Archive for 2005

But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight, “Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night.”  (My roommate and I have a unique decritive Christmas spirit).

Well, It’s about that time again. “Update your xanga site,” the voices say with wrinkles upon their brows. So I shall converse about thusandsuch, suchandforth, and forthandthus (I know, I know…but they should be real words).

So I just got back from CS/PFO-SOM. A kid’s camp for missionary kids with the worlds most acronymriaded (also not a word) title in the world . For the first three weeks I had a tribe of six 7/8-year-olds. For the last two weeks I coordinate the 4/5th grade program. This was my fifth year at the camp and I loved every minute of it.

Today was a very nostalgic day. I meandered my way through old photos and contemplated the passing of time and relationships. I came across a current picture of a good friend I haven’t spoken to in 10 years. I had no idea he’s married now and has a kid. We were such good friends back in the day. It makes me wonder which of my good fiends today will end up as distant memories 10 years from now despite my best intentions. I think about those I left without closure or even a proper goodbye. The tears I suppressed in an effort to appear controlled cost me more than I planned. I’m not depressed…just really nostalgic. Tomorrow morning I won’t remember exactly what I’m feeling right now or why, life will go on, and memories will fade, but xanga will last forever!

Well, due to overwhelming anti-Microsoft sentiment, I have decided to return to the world of xanga and blogging. Ok, not really, but since I just got back from Kenya on Monday and I can’t sleep in past 7,  I got up and decided to respond to emails. I ran out of emails to respond to so started blogging. So don’t thank me, thank jetlag.

As we speak, I am attempting to cook oatmeal in a rice-cooker. I will let you know the results when I finish with this blog.

So I went to Africa; Kenya to be exact. I went on safari with my Dad for two days and worked at a missions conference for 5 days. I don’t think words will do justice my experience so here is a small assortment of pics:

One of the many flights.  This one is Kenya Airways from Nairobi to Mombasa with Mount Kilimanjaro in the background:

The view from my room in Mombasa:

A storm cloud roles in over Maasai Mara creating one of my favorite smells:

My dad and I on safari:

We watched this lioness hunt a warthog for about an hour.  Poor stupid Pumba:

The kids I worked with at the conference.  I took about 50 lbs of american junk food, CDs and toys:

A fairwell skit for one of the missionaries that I’ve known and loved my whole life:

Back in Nairobi with some of my Kenyan friends:

The oatmeal was messy, but perfectly cooked.  Oh, the marvels of modern technology.

I downloaded the new MSN Istant Messanger BETA which has a blogging feature built-in.  So, I’ve started using it instead of xanga.  You can download the BETA here: http://messenger.msn.com/beta/ or you can go directly to my blog: http://spaces.msn.com/members/washamoto/