Via Chicago.

In my nostalgic dreams anyway...

Dream with me and Wilco here.

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Photo Credit: Andrei Sinioukov

Fleeting Childhood Bliss.

From discovery to abandon.

Global Coconut Threat.

I knew that tropical paradise had its pitfalls, so to speak, but I did not realize the high level threat it poses. Apparently, falling coconuts are the world's latest, greatest threat.

Our favorite beach bar acknowledges such a threat, but politely declines any liability.

But one nation on earth was not prepared to take any risk with this threat. Ahead of President Obama's recent visit to India, officials from Mumbai undertook extraordinary measures to protect Obama from such global security risks and dutifully set about removing all coconuts which could potentially have fallen on his head during his recent visit. Phew.


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References:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11684382

Speaking of Fashion...

...what's your safari style?

Early European settlers in African were apparently terrified of of the effects of sun on both physical and mental health, as a result, a good hat ordered from the Army & Navy Stores catalogue was deemed essential.

Beyond the essential hat to protect from the sun, early safari adventurers were often accompanied by an entourage of cooks, a surgeon, and a train of wagons loaded with more "essentials" including items such as a piano, cases of gin, and crates of vintage champagne. In this way the term "safari" was adopted to describe the expatriate elite's adventures in the Kenyan and East African wilds, while in Swahili, the term simply means journey or trip. Go figure.

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References and Photo Credit:
Beddow, Tim and Natasha Burns. Safari Style. Thames and Hudson: London. 1998.

Swahili Fashion week.

The annual Swahili Fashion Week in Dar es Salaam was last week's highlight.

Now in its 3rd year, Swahili Fashion Week has been deemed East Africa's most sought after fashion and lifestyle platform. Swahili Fashion Week was founded by Mustafa Hassanali in 2008 as a much needed platform for designers across the Swahili speaking world to showcase their creativity and talent.

The chief aim of Swahili Fashion Week is to promote and assist in the growth of East African fashion and textile industries, demonstrating that fashion is indeed a business - as well as a creative expression - and that it can bring economic opportunities to individuals and nations as a whole. Towards that end, USAID East Africa Competitiveness and Trade Expansion Program (COMPETE) is a proud sponsor of Swahili Fashion Week. Under the global campaign banner of Origin Africa, COMPETE seeks to raise awareness about Africa as a preferred sourcing destination for textiles and apparel. In addition, COMPETE provides technical assistance to African firms and governments to enhance their competitiveness in global markets and help African businesses take advantage of trade opportunities available under the African Growth and Opportunity Act with the aim of expanding export opportunities and promoting increased interregional trade.

As proof of USAID's pioneering leadership in the fashion industry, the USAID/Tanzania Mission Director assumed front row seats at this not to be missed event.

Byeeee!

I just finished a pro-bono, year long contract with CARE International in Tanzania, and this was my parting gift.

Sing for Joy. Download for free here.

The Rider.

Short and sweet: the rider.