Wazazi Wangu

I apologize for the delay, but it was for good purpose-- my parents were here!! In the 12 days they were in Africa, we conquered Arusha, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, and Nairobi.

This was Dad's first time outside of the country (minus Mexico). And as some of you may remember, Mom and I were both here in 2009.

Upon arriving and loading up the car, dad tried to get in on the wrong side. It gave for a good laugh and a mistake he didn't make again! (They drive on the opposite side of the road here) Our cabby wasn't really gung ho on letting dad drive. Good thing too, he fell asleep on the ride to the hotel.

The next morning I woke them up, walked them out of the hotel and onto a daladala (the public transportation). The first ride was empty and uneventful the second, not so much. On the ride home, Dad and I were standing/leaning over people when people got out and I sat. Dad continued to stand in the 8 inch space he had while a woman climbed in after him with her groceries and friend. They chatted and talked while this lady kept pushing into Dad's body to not fall over. It was my way of saying, "Welcome to Africa!" The next morning Dad asked if we could ride a daladala again. I was very impressed and let his wish be granted.

A daladala --the place we loaded

The daladala provided our transportation to and from the Peanut butter shop I have been volunteering at. They were able to come and meet these women I have been telling them about and their families. We walked up a hill in the mud then to one of the lady's houses where they watched me tie Billy to my back African style. Dad kept asking me if he was going to fall out.

We ventured to the shop where they watched and helped with the process of sorting out the bad peanuts, roasting, peeling, sorting, peeling, cremating (into peanut butter) and were explained the jarring process with the application of the jar labels.

We walked through town all afternoon, did a little souvenir shopping and they bargained for mangos and avocados on the street.

Dad was so excited because he brought Ritz crackers just so the women could try the American style peanutbutter and Ritz. They were okay about it, but the little boy in the back (Billy) LOVED them.

Friday we went on the Camel Safari I went on in February. Dad said his bum was sore for quite a while--halfway through we found out his camel's saddle was too small for the camel therefore, ill fitting for dad. They were able to learn a little about the Maasai culture and see a boma. They were both amazed, just as I never cease to be, at the amount of flies swarming these children. The flies are in their mouths, their eyes, their runny noses, and their ears. No wonder these kids all sound like they are struggling to breathe because of the congestion in their lungs. It was the Maasai and the three of us. Much more personal than the 8 of us from last time. I was able to practice my swahili the entire time as the Maasai don't speak much english and I don't speak any Maa or much Swahili.

Dad, ready to go.

OH NO! My first flat since I have been here.

Just trying to be Maasai

The parents and our guide

Sweet Little Darlings.

On Saturday, we were tourists around town. We went to Shanga, the (amazing) Cultural Heritage Museum, and a coffee farm restraunt. Sunday we went to church for Easter. Kessey, our driver was late to pick us up because he was getting his hair cut (which for him means his head shaved bald and shined). It was not something we could be upset about because he wanted to look his Easter best and came in a houndstooth suit and button down fully equipped with cufflinks.

Dad standing infront of airplane parts they recyle to use for alimunum beads and pottery

Shanga Necklaces made from marbles, kanga, and clay beads

Sunday afternoon, we hired out a Cessna 206 for Dad's Father's day present from us kids. The three of us and the owner of the plane, Babu ___ flew over Arusha and a full 360 degrees around Mount Kilimanjaro. Kili is the tallest mountain in Africa and the highest freestanding mountain in the world at about 19,000 feet. Babu kept telling us he was impressed Dad still remembered how to fly. I think that he thought Dad flew 30 years ago when I really said that he has been flying for over 30 years. He gave the plane to Dad for about 90% of the flight including take off, ascent, and the landing. Mom wasn't too happy because Babu was descending about 3x's the speed she likes to. He told Dad he is a hero because instead of turning back, he flew straight through the clouds with no hesitation and that most people he is with will turn around or go lower to avoid the clouds. This was funny to us because we fly through the clouds all the time. Babu. kept telling us that Dad should be his teacher because dad knows more about the plane and flying than he does. Kili is breathtakingly beautiful. We were at about 17,000 feet and saw some of the campsites on the top of the mountain along with the beautiful snow that gently ices the top. I saw the top of Kili and now have no problem not climbing it (not that I was seriously considering it).

We are at 15,000 feet. The white line is the way our airplane is giong. The red and yellow shape on the right is Mount Kilimanjaro...so according to this we flew into it.

This mountain was on the left

And Kili on the right. We flew right inbetween them.

The pilots

Happy Father's Day Daddy! 

This is pretty much Arusha.

The big blue building is across the street from where our house is, the triangular white buildings are the Rwanda Courts for the genocide that occured in Rwanda and the blueish-whitish buiding next too all the empty grass was the hotel we stayed at with the golf course in front of it.

Monday-Wed we went on safari to Ngorongoro Crater & Lake Manyara with our guide Babu & driver Habib. They were both wonderful. Babu is this wonderful mzee who knows EVERYTHING about East African wildlife, tribes, Maasai, and just how things work. Mom and Dad loved having him because he could answer ALL of their questions and let me tell you, there were a lot! Safari was actually cold...I wore my patty a lot.

We saw EVERYTHING minus the leopard. We saw tons of elephants, giraffes, buffalo, zebras, impala, heyenas, hippos, gnus, hyraxs, warthogs, anddd....

2 cheetahs- one was chasing zebras and the other was walking down the side of the road beside our car as though he was no big deal.

a good amount of lions including one lioness chase a family of warthogs for a kill but was unsuccessful because she was by herself.

A pack of lions with one of them laying on the side of the road with his tail in the road. He laid facing us then stood up, modeled, and turned around so the people on the other side could see him.

A rhino who walked from the water and grazed with the animals through the grass till he was about 15 yards from the car. Babu & Habib said it is VERY rare that you ever see them with other animals or so close to the road.

He was missing a tusk

Me and Daddy at my favorite tree

Babu's version of Gig 'Em

Flamingos at Lake Manyara

The thorns are HUGE!

beautiful bird at lunch

Hippos and Gnus

Cleaning each other

He also had a growth deformity, like the elephant

Ngorongoro Crater from my window at the lodge we stayed at

Once a kid, always a kid....

LOVE YOU MOM AND DAD! (do you see the lion?)

A whole herd of zebras greeted us on our way to the Crater.

The animals all herding over to the watering hole

BEAUTIFUL Crater

The hyenas were snacking on a gnu skull

We watched this lioness chase the family of warthogs. Although the chase was good, the lioness failed because she was on her own.

He was HUGE! He way oversized the land-rover pop top he walked in front of

BABU! our sweet guide

Infront of the Crater

We also visited a Maasai boma where Mom and Dad were greeted with dances and shown a different type of Maasai homes from the ones at the Camel Safari. They invited me up to dance with them. I wish I spoke Maa so I could talk with the women, but I don't. This boma has 24 homes in it. It originally started with one man and his 8 or 11 wives (I don't remember). But now his sons and their wives live there as well bringing it to 24. Because the boma is so large, they have their own school for kids age 3-6.  We visited the school, made out of cow dung and sticks and met all the children sitting 2-3 to tiny desk. They were like little parrots and repeated everything we said to them, even what I said in swahili. One of the little boys stood in the front and said each number and had the children repeat up to 100. The sad thing was their teacher who was supposed to be teaching them Swahili and English didn't know either... so how can they learn...

All of the goodies to buy outside the boma

The sweet, sweet baby who has some serious eye problems. They swatted away the flies for this picture. But when I held her, we were both COVERED in flies.

The classroom & teacher. The baby in the front right is the one I was holding

Shanga Shangaa

Shanga=beads

2 weeks ago, a few of us took a morning to go to a coffee farm. Instead of learning about coffee and drinking the magnificent black, we learned about a great organization that started here in Arusha. 

Shanga was started by a woman who grew up here in Tanzania and started making necklaces out of her son's toy marbles. She showed them to some friends and then it hit off from there. She decided she needed someone to help her get work done. She met a girl who was deaf and mute and found out if she could do work. The girl agreed and Shanga started.

Shanga Shangaa is not a NGO or non profit and does not receive any money from the government. They are a business just like any other except their goal is to give disabled Africans a better life. Handicapped people in Africa are killed at birth/childhood, left on the street to die, cast out of their family, or sit all day on the street corner asking for money. So check them out online! 

what they use to melt the glass

one of their creations: glass bottles melted together to create walls

making a dolphin

one of the goodies they make

Shanga teaches their employees who are deaf or mute sign language (African not ASL). One of the men who was making glass beads and shapes came over to teach us some of the basics in Swahili Sign Language.

Lex, Morgan, and Whitney trying

 The motto of their business:

Shanga will soon be adding blown glass to their list of handmade goods. I am very excited about this because it will help raise their profits immensely.

After visiting the work area, we were able to sit down in their beautiful covered area that looked like they were ready to host a wedding reception. There was a full buffet that was delicious! Including a desert tray and beautiful roses as the centerpiece for our table. The service was great and added to the atmosphere immensely. Their grounds would be a beautiful place to host a wedding.

After going back with my parents for Carey's birthday, walked down the street to go to lunch, we were able to walk through a cofee plantation. Here are the coffee plants. My understanding is that the cofee bean is inside the green shell. The beans are opened and then roasted. I could be wrong, we are still wanting to go to a coffee plantation.

 Also, I had the joy of spending an afternoon with our dinner cook's kids. They are adorable children who loved to color. The oldest drew a picture of the movie star, Mr. Bean. He thought it was HILARIOUS that my dad's name is also Mr. Bean. How ironic.

our centerpiece for lunch

Indivisible Under God

Let me start off by saying, my blog is not created to be a political blog or rant and rave on my personal opinions, but I would like to make a little post about what's going on right now. 

As I am sure everyone knows at this point, Osama Bin Laden has been killed and buried at sea. 

I think that it's a little bit ridiculous that there is so much controversy over who should get the praise: Obama, Bush, Gates, the military, etc...

Here is my opinion. We should come to the conclusion that all parties can receive praise. However, ultimately it should be our US Military. They are the ones who go out each day, day after day, sacrifice their lives, the comfort of the US, the time with their family: leaving spouses & new children & miss important family activities. They are the ones who, despite the criticism and disrespect from some of the American public, continue to go out and personally defend the rights and safety of each of the Americans - even those who disrespect them.

Robert Gates has done a good job keeping the troops on top of the problem and leading them while giving input to the President.

George Bush will always be appreciated and honored by me for his courage in telling the world that America cannot be toyed with. He stuck to his guns and has done immeasurable amounts in protecting the US, Europe, Pakistan, and liberating the Afghan people.

Guantanamo Bay has proven to save lives and could be responsible for the intel that lead to Bin Laden's death.

Barack Obama has returned the prisoners to Gitmo, stuck with the war in the Middle East, and made the final allowance to kill Bin Laden.

As we do, we must also reaffirm that the United States is not –- and never will be -– at war with Islam.  I’ve made clear, just as President Bush did shortly after 9/11, that our war is not against Islam.  Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader; he was a mass murderer of Muslims.  Indeed, al Qaeda has slaughtered scores of Muslims in many countries, including our own.  So his demise should be welcomed by all who believe in peace and human dignity. ... So Americans understand the costs of war.  Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when our people have been killed.  We will be relentless in defense of our citizens and our friends and allies.  We will be true to the values that make us who we are. And on nights like this one, we can say to those families who have lost loved ones to al Qaeda’s terror:  Justice has been done. -Remarks by the President on Osama Bin Laden

So in summing that up, instead of fighting and arguing over who should get all the praise, I believe the American people should come together, congratulate all parties, and especially the men and women who fearlessly serve our country.

I also believe that as a Christian, we should mourn the life who was lost, both mortally and eternally. I mourn the life that was lost (just as every life that has been lost), but glad justice has been brought although it caused a loss in our eternal family. God loves all, even those we don't understand.

To sum it up, as I have been each day of my life and hopefully will continue to be till I die, I am proud to be an American. Today is not the reason I am proud, I have always been proud. I love the USA and pray for our wonderful country each day.

So Americans, let's keep the pledge true. Let's be indivisible! We are ONE Nation UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, with liberty and justice FOR ALL.