Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
A good blog as I miss Africa...
This blog is a post from the above site. It brought back memories of the very things I miss about Africa! A good read...
Africa Is …
Theresa June 9th, 2009
I wish I could show you Africa. But I can’t. It takes a much more talented photographer than me to capture this place. My photos contain images. Africa is an all-senses experience. But if you turn on your imagination, I will try to paint it for you with words.
Africa is…
dirt so red that it seems the earth is bleeding.
the most beautiful beaches, the most turquoise waters, the most striking mountains, the most enchanting deserts.
women who can carry seemingly everything on their heads: gallons of water, baskets piled high with bread, bundles of logs.
never seeing a woman of reproductive age without a baby in a cloth sling on her back.
being shoked when you see a man on your minibus helping with the care of a baby because you’ve seen maybe two men do so during the totality of your trip.
little girls with closely cropped hair and nothing to identify them as female except for the dresses they wear.
little boys wearing shorts that have no seat, their butts exposed to the world.
buses packed so full that there is no need to hang on because you couldn’t move if you wanted to.
the smell of dried fish, enough to make you want to gag.
the smell of humans, ripe in a way you didn’t know they could be.
women in brightly colored and patterned wrappers (cloth they wear as skirts) or wrappers with the face of the pope, the president, or Mr. Obama staring out at you.
children naively wearing t-shirts with vulgar English sayings on them.
being woken up at 4:30 a.m. by the whoops of people celebrating the results of an election.
hearing a wedding celebration long before you see it, the vibrant voices of family and friends lifted in song.
roads as crowded with people and animals as with cars.
bustling Sunday mornings as everyone heads off to church, wearing church uniforms and carrying high heeled shoes in their hands as they walk barefoot many kilometers to the “church.”
a staggering AIDS rate and an even more staggering ignorance about the disease.
strangers stopping to tell you “You are welcome here.”
being called “mzungu” no matter how many times you tell them your name.
people furtively touching your hair, rubbing your skin, grabbing your hand.
the uncomfortable feeling of people addressing you as “Hey, boss.”
having to say three, four, five, six times that no, you don’t want to buy the hawkers carved animals/sponges/hair barrettes/sodas/brooms/beaded keychains/oranges/etc.
people who sing regardless of how well they can carry a tune and people who dance regardless of whether they have rhythm…and who make it all seem beautiful.
seeing more sunrises and more sunsets than you’ve ever before seen.
people leaning out of a minibus window to tell you they love your country and they love your president.
islands so safe that you could leave your money lying in the sand and no one would touch it and cities so dangerous that by 6 p.m. everyone is locked away behind burglar bars, razor wire, and armed guards.
road signs that say “potholes ahead” when they should in fact say “canyon that could swallow your car ahead.”
supermarkets stocked with every wonder of the world as well as people who have to walk kilometers to fill a bucket with potable water.
charities who hand out mosquito nets to every man, woman, and child, and families who turn the mosquito nets into fishing nets because starvation seems a more dire threat than malaria.
volunteers who want to build proper toilets for a school where children must go in the schoolyard and principals who demand that any money raised first go toward buying them a new television.
kids who laugh deliriously when they see a photo of themselves on the screen of your camera.
people who see you as no more than a walking dollar sign as well as people who want no more from you than a smile and a hello.
buses that leave “now,” meaning sometime in the next 24 hours and buses that leave “now now,” meaning sometime in the next hour.
realizing that childhood is a luxury of the Western world.
a dream that is too often deferred, hope that is too often unfulfilled, and joy that is too often followed by sorrow.
everything I expected and a million things I could never have imagined.
Africa Is …
Theresa June 9th, 2009
I wish I could show you Africa. But I can’t. It takes a much more talented photographer than me to capture this place. My photos contain images. Africa is an all-senses experience. But if you turn on your imagination, I will try to paint it for you with words.
Africa is…
dirt so red that it seems the earth is bleeding.
the most beautiful beaches, the most turquoise waters, the most striking mountains, the most enchanting deserts.
women who can carry seemingly everything on their heads: gallons of water, baskets piled high with bread, bundles of logs.
never seeing a woman of reproductive age without a baby in a cloth sling on her back.
being shoked when you see a man on your minibus helping with the care of a baby because you’ve seen maybe two men do so during the totality of your trip.
little girls with closely cropped hair and nothing to identify them as female except for the dresses they wear.
little boys wearing shorts that have no seat, their butts exposed to the world.
buses packed so full that there is no need to hang on because you couldn’t move if you wanted to.
the smell of dried fish, enough to make you want to gag.
the smell of humans, ripe in a way you didn’t know they could be.
women in brightly colored and patterned wrappers (cloth they wear as skirts) or wrappers with the face of the pope, the president, or Mr. Obama staring out at you.
children naively wearing t-shirts with vulgar English sayings on them.
being woken up at 4:30 a.m. by the whoops of people celebrating the results of an election.
hearing a wedding celebration long before you see it, the vibrant voices of family and friends lifted in song.
roads as crowded with people and animals as with cars.
bustling Sunday mornings as everyone heads off to church, wearing church uniforms and carrying high heeled shoes in their hands as they walk barefoot many kilometers to the “church.”
a staggering AIDS rate and an even more staggering ignorance about the disease.
strangers stopping to tell you “You are welcome here.”
being called “mzungu” no matter how many times you tell them your name.
people furtively touching your hair, rubbing your skin, grabbing your hand.
the uncomfortable feeling of people addressing you as “Hey, boss.”
having to say three, four, five, six times that no, you don’t want to buy the hawkers carved animals/sponges/hair barrettes/sodas/brooms/beaded keychains/oranges/etc.
people who sing regardless of how well they can carry a tune and people who dance regardless of whether they have rhythm…and who make it all seem beautiful.
seeing more sunrises and more sunsets than you’ve ever before seen.
people leaning out of a minibus window to tell you they love your country and they love your president.
islands so safe that you could leave your money lying in the sand and no one would touch it and cities so dangerous that by 6 p.m. everyone is locked away behind burglar bars, razor wire, and armed guards.
road signs that say “potholes ahead” when they should in fact say “canyon that could swallow your car ahead.”
supermarkets stocked with every wonder of the world as well as people who have to walk kilometers to fill a bucket with potable water.
charities who hand out mosquito nets to every man, woman, and child, and families who turn the mosquito nets into fishing nets because starvation seems a more dire threat than malaria.
volunteers who want to build proper toilets for a school where children must go in the schoolyard and principals who demand that any money raised first go toward buying them a new television.
kids who laugh deliriously when they see a photo of themselves on the screen of your camera.
people who see you as no more than a walking dollar sign as well as people who want no more from you than a smile and a hello.
buses that leave “now,” meaning sometime in the next 24 hours and buses that leave “now now,” meaning sometime in the next hour.
realizing that childhood is a luxury of the Western world.
a dream that is too often deferred, hope that is too often unfulfilled, and joy that is too often followed by sorrow.
everything I expected and a million things I could never have imagined.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Less than a year of books: Inspired by a lovely friend with whom I share my reading obsession.
Books. How I love them. Tonight I read a similar blog from a friend that not only inspired this blog, but left me with a smile in my heart. I will confess I am undoubtedly a complete book nerd. In fact, if one was to for some odd reason try to clean out Adam and my storage, most of the dust ridden boxes that lie within are full of, you guessed it, books. Don't get me wrong, I am usually not one to like to accumulate lots of junk, that is why I can throw almost anything away except books.
I have this secret passion for them. Although I know I will most likely never read most of them again, they are mine, the stories, dog ears, and pen mark underlines have interwoven themselves into my memories. I am also usually one to try to save a little money and in most cases look for a good deal. However, I have not been able to do this with books. I have a love affair with Barnes and Noble, and it hasn't been until recently that I have been able to stop myself from carrying out atleast 5 shiny new expensive books with each visit. Which is why my husband recently reduced my book buying to half.com, which to my utter amazement, I am able to get four times the amount of used books for the price I paid for one measly B&N shiny new book. I have this vision of someday having a house with a cozy den and fireplace surrounded by shelves of books. And not just any books, the very books that are currently sitting in dust covered boxes... all the books I have read! Though often, I find this very contradicting when I stop and realize that my life is defenitely following a more nomadic and non domesticated path at the moment. But it is a lovely thought anyways, to say the least.
So *drum roll* for all of my readers of this blog (which is like 3 people), I present you with some good reads from the past year.
Books I am currently reading: If you aren't very keen on the Sex Trafficking Industry, read The Natashas. Helping these young women and the men consumed in it is one of the passions of my heart.
Here are a few of the books on my waiting list. As you can see i'm kindof on the human trafficking/ slavery kick at the moment. But they look very good.
My most recent topic of choice has been books on the effects of genocide and war in Africa. I have been devouering any book I can get my hands on about the Lost Boys in Sudan, and the effects of the LRA and child soldiers. Not only do I love these books because of my heart for Africa, I have always enjoyed reading African stories and fables. You won't regret reading these, and although they are at times a little harsh, you will definitely find yourself heart wrenched and unable to put most of them down. A few others that I couldn't get pictures for: God Grew Tired of Us, and A Long Way Gone.
Random others that I loved on various topics and issues...
My appologies for the jumble at the end. But it is late, and I am now too tired to try to fix this mess. Enjoy nerds!
*Spell check was broken, so I do not appologize for the misspelled words and run on sentances, ect, but I do acknowledge them.****
I have this secret passion for them. Although I know I will most likely never read most of them again, they are mine, the stories, dog ears, and pen mark underlines have interwoven themselves into my memories. I am also usually one to try to save a little money and in most cases look for a good deal. However, I have not been able to do this with books. I have a love affair with Barnes and Noble, and it hasn't been until recently that I have been able to stop myself from carrying out atleast 5 shiny new expensive books with each visit. Which is why my husband recently reduced my book buying to half.com, which to my utter amazement, I am able to get four times the amount of used books for the price I paid for one measly B&N shiny new book. I have this vision of someday having a house with a cozy den and fireplace surrounded by shelves of books. And not just any books, the very books that are currently sitting in dust covered boxes... all the books I have read! Though often, I find this very contradicting when I stop and realize that my life is defenitely following a more nomadic and non domesticated path at the moment. But it is a lovely thought anyways, to say the least.
So *drum roll* for all of my readers of this blog (which is like 3 people), I present you with some good reads from the past year.
Books I am currently reading: If you aren't very keen on the Sex Trafficking Industry, read The Natashas. Helping these young women and the men consumed in it is one of the passions of my heart.
Here are a few of the books on my waiting list. As you can see i'm kindof on the human trafficking/ slavery kick at the moment. But they look very good.
My most recent topic of choice has been books on the effects of genocide and war in Africa. I have been devouering any book I can get my hands on about the Lost Boys in Sudan, and the effects of the LRA and child soldiers. Not only do I love these books because of my heart for Africa, I have always enjoyed reading African stories and fables. You won't regret reading these, and although they are at times a little harsh, you will definitely find yourself heart wrenched and unable to put most of them down. A few others that I couldn't get pictures for: God Grew Tired of Us, and A Long Way Gone.
Random others that I loved on various topics and issues...
My appologies for the jumble at the end. But it is late, and I am now too tired to try to fix this mess. Enjoy nerds!
*Spell check was broken, so I do not appologize for the misspelled words and run on sentances, ect, but I do acknowledge them.****
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Good to know there are things being done to stop human trafficking!
Child prostitutes rescued in US
The operation targeted the trafficking of children for prostitution
US authorities have rescued nearly 50 child prostitutes - some as young as 13 - in a nationwide operation against the trafficking of children for sex.
More than 570 suspects were arrested during the action, which took place over three nights.
FBI agents and local police forces were involved in the operations which spanned some 29 cities.
Officials say a 16-year-old girl who recruits children as prostitutes is being sought as a priority.
Special Agent Melissa Morrow, of Washington's FBI, said adult prostitutes who were among those arrested tipped authorities off about the girl.
"She is currently 16 and started when she was 13," Agent Morrow said.
"Now she is out there recruiting other juveniles as well," she said, adding that finding her was "at the top of our list", the Associated Press news agency reported.
Cycle of violence
The ages of teenage prostitutes rescued in Operation Cross Country III ranged from 13 to 17.
The FBI said 571 people were arrested on suspicion of the trafficking children for prostitution and solicitation.
"We continue to pursue those who exploit our nation's children," said FBI Director Robert S Mueller III.
"We may not be able to return their innocence but we can remove them from this cycle of abuse and violence."
(Taken from BBC News website. Here is the link to an audio of a girl telling the story of how she was lured into prostitution.)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7906891.stm
The operation targeted the trafficking of children for prostitution
US authorities have rescued nearly 50 child prostitutes - some as young as 13 - in a nationwide operation against the trafficking of children for sex.
More than 570 suspects were arrested during the action, which took place over three nights.
FBI agents and local police forces were involved in the operations which spanned some 29 cities.
Officials say a 16-year-old girl who recruits children as prostitutes is being sought as a priority.
Special Agent Melissa Morrow, of Washington's FBI, said adult prostitutes who were among those arrested tipped authorities off about the girl.
"She is currently 16 and started when she was 13," Agent Morrow said.
"Now she is out there recruiting other juveniles as well," she said, adding that finding her was "at the top of our list", the Associated Press news agency reported.
Cycle of violence
The ages of teenage prostitutes rescued in Operation Cross Country III ranged from 13 to 17.
The FBI said 571 people were arrested on suspicion of the trafficking children for prostitution and solicitation.
"We continue to pursue those who exploit our nation's children," said FBI Director Robert S Mueller III.
"We may not be able to return their innocence but we can remove them from this cycle of abuse and violence."
(Taken from BBC News website. Here is the link to an audio of a girl telling the story of how she was lured into prostitution.)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7906891.stm
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Pass it on...
This is a documentary that helped inspire my desire to travel to Africa. I just thought I would share it, as it is an inspiration to us all that random people really can make a diffrence in the lives of others... It is an old film, and most have probley seen it, but if you haven't take the time to watch and pass it on. It's worth it!
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