Water

Those of you who have lived with me probably know I have a thing about water. It makes me quite literally crazy ("mentally deranged, especially as manifested in a wild or aggressive way") to watch it wasted down the drain. Taps running while water heats up, cools down, teeth are brushed, people are distracted, dishes are washed and rinsed. But I waste water as much as the next guy or well I certainly waste water and I am always reminded that I could do better, a lot better, when I am in Ethiopia, Malawi or Tanzania.

Water is a challenge in each of these countries. Not for everyone and not all the time but for many people, much of the time, I would say it's certainly not as easy as turning on a tap.

When I was in Bunda, Tanzania, the hotel I was in had a bucket in the shower, so I easily collected water when I showered. I noticed that by the end of my shower, which didn't include heating up water time because I didn't want a hot shower, I had almost a full bucket of water, clean water - no soap or shampoo or conditioner in it. The next day I figured I'd use that water for a bucket shower. I was actually shocked by how far it went (I didn't need the full bucket for my shower) and how much of that water would have just gone down the drain.

In Malawi, in every village we visited, the community asked for a borehole. If not for their village (as some had boreholes through a CPAR-run project) they asked for the other villages nearby who were also using their borehole. In some cases I thought to myself, "But your water source is only half a kilometre away, that's pretty good comparatively speaking." Wait a minute, if I stand up right now, I can be at a clean, potable water source in 5 steps. I can take 6 steps and be at a second source, and in 4 steps I can turn on a washing machine to do my washing. Comparatively speaking for Nkhotakota, Malawi I meant...

The place we stayed, well the whole town actually had a water problem so we had to either wake up around 4 am to get the morning water - so I heard - or stay up later to see if the water came back before bed. My colleagues semi-joked that it was best to wake up at 4 for water, bathe and then go back to sleep. I stock piled in the evening and then reused my water. Too much information? It was just a rinse and it was so hot there, 35-40 degrees, I probably almost would not have cared if someone else had used the water first.

I've been to Dibate, Ethiopia three times now. Guba is the one that is supposed to have the water issues (it does) but Dibate is supposed to have electricity and water. Every time I've been there, the town has had neither, for months.

So when I come home I become hyper-aware of water usage but never, ever do as well at conserving water here as I do in Tz or Malawi or Ethiopia. I go back to putting water on my toothbrush before brushing my teeth. I don't typically collect water when I shower - and when I do, the basin usually overflows and I actually don't know what to do with the extra water. I notice myself rinsing the sink when I could just wipe it down with a cloth. I don't use my grey water to water plants (okay I don't have any plants but still).

Anyway, I could do better.

Pretty sure she's laughing because she's thinking 'why on earth does this person want a photo of me washing my hands? And what a waste of the water I had to collect.'

Peace Out

I just wrote a blog for work. Thank goodness my boss is 'toning it down' as I just wrote it zip zap like that as I avoid putting the last of my things in my bag. Someone is bawling nearby which is a tad unsettling but I digress.

As usual, I am feeling a little emotional before my departure. Considering how often I have gone to and fro in my life, you would think I wouldn't mind leaving places so much. I guess part of it is never being sure you'll come back to a place and if you do, who will be there, who will you see again. The staff here at Kiboko Town Hotel in Lilongwe are actually mostly the same. I just encountered one woman who I remember from last year. I can't remember her name but her voice sounds so much like a friend of mine is South Africa. I recognized her by face but remember her by that voice.

Anyway, it's been a good journey. We'll see how I feel when I'm back hibernating in my basement. I'm feeling tired already and my cookoo flight hasn't started yet. I'm looking forward to tap water, coffee, friends and family, wine, my bicycle, toilet paper, spinach, sweatpants, physical activity and going unnoticed. I will miss colleagues (some more than others), mangoes, cheap beer, going to sleep at 930, seeing Nissan 1400s around, sunshine, quiet streets, passenger bicycles, jacaranda trees, flame trees, mango trees and I'm sure other things but I gotta go.

See you when I see you, whoever the heck is reading this.

Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself

I make assumptions all the time. I am particularly sensitive about certain things. Nearing the end of my journey, I am typically even more sensitive and judgmental. Call it fatigue, call it culture shock, call it whatever you want - it led me to make the following assumptions.

1 - the country manager in Malawi doesn't like vegetables

2 - my colleagues in Nkhotakota are not hospitable

Here's what happened. In our meals together, the country manager didn't eat the carrots on his plate and didn't eat the cooked greens, let's call it Swiss chard, on his plate. I thought 'hey this guy doesn't eat vegetables! he's just like the men I read about in my reports not eating vegetables, only wanting meat because that's what 'real' men eat! I can't believe this, he's been with CPAR for years, he should be up on his nutrition and open to consuming vegetables.'

This is what I found out. I said 'hey, you don't like vegetables?' and he said 'what?' so I said, 'I noticed you never eat the vegetables' and he said 'oh I love vegetables, I eat them all the time, just not when I'm travelling in the field, I don't trust the preparation, I usually only eat fried things here.' Oops, just like me and meat in Ethiopia. Frankly I think he's being hypersensitive. I ate the vegetables and was fine. BUT to each their own and that's a totally legit reason. My bad, what a jerk (me I mean).

Lunch time in Nkhotakota. The country manager and I get dropped off at some cultural restaurant. I ask the guys 'hey aren't you eating here too?' - umm no, we're going somewhere else. Oh, I can't eat there too? 'No, we don't want you to see where we eat.' Maybe, in one of my finer moments of this trip, it's possible I may have muttered a sarcastic 'Your hospitality is incredible' - In other countries, we usually all eat together, so I'm thinking 'what a bunch of jerks!'

Next day, I was in the field with some of the guys and when we came back to town we found the country manager and program manager at the restaurant I had eaten at the day before. The guys said (more or less) 'we're going to go somewhere else for lunch, you can come eat with us' and I said 'oh really? that'd be great' and they said 'we just didn't want to go their with our boss.' In the end, I didn't get to eat with them because I got told to stay there and eat but at least I learned the reason behind the perceived lack of hospitality the day before. I really wanted to just go eat beans and nsima with those guys. Oh well, maybe next time.

I think Malawi always gets a grumpier, less open version of me because of fatigue and the heat. It's a lot of assessing and interpreting situations, and I'm sure I get it wrong a bazillion times. I have no good concluding sentence here so I'll end with a photo

That's Lake Malawi - it's dry season - the rains should come soon but who can say with climate change. This is the view from a fishing village that is in CPAR's project catchment area. I may blog about the project later.

Inhumane

That's really the only way to describe my trip from Tanzania to Malawi. I won't write at length about it but I left Bunda District at 12:30 pm on Thursday and arrived in Lilongwe on Friday at about noon Malawi time (we're one hour closer here until y'all change your clocks back). You can DRIVE from Tanzania to Malawi in that time.

Here are some highlights of the journey - it wasn't all bad.

2 out of 3 flights were on time

I had a macchiato in the Addis airport...but had to pay 4 USD for it.

I went for dinner in Dar by the ocean, which I could not see but could smell (mostly in a good way). We ate grilled calamari for dinner and it came with 4 green beans. All was delicious.

We weren't allowed back into the Dar airport at midnight. As my boss tried to work the security guards and charm them with her Swahili, I eventually lay down on the pavement to sleep. Thinking I was Jean's daughter, security relented presumably as a result of the pathetic mzungu lying on the ground to sleep and we got inside to rest. I have no shame.

This is what a 3 am flight taking off looks like - I would advise you just ask me for more details if you're really curious and avoid booking one yourself at all costs.

That photo took so long to load I forgot what I was talking about.

Places I caught some sleep on my journey:

The departure lounge in Dar...almost missed boarding because they boarded 25 minutes earlier than they said so I was still asleep. Not sure how I woke up - probably the 'final boarding call' announcement.

The flight from Dar to Addis - 2 seats to myself =1 hour of  numb leg sleeping

Flight from Addis to Lilongwe - 3 seats to myself = 1.5 hours of numb leg sleeping

I totally would have fallen asleep on the pavement outside the dar airport too if they hadn't let us in so quick after that.

Then we both almost fell asleep at the CPAR Malawi office when the Country Manager was talking because well that journey was nonsense and as I said, entirely inhumane.

Lilongwe, Malawi - aka Nostalgia City

Although I often say CPAR works in East Africa, Malawi is technically in Southern Africa and for me, that means this town is chock full of reminders of South Africa and Lesotho. Although it is actually quite different from both of those countries there are constant reminders of my time in SA and Lesotho...especially Lesotho. I have already spotted a number of Nanana take me home's...that is Nissan 1400s - Nissan 1/2 tons - bakkies and most fondly Notorious B.I.G. Le Roux. If you're newer to this blog, that was the truck I co-owned in Lesotho. I love it. Google Nissan 1400 for photos and you probably will too. Seeing them around warms my heart, and if you ever want to know more about it just ask, I can talk about that dream vehicle at length (as many of you are already painfully aware).

Speaking of Le Roux...I went to Shoprite today (a South African grocery chain) and it was essentially a trip down memory lane. There was J.C. Le Roux in the booze section - for all your sparkling wine needs and the inspiration for Notorious' last name. There were bottles of Odd Bins and Nederberg Baronne. There were dried fruit dainties, appletiser, rusks and overall the familiar hustle and bustle of a grocery store after pay day (month end).

Particularly exciting for me was buying carrots and granny smith apples! Fruit and vegetables. What a treat! Unfortunately Malawi is not cheap, stuff is expensive here so it's tough to stock up. Also disappointing thus far is the Savanna Dry drought that seems to be taking over. None at the upstairs bar at our hostel I guess you'd call it - Kiboko Town Hotel if you want to look it up. None at Shoprite - the shelf was totally empty - and only 3 or 4 at the bar downstairs. I intend to drink them all...except that place is only open until 5 and they really overcharge so it's going to be tough to juggle.

Anyway, this town is a sleepy one and typically makes you feel sorry for the country as a whole - I can't quite explain it but it's like Malawi is just missing something. But the memories come flooding back and it's hard for me to not get overwhelmed. Probably not great that it's my last stop. It's hot here today and where I'm headed next - Nkhotakota - we're looking at 30-35 degree weather. I'll try to post some photos but internet here is hit and miss. It's Saturday now and should be my day off but there is work to be done...I wonder if a Savanna would help. Only one way to find out.

Happy November - what? it feels like July!

(oh if you want to read a work blog...something I wrote got posted on cpar.ca - I did not sign my name to it but it got put in there anyway)

Photos

Main Street of Bunda

Sweetly Decorated Passenger Bike 

Walking Down Bunda Main Street

Hi There

     Thanks for showing up! I totally appreciate your readership. I actually do. This sounds sarcastic but it’s not and I can definitely explain my tone. It’s because I just had 1.5 beers on not an empty stomach but certainly not on a full stomach. Okay, on a 2 chiapati and 1 stoney’s ginger beer stomach. That combined with the fact that I spent most of today (Sunday when I’m writing this) inside working on a proposal has got me feeling sassy. 

       I did go outside for a couple of walks today and walks around Bunda town (a small town for sure) as a white person has inspired the following lists (and further contributed to my sassiness).

      Top 5 things you can yell out to me that I will not respond to:
      1.      Hey baby – yup, definitely not going to reply to that
      2.      I love you – still really not going to get me to turn my head
      3.      Hey, someone over here wants to talk to you – really? Someone in general or someone I           know? Oh right, someone in general, I’m gonna take a pass.
      4.      Mzungu/Wazungu – means white person or white people – this one is a grey area – if it’s kids, there is a chance I’ll reply or smile or say Mambo – which means what’s up? – but really I try to just keep walking and not look around. My boss sometimes responds with moAfrica – which was like our sometimes tried tactic in Lesotho – replying with Masotho! – people really hate it…but somehow it doesn’t seem to get the point across.
      5.      Hey you! – I don’t know, I wouldn’t respond to this at home so I’m not going to here

       Top 5 things you can yell out to me that stand a chance (turns out there are 6):
     1.      Hey, hi! – this happened this evening from a guy driving by on a boda boda aka motorbike so there really wasn’t time to respond but was pretty funny and reasonable.
     2.      Good morning/Good afternoon – especially coming from kids (if they get the time of day right) I’ll probably engage.
     3.      Hello my sister – this seems like a respectful greeting and I can’t ignore everybody so I’ll often go for it…and likely regret it shortly after because my reply tends to be met with a version of hey baby or a string of Kiswahili words that I do not understand but suggest I should stick around and hang out and often include mazungu.
    4.      Rafiki – this means friend and well okay fine who can resist responding to a holler out of ‘friend!’?/a character from the lion king (note: you know more Swahili than you think). Not me apparently. So far it hasn’t ended too badly.
   5.      Selama – The Kiswahili version of Selam – a perfectly respectful way to greet someone
Habari – simply and respectfully ‘how are you?’ – this one takes me a minute sometimes though so I often accidently ignore/don’t respond to people who say this to me – I’m on the case now though so can respond with ‘nzuri’ (good) when I’m ready.

This list really sounds pretentious now – like I am deciding who deserves a response and who does not and that whether I do respond is actually important to people. I guess it’s really about my experience being in a place where I stand out and how best to handle it. I don’t want to encourage people to yell stuff at anyone who looks different (is white) and I also don’t want to be rude. I pretty much apply the same rules here as I do at home – if you’re a guy and you’re yelling stuff at me or whistling at me, I’m not going to turn my head. If you’re an older lady or man, I’ll give you a polite nod, maybe a smile and possibly a ‘habari’ or ‘selama’ in respectful greeting – whether you have done so or not (this often elicits a whole lot of nothing). If you’re a kid or a gang of kids, totally depends on my mood. Girls have a better shot because in my mind and experience they get ignored a lot more anyway so if we can smile at each other then sure, why not. Most of this whole exercise with all ages and sexes results in a lot of laughs in my general direction.

As a young Ghanaian high schooler in suburban Canada once said to a teacher friend of mine “I’m just trying to blend in.” It’s totally going aces.

*Side story – in Ethiopia I get called farenji (evolved from French) or China!! Because the Chinese are doing some major road and electricity building in the part of the country where CPAR works. (Other Asians are not differentiated so maybe they dislike being called ‘China’ more than I do – I don’t dislike it that much, it’s just incorrect).

Hopefully photos to follow...internet here is not on my team.

Until Next Time Ethiopia

Tonight is my last night in Addis (aside from the 2 more times I'll have to fly through here to get to Malawi and then home again). I think maybe I always start to feel sad when I have to leave a place even when 5 days ago I might have been thinking/feeling 'get me the heck out of here.' Leaving the office today, saying goodbye to my colleague and really I think I can say friend, Aklilu, felt sad. He and Endris (the CPAR chief mechanic and driver) have been so good to us. Acting as chauffeurs and translators. Interpreters and food orders. Water buyers and Teddy Afro players. Answerers of millions of questions. They have been our go to guys so it is sad to leave them and difficult to express our (why am I talking about our?) my gratitude towards them.

I was fortunate enough this time, on this trip, to make it to Tamoca coffee. The mecca of the macchiato. I'm putting in a photo that will probably make you mad at me rather than happy for me. I didn't think we would get here because we had stuff to do at the office and in the end we went after work (poor Endris driving through awful Addis traffic so a couple of ferenjis could buy cheap delicious coffee). Granted, he did find parking and joined us inside so he got a macchiato out of the deal at least...there was also coverage of the shooting in Ottawa on the news - CNN so it was all a strange contrast. [I also heard that someone is using this as an excuse to skip out on a citizenship ceremony with Malala...who only happened to survive getting shot in the face in her attempt to get an education. It just kind of adds to some interesting information we heard from a project partner about how Canadian taxpayers money is being spent to court wealthy extractive industry jerks and combined with that may have resulted in my subconscious typing of democracy as democrazy]

Anyway, here is the point. I got an amazing macchiato here today.  

The best one around.

That's not the real point. This is - I've been so well taken care of by my colleagues, seen such amazing things [both in the good way and in the harsh reality way] that it makes me sad to leave. I never really know who will be here next time (if there is a next time) and how things will go. I am excited to head to Tanzania where I made some good connections with colleagues too so that at least is something to look forward to.

But basically I have the Spice Girls song 'Goodbye' stuck in my head, as well as the parody song some friends and I wrote to Coldplay's Fix You, and don't really want to go to bed because it will bring tomorrow and tomorrow I will leave Ethiopia (at least I don't have to dodge shiro or tibs anymore).

Incoherent babble? I can teach that course!

Oh also

I think I meant development 'can' work
and that I wish there was a better word for contributing to positive change than 'development' but at this point it seems the lesser of many evils my brain can come up with

Yes People Are Talking About Ebola Here Too

I think I mentioned I had my temperature taken upon arrival at Bole International Airport in Addis. If not, well I did. It's on the news here, well the BBC news that I can understand. There are UN reports circulating about it. The keys are to practice ABC - avoid body contact - and not to panic. It's not air born after all.

Here is an interesting blog I read related to American (and quite likely Canadian) coverage of the Ebola outbreak.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/monkey-cage/wp/2014/08/25/othering-ebola-and-the-history-and-politics-of-pointing-at-immigrants-as-potential-disease-vectors/

I know people working in West Africa in support of containing and fighting the Ebola outbreak. It is a difficult reality that people are faced with. The ABC protocol is strict - no hugging anyone at any time. That's not an easy thing when you are in a difficult situation. But anyway, I recommend the article above for both it's reference to Ebola and our own practices of othering and perceptions of unknown people and places.