Some snaps in Sierra Leone

I have about 3,000 photos from Sierra Leone. For now, I'll keep it to two.

Sierra Leonean children have an exceptional knack for making noise. These little guys clapped and sang for at least 30 minutes and then started an impromptu parade. Unfortunately you can't hear them here. I'll see if I can figure out how to post a video we made.

Here I am. Nervously accepting a gift of 2 live chickens from a village chief:

Did I mention how much I love my job?

Shannon

Sierra Leone, trip #2 in June and July

I may start going to Sierra Leone more frequently. This is wonderful for my professional and intellectual pursuits, but bad for blogging as a I routinely lack electricity and internet access.

There are plenty of things to love about Sierra Leone. The way people greet you by saying "How di bodi?" and maintain eye contact until you respond "Di bodi good." Or the way little kids make impromptu parades throughout the village when we arrive to collect data.

Here are a few conversations that underscore the charming side of the country...

Example 1: Greeting from Sierra Leonean colleauges after a 1-month hiatus:
"Ooooh Shaaanone. Praise Jesus. You look fine. So fine," said a colleague. "Doesn't Shaanone look so fine?"
(Lots of head-nodding)
"Especially in your face Shannon," she said. "Praise Jesus. You got FAT!!"

Example 2: On data transcription
"Shannon, you will hear in the tape cassette everything we talked about," said a colleague when I asked about an in-depth interview she had just recorded with a mother.
"Well, Fatimata, technically I won't hear it because I don't speak Temne (the language used in the interview)," I said.
"Yes, you'll hear it," she said.
...
"Just put on your magic headset," she said.
...confusion...
"Shannon," she said, now trying not to get annoyed. "Tell the UN to give you a magic headset. I see them on TV. The magic headset. People understand every language when they put on these headsets. Why wouldn't they tell you about it?!"
Thus ensued a conversation about the role of live, real-time translation.

Example 3: Girl talk
"Why do you have no children?" a village woman and mother of seven asked, through a translator.
"Because I'm waiting," I responded.
"For what?"
"For the right time," I said, wincing at how lame this sounded.
"What is the right time?" she asked.
"I guess it's when I have a bit of money saved for a baby, and a house that a baby could go in, and when I'm not traveling so much," I said.
...long pause...
"You will be very very old when you make babies," she said.

Example 4: Girl talk 2.0
"Where did you buy your hair?"
"I didn't buy it. It's from my head. See." (here we pulled it around to reveal no weave)
"Oh. So which toxic soda do you make as hair relaxant?"

A very good year

Yikes! I fell off the grid for a few months.

Here's why:

1. I was finishing my thesis

2. I fell head-over-heels crazy for a guy

3. I was applying for jobs

4. I was moving in with head-over-heels dreamguy

5. I got a job with a UNICEF (an organization for which I have a head-over-heels affinity)

6. I barely paid attention to anything except gaga job and gaga dreamguy

7. UNICEF sent me to Sierra Leone for a month

8. I was torm about conducting research in exciting, incredible Sierra Leone versus lazing around with exciting, incredible dreamguy

9. Somewhere in the middle of numbers 1-8, I left Tanzania then went to Illinois, Austria, Macedonia and Switzerland. In Illinois, I played with Cade and danced with Josephine. In Austria, I dislocated my shoulder. In Macedonia, I chased my toddling friend Avery while she hid my makeup and undies. In Switzerland, I celebrated a baptism and saw Einstein's home.

10. I was preparing to officially graduate from Johns Hopkins University (which will happen next week)

But who cares about text! Bor-ing! Photos tell the story. Unfortunately, I have only photos from Sierra Leone right now. I hope they can suffice.

These are "snaps", as Sierra Leoneans say, from Kambia district in the northern border of Sierra Leone, near Guinea. UNICEF is working in Kambia, among other places, to address 3 illnesses that kill the most kids in Sierra Leone: malaria, diarrhea and pneumonia.

Here's a mom in a clinic with her daughter:

Little boys felt especially emboldened to walk up to me, say, "SNAP! SNAP ME" and then pose:

A baby wearing a healing amulet with a prayer written and folded within the amulet:

More boys:

and girls:

and Moms, who came to a clinic to learn about UNICEF and the Ministry's new program to supply free medical care to pregnant women, breastfeeding moms and children under 5. The nurse at the clinic kept saying, "Free! All Free" and the moms would say, "Free?" and the nurse would repeat, "Free! All free. As in, no money. No charges. FREE." And the question cycle would repeat with looks of incredulous excitement.

I hate not blogging. Not only because my friends and family don't know what I'm up to, but also because without blogging I have no record of the past months' adventures.

Thanks to those who kept encouraging me to write.

xo

Shannon

two BIG moments, one little week

I found out this week that I was accepted to a PhD program at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. How wildly exciting! How wonderful! How worthy many, many whiskeys!

You might think I was out celebrating. You would be wrong.

Instead, I'm sitting at this computer, typing out the final words of a thesis that is due... TOMORROW. Uggggghhhh. When did life become so crowded!?

If you know me, if you're reading this, if you care enough to be a part of my life ... thank you. Thanks for moaning with me, cheering for me and celebrating my successes- big and small. As two very dear friends like to say, "You make it in life when you have the fortune to stand on the shoulder of giants." You're one of my giants.

Shannon

bad day turned beautiful

Today was Alfredo's funeral. I didn't attend. In some strange twist of fate, today was also my going-away party, hosted by colleagues from the Primary Health Care Institute in Tanzania.

I spent the better of today in the same state I've spent the better of most days since Alfredo died. I was angry. I wanted to throw things and - for better or worse - I was snapping at people. A bigger person than me could probably look deeper and find peace and not feel anger in their heart. I'm not there.

At 5 pm, I was midway through a proposal when I heard Kenny Loggins and Michael Jackson singing "We Are The World" in the courtyard outside my office. 'What on earth is going on out there?' I wondered, forgetting my scheduled going-away party.

At around 5:15 pm, the director of the institute walked into my office and said, "Shanni, it is not customary to be this late to your own party. Twendetu (Let's just go). TWENDE (Let's GO!)"

I walked through the courtyard to a hall of the institute. Inside, 20 colleagues had decorated the room with my favorite flowers, which they placed at a head table where I was to sit. They played my favorite Tanzanian music ("Twisty") and served my favorite beer ("Kili") and wine ("Hillekundu"). Midway through the dinner (again, my favorite, "Kuku na chips") the women gathered in a line, put me in a chair in the middle of the room, and starting singing while showering me with gifts including a basket, mini giraffe, CD, kanga and a beautiful wood carving.

The gifts from the staff were especially meaningful as members of the staff had remembered things I pointed out with admiration during the past couple of months. They remembered the intricate pattern of my favorite kanga (fabric) design and bought a deluxe version of it (triple wax, three yards). This thoughtfulness and attention to detail was beyond my imagination. I was touched, to say the least.

"Shanni," said one colleague while we danced across the floor to Twisty, "I think you love life. You love living... Karibu tena (Welcome again). Karibu sana (Heartfelt welcome). You're part of our family."

"I'm part of the family!" I exclaimed, with a touch of red wine running to my head. "Really!?! Do you think this means the family has adopted a little mzungu (white person)!"

This brought lots of laughs.

By 8 pm, I was smiling like I haven't smiled in awhile. The staff took turns telling funny stories to me, about me, for me.

In some strange way, I feel like Alfredo would have enjoyed knowing that this was how I ended my day thinking about him. He used to say the exact same thing - "You love life! You love living! You are part of the family! Karibu tena!"

It's true: I do love life. And I love living. I only wish it could last forever, for me and for everyone I love.

Shannon

Thank you for saying this

I don't usually write about current events. But reading this quote today made me breathe a little deeper.

"When a girl becomes a mother before she becomes literate, when a woman gives birth alone and is left with a permanent disability, when a mother toils daily to feed her large family but cannot convince her husband to agree to contraception, these struggles represent suffering that can and should be avoided. They represent potential that goes unfulfilled. And they also represent an opportunity to extend critical help to women worldwide and the children who depend on them."

Well said. Thanks Secretary of State Clinton for emphasizing that human progress relies on improving women's health. Thanks for showing world leaders who belittle women that they can shove it.

A fact worth repeating from her speech to mark the 15th anniversary of the Cairo Conference:

- One woman dies every minute of every day in pregnancy or childbirth, and for every woman who dies, another 20 suffer from injury, infection, or disease every minute.

Cade of the Week- Cade and his Curious Friend

One day, when Baby Cade is all grown up, he's going to hate that this adoring aunt posted a photo of him cuddling Curious George. But... til then, I can't help myself.

Here's the ever-curious Cade with his friend Curious George. George was a gift from me. He's my favorite in the stuffed animal kingdom.

Love you Cade!

Auntie Shannon

in memory of my friend Alfredo Obure

Alfredo celebrating his PhD defense

Today I learned that my friend, Dr. Alfredo Obure, died. He was 33. He leaves behind his wife and two young children. Alfredo recently received his PhD. Alfredo was the first in his family (and his village) to earn a PhD. Here he is with his dissertation.

and with colleagues, moments after successfully defending his thesis:
and with his wife:

Alfredo and I visited a few rural schools together and, during the long car rides, we got to know one another. We called our friendship a tribute to qualitative research and anthropology. We both asked very blunt questions about one another's upbringings (his is rural Kenya, mine in suburban America). Here is Alfredo with a handwashing station at a rural school:

We also wrote news articles together, such as this one:

I can't find words to describe how sad it feels to know that Alfredo is gone. The world has lost someone who was a tireless advocate for the poor, someone who showed young boys and girls that education could catapult you to new horizons.

Alfredo, I'll miss our g-chats and e-mails. I'll miss your irreverant humor and gentle chides. Most of all, I will miss your giant smile and whole-hearted laugh.

Shannon

Christmas Cade

Hi all!

I'm taking a break from blogging for a couple of weeks. Here is a pic of my favorite elf, Cade!

See you in a few weeks little man!

And, Dad, you look great!

Shannon

A room with a view

I was in Morogoro the other day and woke up to this view:

My Tanzanian colleagues saw me taking pictures and started laughing.

"What?" I said.

"You are photographing a cloudy mountain."

pause

"Men, I am from Illinois. Illinois is flatter than a chapati. Hills and mountains are a big deal!"

xo

Shannon

Hippos in Ruaha National Park

Admittedly hippos are low on my list of animals. Maybe it's the stubby legs. The enormous belly. The fact that they swoosh their tails to spray their excrement while pooping. Oh- or get this- they're known for killing people and their own babies.

Anyway! Enough hating on hippos. On the bright side, Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is a really great word.

Here are some photos of Hippos in Ruaha (for those of you who lovingly mentioned that seeing my toes in the last post was a little less than thrilling)...

This is to give an idea of where our lunch stop was in relation to the water where the hippos were:

Those things that look like logs in the water are hippos! Sorry they look so tiny!

A pod. Male bulls can have up to, like, 30 ladies. This guy was not such a stud.

More photos from Ruaha to come. Elephants etc.

xo

Shannon

Recently in Ruaha

Almost every tourist who comes to Tanzania makes three stops: Serengeti Park, Mt. Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar. These are the "biggies," with scenes straight out of Hemingway novels and National Geographic magazines. They're also in more accessible parts of the country, the North and Coast.

To see where I live, in Southern Tanzania's highlands, tourists must spend a valuable day or two on the road. For that reason, they don't come. Foreigners in Iringa remain a novelty. Here's a typical view of the Southern Highlands:

Last week, I was reminded of this seclusion when I went on a safari in Ruaha National Park with my Japanese friend Shingo (who I have referred to as Neck as his name is Swahili for Neck). Shingo and I drove through the park for two days and saw just two other vehicles.

The safari was Shingo's idea and he prepared with panache. In honor of Japan, we molded rice balls and steamed okra for lunch. Here are the rice ball making supplies.

This a completed rice ball. You just put sushi paper on the bottom and - voila - tasty goodness.

We packed up the rice balls and other materials and drove into the park. This is where we stopped for lunch. It's on the banks of a river full of flubby, bubbling, belching hippos.

Another view from the lunch stop:

In order to get a good view, we popped open the roof of the truck and stood on our seats. Like this:

And then we realized how infintely more fun it was to sit on top of the truck, like this:

It was like a safari roller coaster! Here's a picture I took while sitting on the top of the truck (still nowhere near as tall as this giraffe): Later, the rain came. You can see the rain in left side of the photo below. Shingo was kinda bummed about the rain. To cheer him up - and in honor of America - I insisted that we start singing songs by his favorite performer, Madonna. So the rain poured down and Shingo and I stayed on top of the truck singing Karaoke versions of Rain, Ray of Light, Lucky Star and Jump.

It was Karaoke on safari! Midway through Lucky Star, Shingo pointed out that Karaoke is a Japanese tradition. In fact, the word Karaoke is Japanese for "singing without orchestra" or "empty bucket." Ah, how cultures can collide in the middle of rural Africa.

After the rain, we returned to a campsite and watched the moon rise. I had never seen a moonrise and it made my heart stop. In the middle of the night, an adult male elephant stopped by our banda while grazing. This too was a first-time experience. My heart stopped again and I'm pretty sure I peed in my pants. Nevertheless, it was incredible.

Here's a photo of me. The only one from the day. I'll try to get better about putting pics of myself on here, per some of your requests. :)

xo

Shannon

Ismila Stone Age site

Photos from a recent visit to Ismila, a Stone Age site and really cool canyon in Southwest Tanzania. I am too tired to write. Enjoy the photos.

xo

Shannon

Things I am thankful for in Tanzania

I like the way Tanzanian waiters and waitresses sit down to chat when they're taking my order.

I like the way people call me Shanni, from Ameriki, who does researchi.

I enjoy the melody of Swahili. I haven't enjoyed imitating the cadence of a language this much since I started speaking French.

I love how proud of Tanzania so many Tanzanians are. They have every reason in the world to be.

I love how I think that women are gossiping about something very very juicy, but then discover they are talking about avocado trees.

These are the things I am thankful for about Tanzania.

Happy Thanksgiving.

xo

Shannon

Iringa, Tanzania

Last week, I climbed to the top of this rock with my new Japanese friend, Shingo (Swahili for "Neck").

Closer view of the rock (notice the guy standing on the rock, not Neck):

Neck is a cool guy. He's with JICA, the Japanese International Cooperative Agency, which can be most closely compared with America's Peace Corps. Basically, Neck gets paid the salary of a Japanese computeer engineer while he lives in Tanzania for two years, builds computer networks and trains health workers in Microsoft Office, Excel, Powerpoint etc.

The more I learn about Neck and JICA, the more I'm impressed. To compare, America sends a lot of low-paid Peace Corps kids to wander through poor parts of the world with a hazy understanding of their tasks. Japan, on the other hand, sends well-paid professionals with several years of experience to do highly-specialized, easily measurable tasks.

The more I meet Peace Corps volunteers, the more underwhelmed I am with their abilities and the program generally (Peace Corps types who end up at Hopkins are a wholly different breed. The ones I'm referring to are usually getting drunk and whining about how they have nothing to do).

Anyway, walking around town with Neck, who has been in Iringa one year, is like hanging out with a resident celebrity. Everybody knows and loves Neck. Women ask him to hold their babies. Kids wave to him and say "China! China!" Our colleagues gush about Neck's fluent Swahili, his patience when teaching computer skills, his ability to cook fish in new and fascinating ways. Neck has set the bar very high.

Here's Neck at the top of Gangilonga (the rock shown above). When we reached the top, Neck and I had a nice chat and drank some Konyagi, alcohol which comes in a plastic bag (sounds trashy, but you take what you can get).

And we took in the view of Iringa. Our office and my house are in this photo.

The next day, Sunday, Neck and I went to Ismila to see and touch materials used during the Stone Age. Photos to come later.

Missing everyone this Thanksgiving. Looking ahead, I am going to make every effort to avoid spending holidays in new, foreign lands without the comfort of old friends.

Shannon

Cade of the week- deluxe edition

Caderoo, my remarkably adorable Godson turned the big O-N-E last week. To celebrate, I'm doing a special-edition Cade of the Week. Here is a collection of Cades from our day touring DC in September. I can't put them in the order I would like, but here's the story.

Cade started the day looking like a happy, drunken pilot:

He was ecstatic to be inside the National Air & Space Museum:

He took pretty much zero interest in the Lincoln Memorial, even when I explained the Emancipation Proclamation and the Illinois connection. (There were birds, trees and airplanes to look at overhead):

He looked downright distraught outside the IRS offices. Smart kid:

Near the vice president's house, Cade decided it was time to hit on the ladies:

We interrupted this flurry of flirtation to take a photo of Cade and the Capitol:

Cade's favorite spot on the bus was, of course, right in front. He held the bar with a death grip and, at one point, tried to press his itty bitty nose to the glass:

Before the day ended, we made sure we got a photo outside his favorite spot- the Air and Space Museum.

I hope we can do another adventure day sometime Baby Cade!

Happy Birthday!

Auntie Shannon