must travel.

I'm giddy with the anticipation of travel and adventure.

-Kampala
-Rafting the Nile
-Good times with friends
-18hours on a bus
-Bungee jumping into the Nile
-Nairobi
-Ethiopian food
-Java House

Sadly, my camera didn't get here in time. So this will all be documented with my little point n' shoot.

I won't be able to sleep tonight.

go corporate...

Coffee.

What images come to mind? What feelings? Mm, there are so many. This single commodity has invigorated and stirred our senses for centuries. I myself am surprised at the precision with which I am able to navigate in a groggy, sleepy trance from my bed to the coffee maker at the wee hours of the morning. While many a blog entry and book have been written about this life changing substance, I will simply make one request.

If you drink coffee, go to your nearest Starbucks and buy some Burundi Kayanza Coffee.


Starbucks was recently praised for its investment in the Kayanza district of northern Burundi. In a country where 90% of its economic income comes from coffee and tea, it is so important to be able to have a company like Starbucks invest in it. Starbucks has also supported CARE in its clean water projects to displaced people in Burundi. They have also invested in community-development projects and farmer support centers.


Sounds like quite the symphony I am playing here for Starbucks. Well, its written from the heart. I usually am not the one to tell you go and buy from a big corporate enterprise. But basically Burundi needs all the help it can get to get its only commodity out there...would you help, please? Its trendy to consume beverages from little known regions of the world, right?

it's a holiday!

In the past few months we have had the normal (i.e. Christian/Political) holidays, but have also had a few last minute ones.  It seems that if you feel a certain day should be a holiday (which means you don't legally have to go to work) you can petition the government to make a certain day a holiday!!  Talk like a pirate day as a holiday anyone?  

Mostly this has been taken advantage of by the muslim minority here in Bujumbura.  Since Burundi's holidays revolve around Christian holidays (which they usually work through) and political dates, they have asked the government on several occasions to make some muslim sacred days national holidays.  So today in Bujumbura we now have a holiday! The streets are deserted and the internet is just a bit faster! 

Today is the muslim festival Eid-al-Adha.  The day that muslims world-wide celebrate the willingness and obedience of Abraham to sacrifice his son Ishmael as Allah had commanded him to. (As his namesake I feel I need to insert that it was actuality Isaac that was going to sacrificed, but was saved when God provided a ram...)  

Approximately 10% of the Burundian population is muslim.  Their numbers are growing though as new converts are offered free education and other economic benefits upon their conversion to Islam.  Muslims make up a large percentage of the shop owners and merchants in Bujumbura and are thus influential in the economic direction of this struggling country.  I feel they are yet another part of the population that the church in Burundi has not yet attempted to reach.  In a country that claims 90% christianity, they are indeed very unreached.  

  

Do you eat food?

I have recently just finished reading "In Defense of Food" by Michael Pollan.

The book is much longer than it should be, but worth it none the less. Pollan feels the need to defend food not because food is under attack or people aren't eating enough, but because what we are gorging ourselves with in the West (he contends) is not really food (agreed). We instead consume "food-like" products that are made or enhanced by nutrients that we think food should contain and our bodies need. 

These "nutrients" are what we have come to replaced food with. So instead of eating a peach, you just actually want 100% of you daily value of vitamin C, and since peaches aren't always in season and not found in the vending machine, why not then drink a soda that has been enhanced with vitamin C! All the other not-so-highly advertised or yet to be discovered benefits of a nice juicy peach are sadly forgone, and instead a mind-numbing flood of sugars are rushed to the brain. 

The basic motto of the book is "Eat Food. Not Much. Mostly Plants." This eating motto has for the most part reflected my time here in Burundi. Meat is expensive, and there are many fruits and vegetables in the market to enjoy (not exactly the equivalent of a farmers market ). That being said there is one product in Burundi that I consume on a daily basis that is, well, processed.

Nido Full Cream Powdered Milk.

This food invention has been with me since my childhood. It holds great nostalgic appeal to me as I can remember it as one of my first African memories. I use to take Milo Chocolate powder, mix it with Nido, and then add only enough water to turn it into this creamy chocolate paste. Revolting to me now, but oh so delicious when I was 4 years old.

With this milk product, populations around the world that have no access to refrigeration have been able to store at least in some form, milk. Here in Burundi I take a full scoop of this powdery wonder in my tea every morning. I normally wouldn't think twice about it, but the Chinese milk scandal now has me sipping my tea with some hesitation!

My mother was always so happy that when in the United States on furlough her children could have REAL milk to drink.  I remember absolutely hating this new "real" milk

and couldn't wait to have Nido again!  It's what you're use to, I guess.

On a similar note, tomorrow kicks off the beginning of America's annual month of binge eating (Thanksgiving through Christmas).  I know you can't mail your leftover turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, stuffing, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, rolls, and whatever else you don't eat to "starving kids in Africa", but maybe you could take it to your local homeless shelter this year? OR, if you by some chance really do care about the starving kids in Africa you could maybe make a simple Thanksgiving meal, and donate the money saved to Food for the Hungry!  I'm sure you can still be thankful for God's blessings without a food coma. 

*Please note that when I use the word "you" I am not picking out any one person that I wish to harp on (except maybe the general American consumer)* 

the view from Mt. Songa