last night...

I was running down a path in the early twilight hours of dawn as the night slowly relinquishes its hold over the sky. Through the trees on either side of me I was able to see the glimmering of the water as it reflected the light from the moon. I reached a small clearing and turned knowingly to face the moon that was traveling downwards to rest below the horizon. As I extended my hands to the heavens I inhaled the energy of the night and turned again to face the sun which was climbing skywards in conjunction with the descent of her secret lover, moon. The sun erupted into pinks yellows oranges, soft hues of blue and green lit up the sky like a great display of beauty and possibilities. As my hands waved above me I moved trance like in time to the bursts of color splashed upon the canvas of infinity. I was conducting the light show, I was filled with wonder, and I was love manifested into two eyes to witness the glory of existence.

being here

what do we value more than spending time with someone? spending time alone? spending time in your thoughts? thinking about money? thinking about all of the areas lacking in your life? thinking about how you can become a happier person if, if, if...

we must be fully present, we must, with discipline listen to people when they talk, even if its nonsence, listen to sounds surrounding you...be where you are!

time is a matter of perspective, and location...there is no absolute time saying that you must perform such and such task at this age...so why ...are we still so ridgitly attached to a model of linear time?

a wise man once told me that sometimes you have to zig zag to get to where your going, but of course! just like a hurricane moves as a 3 dimensional body gaining and losing energy...we too occupy three diminsons and move from high pressure to low...hot waters and cold...that is our fun to have.

a day like today

I woke up and a soft pink hue was the first thing I took in. the pink sarong i bought in zanzibar is draped across my window creating the illusion of simple beach life...i am warmed by my feather duvet, the first and last thing I ever ordered from sears catalog...i stretch my body up and my day happily begins...a fresh morning full of sunshine, full of possibilities. I walk up stairs and my poor old dog peed on the floor again, although in better location than his usual on the hard wood floors, so i took it as a bit of a bonus...precious morning isn't ruined, so i made some coffee, had breakfast, and begun my work...at the kitchen table. best work ever. anyways, finished up with work by noon and took my beeeeutiful sister to the university to show her around. it was very special showing her where her classes would be...short cuts...the library...the coffee shop, etcetc. what a blessing it is to have a younger sister who i am so proud of. after we sorted her out we had a delicious lunch. i spent my afternoon on my bike, around a mountain and along side a lake...under the sun...and on top of the world...it has almost been a year since i left for zambia...and i am so amazed at the passing of time, the rush of adventure...and the sincerity of waking up in my bed, knowing that my family is in the very same house. no matter how insane i can feel at times, there is no place like home. and there is no other island as comforting as ours.

On Being Home

Well after the pilgramge and you met with the high preistess and you have recieved your blessing, and you realize the truth....you want to pack your bags again and make the next move, start the next chapter as if what your life is now means nothing to the perfect idea of your future. How is it I have lost myself in the future already? Two months home and I haven't had the courage to post.

The fear that consumes us is unbelievable, and it paralizing. You are not that fear, move beyond it and be light.

pondering

one week and half to get over my jet lag. i feel like i have been working my way through a forest that was blanketed by thick mist. but i now see the dawn breaking, and my body has found some ground the begin standing firmly on.

i only started thinking about the way my life was there, today. the small things, how i used to stand in the sun and relish in the warmth, the brilliant little faces staring at my white skin. the clear plastic bags that the pita bread came in, the lizards, neighbors, a cold mosi beer.

i recollect the memories like it was a dream, but i still have the strengths that i have awakened in myself so i know it was real. i am now faced with another adventure, although i am in familiar settings with my loved ones, i have a new eyes for seeing my surroundings. i feel very lucky to have traveled for the past 6 1/2 months because i see the passage of time, and i am experiencing brand new things with my family and friends that i would have taken for granted before, i would have been too comfortable or anxious to realize the beauty that has always surrounded me.

i believe we would live our days very differently if we kept that fact in mind. that time is flowing and doesn't stop for anything, we are growing and shifting all of the time, be aware of the dynamic ability for life to happen without you even knowing. but wouldn't you rather know!?

enjoy everything. its all happening around you. you already are the best person you want to be. just see it. now.

On going home

I sit drinking my tea looking out the window taking in another grey and damp morning in London. This morning is not like any other drizzly cool days because today I am going home.

I remember my last blog before I left for Zambia. Giant butterflies rallied inside my body and the multiplying unknown was looming over my head suffocating my peace, waiting for me to jump into the river of change. What a wild ride it has been. There were times I was carried along serenely, at times I was thrown against the jagged rocks, there were times of stagnation and times of tumultuous speed. I felt extreme loneliness, and claustrophobia that is brought on when you are days and oceans apart from everything you call home. Knowing that you are all you have is a very empowering experience. Getting through periods of great heartache is how you learn endurance. Over coming feelings of boredom and finding ways to be happy is the path to contentment.

I have learned patience beyond my wildest dreams, I have witnessed death and poverty beyond my wildest night mares, and I have experienced love far beyond my greatest expectations of the definition of the word.

Life is not easy. There are difficulties all along the way and we should not avoid them or ignore them. As the rock is smoothed by being tossed around by the ocean, we too are refined by the rolling of the waves. Have faith in the process. Have faith in yourself, of course faith falters but the people in your life will help you regain your courage and then you will help others find their strength and sparkle.

I have loved this time of my life. It was a beautiful experience and one full of ups and downs, moving forward and regressing...then center.

We are all moving forward, never forget that. We are the individual threads of the tapestry, hold on to the bigger picture. Fill your life with experience and self awareness, learn about art and biology. Star gaze and dream of adventure. Be open, be present, be lucky!

The end of a spectacular chapter, now on to a greater one...I must get ready now, I've got a plane to catch.

closing the chapter..

off and on sort of weather today
off and on sort of life id say.
maybe we can get back on track,
forgetting anything that we may lack.

so many inspirations today,
so many reasons why,
its so strange that as i look around
i can only think to cry.


i wonder where this day has come from,
i wonder where it will go..
i've been searching high and low,
for meaning to add to anything...
for feelings of realness to grow.

i see you all so busy
with fear upon your face,
did you ever think to stop and breath,
you know, this life is not a race...

i will hold on to this day
so soon the night sets in,
and with it arrives the saddest of goodbyes,
because here i cannot stay.

Deutschland

Deutschland

Beautiful buildings towering above the earth, fresh baked breads and cheese, coffee and cappuccinos, sausages and schnitzels. Great cathedrals amaze people with the complexity and ingenuity of their design and sheer size. Museums of art and history enriching minds every minute. Languages charging the air with a detectable romance that keeps your fingers and toes warm even though you are freezing.

A quite suburb of Dolston surrounded by forests and farms was where I spent 2 serene nights in Germany. The cold crisp air painted everyone’s faces rose and packed delicious smelling cafes full. Strolling around the stone streets in and out of shops watching all of the lovely looking people enjoying the same day I was. Laughter molecules must have been floating in the air resulting in infectious smiling and giggling. German beer and wine flowing like the river Nile through each and every restaurant and shop; a magnitude of people coming and going, shopping and eating, living and loving.

My mind always drifted back to my people in Africa. Here I am bundled up in Germany enjoying coffee and brie amongst thousands of people consuming cloths, shoes, jewelery and whatnot, and as I took it all in I just wondered if they ever thought of the people who are living in shanty towns dying of starvation. I wondered if they knew children run around naked and dirty, parent less and alone. I wondered if they cared to know.

We consume incredible amounts each and every day mindlessly, but I believe it worst to be mindless with our thoughts and our actions. If everyone knew how much we wasted and how that money could change lives in developing worlds, would anything change? I am not sure.

There is nothing wrong with wanting, if we never wanted we would never be motivated to act, but when the origins of desires are born in the house of gluttony we will never move forward and out of the basements of our resting potential. Try to be aware of yourself, know yourself, and most importantly love yourself; only then can you understand the duality of existence, the dark and the light, the tempest and tame. I do not think it is possible to comprehend the scope of inhabitants on this earth if you cannot grasp your own self on this earth. There is a quote in the bible that reads as follows;

Do not pull the splinter from my eye until you remove the plank from your own.

Remove the obstacles from your path and see that the fierce army you saw in the distance is nothing but twisted branches on a tree. Don’t waste any more thoughts, words, or actions. Be the love that is necessary to heal yourself and the world. Be alive, let your heart be inflamed with love.

Off the ground again...

Its 5 am and I am preparing for my flight to Germany. How exciting. I am very grateful for my experiences this year and for all of the discovering of the earth I have done. Not too much else makes me feel so alive. My beautiful younger sister is here with me and its like a dream come true to be abroad with her, she is my best friend. I love listening to her tell stories and am captivated by her beauty and gentle spirit.

Time to finish packing and then make the great journey into Heathrow airport, and the nearest coffee shop I can find:)

London

I sit here on a cold and damp morning in London sniffling and sneezing from the chill that has infiltrated my bones, I underestimated how the change in climate was going affect me.

Leaving Lusaka was like giving away my favorite book. I loved getting lost in the pages, getting inspired by the characters, and feeling something that I could never quite put into words.

I could have easily re-read and clung tightly to my favorite book. But I would not have been honoring the time I spent there and the lessons I learned. I did not need to cry for Zambia because Zambia was coming with me. I had a beautiful moment in the country but there are moments just beginning, filled with infinitely sparkling life bursting to be lived.

I miss the warmth of Zambia two fold;

1. I went into a small shop and put the warmest hat, scarf, and gloves on I could find. Walked up to the counter and said I'll take them all. The cashier laughed and cut all the tags off for me because I was too cold.
2. No body talks to each other. I will be sitting on the tube, or on the bus and I look around with such sadness because no one cares about anyone else.

And why do people want to look exactly like a person in a fashion magazine!? I look out onto a sea of lost souls wearing cloths they probably couldn't afford and don't like to mask their insecurities, I don't like it and I don't understand it.

The air is cold here in London but compassion is frozen in the hearts of the people!

Ok, now that I have said all that, this city is TEAMING with life. The energy is wonderful and exciting, the architecture stands proud to remind us of history and change. The accents of people from all over the world make one giddy with curiosity and novelty. Millions of cafes, restaurants, pubs, shops, boutiques, You name it! Its here, but it won't be cheap!! I already see stories in my head, dancing around waiting to be chosen and committed to paper and pen.

Chapters ending and beginning continuously, everything is revealed in the final chapter. Relax and enjoy yourself, its later than you think.

Travelin' on

I leave Zambia in a few hours. It has been a brilliant time in my life, one which I will cherish for the rest of my life. Thank you all for traveling with me. I could not have done it without all of the warm wishes and support. I hope to see you all in the near future, and I will be continuing my blog so please come along for the next adventure: I have been accepted into the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; MSc in the control of infectious diseases. Stay tuned for Emily's London!


Believe in everything you are. Be leashed only to the wind...Give love freely,

Thank you.

free love

The sun warms my flesh as I walk down the path then hides behind the cloud to offer shade,
A small child dances past me singing quiet praise to her lord.
All of the good afternoon Madames blend into one song of compassion
and the faces of strangers mirror inquisitive glances to what is foreign but welcome.
My feet float above the ground,
I am satisfied with the chapter I have written and will take my memories into the next chapter...
I speak without words and hear without sounds.
My heart feels light and I'll be traveling on.
Free Love is where I'm going.

12 days

The last 6 months have been wonderful and in the last days of my time in Zambia I find myself weepy for the beautiful growth and experiences I have been absorbed into. I look back to my departure from Canada and I can still feel the nervous excitement for what lay ahead of me; the great unknown. I was afraid and seriously doubted my capability to complete the mission before me. I worried about my family, my boyfriend, myself! What if something happened to my family, what if my boyfriend couldn’t commit to a long distance relationship, what if I was assaulted or too homesick to stay in Zambia? I had very real fears and self doubts that would overpower my excitement and joy for traveling to Africa and working on the ground in a third world country. I look back now and I am grateful for all of my fears but I am more grateful for my faith in myself to carry on with this internship. Our fears do not have to stop us if we see them for what they are; do not judge yourself for being scared of anything, let those emotions work as a catalyst for stepping outside yourself and moving ever forward on your journey through life.

I believe that the most unbearable emotions in life are our very best teachers. Sometimes they lay so heavy on our chest that breathing becomes difficult, but we learn to breathe through those times, we find the centre of the flowing emotions and we rest there, not allowing the currents of anger, doubt, fear, or loneliness to sweep you away. Each sensation is just another temperature of water, remind yourself of this every time you feel lost or at the bottom of the pit, what we feel is just another form of something else we’ve felt, find the centre. Breathe.

The lovely people I have met, the wondrous sights I have seen. The intensity of life I have tasted! When I created this blog site in September I titled it Emily’s Africa, but now I see the title should read Africa’s Emily; I have been embraced and nourished by this time. I have blended with life and no longer feel anxiety to be anything but at peace, I have been absorbed into the essence of this wonderful country and I will forever be changed and inspired by life.

Sit as long as you need on the banks of your river. But in my experiences, jumping in is much more fun. Be embraced by this time; hear the symphonies of life serenading you in each moment, and fear nothing else but a life unlived.

I know the reason I feel so blessed, my heart still splashes inside my chest.

The Zambian Education System

Zambia is a peaceful country with a population of approximately 11 million. The people pride themselves on the absence of war in their home but are struggling with poverty and disease. The complexity of development issues here is discouraging due to the cyclical nature and interconnectedness of the problems. There are positive aspects in this developing country and that would be the native Zambians taking the initiative to better the lives of their people; I have had the great opportunity to work for such an organization. Mulumbo Early Childhood Care and Development Foundation (MECCDF) is an operation that focuses its efforts on orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs) between the ages of 0-8. MECCDF has established 9 centers across the country and a 10th center is currently under construction.

The centers are located in compounds and rural areas where children are generally ignored by educational policies and government; there is a void in the education system where early childhood care should be represented and advocated, this void is where MECCDF is concerned. The mission of MECCDF is to draw attention to the development of children holistically by encouraging the development of all aspects of an individual ; the intellectual, spiritual, physical, ascetical, social, and mental components of the child. MECCDF’s vision is to grant all children without exception a meaningful childhood and acquire a set of values that will sustain into adulthood. Early childhood care and development will result in a generation of youth who will be able to create the necessary paradigm shift that this country so desperately needs, and deserves.

The education system has been full of holes for the past 30 years with no attempt to repair this social net until this year of 2008. The Ministry of Education (MoE) has recently issued the Joint Annual Review (JAR) which was presented over a 3 day conference in the beginning of February. Every sector of the education system was present for the JAR; civil society, donors & stakeholders, teachers, universities & colleges, government officials and the like.

Working at MECCDF I was given the chance to represent civil society along with other non-government organizations (NGOs) and coalitions. Prior to the JAR members of civil society had several meetings discussing the review and made several recommendations to be shared at the conference. I was asked to write the opening speech to be read at the commencement of the JAR for the chair person of the Zambian National Education Coalition (ZANEC) ; ZANEC represents a collection of civil servants on a governmental level.

The fundamental problems with the Zambian education system were obvious and varied only by degree across all bodies present at the conference. To summarize the major issues with the education system presented at the JAR;

1. More attention and planning should be focused on incorporating persons with disabilities in the education system in Zambia. The development of policy regarding children with physical and learning disabilities should be created.
2. The MoE needs to address OVCs as learners and must include these children in the education system. OVCs are at a greater disadvantage and should be receiving greater aid from the MoE. The needs of the child are not presently met and the curriculum should address the needs of every child regardless of socioeconomic class.
3. Increase funding for education to enhance governments accountability for Zambian society, this can be achieved by collaborating with other Ministries in order to met the needs of teachers, students, and communities.
4. There needs to be greater emphasis on skills acquisition in the curriculum to prepare students for the formal and informal work sector.
5. The bulk of children that are the most vulnerable are attending lower basic education facilities which are insufficient. The number of teachers needs to be doubled and classrooms need to be built to allow for increased learning time for lower basic education.


It is my opinion that Zambian society is not being served by the education system. The present curriculum is not relevant to children and communities. Children with disabilities are not incorporated into the education system, there is little motivation for teachers to remain as educators, infrastructure is not suitable for the growing population and there is not enough learning time between teachers and students due to lack of classrooms.

How can a country develop and overcome the obstacles of poverty if their basic educational needs are ignored? A commitment to learning is critical for this country and any country to move forward. We simply cannot work in isolation anymore, a collaboration of nations, governments, communities, and individuals can make a difference. But first we must be educated; we must have the desire to learn about our world and its 6 billion inhabitants.

Let us engage in global awareness and participate in healing the world. Believe in your ability to make a difference and do it. With opportunity comes responsibility; I believe we as North Americans have such opportunities to aid countries in need as well as our own countries by educating ourselves on the issues affecting people all around the world. Together let us move ever forward in the development of our world for all of humanity. Educate and expand your mind in all directions, be the unlimited potential that you are. The great explorer David Livingstone once said;

“All I can add in my solitude, is, may heaven’s rich blessing come down on every one, American, English, Turk, who will help to heal this open sore of the world”.

A Series of Unfortunate Events: So far away from hope

Lusaka was overrun with street children for the past 7 years, I am told that up until this year it was reaching a critical mass and the government was forced to intervene. There are still hundreds of children living on the streets but the numbers have been reduced and various programs established to absorb the forgotten youth. Its never easy to see poverty and the effects but your tolerance to such images adjusts, you are desensitized to a degree. I encountered the dark face of poverty last week when I found 2 small boys no older than 9 or 10 in the ditch passed out. I first checked their pulse to make sure they were still alive then managed to assist one of them to sit up and try to explain what was wrong with the other child who was unconscious. It was difficult getting any kind of information because the child was incoherent and would loose awareness every 10 minutes. A couple of people tried to help me communicate by speaking with the child in his native language but the efforts proved useless. Someone suggested the kids were probably sniffing glue or gas; a common practice by children living on the streets, to numb hunger, depression, illness, life. This was possible but I felt the children were physically sick and needed medical attention, they were both running high fevers and had small sores around their mouths, they were most definitely hungry and dehydrated, perhaps a combination of other diseases. After 2 hours of waiting for assistance a friend from the UN was able to make the necessary contacts, and the children were taken to a clinic and center for street kids. I was very happy to know they would receive medical attention and thanked my god for not letting one of the children die in my arms. The boys did not seem afraid even though they live a life we only experience in a movie or nightmare; the only time they would cry was when I rubbed their smalls backs and told them I wasn’t leaving and that everything was going to be OK.

When I saw the little boys drive off I was disgusted and furious with all the people who walked by me in the ditch, the police who couldn’t have been bothered, the people who I called who are paid to care but don’t actually, the government, the education system. I eventually digested the day and my rage gave way to inspiration; inspiration to commit to making change happen.

Find a way to nurture the fragile seed of hope, commit to making this world a better place any way you are able; Start today, begin now.

A Series of Unfortunate Events: Initiation into Africa

Sunday mornings usually unfold in the same manner each week; a walk through the market, spending a couple hours at the café with friends, writing emails and playing around on the internet; this past Sunday was another story. I arrived at the café and was feeling slightly spacey, definitely not myself. I turned on my computer drank some water and checked my mail. All of a sudden I felt incredibly light headed and needed to leave a noisy café, my friend noticed my skin tone turn ashen and she took me outside for air. I was expecting to faint, I was seeing stars and I felt very weak, I sat down and tried taking deep breaths. I decided I should get home so I waited outside for my friend to gather my belongings and at this point my eyes were wide open and I couldn’t see, I was too sick to feel afraid. The next thing I remember I was laying on the ground hearing voices saying; ‘she needs a doctor’, ‘she needs to get out of the sun’. It was so odd and surreal because I knew they were standing over me talking about me, but I wasn’t understanding any of it, I was so distant and didn’t realize it was I laying there on the ground, and then someone lifted me up and took me to a car, I was sweating profusely and thought I was going to melt. After 10 minutes I began to shiver and needed to be wrapped in blankets. My flatmate took me to the clinic and the doctor took my blood pressure then immediately took me to the treatment room and prepared a saline iv. I spent four hours in bed receiving the saline drip which regulated my blood pressure, the doctor was surprised I could have even walked into the clinic because my blood pressure had been dangerously low; when my iv treatment was completed I was treated for malaria. I felt devoid of life for a week, I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t leave my bed, I had a terrible head ache, and was nauseated by every smell, sound, and movement. Alas I am well now and other than the development of a slight paranoia to mosquitoes I feel healthy and kind of proud of my brush with malaria. Another page in the story of my life, they say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. I think what doesn’t kill you, enlightens you and offers freedom. Human beings are marvelous creations with such depth and variation. To be able to see your own development in difficult times is a great gift and I am always surprised with life, its ups and downs. Anything else would be a terrible bore. Stay with yourself and let life be the ultimate educator proving unique lessons and pop quizzes all designed for you.

simple thoughts

I am almost always sweating, I haven’t had a proper shower in months, and if the cold water works the hot facet is most definitely broken on my tub. I wash my cloths by hand and am unconvinced I ever really get them clean. My feet are always dirty and usually have at least two or three blisters on them. My hands have perpetual cuts and scratches. My hair has not been cut in over 6 months and I lost my brush the second week I arrived here. I brought a gold nail polish with me from home and it has taken the role as a clever device to hide the constant dirt that appears under my nails. I judge my “clean” cloths on how hot it was the last time I wore them, the hotter the day the less likely its one of my options, and I have never felt more beautiful.

Bugs have become company and I wonder where they are when there are not 30 ants marching along the wall in my kitchen. The rainy season is a terrible nuisance and the roads are a nauseating mess. The shabbiness of the flats and general appearance of most properties is startling. Hearing about a woman’s husband who drinks the little money they have away and looking into her brown watery eyes while sitting in her two room home where 6 people live as the flies swarm around me, and knowing that I’ve never know such hopelessness is, is quite frankly impossible for me to put into words. But I have never witnessed such a meaningful world.

Its so amazing to look at a calendar and know that in the next two months I am going to see my mothers beautiful face, and I will go to the store with my father and go to my home and share dinner with my family. I feel at home here in my humble apartment in Zambia, I have found friends in the strangers I once knew to be my fellow interns. I’ve tasted independence and the rush of stepping outside myself and I really like the taste of it. I am enthralled by all of this. I want to capture every image and conversation because they are so full of honesty. I hope to become that honesty and be the fresh air that I have indulged myself in for others to be embraced by.

Africa

Africa is a continent full of mystery, full of ancient tradition, full of life and death. Since arriving in Zambia I have lived a lifetime in 4 months, I have witnessed my mind expand and a sense of home coming for the person I found within myself. I feel grateful for everything, for every moment has acted as my personal guide and teacher. I have been reading African literature and I am continually intrigued by the soul that emerges when one tries to capture Africa in words. A bloody history, an oppressed race, famine, corruption; these afflictions have riddled the past and continue to plague African soils today but a certain essence, a raw and unbridled life force exists.

I have developed quite a love affair with Ethiopia: one of the oldest nations in the world and Africa's second-most populated nation. It has some of the oldest traces of humanity, making it an important area in the history of human evolution. Many scholars believe that Ethiopia is the final resting place of the Arc of the Covenant. The famous golden box described throughout history, which holds the stone tablet which Yahweh inscribed the 10 commandments on. This is one of the most infamous legends of all time, but if I may recommend "The Sign and the Seal" by Graham Hancock you may open your mind to the very real possibility of a grand historical illusion that we have all accepted as fact.

I will not go into further detail about the book here, but I will explain why I chose to write about it. I was captivated by one man’s journey and commitment to a personal goal where he alone was the final judge and arbitrator of success or failure. It was a pursuit of character more than the retrieval of an object, seeking understanding and finding the peace that abounds for those who accept their potential for something more than mediocrity and take life to its limits. I feel there is a great quest awaiting all of us; some may know what it is, and others are still working towards this knowing. But perhaps in the end it is never about coveting the “ark” and displaying it on your shelf, it is about the quest and the intense periods of self-doubt, fear, disillusionment- and yet still being compelled to go on, remaining committed to being your level best in the pursuit of freedom.

Thus far, my time in Africa has shown me that life is not required to be fair and great suffering is reality. But life is beautiful in its contrasting colors and impermanence. Herein lays our potential to work with this double edge sword of life and carve for ourselves something unique and exquisite that we can be proud of. There were many times I told myself I could not make this journey to Africa and I tried very hard to convince myself as to why I should not come. I was afraid and yet resolved to go, anxious and very excited. I was eagerly waiting for this time to come and I wish to continue living in such fashion; writing and experiencing all corners of this earth in search of my arc.

Datta, dayadhvam, damyata
Shantih shantih shantih.

Zanzibar Part 5: Kindness

If I happen to forget all of my memories and I can only have one to hold, I believe this would be the memory;

After walking all over Stone Town in the heat and crowds we are unsuccessful in finding an ATM with money. Between me and my travelling comrade we have 400 thousand shillings, translation: 350 dollars. The catch is, it has to last us 7 days. My friend is slightly stressed, fortunately I have inherited my fathers’ ability to remain calm in the face of adversity and I reassure my friend we will be fine, it was only adding to the adventure. We have to get to the other side of the island and we need to find a taxi. Hailing down a cab was easy; bartering a price we could actually afford was not so easy. The driver was perplexed as we sat exasperated on our packed bags and explained that we had very little money, and would truly appreciate him helping us out by lowering his price to our almost criminal offer. Thinking quick we offer him a cell phone as well, a cell phone and 30 dollars. He wanted to see the phone. We show him the cheapest model of a motorolla phone and he laughs. At this point he realized we were desperate and he settled for the cheap phone and 30 bucks in return for his 2 hour taxi drive into the remote village of Jambiani. He said that he hoped we would remember this act of kindness, he wasn’t mad or irritated, and he was helping out 2 foreigners because he could.

We started on our drive very relieved and grateful to be on our way to Jambiani. Our driver; Abraham was a lovely man, we learned about his life. He has a wife and two children. He was born and raised on the island. He wanted to know about us and our country. He was a kind person. Everything was going great, until the back tire went flat and we were once again outside in the heat. Abraham was more concerned that we were going to be annoyed than he was about the flat tire and jack that was too small to lift the vehicle. 5 minutes after we were waiting by the side of the road a large cargo truck-full of men drives by and sees the scene. The truck immediately pulls over; they all jump out and fix the van in one minute. Although there was work for one person, they all helped out. They all wanted to be of assistance. When the tire was changed they all jumped in the truck again and drove off. It was actually funny how quickly the problem was solved and the manner in which it unfolded, the world was showing me how generous people can be.

Back in the van. We remember we did not actually make a confirmation at the guesthouse we are travelling to, we only made a tentative reservation, the guy who ran the guesthouse (his name was Mr. Dude- I swear to you) said it would be cool for us to show up. Show up we did. Arriving in Jambiani our taxi driver helps us unload our bags; we all hug and exchange thanks and best wishes. Mr. Dude comes out looking worried; we figure he has no room for us. He explains that all of the rooms are full-but-he has done up his room for us to have for the week. He takes our bags down to his quarters and sure enough Dude has prepared his room for us. We just cannot believe his kindness, giving up his own room in his own guesthouse for us; he is going to stay down the beach at his friends place!!! And this is the best part- he tells us that he is only going to charge us half the price of a regular room! So the universe out did itself again demonstrating how perfect life can play out when you relinquish control and have faith.

The time spent at Dude’s guesthouse was beyond all fun I’ve ever had, we had beautiful meals and comfortable beds each night. At the end of my stay I really couldn’t have asked for anything else other than more time. Not only did everything work out perfectly, I still had about 50 dollars left over.

The kindness could not be contained in the bodies of Mr. Dude, Abraham, the men in the truck, and all of the people who were part of that day, the kindness overflowed and swept me away with its current. I am happy to be floating along in the river of kindness of that memory.

Zanzibar Part 4: Under the Sea

Hours before the tide was in, there was approximately 25 ft of beach, now the tide has receded back into the wide open ocean and all you can see is white sand and patches of water that have gotten trapped when the rest of the waves rolled back into the horizon, they look like aqua-marine mirages against the glowing sand. My friends and I walked on the ocean floor for a mile or so until we reached the water again, there the dhows were sailing around. A fisherman asks if we would like to go sailing, of course why not, so we jump into his boat and begin to make some distance between the shallows of the sea and deeper waters. The rice bag sail holds strongly and the captain; “Captain James” is bare foot out on the glider singing and playing games with the winds. 15 minutes pass and we set anchor, jump out and swim in the crystal blue waters. Captain James has some snorkelling gear in the dhow so we gear up and explore the treasures of the ocean. Brilliant fish flash their colors everywhere, the coral stands like a grand statue; magnificent star fish the size of dinner plates decorate the sand floor glowing bright red and grey-blue. Giant shells and oysters sparkle as the sun diffracts through the water molecules; everything is dazzling. Hours pass and we have happily tried our bodies out, we climb back into the dhow and we are on our way. My skin was deep brown and salted by the sun and sea, my body was relaxed and well worked, my imagination was entertained by the life under the sea, and my mind still from the radiant wonders of the day. Oh life. Another day in paradise.

Zanzibar Part 3: full of adventure, full of discovery

Ithaca is a beautiful poem written by C.P. Cavafy in the late 1800s, I have read and re-read this poem hundreds of times. The poem speaks of the journey we are on and the one destination where we are all going to find ourselves eventually, throughout this journey we encounter everything. We meet great teachers, we find love, we find struggle and we learn from all of it; "it" becomes the journey itself and we become each day, each sight, smell; we become the journey, it is who we are. The words in Ithaca were words to me for a long time, but now I have set sail and I am discovering the world and all of its treasures. I want to share the poem with you and I do hope the same inspiration finds you and awakens your inner adventurer.

As you set out for Ithaka hope your road is a long one, full of adventure, full of discovery. Laistrygonians, Cyclops, angry Poseidon-don't be afraid of them: you'll never find things like that on your way as long as you keep your thoughts raised high, as long as a rare excitement stirs your spirit and your body. Laistrygonians, Cyclops, wild Poseidon-you won't encounter them unless you bring them along inside your soul, unless your soul sets them up in front of you. Hope your road is a long one. May there be many summer mornings when, with what pleasure, what joy, you enter harbors you're seeing for the first time; may you stop at Phoenician trading stations to buy fine things, mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony, sensual perfume of every kind- as many sensual perfumes as you can; and may you visit many Egyptian cities to learn and go on learning from their scholars. Keep Ithaka always in your mind. Arriving there is what you're destined for. But don't hurry the journey at all. Better if it lasts for years, so you're old by the time you reach the island, wealthy with all you've gained on the way, not expecting Ithaka to make you rich. Ithaka gave you the marvelous journey. Without her you wouldn't have set out. She has nothing left to give you now. And if you find her poor, Ithaka won't have fooled you. Wise as you will have become, so full of experience, you'll have understood by then what these Ithakas mean.

Zanzibar Part 2: Jambiani

I pull into a old fishing community on the west coast of Zanzibar. This spectacular community is called Jambiani. The streets are sand, traffic includes bicycles, cow drawn carts, chickens, goats, walkers, and the odd moped, motorcycle, or taxi van. All of the homes are made of cement brick, but it is the most intriguing sight because it looks as if they have all freeze framed in the middle of a great ruination of the village, they all have holes in their walls, and there are crumbled bricks and debris all around. It is truly the vista of a lost community in the midst of a great jungle. Jambiani is so exquisite in its modesty and honesty it would humble the Queen of Sheba.

It is an Islamic village and the one mosque is in the centre of the village, it is a small white structure consisting of three walls and a roof. It was really neat watching the men at prayer, it was seeing religion in its most raw form, groups of believers gathered together in a tiny forgotten village on the coast of a tropical island. I am glad to know these traditions are able to preserve themselves away from the deceitful parts of religion that slowly pervade and taint the beauty of believing.

The guest house I was staying at was on the ocean, kilometers of white sand. The only people moving about are the fisherman, the children playing in the waves, women catching octopus, beach boys roaming the beach. The ocean is full of a hand crafted sail boats called Dhow’s ; the dhow is an Islamic creation. A small sail boat that instead of having a deck of any sort, is a hollow. The hollow is about 5 ft and that’s where you stand. There are 2 extensions on either side of the body that run the length of the boat which act as a gliders, they balance the ship. The mast stands about 10 ft in the air, the sail is made of out rice bags sewn together, there is a wooden rudder at the back of the boat. The entire thing is hand crafted, right down to the nails. It’s a work of art really, and this is what the ocean is full of.

The diet of the locals is fish, rice, fruit and vegetables. I have never felt so healthy and alive as I did when I was living on the beach. Every morning I had coffee, mango, pineapple, banana, home made buns and fresh jams. Every evening I had fresh fish from the day, and I am talking a fish; they fish is prepared whole, and they put the whole thing on your plate, I can’t lie it took some getting used to. Everything I ate was a product of that day, from the trees and from the ocean, delicious food, for pennies, wow, eating will never be the same for me.

The weather was dream like, very hot with a gorgeous ocean breeze. The ocean was both literally and figuratively the place to chill out. I would spend my days relaxing on the beach, swimming, snorkeling, reading, laughing, all according to nothing except the next moment. It was peace and tranquility at its best. The moon and the stars were gracious in lighting up the sky each night. There are no lights in Jambiani so the stars create a dome over the entire village, you feel safe the way the stars wrap around the whole coast and moon illuminates the ocean. Then comes the sun rise and as the moon and stars are diminishing in the sky, a quiet and maternal warmth begins to transform the dark into the morning light. The clouds of the night absorb the light of the sun and all you see is a sky of pinks, oranges, purples, blues, and yellows. Then before your eyes a golden beam of light brilliantly shines through the clouds. The majestic scene is enhanced as the villagers begin to wake and the fisherman and woman begin their day in the silent hours of dawn.

I sit and know beyond the depths of unknowing that I am very blessed to be alive in this world of sun rises and sun sets. A world of culture, of tradition, of humility, of grace. I can recall most every moment of my time in Jambiani and I think that is because I had no distractions in my mind. I have never felt so still and at peace, I am sure the essence of life lives in Jambiani with no masks or veils to elude herself from its people. My body and mind were nourished completely.

I hope the time comes when you can be in Jambiani receiving this spiritual nourishment, but I know that the distance between myself and Jambiani, and the distance between yourself and Jambiani is interchanging wind and shared light from the sun and moon. So let that breeze from Jambiani refresh you, let the sun warm your heart, and let the peace of that place find you wherever you are, and as the locals say; “Hakkuna Matata”;

Let there be no worries.

Zanzibar Part 1: The Massi

Along the white sandy beach in Kwengwa I was lost in the turquoise ocean and pale blue sky that merged together at the furthest point that my eye could see. The waves crashing against the shore and rustle of ocean breeze through the giant palms serenaded me. Walking down the beach I came across many beach huts selling art work and hand made jewelery, I was especially captivated by one such cluster of huts because they belonged to a group of Massi. The Massi are one of the most prominent African tribal groups still strong after the effects of time and modernization, they still wear the traditional garb of red sarongs draped around their bodies. They are fully adorned with stunning works of beads, around their ankles, wrists, necks, enlarged ear lobes hold more decorations. They keep machetes that have been used for killing lions, they walk with thin rods of wood that remind one of a wise sage.

I spent some time looking through their work and learning a couple of words in Swahili, I could not resist asking them to perform a traditional dance and they were glad to show me. They gathered into a circle and began chanting and making beautiful sounds together, like individual instruments coming together forming one orchestra. Their movements came from shaking their shoulders and pulsating their chests, they would pulsate towards one another and I could feel the energy being created and transferred into the group, and the jumping! The Massi have become famous for their incredible jumping during their song and dance and I have become a believer. They jump so high into the air after a high note of singing, and the stomping of their bodies back down on the earth must be to ground the energy they just created, that’s my theory anyways.

Song after song I watched with absolute awe and without realizing the moment one of the Massi men took my hand and pulled me into this magnetic field of energy. I started to follow their movements and someone placed a necklace of beads around my neck, the necklace rested around my collarbone but had long, thin chains of silver that ended in a small discs of silver cymbal like objects. When I was able to add to the sounds I really lost track of where the sound was coming from, I lost track of time, of inhibitions, I was dancing on the beach with a group of Massi. It was surreal and beautiful. I will never forget the magic of that morning. I still have the necklace and wearing it brings me instantly back to everything, the sights, the sounds, the fun. It was amazing.

The mixing of tradition into a world of conformity was like standing underneath a waterfall and having all conceptions of what one “should be”, “should look like”, “should behave a certain way” etc erased. There should be no should be’s! Lets all remember how fun life can be, how it feels to be kind with no thought of reciprocation, how easy it is to be content when we cleanse ourselves of should have, would have, could have mentality. Let us simply BE.