Dreds. "You're DISTURBING my muzungus!" Ssessira = Cecilly.

Okay, so plaits, not dreds. Plaits and no bake cookies. They make for a splendid combination!

Vacay day: a group of us went to Sipi Falls, the most GORGEOUS little place on earth. Three enormous waterfalls are spread across the land several miles apart, I would say. Note: my perception of distance is usually skewed. They may or may not have been closer than "several" miles. Sitting at our campsite, the falls were visible. They have these little hammocks hanging that we sat in and watched and listened to the falls. They were certainly about 5 miles away, but the land was so quiet that we could hear the roaring water. Our hiking guide took us under the waterfall, and that was a precious moment! P.S. TOTALLY want to be proposed to under a waterfall! That's all I want in life. The end!

We were at a campsite, but what we stayed in were these HUTS. Circular, bamboo walls, thatched roofs. The feeling of sleeping inside was sheer African! I felt like a wanderer, and wondered how many bedbugs were in the bed in which I was sleeping. The campsite owners were so much fun! Half the group wanted to go eat somewhere expensive, and some of us wanted cheap food, so we stayed at the campsite and had sgetti. *spaghetti* We played an African version of Uno to lantern light and later the people built a campfire for us, and we all sat around (African owners who were ages 18-24), and whites, telling stories and singing songs. Tell you what, one guy, Ronald, was so precious! I hung with him when we went back to get food at the campsite, as well as the next day (Sunday) when everyone went repelling down the 300 foot waterfall. I'll go back and do it another tme not on Sunday, so I was photographer for them. Ronald accompanied me, and all the girls kept asking if I'd kissed him. ha ha Nope. But I DID give him my Book of Mormon. :) We talked about religion, and I just thought I have nothing to lose (other than my salvation of reading every night... :) ). I hope something comes of that.

We did a business training last week on Friday for some women, and I love the simplicity of teaching how to budget your money and really allocate it to needs rather than wants. One group is a women's group who makes jewelry. Another group we presented to was widows who all own their own little stands of fruit. That has been the thick of my projects--business. I am excited to present on savings and loans this week.

Lately my knowledge and interest in international development has really increased--in talking to a guy up at Sipi Falls, he made me realize the downfall of being what he termed a "humanitarian tourist"--coming in and "helping" do projects, then leaving and almost causing more hurt than help because you create a dependence onto white people. And he had a valid point. So now as I make projects I am trying to shy away as much as possible from just doing things that bring short-term help, and focusing on instilling the confidence in African people that they can and are expected to life THEMSELVES out of poverty. Yes, assistance is needed, but certainly not in the form of handouts. If you want something badly enough, you'll fight for it.
The guy I talked to was not from the U.S., and when I told him I was, he really hit up the fact that as an American I am a member of possibly the most POWERFUL nation in terms of international policies--that what our country does impacts and controls SO MANY lives. A blessing and a curse. Blessing in the sense that we have the potential to do so much good; a curse because if we don't take advantage of the responsibilities we're given, we are guilty of ruining lives. To give Africans the confidence that they can change, we need to stop showing pictures of kids with potbellies and flies in their mouths and show how the people really are--hard workers. In the first 5 years of my life I probably consumed more than some do their whole lives. Hence why I look the way I do. ha ha

Off that tangent.

I've been working out every day, almost. "Almost". Man, my legs feel like jelly some days! Food of the day I miss: Ritz crackers.

Adventures coming up: whitewater rafting the Nile, bunjee jumping over the Nile, African safari!, maybe repelling the 300 foot waterfall.