profile on the AKFC site

Just found myself on slide 32
http://www.akfc.ca/join-us/international-development.html#IMM

Mozambique's history in brief

Independence in 1975 (after 11yr war to boot the Portuguese)
75-92 Civil War
83 Socialism's failure acknowledged
86 Samora's (Prime Minister) plane crashes suspiciously
95 many displaced persons (internal and external) returned home

Angola
Also gained independence in 1975
30 yr civil war ended in 2002

Watched Avatar last night at Club Naval (the more expensive extension to Pemba Beach Resort, where ironically, there's no beach). The movie brings up some important discussion topics relating to refugees, colonialisation, resource use, etc. Sadly with Africa, the wars for independence have not been as quick as in Avatar!  Will we continue to pilfer the world's resources and plunge places into war by placing profits over people?  Tonight at Russell's they're playing Brothers, which I've seen, but will attend anyways to pass time.

Had an interesting meeting with AKF this morning, to discuss cooperating on initiatives relating to supporting silversmiths, craftspeople, and farmers producing cash crops like sesame. Would be great to see continued collaboration.

rant

weekend was fun as i live in the cool part of town now (the beach) and went snorkeling which was great; i'll go back this weekend.  however i haven't had running water for a week which is kinda annoying, and then this AM my power credit got used up, just to make life more difficult (I assumed it was just the usual power outage, but at 6am the guarda was rapping on my window to wake and inform me).  Then my empregada (cleaner) had to leave town as her niece died (i think; am never sure with the language barrier), then my security guard had to go to the hospital as his sister was in a traffic accident and got transferred to the provincial hospital here in pemba.  All sorts of crap to deal with!  So didn't reach work until after 9:30am.  as for the motorbike i was trying to buy last week, the goddamn place couldn't accept my visa, mastercard, or debit, so prob have to go to the bank machine and draw 5 times, if they have the cash that is. And I probably get stupid exchange rates.

Re: pics - from my phone

I swear, it was the Kenyan National Bug

pics - from my phone

1) The annoying beach boys - perhaps a good way to practice my golf swing
2) Can u imagine the fallout if it said 'white supremacy'! (Mombasa)
3) I guess in Kenya also 'summer never ends' (Summer Slam is every Friday) (Mombasa)
4) at a public washroom near Nairobi train station. dammit, i wanted to wash my chicken.
5) Pemba beaches are beautiful, but outside the beaches the lack of trash collection system is terrible. Sadly, a homeless guy dived in (scared me) seconds after I took this shot.
6) if interested, i have a contact in NBI

a reef? right in front of my house?

I'm going to be bored outta my mind on wkds. They're like a never-ending beach vacation!

This wkd was good as this Sunday AM did some amazing snorkeling!
Cost me $6 (a tip)! The reef is right in front of my place during low tide! Cut up my hands and legs a bit on the coral

as it comes right up to the surface. This was more fun then those expensive touristy trips - like when I snorkeled in Bahamas in 2009 or scuba'd in zanzibar in July. It was just so effortless - no prep required, just grab the snorkel and 15mins later you are enjoying the ocean.

On prev wkds I'd wonder town and pass time with the Ismaili community including

my roomates and their friends and wondering town. Now that I live on the beach,I'm constantly harrased
by beach boys, but I'm kinda in the coolest part of pemba. On Sunday's,

U can hardly see the beach in front of me its so crowded!

Since coming back to Pemba on Tuesday I've had a bad on and off cold - probably due to being around sick people, the climate change from Nairobi, and due to going from a/c to scorching heat in Pemba. Somehow found some Cogoni Jivan Sanjivani in Mombasa whilst shopping for spices, so a little addicted to that along with my little vicks inhaler as some of you always see me with.

a love hate relationship.

I'm glad to be back in Pemba. A new house, a refreshed mind, a/c in the office. The hot weather is not so different from Mombasa. I can get used to the sun setting at 5pm.

But alas. No water in the new place. It's being resolved I am told. We will see.  Nothing reminds us how fortunate we are than having to use buckets of water - for showering, washing dishes, washing your face, brushing your teeth, etc.  And spending a whole afternoon trying to buy a motorbike - after asking them to prepare it yesterday,  I arrived today just before their two hour lunch break - they insisted I come back. Finally it was ready - but the municipal office, I found out, closes at 3pm. And a Swiss friend insisted, since police here don't hesitate to shoot, evident by the riots in Maputo only a few months earlier, I don't try to get away with riding without proper registrations!

So what was Kenya like? Spent some time on the beaches, visited other AKFC Fellows, visited 94yr old bapa (enjoyed learning about the family history in East Africa), attending JK, visiting First MicroBank Nairobi, trying to arrange a meeting with CARE, checking out the restaurants and night life, and seeing Kenya by train (Tsavo). The mild weather in Nairobi was brilliant. I can definitely say it's a city I could live in - but that's easy to say being based in Pemba!