tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30687290036435175382024-03-19T16:24:54.988+08:00Books, travel, other stuff..."Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: "What! You too? I thought I was the only one."
— C.S. LewisMeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11993685335243644998noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068729003643517538.post-32416935646846821702013-03-11T01:39:00.000+08:002013-03-11T01:39:06.786+08:00Reconnected<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
(Cross posted from <a href="http://megangraff.com/">megangraff.com</a>)<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Last Thursday, I blogged about feeling "homesick" on my <strike>other</strike> this blog. (Homesick is in quotation marks because I usually miss people not places and I haven't even lived some of the places I miss.) Then I spent Thursday and Friday at an <a href="http://www.sgischools.com/">SGIS</a> conference in Leysin, Switzerland (and I got to hear <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Krashen">Stephen Krashen</a> speak! But that's not what this post is about).</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
My school blocks Twitter (that could be another blog post as well) but the school where the conference was being held does not so I was able to spend two days on Twitter and connect with friends new and old along the way. It made me realize how much I miss that connectivity.
At the conference there were only 3, yes 3, people tweeting. Me, my friend <a href="https://twitter.com/misskate">Kate</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/mrkantz">Glenn</a> (a librarian at the host school). I realized pretty quickly that I was not in Asia anymore and it made me sad. At one point I sent out this tweet:
<br />
<blockquote>
At a conference and there are only 3 people tweeting. <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23notinAsiaanymore">#notinAsiaanymore</a> Missing @<a href="https://twitter.com/librarianedge">librarianedge</a> @<a href="https://twitter.com/klbeasley">klbeasley</a> @<a href="https://twitter.com/colingally">colingally</a> @<a href="https://twitter.com/louisephinney">louisephinney</a> & more!
— Megan Graff (@megangraff) <a href="https://twitter.com/megangraff/status/310007519038828544">March 8, 2013</a>
</blockquote>
<span style="color: black;">Within a few minutes I had heard back from both K-L and Colin and I missed them even more. However exchanging a few tweets with them and with others was good for my soul.</span><br />
<br />
Today, back at home, I managed to catch up with several friends in Singapore via Facebook and Gmail chat. Combined with bright sunshine and having gone for coffee (in France) this morning with a friend here, I am feeling more connected. It made me realize I need to make an effort to catch people online and maybe even go so far as to set up chat "dates". When I lived in Singapore, I made sure I always had phone cards to call friends in N. America and Australia but when I was in Tanzania it was harder and I got out of the habit and never got in the habit of regular contact with those still in Singapore. This carried over when I moved here. Now six months later I am realizing how much being connected is part of who I am.<br />
<br />
I haven't booked any flights as of yet and if I can catch my sister online perhaps I won't need to...<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://megangraff.com/files/2013/03/connections-tsg522.jpg"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-112" height="300" src="http://megangraff.com/files/2013/03/connections-tsg522-201x300.jpg" title="connections" width="201" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
</blockquote>
Photo Credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/32066106@N06/5726834773/">HikingArtist.com</a> via <a href="http://compfight.com/">Compfight</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">cc</a></div>
Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11993685335243644998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068729003643517538.post-56785590647307212822013-03-07T04:05:00.000+08:002013-03-07T04:05:10.845+08:00Homesick?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Sometimes when people find out that I live overseas, they ask if I get homesick. Homesick is tricky because there is no one place in North America (or the world) that I identify as home. My usual answer is no but that at times I really miss people but those people are in various places around the world.<br />
<br />
Tonight however I am missing two places in addition to the people in those places.<br />
<br />
I made a pan of brownies tonight and it sharpened a longing for the people I lived with at St. Jude's. Recently while walking home, I was thinking of the nightly gatherings at the Waterhole. I didn't go every night but anytime I felt like being a bit social between work and dinner it was an option. I miss that. I miss making a pan of brownies and leaving in in the kitchen for others to find or hiding pieces in the freezer and letting certain people who were in need of a pick-me up know about them or delivering warm pieces to colleagues working late or on a Saturday morning. I miss cooking dinner alongside others who are doing the same. Many of the people I miss are no longer there but others still are (and based on their comments on the brownie photo I posted on Facebook, they miss me - and my brownies!).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio5_A1gm3s661mnOBKruZWv_IYHYwaytL0lQPQRhIMk1VcFSwr_RmgeKC7c9fOHb-oeWvqfRN2eXy_Q_Lff6teLklL1gwvs0XtE4PCnnooc7gaNzCccHRYT4EASRHzEpodTMLPKluueu4/s1600/IMG_0349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio5_A1gm3s661mnOBKruZWv_IYHYwaytL0lQPQRhIMk1VcFSwr_RmgeKC7c9fOHb-oeWvqfRN2eXy_Q_Lff6teLklL1gwvs0XtE4PCnnooc7gaNzCccHRYT4EASRHzEpodTMLPKluueu4/s320/IMG_0349.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
I am also missing Manila. Although I have never officially lived in Manila or even visited for much longer than a week at a time, it counts as one of my homes. When I lived in Singapore, it was easy to pop over for a weekend and by going every 4-6 weeks I was able to keep up with many (by no means all!) of the goings-on at <a href="http://gentlehandsinc.org/" target="_blank">Gentle Hands</a>. I visited in August 2011 before I moved to Tanzania and said I wouldn't be back until I left Tanzania but I ended up visiting in April 2012. The changes in those 8 months were huge and I felt a bit funny while I was there. I didn't want to connect too deeply with those that had arrived since August as I knew it would be awhile before I made it back. Now it is coming up on a year since I visited. Many of the children I bonded with, including my good buddy Alex, have gone to live with their forever families. Many more children have arrived. Renovations have continued on the original building and the family living area has moved out of the new building. The pictures in my head are no longer accurate. This week, Tracey (Charity's brother's wife) has been posting each day about the goings on at Gentle Hands. There are links to the posts on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/gentlehandsinc" target="_blank">Gentle Hands Facebook page</a>. These glimpses into the daily life have made my longing to visit more acute and reminded me of all the crazy things that can happen there each day.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOp43jgs38g_l_OJ0kPdV48ABoP2uTKvWy-s0iRH7L9Ix1CfkyHEPSp9CjqZtATblkxrl-7ejUXudziXcJ-efMb_wkYuLYQhAlOUIyJX1_9feUfPC1rNHpB4oyU3L9sA3HNuXC3KTy2D0/s1600/CIMG2047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOp43jgs38g_l_OJ0kPdV48ABoP2uTKvWy-s0iRH7L9Ix1CfkyHEPSp9CjqZtATblkxrl-7ejUXudziXcJ-efMb_wkYuLYQhAlOUIyJX1_9feUfPC1rNHpB4oyU3L9sA3HNuXC3KTy2D0/s320/CIMG2047.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Lastly (at least for tonight), I am missing my sister Skye's house in Lethbridge. I visited before Christmas and spent time with my 2.5 year old niece, Rachel and my 4 year old nephew, Grant. It had been two years since I has seen them which is a huge chunk of their lives! Skye and Trevor are expecting their third child later this month and although I told them I wouldn't be back until at least summer 2014, I'm starting to wonder if I'll make it that long. Especially after Skye posted the photo below on the weekend and I re-watched the video of Rachel that I filmed in December.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx8kfz6BmWBOL-maeDX4ruodnwVzhHn0x8kVjX69o6QzOvaEGoZwukPbSsFRcEG8kPgEQHUcww0GucGRsYipyWVATU46a6iRDlXIpJSpyI0079Qy-o6iEql9CjTsN68P3597l8NFm0ReQ/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-03-06+at+PM+08.56.38.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx8kfz6BmWBOL-maeDX4ruodnwVzhHn0x8kVjX69o6QzOvaEGoZwukPbSsFRcEG8kPgEQHUcww0GucGRsYipyWVATU46a6iRDlXIpJSpyI0079Qy-o6iEql9CjTsN68P3597l8NFm0ReQ/s320/Screen+shot+2013-03-06+at+PM+08.56.38.png" width="318" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxK_k-Uf-BXtz_eJtl0s5oHW8cOafy5nDsr97v0pjwuy3NQjID7ifST613TFwBYsTZ9qpUwAlsbo4gN_Pxj0Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
I suspect I may find myself booking some airplane tickets before too long... but to where?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11993685335243644998noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068729003643517538.post-61030036992988481352012-11-20T04:41:00.001+08:002013-11-16T19:58:59.115+08:00Where do I belong?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I spent an hour replying to an email from a Canadian friend about traveling in SE Asia. A big chunk of it ending up being links to my favourite NGOs in Phnom Penh<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">. I included:</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="http://www.tabitha-cambodia.org/main/main_index.html" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Tabitha</span></a></li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.aulivreouvert.fr/" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank">Au livre ouvert</a><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"> (<a href="http://www.yourphnompenh.com/open-book/" target="_blank">Open Book</a>)</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="http://www.mithsamlanh.org/" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Friends</span></a></li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.cchcambodia.org/" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank">Centre for Children's Happiness</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 17px;">, </span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://peopleimprovement.org/about-us/" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank">PIO</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 17px;"> </span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">And then I watched a <a href="http://www.wimp.com/noobject/" target="_blank">video</a> that a friend shared on Facebook (which I noticed has since been taken down so I found a new link). </span></span><br />
<div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Now when I should be going to bed, I'm wondering if Switzerland is where I should be.<i> </i>Is working at an international school with privileged children the place for me? It gives me the chance to earn money that I can share and to visit places like Cambodia and my brother's place in Manila (<a href="http://gentlehandsinc.org/" target="_blank">Gentle Hands</a>) and perhaps by sharing my experiences in places like those and at my <a href="http://www.schoolofstjude.org/" target="_blank">school</a> in Tanzania, I can have an impact on the children (and maybe even adults) I work with here. But is that enough?</span></div>
</div>
Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11993685335243644998noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068729003643517538.post-56781193518800813662011-10-23T13:38:00.001+08:002011-10-23T13:38:12.282+08:00A backlog of blog posts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have so many things I could blog about but actually sitting down and taking the time to write them doesn't seem to be happening. I'm going to make a to-write list of titles/subjects post and hope that it inspires me to tackle some of them.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>My Journey to Work: Keri-Lee tagged me in <a href="http://kerileebeasley.com/2011/09/29/my-journey-to-work/">her post</a> and I've been meaning to post my own. I've taken the photos but that's as far as I've gotten.</li>
<li>Sport Carnival: some of our students represented St. Jude's at an international school track and field day in early October and I went along to help out. I copied photos from the day from server to my desktop at work but haven't managed to get them on to my laptop.</li>
<li>Food Water Shelter: I visited <a href="http://www.foodwatershelter.org.au/current-project-tanzania.aspx">FWS</a> on a Sunday afternoon at the beginning of October and I was very impressed with what they are doing. I didn't take a camera but a colleague has graciously passed on photos she took.</li>
<li>Cultural Night at the Moivaro Boarding Houses: our grade 4, 5 and 6 students board during the school terms from Sunday evening until Friday after school. These are the students I work with so when I found out they would be having a cultural evening and presenting various acts they had put together I was keen to attend. I took some photos but the lighting in the dining hall was not ideal. Like the sports day photos, I have some that were shared around but they are on my work computer.</li>
<li>Mount Kilimanjaro: The week of October 10 was our mid-term break and I joined 3 colleagues on a climb up Mt. Kilimanjaro. It was incredible!</li>
</ul>
<div>
I think that covers the big events but each day things happen that make me think, "Hmm. Maybe I should blog about this so my friends around the world can see what my life is like." But then that life gets busy and I get distracted and I don't get the posts written. We'll see if this list helps rectify this at least a little.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11993685335243644998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068729003643517538.post-1692085843291911302011-10-02T17:22:00.003+08:002011-10-02T17:22:55.462+08:00Field Trip to the Kenyan Border<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have posted a write-up of a field trip I went on last week on my other blog. It can be found <a href="http://megangraff.com/2011/10/02/field-trip-to-the-kenyan-border/">here</a>.</div>
Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11993685335243644998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068729003643517538.post-14147427015048162732011-09-09T01:01:00.001+08:002011-09-09T01:01:14.294+08:00The African Clean<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="276">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-language:JA;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Let me begin by coming “clean” that I have my
own shower with hot water 24/7 and that I have access to a washing machine in
the evenings and most of the weekend. This isn’t a post about cold bucket
showers and hand-washing my clothes but rather about dust.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have been walking for 45 minutes or so first thing in the
morning. The first day I wore my running shoes. By the time we returned, my
fairly white runners were the colour of the dust on the road. No biggie. I took
them off and discovered the toes of what had been white socks were also that
colour. Again no big deal - it’s not like I brought any new or special socks
with me. I then peeled off my socks to reveal toes that looked as though I had
walked down the dusty road barefoot! Since then I have been wearing my hiking
boats and dark socks on the daily walks. My toes still manage to get grubby by
the end of the day and there is no going to bed without washing my feet (if not
my whole self). I’m glad I brought a nailbrush. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As a teacher, I have long been in the habit of washing my
hands at frequent intervals whether or not they appeared to need it. Here I
wash them at least as frequently and the colour of the water that comes off
them each time matches my grubby toes! The books in the library seem to have a
fine coating of dust and after shelving for even a short period of time my
hands are filthy. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The cleanliness of my clothes is a different issue. In Singapore
if I wore something for more than an hour or two, it needed to be washed before
it was worn again. By the time I walked home from school, my clothes and me
were so sweaty we both needed washing ASAP. Here it’s so much cooler and less
humid that I have to relearn how to tell when clothes are in need of a wash.
Pants (trousers for the British) are easy - the hems show the dirt – but then
again the hems get dirty about as quickly as my toes so should I just wear them
that way? The washing machine isn’t the most effective one I’ve ever used so
the line between freshly washed and not is a bit blurry on some items which
compounds my issue. I’m hoping I can trust a colleague or two to say something
if I start to push the boundaries of cleanliness too much. Then again, the yoga
mats we use each week have a coating of dust and the instructor confessed that
at first she washed them weekly but then she gave up. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The next rains are scheduled to come in October and I’ve
already been given a head’s up that I will need to acquire some rubber boots to
wear into town and even on my two minute commute on some days! I suspect I’ll
look back on the dust with longing when we are surrounded by mud and damp
laundry that never fully dries. <o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11993685335243644998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068729003643517538.post-32967133589638264792011-09-04T21:57:00.000+08:002011-09-04T21:57:06.812+08:00A New Adventure Begins<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I arrived in Arusha, Tanzania on August 17, 2011 and joined
the staff of <a href="http://www.schoolofstjude.co.tz/">The School of St. Jude</a>
as a teacher-librarian in the Upper Primary Library at the Moshono Campus. I am
here as a volunteer but in the upper primary library there are two local
teachers who have been working as teacher-librarians at the school for a while
and a full-time guard who shelves, repairs books and seems willing to do
anything else he is asked. The majority of the staff at the school is Tanzanian
(plus a few from neighbouring East African countries) but there are some
volunteer teacher mentors and quite a few volunteers working in various roles
in the business office. The majority of the volunteers are Australian.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I visited the school for a few days in June 2010 so I knew
the drill of flying into Nairobi, spending the night in a hotel and taking a
shuttle bus to Arusha the following morning. I have my own room with an ensuite
bathroom (with hot water) and I’m sharing a kitchen with some of the other
volunteers. Although there are frequent power outages in Arusha, the school has
backup generators so we are rarely without power for more than a few seconds.
We also have wifi across campus so I can use my laptop most anywhere. The
signal isn’t strong enough for my iPhone to pick it up from inside my room (and
I’ve put my SIM card in my Nokia) so I have mainly been using it to listen to
podcasts. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The most surprising thing so far has been the number of physical
and social activities going on. There are groups of people that walk in the
mornings before school and on weekends so I’ve walked nearly every day since I
arrived. One volunteer leads yoga sessions twice a week though she has gone
back to Australia for a month or so in order to be there when her first
grandchild is born so yoga is on hiatus. The lower primary PE teacher was a
personal trainer in Australia and she leads cardio and Pilates sessions once a
week. There have been several birthday celebrations since I arrived which have
involved dinner or lunch at various restaurants. There is a Sunday night
tradition of going out for dinner to a complex where there is a movie theatre
and a very western style grocery store (most anything you could possibly want is
available but at a price) as well as a variety of restaurants around a
courtyard including a very yummy Indian one. We had last Monday off as a day in
lieu for Eid and a large group of us ventured out to the <a href="http://www.kibopalacehotel.com/arusha-cultural-heritage-center.html">Arusha
Cultural Heritage Centre</a> followed by lunch at <a href="http://www.shanga.org/">Shanga</a> (a glass bead making workshop that
employs disabled Tanzanians and has a fabulous restaurant). I’ve been into town
numerous times with various combinations of people to grocery shop, run errands,
watch rugby matches and eat at a variety of restaurants and cafes. All of this
has left me with no chance of being bored and no real time to blog until now.
(I’m not complaining but I know there are people who have been waiting for
updates.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">As well as working on finding my place in the upper primary
library, I have spent a bit of time in the lower primary library, visited the
secondary library at our Usa River campus and been involved in the student
selection process for next year’s grade one students. (I plan to write about
the latter on my other <a href="http://megangraff.com/">blog</a> at some
point). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I haven’t taken many photos as I am reluctant to wave my
camera about in public – both out of respect for locals and for fear of having
it snatched. I did take some around campus the first weekend I arrived and I
posted most of them in this Picasa web <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/megangraff/TheSchoolOfStJudeMoshonoCampus?authuser=0&feat=directlink">album</a>.</span></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11993685335243644998noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068729003643517538.post-87867426183216626052010-12-11T09:18:00.001+08:002010-12-11T09:20:21.510+08:00Baby AngelsTwo days ago, on Facebook, a friend from high school posted that he and his wife had just had a baby daughter. Yesterday he posted that it looked like she had jaundice. Today he posted that the baby died.<br />
<br />
My brother and sister-in-law work with children and reach out to people who live in poverty and the afflictions that go with it at their place in Manila, <a href="http://gentlehands.typepad.com/">Gentle Hands</a>. They see babies whose mothers live on the street or in squalor and who don't have enough to eat or money to pay for medical care. Many of the babies they take in they are able to rehabilitate but some are too weak or too sick or have congenital defects and those babies don't make it. The deaths of those babies sadden me but for the most part I understand why they have lost the struggle.<br />
<br />
It seems that, until today's Facebook post, I had forgotten that babies die in developed countries too. Countries with healthcare, where mothers get enough to eat and have good housing.<br />
<br />
Faith is very strong at Gentle Hands and everyone talks about the babies who die being held in Jesus's arms. My friend and his wife are both United Church ministers and I hope their faith and the support of their churches provides them with solace and strength.<br />
<br />
God bless all the baby angels.Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11993685335243644998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068729003643517538.post-16152914382170515702010-10-03T08:23:00.000+08:002010-10-03T08:23:13.505+08:00Books I Read While Driving from Nairobi to Capetown<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I traveled overland from Nairobi to Cape Town during my summer holidays this year. I saw amazing places, met amazing people and did most of the things you want to do. I also spent a lot of time on the road and luckily I was able to read. I brought two books with me and then I read other travelers' books and did a few book swaps at places I stayed along the way.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Here is the list of those I remember at the moment (in the order I remembered them):</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><u>Let the Great World Spin</u> by Colum McCann (my favourite by far)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><u>Dark Star Safari</u> by Paul Theroux (a good read and even better when you are traveling through many of the same places he does in the book)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><u>The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne</u> by Brian Moore</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><u>Out of Africa</u> by Karen Blixen (I haven't seen it but I think the movie is more interesting)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><u>The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo</u> by Stieg Larsson (I had started it for a book club once and gave up but this time it was the only book around)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><u>World War Z</u> by Max Brooks (a friend brought it along because it was the freshman all-read book at the college where she teaches)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><u>Kitchen Confidential</u> by Anthony Bourdain </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><u>Shadow of the Wind</u> by Carlos Ruiz Zafón</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">a novel about a white woman who grows up in Sri Lanka, marries a Sri Lankan and they emigrate to England (I've tried google to see if I can find it but I haven't been successful yet)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">another book Ingrid brought</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">another book Louise brought</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">and possibly more that I have forgotten!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Other than <u>Let the Great World Spin</u> and <u>Dark Star Safari</u> I wouldn't suggest you rush out to read any of them.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">What did you read on holidays?</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">P.S. I haven't bothered with links to the books because next to no one reads this blog and I haven't had breakfast yet.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11993685335243644998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068729003643517538.post-33955094073720351912009-12-14T19:25:00.001+08:002009-12-14T19:27:59.329+08:00Upcoming Travels<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I leave for Morocco on Saturday but I have several other trips in various stages of planning as well.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">MOROCCO: </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Dec. 19, 2009 to Jan. 6, 2010 - mainly as part of an Intrepid tour: <a href="https://www.intrepidtravel.com/trips/XSC">Colours of Morocco</a> but I have a couple of extra days in Marrakech at the end.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">BORNEO: </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Feb. 13 to 16, 2010 - Climbing <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Kinabalu">Mt. Kinabalu</a> on Feb. 14 and 15. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">NEPAL:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">March 27 to April 4, 2010 - booked flights to Kathmandu and send an email off to book a trekking tour today</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">AFRICA:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">June 11 to July 31 (and maybe into August), 2010 - I haven't booked flights yet and I may be adding a trip at the beginning of August but the plan so far is to start in Nairobi and do 4 Intrepid trips in a row ending up in Johannesburg. The trips are <a href="https://www.intrepidtravel.com/trips/YSE">Kenya Adventure</a>, <a href="https://www.intrepidtravel.com/trips/UOB">Kenya to Vic Falls</a> (which goes through Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia), <a href="https://www.intrepidtravel.com/trips/USB">Okavango & Beyond</a> (Botswana and South Africa) and <a href="https://www.intrepidtravel.com/trips/UAC">Kruger Adventure</a>. The trip I may add would be either from Durban to Capetown or vice versa. Intrepid isn't running their trips between those two cities but I have a couple other companies to check out.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ah the life of an expatriate teacher.<br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11993685335243644998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068729003643517538.post-76301287988659892932009-09-26T21:06:00.000+08:002009-09-26T21:06:45.599+08:00The pile of books by my bed<div style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><u>The Black Album</u> by Hanif Kureishi (given to me as a gift, I started it but put it down and haven't picked it back up)<br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><u>Birds Without Wings</u> by Louis de Bernières (started but taking a break to read other stuff - very cool as I visited the town in Turkey on which the one in the novel is based this summer)<br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><u>The Subtle Knife</u> by Philip Pullman, Book 2 in the <i>His Dark Materials </i>trilogy (picked it up from a friend who is leaving Singapore and purging her bookshelf)<br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><u style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">A Kingsley Amis Omnibus</u><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> (from the same friend as </span><u style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The Subtle Knife</u><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><u>The Hour I First Believed</u> by Wally Lamb (I read it in August and thoroughly enjoyed it)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><u>Olive Kitteridge</u> by Elizabeth Strout (I read it while on holiday in July and it was good)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><u>The Brief and Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao</u> by Junot Dìaz (I heard an interview with the author sometime in early 2009 and read the book in July or August - quite a good book)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><u>Born to Run</u> by Christopher McDougall (on loan to me from the school library of a teacher-librarian friend - I haven't started it yet)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><u>The Hunger Games</u> by Suzanne Collins (checked out to me from our middle school library and the book I'm currently reading) </span><u style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> <br />
</u>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11993685335243644998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068729003643517538.post-3544053538582657312009-06-12T18:11:00.000+08:002009-06-12T18:47:40.642+08:00And so it begins.<span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153); font-family: georgia;font-family:georgia;" >This isn't really for you but it's ok if you read it. I've decided it's time I start to blog but I haven't decided what to blog about or who my audience is to be. </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153); font-family: georgia;">In the meantime, I'm going to play with my settings and layout and see what happens.</span>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11993685335243644998noreply@blogger.com0