Good Movie

I was reading an article in USA Today, entitled "You've Seen the Movie, Now Experience the Place," and discovered that I had already visited one of the places mentioned - Jaipur, India.  So, I decided to watch the movie, "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel."

The movie did what I couldn't.  It showed the sights in vivid color, and the cacophony of sounds in this lovely city.

One of the characters' husband dies after 40 years of marriage, and she does something she's never done, travel and live on her own.  She even writes a blog about her experiences.

Sound familiar?

It stars Judi Dench and Maggie Smith, in their wrinkled glory, and is well worth the look.

Embassy

After almost not being allowed to enter Kenya because my passport only had two vacant visa pages, and you need three, I made it a point to take care of this promptly.  I made an appointment and drove to the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi this afternoon.

As I was driving there, I envisioned special treatment, maybe even a red carpet (OK, that was probably wishful thinking) once I identified myself as a US citizen.

Well, my imagination was a lot richer than my experience.

Allow me to explain.

I had the GPS coordinates, so I found it with no trouble.  In fact, the area is home to many embassies.  The first one I saw was for Palestine.  This may be the only place in the world that recognizes it as a country.  Then there was the one for Turkey, and then the very next modern looking structure, which stood out from the rest, was the one for the US. 

Security was tight.  You had to have an appointment to enter the building.  There were security guards at both of the gates on the street.  They directed me to a parking lot across the street.  When I walked onto the premises, I was told to go to a nondescript door, where there was another guard.  We were only allowed in one person at a time, or one family at a time. Once in, all bags were screened.  I was allowed to take my wallet with me, but my purse had to be left at the counter, along with my phone, which had to be turned off.  

Then I went through another small waiting area, on my way to the building I needed to visit.  

Side note - I was wearing a necklace that I bought in Kenya from one the Masai Village women.  The female security guard in this waiting area, was from Kenya, and recognized that it was made by the Masai.  She asked if I was Kenyan. We had a nice, brief chat about my visit to her homeland.

When I left there, I walked down a path with bushes, at least six feet high, that were along both sides of the walkway, so you could only see in front of you and behind you.  When I arrived at the next door, I was buzzed in, given a number, and told to have a seat.

Special treatment.  

Not even.

Red carpet.

Only in my dreams.

This place . . . our place . . . our embassy - reminded me of the holding area for families visiting prisoners at Corcoran Prison, near Bakersville, CA, that I visited on occasion.

It was dreary. . . 

With rows and rows of hard chairs . . .

And even more security guards.

Absolutely nothing about this place was inviting.

There was good news though.

I was able to get 48 pages added to my passport while I waited.  It took about 45 minutes.  

Of course, I used that time to people watch.  I was intrigued by the number of Arab folks, including a fair number of Emiratis, who were there for visas.  I'm guessing they can't get the visas at the airport when they arrive in the US, as is the custom with many countries.

Anyway, I was a happy camper walking out of there with my hefty passport in hand.

I was hungry, so I decided to find the nearest mall, to get something to eat.  

Side note 2 - One of the coolest things about mall parking lots here is there are red and green lights above each parking space.  Red if it's occupied, green if it's available.  It makes searching for a spot much easier.

Side note 3 - When you have a traffic violation, you get an SMS on your phone with the nicest message.  It's something like, "You have committed a traffic violation in Abu Dhabi today.  Please kindly obey the traffic rules."  Well, I had gotten quite a few of these messages, but I didn't realize they were the same as tickets.  I discovered this when I went to renew my car registration this week.  The bill was crazy high. High enough to have paid for my next trip.  

So, needless to say, I was very conscious of my speed, going and coming.  Usually I'm more conscious going.  By the time I'm on my way back, I'm just tired and want to get home. Today, I played soft, soothing music, and paid attention to the needle.

Final point on this - the traffic cameras are hard to see.  They are located in the median, between the palm trees.  Usually I don't see them until I'm passing them, and it's too late to react, or more accurately, too late to slow down.

Anyway, that was my day today.

Hope that your's will be productive and ticket-free, too.

Proud Grandma

Milu's thinking, "This is the life."

Zadie asked, "What is it Daddy?"

Root Canal

Today after work I went to the dentist.  He took one look at my aching tooth, and declared I needed a root canal.  Having been through this procedure before, several times in fact, I knew the pain associated with the procedure would pale in comparison to what I was feeling when I walked in his office.

We didn't have insurance when I was growing up, so we only went to the health professionals as a last resort. And although that was not the issue once I was grown and married, that mindset of only going to the doctor after all of the home remedies had failed, was ingrained.  It's only now, that I realize how much of what I'm dealing with, particularly in the dental arena, could have been prevented with proper care.

My new mantra is . . . an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

So, let me encourage you -

Stop reading.

Make the call . . . to the doctor, dentist, optometrist, therapist . . . whoever you need to see, to take care of yourself.

Remember, this encouragement is not just for you.  I need this message most of all.

Lydia

If she had lived, she would be 30 years old.

Our daughter, Lydia, was born on October 26, 1982.

Frank was still in the Navy and we had orders to the Philippines.

In my fifth month of pregnancy, during a routine ultrasound, it was discovered through the amount of amnionic fluid that was being produced, that there was a problem with her kidneys.  The Navy knew they didn't have the medical services needed for a high risk pregnancy and birth in the Philippines, so Frank's orders were delayed and we stayed in Maryland through her birth.

I had a c-section with Ben, so we knew I would have another with this baby.  It was scheduled and Lydia was delivered.  All of 6 lbs. 7 oz, born a month premature.

It was then discovered that she had six major medical issues, all of which could have potentially been corrected with surgery, expect one.  She was born with one kidney, and that one was malfunctioning.

Ben was a year old, staying with my mom back at our apartment.  She was so good with him.  At 13 months old, she taught him how to salute and say "sister."

We were hospitalized two hours away at Bethesda Naval Medical Hospital, where I was on the ward, and Lydia was in the neonatal intensive care unit.

The most critical babies were kept nearest the front door, which is where her crib was.  I was discharged after a week, and when I went back to the hospital to see her, she was not up front where she had been.  I panicked, until I was directed to her, as she had been moved to the back of the room.

As much as we prayed and cried and wished for her recovery, it was clear when she was about ten days old, that she would not make it.  I should say, it is clear now, but then, even as she lost weight with each passing day, we were still hopeful that she would pull through.

On day 14, on my way back home after being with her all day, my mom got the call that she had passed away.  I was heartbroken, but I was grateful that the last time I saw her, she was alive.

We had a funeral service.  It was a blur.

Family and friends tried to soothe me by pretending that nothing happened, when all I wanted to do was scream that she had lived, and to remember her, and talk about her.

People deal with death differently.  I know now folks were doing what they thought was best.

After a couple of months, her headstone was placed on her burial plot.  We went to see it.  Without a doubt, it was one of the hardest days of my life.  Even harder than the funeral.  Somehow that headstone, with her name, her birthdate and the day she died, made it all too final.

No mother should ever have to bury her child.

The doctors advised us to wait at least a year before attempting to get pregnant again, but I knew I needed to be pregnant right away, or I would have been too afraid later on.  And so, less than a year later, Frankie was born.  Also premature, but otherwise healthy.

Thank God.

Remembrances

It was January 5, 1977 that I met my ex-husband.  Thirty-six years ago today.

Funny the random things you remember.

January 2nd is the birthday of a classmate that I haven't seen in almost 40 years. Yet every year, I remember her birthday.

Why do these random things stick in our heads, when other more pertinent stuff, is not nearly as easy to recall?

Who knows?

Of course, anytime I think about my ex-husband, I'm reminded of the need to forgive.  Everyday.  Every time my thoughts drift that way.

When you've gone through a difficult time, it's natural to want to draw a line in the sand and declare, I'm right, and you're wrong.  And that may be true.  Or maybe not. But holding on to the negative stuff only hurts you/me.  I speak from much experience.

So, as I've encouraged you/me many times before in this venue, let me say it again . . . let it go.  Whatever "it" is.  It's not worth being stuck in the land of negativity, watching the world pass you/me by.

Forgive 'em.  No matter what.

No matter how ugly, how mean, how rude, how insensitive, how nasty, how thoughtless or how petty they are, or have been . . .

Forgive 'em.

Then watch you life morph into more than you could have imagined.

Remember . . . it's a choice.

Choose to let go and LIVE!

OK.

End of sermon.

Amen.

More Kenya Videos

Note Mount kilimanjaro in the background

Our treat for the day . . .

Seeing these marvelous animals up close

Kenya Videos

It has taken me a minute to work around the video upload issues.  Please let me know if you have any problems viewing these.  Thanks!

Masai Village Welcome

Masai warriors making fire

Women . . . and the Pain We Endure for Beauty

As seen in the Huffington Post.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-k-friedman/aging-gracefully-after-50-brazilian-wax_b_2375373.html

Happy New Year!

I'm writing this on New Year's Eve.  I can hear the music, especially the rhythmic drums as they set the stage for the celebration.  People were gathered in the bar, opting to drink first, then eat.

Since it has been decades since I've seen the new year arrive, I thought, no sense in changing that now.  Besides, somewhere in the world it is already 2013.

2013.  Can you believe it?  I can remember like it was yesterday when we rolled into the year 2000 and what a big deal that was.  And now.  Now we're into the second decade of the millennium.  Crazy how fast time is flying.

We went to see the animals at Amboseli National Park this morning early, and then again late afternoon.  The treat was seeing two male lions from afar, then they moved closer, until they crossed the street right in from of us.  That made our day.

Tomorrow right after breakfast, we leave for our journey back to Nairobi.

I've missed posting, and I have especially missed the Internet, but I wouldn't trade this experience for the world.

The Kenyans that I met were so warm and welcoming.  They all greeted me/us by saying "make yourself at home," and you get the impression that they really meant it.  They seemed especially excited to see someone who looked like them, but was not from Africa.

Side note - Sorry that I have posted these daily writings late.  It's been a flood, I know.  Read what you can.  Check out the pictures, and move on.   I promise not to be mad at you.

Side note 2 - I inquired about visiting the American Embassy here, but was told it is way out of the city,  after is was bombed by Al Qaeda in 1998, along with the one in Tanzania.  It was rebuilt fortress-like to protect it, and the people who work there.  I decided to wait and visit the one in Abu Dhabi.

Side note 3 - All vehicles entering the hotel were checked for bombs by a guard at the gate, with a long mirror extending under the car.  This happened in New Delhi, too.

Side note 4 - There were several check points along the way, with spiked strips across the highway that were manned by armed police or soldiers.  We were told they were checking for illegal cargo coming in the country from Tanzania.

Side note 5 - Huge trucks transport everything throughout the country, as the railway system is non-functioning.  Most of the roads were two-lane, so weaving in and out of them along the road as we passed them, was colorful.  

There is a city tour of Nairobi that is supposed to happen later this morning.  Then we head to the airport for our night flight home.

Finally, I have video of the ride along the way back to Nairobi, but it has "disappeared."  Here's hoping I will discover where it's saved on my computer, to share it with you later.

As always, thanks for sharing this with me.

Herb were planted along the walkway at the lodge.

This is in Amboseli National Park.
The views were breathtaking.

A young girl carrying a baby on her back.

Kenya's version of a bodega, at a gas station.

I've seen this a lot.
These are large bottles, maybe water bottles,
getting readied to be carted away.

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

Ok, we haven't seen any lions yet, and there are no tigers or bears here, but there were plenty of other delightful critters.

We saw a menagerie of animals - baboons, hyenas, donkeys, water bucks, gazelles, and pigs. We also saw herds and herds of elephants, gliding along. They're incredibly graceful for as big as they are.  A large group passed right in front of our van, crossing the street to get to one of the swamps, which is their water supply. We were told they will spend the day there, then return to the forest areas to sleep. What is amazing is that they know where they're going.  I would need GPS!

On our way back to the lodge, we saw a huge solitary elephant, which was a male. The large males do not travel in packs.  The herds we saw earlier were made up of mommies, babies, and young males.  Once the males are grown, they don't travel with the pack.

The pictures didn't begin to capture the beauty of park and the animals that make it their home.  

Beautiful view of Mount Kilimanjaro, which is in Tanzania,
about 10 miles from where we were.

A herd of elephants crossing the road in front of us.

A wildebeest

A buffalo

A hippo

A male ostrich; females are tan

Yes!  Lions crossing the road in front of us

Another view of Mount Kilimanjaro

One more

Giraffes near the roadside

Zebras near the road, but ran when we got close.

I have wonderful video clips, but I'm having trouble uploading them.  I hope to resolve the issue when I get back home.

More soon.

Masai Village

When we arrived at the lodge, we had lunch, checked into our rooms, and we were asked to be back up front a couple of hours later, as we would be visiting a Masai Village.

When we arrived at the village, there were ladies lined up to greet us in song and dance.  The young men joined them with a jumping dance.  Everyone had on red colorful outfits.  The color red is used in welcoming and in weddings.

We're being given instructions by this warrior

The Masai people lined up to greet us

After the greeting in dance, we all squatted in prayer before we began our tour of the village.

Side note - Most Masai women have shaved heads.  Others have very short haircut. It is their custom for women not to have long hair.

Side note 2 - All of the Masai people are branded on both cheeks beginning at six years old.

He was my guide.
Note that his cheeks are branded.

The Masai people are nomadic, and live a very primitive life.  This village had 150 people, made up of a chief, with ten wives, and all of their offspring.  The adult child visit other tribes to find mates, then the men bring their new wives back to their village.

The huts are built by the women.  It takes about two months to complete one.  It is made out of tree branches, making up the frame, and is covered in cow dung.  The houses are in a circle, with a large, open area in the middle.  This is where they keep their cows, which are vital to their existence.  Their is a barrier between where the cows are kept and the houses, made of cut bushes, to keep the cow from getting too close at night while they sleep.  Some of the warriors (men), stand guard at night.

Kids playing in front of their homes

Close-up of a home

From Wikipedia.  I wanted to get this right.
The structural framework is formed of timber poles fixed directly
into the ground and interwoven with a lattice of smaller branches,
which is then plastered with a mix of mud, sticks,
grass, cow dung and human urine, and ash.
The cow dung ensures that the roof is water-proof. 

In the morning, the cows are moved to pastures to eat.  The Masai people use everything on a cow, including the cow's blood.

The meat is used to eat.  The hide is used as bed coverings, and the bones are used to make things to sell.  They are dependent on these sales to help support the families.

The boys/men use their spears and bow and arrows, to shoot the cows in the jugular, where they drain about a litter of the cows' blood.  The cows' renewed blood supply is believed to make them healthier.

The Masai people then add milk to the blood and drink it.  It helps to build endurance on the long walks with the herds, and generally it is believed to help to keep them strong and healthy.

Although nomadic by nature, the village we visited has been there for five years.  A school was built for them that serves seven villages, and because of the desire for the children to be educated, they have stayed put.  One of our guides was a volunteer teacher.

There is an outhouse for the village, and a pumped water supply.  The women carry the water the short distance in buckets to their homes.  There is no electricity. Light and heat are provided by the campfire they make inside the huts.

Me with two warriors

This is inside one of the homes.
I told the guy there was no way he could stand upright inside,
and he proved me wrong.

I asked the kid who was my guide, if he ever desired to leave this lifestyle, and he immediately said no.  He said we like our life as is and don't want to change it. Interestingly, he had been educated away from the village by Catholic missionaries. Even though some leave for school, they almost always come back to this simple life.

I just returned from lunch at the lodge, where I noticed one of the servers had the branded cheeks.  I asked him if he was a Masai, and he confirmed that he was.  I asked him if he was "cheating" by working outside his village, and he said it was allowed and that their were about 30 of them working at the lodge, although they weren't all from the same village.

Side note 3 - There is a medicine man in each village, who attends to the medical needs of the people.  He is able to address about 80% of their needs with local herbs, with the other 20% needing attention at the area hospital.

They are fascinating people.

Hello Kenya!

I'm drafting this post on the patio of my tent in the Amboseli Sentrim.  It is a lodge set just outside of Amboseli National Park.  It is very rustic, and incredibly peaceful. We're about ten miles from Mount Kilimanjaro, which is located in Tanzania.

Jomo Kenyatta International Airport

Tony, our driver

Side note - This is the first time since I left home, just shy of 18 years old, that I had such a symphony of sounds to fall asleep to.  There were the call of bugs and critters in constant communication.  In spite of the noise, or maybe because of it, the setting was serene, and the sleep, sweet.

There are about a dozen tents scattered throughout the lodge.  Some single, some for families.  I was supposed to be rooming with someone, but begged off once we arrived, and I've had the pleasure of peace and solitude of being alone.

Allow me to back up for a minute.

The flight was scheduled to leave Dubai at 2:30 on the 30th.  Thank God, we departed on time and arrived on time, but the experience at the gate was colorful.

Side note 2 - As big and beautiful as Dubai's airport is, it has very little seating at the gates.  The way they do things here is, you go through security, passport check, and another security check, then you go to your gate area.  You can't get inside the gate area until about an hour prior to boarding.  So, you have to find a seat in the very limited seating areas outside the gates.  Often you're on the floor.

Side note 3 - Back to Amboseli - There's a guy, I'm guessing about 40 years old, who is in a small clearing near my tent, flying a tiny remote-controlled plane.  The noise sounds like mosquitos buzzing.  Do guys ever grow up?

Now back to the gate -

It was surprising to see the gate agents had put, what looked like a large bathroom scale, at the gate entrance.  Everyone entering had to weigh their carry-ons.  This was different, but OK, whatever.  Mine was overweight because I put my computer, and all of my other gadgets in it so that I could roll the bag instead of carrying it on my shoulder.  So, I had to take my computer out and check the bag.  No biggie.  Saved me the hassle of dealing with it on the plane.

As more and more people showed up at the gate, it was crystal clear why they had the scale.  Folks were showing up with a carry-on bag, plus three or four additional plastic bags stuffed with all kinds of things.  Everything was weighed, and everything overweight had to be checked.  Some arguments ensued with the gate agents, but mostly everyone was cool.

Side note 4 - Boy, was this experience in complete contrast to my Prague flight.  We went from very pale crowds to a sea of deep, rich brown.  There were about a dozen white folks in the area, and quite frankly, they looked a bit frightened.  I thought that was kind of funny since they were headed to a land full of colored folks just like these.

Anyway, the flight was great.  As I said, we left on time and arrived on time.  We had a completely black air crew.  That was pretty extraordinary in my world of travel.

Once we arrived at the airport, getting the visas was an arduous ordeal that took TWO hours!  When I finally made it to the counter, the guy looked at my passport and said I couldn't enter because I only had two blank pages for the visa stamps in my passport, and you must have three.  Thank God a supervisor OK'd it.  When I asked why, the answer was, just cause.  So, before I take another trip, I must visit an American Embassy to get pages added to my passport.  I'm hoping to take care of that in Nairobi.

Then, it was off to a caravan of five vans, taking us the four hours south to Amboseli.  I was traveling with an East Indian family who lives in Dubai.  Two couples, each with a daughter with them.  One of the girls was ten, the other fourteen.  They made great traveling partners.  Our driver was especially kind, friendly , and very informative.  As tired as we all were, having traveled five hours to get to Nairobi, and then an additional four hours to Amboseli, the time went by fast.

We're arriving at the lodge

This is my tent

The path leading to my tent

Comfy Bed

Sitting Area

View outside

Sitting area outside at the back of tent

Uniforms

Almost everyone wears a uniform of some kind here.

The local, and Arab women from other countries, wear abayas, the long black dresses.  The local men wear kandouras, the long white robes.

Most jobs require uniforms.  The men who pump the gas at the service station wear all-blue.  The guys who work inside the adjoining store, wear blue and white.  The ones who wash cars wear all-blue overalls.

Janitors wear uniforms.  The manager wears a different one.

Folks who work in the mall in the stores each wear a specific uniform for their particular store.  Again, the managers wear a different one.

There is a real effort made to distinguish folks here by class.  I think that's the main reason for the uniforms.  At a glance, you can tell the social standing of the person by what they're wearing.

VIP seating and sections abound.  I was at an outdoor bazaar a few days ago, and there was a VIP entrance, complete with a red carpet.  It appeared that anyone wishing to pay the extra cost, could use that entrance.  That is usually not the case.

In schools, the students wear uniforms.

Here, the wealth is new and proudly displayed, and with it, the prestige.  

On the other hand, it reminds me of some really wealthy folks, who are very inconspicuous.  There is no way they would be recognized as wealthy from the way they look or carry themselves.

Not so here.

I'm on my way to Kenya tonight for a safari trip.  I'll be ushering the New Year in with some critters.

More soon from the Mother Land.

Witty Writer

The topic is Spanx.  The article is long, but you get the gist of it on page one.

From The Washington Post.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/at-spanx-the-battle-of-the-bulges-is-on/2012/12/26/15a1ab32-4542-11e2-8e70-e1993528222d_story.html

Introducing Miss Milu

Ben and Lupe's pride and joy, and Grandma's newest sweetheart.

Just hours old

Look at all that hair!

A lovely family portrait

Babies are a reminder of the miracle that life, and giving birth is.  It is especially poignant at this time of year.

Thanks for allowing me to share our joy with you.

Mom's Letter to Her Two Year Old

A mom writes a letter to her daughter to be read when she's on her way to college.  I wish I would have thought of this.

As seen on The Huffington Post.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amy-wruble/college-advice-for-daughters_b_2264720.html

Camel Beauty Contest

There is an annual camel festival that is happening now.  It runs the last two weeks of December.  This is a huge event.  I went to a smaller version of this last year, and it was fun being a part of the festivities.  I intended to go to this one, but when I looked into it, I discovered the ride there is 3.5 hours long, 7.0 hours round trip.  I decided I didn't want to see the camels that bad.  Really, the thing I wanted to see was the camel beauty contest.

Enjoy this clip about it that was featured on www.cnn.com today.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2012/12/27/pkg-defterios-uae-most-beautiful-camel.cnn

Best Cookies . . . Ever!

Some of the best chocolate chips cookies on the planet can be found locally in Sacramento at the Doubletree Hotel.  They are baked fresh everyday.  They can be purchased at the coffee shop counter.  These are the cookies that they leave on your pillow when you stay there.  A dear friend sent me some, and even though they were delayed getting here, they were still absolutely delicious.

They make great gifts for the cookie lovers in your life.  They come in a lovely keepsake Doubletree tin.

If you're not in the Sacramento area, don't fret.  The Christie Cookie Company sells cookies nationally and they are cut from the same cookie cutter.  Pun intended.

The Christie Cookie Company offers several varieties.  The Doubletree, just one.

So, end your year sweetly, enjoying this wholesome, time-honored treat.

Yes.

I know.

I know.

I should be getting paid big bucks for these endorsements.

Side note - The other chocolate chips in my world are Ben and Frankie, and with Milu and Zadie, I now have mini chocolate chips.

Ben's a Daddy!

Milu Rogriguez Sharpe arrived just hours ago weighing 5lbs 5oz, 19 inches long. Mom and baby are doing great.

Is he a proud papa or what?

More soon.