So my goal for today is to make a travel blog that is easy for me to use and update and easy for readers to navigate and comment on. I think I've finally found a blog that you don't have to sign up in order to be able to comment. So please, if you read this, comment on it, it's more fun that way - and maybe leave your last name or something that allows me to identify you, since "Love, John" could be many people I know!

For those of you who don't know why I have a travel blog, I am leaving to Africa for 2.5 months! I finished university and have always wanted to go to Africa so there is really no better time. I am going with an organization called Cross Cultural Solutions (Check it out here www.crossculturalsolutions.org) and will be going to Tanzania. I will be living in Karanga, which is a small suburb just outside of Moshi. Moshi is at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro, so I am so excited for the views I'll see so regularly. In Karanga I will be living in a volunteer house with about 40 other volunteers and they provide all our meals, a place to sleep and space to hang out. The program also offers "cultural programming" which is supposed to include some really neat stuff, but I'll know way more when I actually get there.

So I'm not just going as a tourist, for those of you who know me, this is no surprise!! I'm going to volunteer. CCS has placed me in what I hope will be an amazingly rewarding placement. I will be working as a "classroom assistant" in a school for children with mental disabilities in Moshi. This totally fits me, since I want to go into occupational therapy next year and I love working with kids. I'm so excited for it, but I definitely need to improve my swahili so I can at least somewhat communicate with the kids.

Alright, I have tons left to get ready for, people to email, things to pack, papers to organize- so I will leave this here. Remember, if you read this let me know so that I know this blog works for you guys!

Tutaonana! Goodbye!

Hugs, Laura

written by  Laura Collins on September 3, 2008 from Vancouver, Canada
from the travel blog: My Adventure in Tanzania
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I am safely in England! After a long flight, which was actually shorter than I expected I arrived in Heathrow and was greeted by my lovely relatives! The flight was an overnighter but I only slept a little. The man beside me enjoyed his complimentary red wine and gin and tonics and that kept him chatting most of the night. He was a nice man and very interested in everything I was doing and reading, so I was a nice person and chatted back.

Yesterday, Monday, I arrived around 2pm and came back to my Uncle and Aunt's home. I had a nap, which is nothing unusual for me, and that seemed to take care of most of my jet lag. Dinner later, and then some catching up with my cousins and some TV. The ads that are the same as in Canada have all been dubbed so that the actors have english accents! Bizarre I know. You try saying "febreeze, freshens your fabrics" with an english accent. Somehow it just makes me want to buy febreeze more! But I didn't.

This morning, I slept til about 9 -yay for the holiday part of this trip! Then my Aunt and I headed into London for some tourist activity! We took the tube in, "say chube". (There you go, now you're talking"). All I can say is: Those people who walk around with maps in Vancouver looking lost, and we look at them and wonder why they really need a map when we only have 2 skytrain lines. I must have been the tourist to the max. Luckily Gill knew where she was going and I just followed along on my map. I could have navigated it alone but it would have taken me much longer. Maybe I will venture to do a little of that tomorrow!

We went to Green Park,

Guards Marching

Buckingham Palace

Trafalgar Square

Double Decker!! -not the chocolate bar

Look look- a horse!

My Photographer Gill and the London Eye

London/Tower Bridge

On the wobbly bridge

St. Pauls Cathedral -the top part

St. Pauls Cathedral

I'm off to a proper "football match" tonight with my uncle and cousin. I might call it a soccer game just to bug them! They're die-hard fans.

I just wanted to let you know that I am here safely for now. I leave London on Friday and get to Tanzania on Saturday, but I will update before then.

Hugs to you all! As the British say, Cheerio!

written by  Laura Collins on September 16, 2008 from London, United Kingdom
from the travel blog: My Adventure in Tanzania
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Ok, so to start I will answer comments from the last blog.
Amy: No we didn't plan it, but we did look pretty spiffy, no?
Karen and Victoria: Sorry I'm missing the party, have a blast without me. :(
Shannon: I KNEW you wouldn't actually get a tatoo!
Mom: I said hello to everyone- they say hello back.

Alrightie, I can't believe it's only thursday morning, and I have only been here 2 full days. I feel like I've done more in the last 2 days than I did in the whole 3 weeks before I left -but anyways here's my update.

So Ron, Rob and I went to watch their beloved Watford football team take on Plymouth on Tuesday night. It was cold out but thankfully it wasn't raining. We watched the boys, and I scoped out the cutest one, but Rob said he was only 16 so that is a little bit of a problem. When he asks, I'll have to turn him down! Poor guy. Watford lost 2-1 but it was still a fun game and the crowd was quite entertaining. Shannon, I have to say- Japan still rules in the world of cheering! Here are some pictures of us at the proper "football match".

Robert and Me at the "match". Notice the "football pitch" in the background!

Watford vs. Plymouth

Me and Ron at the Football Game taking a "Jenny photo"

The next day, I navigated the tube down into London, and didn't get lost. I met Jenny at Covent Garden and we had lunch sitting on a curb! Do we know how to have fun or what! We poked into some shops and then took the tube to Camden, it's an outdoor market type area. This was somewhere I'd never been! Camden and football!!! Woah! It's like Granville island, only it's not an island and the market is crafts and clothes and stuff not food really. We had a good time!

Jen at Camden Market

Then Jenny and I went walking through Regents Park- it was huge! London really does have a lot of green space.

Regent Park

We took pictures and the sun almost came out for us. It hasn't been very warm or sunny, but Lavers say this is the first time It's stopped raining in a long time.

Jenny! (My cousin- I'm sorry Jenny!)

Cousins!

We walked along a lake and saw ducks and bridges. Traditional lake-like things.

A Lovely bridge in Regent Park. Too bad there was a gate on the other side that didn't actually let you cross it.

A duck resting in Regent Park. We wanted to be able to swivel our heads around like the duck!

We headed back and in the evening we all went to Ken and Shelia's (another aunt and uncle). They left me there -it was on purpose- don't worry. I'm staying with them for the next few days before I leave. Ken and I are going to play tourist this afternoon again somewhere else -I'm not sure! I'm posting all my pics now to keep you amused since I don't know how long it will take to post them in Tanzania. Anyways, thanks for reading!

Hugs to you all!

-Laura

written by  Laura Collins on September 18, 2008 from Bovingdon, United Kingdom
from the travel blog: My Adventure in Tanzania
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Today I went to my volunteer placement for the first time, its in a class for "children" with mental disabilities. They range between 7 and 30 though. It's very interesting and very busy. We have 3 teachers and 3 volunteers and today there were only 15 students and we were run off our feet. The system is very different though, the kids kick and hit with no consequences really -but often they don't understand what they did wrong. The teachers english is very good actually, but only 1 boy speaks english and it is about the same level as my swahili, so not so good.

On my walks everyday I talk to the children -today we played baseball and "ruka-ed" aka jumped toghether. It's so amazing, they are so trusting, but some do ask us for money, we say "sina pesa" no money. And then we just play together. The dirt is really red and it makes us extremely dirty -we never really come clean, after showers are towels are brown -it's all part of it and I wouldn't change a thing. Right now the bugs aren't even bad. THe other day we went on an excursion to buy sugar cane for the kitchen, the family we bought it from were so sweet, they welcomed us fully and we chatted and played with their kids.

I am having the best time, and to tell you the truth, I don't miss you guys -not yet anyways. :) Though I truly wish you all were here to experience it too. Much love and hugs! -Laura

written by  Laura Collins on September 23, 2008 from Moshi, Tanzania
from the travel blog: My Adventure in Tanzania
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Thanks so much for the comments, I love to get them, they made my day. And I hate to tell you it's not raining or cold here, it's gorgeous, but it did spit a little bit yesterday, no big deal. So I have to say today is awesome -the internet is working at the house and my kids had a wonderful day. Everyone was behaved for the most part- no one got bit, and Godi (actually named Goodlisten which is very ironic) and I bonded over beads and string. Richard didn't attack everyone. We played football, go go go stop, and what time is it bwana simba (aka mr. lion). It burned off energy in a productive way. So today was officially my first good day at my placement, and I don't go back until next monday since it is a muslim holiday and schools are closed for 2 days and on friday the teachers told us we shouldn't come since they are doing a private home visit, so Mama Fatuma will arrange for me and Ellie to go elsewhere.

Tomorrow we are going to have a Chagga day. Chagga is one of the local tribes, and we are going to have a "cultural day". It should be good, the other volunteers said it was cool, caves and a market. I still haven't bought much but I have time.

This weekend though was amazing. 20 of us left friday at 1pm to go on Safari. It was an incredible experiene and words don't do it justice. We went to Ngorongoro crater which was amazing. A crater that formed from a volcano keeps the animals in there, it is a protected site so they'll always be there. We say a female lion very close, rhinos very far away, hippos, tons of zebra and wildebeast, water buffalo, ostrichs, cranes, dik diks, other antelope type things, lots of birds, elephants, monkeys, baboons. INCREDIBLE! We went to a masaii village too, they danced and sang, we toured their houses made of cow dung, and we saw them grazing their cattle in the crater. (Read up on it on wiki). The next day we went to Tarangire National Park -it's like the serengeti but a lot closer. We saw lots of the same plus giraffes, male lions, female lions and the rare but gorgeous cheetahs. It was so wonderful!! I wish you all could have been there. We had our roof down on our 4x4 and hung out the top all day. The most amazing experience to acutally see these animals in the wild.

Anyways, people are waiting for the internet so I'll make it quick. Today I helped Molly and Jill make potoato latkes since it is the jewish new year and they are jewish. It really is a cross of cultures. They smell good. It's almost dinner so I'm off, but I'll update when I get a chance. And you all have to sit through my slide show of pictures when I get back. Prepare to look interested! Love you all.

Laura the mzungu.

written by  Laura Collins on September 30, 2008 from Moshi, Tanzania
from the travel blog: My Adventure in Tanzania
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Thursday we went to Neema orphange dubbed the baby farm by former volunteers. It was babies everywhere, it was great that we were able to cuddle and hold the babies, who are well taken care of, but can only get so much one on one time from the nurses and staff. Every volunteer 25 of us had a baby or toddler to hold. One of them was only 7 days old. It was sad since they are all orphans most due to their parents dying of aids. Also it was sad because when we had to leave after 2 hours we all just put our babies down and they all cried. We had a special acrobatic performance back at the house too. It wasa a busy day. On friday I went to a a placement with anoter girl since my was a no go. It was an orphanage where they homeschool the kids until 7 yrs. It was interesting, and made me appreciate my placement more. The poor kids were just copying, they didn't understand what they were doing. For you teacher people -they had no comprehension of the concept of subtraction. I used little toy gorillas to help explain one on one, but it was a challenge. And when he had done some right and was starting to understand, the teacher said he did't double space it and made him erase the whole page. I stood up for him, but he still had to erase it. Sigh.

Yestersday lots of people went out clubbing but it was a big hasell since curfew is 11pm and they had to get a hotel room. I jsut stayed home and relaxed, it was good since I was very tired. Today, we had a very lazy morning, it's nice since we work hard all week and never sleep in. Then after lunch people came home and a bunch of us took off to the art market- I bargained down a painting from 12000 to 8000. only 8 dollars. It's lovcely and the man I bought it from actually painted it, and it's of Chagga people and he's chagga I love it. I have lots of time to get mroe, but I am being very careful to only buy stuff I really love and not just stuff. You want anything????

Alright, we're doing a day hike of kili tomorrow since I can't do the whole thing. It will be a taste of smoething to come back for. I'll let you know how it goes, I'm off now to shop a little more. Talk to you all soon. Missing you guys today.

Hugs, Laura

PS: The more comments you write the more I love you.

written by  Laura Collins on October 4, 2008 from Moshi, Tanzania
from the travel blog: My Adventure in Tanzania
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So I don't know where I left off, but I know I have to say a happy belated birthday to karen! Yaya for that! 22!

Alright, so it's all still good here, it rained this week in the mornings and I have to say it turned into a mud pit. The dust is hard to take but the mud just makes everything a little more difficult- the classroom was so muddy! Luckily today it's nice it's a scorcher! Things have been a little more upbeat this week, my kids at school are doing fine- we had music today- I thought we could just play our intrumsents that we made, shakers and rubber band guitars, but the teacher wanted an actual song to be played. Eeek!! These kids have difficulty shaking them let alone shaking to a siong. Oh well....

We had the oppurtunity to make batiks this week, it is a long process but very cool, I made a really neat one of a girafee and think it should be framed forever. Look up what they are if you don't konw- very cool wax and dye and fabric craft. The internet has been down at the house again this week- I think this weekend I'm laying low and then soon we are going to do a walking safari with giraffes- sooo cool. I want to go to a local lutheran church this weekend to compare to at home, so a few of us are gonna check it out.

I am very tired and looking forward to having the chance to nap next week- that and plan some super cool lessons. Not much out of the ordinary is happening. Our first group of volunteers who are only here for 3 weeks leave this weekend. It's crazy that its so soon.

We also went to eht ICTR (tribunal for the rawandan genocide) for a tour in arusha. It was neat to see it and interesting to be in a un building- we watched court too. Crazy that they are still prosecuting people 14 years later.

I've planned paint by numbers for my kids, they are kind of getting it, but it is difficult to interact with the kids since they don't speak enlish at all, and altough I speak some swahili it is not enough to to understand what they say. They'll look at you and I know they are asking me something in swhaili but I don't understand so I can't really respond. Some days I wonder how much of a difference I am really making. I feel like if I were to come back to teh school in 3 years, lots of them would still be there, doing the same puzzles, still writing the numbers 1 through 5 and not understanding what they mean. The kids need one on one attention but the teachers expect us to tteach the whole class so it is a little difficult. For you teacher folks, you might understand that kids are dirty and you don'ty have personal space- but these kids, pet my hair, rub my arms up and down and when I wash when I get back it is dirty water I tell you dirty.

Anyways, I do really like most of my kids. i KNOW I shouldn't have favopurites, but one boy "godlisten" yes that is his name who we call "godi" for short is my favourite! (Did I already write this?) Read it again anyway! He would be autistic at home, but here they don't classify that. The loves beads and string and we spin the beads like tops and he squeals with delight. He's such a sweetie when he's not biting, but he seems to getting better. I try to take him for a walk when he gets like that, but sometimes wailing on the floor is what he needs too.

We did a craft this week about marafiki (friends). we had the teachers say in swahili that friends are people we love, and don't hurt, people we play with, and then we asked them \who their friends were. They all named ppl in the class. Then we gave them outlines of ppl we had drawn and they had to try and write their name and then colour them in, one boy, Josephi (they are have i's at the end of their names, not written but pronounced eg/ Richardi, raymondi, antoni, manueli, goodlucki), drew ears on his person, it was so cute, since he has really big ears the picutre looked just like him. Then we put them on the wall. It looks good. Any ideas for craftys would be appreciated!!!

Alright, this is getting long, I wish you could all see all that is going on here, I try to take pictures but they don't like it in town so I have to do so subtly.

I really will try to post pictures soon. We're off to get a africa shaped cake for the volunteers who are leaving!! It tastes different than cake at home but it is sugar we all want.

Talk to you all soon, I hope you are all enjoying the conviences of home like washing machines and internet!

Love you lots,
Laura or as my children say mwalimu (teacher).

Ps: my new favourite hobby is saying "mabmo mzungu" when we pass other white ppl in our village. It's a grand thing to do. and "poa" is the new "cool". poa actually means cool so i'll be saying it when I get home.

written by  Laura Collins on October 9, 2008 from Moshi, Tanzania
from the travel blog: My Adventure in Tanzania
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I have to say alot has happened since I last wrote. Number one, the internet hasn't been working, number two, the phone hasn't been working, number 3, the power has been out, and number four the water has been shut off. So I can say I've experienced a more realistic africa. On friday I did a home visit with my teacher but we ended really early so I went to Amani nursey school, one of the old volunteer's placements because the children swarmed me when I got out of the van and were very disappointed when I told them I had somewhere else to be. Though when I was done I went back. They were so sweet and so adorable- my little favourite was wisdom and I was tickling him til he squealed. It was lovely- then I had a nice walk home about 30 mins over the river from Soweto to Karanga.

This past weekend was a little sad since the ppl staying 3 weeks had to go home. It was sad to see them go since I had gotten close to most of them and will most likely never see them again. So it was bye bye to kakas and dadas- but it is exciting that this weekend we get a new group of volunteers!

I did stay here this weekend, we had fun here- it was nice to relax and do laundry and explore moshi a little bit more. Then on Sunday 6 of us went to the nearby catholic church with Prisca (a girl 22, who lives at the house and does small jobs so she can go to the school close by). It was interesting to say the least. I had never been to a catholic service and we thought we were going to the lutheran church but apparently we had a miscommunication. No biggie. So we walked up a big hill and there was this church. It was huge, they had a guy in the middle directing people during the hymns. And of course there were no books. It was also 40 degrees in there and we were all dying so we actually snuck out early -pole sana- but prisca stayed. They had calypso style organ music that would come on over the speakers for songs- it was a little bizarre but neat none the less. Alll of it was in swahili so we were completley lost, but it was still an experience. Then in the afternoon we explored a little bar (meaning a bench in the shade on the side of the road). We called it the barber shop since there was a shop within and Ali shaved his head mfrika style.

On monday, I decided to switch placements, it was a tough call. I love my kids at Korongoni, but I found out that a new volunteer will be placed there so there will be 4 volunteers and 3 teachers and the other disabled school would only have 1 volunteer and 1 teacher. So I offered to switch -plus as an added bonus- it is close enough to walk. I went on Monday and I loved it. The kids have lesss severe disabilities, but there is more structure and I have already been given the task of painting a mural. Woot woot. The kids are very sweet too. We actually made peanut butter to sell since there are some older kids and the teacher, Mama justina is trying to teach them skills that will be valuable in life. I really appreciate that. It was a good day, and as sad as I am to leave Kornogoni behind I know I am needed much more here at Shira Matunda. Oh and Zainabu, Calisti and neema are students at my new school!

In the afternoon me and two friends had a local adventure in our village. We wanted to go to the river, and we apparently looked confused so this man Raymondi -now our new best friend- took us to the river. There were kids swimming there and jumping off rocks it was so awesome. Then he took us to a banana forest, mangoes and boga and the water intake system. He took us all over for 3 hours. We met his family too. Kili was out and it was amazingly beautifuil. Then he wanted to take us to see monkeys, so we walked an hour to a bunch of trees by another river and Ray asked the kids where the monekys were and we saw them in the trees. Vervet monkeys, look them up, they were sooo cute. But since it was almost suipper time we headed back - ray lives very close so he walked with us. He invited us back - so we have plans for tomorrow. It was by far the best local experience I have had here and I am definelty going to do it again.

Then yesterday it was a bank holiday so we went to visit a local women's dairy cooperative. We got to try african cheese- not as good as at home, or maybe just different- but it was neat to see.

It's been getting hotter by the day here, but it's not raining so that is a plus. I am excited for new people to arrive. I've been doing some fabric shopping and art shopping, I got some gorgeous artwork and can't wait for you to see it.

Love you all lots, I'm thinking about you. THanks also for the comments!!

Ps: Jack I will look for the train tracks- haven't seen any trains yet though. Ohh, and the money is tanzanian shillings or tish for short. 1200tish is equal to about 1usd. I bought a big batik for 25000 and a nice painting for 8000, internet is about 1000 for an hour and iced coffee at the internet place is 1800. A taxi into town is 5000- so split that 4-6 ways and it's cheap. And the local bus from here to town is 300. So 30 cents- but it's not a pleasant expeience.

Sorry the last post sounded like a downer- I really am having a great time. i love it and can hardly believe my time is halfway over!!! I'll try to update again soon.

Lots of love, salama.
-Laura

written by  Laura Collins on October 15, 2008 from Moshi, Tanzania
from the travel blog: My Adventure in Tanzania
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I can't believe that I've been gone for 5 weeks and have only 5 weeks left -only 4 in Africa! It's unbelievable. It was sad this morning since two of my best friends left, but they went to Seattle, so I know I'll see them soon. This weekend has been very low key, other than the fact that 15 new people arrived. It seems very strange to be the vetran- but nice since I have time to sleep, nap and plan lessons. The new people seem nice but it is a lot of work to meet tons of new people and I'm sure they are overwhelmed so we retreat to our rooms alot. I have 2 new roomates who seem very friendly.

I have to say I am tired of staying here. This was my second weekend in a row where I didn't do any tours or anything and I need to get away. We still haven't done the walking safari but it is planned for this weekend. And then hopefully horseback riding at the base of kili next weekend. Woot!! I'm making musical instruments for my new students today with Ali. We're makig shakers and tambourine with beans and bottle caps. I hope it works!!!

On friday I did home visits to 3 of my students. They all lived in the vicinity but all lived in very different styles of houses. It was very cool to see them, but kind of sad to think that we live in this house and compound that must be like a masion next to their hut for 7 people. It's their reality but it's strange to think about.

I'm hoping to go back to the orphange soon- I think today I'm gonna go out and play with the kids -it's been a while and I have energy now. Other than that things are good. Not much has happened. I went to town today with the new people and the art market -I love it there. Everytime I go I get something new- it's all made by the people who sell it so I like the directness of the money exchange. Plus I know get to ask questions and know the history of the work and the person.

Anyways, I should go now- I want to be social and I have some safari stuff to plan. Ps: Mama Lilian says it's snake season now so we have to keep our eyes peeled- they are ALL posionous no matter what colour. I don't know if that's true but I asked my teacher and she agreed so I think I will stay away from them. I really hope to post a picture or two soon. Enjoy your weather and I'll continue to enjoy the heat and sunshine (not to rub it in or anything!)

Love ya!
-Laura

written by  Laura Collins on October 19, 2008 from Moshi, Tanzania
from the travel blog: My Adventure in Tanzania
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