woMAN

I wish men could understand
I wish you could understand what it is like to be an object
to be seen with a sole purpose of a hole for procreation
understand the pain when you hurt us and the scars you leave behind
with your words, your acts, your fists
I wish you could understand the stress our bodies go through at every stage of our lives
the blood we lose
the rivers of emotions we swim through
the pain we ignore
the suffering we endure
and for what...

why do you fight for power
why can't you understand the fear you instill in us kills us slowly from the inside
why do you show indifference to the inequalities and injustices
why are we treated as worthless without you
why are we kept in the dark all the time
why are women the last to benefit and the first to suffer from mankind's makings
why are we persecuted for your mistakes
why are the rules always written by you

I wish you could understand...

hurt the way you have hurt us
experience what we had to experience
feel what we've felt
see what we've seen
bleed the same amount we have bled
and take ALL of it the way we have always taken it

and then MAN you will understand why you need to help us change this world!
___________________________________________________________________________________

This world is NOT a safe place for your sister, your mother, your aunt, or your daughter....
DO you feel good about that!?!?!

a BLACK world

I am in a black world and I know that kind of sounds stupid but I could imagine being a black American and coming to Africa for the first time. Everyone is BLACK!
The law, the advertisements, the products, the society, the grocery store (well actually here the grocery stores are Lebanese :)it is all BLACK and it is just as every other place.
People go to work, cook food, raise children and die.

The streets are dirty like those in Cambodia, but the children are happy like those in Thailand.
The government is corruptible like that in Taiwan, and the fruit is as natural and fresh as Hawaii.
The men are assholes like EVERY country in the world, but generally the people are among the friendliest I've ever met.
A land where women carry their supplies on the top of their head and a baby on the back.
A land where it is virtually impossible to take three steps without treding on a piece of plastic.
West Africa- Just another place on Earth!!!


Yesterday I sat at a coffee shop drinking my Malta watching all the eclectic faces go by and I had a vision...I think one day there will be no more white people. I think humans will inevitable interbred and then we will no longer be able to use a physical characteristic to make such gaping generalizations, classifications and assumptions. Or perhaps humans will just choose something else to judge one another on.
Then there is my hesitation with all this intermingling.
My hesitation with that would be with any globalization concept-a centralized power, cultural domination (maybe popular?), economic monopolies. So I am at a dilemma-humans need to adapt to survive in a globalizing world, and in turn the globalized world is slowly killing us.
And on the other hand...diversity which is what makes this world so wonderful coming together as one, as HUMAN.

hmmm the saga continues....

When I was standing in line at the airport to exchange money, the guy standing behind me started up a conversation. He said how wonderful it would be if the world all used one currency, no more bad exchange rates, no more long ques to wait in, no more pockets full of useless coins after going through immigration (unless you donate to UNICEF:) I wanted to disagree right away with him, but I couldn't think of an argument. That is a problem I have, when I feel too strongly about things I forget why I feel like that in the first place. My arguments become emotion-based and I lose some rational processes....
Why is a global currency bad!?!?!?

Humans are truly the most amazing species, even we can see our own demise we continue on due course...Are we just too lazy to imagine a better world and way too stupid to ACTUALLY do something to make it better, or do we really think it is not possible.
I want to talk about a truly new world...one that you can't argue simply because it hasn't lived in before.

Damn it! Why are humans so difficult and blind!

I watched The Gods Must Be Crazy today and I found it quite lovely. The funny part is that humans can MAKE movies like that, write books like Animal Farm and can paint pictures like the Vitruvian Man but we cannot live in harmony with each other and our environment.


or will humans destroy ourselves first...it all depends on us I suppose!

random thoughts from Ghana

The country of Ghana exists of different tribal groups, the one I have gotten a understanding of are the Ashanti people. Many people greet you with their "Akwaaba" welcome saying. I think that one is just for the tourist though as I have yet to hear them use it with each other. Right now is the dusty season or the 'hunaton'(no idea about the spelling) it is big, it is thick, it is dirty, and it is EVERY where!
I have observed the city of Accra and surrounding areas by Tro Tro (mini-vans driven by righteous, full of road rage, young, God-fearing, speed, and natural air conditioner and i swear sometimes high boys).
They are fun, however, hundreds of Ghanaians are killed every week in traffic accidents caused mostly in part, by them.
Today I saw one get stuck while the wheel spun on the dip off the pavement of the main road. I grabbed a piece of cement that had also broken off the main road and told him to put it under the tire...it worked and they drove off with a peel of the tyres and a smile on the face.

I am pretty sure the award for the coolest hair in the world has got to go to Ghanaian women...it is just beautiful the styles and creativity that goes into the hair braids. These girls got mad SKILLZ!

Everyday I feel everything as more and more comfortable but the walks through the market while every successive shop keeper yells Obruni!! will take some more time to get used to. I have figured out how to get the hard core ones to stop grabbing me. I wear a wedding ring and I put it in their face as I yell for my "HUSBAND!"-it gets them every time!

I heard people eat monkey in Liberia...so I am trying to pretend I didn't hear that...

I watched some Nigerian TV last night and I loved it. That had one that was a SITCOM but it was in like tribal setting with witch doctors and tents and all that. Another was a talk show with single mothers talking about their difficulty in life. Giving encouragement to the other single mothers.

Today I sat in a corner shop watching Oprah's Cheers to you episode while finishing my cold Malta so I could return the bottle back to the shot for recycling.
The guy sitting next to me right now is sending those e-mail scams I have been watching him while I am waiting for my exceptionally slow internet to upload a new window. He is taking lots of emails from a unmarked notepad file and sending them out. I leaned over to him earlier and said "wouldn't it be funny if one of those were my email?" ...He just looked at me__________:)

The roasting of Plantines is occuring everywhere, along every street and on the corner of every junction...it must be plantine season.

Straight up I am envious of people who have darker skin...I would love it, its just perfect for the sun and you don't have to feel like an idiot having to put on sun block every day before going out. No third degree burns on the nose, no walking ATM assumptions.
On the other hand my fore fathers could have been stolen from their village sold on the shores of Ghana and shipped to the new continent under much less than economy class conditions. I could be runing for my life with everything I own that fits on the top of my head while dogging bullets in the Congo. Could be getting BEE a job from the ANC government of South Africa. Could have had my legs cut off by neiboring tribes in Rwanda. I could have returned to my "home land" after finally obtaining my "freedom" just to come back to a place that is so strange to me that I must start nameing everything according to what IS familiar to me which is my colonial past, and start treating the locals as I was previously seen as (If you are wondering where I am going with this please see Liberia in your local encyclopedia...and if possible speak with a Liberian, even MORE interesting!)
I could also be THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!!!

Thank you for taking the time to read my random thoughts...and some not so random. If you can connect any of my thoughts have anything to add to them or and totally random thoughts of your own please don't hesitate to comment!

thoughts from a friend traveling through Thailand

"The point of your activities throughout the day is not to make a living, but to make a life; not to 'work' but to create joy. If you are doing what you are doing merely to 'pay the bills,' you will have missed the major reason for All Of Life.

The purpose of life is to know and express Who You Are. If you do other than that during the days and times of your life, you will have not used those days and times
in a way that profits your soul. It is soul profit we are after here, not body profit."

What do you think the purpose of your life is???
Tell me because I would love to know!

African Goddess

So I went to Labadi beach for my birthday I had to touch the ocean on the first day I am 27. The beach was so interesting...full of rastas and ALL wanted to ask the obruni women "one question". Hahaha guess you would have to have been to Ghana to understand.
Anyway, while I was there I saw four Goddesses walking along the beach, as I approached them to ask permission to take a photo, only one agreed and the next day when I looked at my camera I realized you cannot capture a real moment you cannot capture beauty, you cannot capture a feeling, a smell or even a taste, so you sure cannot capture divinity, but here is my sad attempt after a long day in the sun answering "questions" ;)

some people DO make a difference

Through the girl whose house I am staying at I met a women who introduced me to a bag...but not any old bag. I was lucky enough to come across one bag that had been made completely out of trash and it was beautiful.



A gentleman by the name Stuart Gold has an NPO in Accra named Trashy Bags and he employees people to clean up all the plastic people have throw on the streets and beaches of Ghana to be washed sanitized and sew together to for a practical inexpensive and BEAUTIFUL bag. Not only that but they make make-up cases, tote bags, wallets, shopping bags (like the 'green bag'), back packs, side packs, hand luggage, and laptop computer brief cases!! You name it they can make it!!!




It is absolutely brilliant and I cannot tell you how ecstatic I was to meet him and see his amazing work.



To all my tree hugging plastic hating friends out there you got to check out his website: www.trashybags.org
This man is doing some pretty amazing things!





And what have YOU done to help our beatiful world today?????

AFRIKA

Below the surface...It is a whole different world!

The Rainbow Nation...

Departing south africa was a mixed bag. There is a heavy racial cloud that still hovers over that land, some would say it has even gotten worse. To be honest there were many times I felt anger while I was there because I could see the potential in that country. It is massive it is beautiful it is rich of everything- natural resources, wildlife, diverse people, culture...and the list goes on. Yet it seems to all be crumbling away. Some I have spoken to blame it on the ANC, in fact there was even a advertisment along the highway that was pushing people to vote for the ANC, with a proud picture of Zuma next to the slogan, "working together we can do a lot more" and was enhanced at the hand of an urban artist to say, "working together we can do a lot more...CRIME"!
And that is how many feel, the ANC buys votes with houses among the uneducated. The polygimist Zuma is up for serious charges of rape and when asked if he was worried about having unprotected sex he responded with "Well no because I took a shower afterwards". There have been reports that his body guards have shot at people who have not pulled over while trying to overtake them. ...the NEXT PRESIDENT OF SOUTH AFRICA, does the country stand a chance?? Or is it going to be another Zimbawe...Hard to say but what I can say is that I heard from MORE than one white S. African trying to explain how much better things were before, well DUH!?!?!? You are white of course it was better for YOU! Crime has risen, rape is much more common, and more people are dying of AIDS...I can see an argument (not a justification mind you but everything is relative)

Because of my confusion and insufficient time to gain a deeper understanding I had to buy some reserch material to take with me.
One day while wondering the "unsafe" streets of a suburban neiborhood outside Cape Town I came across a book entitled "For Whites only" by Charles Cilliers, with the cover picture of a white guy pissing on a pan labled 'reconciliation'...it caught my eye. I picked it up and read the back ...
"Everything in South Africa seems to be about race. If you look back at the country's history, you'll see that it always was that way. Ours is a counry defined by race, but there is one race that had the choice to make it that way. Heading for fifteen years into democracy, South Africa seems to be even more about race than ever. The rainbow nation sometimes seems more like a technicolour dreamcoat-after Joseph's dipped it in blood.
This book has been written for all the whites who secretly, or not so secretly, believe tha the reason our country is going to hell is because of the blacks. Read this book-our country was hell. With every year that's passed since 1994, it has edged further from the flames. We're all still carrying out lighters through..."

Well I just had to buy it and the funny thing, it is written by a white guy. I am currently on page 37.

But I must say apart from the internalized fear of being raped, stabbed and carjacked I had quite a positive visit. I owe a lot of that to a fabulous friend there who really helped me to see as much as I could.

After returning to the Cape from teaching English in Taiwan for five years Walter, my friend found himself fed up with all that was/is going on in his part of the country and has decided to start an independence movement. If you are interested or have any questions just let me know I can pass them on. The movement is call Cape Independence Party.

However the situation ends up I wish peace and happiness to ALL!!!

Life is Funny!

So the story is that I was supposed to leave South Africa on Friday, well as fate has it I missed my plane (first time in my life by the way). Well I had bought a Round the World ticket and one condition is if you miss one of the flights ALL your tickets are cancelled...I was devastated. Especially because I had JUST spent way too much money to change the date of my flight. After the oh so polite (NOT) clerk told me I cannot board the plane (although the gate was still open and people still boarding) I cried and cried. Then I went outside to get myself together to figure out what to do. When I went outside, two white t-shirt jeans, no bags, shady guys followed me (Joburg airport is infamous for robbery). I sat down against a wall with my bag, and I thought fuck it if the rob me at least the police might have some sympathy and help me argue to get my tickets back.
As I sat there I couldn't help it I just started balling out tears. As I sobbed the two guys after talking for a minute or two and looking over their shoulder at me and then decided to go back inside. So no sympathy from the police. I decided to call the girl, Claudine, that I had been staying with in Joburg. She drove all the way back to the airport to pick me up and housed and fed me until I figured out what to do. (until I finish my trip and use the rest of my tickets I don't want to publish how I got around the whole problem...as news over the Internet travels fast these days :)

This picture was taken minutes after I got my boarding pass to Accra to continue my journey.
Thanks Claudine and good luck to you in your adventure to Guatemala on Tuesday!!!



I LOVE THAT LITTLE MONKEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And if there hadn't been security I would have stolen it to raise it as my own...

The SA WILDlife

I have NEVER in my life seen something so adorable and this Pygmy monkey. It was the most precious thing, I just held him and fell in LOVE...even the keeper said he saw the love in my eyes...can you see it?



Okay, now I know some are you are thinking what is up with this picture, well if it is not immediately obvious-THIS IS TIMON!!! From the Lion King...DUH!



This is the infamous "rape train". I was told by everyone how dangerous it is to ride this train...well for those of you who know me well, could I have NOT ridden it?

You can also see my sad attempt at incognito with that black hoody. If must have worked because the two and half nerve racking train ride just flew by without incident. But can you see the vigilance in my eyes?



I took this one just because I haven't totally grown up yet. This is a Christian book store selling discounted bibles...oh CUM ON YOU HAVE TO LAUGH AT THAT, and this sign is not even IN ASIA!!

Oh it keep me smiling for DAYS...



Have you ever seen a wild ostrich walking along the beach???
Because I have and I wonder if they can swim hmmm, I should have asked him.

WOWs from SA

They are MAN-eaters don't let those big beautiful eyes fool you. This one took half my finger while I was trying to feed him. He obviously never heard the saying "don't bite the hand that feeds you"!



Me in front of the magnificent 12 apostles (famous mountains in Cape Town)



Here I am where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet...if you look carefully you can actually see the line.



Cape point statistics....pretty impressive huh?



This was so cool...one month ago I was there in Rio, Brazil and today the southern tip of Africa, the world can be so small!

can you imagine?

The Pencil test:
'During the system of apartheid in South Africa, one drop of sub-Saharan blood was not enough to be considered black. South African law maintained a major distinction between those who were black and those who were coloured. When it was unclear from a person's physical appearance which racial classification they belonged to, the pencil test was employed. This involved inserting a pencil in a person's hair to determine if the hair was kinky enough for the pencil to get stuck. If the pencil remained stuck in a person's hair, the person was "black". This type of test was used by authorities during the apartheid era in South Africa to "ascertain" a person's race (see Coloured and Passing (racial identity).) In the absence of any centralized method, this and other subjective tests were used in various places across South Africa as part of the Population Registration Act of 1950. A pencil would be placed in a person's hair, if it fell through they were classified as "White" (or "Coloured", depending on other subjective classification considerations); if the pencil did not fall through, they were classified differently ("Coloured" or "Black", also depending on other subjective classification considerations). Members of the same family who had different hair textures would find themselves in different race groups as a result of this test. This presented serious consequences for many families.'


Humans can be so smart at times and ridiculously stupid at others.

The Western Cape

A small fishing village north west of Cape Town. Famous for crayfish, lobster and what appears to be Greek style architecture.



Another beautiful overlook while crossing one of the passes on our way back to the R27 coastal road.

South AFRIKA

An ostrich egg-big as my head, hard enough to jump on and equal to around 24 chicken's eggs.



My friend trying to get mobile phone reception from atop his land rover.
Gotta love South Afrika but gotta hate the telecom mobile phone service, expensive as gold and no-where to be found.



The Road inland from Cape town through the wine region. One of the most picturesque drives I have ever been on.



An overlook on False Bay... simply breathtaking!



2009 New Year celebration at the southern tip of Afrika with my good friend I met in Taiwan-Walter

Cuz that's what friends are for!

My very good friend, Francis and I at the airport just before I board the plane to South Afrika.
I really appreciate all he showed and taught me during my second visit to Brazil.
Thanks buddy I will never forget your hospitality!!!



Francis and his family own a vegetarian restaurant called Laranja Melhor in Sorocaba (about 40 mins-depending on traffic-from Sao Paulo). While staying with his family I helped out at the best restaurant (veggie or not) I have ever eaten at, and I am not just saying that because the owner is my friend. You gotta try this food! (Rua da Penha, 999-Sorocaba/SP)
This is a pic at the restaurant with Francis' brother who I call 'Boss', Patricia and I working hard. :)



Everywhere you look in Brazil you see gorgeous sky. You must go there (eat at my friend's restaurant) and see it for yourself.



This was such an interesting tree I couldn't pass up taking a photo of it and being a tree hugger I had to pay my respects.