can get where I am going. The first few times Josh experienced it was new to him, so it wasn’t really a big deal, but continued annoying me. One night after a long day I expressed my anger and dislike for this daily and constant struggle. He listened but didn’t say too much. The next day, every time it happened, Josh laughed. He looked at me and smiled…then laughed. I think if now I am to pretend that Josh is standing along side me and laughing…I might just be able to cope.
I think I introduced Josh to many new things! I was a good ambassador!! We had our days kept busy, but many of the evenings we just stayed in and watched movies. He has been so tired from work that the rest here did him a world of good. He enjoyed the sunshine a tremendous amount, He was only here for 17 days, but he got a GREAT tan! He didn’t look the same when he left that was for sure.
Josh is going to write a blog here after he gets home. I am anxious to read it. The day after Josh arrived, the little water “heater” that I have broke and the water only ran for 2-3 days. One day we had to buy bottles of mineral water to pour into a bucket, so we could have a “bath”. The water I heated in my teakettle and poured it into a small basin. Thanks to Josh coming all the way to Uganda I was able to share these annoyances with him and he brought a little light to the whole situation.
I think I can say that Josh had a great time. Lets wait and read his blog to see what he really thought! I can’t even explain in words how extremely wonderful and important it was for Josh to make the journey here. I have lived and traveled extensively in developing countries for 6 years, so I understand the cultural difference and the marks that it leaves on the heart. Now…finally, after such a long time, Josh can relate (exhale…smile…lots of tears)
In the past month a lot has happened. I finished school at the beginning of December and wrote exams for one complete week, Monday to Saturday without fail. It was very tiring and, in my opinion, a complete waste of time. I need challenge and push in my education and here I feel I get neither. I am not trying to be deliberately negative, it’s just that when a student perusing a Masters degree is asked, on a final exam, to define prejudice and give exams of how to put an end to it, I continue wondering how informative this “education” really is. Oh well…I might need therapy and start my Master’s all over when I get home.
Josh arrived on Dec 17th very tired, very white, and a little annoyed. Air Canada had lost his luggage. Because I had warned him of this, he did pack on extra pair of clothes. It was almost one week before he got his suitcase. (For those of you at home who may think it’s not a big deal…it is…in Uganda we don’t have washers and dryers we have our hands).
I was very excited and my emotions went though a rollercoaster waiting for him to walk out those doors!
There have been several things that I have been waiting to see here in Uganda, but I wanted to wait for Josh to arrive. It’s not the same when you have seen something once and show the other around. It’s nice to experience new things at the same time.
When people live and experience new lifestyles things about those individuals change. The change is not something that can be explained or, sometimes, even recognized, but it’s a change that can end lifelong friendships and relationships. As people age their hobbies and interests transform, but add a drastic variable into the equation and somehow even the most familiar can become a stranger. I have tried with all my might in the past four months to tell Josh about my new life and environment. He listened and tried to understand, but as he admitted to me after only several days after his arrival, there was absolutely no way he could have “understood” without coming here. This trip widened Josh’s understanding and acceptance of difference and culture. I am very happy that I was able to be the one to see him and guide him on his first trip abroad.
On December 19th Josh and I traveled 7 hours to Northwestern Uganda to Murchison Falls for a Safari. We were very lucky and were able to have a game drive, hike, and boat cruise to view the animals. It was so amazing to see animals in their natural habitat without bars and signs that read, “do not feed the animals”. One of the best things about the safari was that we were able to see two lion mothers, each with their three cubs, eating a cobb (a little like a deer) that they had just hunted.
One thing that I never noticed from watching animal planet is that hippos are extremely personable animals. They will actually make eye contact with people. I guess maybe it is their way of saying “ as long as you stay in your boat and leave me alone, I will reciprocate!” We must have seen over one hundred hippos in the Nile that day and their grandeur is absolutely amazing. It truly does take seeing them up close to realize their power.
One thing that has constantly annoyed me beyond belief is the desperate need for money and the willingness to lie and cheat me to get it. I take motorcycle taxis (Bodas) to get around. They are fast and get me where I need to go. Just because I am white they charge me double and sometimes even triple the price. I now know the price and argue till my ears bleed, but the whole situation angers me tremendously. It takes much energy to deal with these men 3-4-5 times a day, just so I can get where I am going. The first few times Josh experienced it was new to him, so it wasn’t really a big deal, but continued annoying me. One night after a long day I expressed my anger and dislike for this daily and constant struggle. He listened but didn’t say too much. The next day, every time it happened, Josh laughed. He looked at me and smiled…then laughed. I think if now I am to pretend that Josh is standing along side me and laughing…I might just be able to cope.
I think I introduced Josh to many new things! I was a good ambassador!! We had our days kept busy, but many of the evenings we just stayed in and watched movies. He has been so tired from work that the rest here did him a world of good. He enjoyed the sunshine a tremendous amount, He was only here for 17 days, but he got a GREAT tan! He didn’t look the same when he left that was for sure.
Josh is going to write a blog here after he gets home. I am anxious to read it. The day after Josh arrived, the little water “heater” that I have broke and the water only ran for 2-3 days. One day we had to buy bottles of mineral water to pour into a bucket, so we could have a “bath”. The water I heated in my teakettle and poured it into a small basin. Thanks to Josh coming all the way to Uganda I was able to share these annoyances with him and he brought a little light to the whole situation.
I think I can say that Josh had a great time. Lets wait and read his blog to see what he really thought! I can’t even explain in words how extremely wonderful and important it was for Josh to make the journey here. I have lived and traveled extensively in developing countries for 6 years, so I understand the cultural difference and the marks that it leaves on the heart. Now…finally, after such a long time, Josh can relate (exhale…smile…lots of tears)
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