It's not real yet

It's funny how right before you leave for something big your senses kind of deaden and your not even excited. You are though because it is all you think about; stepping off the plane and the heat that smothers your concentration as you fill out the paperwork. I can feel the excitment that quicken my heart because I know that just on the other side of the soldiers who guard the exit is Manamou!
But that still hasn't really hit me, I haven't even packed and I leave next tuesday! Tomorrow I'll go back up to Issaquah.
I should make a list.
pick up check at PCC on friday and deposit money
pack! and try to think what i'm forgetting
pack the bag of cuado's for Manamou's family
what am i missing
oh yeah, clean my room and my car and everything else!!!

a message for my rightfully concerned parents

You all have every right to be worried. I am going to a far away place that isn't that scary to me anymore but for you guys with only the intermittant reports of parasites and infection and I'vebeeninbedforaweek you have every right to be worried. And I am in love with a person who you don't know who is from a culture that right now you are feeling is sooo soo far from our own. In a way you are right but at the same time, human beings have so much in common. We all fall in love, we all have mothers and fathers, we all need to eat good food and drink good water. You might be suprised at how far those simple things go in creating huge connections.
I know that when you meet Manamou you won't have any doubts. I don't. I feel that this is an opportunity created by God because I certainly would not and could not have come up with such I far flung sketchy crazy plan.
I want you to know that I care about your opinions and whether you think this is a good decision. I need you all to be loving me and supporting me, because without you guys I couldn't do any of this crazy stuff.
I love you all so much for letting me be my crazy little self,
Jessy

Visa, ticket, a little bit of cash

and faith are the things I have to see me through the next couple of months. I am so happy/exstatic/excited that I am going back to Guinee, the only thing missing right now is starting of the K1 (fiance) visa process and a new digital camera. I might have to put the lawyer fee on my credit card. but i don't like credit cards no matter how useful they can be! But I need to start the K1 visa process now so I might put it on my card tomorrow morning, yuck. Anybody want to make a donations to the poor Jessy fund? Dad let me sell his old truck and that has me 400 ahead plus my most recent check and I am hovering at about 1000 dollars. Byron needs to hire me for 200 blocks, that is a third of the lawyer fee. What else can I do for some bandaid cash?
hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.... any ideas?
Look how fantastic he is? Who wouldn't spend thousands of dollars to hang out with him?

Global Daughter's Project

My sister is in Kathmandu, Nepal right now volunteering with Global Daughters Project. I have also contributed by editing the blog she is posting on! Check it out at www.angelfire.com/journal2/globaldaughters
This program is the brain child of a friend of mine in Crested Butte, Colorado, Lisa Gindy. Lisa launched the Global Daughters Project in a effort to increase opportunities available to Himalayan woman. The program, as you will see in the blog, is taking awesome mountain women from the states and brings them to Nepal to educate female guides there on wilderness first aid, rock climbing safety, and computer literacy skills.
Cheers to the Global Daughters Family!

Plus Photos de Travel

A vegetable market in New Delhi, India. July 2005

Pierre and Dayna after snorkeling on Koh Tao. August 2005


Me on Koh Tao, Thailand swimming with my injured foot. 2005

Baked goods in Paris! Yes! 2005

A house on Dal Lake in Shrinagar, India 2005

Dayna and I in Thailand. 2005

A boat at Sai Thong in Thailand. 2005

Some Travel Pictures

McLeod Ganj, India Monsoon 2005

Perfect Thailand. Koh Tao at www.saithong.com We loved it! 2005

Me and Dayna in a gypsy families house near Sonamarg, India (Kashmir Himalaya's) 2005

The women of the gypsy family. India 2005

Just a day in Pahar Ganj in New Delhi, India 2005

Red Dust

It is hard to believe how romantic all the red dust of G'bessia has becoe for me! I actually miss it, and I miss rice and the funny little sweet gooey things. Yep, I can't wait to get back and see friends and have to worry about what water I am drinking and food quality and where I'll go to the bathroom.... ahhhhhh love.... ahhhhhhh africa!
You just can't let anything get to you. One thing I do want to get to me and I want to realize is what I can do to help other beautiful beings on this planet who need assistance. Assistance because they lack the means to feed their children even a small amout of rice. I want people to have the medical aid they need. Children should not be plagued with ringworm and aids and malaria. What can I do to help? I am college graduate but I don't know how to use it! I need some guidance.

The photo is of Ousman the son of Kala Camara of Room. He is five in this picture and such a character.

C'est dur à croire comment romantique toute la poussière rouge de G'bessia a becoe pour moi ! Je le manque en fait, et je manque du riz et les petites choses gluantes, douces et drôles. Ouais, je ne peux pas attendre de rentrer et vois des amis et dois soucier de ce qu'arrose je bois et la qualité de nourriture et où j'irai à la salle de bains. ... amour de ahhhhhh. ... ahhhhhhh Afrique ! Vous vous n'importe quoi ne permettez pas d'obtenez juste. Une chose que je veux m'obtenir et je veux me rendre compte est que je peux faire pour aider d'autres beaux êtres sur cette planète qui a besoin de l'assistance. L'assistance parce qu'ils manquent les moyens pour nourrir leurs enfants même un petit amout de riz. Je veux que les gens pour aient eu l'aide médicale ils ont besoin de. Les enfants ne devraient pas être tourmentés avec la mycose et les aides et le paludisme. Que peux-je faire pour aider ? Je suis le diplômé de collège mais je ne sais pas l'utiliser ! J'ai besoin de quelque direction.
La photo est de Ousman le fils de Kala Camara de Pièce. Il est cinq dans cette image et un tel caractère.

Ode to my Parents

I am grateful to my parents in all their individual intricacies for loving me and having the grace and perserverance to nurture me, their child into the person that I now am and the person whom I will become. Without them I am nothing.

Je sais gré à mes parents dans toutes leurs complexités individuelles pour aimer me et avoir la grâce et perserverance pour me nourrir, leur enfant dans la personne que je suis maintenant et la personne que je deviendrai. Sans eux je ne suis rien.


The photo, I took of myself while baking like a cookie in Agra, India in June 2005.
La photo, j'ai pris de me pendant que cuisant comme un petit gâteau dans Agra, Inde en juin 2005.

Rosaline Nowaï Camara

The most beautiful four year old on the planet.

Le plus beau quatre année vieille sur la planète.

This is just saved here to keep a record.
How do you even dare? Do you think we never read your journal? I also postedcomments at http://www.angelfire.com/journal2/sweettrip/jessanddayna/.Quick corrections on the Saamato blog. FYI Baga Fote and Baga percussion are2 different things. Baga Fote is a band, which was created by Yves - no oneelse - and is not part of Saamato. Baga Percussion is a NON PROFITorganization, which was created by myself. Bebe is no more part of BagaFote/Baga Percussion - She left the band a long time ago. Neither isManamou.Furthermore I would like to remind you that all material on our website iscopyrighted. We have never agreed to lend you chunks of text (by the waypoorly translated) or video clips.Yves and I have no desire to be "linked" to your activities in any way.Christèle-----Original Message-----From: Jessica Towns [mailto:jessicatowns@yahoo.com]Sent: Tuesday, May 16, 2006 5:43 PMTo: info@bagapercussion.comSubject: Ballet SaamatoYves and Cristele,Soon the website, which is very simple, will be atwww.balletsaamato.com but for now is atwww.balletsaamato.blogspot.comI think it gives the ballet a sense of pride andaccomplishment and also provides former member's withan internet based site to substantiate their educationas artists. (not that it is nescesary, just nice.)I have also linked your website,www.bagapercussion.com in the side barlet me know what you think, Gigla is excited that BagaPercussion is linked to his site.Thanks, Jessica Towns
Dayna and Jess' Fabulous Excursions — Comments
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Thursday, 14 July 2005
Warning about Baga PercussionMood: downWarning about Baga Percussion, Cristele Forgot, African Dance, Drumming, Baga, Bangoura, Baga Fote, Baga Percussion. This is a warning to those who are thinking of doing an African Dance and drum course in Guinea, Africa with Baga Percussion. The artists are wonderful people and this is in no way intended to harm them, they are for the most part honest people. The problem is that even though we paid a total (for two students, 5 weeks) 2800 USD, the artists (5 artists per week for 5 weeks) received around 400 dollars in total! Let me break that down for you. Most of the artists are taking care of their entire families, which means the occasional opportunity to teach westerners is very valuable. Cristele paid them about 45,000 guinean francs per week. (Some of the artists only worked with us for one week. monthly that is 180,000fg) That barely covers "the 70,000 to 90,000 francs required to buy a 50kg sack of rice, the bare minimum needed to feed a family for a month." [IRIN Web Special, www.irinnews.org] Plus many of the artists pay rent and electricity, not to mention money for meat, fruit and vegetables and school supplies for younger siblings etc! The camp was also horridly organized and Cristele left the artists without enough money to even feed us properly! We ended up paying out more money to feed ourselves and the artists by the 5th week! The artists were also not sufficiently informed on the importance of potable water drinking water for westerners. Because of this discrepancy we were diagnosed with Giardia. When we told Cristele of our misfortune she told us that we couldn't be telling the truth and that we exagerated! Unbelievable! We really wanted to believe Cristele Forgot because she has FAIR TRADE and she seemed very nice but unfortunately she has proven herself untrustworthy. Either she is using the Guinean culture for profit or she is too naive to read the facts about this unfathmably poor country. She has an opportunity to greatly improve the artists lives as well as the lives of their families but she has fallen short like so many others. If you are interested in contacting the djembe and dancing artists directly please visit: www.manixdjembe.blogspot.com and contact Manamou Camara @ manixdjembe@yahoo.fr if you would like to speak with Dayna or Jess about our experience with Baga Percussion or Cristele Forgot-Bangoura please email us at: jessicatowns@yahoo.com daynaallison@yahoo.com
Posted by journal2/sweettrip at 1:35 AM
Post a Comment
Monday, 10 April 2006 - 5:41 AM Name: Christèle BangouraHome Page: http://www.bagapercussion.comE-Mail: info@bagapercussion.com
I am writing in reply to Jess _'s posting regarding her experience with my organization, Baga Percussion. I would normally disregard accusations such as hers as absurd, however I feel compelled to set the record straight. Jess accuses me of a number of serious wrongdoings, none of which are true. I do not take such accusations lightly, and as a business owner, a professional, and as one who cares deeply for the musicians of Guinea, I cannot walk away without responding.I am married to a Guinean artist and I lived in Conakry for one year. I am far from naive about, or insensitive to, the hard realities facing the people who live there. I witnessed them and experienced them first hand, every day. Anyone who knows me in Conakry can confirm that I have done a tremendous amount for the artists there - opening my home to them, feeding them for sometimes weeks on end, paying for rent, utilities, passport fees, and even school tuition, on many many occasions. I formed this fair trade organization for the benefit of the musicians and work hard to make sure it is as such.In April 2005, I gave Jess and Dayna the opportunity to participate in a drumming and dance camp in Guinea with the artists of my husband's band for the lowest possible price ($180.00 per week, extremely reasonable for this type of event). Despite what they now say about how their experience ended, after 2 weeks, the girls were thankful, enthusiastic and told me how much they were satisfied. After two weeks, my husband and I needed to return to work (camps are run to support my husband's band, but they do not contribute in any way to my personal income, or his). As we had planned in advance, we left the camp under the direction of one of the musicians whom we trusted. This was apparently our mistake. We left this person with money to pay the musicians salaries for the remainder of the camp. My husband, a musician himself, decided on the salary and I trust that he knows the fair and proper wage for artists in his country. It was a wage above the usual for musicians (200,000 Guinean francs monthly), more on par with an official's salary. We learned later that the person we trusted to direct the camp became overwhelmed and disorganized and managed the money very poorly. Any shortage of money was not because we withheld it, but because it was, regretfully, not properly handled after we left.Any monies not given directly to the musicians or used to cover accommodations, food, daytrips, etc. for the camp were immediately used to cover the band's expenses, which include CD production costs, promotion, costumes, instruments, website creation, and mailings for engagement contracts (and which are considerable). I am ABSOLUTELY NOT making profit off of the camps, the musicians or the people of Guinea. In fact, just the opposite; I have lost money, not gained money, supporting Baga Fote and Baga Percussion. I believe strongly in the success of the band, and I have always been honest, fair and transparent in all operations surrounding it. I also believe strongly in the experience of people coming to Guinea to study drums and dancing and I have done my best to create an environment that fosters growth, learning and fun for the students. Jess neither appreciates this, nor understands the complexity of what it takes to organize camps and maintain the band.On the subject of potable water, the artists most definitely know the importance of potable drinking water for westerners. They do these camps and deal with westerners often enough. That said, Jess was informed of the health risks of being in Guinea (we all get giardia at one time or another, unfortunately. For that, I cannot take responsibility), and I gave her and Dayna all the information they needed regarding necessary vaccinations and medications before their arrival.It's unfortunate that Jess has slandered me and Baga Percussion without fully understanding the real situation, or contacting me to discuss things first. Her words not only hurt our organization, but ultimately may have a negative impact on the band itself, thus ruining career opportunities for the Guinean artists. I believe that Jess is the naïve one, not I.

Thursday, 18 May 2006 - 10:56 AM Name: Christèle BangouraHome Page: http://www.bagapercussion.comE-Mail: info@bagapercussion.com
I need to revise one thing after what I heard from the artists during our recent trip to Guinea. The artists confirmed that there had been no shortage of money and that our students ate very well (3 meals a day) during the entire camp, which was one of my major concerns. In addition, the artists paid out of their own pocket for expenses that the students claimed to be included in the fee - such as mineral water - although I had told them they were not. They did all they could to satisfy Jess - paying her cab when she needed to go change money or buying her things off the street when felt like having something. Despite all this, she was never satisfied and they said she drove them all crazy. They have worked with many international students and they told me they have never seen someone as difficult as her and that they prefer not to teach if they happen to have a student like her again.

Irafama

This is a song that Manamou and I sing to eachother while walking home exhausted, jumping over the sewage puddles and listening to the croaking song of septic toads.

Irafama, Manamou irafama!
Irafama, Kadiatou irafama!
Nyamano mwee-ma,
nyamoono ma hee-day...
Nyamano mwee-ma,
nyamoono ma hee-day!
Irafama, Kadiatou irafama!
Irafama, Manamou irafama!

I love you, Manamou I love you!
I love you, Kadiatou I love you!
I think of you all day,
I dream of you all night...
I think of you all day,
I dream of you all night!
I love you, Kadiatou I love you!
I love you, Manamou I love you!

This is a very sweet song that you will find people singing all over guinee. If you are tres gente et to-faun (good-looking in Susu) you will find this being sung to you quite alot!

Ceci est une chanson qui Manamou et je chante à pendant que marchant à la maison épuisé, sautant par-dessus les flaques de vidange et écoutant la chanson coassant de crapauds septiques.

Je t'aime, Manamou je t'aime!
Je t'aime, Kadiatou je t'aime!
Je vous pense à toute la journée,
je le rêve de vous toute nuit...
Je vous pense à toute la journée,
je le rêve de vous toute nuit!
Je t'aime, Kadiatou je t'aime!
Je t'aime, Manamou je t'aime!

Ceci est une chanson très douce que vous trouverez des gens chantant partout dans guinee. Si vous êtes tres gente et to-faun (beau dans Susu) vous trouverez ceci vous étant chanté tout à fait toujour!

Progress is steady coming

The 2nd of Janvier 2006. That is the date that I leave the united states for guinee. Loving across a long distance is trying for my heart but I knew that when I flew away from him, singing Irafama for at least a half hour. Writing to Manamou in another language is difficult and he has minimal computer skills and it takes him a long time to type. (peck peck peck...) That is hard too. I miss him so much but I do find some solice in the idea that even his shortest letters are a testament to his love for me because a one liner probably took him 5 minutes! (Just kidding sugar, you type just fine.)

I look at this picture everyday because I love to see "the lovin' in my baby's eyes" and the smile on his mama's face and the beauty of his daughter Rosaline. This picture shows me what I miss, and what I am working towards.

Le deuxieme de Janvier 2006. Cela est la date que je pars les etats-unis pour guinee. Aimer à travers un longue distance essaie pour mon coeur mais j'ai su que quand j'ai volé loin de lui, chantant Irafama pour au moins une demie heure. L'écriture à Manamou dans une autre langue est difficile et il a des compétences informatiques minimales et il le prend un temps long pour taper. (Le picotin de picotin de picotin. ..) Cela est fort aussi. Je le manque si beaucoup de mais je trouve quelque solice dans l'idée qui même ses lettres les plus courtes sont un testament à son amour pour moi parce qu'un un paquebot l'a pris probablement 5 minutes ! (Juste le sucre de kidding, vous tapez juste beau.)
Je regarde cette image de tous les jours parce que j'aime voir « l'aimer dans les yeux de mes bébés » et le sourire sur la face de sa maman et la beauté de son Rosaline de fille. Cette image me montre que je manque, et que je travaille à.

A long way home

I love my life and all the crazy beautiful frustrating things it puts in my path.
I recently returned to the united states from several months abroad. We covered alot of ground and grew in unfathomable ways as people always says you do when you visit other cultures. In Guinee the all knowing Jah blessed me by putting me in the presence of my love, Manamou Camara. Soon I will return to Guinee but first I must work hard.
The trip took us through so many loops and eye-spinning twirls, it is amazing that I am still standing. I am so grateful to the world for the experience.

J'aime ma vie et toutes les belles choses frustrant folles qu'il met dans mon chemin. Je me suis retourné récemment aux Etats-Unis de plusieurs mois à l'étranger. Nous avons couvert alot de sol et avons grandi dans les façons insondables comme les gens toujours disent que vous faites quand vous visitez d'autres cultures. Dans Guinee le tout Jah sachant m'a béni en me mettant dans la présence de mon amour, Manamou Camara. Bientôt je me retournerai à Guinee mais premièrement je dois travailler dur. Le voyage nous a pris par tant de boucles et examine-tourner tournoie, c'est stupéfiant que je suis calme se tenant. Je suis si reconnaissant au monde pour l'expérience.