Don't panic....it was a friendly mobbing. We needed to go on a 'Target' run today (or at least the equivalent) for some personal supplies. As we waited for our driver outside the client's office, there were a few kids in school uniforms talking to the guys. I walked up and decided to offer them a sucker. First it was 2 or 3 kids, then 3 or 4 more, then one of the boys yelled something in Swahili and the next thing I know HOLY COW the whole school was surrounding me with their hands out for a sucker. Communication is alive and well on the dirt roads of Mwanza.
It was chaos because I couldn't get them out fast enough. I finally had to say no more and instead offered them high fives. Most seemed to be happy with that, thank goodness.
We ran our errands and visited the local market area. Emmanuel finally admitted his suitcase was too small and broke down to buy a duffle bag. I think he finallygot tired of paying to get laundry done and then rolling his nicely folded shirts into the size of a deck of cards.
Tomorrow we are visiting one of the ag partners and then wrapping up our work in Mwanza. Thursday we fly to Kilomanjaro for our safari. YIPPPPEEEE!!!!! I can't wait.
Sante san (thanks a bunch) for prayers. I'm feeling a little better each day.
Love,
Jen
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Monday, October 22, 2007
Mwanza
Friday was a travel day from Dar to Mwanza. We are still in Tanzania, but now on the southern coast of Lake Victoria instead of on the eastern shore of Africa. Tanzania is a large country supported by safari tourism and mining. We flew the local carrier, Precision Air. Wasn't quite as bad as Big Sky (scare), but right in the same category. We had one stop on our way and landed on a dirt strip in Masumo. We had quite an audience lined up along the fence line to see the aircraft come & go. With my eyes closed, it reminded me of flying out of John Wayne in Newport Beach. Evidentally the dirt strip is a little on the short side so the pilot powered up the engine before releasing the break. I'm quite sure we used every inch of that strip before we lifted off.
This weekend we stayed at a fairly nice hotel right on the lake. Jon, our UK guy, recruited us to watch his team in the Rugby world cup finals against South Africa. Unfortunately the UK lost. I thought hockey was brutal until watching rugby. WOW.
Yesterday we took a 2 hour cruise on the hotel boat. It was awesome to get out on the lake and see Mwanza. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck visited our client last month and did the same exact cruise. I don't think we generated quite as much interest. Nobody was waiting for us when we returned.
A few of us walked into the town center yesterday. We saw many interesting people....women cooking muffins by campfire right on the street, many fresh (?) fish stands, little kids playing soccer, Masai people, and young boys who ask for money when we take their picture. I'm still armed with DumDum suckers, so they seem to be pleased with candy. It's so hard to describe what we've seen. These people work so hard just to survive.
Today we learned all about the agriculture programs our client has in this area. AIDS Relief is huge here in the lake region as well. They said between 10 -15 % of the population is affected. So many needs in various forms of support. Kids raising younger siblings, rejection, stigma, nutrition issues, distance issues for medical care, income generation. Makes you stop and think about the stresses we think we have. I have a huge respect for our client and the life time commitment people have made to helping others.
We are experiencing first hand the connectivity issues faced by our client. I'll update you all when I can.
Thanks for the weekend scores. I'm glad Boston made it to the series. My two favorite teams will be battling it out....hopefully not in snow. I have to go with the underdogs.
GO ROCKIES!!
Love,
Jen
This weekend we stayed at a fairly nice hotel right on the lake. Jon, our UK guy, recruited us to watch his team in the Rugby world cup finals against South Africa. Unfortunately the UK lost. I thought hockey was brutal until watching rugby. WOW.
Yesterday we took a 2 hour cruise on the hotel boat. It was awesome to get out on the lake and see Mwanza. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck visited our client last month and did the same exact cruise. I don't think we generated quite as much interest. Nobody was waiting for us when we returned.
A few of us walked into the town center yesterday. We saw many interesting people....women cooking muffins by campfire right on the street, many fresh (?) fish stands, little kids playing soccer, Masai people, and young boys who ask for money when we take their picture. I'm still armed with DumDum suckers, so they seem to be pleased with candy. It's so hard to describe what we've seen. These people work so hard just to survive.
Today we learned all about the agriculture programs our client has in this area. AIDS Relief is huge here in the lake region as well. They said between 10 -15 % of the population is affected. So many needs in various forms of support. Kids raising younger siblings, rejection, stigma, nutrition issues, distance issues for medical care, income generation. Makes you stop and think about the stresses we think we have. I have a huge respect for our client and the life time commitment people have made to helping others.
We are experiencing first hand the connectivity issues faced by our client. I'll update you all when I can.
Thanks for the weekend scores. I'm glad Boston made it to the series. My two favorite teams will be battling it out....hopefully not in snow. I have to go with the underdogs.
GO ROCKIES!!
Love,
Jen
Friday, October 19, 2007
Medical Care - Tanzania style
I finally decided I might need some medication since my cold wasn't improving after 3+ weeks. The people at our client's office scheduled an appointment for me at 'the clinic'. These are ex-pats (US people living abroad), not locals, so I felt comfortable with whomever they selected. I must say it was the best ‘dr’ experience I’ve had.
I didn’t have to fill out 16 forms or find my insurance card so they could make a copy. There were no HIPAA forms to sign. I simply gave them my name, DOB, gender, and allergies. Two minutes later the gal called me back for blood pressure. 5 minutes later the doctor greeted me in the waiting area and called me to come back. He was French and had a med student shadowing him that looked like she was Nate’s age. After listening to my lungs, Dr. Pierre said it was bronchitis and would need an anti-biotic. Glad I went instead of trying to ride it out any longer. He wrote out 3 RXs, sent me next door to the Chemist and I was out of there in a record 22 minutes. The price was right as well!! Unbelievable. I think we make some things too complicated in the US and could learn some lessons from the Tanzanians in simplicity.
My team went to an Ethiopian restaurant on Wednesday night. We played menu roulette; 3 of the 4 dishes we ordered were good. The food was served on one big round tray that fit on our small round wicker basket/table. You don't use utensils to eat with, but instead use Ethiopian injera bread to sop up the food. Sounds difficult, but it worked and was quite tasty. It was a little messy, but a good experience. Atli, the woman who went to Indonsia with us, is Ethiopian and she recommended we try this place.
I'm glad we didn't eat at the hotel that night. Ryan became our first stomach bug casualty on Thursday. He is just now coming back to life after a rough 2 days.
I need to get some rest. We're moving on to Mwanza.
Love,
Jen
I didn’t have to fill out 16 forms or find my insurance card so they could make a copy. There were no HIPAA forms to sign. I simply gave them my name, DOB, gender, and allergies. Two minutes later the gal called me back for blood pressure. 5 minutes later the doctor greeted me in the waiting area and called me to come back. He was French and had a med student shadowing him that looked like she was Nate’s age. After listening to my lungs, Dr. Pierre said it was bronchitis and would need an anti-biotic. Glad I went instead of trying to ride it out any longer. He wrote out 3 RXs, sent me next door to the Chemist and I was out of there in a record 22 minutes. The price was right as well!! Unbelievable. I think we make some things too complicated in the US and could learn some lessons from the Tanzanians in simplicity.
My team went to an Ethiopian restaurant on Wednesday night. We played menu roulette; 3 of the 4 dishes we ordered were good. The food was served on one big round tray that fit on our small round wicker basket/table. You don't use utensils to eat with, but instead use Ethiopian injera bread to sop up the food. Sounds difficult, but it worked and was quite tasty. It was a little messy, but a good experience. Atli, the woman who went to Indonsia with us, is Ethiopian and she recommended we try this place.
I'm glad we didn't eat at the hotel that night. Ryan became our first stomach bug casualty on Thursday. He is just now coming back to life after a rough 2 days.
I need to get some rest. We're moving on to Mwanza.
Love,
Jen
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Jambo?
That is.... 'what's up' in Swahili. My Swahili skills have not progressed past the 10 month old level, so I don't think I'll be doing any major negotiations. Most people speak English, but speak their native tongue when not in our presence.
We are getting ready to go have lunch and then having a work day from the hotel where our connectivity is much better than at the office. Again, Americans are so accustomed to having everything at a split second or at our fingertips. Here (like the last 2 places we've been) you work when you have connectivity and you do something else when you don't. However, nobody seems to get too worked up or stressed over the situation...that's just the way it is.
We've been driving by the US Embassy on the way to work everyday. Can't tell you how nice it is to see an American flag in the distance. Seems to add a touch of security for some reason. The weather has been very comfortable. Since we are on the coast, we get a nice breeze. The locals have told us it is just approaching the hot season which is December - February.
We hope to venture out a little bit tonight to get a local feel. I think a city bus ride is in my future which will be interesting. The ones I've seen appear to be over capacity and personal space doesn't appear to exist.
Thanks for your messages and prayer support!
Love,
Jen
We are getting ready to go have lunch and then having a work day from the hotel where our connectivity is much better than at the office. Again, Americans are so accustomed to having everything at a split second or at our fingertips. Here (like the last 2 places we've been) you work when you have connectivity and you do something else when you don't. However, nobody seems to get too worked up or stressed over the situation...that's just the way it is.
We've been driving by the US Embassy on the way to work everyday. Can't tell you how nice it is to see an American flag in the distance. Seems to add a touch of security for some reason. The weather has been very comfortable. Since we are on the coast, we get a nice breeze. The locals have told us it is just approaching the hot season which is December - February.
We hope to venture out a little bit tonight to get a local feel. I think a city bus ride is in my future which will be interesting. The ones I've seen appear to be over capacity and personal space doesn't appear to exist.
Thanks for your messages and prayer support!
Love,
Jen
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
GO ROCKIES!
Hi Jen,
WOW The Rockies swept the Diamondbacks last night in Denver and they are going to the World Series. It has been a wild ride watching them win!! Great for Denver! This morning they had the tech center lit up in purple and white and they have declared it purple day today.
I'm sure it is going to be a crazy week here as Denver gets ready to host the World Series.
Hope you are feeling better.
ROCKTOBER ..............GO ROCKIES!
Take Care,
Cheryl
WOW The Rockies swept the Diamondbacks last night in Denver and they are going to the World Series. It has been a wild ride watching them win!! Great for Denver! This morning they had the tech center lit up in purple and white and they have declared it purple day today.
I'm sure it is going to be a crazy week here as Denver gets ready to host the World Series.
Hope you are feeling better.
ROCKTOBER ..............GO ROCKIES!
Take Care,
Cheryl
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Hello stranger
Jen,
Gosh, this is amazing. What a neat way to post your world travels. I love it. I hope you are feeling better. You're on my mind.
Got to go see Emily on thursday. We had lunch and shopped a little. She is doing great. I miss her, but I'm glad she's so well adjusted there. God is good.
I will continue to pray for you. Be careful, ok? Take care of you! I'm here if you need me.
Jeannette A
Gosh, this is amazing. What a neat way to post your world travels. I love it. I hope you are feeling better. You're on my mind.
Got to go see Emily on thursday. We had lunch and shopped a little. She is doing great. I miss her, but I'm glad she's so well adjusted there. God is good.
I will continue to pray for you. Be careful, ok? Take care of you! I'm here if you need me.
Jeannette A
Longest Way from Point A to Point B
We discovered another priviledge that people in developed countries take for granted.....direct flights (or even semi direct). Both teams left Abuja Friday morning at the crack of dawn to make our 8:30 am flight. Our next stop is Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, which is another city in a different country within Africa. Seems pretty straight forward, right? Well imagine trying to get from LA to NYC via the North Pole and Toronto. That's basically what we did for the last 36 hours. This was necessary to keep us out of Lagos in the Nigerian delta, where the kidnappings take place. We had to go from Abuja to London to Dubai and finally made it here to Dar this afternoon. We are a little punchy from doing the airport/security march. London lived up to being the busiest international airport in the world. Remind me not to fly through London anytime soon!
Our last night in Nigeria, a couple of the local guys from the office took us to a bush bar for dinner. It was basically a restaurant in a park setting. You pick between fish, chicken or beef and then they grill it wrapped in foil over open coals and bring it to your table. It was good, but really spicy. The two guys we were with knew a group of people next to our table (there were 7 non Nigerians in our group). They were all laughing and joking about how much ransom our group would be worth if we were in the delta region, I think they said 300 million Nira…then Augustin pipes up & says…hey, were worth more than that. I’m like..shut up…don’t give anybody any ideas. The guys we went with were great. The one has 2 boys and his goal is to bring them up in American or British schools and then send them to an American University. The other guy is the project manager for Sister Geraldine’s hospital.
The hotel in Dar is much better than what we had in Nigeria. We now have warm water AND enough pressure to get the water out of the shower head. One of the senior management program directors came to greet us tonight, so we just had dinner here at the hotel. He's from Oklahoma of all places...Bixby (a different suburb in Tulsa) and has alot of family in Broken Arrow. I'm still convinced God keeps flashing Oklahoma in my face to let me know you all are thinking of me...especially John, Nate & Bailey. I can't remember if I mentioned in one of my previous entries that a TV program in Nigeria listed sponsorship by an organization in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. I had it on, wasn't watching it, but just happened to glance at the TV about the time that scrolled across the screen.
My cold from Indonesia came back, so I have a nasty cough and haven't been feeling so hot the last few days. I need to get over this so it doesn't slow me down next week. We really need to be productive at work this week since our connectivity in Nigeria was so challenging. We may even run into that here. That's my prayer request for the week. Appreciate it.
I miss you all very much. I'm running on fumes and off to bed. Good night
GO ROCKIES!!!
Our last night in Nigeria, a couple of the local guys from the office took us to a bush bar for dinner. It was basically a restaurant in a park setting. You pick between fish, chicken or beef and then they grill it wrapped in foil over open coals and bring it to your table. It was good, but really spicy. The two guys we were with knew a group of people next to our table (there were 7 non Nigerians in our group). They were all laughing and joking about how much ransom our group would be worth if we were in the delta region, I think they said 300 million Nira…then Augustin pipes up & says…hey, were worth more than that. I’m like..shut up…don’t give anybody any ideas. The guys we went with were great. The one has 2 boys and his goal is to bring them up in American or British schools and then send them to an American University. The other guy is the project manager for Sister Geraldine’s hospital.
The hotel in Dar is much better than what we had in Nigeria. We now have warm water AND enough pressure to get the water out of the shower head. One of the senior management program directors came to greet us tonight, so we just had dinner here at the hotel. He's from Oklahoma of all places...Bixby (a different suburb in Tulsa) and has alot of family in Broken Arrow. I'm still convinced God keeps flashing Oklahoma in my face to let me know you all are thinking of me...especially John, Nate & Bailey. I can't remember if I mentioned in one of my previous entries that a TV program in Nigeria listed sponsorship by an organization in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. I had it on, wasn't watching it, but just happened to glance at the TV about the time that scrolled across the screen.
My cold from Indonesia came back, so I have a nasty cough and haven't been feeling so hot the last few days. I need to get over this so it doesn't slow me down next week. We really need to be productive at work this week since our connectivity in Nigeria was so challenging. We may even run into that here. That's my prayer request for the week. Appreciate it.
I miss you all very much. I'm running on fumes and off to bed. Good night
GO ROCKIES!!!
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Awesome Day at AIDS Relief Hospital
I don't even know where to begin describing our day on Tuesday. It's a memory I'll have etched in my head and heart forever. Our client is in the business of providing aid to people whether due to a natural disaster such as a tsunami or an earthquake, and also to people in need of food, health services, education or housing.
Both teams of 3 plus several client representatives from the Abuja office spent the day Tuesday at an AIDS Relief hospital in a village on the outskirts of the city. We saw a true glimpse of Africa and quickly determined this fairly new city we are staying in doesn't represent what Africa is really like. We drove on the bumpiest road ever passing shack after shack. We had two young female doctors in our vehicle, and they explained this is the most populated settlement in Africa. Of course we saw a lot of very poor looking people. Many of the women had babies strapped on their backs with a long piece of material tied just right. And....we found the motorcycles of Africa. Motorcycles are outlawed in the city, but obviously a hot commodity in the village.
I was expecting a several story building with various wings...you know, a hospital. We arrived at the hospital and entered through a gate guarded by security. It was like a two story stand alone ranch house with several one story buildings off to one side across a little parking area. There was a lot of activity at the one story buildings....many moms with babies was the first thing I noticed. In addition to providing AIDS Relief, this hospital also has a full service medical clinic for the poor.
We had a briefing session in the 'house', which is actually the office and lab. We met Sister Geraldine, an Irish woman with a vibrant personality. She started the hospital about 10 years ago in conjunction with some other organizations and has built it up to what it is today. The hospital is her vision and life. She operates on (as she describes) a shoe string budget and a skeleton staff. It's amazing what they do and the number of people they help. We then had a tour of the lab which is where they monitor blood of infected patients. Several times a year the patients have their blood tested to see if the anti retroviral therapy (ART) is working.
Next we went over to the actual hospital area. FYI...the HIPAA laws have not made it to Africa, so we saw it all in progress. In one room was an HIV+ woman having blood drawn. Another room was packed full of people going through ART education to learn about the drugs they would be taking to fight/maintain their infection. They also do education on preventing the virus from being spread from pregnant moms to their babies. There's a big pantry for food distribution. Anybody with a BMI less than 20 is given food to assist them with nutrition so they will be strong enough to take the drugs and fight the disease. We saw a lady meeting with one of the doctors as well as the pharmacy. It was quite a site seeing all these people sitting in this area of the hospital which is well known to be just for people who are HIV+ or infected with the AIDS virus.
Next we walked over to the building with all the moms and babies. They give vaccinations in the morning, so we saw many newborns getting their first series of shots. Next we went through the clinic. Augustin drew the most stares because he is Chinese. I guess they are used to seeing white people, but the Chinese kid was a novelty. I brought a bunch of little Dum Dum suckers and gave them to the little kids that were waiting in the various areas we visited. That was a hit!! Next Sister Geraldine knocked on a door, opened it up and there was a very pregnant woman getting an ultrasound on the belly.
Our next stop was in the recovery area of the maternity ward. Several cots were set up in a big room. A woman was laying on one and had her brand new baby girl next to her. The daddy was in a chair right by her side. "Patricia" had just been born that morning. She was fine with me taking a photo of them. From there we went to the surgery suite...just a room...very clean and we had to put booties over our shoes to go in. Sister Geraldine said that most surgery is done without general anesthesia. These people are tough!!
Our last stop was an area where the very sick AIDS patients reside. It was really sad to see. One room for women and one for men. Each room had 4 beds. It was very clear that the people in these rooms would not be going back to their homes. Sister Geraldine didn't think one guy would make it through the day.
We ended the day with a working session with Sister Geraldine and the other Sisters (her office staff). What an operation. This woman is amazing and she wears so many hats. Made us all really stop and think about what's important. WOW.....what a day!
Both teams of 3 plus several client representatives from the Abuja office spent the day Tuesday at an AIDS Relief hospital in a village on the outskirts of the city. We saw a true glimpse of Africa and quickly determined this fairly new city we are staying in doesn't represent what Africa is really like. We drove on the bumpiest road ever passing shack after shack. We had two young female doctors in our vehicle, and they explained this is the most populated settlement in Africa. Of course we saw a lot of very poor looking people. Many of the women had babies strapped on their backs with a long piece of material tied just right. And....we found the motorcycles of Africa. Motorcycles are outlawed in the city, but obviously a hot commodity in the village.
I was expecting a several story building with various wings...you know, a hospital. We arrived at the hospital and entered through a gate guarded by security. It was like a two story stand alone ranch house with several one story buildings off to one side across a little parking area. There was a lot of activity at the one story buildings....many moms with babies was the first thing I noticed. In addition to providing AIDS Relief, this hospital also has a full service medical clinic for the poor.
We had a briefing session in the 'house', which is actually the office and lab. We met Sister Geraldine, an Irish woman with a vibrant personality. She started the hospital about 10 years ago in conjunction with some other organizations and has built it up to what it is today. The hospital is her vision and life. She operates on (as she describes) a shoe string budget and a skeleton staff. It's amazing what they do and the number of people they help. We then had a tour of the lab which is where they monitor blood of infected patients. Several times a year the patients have their blood tested to see if the anti retroviral therapy (ART) is working.
Next we went over to the actual hospital area. FYI...the HIPAA laws have not made it to Africa, so we saw it all in progress. In one room was an HIV+ woman having blood drawn. Another room was packed full of people going through ART education to learn about the drugs they would be taking to fight/maintain their infection. They also do education on preventing the virus from being spread from pregnant moms to their babies. There's a big pantry for food distribution. Anybody with a BMI less than 20 is given food to assist them with nutrition so they will be strong enough to take the drugs and fight the disease. We saw a lady meeting with one of the doctors as well as the pharmacy. It was quite a site seeing all these people sitting in this area of the hospital which is well known to be just for people who are HIV+ or infected with the AIDS virus.
Next we walked over to the building with all the moms and babies. They give vaccinations in the morning, so we saw many newborns getting their first series of shots. Next we went through the clinic. Augustin drew the most stares because he is Chinese. I guess they are used to seeing white people, but the Chinese kid was a novelty. I brought a bunch of little Dum Dum suckers and gave them to the little kids that were waiting in the various areas we visited. That was a hit!! Next Sister Geraldine knocked on a door, opened it up and there was a very pregnant woman getting an ultrasound on the belly.
Our next stop was in the recovery area of the maternity ward. Several cots were set up in a big room. A woman was laying on one and had her brand new baby girl next to her. The daddy was in a chair right by her side. "Patricia" had just been born that morning. She was fine with me taking a photo of them. From there we went to the surgery suite...just a room...very clean and we had to put booties over our shoes to go in. Sister Geraldine said that most surgery is done without general anesthesia. These people are tough!!
Our last stop was an area where the very sick AIDS patients reside. It was really sad to see. One room for women and one for men. Each room had 4 beds. It was very clear that the people in these rooms would not be going back to their homes. Sister Geraldine didn't think one guy would make it through the day.
We ended the day with a working session with Sister Geraldine and the other Sisters (her office staff). What an operation. This woman is amazing and she wears so many hats. Made us all really stop and think about what's important. WOW.....what a day!
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Abuja, Nigeria
My flight from Tulsa to Abuja was uneventful for the most part. I had to run a 5K from one gate to the next in Minneapolis to make my connection. I'm sure the gates were in two different counties, but I made it.....barely!! I met up with Augustin in Amsterdam as well as our client's CFO. We arrived to Abuja on Saturday night around 9pm by the time we went through customs. It's amazing how different this is from Jakarta. It's much more relaxed and there weren't numerous drivers trying to lure us to their cab. The first thing I noticed was that there are very few motorcycles. In fact there are very few street lights. It's very dark here at night.
Today I went to Catholic church with some of the people from our organization. Many of the women were dressed in their colorful traditional outfits....gorgeous!! Nigeria is about 50/50 Muslim/Christians. We had a quick tour around the city with our driver and then went on a walking tour in the area close to the hotel. There are alot of little gecko lizards running all over and many poor undeveloped or partially developed areas.
The driver took us to exchange USD for the local currency. It was very strange. I pictured going to an official currency exchange facility, but it was nothing like that. Instead, our driver knew right where to go and it was to some of the guys just hanging out in the street in a certain area. I would have never guessed they were the official money exchange agents. We pulled up and he started to negotiate exchange rates. He didn't like their rate, so we went to another group of men congregated in a certain area. Our driver explained there is a large amount of corruption here and you should not use an ATM at all. It seems to be quite a bit more expensive here compared to Jakarta.
Tomorrow we will be in the local office. Time to go to bed as we will have a very busy Monday.
Today I went to Catholic church with some of the people from our organization. Many of the women were dressed in their colorful traditional outfits....gorgeous!! Nigeria is about 50/50 Muslim/Christians. We had a quick tour around the city with our driver and then went on a walking tour in the area close to the hotel. There are alot of little gecko lizards running all over and many poor undeveloped or partially developed areas.
The driver took us to exchange USD for the local currency. It was very strange. I pictured going to an official currency exchange facility, but it was nothing like that. Instead, our driver knew right where to go and it was to some of the guys just hanging out in the street in a certain area. I would have never guessed they were the official money exchange agents. We pulled up and he started to negotiate exchange rates. He didn't like their rate, so we went to another group of men congregated in a certain area. Our driver explained there is a large amount of corruption here and you should not use an ATM at all. It seems to be quite a bit more expensive here compared to Jakarta.
Tomorrow we will be in the local office. Time to go to bed as we will have a very busy Monday.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
On the Road Again
The washing machine has been working over time this week to get me regrouped for round 2 of the world tour. This time I will be gone for 3 weeks. Bailey & John are going to think I have abandoned them. Nate is so busy with his life at school that I don't think he has noticed I left the planet yet. Bailey has been quite happy to have me at home this week...in fact she's been a little more high maintenance than usual showing me all of her toys and making sure she gets her daily walks.
Next stop is Abuja, Nigeria. Don't feel bad; I had to get the globe and do a search myself. Nigeria is just west (left) of the center of Africa and is above the equator. The southern tip of Nigeria borders the Atlantic ocean. Abuja is the capitol city. I leave Tulsa Friday afternoon and will travel to Minneapolis and then meet up with Augustin and the client CFO in Amsterdam. We will then travel as a group into Africa. I feel much better about arriving with some of my team instead of by myself!
We will work at the local office Monday - Thursday. On Tuesday, we are scheduled to spend the day with one of the 'partners'. The partners are the ones who actually provide aid to the local people. I believe the one we will see works with HIV/AIDS drug administration. I think it will be quite an experience.
After one week in Nigeria, we will be in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania which is located on the east coast of Africa below the equator. We will then go to another location in the northern region of Tanzania called Mwanza. Mwanza borders Lake Victoria and we've been told it's beautiful. Our client has a small sub office located in Mwanza, so my impression is that it will be the most remote location of our visit. I'm not sure what to expect, but I've packed power bars just in case!!
Please continue to email me at jenniferhaste@cox.net or post to my blog. Also, I appreciate prayer support for safe travel, productive work time, and no issues at home while I am away (Nate!).
My next post may be in Swahili!!
Love, Jen
Next stop is Abuja, Nigeria. Don't feel bad; I had to get the globe and do a search myself. Nigeria is just west (left) of the center of Africa and is above the equator. The southern tip of Nigeria borders the Atlantic ocean. Abuja is the capitol city. I leave Tulsa Friday afternoon and will travel to Minneapolis and then meet up with Augustin and the client CFO in Amsterdam. We will then travel as a group into Africa. I feel much better about arriving with some of my team instead of by myself!
We will work at the local office Monday - Thursday. On Tuesday, we are scheduled to spend the day with one of the 'partners'. The partners are the ones who actually provide aid to the local people. I believe the one we will see works with HIV/AIDS drug administration. I think it will be quite an experience.
After one week in Nigeria, we will be in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania which is located on the east coast of Africa below the equator. We will then go to another location in the northern region of Tanzania called Mwanza. Mwanza borders Lake Victoria and we've been told it's beautiful. Our client has a small sub office located in Mwanza, so my impression is that it will be the most remote location of our visit. I'm not sure what to expect, but I've packed power bars just in case!!
Please continue to email me at jenniferhaste@cox.net or post to my blog. Also, I appreciate prayer support for safe travel, productive work time, and no issues at home while I am away (Nate!).
My next post may be in Swahili!!
Love, Jen
Monday, October 1, 2007
Home Sweet Home
I made it back to Tulsa Saturday afternoon after a very long trip from the other side of the planet....or was it a different planet?!? I saw John at DFW for two hours before getting on my flight to Tulsa. He was on his way to the High Point show in North Carolina. We met for breakfast at Champs and hung out at the Admiral's club for awhile.....G rated.
It feels soooooooo good to be home. Bailey even remembers me. I'm enjoying salads, brushing my teeth with running water, clean air and level sidewalks! Jet lag set in immediately, so I've been sleeping and trying to get my days/nights figured out. About the time I get my US routine down again, it will be time to pack again for round 2 of the world tour. Next stop...Africa for 3 weeks. I leave on Friday afternoon for Abuja, Nigeria and will be there for one week. We then go to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and finally Mwanza, Tanzania. From what we have been told, these locations are much more remote and less developed than Jakarta. The prize at the end is a 2 day safari for both teams. Something to look forward to!
It feels soooooooo good to be home. Bailey even remembers me. I'm enjoying salads, brushing my teeth with running water, clean air and level sidewalks! Jet lag set in immediately, so I've been sleeping and trying to get my days/nights figured out. About the time I get my US routine down again, it will be time to pack again for round 2 of the world tour. Next stop...Africa for 3 weeks. I leave on Friday afternoon for Abuja, Nigeria and will be there for one week. We then go to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and finally Mwanza, Tanzania. From what we have been told, these locations are much more remote and less developed than Jakarta. The prize at the end is a 2 day safari for both teams. Something to look forward to!
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Definitely not in Tulsa
My two weeks in Jakarta is coming to an end. I've certainly enjoyed the experience, but I have my bags packed and I'm ready for the long trip home. The driver from the hotel just called to find out what time my flight leaves to determine when to leave for the airport. My flight leaves tomorrow night at 10pm. If I were in Tulsa, I would leave for the airport about 8:30 and have plenty of time. But, I'm definitely not in Tulsa!! The driver said we need to leave by 6pm as traffic will be worse than usual (hard to believe) because it's Friday night. One of our clients told me it took her 3 1/2 hours to get home from the airport once during heavy traffic. She said it's a 40 minute trip if no traffic. WOW! I just know I don't want to miss my flight.
My team of 3 plus Jon's wife went to an interesting little place tonight that's just across the street from the hotel. It's a serious/cheesy karoke place...not a bar. I thought it was going to be like an open room and various people singing when it was their turn. This place had many small rooms set up for Karoke. So after spending the last 2 weeks in a conference room with these guys, I was subjected to another small room listening to them belt out their best Frank Sinatra, U2, Beatles. I think Jon's wife won the Female Vocalist of the Night award. My excuse was my cold...I really do sound good when I'm in the car BY MYSELF! The cheesy videos that played with the lyrics had nothing to do with the songs and the lyrics had some interesting translations. It was entertaining, that's for sure. And, a real bargain...$12.
I've spent my millions (1 USD = about 9000 Rupia) and I'm ready to go. John will be traveling to Highpoint, NC during the 6 days that I'm at home before I leave for Africa. That's just the way it worked out. But, as luck would have it, we will both be in the DFW airport on Saturday morning at the same time. We'll get to see each other for about 2 hours as long as my flight from Tokyo isn't delayed. Nothing like a hot date in the B terminal! I'm not complaining though.
Thanks for the notes and prayers. I miss my family & friends and will talk to you when I get home.
Love,
jen
My team of 3 plus Jon's wife went to an interesting little place tonight that's just across the street from the hotel. It's a serious/cheesy karoke place...not a bar. I thought it was going to be like an open room and various people singing when it was their turn. This place had many small rooms set up for Karoke. So after spending the last 2 weeks in a conference room with these guys, I was subjected to another small room listening to them belt out their best Frank Sinatra, U2, Beatles. I think Jon's wife won the Female Vocalist of the Night award. My excuse was my cold...I really do sound good when I'm in the car BY MYSELF! The cheesy videos that played with the lyrics had nothing to do with the songs and the lyrics had some interesting translations. It was entertaining, that's for sure. And, a real bargain...$12.
I've spent my millions (1 USD = about 9000 Rupia) and I'm ready to go. John will be traveling to Highpoint, NC during the 6 days that I'm at home before I leave for Africa. That's just the way it worked out. But, as luck would have it, we will both be in the DFW airport on Saturday morning at the same time. We'll get to see each other for about 2 hours as long as my flight from Tokyo isn't delayed. Nothing like a hot date in the B terminal! I'm not complaining though.
Thanks for the notes and prayers. I miss my family & friends and will talk to you when I get home.
Love,
jen
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Keeping our day jobs!
The other team of three arrived in Jakarta over the weekend while my team was in Bali & Singapore. They are doing a project for the same agency but their focus is on tracking the national employees that actually do the program work (provide aid). They started their project out in India before coming to Indonesia. Their team brings even more diversity to the goup. Ryan is a BIG guy from Washington DC. He played college football as a lineman. Jay is originally from India but now lives in upstate New York and Emmanuel lives in Pennsylvania but is Puerto Rican. Add those three to the mix of my team (Wyoming girl, lad from England and Chinese kid)...makes for some interesting dinner conversations! They are all awesome people and will be traveling with us to Nigeria and Tanzania. I think the diversity of our teams represent what we are seeing on the road. It's good to step out of your comfort zone and get to know other people that are different. You learn they really aren't that different after all.
We discovered the hotel has a pool table in the basement lounge area. The place had nobody there, so we challenged Ryan's team to a friendly pool tournament. This was Jay's first time ever playing pool. He got really excited when he made a shot. I didn't think we had any pool sharks in the group, but Jon (UK) emerged as a closet pool shark from his college days. We were quite glad to have him on our team. The pool tourney was a nice diversion to our busy days at the office. However, the consensus is we need to keep our day jobs. Jon's wife returned from Singapore tonight. I'm glad to have her back to add another female to the mix. She's a sweetie. I caught a cold this weekend, so I need to get some rest. I've really enjoyed the experience here in Jakarta, but I'm looking forward to heading back to OK Friday night.
I got a taste of home the other day after returning from the scuba trip. I turned on ESPN and the OU vs. Tulsa game was on. Very cool... Every other channel was in a language I didn't understand, so the football game was a treat. Good night!
We discovered the hotel has a pool table in the basement lounge area. The place had nobody there, so we challenged Ryan's team to a friendly pool tournament. This was Jay's first time ever playing pool. He got really excited when he made a shot. I didn't think we had any pool sharks in the group, but Jon (UK) emerged as a closet pool shark from his college days. We were quite glad to have him on our team. The pool tourney was a nice diversion to our busy days at the office. However, the consensus is we need to keep our day jobs. Jon's wife returned from Singapore tonight. I'm glad to have her back to add another female to the mix. She's a sweetie. I caught a cold this weekend, so I need to get some rest. I've really enjoyed the experience here in Jakarta, but I'm looking forward to heading back to OK Friday night.
I got a taste of home the other day after returning from the scuba trip. I turned on ESPN and the OU vs. Tulsa game was on. Very cool... Every other channel was in a language I didn't understand, so the football game was a treat. Good night!
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Work Hard/Play Hard
We wrapped up our first week of work here on Friday after meeting and talking to many interesting people. Most of the Indonesian's in the office speak very good English; however I have to listen very carefully due to their accents. They provide aid such as food, medication, agricultral, HIV/AIDS, education to developing countries and to people in emergency situations. One of the guys has been in Sumatra assessing the damage and needs from the most recent earthquakes. We heard about how one of their offices in another country was demolished due to political unrest. They also strongly believe in utilizing local staff and empowering them to better themselves through education and job skills.
After a week of hard work, we went in different directions (literally) for the weekend. Two went to Singapore for the weekend and two of us went to Bali. One of the ladies that is here with us suggested Bali if we had never been before. It's so different from Jakarta.
Augustin is a certified scuba diver, and Bali has the reputation as one of the best places in the world to dive. I have gone diving 2 times before...not a pro by any stretch of the imagination but really enjoyed it when I went before. We found a great PROFESSIONAL dive shop and they were willing to take a diver with little experience (ME). So Saturday was spent exploring the waters off the west side of Penida Island, which is off the southeast coast of Bali. Augustin went with his diving buddy and I had my own diving buddy, Kade'. We were really fortunate to have the dive master/owner of the shop on our boat taking a German guy out for technical diving. OK...for you skiers think of it like this. I was diving green runs, Augustin was diving blue/black runs, and the dive master and his student were diving double black diamonds. There were thousands of gorgeous fish to see and the coral reef was so beautiful that I don't even know how to describe it. We did two dives in two different areas. I even saw a little village that farms seaweed near the area of our first dive. As I was swimming under water I heard something you wouldn't expect to hear underwater. Kade my dive buddy was humming his favorite song. It took me awhile to figure it out..then I had to laugh. He did a great job of keeping track of me underwater and he was entertaining as well.
Today we spent most of the day touring around the island with a guide (Alex) and a driver. We visited three different Hindu temples and went all over the countryside. Bali is known for it's many temples. Alex explained about all of their many gods and ceremonies. In fact they were having a temple dedication at one we visited. We got to see the men and women dressed in their colorful temple attire, hear the unique music, and watch one of the men dress up with differents masks and do several ceremonial dances. It was very interesting to see, but I struggled with the concept of their religion and many gods. I asked Alex several questions referring to what Christians believe. It's just so different. He asked me some questions as well about Christian beliefs and customs in the US. Bali is 85% Hindu and in need of prayer in a big way. One sight that caught my eye was a small pick up with three men in the cab and four nicely dressed women in the bed of the truck. They were all heading to temple with their offering.
In Jakarta you don't see dogs because of the muslim people. Jakarta has many stray and very skinny cats roaming the streets. However in Bali, there a many dogs. Alex told us each family has at least one or two dogs. They are a little rough looking but we definitely saw our share of dogs today. Other cool sights: rice fields, coffee plantation (beans, roasting, crushing & tasting), cloves, cocoa plants, vanilla plants, kiwi, papaya, hand made batik designs on cloth, hand carved wood figurines and many beautiful kids.
It was an action packed weekend and I'm back in Jakarta ready for week 2 at work. After all I saw this weekend, I can sum it up by saying God's creation is truly amazing.
After a week of hard work, we went in different directions (literally) for the weekend. Two went to Singapore for the weekend and two of us went to Bali. One of the ladies that is here with us suggested Bali if we had never been before. It's so different from Jakarta.
Augustin is a certified scuba diver, and Bali has the reputation as one of the best places in the world to dive. I have gone diving 2 times before...not a pro by any stretch of the imagination but really enjoyed it when I went before. We found a great PROFESSIONAL dive shop and they were willing to take a diver with little experience (ME). So Saturday was spent exploring the waters off the west side of Penida Island, which is off the southeast coast of Bali. Augustin went with his diving buddy and I had my own diving buddy, Kade'. We were really fortunate to have the dive master/owner of the shop on our boat taking a German guy out for technical diving. OK...for you skiers think of it like this. I was diving green runs, Augustin was diving blue/black runs, and the dive master and his student were diving double black diamonds. There were thousands of gorgeous fish to see and the coral reef was so beautiful that I don't even know how to describe it. We did two dives in two different areas. I even saw a little village that farms seaweed near the area of our first dive. As I was swimming under water I heard something you wouldn't expect to hear underwater. Kade my dive buddy was humming his favorite song. It took me awhile to figure it out..then I had to laugh. He did a great job of keeping track of me underwater and he was entertaining as well.
Today we spent most of the day touring around the island with a guide (Alex) and a driver. We visited three different Hindu temples and went all over the countryside. Bali is known for it's many temples. Alex explained about all of their many gods and ceremonies. In fact they were having a temple dedication at one we visited. We got to see the men and women dressed in their colorful temple attire, hear the unique music, and watch one of the men dress up with differents masks and do several ceremonial dances. It was very interesting to see, but I struggled with the concept of their religion and many gods. I asked Alex several questions referring to what Christians believe. It's just so different. He asked me some questions as well about Christian beliefs and customs in the US. Bali is 85% Hindu and in need of prayer in a big way. One sight that caught my eye was a small pick up with three men in the cab and four nicely dressed women in the bed of the truck. They were all heading to temple with their offering.
In Jakarta you don't see dogs because of the muslim people. Jakarta has many stray and very skinny cats roaming the streets. However in Bali, there a many dogs. Alex told us each family has at least one or two dogs. They are a little rough looking but we definitely saw our share of dogs today. Other cool sights: rice fields, coffee plantation (beans, roasting, crushing & tasting), cloves, cocoa plants, vanilla plants, kiwi, papaya, hand made batik designs on cloth, hand carved wood figurines and many beautiful kids.
It was an action packed weekend and I'm back in Jakarta ready for week 2 at work. After all I saw this weekend, I can sum it up by saying God's creation is truly amazing.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
A million motorcycles!!!
We went with a driver and a local girl on Sunday to check out the city. I have never seen so many motorcycles. It's a way of life here for many families. In fact we saw families of 3, 4 & even 5 traveling around on motorbikes. Kids sandwiched in between parents and appearing very content. I was right...there are no rules on the roads in Jakarta. It seems to be organized chaos, but I've not seen any road rage unlike in the US. Amazing.
It's Ramadhan, the ninth month on the Islamic calendar, so the muslims are fasting (food and drink) from sunrise to sundown. Indonesia is 95% muslim, so this is a very big deal. I'm awakened each morning about 4am to the loud speaker from the neighborhood mosque calling the muslims to worship and prayer before sunrise. It's a loud male moaning/singing sound that lasts for about 10 minutes. Once we are at the office, I hear it again at noon, 3pm and once more before sunset. Some people in the office leave by 3:30pm so they can get home and prepare a meal to break the fast with their families. This lasts for a month and then they mark the end of Ramadhan with a celebration. Not all people in our office are Muslim. We have quite a few Catholics and a few Christians as well.
It's Ramadhan, the ninth month on the Islamic calendar, so the muslims are fasting (food and drink) from sunrise to sundown. Indonesia is 95% muslim, so this is a very big deal. I'm awakened each morning about 4am to the loud speaker from the neighborhood mosque calling the muslims to worship and prayer before sunrise. It's a loud male moaning/singing sound that lasts for about 10 minutes. Once we are at the office, I hear it again at noon, 3pm and once more before sunset. Some people in the office leave by 3:30pm so they can get home and prepare a meal to break the fast with their families. This lasts for a month and then they mark the end of Ramadhan with a celebration. Not all people in our office are Muslim. We have quite a few Catholics and a few Christians as well.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
I made it!!
I finally made it to Jakarta. It feels alot like Tulsa in August....hot & muggy. I got a great glimpse of the area as we approached the airport. It definitely looks rural....rice fields, shacks, lots of people on bikes & motorcycles. The 40 minute ride from the airport to my hotel was the scariest part of the entire 48 hour journey. I didn't find my driver right away when I arrived, so I was a little nervous, but didn't let on that I was. I was approached by numerous other drivers that were at the airport trolling for people like me. I finally found my driver and felt safe going with him since he was hired by the company for which we are working. I got into the back seat and discovered I didn't get a seat belt. The driver got himself all buckled in and said no seatbelt in the back. Yikes!! The rules of the road seem to be much more 'creative' here than in the states. But I arrived safely and found my team at the hotel. My room here is actually better than what I had in Baltimore. For some reason I'm not totally surprised by that.
Friday, September 14, 2007
2:55 am
I'm obviously 'livin' on Tulsa time' and not Tokyo time. I arrived in Tokyo mid afternoon on Friday local time after a 12 hour flight from Dallas. I'm traveling on a missionary fare since the NGO we are working for provides aid to developing countries, so I have a 20 hour layover in Tokyo before going on to Jakarta. After over exerting myself on the flight by watching 2 movies and reading 1 book, I was ready to crash for the day (?) when I arrived to my room. Well, now it's 3am (1 pm Tulsa time) and I'm ready to go. I hope to get my days/nights straightened out prior to work Monday morning. So far I'm thankful for a safe flight, bulk head leg room, and an empty seat next to me from Dallas to Tokyo.
I hope the tremors have subsided after the numerous earthquakes in Indonesia over the last two days. Our client is sending resources (cash and people) to the area to assist the locals affected by the earthquakes. We will get to see their emergency response operations in action. Please pray for these people affected as well as those providing aid.
I hope the tremors have subsided after the numerous earthquakes in Indonesia over the last two days. Our client is sending resources (cash and people) to the area to assist the locals affected by the earthquakes. We will get to see their emergency response operations in action. Please pray for these people affected as well as those providing aid.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
It's Thursday!
hi Jen,
Hope you are doing well, you have been in my prayers.
I am at home this morning but later I will be on the golf course helping at the Mile High Tournament. The weather in Denver is beautiful and Sunday I will be at the stadium cheering on the Broncos. Go Broncos!!
Stay safe and I will look forward to hearing about all your adventures.
Love ya,
Cheryl
Hope you are doing well, you have been in my prayers.
I am at home this morning but later I will be on the golf course helping at the Mile High Tournament. The weather in Denver is beautiful and Sunday I will be at the stadium cheering on the Broncos. Go Broncos!!
Stay safe and I will look forward to hearing about all your adventures.
Love ya,
Cheryl
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Jen's Itinerary
Thought it might be important to get my itinerary posted.
September 13 - 29 Jakarta, Indonesia
Week of 10/1 - Broken Arrow, OK USA
October 5 - 12 Abuja, Nigeria
October 12 - 19 Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
**travel to Tanzania from Nigeria requires us to go back to London and then through Dubai; there are alternate routes, but safety was a concern!
October 19 - 24 Mwanza, Tanzania
October 25 & 26 Arusha Tanzania (site seeing!!!)
October 27 - Travel back to Tulsa
Octobe 31 - November 14(?) - Baltimore
September 13 - 29 Jakarta, Indonesia
Week of 10/1 - Broken Arrow, OK USA
October 5 - 12 Abuja, Nigeria
October 12 - 19 Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
**travel to Tanzania from Nigeria requires us to go back to London and then through Dubai; there are alternate routes, but safety was a concern!
October 19 - 24 Mwanza, Tanzania
October 25 & 26 Arusha Tanzania (site seeing!!!)
October 27 - Travel back to Tulsa
Octobe 31 - November 14(?) - Baltimore
Liftoff T -21 hours
The craziness is in full swing. Suddenly our team is having visa issues. One of the team members, Jon, is from the UK so he had to apply for his visa upon arriving back to London on Monday. He has been in Baltimore with us since August 13 and was told he could not apply while in the US after getting rejected by the Indonesian embassy in Washington. So he started jumping through hoops on Monday in London. The embassy requires an official letter of invitation from the company we will be working for, however they wouldn't accept it from the HQ office in Baltimore. They wanted a letter from the Jakarta office. I already have my Indonesia visa, but my passport was then sent to the Nigerian embassy in preparation for our next trip to Africa. My visa was to be ready last Friday, but then was delayed for whatever reason. They said come back Monday...still not ready...come back Tuesday. Finally the gal in Baltimore received my passport along with the Nigerian visa late yesterday afternoon. Fed Ex came through again and I now have my passport and both visas in hand. Travel details for 4 people originating in 4 different locations/2 countries has been a challenge. But I think we are on our way. Wait....breaking news.
I flipped on Matt & Meredith this morning to find out an 8.2 earthquake hit Indonesia this morning. It was centered off Sumatra, but could be felt as far away as Singapore & Malaysia. At this point I believe we are still going, but I don't have enough information. I'll be checking with our Global Asset Protection (GAP) team today to ensure it is safe for us to be there.
Grammie & Beckie get gold stars/atta girls for posting comments.
I flipped on Matt & Meredith this morning to find out an 8.2 earthquake hit Indonesia this morning. It was centered off Sumatra, but could be felt as far away as Singapore & Malaysia. At this point I believe we are still going, but I don't have enough information. I'll be checking with our Global Asset Protection (GAP) team today to ensure it is safe for us to be there.
Grammie & Beckie get gold stars/atta girls for posting comments.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Monday, September 10, 2007
You're going where???
Believe me, I was asking the same questions. Who would have guessed I would be globetrotting to Thailand, Indonesia, Nigeria & Tanzania over a 90 day time frame. Not me, that's for sure. I probably need to bring some of you up to speed on how this all came about.Last summer I was getting the itch to start looking for a new job here in Tulsa. I had been with my current company since we had moved to Tulsa. After putting my feelers out in the job market, I had an offer last August with a local firm to do regional software implementations. This would require some travel in the Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas area. After weighing the facts, I came to the conclusion it didn't seem right so I passed on the opportunity. I had several other interviews and for whatever reason, they determined it wasn't right on their end....we'll talk rejection another time. The good news about job searching while employed is the ability to be more selective. That's a good thing! I kept telling myself that God is in control here, so just relax and keep looking.Well, long story short I started a new job the end of April with an international info technology consulting firm. I've chosen not post the name of the company so my blog won't show up if somebody googles it (career management 101). I belong to the systems integration group and work with the same financial software products that I've been working with since 1996 in Denver. Since starting the new job in April, I have been busy trying to come up to speed, working on some short term projects, and 'warming the bench' (unstaffed). In an effort to get staffed on a long term project, I responded to an internal email looking for a person with my skill set to lead a project with a NGO (non government organization) which provides aid to developing countries. I really didn't think they would staff me on the project since one of the requirements was to have at least 2 years experience with the company. This translates into somebody who has mastered the company methodology learning curve. Wrong...either they were desperate or there's more to this. I believe the latter. All of a sudden I felt like the dog that caught the UPS truck.I decided a blog would be a great way to keep up with family & friends while I'm traveling. I'm new at this, so hopefully I can get it figured out. I'll post my itinerary so you know where I'm at, updates along the way, pictures and some prayer requests as I go. Please participate in posting to my blog.
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