So its been a while since I wrote. I blame the heat. I’ve been blaming the heat for a lot of things these days, and, given the title above, the heat is one of 3 H’s on my mind. Its hot. Really hot. And its December. I feel tired, sluggish, and slow. My mind is not as sharp, I feel lazy and complacent. Hey! I fit right in with the rest of the people here. Ohh..ok..maybe that’s a little harsh. But, as if we didn’t operate slowly enough, with the seasons somewhere between hottest and scorched earth, as impossible as it is for me to believe, we’ve slowed down even more. But that’s ok, its hot to even bother. I don’t even bother doing cardio workouts at the gym anymore because its just too hot. Unless your sitting directly under a fan, or an a/c, (or you’re outside in a breeze) its hot, which is funny considering the time of year. Which brings me to the next H – Holidays.
It doesn’t feel like the holidays. Probably because it’s a balmy 35 degrees outside and xmas is about 10-12 days away. But I’m not just talking about the holiday season here, I’m talking about public holidays. We have A LOT of them! Today happens to be uhuru day or something, whatever its called, its Kenya’s independence day. Which I thought we celebrated on Kenyatta day, but I guess that’s more of a president’s day, which is what I thought we celebrated on Moi day, but… anyways, thats another story. So in October we had, Eid, Moi day, and Kenyatta day, in November we had Obama day, in December we’ve had an Eid (although it was not technically a public holiday but a lot of people took the day off) and today’s independence day, and starting dec 22nd, most businesses (including my 'little engine that could' of an NGO) will close for 2 weeks for the holidays. So that’s 6 holidays, and 2 weeks off in a span of 3 months. A little much I think, and kind of disrupts the flow of work. A lot of staff here have just taken the whole month of December off and starting next week I think there will be a total of 5 staff in our office (of 15). Oh, and an irony that I have to point out, somehow, I have had to come into work (yes, by choice, but also b/c of deadlines) on everyone of those holidays. Given that my job is not the busiest one in the world, it’s a little ironic. When I left home this morning my roommate remarked that she was going to spend the day decorating our house with some xmas stuff to at least try and make it seem a little more holiday-ish. We have a little Charlie brown xmas tree and some other stuff, but I’m not entirely sure what to expect when I get home. Gotta love her for trying…
The 3rd H is unrelated but whatever. Headlines. I read the nation newspaper here pretty much everyday so that I can keep up to date with the latest Kenyan news. A sample of the headlines will give you a taste of whats going on. The Waki commission looking at last year’s post election violence, random politics (which is huge here) food shortages and the rise in food prices making basic staples unaffordable for most kenyans, and an ad for a oxygen therapy clinic that promises to cure you of a multitude of diseases including arthritis, cancer, stroke, HIV/AIDS, heart disease……wait a sec….you can cure HIV/AIDS??? Cancer??? Does the rest of the world know about this??? The miracle of oxygen therapy!! Ok..its a lie..a big lie…and I was shocked/annoyed to read it! Shocked that this place is so unscrupulous that it would sucker people into thinking that HIV/AIDS or cancer can be cured, and annoyed that the newspaper did not feel it was responsible for editing the content of the ad to ensure that it wasn’t blatantly lying! But its just a sign of the place, time, and society. You can get all worked up about it, you can scream and shout from the rooftops, you can fight and argue and make all sorts of noise…but its too hot.
Happy Holidays to you all, wishing you a safe and enjoyable holiday season!
Friday, December 12, 2008
Monday, December 1, 2008
World AIDS Day
The AIDS virus was born somewhere deep inside the forests of the western side of Africa near the Congo. While no one can pinpoint at exactly what point the virus jumped from animals to humans, the reality is that it did sometime in the 1960’s, and the virus quickly spread as it traveled down the Kinshasa highway and from there spread across the rest of the continent and to the rest of the world. Today AIDS is a plague on the world and continues to kill millions with no cure. Every year, one day is set aside to raise awareness of this plague, Dec 1st was that day.
Kenya is no stranger to the AIDS virus. Currently, Kenya has an AIDS prevalence rate of ~5% which, with a total population of just over 30 million means that ~1.5 million people are infected with the disease. In the spirit of the day, I decided to get involved with a few other staff from CHD in the World AIDS day activities in Mombasa. CHD, as part of the Aga Khan Health Services which is a larger part of the Aga Khan Development Network joined forces with some other AKDN agencies (both development and for-profit) to create one AKDN team. Other agencies included Serena hotels, Jubilee insurance, and Aga Khan schools (its crazy just how big the AKDN really is and how many different industries it covers). The day began with a march through the streets of Mombasa from the provincial commissioners house to the Mombasa Municipal Stadium. It was a good turnout of a few hundred people, with AKDN, USAID, Afri-Aphya, VCT, and other agencies devoted to AIDS awareness. It was a scorching hot walk though with temperatures reaching 30 and above in the sun. Oh, and although we were marching through the narrow congested streets of downtown Mombasa, the streets themselves were not closed off to traffic so we marched in between and around cars, trucks, matatus and tuk-tuk’s. Is there any other way to parade?
Arriving at the stadium, we sat (in the shade thankfully) to hear speeches (in Swahili that I did not understand) and see skits/plays (which I also did not understand, but I don’t think anyone was really paying attention). Now, whats an event without some technical difficulties? See the stadium in Mombasa, is more of a field with some old concrete seats built into the grass surrounding the field. There’s actually no power in the stadium, so everything’s battery operated and of course, batteries ran out of juice. Meaning, microphones and speakers did not work. Ah well, c’est la Kenya. I couldn’t but notice and comment to my colleagues the absolute lack of attention that was being given to the speeches/performances. Makes me wonder what, if any, message got through.
Our next stop was to the streets. We had gathered boxes of bread, juice and clothing to distribute to street kids while we talked about AIDS awareness. We interacted with a group of about 50 street kids (most of whom had glue bottles stuck to their face). The unfortunate part is that the group was all male, which means that we didn’t get to interact with any females which to me is missing such a key group. After discussions the chaos ensued as we began distributing the goods we had brought. I was a little confused by the end of the day as to what exact impact we had made and whether we had really gotten the message across about HIV and AIDS. But then, after discussing with a friend, I realized that its not fair to judge the success of the day based on whatever standards (obviously developed in Canada) I may have. And to remember that, being in a society where AIDS is still highly stigmatized, perhaps the fact that the we marched through the streets, and just talked about it openly, basically the fact that event was actually held was a success in itself.
Kenya is no stranger to the AIDS virus. Currently, Kenya has an AIDS prevalence rate of ~5% which, with a total population of just over 30 million means that ~1.5 million people are infected with the disease. In the spirit of the day, I decided to get involved with a few other staff from CHD in the World AIDS day activities in Mombasa. CHD, as part of the Aga Khan Health Services which is a larger part of the Aga Khan Development Network joined forces with some other AKDN agencies (both development and for-profit) to create one AKDN team. Other agencies included Serena hotels, Jubilee insurance, and Aga Khan schools (its crazy just how big the AKDN really is and how many different industries it covers). The day began with a march through the streets of Mombasa from the provincial commissioners house to the Mombasa Municipal Stadium. It was a good turnout of a few hundred people, with AKDN, USAID, Afri-Aphya, VCT, and other agencies devoted to AIDS awareness. It was a scorching hot walk though with temperatures reaching 30 and above in the sun. Oh, and although we were marching through the narrow congested streets of downtown Mombasa, the streets themselves were not closed off to traffic so we marched in between and around cars, trucks, matatus and tuk-tuk’s. Is there any other way to parade?
Arriving at the stadium, we sat (in the shade thankfully) to hear speeches (in Swahili that I did not understand) and see skits/plays (which I also did not understand, but I don’t think anyone was really paying attention). Now, whats an event without some technical difficulties? See the stadium in Mombasa, is more of a field with some old concrete seats built into the grass surrounding the field. There’s actually no power in the stadium, so everything’s battery operated and of course, batteries ran out of juice. Meaning, microphones and speakers did not work. Ah well, c’est la Kenya. I couldn’t but notice and comment to my colleagues the absolute lack of attention that was being given to the speeches/performances. Makes me wonder what, if any, message got through.
Our next stop was to the streets. We had gathered boxes of bread, juice and clothing to distribute to street kids while we talked about AIDS awareness. We interacted with a group of about 50 street kids (most of whom had glue bottles stuck to their face). The unfortunate part is that the group was all male, which means that we didn’t get to interact with any females which to me is missing such a key group. After discussions the chaos ensued as we began distributing the goods we had brought. I was a little confused by the end of the day as to what exact impact we had made and whether we had really gotten the message across about HIV and AIDS. But then, after discussing with a friend, I realized that its not fair to judge the success of the day based on whatever standards (obviously developed in Canada) I may have. And to remember that, being in a society where AIDS is still highly stigmatized, perhaps the fact that the we marched through the streets, and just talked about it openly, basically the fact that event was actually held was a success in itself.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Mumbai Mentality
I write this as a tribute to one of the world’s great cities – Mumbai. A city that I became very attached to in a very short period of time and right now I can not think of anything else. As I came into work this morning and looked at daily headlines a look of horror and sadness came on my face as I saw the striking headlines about the ‘terror in mumbai’. Now, I’m not one of the 20 million mumbaikers (I think that’s what they’re called). I’m not here to write as if I understand what happened on the streets, or what a Mumbai resident in one of those chawls feels. I’m writing this as a Canadian-Indian who just 3 weeks ago spent 4-5 days in Mumbai and was totally smitten with the city. My heart goes out to those who were there, those who have lost, and those who have suffered. As I read about the places where each of the attacks took place I couldn’t help but think – I visited so many of those not long ago. To me, in my mind when I picture the taj hotel I picture a majestic Victorian building on the waterfront only dominated by the nearby gateway of India. Not a sea of terror and flames where bombs are exploding and crazy cowards are gunning down innocent people.
Some random group has come to claim responsibility for the attack. They’re a muslim-based group and to learn that only makes me sad. It is yet another chapter in the never-ending conflict between hindus and muslims. A conflict I will never understand. Mumbai is no stranger to this though. In the last decade of the 20th century the streets were rocked with hindu/muslim riots, and just in 2006 there were coordinated attacks on the city’s train system. But why Mumbai? Why always Mumbai? Of the major cities in India I think its easy to say that Mumbai has seen more than its share of violence (at least in recent years) – even more so than Delhi and Delhi is the capital! (not that I want anything to happen to Delhi). But it seems like there’s a never-ending battle for this city’s soul that comes down to the street. I wrote about the free-spirit that seems to come from the streets. To borrow a phrase from Montreal - it’s a laissez-faire mentality, but laissez-faire with a purpose. After all, besides the political capital, it’s the capital of India in every other sense and yet the people there seem at ease. Perhaps by targeting this free spirited city that caters to all and has so much potential, criminals think or hope they can break that spirit because wouldn’t that be the biggest crime of all. I think it would. It saddens me to think about what measures will be taken after this to secure the city. Unfortunately a bit of the free spirit may already have been lost.
Now here’s where I can’t speak as a Mumbai resident, but only from what I’ve seen. Mumbai is resilient and it will persist. The city is flooded every year from monsoon rains, and every year the residents persist. There are 20 million people in that city and I can’t imagine it any different from what I saw and my gut tells me that it won’t be (ok, maybe a little, but not for long). Like I said, this is not new to Mumbai, and as much as I hope this is the last time blood is spilled on its streets like this, I am not that naive. But I can only wonder, when will it end? When/where does it stop? Will hindu’s and muslim’s ever learn to co-exist peacefully across all areas of the world? Who knows, in my lifetime I would love to see that. For now, from what I saw, I am confident about one thing. Mumbai is a bright light. You can dampen it, maybe for a day, maybe for a week, maybe for months or even a year. But you can’t break it. No matter who, or how hard you try, you can not break it. It will always shine.
Some random group has come to claim responsibility for the attack. They’re a muslim-based group and to learn that only makes me sad. It is yet another chapter in the never-ending conflict between hindus and muslims. A conflict I will never understand. Mumbai is no stranger to this though. In the last decade of the 20th century the streets were rocked with hindu/muslim riots, and just in 2006 there were coordinated attacks on the city’s train system. But why Mumbai? Why always Mumbai? Of the major cities in India I think its easy to say that Mumbai has seen more than its share of violence (at least in recent years) – even more so than Delhi and Delhi is the capital! (not that I want anything to happen to Delhi). But it seems like there’s a never-ending battle for this city’s soul that comes down to the street. I wrote about the free-spirit that seems to come from the streets. To borrow a phrase from Montreal - it’s a laissez-faire mentality, but laissez-faire with a purpose. After all, besides the political capital, it’s the capital of India in every other sense and yet the people there seem at ease. Perhaps by targeting this free spirited city that caters to all and has so much potential, criminals think or hope they can break that spirit because wouldn’t that be the biggest crime of all. I think it would. It saddens me to think about what measures will be taken after this to secure the city. Unfortunately a bit of the free spirit may already have been lost.
Now here’s where I can’t speak as a Mumbai resident, but only from what I’ve seen. Mumbai is resilient and it will persist. The city is flooded every year from monsoon rains, and every year the residents persist. There are 20 million people in that city and I can’t imagine it any different from what I saw and my gut tells me that it won’t be (ok, maybe a little, but not for long). Like I said, this is not new to Mumbai, and as much as I hope this is the last time blood is spilled on its streets like this, I am not that naive. But I can only wonder, when will it end? When/where does it stop? Will hindu’s and muslim’s ever learn to co-exist peacefully across all areas of the world? Who knows, in my lifetime I would love to see that. For now, from what I saw, I am confident about one thing. Mumbai is a bright light. You can dampen it, maybe for a day, maybe for a week, maybe for months or even a year. But you can’t break it. No matter who, or how hard you try, you can not break it. It will always shine.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
The 4 Seasons of Mombasa
It’s the last week of November. Usually at this point in the year, I’m awaiting for the first snowfall of the winter. From what I’ve heard, that has already come to Toronto and most of Canada (probably a bit early this year?). And it made me realize, one of the small beauties of Canadian life – 4 distinct seasons. You see, here in Mombasa, south of the equator, and a little east of the prime meridian, we do not have the usual seasons of fall, winter, summer, and spring. Ok fine, we have them in name, but really who can tell? If anything, the 4 seasons of Mombasa at least should really be called hot, hotter, hottest, and scorched earth. Right now, I would put us somewhere between hottest and scorched earth. Scorched earth is supposed to Dec-Feb when usually I am going through the dead of winter (Southern hemisphere, seasons reversed).
My roommate made an interesting comment on Saturday night as we were getting ready to go out. She remarked that usually, (coming from Ottawa), when she would be getting ready to go out at this time of the year, she would be putting on her warm winter boots, long winter coat, thick winter scarf, and maybe a toque. A far cry from the light t-shirt, light pants (long pants only to ward off the mosquitos) and sandals we wear here on a daily basis where the temperature is now 30 degrees at 8 in the morning.
Life is full of cliché phrases. It should come as no surprise to me, or anyone else, that living here, this far away from home, for 4.5 months now has made me realize just how many things I love about Canada and Toronto. But winter?? Yes its true, being here has made me realize that maybe I do like winter after all. I’ve always said I’m a summer-lovin, warm weather kinda guy. I love to be outdoors, and love the feel of a cool summer night’s breeze on a patio with a cold drink (who doesn’t?), but winter has its own beauty. When I tell people here about what winter is like, their usual reaction is a combination of disgust and surprise that any human being (let alone 32 million of us) would put up with that. But I find myself quickly defending winter, and fondly describing the beauty of the first snowfall, the scene of a blanket of white, the joys of skating, skiing, sledding, and then sitting in front of a roaring warm fire at night with a hot drink.
I think there’s more to this though. Maybe its not only the traits of a season, the colours of fall, the snow of winter, the comfort of spring, and the sun of summer but what those seasons represent. In the big picture, it’s a sign that the earth is always spinning, time is moving, life is progressing. Each season represents a new way of life, and we continue to cycle through these seasons. We have the opportunity to look back at the end of a season and look forward to the new one. We get a chance to renew ourselves, even if only in the clothes we wear. The unfortunate part is that we always seem to want the next season. In winter, we can’t wait for the relief of spring, and in summer we can’t wait for it to cool down. Well, here’s hoping that the next time I crave for the opposite season, I’ll remember my experience here in perma-hot. I don’t remember the last time I felt ‘cold’ and frankly it may take some time for my body to recognize that feeling whenever it does set in again (the irony here is that I will leave Mombasa in the hottest month and return to Canada in one of the coldest months). Anyways, so while the snow is falling in Canada, the sun continues to shine in Mombasa. But remember, winter is what makes us special. Its what people expect from us. Out of 6 billion people in this world, there are only 32 million (ok fine add a bunch-a-million more for all those scandanavian countries and those in northern Siberia) who can tough it out with old-man winter. In case you’re wondering, the forecast for tomorrow? Full sun and 32 degrees.
My roommate made an interesting comment on Saturday night as we were getting ready to go out. She remarked that usually, (coming from Ottawa), when she would be getting ready to go out at this time of the year, she would be putting on her warm winter boots, long winter coat, thick winter scarf, and maybe a toque. A far cry from the light t-shirt, light pants (long pants only to ward off the mosquitos) and sandals we wear here on a daily basis where the temperature is now 30 degrees at 8 in the morning.
Life is full of cliché phrases. It should come as no surprise to me, or anyone else, that living here, this far away from home, for 4.5 months now has made me realize just how many things I love about Canada and Toronto. But winter?? Yes its true, being here has made me realize that maybe I do like winter after all. I’ve always said I’m a summer-lovin, warm weather kinda guy. I love to be outdoors, and love the feel of a cool summer night’s breeze on a patio with a cold drink (who doesn’t?), but winter has its own beauty. When I tell people here about what winter is like, their usual reaction is a combination of disgust and surprise that any human being (let alone 32 million of us) would put up with that. But I find myself quickly defending winter, and fondly describing the beauty of the first snowfall, the scene of a blanket of white, the joys of skating, skiing, sledding, and then sitting in front of a roaring warm fire at night with a hot drink.
I think there’s more to this though. Maybe its not only the traits of a season, the colours of fall, the snow of winter, the comfort of spring, and the sun of summer but what those seasons represent. In the big picture, it’s a sign that the earth is always spinning, time is moving, life is progressing. Each season represents a new way of life, and we continue to cycle through these seasons. We have the opportunity to look back at the end of a season and look forward to the new one. We get a chance to renew ourselves, even if only in the clothes we wear. The unfortunate part is that we always seem to want the next season. In winter, we can’t wait for the relief of spring, and in summer we can’t wait for it to cool down. Well, here’s hoping that the next time I crave for the opposite season, I’ll remember my experience here in perma-hot. I don’t remember the last time I felt ‘cold’ and frankly it may take some time for my body to recognize that feeling whenever it does set in again (the irony here is that I will leave Mombasa in the hottest month and return to Canada in one of the coldest months). Anyways, so while the snow is falling in Canada, the sun continues to shine in Mombasa. But remember, winter is what makes us special. Its what people expect from us. Out of 6 billion people in this world, there are only 32 million (ok fine add a bunch-a-million more for all those scandanavian countries and those in northern Siberia) who can tough it out with old-man winter. In case you’re wondering, the forecast for tomorrow? Full sun and 32 degrees.
Monday, November 17, 2008
A dollar here, a dollar there
It has been 11 days since my last post. That’s the longest I’ve gone without posting. In some ways, maybe it’s a sign of the times. The novelty of being here is long gone, routine has set in, evaluations are done, the last project grant at work is all wrapped up, so basically the stuff that I wrote about in earlier months is now stuff that just seems normal/not worth writing about.
I recently read in an article in the globe and mail (yes I still read my Canadian newspapers – the Toronto Start and globe and mail everyday) that talked about healthcare spending in Canada. CIHI estimated that public healthcare spending by governments in Canada reached about $121 billion – and that’s just the public portion (~70% of costs). Add another $50 billion in private costs (mostly drugs and dental care) and the total healthcare spending comes to ~$170 billion. How do you even begin to wrap your head around that number, its around 10% of our GDP. But still, we’re not the highest, or the 2nd highest, or the 3rd highest, (I think we’re 4th or 5th). Anyways, it made me realize (not that I hadn’t realized it yet) the magnitude of difference. Just take the public healthcare spending figure of $121 billion, and lets say in US that comes down around $102 billion (what happened to our loony??). Public healthcare spending in Kenya? Its around $500 million US. And of that, maybe about 30-40% comes from donors so really the government’s budget is around $250-300 million for a population that just slightly higher than Canada.
Why is it so low here? Well, there’s such a small tax base and even then the amount that is collected is minimal. Stir in the corruption factor in and who knows what is actually going into gov’t coffers and what gets spent on healthcare. Add some complacency about the fact that things will never change and a lacking of education about what things can be like and you’ve got your recipe. Ok, I’m sounding cynical, and I’ve already said this before and I want to avoid sounding like a broken record. So I want to throw in another factor here – disease burden. Consider that the top diseases here include malaria, diahorrea, and various respiratory illnesses. Oh yes, and AIDS.
As part of the AKDN, all organizations within have the opportunity to undergo VCT or voluntary counseling and testing for HIV/AIDS. A great idea which will hopefully help raise awareness about this HIV/AIDS. I’ve never been directly tested for AIDS, when I donate blood my blood samples are automatically tested for AIDS, but this is the first time I underwent a direct AIDS test. Simple really, prick your finger with a needle I made absolutely certain was new and sterilized (and which hurts!) and then mix your blood into various things which produce a result – yes in my case, negative. No surprise, and for me I was just more curious about what actually happens in an AIDS test. For a few people here though, I would think that the experience was a lot more nerve wracking and I noticed some people who just refused to do it (emphasize it was voluntary). Think about it, you can go into a room and basically get a death sentence in matter of 10 minutes. How could that not be scary? But whats the alternative? Not knowing until its too late? Not knowing and then passing it onto others? On the other hand, knowing, but then realizing that the treatment you need to survive is too expensive to obtain and it slowly takes you? That is the burden that people here face all too regularly. And that’s if you survive all those other diseases like malaria, tb, and basically make it past the age of 5 (under 5 mortality rate of just over 10%). All this in a $500 million system? somewhere in there, the system has failed
I recently read in an article in the globe and mail (yes I still read my Canadian newspapers – the Toronto Start and globe and mail everyday) that talked about healthcare spending in Canada. CIHI estimated that public healthcare spending by governments in Canada reached about $121 billion – and that’s just the public portion (~70% of costs). Add another $50 billion in private costs (mostly drugs and dental care) and the total healthcare spending comes to ~$170 billion. How do you even begin to wrap your head around that number, its around 10% of our GDP. But still, we’re not the highest, or the 2nd highest, or the 3rd highest, (I think we’re 4th or 5th). Anyways, it made me realize (not that I hadn’t realized it yet) the magnitude of difference. Just take the public healthcare spending figure of $121 billion, and lets say in US that comes down around $102 billion (what happened to our loony??). Public healthcare spending in Kenya? Its around $500 million US. And of that, maybe about 30-40% comes from donors so really the government’s budget is around $250-300 million for a population that just slightly higher than Canada.
Why is it so low here? Well, there’s such a small tax base and even then the amount that is collected is minimal. Stir in the corruption factor in and who knows what is actually going into gov’t coffers and what gets spent on healthcare. Add some complacency about the fact that things will never change and a lacking of education about what things can be like and you’ve got your recipe. Ok, I’m sounding cynical, and I’ve already said this before and I want to avoid sounding like a broken record. So I want to throw in another factor here – disease burden. Consider that the top diseases here include malaria, diahorrea, and various respiratory illnesses. Oh yes, and AIDS.
As part of the AKDN, all organizations within have the opportunity to undergo VCT or voluntary counseling and testing for HIV/AIDS. A great idea which will hopefully help raise awareness about this HIV/AIDS. I’ve never been directly tested for AIDS, when I donate blood my blood samples are automatically tested for AIDS, but this is the first time I underwent a direct AIDS test. Simple really, prick your finger with a needle I made absolutely certain was new and sterilized (and which hurts!) and then mix your blood into various things which produce a result – yes in my case, negative. No surprise, and for me I was just more curious about what actually happens in an AIDS test. For a few people here though, I would think that the experience was a lot more nerve wracking and I noticed some people who just refused to do it (emphasize it was voluntary). Think about it, you can go into a room and basically get a death sentence in matter of 10 minutes. How could that not be scary? But whats the alternative? Not knowing until its too late? Not knowing and then passing it onto others? On the other hand, knowing, but then realizing that the treatment you need to survive is too expensive to obtain and it slowly takes you? That is the burden that people here face all too regularly. And that’s if you survive all those other diseases like malaria, tb, and basically make it past the age of 5 (under 5 mortality rate of just over 10%). All this in a $500 million system? somewhere in there, the system has failed
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Mid Term Review
I have returned to Mombasa from India. I had an absolutely amazing time in India, I was amazed to see the progress that has been made in India since my last trip in 02. Mumbai is a city like no other and I hope to return there soon. So upon my return to Kenya, in the plane as we touched down in Nairobi, the captain came on to announce Obama’s victory. Kenya is amass with Obama-mania, to the point that today (Nov 6th) has been declared a public holiday in honour of his election. Any excuse to have a holiday – go fig.
So. Its November. I have reached the halfway mark. 4 months from now, if I’m not already home, I’ll be packing up to come home. Home. What a wonderful word. That sentence in itself probably illustrates where my mindset is. Maybe because it’s the half point, maybe b/c I felt so at home in India, but the concept of home has been on my mind a lot.
But first, I’m halfway there. And frankly, I think that that in itself is an accomplishment. Whether or not you agree, its my blog and I’ll say what I want J. Its been a…well..i don’t really know what to say about the 1st half here. I think I have accomplished a lot both personally and professionally. Highlights of the first half? Well, first and foremost, safarin’ in Masai Mara and probably right up there as well is of course India. But aside from big travels, also the side trips, Malindi, Nairobi, and just up and down the coast and travelling throughout the province. I think I have seen pretty a lot of Mombasa. I’ve eaten table fulls of nyama choma (grilled meat), I’ve spent numerous afternoons on the beach, I’ve seen the fort (finally), I’ve walked the streets, I’ve partied till sunrise, and of course, matatu’s I take everyday. That’s not to say there’s nothing left, whatever’s left will just be icing on the cake.
Professionally, I’m happy to say that my org. has been successful in procuring that big grant I was talking about earlier so for now the future of CHD looks secure and I am not as concerned about what I am going to do in the 2nd half. It was a much needed morale boost for the organization and with that grant, hopefully we won’t have to let go of as many staff as first thought. I had a really great experience right before I left for India where I had the chance to spend an afternoon teaching part of a course. The course was for health professionals on proposal writing and my supervisor and I were tasked with teaching about monitoring and evaluation. Specifically my section that I taught was on indicator selection, data sources and gantt charts. It was surreal to be in front of that class, so different than any teaching experience I’ve had in Canada. My attempts to engage the class with some laughs was met with silence – woops! But just need to work them in a bit, and get them going with some exercises. As always, time does not exist anywhere and exercises that I had planned to take 20 min. went on for an hour despite my pleas to finish and present. So in the end I had to rush it a bit, but all in all, it was a challenge but something I’m really glad I got the opportunity to do.
My formal mid-term review with my supervisor went well and it was a good confidence boost. I got some validation when my supervisor indicated that I should consider the opportunity to extend my contract beyond February. That was about 2 weeks ago, and I think in those 2 weeks I have come to the conclusion (based on further discussions with my supervisor) that I will not pursue an opportunity to extend my contract and return home. So that’s my formal declaration. I’m coming back. And I know that it’s the right decision because when I say it in my mind it makes me smile and really, that’s all that matters.
So what comes next? Well, with our new EC grant there is plenty of opportunity to get involved and help make some changes in the org to prevent some of the challenges we’ve had in the past. There is a new initiative of health and schools that my director wants me to spearhead so I’m looking forward to that. In December we will get 2 weeks off for xmas in which a bunch of interns will be coming to Mombasa, and then a few of us will be going on a safari in the Ngorongoro crater (Tanzania) before we all meet again in Zanzibar for new years – I can’t wait!! And of course, the ultimate experience is still in my dream – kili.
So cheers to the 1st half and here’s to the 2nd half. May it be full of good learning, good life, and good laughs. My heartfelt thanks to everyone for their love, support, and encouragement so far. Whether you respond to my blog, post on my wall, email me, call me, or whatever, believe when I say I could not have made it this far without it, so keep it coming! The 1st half was great, not perfect, but great. It can’t be perfect, nothing’s perfect, you always make mistakes. But one of the greatest things I’ve learned (that I think I always knew but just hadn’t paraphrased yet) is that a mistake only becomes a failure when you don’t learn from it. Twende!
So. Its November. I have reached the halfway mark. 4 months from now, if I’m not already home, I’ll be packing up to come home. Home. What a wonderful word. That sentence in itself probably illustrates where my mindset is. Maybe because it’s the half point, maybe b/c I felt so at home in India, but the concept of home has been on my mind a lot.
But first, I’m halfway there. And frankly, I think that that in itself is an accomplishment. Whether or not you agree, its my blog and I’ll say what I want J. Its been a…well..i don’t really know what to say about the 1st half here. I think I have accomplished a lot both personally and professionally. Highlights of the first half? Well, first and foremost, safarin’ in Masai Mara and probably right up there as well is of course India. But aside from big travels, also the side trips, Malindi, Nairobi, and just up and down the coast and travelling throughout the province. I think I have seen pretty a lot of Mombasa. I’ve eaten table fulls of nyama choma (grilled meat), I’ve spent numerous afternoons on the beach, I’ve seen the fort (finally), I’ve walked the streets, I’ve partied till sunrise, and of course, matatu’s I take everyday. That’s not to say there’s nothing left, whatever’s left will just be icing on the cake.
Professionally, I’m happy to say that my org. has been successful in procuring that big grant I was talking about earlier so for now the future of CHD looks secure and I am not as concerned about what I am going to do in the 2nd half. It was a much needed morale boost for the organization and with that grant, hopefully we won’t have to let go of as many staff as first thought. I had a really great experience right before I left for India where I had the chance to spend an afternoon teaching part of a course. The course was for health professionals on proposal writing and my supervisor and I were tasked with teaching about monitoring and evaluation. Specifically my section that I taught was on indicator selection, data sources and gantt charts. It was surreal to be in front of that class, so different than any teaching experience I’ve had in Canada. My attempts to engage the class with some laughs was met with silence – woops! But just need to work them in a bit, and get them going with some exercises. As always, time does not exist anywhere and exercises that I had planned to take 20 min. went on for an hour despite my pleas to finish and present. So in the end I had to rush it a bit, but all in all, it was a challenge but something I’m really glad I got the opportunity to do.
My formal mid-term review with my supervisor went well and it was a good confidence boost. I got some validation when my supervisor indicated that I should consider the opportunity to extend my contract beyond February. That was about 2 weeks ago, and I think in those 2 weeks I have come to the conclusion (based on further discussions with my supervisor) that I will not pursue an opportunity to extend my contract and return home. So that’s my formal declaration. I’m coming back. And I know that it’s the right decision because when I say it in my mind it makes me smile and really, that’s all that matters.
So what comes next? Well, with our new EC grant there is plenty of opportunity to get involved and help make some changes in the org to prevent some of the challenges we’ve had in the past. There is a new initiative of health and schools that my director wants me to spearhead so I’m looking forward to that. In December we will get 2 weeks off for xmas in which a bunch of interns will be coming to Mombasa, and then a few of us will be going on a safari in the Ngorongoro crater (Tanzania) before we all meet again in Zanzibar for new years – I can’t wait!! And of course, the ultimate experience is still in my dream – kili.
So cheers to the 1st half and here’s to the 2nd half. May it be full of good learning, good life, and good laughs. My heartfelt thanks to everyone for their love, support, and encouragement so far. Whether you respond to my blog, post on my wall, email me, call me, or whatever, believe when I say I could not have made it this far without it, so keep it coming! The 1st half was great, not perfect, but great. It can’t be perfect, nothing’s perfect, you always make mistakes. But one of the greatest things I’ve learned (that I think I always knew but just hadn’t paraphrased yet) is that a mistake only becomes a failure when you don’t learn from it. Twende!
Sunday, November 2, 2008
The A,B,C's of Mumbai
Amazing, Bumpin, Cosmopolitan, Dirty, Enticing, Fast, Gigantic, Hot...and the list goes on. All words that i would use to describe Mumbai, formely known as Bombay, affectionately known as Bollywood. Out of all the cities I have visited in India, Mumbai takes the cake. Its not hard for me to say why...the city has an incredible energy and vibe whether its 2pm or 2am. Like New York, the city does not sleep. It has the amenities i desire, great entertainment, people everywhere, amazing food, rich culture, attractive women, charm, and yes, an ocean view (well technically its on the coast of the Arabian Sea, but that sea feeds into the Indian Ocean so why split hairs). Its a city of ~20 million people. 20 million! thats more than half of Canada crammed into one city, and yet this place functions, and functions well. The contrast between Mumbai and Delhi is clear. While Delhi is more of a clean cut, properly trimmed, political capital, Mumbai is more of an ecletic melting pot of music, fashion, food, and people. If you were planting a tree in Delhi, there would be a committee of 10 people who would take about a month studying various sites and calculating exactly where it should go. In Mumbai, they would just drop it from the sky and see where it lands.
But thats what i love. There are no sharp corners and straight edges here, there is really no shape. Mumbai hugs the coast from North to South and everything in between is just waiting for you. It caters to everyone, the rich and the poor, the local and the foreign. The city is lined with apartment buildings, both luxury high rises, and low income dwellings. Tightly packed, 1-bedroom apartments make up the thousands of Chawls that line city streets. You can only imagine how many people live in these buildings, and can only wonder what their story is and what goes on in there. Having been here the past 2 days, I can't believe it has taken me so long to get here. The sites so far include the Gateway of India (built when King George came to visit India as a British Colony) and the surrounding Colaba area, stunning Marine drive and the queens necklace - a winding ocean hugging road that when lit up at night, looks like a pearl necklace, chaotic chowpatty at Juhu beach where hundreds of people enjoy the beach and the sea air till late in the night and then sample some of the most enticing array of mumbai street food from pow bhaji, to chaat, to the finest italian restaurants and of course bandra - the entertainment hub!
Being a food addict, mumbai has definetely provided me with my hearts desire. peanut vendors walking around with charcoal fires roasting peanuts on the spot for Rs 10 a pack (25 cents) that are still warm when you eat them. Fresh Juice vendors that squeeze the juice from the fruit right infront of you for Rs 20 (50 cents) and coconut vendors who in the flash of an eye will chop off the top of those sweet coconuts so that you can down the sweet nectar inside for Rs 10. Midnight buffets and all night coffee shops ensure that no matter what the time, you can get food - great food! Its a shoppers paradise here too, almost every square foot of the city centre, (besides the roads) is setup to sell you something...anything!
Probably my favourite is just walking the streets. During the day, its just as busy as it is during the night. I like to think that a city's true character comes out at night and for that Mumbai gets top marks. Its a city that has seen so much, from Islamic rule, to the Portuguese landing, to the British colonization, to the hindu/muslim riots that rocked its streets in the early 90's. It may not have the steep history of Delhi but Mumbai has taken my heart and this city can definetely tell a story or two...or 20 million...eventually, i'd like to hear them all.
But thats what i love. There are no sharp corners and straight edges here, there is really no shape. Mumbai hugs the coast from North to South and everything in between is just waiting for you. It caters to everyone, the rich and the poor, the local and the foreign. The city is lined with apartment buildings, both luxury high rises, and low income dwellings. Tightly packed, 1-bedroom apartments make up the thousands of Chawls that line city streets. You can only imagine how many people live in these buildings, and can only wonder what their story is and what goes on in there. Having been here the past 2 days, I can't believe it has taken me so long to get here. The sites so far include the Gateway of India (built when King George came to visit India as a British Colony) and the surrounding Colaba area, stunning Marine drive and the queens necklace - a winding ocean hugging road that when lit up at night, looks like a pearl necklace, chaotic chowpatty at Juhu beach where hundreds of people enjoy the beach and the sea air till late in the night and then sample some of the most enticing array of mumbai street food from pow bhaji, to chaat, to the finest italian restaurants and of course bandra - the entertainment hub!
Being a food addict, mumbai has definetely provided me with my hearts desire. peanut vendors walking around with charcoal fires roasting peanuts on the spot for Rs 10 a pack (25 cents) that are still warm when you eat them. Fresh Juice vendors that squeeze the juice from the fruit right infront of you for Rs 20 (50 cents) and coconut vendors who in the flash of an eye will chop off the top of those sweet coconuts so that you can down the sweet nectar inside for Rs 10. Midnight buffets and all night coffee shops ensure that no matter what the time, you can get food - great food! Its a shoppers paradise here too, almost every square foot of the city centre, (besides the roads) is setup to sell you something...anything!
Probably my favourite is just walking the streets. During the day, its just as busy as it is during the night. I like to think that a city's true character comes out at night and for that Mumbai gets top marks. Its a city that has seen so much, from Islamic rule, to the Portuguese landing, to the British colonization, to the hindu/muslim riots that rocked its streets in the early 90's. It may not have the steep history of Delhi but Mumbai has taken my heart and this city can definetely tell a story or two...or 20 million...eventually, i'd like to hear them all.
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