China. Gritty, yet polished. At times seemingly stuck in the last century yet pushing forward faster than most societies. A country full of oxymoron, where one can go to a high end dance club in one of the richest parts of the city yet still find yourself using a squat toilet (aka "squatty potty") there … Continue reading One Month
Well it’s been a year since my last travel adventure began. This time instead of taking in the sights and sounds of Central Africa I have made my way to Turkey to experience Europe, Asia and the Middle East all rolled into one land full of rich history and culture. I haven’t even been here … Continue reading Too Tired to Write Well
I've been back in America for almost a week now and it's not at all what I expected. I thought I would have some kind of "reverse culture shock" that we had been warned of, but instead it's just life as usual. I loved my time in Africa. I didn't kiss the ground when I got … Continue reading One Last Thing
The concept of family can take on many different forms. For most people, when they hear the word family images of a mom, dad, siblings, grandparents and the like come to mind. But family can be your best friends. Family can be your favorite pet cat. Family can be a group of people you've never … Continue reading Family
My relationship with Rwandan and Ugandan food is best described as an emotional rollercoaster. From the honeymoon phase where I fell in love with the delicious fried bananas, fresh from the earth tomatoes, and the ever present mystery vegetable sauces to the fall out that occurred somewhere around my fifteenth serving of boiled cassava leaves. … Continue reading Bananas, Beans and Rice: A Tumultuous Love Story
An NGO we visited. This is a cockroach I found in my room one morning with my ring for size. I can't kill the bugs here because they are so big so we definitely competed for space that morning. Some of these kids are my host brothers and cousins but the houses are in sort … Continue reading Uganda
The sky on my walk to school in Gulu, Uganda. 7 July 2013.
Here in Rwanda we have had the opportunity to encounter all sides of the 1994 Genocide. From host family members with relatives that were lost to coming face to face with killers, our study of the Genocide has been extremely multifaceted. It's hard to walk down the street here and look at people, wondering "Who … Continue reading Victims, Perpetrators, and Rescuers
In a small town in the Eastern Province of Rwanda there is a small church. Behind that church there is an even smaller building, a Sunday school house for the small children of Ntarama. Instead of continuing to attend Sunday school in this little house, the children of Ntarama never got to be big. To … Continue reading Standing in the Gap
Nowhere To Go But Everywhere 