Off the map - thinking of all of you...

so...hopefully no one was worried...we were "off the map" for about a week. A strange experience. We pretty much knew where we were most times, but a few instances we have been in limbo areas, areas not easily reacheable with no internet connection. I'd feel better if we knew more swahili, but we are somehow getting along ok. I have been learning the language (which is quite pretty & melodic & thankfully easy to pronounce & decipher verbally) bit by bit - just enough words to get in trouble as Hung says - and usually there is some clean & pressed young male student who knows some English & is pleased to help out along the way.

I'm going to divide up the next few entries (as alot happened in the meantime) - but I wanted to acknowledge several important occurences in the Jenik/Tu families that are going on in our absence - namely, my mother, Carol's birthday (04/22 - or in Africa as in Europe 22/04), my Great Aunt Anne's 100th(!) birthday celebration (happening this weekend, though her actually birthday was the 14th of April) and Hung's dearest brother Ben's wedding celebration also on 22/04. We will raise a cold safari beer in toast this weekend to all of our loved ones gathered as they are in Long Island and mainland China for their respective celebrations.