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.
Posted in
echos moments
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.
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Posted in
Wild Africa,
wildlife,
Wordless Wednesday
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.
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Posted in
echos moments,
Life of a Volunteer,
Wordless Wednesday
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*
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Posted in
Life of a Volunteer,
Wild Africa,
Wordless Wednesday
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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.
Posted in
Wild Africa,
Wordless Wednesday
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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.
Posted in
Kenyan life,
Wordless Wednesday
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.
Posted in
echos moments
