Merry Christmas From Dakar

Stern Grove Today

Today we are going to Stern Grove to hear some Indian Bollywood music. Here is the link to the music video which I find quite entertaining.

http://www.sterngrove.org/352.html

What time is it?

So after all of this traveling I think I am still taking some time to recover. As part of my 'therapy' I created this functional art design in my home office. (Thank you Cole for your engineering expertise and Serena for your cheerleading skills). This way I will always know what time it is in a few of my favorite cities. I could have added a few more cities but I thought that would have been a tad ridiculous. So, when Stephane gets home, he will be in for a good surprise! Unless he is reading now then I guess he has learned what I did to our office.

Thoughts of the Day

I haven't been everywhere, but its on my list.--Susan Sontag

I just saw this quote and I really like it. I think everywhere is on my list too.
I also like the photographer critic. Very witty.

And here is a quote from me below. After traveling to many places I think my biggest 'ah ha' moment was when I asked myself,

"So, why do we pee in our drinking water?" -- Leah Shagam

So today is my first day back at work. And would you believe it...my laptop hard drive crashed! Right now the computer folks are working away at transferring data over to a new hard drive. I will also be getting a new computer because the screen kept on blinking off and on. Isn't it ironic? I think that because today is international labor day, my computer was rebelling against me for making it work. Or maybe it was just its way of saying that it needed a leave of absence too! So I will be getting a fresh start. Isn't that what Spring is all about? I get to recommence and so does my laptop.

Home Sweet Home

Many of you have been asking about me. I returned to San Francisco last week after a 2 week stint in Nairobi. I have lost some steam on updating my blog.

I still need to share the photographs I took on the train from Nairobi to Mombassa. I spent 18 hours on the train. It was supposed to be a 12 hour trip but it turned out to be a wee bit longer. The following weekend, Stephane and I went to Naivasha park. It was amazing to be able to hike amongst the wild animals and talk with Masai people. I am running out of words because the three months I spent traveling and meeting people was more incredible than words.

I have an even better appreciation of life. Even when the DMV gets me down and when the electricity doesn't work in the laundry room in my San Francisco apartment, I am able to continue to put things into perspective. (The DMV is still incredible difficult to deal with...I will be nice and not say too many mean things about them here.)

So people keep saying "welcome back to reality." If "reality" is dealing with the DMV, I just say 'no.' If "reality" is opening up 3 months of bills and unnecessary paperwork, I also say 'no.' Before getting into all of the mail and laundry, I spent a lovely weekend with my out of town friends from Albuquerque and my close San Francisco friends. I appreciated the Golden Gate bridge, had a croissant at Tartine, visited the Saturday organic market, took the cable car to Pier 39 etc etc...I was a tourist in my own town and loved it. I do have to admit...sleeping in my own bed is quite a treat.

I think I might continue to update my blog. I might not be on the same voyage but I truly believe that whether I am in "reality" or in another country, I am always traveling. It is cliche to say that life is one big voyage but, hey, why not enjoy?

Romania

I had a short stop in Eastern Europe on my way back to my home base, Paris. I am actually writing to you from Kenya - my second home base. I know this all sounds so complicated but really it isn't. So to get to the point - here are some photos I would like to share.

In such a short time it is hard to really get to know any city but I found Bucharest (not Budapest, that is Hungary!) to be a very nice place to visit. Some of the things I liked included the food such as their delightfully light donut-like pastry, stuffed cabbage and beet soup. (ummm, just like mom's cookin' !) I guess coming from an Eastern European heritage, the food is not what shocked me the most.

The aspect of the trip that was the hardest to digest was the number of elderly who were accepting money on the streets because their pensions are not paying enough. Now, the eldery do not necessarily beg, they stand on the streets and everybody knows that they are waiting for donations. I had yet to see something quite like this in all of my travels so far.

One day, we were out for a walk (no corresponding photo so you will have to imagine...) and an elderly lady with advanced osterperosis was hobbeling along with her groceries. She was so hunched over that she couldn't see the street in front of her. My friend, Alina, asked her if she needed help to get to her home. I was glad she stopped and asked her if she needed help. It took us 45 minutes to inch our way about 100 meters to get her home. It turns out that this women was only 78. She looked 98. During the long walk, we found out it was her birthday that week and she has no family.

Sometimes it's the little things you can do for people. She didn't ask us for money but she was very grateful that we were there to lend her a hand.

Namaste from India

Traveling is not getting from point A to point B, it is a journey, it is a process of self-discovery. Although I am not a huge fan of Louis Vuitton, I can certainly share their core values. Have a look.

So here I am in Romania catching up on my blog from India. It seems that I am traveling faster than I can blog. You will have to bear with me as I play catch up.

I had an interesting conversation with my friend's mom. She wondered if we are all subjects of destiny. We debated a bit because I believe that we determine our own destinies and we must follow our gut instincts. We settled mid way, expressing the observation that it seems like when we meet nice people there was some sort of reason behind it. If I were not to have met her daughter and not have had the idea to come to India, I would never have met her. We wondered if it was written that we were supposed to meet at that time or if it was just some sort of random coincidence. I know this is a lot of philosophy but I think traveling is all about taking a step back to think. This makes me that I should read Freakanomics. In any case, I spent four wonderful days in their home. They treated me like family and I was sad to leave.

The “Other”

Wouldn’t you agree that it is important to expose one self to others’ customs? Here is a brief synopsis of some of the things I learned and appreciated during my trip:

I enjoyed eating with my hands. I learned how to break the bread with my right hand and not use the left. There is quite an art to eating with ones hands (no fork or knife). I was a bit clumsy at first.

I also learned about the importance of spice proprieties – e.g tumeric for cleansing the digestive system.

Finally, I learned how to wash using a pale and a cup. I probably only used 5-6 cups of water per day to bath as opposed to the possible 2 gallons I probably waste in the US.

The “Tourist”

See photos here

Delhi is filled with Temples, Mosques, forts, markets and gardens. One of my most memorable temple visits was in Old Delhi. Shruti and I decided to visit the old part of town. Upon arrival we were greeted by a nice bicycle rickshaw driver who asked to be our guide.. I have to admit that a bicycle rickshaw is almost more intriguing than an auto rickshaw but it is debatable. In any case, no cars or scooters are allowed in this part of town because it is filled will small, twisty streets that is barely wide enough for a bicycle rickshaw.

The guide took us to a Temple off of the main path (he also took us to his ‘brother’s’ jewelry shop but never mind). It turned out to be a Jain temple which means that men are dressed in white and are very careful not to squish any bugs as they walk. Okay, that simplifies them a bit too much now doesn't it? One of the Jains became our guide (meaning – please give him a donation at the end of the visit) and blessed us upon entering the temple with a small yellow dot on our forehead – in the spot where our third eye is supposed to be. Then we visited the chambers only to find beautiful mosaics of many colors telling the story of the birth of Buddha. We weren’t allowed to take photos so you will have to imagine how beautiful it was.

Sarcastic note: if you are undergoing menses you are not allowed to go on the second floor as it may cause some sort of destruction. I am not sure how they check but I guess if the ceiling were to cave in it would probably be some woman’s fault for sure.

Other moments during my travels to India worth mentioning was an evening of music – both old and new. We started the night with traditional Hindi music and then ended it with underground Asian music. Notice the violent contrast between the two events.

One of my most funny moments was when I taught a young British tourist how to use a Turkish toilet. No worries- it was a SIMULATION not real time. Sorry no photos or video. :-)

A runner up for my most funny moment was when I got a massage at a local spa and at one point I had three women massaging me in different places of the body and in different directions at the same time. You know how Buddha is sometimes represented with 6 arms? I felt like that is what I looked like if I were to look at myself from above. I have to admit, the massage was not relaxing – I consider it more symbolic of the hyper sensioral experience I was having in India.

So to reiterate - all senses (smell, taste, touch, hearing – even metaphysical) are awakened in India. I was on a constant high from the spices food. E.g. Breakfast consisted of spiced chauliflower and potatoes, bread (like a sopapilla) and spiced tea.

My friend’s mother is a doctor so she also had us drink a concoction of fruits and vegetables made into a sort of pulpy soup. It was high in antioxidents and fiber. It took my four days to be able to get used to it and finish the entire cup. I must say that this concoction was exteremly healthy and good. I will continue this habit going forward.

One Indian habit I will not continue is the contant honking of cars. I learned that you must honk when you pass (“overtake” in British English) a car. They don’t use their mirrors for some reason so the only way another driver will recongize that you are near is by hearing you. Also, as a pedestrian, if somebody honks that means that they will not stop even if there is a cross walk so do not walk in front of them. (I wonder if deaf people can drive or walk in Delhi without an accident?) Honking is actually encouraged – in fact on the back of most trucks it is written, “please honk.” With that said, there is a compaign to stop honking due to noise pollution but unless they teach people to drive using their mirrors there is going to be some serious damamge.

I like this expression on the back of this truck: “Building Turst Worldwid” Hum…do you think they are “Turstworthy?” I am a bad speller too so I should be nice

I have a special place in my heart for Delhi. I hope to return someday soon. My writings above do not do much justice – you will have to experience it for your self. For those of you who have been there or live there – you know what I am talking about.

Made it to India

I made it to New Delhi this morning. My driver was there ready to pick me up and take me to the bed and breakfast. My first impressions is that New Delhi is much more "organized" than Dakar. I was quite surprised. After a since breakfast of toast, eggs, chai and mango juice, I took a nap. I hadn't slept on the plane due to a nice man who kept on elbowing me in the ribs.

I took an auto rickshaw to the Dilli Haat market. An auto rickshaw consists of a three wheeler vehicle with a metal cover around it. I never felt that close to the traffic as I did that day. I wish San Francisco had these vehicles - they are fantastic! Here is my view from the back seat.

I went to the market and had very nice interactions with the vendors. They aren't nearly as aggressive as they are in Dakar or Nairobi. I ended up buying a bed spread but not the one you see in these photos.

Sorry for the short blog entry...gotta go to sleep!

Our Lady of the Train Tracks

Learn about this hidden gem of a choir in Dakar, Senegal. They sing in multiple languages (Wolof, Serer, Diola, Latin, Spanish and French) and use drums and other musical instruments to accompany Sunday mass. They sing at weddings and funerals and often for little to no money at all. They rehearse in a small, modest church that is located right next to the train tracks. Often the sounds of the train horn toots to the harmonies coming from the choir and mixes with the sounds of the Mosque next door. This choir is composed of 20-30 humble and faithful people who come together to "grow their community through music." Many of the choir members are unemployed and do not have the means to get to rehearsal. They find a way but they could use some help.

I became familiar with this choir in 2006 when they sang at my wedding in Dakar. Coming from California, I found their music invigorating and fresh. I want to do everything I can to make sure that the world hears their music so I have come back to Dakar for a short trip where I am getting to know the choir on a more personal level and I have developed a short film that I hope you will enjoy.

Should you choose to support the choir any way you can (a kind word, a thoughtful donation of any size), please send and email to: traintrackchurch@gmail.com.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Grmtgpa7Whg

Quick update

I have finalized a draft of the short film and will be sharing it with Father Bechetoille tomorrow afternoon! I have also been invited to their 50th year anniversary of the church in September. I probably will not be able to make it but it was nice of them to invite me. I need to figure out how to get it on the web and then I can share it with you once he approves it. I am happy with the result.

Yesterday, I watched my niece at her equestrian lesson. She takes lessons on the local Senegalese army base. It is really nice for the community because the army is not engaged in anything right now so they might as well use their resources to teach kids. They also have classes for adults. The instructors let me get on a horse the last 10 minutes and trained me. Marie, my sister in law, took a video of me with her cell phone but I have not gotten it from her yet. I want to post it. It was really hard because:

1. I learned western style when I was a kid and this was English style and my teachers never let me trot so I do not think I really ever learned how to ride a horse.


2. The trainer was the Senegalese country champion so he had high expectations. He had me trot with the horse very quickly in a small circle with my hands under my backside and my feet out of the stirrups so the only thing keeping me from not falling off of the horse was the strength in my thighs, my sense of balance and respiration. It was thrilling! Better than pilates for sure.


3. Result: I loved it and plan on taking up equestrian when I return to San Francisco! Plus the outfits are cute.

Nangadeff ?

Nangadeff = "How are you", in Wolof. As a Senegalese person might reply, "We are here and it goes. How is your family?"

Family is a very important notion in Senegal. People that I meet ask me how my family is even if I the person asking has never met my family. If they do know my family, they are certain to make sure that they are all in good health before asking me any further questions. "Ca va, sinon? Et la famille? Et La Mama? Et le Papa?"

This weekend was particularly eventful as I was invited to a wedding. The wedding took place in the very modest Notre Dames Des Rails chapel. Why is it called the "Our Lady of the Rail Road Tracks?" Probably because this chapel is right next to the railroad tracks (simple enough?). They are celebrating their 50th year anniversary this year. Often the sermons are mixed with a cacophony of sounds: the train, the mosque next door, children playing outside and of course, the choir.

To the left is a photo I took of one of the invitees and her baby at the wedding. They both have such beautiful smiles and look so happy. What a beautiful family they are! I plan on sending this photo to the mother as soon as I get her Internet address.

I would like to point out that I have been quiet for a few days because I have not had Internet access due to technical issues at "N'Diaye Headquarters" and also because I have got a slight head cold. I am getting over it fine thanks to my brother-in-law who is a doctor and the drug store in downtown Dakar. Did I mention that my brother-in-law is also good at fixing damaged Internet cables? Hence, I now have access to Internet again.

Yesterday, I went to my sister-in-law's nursery. She is a flight attendant for Air Senegal but during her 'down time' she has developed a nursery called "Baby Land." She now has over 10 kids there! I am really proud of my sister-in-law because she spoke about her dream about 4 years ago and now it is a reality!

One of the kids kept looking and me and inched her way over to me. She then invited herself in my lap. Once I let her into my lap, two other kids inched their way over and before I knew it I had three kids on my lap! Let me put it another way, I had three kids trying to get on my lap which is really only a two-seater, not a three-seater. Here are some photos of the nursery kids aging from 1 month to 2 years old.

I am meeting some really nice people in Dakar. I have had an extremely good experience with the Notre Dame Des Rails choir. I met with them last Thursday during one of their practice sessions and they were happy to see that I had returned to listen to them. The were extremely receptive to me meeting with them and recording them.

Tonight, I am meeting with the choir leaders for an in-depth personal interview with the choir leads. I have already interview the Father Bechetoille and a member of the choir. I have spent many hours with the choir and have hours of footage and soundtracks. I am busily editing and hopefully I will have a nice short documentary to share with you. I only wish that the equipment I had was better but for now it will suffice. I have already found a studio I just need to meet with them and work out all the details.

Project Progress

My project here in Dakar is progressing nicely. My fear was that the choir would not need or even want my help. Or perhaps it had dissapeared. This very humble choir is comprised of either unemployed people or those with very modest jobs. They sang at my wedding in 2006. I can not stop thinking about them because they have never had singing training and the choir has no money for instruments nor costumes and they perform with such ardor and passion! They come in from miles away to sing together in the evening, sing at mass or at weddings.

I met with Father Bechetoille to help get me in touch with the choir. He said that it was as if I had "dropped in from heaven." He was very active and made all sorts of telephone calls while I sat in his office!

I have been invited to one of the choir's practice sessions tonight as well as a wedding tomorrow. I should have some nice photos and video footage to share with you soon.

So what am I doing when I am not writing a video documentary about a choir in Dakar? I am playing tennis with my brother in law, Nicolas. I have discoverd that I have quite a mean backhand!

I am also planning on hanging out with my cousins. I have a lot of them here and I am trying to figure out which ones I am related to through marriage and which ones are cousins by nature of being African.

And finally: I am getting Linguistic lessons over cups of tea from mother in law who is a reputable linguist.

Public Message from Dakar

This is a public message to my readers from Dakar

Until I get an adaptor for my computer (why didn't I get one before I left? I have everything else but that!) I am stuck using an american computer with a "French brain." It takes me 10 times as long to type. This might be what aphasia is like for people that have trauma to their brains. Until I relearn to navigate the keyboard but it is much harder when the keyboard has the American letters on it but behind some letters is a different character. Stephane bought his mom a computer from America but they don't have a keyboard to match the French yet. Here is what happens if I write like an American

it is auite hqrd zriting on q french keboqrd1

Just know that I am here and all is well.

People keep asking me about Ghana. I changed my plans so that I could get a head start on my personal project here with the choir...Our Lady of the Train Tracks. Hopefully in about a week I will have something to share with you about it. I hope to meet up with Stephane in Mali and he hopes to come here at one point.

No Resting, Grass Resting or No Resting on Grass?

If you don't know French you might think that this sign is telling you that you are not allowed to sleep on the grass. However, if you can read the French text below you will understand that it says, "The grass is resting during the winter from Oct 15 to April 15." Hum....???

Paris Je t'aime Bis

I am playing catch up since I haven't had a chance to post any photos since I was in Paris. So here are a few photos that I hope you will enjoy. I had the chance to take a lot of photos that one does not normally take of the city.

I had just written my "Paris Je t'aime" entry in my blog when I stumbled upon this phrase in the sand in the park just in front of the Eiffel Tower. Two giggling French girls had written it in the sand with a stick. I guess they are on the same "wave length" or "longeur d'onde" as me.



This photo was taken near the Invalides. I love the arches that the trees make. It was particularly beautiful that day. In fact, color photographs would be nice as well but I see Paris in black and white so that is what you will see too.




Below are photos I took of a beautiful permanent monument that is a tribute to peace which has been in place for at least 5 years. I like the juxtaposition of the images written in many languages over the Eiffel Tower. I also appreciate the round cylinders contrasting the rigid and sharp Eiffel Tower.

Here is what I call a "shadow gram" that I took of a man standing near Le Parc Monceau. I decided to keep this one in color because the shades are particularly beautiful.

For more photos of Paris, please visit this link: (PENDING)

6 Billion People

On Thursday, February 12 I went to the last day of the expo by Yann Arthus-Bertrand in Le Grand Palais in Paris and it was a phenomenal experience. Yann Arthus is known for his photographs of the earth from above.

The story is that one day when his airplane landed on one of the countries he was photographing from above, he realized that there are stories to be told about the people inhabiting the earth. He then got the idea to take video portraits.

The installation in the Grand Palais was remarkable. He classified the portraits by theme inside of large tents. Upon entering, you are "face to face" with locals from various countries who tell you their stories and points of view on love, death, dreams etc.. It is not live, it is recorded video but you have the sensation that is it like a telepresence conference. Since it is an asynchronous experience - i.e. not interactive - the audience is 'forced' to listen to the person's point of view without interrupting them. The exposition teaches about difference and unity across the one big planet earth that all 6 billion of us live on.

On a side note... Samsung was having a private conference in Le Grand Palais and we some how managed to be "invited" to their party. Here is a photo of Jean-Charles asking me if I want sugar in my tea. He is pronouncing the word "sucre." We also had champagne and chocolates but I pefer not to show the proof of our misdoings. :-)

Paris, Je t'aime

I love Paris. Most Americans love this city but I really love it. I lived here for 3 years and coming back as a tourist is amazing. People are so nice to me. I visited all of my old shops and they remembered me.

I will take the time to post photos later but I just wanted to let you know that I made it after the terrible strom that closed down Charles de Gaulle.

By the way...the scaffolding is off of my old building! I could hardly recognize it. I remembered the code to the building and I was able to go inside. How is that for security.

Yesterday was a trip down memory lane and I will tell you all about it as soon as I have more time. Right now I am off too an expo at Le Grand Palais....

Happy Birthday Aunt Beryl

Happy Birthday Aunt Beryl, Happy Birthday to you!

My Aunt Beryl is X years old today! She is an amazing person. She is at the age where she can get into the YMCA for $1.50 and she can climb mountains faster than me. She is a wonderful artist and is always on the cutting edge of cooking and interior design.

So this post is dedicated to you Aunt Beryl - HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Love, Leah

London Bridges

I am warning you - this post is a lot of BLAH BLAH because I am trying to pass the time. So if you don't want to read random thoughts just don't read this. It is up to you.

I am in the London Heathrow airport. Oh all the things I could buy....Burburry, Baileys, Boots (hum all start with B). But I will refrain from spending more money. Besides, I don't have enough room in my suitcase and silly Air France only allows one check in bag and a small carry on. Of course, I have two carry ons so I slid by security with a great big smile to distract them from turning me away to check in the extra bad. So far it has worked...I hope they let me on the plane. I hope Heathrow airport is not reading!


10:15 Paris CdG AF 1081 PLEASE WAIT

I also hope that I make it to Paris. I heard that there was some terrible weather there. It was so bad that they cancelled the flights this morning. So hopefully mine doesn't get cancelled. It is 9:28 and my flight leaves at 10:15 and they still haven't posted a gate number....bad sign.

Jean-Charles is picking me up at Porte Maillot and then I plan to go to La Defense with him (where he works) and do some shopping - at least window shopping. I want to see what the latest trends are. La Defense is not a popular place to shop...it is more of a Corporate Park but I like the architecture. Very futuristic. For those of you who don't know..Jean-Charles is one of Stephane's best friends and thus a very close friend of mine too. I met Jean-Charles when I met Stephane in 1998. He is a funny and adorable guy with a southern French accent. It took me 5 years before my French was good enough to understand him. (Sorry JC!!)

I am disappointed. It turns out that my American Express Platinum doesn't work in the Air France club. "Poor me." I was so spoiled in terminal 5 with British Airways. I wasn't expecting to have to pay (what a concept) for food and drinks so I dug through my wallet of change and managed to find about 3 British Pounds amongst the Euros and Shillings from my previous trips. I was able to buy a coffee and I will save the rest for some gum later. I am resisting taking out a new currency from the ATM.


Brother Mike this section is for you....

I am listening to my ipod. The Beatles song "Michelle, Ma Belle" is playing and it makes me think of my brother Mike. He's probably sick oh me calling him my "little brother." He's actually a bigger than me (much more bearded) and is much more responsible. I used to sing him this Beatles song when he was 5 or so. (I am sure that he has a higher IQ than me because I used to sing to him and teach him things when he was little. He learned how to drive when he was 12! Actually I am kidding, I don't even know his IQ).

Of course, MIke didn't know that I was saying Michelle and not Michel. I always wanted a sister (HA HA!) Technically, I should have sung, "michel, mon beau" but that doesn't sound as nice. "Sont les mots qui vont tres bien ensemble - they are the words that go together well." I think we go together well.

Brother Josh, this section is for you...( I know you are reading...)

I wasn't very nice to Josh. I used to beat him up when he was a kid. :-) Isn't that what big sisters are supposed to do? This is my public apology to you, Josh. But now things are better.(Right?) I am listening to the Beatles, "Hey Jude, take a sad song and make it better. " Josh this song is for you because I think we have made things better. Thank you for taking care of my car in San Francisco. Despite that, I am so glad you live in San Francisco too. It is really nice to have family there. I enjoy the unplanned dinners we have together!

Hey MIKE - join us in San Francisco!!!

Do I sound nostalgic? I guess I do get slightly nostalgic when I travel. It is a time for me to reflect and think about how much I appreciate my family and friends.

Goodbye Nairobi, Goodbye!

Goodbye Nairobi, goodbye! I am leaving with a tear in my eye. Goodbye Nairobi goodbye! I will see you from the sky... on British Airways! Doo doo de doo!

Yeah, so... that was a bad song I wrote to see myself off tonight. (My brothers are rolling their eyes because they hear me singing badly and see my dancing a jug dance in their heads).

So now I am off to Paris for a couple of days and then down to Dakar, Senegal. That is why the photos are now going black and white. Everything in Paris in black and white, haven't you noticed? Especially in the winter, all the color is drained out of everybody and they are all doing the "metro, boulot, dodo" thing in black and white.

Can you guess why I am picking this route via Paris (Par-ee). Seems strange to you? Below is a multiple choice quiz and you can answer in the comments section.

a. I had a round trip ticket from London because it's cheaper and since I do not love London (sorry Londoners!) I decided to go to Paris instead

b. See old friends...I did live there for 3 years for goodness sake!

c. See if the the construction on my old apartment building is still there - I am willing to bet it is!

d. Options a,b and c

e. To go water skiing in the Seine (there is a water skiing club on the Seine - no joke)

f. None of the above

Stephane will be in Nairobi until Wednesday and then he goes to Ghana. I will stay in Dakar with my family in law to start my personal project. What is the project? I plan on helping a church choir. You will learn all about it soon. Wish me luck. Stephane and I will meet up again in Mali or Dakar.

Bon voyage!

Newspaper Clippings

Although my travels in Kenya have been primarliy focusing on the beautiful aspects regardig animals and beautiful country sides, we also have to recognize that there are a lot of hardships and difficulties that the country is undergoing today. We have seen teacher strikes, famine, fires and explosions in the last three weeks. Here are a few newspaper clippings and a link to the Nairobi Chronicle. I do not wish to alarm you, but I do want you to be aware of what this country is going through right now.

Teachers in Kenya make 7,000 shillings a month. Average rent costs in Nairobi can be 10,000 a month. How do teachers make it? It is worth noting that everybody is required to go to school. We have been impressed that if a parent is caught keeping their child from going to school so that they can work on the farms, they are sent to jail. Education is clearly a priority in this country but the teachers are not able to pay their rent.

Farmers are forced to stock their maize (corn) due to a global lack of the resource. There is not enough maize to go around.

And finally, I had some photos published in the Nairobi Chronicle because I happened to be at the wrong place at the right time. Little did I know that while I was photographing the supermarket, a couple dozens of people were trapped inside, burning to death. Right now, families are upset because they are unable to identify their loved ones and are patiently waiting for the DNA tests.

A week later, a tanker exploded about an hour outside of Nairobi. Over 100 people died and the incident could have been avoided but people were so intent on stealing the petrol as opposed to getting the tanker out of the dangerous situation. People were literally playing with fire and unfortunately innocent bystanders were also included in the death toll.

I do not wish to paint a negative light of this beautiful country. However, as a responsible traveler, it is important to recognize the context within which we are traveling.

Go Down Arts Center

On our way back from Mt. Kenya, we stopped at the Go Down Arts Center which is in Nairobi. This is a phenomenal place where young artists can promote themselves.

We were greeted by a gentleman named Patrick Mukabi who told us about the programs he does with underprivileged children. It turns out he is also a television celebrity! He teaches art on a couple of local television stations. I told him, "Oh my, so you are a celebrity." He responded, "no, I am a super star!" I tested the celebrity level by showing the photo to my taxi driver. He correctly identified him and smiled!

Trip to Mt. Kenya

I saw some amazing wild life in the Mt. Kenya National Park and took some photos for you to view. Again, I am not a wild life photographer but what else are you supposed to do when you go on a Safari?

When you view the photos you will see a couple pics of Colleen. She is a colleague of mine from work who just happened to be in Nairobi at the same time so we took a short trip!

I am going to try embedding the slideshow in this blog posting. Not sure if it will work...check back later if you don't see it.

The Kiambethu Tea Farm

Traveling out of Nairobi is no easy task The hustle and bustle of the city seems keep you within its borders until one day something snaps inside of you and begs you to explore the city outskirts. I had heard about the Kambethu Tea farm and thought about taking a drive to visit it on a relaxed Sunday afternoon with my husband.

We called our driver and he came and picked us up promptly. Okay, not really promptly but thirty minutes late which is actually on time in some parts of Africa. As we left the city, my mind seemed to unwind. The landscape became greener and fuller with rolling hills. My husband took a great sigh of relief. The vibrant city started to slowly fade away and a laid back country fair atmosphere started to fade in.

We drove for about 20 kilometers until the driver needed indication that he was going the right way. He pulled over and asked the first person he spotted and my best guess of what he asked in Swahili was, "My friend, how are you? Can you tell me where is the Kiambethu Tea Farm is?" The man snapped his fingers twice as if he were listening to jazz and whatever he responded seemed to reassure the driver because I saw the tightness in his shoulders loosen. We were not far.

When we approached the tea region, the landscape softened even more. The various shades of greens seemed to blend into one another. We rolled down the windows because we realized that the acidic odor of pollution was no longer reeking in our lungs. Our spirits had been replaced with a calming sweetness and freshness of Kenyan tea.

Upon arriving at the Kiambethu Tea Farm, a nice local man greeted us with a question, "Tea or coffee?" We responded with, "Tea of course!" He gave us tea and heart shaped cookies that were distinctly home made as each was a slightly different shape. He directed us to the living room where a smart looking British woman named Fiona Vernon was presenting the process of tea making. She was very polite and soft spoken and explained to us that she is the daughter of the original owners of the tea groves from 1910. She grew up in the house and she had inherited the tea groves when her mother passed away. They own 35 acre (once 350 acres- not sure what happened to the rest) of land and they had left part of it in its original form (forest) so that people could appreciate what it once was.

After the enriching and informal discussion, one of the local men took us on a stroll in the tea groves and then into the indigenous forest. He was a simple, elderly man with warn shoes, a cane and few teeth. He showed us trees that are still used for medicinal purposes purposes. I was impressed that he knew both the Swahili and the scientific name of each plant. He described their medicinal components too.

Once we had completed our lovely and instructional walk, we had a pre-lunch drink on the veranda "with sweeping views across the tea fields to the Ngong Hills" as the pamphlet states. Then we asked to take a seat at one of the tables on the lawn. We hadn't realized we were also invited for lunch! We ended up having the most exquisite three course meal which consisted of home grown food. Even the butter and ice-cream was home made! We had five types of desserts to choose from ( I had a little of each) and of course the meal ended with a cup of tea.

The cost of this tour (minus the drive to the farm) was 1,700 shillings a person. This is about $20 and it is certainly worth it. I highly recommend this excursion to anybody who should be in the Nairobi area. Fiona is a wonderful person and hostess. We spent our entire Sunday at Fiona's house - it was as if we were invited to a private party in Fiona's home.

For my Favorite Blog Follower

Here is an image for my favorite and most dedicated blog follower, my mom. My mom has been religiously reading my blog and has made the most comments. The rest of you need to step it up a bit!

So as a thank you to my mom here is a photograph I took for her. She has been asking me to look for Obama related goods in Kenya. She is right to ask because Kenyans are particularly proud of the fact that Obama has Kenyan roots. Here is a piece of fabric with a title and tag line in Swahili that reads..

"Congratulations Barak Obama; Yes we can"

That is my best guess...I could not find a translator online from English to Swahili...anybody like to help?) And no, I did not buy it. The image will have to suffice. :-) Stephane did record Kenyan reactions to the inaugural speech. If I have time, I will post some sound bites. They were quite enthusiastic, to say the least!

No Comment #1 & #2

"No Comment" is a section in my blog where I do not make any commentary on the posted images. I tweaked this concept from something I observed by watching the news in France starting in 1998.

My favorite part about the evening news in France was the "no comment" section where they just showed video images with no sound. This effect reinforces the power of the image as a "signifer" pushing you to seek the "referent" for what it "signifies." (Thank you Ferdinand de Saussure!)

Here are two unrelated photographs - just think of it as your own personal story time.What do these photos evoke in you? Send me a comment on my "no comment!"

No Comment #1

No Comment #2

Kazuri Beads Support Single Mothers

The beads are smooth, glazed and vary in size and shape. They are painted in an array of brilliant colors. The best part is that these beautiful beads create jobs for single mothers in Nairobi.

My visit to the Kazuri bead factory was uplifting. The operations manager gave me a private visit. He showed me the bead making process. Being a management consultant, I could not help but ask questions such as, "How are people hired and trained? Who gets chosen to do the quality control? How do you define bead quality?What do you do with the rejected beads? How do you know how many beads to make? How are you tracking your supply and demand?" These questions all have answers but they are not the most important part of this story. What I found particularly heart warming was the room filled with single mothers who would otherwise have no trade and therefore no source of income to support their children.

The Kazuri factory takes in single mothers and trains them to be specialized in bead making. The beads are exported all over the world. There is now a huge waiting list to be a Kazuri bead maker. Earning 6 dollars a day provides these women a leg up in society. To any Westerner, this sum of money seems ridiculously low. To these women, the sum of revenue is a godsend. Think about that the next time you order a tall double vanilla mocha frappaccino.


Unpainted beads drying in the sun








Assembly line








Stock Room









International Order Log

African Art Inspired the Cubists, n'est-ce pas?

The cubist movement is potentially one of my favorite movements in Art History. The invention of Cubism was a joint effort between Picasso and Braque, residents of Montmartre, Paris. These artists were the movement's main innovators. Until I stumbled across this piece of work the other day, I had forgotten how much African art had inspired the cubist movement.


Take a close look - wouldn't you say that there is a bit of Picasso in it? Uh hum...clarification.. wouldn't you agree that there is a bit of Africa in Picasso's work?

Achieving Little Dreams

I am now officially a published photo journalist! See my photos here:

http://nairobichronicle.wordpress.com/2009/01/29/deaths-feared-in-nakumatt-inferno/

Here is the letter from the Chief Editor of the Nairobi Chronicle:

On Thu, Jan 29, 2009 at 8:50 PM, Nairobi Chronicle wrote:

Hello Leah, Thank you very much for your photos. I have published them on the site today. As you probably guessed, we were nowhere near the scene when the disaster began and we did not have photos. I might have ended up using newspaper photos but it is good to have original, unique images to give the audience a different perspective.

Once again, thank you for your efforts,

Regards,

CHIEF EDITOR

"G" like Giraffe, "E" like Elephant

I am not really an animal person. For example, I never had posters of panda bears on my walls as a kid. I detest being licked by dogs. Some people actually kiss their dogs on the lips. I prefer animals that keep to themselves and do not interact so much - like cats! (Exceptionally, I did once have a mentally retarded cat that did lick me all the time). Ever since my cat Coal-Ball and then my brother's cat Geneva died, I have yet to move on to other pets and probably never will. Furthermore, I am not a wild life photographer. I have always preferred the human landscape. If I took photos of animals, it was to please others when they asked and found no enjoyment in it whatsoever.

Despite my preferences, for some odd reason I decided to visit the Elephant Orphanage and the Rothschild Giraffe Sanctuary today. I suppose it is because I am in Kenya (for goodness sake) and I should see animals in their wild environment. To my great surprise, I enjoyed it! I even photographed them and allowed myself to be photographed with them.

"G" like Giraffe

I tolerated the giraffe licking in my palm. However, I decided to refuse the Giraffe "kissing" the guide offered me. So what is giraffe kissing, you ask? You proceed to put giraffe 'candy' or pellets in your mouth and let the giraffe take it from your mouth. I watched a British guy do it willingly. It was almost as if he had done it before! He didn't even need instruction. How utterly disgusting! The guide explained that giraffes are "hygienic". Okay. (?) But my question is - how many tourists has that giraffe kissed? Sounds like a good way to get an interesting communicable disease if you ask me. Poor giraffe kissing all those tourists! Have you seen the size of a giraffe tongue? Why on earth would you want to be kissed by a giraffe? I will let you think about it.

"E" like Elephant

Now, let me take you to the Elephant Orphanage. This orphanage is very well operated. It turns out that due to the desire for ivory (which has increased by 600% due to abolishing some ivory import sanction in China), many mother elephants are poached and their calves are left behind to perish in the wild. The guardians of the orphanage raise the calves in their wild environment until they feel ready to join a new herd. The men in green act as their mothers by feeding them and training them to behave like well educated elephants - as their mothers normally would. In turn, the elephants recognize them as their foster mothers. The trainers even sleep with them at night! Indeed, these men have dedicated their lives to caring for these majestic beasts.

I had no idea that elephants were such sensitive animals. The trainers described each of the elephant's personalities and gave us tips on how to interact with them. Some are shy, some are naughty and misbehave given any chance, and some are very sweet. Apparently, you should never piss off an elephant because they also hold grudges and will get you back one day. They have an excellent memory. I now have a full appreciation for elephants and have found a soft spot in my hearts for them. Upon reflection, I discovered something human in elephants and it must be for that very reason that I enjoyed photographing them.

Foster Mothers

Do you want to adopt an orphan elephant for $50 a year? It costs over $10,000 to care for an elephant per year. When you adopt one you get a photo, updates on how it is doing and you can even watch the trainer put the calf to sleep at night. (Which is a privilege because the park is only open to visitors 1 hour a day). Voila, I am now officially an elephant and giraffe fan!

Poetry Pause (not Haiku, not Sonnets - just read it)

Giraffes
Elegant Beasts
Trotting smoothly in the horizon
Gentle eyes and long, sleek necks
Provocative, geometric designs
Limbs are thin, yet stealthy
Orphaned elephants
Dependent little calves
Missing their mothers' milk
Tripping and sliding in the mud on their wrinkly knees
Crusty brows and sensitive skin
Some shy, some naughty and some sweet

Question of the day: What is African Chic?

Answers:

1) Hotel lobby

and

2) My husband, Stephane in a hotel lobby