Family Way Abroad

How we Age - Getting Old without Knowing It

2012-01-26T08:20:00.000-08:00

Have you ever looked at a picture of yourself and muttered, "God I've aged!". I was recently strolling through our local forest and took some "self portraits". Upon viewing them I noticed some wrinkles that were not there last year (or so it seems).

It's funny because physically, I feel as fit as a fiddle although I've noticed it takes me longer to recover from a long bike ride and my coffee intake is steadily growing. Nevertheless, I must admit that I am, indeed, ageing.

It's a hard pill to swallow and I often joke that I never really matured beyond the age of 17. My daughter's friends see me as an old man and I know this because they have told me so (ah the frankness of children).

But for me, I feel as if age has snuck up on me and I can't quite remember when I fell into middle age. Luckily, much of ageing is mental and I've learned some secrets such as:

1. You really are only as old as you feel

2. As long as you never stop learning, you brain will not falter (much)

3. Keep that body moving and never be a couch potato

4. If you can dream it, you can do it (trite I know but it's worked for me)

So what's your ageing story? Tell us in the comments.

photo: Them leaves are GONE and I mean GONE for the winter along with my Burundi tan.

Winter Finally

2012-01-22T18:52:00.001-08:00

We've been waiting ages for snow this year and finally got a couple of inches. I'll take it - even if it's a bit icy. Needless to say, it's fun testing to see if all-wheel-drive on our car really works and I'm pleased to say it does.

Subaru America

2012-01-06T08:44:00.000-08:00

Every now and then my wife will utter a phrase so wonderfully descriptive or unusually pieced together that I literally wish I were a copyright lawyer to immediately protect it. Her latest iteration was the phrase "Subaru America" and it stemmed from a rather heated discussion about the type of person that listens to National Public Radio (NPR).

We were bemoaning the ridiculous coverage of the Republican Caucuses and mainstream media's build up (and subsequent tearing down) of the Republican presidential nominees. While listening in the car to a nicely balanced story on NPR concerning Rick Santorum, I said, "there you see, a story examining several points of view" to which she replied, "Ha, what tiny percentage of Americans are listening to that? It's Subaru America only!".

So what is Subaru America you may ask? Well, your typical Subaru buyer is often going for models such as the Outback, Forester and very base Impreza (think plastic wheel covers). Many are not aware that Subaru has an amazing World Rally heritage and the Impreza WRX STI car is a boy racer's dream. Subaru in America is more associated with being a "smart buy" and "safe" and "wildly practical" not to mention with being covered with left leaning bumper stickers (think "yes we can" and "coexist" and "Darwin fish". Therefore, a natural and somewhat unscientific correlation can be made to NPR as many would agree that public radio generally avoids hype over substance. NPR also leans to the left but is not falling over. In fact, people only associate it with the left because it tends to offer broadcasts that cover all angles which, as many conservatives would argue, gives the proletariat "too many things to worry about".

The good news is that NPR is no longer a small player and, like Subaru, have broadened their market significantly during the last decade. According to the NPR website, each week nearly 9 percent of all Americans will listen to an NPR broadcast at some time - not too shabby if you ask me. Gaining slightly less of Americans' attention, Subaru sales account for around 2 percent of all US car sales. However, they have been increasing their market share steadily over the past four years unlike many other brands.

So indeed, one could argue er...loosely, that there is a type of Subaru America. This is an America that is pragmatic, left leaning, somewhat educated and a fan of all-wheel-drive.

photo top: this is an older Subaru Outback and I believe, the only car allowed to be sold in the state of Vermont.
photo bottom: This is the Subaru WRX STI, not too shabby for a soccer mom associated brand. This was taken at the Zambia auto show last year.

Bummer - Christmas is Over

2012-01-02T20:17:00.001-08:00

This was my first Christmas in two years that did not include extensive travel and it was bliss. The best part was being in America during the run-up to the holidays. The spirit here is palpable and I had my tree up the first week of December. You could say I was Christmas frenetic!

So naturally, it's a bummer that the holiday season has ended but at least we have our first snow to look forward too...hopefully. And it's 2012 which is a nice even date. And I have no plane ticket booked to anywhere! Bliss.

Photo: Did you know we use Christmas trees based on an ancient pagan ritual that was adapted by the Germans and later copied by the West?

Dallas Zoo Hits the Mark

2011-12-23T09:01:00.000-08:00

Take it from an expat who's been nose to nose with an actual giraffe on the Serengeti, the Dallas Zoo must have hired bona fide African wildlife experts to design their "Giants of the Savanna" exhibit because it is like entering a safari lodge in Kenya! In fact, all of the Dallas Zoo seems to have undergone a major upgrade which includes a fantastically re-vamped children's area, tons of interactive exhibits and a majorly spruced up general appearance including fantastic new cafe.

In general, I am not a zoo lover, especially having seen many animals in their natural habitat and realizing, for example, that a tiger kept in captivity is akin to torture (tigers often have a 100 square mile roaming territory). With that said, zoos have a plus side in that they educate the general public and offer children the chance to get up close to amazing animals that would normally be impossible to see in the wild.

So if we've gotta have 'em, then we might as well make them great. I highly recommend heading out to the Dallas Zoo and to especially visit the new Savanna exhibit. Upon entering the exhibit, you will be greeted with realistic, modern African music and the best part(s); not one but TWO old Land Rovers. That alone endeared me to the zoo forever. You can feed a giraffe (don't roll your eyes, I fed one in Kenya also - they are bred in captivity) and gaze up close at the lions who are, wait for it, actually in a decent sized habitat. Bravo Dallas Zoo folks!

top photo: Mr. Simba lounging in the winter sun

click HERE for some more Flickr pics:

Flying with Kids - Again

2011-12-09T18:28:00.001-08:00

It's hard not to brag about my little one and her flying skills but there was a bit of training involved. On a recent flight from Washington, DC to Dallas, Texas, she remarked at how "short" a flight it was compared to her long hauls from Asia or Africa (the flight is about 3 hours).

Regardless of the distance, I stuck to my guns and used my usual list of must-dos for flying. Here are some tips I recommend for those flying with toddlers and/or infants and trust me, THEY WORK:

1. Above all else, plan your flights around times that work for your child. Got a good deal on a flight that leaves at 6:30am? Ever get your child up, ready and to the airport by 6:30am? You get the point.

2. For long hauls, pick an overnight flight so the child can sleep most of the way. Hong Kong to London overnight (11 hours) my daughter slept most of it.

3. Rest rest rest. A rested child is a less cranky child.

4. Anticipation: if your child is new to flying, make sure they know everything to expect e.g. landing gear coming down can be startling.

5. Snacks: US airlines basically fail horribly when it comes to food meaning, they offer none. Best to bring it all on board. For international flights, the food is usually tasty but always have favorite snacks on hand.

6. Check the car seat, you'll thank me later and US airlines actually check them for free (gasp).

7. Try to share a carry-on but if they insist on bringing their own, make it as light as possible and plan to carry it yourself at some point.

8. Plan plan plan activities and the less messy the better. I find cell phone games are great plus DVD on the laptop. Small coloring games are available at most airports as well. Remember the game I-spy? It's still a winner.

9. When there is turbulence, appear relaxed so they are not scared even if you are really terrified yourself.

10. Security is a game to see who can make the machine NOT beep.

11. Above all else, make flying a treat so they will anticipate the next trip, not dread it. One game my daughter and I play is identifying the type of plane and using a check list of the one's we've flown already.

I hope this list serves you well. Let us know your tips and tricks in the comments below.

photos top: flying high over the Shenandoah.

bottom: Minnie Mouse carry-on ready to role.

Public or Private - the Big School Debate

2011-11-21T06:48:00.001-08:00

As many parents know, November is the time of year for tidying up college applications for older kids and when parents make the rounds to private schools concerning Fall admissions for the younger ones. My wife and I have doing the rounds in Maryland looking at potential private institutions for our daughter and so far, we've been remarkably impressed by what we've seen.

The DC Metro area has more than 500 private education institutions that do NOT include universities, no joke. Therefore, you really are spoiled for choice. We've been concentrating on schools in Montgomery County and let me tell you, there are some dandy ones out there. Of course, we've also been debating on going the public route. Public schools in this area are quite good however, large class sizes (average is 28) and only one teacher in the classroom mean children will not get a great amount of hands-on attention compared to a private institution which has, on average, 13 students per class with two teachers.

The ole saying, "you get what you pay for" greatly applies to private schools as well with prices in Montgomery Country ranging from $6,500/year (St Jane de Chantal in Bethesda) to close to $20,000/year (Woods Academy Bethesda). Price does not always equal quality however, as can be evidenced with de Chantal's recent receipt of the National Blue Ribbon Award (only awarded to 49 private schools in the US). Of course, if you drove past de Chantal following the award, you might have noticed the hundreds of blue ribbons they had tied to the trees and the large signs proclaiming, "we won the Blue Ribbon!"; a lesson in humility.

All private schools promise a more focused curriculum and a much greater approach to a child's overall development as compared to just academics. Of all the schools we've visited, not a single one disappointed so it would be very difficult to go wrong in this area. It's pretty much a question of individual tastes, a preference as to how much emphasis is put on spiritual growth (many private institutions are faith-based) and how much you can pay. And no, I will not list my favorites here in case you are expecting a breakdown. Like I said, it all boils down to personal preference. Needless to say and from what we've seen, both public and private schools in this area go to great lengths to ensure our children receive the very best education.

photo: Girl Reading Books by Stuart Miles

Are Dolphin Shows Evil?

2011-11-11T14:36:00.001-08:00

I'm not quite sure how I feel about dolphin shows. After all, the dolphins seem happy and chirpy and all but I've also noted those aquarium studies that demonstrate elevated levels of stress in the poor creatures. Basically, I'm not for any type of animal in captivity and only tolerate zoos knowing the animals could not survive in the wild even if they were released.

With that said, the Dolphin show at the National Aquarium in Baltimore certainly was fun and had my 4 year old cheering with glee at getting splashed but there just seemed to be a darker side to what we were seeing. Plus, their tank is quite small and having seen dolphins in the wild on many occasions, I sense they prefer as much space as possible.

Few would argue that dolphins are super intelligent. I just wonder if captivity makes them kind of wacky as it does most animals. Plus, as dolphin shows go, the one at the National Aquarium was just OK. I know, compared to what but oddly, I've actually seen quite a few dolphin shows since my childhood. For my wife of Zambian origin, the show in Baltimore was her first. As part of the show, they wanted the audience to keep watching these giant video screens but we were they to watch the dolphins dammit, not TV. Plus, the video footage was cheesy at best.

The plus side was the obvious love each of the trainers had for the dolphins. They really wanted the audience to see all they could do. I just wonder if the dolphins are able to share that love back.

photo: "Hello, get me the HELL away from these over-excited spandex people!"

Lovely Random Moment with Jellyfish

2011-11-05T20:44:00.000-07:00

Following a recent trip to the National Aquarium in Baltimore, I was completely mesmerized by these jelly fish. The exhibit is called "Jellyfish Invasion" and it's a must see. If you put your camera up to the glass like I did in this video, you can get some great shots. In addition, the added music was appropriate to the moment in my opinion.

American Oddities

2011-10-20T10:07:00.000-07:00

One thing that strikes many visitors upon their arrival in the USA is some of our quirkier obsessions and interests. For example, my foreign friends always tease me about our ancient looking taxis and police cars (Ford Crown Victorias et al) compared to Europe's sleek Mercedes, Volvos and Opels. Additionally, foreign visitors often remark upon our odd obsession with adding 15 lanes to a highway to reduce traffic congestion rather than invest more in public transport.

In fact, America's quirkiness is one reason I love it so much and no where is this better displayed than at a renaissance festival. My daughter and I recently attended one near Annapolis, MD and it was splendid. For those not in the know, a renaissance festival is a large gathering where people pretend to be in the 16th century and create music, shows and food accordingly. I have been going to these since I was a kid and the MD festival did not disappoint. Concerning my daughter, it was truly a hilarious experience watching her trying to make sense of the whole thing. She would ask questions such as, "are those real princesses?". "Is that the Queen of Maryland?" and "Where is the Ferris wheel?".

She soon got into the spirit of it however and luckily, there were many kid-friendly shows and venues that were cleverly "marked" as child-friendly (many shows can be quite crass mind you). And of course, renaissance festivals attract an "interesting" breed of Americans. Some really get into the festival and show up fully kitted out in period correct gear. Some take it a step further and get into character for the event. All of the people who work at the festival are supposed to be in character but you see varying degrees of this. Like me, fans of renaissance festivals often are the children of Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and the like. To call it geeky would not do it justice however, many participants probably had no date for prom.

Regardless, it's a blast to attend these things and nowadays, they are somewhat modernized so after you blow through your cash (as I did the first 30 minutes upon arrival on feather fairy wings and hair braiding), you can use credit cards at many of the shops and they even have ATMs out there gasp! (in the old days, it was cash only). The best part is seeing quirky Americana in all its glory with bad English accents, worse adherence to period dress and a general celebration of all that is socially awkward. In short, I felt right at home.

This is the last weekend so get out there if you want to see it. Here is the info:
Maryland Renaissance Festival
My personal recommendation for things to see:
1. Jousting - they do real, full on jousting in full armor no joke
2. Wooden slide - fun and terrifying
3. Danger Committee Show - hilarious show of juggling and knife throwing
4. Kiddie land - a real pirate ship is here wow!
5. Food - Steak on a Stake yummy

photos: top - hilarious and weird man-child that had my daughter absolutely enthralled
middle - dude, they really joust seriously, it's intense
middle - Danger Committee act, tooooo funny and scary with the knives
bottom - The "Rapunzel Braid", wings optional

Driven to Distraction

2011-10-12T08:48:00.000-07:00

Since my return to the United States (Maryland to be more specific), I have been mostly thrilled to once again be immersed in the sea of modernity that is America (current economic climate be damned). However, a few things have concerned me, not least of which is the noticeable increase of unsafe driving. Such driving often occurs from people using their mobile phones while behind the wheel. Indeed, this is the perfect example of what we call distracted driving.

I really thought I had left the horrible driving behind in Burundi but just this morning during my daily school run, I noticed several people yapping away on their handsets while nearly rear-ending me in the process. What's worse is that several of the cars in which they were talking I knew were kitted out with modern blue-tooth hands free technology. While not exactly the perfect alternative, hands-free tech is certainly safer than juggling a phone in your hand. The prevalence of distracted driver induced bad driving even prompted my daughter to exclaim (totally unprompted from me I swear), "What's happened to America while we were gone?"

In short, talking on a mobile phone handset while driving is not only dangerous, but illegal in Maryland. Any form of texting while driving is illegal as well. You can use a hands free device for the time being but they are not always user friendly. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood noted that every time someone takes their eyes off the road, even for a second, they are putting their lives and the lives of others in danger. Especially for those that text while driving, their eyes are off the road enough to be downright terrifying to others. Secretary LaHood is a strong advocate for the elimination of distracted driving and even has a website dedicated to just that: distraction.gov.

Personally, I get quite infuriated when I see a driver on their phone, especially when they are swerving down the road. If talking while driving is so important to someone and their jobs so super precious that they must respond to every call no matter what, then they should, at the very least, invest is some form of hands-free device. However, even hands free devices are a distraction unless you are genuinely savvy on how to use them. The best solution is to simply call someone back. This is America dammit and we have voice mail for a reason!

photo: don't worry, I was parked when I took this

Trendy Tea

2011-09-22T07:58:00.001-07:00

I was at Zen Tara Tea in Bethesda, MD today and was pleased to see tea getting some love like coffee. At Zen Tara, it's tea madness including my personal favorite of Thai iced tea. Yes, it's a bit trendy wendy but what place in Bethesda isn't?

Burundi - A Retrospective

2011-09-18T10:24:00.000-07:00

If there is one thing I've learned during my 15 plus years in International Development, it's that you can never claim to fully understand a foreign culture. Indeed, I make no claim to have understood Burundian culture during my two years there. I've worked with many know-it-all expatriats who often took great pleasure in telling me why a certain culture does this or that or how you should act when dealing with "these people". I usually ignore any cultural advice from expats (and often from local citizens) and simply attempt to discover on my own how best to interact with any given people in any given society.

I've been flattered over the years by people asking my advice on countries and I'm always happy to list the do's and don'ts but I rarely claim to be an expert. If I remark upon a culture or cultural practice, it's often based on my own ethnocentric views which I make no effort in hiding within my writing. In fact, I prefer reading an ethnography that clearly states a bias; even better when the author offers their own personal viewpoint. Full on anthropological ethnographies are interesting but often dry. It's much more fun when authors remark upon the "weirdness" often experienced while working abroad (in my case, outside the USA).

With that said, my time in Burundi (which has just ended by the way) certainly presented me with many a situation in which I was very tempted to rant and rave about the ills of war or the ridiculousness of ethnic divisions. The truth is, however, that only Burundians can possibly understand why things are the way they are in their country. As development workers and diplomats, we can say poverty is caused by poor governance (it certainly is to some degree) and that corruption is the man enemy of the poor. There are so many factors that create poverty and make Burundi one of the most economically disadvantaged countries in the world. However, it would be fruitless to try and explain why these factors exist although many try.

The bottom line is that only Burundians can truly help Burundi. Sure, we development workers can advise on food security, agricultural issues and the like but the most successful projects I have seen in Burundi and other developing nations are those led by the local citizens. I've said it before and I'll say it again, if one wants to truly help African countries, they should invest in them as an equal partner. Development programs have their place but are no where near as effective as good ole direct investment. We all want to help the starving child we see on TV but giving them shoes and/or a quick meal is only patchwork. It does not address the bigger picture.

To any development workers reading this, there is no revelation in what I am saying but working in Burundi has reinforced my belief that effective aid (rather an oxymoron that phrase), can only come from within a country. For the large international development organizations whose staff salaries depend very much on the poor staying poor, such language would surely inspire them to present their many studies and evaluations on how aid programs make a "true difference" but take it from me, most development programs with which I have worked or witnessed have been failures. The greatest successes I have seen have come from regional initiatives i.e. African Union, NEPAD or from the local Burundian who created a successful business that employed people and put much needed money into the local economy.

Of course, the stronger the local government, the better the atmosphere for investment and this is where Burundi suffers. They need only look north to their neighbors in Rwanda to see where they should be now. The difference between the two countries which share almost the same culture can be more or less attributed to the difference in leadership. This is a strong statement for sure but for those who don't say it, they are thinking it.

Regardless, my time in Burundi was a mix of reward, sadness and sometimes horror. There is nothing more goose-bump enticing than to see the famous Burundian drummers who leap and dance while hammering out remarkably rhythmic beats. There is nothing more maddening than seeing the extreme malnutrition in children that exists in the rural hospitals or the complete lack of respect for personal safety from the local taxi mini bus drivers. There is nothing more horrifying in speaking to someone recalling events of the genocide and struggling to understand how people could systematically kill their own in such a manner. It is for these reasons that I would never claim to have understood the Burundian culture but merely, offer tales of my own experiences in the country.

Sitting here in a Barnes and Noble in the Washington, DC area, it's difficult to comprehend that I could drive a few kilometers outside of Bujumbura to see hippos in the wild or crest a hill and have my breath taken away from a sunset over Lake Tanganyika. It's fun to comment on some of the modernity I am experiencing here but the more other-worldly experiences I am having stem from the notable day to day functioning of the two societies. Again, it saddens me that such deficiencies still exist in Burundi, in 2011, in institutions such as health care, social welfare and numerous other public sectors. It infuriates me when I see children dying because some politician has pocketed a foreign grant intended for health care. The day to day corruption with which I dealt was maddening, even at the most basic level of society.

So what's the answer? Quite simply, I could never possibly give an answer. Only Burundians can put things right and only in their own way. What I do know is that Burundi's African neighbors can make or break the country. Tanzania is a good influence whereas The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a horrible one. It's unfortunate that Burundi is caught in the middle of one of the most volatile regions of Africa. What is ridiculous is expecting such countries as Burundi to adopt complicated development programs when what most people need in the country is simply something to eat. You can't ask the starving to leap up and embrace the West's latest reform package.

These are just a few observations for the blog. Please look out for two upcoming books based on my experiences in East and Central Africa. Family Way Abroad will continue as always with our new adventures in Maryland and the Washington, DC area. As always, we will continue our travels abroad.

photos top: plodding through the jungle in my Bujumbura backyard

village photo: processing cassava, used in a paste for meals. Local village not far from Cibitoke

next photo: me leaping into Lake Tanganyika near Blue Bay resort

Hippo photo: my beloved hippos at Ruzuzi Reserve near Bujumbura

Next photo: weaver bird bottom

Last photo: of course, must end with cliche photo of sunset over Lake Tanganyika

Ni Hao - Chinese are Coming

2011-09-06T05:01:00.001-07:00

In little Burundi, there were several Chinese owned businesses including the infamous T2000 which had goods rejected even by China. In Zambia, the Government has given many Chinese businesses carte blanche to mine, build and basically exploit underpaid laborers. Indeed, the global economy is seriously linked with China for better or for worse.

With that said, America seems to have adopted a more "can't beat'em join'em approach". Those who are smart are starting to learn Mandarin or Cantonese to better conduct business abroad. And of course, my daughter now loves a children's character named Ni Hao Kai Lan (shown with expert coloring).

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Flying High

2011-09-06T04:36:00.001-07:00

I've taken many an airline but my current favorite is KLM. There business is top notch and you get a nifty little porcelin Dutch house at the end of your journey, not to mention yummy shrimp salads. Here I am dining while watching Tron.

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Volvos and Starbucks

2011-08-20T18:34:00.001-07:00

It wasn't until I was gleefully sipping a café latte from inside my Volvo wagon while parked in a suburb of Maryland that I realized how super-urbanite-yuppy this must look. I guess I've been so focused on re-settling into our post-Africa life that my cool factor has suffered some neglect (not that it was ever huge).

Yes, I had promised myself the biggest, most obnoxious SUV to celebrate my return to the land of conspicuous consumption but my more practical side has taken over. All-wheel-drive beat chrome rims. And yes, even after two years of sipping the best coffee in the world (Burundi), I still flee to Starbucks upon hittting the ground.

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Pirates Invade Maryland

2011-08-17T19:07:00.001-07:00

Nothing beats coming home after a long stint in the bush. Granted, I wasn't really in the bush but was certainly surrounded by it. Bujumbura is definitely, er, rough but it still has pizzarias.

And you can kind of do a lot of things like kareoke, clubbing and sailing. When I say "kind of", it's because these activities are all interpretations of the theme rather than pure extensions. Regardless, there is fun to be had, even in war torn Central Africa.

Therefore, being back in Maryland is remarkably bizarre yet fulfilling. I am literally eating everything in sight and enjoy being a non-diplomat for awhile. There is very little "hello sir" and "no problem, no problem" plus, most Americans have no clue on Burundi so I rarely bring it up.

At the moment, I'm simply enjoying daddyhood and it feels great.

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Odd Things that Annoy the Crap Out of Me

2011-07-30T04:49:00.000-07:00

The other day, I was sitting in my car during a routine security check hoping the moment I've come to dread wouldn't occur until 'SLAM!', the trunk (boot) of my car was ruthlessly smashed closed by the guard on duty who had just concluded that I was indeed, not carrying any explosive devices. Extremely annoyed, I muttered to myself, "You don't have to frickin slam it" but then, immediately chuckled as I realized that many things I find annoying in the rather conflict ridden country of Burundi (where I reside), are not "common annoyances".

Case in point; I'm quite used to passing through numerous checkpoints throughout the day as I enter Government and International Organization compounds. The usual routine is to check badges and use long mirror devices to see if any explosives have been attached to the under body of your car during the last outing. I've actually never heard of a case when a bomb was discovered that way nevertheless, guards here religiously search your car before allowing you to enter. As I often drive a sedan whilst in town, they just love to check in the trunk and always ALWAYS give it a good slam when finished. It's a modern new car and only needs a pinkie to shut the thing but the guards use all of their heft and cassava-fed force to mash it down. Yes, it annoys the crap out of me! One day, I swear, I'm going to put a live goat in there just to shock them a bit.

So with that said, I was thinking of other odd things that annoy me here which are not encountered by your average Joe outside of conflict-ridden countries. Here are a few:

1. Tacky police and soldier outfits: As you drive through Bujumbura, Burundi (especially at night), you pretty much see rifle wielding policemen and soldiers on every corner. Unlike the tightly pressed and crisp uniforms of say, an Italian cop or French gendarme, the uniforms here are often sun faded, baggy, ill-fitting and down-right ugly. Yes I know, they may not have the biggest defense budget but a bit more pride in one's appearance goes a long way. However, nothing can compare to the rent-a-cop outfits worn by local security guards that are polyester hell in embarrassingly bright colours (you know who you are PSG).

2. Poor gun safety etiquette: Speaking of rifle-wielding folks, I often find myself staring down the barrel of a gun because some jerk cop or solider is walking along with his gun either slung on his back or pointed straight ahead of him from a harness. I pray those things have the safety on. During a official ceremony, I once rather cheekily moved the barrel of a guy's gun away with my hand while exclaiming, "ne mettez pas votre arme dans mon visage!" (don't put your gun in my face). Shoulda added "creep" at the end but he was armed after all.

3. Police check points: A police check point in Burundi consists of a line of barbed wire strung across the road with an old fire hose as back up (should you choose to charge the barbed wire). The problem is that there are only two lit roads in the entire country (coming from the airport and the main drag downtown). Therefore, if you don't know where the check points are, you can often be completely stunned and only see the barbed wire at the last minute causing a frantic slamming of the brakes. The police at the check points have no flashlights and there are no flashing warning lights either. They generally only harass the locals but I once got a stern talking to for mistakenly jumping the line.

4. Laundry on barbed wire: I am one of the lucky ones to have a washing machine but I don't have a dryer. All of my clothes are line dried and in my old house, the wind would sometimes whip them up onto the barbed wire that lined mine and many people's walled yards. Needless to say, clothes get torn when that happens. Plus, the barbed wire is not exactly a decorative touch to a person's home.

5. Guards guards everywhere: I live in a walled compound shared with other houses. Upon entering, I pass no less than 5-6 guards, all gleefully staring at me and most likely wondering what I've been up to that day. I can safely say I know what Jennifer Lopez feels like when she exits her car at any event with paparazzi because I am stared at from the moment I leave my house to the moment I enter any other establishment. I've adopted the "sunglasses in any weather" approach simply as a way to avoid making eye contact with everyone always frickin staring at me.

6. Military escorts: When visiting certain parts of the country, we must travel with armed military escorts. I'm less annoyed by their presence and more annoyed at how they are treated. They ride on a bench with no seat belts in the back of a pickup completely exposed to the elements. I'm annoyed on their behalf.

Some other common, more general annoyances:

7. Power cuts: I swear, this summer has been the worse for the power going out. Yes, I know I'm lucky to be amongst the 3-4% of Burundians who have access to electricity but regardless, having the power go out in the middle of Big Brother Africa can drive a person crazy. My generator has not worked for a year so I pretty much rely on candles when the inevitable cut occurs.

8. Mosquitoes: I can safely say Burundi has the highest concentration of mosquitoes of any country on earth. Even in a insecticide sprayed bedroom under a net, I still get bitten. The smart-asses out there are saying, "but many countries in the West have mosquitoes" and indeed they are correct but the main difference is that every bite here could result in malaria which I am convinced I have every time I feel a little under the weather.

9. Cheap Chinese products: I'm not stupid, I know that even i-pods are made in China. But there are Chinese made goods and then there are CHINESE MADE GOODS. Some follow international standards while others are rejected even by the Chinese. Guess where the rejects end up? Yes, right here in Bujumbura. A local shop in Bujumbura called T-2000 (lovingly referred to as the Chinese Wal-Mart) does a hefty business in these goods. I once bought a thermos there that, upon adding hot liquid, immediately melted the black plastic bits into my tea.

10. Poorly maintained Toyotas: Every worn out, torn up, ancient and dangerous Toyota ever made has made its way to Burundi. What's worse, most are right hand drive (designed for countries that drive on the left). Guess what, in Burundi, we drive on the right so you can imagine the horror of drivers trying to peek around a truck they want to pass placing most of the car in oncoming traffic in the process. Worse still, it's not uncommon to see old trucks moving down the roads sideways due to a broken differential or the worse culprits, old Toyota Corolla taxis which commonly drive on the wrong side of the road flashing lights at you to move out of their way. Add all of that to a country that has not a single stop light, and well...you can imagine the rest.

top photo: A clapped out Toyota mini-van and barbed wire in the same shot, annoying!
bottom photo: bringing in the waistline slightly would work wonders on this outfit.

Good Golly Kigali - Rwandan Capital Booming

2011-07-18T15:13:00.000-07:00

If you would like a balanced, well-researched viewpoint as to how Rwandan's capital Kigali is undergoing a major economic boom, look elsewhere. My impressions of Kigali and its growth are based purely on the number of nice cafes in the city with good wifi. Granted, a few other factors influenced me but I must say, for coffee sippin-lovin-folk, Kigali is king.

With that said, upon landing at Kigali international airport, you are greeted with "free wifi" and "MTN Mobile Communications" signs, always a good sign in my book. And as you pass through customs behold, a gorgeous little coffee shop! I took Rwandair recently for the first time (Bujumbura-Kigali) and it was like having my own sleek, private jet such was the service and modernity of the airline. It was nice to see rather friendly and chipper flight attendants compared to Kenya Airway's professional, yet somewhat tepid ones.

Upon arrival, i'll never forget being approached by a man in a suit asking if I needed a taxi. I thought he was waiting for someone else but he clarified that no, he indeed had a public taxi (clearly marked) and simply wanted to look nice that day. First impression...GREAT! Now, at this point, I could fall into the trap of comparing Bujumbura to Kigali (25 minutes apart by air) but I shall resist. Yes, they share the same culture. Yes, they both endured horrible genocides. Why are they so similar yet miles apart in development? You make your own summations but suffice it to say, the difference is remarkable.

Modern Kigali consists of a rather tiny yet slick city centre with one high-rise. One thing that shocked me was how the roads into town were immaculate. I thought this was just a show for downtown but upon exploring the outer fringers of Kigali, I was equally amazed at how good the roads were. Housing projects are sprouting everywhere and young entrepreneurs are reaping the benefits of fruitful yet tightly controlled economic incentives for investment.

Yes, Rwanda is, for all intents and purposes, a police state but not in the traditional sense. The best way to describe it is to say it's a police state "light". President Kagame keeps a tight reign on things but few would argue that it hasn't had remarkable effects. For example, traffic rules are strictly enforced and I mean to the point of people being AFRAID to drive a car with no insurance. People are not allowed to publicly discuss their ethnicity and apparently, no flip-flop shoes are allowed in the city centre. Extreme yes but sometimes, you need to lead with a heavy hand a la Putin.

My goal, for the weekend, was a bit of R&R and perhaps 2 hours of business. One of the first things I did was to simply walk. You can walk almost anywhere in the city without being jeered at, harrassed or surrounded by beggars. For anyone who has ever attempted a stroll through Nairobi or Addis Ababa, you know what I'm talking about. I walked everywhere which, in a city known as the Milles Collines (thousand hills), can be a rather sweaty affair. Still, I was in heaven. Even downtown amidst the central market, I strolled along merrily without anyone giving me a hard time. I usually avoid central markets in most capitals but in Kigali, I sought it.

You can feel the energy in Rwanda and it's contagious. People are excited about their new found richesse and for those still struggling, they are excited about what the future holds. Yes, there are still security concerns but as President Clinton once said, "It's the economy stupid!". And indeed, the economic boom combined with money in the pockets of the poor, will launch Rwanda into the next realm of modernity. Of that I am sure.

How remarkable as well, that many street corners had charming little cafes with, you guessed it, free wifi. As stated previously, my economic indicator for Rwanda is the availability of cafes with wifi so there you go. Kigali imprinted upon me an image of a city, although not super modern like Nairobi or Jo'Burg, desperately open to the world for business and pleasure. It's also a city that does not forget its past yet, has collectively decided to move on. In short, it's booming.

Photos: top - the lone high rise in Kigali...a bank I think

below top - me lounging at Shokola Cafe near Umubano hotel. Has wifi of course

photo with houses - one of the thousand hills of Kigali and booming development

sunset - view from the early morning over the pool of Umubano hotel

motorbike - I'm taking a moto taxi in this pic. They are the main mode of transport beside mini buses

bottom photo - you get a sleek jet from Bujumbura but returning, you get the little turbo prop on Rwandair

The Secret to International Communication

2011-07-10T12:20:00.001-07:00

Part of my Masters Degree programme focused on global technology therefore, people often expect me to have some sort of fancy, secret apparatus from which I make and receive calls. How surprising then, when I simply produce my little sim card case and say, "behold, the secret to global travel".

International roaming on cell phones can be handy if you need to call for help while being charged by a rhino or desperately enjoy burning money. Otherwise, buying a local sim card is the way to go. So long as your phone is unlocked and a multi-band, you can simply pop in a local service provider sim and instantly feel er, local. Most countries now have 3G capability as well so web surfing (or blogging) is easy.

I just returned from Kigale where I used MTN. They seem to be the dominant provider in Rwanda. Every corner has men decked out in yellow trying to get you to buy "uneets". MTN also works well in Zambia. Each provider roams in other countries so you can finish off your units that way if you like as well. Kenya has the fastest 3G in East Africa and T-Mobile USA actually has 4G now (kind of).

General tip: If you want to stay connected while abroad, make sure your phone has wifi for Skype, is quad band, uses sim cards and has data roaming switched off! Its as simple as that.

Photo: I currently use 7 sim cards in the countries I frequent most (2 not pictured cause they in phones duh). Prettiest sim cards come from MTN.

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How Big is Your Avocado?

2011-06-30T01:28:00.001-07:00

I can safely say that Burundi has the largest and most gorgeous avocados I have ever seen in my life. I first mistook them for papayas. So what's the best way to eat them? I recommend slices with onion and cucumber for a simple salad or my personal favorite; slices with salt and hot sauce.

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How NOT to be an Angry Expat in Burundi

2011-06-23T00:39:00.001-07:00

When surrounded by extreme poverty and other unpleasantries, one needs to find ways to release the tension and stress. I've always turned to swimming to clear my mind.

This is a shot of my lunchtime spot at Club du Lac pool outside of town (yes this is Bujumbura) following a particularly intense swim (a lot on my mind).

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Yummy Sushi Spotted in Zambia

2011-06-16T08:10:00.001-07:00

It's not easy being a land-locked country where importing anything requires wading through corrupt water. With that said, you have to give the Ocean Basket restaurant in Lusaka, Zambia some credit for at least trying to bring in fresh fish or "flesh feesh" as it is locally known. And yes, they do have sushi, kind of.

My wife found the restaurant in need of a good scrub but I was blown away by its modern fixtures and cleanliness (I had just come from Burundi after all) so one's impressions are certainly relative. We were treated to a great platter of mussels, prawns and tilapia all nicely cooked. We ordered sushi but they apparently didn't have anything fresh at the time so we settled on a California role. Then later, they magically found some salmon so we ate that as well and didn't die.

Most other types of sushi were unavailable thus, my wife was irritated but I was thrilled to have any choice. I recommend anyone to go from Bujumbura to Lusaka to better appreciate Zambia's relative modernity.

Ocean Basket is great and is located at Arcades shopping centre. Bring a sweater this time of year and don't forget to check out the rather oddly placed casino, complete with tarty young girls in cheap glittery dresses, just next door.

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Random Gorgeous Mountains

2011-05-28T10:08:00.000-07:00

The Democratic Republic of Congo and its eery, mysterious mountains:
See it on Google maps here. I took this shot from just north of Bujumbura, Burundi.

I Live in the Land of King Kong

2011-05-22T09:37:00.000-07:00

If you are middle-aged or higher like me, you may remember the King Kong film that came out in 1976 starring Jeff Bridges and Jessica Lange. My dad, rather inappropriately, took my brother and I to see it (I was six) and all I remember of the film are several scenes; Jessica getting naked under the waterfall, the snake getting its neck snapped in half and that amazingly spooky rainforest not to mention the absolutely terrifying Kong that gave me nightmares for years.

Yesterday, while gazing across Lake Tanganyika toward the Democratic Republic of Congo, I thought the mountainous rainforests at which I was gazing were very reminiscent of those seen in the old film. Additionally, there are still mountain gorillas in Congo so who's to say that a giant one doesn't exist somewhere. The thought gave me chills.

It got me thinking, I've seen some amazing places in this world that few other outsiders even know about. Much of Burundi is rather "unknown" to foreign eyes for example. The place I lived in Ethiopia during my Peace Corps days had a canyon as big as that of the Grand Canyon in the USA but few knew of it (Enewari, Ethiopia). During my time in Indonesia, I saw amazing rain forests all but unknown to the the rest of the world located in West Timor (not East Timor but West Timor, seriously). I'm lucky in that sense I suppose. And yes, whilst in these foreign lands, I often think of whether or not real dragons or giant gorillas do, in fact, exist. I often wonder if Lake Tanganyika, with its remarkable depth, harbours sea monsters. There must be more out there than we realize. I even have giant bats that fly over my house in Bujumbura every night at approximately 18:15. Maybe they are really vampires?

photo: Are those mountains the home of Kong?

middle photos: Think of a Burundian vampire, now that's scary!

Oh So Trendy Zambia

2011-05-13T16:10:00.001-07:00

For those of you in Zambia, you will eventually come across the Mint Lounge. This is a trendy little place which is a hipster bar by night and a great brunch place by day. They even have breakfast burritos.

Here's my daughter studying the menu with help from Dora the Explorer, she chose pancakes of course.

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Dream Doll Houses and Jumping Castles

2011-05-10T12:15:00.000-07:00

It's funny but when I view Zambia from the perspective of my 4 year old daughter, it tends to cheer me up. For her, Zambia is all about zebras, custom doll house makers and ridiculously overdone children's birthday parties (complete with princess jumping castle). She is more or less oblivious to the surrounding poverty and rather lop-sided development of this simple, peaceful nation. All the better if you ask me.

I would rather her memories of Zambia consist of such positive and fun images so that she can, in turn, share with her friends around the world this rather unseen yet upbeat part of Africa. It's not all of Africa but it's certainly part of it. Nor is it just expatriate Africa, but a demonstration of the new and thriving middle class.

If you've ever seen the movie 'Sarafina', you may recall a scene during which an apartheid-South Africa affected young Soweto girl walks through the lawn of a white South African's house complete with jumping castle and girly princess outfits. She holds an icey glance at this obvious inequality of wealth. I swore I would never fall into this typical exapt-life part of Africa. How things change. I was recently at a birthday party which was, you guessed it, complete with jumping castle and princessey things. The difference was that there were just as many native Zambian parents there as expats. It was great.

On another note, to help ease our daughter into the recent transition from the U.S. to Zambia, we told her that there were people who make custom doll houses there and that she could have one before her fourth birthday. We chose a doll house maker called Little Ndaba which has a pretty slick marketing presence and whose retail shop is located at Crossroads Center near the Woodlands. You can actually design the doll house according to your child's taste in colors right down to the type of hand-stitched rugs. The only catch is that it takes a super long time for them to make the houses. When I asked the owner why, she said there was a shortage of pine wood in the country.

Now call me crazy but I cannot remember the last time I saw a pine tree in Zambia. Surely there are other woods more readily available. Additionally, to help ease my mind over the delay, the owner uttered the phrase which I dread and hear far too often, "That's how it is in Zambia". Ahhh, cringe, gasp eek. It's only "how it is" if you let it be that way full stop. Too many expats fall back on that phrase and you can simply replace Zambia with any given country name to know that the same phrase is used throughout Africa. It makes me ill and is often used as an excuse to cover up one's own shortcomings.

Regardless, after a 3 month wait, we received the doll house and I can tell you, it's STUNNING. I've never seen such attention to detail and the craftsmanship is remarkable. My daughter was literally stunned into silence when she saw it and said to me the other night that it's the greatest thing she's ever seen in the world. Needless to say, we have both been playing with it rather non-stop. So I suppose it was worth the wait. And more importantly, I will now try more to see Zambia and Burundi and Kenya and anywhere else through her eyes as, quite frankly, it's a much better view.

top photo: Barbie bathing in pinewood bathtup

middle photo: peekaboo

bottom photo: bathroom complete with wooden toilet with working lid

What's Wrong with this Picture?

2011-04-21T12:02:00.000-07:00

I was in the north of Burundi this past week and noticed this rather...interesting gas station. Maybe the painter ran out of red paint for the X but either way, I won't be fueling up here.

Demonic Hot Water Heater

2011-04-15T00:59:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed that in many developing countries, external hot water heaters play a very front and center role in the design of any nicer house or smallish hotel. They are often on prominent display outside of any structure or, as is the case in my house in Burundi, mounted awkwardly against the wall in the bathroom. Rarely are they neatly tucked away in a closet or basement as that would not allow visitors to observe this obvious sign of great wealth. Rarer still do they actually work.

Indeed, hot water is a luxury in developing countries and trust me, after 3 months of cold showers during my Peace Corps training days, it's a luxury I appreciate to the fullest.

The funny thing about these water heaters though, is that they are demonic. You can only expect the worst when you have super powerful heating elements plugged into shoddy, sporadic electric grids. The heater in my own house is temperamental at best. Throughout the night, it hisses, spits and indicates its fury by either intermittently turning on its red light or randomly leaking boiling water from one of its corroded pipes.

I have to give it some credit though because it produces the hottest water outside of a volcano. I could use my shower head to make tea. If I don’t use the hot water every day, the heater will show its displeasure by tripping itself off or dimming all of the lights in the house. If I leave for more than a few days, I must deactivate it or it will blow a fuse, literally. It’s pure evil but a necessary evil. It’s a love/hate relationship in its purest form.

photo: grrrrrrr my pet demon water heater as seen from the bath tub.

Amazon's New MP3 Cloud Player - Myths Busted

2011-04-06T08:49:00.000-07:00

The new Amazon MP3 cloud music player is amazing, especially for we expats. If you are like me, once you try a new web service or get a new gadget, only 100% functionality will do. Therefore, I am pleased to say that after a week of tinkering with the cloud player, I have managed to squeeze out all of it's best bits.

I've also come across a few myths that I've happily busted but more on that later. Let me start with my admiration for Amazon's MP3 service. Being abroad (central Africa no less), it's not always easy to download the latest greatest music and a peruse through the local music shop will mostly yield old cassettes of Celine Dion, music from a few local bands and always always CDs from the band "Michael Learns to Rock" (I have no idea why they are so popular here). Therefore, the ability to download music is essential. With Amazon MP3, I just open the app, pick the song and I'm done (I use an HTC G2 phone with US sim card and wifi). Since it's an MP3, I can easily move it around from my phone to laptop.

Last week, Amazon came out with it's much anticipated MP3 cloud player which allows you to store your music in cyber-space and stream it at will. Neat. I was very anxious to try it out but I also noticed a bit of misinformation floating around plus, Amazon's own online help was a bit ambiguous. I've therefore posted some solutions to a few myths for the benefit of my cloud-loving brethren:

Myth #1: You can't use the service outside the USA - False. Hey guess what, I'm outside the USA and I'm using it and it works great. I use both the web-based version and the Android app. I do have a US sim card, as noted earlier, in my US G2 so I'm not sure if it will work on non-US sims. Otherwise, between my laptop and Android device, I have 100% functionality!

Myth #2: You can only download to one device - False. I've bought MP3s from my Android phone, stored them in the cloud player (it gives you this option when you buy) and then downloaded from the cloud to my laptop. You just need the MP3 uploader and downloader which comes up in a prompt during your first try. The funny thing is that I really don't need to download to a second device as the music streams nicely from the cloud player, even over my poor Burundi wifi connection. Amazon allows access to the cloud from up to 5 devices.

Myth #3: You can't upload all of your music to the cloud - partly true. When you first try to upload from you computer's music folder, the cloud player handily scans your files to determine which files are "uploadable". If the MP3 is copyrighted in a certain way, then it won't take it (like tracks ripped from a CD). If it's been purchased online, then it takes it. Otherwise, you are only limited by how many gigs you buy.

Myth #4: It's better to wait for Google's online player. Maybe. I'm sure Google's eagerly awaited player is gonna be slick but I have to say, Amazon's is also turning out to be remarkably cool. It will be interesting to see how much interfunctionality there will be between the two of them.

Myth #5: I have a superior i-phone, why should I bother with Amazon? True. It's a common fact that Apple i-phone users are indeed superior beings and truer still that the Amazon MP3 player will not work on i-phones, i-touches and i-pads. It will, however, work on the Macbooks so why not give it a go and liberate yourselves from the equally superior but remarkably limiting i-tunes. Go on, try it and you might even look trendy.

So there you have it, some myths solved. Let us know of your experience with the cloud player. If you are an expat, give it a shot as it will liberate you from the fear of losing your tunes during the next global move.

Football + Soccer = Fooccer

2011-04-04T10:12:00.000-07:00

Everyone in our nuclear family plays Soccer aka Football for those influenced by the Queen's language. Yes yes yes, I've been calling it football while in Zambia to demonstrate my linguistic adaptability but I've noticed, even while watching Premier League on the "tele", that more and more people are calling football soccer. This was brought home especially forcefully one day when David Beckham said soccer instead of football during a BBC interview. I could just hear the collective moan from the pubs of England at this butchery of our shared language. However, if David calls it soccer, that to me is the global green light to also use the term which I have done en force and much to the annoyance of the hard-core, preserve our language at any cost, James May'ish types.

In fact, few know that the word soccer actually originated in the U.K. It comes from the original name of the game which was called "Association Football" with the abbreviation of Assoc. Starting from 1889, Assoc became the slang term used for the game which evolved into socca and finally, soccer (1895). It reverted back to football when rugby was formed and they needed to distinguish between the two games (won't bore you with the rest of the story). The Americans never gave up on the term thus, its existence to this day. So there you Brits, it's your damn fault we use this word in the first place and it even pays hommage to the origins of the sport. Get over it.

I've considered combining the terms into Fooccer to please everyone but the word just doesn't have a nice ring to it and sounds rather like a disease. Oh no, she has contracted Fooccer's disease. It's also dangerously close as to how a Scottish man might describe his desire to "be" with a woman. You get the idea. In the Matambo Neilson family, we all play the game and have done so pretty much since our births, with the exception of horse-loving Tambi. Thankfully, our kids' international school has a great team and they compete often with the other International schools in Lusaka for non-stop soccer mom inducing fun.

It's also exceptionally fun to be in soccer-mad Africa, especially following the great success of the 2010 World Cup. The only odd thing is that many of my African friends, whether they be in Kenya, Zambia or Burundi, seem more interested in the Premiership than their own national teams. This is a shame as there are quite a few good teams but the general feeling seems to be oriented toward supporting their African stars abroad. And then, of course, we in the USA get them in the MLS when they are nearing retirement. So everyone's happy right? Right. Final tip: if you want to really annoy a Brit, repeatedly use the term soccer in your best American, annoying, gutteral accent until they are red in the face, great fun.

top photo: no this is not Gyan but our teenager whooping up on the Italian school team, final score 8-1.

bottom photo: our little one also plays

Rare Burundi Man-Eating Crane

2011-04-01T02:18:00.000-07:00

Many people are aware of attacks against humans from hippos and crocodiles around Burundi's Lake Tanganyika and Rusuzi River areas, but few know of the vicious and highly dangerous man-eating bird known as the Burundian White Crane. At first glance, it resembles any other crane and is even deceptively elegant in its bright white and feathery appearance. However, hidden inside their long beaks is a row of razor sharp teeth designed for ripping flesh.

Local authorities purposely play down reports of attacks not wanting to incite fear in the population. These cranes can often be seen flying overhead so were their true nature to be known, much terror would ensue. The crane was not always a man-eater. It used to rely on a steady diet of fish and small, wild mammals such as the civet, mongoose and occasional antelope. However, during a particularly bad drought period, it developed a taste for human flesh and has since reeked terror on the surrounding villages.

It preys during the evening hours, often gathering in groups, strutting and flocking about in typical bird fashion. When an unsuspecting fisherman or lone villager wanders by, they attack en masse similar in fashion to hyenas. With their razor sharp teeth, than can completely consume a human in less than 20 minutes.

There are no known figures for how many people have been attacked by the White Crane. Many attacks are attributed to other animals but for those in the know, the White Crane is an inconvenient truth. Efforts have been made to control the population but no one has yet been able to find their breeding grounds; thought to be somewhere in a remote part of the Congo. Some even believe the cranes breed within Lake Tanganyika's dark and unknown depths producing the deceptively strong, yet fragile looking bird which can also swim. Even the attacks attributed to Burundi's famous Gustav Crocodile are thought to mostly have come from the cranes.

We can only hope the local population can find a way to live with this new-found terror. Just to take these photos, I had to hide inside a specially constructed cage to avoid an attack.

top photo: the horrible beasts gather at dusk. The weak lightbulbs cast a ghostly palour over the man-eaters.

bottom photo: a crane cleans blood from its feathers following a recent kill.

Back in the Saddle - Zambia Horsiness

2011-03-19T09:28:00.000-07:00

I've always told my wife that I appreciate a good "horsey" woman. What I mean by this is a woman who can ride a horse, is tough yet doesn't ignore her feminine side. Think of Kristin Scott Thomas and you get the idea. I've never gone for those girly girls in high heels who would never enjoy a camping safari or allow themselves to sweat in front of me. Imagine then, how in awe I was of my wife when I met, not only the prettiest Zambian I'd seen, but an accomplished horse show-jumper as well. I was smitten.

When we lived in Zambia 12 years ago, Tambi and I used to ride at Trottover on Leopard's Hill road and I'm pleased to say it's still there and going strong. I'd been raised in Texas, USA riding Western style (taught by my older sister, another great horsey woman) but it was Tambi who taught me the ways of the English. At first, I just couldn't get the hang of holding the rains with two hands but I eventually got into it. Additionally, having a saddle with no "horn" was odd but my bum adapted and we enjoyed many great rides through the Zambian country-side. She even taught me how to properly jump a horse after which, I pretty much wanted to jump every obstacle in sight. It's addicting and to this day, I prefer riding English style.

Alas, the expat life, combined with a new child, did not always allow for horse riding. Tambi went several years without so much as a whiff of manure. She almost managed in Indonesia but the nearest stables were such a hassle to get to due to trafffic that we just gave up. In the States, it's often prohibitively expensive unless you own horses so there was quite a drought since having saddle time. Thus, imagine our joy at returning to Zambia and Tambi having the time to take up riding again which she has done so en force.

One of the joys of riding in Zambia is that the horses are often maintained by grooms so you pretty much just have to show up, step on and away you go. I know, I too was raised to always brush, clean hooves and saddle on your own but I must admit, it's nice to leave it to someone else from time to time. It also allows for more quality saddle-time but, of course, were we to own our own horse, we would certainly maintain it ourselves. Since Tambi is "renting", the owners prefer that their grooms handle them. Hey, no complaints here.

Somewhat to my surprise, our Zambia relocation is turning out to be quite great. Our son is coming out of his "I can't believe you took me away from America" funk and our daughter is on cloud nine with her endlessly available play groups and custom-made doll houses. During my first week in Lusaka, I was a bit shocked at the mostly unchanged mud pit as I saw it. However, as the weeks wore on, I quickly found my groove and was reminded of what turned me on to Zambia all those years ago in the first place. Now, seeing Tambi back in the saddle, I know the move was a good one. Phew.

photo: Tambi in the saddle. This horse's name is Lokie and is apparently, according to the owners, "bomb-proof". Get it? Lokie as in "low-key" oh dear clever.

Travel in Africa - Sweat and Sore Bums

2011-03-13T11:31:00.000-07:00

If you have ever traveled through Sub-Saharan Africa on your own, then you most likely took some form of public transportation whether it be a taxi, mini-bus pirogue or whatever. You may have also noticed that, although the African continent has arguably the most stunningly beautiful places known to man, getting to them can be a hassle at best. Even hard-core "Africanists" usually pause in their adoration of the continent when describing their most recent harrowing taxi adventure or scary bus or car ride through the Rift Valley.

I've traveled to quite a few countries in Africa and each and every major city I've visited has been a pain in the ass (quite literally) when it comes to public transport (with the exception of Asmara, Eritrea and their shiny new yellow Opel taxis). Take Nairobi, Kenya for instance. I recently arrived at the airport and was heading into town on a particularly hot day. It was beaten into my head by my colleagues that I must always reserve a taxi in advance to avoid certain death by robbery from the random taxis available at the terminal, so I dutifully followed this advice. Once I found my driver and was on my way, I kindly asked him to turn on the A/C at which point he began furiously fiddling with all of the dashboard gadgets in a desperate attempt to activate this obviously unknown system. I finally pointed out that he might try pushing the button labeled "A/C" and to his amazement, it worked! This was then followed by near head on collisions, his insistence on the driver window remaining down (because A/C makes him sick thus allowing in Nairobi's sweet smelling smog) and the fear of being car-jacked at the next stoplight. I had a pleasant flight in from Bujumbura but I arrived at my Nairobi destination utterly exhausted due to the 1.5 hours of hell in the taxi.

What's worse, you often have to barter for the price so not only are you dealing with sub-par vehicles, reckless driving and questionable substances on the seats, but you have to haggle to pay someone for essentially risking your life. Now, before the naysayers kick in, not all of my public transport experiences have been disasters but let's just say that after 9 years on the continent including a particularly grueling period of taking impressively un-maintained buses in Ethiopia during my Peace Corps days (1995-1998), I've paid my dues. This is why I always buy a car upon arriving in a new country as soon as possible. But what of those who cannot afford a car? A bus is the usual option.

Ah yes, the developing-country bus. Some of my worst experiences have been with these people-moving dens of hell. It seems to be a standard practice across much of Sub-Saharan Africa that no single bus, great or small, will depart the depot unless it's full. So one can generally forget about time tables as they make no difference in most cases. I find this infuriating and it clearly shows how the emphasis is on the money-making of the bus owner, not the service offered to passengers. In fact, passengers in general are an after-thought on most forms of transport. One time, during my Peace Corps days in North Central Ethiopia, I had left my house at 5am to catch the only bus into the capitol that day. The bus was supposed to wait until 5 before moving on to the next village but apparently, had come and gone for whatever reason. Therefore, I was left in the central area of my village completely alone, in pitch dark with hyenas and foreign-flesh-eager wild dogs noisily baying in the distance. I was terrified.

Another incident involved me waiting in what is perhaps the worse bus station on earth (Addis Ababa central station near Merkado) while a constant stream of deformed beggars paraded through the bus asking for offerings. Upon seeing a foreigner, I was literally mobbed by street children, beggars and "callers" (those trying to direct people to the right bus as there are no signs). It was raining, muddy, cold and I quite literally thought I had found hell on earth (I understand the station is much better now). Again, we had to endure this circus until the bus was full and lucky me, there didn't seem to be that many people heading to the Central North that day so a full 2 hours passed until we were underway. The bus itself could best be described as 4 wheels, an engine and curtains. The seats designed for 2 were packed with 3 people and the windows had to remain shut the entire journey as many feared illness due to "wind". Needless to say, at the end of the journey, I had a sore bum and some airborne virus.

My bus experiences in Ethiopia were so bad that my last year as a volunteer, I simply refused to take them and hitch-hiked everywhere with great success. Some of my best travel experiences came from these journeys (book coming soon). Here is where things differ. I saw a transport system which had evolved around the bus-owners making money with nothing to ensure passenger safety or comfort. Therefore, I refused it. Of course, you can't do this in every country but I thought, if I'm going to risk my life on those roads, I'll take a random truck or car any day compared to a bus. Ethiopia was relatively safe for such things at that time. I therefore wish my fellow Africans would do the same; simply refuse the transport. This happened in Nairobi, Kenya not too long ago with the Matatus (14 seater buses). Citizens became fed up with the crazy loud music and reckless driving so protested. Now, the matatus cannot play loud music and even though they still drive horribly, things have improved. That's empowerment.

Think I'm being harsh? Take Bujumbura, Burundi for example. Like many African cities, they use Toyota mini-buses as a form of group taxi. That means each bus has a route and people get on and off according to their destination along that route. It's cheaper than taking a solo taxi.The mini-buses in Burundi are mostly imported from Japan yet, the basic rule of the road here is to drive on the right. This means whenever a taxi wants to load or unload passengers, it happily does so into oncoming traffic as the door is on the left (for right-hand drive buses used in Japan). It would not be too bad if the taxis pulled off the road but they often dump people out whilst stopped in the middle of the lane in full traffic. You often see mothers with children cowering against the taxi in an attempt to avoid oncoming traffic. Worse still, the drivers of these taxis will happily risk everyone's lives by driving on the wrong side of the road in order to overtake or beat another taxi to a fare. Again, we have this problem of the emphasis being on making money at the expense of lives. Worst of all, people put up with it.

At this point, a hard-core Africanist would interject and say, "What choice do the poor have in such situations?" And they are 100% correct to note, indeed, that the entire system works by taking advantage of the poor. If you are poor in Burundi and take a mini-bus, then you at least have enough cash for motorized transport. The really desperate take a bicycle taxi (sitting on the luggage rack of a bicycle no joke) or simply walking. There are also motorbike taxis which seem to care even less for their passenger's safety than the mini-buses. If you need to get somewhere and your only option is a mini-bus that leaves from your corner at some point in the morning, there is little you can do. The operators of the taxis know this therefore, gleefully pack as many people as possible in because few will refuse to board. Their very last thought is of the safety of the passengers and, quite frankly, it's saddening.

It would take a collective effort from the citizens to demand better safety and, for God's sake, import buses with the steering wheel and doors on the correct side. I hope Bujumbura citizens will take such an action one day. In the meantime, when I drive through the city, I take great glee in stopping at cross-walks (it terribly annoys the taxis waiting behind) and activating my hazards when a bus is unloading into the street. When I drive "politely", it infuriates the taxis who let loose with a stream of honking and light flashing. I love it and maybe, just maybe, I've saved life that day.

Recent successes:

Lusaka, Zambia now has dial-a-cab with actual metered taxis in good condition.
Nairobi, Kenya has Jay Cab (0733 750 455) which come anywhere in the city when called. They are usually efficient and have decent cars but not always. My taxi experience described above was in a Jay Cab.
Tanzania offers "luxury buses" which have nice seats, a TV and, amazingly, will leave the depot even if not full. You must buy tickets in advance though.
Jo'Burg has metered, modern taxis.
Ethiopian taxis are usually in a horrid state but compensate somewhat by having friendly, chatty drivers.

top photo: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia taxi, beats the bus at least.

bottom photo: I often hitch-hiked on these types of trucks and it was heaven on earth compared to the buses.

International Aid Worker Cocktail - Sudan

2011-03-10T10:36:00.000-08:00

I was pleased to note that my former satirical aid worker video became quite popular amongst the expat, aid worker community. Therefore, I just had to do another. This video is based on an actual conversation I "overheard" at a cocktail not too long ago (no, it was not actually in Sudan).

Is Zambia the Most Polite Country in Africa?

2011-03-06T08:02:00.000-08:00

I just spent a brilliant week in Lusaka helping my family settle in and I made some interesting observations. These are not the anthropological, well reasoned observations of a seasoned field worker rather, they reflect what one might see were they to be suddenly placed in Zambia following 1.5 years in solitary confinement (Burundi). Here are a few things I noticed in and around Lusaka:

1. Zambians look healthy - I couldn't help but notice that the average Joe or Jane on the street looked rather healthy and in good spirits. Yes, I went through plenty of poor areas but even there, I was generally greeted with smiling faces and rarely was I approached by beggars.

2. English colonization - good/bad? - Let's face it, European colonization of Africa was pretty much a disaster. However, some countries came out better than others. Zambia was colonized by the English and I can tell you, the mannerisms stuck. I got a constant supply of "yes please" and "math(s)". I realize that this can be viewed as both a good or bad thing. The good news is that Zambian culture is alive and well and is visibly undergoing a resurgence. Compared to when I was there in 2000, I no longer feel like I am in West Sussex.

3. Progressive politically - Many African countries apply foreign political systems to their Governance that simply do not work within the respective cultures. Zambia has a council of chiefs which advise the Government which I think is quite progressive. Yes, there is still a parliament and a "State House" (whatever that is) but local customs seem well respected by the powers that be. Have doubts? Look at their neighbors and tell me who is more stable.

4. Non-confrontational - I was driving a rental car along Kafue road and got stopped at a road block. Turns out one of the car's tags was expired and the cop asked for my driving license. I explained the car was a rental car and was immediately let go. My argument really had no validity yet, there I went. I can tell you in general, Zambia is a quiet country and rarely do I experience people shouting and being mean. It's rare when you hear of ethnic groups clashing. Some of my friends credit the former president Kaunda for this unique unification.

5. Ask me for directions - Generally speaking, while traveling in Africa, I avoid asking for directions as much as possible. In Zambia, I can totally stop anywhere and ask anyone (in English) and will be aided with no expectation of a reward in return. Zambians have better things to do than harass foreigners.

6. Traffic, what traffic? - Yes, if you travel along Kabalonga road between 7:30 and 8:30, you will be in a jam. Outside of those hours, there really is no traffic problem in Lusaka. On top of that, even the universally awful blue and white mini-buses are not such a pain. They are no where near as horrible as Nairobi's or Bujumbura's taxis. In general, road rules are respected and get this, when someone slows down on a fast stretch of road, they often put their hazards on to warn the driver behind. If that's not polite then I don't know what is.

So yes, of the countries I have visited in Africa, Zambia is top of my list for politeness. My family is settling in nicely and, in general, people in our neighborhood seem happy to see us.

photo: entrance to our new house, smile, you're in Zambia

Technology in Africa - East vs South

2011-02-12T04:30:00.000-08:00

Now that my frequent Burundi - Washington, DC route has been temporarily changed to Africa-centric Burundi - Zambia, I've been making some interesting observations concerning the differences in technology between countries in this region. I've included Kenya in the mix as anyone who has every traveled in these parts will testify that Nairobi is the necessary evil hub for anyone wishing to get anywhere in Africa below the equator.

Here is what I have observed:

DSTV is the great uniter - DSTV is the South African-run satellite TV service that is to Africa what Direct TV or Sky TV is to the US and UK. I have found DSTV in every single country visited in Africa and they offer a series of "bouquets" according to local interests and languages. For example, in Burundi, I have the French and English bouquets but you can also order Arabic, Chinese Indian or whatever-suits-you packages. They cater to everyone. Quite simply, it's the greatest thing since flush toilets and I too was able to watch the season premier of the new American Chopper this past Friday plus the Super Bowl. The menu layout is standard so in Zambia, I was able to expertly navigate our hotel TV channels impressing my wife by showing her where to find her beloved E -Entertainment.

DSTV also has VSR decoders (like Tivo) and HD channels. The only major difference is that most English channels are South African or UK English oriented. For example, all of the Discovery channels show similar programming but the commentary is British, charming when watching American Chopper. The kids channels are also British but still great, C-Beebies is the best! There are enough sports channels showing international events to avoid being exposed to South African cricket.

Result: Tie between Kenya, Burundi and Zambia

Mobile Networks are booming - Kenya, Burundi and Zambia all have a choice of mobile phone providers but, as you can imagine, Kenya is king when it comes to quality of service and faster, cheaper 3G. It can be confusing however as the big boy Zain provider recently changed to Airtel. So your SIM card still says Zain as well as your network indicator but you are actually on Airtel. To quote an Airtel service rep (her words not mine), "Zain was run by Arabs who got tired of not making money so they sold it to the Indians who have more patience in Africa". Whatever, it's a pretty strong network and when you land at any of the Southern Africa airports, you seen signs saying, "Airtel; relax, you're covered". This means you can call from within Zambia using a Kenyan Airtel SIM card for the same rates but you cannot send SMS or use 3G. Kenya and Zambia have voice mail but Burundi does not (not that anyone uses it).

Kenya has awesome 3G speeds, Burundi fairly decent and Zambia surprisingly in third. I can send a Twitter photo via my Android in Burundi but not in Zambia oddly enough. Zambia 3G rates are pricey but in Kenya, I can leave it on all the time with minimal charges.

Result: Kenya in overwhelming first, Burundi and Zambia tied for second

Smart Phones work just fine - In short, Blackberry is the ruler of East and Southern Africa. Everyone and their dog seems to have one. Not so in Burundi where Blackberry data services will not work on any network. I've seen visitors to Bujumbura horror stricken when they discover they cannot access any of their e-mails. I-phones work great in all three countries but if you try to buy one in the region, you will spend a ridiculous USD1,000. Android phones also work great but are all but unheard of in this part of the world. I did see an HTC Desire on sale in Lusaka for an insulting USD1,100 so I imagine it will not catch on at those rates. However, if you are bringing in your phones from abroad as we did, you will be in heaven and get lots of envious remarks as my wife has with her brilliant HTC My-touch in Zambia.

Result: Kenya and Zambia tie with their love of all things Blackberry, Burundi a close second

GPS Navigation still needs some work - As can be noted in my previous post, GPS navigation works just fine in Africa so long as you can find the maps to load into your unit or enjoying tracking and creating routes on your own. Nairobi, however, actually has Garmin maps for sale that work on in-car units and are very detailed.

result: Kenya an obvious first, Zambia second and Burundi third (due to least detailed maps)

Internet continues to impress - The question I get asked the most from people moving to Bujumbura is whether or not the city has decent Internet. The answer is yes and no. There is really only one decent provider in the country and it's called SpiderNet. Considering that all Internet enters Burundi via satellite, their speed is impressive. In Kenya, they have two new super cables piping the Net into the country so it's lightning quick. I was equally impressed with Zambia's speed from a variety of providers. Both Zambia and Kenya contain many public areas where you can access providers such as i-spot by paying per minute or hour. In Burundi, public wi-fi spots are becoming more common but are still rare. Speeds are agonizing as well unless you have your own home connection such as I do. You will always need an antennae on your house to receive a signal in each of the countries resulting in expensive installation costs. Price-wise, Kenya is the best deal followed by pricey Zambia and finally, second mortgage Burundi.

Result: Kenya strong first, Zambia second, Burundi third

Buying electronic gadgetery - Here is where these three countries fail miserably. Just finding a place that sells necessary cables, hook ups, adapters and the like is generally a hassle unless you go to Game in Zambia or Nakumat in Kenya. Prices are high and any valuable electronic item must be hooked into a stabilizer (another expense) or you risk it being fried due to erratic electricity service.

In Burundi, you have to go to one of the scariest and ugliest parts of town to find anything electronic (Ave de Mission). It's worth a look just to see how bad a road can be in Bujumbura. Here, you will find most needed items but you take an enormous risk with fake brands and no possibility of exchanges or refunds should something not work. You also have to haggle which becomes tiresome. In Kenya and Zambia, name brands are easy to find and items such as HD TVs are reasonably priced. Computers however, are off-the-wall expensive and you will generally pay double to triple for any type of smart phone. Avoid small electronic boutiques due to getting the usual foreigner rip-off. Even in malls in Nairobi, I've seen them change the price when I asked. Best to pay a bit more and buy from a trusted chain store.

Result: Kenya and Zambia tied, Burundi a very very distant third

Analysis: Africa has impressive technology but it is often expensive and you are limited in your choices. Never listen to anyone who says a certain technology is not available as the sky is the limit according to your own personal global tech goals. Finding what you need is often a hassle so it's best to import what you can. If Best Buy ever comes to Africa, I will be the first in line.

top photo: 3G networks work great in all three countries. Weather report apps also work great. Notice the week's forecast in rainy season Lusaka (temp in celcius). This phone is my trusty Android based HTC Wildfire.
middle photo: Can you guess that Burundi is also in the middle of its rainy season?
bottom photo: My DSTV set-up, never miss an episode of Border Patrol.

Yes GPS Navigation Works in Zambia (and the Rest of Africa for that Matter)

2011-02-05T01:46:00.000-08:00

The quickest way to get me to do something is to tell me that I can't do it. For instance, I was told I was too tall to be a good bicycle racer so I naturally became, not only a good cyclist but a regionally ranked one as well (Texas and Southwest USA 1990's). I'll never forget a phrase my fifth grade teacher loved saying repeatedly, "Can't lives on won't street". I never really knew that that meant until I was in high school when the can't-doers become particularly fierce. At that time, I was told I can't do theatre, music AND sports at the same time so must choose one. Naturally, I did all three just fine even enjoying my first ever independent income at age 16 performing in a band for the local community theatre. I tell my daughter that the word "can't" does not exist in the Neilson-Matambo vocabulary.

This is a very long lead-in to the subject of GPS navigation in Africa. Of course, many said it couldn't be done and no maps existed. You can certainly use a GPS in it's hard-core sense and make your own routes and maps but no one seemed to know of a decent base map complete with city streets and navigation capability. I'm pleased to say that, not only does such a map exist, but it is extremely comprehensive as I recently noted in a test in Lusaka, Zambia.

First a few of the basics. Most in-car nav systems are pretty much useless outside of their country of intended origin. If you took a portable unit to Africa, you would most likely be unable to load local maps into it. Therefore, handheld GPS units are better for loading in maps unless you live in South Africa which is already extensively mapped for in-car units. I use my trusty Garmin 60CSx while traveling throughout the continent. Second, you need a good base map and I will admit, it took a bit of searching before I found one. Luckily, the good folks at TravelbyGPS had just the map for which I was lusting. Believe it or not, these guys have a map that covers the entire continent so it is theoretically possible to have lovely Jane GPS utter, "Turn left at Serengeti entrance and mind the waterbuck" while navigating from Cairo to Cape Town.

If I ever meet the people at TravelbyGPS, I will give them the biggest bear hug ever because, after extensive use of the map, I can say it's awesome! Even in tiny, dusty, forgotten Bujumbura, Burundi, I can navigate to the major landmarks and streets. The best example came from Lusaka, Zambia however.

One of my wife's friends laughed at me when I mentioned I would use the GPS to find this neat little nursery/play park called Sandy's Creations in Lusaka. Of course she said mockingly, "you can't use GPS here hahaha". I simply did a quick search on my Garmin, found the place listed and it took us right there. Need proof, take a look at the top photo. I told my wife that, were it not for my good looks and exceptional love-making abilities, successfully navigating via GPS in Africa would alone justify her being married to me.

So to the TavelbyGPS guys, thanks for the best 80 bucks I've ever spent. And to the naysayers and can't-doers, eat my GPS dust.

top photo: cruising through Lusaka actually knowing where I am
bottom photo: you're right, tall people can't race bikes; 2003 Summerbridge Triathlon, Ft. Worth, TX (I placed 4th).

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The Move to Zambia - Southern Africa

2011-02-01T13:25:00.000-08:00

The Matambo-Neilsons are now in Zambia! After much planning, packing and re-packing, the family has left the Washington, DC area for Zambia. We are, after all, expats so it's about time we started acting like them. I am still in Burundi but my commutes have just been slashed considerably (about 4 hours by plane from Bujumbura to Lusaka compared to 2 days from Bujumbura to Washington, DC).

Zambia holds quite a bit of significance for this family as it is where I met my wife Tambi more than ten years ago. My step-son was also born there but this is the first time my daughter has visited her homeland. Needless to say, it is an exciting period. My daughter just can't get over the fact she is finally in this exotic place we have been telling her about since birth. My son, well, he is less thrilled but such are the ways of the mysterious teenager suddenly plucked from their comfort zone. For my wife, it has been a mix of reverse culture shock, joy at being with her family and confusion at being able to finally have permanent baby sitters.

It's been a different story for me. I came from Ethiopia to Zambia in 1999 therefore, my perspective was different. At the time, Ethiopia was still quite rough around the edges so arriving in Zambia, with its multiple FM stations and slick South African franchises, was quite a pleasant shock. I've been back to Ethiopia several times since but not Zambia. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capitol, is now an amazing metropolis with a shiny new airport so I was expecting something similar in Zambia. I was a bit shocked to see the same tired looking airport and frighteningly unlit road into town.

Upon further exploration however, I was amazed at the masses of new construction and the ridiculously posh new Manda Hill Mall (just a strip mall when I was last there). They also have this trendy new area called Arcades but such blatant shows of wealth do not necessarily reflect the economy. With that in mind, Zambia's economy is moving along nicely as it turns out so although the infrastructure may not have been updated, the country and its people are faring better.

This past week, I enjoyed a brilliant 7 days in Lusaka house hunting, gorging on nshima (corn meal paste used for eating) and exploring old haunts. We stayed at a brilliant new lodge called Kilimanjaro Country Lodge on Leopards Hill road, not far from the American School. Kilimanjaro is paradise for families with children as there are daily pony rides on offer, a safe trampoline and acres of banana plantation to explore. Their restaurant has the best milkshakes in town and actually serve everything listed on the menu. The best thing is that the staff never hound you for tips or emphasize paying up front. They trust you to pay at your convenience; quite the contrast to tip-greedy and payment obsessed Burundi.

The family will stay in Lusaka while I wrap up my tour in Bujumbura. It's nice to at least have them on the same continent. So why the move? America can be hard on a mom raising kids on her own and none of us liked daddy living so far away plus, it was a chance of a lifetime to be in Africa together again. So why again...well, why not?

top photo: expatting it up at Sandy's Creations, not exactly exploring the local culture but it takes time to adapt, best to do it slowly and with milkshakes

middle photo: the rainy season has been good to Zambia this year

bottom photo: pony rides at Kilimanjaro Country Lodge, horses shrunk for kids

Super Duper Spacey High-Tech America

2011-01-06T10:52:00.000-08:00

This is my first ever posting using my phone's wi-fi hot spot feature. It is the coolest, most super-duper neatest thing ever! Basically, it turns your phone into a hot spot (wi-fi emitting device). I simply activate it on my HTC G2 Android device and then from my laptop, I search for wi-fi signals and see my phone listed. It's not tethering mind you, it's an actual wi-fi spot that uses T-Mobile's new 4G network. Other people can access it as well, just like a normal wi-fi signal. It's as fast as the regular wi-fi that you would find in any typical cafe. I'm smitten.

America may have been a bit late to the 3/4G game but now that they have arrived, we are reaping the benefits. The only draw back is that most phones in the US are sold locked to a certain company. If we wish to travel overseas, we must "unlock" the phone which is not such a big deal but enough of a pain to be a nuisance. Additionally, many Euro spec phones will not work on the US high-speed network. I've solved this problem by simply purchasing a Euro spec mini-Android phone (HTC Wildfire) to get around the constant SIM card switching battle.

At the moment, I'm shamelessly enjoying an Earl Grey tea latte at Starbucks. I know what you're thinking, "Hey Marc, Starbucks has free wi'fi now!" Yes they do, but you must register and it's very public and blah blah. With my own personal hotspot, I can fire up much more quickly and privately. Life is grand.

photo: Baseball, apple pie, wi-fi and Starbucks, living the dream!

Beautiful Burundi

2010-12-21T08:03:00.000-08:00

It's not often you see the words "beautiful" and "Burundi" in the same sentence, which is a shame because the country of Burundi really is very beautiful indeed. Too often, we read about "Burundi and fear" or "Burundi and corruption". In fact, I did a Google News search using the terms Burundi with Beautiful and got only two pages of results compared to Burundi with corruption which got many more. Clearly, the country suffers from under-promotion made worse by a lack of enthusiasm from their own citizens.

Let me elaborate on that last point. When I first arrived in the country, I stayed at one of the nicer hotels where, I noticed a sign for boat rentals hanging above the reception desk. "Great", I thought, "I can't wait to get on that beautiful Lake Tanganyika so I'll just ask the receptionist to book a tour for me". When I raised the topic, the young man started explaining that it would be cheaper if I had more people and that I may have to purchase the fuel for the motor plus, he was not sure if the boat would be ready this week or if there really was a decent boat available and on and on. In short, he talked me out of it. I was fully prepared to over-pay for a boat rental but this young lad demonstrated the worst promotion skills I had ever seen. I have countless stories like that. You see, a country is only as good as its people and when travelers have positive experiences, it's almost always related to their interaction with the locals.

Take Ethiopia for example, the very minute you exit the plane, you are bombarded by countless posters, signs, billboards and enormous smiles from people all screaming at you about how beautiful their country is. You can barely enter a person's home that does not contain Ethiopian tourism office posters hanging on the wall proclaiming 13 months of sunshine (13 months based on their calendar). Taxi drivers fall over themselves welcoming you to the "greatest county on earth" and people in rural areas are generally thrilled to bits to see you. Every single moment of every single day, you see people in love with their own culture and proudly sharing it with anyone who is interested. Once, while sitting in a rather shabby dwelling of a local teacher, with no form of toilet or running water at all and clearly sick children running around, he gestured around him and reiterated how amazing Ethiopia was. When I returned home to the States and people asked me how I found Ethiopia I naturally replied, "It's fu*king beautiful man!"

Burundi does not seem to share that same type of self-promotion, quite the opposite. In fact, the country rather hilariously seems to go out of its way to discourage visitors. Chatting with local people, I rarely hear them mention the beauty of the country or of their love for Burundian culture. Entering local establishments, you are often met with surprised glances. Several times while shopping, I've wanted to buy a variety of items but was so discouraged by the extreme lack of customer service that I simply walked out. This past weekend, as we entered my favorite local national park (Parc de Rusuzi), we were met again with surprised faces which exhibited a kind of "why on earth are you here?" look and were given a guide who spoke neither French nor English (and very little Swahili). It's like this throughout Burundi.

Of course, I know the country has just emmerged from a horrific crisis lasting 12 years and the level of poverty here really is extreme. But the lack of self-promotion I see often comes from the more well-heeled Burundians which makes it more surprising. If anyone should be promoting their own country, it's those with the means to make meaningful changes. But again, you see investments in the service industry but its more of the "I'll sit back and rake in the money cause there's no other choice here" approach rather than a truly genuine "I want to show the world how beautiful Burundi is" approach. It's rather sad.

With that in mind, I've taken it upon myself to at least highlight my favorite bits of the country and to promote what I feel are its best assets. Be on the look out for future, more positive posts on this same topic. Today, I will highlight again the natural beauty that exists here. How remarkable that you can walk along the Rusuzi River and be in awe of such wildlife right outside the capitol of Bujumbura? Burundi needs some love and it's people need to share it.

top photo: These guys are psyched about Burundi and I'm feelin the love, more like this please. Taken in Mutambara, Rumonge

middle photo: you can see this scene not more than 10km from Bujumbura, gorgeous!

other middle photo: I'm a big hunk of hippo lookin for love.

bottom photo: I could watch weaver birds all day. Rusuzi National Park

When Technology Lets You Down

2010-12-16T02:39:00.000-08:00

The day begins with a quick check of Google Chat followed by a perusal of any pertinent e-mails before heading to the office where, following the days priorities, I find time to browse new tweets, rss posts or hack away at Angry Birds. No long marathon meeting in Burundi would be complete for me without tweeting at least one or two sarcastic remarks or stealing a glance at new Facebook updates. Toward the evening, I plan my cafe visits around the availablity of wifi to see how my wife's day is evolving via Skype/wifi calling or browse the net at home whilst sprawled on the sofa. No evening would be complete without reading my e-book before drifting to sleep.

I am able to do all of the above via my HTC G2 smart phone running the Android OS therefore, you can imagine the life-altering gap that occurs when said smart phone packs up! Except, there really isn't all that much of a gap. First the facts: yes, my brand-spanking new HTC G2, after only 2 weeks in operation, decided to completely crash. The phone had nothing unusual done to it and was not rooted. When T-Mobile was informed of this travesty, they immediately offered to replace it and hinted that this was not the first call they've had on G2s. The only problem? I am in frickin Burundi and they can only send a replacement to my U.S. address. Wonderful.

Needless to say, my first priority was to have some way to make/receive calls so I rushed out intending to buy the cheapest, simplest handset possible. In Burundi, they have two categories of mobile phone from which to choose; Chinese or "des vrais" (real ones). With the Chinese handsets, you pay less but run the risk of overexposure to radiation, having batteries explode in your ear or, at best, poor call quality. I chose a real one, a cute little Samsung c3050. Phew, I was a least able to call people (I'm head of PR so being offline for even an hour makes me nervous).

After having re-established my connection to the outside world, I awaited my smart phone withdrawal symptoms only, they never came. You see, Android phones have the ability to sync with your Google accounts so every one of my contacts was saved, all of my apps and photos were backed up to the memory card and I basically lost no info (beat that i-phone). What I lost was the ability to access the net at any time and, most painfully, that cool new wifi calling (allows you to call using only your minutes from any internet connection anywhere in the world). But other than that, I was feeling rather ok.

Why you may ask? Quite simply, the smart phone had become an accessory to my life but not a replacement for it. It was a way to enhance my day to day experiences but it did not at all replace my interactions with people or the ability to enjoy quiet moments. Often, reading a simple magazine is just as satisfying as a good Twitter browsing. On top of that, I've been re-discovering the joys of a simple phone. After I had finally stopped trying to jab the non-touch screen, I discovered I could actually dial numbers more quickly on the Samsung. On top of that, it has a little WAP browser that works and the battery lasts for days. Granted, it's basic but extraordinarily adequate. I'm charmed.

This doesn't mean I will give up smart phones, far from it. But the experience has reassured me that my life does not revolve around my smart phone rather, it's merely facilitated by it. Perhaps it was a sign to simplify things, invite more people to chat or pick up a real book. Either way, having my G2 crash was no where near the disaster I thought it would be and I'm better for it.

photo: oh look at you little itzy bitzy cutesy Samsung! Not sure why it says T-Mobile, I think it was imported from Europe but it has a South African plug on charger. Whatever, it works.

Shameless Commerce vs International Theory

2010-12-05T10:47:00.000-08:00

It's funny but when I scan many of my colleagues' blogs, I find generous amounts of information relating to U.S. foreign policy, proposed theories to fight poverty and a great amount of postulating. It's rare to see a post that does not reference Huntington's "Clash of Civilizations" or a recent quote from Fareed Zakaria. This is all good of course and I certainly drop "nationalist theory" and the like into my professional writing from time to time. However, I've made a concerted effort to keep Family Way Abroad on the lighter side as everyone from the Washington, DC area will tell you, International Theorists are a dime a dozen there. The last thing we need is yet another commentator on realpolitik therefore, I try to communicate politics and internationalism through my experiences as an expat and not-so-serious dad.

With that in mind, what better topic to discuss during the Holiday Season than shopping? During my most recent visit to the States, I had the good fortune of partaking in our celebrated "Black Friday" (the day after Thanksgiving when people hit the shops early hunting for bargains). Don't get me wrong, I was not one of those crazies who awakes at 3:30 in the morning to take advantage of sales or who stampedes over poor security guards to grab a discounted i-pad. I simply strolled into a Best Buy electronics store during the evening of Friday the 26th to observe a ridiculously tired staff and take advantage of the many bargains. I did not even plan to go to the stores that Friday as I have always viewed the Black Friday shopping rush as a horrible example of American materialism at its worst. But as any parent can tell you, having an opportunity to leave the house unaccompanied for a few hours is rare and my moment just happened to occur that Friday evening.

To be frank, I had a blast. The fun started before I even entered the stores. Living in Africa, one tends to store enormous amounts of patience so when hunting for a parking space at the Best Buy, I simply waited calmly until someone pulled out rather than practice the frantic looping technique as seen by the other over-stressed drivers. I strolled into the store, had a list of what I needed and was out within an hour. I only took that long because going from Burundi to a Best Buy in America is like being a prisoner of war for a year then suddenly being dumped at Disneyland. It was just awesome to be there. I needed cables, batteries and Bluetooth stuff dammit so I wasn't messing around. I was also chuckling to myself as i-pads were going for around $500.00 and the creep electronic guys in Kenya (closest decent shopping place to Burundi) charge over a thousand for them. I was tempted to scoop up a few and sell them for face value in Nairobi just to spite the over greedy bastards. Maybe I'll do that on my next trip.

I was only able to do one store Friday night but I certainly had the occasion to visit several others over the weekend. Here are some of my top picks for shameless commerce in the States:

1. REI: If you're the outdoorsy type, you could quite simply live here. I walked out with new hiking boots and bug spray (bug spray is not easy to find in America in November) plus heavily discounted shorts cause who needs shorts when it's 38 degrees (Fahrenheit) outside? I do dammit, I live in Burundi. Just the look of the place screams, "hike the alps!" It's a must stop for we Africanists prepping for a safari.

2. Best Buy: It deserves another mention here because if you've ever been cheated by African merchants who charge insulting prices for batteries or who take advantage of your desperation for a rare HD cable, then come here and unload your wallet for half-price stuff as a type of revenge.

3. CVS: Aha, you may laugh but CVS pharmacy is so entertaining to visit, my daughter actually gets angry if she knows I went there without her. She loves to leap from aisle to aisle trying to find all of the products that are branded with Dora the Explorer (there are a lot of them actually). I walk out with everything from my much prized hand sanitizer to car magazines. Oh and yes, they also fill prescriptions.

4. Balduccis: This one may confuse some as I believe it is only located in our area but it's like an upscale grocery store. It doesn't necessarily mean the prices are higher but the food is sooo much better and organic of course. When I shop here, I can stroll through the aisles with a lovely coffee in hand and enjoy the indirect lighting and hilariously helpful staff. During Thanksgiving, I had forgotten cranberry sauce so made a dash there. One of the workers actually went and got the stuff for me so I wouldn't have to hunt for it. When's the last time that happened at your store?

5. Barnes and Noble: If someone told me I had to give up my international career and work at Barnes and Noble selling books, I would not complain. This place has become an institution with my family and my daughter delights at heading to the kids section to hear stories read or play with their cool Thomas Train layout. And of course, we always leave with some type of book or magazine but not before enjoying a macchiatto and some yummy cookies at their always cool cafe.

6. Buy Buy Baby: This one is for the parents. If you like anything high-tech related for kids, then this is the place. Need a seat protector to slide under the car seat? Done. Need new suction cup window shades? Done. How about a special bucket for washing kid's hair that keeps the water out of their eyes? Yes yes it's here!

7. Any place that's open 24 hours. Yes, America is the land of 24/7 shopping and anyone who has ever needed a fever reducer for their child at 2am or last minute eco fire logs on a cold winter night will appreciate this service. Also, after trying to shop in Europe during their extremely limited hours, coming to the States is a breath of fresh air. I greatly appreciate those who work the night shift so that the rest of us may thrive.

Add your favorites in the comments.

photo: I'm typing this on my new Targus, self-cooling laptop pad that I picked up for 15 bucks. Kiss my ass you bloody, greedy, Kenyan shop-keeper demons!

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Christmas is on the Way

2010-11-28T14:50:00.001-08:00

Santa has been working overtime in the DC area as beautiful Christmas trees have sprouted everywhere. It's the best time of year to be here.

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My Grueling Life in Africa

2010-11-20T00:28:00.000-08:00

The best thing to keep an ex-patriot's feet on the ground in Africa is to be married to an African. When I go off on some sort of tirade about Burundi's power outages or gridlock in Nairobi, my wife offers me stern reminders that, compared to many of my American colleagues, I've got it pretty darn good. She loves to remind me of how much vacation I have each year compared to the pathetic amounts awarded to average Americans (I get 2.5 months/year...that's months not weeks) and often asks me when was the last time I ironed my own clothes. She loves to exclaim, "Power outages, just flip on your damn generator, how many Burundians have a generator?" (I'm paraphrasing).

She notes how difficult it is to be a working mom in America with a hubby who is often away and how stressful such a life can be when you don't have much family around. She even once caught me whining while I was munching on a massive pizza, sitting lakeside and surfing the Net via wi-fi just outside of Bujumbura. Yes, it took me a minute but I got it.

It's true, Africa gets a bad wrap much of the time and it's not helped when expats shoot off a litany of complaints ranging from the trivial, "damn hot water is out again" to the down right insulting, "What's wrong with these people?". We expats complain but on the whole, our lives are quite comfy. You need only enter the urban slums of Bujumbura or visit rural areas struggling with food security to be reminded of just how good we do have it. Here's a stat that will shock you; it's estimated that less than 8% of all Burundians have access to electricity. Humbling isn't it?

It's also quite funny to hear from certain folks about how difficult my life must be living in Africa. If my wife is present at such a conversation, she will often launch into her story about being raised with multiple "servants" (her words not mine) in her house in Zambia and of her former drivers. She loves to watch people cringe upon hearing that. I take a more subtle approach and simply offer examples of how life in Africa can be quite comfy, not just for expats, but for many wealthy Africans and the rapidly growing African middle class.

Therefore, I've posted a few pics below of my grueling expat life in Africa (Burundi mostly):

Pizza AND French fries? Why not?

There are plenty of Burundians enjoying the good life as well.

Watching France 24 (like French CNN) at my favorite bar.

Yes, we still hoop-it-up in Bujumbura

Not all Burundians are under-nourished.

Hippos be damned, they still kite surf Lake Tanganyika.

Genny's cafe, the Starbucks of Bujumbura.

Can't remember the last time I had beach-side service in DC.

top photo: funky mood lighting at the local club

Bumpy Landing in Burundi on Kenya Airways

2010-11-13T13:36:00.000-08:00

With all the flying I do I thought it would be fun to post a video of the turbulence we often encounter while landing during the rainy season in Central Africa. This landing wasn't too bad but you can hear things banging around in the plane and see the stormy clouds outside. Some flights are silky smooth, others are quite the opposite. This last journey in from Europe was particularly choppy.

Feeling Down? Hug a Hippo

2010-11-05T03:25:00.000-07:00

Ok let me start by stating that you should really, never hug a hippopotamus. This deceptively cuddly looking animal (known by ancient explorers as the river horse) is responsible for more deaths each year in Africa than any other animal. Large Nile Crocodiles give the hippo a wide birth and, although herbivores, they can easily chomp a person in half with their powerful jaws. They are very territorial animals.

That said, there is no reason not to enjoy them from a distance. I find them remarkably uplifting and lately, they have acted as my "picker-upper"; hippo therapy if you will. Now that I've scoped out the nearby national parks and rivers, I know where certain hippo pods live and I can guarantee any visitor a sighting on any day. I go most weekends to visit the pods along the Rusuzi River and always leave feeling refreshed and renewed. There, you can hike in and out of the tall grass (carefully mind you) to view them in areas rarely visited. Seeing such beautiful animals in their natural habitat (God forbid you should see them in a zoo) is border line spiritual. And fortunately for the pods around Bujumbura, they are well protected from poaching.

Life in Bujumbura can be trying but none of that seems to bother the hippos who can even be seen along Lake Tanganyika's shores in urban areas. They are blissfully ignorant to the shocking poverty one sees on a daily basis in the city and act as a nice diversion from life's harsh realities for locals and expats alike. Traffic even comes to a halt in front a popular local hotel when hippos are around where people can be seen hopping out of their cars to snap photos and revel in their presence.

Even though I've seen hippos countless times in a varitey of countries, I never tire of watching them puff their noses after surfacing or hearing that rather frightening grunt. Put simply, they are marvelous creatures.

Traveling to Burundi? (I realize this is not likely) Drop me a line and I will GUARANTEE you a hippo spotting!

top photo: Allo there! come hug me (not). One of my better shots of Hilda (yes I name them shut up)

middle photo: Hippos lounging along the Rusuzi

bottom photo: "Hey don't forget me the weaver bird, we are therapeutic as well"! This shot taken right in town.

The Splendor of Lake Tanganyika

2010-10-25T02:16:00.000-07:00

Ah yes, Lake Tanganyika. It's not the first time I've commented on this most splendid of natural wonders. But when you live literally on the very edge of such a massive body of water, you tend to appreciate it's many different forms according to the seasons (seasons meaning wet or dry in these parts). I've even succeeded in spelling it correctly ever since I broke it up into three words; Tang-an-yika which sounds like an exotic drink - "I'll have a Tang with Yika please".

It's the second deepest lake on the earth and four countries share its shores; Burundi, Congo, Tanzania and Zambia. I live at the very northern tip in Bujumbura, Burundi and have a view of the Congo across the way. These past few days have been especially rewarding as the wind has been calm. The Lake has been eerily flat with few waves (mostly in the morning) until the afternoon winds kick up 2-3 foot rollers.

A calm lake presents several opportunities, one of which is water sport. Yes, you may be rolling your eyes but there is now a quite sizable crowd of jet skiiers, wind surfers and power boaters who launch from Bora Bora Lakehouse every weekend. It's one of the safer areas where you do not usually find too many hippos or crocodiles.

And speaking of hippos and crocs, a calm lake also makes spotting these amazing creatures easier. If you scan the horizon near the grassy areas, you can often see hippo heads poking above the water or the tell-tale sign of a croc's, er, tail. A calm lake is also handy for when you wish to swim in the lake in order to avoid any nasty "encounters" as it's easier to see what's out there (or under there rather). Click here to read about the perils of swimming in Lake Tanganyika.

Each day, Lake Tanganyika presents itself in a different light and I never tire of its many forms. When it's calm, you think you could skate on it. When it's rough, you swear you are at the ocean. Some nights it's ultra hazy, other nights offer a clear view of the massive Congolese mountain range. Perhaps what is most shocking is that the lake is very under-utilized as you rarely see anything larger than a local fishing boat off its shores. There is not even the rather African-centric "booze cruise" which you find in more tourist developed countries such as Zambia or Tanzania.

Perhaps the lack of use is what makes it better for those who wish for a more natural experience and it certainly helps to reduce the pollution. I would love for more tourists to come to the lake but at the same time, revel in its wildness. Only time will tell.

top photo: oh so calm this past weekend. Boat heads out in search of mermaids
bottom photo: a little puff from Mr. Hippo saying, "stay away". If you see this on the horizon, best not to swim.

Is Technology Hurting our Kids?

2010-10-05T13:23:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been at a gathering or cocktail with other parents and eventually heard the phrase, "there are no TVs in our house" stated in a rather smug manner? It's true that some parents view TVs, video games and other bits of technology as being inherently evil and the root cause of children's non-creativity.

Growing up, we certainly had TVs in our household but it was during the period when cable just started becoming popular and having a VCR meant you were "doin ok". Yes, I'm aging myself a bit but despite it all, my brother and I pretty much self-policed our TV and video gaming time (think Atari period). We were both involved in so many other activities that TV was more of a way to unwind and relax in between the frantic rush to basketball practice or an orchestra competition.

It's the same in my household today. We certainly have a TV but it's used in a controlled manner. You see, technology itself is certainly not evil. I remember President Obama once said that he cannot enter our living rooms and turn off the televisions to encourage the youth to get out and do something. It's up the parents. And he's right. We have to control and monitor what our kids watch and be more involved with how they learn. Technology is a great tool for this.

I'll give you an example of how we use it at home. My daughter is allowed a couple hours on the computer to play some educational games on various sites without advertisements (Nick Jr is a good one). She's also started her reading lessons using reading eggs online which, I must say, is actually incredible. She's three and can already read many simple words. It wasn't the computer program alone that taught her. It was the guidance from her mom and dad combined with the technology that created the full learning package et voila.

When it comes to TV, you must be very strict on what young children watch. I remember one time, I was watching a car race and my daughter happened to be in the room. She saw a crash (it was F1) and it disturbed her. After that, she never ever wanted me to watch "cars" on TV and often asked if we would crash when I was driving. Eventually she got over it but you can see how much of an impact that small event had on her. We sometimes forget how children view the world.

With that in mind, I decided to also let my daughter play with my new gadgets instead of hiding them from her. The only rule is that she must respect the device as I've taught her. Take my camera for instance. When she first spotted the many buttons and lights and beeps, it became irresistible. I simply taught her how to hold and handle the device safely and she was soon snapping away on her own without me ever fearing she would damage it (with supervision of course). I was fascinated at what she photographed and posted a few of the images here.

Again, technology, when used in combination with good parenting is an amazing tool for our kids. It can even give us more insight as to what it means to be a child. If you look at these images, you can see what was important for my daughter and she even told me why she photographed what she did. Tell me that's not creative?

photos: top, me taking a pic of her taking a pic of me

bottom: My daughter had just arranged her Diego doll's hair and was proud of it therefore, she wanted to take a picture.

The last pic is of me taking the pic at the top and she is taking the pic of me.

A Challenge to All Dads

2010-10-03T08:57:00.001-07:00

I was working in a very rural area of Burundi the other week and snapped a pic of this young dad and his little one. They are refugees from the DR Congo and despite the hardships faced during their flight from civil war, they manage to eek out a pretty decent life in Burundi at a refugee camp.

In Africa, we often see children running in small groups by the side of the road or wrapped in cloth on the backs of their mothers. It's quite rare to see one on the back of their father, at least in this part of Africa. I implore all African dads to view this image as I have, with a mix of charm and challenge. 'Charm' at the innocence portrayed and responsibility taken by the father. 'Challenge' to those dads not willing to take on the responsibilities necessary to be a decent role model for their child.

Being a dad does not simply mean donating genes to an egg. Too often, I've see mothers in Africa doing it all with little support from their husbands. The problem is not just limited to Africa therefore, I hope this image serves as a reminder for all we dads to keep up our efforts to be the best we can be and a wake up call to those dads who are not doing their part.

If you want to share the photo, just click on the sharing links below. The NRC on the back of that fella's vest stands for Norwegian Refugee Council who do amazing work in the camp.

The Pretty Side of Africa

2010-09-26T10:51:00.000-07:00

There I go again, using the word 'Africa' when I really mean Burundi. Still, I've seen quite a bit of the continent therefore, I can say much of it is "pretty" for lack of a better word. In fact, Africa has some of the most serene and stunning landscapes on the earth so saying it's pretty is remarkably naive and somewhat condescending. Nevertheless, there are moments such as this afternoon when I mutter to myself, "Gosh, them mountains suuure are pretty".

With that in mind, I thought I would share a couple of photos of the more presentable side of Bujumbura, Burundi. Yes, we have all seen the pics of starving children or scary looking soldiers so I wanted to highlight something more up-beat and whimsical. Please see the descriptions below and enjoy:

Whereas we expats may find this scene charming, Burundian drivers do not and were yelling at the herder something to the equivalent of, "get yer damn cows off the road jerk-off!"

Yes, even Bujumbura has annoying billboards. This one is for the cell phone company I use. It used to be called U-Com but they changed their name overnight and didn't tell anyone.

You see what I mean? Gosh it's pretty...mountains of the DR Congo facing north from Bujumbura.

Believe it or not, I've seen more put on a bike.

Belgian colonialists sure left pretty buildings but sadly, most have fallen into terrible disrepair. I caught this one at a good angle but the inside is gutted.

Wanna see more? Click here.

Top Ten Ways to Know You Live in the Washington, DC Metro Area

2010-09-23T14:22:00.000-07:00

Having recently posted my 'Top Ten Ways you Know you Live in Burundi' article and due to the fact that I spend roughly half my time in the Washington, DC Metro area, I thought it best to also compile a list geared toward the USA side of things. Again, this list is for those who are not quite sure of their location and could benefit from a handy reference:

You know you live in Washington, DC when:

1. You actually live in Virginia or Maryland but want to "sound" as if you live in DC.

2. You claim to love the urban life yet do not dare walk home alone.

3. You claimed to have understood that reference guide which stated streets with State names run north/south and numbered streets run east/west or was it numbered streets are north/south ok ok, you still have no clue.

4. You drive on I-495 to purposely make yourself feel bad.

5. You cannot drive on I-495 because you do not own a car.

6. You weighed the odds and accepted that the Metro will "most likely" get you to your destination alive.

7. You will always love Mayor Fenty despite his recent nomination loss because "damn he looks good!".

8. You instinctively know to give oddly antennaed black Chevy Suburbans and Tahoes a wide birth.

9. You love to drop into conversation the fact that you work "on the Hill" even if you actually work miles from there.

10. You know a cousin's friend who has a friend of a friend who works for Obama.

photo: I took this pic just last week in fact, that's right, I work on "the Hill"

Twitter Etiquette

2010-09-06T12:01:00.000-07:00

Being an expatriate, I rely heavily on social media to keep in touch with friends and family. One of my favorite tools to use is Twitter. It enables me to do two main things; have direct communication with my wife whilst abroad and follow interesting people. I pride myself on being a decent Twitterer by adhering to some basic etiquette that I've completely invented following a basic principle; "be polite and respectful to others". That's really all there is to it. You can even go biblical with the same concept, "do unto others..." - you get the idea.

Before I share some of my etiquette, I thought I would inform the readers of just how clever I am when it comes to the use of Twitter. I spend much of my time in East Africa and some countries do not allow SMS messages to be sent to the USA, Lord knows why (another biblical reference). I am, however, able to use the local 3G networks and post public or private tweets which, rather cleverly, are then sent via SMS right to my wife's cell phone. In a sense, I've circumnavigated a country's effort to block my communication. Save your applause please.

I do this via my Android empowered smart phone which works great internationally (i-phones can do it too). It's important to have a decent Twitter app and, being the ever eager techy, I have two; Twidroyd and Touiteur (Touiteur is Twitter Frenchified...clever non?).

With Twitter apps comes the possibility to tweet with ease and consequently, the temptation to "over-tweet". This leads me into my first bit of etiquette and a subsequent list of suggested tweeting practices:

1. If we are following you, you must be awesome but don't let it go to your head by sending 20 tweets in a day...3 or 4 will do nicely.

2. Please dear God do not tweet me motivational messages or links to your product, I actually do want to know how your ride on the train was or about your personal thought for the day.

3. No need to thank me for re-tweeting you, just enjoy it ok?!

4. We all do a type of self-promotion on Twitter, but don't make it your raison d'etre, your interesting character is enough to attract us.

5. Want more followers? Why? Twitter is an awesome social networking experience so your goal should not be to get more followers but to follow and be followed by people that interest you.

6. Post a pic and bio, nothing is worse than being followed by some weirdo with no bio info...blocked!

Remember, at the end of the day, it boils down to being polite and respectful to others; rather simple really.

Yes, you can follow me by clicking on "follow me on Twitter" just to the right IF it interests you to do so and of course, I would be flattered. Who do I follow? Here are some of my favorites:

@FP_Magazine
@lancearmstrong
@queenrania
@the_real_JB (Jenson Button)

Top Ten Ways to Know you Live in Burundi

2010-09-05T01:06:00.000-07:00

With frequent travel, we expats may, from time to time, feel the need to be reminded of where exactly we live. Therefore, I thought it necessary to compile a short list of ways to know you are an expat in Burundi in the hope of aiding those who may not be certain of their current location:

You know you are an expat in Burundi when:

1. You thank God every day for Indians and Chinese who give you places to shop

2. You have a border line orgasm when you discover your electricity, water, Internet and Satellite TV are all working at the same time

3. You have a border line orgasm even if only electricity and water are working at the same time

4. You can "sense" if hippos are near before daring to dip your foot in Lake Tanganyika

5. You begin to no longer care if hippos are near before swimming in the lake

6. You convince yourself that profuse sweating is "cleansing"

7. You attract large crowds of people for doing remarkable activities such as walking or speaking

8. You convince yourself that people shouting "muzungu" at you every day is the Burundian way of saying, "we're so happy to have you in our country, please feel welcome".

9. you ponder, "10 Euros for 200g of cheese? that sounds reasonable"

10. and finally...Ethnicity? what ethnicity? We're all brothers and sisters here!

photo: me thinking, "hmmmm, they said there were no hippos or crocs at this beach?"

Café Latte

2010-08-31T04:48:00.001-07:00

This is a very rare café latte I recently found in Bujumbura. Notice caramel heart in froth. Available at Geny's Café near French embassy.

African Wildlife - Hippos and Crocs

2010-08-29T12:31:00.000-07:00

I have been fortunate enough to live in some spectacular African countries and see an amazing variety of wildlife. If there are two animals with which I am intimately familiar, it is the crocodile and the hippopotamus. The first time I ever saw these two animals in the wild was in Ethiopia in 1996 at Lake Chamo, one of the lesser visited Rift Valley lakes.

I simply could not believe the massive size of the crocs but after seeing the equally massive Nile Perch upon which they fed (as well as the occasional fisherman), I realized this was a part of the world in which I would find the most extreme animals. It's a good thing I started with Lake Chamo because every single croc I saw after that was a mere poodle compared to the 16 footers of Ethiopia (we're talking Nile Crocs by the way).

Discovery TV programs would often cite the massive size of some Nile Croc seen in Tanzania or wherever but I would always think to myself, "gosh, that's nothing compared to the Chamo beasts". The only time I saw a croc worthy of a size comparison to the Chamo dwellers was from Steve Irwin's show; 'Crocodile Hunter'. He loved to show off the salt-water crocs (salties) of Northern and Eastern Australia and yes, I dare say, they deservedly are labelled the biggest crocs in the world. But my beloved Chamo crocs are a close second.

Hippos, on the other hand, always seemed huge and from Ethiopia to Tanzania to Zambia, I never noticed too much of a difference in their size. They differ in color however, with many differing shades of that brilliant hippo purple. That brings me to today's outing on the northern shores of Lake Tanganyika from the Burundi side.

A group of us rented a boat from the famous Club du Lac Hotel, famous for it's beautiful beach, newly renovated swimming pool and impressively slow service (my record for a pizza; 1.5 hours). Our friendly guide took us to the mouth of the Ruzizi river as it empties into Lake Tanganyika. It's a brilliant area where clear blue water abruptly changes to muddy brown.

Having seen crocs from just about every vantage point imaginable; air, boat, shore, I know their profile in the water and I know where and when they like to hang out on the shores or sandbanks. Therefore, as soon as we approached the river and armed only with my trusty binoculars, I immediately spotted a medium sized Nile Croc cruising near some reeds. We also spotted a wonderfully active pod of hippos irritably puffing and staring at our noisy boat as we attempted to keep a close but guarded distance.

The Ruzizi River in Burundi is simply a wonderful place and very accessible from the capitol Bujumbura. You can get there by boat or hike in from Ruzizi National Park. It's also a bird lovers paradise although I must admit, I am a poor bird spotter so cannot name most of what I saw. For me, it's the crocs and hippos that drive me. I can watch them all day and never tire of seeing them. I especially wanted to see a croc out of water during this outing.

As we were floating along the river, the guide eventually stated that all crocs had been killed by poachers in this region and that what I had seen earlier was a log. He announced that no crocs now live in this section of the Ruzizi. How odd, I thought, as during my last hiking trip here, I also saw a croc. I know one when I see one daggonit and I know a log does not move upstream and visibly change direction (that's the sure-fire way to know it's a croc along with the unique triangular shape of its head). God must have been listening because not 3 minutes later, a croc plopped off of a sandbank and into the river right next to the boat. Everyone, including the guide, saw it.

To say I felt smug was an understatement but again, I know a croc when I see one and there are plenty in Ruzizi River and Lake Tanganyika itself. Let no one tell you otherwise. Would you like to see crocs and hippos in Burundi, just drop me a line if you are passing through here and I'll take you to'em!

top photo: my pitiful camera cannot do the hippos justice but hopefully you can make them out along with the fantastically numerous birds.

bottom photo: we were all pleasantly amazed that the boat operator issued life vests, a safety measure more or less unheard of in this part of the world.

Lake Tanganyika Sunset

2010-08-24T03:04:00.001-07:00

I gotta hand it to Africa, the continent has the best sunsets. This one is over Lake Tanganyika facing Congo.

The Cat is Back

2010-08-24T02:56:00.001-07:00

Humans are so simple, you just purr a bit and sit in their lap and they'll give you all the table scraps you can imagine. Look at Marc being so proud of himself that he has "tamed" me, whatever!

Housing in Burundi

2010-08-17T11:29:00.001-07:00

I finally moved into my new house in Bujumbura. Ok just kidding, this pic is just to annoy those who think I live in a hut in Africa. Almost no one lives in these things anymore.

Flying Frustrations - Jet Blue Attendant a Hero

2010-08-11T03:45:00.000-07:00

By now, you have probably heard about Steven Slater, the Jet Blue, American flight attendant who told off a rude passenger then left the plane via the emergency chute, essentially ending his flying career and fulfilling the "I've had enough" lust of many an over-tired and under-paid worker.

I'm rather pleased that he did this as I greatly sympathize with flight attendants who have to deal with amazingly stupid and belligerent passengers on a daily basis. As a frequent flyer, I cannot tell you how many times I've been annoyed at passengers with excessive carrry-ons, rude behavior and those who will gladly trample you to exit the plane to name but a few gripes.

Therefore, I've compiled a list of some of my favorite airlines and flight crews in an attempt to highlight the more pleasurable side of flying and praise those flight attendants who make travel a joy:

KLM: The Dutch airline not only has those super pretty blue and white planes, but approaches flying with a whimsical attitude. The cabins are fresh and you get ice cream throughout the flight, even in economy. Even though overseas flights are often packed to the brim due to their competitive fares, the flight attendants seem to deal with the crowds effectively. The attendants are often joking and smiling amongst themselves and are even, yes brace for it, chatty with the passengers. They actually seem to enjoy their job.

Kenya Airways: I know what you are thinking (for those that fly them often); the flights are often delayed or cancelled, check-in can make you cry and their base airport in Nairobi is a pit from hell. However, once you are actually on the plane, the crew is super sharp and ultra professional. They pay remarkable detail to the safety checks while looking quite stunning in their bright red outfits. I've even seen one attendant tell off a passenger for not passing down a meal quickly enough to the person next to them. They run a tight ship.

United Airways (not United Airlines...big difference here): Best for jetting around the USA. This airline got smart ahead of the game. They ditched many of the big lumbering Boeing jets for the sleeker and smaller Embraer ones. The Embraers are fast, modern and very comfy. They know that flying in the States is now no-frills so they make the experience as comfy as possible. The attendants, while not huggable, are still crisp and professional and one even started a conversation with me several years ago.

ANA: This Japanese Airline continues to impress me with competitive fares and rather jovial flight crews. Once, while on a super long haul from Tokyo to Washington, DC (13 hours), I was stuck in a middle seat but because of the stellar service, roomy seats, amazing movie selection and sushi snacks, the 13 hours just flew by. This crew, like the KLM folks, genuinely seem to enjoy their jobs.

Singapore Airlines: Put simply, there is no greater airline. Remarkably sharp crews that are also the most fashionable, incredible service that hearkens back to the glory days of flying and super modern airplanes. In addition, their hub in Singapore is one of the most entertaining airports I have ever experienced. I'm in love. Once while taking off in Singapore, the Boeing 777 was so quiet, I was not even aware we had become airborne.

Of course, I have to add some of the worst:

American Airlines (US routes): Only recently have they updated their tired McDonnell-Douglas fleets to newer 737s but you rarely get the new birds. The old airplanes are horrible, noisy and always seem to be bumpy. Granted the pilots are amazing and super professional but the flight crews seem to only exist for opening and closing the doors. Shouldn't this be US's star airline?

British Airways: They've lost my bags on two occasions, have the worst dressed and crankiest flight crews and now, have the nerve to go on strike demanding higher pay when, apparently, they are the highest paid crew in the UK. Plus, one of the roughest landings ever in my life was on their darn plane. The co-pilot even came on the PA to apologize.

Thai Air: If you are flying within Thailand you are ok but their overseas flights are completely no frills cattle cars. One of the scariest incidents of my life occurred on their flight from Rome to Bangkok (I won't go into details) but after the plane had stabilized, the pilot gave no explanation so we all assumed (for the next 4 hours until landing) that we were mostly likely going to die.

Please add your best and worst experiences in the comments section.

photo: aren't those KLM planes gorgeous?

International Aid Worker Meets African Villager

2010-08-08T03:56:00.000-07:00

My wife encourages me to take advantage of my free time here in Burundi whilst I am away from the family. Naturally, I created a very silly international aid worker video using that new "xtranormal" website which makes it remarkably easy to post this rubbish. You just type in the text, choose avatars and you gotta movie! Here is my tongue and cheek take on NGOs (non-governmental organizations) in Africa. I think we all know a "Kathy".

My Favorite Android Apps

2010-08-06T04:09:00.000-07:00

Gosh, I'm almost at the point where I obsessively love my Android phone and what makes it even better, is the availability of zillions of cool little applications (apps) for use with the device. Therefore, I thought I would list my ten favorites below. If you have an i-phone not to worry, most of these are also available for Apple lovers. If you want to download them, simply go to the Android Market or i-phone app store link on your phone:

1. Google Sky: Have you ever been sitting outside and noticed a bright star or planet and wondered what on (off) earth it was? The Google Sky app is like looking through a window when you point it at the sky and shows you which stars, constellations and planets are in that exact location. Works best with GPS on. Hours of fun!

2. Facebook: If you are a Facebook junky, this app is perfect as it streamlines the categories so you can get directly the most important bits in order to know exactly what your buddies are debating for lunch. New version was just launched which has a sliding photo screen at the bottom, neat!

3. Blue RSS: If you are a news junky like me, then you gotta have a decent RSS feed. There are probably 60 trillion on the market but my favorite is Blue RSS. It's slick, simple, to-the-point and imports directly from Google Reader so you never ever ever have to type those horrid long RSS feed addresses.

4. Pixelpipe: You may notice that some of my posts have a larger photo with just a bit of text. These are posts that I write from my phone. Pixelpipe allows you to upload full posts with photos in an easy to use format so I can annoy the world with my writing at any time!

5. Twidroyd: It says something when a third party app is better than the official version. Twidroyd is the best Twitter app on the market hands down and allows the twitterati to tweet to their hearts content. You can also share pages and pics with automatic URL shortening. It's the perfect tool for sending senseless personal updates to my wife while I'm traveling. I personally limit my tweets to never more than 3-4 in one day. (you can follow me by clicking on my feeds to the right if you want to know my opinion on African beer and the like)

6. GPS Status: Not the sexiest name but it does what it says, gives you an amazing GPS reading and satellite map for those of us who need to know exact coordinates and allows you to send them via SMS. Also includes a funky cool radar function.

7. Pandora: (works only in US). Man, I almost feel like I am cheating with this app. You simply punch in your favorite group or song and it will create a play list for you and play it via a 3G network. When I was in my car in the states, I plugged in my phone, entered "Journey" and I had their hits combined with a bunch of other great 80's songs streamed through the stereo while I cruised north DC. How cool is that?

8. NPR news: Every major news outlet has their little app but NPR combines their stories with radio broadcasts in a very easy to use interface. Imagine that I can listen to my favorite show, "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me" via wi-fi right here in Burundi!

9. Draw and Share: One of the coolest things about the app markets is the availability of kids apps. My daughter loves Draw and Share which allows her to create a cool drawing on the screen using a blank canvas or a photo. She can even save it for me to print later and hang on the fridge.

10. Great Dad: When you are looking for things to do, this app uses your location to suggest everything from kids puppet shows to cool museums. It's like magic and always surprises me with places I had never heard of.

What are your favorites? Let us know.

You Think You Have it Rough?

2010-08-03T07:13:00.001-07:00

Some days I may complain about my conditions here but most of the time, I have water and electricity. When I was traveling with some journalists this past week, we visited a refugee camp in the north of Burundi and saw people living at the most basic level; quite humbling. It's one thing to flee to a more developed country but going from DR Congo to Burundi as a refugee is NOT a step up.

Why I Work Abroad

2010-07-19T02:09:00.001-07:00

When discussing my work abroad, I am often met with one of two possible reactions; 1. "Oh right you gotta do what you gotta do" 2. "How on earth could you live away from your family?" For those in my line of work (international relations/development), they understand that we sometimes have to go to the more difficult places in the world where the need for sustainable development is greatest. Often, these places are not ideal for families therefore, we endure a separation.

Other people often have a difficult time comprehending why I would want to live apart from my family and some even seem aghast at the idea. I usually politely respond by saying it's a hard decision and that sometimes it's necessary but what I really want to say is, "Hey, you find me a decent job like this in the USA and I'll GLADLY stay ok buddy?" It's not like jobs are falling off the trees these days in America.

Plus, I absolutely hate being away from my family. It's the single most difficult aspect of working in Burundi and not a day goes by when I don't think of hopping on the first flight home. Of course it's not easy but it's even more difficult to be unemployed in Washington, DC or earning a pittance from some underpaying NGO.

And that's what it boils down to, balancing career with the need to support a family. I actually feel quite fortunate in that 1. I am actually employed 2. I get to come home often and spend 100% of my time with my family 3. I can help support other family members more in need 4. I can pop into a Starbucks at any time for a latte without fearing financial disaster.

I also enjoy my work and I am extremely fortunate to be working in a career of my choosing. However, I also understand that in this day and age, any job is a good job and whether one drives a taxi, sits in a cubicle or waits tables, they are much better off than a large part of the world's population. A question I often ask people is whether or not they own a car and TV and have a roof over their head. If they answer yes, then they are better off than 90% of the developing world and much of the developed one.

Therefore it's very true during this period of economic recession madness that "You gotta do what you gotta do" and that's what I'm doing.

photo: why I do what I do. Taken at Butler Co. Carnival in Pennsylvania

World Cup Final while Traveling

2010-07-14T06:37:00.001-07:00

I was praying my flight from Paris would arrive in Nairobi in time to watch the World Cup final. It did and just look at this crowd gathered at java house; the only place in the entire Nairobi airport with TVs.

Summer Sizzler in DC

2010-07-08T06:44:00.001-07:00

As I prepare to return to Burundi land, I get to enjoy some super hot temps in DC. I laugh though because it's like this all of August in Texas.

World Cup - Bringing Family and World Together

2010-06-29T15:07:00.000-07:00

Rather than kick my wife and daughter out of our living room during key World Cup matches or exclude them from this rather male dominated spectacle, I have encouraged them to watch with me and even brought them along one day to my local Irish Pub (in Maryland) to watch the US take on Algeria. It was in the morning so there were plenty of families (and non-males) there plus, Maryland restaurants are smoke free so there was no harm to my little three year old.

We had a blast and all four of us were able to celebrate our nail-biting win over Algeria. The next game, I just took my son along to the pub due to logistical reasons where we, unfortunately, lost to, um, Ghana. No matter, the US did amazingly this World Cup and we once again showed the world that we can, in fact, play soccer.

I am most pleased at how soccer in general in the US is a family affair. You can take even very young children to live MLS (Major League Soccer) games as they are always safe, secure and fun. I would think twice before taking a young child to some European games. Also, on the street, you see plenty of kids sporting USA soccer shirts along with their moms. That's kind of cool and especially during this World Cup, I've noticed how we USA citizens has really gotten into it. The games have even featured on American baseball/football/basketball-centric local news and ESPN's coverage has been amazing quite frankly.

I am curious how the scene would have been in my current job locale of Burundi, Central Africa but in general, I can think of no better place to watch the games than right here in the USA (except in South Africa of course).

photo: Me and Leia gearing up for the big USA match. No adult size USA team jerseys were left in the entire country. I could only find her size in the offical garb so settled on a cool t-shirt instead for myself.

World Cup Fever in US

2010-06-29T13:51:00.001-07:00

Brought my son into adulthood by bringing him to his first Irish pub. Here we saw USA beat up on Algeria!

In the Air

2010-06-18T20:19:00.001-07:00

There's something wonderfully comforting about looking out the window of a plane and seeing the wing nice and intact. This photo was taken en route to Dallas during a rare smooth flight over the central plains. This is my sixth flight in two weeks ugh.

Back in Washington DC

2010-06-18T04:41:00.001-07:00

Ah tis nice to be home after an extra long stint in Africa. Here we are on the train enjoying some couple time.

American Airlines Finally Has New Planes

2010-06-12T06:01:00.001-07:00

I'm on the new Boeing 737 in this photo and, incidentally, blogging for the first time in the air. AA is using these new fancy pancy 737s and they're quite swank. They'll soon have internet as well. Nice change from the old clunkers. Still no frills service though.

Airport Layovers

2010-06-10T03:23:00.001-07:00

With all this travel of mine, I've come to really appreciate airports that keep it interesting. Here I am shamelessly enjoying McDonald's whilst in Amsterdam amidst the "bold" architecture. Best airports? Singapore, Hong Kong, Dallas Tx haha just kidding on the last one.

Oprah's No Phone Zone - Stop Talking and Texting while Driving!

2010-06-02T08:19:00.000-07:00

Last year in America, I was nearly wiped out while crossing an intersection on foot by a woman in a car talking on her cell phone. There was a group of us crossing with the "walk sign" in our favor using a crosswalk (yes I do occasionally take public transport). The woman obviously did not see the red light until the last minute and missed our group by mere inches. She eventually stopped half way into the intersection. Needless to say, we had a few cross words for her.

As I now spend much of my year in East Africa, I've noticed the problem of texting and talking on a cell phone while driving is even worse than in the States. In the US, 19 states and the District of Columbia ban the use of a phone while driving and such rules exist in many African countries but you might as well tell them to stop having sex. There is little if no enforcement and, as is the case for Burundi, it's just commonly accepted as something normal.

I've seen too many bizarre accidents to where you know the driver must have been distracted by something to so blatantly hit a pedestrian or another car. I've had to swerve out of the way of oncoming drivers as they were busily chatting away on their phones. It's maddening.

Therefore, I took the "No Phone Zone Pledge" that Oprah Winfrey has set up on her website. You may be a bit shocked that I'm an Oprah fan but I greatly admire all that she has done during her lifetime. Yes, I too can barely watch her TV show between the oppressive commercial breaks and incessant crying of guests but this no-texting-while-driving movement she has created is right on target.

I ask my readers to do the same by following the above link as well as encouraging their friends to follow suit. I even rather forcibly encouraged my wife to take the pledge as I've caught her on several occasions answering my calls from abroad while driving. We've both agreed to put the phone in a place where we cannot reach it while driving. I hope our actions save lives.

Lake Tanganyika - Burundi Side

2010-05-31T03:29:00.001-07:00

I was feeling kind of bummed about being back in Bujumbura following a fun week in Kenya but then, I happened upon this nice sunset on the Lake and felt much better. I was equally pleased to see local excitement when the hippos appeared. There was even a minor traffic jam as people stopped to look.

Lake Nakuru Kenya - a Hit

2010-05-23T09:35:00.000-07:00

As my wife so rightly noticed in my last post, I was leaning heavily toward the bashing of Nairobi. True, the city is not my favorite so during this past week, I made a special effort to leave it and explore some of the Kenyan countryside.

I headed out to Lake Nakura National Park in search of the famous pink flamingos that spend a large part of their day scooping up algae in the alkaline lake. I wasn't disappointed as the minute the lake comes into view, you see the masses of pink slowly moving around the lake's edge. It's truly a spectacle. The park also has a variety of other wildlife and I saw everything from a hyena to a white rhino. All of the rhinos in the park were introduced in order to protect them and both the white and black rhino are thriving thank goodness. Whilst parked in front of one white rhino, I couldn't help but think of some Chinese person salivating over the value of its horn. Thank goodness the park is patrolled day and night to keep out poachers.

I must say, Lake Nakuru is a stunning place and you are allowed to leave your car at several locations to walk around. I stood just across a river from a heard of zebras as they enjoyed the muddy banks, keeping a respectful distance of course. The animals are used to people and cars but I still religiously tell the driver to obey the "20 metre" rule which ensures their day is peaceful.

You can do the park in a day from Nairobi but it's a long day and if you drive, the highway will stress you out due to the constant, scary passing technique of cars so adored by Kenyan drivers. Speeds on the highway range from 20kph from extremely un-road worthy old trucks to 200kph from modern, fresh-from-the-factory Land Rovers. Quite frankly, it's terrifying.

A pleasant surprise is that many animals can be seen along the main highway completely intermingled with the surrounding towns. It's seems there is a certain tolerance for the antelope and such as they do not normally interfere with the cattle.

Of course, there are some annoying bits. It costs a full USD60.00 to enter each and every national park in Kenya and you don't even get a map. You get "entrance". Often, the fee is only good for one day so if you plan to camp or stay longer in a park, you've gotta pay more. You would feel like it's a good deal if you got, say, two parks for the price of one or a friendly guide to accompany you but no, you get "entrance" and that's bloody well it!

There is a disturbing trend in Kenya which I find tough to experience. Being a resident in Africa, I know quite a few of the schemes that charge a different price for foreigners compared to locals. Yet, as I was not a resident of Kenya, I had to pay full-on tourist price. I wouldn't mind were it not for the obvious gouging. Many tourists will find ridiculously hiked prices on everything from food to souvenirs. I don't mind paying a little more but in some shops, I walked away disgusted at how much they dared ask for a tiny ebony elephant carving.

That's the problem with Kenya, prices are rarely listed for anything because many businesses change them according to the person. It becomes tiring to constantly haggle throughout the day for something as simple as a coke. In Nairobi, none of the taxis have meters so during a week, I was asked to pay between 400-900 shillings for the same route. It's maddening and would be especially difficult for a budget traveller.

The best thing to do is book a package safari and ensure that the park fees are included, then you should get a better deal. Kenya really needs to clean up it's act if it wants to compete with the likes of Tanzania where things are a bit more friendly. They should see the tourist as not merely a money magnet, but as a guest who is interested in their country. Otherwise, people will walk away with a bad taste in their mouth. Kenya also needs to spruce up their Nairobi National Airport as that's the last thing many tourists see and let me tell you, it's horrid. It's a shabby hallway filled with duty free shops where the workers seem constantly obsessed with doing inventory and barely notice your presence. Not the best last impression I must say.

My personal recommendation for people with families; head to Nakuru and stay at one of the lodges. The park is small enough to where you never feel completely isolated and can call for help quickly if something goes wrong. Plus, nothing is more spectacular than seeing those rhinos! Also, head to Nairobi National Park and enjoy a self-driven game drive as every section is well marked and you won't be annoyed by tip-hungry drivers.

photo top: Lake Nakuru with it's famous pink flamingo residents
photo middle: keep 20 meters from me or I'll charge dammit!
photo bottom: sign should finish with, "or be eaten!"

Light Overkill

2010-05-20T01:26:00.001-07:00

This Nissan Patrol will certainly never be lacking in illumination. I hope the owner has a strong battery. Having been on many dark Nairobi roads, I can definitely understand this person's thinking. This would also be an ultimate safari car. You could spot a rhino 5k away. Notice jack in front.

Nairobi Kenya - Highs and Lows

2010-05-19T09:28:00.000-07:00

To be frank, I've never been a huge fan of Nairobi but this time around, I tried as much as possible to put on my happy positive face and explore a bit more of this most infamous of cities. I am very fortunate to have several friends here so I spent the weekend with a lovely couple in Muthaiga (north Nairobi). It's called one of Nairobi's more "posh" neighborhoods which basically means most houses have barbed wire AND electric fencing. It's actually a nice neighborhood once you get past the shock of pot-holed roads and scary mini-bus drivers (the famous matatus which, by the way, are pure evil).

You see, many expats in Nairobi live behind heavily fortified gates or compounds with guards. Their lives consist of going from one luxurious prison to another fearing for their safety in between. Imagine not ever being able to walk outside of your house for a simple stroll in the neighborhood. I tried it a few times much to the panicked looks of the local guards who warned me to "be careful". Quite frankly, I can't imagine such a life for my family yet, there are many families here that make do and swear they love this city...to each his own I suppose.

After my nice weekend in Muthaiga, I decided to head out to the suburbs in an effort to leave the hustle and bustle behind and settled on the neighborhood of Karen. I found a sweet little guest house called Margarita House which I used as my launching pad to some national parks nearby. Several websites mention that Margarita House is located in "an upscale neighborhood of Karen". It's actually a simple guest house down a dirt road in the middle of nowhere if you must know but the staff are nice enough I suppose. And that brings me to my first discovery. The "upscale" neighborhood of Karen is a pot-holed, muddy outcropping pit-hole with hilariously out-of-place looking mansions scattered amongst slums. I can see it had it's day but geez, no longer.

I originally chose Karen to be closer to the Nairobi National Park and some of the other touristy places such as the Giraffe Center. However, while trying to reach these sites (the attractions are about 3km from the guest house), we were stuck for nearly 2 hours in traffic which totally erased any advantage of being nearer. It's not as if many people live out here, just that the roads are so horrible and limited.

But wait, I'm not exactly being happy positive am I? Ok, here is a gem; Nairobi National Park and it is stunning. Located next to the airport, you feel as if you are plum stuck in the bush. Some of my naysayer friends compared it to a safari park but they obviously did not explore the interior such as I did. Having lived in Africa for as long as I have, I know that hired drivers are often, um, challenging to deal with. Given the choice, they will show tourists a limited section of any park knowing you have no idea of where to go. I always have a map and GPS handy and by golly, I took us to the remote corners of the park and we saw a wonderfully diverse selection of wildlife with barely another car in sight.

The Giraffe Center is also another wonderfully happy happy positive place that surprised me in so many good ways. It's an educational center dedicated to saving the Rothschild Giraffe and it's top notch. You have to understand that it's geared toward tourists but in a good way, not the typical "I'll gouge you for every foreign cent you own" kind of way. The guides are very knowledgeable and the scenery stunning. This is a good one for the kids as you can actually feed a giraffe wow.

Ok, those are some highs yes? More to come on my Nairobi adventure so stay tuned.

photos: top: you're just 10km from the den of sin yet, you feel miles away at Nairobi National Park

middle: I know I know it's touristy, but cool nonetheless daggonit

bottom: Elephant orphanage at Nairobi National Park that is only open 1 hour per day; absolutely charmed my socks off.

Iron Crocodile on the Rampage

2010-05-16T12:39:00.001-07:00

Young kids are giving this rather life-like tin croc a wide birth at the Riverside cafe in North Nairobi. Here, you can grab French toast, pick up a shrub and get your gardening tools repaired all in one go. Darned handy.

Good Morning Burundi

2010-05-13T00:25:00.001-07:00

Even though my new pad has some, uh...issues, I find my morning view particularly appealing. This is the view from my bedroom from which I can see a traveler's palm, maize and luscious greenery. My audible senses are also soothed by a wide variety of bird chirpiness. Not bad for being near the center of town.

Sushi in Africa

2010-04-30T10:03:00.001-07:00

Believe it or not, sushi is not too terribly rare in the more developed African countries and it certainly helps to have Japanese friends with all the fixings (for those of us in the less developed countries). Since I live in one of the poorest countries on earth, we made do with do-it-yourself sushi and by golly, it was yummy. There was no exotic tuna but perhaps we were doing them a favour by using canned salmon.

Oh That African Sky

2010-04-28T22:19:00.001-07:00

Being near the equator, you experience unique daylight. Notice how it bounces off the mountains as can be seen in this pic from Bujumbura, Burundi. Lovely

Kelly Clarkson Concert in Indonesia - No Tobacco Sponsor

2010-04-23T03:23:00.000-07:00

I was pleased to note that the Kelly Clarkson Concert in Indonesia will go ahead WITHOUT the sponsorship of a local cigarette brand. My time in Jakarta was often tainted from inhaling someone else's smoke or seeing young children puffing away with daddy having no clue that their lives are being greatly shortened. Worse still, the giant cigarette companies unscrupulously target Indonesia and The Philippines with their products due to both countries' lack of any restriction on smoking or the promotion of smoking.

Indonesia is the last frontier for smokers and it's estimated that a full 1/3 of all citizens light up daily. Based on my own observations, I dare say the number is even higher. I remember how refreshing it was to actually meet a non-smoker during my stay there. I also remember the horrified looks I would receive when I would kindly ask someone to divert their smoke from my face, as if I was greatly disturbing their peace.

These tobacco companies are pure evil, taking advantage of the poor in SE Asia by offering dirt cheap cigarettes and trying to hook the young with trendy adds and free samples. It doesn't help that the elites are also major puffers. Honestly, enough is enough.

Obama Vodka

2010-04-21T05:37:00.001-07:00

You probably didn't know that President Obama had his own vodka label - you saw it here first. Best kept secret in Africa.

Don't be Offended

2010-04-16T00:54:00.000-07:00

When expats come together socially, the conversation often takes a turn toward bashing the local culture. I can't say I've been completely exempt from casting a critical eye on certain local practices but I generally try to remind myself of some sage advice given to me from my Anthropology professors many years ago. They simply advised me not to be offended when amongst certain cultures where Western practices do not apply.

Take Burundi for instance. On a daily basis, an expat from Europe or the States will most likely have an experience that, in a Western context, would be highly offensive. It is not uncommon, for example, to be queued up at the bank only to have someone push their way directly in front of you with no remorse. Someone not versed in the local culture would get irritated but if you know that it will happen, then you tend not to be irritated. Simple right?

As is the case in Burundi and in many other countries where I have lived, Western etiquette and/or behavior simply does not apply. Once you know this, your day tends to go much better. I remember one day viewing a possible house to rent that had a layer of dirt on the floor, no electricity, visible leaks in the ceiling and a dead cockroach on the floor. The landlord gleefully announced the price was USD1,000/month with no sense of irony (I wouldn't have paid $100/month). He simply did not understand that for many expats, a house is usually spiffed up a bit before it is shown to someone. Rather than tell him off, I simply laughed and politely said, "I'll call you" which, of course, I never did.

Another irritant to expats in Burundi is when a person performs a service without being asked and then demands payment. It can range from someone washing your car to directing you out of a parking space. Again, it's a common practice so no need to go all mental on the kid. Another common occurence with expats here is being asked for money often by people you barely know. I've seen expats react rather politely to this but the best reponse is a firm "no, I do not give out money".

If you have a car here, it is completely natural for a driver to cross into oncoming traffic and get mad at YOU if you do not make way for them by ditching your car in the dirt. Once while driving, I nearly wiped out a pedestrian who ran out in front of me only to see him gesture to me angrily that I did not honk to warn him of my presence.

In Western standards, drivers here perform the most offensive maneouvers one could imagine so if you let yourself get offended, you will surely have a heart attack. If you remain calm and "go with the flow" without endangering your own life, then you will be fine. Things that would get you arrested in the States are practiced openly here (e.g. it is common to see small children riding in the laps of drivers with no seatbelts).

It is important to find a healthy balance between your own morals and the behavior of local residents. For example, I absolutely refuse to pay bribes no matter what. I also will not allow any driver to speed when children are present. I once turned down a nice house because the landlord wanted to raise the rent at the last moment. Not being offended does not mean giving up your pride or ethics by any means. It simply means being aware of local etiquette and reducing your own ethnocentrism.

photo: crossing this intersection requires nerves of steel and a healthy dose of open-mindedness

The Horror of Missing Spring in Washington DC

2010-04-15T08:28:00.000-07:00

Nothing is worse than seeing beautiful images of Washington, DC's Spring while being stuck in hot and humid Burundi. Here, it's year round summer which means 365 days of mosquitos. Of course, DC also has some rather impressive mosquitos but they tend to be seasonal; more polite in my opinion.

Following a horrendous winter, my family were positively giddy when it came to enjoying the recent warm weather and sent this photo of my daughter in front of the Washington Monument. They were out enjoying the Cherry Blossom Festival which I miss sorely. I miss many things of course but DC Springs are high on the list.

In fact, seasons in general are something I've come to appreciate. Being raised in Texas, you really only have two seasons; hot and cold. One minute it is summer then the next day, all of the leaves have fallen off the trees and its freezing (Dallas area). There are about 2.5 days of Spring in Dallas before the temperature reaches the 90's.

Alas, Burundi is even worse as its seasons consist of mostly dry to mostly wet. We are in the wettest part of the mostly wet season which means the following: it's not only hot but muggy, plane rides are always bumpy, mosquitos are partying, really no point to clean shoes, streets channel that pretty brown water during a downpour and satellite TV is intermittent at best. Ok, it's not THAT bad and it's nice seeing green hillsides again following all the browness. Ethiopia probably has the most extreme rainy season if you really want to know.

Back to DC and fortunately, I'll be home soon but Spring might well have passed by then. In order to stifle my desire, I might very well have to visit my favorite cheesecake place tonight and pretend I'm sitting at a sidewalk cafe in Dupont. My view here will be of hawkers, homeless and creepy guys but hey, that's not so different from Dupont right?

Foreign Beer in Burundi

2010-04-12T13:32:00.001-07:00

Ok, the beer pictured is from just across the border in Tanzania but hey, it counts. Amazing lack of beer variety here makes us desperate for anything different, even a Heineken.

A Kitchen Worth Waiting For

2010-04-10T10:19:00.001-07:00

I recently moved houses after some very frustrating dealings with massively corrupt landlords. I finally found this gem from an actual honest person and love it. They even supplied a washer which is most rare here. Yes, the place is not exactly pristine but it's the security and peacefulness that count here.

Young Camille Claudel

2010-04-07T01:40:00.001-07:00

This is what I love about the States; so many cool activities to choose from all within 10km of home.

Obama in Burundi

2010-04-04T13:36:00.000-07:00

For those who question whether or not the United States has improved its standing in the world, they need only walk though the streets of Bujumbura to see all things Obama (or in this case a car park). There are street vendors hawking Obama shirts, Obama named stores and plenty of Obama bumper stickers.

You see, Africa is excited to have a president who they feel will not ignore them nor be hegemonic toward their development. It doesn't hurt that Obama's dad is Kenyan but Africa's love for this man is deeper than that. They are proud that the US has made great strides in overcoming its own discrimination and finally feel that the African voice might actually be heard amidst the babble of the G8 power houses.

I've been amazed to see entire bars become quiet when he appears on TV here and the amount of America bashing I am used to has greatly subsided. I've also received many questions on why people actually do NOT want better access to health care to which I can only shrug my shoulders and say, "that's the ugly side of capitalism; huge corporations convincing poorly educated or close-minded people that the US is becoming a police state". My fellow Burundians even helped me celebrate the recent passing of the health care reform bill.

Imagine, people in Africa actually respect our President and are excited about our progress. That, too me, is a huge step forward.

photo: the bumper stickers says, "I want to feel proud again". That's what Michele meant when she said she can be proud of America now. I too feel proud again now that the White House has adult management.

Pick-me-Up Turned Put-me-Down

2010-03-23T12:35:00.000-07:00

I was feeling a bit down today with a huge case of the "miss yous" following a brilliant home leave with my family. It's always hard to say goodbye and return to Bujumbura after being off for a week and a half. Therefore, I thought a concert at the French Cultural Centre tonight might cheer me up. I should have had trepidations however, when I noted that the cheerful theme of the concert was "incest". It was a woman singing about the experiences of a child to the oddly upbeat rhythms of an accompanying band. It wasn't a good mix but what saved it was the band's hilarious upstaging of their main singer and the audience's obvious, desperate desire for something more upbeat.

Anyway, you have to give an "e" for effort I suppose as it's not easy to try something different in front of a critical audience that is mostly French. The cultural centre, or "CCF" as it is known, is a constant source of expression in this most tiny of cities and following the concert, I took a stroll through the current painting exhibit. I absolutely fell in love with a Chagall like painting from a young artist. I was ready to snap it up when I noted that they had priced it to Western standards. Don't get me wrong, every artist deserves a fair price but $US320.00 for an "ok" painting is kind of insulting. I doubt it will sell at all. It's best when the artist is there so you can haggle on the price a bit like I used to do in my Zambia days.

So back to my homesick blues, I thought it would be useful to make a list of things NOT to do when feeling homesick and/or when one is far from their family:

DON'T

1. listen to Eva Cassidy's version of "Fields of Gold", it will bring you to tears instantly
2. sit in a dark room and watch a sad movie
3. sit in a dark room at all
4. call your wife in the middle of the night and say you quit your job

DO
1. tons of sport
2. swim in the lake
3. watch hours of Top Gear
4. eat like a mad man

photo: one our our favorite paths

Aid Workers can be Such Weenies

2010-02-28T06:29:00.000-08:00

I must preface this post by saying that I am, in fact, an aid worker. I can't help but notice through, how many "weenie" aid workers I encounter in Burundi or elsewhere. When I say "weenie", I mean the "obnoxious, condescending, I know what's best for poor Africa" types. You have probably met them. If they are from the Washington, DC group, the female weenie aid workers can often be recognized by their thick black-rimmed glasses, pale skin and a Burberry scarf. A DC male weenie aid worker has roundish glasses, a tailored jacket and is wearing a lapel pin for the "cause du jour".

When encountered abroad, weenie aid workers can often be seen sporting a mix of western and local dress in an attempt to show how quickly integrated they have become with the local culture. In an attempt to further understand what motivates this type of aid worker, I decided to view their behavior from the perspective of what a typical Burundian (or someone from any developing country) might see over a typical week (ethnocentric approach for you Anthropology types).

Here are some possible observations:

Day 1. skinny pale women with black glasses greeted me and reminded me of how poor I am, later spent much of her day on her computer and was planning a visit to my home which she termed, "the field".

Day 2: skinny pale woman postponed her trip to meet some Ministry guys who pretended to be nice to me today and told me that if I give positive answers to her questions, I could get an extra bag of fertilizer.

Day 3: It turns out the skinny pale woman has a name and it's Saandara or something like that...Sandra I think. She came to my "field" today and interviewed me and my wife but insisted on my wife giving her own answers to questions she didn't understand so my wife just made up something. Sandra enjoyed writing in her notebook and later asked us to fill out something called a "questionnaire". I had never done this before and the questions were so silly that I just made up something.

Day 4: Following Sandra's visit to "field", she spent most of her day on her computer and often commented on her plan for my country and village. It turns out Sandra is from America. I wondered how many of my country-men were in America planning on doing projects in her village.

Day 5: Sandra asked me and my other friends what we thought our village needed to reduce its poverty. We mostly agreed that better access to government controlled land would do the trick but she misunderstood and said that we were bad farmers.

Day 6: Again, Sandra spent much of her time on her computer but did try some of our local wine. However, she seemed to grow even more pale afterward. She said it tasted like horse pee but I'm not sure what she meant by that...we use cow urine not horse urine when making the wine.

Day 7: Sandra said she was returning to America today and thanked everyone for their hard work and "community spirit". She took lots of pictures but only of the sick kids. I like Sandra but was never quite sure why she came to our "field".

photo: is this a weenie aid worker? hey wait no, it's me!

Ants, Hippos and Heat

2010-02-21T07:46:00.000-08:00

Seriously, how many ants can fit into a small country like Burundi? I can safely say I have a fair amount of them in my house. An entomologist could do several doctorates on the range of species that seem to invade every room of my home. I have those itty bitty tiny brown ones that love to crawl on humans, the medium sized black ones that seek larger prey such as other dead bugs and those massive army ants whose bite is intensely painful. If I so much as hint that I have a craving for something sweet, all of them amass in eager anticipation.

There is a way to control them however, if you wash your counters and floors in Dettol (British anti-infectant), then they stay away. The trouble is, I have not been able to find the stuff for several months now. At the moment, I just kind of tolerate them. You know you are becoming local when you start killing them with your bare feet.

On the opposite side of the size spectrum, I am pleased to note that hippos are a fairly common site right here in Bujumbura. They tend to congregate in front of the Ubuntu hotel at any given time of the day but most especially, in the evening at around 6:00. I've seen many hippos in my life but they never cease to amaze and transfix me. They look so cuddly and loveable yet, would happily chomp you in-two were you to get too close...gotta luv'em.

And yes, finally about the heat. It's darned hot here these days even with the recent spate of storms. How funny indeed to be paying my wife's $400.00 heating bill in Washington, DC while I work on my killer African tan this side. Today has been especially muggy but made better by a stiff breeze blowing off the lake. One day I'll pull a M*A*S*H maneouver and work in my office shirtless, that should get'em talking.

So when the ants irritate me, I turn to the hippos to cheer me up. When the heat gets to me, I simply take a cold shower which has other benefits besides a good cooling off, especially for a fella like me away from his wife (wink wink).

photo: there are hippos playing out there in the grass no joke...and this was taken in town near Ubuntu Residence.

Vancouver Fever

2010-02-14T11:29:00.000-08:00

I've been a fan of the Olympics since as long as I can remember, especially the Winter Olympics. I've had the amazing fortune to attend two in person (Albertville in 1992 and Salt Lake City in 2002). My favorite event is speed skating and I'm a former short track skater myself.

My Olympic dreams took a back seat to my ambitions to work in Africa so here I am. Regardless, I am pretty much glued to the TV during an Olympic year no matter where I find myself. Vancouver 2010 is already proving to be phenomenal. From the moving opening ceremony to Saturday's short track speed skating and ski jumping. I'm in heaven.

Are the Olympics being carried on Africa TV you may ask? Yes, all the French channels show it live and the Super Sport channels do a daily wrap up. The TV coverage here is light years ahead of the sappy, US-biased, "special feature" filled coverage from NBC in the US. Here is my favorite link for all things Vancouver:

http://www.vancouver2010.com/

Also, did you know that Senegal and Ethiopia are competing in the Winter Games? Indeed, rock on Africa!

photo: I took this photo in Salt Lake City...nothing can beat being there in person.

How Much Snow is too Much Snow?

2010-02-14T02:16:00.000-08:00

Dang DC, what's happened to you? So far this year, you've gotten more than 3 feet of snow. How much is too much? If you ask a Texan like me, no amount is too much because it continues to be a rarity for us although, quite ironically, Dallas just got hit with a foot of snow this past week. Many Texans will pretend it's a drag but inside, we are secretly loving it. Additionally, we Texans get to experience customs never observed in Dallas such as the absolute rudeness of someone else parking in a spot that you've cleared of snow.

Nevertheless, seeing all of the photos of my wife and son shoveling out the car while I'm swimming in an outdoor pool most nights here in Burundi, I began to think that maybe we've had enough snow this year. I use the term "we" lightly as I've only been in DC about 3 weeks this winter but hey, home is home right?

The greatest satisfaction I get is from listening to the climate change people getting all crazy about the warming of the planet yet, we get a winter like this. Yes yes, don't worry, I know that the planet is genuinely on a warming trend but Old Man Winter ain't done with us yet. You can also blame that silly groundhog I suppose.

Being in a warm climate like Burundi isn't even that much fun lately as it's been extra hot and muggy so I would much rather be playing in the snow in DC. At least you can add layers to keep warm. Without AC here, you can only take off so much without worrying your co-workers. Here are my tips for District folks to keep from going stir crazy:

1. What the hell, it wouldn't hurt to finish those taxes now
2. Go out and make the ultimate 2 feet deep snow angel
3. Put some of that snow in the freezer and laugh about it this summer
4. Make a snow ramp that will propel a sled onto the roof of your neighbor
5. Clip your toe nails into fun shapes
6. Shock your spouse by turning off the TV and suggesting you play Scrabble

DC gets Hammered with Snow while I Experience a Heat Wave

2010-02-03T12:51:00.000-08:00

Washington, DC has been extra snowy this year, the best being the nearly 2 feet dumped upon the city in December. My son has now missed about 5 days of school and my wife is about to pull her hair out from being homebound due to the sheer figidity of the below average temperatures.

In the mean time, I'm experiencing a heat wave here in Bujumbura, Burundi that has even the locals wiping their brow and exclaming, "Mon Dieu il fait chaud" (My God it's hot). Granted, the hightest temperature I've seen has been in the upper nineties (35c) but remember, we do it over here without air conditioning.

I've actually been fortunate enough to experience a little of the DC winter from my frequent home visits this year and last. But being a born and raised Texan, my fascination with snow has never subsided so I just hate missing out on all the fun. Shoveling snow, to me, is like working in a vinyard for a summer; hard work but immensely exotic and fun. I'm sure a Minnesotan would feel differently.

And yes, Obama was a bit hard on DC because they do a pretty darn good job of cleaning up after a snow storm and we're usually on the roads within a day. If it snowed in Bujumbura well, everyone would pretty much die but that will most likely never happen. Our little heat wave will continue, it seems, although tonight has brought some respite with some rain.

At least I've learned two very valuable things; 1. AC is brilliant and I was born in it (Texas summer) and I love it. The only place I get it here is in my car or at the odd office that is thus equipped. Many of my Burundian colleagues claim it makes them sick oddly enough. 2. I really don't know how people survived winters in the US before central heating - what a wonderful invention it is and I feel quite guilty for mocking those guys in high school who chose heating/air conditioning as their vocational study, it's thanks to them we live such comfy lives.

Driving out of the clouds into Bujumbura Burundi

2010-01-28T15:07:00.001-08:00

This is the last stretch of mountainous road as you descend into Bujumbura. We are cruising through banana tree plantations while skirting deep valleys.

We always travel in a convoy for safety and you can hear the crackle of the radio in the background; assuring us of constant contact.

USA Road Trip Part 2

2010-01-04T06:29:00.000-08:00

It's amazing driving in the USA. There are convenient little rest stops every 30-40 miles (yes we still use miles here) and if for some reason one does not appear, a sign will politely you tell you how far to the next one. During our trip this week, we took full advantage of the stops to "wee wee" and enjoy each state's visitation centers. Some were quite simple affairs while others offered elaborate welcoming packages.

In Arkansas, the visitation center had two sweet ladies greeting everyone who entered and we were also met by a roaring fire and tiny museum. Quite an amazing sight when compared to the rather barren Arkansas interstate and constant "adult video store" billboards seen throughout the state. They even had free coffee.

Tennessee had amazing stops the entire way as did Kentucky of all places. At the Texarkana border, you are greeted by the largest (of course) visitation center reminding you that you are entering the greatest state of all time (Texas). Being Texan, I would tend to agree but it's also disheartening as from that point, the driver has a further 200 miles to go until reaching just Dallas...ugh.

On the return leg, we picked up our son. Yes, some people have seen the name Muta on the right as a blog contributor yet, he is rarely seen on this sight. He does, in fact, exist. He even enjoyed the trip, especially in Texas. Of course, a teenager will rarely come right out and say, "Gosh, I'm enjoying myself" but you can generally tell they are having fun if they lift their faces from their i-pod or stop pretending to hate everything.

As for our little one of 2 years, she did quite well considering how long she was confined to a car seat all day. We used some techniques which made the journey more enjoyable such as frequent stops and some cool "kid apps" on my Android phone. So long as you time wee wee breaks between naps, you are in good shape.

During the trip, Burundi seemed like an afterthought or a weird dream. Imagine coming from hot sweltering nights to 2 feet of snow overnight. Such is the odd world of international travel. This past road trip helped me realize some very important things; you can take tons more junk with you when you drive, Holiday Inn has greatly improved their hotels, Kentucky has modernized, Texas is damned big.

top photo: You KNOW you are in Texas

middle photo: rare photo of our teenager

bottom photo: realizing how much further we had to go to cross that deceptively small looking West Virginia

USA Road Trip

2009-12-31T20:08:00.000-08:00

Ah the joys of spending Christmas in the USA! Instead of flying to my relative's place in Texas, I decided that we would drive it in order to avoid the extreme hassles that come with flying within the US. It's a good thing as well since even Texas had some extreme weather which caused flight delays. We simply had to pull off the road and find a hotel compared to sitting for hours on the tarmac and/or in the terminal...not fun when you have small children.

I'm telling you, driving in the US is the way to go these days. You can take much more stuff (and no you are not charged per bag), you can enjoy the country-side and best of all, you can leave when you want without being tied to any strict schedule. Granted, you need a big chunk of time if you plan to do a cross-country trip as we did but I had almost three weeks this time around so we went for it.

In fact, I'm writing from West Virgina of all places through which I would never have traveled were it not for, you guessed it, driving. Here are some observations I've made whilst crusing the US from Washington DC to Dallas, TX:

1. Once you enter the South, TVs in restaurants and travel stops have Fox News playing instead of CNN.

2. Arkansas' moto "The Natural State" is a euphemism for "The Undeveloped State".

3. Portable 'little johns' eliminate the need to place 5 layers of toilet paper on public toilet seats when your child needs the loo (they are portable pee containers).
4. Cruise control in cars is ESSENTIAL to avoiding dangerous blood clots in your calves.
5. Probably not a good idea to drive at night, in fog, in sub-freezing weather on mountainous West Virginia roads.

6. Texas highways are about the straightest on earth.

7. Tennessee is nothing like you think it is so check it out.

8. Kentucky was my wife and I's surprise pick of the trip when compairing beautiful states.

9. The best rest stops have been in Arkansas and West Virginia

More to come in the next posting.

top photo: Northern Virginia and still surrounded by 2 feet of snow
bottom photo: Taking a break in "rustic" Arkansas

Burundi Drums

2009-12-15T10:35:00.001-08:00

When I was a kid, much of my exposure to Africa came from National Geographic magazines or Public Television. It seemed that you were always looking at people drumming when reading about Africa or listening to drums while watching a lion decimate a poor impala somewhere on the Serengeti.

Burundi satisfies that core desire for drumming by offering massive and loud amounts of it for anyone near a wedding, public event or pretty much any large gathering. I still get goose bumps every time I hear the drumming troupe start up which is led by a fella who implements signals as part of the routine. The signals tell the other drummers when to change rhythms. There is even a little drama that sometimes occurs during the routine with different types of gyrating dances. It's impressive.

I live across a football field where a local troupe practices many evenings. I come home to the sounds of distant drumming, chirping toads and sonorous birds...ah Africa. It's those moments that bring it all together and remind me of my early days on the Continent when I just could not get over the sight of the thorn trees lining the plains or the sound of hyenas at night (Ethiopia). Mix all that in with a perfect sunset and there is little better.

photo: yes they play while balancing the drums on their heads...

Lazy Rainy Solo Sundays

2009-11-29T07:20:00.000-08:00

Following a week of field trips, power meetings and political unrest, I was determined to take a Sunday off and just chill. Lucky for me, the weather of Bujumbura had the same idea and offered me a sunny Sunday morning followed by an afternoon of rain, perfect for getting outside in the morning and searching for a perfect coffee later.

In fact, I didn't manage to get outdoors in the morning following a rather overly sun-exposed outing on Saturday but did manage to go on a coffee hunt in the afternoon. I know I know, I can simply make coffee at home and sit on the balcony but some times, you just gotta get out so get out is what I did.

I'm not sure what possessed me but en route to coffee-dom, I decided I wanted a good bird's eye shot of downtown Bujumbura. Not having immediate access to a helicopter (don't laugh, I have indirect access to one), I decided to climb to the top of the soon-to-be renovated Novotel. This was a bit worrying as not a single security person stopped me but then again, my always smiling Texas face and springy step was not exactly threatening.

Once in a good spot, I snapped the photo you see here. After that exhausting trek, the rain began to pour so, as with many people, my body began to crave coffee. I'm not sure why our bodies do this but when I was a teenager working at a drink stand in Disney World, the daily afternoon rain would always produce a rush of customers wanting coffee. Perhaps some scientifically-minded individual can enlighten us on this phenomena?

Anyway, I decided to drop by one of my favorite spots, Botanika restaurant, and sample their stunning brew. Of course, I also felt obliged to pay homage to the only available cheesecake in town, justified by a particularly grueling swim workout on Saturday. During my coffee hour, amazingly, I did not play with a single gadget but simply read a book. It was a blissful afternoon.

The option is always there to call a friend or try to turn an afternoon into something social but some days, I just like to go solo. I've just always been this way and revel in my alone time without ever falling into the reclusive category.

photo: central Bujumbura from not quite the top of the Novotel; elevator was broken and I got tired of climbing stairs.

Things I Miss:

tickling my daughter and getting her into a giggling fit