Today I received a message from one of my best friends in the entire world and although it sounds like it is from a camp person a little bit, it's not, but it makes me love it all the more. And from reading this message I've once again been reminded how grateful I am for the beautiful life that I have. I am grateful for having the opportunity to travel, as it is probably my favorite thing to do in the entire world. I am grateful for being able to get an education and a paying job. I am grateful for Clara Barton Camp and all the friends and support it has given me. I am grateful for my ability to not be stressed out (most of the time). I am grateful for music, because I love it. I am grateful for little munchkins that are either just too cute for words or so wonderfully sassy and lovely that you don't want to leave their side. I am grateful for the University of San Diego and for it allowing me to make many friends and have such a different experience. At the same time I am eternally grateful for Tolland, CT, particularly Tolland High, for giving me a strong sense of community and for allowing me to build friendships that I know will last a lifetime. I am grateful for my family and for all the support they give me. I am grateful for ice cream and all other delicious foods and the fact that they are almost always available. I am grateful that I have not been affected by any natural disasters. I am grateful for THS basketball and for giving me some of my best memories during high school and for teaching me to be a leader. I am forever grateful for my beautiful baby sister and for her putting up with me ditching her all the time. I am grateful for diabetes and how it has made me so much stronger and to appreciate life and of course the whole diabetes community. But most of all I am eternally grateful for all of my incredible friends. They have been there through all the crazy life choices I have made and continue to support me even during my rampages. And there is no way I can pay them back for all they have done, but for all its worth. Thank you.
And here is the sweet, hysterical, beyond lovely message that I got that made me realize just how important my friends are to me...and always will be.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
R.A.P.
Every night here at 7:30 right after dinner we have a thing called R.A.P. which stands for Reflection, Announcements, and Presentation. The M.O.D. (Mwanafunzi (Student) of the Day) is in charge of turning the solar panels, ringing the bell for meals and class, and then leading R.A.P. after dinner. Sometimes R.A.P. takes 10 minutes and other times it takes an hour depending on what people choose to do. Reflection involves either asking the entire group a question such as favorite childhood memory, most missed food, best halloween costume, best friend stories, etc. or just simply a thought on how the day went. Then announcements are done by the professors and the student affairs manager and then the best part comes....the presentation. It is basically whatever you want to do, some people show pictures of places they have been, others play games, some show funny youtube videos, and lots of other cool stuff. But for my rap I asked my friends (shocking I know that I have friends here), Crossley, Rachel, and Joe to help me rap for my R.A.P. So we spent the last two weeks redoing the lyrics of Empire State of Mind so that they applied to Kenya. Obviously costumes and choreography were involved and it was one of the best moments here so far. Everybody loved it, there was a standing ovation, and it even got a "Shem clap" (more on that later). But overall it was just completely awesome! I wish I could post the video, but the internet says no to that one so a couple pictures will have to suffice. And now there is talk about making a music video with the whole group...I'll keep you updated on how that goes.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Expedition Favorites
For the past 6 days I have been camping in Tsavo West National Park. Although I have never been dirtier in my life, nor have I used that many baby wipes, it was an absolutely incredible experience. Because it was so wonderful there are just too many things to talk about so I decided to highlight my favorites. So here we go…
1. Favorite Quote (talking with my professor after he assigned a group oral presentation):
Arianna: “Shem, is this presentation graded?”
Shem: “No. Do bad.”
2. Favorite Animal:
Lions! We saw a female by herself right next to the road and then two males hunting a baby buffalo.
3. Favorite Game:
Mafia! I got the whole group playing mafia almost every night by the campfire and it was a huge hit.
4. Favorite Food:
Apples! The last day we went to a tourist lodge for relaxing and swimming and after eating peanut butter sandwiches, hard boiled eggs, and watermelon for every meal it was wonderful to have their lunch buffet….which included the ever rarely found apples.
5. Favorite Warning:
Sit down, the elephants are about to charge! On a game drive we came across three male elephants and one of them was “eating” dust which apparently is a sign of aggression. They kept coming towards us so that we had to turn our car around and hope that our driver didn’t stall. Eventually the elephants moved off the road, allowing us to pass but nonetheless giving us a scare.
6. Favorite View:
Chyulu Hills. We hiked up one of a huge series of hills for about 45 minutes until we reached the top and had the most amazing view yet.
7. Favorite Drive:
To Chyulu Hills. It included driving through grass that was as tall as the car because the “road was a bit overgrown”. The cool thing is that SFS and KWS (Kenya Wildlife Service) are the only ones to go up to this part of the Chyulu Hills so it was quite the adventure with lots of driving on edges of cliffs and bumpy rides including multiple “we need to get out and push” and “sit down and hold on”.
8. Favorite Attraction:
The gas station. It was a gas station, kinda like America has. We bought ice cream that was actually cold and waters/sodas that were also refrigerated. It was a bit crazy. Needless to say we made this trip twice with our free time :-).
9. Favorite Sunset:
One day as we were driving back from a game drive we saw the coolest "sunset" where the sun was shining through the clouds and you could literally see the individual rays. The picture doesn't do it justice.
And a big congratulations to my cousin Elisabeth on her beautiful baby girl, Madeline! She is absolutely gorgeous and I can't wait to meet her! Have a great first week home!
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
It's like brushing your teeth...only not
Today I had a brief, but definitely there diabetes burnout moment. Add on the fact that I was low and incredibly emotional and you've got a total disaster. So I was laying in my bed having a diabetes sucks moment which have been coming frequently enough so that I don't go insane, but rare enough that everyone doesn't know I hate it. Frankly, I just wanted to have it whether it was justified or not. My beyond lovely bandamate Ana came to see what was wrong. When I told her that I was upset with diabetes she resorted to the commonly used but ever awful brushing your teeth analogy. I'm sure everyone with diabetes has heard it at least 10 times. My family has used it, my friends back home have used it, now my friends here have jumped on the bandwagon.
What is the brushing teeth analogy exactly? It's the "Well, you just have to do it" response to your diabetes burnout moment. "It's like brushing your teeth. You just have to do it and yea it sucks but you have to because it keeps you healthy." And here is how I feel about the brushing your teeth analogy. It is the most unhelpful, unjustified, frustrating response someone could give. It is as bad as "well at least diabetes provides jobs" except without the shock factor. I don't mean to be negative to the people who use it because clearly they are one of many and I know they are just trying to help. But I want you to know that the only thing that is even vaguely similar between diabetes and brushing your teeth is that if you stop brushing your teeth for a while you get a cavity, and if you stop taking care of diabetes for a while you go blind or get kidney failure. So either way there is a consequence for not doing it.
But without even thinking too hard I can think of numerous ways for which diabetes is quite different than brushing your teeth...
1) You brush your teeth two times a day to keep your teeth healthy. We check our blood sugar 6-8 times a day and think about diabetes probably half of the time we're awake. Unless you're a little strange I don't think you think about brushing your teeth all day.
2) You forget to brush your teeth before bed and your teeth feel a little nasty but can quickly be repaired by brushing them. We forget to check before bed and it could result in a seizure or large ketones.
3) You don't bring a toothbrush or toothpaste to your friend's house for a sleepover, or on vacation and you use your finger or borrow from somebody else. We forget to bring our meter or insulin and back home we go. Insulin isn't exactly a common household item.
4) You pay probably less than $2 to keep your teeth healthy for an entire month. I pay an average of $200 a month on diabetes supplies.
5) Brushing your teeth does not determine when you can exercise, when/what you should eat (aka prevent you from eating when you are starving or force you to eat an hour after a huge meal), or require you to poke yourself all the time.
6) Brushing your teeth makes your teeth look clean and white. Checking our blood sugar gives us large calluses all over our fingers.
7) You brush your teeth and nobody seems to notice. We check our blood sugar or give a shot and it's a field day of curious people staring until we stare them back.
8) If you don't brush your teeth you can still be in the army, fly a plane and scuba dive for long periods of time. You may not be the most fun/attractive person to be around but you can still do it.
9) If someone sees you brushing your teeth they usually don't tell you that their grandmother died of not brushing her teeth.
10) Whether you brush your teeth before dinner or after dinner makes little difference. Pre-bolusing vs post-bolusing can have huge effects on complications later in life.
11) If you brush your teeth the same way every day you will get the same results. If we keep the same routine, the blood sugars don't seem to go along with it. I guess they just don't like routines.
11) Oh and in case you haven't noticed....We have to brush our teeth too.
Although the list could go on forever I think that the point was made. I don't really like that analogy and paired with my other two favorites (think of all the people who don't have the supplies you do, and well at least it's not cancer) they aren't the most supportive responses. Moral of the story, sometimes we just need to have a negative nancy moment and you telling us why we shouldn't have them isn't exactly helpful. What would be helpful would be to acknowledge just how much effort is put into keeping ourselves in range and sometimes it is never enough. But with your support and acknowledgement of all we do, life is a lot easier.
Oh and on a totally different note I'm leaving for expedition tomorrow morning and so I won't be able to update my blog until the 15th. But there will be a lot to tell because let's just say we have four armed guards with us at all times and "it's not uncommon to have elephants and lions around camp at night so don't ever go to the bathroom without a guard." Wish me luck!
What is the brushing teeth analogy exactly? It's the "Well, you just have to do it" response to your diabetes burnout moment. "It's like brushing your teeth. You just have to do it and yea it sucks but you have to because it keeps you healthy." And here is how I feel about the brushing your teeth analogy. It is the most unhelpful, unjustified, frustrating response someone could give. It is as bad as "well at least diabetes provides jobs" except without the shock factor. I don't mean to be negative to the people who use it because clearly they are one of many and I know they are just trying to help. But I want you to know that the only thing that is even vaguely similar between diabetes and brushing your teeth is that if you stop brushing your teeth for a while you get a cavity, and if you stop taking care of diabetes for a while you go blind or get kidney failure. So either way there is a consequence for not doing it.
But without even thinking too hard I can think of numerous ways for which diabetes is quite different than brushing your teeth...
1) You brush your teeth two times a day to keep your teeth healthy. We check our blood sugar 6-8 times a day and think about diabetes probably half of the time we're awake. Unless you're a little strange I don't think you think about brushing your teeth all day.
2) You forget to brush your teeth before bed and your teeth feel a little nasty but can quickly be repaired by brushing them. We forget to check before bed and it could result in a seizure or large ketones.
3) You don't bring a toothbrush or toothpaste to your friend's house for a sleepover, or on vacation and you use your finger or borrow from somebody else. We forget to bring our meter or insulin and back home we go. Insulin isn't exactly a common household item.
4) You pay probably less than $2 to keep your teeth healthy for an entire month. I pay an average of $200 a month on diabetes supplies.
5) Brushing your teeth does not determine when you can exercise, when/what you should eat (aka prevent you from eating when you are starving or force you to eat an hour after a huge meal), or require you to poke yourself all the time.
6) Brushing your teeth makes your teeth look clean and white. Checking our blood sugar gives us large calluses all over our fingers.
7) You brush your teeth and nobody seems to notice. We check our blood sugar or give a shot and it's a field day of curious people staring until we stare them back.
8) If you don't brush your teeth you can still be in the army, fly a plane and scuba dive for long periods of time. You may not be the most fun/attractive person to be around but you can still do it.
9) If someone sees you brushing your teeth they usually don't tell you that their grandmother died of not brushing her teeth.
10) Whether you brush your teeth before dinner or after dinner makes little difference. Pre-bolusing vs post-bolusing can have huge effects on complications later in life.
11) If you brush your teeth the same way every day you will get the same results. If we keep the same routine, the blood sugars don't seem to go along with it. I guess they just don't like routines.
11) Oh and in case you haven't noticed....We have to brush our teeth too.
Although the list could go on forever I think that the point was made. I don't really like that analogy and paired with my other two favorites (think of all the people who don't have the supplies you do, and well at least it's not cancer) they aren't the most supportive responses. Moral of the story, sometimes we just need to have a negative nancy moment and you telling us why we shouldn't have them isn't exactly helpful. What would be helpful would be to acknowledge just how much effort is put into keeping ourselves in range and sometimes it is never enough. But with your support and acknowledgement of all we do, life is a lot easier.
Oh and on a totally different note I'm leaving for expedition tomorrow morning and so I won't be able to update my blog until the 15th. But there will be a lot to tell because let's just say we have four armed guards with us at all times and "it's not uncommon to have elephants and lions around camp at night so don't ever go to the bathroom without a guard." Wish me luck!
Monday, March 7, 2011
Oh Kenyans, how I love thee
The people here are seriously some of the most fabulous people I have ever met. They live simple lives filled with more love and joy than I think my heart could even hold if I wanted it to. Even with such little "western education" they seem so wise and ready for whatever life gives to them. They are so welcoming that it would be almost uncomfortable if people in the U.S. were like that. And they are proud, so proud. I can't tell you how many times one of our cooks, Susana, has told me that Kenya is the best country (usually through song, hence why I'm so in love with her). When we go out for interviews about human wildlife conflicts or conservation opportunities in the community people are begging to talk to you, to share their opinion. And yet, one thing Kenyans are not afraid of is speaking their minds. Some things they say would be totally unacceptable in the U.S. and at first took us off guard, but now we are so used to it that I'm pretty sure I'm catching onto some of it. So I apologize in advance for any statements that may not seem "polite" in the U.S. I've written up a couple of my favorite conversations over the past 5 weeks (still can't believe it, time is flying by). These are just a few of the reasons why I love Kenyans, but I think you will begin to love them to by reading these conversations.
1. Talking to a 20-year-old boy for an interview...
Me: How long have you lived here in Kimana?
Boy: I moved here about 5 years ago.
Me: Oh, why did you move?
Boy: I was looking for life.
2. Talking with a crowd of boys at the secondary school in Kimana...
Boys: What are those?
Me: They are freckles.
Boys: Are you sick?
3. Talking with my host momma...
Momma: What is that?
Me: Oh its an insulin pump.
Momma: Here, drink some chai. It will make you feel better.
4. Talking with one of our askaris (guards)...
Askari: Is that a flashlight?
Me: No, its my insulin pump
Askari: What is it? A camera?
Me: No, its my insulin pump because I have diabetes. It's attached, wanna see?
Askari: Ah, no that is too personal for me.
5. Talking with the girls at the secondary school and Molly one of my classmates...
Them: What is that???
Molly: Oh that's a sunburn.
Them: That is from the sun???
Molly: Yes, I didn't put enough lotion on.
Them: Does it hurt?
Molly: Yeah, it hurts for a while but soon it will be better.
Them: She must be lying, we are in the sun all day.
6. While getting my hair done today...
Me: I would like little braids all over.
Lady: Oh no no no sugar, I put corn rows at the top. It will make you look smart.
7. While slaughtering a goat for dinner and talking with one of our drivers, Jackson (my personal favorite).
Jackson: Why aren't you going down there?
Me: I need a break. I'm a little overwhelmed after seeing that.
Jackson: Why are you overwhelmed.
Me: Cuz its sad. It was so cute and cuddly earlier.
Jackson: No, its food.
And there are many more....but I can't think of any more right now. Moral of the story: Kenyans are my new favorite and I so badly wish that all of you could be here with me because each day just keeps getting better. Here are a couple pictures from our salon outing! Enjoy!
 |
| The classy salon...flies entertainment for free |
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| The girls after our salon day |
Friday, March 4, 2011
Africa, you're perfect
Trees reflecting the sun,
Providing an umbrella of shade,
Hosting adorable vervet monkeys,
That distract me from my grades,
No lights to be seen,
Stars shine brightly in the sky,
Kids waving on the streets,
Every time you pass by,
Thatched roof bandas,
With pet lizards and rats,
Becoming very comfortable,
With charging elephants and rats,
Mommas constantly harassing you,
Everywhere you go,
It’s hard to play volleyball,
With thorns stuck in your toes,
Things that were never normal,
Are now no big surprise,
Elephants and zebras,
And your face covered in flies,
Hot showers are a blessing,
But they come with scary things,
Spiders, snakes, and beetles,
And other crazy stuff with wings,
Giraffes blocking the road,
It’s no longer a big deal,
My pictures that look photoshopped,
I promise they are real,
The brilliance of professors,
The kindness of my SAM (student affairs manager),
The cuteness of the kitchen crew,
I’m proud they are my fam,
Then there are the askaris,
Carrying machetes all day long,
Protecting us from everything,
That could possibly go wrong,
Elephants breaking in,
Black mombas taking a bite,
Baboons camping on your porch,
Or forgetting your flashlight,
Africa I love you,
I wish you weren’t so far away,
Time is going by too fast,
I want it to stop today,
Africa you’re perfect,
But I’m not sure exactly why,
Is it your beauty or your love,
Or your super tasty chai,
Thank you thank you Africa,
For inspiring me to be,
Everything I’ve ever wanted,
And for showing me that’s me!
And because I'm obsessed with kids, here is another lovely picture!!!
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Community Service
Yesterday we had our community service day which consisted of planting 300 trees at the primary school. Although I have never been so dirty in my entire life it was once again a reminder that I LOVE KIDS! Okay, so with that being said we had to use our hands most of the time because there weren’t very many tools. And guess who got stuck with the manure job? Yup, it was just as disgusting as it sounds. However, I was one of the only ones that got to wash their hands before lunch so that was thrilling! But as you probably know the best part of the day was playing with the kids! Now usually I prefer the sassy teenagers, mostly so I can sass them back. But this time I had the best time in the entire world playing with kids ages 6-10. They are seriously the cutest things I’ve ever seen. I’m not even sure how it started but I got into a copycat game with an enormous amount of children (pictures below) and although the kids loved it I’m pretty sure I got more of a kick out of it. It then turned into a parade later on in the day and then a large circle. It was pretty crazy, especially because they don’t understand English. During the copycat game I had them saying “say what”, “that’s right”, and “yea man” which I was pretty proud of myself for. Although the video is epic, it can’t be uploaded due to the minimal internet, but hopefully a couple pictures will suffice. And now I’m considering a new career. Being a dolphin just doesn’t seem to be cutting it anymore. Not enough kids involved…
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