It's All About Me and my Students

What a beautiful final morning in Fiji

2011-06-27T13:08:00.000-07:00

After having overcast skies yesterday, we awoke to a sunny day. I am sure all the kids will be excited when they get up. Kevin, Lauren, Van, Bri and Gemina have booked a morning fishing trip. I can't wait to hear those stories.

We had our final nightly meeting on the beach under an amazing blanket of stars. In fact, several saw a shooting star. Sarah was particularly touched by the shooting star and was breathless for a few moments after seeing it. We talked about what we we miss from the trip and everyone was in agreement that they will miss the group of people that has become their family for the last three weeks. Makenna said how odd it will be to wake up alone in her room and not have three other faces to look at it. The bonding of friendships has been a huge bonus for all of us. The students were wonderful travelers. They have shown great maturity as they have had to deal with many obstacles on this trip, especially the last few days of travel. They have been patient and supportive. All their parents should be proud of how well they handled this trip. We got along great and their were no cliques formed....every was everyone's friend.

And their photography....WOW....you will be amazed. Ulla, the NG photographer, was very impressed with their work. After one student's critique she was telling me how good she thought they were. I told her they were a beginner and had just learned how to use their camera. Her eyes got big and she said, "a beginner? Their photos were unbelievably good."

I said, Yes, a beginner....she was overly impressed. She told me that in the 5 days of time that she was with them that she really saw ALL students work improve. She loved watching the advanced kids try new techniques and move to the next level of photography. She said our group was one of the best, talented groups she has worked with....I believe her.

I am off to the open air restaurant to have my breakfast and then hope to get a little color on this white body.

The last few days of NZ

2011-06-23T14:20:00.001-07:00

Wednesday - Friday, June 22 - 24

Hanmer Springs - Christchurch, New Zealand

We are currently sitting in the Christchurch airport with 30 minutes of internet access. We have been up since 5:15 am. Our flight to Fiji has been cancelled on Jet Star Airlines because of the volcanic ash coming from Chili. We are trying to get rebooked for tomorrow on Air New Zealand; they and Emirates are the only airlines flying out of this airport. This ash problem has been an issue for us before because Ulla could not get to us from Australia. It took her several days of rebooking for her to finally get a flight. Hopefully, we will not spend out last few days of the trip at the airport.

The stay in Hanmer Springs was very nice. We met up with Dave, our local contact who provided some interesting activities for us. We went horseback riding along the mountains, and then spent the afternoon in a huge outdoor sulphur pool, complete with water rides.

Next stop Christchurch. I had been looking forward to coming to New Zealand and spending time here. Once the September earthquakes hit and the main city centre was damage, I was sad. Yesterday, as we drove around the residential areas and walked around Christchurch city centre, the sadness became more real. What once was a very busy, bustling downtown area looks like an abandoned movie set. There was a restaurant that you could look inside the windows and see the RESERVED sign on the table and the dead flowers in the fallen vase. The pepper shaker had dropped to the floor and the pepper had spilled. It was all surreal. Time was frozen. All the group was deeply moved by our observances.

Our last stop of the day was to experience the Maori culture tradition. We participated in the program by electing Kevin our chief. The girls did the poi dance and the guys did the haka. We all had lots of chuckles.

Now to Fiji…we were so excited to get to the warm sunny beaches but that has been delayed. Keep your fingers crossed that the rebooking goes well.

Coast to Coast

2011-06-21T04:53:00.001-07:00

Monday - Tuesday, June 20 - 21

Hokitika - Hanmer, New Zealand

Hokitika is a small mining village on the western coast. From our lodge, we walked to the roaring beach and were impressed with the stormy waves. This was just a preview to the next day when we drove to Pancake Rocks and saw and heard the powerful sea. This day was a photographers dream as we had great lighting and a different scene around every corner.

In the evening we grabbed our tripods and hiked to the glow worm dell. The stars were out and it was a beautiful clear night. The glow worms and stars looked very similar. It was interesting setting up the glow worm shots because we all had to use the self timer and long exposures and every one had to turn off their "torch" at the same time and keep it off so as to not disturb the others pictures. You can imagine what that was like with 14 kids in total darkness. The shoot was successful and we had lots of fun.

Ulla Lohmann, our National Geographic photographer, joined us in Hokitika. She is a fireball of energy and the kids really enjoy working with her. She is an exploration/expedition adventure photographer and has a most impressive bio. She is extremely down to earth and very fascinating to talk with.

Today was a very long bus ride from the west coast to the east coast….five hours….but we stretched it to an all day event because we stopped at several beautiful places. The most powerfully scenic was a place called Castle Hill. It is an area full of boulders. Scenes from the Narnia movie were filmed here. In fact, the landscape of NZ has been in many movies and now I know why.

The Past Week in NZ

2011-06-17T15:24:00.000-07:00

I have been a little delinquent in blogging so here goes....

Tuesday - Wednesday, June 14- 15

Waneka, New Zealand

Queenstown was a big hit as we wandered the city center streets for a few hours in the morning, took a gondola ride in the afternoon and souvenir shopped. Queenstown is a beautiful ski resort city located next to a large lake and nestled at the base of the Remarkable Mountains. This was the most populated area that we have been in. There are only four million people in all of New Zealand and only one million are on the bigger south island. We loaded up the bus and headed for our next stop.

We drove an hour and half to the small village of Waneka. The kids were excited as we arrived because there was a rugby practice going on next to our lodge. They all grabbed their cameras and rushed down to the field to try their luck at low light action photography.

The lodge had a great community space but the rooms were quite small. There was one heater in the entire lodge located in the living room; three toilets and two showers. This was our most interesting accommodation yet. Sleeping bags were used here to ensure a warm, comfy rest. The kids were good sports as they crammed into their tiny rooms. We went out to eat for Indian food, which many students had never experienced.

Wednesday we ventured off to Puzzling World, an amusement venue dedicated to optical illusions. Everyone had a great time as they played in the different illusion areas. The afternoon was a hike to a scenic overview. Carson was injured as they played a game before the hike ever started and she and Gemina had to come back. Carson had to go to the doctor and was diagnosed with a mild concussion. It is sad and the group feels the gap when someone is not up to par.

Thursday - Saturday, June 16 - 18

Franz Josef, New Zealand

We arrived here after a long day on the bus. We had stopped for lunch at the half way point. There was one convenience store with a small eating area. I had two fried eggs on toast….you learn to eat the oddest things when you visit another country. We had several scenic overview stops which broke up the long ride. The favorite stop was on the Tazmania Sea. We lingered on the beach for an hour. We were greeted by annoying sandflies, which are like mosquitos. They bit the heck out of my hands, (the only area not really covered on my body). The bites are little red splots and itch like crazy.

Our lodge accommodation is nice here. We have the big community room which is perfect for holding our group meetings. Every night ends with a pow wow meeting. This is a time when the entire group forms a circle and we talk about the day. Each meeting a different student ask a question and we go around the circle to answer. For example Brianna's question at the last pow wow was, "What is the most inspirational or meaningful sight that you have scene on this trip?" The answers were very touching. Makenna's favorite place was at the top of the gondola in Queenstown where we ate lunch. She chose this place because many years ago her parents had eaten there on the honeymoon. I have really enjoyed the pow wows and what each one has to share.

So we really shifted gears on Friday and got up very early to go to town to get geared up for our glacier hike. We were outfitted with special hiking boots, crampons, over pants, a raincoat, mittens and hats. This took about an hour. It reminded me of going snow skiing and all the hoopla that goes into getting ski equipment. Once we were outfitted we got on the bus and drove a short distance through the rain forest to the rock base of the glacier. There are only three glaciers in the world that are located next to a rain forest and two of them are in this area. The other is in Argentina.

Once at base we were joined with several other people. We split into three groups: those who wanted to go at a fast pace, slow pace and in between. I immediately migrated to the slow pace along with Brittany, Kelsey, Lindsey and Makenna. We had two other couples and a chubby Indian family of four in our group. The momma Indian lady was really slow and it made me look like an alpine hiker. However, after about an hour on the trail the Indian family announced they could not go any further and wanted to go back. Our guide Rob, told us to sit on the rocks for 5 - 10 minutes as he escorted them down. He was back quickly and we continued our hike up the Terminal Face. This was a steep rocky incline and all I could watch were my feet shuffling up the mountain. We finally reached the ice of the glacier. We put our crampons on and had instructions on walking on ice. The glacier hike was beautiful. The guides had carved out a path and we walked safely among the crevasses. We stopped and had our lunch on the glacier, took some group photos and then started our way back. All in all we were gone from about 9:30 - 2. We were exhausted.

Back at the lodge we found out that we were going to the spa hot pools. Everyone was excited as we all had aching spots on our bodies. We lounge in this gorgeous spa pool for a couple of hours. It was Gemina's 25th birthday and she was happy to spend it in the spa. We dried off and headed out to dinner. We are in another small town and the restaurant choices are very slim so we went back to the same restaurant as last night. The prices of food are extremely high. A burger cost about $21 NZ dollars which is about $17 US. The good news is the portions are big and many times the kids share entrees.

After dinner we all met in the community room. The kids wanted to listen to some of their music and dance around. They seemed to really enjoy that.

So my blog is up to date. I have been so busy that I really have not had much time to write. But today ee are having a slow, easy morning and everyone is enjoying some free time.

2011-06-12T21:45:00.000-07:00

Monday, June 13 (I think)

Queenstown, New Zealand

Yesterday we spent several hours organizing our photos in the morning, then off to lunch and then an afternoon hike around the lake. It felt great to be out in the cool weather. We wear three or four layers as we "tramp" around. Most of the time we are warm. The food has been really good from pizza to lamb. The tap water is better than bottled water.

Today started with an hour bus ride to the sheep farm. Here we met Andy and his father, three dogs and hundreds of sheep. We were exposed to the sheep business and were introduced to the procedure of rounding up the sheep by the sheep dogs, loading them into different pens and separating them based on their age and wool length. Many of the students held the sheep in shearing position and Miles actually took some of the wool off.

We have a limited amount of time right now to get this blog written and uploaded as we are about to go explore the town. Ski season is approaching and this town is a big tourist ski destination.

New Zealand is beautiful

2011-06-10T18:28:00.000-07:00

Saturday, June 11

Lake Te Anau, New Zealand

We arrived at the Holiday Park lodging around 4:30 pm, Friday, Kiwi time. Most of us slept on the long flight from LA to Auckland despite the howling baby, and we were eager to get off the planes and buses and walk. This small town, where we are spending the first three nights, is beautiful. We are by the third largest lake in NZ. The mountains and hills rise over the lake forming some beautiful scenery. There was alight rain yesterday when we got here but today is sunny. It is cold. I had to buy some possum gloves already…of course I knew I was going to buy something from possum before I ever left Houston.

Milford Sound is on the agenda for today. It will be a two hour, winding road, bus ride and then a two hour boat cruise around the sound. We have to shoot the scenery quickly as the sun sets early and it is dark by 5 pm.

THE KIWI GROUP

2011-06-06T11:41:00.000-07:00

The New Zealand - Fiji group takes a break to gather for the group shot. Summer school started today at SWHS. We leave on Wednesday and we are getting very excited.

FRONT ROW: Lauren, Carson, Brianna, Alex Somoza, Sarah, Makenna, Van. BACK ROW: Cathy Bottoms, Brittany, Alee, Miles, Kevin, Michael, Lindsey, Kelsey , Pam Karter.

Our National Geographis leaders will be Peter and Gemina.

Our National Geographic Photographer will be Ulla Lohman. Check out her website.

http://www.ullalohmann.de/

Off for the fourth adventure

2011-06-05T09:07:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, June 8 will begin the fourth summer trip with the National Geographic Student Expeditions program. I will be traveling with 14 students, another SBISD teacher, and two NGSE leaders.

Stay tuned...

The Tanzanian sky cried today

2010-06-29T04:56:00.000-07:00

Last entry from Africa. We are leaving for the airport in two hours. This has been a remarkable trip.

Safari Day 1-

We left a little late today because Rachel fainted in the kitchen while making pancakes. She recovered quickly after Peter gave her some sugar packets and peanut butter. She has low blood sugar and this has happened to her before but it still scared everyone, including Rachel. When she fell she hit the hot griddle that she was using to cook and it left a burn under her eye down to her chin. Thank goodness she is OK.

Our Dorobo safari guides, Killerai and driver, Simon talked with us about what to expect the next seven days..

We finished packing for safari and loaded up on this giant MAN truck, which is an old German army truck. It can hold 20 people and all of our belongings and food. I road in the passenger seat with Simon, the driver. About 30 minutes into the 10 hour trip he laid the windshield down and we were completely open air. We drove on some wide dirt roads, dirt paths and no roads to get to our destination camp site. It took a little longer than usual because we saw many animals. It started with the wildebeest and the gazelles. We wanted to see giraffes and it was not long before off in the distance a herd of about 20 were gathered under the trees. Soon we saw zebras and more giraffes. It was surreal. Off the road, up the hill, Simon notice some vultures. We drove over and found a freshly killed wildebeest. It was still warm. After examining it for a while Killerai decided to cut off some fresh hind quarters. So he skinned part of the right back leg and cut several chunks of meat. Later that night we would grill it and have with our meal.

Our other exciting big find was a snake, the deadliest in Africa. It was laying dead in the road. It took a while to determine it was dead but once we were sure everyone enjoyed holding it and having their picture taken.

All of these finds put us into camp after dark. We were suppose to put our own tents up but we were all overjoyed when we arrived to find out that the other Dorobo safari guides had set them up for us. We unpacked in the tents and gathered around the campfire to eat. We were introduce to our other guides Jeremiah and Lomnyak. We also have three Massai tribesmen with us to guard everyone as we sleep. There are wild animals out there you know.

Safari Day 2-

The cold morning started before seven and all of us were eagerly waiting for breakfast. The plan today is to hike to the top of a small mountain. We set off about 8:45 and quietly walk in a single line behind Paua, the Massai warrior, who carried a spear and Killerai who carried a shotgun. "You never know what you may find when hiking," he said. The hike was through waist high grass and up a very steep incline. We saw several baboons scampering around the top. Upon reaching the first tier of the mountain I told the group I could not go on. My face was tomato red and I was afraid I would pass out and then what would they do trying to carry this dead weight woman off the mountain. One of the Massai, Julius, was assigned to bring me back to camp. We had a slow descent and I enjoyed looking back up the mountain to see where everyone else was.

That evening we went back out for a walk by a watering hole, looking for animals but did not see any. Back at camp we had another good meal, told stories around the campfire and finally went to our tents for bed. Did I mention that last night I slept on the diagonal and kept rolling downhill in my sleeping bag? Tonight I am rearranging my sleeping position so I can stay on my 1 inch mat. I forgot how much fun sleeping on the ground can be.

Safari Day 3 -

Sarah twisted her ankle on the hike yesterday so I will be "forced" to ride in the truck with her instead of hiking through the 3 foot tall grass for 4 miles. We need to charge camera batteries so Sarah and I will ride by the car charger area. Simon is such a nice man; he points out interesting wild life as we ride. There are lots of giraffes and zebras today. I still cannot believe I am seeing these animals roaming around freely.

The group takes a long time to meet up with us and they are exhausted from that hike. Sarah and I, on the other hand, have had a little nap. We are happy to reunite and off we go towards the Massai boma camping area.

A boma is a small community of several huts. This particular one was lead by Laurent, who has seven wives. Laurent died this past year of diabetes and now his eldest son is in charge. There are 150 residents who all descend from Laurent and his seven wives who live in the boma.

Rumor has it that we will be able to shower this evening. It is Tuesday and my last bath was last Friday. I was afraid I would run out of shampoo while on safari but I now realize that will NOT be an issue as I do not need shampoo very much.

We arrive at camp in the late afternoon and I see the solar showers right away. We are given one bag of water per two people and told to use it sparingly. This also proves not to be a problem as the water is about 14 degrees and it takes my breath away every time it touches my body. I don't need much water.

After everyone has a chance to shower it is time for the goat blood ritual. The Massai people are herders of goats and cows. In honor of our arrival at their boma a goat has been chosen to be slaughtered and cooked over the open fire pit. It is very sad for me to know that this cute little goat that I am looking at will soon be roasting on the fire. I cannot watch. Neither can many of the students. I bowl of blood is taken from the goat and offered to us to drink. Several brave students try it. I am totally amazed at how many times on this trip they have tried new things.

It is dusk now and we walk over inside the boma. It is very interesting. Laurent's grave is inside with a special marker. We are invited to see the inside of a hut. It is tiny. There are two sleeping rooms and a kitchen. The sleeping area is a piece of skin stretched tightly from corner to corner…maybe 9 x 7 feet. Five people sleep here. The kitchen is about 4 x 8 feet with a small fire in the middle for cooking. There is one small window about head high. I would get claustrophobia.

The Massai women have set up their blankets to sell us the beaded bracelets that they make. We all love to shop.

We walk back to camp and have dinner. Several of the Massai men have come back with us. We sit around the campfire and are invited to ask the Massai questions about their lives through the interpreter, Killerai. This proves most interesting. Finally Jacob ask if the Massai will sing for us. About eight of them stand up and start chanting and singing…such a unique sound. They finish and they want us to sing; so we break out our "Deep in the Heart of Texas" song. It is easy for them to sing the chorus and they sing along. Then they want us to sing along with them. We all stand around the campfire chanting and swaying and jumping.

Safari Day 4 -

We tell the Massai goodbye and drive through the bush to Tanangire National Park to see more animals. The parks are thousands of acres that have been designated by the Tanzanian government as a wild game reserve. There are several in Tanzania as the safari business is a main part of the economy. For the first time we see other tourist. We have our usual picnic lunch and pay the entrance fee of $1100 for the group to go into the park. Finally we see elephants…it is very exciting because for days we have only been seeing elephant poop.

Simon hears a hissing sound as we are driving around and our 4 foot diameter tire has a leak and must be changed. That proves quite an ordeal to change. The good news is that it is dusk and there is a great sunset. I take one of my best photos of the trip while we are waiting for the boys/men to change the tire…thank you God, all things happen for a reason.

We pull into camp and our National Geographic photographer, Massimo Bassano, is waiting to greet us. He is adorable. Italian, very friendly, and eager to get to know us.

Safari Day 5 -

Two more safari drives through Tanangire and a new park, Manyara are on the schedule today. Massimo gives several photo lessons and we see more baboons, zebras, elephants, gazelles, warthogs, and interesting birds. We drive around all day in our MAN truck. It is against the park regulations to get out of the truck. We have been in the truck for DAYS now. Still, we are having fun. I am not sure what I expected going on safari was going to entail but this has been just perfect.

We arrive at our third camp site…on my gosh. This site has much needed electricity and for the first time in tow weeks we get warm showers. We are ecstatic.

Safari Day 6 - Ngorangoro National Reserve

today's travels take us to a very large caldera…or crater. It is cold outside as we get our wake up call at 5:00 am. Three Land Rovers arrive at camp to take us because our large MAN truck is not allowed inside. We are divided into groups and load up in the SUVs. Our driver is Kevin. Off we fly to the crater. The entrance is on the rim of the old volcano and we have to drive down several thousand feet to arrive at the base of the crater. As far as the ey can see is waist high grass, a few trees and water off in the distance. We drive around searching for animals. Then the fun starts. Kevin is listening to two CB radios and a cell phone. There is lots of swahilli jabbering going on. There is excitement in the voices but of course I cannot understand anything. "There is a lion stalking a herd of zebras," Kevin announces and off we go in search. Sure enough, we get to the scene and there are many Land Rovers there ahead of us but we can see the two lions off in the distance looking at the zebras. We are not there ong when Kevin backs out and says there has been a zebra and just been taken down by a zebra so off we zip to the next location. This is a much bigger scene and there are many, many Land Rovers here all jostling for position. There are tour guide rules and one Land Rover cannot stay in prime seeing position or the other guides start getting angry. Soon we are very close to the lion and we see her blood red chin as she looks up from the zebra she is eating. We stay for lots of photos and then Kevin says there has just been a Cheetah spotting…off we go again. This reminds me of a bass fishing tournament and everyone trying to get to the fish first. It is quite exciting and we quickly realize the Kevin is the best driver of the three SUV's that we are in. We finally break for a picnic lunch and bathroom. Don't get me started on the bathrooms…that will need to be an entire entry by itself.

After lunch we find a hippo hang out with four - five hippos all sunning. One is laying upside down with his four feet in the air. Then he will stretch and roll over and then go back upside down. He is very comical. Next we spot a one month old baby hippo nuzzling up against her mom. Ugly but precious.

Massimo, tries to spend equal time in each Land Rover guiding each student with their photography. He is very outgoing and warm. We all really like him. When we return to camp he spends individual time again with each student. After dinner we will have a slideshow of the students best work of the day and Massimo will give his critique.

Another group of about 20 students from Switzerland set up camp in our camping area. Some of their tents are just a few feet away from ours and for the first time we are not alone in our camping experience. We visit with some of our new friends.

Saturday, June 25 - On the road from northeastern Tanzania to Arusha.

We leave at 9:30 and stop to souvenir shop along the way. Travel is very slow because our MAN truck can not go more than our 40 mph and when we go uphill we go about 3 mph. But the good news is that we are on paved road.

Massimo is going back to Italy today so we drop him off at the junction and someone from the safari company takes him the final hour to the airport. We go to the Dorobo Safari headquarters and have our last picnic lunch and we all buy a safari t-shirt.

Our last stop is the Massai market where we went last week. Now that we have been here for a couple of weeks we have more of a sense of the souvenirs we want. This market is much calmer then the main market in the city center of Arusha. We purchase all kinds of treasures.

Pete and Charlotte O'neal's place will be our final stop on the trip. It is about 30 minutes away from Maji ya Chai. We turn off the the main road and bump and jiggle for about 15 minutes up a dirt road until we get to the United African Alliance Community Center. The center is enclosed by a tall stucco like wall full of brightly colored art and sayings.

Pete comes out to meet us. He is 70 years old, has dreadlocks almost to his waist , was raised in Kansas City and says ya'll. We feel comfortable around him. The place looks like a 5 star resort compared to where we have been staying the past two weeks. There are 20, four to eight year olds that live here at the new orphanage. Our students are in heaven again. Everyone of them has at least one student in their arms. I love this. It makes my eyes well up again to see the happiness on both faces. I have got to get back to Houston and quit tearing up over everything.

The O'neals - Day 1

It is Sunday. We have a dance group coming today to teach our students some dances and then we are going to have a performance at 3:30 for anyone who wants to come watch. We have practice on the concrete slab close to the orphanage. The session goes well. The Houston kids decide to teach the African kids the Cuban shuffle. Both groups have fun learning each others dances. For the afternoon performance the dance group is now in native costume and they perform many dances. A small crowd gathers to watch. Soon it is the Houston groups turn to perform. they all receive parts of costumes to wear. It is fun to watch them.

Later that evening Pete meets with the group. We watch a documentary about him and Charlotte. You see, Pete was a Black Panther. He had some issues with the American government and the law and he fled the United States 40 years ago. He is in exile in Tanzania. The documentary, " A Panther in Africa" is very interesting. Pete shares intimate details about his life and ask for redemption. He feels he has made a complete change in his life and dedicates his livelihood to the people of this village. After the film we have a question and answer period with him. Holly and I are the most fascinated by this man and we ask lots of questions. I am extremely proud of the way the group handles the Q and A session. Pete concludes with the thought that he has presented his side of the story. He knows there is another side but he hopes that the young people get the message that one can make mistakes with their life and end up doing the right thing.

The O'neals - Day 2

The days have slowed down. We are no longer on such a rigid, hurry up schedule. We get to sleep until 8:30 every morning at the O'neals. This is a big deal. This morning we have a big tripod photo lesson on panning, zooming, HDR, panoramic, and painting with light. We go outside of the center's walls and take photos of the people and surrounding area.

After lunch we spend most of the afternoon in a common area working on our laptops and organizing photos and typing on the blog. It was very difficult to do this on safari and most everyone is way behind. The students present their On Assignments tonight. Each person got to select their topic and either work with a a partner or alone. the presentation range from the maturity and work load of the Tanzanian children to the types of animals that the country has. the kids to a good job. The orphans have come to see the presentations and so have the local teens that go to school at the center.

When the presentations are over the African teens begin to set up a sound system. Some kids are taking paint with light photos and others are playing with the orphans.

The orphans disappear for a while and then reappear in a procession with others from the center. The lead child is carrying a cake. We all join in the conga line and sing and dance around. It is a farewell ceremony. It is a happy and sad time.

We eat cake and the say goodbye to the little ones. The music is playing and soon there is a dance. What a wonderful last evening in Africa.

The O'neals - the Last day

We woke to a heavy rain. We have not had rain like this the entire time we have been here. I lay in my bed and I think it is the Tanzanian sky crying because we are leaving today.

It is something new everyday - Tanzania

2010-06-27T12:24:00.001-07:00

Maji ya Chai, Tanzania - Thursday, June 17

Thursday

Holly and I walked to a local vegetable market, while our go with the United African Alliance Community Center students around the village to take photos for their National Geographic On Assignment project. The walk was down a long dirt road. Everything is always covered with dust, including my body. I have never been so dirty in my life.

In the afternoon we went to Arusha market with Mamma Killerai. It was the wildest street market that I have ever seen. It is a Mexican market on steroids. From the time we got off of the bus we were being hustled to buy something. They never gave up. They followed us from store to store trying to sell us everything from jewelry to batik wall hangings. I have to admit…I bought 18 necklaces (for good price) so that maybe he would go away. It worked but then a whole new batch of men came around selling something else. Mamma led us to all the stores that we wanted to go. The most interesting purchase of the day was made by Jacob when he bought a green guitar. How we are going to travel around Africa and go on safari with that will be a treat for me to watch. We shopped for 3 - 4 hours and everyone was wonderful. It has been amazing how well this group gets along.

We went out to dinner and had pizza and even though the electricity went out three times, and dinner took three hours and some students that ordered pizza got a random chicken dish because they had run our of pizza dough; the kids had wonderful attitudes and just went along with all the experiences.

Day 6

Another eventful day…let's just say, that Peter getting his eyebrows singed from the fire does not even rate in the top three things that happened today. We started off the day with Peter trying to get the charcoal fire going. I was outside collecting my clothes off of the clothes line when I heard a burst of fire. I looked over and could tell that something had happened to Peter. He had been blowing on the fire and it back drafted towards his face and he lost some length on his eye lashes and singed his hair and eye brows. He was ok but it was scary thinking about what could have happened.

We ate breakfast and soon Mkala and the small bus arrived to take us to the orphanage, Our students were so excited. We brought the orphans clothing and pencils, games, hair supplies and other items. But mostly we brought them 13 students who wanted nothing more than to spend the morning playing with them. We hugged on them, sang with them, played soccer with them and loved being with them. They, in return, were so appreciative of us spending time with them.

We left there with a mix of happiness and sadness and drove about five minutes down the road to a giant open market. We saw things that I have never seen. In the center of the giant field were Massai tribesmen with their bright red clothing selling their goats and cows. There were thousands of peep. Around the animals were people selling everything, from bananas to used shoes. I cannot begin to describe this scene with proper adjectives. We came to this market to buy two goats that we plan to roast over the fire to feed to our guest who are coming to our compound on Saturday.

Peter, Erin, Dominque and Mnissi bought the goats and we stuffed them into the small trunk of the bus and drove off towards our final destination of the day. We stopped along the way and dropped off Mnissi and the two goats and continued to the waterfall.

Our bus was not powerful enough to take 18 people up the steep grade and soon we were out pushing the bus up the hill. After about an hour and many "get out and push" we parked the bus and continued with a hike. It really was a beautiful place that we were hiking but Mkala was walking too fast and not taking any rest stops and several of us were having trouble keeping up. We finally made it to this beautiful waterfall and enjoyed the accomplishment of all that was involved in getting there. We started our walk downhill to the bus. I was very excited to sit back down it the bus and head home. We were all exhausted and it was dusk. We had finished our hike just in time. As we were driving down the hill, everyone was happy and chatty. We had one final steep hill to go up and the bus driver gunned the engine to try and get enough speed to make it up to the top. When he did the tires hit a slick part of the road and in an instant we were jolted into the left ditch. We were all ok but startled that we had slid off the road. The bus was angled and jammed up against the hill. We had to exit through the driver door on the right and jump out of the bus. Were we going to be stranded again? It certainly seemed so but miraculously the local villagers came out and pushed the bus upright so that the driver could back out of the hillside. We walked to the top of the hill and slowly drove the rest of the way home.

As a reward, Peter and Erin gave us the last day in Maji ya Chai off to do what we needed to do; pack for safari, take pictures, tell our local friends goodbye, etc.

Day 7 - Our last day in Maji ya Chai

Very relaxing day. We needed this. Nothing scheduled until late afternoon when the locals are coming over to eat. This is our goodbye party to the community leaders. Baboo has skinned the goats and roasted them over the open fire all afternoon. Two gymnast come to entertain the elders and we sing our Deep in the Heart of Texas song. We have special food that the mamma's have prepared and we say goodbye to the people in the village that we have grown to know. It is sad for me to tell them goodbye and I barely know them.

At some point a giant safari vehicle arrives at the front of the house; ready to take us on the next leg of our adventure.

We sit around the campfire and tell highlights of this past week. The students share from their heart and Betty starts to cry and she says her highlight has been making so many news friends.

It makes me tear up also.

Finally updating from Tanzania

2010-06-16T00:38:00.000-07:00

** I am keeping a daily journal of the trip. We will only get to have internet access once, maybe twice, on this three week trip, so uploads are very limited. We have to go twenty minutes away to a small, dial up internet cafe.

I have enjoyed writing in the journal but I am exhausted everyday that I write because it is usually close to midnight when I finish. Our days are long and busy. Therefore, pardon all the typos and grammar and subject verb agreements, etc. I cannot hardly think straight at this late hour but I do want to share what is going on with this wonderful experience. Maybe one day I will have time to edit.

Mija ya Chai, Tanzania - Sunday, June 13

After traveling for two days, we arrived at our compound about 10 pm. We flew into Kilimanjaro airport at night so we had no idea of what the area looked like. All we did know was that the Tanzanians drove on the wrong side of the road (like the British), that they do not have stop signs (only giant speed bumps or secret inverted bumps, and that our new home, the compound, was located down a long bumpy dirt road.

Mama Killerai and her helper mamas had prepared us a wonderful late dinner of chicken, soup, flat bread, green beans, pasta and fresh fruits. I would be skipping something important if I did not tell you about the seven inch, maroon skinned avocados that we are enjoying. The food taste very fresh, as I am sure it is, We have not been to the market but our National Geographic leaders, Erin and Peter were telling us that they bought many fruits and vegetables for very little money. Speaking of money, the currency is in shillings and it takes over 1300 to equal one dollar.

We stayed up way too late and got Sunday started about 6:30. There was confusion with the mamas and they did not show up to help prepare breakfast so the students all pitched in to make pancakes and scrambled eggs. Then we were off to church.

We were told in advance that we would be wearing long skirts or buying kangas to wrap around our waist like a skirt. Erin and Peter had purchased some kangas for us to wear today, if we wanted and many of us wore them to church.

Now, the church adventure was none like I have ever experienced. Erin gave us all some shillings so that we would have something to give during the offering; and told us that we would be walking about 30 minutes, through the village to the church. ( Not sure what the denomination the church would be but that really did not matter.) Everyone looked very spiffy in their church clothes as we started walking up the dirt road. We had two escaris, (these are the men that guard the compound) walk with us and show us the way. Children would come running to catch a glimpse of us. It felt like we were in a parade. And at the same time we were on sensory overload as we were seeing incredibly interesting people, houses, animals, and countryside.

We were quiet a spectacle. All of these "white foreigners" looked totally misplaced. And yet as I watched and listened to the students I felt my eyes trying to mist up. What was that about? Was it about how I have wanted to go to Africa ever since I was 17? Was it about realizing that I always wanted to work with National Geographic? Was it ??? No, I don't think so. I think it was about feeling the warmth of the people of the village. It was about waving at the Tanzania people coming out of the houses as we paraded by. It was about our group singing Amazing Grace at the little dirt floor church and having the people sing Amazing Grace back to us in their swahili version. It was about our big white hands holding a little black hand and the child just staring at the hands and not wanting to let go. It was magical and nothing I was prepared for.

The rest of the day went by quickly as we had our first swahili lesson, took photos, had dinner that the mama's cooked, gathered around the campfire, downloaded our pictures, and called it a great first day.

Mija ya Chai, Tanzania - Monday, June 14

The day started again at 6:30. We have found out the the mama's do not come to prepare breakfast and that we are on our own. So Erin and Peter broke the group into four teams for breakfast and clean up each day. So after a scrumptious breakfast prepared by team A, we got ready to hike about 30 minutes to the area where we were going to be using pick axes and shovels to dig a trench for the new waterline. We really did not know what we were going to encounter. We arrived at the water tank at the top of the hill and were instructed to start digging and locate an existing water pipe so that we could lay our new line in the same trench. That's when the hard work started. We dug and dug. It was difficult and very dirty work. We worked along side several villagers who were incredible laborers. Many backs, hands and other areas of the body will be very sore when we wake up tomorrow and go out again for our final day of digging. There will be two more NG trips coming to continue working on this pipeline. When it is done it will be over two miles of new water line.

The days hard work was celebrated when Erin and Peter showed up with a surprise of cokes, sprites and orange fantas. We squealed in delight as the cold soft drinks were revealed. We have not had a soft drink since our arrival.

Miya ya Chai, Tanzania, Tuesday, June 15

Banana pancakes and wonderful omlettes with cheese, tomatoes and cucumbers, prepared by team B started our day off again bright and early. We crawled back into the same filthy clothes that we were yesterday and headed back up the hill to finish our portion of the water line trench. Today our digging would take us through the "jungle" instead of along the road as we did yesterday. The rich black dirt was much softer to dig and we made good head way. We stopped working and returned to the compound, had another swahili lesson, and then lunch. We were exhausted but we drug our tired bodies back up the hill one last time to finish. Then the highlight of my day came….

Holly and I had met a sweet local woman yesterday named Rose who speaks a little English. She is 33 and lives close to where we were digging, She came back this morning to see us again and she invited us to come to her home later that afternoon. What an honor. We met up with Rose and she lead us though several paths that wound through the corn patch, around the pond and up the dirt road to her home. It was the nicest home that I have seen in this village. It looks like it is made of stucco. She had a pretty green lawn with several goats staked to the tree. Purple flowers were growing on the hedge fence that surround the home. Swept packed dirt made a "patio" around the entry way. As we arrived three children came out to meet us…all were dressed up; Rose's two children, seven year old Angel a and four year old Honest and the next door neighbor, 11 year old Happiness. They were beautiful. Rose had prepared her children, her home and several gifts for Holly and I. We had a sweet visit and then Rose walked us the 30 minute walk back to the compound. Hopefully, we can go visit once more before we leave. It was a special memory for me.

Back at our home we had some local lady drummers come over to entertain us as well as several special teenage guest.

Again, it was a very full and rich day.

AND FINALLY YOU KNOW YOU ARE IN MAJI YA CHAI , TANZANIA WHEN:

You fill a 5 gallon bucket 1/2 way with water that you have boiled so that you can take a bucket bath instead of a freezing cold shower.

You get back spasms getting under your mosquito net at night.

You wash all your own clothes in a three bucket process and hang outside on the line to dry.

You are greeted by people younger than you with special respectful greetings.

You yell "Jambo" and wave to everyone and they respond just as enthusiastically.

You have as many children as you will allow, holding your hands and hanging from you.

One More Day of Class in Houston

2010-06-08T13:34:00.001-07:00

This is my wonderful group of students and my co-teacher Holly Hartman. We have been working hard in the classroom to learn as much as we can before we leave Friday. We have the software loaded on the computers, the cameras ready, the blogs set up...whew.

Front: Rachel, Tracy, Lindsey, Kylee, Cameron, Lexi, Sarah. Back: Kevin, Travis, Betty, Me, Cade, Holly, Claire, Jacob.

New Summer Adventure to Africa

2010-06-01T18:21:00.001-07:00

On June 11, I will leave Houston to fly for the next 28 hours to Arusha, Tanzania. We will be flying into Kilimajaro Airport, so that should give you an idea of where we are going. I will be traveling with co-teacher, Holly and 13 students. The above photo is something I hope to duplicate during this adventure. We will spend the first eight days in a small village and will be doing some ditch digging and community bonding as we shovel. The next seven days are on photo safari, something I have been wanting to do for most of my life. We will have to spend the night in tents (not the 5 star that you read about) and we must bring all of the camping supplies with us. Sadly, I recently found out that the 16 miles hike has been cancelled and instead we will go 3-4 miles before the Land Rover picks us up.

The students will be keeping a blog also but the internet will not be too accessible so post will be infrequent. I will list all the blogs next week when we meet in the classroom.

Top 10 Tips to Improve your Photos

2010-01-13T05:40:00.000-08:00

There are many ways to improve the quality of your photos but the easiest way is to just get back to the basics. Look at these tips:

1. Get on their level. Too often we stand over children or pets or people sitting and we take the photo which is a bad angle. Instead, get eye level. For subjects on the floor, bend your knees or even lay down if possible to get the best picture.

PICTURES OF THE WEEK

2009-09-25T06:43:00.000-07:00

MSNBC has a great weekly posting of photos taken from around everywhere. We look at these pictures on a regular basis and compare what we are doing in class with what the professionals are doing around the world.

IMPROVE YOUR PHOTOS

2009-09-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

2. USE A PLAIN BACKGROUND

LOOKING AT SOME BASIC PHOTO TIPS

2009-09-22T06:27:00.000-07:00

The oatmeal can camera project is over and we have done a 180 and now are in the thick of digital photography. There are some basic tips that can make your photos better and we are exploring those.

BASIC TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR PHOTOS

2009-09-22T06:25:00.000-07:00

This week we have been working with composing.

1.The first tip is to get on the level of the subject.

2009-09-20T05:31:00.000-07:00

The key to a good photograph is understanding the camera and the basics of composition. The following link has a list of the top 10 tips for improving your photos.

TOP 10 TIPS FOR IMPROVING YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY

Making a camera out of house hold items

2009-09-11T05:43:00.000-07:00

For the past two weeks my photography classes have been constructing and taking pictures using an oatmeal can.

HOW TO DO THIS YOURSELF

The day I announced to them to bring a Quaker Oats can to class to use as a camera was the day the puzzled looks started.

We spray painted, taped, cut, glued, drilled and taped again until we had a light tight can, with a shutter and lens (made from a soda can).

In the darkroom the students were introduced to the developing process. As a teacher this is one of the most fun and entertaining lessons. The students get so excited as they see a sheet of blank photo paper suddenly come alive with the image.

All students had success...some better than others..but we all had a great learning experience with this project.

Beaches, Sunsets and a Farewell to Spain

2009-07-04T15:29:00.000-07:00

We have reached the beautiful Costa de la Luz and the end of our journey. Twenty one days has traveled by quickly. The students are ready to eat hamburgers and taco bell. I will be satisfied with a good Lupe Tortilla fajita...beef. I have not had beef in three weeks. Lots of ham. Lots of ham...one day I accidentally selected a pastry (it looked so good) that had sugar and little chunks on top. Silly me, I thought those chunks were pecans...but no they were little pieces of ham. So ham may not be on my list right away.

The other thing that I will be excited to see is a regular toilet. I have been flush challenged on this trip as I try and figure out do I push, pull, or step on it. And this is of course is AFTER I have found the flusher mechanism.

I am signing off this blog for now. Tomorrow we will return to the beautiful beach one more time. We will have one last photo class, one last dinner and pack. We will not have one last full night of rest because we have to get up to leave for the airport at 3 am.

We have an extremely tough connection flight to make in Paris. We have one hour from the time we land until the time we take off. We have to change terminals and go through a security check and do this with 18 people. If you see a picure of Paris on this blog you will know we didn't make it. Otherwise I will see you all soon.

Stopping in Seville

2009-07-03T08:37:00.000-07:00

After a wonderful stop in Cordova at the centuries old muslim mosque converted to Catherdral we arrived in Seville. Our accomodations were upgraded from hostel to 4 star hotel. It is nice but our friendly hostel in Grananda still is first place for me.

We roamed around the HOT city (109 degrees) when we first arrived and then went in for siesta to wait for the air to get a little cooler. Even at 8 when we went out it was still very hot. We stopped for an early dinner and then walked over to the Seville catherdral square. Lots going on there with outside cafes, helado shops, street vendors and outdoor musicians.

The next morning at 9 we met with a city guide that took us around the neighborhood and guided us throught the catherdral and royal palace. Guide was great and very personable.

The highlight of the day was going to eat dinner at the Texas Lone Star Saloon restaurant. Everyone is starved for some food from home. We took our chances and decided to give it a try. Several kids had ordered hamburgers during the trip only to get a plate of fried looking spam meat. They were brave again and this time were pleased to get burgers that resemble what we typically get in the states. I had a chicken taco that was fairly similar. The service was soooo slow. One brand new cook and 20 different orders. The first group of burgers came out and 1 1/2 hours later my taco came out. Pam took the ones that were finished outside to take "blue hour" photos. That is the time of the day when it is getting dark but when you leave a long exposure on your camera you will get a blue sky...makes for a beautiful photo. Despite the slow service the kids were thrilled with their meal and many bought souvenirs t-shirts of the place.

Today we went on a scenic river boat ride around the city. We are having siesta now and then going to a flamenco show later.

We leave for Cadiz in the morning. We are planning a day on the beach to celebrate the 4th.

After a Week in Granada

2009-06-28T10:02:00.000-07:00

We have been in this beautiful city for one week today. I would have never guessed the things that we would see or do. We started with five very hectic days with Tino Soriano, the National Geographic photographer. His use of color is brilliant. The students interacted so well with him and you could see he was making a difference with their work. We walked the city with him, went to the science park, and photographed a flamenco session under his guidance. When he left there was a definite sadness in the air. The kids lined up to hug him goodbye. He gently placed besos on each girls cheek and shook hands and patted the boys on the shoulder. You could feel the connection.

He caught his taxi to the train station and life without Tino slowed down.

Our Hostel Costa Azul is great. I would tell anyone to stay here. It is located in a great location...we step out the door and 15 feet in front is a fresh fruit and veggie stand. Around the corner are lots of outdoor cafes and the market is a five minute walk. We have great AC and hot water...things we some times take for granted.

We have eaten so much food on this trip...except for breakfast of course. The other two meals are big and I have had much more food than what I am used to eating. Madrid was big on tapas and here we are big on variety. We have had Middle Eastern sharmas, Mexican food, great pasta, Asian wok and of course lots of typical Spanish food such as paella and tostado espanola. The ice cream is a must.

Our cultural experience has been that of a tourist at times and a local at other times. We have seen the beautiful cathedral and Alambra and then we go to a tieta where we watch a very famous bull fighter Salvador Vega test the breeding line of several bulls to see if they are contest worthy. And then today we go by bus to a country club and watch a session of English horse riding as they practice their jumps. When you throw in the flamenco dancing photography shoot that Tino set up for us it unfolds as a trip with a huge variety of firsts both for the students and for me.

Blogging through Spain

2009-06-23T04:49:00.000-07:00

All students are required to keep a blog journal of their trip and post photos as they choose. I am impressed with the quality of their work.

For those of you interested in their perspective:

Home of the Alambra

2009-06-22T06:13:00.000-07:00

Hola from Granada.

We are having our afternoon siesta time right now so I thought I would take advantage of the internet and send an email. We arrived last Wednesday morning into Madrid after a very very bumpy turbulent flight. There was more time spent in turbulence than without...and that is lots of time considering the flight is 8 1/2 hours. After bumping our way to Paris we landed and went across Charles deGualle airport to catch our flight to Madrid. We were joined after we landed by Megan and Davin, our National Geographic group leaders.

They took us across Madrid and let us explore the plazas and museums, the food and the culture. The thing that stands out the most about the culture is the time of the day that people do things. So we have adapted.

Our first breakfast in Madrid was met with less than enthusiasm. We sat down at these cute little white tablecloth tables with large baskets of bread. Very quickly a "waiter" appeared to pour coffee con leche....very good I might add. Then Megan made some comment about this is what a typical breakfast is like. That was it. Nothing else was coming. I walked over to a table of students and told them to eat up. Clark wanted to know when the bacon and eggs were being served. Oh well, there is always lunch.

So back to the culture...we explored around the city and then would eat lunch around 3 or 4. Explore more and eat dinner at 10 or 11. Walk back to the hostel, shower (with a hand hand hose) and rush to bed about 1 am. It is a different way of life.

We took a day trip to Toledo which was very picturesque and then yesterday we left Madrid by train and came here to Granada, another beautiful, quaint city. The NGeo photographer, Tina Soriano, has joined us now and we are working with him. He is delightful. We had class until midnight last night. We are on Spanish time....sleep late - stay up late. I cannot remember getting to bed before 1 am. The students assignment this morning was at the market place. We roamed around for several hours and then met back at the hostel...which is very nice and I would recommend it. Then we broke into 3 groups for lunch. I took my group to this pasta shop. We thought it was a restaurant but it is a freshly made pasta take out. The food was the best of the trip...homemade ravioli stuffed with cheese and asparagus smothered in freshly grated parmesan. We have aa vine covered patio at our hostel so we just took the food back and ate there...magnifico

Meet Tino

2009-06-14T05:38:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzgq_qx_ruY

Today's link will take you to a small video clip on Tino Soriano. He will be the National Geographic photographer meeting up with the group in Granada.

June 12

2009-06-12T10:40:00.000-07:00

Hello to all in blog land.

I remember the first time I heard about a blog.

?!@# = blog.

This is what I thought...or didn't think. I just thought it was an odd name with an odd functionality. OK, I was wrong...about the functionality...the name is still odd. But as I journey to Spain with this summer school class I can certainly understand why one would blog. The National Geographic blog will be www.ngsepmemorial2009.blogspot.com if you would like to read another entry from this trip.

Spain 2009 Itinerary

June 16: Fly from Houston International Airport, on Air France flight #33 to Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris, connecting to Air France flight #1400 to Madrid.

June 17 – 21: Hostal Nuria, Madrid C/ Fuencarral, 5229004 Madrid, Spain

Your National Geographic Student Expedition leaders will meet you this morning upon your arrival in Madrid. During our orientation, we'll get acquainted as a group and explore Madrid. Begin working in photography teams. Visit the city’s lively neighborhoods and examine museums such as the Prado, Thyssen-Bornemisza, Reina Sofía, and Casa Sorolla. Have a picnic lunch in the Parque del Buen Retiro, and a take a rowboat ride on the lake for views of the grand monuments and parklands.

June 21 – July 1: Hostal Costa Azul, Granada

C/ Rosario, 5

18001 Granada, Spain

Ride the train to Granada. Here, we’ll spend the days exploring this lively Andalusian city and the surrounding countryside with cameras in hand. See the tombs of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella in the Renaissance cathedral. Take the back road up to the Alhambra, and visit the gravity-powered fountains of the Generalife gardens. Visit nearby sites of interest such as Córdoba, Ubeda, the Sierra Nevada and the hamlets of the Alpujarras. National Geographic expert Tino Soriano will join the group during this portion of the trip.

July 1 – 4: Hotel Fernando III, Sevilla

C/ San José, 21
41004 Sevilla

In Sevilla, continuing to work in photography teams, we’ll visit the old Jewish quarter of Barrio de Santa Cruz as well as historical sites such as the cathedral, the Giralda tower, and Alcázar. Explore the vast Parque de María Luisa and the ancient Roman city of Itálica.

July 4 – 6: Hotel Monte Puertatierra, Cádiz

Avda. de Andalucía, 34

E-11008 Cádiz, Spain

The program concludes in the lively seaside city of Cádiz. Sample delicious seafood in sidewalk cafés. Explore the rich maritime history of the city. Swim or relax on the sparkling beaches of Costa de la Luz. The final nights feature presentations of photography projects.

July 6: Fly Málaga-Paris-Houston via Air France flight #2631 connecting to flight #36, arriving at the International Arrivals area at Houston International Airport at 1:55 PM local time.

Mail should be sent via airmail, c/o National Geographic Student Expeditions, where mailing addresses are indicated. Please allow at least 10 days for delivery of mail to Spain.