Greetings from Kabila ya Wilmpilby (otherwise known as the tribe of Wilmpilby). Today we went back to the museum with the promise that the artifacts excavated from the site in 2002 had been recovered. Unfortunately that wasn’t exactly true, but they are close! Museum technicians have been reorganizing the storage unit for the past two days, and they have already found other artifacts from the Iringa region. If they do find the artifacts from our rock shelter, they have offered to give us space in their lab facility to analyze them. This is all very promising. We plan to return the day after tomorrow (kesho kutwa). Cross your fingers they find those bones! We’ve already hauled the inventory forms, camera, and skeletal reference book to the museum twice; perhaps the third time’s a charm?
After lunch, we met a former Calgarian at the Mövenpick (formerly the Royal Palm), a ritzy hotel where we often go to change money, use the internet cafe, or just kill time over pricy coffee. He had a considerably more cynical perspective on Tanzanian life. He had been working as a physician at a rural hospital near Morogoro for about a month. He talked about the high maternal mortality rate, the lack of general hygiene (including in the hospital), and the chronic shortage of medical supplies and technology. He had to fight to keep stray dogs and cats out of the patient wards. We have seen both the very rich and the very poor in Dar es Salaam, but have generally interacted with middle class Tanzanians. They are not the same as middle class Canadians, but life is so different here that it’s hard to compare. However, the third world is always lurking in the streets in the form of the starving, the deformed, and the desperately poor. I wonder what our experiences in the rural areas will be.
Today’s strange African consumer products are:
- Hair mayonnaise
- Casts of the Laetoli footprints
- A taxi with the Manchester United football logo on the windshield (sort of a consumer product)
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Day 12
Hongera (congratulations) Dr. Ben! My brother-in-law successfully completed his PhD defense today which officially makes him a cool kid. Way to own that math!
In less stellar news, my roommate and I have fallen victim to some lonely African microbes. This came as quite the surprise since I’ve really been enjoying the food in Tanzania. Most of it is very simple and healthy, like something you could make yourself if you were appropriately talented. Food preservatives, chemicals, and packaging aren’t really an issue here. We eat a lot of curries and stews, along with eggs, rice, chipatis, naan, and various potato dishes. For meat we eat beef, chicken, or fish. We don’t really get any raw fruits and vegetables or dairy, but otherwise have all the food groups covered. Also, the portion sizes are very reasonable. My only major complaint is that coffee is incredibly hard to come by, particularly good old filter coffee. Although Tanzania is one of the world’s coffee producing countries, the only thing available to buy is horrible instant coffee. Africa-cafe is the most common and probably the most disgusting. I’ve taken to drinking tea in the mornings which, for those of you who know me, is a pretty radical step. The instant coffee is that bad.
Anyway, somewhere in the midst of all of this new and excellent food, Jenn and I became ill. We could have also picked up some kind of flu, we’re not really sure. We got progressively sicker for about 48 hours until Jenn finally gave in and took antibiotics last night (brought from home for just such an occasion). This morning, she made me take some too. I guess she got tired of me getting up several times a night to turn the air conditioner on and off depending on my fever. Anyway, as an act of kindness, the team abandoned me to sleep at the hotel this morning while they went to the immigration office to check on our residence permits. It was either get better now or feel miserable on the 8 hour drive to Iringa. I’m feeling much better already, although I’ll have to take the antibiotics for a few days. Also, it was unnerving to spend the entire morning alone in our hotel room. I don’t think I’ve been alone for more than 5 minutes at any point during the last 12 days.
Around 2:00pm, the hotel staff came in to clean the room and I went downstairs to sit on the outdoor patio and have a cold pop. Pam and the others noticed me when they arrived back at the hotel, possibly because I was dressed in a fluorescent pink skirt and matching pink khanga (crazy mzungu). According to our receipt from immigration, we are officially working under a professor Wilmpilby. The question is, should we get her a monocle to suit her new epic name?
In less stellar news, my roommate and I have fallen victim to some lonely African microbes. This came as quite the surprise since I’ve really been enjoying the food in Tanzania. Most of it is very simple and healthy, like something you could make yourself if you were appropriately talented. Food preservatives, chemicals, and packaging aren’t really an issue here. We eat a lot of curries and stews, along with eggs, rice, chipatis, naan, and various potato dishes. For meat we eat beef, chicken, or fish. We don’t really get any raw fruits and vegetables or dairy, but otherwise have all the food groups covered. Also, the portion sizes are very reasonable. My only major complaint is that coffee is incredibly hard to come by, particularly good old filter coffee. Although Tanzania is one of the world’s coffee producing countries, the only thing available to buy is horrible instant coffee. Africa-cafe is the most common and probably the most disgusting. I’ve taken to drinking tea in the mornings which, for those of you who know me, is a pretty radical step. The instant coffee is that bad.
Anyway, somewhere in the midst of all of this new and excellent food, Jenn and I became ill. We could have also picked up some kind of flu, we’re not really sure. We got progressively sicker for about 48 hours until Jenn finally gave in and took antibiotics last night (brought from home for just such an occasion). This morning, she made me take some too. I guess she got tired of me getting up several times a night to turn the air conditioner on and off depending on my fever. Anyway, as an act of kindness, the team abandoned me to sleep at the hotel this morning while they went to the immigration office to check on our residence permits. It was either get better now or feel miserable on the 8 hour drive to Iringa. I’m feeling much better already, although I’ll have to take the antibiotics for a few days. Also, it was unnerving to spend the entire morning alone in our hotel room. I don’t think I’ve been alone for more than 5 minutes at any point during the last 12 days.
Around 2:00pm, the hotel staff came in to clean the room and I went downstairs to sit on the outdoor patio and have a cold pop. Pam and the others noticed me when they arrived back at the hotel, possibly because I was dressed in a fluorescent pink skirt and matching pink khanga (crazy mzungu). According to our receipt from immigration, we are officially working under a professor Wilmpilby. The question is, should we get her a monocle to suit her new epic name?
Monday, June 28, 2010
Day 11
I had a nice birthday! Also, the weird African consumer product of the day is Obama bubblegum (orange flavoured).
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Day 10
Leo ni siku yungu ya kuzaliwa. Nina miaka ishirini na nne. (Today is the day of my birth. I am 24 years old).
Another lazy day in Dar es Salaam! Weekends are more fun without any possibility to do work. This morning I called Ben and he caught me up on the goings-on in Canada. Did the earth really open up in Ontario and try to swallow the prime minister? After breakfast, we walked around, drank some coffee, and looked at some art. This afternoon, I anticipate some lunch, some shopping, and some sun. Life's hard when you're an archaeologist.
The only thing that could make today better would be family (familia) and friends (rafiki). And perhaps some human bones and teeth (mifupa na mano ya mtu), but that remains to be seen. For now, we're on vacation!
Another lazy day in Dar es Salaam! Weekends are more fun without any possibility to do work. This morning I called Ben and he caught me up on the goings-on in Canada. Did the earth really open up in Ontario and try to swallow the prime minister? After breakfast, we walked around, drank some coffee, and looked at some art. This afternoon, I anticipate some lunch, some shopping, and some sun. Life's hard when you're an archaeologist.
The only thing that could make today better would be family (familia) and friends (rafiki). And perhaps some human bones and teeth (mifupa na mano ya mtu), but that remains to be seen. For now, we're on vacation!
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Day 9
As you can see, we've been frequenting a lot of internet cafes because our research team is apparently internet-dependent. No complaints here! Today, we are specifically hiding out in the Jambo Cafe because the mostly-abandoned building several metres from our hotel is being renting out for a slamming party. I'm talking about balloons, DJs, and loud Rihanna music. I don't expect we'll sleep much tonight!We had a great day shopping on Uhuru (freedom) street for Tanzanian Khangas, and then by the ocean front for souvenirs. We can't do any "work" on the weekends because all government buildings close. All the more time to play tourist, as far as I'm concerned. We bought some wonderful traditional African clothing from a designer called Mapozi, as well as some sandals, scarves and jewelery. Then we had lunch right on the ocean front under a tiki hut. I could get used to this kind of field work.
Tomorrow is my 24th birthday. Spending it in Africa is definitely the best present I could have asked for.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Day 8
More strange consumer products found in Tanzania:
- Red bull (purchased! This better help with my massive caffeine withdrawal)
- Pantene Pro-V Blonde Expressions shampoo and conditioner (what? There's another blonde currently in Tanzania?)
- A Hannah Montana lunch bag
- One of my favourite books in Swahili: The Little Prince, or Mwana Mdogo Wa Mfalme
This morning we went to the National Museum to try and locate the artifacts excavated from the site in 2002. They are still missing in action, but we were treated very well by one of the directors and I have high hopes. Also, it was pretty exciting to see the wild peacocks that run amok on the grounds.
We've also given our project an informal acronym: IRAP (Iringa Region Archaeological Project). I feel like this suits my personality pretty well. Bring on the research! Before then, we have a fun-filled weekend of shopping, eating, and sight-seeing planned in Dar es Salaam. I have a feeling there is some local jewellery in my near future. Perhaps also a birthday? We'll have to see!
Last but not least, here are my two favourite photos from our London trip:
- Red bull (purchased! This better help with my massive caffeine withdrawal)
- Pantene Pro-V Blonde Expressions shampoo and conditioner (what? There's another blonde currently in Tanzania?)
- A Hannah Montana lunch bag
- One of my favourite books in Swahili: The Little Prince, or Mwana Mdogo Wa Mfalme
This morning we went to the National Museum to try and locate the artifacts excavated from the site in 2002. They are still missing in action, but we were treated very well by one of the directors and I have high hopes. Also, it was pretty exciting to see the wild peacocks that run amok on the grounds.
We've also given our project an informal acronym: IRAP (Iringa Region Archaeological Project). I feel like this suits my personality pretty well. Bring on the research! Before then, we have a fun-filled weekend of shopping, eating, and sight-seeing planned in Dar es Salaam. I have a feeling there is some local jewellery in my near future. Perhaps also a birthday? We'll have to see!
Last but not least, here are my two favourite photos from our London trip:
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Day 7
Habari za jioni! This place grows on you quickly. I like hearing the Muslim call to prayer 5 times a day. I like how everyone greets you in Swahili or at least with a smile or a nod. I like learning the languge (human bones are mafupa ya wato). I like the department of antiquities, and how excited the people there are about our project. Perhaps most of all, I like the food. Today's lunch proved to be the ultimate in Tanzanian buffets: unmarked pots on a palm-shaded patio. There is something so liberating about having no idea what the food you're eating is. It's a full-on commitment to trying new things.
Today we visited antiquities again and turned over our precious fossil teeth. It's sad to see them go, but they truly belong in Tanzania. We may even get to see them returned to the government in a formal ceremony! Afterwards, we booked 2 land rovers for 50 days and had lunch at the Kijiji cha Makumbusho (the village museum). After lunch, we walked through a series of recreations of the traditional huts of various Tanzanian tribes, including the Wahehe and Masai (the groups in our study area). We also got to see some African dancing and drumming, which was fantastic. The museum strongly reminded me of the Ukrainian Village in both its mandate and presentation. Even the sod roofs were the same. I couldn't help thinking that my mom and dad would have really enjoyed seeing it. Never fear, I'm bringing back pictures!
Tomorrow we tackle the museum, and hopefully discover some treasures within. We have been gone for exactly a week (seems like more, doesn't it?). I miss home, but this place is pretty cool.
Today we visited antiquities again and turned over our precious fossil teeth. It's sad to see them go, but they truly belong in Tanzania. We may even get to see them returned to the government in a formal ceremony! Afterwards, we booked 2 land rovers for 50 days and had lunch at the Kijiji cha Makumbusho (the village museum). After lunch, we walked through a series of recreations of the traditional huts of various Tanzanian tribes, including the Wahehe and Masai (the groups in our study area). We also got to see some African dancing and drumming, which was fantastic. The museum strongly reminded me of the Ukrainian Village in both its mandate and presentation. Even the sod roofs were the same. I couldn't help thinking that my mom and dad would have really enjoyed seeing it. Never fear, I'm bringing back pictures!
Tomorrow we tackle the museum, and hopefully discover some treasures within. We have been gone for exactly a week (seems like more, doesn't it?). I miss home, but this place is pretty cool.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Day 6
Before I arrived in Africa, it hadn’t kicked in that I was going to the field this summer. I thought it would sink in when I stepped on the plane, or when I saw my sister in England. However, being in England felt like a familiar European vacation, and my denial continued through to Dubai. This trip became very real very quickly as soon as we stepped into the airport in Dar es Salaam.
I guess you could say I am experiencing culture shock. Here there is ground and sky and people, but that’s about where the comparison to anything in my experience ends. First of all, there are people everywhere. Nowhere except our hotel can I expect to see fewer than 50 people at any given time. Despite the fact that most people in Dar don’t own a private vehicle, the roads are constantly packed with cars, cyclists, and hundreds of pedestrians. There are 4.5 million people in this city, and they are all out and about. Almost everyone is African. I suddenly feel like what an African must feel like in Alberta. We stick out horribly, and I find myself unconsciously keeping a tally of how many other non-African people I see. Today, it was less than 10. I can’t recognize any of the trees or plants. What I find the most jarring is that everything here has a smell. It’s not necessarily an offensive one, but it always strong. Inside buildings, it usually smells like human bodies and sweat. On the streets, it’s a mix of food, automobiles, animals, spices and incense, and metals. On the road, it’s exhaust, diesel, asphalt, and chemicals. In the supermarket, it’s mothballs and cleaner. Even our room smells strongly of moist walls, paint, laundry detergent, and a little bit like the dorms at my childhood summer camp. I never realized that Canada generally doesn’t smell. We must live in a world of recycled, filtered air slowly dispersing through a scattered population. I have never been so over-stimulated in my entire life. Even I smell different, presumably from the water and the heat.
There are a lot of things to for me to worry about. I’m afraid of being alone, going out at night, walking in the wrong places (like the beach and down alleys, where tourists are routinely mugged), mosquito-transmitted diseases, the spooky abandoned building directly across from our hotel room window (why does it have to look so much like a sniper post?), the men who try to sell things in the middle of the road to stopped cars, and using a dishonest bureau de change to convert USD into Tanzanian shillings. I never feel like I have enough bottled water, and it’s unsafe to drink the tap water or the refilled “bottled water” that people often try to sell on the streets. The heat is like a heavy blanket that sits on my shoulders and clings to my skin and hair. It was about 35 °C today and extremely muggy, even with a breeze or in air conditioned buildings. Last night, Jenn and I forgot to turn the air conditioner back on before we fell asleep. Our hotel room doesn’t have nets because the circulation of air from the AC prevents the mosquitoes from alighting. Not only was I unbearably hot and sweaty in the morning, but I was terrified that we would both be malaria factories. We checked and we don’t seem to have any bites, but I still worried.
Really quickly, it’s getting better. Today we spent the whole day traveling through the city. We have a driver named Phillomenos who jovially takes us around in a land rover, eliminating much of the danger of doing errands. That being said, the land rover has no seatbelts, there are no lines painted on the road, we are constantly almost colliding into pedestrians, cyclists, and other cars, and we seem to have spent a significant amount of time driving on sidewalks (please don’t worry, mom). Today we went to the Idara ya Mambo ya Kale (the department of things of old, AKA the department of antiquities) where we met several administrators, arranged for an antiquities officer to accompany us to the field, and paid for our excavation permit. Afterwards, we went to the department of immigration to apply for residence permits, and to a Vodafone outlet to get some pre-paid cell phones for when we split up around town. I also bought a guidebook to Mikumi National Park, the wildlife reserve we’ll be driving through on our way to Iringa. Afterwards, we had a good Tanzanian lunch on the patio of the Chicken Hut Restaurant. I had ugali (a cassava and corn paste that kind of looks like mashed potatoes) with an amazing beef and vegetable stew that arrived still sizzling in a stone dish carved like a cow. For the Ukrainians in the audience, ugali is very much like nachenka minus the corn meal and with a slightly thicker consistency. It’s eaten by rolling it into balls in your hand and then using them to scoop up meat or sauce. Eating without utensils (especially in public) felt all sorts of naughty and rebellious but hey, when in Dar... Right before we left, a man off the street walked up to our table, purposefully drank the rest of my bottled water, and left a Tanzanian identification card in its place. The waitresses were very apologetic and asked if I was ok, and I felt like telling them that stranger things have happened in Edmonton. Perhaps that was my first blonde moment? We finished the day by walking to a supermarket and buying water and snacks. There I saw one of what I’m sure will be many bizarre African consumer products: Obama cologne manufactured in Ukraine and sold in East Africa.
Tomorrow, we will try to secure two land rovers for the trip to Iringa, and possibly visit the museum. It sounds like the artifacts I want to see are still unavailable, but I have high hopes that I can collect the data I need before we go. Because we have to wait for our residence permits to be granted, we won’t leave until Monday or Tuesday of next week at the earliest. There is a lot more of the city to explore before we go to mashambarani (the bush). All the more time to adjust.
I guess you could say I am experiencing culture shock. Here there is ground and sky and people, but that’s about where the comparison to anything in my experience ends. First of all, there are people everywhere. Nowhere except our hotel can I expect to see fewer than 50 people at any given time. Despite the fact that most people in Dar don’t own a private vehicle, the roads are constantly packed with cars, cyclists, and hundreds of pedestrians. There are 4.5 million people in this city, and they are all out and about. Almost everyone is African. I suddenly feel like what an African must feel like in Alberta. We stick out horribly, and I find myself unconsciously keeping a tally of how many other non-African people I see. Today, it was less than 10. I can’t recognize any of the trees or plants. What I find the most jarring is that everything here has a smell. It’s not necessarily an offensive one, but it always strong. Inside buildings, it usually smells like human bodies and sweat. On the streets, it’s a mix of food, automobiles, animals, spices and incense, and metals. On the road, it’s exhaust, diesel, asphalt, and chemicals. In the supermarket, it’s mothballs and cleaner. Even our room smells strongly of moist walls, paint, laundry detergent, and a little bit like the dorms at my childhood summer camp. I never realized that Canada generally doesn’t smell. We must live in a world of recycled, filtered air slowly dispersing through a scattered population. I have never been so over-stimulated in my entire life. Even I smell different, presumably from the water and the heat.
There are a lot of things to for me to worry about. I’m afraid of being alone, going out at night, walking in the wrong places (like the beach and down alleys, where tourists are routinely mugged), mosquito-transmitted diseases, the spooky abandoned building directly across from our hotel room window (why does it have to look so much like a sniper post?), the men who try to sell things in the middle of the road to stopped cars, and using a dishonest bureau de change to convert USD into Tanzanian shillings. I never feel like I have enough bottled water, and it’s unsafe to drink the tap water or the refilled “bottled water” that people often try to sell on the streets. The heat is like a heavy blanket that sits on my shoulders and clings to my skin and hair. It was about 35 °C today and extremely muggy, even with a breeze or in air conditioned buildings. Last night, Jenn and I forgot to turn the air conditioner back on before we fell asleep. Our hotel room doesn’t have nets because the circulation of air from the AC prevents the mosquitoes from alighting. Not only was I unbearably hot and sweaty in the morning, but I was terrified that we would both be malaria factories. We checked and we don’t seem to have any bites, but I still worried.
Really quickly, it’s getting better. Today we spent the whole day traveling through the city. We have a driver named Phillomenos who jovially takes us around in a land rover, eliminating much of the danger of doing errands. That being said, the land rover has no seatbelts, there are no lines painted on the road, we are constantly almost colliding into pedestrians, cyclists, and other cars, and we seem to have spent a significant amount of time driving on sidewalks (please don’t worry, mom). Today we went to the Idara ya Mambo ya Kale (the department of things of old, AKA the department of antiquities) where we met several administrators, arranged for an antiquities officer to accompany us to the field, and paid for our excavation permit. Afterwards, we went to the department of immigration to apply for residence permits, and to a Vodafone outlet to get some pre-paid cell phones for when we split up around town. I also bought a guidebook to Mikumi National Park, the wildlife reserve we’ll be driving through on our way to Iringa. Afterwards, we had a good Tanzanian lunch on the patio of the Chicken Hut Restaurant. I had ugali (a cassava and corn paste that kind of looks like mashed potatoes) with an amazing beef and vegetable stew that arrived still sizzling in a stone dish carved like a cow. For the Ukrainians in the audience, ugali is very much like nachenka minus the corn meal and with a slightly thicker consistency. It’s eaten by rolling it into balls in your hand and then using them to scoop up meat or sauce. Eating without utensils (especially in public) felt all sorts of naughty and rebellious but hey, when in Dar... Right before we left, a man off the street walked up to our table, purposefully drank the rest of my bottled water, and left a Tanzanian identification card in its place. The waitresses were very apologetic and asked if I was ok, and I felt like telling them that stranger things have happened in Edmonton. Perhaps that was my first blonde moment? We finished the day by walking to a supermarket and buying water and snacks. There I saw one of what I’m sure will be many bizarre African consumer products: Obama cologne manufactured in Ukraine and sold in East Africa.
Tomorrow, we will try to secure two land rovers for the trip to Iringa, and possibly visit the museum. It sounds like the artifacts I want to see are still unavailable, but I have high hopes that I can collect the data I need before we go. Because we have to wait for our residence permits to be granted, we won’t leave until Monday or Tuesday of next week at the earliest. There is a lot more of the city to explore before we go to mashambarani (the bush). All the more time to adjust.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Day 4
Hello from the Dubai airport! The roof leaks and it's over-run by rogue birds, but otherwise very nice. Also, it magically converted all of my internet tool bars into Arabic which was quite the surprise. It's 32 degrees Celsius outside but you would never know it with the air conditioning.
This past weekend in London was exactly what I needed to relax and mentally prepare for field work. And this was in spite of having the worst jet-lag I have ever experienced! After our adventures on Saturday, Tina and I met up on Sunday morning and took a leisurely stroll along the Thames and past Westminster Abbey, Trafalger Square, and on to the shops in Oxford Circus. I even bought a beautiful white dress from a store called Oasis. However, after discussing our upcoming laundry situation with Katie, I elected to send it home with my sister. That's ok, it will just give me an excuse to buy from African designers in Dar es Salaam. On Sunday night, I met up with my sister's in-laws who I'm actively courting to become part my own regular extended family. I thought I hit the jackpot when my sister married a nice guy like Ben but I have to say, his family definitely sweetens the deal. We had a really nice dinner full of steak, laughs, and conversation. I evened acquired the secret hiding place of the elusive Dr. Madcock so I can send him a postcard from Tanzania. To finish it off, my British family had me home before 10:30 pm so I didn't wake my 3 roomies. Trust me, cranky archaeologists are to be avoided.
Yesterday morning (which sounds strange since we haven't slept since then), we met with several researchers at the Natural History Museum in London who are collaborating on one of my supervisor's other projects. The purpose of our visit was to pick up some fossils to return to Tanzania. The meeting was really interesting, but even better was what happened afterwards. Our rather famous palaeoanthropologist host offered to take out the original Broken Hill/Kabwe skull, a stupendously complete specimen of Homo heidelbergensis. For non-anthropologists, this is basically the equivalent of getting a private viewing of the crown jewels. Original fossils are so valuable that they are almost always kept in storage under lock and key, while their casts are circulated. Seeing such a fossil is a once in a lifetime experience. It was a really nice way to end our trip to London. Well, that and the amazing Italian restaurant we found for lunch.
Since then, we've been traveling non-stop. We took one of Emirates' new two-story air buses from London to Dubai, which had a fountain at the entrance to first class. We'll spent a few hours in the airport on layover, and then fly to Dar es Salaam later this evening. Flights from Edmonton to Dubai have already taken about 15 hours, and we still have 5.5 hours of air time left to go. You better show me some love, Africa. This is the second time in less than a week that I've been awake for more than 24 hours for you.
This past weekend in London was exactly what I needed to relax and mentally prepare for field work. And this was in spite of having the worst jet-lag I have ever experienced! After our adventures on Saturday, Tina and I met up on Sunday morning and took a leisurely stroll along the Thames and past Westminster Abbey, Trafalger Square, and on to the shops in Oxford Circus. I even bought a beautiful white dress from a store called Oasis. However, after discussing our upcoming laundry situation with Katie, I elected to send it home with my sister. That's ok, it will just give me an excuse to buy from African designers in Dar es Salaam. On Sunday night, I met up with my sister's in-laws who I'm actively courting to become part my own regular extended family. I thought I hit the jackpot when my sister married a nice guy like Ben but I have to say, his family definitely sweetens the deal. We had a really nice dinner full of steak, laughs, and conversation. I evened acquired the secret hiding place of the elusive Dr. Madcock so I can send him a postcard from Tanzania. To finish it off, my British family had me home before 10:30 pm so I didn't wake my 3 roomies. Trust me, cranky archaeologists are to be avoided.
Yesterday morning (which sounds strange since we haven't slept since then), we met with several researchers at the Natural History Museum in London who are collaborating on one of my supervisor's other projects. The purpose of our visit was to pick up some fossils to return to Tanzania. The meeting was really interesting, but even better was what happened afterwards. Our rather famous palaeoanthropologist host offered to take out the original Broken Hill/Kabwe skull, a stupendously complete specimen of Homo heidelbergensis. For non-anthropologists, this is basically the equivalent of getting a private viewing of the crown jewels. Original fossils are so valuable that they are almost always kept in storage under lock and key, while their casts are circulated. Seeing such a fossil is a once in a lifetime experience. It was a really nice way to end our trip to London. Well, that and the amazing Italian restaurant we found for lunch.
Since then, we've been traveling non-stop. We took one of Emirates' new two-story air buses from London to Dubai, which had a fountain at the entrance to first class. We'll spent a few hours in the airport on layover, and then fly to Dar es Salaam later this evening. Flights from Edmonton to Dubai have already taken about 15 hours, and we still have 5.5 hours of air time left to go. You better show me some love, Africa. This is the second time in less than a week that I've been awake for more than 24 hours for you.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Day 2
Re-reading last night's post, I'm impressed it's so coherent considering my eyes were half-closed while I was typing. Falling asleep at 7 PM backfired on us because Katie, Pam, and I were wide awake in the middle of the night. I guess Pam got up and watched television (she had her own room), while Katie and I tossed and turned and listened to the drunk, angry football fans returning from the bars around Russell Square. I guess the match England played last night ended less than favourably. Our token sleeper, Jenn, missed all of it and was just fine until morning.
Aside from a lack of sleep, today was an absolutely perfect day in London. After a hearty "English breakfast" of eggs, bacon, beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, toast, coffee, and orange juice, we moved into a bigger hotel room and met up with my wonderful sister! Tina even carried my beastly suitcase down three flights of stairs (that’s sibling love for you). We then spent a blissful morning walking and shopping around Camden Market, after a minor incident which involved us breaking out of a double decker bus (it's always an adventure with our research team). After picking up some souvenirs, we went to the British Museum where my sister and I spent quality time catching up and wandering through the artifacts. For once, we did more looking than reading which allowed me to see some new and interesting things. For example, did you know there is a chipped flint with a miraculous image of Chaucer inside? Now you do. Our afternoon at the museum was capped off by some wonderful steak & ale pie, fish and chips, and beer at the "Museum Tavern", originally founded in 1723 under the name "the Dog and Duck." It certainly made up for our pizza transgressions the night before.
After a full day of play, we're having another quiet evening at the hotel. I always forget how annoying jet lag is until I'm in the thick of it. However, tomorrow will be another wonderful day. My sister and I are planning to shop some of the high streets, and then see my new British extended family for dinner. My brother in law is even rushing home from a conference in Sweden to be there! So far, I couldn't have asked for a better pre-field work holiday in Europe. It has been particularly fantastic to see my sister after nearly a year of being apart. I think this is probably the lift I needed before embarking on our great African adventure.
Aside from a lack of sleep, today was an absolutely perfect day in London. After a hearty "English breakfast" of eggs, bacon, beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, toast, coffee, and orange juice, we moved into a bigger hotel room and met up with my wonderful sister! Tina even carried my beastly suitcase down three flights of stairs (that’s sibling love for you). We then spent a blissful morning walking and shopping around Camden Market, after a minor incident which involved us breaking out of a double decker bus (it's always an adventure with our research team). After picking up some souvenirs, we went to the British Museum where my sister and I spent quality time catching up and wandering through the artifacts. For once, we did more looking than reading which allowed me to see some new and interesting things. For example, did you know there is a chipped flint with a miraculous image of Chaucer inside? Now you do. Our afternoon at the museum was capped off by some wonderful steak & ale pie, fish and chips, and beer at the "Museum Tavern", originally founded in 1723 under the name "the Dog and Duck." It certainly made up for our pizza transgressions the night before.
After a full day of play, we're having another quiet evening at the hotel. I always forget how annoying jet lag is until I'm in the thick of it. However, tomorrow will be another wonderful day. My sister and I are planning to shop some of the high streets, and then see my new British extended family for dinner. My brother in law is even rushing home from a conference in Sweden to be there! So far, I couldn't have asked for a better pre-field work holiday in Europe. It has been particularly fantastic to see my sister after nearly a year of being apart. I think this is probably the lift I needed before embarking on our great African adventure.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Day 1
Hello from London! This is going to be a short post since we have been up for over 30 hours and my eyes are beginning to involuntarily close. The flight over was unspectacular save for the fact that none of us got any real rest, and that my subconscious sleepily merged the plots for "How to Train Your Dragon," "The Hurt Locker," and "Shutter Island" into one mega-film. It made for one weird 6 hour long movie.
I've already encountered a problem with my luggage. Working in the field for 2.5 months and having to trek around Europe are more incompatible than I thought. A giant suitcase sure seemed like a good idea at the time, and I did my best to pack it with only the bare essentials. However, neither of those things detracts from the fact that it weights 69 lbs and I can barely move it. This was especially problematic today when we had to walk several blocks from the tube station to our hotel, a journey that included a generous helping of stairs. I've since removed some of my clothes for my sister to take care of (donate or transport), but my suitcase is still a behemoth. I plan to backpack for every single travel engagement in the future – no exceptions!
This afternoon we bypassed several English pubs in favour of pizza, and England repaid us with one of her infamous smoggy downpours. Three of us are staying in a hotel room the size of my bathroom, which is now strewn with wet clothing. To cap everything off, the water has been turned off "due to an emergency" in our hotel. But after 30+ hours awake and a gut full of pizza, it just doesn’t sound like such a big deal.
I've already encountered a problem with my luggage. Working in the field for 2.5 months and having to trek around Europe are more incompatible than I thought. A giant suitcase sure seemed like a good idea at the time, and I did my best to pack it with only the bare essentials. However, neither of those things detracts from the fact that it weights 69 lbs and I can barely move it. This was especially problematic today when we had to walk several blocks from the tube station to our hotel, a journey that included a generous helping of stairs. I've since removed some of my clothes for my sister to take care of (donate or transport), but my suitcase is still a behemoth. I plan to backpack for every single travel engagement in the future – no exceptions!
This afternoon we bypassed several English pubs in favour of pizza, and England repaid us with one of her infamous smoggy downpours. Three of us are staying in a hotel room the size of my bathroom, which is now strewn with wet clothing. To cap everything off, the water has been turned off "due to an emergency" in our hotel. But after 30+ hours awake and a gut full of pizza, it just doesn’t sound like such a big deal.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
1 day till departure
As some of you may know, I'm pretty good at board games. In certain company, I'm really good at board games. The reason for this is cheesy and simple. I count the number of spaces I want to move, and then visualize the number on the dice. This actually seems to work for me more times than not! So far this has been a totally useless skill because I don't gamble. So, in the interest of applying my visualization super power to something of actual importance, here is my list of top 5 field wishes for this summer. Listen up universe!
1. Find relevant human remains from the previous excavation of this site, housed somewhere in the recesses of the National Museum.
2. Find at least one more skeleton, with compelling indications of age and sex.
3. Find more juvenile remains!
4. Find some artifacts in association. I'm not asking for grave goods (although I'll take them!), I'm just asking for things my LSA pals could have possibly used.
5. Find some grave architecture! In fact, I will be more than happy with evidence for an intrusive pit.
Up until this point, I have been extremely conservative and only whispered these wishes to myself at night. In fact, I've whispered even more outrageous things (the prospect of reconstructing an entire necklace of ostrich eggshell beads has occurred to me). However, archaeology is a fickle pursuit. We might find wondrous things, or we might find bupkis. If writing down my fantasies helps make them come true, well then I've done all I can.
1. Find relevant human remains from the previous excavation of this site, housed somewhere in the recesses of the National Museum.
2. Find at least one more skeleton, with compelling indications of age and sex.
3. Find more juvenile remains!
4. Find some artifacts in association. I'm not asking for grave goods (although I'll take them!), I'm just asking for things my LSA pals could have possibly used.
5. Find some grave architecture! In fact, I will be more than happy with evidence for an intrusive pit.
Up until this point, I have been extremely conservative and only whispered these wishes to myself at night. In fact, I've whispered even more outrageous things (the prospect of reconstructing an entire necklace of ostrich eggshell beads has occurred to me). However, archaeology is a fickle pursuit. We might find wondrous things, or we might find bupkis. If writing down my fantasies helps make them come true, well then I've done all I can.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
2 days till departure
Today was a good day because I received official notification that I will have funding again next year. Several weeks ago, my department informed me I had been recommended for a certain scholarship. I found myself wondering, what the heck is that supposed to mean? Did I win? Have I reached the next level of competition? Since the first rule of grad school seems to be never believe anything funding-related until you see it in writing, I was hesitant to draw any conclusions. But as of today, all is well! I suspect that the faculty of graduate studies just enjoys the ultimate power of granting funds. Whatever the case may be, I'm very happy that I can continue fossil hunting and playing in the lab for the foreseeable future. Thanks to my department, the university, and the provincial government for convincing me that anthropologist might actually be a viable career choice.
Now that my money woes are somewhat resolved, all that's left is to finish packing. I might even get a pedicure. I think 74 days in the field combined with today's luck might justify a little love!
Now that my money woes are somewhat resolved, all that's left is to finish packing. I might even get a pedicure. I think 74 days in the field combined with today's luck might justify a little love!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
9 days till departure
This is not really an Africa-related post so much as it is a research and family-related post. Today, my sister met four members of the British royal family at two separate events. The second event was a send-off for the upcoming royal visit to Canada. One hundred and forty "interesting Canadians" living in England were invited, including artists, executives, academics, and public figures. My sister was one of 5 PhD students present, and was probably included as the past president of the Cambridge Canadian Club. In the end, she had brief conversation with Queen Elizabeth about her research on the Arctic, of which the Queen was very supportive. My sister also charmed the heck out of Princes Philip and Edward, and Countess Sophie.
This is a moment for counting blessings. Sixty years ago, not all my grandparents were able to finish high school. They worked hard so my parents could have more opportunities, who likewise worked hard so my sister and I could grow up to be anything we wanted. Hilariously, that turned out to be a historian and an anthropologist. We have been lucky so far in funding and travel, and have worked very hard on our respective projects. We believe in our research. And today my sister's work was validated by the Queen of England. I feel really good about that!
This is a moment for counting blessings. Sixty years ago, not all my grandparents were able to finish high school. They worked hard so my parents could have more opportunities, who likewise worked hard so my sister and I could grow up to be anything we wanted. Hilariously, that turned out to be a historian and an anthropologist. We have been lucky so far in funding and travel, and have worked very hard on our respective projects. We believe in our research. And today my sister's work was validated by the Queen of England. I feel really good about that!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Two weeks till departure
We received our Tanzanian visas today, concluding the long list of permits and permissions required to conduct our research. Prior to this, we obtained ethics approval from the university and research approval from the Tanzanian department of antiquities. Our COSTECH (Tanzania Commission on Science and Technology) research permits were approved months ago, although strangely enough, the MA student applications were processed before the PhD students and our supervisor. For awhile, Jenn and I teased Pam that if she weren't allowed into the country, we would run her research project for her. Fortunately, all the necessary paperwork has been completed and we'll be going as a unified anthropology super team! There are still a few hoops to jump through, but those are tasks left until we enter the country. For now, all we have left to do is pack. We have been planning this excavation for nearly four years. To say I'm excited is the understatement of the century.
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