Tanzania Day one

There are no things of my familiar life here.

Not the food, not the people, not the culture, the driving, the landscape, the heat.
The first day of this experience has meant more to me than many of the 25 years I've spent in the different spaces of my life.  Here i am Mzungu, it means 'someone who walks in circles,' and slightly durogatory for 'white person.' All the children who smile, wave, and yell, don't let me forget that there is no such thing as blending in for me here, and its great.  I have never been stared at so much, i have never been the minority.  I have never been in the presence of someone who may have never seen a white person in the their life before me.  I feel priveleged and honored, to be receiving the love of these people who would not know what to do with the amount of resources i have had my entire life, and still their furrowed brows and harsh gazes evaporate instantly with a smile and a wave, returned as quickly as they can before we pass out of sight.  With my three words of terrible mispronounced Swahili and a smile, I have never been so welcomed. 

I was priveleged enough to be invited to and witness a rural marriage ceremony as a community welcomed a couple to their new life by expressing their love through dancing with their gifts as they presented them.  The ceremonial 'cake' being a roticery cooked goat, with a mouthful of leaves, which they feed to their closest friends and relatives first.  

I can only hope that the first 12 hours my time here are an indiator of continued safety in insane traffic, warmth in the equatorial sun, and surrounded by the huge personalities and smiles that make up the Tanzanian people I have so far encountered.

Thanks for looking,

-Rhys

 

yes, there are goats tied to the top of that tanker truck..

Gettin Wacky in Wenatchee

The last few days have been a blur.  Gearing up for a two month trip to Africa, I have been faced with the sacrifice of missing the heart of the 2011/12 snow season, and one that is shaping up to be pretty awesome.  It's one I gladly make though, and getting to have days like this, running around with Bart Patitucci, Robbie Hutton and Matt Penny at ungodly hours of the morning, dodging cops, sweet talking office employees and shredding in the backyard with Max the dog, let me have the best of both.

Here's to doing stuff, and being busy. It means you have a life,

thanks for looking

check the whole gallery HERE

-Rhys

Secret Tube Land

Somewhere on the remote frozen tundra outside of a Russian gulag, three inmates make due in a frigid icy desert, using only what scraps of materials they could scrounge, in order to cling to life.  Hopefully the dog has moved on once dinner time rolls around...
Bart Patitucci, Matt Penny, Robbie Hutton, and Max. Gettin shifty on the corrugated.
Good times

check the whole gallery HERE

thanks for looking

-Rhys

A Post for the Plankers

Mixin it up with Nick Marvik and Colin Poff, expanding the crew to twice its size, we ran into these guys as we scoped the same rail.  With the snow now pretty much completely gone, I think I was most glad just to have proof that it was actually here in Bellingham at all.

Thanks for looking,

Rhys