Mumbo?! Poa!

On Sunday, I traveled to Zingwe Zingwe. It is a small village about 40 minutes away from Mangapwani. Many of my students live there, and I felt that it was important to see how they live their daily lives. Flat Stella (her name was recently changed to Flat Aiesha) accompanied me on the journey. It was beautiful! The foliage was so amazing there with everything from banana trees to cloves! It is no wonder that Zanzibar used to be known as the Spice Islands, and it used to export almost ¾ of the world’s cloves. Zingwe Zingwe is made up of three smaller villages with a reasonable distance between them. At the first village we stopped in, Aiesha and I were treated to a traditional Zanzibari welcome. Together with my students, we prepared papeta. It is made from paddy rice, coconuts, and sugar. First you heat the rice over an open fire. Once it pops (kind of like rice crispies), you crush the rice. The crushed rice is mixed with coconut and sugar and is heated again. It was really good. We ate outside on a traditional Zanzibari mat. We also received oranges as a welcome gift from the family. After we finished, we were off to the second village. The students at CSRS have finished their primary and secondary educations. Their ages range from 20 to 40 with CSRS working under a vocational school license. If the students are not married, they live with their extended families is small concrete or mud homes. Some homes have electricity and others do not. In the second village we stopped at the home of a former CSRS student. She married last year and recently gave birth to a bouncing baby boy. She brought him out to greet us, and Aiesha and I held him in our arms. Many women do not continue the program once they are married. They are expected to maintain the home and groom the children. This depends on the number of children, the age of the children and the distance they travel to visit CSRS. The third village was near a sugarcane field. For the first time, I saw bees. I thought that was interesting. Anyway, I went to two of my students’ homes. They kept chickens, ducks, and goats while also growing cassava (root, but tastes like potatoes). I met their grandparents, siblings, mothers and fathers. For our gifts, Aiesha and I received coconut, balungi (a very large grapefruit), sugarcane, and cucumbers. We were extremely grateful and really enjoyed speaking with the families. Our Swahili is improving everyday and we can now understand the traditional greetings and questions about where we come from. Although English is taught in school and is used at large in Stone Town and on the Mainland, it is not used much in the rural villages. Many of the CSRS students hope to use their English to attend tourism school so that they can work at the hotels, resorts, restaurants, and stores in town. Once we returned to Mangapwani, I treated all of my students to 7Up and cookies from the local store. This was my gift to them for such a wonderful tour of their village.

Hello from Zanzibar!

Hello all!  I apologize for not keeping up with my blog responsibilities, but my internet connection here is rather limited. I have been here for two weeks and things are going well. I love the Zanzibari people. They are wonderfully open and warm. I have been working on a bit of Swahili and learning more and more about the culture.  It is heavily influenced by Arabic and African traditions with a heavy Islamic base. I live in Mangapwani…about 45 minutes outside of Stone Town where the people are more conservative.  Currently, there is no running water and the electricity is subject to brown/black outs here and there.  Other than the occasional longing for a hot shower, I am fine.  The food is wonderful! I eat fresh fruit and fish on a daily basis…alongside the regular staples of rice, beans, or semba.

Here at Creative Solutions Resource Systems there are 4 English classes and 4 computer classes.  There are 3 other volunteers besides myself coming also from the US. I teach advanced English 4. I have four students who have all been learning English now for about 2 years. It is amazing how far they have come from beginning the program. My IPSP is coming along as well, and I look forward to evaluating the program. Hopefully, I will be able to download some pictures by this weekend.

The Power of Friendship

Wow, wow, wow…I don’t even know where to begin.  As you know, my wallet was stolen in London back in May (it seems like this took place so long ago). Anyhoo, I have to thank my beloved parents who came to my rescue and helped me to cancel my credit cards, get my bank account in order, and comfort me through these crazy time. Talk about being down and depressed….I also have to thank Joe, who too, came to my rescue and helped me to hammer out the details of trying to get back to Tanzania. 

And so, It was about a week after I returned that I really started to shift into the…”gotta get to Tanzania this summer mode”. The first thing I needed to do: Get Passport. Now, the State Department website makes it pretty clear what you have to do in order to get a passport quickly, but I knew that there had to be a quicker way, so I called  Blanche Lincoln’s office.  Hey…what else do Senators do??  Anyway, they were extremely nice and told me what forms to fill out and to basically follow the instructions on the website. Boo! Not content, I called the State Dept. I am now well versed in my best automated system voice and can probably get through any “main menu” or “please listen to our menu options as they have recently changed” with the quickest press of the # sign or “0.” When I finally got a real person, they told me that I could go to the nearest passport agency and receive same day service. Great! Where is the nearest passport agency…New Orleans. What!?! You mean I have to go to New Orleans to get my passport?  I immediately went to Kayak.com to look for some flights….Agh!! Everything was $300 or more (this not including hotel, food, and taxi services).  So my mom and I decided to drive . In order to be visit the agency, I had to set an appointment. Talk about a headache…there is so much that goes into the process. It took about 2 weeks just to get everything straightened out before I could secure my appointment. So, 3 weeks from the time I returned home,  (June 16)we (my mom invited my niece) set out on our NOLA  adventure….and adventure it was! Getting to New Orleans…no problem…driving in New Orleans…big problem. Between us and  “Molly”  (that is the name my parents gave the GPS)we were doomed! But, we made it and I was able to make my appointment…of course only to find out that I had to come back the following day (surprise…I had to stay in NOLA an extra night). But we made the best out of it, and I got my passport! (Here are a couple of things I’ve been doing in the meantime plus New Orleans pics)

Attended to the opening of the Murphy Keller Educational Center

Dr. Farmer addressed the crowd

Attended AKA BBQ with my fam

Molly- the GPS

Nice View of New Orleans

Only in NOLA

Next step: Get Visa. Once we returned to Little Rock, I went to the Post Office the next morning (June 19) to send my passport off to the TZ Embassy in DC. Now, I knew that I was pushing it close with the timing, but I had faith that it would get there soon enough for me to have my Visa before my trip. Let me just tell you…I was so glad that I called on yesterday (June 25). They had just received my passport!! I told them my situation (and after a brief spat of disbelief) they were able to process it immediately. I knew if they mailed it, it wouldn’t get to me in time. Oh no! Not again!  I called everyone I could think of in the DC Metro area.  My friend Carla  (she works for America’s Promise Alliance) called  her friend Kouri (pronounced Corey) to help. He was able to pick up  my passport, take it to the post office, and overnight it to me. I was floored. I couldn’t believe that someone I didn’t know would do that for me. Through the powers of Facebook, we instantly became friends. Then…I remembered something…there is only one person I had met before who spelled Kouri liked that. It was a young man I met at CGI U in 2008 in New Orleans….it couldn’t be….YES it was! Kouri is an amazing person! He works in DC with the US Congress and is Chairman of Youth Entitlements Summit (YES), a non-ideological association of youth organizations and individual activists dedicated to giving youth a voice in protecting their financial future.  He called me from the Post Office to let me know my passport was on its way, and I thanked him from the bottom of my heart. We talked about CGI U and what we were now doing with our lives. I am eternally grateful. The world is so small. I couldn’t believe how a chance encounter at Tulane in March 2008 would lead to me being able to go to Tanzania in June 2009. Never discount the Power of Friendship. 

I have enjoyed reading all of the blog updates! Olivia’s Obama encounters, Lindsey’s haircut and Fantana dreams, Julianne’s Care Bear moments, LPT and Porter’s food quests, Chad and bball, Todd’s adventures (getting lost!), John’s losing of his passport, The Bolivia 3 in their quest to see Dino tracks (Cool! Land Before Time is one of my fav movies!), Alejandro and the pics from Mexico, Spirit with the children in S.A., Adam…with the Prague Blog, Ashley with her Tallberg stories, Ali…so sweet with the kids, Josh…(lol that monkey), Vivanne…will probably move to Nepal, Tezira in NYC, Harvell’s homecoming, and Jennifer’s job at the Watering Hole!  Thanks for all your emails and messages! I leave Little Rock on Monday

Below is an excerpt of one of my favorite Michael Jackson songs…Man in the Mirror.
I’ve Been A Victim Of A Selfish
Kind Of Love
It’s Time That I Realize
That There Are Some With No
Home, Not A Nickel To Loan
Could It Be Really Me,
Pretending That They’re Not
Alone?

A Willow Deeply Scarred,
Somebody’s Broken Heart
And A Washed-Out Dream
(Washed-Out Dream)
They Follow The Pattern Of
The Wind, Ya’ See
Cause They Got No Place
To Be
That’s Why I’m Starting With
Me
(Starting With Me!)

I’m Starting With The Man In
The Mirror
(Ooh!)
I’m Asking Him To Change
His Ways
(Ooh!)
And No Message Could Have
Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World
A Better Place
Take A Look At Yourself And
Then Make A Change

Frustration and Confusion

When I was in London, my wallet was stolen. This wouldn’t have been such a big deal if it didn’t have my passport in it. Talk about a crazy couple of days. Don’t worry though, I reported it stolen and was assisted by a nice woman at Customer Service. She worked feverishly to determine if my passport had been claimed, used, found…etc. To make a long story short, it hadn’t . I was sent to talk with the airline managers. They had some pretty tough questions, but I can’t blame them. In today’s world, I can only imagine how they must feel. Darn you terrorist! You make it hard for people to get their point across to airport officials without seeming suspicious.  I think I was asked “Are you sure you don’t have your passport?”…a billion times. I am pretty sure about this number because at every stop, checkpoint, gate, terminal…at least 5 people asked me the exact same question.  During the millionth time, I quickly thought to myself (Maybe I should say this was a big joke, and that I wanted to see what they would do if I magically found it. But I didn’t. I simply replied in the calmest way I knew possible. “Yes, I am sure I don’t have it.”)

To make matters worse, I couldn’t communicate with my family. My phone wouldn’t work, my computer was dead, and I didn’t have any money to use a pay phone. Plus, the airport people were looking at me like a hawk.  I couldn’t leave the airport to go to the US Embassy because I didn’t have any money so they had no choice but to send me back. Finally, a nicer manager worked with me. She said that she had recently handled a similar situation, and that she was sorry that it was happening to me. She was almost like a mother type. I was appreciative as she worked to get me a flight back to the US. So, I was only in London for about 7-8 hours roughly before making a turnaround trip to the US. 

I only got a chance to take one picture in London. Flat Stella was relaxing on my pillow in London, enjoying herself as I took care of the flight business. I secretly envied her. She seemed to be at peace

Flat Stella...Resting

My flight back to the US was eventful, just like the first. It wasn’t an overnight trip, so mostly everyone stayed awake and watched movies. To my right, I sat next to a young woman who played for the Romanian Women’s basket ball team. Her name is Cynthia Valentin. Http://www.mcmbasket.ro/en/index.php She was from Indiana and was so excited to be returning home. She had been away from her family for months due to the extended season. She went on to explain how they recently won the championship. Wow, I was sitting next to a pro basketball player…pretty cool!  We talked about movies, music, and everything under the sun.  Here she is with her team. She is the first one on the first row from the left.

Romanian Women's Basketball Team

On my left there was an Italian family traveling with their elderly mom. Mom didn’t know English, so the eldest daughter translated. Although I couldn’t really understand what they were saying, it was just nice to admire (don’t worry I wasn’t staring or eavesdropping, but it  just made me want to help others more and to be mindful of how I can be of any assistance to those in need).

For dinner, I chose the chicken option…again. It was alright. It came with a piece of chocolate mousse cake, so I am not complaining. Being that this was the only meal I had eaten all day, I was eternally grateful.

 *****!!!!Spoiler Alert!!!! *****

 Bride Wars, Revolutionary Road, and Yes Man

Before landing in London initially, I started to watch Bride Wars.  So …I thought it would be great to finish it up on this turnaround trip   My sister and my brother are both getting married later this year (Sept. 18th and Oct 3rd respectively), and I found every ounce of the movie funny!!  Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway ( I honestly think Anne gets typecast so much…The Devil Wears Prada…Princess Diaries….always rags to riches if you ask me) were brilliant. Now of course, I am not saying Oscar worthy, but it was a really cute movie that many women can relate to. I do not think it is uncommon for young ladies to fantasize about their wedding days at young ages. For me, it started with the Disney movie Cinderella. To see her and Prince Charming was magical. From that point on the “Disney syndrome” was in place. A constant dreaming of meeting the perfect guy, with the perfect wedding, with the perfect home….and so on and so on…was a constant in my mind.

What I learned from Bride Wars:

• Friendship goes beyond wedding dresses, flowers, caterers, music, and food.
• Your friends often know you better than you know yourself.
• Sometimes people grow apart and that’s alright.

The next movie I selected was Revolutionary Road, with Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio. Talk about HEAVY stuff people, HEAVY stuff. I think for so long we have been bombarded with this idea of the American Dream. The Dream is characterized by having a house (white picket fence of course), car, 2.5 kids, and a dog. It is “the life.”  Dad works. Mom stays at home. Dinner is cooked. Children are happy. Neighbors are nosey.  I think somewhere down this road, the focus stopped being about obtaining joy and fulfillment. The new focus was to simply maintain. Don’t shake it up. Don’t move too fast. Don’t cause a stir. Marriage is a serious matter. Starting a family is even more serious. I am an individual with my own personal goals and aspirations. What happens if I am not able to pursue those goals? Does anyone really care? Am I a selfish person for wanting to pursue those goals? I am so glad that this was brought to the big screen, and I really enjoyed the schematic nature of the film.  

What I learned from Revolutionary Road:

• All that glitters is not gold.
• I am a firm believer in mapping out the future with your significant other to determine if your paths cross.
• Communication is key.
• Although it may seem like a personal decision, always weigh how the decision will impact those that love you the most.
• Patience and Sacrifice.

And finally, I watched Yes Man with Jim Carrey. Carrey is easily one of my favorite comedic actors, and I really needed something funny after watching Revolutionary Road.  Many, including myself, thought this was going to be a lot like Liar Liar, but to me it was different. For starters, it wasn’t as funny. It was almost a romantic comedy…with a bit of self motivation infused throughout the movie. When Carrey starts to say Yes! to everything, his life gets better. Well, until those impacted the most by his new attitude find out that he is merely practicing a self help mantra. But all ends well, so that is always great.

What I learned from Yes Man:

• Life is about decisions. Use discernment.
• Tell the truth, even if it hurts.
• Love and give unconditionally.
• In order to make a friend, you must first show yourself friendly.
• Life is what you make it.
• One of my favorite sayings, “Your life is a gift from God. What you do with it, is your gift to God.”

I made it back to Chicago and through Customs. The guy asked me “Pop Quiz, Do you lose your American citizenship if you lose your Passport?” and I answered “uhhh..no” and he was like “great answer, I will let you in!” Whoa….I don’t know about that, but I didn’t argue. I went to baggage claim to get my bags. (I had been told in London, that they put a stop on them and that they would be sent back to the US). To my surprise, I had no bags to claim. I reported them to the attendant, and she gave me a reference number to track their progress back to me.  I went to the airline desk to get a ticket home, but they told me that I would have to pay. I explained my story, but still no luck.

I called my parents to explain what happened. The first thing I remember telling my mom was “Don’t Panic.” I love my parents! They took care of things pretty quickly for me. I ended up having to stay the night in Chicago, but things could have been much worse. The next morning I went back to the airport. After a series of explanations, online bookings, and consultations, I got a flight back to Little Rock! But…oh…but, getting through security… that was a test in patience. Once again I was asked the magic question “Are you sure you don’t have your Passport?” I should have lied and said that it magically appeared, but at risk of holding up the security line any longer, I replied “I am sure I don’t have it.” I was put through the extra security clearing.  I didn’t care. I just wanted to get to my gate! And….I got there, with about an hour to spare. I met some people from UA-Monticello. They were also returning from London, but by their jovial expressions I could tell that none of their passports had been stolen.

I slept most of the trip back to Little Rock. I sat across from two men in the military who could solve a Rubix cube in no time flat! The Flight attendants were highly amused with this and kept challenging the men to do it over and over again. That was probably the first time I smiled during this entire ordeal. Before touching down in Little Rock we Called the Hogs! Whooo…Pig Soooie.

 The road to recovery for my trip has been a long one. I have called the Clinton School, Passport Agency, State Department, 2 different Airlines, my travel Agent, Security stuff, and who knows what else. I think I know all the “Hold” music by heart. At last check…my luggage was in Tanzania (maybe the people in London put my luggage on an imaginary hold….who knows?) But I am fine. Just trying to work things out so that I can make it to Tanzania this summer. I am so proud my classmates, and I can’t wait to hear more about their fascinating projects around the world. I have learned more about myself, than I ever thought I would in just a matter of days. I am grateful for the Clinton School for working with me. My family and friends have been supportive as well.

In an interview with Essence Magazine, Jennifer Hudson states “the thing that keeps me going is knowing that God is in control. It’s like; if He placed me here then I must be prepared.” I agree Jennifer. I agree.

On My Way to London…

This is the letter I sent my family on yesterday May 25:

Dear Family,

When I arrived in Chicago…craziness…pure craziness. First: When I arrived, I was thinking..hey, I can take time to relax, take some pics, and email everyone before my layover ends….not the case. I was in the wrong terminal!!! After I had already hiked a half marathon to get to the American Airlines Terminal for the London flight, I realized that I needed to be in the British Airways Terminal….half way around the world!!! (or the O’Hare airport)…but it seemed that way. To get to the correct Terminal I had to go up the escalator, down the escalator, took an elevator ride with a sweet family, and then a train to the correct terminal.

When I got there, I checked-in, went thru security, bought some $2 water and granola bars, and finally…I was at my gate. I boarded the packed full British Airways Plane. Well, on my left, I had some backpackers…pretty cool men. Had some terrible jokes about the US (I don’t mean offensive, just not funny On the right, some Pure Gamers….2 guys…I suspect brothers. In front of me was a charming family and the cutest little boy in the world.  He was actually wellbehaved. It was around 10pm at this time. All was not bad. I even got bumped up a class to World Traveler Plus (pretty cool, not the gold standard people, but cool). For dinner, I chose the Chicken dish (almost burned my finger opening the foil) LOL and I chose Marley and Me to watch. What a great movie!! 

Now…the sleeping part. It deserves its own paragraph. The plane was pretty much dark…most of the passengers ate, watched a movie and were ready for sleep. But oh no..not those gamers. They watched Bolt, some other crazy movie, played some games, talked to each other, read some gaming magazine….you get the drift. Around 1am…I started to drift into a good sleep. But around 2am…the Gamers started eating Pop Tarts!!! Now, I am an avid Pop Tart Lover…but at 2am on a silent plane…the wrapper was the loudest thing I heard in my life!! Bring on the flight anxiety….I broke into a cold sweat, my stomach started to churn, and the last thing I want to do is be reminded that I was not in my bed. I started fanning with the flight manual thingy…accidently waking up the backpacker….and bumping the gamer…This was not good. I calmed myself back down, and attempted to get some more sleep.

We made it to London right on time! Surprisingly easier to maneuver than O’Hare! Anyway, I took my Malaria medicine…no water (had to throw out my $2 water because I went through security again). I have never seen a Tiffany’s, Nokia, Harrods, and Coach store in an airport…but hey, It is a first time for everything. My plane doesn’t leave until 7pm.. (It is now going on 1pm here).

Love you all,

Regina

Since the last Blog…

Well, since my last blog my life has been a pure roller coaster! I have enjoyed spending time with family and friends, meeting new and interesting people, and preparing for my trip abroad to Tanzania.

On Thursday, May 7 th I had the awesome opportunity to meet and introduce Ms. Gwen Ifill during the Clinton School of Public Service speaker series. Ms. Ifill is the moderator for  the PBS show Washington Week.  She was in Little Rock to discuss her bestselling book The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama.

Me with Ms. Gwen Ifill at UACS

May 9th: I attended the graduation of my boyfriend Kevin from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff! He received his degree in Marketing, and I am beyond excited for him! For one of his graduation gifts, we took a tour of the Clinton Library. I know what you are thinking…but he had never taken a tour of the facility.

Kevin and I at graduation

On Monday, May 11th I attended an International Women’s Dinner at the Women’s Project. This dinner, hosted in part by the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s International Studies Department, featured a variety of guests from all over the world. The countries represented were: India, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, Barbados, Israel,  Egypt and the United States. Local community organizers, nonprofit leaders, and public sector patrons took part in the special dinner. During the dinner we discussed issues faced by women globally and helped to identify key solutions that can cross international borders.  I am so excited to be part of  a wonderful organization and to also begin work on my Capstone there for the Fall.

International Delegation at the Women's Project

From L to R: Dr. Allen, me, Dr. West, Dr. Williams

On Wednesday, May 13, I attended a presentation by Dr. Ivye Allen, President, of the Foundation for the MidSouth at the Clinton School. As the Scholar in Residencein March, Dr. Allen worked to formulate a paper on Community Philanthropy and Public Service. A special visitor and fellow Scholar in Residence, Dr. Sherece West, was also in attendance. Dr. West is the President of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation.  My advisor, Dr. Charlotte Williams, is the Director for the UACSCenter on Community Philanthropy. It was certainly a pleasure to be around these women!

In the midst of all this, I still made time to pack, research, andmake contact with my host in Zanzibar, Tanzania. I even made a  To-Do List for my parents On Friday, May 22nd, my lovely family treated me to a bbq dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, Famous Dave’s. I ordered the Rib tips andCatfish…can’t go wrong with that! I am so grateful for my family. I love them so much and miss them dearly!  Here is the link for the Famous Dave’s photos!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2017161&id=182200186&l=4aba157029

 

When in Rome…or should I say Zanzibar?

Villagers attending CSRS Health Fair

Women working on art project at CSRS

Ok, I am not familiar with this “blog thing,” the “blogosphere,” or anything remotely related to writing a blog. However, my classmates are going to be keeping track of their summer experiences via blog  so I thought that it would be cool for me to do the same. 

This summer I will spend 10 weeks in Mangapwani Village, Zanzibar on the grounds of Creative Solutions Resource Systems (CSRS). While there, I will be evaluating the program and creating a database for students and volunteers.

For more information about CSRS please visit: http://www.creativesolutionszanzibar.co.tz/