Farah in Africa

Migrating...

2010-11-24T09:41:00.000+03:00

Hello peeps...

I am sad to say that I am no longer blogging here at Farah in Africa. My assignment has ended and will start heading for the homeland soon. As I begin a new chapter of my life, I also have decided to start blogging in a new platform.

You may find me now at My Nipa Hut.
Hope old friends will find me there, and if not, I know I'll make new friends.

Thank you for being with me through my Kenyan adventure.
Thank you, Blogger.

Wordless Wednesday 010: Warthog

2010-08-04T11:45:00.003+03:00

I am back online again and I missed blogging. It so happened that my co-volunteers and I had a chance to be in Nairobi for a much-needed R and R and there was Internet where we were staying. I just had to update my blog to tell my family I am fine and also to share this photo. The thing is, by the time this gets published, I would probably be on my way to Mombasa to resume my community work; or, maybe not (it depends on the situation as this is an auto-post anyway). We had a wonderful weekend watching wild animals and just being in the city with electricity, running water, and most of all, enjoyed the company of fellow volunteers and great food! And what a great weekend it was. This is a not so Wordless entry, so please excuse me. Ok, on to the picture.

This one may not be Pumbaa the lovable character in the Disney movie, the Lion King, and half of the dynamic duo Timon and Pumbaa, but it is a warthog. We found this one on our visit to Amboseli National Park in Kenya.

This is, specifically, a Central African warthog (Phacochoerus africanus massaicus) that is found only in Kenya and Tanzania. The warthog commonly reverses into burrows with the head always facing the opening and ready to burst out if necessary.

Wordless Wednesday 009: Rainbow connection

2010-06-23T06:17:00.001+03:00

Hello.
You are reading another automated post as by now I am in my village continuing my community work. Monsoon season already started a month ago and it's been non-stop. Well, when it rains, it really pours! One afternoon I got out of my hut after a two-hour pounding of rain, I noticed the locals were chattering noisily, obviously excited over something. When I approached the group of young mothers just a few steps away from me, they shouted at me to look at the sky. So I followed their pointing fingers and voila!!!

What a beautiful sight to behold! I can understand the excitement. It's one of those simple moments you feel the grandeur of God's creations... it definitely left an imprint in me.

Wordless Wednesday 008: Mating

2010-05-12T11:47:00.000+03:00

Please excuse the absence of current posts here. I am a bit lost in a flurry of field activities. Not long ago, I just came back from Nairobi from a meeting and yet there's another meeting looming again, on May 19th for a mid-term review. Again, one local representative from the cooperative will be coming with me for this mid-year activity for all Volunteers and partners.

Anyways, this is my entry for this week's WW.

Spotted in one of the trees inside while on a trip to the Gede ruins. Some of us stopped to take photos of these crawlies and I could only imagine how embarassed these two must have felt while we were taking their photos in, uhmm, horizontal position *lol*

Wordless Wednesday 007: Ancient tree

2010-04-27T16:32:00.003+03:00

One of the many old, old trees that covered the Gede ruins in Mombasa, Kenya.

Two weeks ago, my fellow Volunteers and I decided to spend our weekend together. We went to Gede ruins near the coastal town of Malindi in Mombasa. Gede ruins is a 12th century Swahili village that was mysteriously abandoned some 600 years ago for unknown reasons. It is now a national park and the ruins are now overgrown with beautiful forest trees, such as this huge baobab tree. The place reminds me so much of the temple ruins at the Angkor Wat complex. It may have lacked the grandioseness of the temples in Cambodia, the Gede ruins give visitors an eerie atmospheric feeling from the massive trees with mangled branches reminiscent of Ta Prohm temple. The Gede ruins continue to attract tourists from everywhere.

Wordless Wednesday 006: Tribal women

2010-04-13T18:35:00.001+03:00

Another update set in the auto-post mode. I am not sure which tribe they belong to but these women work as entertainers/performers at the hotel where the VSO Coast Volunteers had a 3day conference two months ago. I have a feeling that these women do not exactly enjoy what they're doing but they have no other choice. They earn from performing their tribal dance every night.

Visit other Wordless entries by clicking the WW logo above.

A Kazuri present for Sreisaat

2010-04-08T08:31:00.000+03:00

Just a quick post for my sister who kept on bugging me for Kenyan beads. Apparently, older sister is into beading/crafting these days and so the persistent request for beading materials. I have, unfortunately, misunderstood her request. I thought she wanted a beaded piece of jewelry so while in Nairobi last week, I went to this Kazuri bead shop and bought her this:

I never had an inkling that a ceramics bead necklace like this could cost a lot! For a volunteer relying mainly on a meager allowance, it cost me my one month food budget *lol* I know I have made huge efforts to lose weight before, but depriving myself of food for a month is an idea not too appealing to me these days. Just kidding.

I don't know anything about jewelries let alone beads but these Kazuri beads are beautiful, are of high quality materials and hand-made by Kenyan women. The cost may be a tad too high for a volunteer like me but I'm glad to know that purchasing items there goes to helping disadvantaged Kenyan village women earn extra income.

Just a little information, kazuri is a Swahili term meaning small and beautiful. So to my dear sister Sreisaat, a Khmer term meaning beautiful, here is my something kazuri as my gift on your birthday. Hope ya like it!

***

For those who are wondering how I was able to post this when there is no electricity nor internet connection where I work, this was set in auto-post mode. *grins* Wow, I feel like soo tech-savvy! hihihi.

Hey, I'm still here!

2010-04-04T10:53:00.006+03:00

After a hectic February and March and a 4day volunteers conference in Nairobi, I am back in Mombasa to spend the remaining days of the Lenten and Easter. So please excuse the long blog silence, just you be patient and I'll be updating as soon as my schedule allows me to.

The volunteers conference in Nairobi was an opportune time to meet all the other VSO volunteers all over Kenya. It was great seeing new faces and reconnecting with others. It was a huge mixed group of newcomers (in my case, I have been in my placement for about 6months and yet I am still getting used to my new surroundings), some half-way through their placements, while others are preparing to leave. It was nice to finally see the people face-to-face whose names I only read in email exchanges between volunteers.

Nairobi was way cooler than Lukore as the rainy season has already began. I can only wish the weather is the same in Lukore! The hot weather is still making me sick. It is extremely, extremely hot in Lukore even at night. I come from a tropical country myself but the heat is nothing like here. The community cooperative has no office of its own and so we meet just about anywhere there is space we could find. I do not mind it at all as I am used to this kind of stuffs - in fact, I love that we are outdoors - but due to the unbearable heat at this time of the year, I am experiencing severe headaches which is very unusual for me. It could be dehydration, I don't know. While I am very enthusiastic about my work in the community, the heat and headaches are hampering me from doing my job. I have asked my PM if I would be allowed to do 3days of field work and 2 days paperwork just only till the hot days are over and I'd go back to regular work activities. Up to now I have yet to hear from my PM. If not, then I will be forced to do the rain dance whether I like it or like it very much! *lol*

Anyways, the planned trip to Mt. Kilimanjaro by most of us volunteers was canceled because of the rains, much to our disappointment! So we all decided to go back to our respective areas. On my trip back to Mombasa, fellow Pinoy volunteers came with me and we were welcomed again at the Pinoy mansion where I decided to spend the Easter holiday. It's actually a company-rented townhouse provided to the Filipino engineers I met a few weeks after I arrived in Mombasa. These lads have graciously opened their house to us - VSO volunteers like me, garment workers, and a lot more - and has become our "holiday house" of sorts. Not only did our gracious hosts provide us with a nice place to sleep with running water and electricity, internet connection, and above all, they feed us Filipino food that we sorely miss and the much-yearned for companionship. I'm sure many of you will agree with me that being thousands of miles from home, in a sea of foreign faces and tongues, being with your kababayans helps ease the loneliness and homesickness. My first Christmas and New Year in Kenya would have been earth-shatteringly lonely if not for the engineers at the mansion, who I consider now as my older brothers, I was spared and enjoyed a wonderfully holiday celebrations Pinoy-style. Truly, wherevever you go, the famed Filipino hospitality still comes shining through. Madamo guid nga salamat sa inyo.

Now that holidays are over, I can't wait to go back to my community and continue the work.

Wordless Wednesday 005: Gibbons

2010-03-17T10:42:00.000+03:00

Another wildlife I met while in Lake Nakuru.

Matatu, Kenya :: Lan-taxi, Cambodia

2010-02-27T14:01:00.001+03:00

Please excuse the huge silence. I am quite busy these days with my work in the field but the hot temperature here in the coast is hampering my ability to think things straight. Anyways, on nights when I get bored and only when there is a network signal, I check my mobile phone to see if my elder sister is online just to while away the time. Luckily, she's online most of the times and talking to her eases the stress.

One time we got to talking about how I travel to and from work. Of course, there is the ever-reliable matatus. A matatu is the most common mode of transportation in Kenya; they are mini-vans (locals call them Nissans) or mini-buses that leaves several times daily to rural areas when it is already full. These matatus remind me of Toyota Camry taxis in Cambodia where I used to work. The vehicles used are second- (or third or fourth, you imagine that) hand , but don't let it fool. A matatu is equipped with powerful car-stereo systems blaring hiphop and African favorites. This along with the shouts of the driver and conductor and the screeching of brakes, are enough to numb ones senses. Just like its Cambodian counterpart, a matatu, more often than not, is filled way beyond its capacity. When seats are full, you, unfortunately will have to stand with almost nothing to hold on to. Your body is pressed against others around you so close that you can smell what they had for breakfast (or lunch, or dinner, depending on the time). You begin to realize now how it is to be like a sardine inside a tin can.

Now, just like its Cambodian counterparts, a matatu ride is not for the faint-hearted. Matatu drivers, once they start driving, transform into pedal-pushing madmen - oh so very, very fast. Not to mention, matatus often compete for more passengers to be picked up along the way, I can only mutter a simple prayer and thank the heavens for the brakes to work properly. With this kind of driving everyday, I wonder how often these vehicles break down in the middle of the road and, if at all, these are sent for a regular auto repair, or perhaps, whether drivers take heed when the check engine light indicator is blinking for attention.

Every time I get on a matatu, I get mixed feelings. I feel that every matatu ride is a different experience and, despite the initial scare from the daredevil speed, it is helping me to see Kenya and Kenyans in another light. More on this later.

***

Photo from the internet.

Wordless Wednesday 004: Baboon

2010-02-10T12:13:00.001+03:00

One of the wildlifes I've seen on my first trip to Lake Nakuru - a beautiful baboon.

Wordless Wednesday 003: Twin towers

2010-01-20T08:58:00.001+03:00

"Errmmm... Hello! You rang?"

Wordless Wednesday 002: Outnumbered

2010-01-13T11:44:00.001+03:00

Captions are welcome.

For other wordless entries, visit Wordless Wednesday.

Wordless Wednesday 001: Daily chore

2009-12-15T15:03:00.000+03:00

My first entry here at Wordless Wednesday.

More Wordless photos can be found here.

Finally, in Kenya!

2009-12-14T12:28:00.002+03:00

Hey hey hey......hujambo, Kenya!

It's been more than a month now since my arrival in the country, and wow, Kenya gid! A nice, chilly weather greeted us, contrary to what I was expecting. The flight was a long one. From Manila, it took about five hours to Dubai, where we had a five-hour lay-over. Waiting for our next flight seemed like forever, and not even the sparkle of the boutiques at the airport boutiques could banish our anticipation. From Dubai, we then boarded another plane for another five-hour flight to Nairobi. Once we were up in the air, my fellow Filipino volunteers became quiet and kept to themselves. Each one was probably was thinking about what lies ahead, their respective families and the friends left behind.

I was told that Nairobi is the safari capital of Africa and I wasn't disappointed! Right after stepping out of the plane and on a VSO vehicle on the way to the hotel that we're supposed to stay for the following days, we saw a herd of giraffes by the roadside. Oh, what a treat. From where we came from, it's not everyday we see giraffes roaming freely like that.

The day after arriving, we immediately had our in-country training and language-lessons together with 18 other volunteers from Uganda, Canada, USA, and England (age range between 28-50) who arrived earlier or on the same day as we did. The best part of it all was -- Inglisanay naman ini! Tapos gid... Namag-uhan naman ako. hihihihi. I like listening to people with difference accents. The Kenyans speak good English but the way they speak is something new to my ears that I need extra attention to be able to understand them. I guess I will get used to the Kenyan accent in due time. While in Nairobi, we stayed at Graciahouse resort near Yaya Center. We were given a room each and the room was big, there's a nice comfy bed and toilet and bath. One volunteer joked that after our stay here, we won't be having the same comforts for a long time. Okay, tell me something I don't know. *lol*. I have already bought a local sim card and I will email to you my number. Better to communicate through sms, cheap and relatively fast. Right now, I'm looking at purchasing a laptop but with the current price, I think it will take me months till I am able to get one.Later in the week, we were joined by our "employers" for a briefing session before taking us to our placement areas.

Pardon the fragmented post... Up to now I am still... overwhelmed - I could not think of a better word. Finally, my dream came true. I am now in Kenya, standing on African soil. I have already begun my work in a community cooperative in far, far Lukore in Mombasa district. Mombasa is popular for its beautiful beaches. What will the people be like to work with, I wonder? Will I be able to cope with the demands of my work despite the many pre-departure preparations that I underwent? So many questions swirling in my head... more stories in my next post.

Miss you all. Prayers... prayers.
Asanti sana (thank you) and kwaheri (goodbye) for now.

.

Leaving home

2009-11-01T06:58:00.005+03:00

It was heart-breaking.
And the agony of the thought of leaving my son and family for two years was prolonged, no thanks to PAL. My flight to Manila was delayed for hours due to engine trouble. Pero buti na lang din at na-detect kaagad while di pa kami nakasakay. My son, bless my son, he didn't cry at all when I left. For his young age, he seems to understand why I am going away.

Son: Ma, daku-daku gid imo ya bag. Dugay ka magpuli. Daw pareho kay Tita Mommy sa layo ga-work (my older sister in Cambodia) kag dugay magpuli. Sudlan man nimo damu-damu na transformers pagpuli mo ha? (Mom, your bag is huge. You will be away for too long. Just like Tita Mommy, she works very far from here and comes home after a long time. Will you put lots of transformers robots in it when you return?)

I felt a pinch in my heart. Yes, my son, Mama will work in a faraway land. And just like Tita Mommy, I will come home no matter how long it will be. Two years will be quick, I know, and I'll be back just in time for your first day in grade school. And yes, with the Transformers toys. When you are older, I will tell you all about it and you will understand why I have to go there.

Okay, enough of the drama.
I still have to finish my inoculations, there's still my yellow fever vaccinations plus two more and I have to get all of this at DOH's Bureau of Quarantine in Manila. While I'm here in Angeles City with my younger sister, I've managed to book me a room at the Kabayan Hotel where I could stay before flying out on Thursday. Ilang tulog na lang!

My younger sister gave me some moolah so I could buy the sneakers that I like. This pair of sneakers will take me to anywhere in Lukore as I begin my work with VSO, and , hopefully, to anywhere in Kenya when I have the luxury of time to explore this beautiful country. My younger bro in Phnom Penh (Cambodia) sent me some moolah for pocket money. My other (older) sister, also in Phnom Penh, will also be sending a care package for me through her Kenyan friend in a few weeks. Yes, I haven't flown out of the country yet there will be a care package on its way soon to VSO Jitolee.

I am blessed, thank you Lord. Growing up we all used to squabble a lot. Now that we are all adults, we've matured and mellowed down... I am amazed at how we have come to laugh at our past follies when we were younger, and forgive each other, and support one another whenever the need arises. Thanks very much.

Certified motorcycle driver

2009-10-13T04:47:00.002+03:00

Yes... success!

VSO enroled me at the Honda Safety Driving Center in Paranaque for a week-long motorcycle driving course. While my Hippo batchmates returned to their respective hometowns/cities after our WRV, I stayed behind to learn skills and techniques needed in driving and handling a motorcycle in various riding/driving situations. In Kenya where I will be placed, I will be commuting from Mombasa to Lukore by motorcycle that will be provided by VSO Jitolee.

The driving course was easy pero akala ko lang pala yun! I had some repeats dahil hindi sila masaya sa performance ko. I needed to perfect cranking and braking, at kung anu-ano pa. Grabe, I thought I wouldn't pass and would be forced to cancel my already booked flight back home at higit pa dun, I would be paying for the extra sessions straight from my own pocket kapag nagkataon. Buti na lang the instructors were very patient to guide me from one technique to another, and they were strict at times when I seemed to be not paying enough attention. Kaya sa inyo, mga bossing, saludo ako. Salamat sa inyong tiyaga.

Now that I have the thumbs-up sign from the HSDC, it's time to see how I'll fare when I'm already in Lukore. Sana di ako nerbyusin! hahaha.

WRV in Manila

2009-09-14T17:32:00.003+03:00

This is now my second post and oh, what to write about?

Well, I survived the week-long (5days) and intensive WRV course, that's Wider Role of Volunteers. The main focus of the WRV course is to equip us volunteers with practical tools and skills useful to our respective placements. The course was pretty much intensive that at the end of each day I had a major headache. But, I have to say that despite the headache, it was an important refresher course, not only for me, but for everyone in my batch. The whole course was excellent, the tutors (some of them former volunteers) were great. No matter how much I think I know and read about Kenya, there are still a lot to know about. The WRV is usually given to volunteers like me who already have a placement and are certain to leave soon.

Here are some photos of our fun moments during the WRV:

Introducing the Batch Hippo (Sept 9-13)

Bah, seryoso sila! (serious)

Ayan, nagladlad na! (crazy)

Volunteers on mock parade, above and below

Of course, the party after the WRV course won't be complete without the singing...

Group singing...

Duet...

... the dancing ...

ikembot mo! (sway your hips)

... and the drinking!

Kami ay mabo-boteng kaibigan!

What a fun-filled 5days it was! Special thanks goes out to Tarcs Taruc, a fellow VSO Volunteer, for all the photos posted above. He has more in his Facebook account. I realized that this is the only and last time our batch will be together as we are all assigned to different countries in Africa and Asia. So, guys, see you all after our respective assignments? Hopefully.

Anyways, while most of my batch have already gone back to their homes, I am still left behind here in Manila to commence my motorcycle riding course, as it is a requirement in my placement, at the Honda Driving Acadameny in Paranaque. It's going to be another 5days, and the expenses such as training costs, transportation, and lodging and accommodation are shouldered by VSO. Thanks for that. Anyways, I am set to leave on the 9th of November and I am already in panic mode as I have yet to do my packing, purchasing of stuffs (if needed), and some other personal errands. Gah. I still have more than 2 months to prepare, and I fervently hope that it will give me enough time.

That's all for now, folks.

Hujambo!

2009-09-04T17:31:00.000+03:00

This is how the Kenyan's say hello in their native Swahili.
I can't believe it - but in a few more months I'll soon be stepping on African soil! What seemed to be only an unreachable childhood dream is now coming to a reality. In a few more months, I will be flying to Kenya, my country of assignment, as a Volunteer for the VSO. Of course, I am full of worries, about the unknown, a country, and continent, I have heard and read about... but it is no time to worry as I have to finish my WRV and motorcycle training next week and other pre-departure requirements in the following weeks. It will be tough, yes, but how many volunteers had been there and went back home to tell great stories of their experience in Africa.

I can't wait.