Don't Feed Animals

I encountered this sign when I was on my Tanzanian safari at Ngorongoro Crater. It was a little unsettling yet amusing when I first saw it - was the animal skull supposed to help deter the visitors from feeding the animals as a warning of sorts? Or was it simply meant to draw the visitor’s attention to the sign, as a skull is not something one encounters daily? Either way, the message was definitely conveyed successfully to those on safari!

Cross-posted from breakthesky.net. Please leave any comments there.

I applied to write for my college magazine in late February, and I had my first article published in the March/April 2009 issue. Here is the article I wrote!

In May 2008, I went to Moshi, Tanzania, with some members of my high school class, to volunteer at a nursery school that we raised money for. I have many fantastic memories from that trip, but one of the things that has stayed with me from my experience in Tanzania is the concept of having all the time in the world to enjoy day-to-day tasks. I have long since been accustomed to hurriedly rushing from place to place, not bothering to make eye contact with strangers and aiming for as little interaction as possible with those that I encountered as I went about my day to day business. No matter how productive I was, it never seemed as though I had enough time each day to finish everything I wanted to complete. 24 is not enough hours in a day, and I’ve always wished that somehow, more hours would magically appear in a day so that I would no longer feel stressed and pressured to finish everything in a certain timeframe.

There is a Kiswahili expression, “Pole-pole,” which translates to “Slowly, slowly,” or “Take it easy.” “Pole-pole” sums up my experience with time in Tanzania. Everything in Tanzania was so laid back, so relaxed, and there was never a shortage of time. It didn’t matter if things were running late, or if there was no set schedule for the day. Tanzania ran on its own time, and it was such a nice change to be in charge of time and conduct my day accordingly, rather than let time be in charge. I never had to check my watch and fret over running late, or skip lunch because I was too rushed to sit down and take the time to eat. Whenever something didn’t go according to plan, no one was running around, frantically trying to make arrangements so that all of our free time was put to use. Instead, everyone took their time in sorting out new arrangements, taking care to enjoy each moment of the day, even if part of the original plan had to be switched around. And even though it was as if everyone was utterly carefree, it wasn’t as if there was no regard for the concept of time at all. There just wasn’t the mentality of having to adjust things for time, but rather adjusting time to suit whatever needed to be done.

Since returning from Tanzania, I’ve tried to relax when it comes to the concept of time. I try not to rush whatever I have to do, and not panic whenever I run out of time or things go wrong. It’s hard, though, and more often than not I find myself stressing out whenever the smallest thing doesn’t go according to plan. Whenever that happens, I try to remember the calm feeling of serenity and assurance I felt in Tanzania that somehow, everything would be okay. Sometimes, letting go and allowing things to take care of themselves is the best thing you can do.

Cross-posted from breakthesky.net. Please leave any comments there.

A Fierce Lioness

One of the things I did when I went to Tanzania in May 2008 was go on a short safari at Ngorongoro Crater. I had a fantastic time, and it was brilliant to be able to see all the animals in The Lion King with my own two eyes! Also, my friends and I were lucky enough to see the “big five” on our safari: lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and cape buffalo.

This particular lioness was stalking a herd of hyenas during our safari. She was clever, and fierce, for she wove between the line of safari cars to stalk the hyenas, and knew that we would follow whatever direction she took, so she led us closer to her prey and continued to use us as cover until she got close enough to pounce. Out of all the animals I saw on the safari, she was the one that came closest to the safari car. At one point, I could have stuck my hand out the (open) window and pet her, she was so close¹!

1. Obviously I didn’t do that, because that would have been DUMB. [↩]

Cross-posted from breakthesky.net. Please leave any comments there.

Originally published at blog@excuses-untold.org. Please leave any comments there.

I’ve been giving a lot of thought to my future lately, and researching what paths are currently available for me in life, both in terms of my career as well as my personal life. I have my current study plans worked out, which will hopefully result in job offers in my desired field, with the additional bonus of allowing me to both study abroad when I am in college as well as work overseas when I have received my degree. While having major elements of my future such as what type of degree I will have earned in four years figured out is incredibly helpful when it comes to mapping out my future, it’s also a bit daunting.

My general plan for my future is to get my undergraduate degree, and then depending on finances, either head out into the workforce or go to graduate school. And while that’s a fairly plausible plan and is most likely going to happen, I find myself wishing that I could take a year off and do whatever I wanted without any repercussions. I would love to just follow my dreams for a year without having to worry about my studies or finances, and then resume life again in the real world. I am lucky that I currently do not have any major barriers or worries in my future, but I still can’t risk deferring a year of my studies to do whatever I want without derailing my future. It’s unfortunate, but if the off chance that the opportunity for me to do anything I wanted for a year without it affecting my plans for the future, I know exactly what I would do.

I would spend six months of that year traveling. There are so many places in this world I want to see, and I would do anything to just take off and travel without a care in the world. My general outlook on travel is that I will never say no to the option of traveling to any one place, because every travel opportunity is one that should be embraced! I do have a list of places I would especially love to go to, but any place is good. There are also some places that I would like to return to, for one reason or another. Never say no to traveling to a new place is what I live by, and so I would love to just travel for six months and see what places I end up going to.

The other six months I would spend volunteering at either The School of St. Jude in Arusha, Tanzania, or at the nursery school I volunteered at in May. When I volunteered at the nursery school, I felt like I was making a difference in someone’s life, and that I was finally able to do something that wasn’t just for me, but for those around me. The kids were fantastic, and every day I wish I could go back to Tanzania and volunteer some more because it was such a powerful experience. The only thing is, if I ever get the chance to return to Tanzania, I’m not sure I would come back - it was hard enough to leave last time!

Question of the Week: If you could take a year off without it affecting any of your plans for the present or future, what would you want to do?

Originally published at blog@excuses-untold.org. Please leave any comments there.

Last week, I posted an abbreviated list of some of the places I want to visit. Marieke commented on that post and asked, “Are there places that you’ve been to that you recommend to others?” Yes, there definitely are! I have been lucky enough to travel (and in some cases, live!) to some fantastic places, and here are some (but not all¹) of the places I would love to visit again, in no particular order.

• China
  I had been to mainland China a few times when I was little, but my favorite memory of visiting China was when I went on a two and a half week tour of the mainland in June 2008. I visited Beijing, Xi’an, Guilin, Hangzhou, Wu-Town, Suzhou, and Shanghai, and I loved each and every place. The food, the culture, the atmosphere, the people - it was all amazing, and I really enjoyed my time there. Plus, even though this will sound really corny, it was fantastic to be able to go to the land of my ancestors and get in touch with my Chinese roots as I am half Chinese.
• Tanzania
  In May 2008, I went to Tanzania for two weeks to volunteer at a nursery school. Those two weeks were definitely life-changing, and I will never forget the time I spent in Tanzania. The people were so happy, welcoming, and incredibly friendly. I’ve lived a fairly sheltered life and it was astonishing to see people who had so little be so happy and content with life; my experience in Tanzania made a huge impact on me. In addition to working at the nursery school, I went on a short safari trip and saw the most incredible wildlife - it was just like being in The Lion King!² Tanzania is a fantastic place, and I would love to go live there and work as a volunteer.
• France
  I visited in June 2007 as a participant in my high school’s exchange trip, and I loved it. I stayed in Strasbourg with a host family for two weeks, and then spent a week in Paris, and then a week in the Côte d’Azur region. France is really a beautiful place, and it was fantastic to be able to see all the famous sights of France (think of all the places in Paris alone - the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre…) as well as practice speaking French and interacting with the French teenagers that were our hosts. Hopefully I’ll be able to spend at least one semester studying abroad in Paris!
• England
  In addition to the one to France, I participated in another high school exchange trip to England in November 2007. I did a tour of London and stayed with a host family in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire. Despite the bleak weather, I loved England. I saw some amazing things in London (Tower of London, the London Eye, Hyde Park, Piccadilly Circus…) and had a great time hanging out with the English teenagers and going to all the places they go hang out at. I had a great time in England; I even managed to squeeze in time to make a day trip to Wales and see Cardiff Castle!
• Hong Kong
  Ah, Hong Kong. Hong Kong, to me, is home. It’s where I was born, and I spent several years living there as well, and I try to go back as often as I possibly can. I have lived in several countries, but no matter what country I currently reside in, I will always consider Hong Kong home. The atmosphere of the city is like no other, and for me, it’s simply the place to be. There’s so much to see, and the juxtaposition of Chinese culture and the long-lasting effects of British rule is evident everywhere in the city. I love the food, the culture, the sights, the shopping… Hong Kong is home, and home is always the best place in the world.

1. Australia was one of the places I didn’t list. I love Australia, and I really enjoyed living there, but about 95% of the reasons why I would go back to Australia are for personal ones, rather than for touristy reasons, so I decided to leave it off today’s list. Still, it’s a place I highly recommend visiting! [↩]
2. I saw every animal in The Lion King, and I was lucky enough to be able to see “the big five” - lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, and cape buffalo - on my safari. [↩]