Lara and I have long sworn by the ease with which visas can be haggled for overseas. Indeed, when traveling we often postpone getting visas to later destinations on the itinerary until we get to our first stop. (i.e. we're going to Australia and then Vietnam, so we decide to get the visa for Vietnam in Australia)

The benefits of this strategy are strongest when you're dealing with small visa offices and bored employees, which seem to come at a higher rate outside of American metropolises.

So, when I needed a visa for Brazil, I went to the American consulate in Buenos Aires. (Truth be told, I'm not going to the USA anytime soon so there was not other option.)

Although I read the requirements online, I decided it would be better to simply go and see what the heck they wanted from me, as I was certain that anything I could prepare beforehand would not be sufficient. It wasn't. Three trips later, they were satisfied with the way that my bank statements, credit cards, and employee verification affidavits were arranged in my nice manila folder.

The woman signed me off, told me to go to some bank in the city to pay 150 USD, and told me to come back in a week.

As I left the office, I was typically fuming, with all the time wasted and stupid hoops I had had to jump through to prove that, no, I don't work with Brazilian children (although I would like to) but rather with African ones. However, I realized that although the office had had many problems with my application, they did not blink at the purpose of the visit, which said that I aimed to visit my "cousin" Lara at an address I made up using the only noun I knew in Portuguese. Needless to say, Lara is in Boston.

Labels: brazil

I am known for downloading sad, sappy, atrocious songs that lend deafness to the average listener. Today, in my attempts to clean out my itunes library, I have been overwhelmed by the truth of this sad, sad fact.

If only I had an ear for music.

Sigh.

[Note: title of post comes from the title of the song playing at said moment. Now we have moved on to Christmas carols.]

Although I returned from Australia to Buenos Aires two weeks ago, I have been suffering for the aforementioned two weeks in the worst state of jet-lag known to man. It is so bad, that it is not actually jet-lag, but rather some bizarre form of sleep (or lack thereof) - induced psychosis. Given that my life is all about travel, it is fascinating that this is occuring.

This is my current daily sleep schedule:

9 pm - 11 pm: Sleep (this is an optional sleep, as restaurants opening at 9 pm for dinner mean that we eat out late here)

11 pm - 3 am: Work. Take breaks from work to read blogs on the Internet and watch election coverage on CNN and bake. Drink herbal tea to pretend that on some base level I am actually intending to return to sleep.

3 am - 7 am: Sleep

7 am - 9 am: Up again. Since a whole four hours have passed since I last checked my work email, I can justify my workaholic tendencies as I eat cereal.

9 am - 11 am: Sleep again.

After 11 am: Wake with an alarm, groggy, tired, and wishing I could sleep all day.

Should you have any genuine advice on why my body has gone crazy, feel free to share.

Life moves on, work continues, and our abilities to speak Swahili limp along. However, learning Swahili is never anything less than a true lesson in living. Today, there were some important life points brought up in one of our self-study tools - Joan Russel's Teach Yourself Swahili


(A note to the Swahili student following a scintillating practice conversation with a taxi driver)

"If the taxi driver's question seems rather brusque and insistent, it should be remembered that overseas visitors, whether temporary workers or tourists, represent a potential source of income for which there is fierce completion in the capital cities and larger towns of Africa. Urban taxi drivers and street traders in east Africa get used to dealing with tourists who have little or no knowledge of Swhaili and who may be in a hurry."

(A note to the Swahili student following an equally exciting practice interaction with a post office attendant)

"It is only in large post offices in the cities and larger towns that people like John may find themselves going to the wrong window if they fail to read the signs above the counter. We can assume that John was in the post office in Maktaba Street in Dar es Salaam, where only certain counters are allocated to the sale of stamps."

Labels: swahili

Following my post the other day about Hope Runs Scholar James completing his first year of studies at Daystar University in Nairobi, I received no less than 5 emails from the Daystar University computer room summarizing my amazing qualities.

The basic thesis was pretty much everyone's dream, in which someone has an argument with you in which they are telling you that YOU are more wonderful than they are. Although I tried to act coy and modest, I was eating it up.

A peek:

James: I have really liked that photo!! I've also seen a comment for me, ''Gooooo James." It's wonderful.

Me: Yes, YOU are wonderful.

James: "Let's not debate about who is who. You ARE!!!" (Then 50 more words on why which suffice it to say were all more than accurate)...

However, just as I was as high on myself as I could be, I received a forward from Lara of what James had written her that selfsame hour. Although the "reason" has something to do with the supposed MCATS Lara is taking next week (although I maintain it may really all be some elaborate lie to get sympathy and presents), frankly I felt there was no real justification for what appeared to be complete smut directed to making Lara feel unnaturally good about herself.

Some snapshots into the terror.

James (to Lara): "Imagine you have all the necessary answers in your mind, and its just a matter of jotting them down? When you'll be sitting for them, they'll be MINORS, but after you've done, we'll say that you sat for 3 MAJOR exams!!! Good good better better and endless goodies, better and best wishes!!! 'Well done Lara for getting excellent grades on your 3 MAJOR exams,' The professor for organic chemistry said after giving Lara her results when Harvard University resumed learning after a holiday...'"

Lara's question to me at the top of the forward: "Why can't you be this supportive?"

Labels: Hope Runs Scholar, james

Yes, it's true. Bright orange Hope Runs tee-shirts as seen here, are, like most things in life, able to be bought.

Should you want one (and frankly they are pretty snazzy), I hear we're selling them for 25 dollars. This has something to do with the fact that they are made by American Apparel, one of those stores that reduces this intensely frugal woman (me) to a puddle of credit card receipts when faced with such intoxicating phrases as "organic" and "all natural".

Get yours today by emailing Emily@HopeRuns.org. (I wish I knew how to make that a link.) Emily claims (again, how many more potentially unfounded claims by this new employee can we handle in one day) that if you donate 100 USD to Hope Runs you actually get one free. Given that I have no willpower over the pull of free tee-shirts, I likely will be Emily's first customer and donate to myself.

Ah, economics. This, people, is why I am going to business school.

Labels: teeshirts

Our new video on Runner's World.com is up...Hear all about the life of Ludaphine, who lives at Tumaini Children's Home in Kenya! Yay Lara for video editing...

Labels: runner's world

Our Fundraising Coordinator, Emily (who was our first full time hire last month) just finished her first half marathon! Happily, she ran in a Hope Runs shirt designed by her brother's company, Three Bears Design.

Yay to Emily, and cheers to all the work she does for us. Can't wait to see you in Kenya and Tanzania in a couple weeks!

Labels: emily baker

Thanks to the Kim, who recently ran the Big Sur Marathon and raised 2200 USD for Hope Runs in the process! We could not be more grateful for her efforts. Read about her grueling day/awesome run here.



And, shameless plug - you can run also to raise money for our programs. (No, really, we won't hold you back...) Want info about running a race for Hope Runs?

Hope Runs Scholar James is finishing his freshman year at Daystar University in Nairobi, Kenya this week and we want to wish him the best of luck on his exams and on his upcoming interview for an exchange program next year in Korea!



We are SO proud of you James!! Here is a picture of Claire when she visited James last month!

Labels: Hope Runs Scholar