I'm Home!

I have had quite the week. Things didn't go exactly as planned, but then again, they never do when you are traveling. We arrived at the Kilimanjaro airport late at night after Zanzibar. We decided to just stay in the airport since our flight was at 6am the next morning. The staff said that we couldn't stay there and that we would have to stay in the lodge for $150. We said absolutely not, and tried to explain that we were volunteers and didn't have the extra money to spend for the lodge. Eventually they gave in and let us stay there. I awoke to a swarm of mosquitoes around my body and 3 men standing in front of me. I almost peed my pants. The men were security at the airport and brought us cushions to lay on . We were soooooo thankful. I was able to sleep for a few hours, but poor Michele layed and watched the mosquitoes eat us alive. We were sure that we had contracted malaria on this night, if we hadn't yet. In the morning the guards got us up at 4, as the other passengers were arriving. They wanted a tip, not necessarily money...we were soooo angry and upset, but they left us alone after they saw our reaction.

When we arrived in Nairobi, we were informed that our flight to London was canceled and that we would have to stay in Nairobi for the night. All other flights were booked solid. We were not thrilled! We just wanted to get out of Africa at this point. We were scheduled to fly out to Munich the following morning at 9am, so this meant that we would miss our flight. We were told that they would reimburse us for a new flight, but when we called later that day, they said that they would not pay for it because it was booked through another airline. We spent all day on the phone, arguing, and trying to fix our plans. Luckily, the hotel was really nice and the food was amazing. I was still feeling quite sick, but managed to eat a bit. Later that night we went to the front desk about the phone bill, and we were told that it was $200 and Virgin Atlantic would not cover it. We couldn't believe that they would cancel our flight, not help us with our arrangements, and then not pay for our phone calls to try and fix our plans. We argued for a long time and managed to get Virgin to pay for most of the bill. We will definitely be sending some serious emails to customer relations. We finally arrived to Heathrow and were able to purchase a new flight to Munich for later that night. I was able to talk to my parents, but was given the bad news that my dad's best friend had died. He had been diagnosed with brain cancer a year ago, and was given a month to live 2 months ago. Bob will be greatly missed. It's always hard to be away from family when something like this happens. I've realized on this trip that when I am feeling any intense emotion, I always resort to prayer. It seems the only thing that I have control of, that brings a bit of solitude. So I said a little prayer in my head to Bob and his family, and to my parents. After Bob passed away they received a call that my dad's older brother didn't have much time to live, as he is having liver failure. So, they had to fly to Oregon to be with him. It is just never ending. I had 2 thoughts, 1, I wish I could be there for my parents, and 2, I couldn't help but think how thankful that I am that I have been able to do so many wonderful things in my life. Michele and I both agreed that if we died today, we would be ok with it as we've both lived pretty great lives...traveled the world, helped people, laughed, loved, and LIVED! I feel incredibly lucky.

I started to feel very, very sick at the airport. When I boarded the plane to Munich, my fever came on strong. I looked to Michele when we landed, with tears in my eyes, and said that I needed to go to the hospital right away. I was having really bad stomach pains and my fever was extremely high. I think it scared me a bit. We dropped our stuff off at the hotel and went straight to the hospital. They took some blood samples and hooked me up to and IV. We were there until 3am and finally they came back and said that they weren't sure what was wrong, but the tests they did were all normal, except my potassium was low and my fever was high. They said that I needed to go to the Center for Tropical Disease in the morning. So, we slept 2 hours, then went straight to the center in the morning. They did lots of tests, I won't get into details here, but finally discovered that I had Shigellosis, a bacterial infection. They gave me some meds, and I felt instantly better after taking the first pill. I rallied for the day, as I wasn't about to lay in the hotel room and not see the city of Munich. We took a bus tour of the city and did some shopping. Munich was beautiful. I wished that we would have had more time. At night we went to the Hof Brauh House, which is a huge beer garden. It was quite a scene. I managed to get part of my huge beer down, but decided I definitely shouldn't finish it. The next day we went to Dachau Concentration Camp. It was such a sad place. It is absolutely unbelievable that such a horrible thing took place there. Hard to imagine. Later that night we flew to Amsterdam. I had been there when I was in college, but didn't get to experience the entire city, aka, the Heineken Brewery. When we got to the entrance, we were informed that it was under construction, of course!!!!!! We went to Van Gogh Art Museum, walked around, shopped, and spent some time in a coffee shop. We had a great time...lots of laughs :) We went to a great dinner and walked around the Red Light District. Michele was in awe. It really is a wild experience to watch a man walk into a prostitutes door to purchase her.

The next morning we went to the flower market and to Anne Franks House. I had done a lot of these things my first time in Amsterdam, but was happy to do them again, as I didn't remember much the first time. Somehow, we miscalculated how long it took to get to the airport, so we had to sprint to our gate. We barely made it, but unfortunately our luggage didn't. We had to wait over an hour at the London airport for our luggage. It could have been worse. My Grandma Pat booked a great little hotel in Knightsbridge...we even had a counter top in the bathroom :) We met one of the volunteers from Africa and my friend Kira for dinner. We had great food and caught up with each other. It was a wonderful last night. The next morning, Michele and I caught our separate flights. I, of course, had a 2.5 hour layover in New York and didn't get home until 10pm last night, but I made it in 1 piece, which is all that matters. My mom was waiting at the door when I walked up to the house. My parents are sooooo happy to have me home, and it is nice to be home. To be honest though, I wasn't quite ready to come back yet. In my previous travels, I have always been ready to go home, but I think because I spent 4 weeks in 1 place, I didn't feel ready to come home yet. I love Europe soooo much and just have so much more I want to see. I know I have time, but I just feel this sense of urgency to see everything. My travel addiction has gotten stronger. I thought this last trip would slow me down a bit, but I already find myself planning my text trips in my head. It's amazing that soooo many things could go wrong, lost luggage, illness, canceled flights, death, yet I still can't wait to go again. It is my greatest passion. There are so many great things to see in this world, and I am so excited to see them ALL :)

This is my last blog. Again, thank you all for EVERYTHING and for following me on my journey. This trip has truly changed my life in so many ways...and has hopefully helped others as well. XOXO to you all!

The top picture is me in Amsterdam, below is Michele and I in Amsterdam, then some Tulips in the market, a boat in Zanzibar, women fishing at sundown....they all ran in the water with a huge net, in their clothes, and the bottom picture is me with my beer in Munich :) Click on the image below...it is a video of my kids saying their morning prayer.

Malaria Negative!

Overall, Zanzibar has been great. We stayed in Nungwi, on the northern tip of Zanzibar. Our days went as follows: get up, exercise a bit, eat breakfast, lay out on the beach, eat lunch, lay out or head to the shade, take a nap in the bungalow, clean up for happy hour, then dinner, then bed. The sun is extremely intense here so we could only lay out for a few hours a day as our skin could only stand so much heat. We ate delicious food, read books, drank wine, and always made it for happy hour by 6pm. We also discovered a beach party down the beach from our bungalow, which was quite a good time. We met some interesting people and managed to have dinner with a big tour group, and then one night with a father and son who had hiked Kilimanjaro. The son, Greg, had just so happened to have went to U of A, where Michele went. He was a few years older than her, but they had known the same people, and he had recognized her. He had volunteered with the Peace Corps. for over 2 years, after he graduated college. He was placed in Paraguay and was able to bring running water to his community. It made our 4 week volunteer trip seem a bit small. He is now a lawyer in the Virgin Islands...what a life he has. We had planned to spend the last 2 days and last night on the eastern part of the island, Paje. On our last night in Nungwi, we decided to go all out and order the lobster and crab. After dinner I began to feel realllly sick, and it hit. Let's just say it was a horrible night. I wasn't sure if it was food poisoning as Michele didn't reach my level of sickness. The next morning I couldn't move, but we had to check out at 10am and head for Paje, which ended up being a 2 hour ride...absolutely miserable. When we arrived at our new bungalow, we just looked at eachother and laughed. It reaked of mildew, the bathroom looked like a prison cell, and there was no air conditioner, which is essential in this type of heat. The beach was out our front door, but the tide was almost 1 mile out from the beach. I took a quick nap, then we headed for lunch. It was awful....I ordered soup, thinking I needed something in my stomach, but the soup was onions, tomatoes, and green peppers, which I hate! There were flies and cats everywhere and a cat actually jumped up on our table to eat Michele's disgusting fish. We then decided that I could possibly have malaria and that we should get to the hospital so that I could get tested right away. It would have been a bad situation if I had gotten worse, as we were over an hour away from town. We had to pay for part of the night, but we didn't care. We had the driver take us to a nice hotel that we remembered from before, which just so happened to have one more room left. Thank God!!!!!! We then went to the hospital. I walked up to the desk and said that I needed to be tested for malaria...they said ok, go to the back. So I walked to a tiny room, sat in a chair and was searching for the needle they would be sticking me with...but didn't see one. The man then grabbed a blade from the counter, then pricked my thumb with it before I could say a word...I was appalled. All I could think was I realllllllllllly hope that blade was sanitized. About 2 minutes later the man came out and said negative...woop woop!! I say "man" because I am pretty sure he wasn't a doctor. We went back to the hotel and I slept for a few hours. I am feeling a bit better today. Just feeling quite achy all over. We are heading for Kilimanjaro tonight, then have to sleep in the airport because our flight is at 6am tomorrow for London. It is going to be a long night, that's for sure. All is good here. Hopefully I will get a chance to write in Munich! Much love!!!

Piffy!

It is my last day! I had an amazing last day at the school yesterday. Brittney came with me as she wasn't able to go to her placement. It was so great to have some assitance. Made all the difference. She couldn't believe that I have been doing it all alone. It was so nice to have some assurance. The principal, Imelda, called me into her office to say goodbye. She thanked me for all of my help and expressed the need for more. She said that they desperately need more volunteers as they are not funded by the goverment and cannot afford to hire more teachers, hence the 45 kids in my class. I explained that all I can do is express the need to CCS, but it is very difficult as everyone is in need of help here. Imelda gave me a necklace and a nice card. On the front of the envelope she wrote, "Piffy!" I had thought that she couldn't pronounce her T's, but it turns out that she never really knew my name....she was quite embarassed when she saw in my email address that my name is Tiffiny. At the end of the day, Sister Angel came into the class with her students to thank me for everything. She had 3 of the children present me with a conga and then she wrapped it around me. She had so many nice things to say. It was so sweet....I had huge tears in my eyes. I have never received a more sincere thank you in my life. The woman who I have tea with everyday, Getrude, couldn't stop crying when she had to leave. She said she will write me when she get's married in the next year and that she will never forget me. I didn't realize how much she liked me as most of our tea sessions have been in silence because of the language barrier and lack of things in common. As Ang says, "it gave me warm fuzzies inside." I was able to give each kid in my class a new pair of socks and pencil. They were ecstatic!! I now feel like I have truly impacted the lives of those around me, which is an amazing feeling. It has all been worth it!

After school, Jennifer, Michele, and I went on an adventure with one of the drivers's, Simon, to buy some more things from the donations Michele has received. We bought a huge bag of rice, tons of baby formula, soap, pampers etc. We then delivered the goods to Upendo Orphanage. Again, they were so thankful! When we walked into the children's rooms to say goodbye, we were malled by all, when I looked down, I realized Ava was attached to my leg. Michele and I became quite emotional when we left. The head of the orphanage said that Ava will be joining with her family soon, which is so exciting, but baby Gabriel has no one. We discussed the possibility of sponsoring some of the children. Very exciting!!!

We had to say goodbye to the volunteers that left for the weekend. It was so hard, as many of us have become attached to eachother. I am definitely going to miss my "family" here. The staff has expressed what a unique group we have. We have been so lucky!

We were told a few days ago that the skydiving company had a plain crash. 4 were killed, including a mzungu(white person), the pilot, the instructor, and an African on a bike. It is such a tragedy and so scary to think that 4 of our volunteers went skydiving with this company only 2 weeks ago. You just never know.

I truly feel like I did what I came here to do....I gave my helping hand and now understand that I have made my mark on some peoples lives. I will definitely stay connected with these people, and plan to come back in a few years. I plan to keep giving and will now make it an essential part of my life. If people who have nothing themselves can give, then I have no excuse. I am so thankful that I was able to experience this. Many of you have made this possible and there no words to describe my feelings of gratitude. Just know that you have truly made a difference in my life, through the words of encouragement, the donations, and love I have felt by all. Thank you from the bottom of my heart :)

Michele and I leave for Zanzibar later today. We have a few loose ends to tie up, then we are off. I will write again soon, depending on my internet access. Much love! XOXOXOXO

Happy Valentine's Day!

I had a much better day today. I went through my lessons and had the kids make Valentine's for their families. The teacher actually tried to translate for me today, which was awesome. When math time came, I started to feel extremely sick, so I sat in the back of the room, praying that I wouldn't vomit or get malaria. It passed after an hour or so...whew!!!!!!!!!!!!!! At least I got out of teaching math. During tea time, I spoke with a few of the visiting sisters and they expressed how they didn't want me to forget them. It was a nice feeling....they reallllly do appreciate me being their and helping the children.

I had to handwash my underwear the other day. It is considered unclean for you to send out your underwear to be laundered. I'm definitely throwing everything away that I brought here. I had to sit in the backyard with a bucket and soap. That was it!!!!!!!!!!!!! What an experience.

Last night the boys surprised us with a Valentine's Day song titled, "Happy F****** V-Day To You." It was hilarious!!!!!!!!!!!!! Tonight we are all headed to the local bar for my favorite.....cheese, chocolate, and wine!!! I'm very excited. Should be a much better Valentine's than last year, when I got a flat tire, then in an accident, then turned down a 1 way street.

After placement today, Michele, Brooke, and I had our feedback meeting with the directors of CCS. They expressed their sincere appreciation for everything we have done. It felt so good! They are such wonderful people and you can sense their gratefulness in their eyes. We gave them a few tips on things that could be improved, which they of course appreciated. It went very well.

Michele and I have pretend husbands here. Michele's is one of the drivers, Athmani, and mine is Kaleo, the local volunteer. Michele is the 2nd wife as Athmani's tribe promotes polygamy, but of course, I am the one and only. We have a good time joking around with eachother. Makes for a good laugh with everyone :)

We hung out with Sarah's, one of the staff members, boyfriend last night. He is a chef, so I asked if he cooks for Sarah. He said that he will never cook for her as it is not in their culture. I asked her about it today and she said that he would only cook for her if she was on her death bed. I couldn't believe it. He is a chef, but cannot cook for his girlfriend because it is not proper. Such a different life here. I have a deep appreciation for their culture, but could never live this way.

I am so excited for my last day. I think it may be a bit emotional for me, as I know I will never see those children again. I'm sure that they have impacted my life more than I have theirs. I have to run.....must go buy some socks and pencils for my last day.

The top picture is one of the girls cutting the lawn with a machete, below is me and Janet, then my teachers attempt of a picture of me and the class, then Anita(she sticks to me like glue and cries for her mom all day), then Gertrude with the new mop and bucket, then the boys singing their song. Enjoy!
Much love!!! XOXOXO

2 more days!

Yesterday was Michele's official b-day. I put a happy birthday sign on our door and taped it with band-aids, as I could not find proper tape. Anyone who has every received anything mildly creative from me knows how un-creative I actually am. Hahhaa, but she was thankful! School was fine yesterday, accept for Anita throwing up again. I am convinced that she either eats to much or the porridge upsets her stomach. I mentioned it to the teacher today and she just said that it is too hot for her...she has no idea what she is talking about. This language barrier killlllls me!

I delivered the mop and it was a success!!! Angel ran up behind me and hugged me tight.....they were very thankful, but a bit timid to use something new.

After school, Michele, Brooke, and I went to Upendo orphanage to play with the kids for a few hours. I met Ava, who I fell in love with. She is about 2...sooo sweet and wanted to be held the whole time. There was another volunteer there from Austria. She was so angry at the woman who work their because one of the little girls needed bigger shoes as she could barely walk because her shoes were so small. I really think that the workers are doing the best they can. They are with the children day in and day out and can only do so much. There is no possible way that they can cater to every child that needs attention. There just aren't enough hands. I went to the back again to visit the disabled children. There were 3 in the dark room, laying in their cribs. It absolutely broke my heart. I just held their hands and spoke to them in English....one of them even giggled, which warmed my heart a bit. I have always believed in hope, but for these children, I feel they have none. When they leave the orphanage, they will most likely be put in constitutions, and will have very short lives after. I will be going back with Michele on Friday to deliver food to the orphanage...should be an exciting afternoon!!

Jennifer delivered the soap and food to the Juvi Center that Michele had bought, and the kids were ecstatic!! They had to hide their soap from the warden so that he would not take it. It's such a sad place. They have no extra clothes and only get 1.5 hours out of their rooms a day. Many of these children have stolen to survive. It is a vicious cycle for them.

Last night, the chefs made an awesome cake for Michele, which tasted amazing!!!!!! Oh how I love chocolate!! We ventured to the local bar across the street for some wine and chit chat. When we made it back to our house, of course, the power was out. As they say...TAB(That's Africa Baby). :) Poor Michele can't sleep when the power is out because it is about 100 degrees in our room...I slept like a baby :)

I am quite frustrated with teaching. One of the visiting nuns came into my classroom while I was there alone, and realized that the kids were out of control. They wouldn't even listen to her...so she left and came back with a stick and started swatting. She told me that the only way they would listen was if I would hit them. I tried to explain that this is not the way we do things in America and I didn't feel right hitting the kids with the stick...I don't think she understood. I just wish I had another set of hands. One of the volunteers was supposed to come help me today, but got my hopes up as she wasn't able to make it. Thelma, one of the older ladies at the house, sees me everyday when I get home and seems to be the only one who understands how beat down I am. She explained it well.....I have no control over the classroom, can't communicate with the teachers or children, which makes me feel unuseful and horrible about myself. When I try really hard to think positively I know that I am helping....it's just so easy to see the negative. They have learned many english words from my flash cards, head, shoulder, knees, and toes, most of the alphabet song, some shapes, some colors, and how to write a few numbers. I know they have improved and love me being their to play games and give them attention, but it just doesn't feel enough. I found out today that I can't send them things from home because they have to pay a huge tax to receive packages. It seems the only way is to connect with other volunteers, send them money, and have them purchase things here to take to the school. It's never easy.

Time is winding down. I have 2 more days of school, which is very exciting! I will miss the kids , the staff, and the volunteers, but I am ready to continue my travels, and will most definitely be ready for home on the 29th of February. I can't wait to be clean!!!!!!!!!!! I am off for more errands....hope you enjoyed the pictures! Much love!!! XOXO

Arusha

Just made it back from Arusha early this morning. I had a good time. Ludovic picked me up on Friday night. My aunt pin pointed it when she said that Ludovic's personality is much like Leonardo Decaprio in the movie "Blood Diamond". He's the guy you would want to be with you if you were at war in Africa. We picked up a few beers to drink on our drive home...apparently that's the way to do it here...I've learned that there really are no laws in Tanzania. On the way back to Arusha our car overheated so we had to stop, in the middle of nowhere, in the dark, to put water in the radiator. I stayed in the car because we were surrounded by the Tanzanians who wanted to "help." I watched as Ludovic unscrewed the cap to the radiator, and was just holding my breath because even I knew that you never do that when the car is still hot. The cap exploded in the air, along with boiling hot water. Luckily, everyone was able to get out of the way. After the car cooled, we continued our CRAZY drive back. Ludovic is quite the driver, which means out of control. There was no slowing down for speed bumps or people crossing the street. I almost had a heart attack a few times. We made it safely to his house. We made some din din and chatted for most of the night. He told me of his crazy African stories. While he was in South Africa getting his pilots license, he and some of his buddies were sitting in their house when a group of African men charged through the door with guns. Ludovic and his friends were tied together and held at gunpoint while the gang took everything they had. Luckily no one was seriously injured. Recently, he was being followed by a UN vehicle, so he pulled over to see what the issue was. The people in the car had stolen the vehicle 30 minutes prior and pulled out a gun and pointed it at Ludovic, he said that he just ran and ran for as long as he could. He later found out that this gang was from Kenya and had killed a bartendar in Arusha and was going around the area stealing and mugging people. I was extremely paranoid after hearing all of this. You just never know around here.

Ludovic works for an American company as a charter pilot. He was called in to work on Sunday, so I hung out at the house, with time for myself, which was great!!!! His new roommate, Eugene, arrived later so we all went out for drinks and an amazing dinner. It was a good time. I had to be back at my house at 7:20 this morning so we all got up at 5:30 for them to bring me back. Soooooo nice of them to bring me as I reallllllly didn't want to take the bus.

Work was a bit rough today. Poor Zebron is in pain again. He wimpered all day long. He wouldn't let me clean his ear today so I held him and he fell asleep on my shoulder. It breaks my heart as he must be feeling so sick. There is absolutely nothing I can do in this situation, which is the hardest part. Michele is headed to buy food for the Juvi Center and the orphanage today. It seems that there is a mass shortage, so she is using some donation money for this, which is wonderful. We have this week to get everthing accomplished, so it will be a busy one to say the least. I really want to spend some more time at the orphanage, so I will try my best to get there in the afternoons. I'm hoping we will have time to go buy some socks for some of my kids and maybe some extra clothes as well. 4 more days of class. Time has just flown by. It's unbelievable. Much love to you all! XOXOXO

Mo-Town (Moshi)

The last few days have been pretty uneventful. School was as usual yesterday.....frustrating. I try to take deep breaths when the kids are out of control, but I still fill with rage. I was trying to contain one of my problem kids, then one of the little girls came up and started hitting him...so I just decided to let them duke it out. They wrestled on the floor for about 10 minutes....I think I might continue with this tactic. Hahha. I thought of something else to purchase with the donation money....pillows for the hospital. The only pillows they had when Lindsay was there was blankets, wrapped in sheets...it was like laying on a rock. Pillows would be a nice plus after someone has surgery or is infected with malaria. Speaking of, my friend Brooke has malaria in the house...we are all on edge!

Last night we all went out to a bar with a bunch of the locals, but I was feeling a bit off, so decided to make it an early night. I curled on the couch and watched Braveheart with a few of the volunteers....it was so nice to veg and not think about anything that is going on here.

Today we ventured to the Keys Hotel to lay by the pool. It was a perfect Saturday afternoon...even got some color which was needed very badly. Ludovic, my Uncle Daniel's nephew, is coming to pick me up from Arusha tonight. It's such a small world. We are going back to Arusha for the night...dinner and out on the town I am assuming. Should be fun I'm sure.

That's about all I have for now. All is good here. 1 more week of volunteering left. It is bittersweet. Much love!!

TAB (That's Africa Baby)

The last few days have been quite eventful. Tuesday night, many of us headed to a local bar, Glacier. We had a blast. We sipped on the local brew and some Kinyagi, which tastes like a mix of vodka and rum. A few of the local volunteers came, so we all got our groove on....let's just say that us white volunteers aren't the best dancers when dancing next to the locals...it was a funny site. I was able to spend some time talking with Kaleo, one of the local volunteers. He is 22 and just went back secondary school. Many of the volunteers are trying to help him pay for school fees and books. He is such a wonderful human being. He lives with his family, which consists of 6 siblings, and he has taken over running Watoto Rau, a nursery school. This school began under a tree and has evolved into about 25 to 30 children gathering in a mosque. One of the travel agents here just donated desks, and they are in the process of getting bathrooms installed. Kaleo was so proud to talk about the progress of his school. It's amazing how many of the Tanzanians give and give, when they themselves don't have much....hearts of gold.

Some of us were having such a great time that we decided to forget about our curfew at the house. I felt like I was in high school all over again when we showed up 2 hours late. We were tiptoeing into our rooms....we didn't get caught..whew!!!

Yesterday I spoke with Sister Cecilia and told her that the children do not listen to me and I need her help. She giggled and said that they do listen, I am a good teacher, the children just forget. I laughed back! She agreed to teach the last 30-45 minutes of math in Swahili, so at least that helps a teeny tiny bit. After school, we went to Arusha to sit in on the Rwanda trials. One of the trials has been going on since 2001.....they move very slowly here. This specific case was a woman and her son charged for genocide. It was an interesting experience.

I was able to talk to my parents the other night, for the first time since I have been there...I was sooooooo happy. They have been trying to call every day, but they were given the wrong numbers. It was so nice to hear familiar voices.

Today was another rough day. Sister Cecilia left me for about 45 minutes with all of the kids. They went bananas....when this happens, it is impossible to teach as I am holding crying Janet and running around saying hapana(no), kaa(sit), and nyamaza(be quiet). 2 of the 4 year olds got in a serious punching fight, but all I could do was break them up and put the instigator in the corner...of course he left the corner right when I turned my back. I told the teacher when she came in, but she looked at me like "so what." FRUSTRATION. I asked where she had been and she had gone down the street to a fire. She told me and the other teacher to go over there. It was soooo sad. I watched this house be burnt to the ground. Apparently a father and daughter were in an argument and she poured kerosine all over the house and lit it on fire. No one was hurt..thankfully.

I have been bugging them about the water situation, and today they said that the plumber was coming later today, so that is a plus. Making headway! I also asked about Zebron's ear again, and the mother had apparently taken him to the doctor. I notice that he is not in pain anymore, but it is still seeping and he has a deep deep cough. When he was a baby his eardrum was damaged and there was water sitting in it...that is the only thing I could understand in this conversation. I am assuming that he has permanent damage, but I'm not sure to what extent. My next goal is to figure out a better situation for the 10 year old boy. He seems to be very smart and catches on quickly, so I am going to speak with the staff at the house to see if they can talk to the teachers for me. He should not be in a nursery school at the age of 10, just because he has a mental disability. Once the water is fixed, I am going to have the teacher have a discussion about being sanitary. This will be exciting!! When I get home from school everyday, I run to the bathroom to wash my hands with soap and the water from my hands is brown from holding so many little hands. I realize that kids play in the dirt, pick their noses, and do many other disgusting things with their hands, but I just think that if some of them wash their hands before putting them in their mouths, this may save some of them from sickness. I spoke with Michele today about buying some of my kids socks(they all have huge holes in their socks) and extra clothes for the school when they pee their pants or get sick on themselves. I realize this is not a necessity, but it still makes a tiny difference. I plan to buy a mop next week for the teachers. Every day, before porridge, they get on their knees and wash the floors of the classrooms with rags and a bucket of water...I figured a mop would make their lives a bit easier. I feel like if I can get these things accomplished, I will have done all that I can.

I am reading the book "Giving" by Bill Clinton. I highly recommend reading this book....it is extremely positive and definitely gives me a little boost of hope every day.

After school today, Michele and I booked our flights to Zanzibar for the week after our trip. We decided to go back as we felt we didn't have enough time there and it was also our cheapest option. It will be so nice to relax and reflect on the beach for 6 days after our volunteering experience.

The top picture is the 10 year old, Justini, and my 2 troublemakers, the one below that is Janet, she is almost 2...she got tired and decided to take a nap on the ground, below that is my Zabron...I sit him here daily to clean out his ear..I can't believe he smiled for me!, below that is color time, below is my extreme troublemaker who was trying to shoot a rubberband at my head today with his pencil...his socks need some help, and the last one is a few of the volunteers and Brooke, Michele, Michelle, and me. Gotta run...there isn't enough time in a day. Much love to you all! XXOXOXO!

Brick Wall

I'm quite discouraged today. I had a meltdown in class today...the teacher left me with 45 students today because she had to speak with a parent. The kids went absolutely insane...kicking, hanging on me, screaming, pushing, hitting....this is all while I am trying to get them to understand the concept of numbers. I was absolutely enraged and wanted to spank them all...don't worry..I refrained, but I have come to my limit and must ask for help now. I have been putting this off, thinking that I can handle it, but now I know I can't. I am like a substitute teacher to them, so they do not listen, and when they do, it is only when the teacher walks around with a swatting stick and actually translates for me. I am constantly carrying crying children in my arms. We have also accepted a 10 year old boy into our class....I asked the teacher why he can't go to a special school for disabled children and her only response was that he likes to play with smaller children....NOT A GOOD IDEA!!!!!!!! There is nothing I can do about it, as I do not want to step on anyone's toes. I love the kids and understand that they are young and just want attention, but I wish I had some assistance.

When I got home for lunch.....I realized that everyone had similar days to mine....we are all emotionally beat. Mona works at the juvi detention center and is just beside herself. There is nothing anyone can do to help these kids. She said that one of the kids wanted her to talk to his dad to apologize for him....many of these kids have stolen food to survive or simply do not want to go to school. There is one kid who has murdered and another who has raped. It is such a sad place. Holly, one of my roommates, feels that there is no hope. She works with a women's group where they are all infected with HIV/AIDS. She has began teaching their children english....the children that do not pass their exams do not get to go to secondary school, therefore, they are done. The families can't affored tutors, so they are unable to continue with their education. Brick wall.

We were discussing the orphanages the other night and realized that none of us know where the kids go after they are kicked out of the orphanges at age 5 or 6. Some of the volunteers have asked the workers, and all they say is that it is very sad what happens to them. We are pretty sure that they are just sent to the streets to fend for themselves. It is absolutely apalling.

Many people warned me that I would reach a place like this, but I didn't realize it would feel this awful to feel like there is absolutely nothing that you can do to help besides give hugs, smiles, and attention. I brought soap to the school today, but when I went to put it in the bathroom, I realized that the kids have no running water...again..I couldn't believe it. Looks like I will be sending hand sanitizer despensers instead. The kleenex was definitely a hit though....yay for that!!! Poor Zabron still has his ear infection...it is unbelievable. I am constantly cleaning out his poor ear and trying to make him laugh...I have attached a picture of him above.

I have to run out....we have a meeting about our event for tomorrow......we are going to Arusha tomorrow to watch the Rwanda trials. Should be very interesting. XOXOXO!

Zanzibar

Hi there! Just got back from a great weekend in Zanzibar last night. We flew out early early on Saturday morning. We had a driver pick us up at the airport and take us to our hotel in Stone town. We had the choice of staying in Stone town, or the other side of the island, which is more resort-like. We opted for Stone town, since it was much cheaper and it was difficult to justify spending $175 per night, since we are living around soooo much extreme poverty. Our hotel was a little less than wonderful, but the sheets were clean, they had air conditioner, it was a great location, and free breakfast!! After we arrived we headed out for the city tour, which we definitely could have done without. Our guide was more interested in his cell than us....and we are pretty sure that he just memorized the whole tour in english, but doesn't understand english all that well. Stone town is very poor and every building is crumbling. They want to keep the buildings historical so they do not restore anything. After the tour we beached it. Zanzibar is an amazing place. At night we went to an amazing seafood dinner....I think they must have some of the best in the world. We then ventured to the bar across the street from our hotel since it is not safe to be out past 11. We quickly realized that the people of Zanzibar do not want to be apart of Tanzania, so there are many political uprises here....sorry dad!!!...but we didn't experience any of that while we were there. Sunday morning we headed to the northeast of the island, which was absolutely amazing!!!!!!!! I've never seen anything like it...white sand, clear water, few people....sooo beautiful!!! We wished that we had stayed on that side of the island. Michele and I are contemplating going back during our last week as we found out today that the price to fly to Mauritius is more than our flight here.

Today was a rough day at my placement. There were over 40 kids today and I just couldn't keep track. Apparently all of the sick ones are back, and they are overpowering me. It is alll very frustrating, but I am doing all I can do...and that I know. After placement Michele and I went to town and purchased many boxes of tissue, soap, paper, pencils, sharpeners, rulers, workbooks etc. Many people have donated to the fund so we are stalking up for the kids. I cannot wait to bring the tissue and soap tomorrow. I am going to have the teacher explain the importance of washing hands after going to the bathroom. I think this could save the kids from a lot of sickness. I see them walking out of the bathroom with their hands soaking wet with their pee, then put their hands in their mouth. I think I am going to work to send some soap dispencers, toilet paper, and driers to my school after I get home. This would make a huge difference in their health. It is the little things like this that we take fore granted.

I'm absolutely exhausted....it could be partly from my horrific sunburn, but I'm sure these kids are wearing me down...in a good way :) It seems that the malaria is spreading....I am pouring on the deet a few times a day...fingers crossed. I am being stared at, so I must say goodbye. Much love...buzus!!!!!!

TGIF :)

Hey there...I was finally able to load some pics. At least you have an idea what I am up to and can have some visuals in your mind when I write my blog. This morning, Michele and I went to St. Joseph's hospital to be with Lindsay. Let's just say, this hospital was less than great. I couldn't even believe it. On the bright side, the nurses were very nice and attentive to Lindsay and the surgery went great. We were able to bring her home with us this afternoon..thank goodness!! Apparently many of the patients get malaria in the hospital as the mosquitos pass it from one patient to the other. Before we left, they wheeled in a woman who had just had surgery. They asked me and Brittany if we could help lift her and put her in the bed...I couldn't believe it!!!!!!!! So of course I helped....she was a bigger woman and 4 of us managed to lift her over to the head, but unfortuneatly we banged her head against the headboard on the way....wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. She was completely naked and exposed to us....so much for privacy in hospitals...they have none! Lindsay said that some tourists even came into her room to look at her. There is no such thing as a front desk and they most definitely do not serve food to the patients. It is the responsibility for the family members and friends to bring meals. It was quite an experience. I am headed back to the house for din din and possibly a night out on the town. We head for Zanzibar tomorrow morning at 5:30. I need some color on this skin of mine!! Buzus to you all! Keep the emails coming...puts a smile on my face :)

Rough day!

Hey all....last note before I leave for the weekend! Rough day today. I got to school this morning at 8..ready to teach...and little Anita, who is 2..was screaming crying. So..I sat down and put her on my lap...thankfully, facing away from my body...and all of a sudden..trajectile vomit..alll over my feet and the kids sitting at my feet..it was AWFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The other teacher ran over, grabbed her and sat her in the back of the classroom...so I walked back to rub her back and she was kept on vomiting all over herself....I walked her to the bathroom to wash her off, picked her up..and she peed all over me. ERK! She cried all day for her mom. Then, the other 2 year old, who I am obsessed with, came back to school today, still has the ear infection....I held him for a long time and he just slept on my shoulder. It is absolutely heartbreaking. I spoke with one of the teachers about materials that I could send to them from home...and she basically said they needed everything....Michele and I are going to brainstorm to figure out what is most needed. There is just so much need, I don't know where to begin. I just really want to leave a part of me behind here and know that I am helping.....it is really hard to see a huge difference as a nursery school teach.

I had an individual meeting with one of our directors today. I basically told her that I love the teachers that I work with, but I need someone to help me. I have realized that I am a good teacher, and can do a better job than the other teacher, but I just need more hands. She wants me to talk to the teacher tomorrow and ask for help..I'm a bit intimidated by this, so we'll see how it goes. Actually, just realized I can't do that tomorrow because Michele and I are going to the hospital tomorrow morning to sit with Lindsay...I hear it is quite a culture shock there.

Ok....headed for a beer across the street...need to unwind a bit. Lots of love to you all! XOXO

Wo Wo Wo! (Booty)

Hi all...we have been hearing this word a lot in town...can you believe that the word for butt is wo wo wo?? :) I have a few minutes before din din so thought I would write to tell you about my fantastic day. We went for a day hike at the base of Kilimanjaro to and awesome waterfall.
We swam in the refreshing water and went to a few markets on the way. It was so nice to have a break from my placement. Those kids really take it out of me!

Poor Lindsay ended up having appendicitis and had to be rushed into surgery last night. So scary!!! All of the volunteers are taking turns spending the night with her in the hospital. Also, many of the volunteers at the other house in Moshi have malaria. It rained a few days, which brought on the mosquito's. YIKES!!!! So far so good at our house :)

Tonight we are having a barbecue....soooo excited!! A few of the volunteers are going skydiving, but I have decided not to tempt fate this time. I think being in Africa is enough for me :) Life is good in Kili! Michele and I are going to try and load some pics on Friday! Much love!!! XOXO

Hujambo!

I have been a busy bee! I will try my best to recap the last 5 days :) Last Friday I had another volunteer come to my placement with me. Thank goodness!!!!! Instead of all of them on me, it was split between the both of us. I finally got peed on..haha.....I handled it pretty well considering....Helga, she is 4, was sooo embarrassed. Apparently I am only supposed to be assisting the teachers, but instead, they have given me the entire class, which is extremely frustrating to me. I am unable to communicate effectively to them, as I do not speak there language and have a hard time getting my point across. The teachers are not much help at all. I really want to have a talk with them and ask if they will split the day with me, but am feeling a bit intimidated. The sick children have not been to class for the last few days...let's hope that they have been taken to the doctor and are home resting. :) After placement on Friday, 10 of us left for a safari to Ngoro goro and Manyari park. It was absolutely amazing. We camped in an awesome area...even had showers and a pool. In each car we had a driver, a guide, and a cook. We were well taken care of! Friday night we went to to the Maasai village.....it was insanity how these people actually live. This particular village had about 8 huts, made of sticks and cow dung. The women sleep with the children on one side, and the man sleeps alone on the other side. Their baby cows also sleep in the huts with them. When I walked inside, I could hardly breathe. There is a corral in the middle of the village and cow pooh everywhere, with leads to the billions of flies. I was a bit disturbed as the children were infested, but I had to keep reminding myself that these people choose to live this way and know nothing else. I later met a guy who had left his village because he understood through his schooling that there was a better way to live, without disease and filth. He will never be aloud back to his village. After the Maasai village we went back to the campsite for an awesome dinner, wine, and a scary conversation with our guides. My guide, Joseph, was telling me his safari horror stories. I was extremely disturbed, which pushed me to be ridiculously paranoid.....only natural. The other guide, Abas, spoke about his childhood in a polygamist family. His mother was the 2nd wife and he absolutely hated it. It was very sad....couldn't help thinking about Big Love....I love that show! Saturday, we were in the crater all day long looking for the big 5. We managed to see them all except for the leopard. I can't wait to send pictures. INCREDIBLE!!! Nothing like the zoo..haha. After the safari we went back to camp, and again...ate great food, nice wine, and talked with Joseph about his relationships and how he deals with HIV/AIDS. He is 27 and will not even kiss someone randomly because that would eventually lead to sex, and the risk of HIV/AIDS is too high to even go there. They must be tested every 3 months for 9 months to know if they are infected. It was very interesting to hear his views on this subject. Sunday, we went to Mangora Park and saw more animals. I think our favorite was the giraffes...beautiful animals. On our way home on Sunday night, we managed to fit in a short camel ride....camels are gross animals..and very uncomfortable.

Monday, I went to placement and after my English lesson, one of the teachers came into the classroom and handed me a 6 month old baby....her name is Filbert :) The other teacher took over my class, so I then assumed that I would be babysitting for the day. I finally asked who she was...apparently one of the teachers' housekeepers quit, so she needs time to find another one. Thank goodness I am there. :) She is the cutest little girl! At 10am, one of the students brought me a cup of milk and a spoon....so I sucked it up...leaned her back, and spooned the breast milk in her mouth...I can't believe they don't have bottles!!!!! I then burped her and rocked her to sleep. I absolutely love babies!!!! I want to take her home with me! After class we had Swahili lesson, which I hate, and then had a talk about traditional healers and spirits with one our our staff members. They still believe in witchcraft here! It was insane to hear him talking about the witches flying around at night, with total belief!

Michele is having a rough time at her placement. One of her kids came to school without a pen, backpack or socks. The headmaster was very angry, so he completely embarrassed him in front of the other kids. The kid didn't have any money to buy these things, so after the headmaster embarrassed him, he gave him money to run to town to buy socks and a pen. It is so sad how they treat these children. If they are late, they all get whipped...many times, it is not even their fault. It is so frustrating.

Isaac, one of our local volunteers, who is 19, is adopting one of the orphans. He is an amazing human being....don't worry...I won't be bringing one home with me this time....you must live here for at least a year before adopting :)

Today was a rough day. I taught all morning and ran out of things to do. I can only teach in English for so long before the kids get ancy and annoyed. I did the hokie polie with them, which they loved, but they can't sing it with me. God forbid the teachers translate for me. I think I am going to have to make some changes. The teacher actually fell asleep in class yesterday while I was holding the baby..I couldn't believe it! After placement, Michele and I skipped out of our political discussion and went to Upendo Orphanage. This was tough for the both of us. The children clung to us and would not let go. Most of them have wet bottoms and some dirty with their feces. We fell in love with Gabriel. He was just taken out of the nursery, so he was only 1. We wanted to take him home!!! Rosemary was absolutely adorable. She has some time of disability, but she smiles and laughs and can only walk if you hold her hand. She probably went down the slide 100 times....I hugged and hugged her, but I couldn't bring myself to pick her up as she was absolutely filthy. There were a few children who were severely disabled who were left alone...one in a dark room, naked, in a crib, in the corner, and the other by himself, in a different room, in a crib. They just don't have enough hands. I realize they are doing the best they can, but it is disheartening. I have a feeling that Michele and I will be spending many of our afternoons their.

Overall, everything is good. We are a bit annoyed with all of the CCS activities everyday as we would love to have more free time to send emails and pictures, and to just walk around town, but they really want us to understand their culture and everything about it. We are trying to be patient. I am happy to be here and will definitely be sad to leave in 4 weeks. Some of us are headed to Zanzibar this weekend.....I am ecstatic for the beach and a bit of rest. Michele and I are trying to make some decisions about our last week of travel. We have 1 week in Africa open at the end and are contemplating hiking Kilimanjaro, going to Mauritius, or South Africa. Everything is sooooo expensive, so we have some big decisions to make.

Tomorrow we have the day off of placement for a hike to a waterfall...we are soo excited to get some exercise...I thought I would be coming home weighing much less, but that is definitely not going to happen....they keep us well fed and God forbid I turn anything down :)

My new scent has become deet. We are all getting many bites, so fingers are crossed that we don't get malaria...apparently many volunteers get it regardless of the malaria medication. YIKES!!! I am constantly dirty....my feet have a nice tint of brown on then..not from a tan..haha. I also made the mistake of not bringing comfy flats for school, so I had to buy some Tanzanian sandals, which have given me about 100 blisters. NOT PRETTY!!!

One of the teachers mentioned bringing me to her house. If you are invited, you must go as it is a compliment, but it still makes me quite nervous. You must eat and drink what they give you, and we have a strict eating regimin here, as many things can make us sick. Most of the volunteers have had issues with their stomachs, I am still going strong though..thank goodness. Though, one of the volunteers has been having severe pains in her side. We were sure it was appendicitis, but the doctors diagnosed her as having an ovarian cyst....we were so worried that she would have to be evacuated out to a good hospital, so we are grateful it is not too serious.

I could write for hours, but I have to get back to the house as it is getting dark. I hope everything is well for you all. I will write soon...and I promise I will get some pictures out asap. Much love....xoxoxoxo

Hakuna Matata!

Hi All!!! I managed to snatch a spot on the computer, which is a big deal around here. So a recap of the last 4 days....



The airport....well...we made it through..thank goodness! We met some really nice people there, which was a comfort. There were 2 older women, who were both widows. They went to the Serengeti for a safari and were headed for Cairo, Egypt....having the time of their lives. We also met a man from Sierra Leone. He was very proud of his country, even though they are in constant war and his father was killed in the war. When we arrived to the Kilimanjaro airport, our luggage was indeed missing...lots and lots of laughing. We went to missing luggage and they were being held there since we were supposed to be on the earlier flight...whew!!!!! Our driver, Simon, picked us up and took us to home-base. As we were driving, there were hundreds of people walking down the streets and many of the woman were carrying buckets of food and water on their heads. I expected this, but it is so amazing to see this in person.



We were welcomed with open arms at the house. The volunteers are all wonderful people. There are 25 in all, 4 older women, 3 guys, and the rest girls their 20's and early 30's. The staff is absolutely amazing, so I am very thankful for that. The volunteer house is better than expected, accept for our cold showers, which I absolutely hate. Michele and I share a room with Brittany, who is 19, from Wisconsin, and Holly, who is 25, from Chicago.



Mama Grace is our second mother here and Moses oversees everything that goes on. We have had many meetings about cultural conversion, goals, and expectations, which has been very helpful. The language is going to be extremely difficult for us all. Swahili is quite difficult to learn, but is essential for my placement at the school and for walking around town. Moshi is extremely overwhelming. Everyone wants to talk to you and sell you things. Overall, the people are very friendly and understanding that we have no idea what we are doing. I have now learned how to greet the people, which makes a great difference.



I was warned about corporal punishment in my school. This made me soooo nervous as I did not know how I would react to this in person. Today was my first day of placement and I am absolutely exhausted. The teachers and nuns are very great, and speak a bit of English, which I am soooo grateful for. The children are absolutely adorable. I teared up at I walked up to them singing their national anthem and trying to say, "how are you" in english, even though they are only 2-5 years old. They are all so little. This is going to be a great challenge for me. I am in charge of teaching English,math, and writing...the problem is that my Swahili is less that good, so it is difficult to instruct them. They were out of control today...hitting eachother, fighting, screaming.....I cannot punish them because I don't know how to speak to them correctly. Sister Cecilia is the full-time teacher in the classroom and she punishes by smacking the children in the head....I definitely don't believe in this. I feel that a school should be place of safety and comfort. As my Swahili improves, hopefully so will their behavior. They are alllll over me. I have scratches up and down my legs. Every child, 60 or so of them, wants to hold my hand, me to hold them or dance with them or talk to them. It is crazy. I am the only volunteer in the school, so I get way too much attention. I can't wait to send you pictures of them all. The conditions of the school are exceptional, compared to the others. This school is private, so the families must pay about $200 for their children to attend. This helps, but of course there is no air conditioner, toilet paper, or chairs in the room. It blows my mind. I was able to teach one of the students to write the number 4....pretty exciting. :)

It is now the next day as the power goes off often and I was unable to continue this last night. Today was day 2 at my placement....I almost broke down in tears in the front of the classroom. Sister Cecilia left me alone for a long time and the children were out of control!! When I tell them to sit, they laugh, when I say no, they laugh, when I put them in the corner for hitting or not listening, they laugh. I am at a loss. It is very frustrating, so I am hoping they will send another volunteer my way to assist. I definitely need some help. One of the 2 year old was crying all day today. I went to pick him up and noticed that his ear was dripping of puss. So, I sat him down and tried to clean it out, which only lasted for a few minutes. I told the Sister that he had a severe ear infection, but she said that she already spoke with the parents to let them know he needed to go to the hospital, but they had not taken him. It is absolutely heart-breaking. He would not eat, so I had to force the porridge down him, which he doesn't even like the taste of. Sister Cecilia said that she would try to put more sugar in it tomorrow.

I am extremely exhausted everday....we have been having Swahili lessons every day, along with discussions about the differences in our cultures. This is what I have learned:

-Tanzania is the 5th poorest country in the world, the people are poor, but rich in happiness, they have a 3.8% growth rate(they say baby factories), the women walk 10 miles to town for food and water, there are no strangers in Kilimanjaro, they have power outages a few times a day, If someone pick pockets me and I notice, I must not yell or they will be shot, they kill disabled children, twin, and albinos when born, in certain tribes, some women are circumcised when their boyfriends leave for long periods of time to purchase cattle, so that they do not marry someone else, and educated Tanzanians understand that there are better ways of doing things. Whewww. I am on overload.

I feel thankful that I was not placed in an orphanage as I do not think I could handle it. I will be visiting one next week, but the word is that the children go to the bathroom all over you and are left to sit in their own feces, as their is a lack of help. Once you hold them, they become attached immediately and it is hard to leave them. I would have struggled with this I know.

This has been an amazing experience so far. I can't believe I am actually here doing this. My time is out, but I will try to send pictures when I can. Please forgive my spelling and grammar mistakes. I am in a hurry always. The internet is very very slow and I am low on time. I head for the safari on Friday afternoon, so I may not get a chance to write before. Much love to you all. Please keep writing, and I will get to you as sooon as I have an extra minute. XOXOXOXO

Nairobi Airport

It has not been a good day. After a LONG night on the airplane, we arrived in Nairobi to discover that our flight to Kilimanjaro was overbooked, so we now have to catch the 5:30pm flight, even though we landed at 7:30am this morning. That means 10 hours in the airport....with no food because we aren't sure what we can eat. I managed to get some zzz's on the concrete floor, but poor Michele hasn't slept in 2 days. We are crossing our fingers that our luggage makes it to Kilimanjaro, but I have a bad feeling it may be lost.

I just went in search for my ipod, but am sad to say it is gone. It has either fallen out of my bag or someone has snatched it. I am a bit upset. I know it is just a thing, but I spent a lot of time uploading new music and pictures onto it for my trip and all of my itunes are gone since I had to turn in my google computer. I guess there are worse things in life....which I am sure I will soon see.

London was fun. We were able to met up with Kira for thai food, my favorite, then to a club for drinks. It was so wonderful to see her and catch up. She may be taking the trip to Amsterdam with Michele and I. Megan left yesterday morning, and Michele and I were so exhausted that we went to a movie instead of walking around. We saw No Country for Old Men..we both fell asleep...would ont recommend this one.

This is all I have time for. I will write once I get settled. Wish us luck!! XOXO

Cheers from Dublin!

We have had a fantastic few days in Dublin. The first night we went to Temple Bar, which is basically a street lined with pubs. Meg and I found the perfect ambiance at Oliver's Pub, so we plopped down at the bar...she ordered Irish stew and I order fish and ships ..... yummmmmy! .....with Guinness's of course. We met some interesting guys from Spain...so again...I pulled out my not so impressive Spanish. We hopped from bar to bar, and met two local guys.....when one bar closed, we moved to the next.....lots of beer, cider, and black currant was consumed. I believe there was much talk of politics also.....it is so funny how involved the Europeans are in our election. I feel like they know more than I do....it's quite embarrassing.

The next day we took the train to the coast. It was beautiful! Megan reallllly wanted to see a castle to we hopped on another train to Malahide...we didn't get there until dark, but she just wanted to see one. The guy at the station said that it was a 15 minute walk down the road...HE LIED!!!!!! It ended up being 45 minutes of walking along the freeway, in the dark....of course when we got there, it was gated up and there was no castle in sight!!!! Again....we laughed!!! Thank God we are able to keep eachother entertained.

We barely made it back in time to meet my friend Nick, who is working in Dublin for a few months. He treated us to an awesome Irish dinner, then off to the bars again. We had an absolute blast. I believe I even danced the jig at one point....it was not pretty. Haha. Nick also had the pleasure of me spitting my Guinness all over him as I was laughing. I think we laughed for an hour.

Today, somehow, we got up early to check out of our rooms. I'm pretty sure I was still intoxicated...oops! We went to Christ Church, then the Guiness Factory. I am ashamed to say that I could not drink the Guinness offered to me at the factory...I just couldn't do it.

We are about to head to the airport for London. We are meeting up with Kira for dinner, and Michele arrives early tomorrow morning...then off to Tanzania tomorrow night! It's finally here!! I probably won't be able to write until I get settled in. XOXOXOXO

C'est Bon!

We made it to Dublin!!! We managed to get in Trinity College today and our hostel is right next to Christ Church and Temple Bar. The best news is that when we arrived, we were told that the airlines called and will be sending our bags tomorrow!!!!!!!!! Thanks God! We were on the phone all day yesterday, or I should say Uncle Daniel was on the phone, and our bags were no where to be found. We assumed that they were stolen so were planning to do some major shopping in Dublin.....I am sooooo happy that we do not have to do that. Life is good....stress get's us no where....everything has a way of working out in the end :)

France was absolutely wonderful. My family is so generous and kind...I was sad to leave them. We ate some amazing meals, and drank some fabulous wine. Yesterday, Fabris and Emilie showed us around the city, which was great, considering they all have exams this week and the next. We were able to meet Fatina, who helps take care of Christopher. She was a riot! She spoke to me in French, like I knew what she was saying, until we realized that we both knew a little spanish, so we were able to communicate through spanish...whew! The only english she knew was curse words, and enjoyed saying the phrase 'my humps', from the infamous Fergie. She was great.

We were late for our flight this morning. You must be at the ryanair desk 40 minutes before departure and we barely made it 35 minutes before. She was going to send us away, but I think Megan and I both had looks of despair, so she let us through. Another whew!!!

All is well with us.....we are headed to have our first Guiness in Dublin, along with a few Irish Car Bombs I'm sure :) XOXOXOXOXO

Bonjour!

We had a great day yesterday! We started off the morning going with Aunt DD to her local market in Saint Clement. This town is very small and everyone knows one another, kinda like Hughson ;) After we picked up our fresh veggies,baguettes, and the most wonderful cheese you could ever taste, we went to the town of Montpellier. Aunt DD and Uncle Daniel showed us the town and took us to a yummy italian restaurant for some lunch and chianti. We then headed for Musee Fabre. It was an a amazing museum....I think our favorite part was making fun of the naked scultptures (aka...muscled men with nothing down under). Mature I know :) They then took us to the place where Christopher had his accident. For those of you who do not know, 3 years ago, he and his friends dove into the river that goes through town, in the middle of winter. The water was very shallow, so Christopher hit his head and broke his neck. I am leaving out some of the details, but you get the jest. He is the most wonderful and positive person I have ever met. He should be an inspiration to us all. He is finishing up his masters degree in engineering and has decided not to go for his doctorate so that he can focus on his body and strengthen his muscles. With all of the stem cell research and recent breakthroughs, we are hoping that his circumstances will improve. As I am writing this message, I can hear him wheeling around the house, singing at the top of his lungs....American music of course ;) He is absolutely amazing!

I think I may have a bit of a sinus infection, so I am trying to medicate. I HAVE to get better before I head to Africa!!! The little french phrases that I learned in Paris a few years ago are coming back to me.....my pronunciation is definitely not up to par....Fabris,Christophers best friend,who also lives here, tried to get me to say "your welcome", but it just doesnt come out correctly. Im trying!!!!

Last night, Emilie, Christophers girlfriend, asked Meg and I to help her with her English studies (aka, art history comprehension) We had to get through 12 texts and summarize them for her....this was not easy, but she was very thankful for our help. She is taking us around town later today....she is adorable and loves Christopher very much.

P.S. We still do not have our luggage...still laughing about it...don't worry, we have clean underwear and our clothes have been washed!!!

We leave for Dublin tomorrow morning! Our time here has been wonderful and relaxing...big thanks to Uncle Daniel and Aunt DD!!!! XOXOXOXO

We Made It!

We have had quite the journey for the last few days! Our flight was delayed,so we were switched to connect in Boston instead of JFK..we barely made the connection...unfortunately we discovered in London that our luggage had not arrived with us. Poor Megan became sick on the flight and had to lay on the floor so that she would not pass out....we think this may have had something to do with my great idea of drinking wine at the airport and then taking a few tylenlol pm's. Though I slept wonderfully with my eye mask and earplugs!!!

Anyways...We stood at the counter for over an hour trying to figure out what to do about our luggage,so by the time we arrived at the next airport, it was well after 12am. Even though I had booked a hostel nearby, we decided it would be best to stay at the airport since we had to be back by 4am. We huddled together in the corner and didnt get a wink of sleep. I guess this is a typical backpacking experience. We couldn't help but laugh!!!

We arrived in Montpellier this morning and were so happy to see my Aunt DD waiting for us. Her house is absolutely beautiful...Megan has already decided she could live here! We napped for most of the day and are now ready to begin our nights festivities. It seems my cousin Christopher has some parties for us to attend!!!! I guess we will be weearing Aunt DD's clothes, and hopefully our things arrive here tomorrow!!!! Cross your fingers for us!!