I've been to Austin

Have you been to Tucumcari or Tehachapi?

I haven't been to any of those places! Alpamare is a really fun place though - when we have the spring reunion here one year, we must go there. It's a huge swimming complex with tubes and and stuff, partly indoor, partly outdoor - about 45min by train in Pf�ffikon. We had a great time. First you get the easy rides where you sit in an inflated ring that carries you along a kind of strong current. Then there are really tame tubes that we didn't enjoy so much. And then there are the tubes for experienced swimmers and athletes - not in our cla s, but we did them nevertheless. These tubes start indoors, and then from time to time you're out in the freezing open air, and they're really really fast. We were so scared we went down together each time, holding on to each other, thinking that if we die, we die together! At one time the tube threw us so powerfully at a bend, we literally sat upside down, and then were spun around so that we were going feet first. Which was horrible! Our heads kept bumbing against each other's, and we were YELLING ll the way down. But of course we went again - and the same thing happened! But be kept going for three hours. Then we went to the restaurant, each had three hamburgers, a salad, ice cream and coke, and slept in the train on the way home. It was great!

I walked past that place and thought there mighta been something going on in there. Now I know to bring my swimsuit when I happen by again. Ok, ok, I won't forget my headgear either.

Headgear?

Wow, this sounds a lot like Schlitterbahn in San Marcos, Texas! What time of year is best to go there, what months?

Any month is brilliant. But the best time I've ever had there was on in the middle of a snowy winter - then when you hit the open air sections in the tube, it really takes your breath away, it's so cold. It's great! They've got over 2 km's of tubes there.

This place is open all year round? I thought it would only be open in the summers. How cold does it get in the winter? Water sports in the Winter. Is this like a big amusement park?

Oh, yes, all year. They heat the water in winter. And it's got a huge pool with waves. The last time I went in winter we had a huge snow storm. Imagine hitting an open air section with snow slapping you in the face - an incredible feeling. Just short of a heart attack, in fact, but I ADORE it. The consequences, of course, is an unshakable cold - but it's more than worth it. Yes it's a pretty huge indoor water park. Brilliant.

Do a lot of kids go there?

Yes - four and up. It's a very popular family thing. Do you ever go to those places, Terry? And what interesting places have you been? Tell me about the places where you have houses.

Places I've been: Vancouver, BC Canada, a fascinating city, I went there for a week and felt like this would be a place I would like to explore again. Wonder, Oregon, is a tiny town in Southern Oregon where I met my first wife and where I helped run a little domed health food store. It was in the center of an area known for it's backwoods hippie communities and pristine streams and woods. There was plenty of drama in my life then, romance, adventure, and the feeling of confronting nature raw. Honduras - I spent a month there courtesy of the Louisville Courier Journal on a mission to take color slides of the country. I remember vivid colors and friendly, smiling people. I went from bustling big cities to remote jungles. Boulder, Colorado - a place similar to Austin with mountains all around. St. Louis, Missouri - where I grew up. Noted for it's great zoo, art museum, "climatron", and baseball team. Washington U is a great feeling campus area. Chautauqua, Illinois - a place where we spent wondrous, childhood summers. Big, 700' tall bluffs, springs, tennis courts, roque courts, baseball fields, a big swimming pool, the boardwalk and the "community sing and movies" outdoor movie theater are memories that stick out. Minneapolis, MN - where I worked as a city planner and started some yoga and tai chi classes. I love the North Country, home of my forefathers. Louisville, KY - my first job out of college as a city planner. I lived in a gorgeous area of town called St. James Court and there was a big fountain right in front of my house in the middle of the street. It was a bit of an artists quarter. Maxine was my girlfriend during this period. Douglas, Wyoming - where I worked as a roughneck. I froze my butt of in subzero temperatures out on the gigantic oil drilling platforms where we drilled thousands of feet in to the ground. Bolinas, CA - a little Peyton Place type of town North of San Francisco where rock stars lived (Grateful Dead, Starship) and all kinds of poets, writers, musicians, etc. congregated. It bordered the Pt. Reyes National Seashore. I lived with a lady named Gail and her four kids during one era and in an earlier period I lived with Cynthia and her son Shon in a converted barn. Occidental, CA - where I owned a home amidst 10 acres of redwoods and creeks. The town was known for it's quaintness and the four Italian restaurants and a great little breakfast place. It was just a few miles over the ridge to the Pacific Ocean. I had a brief romance with Salli Rasberry and during an earlier period lived with Jane at a nearby Russian River town called Guerneville. I remember a big, disastrous flood there. My houses are in Cedar Creek and Austin. http://www.spring.net/~house

Wow! You're lucky to have such a huge country just waiting to be explored. Were you a hippy, Terry?

For a while, you could say that.

I'll just say it for a little while. Riette, were you ever a hippie for a short while? How many times in autumn were you a hippie, Autumn? How soon before ya began to hate the Haight?

No, that was before my time. But Mum was a real hippie at some point when she lived in Cape Town - she showed us all her cool outfits, and I think she's really really cool; she'll be fifty next year, but she still looks totally stunning in those outfits. And what precisely did hippies do, Terry?

Do you have any pics you could post about your hippie mum and her outfits? It's hard to be "precise" about the 60s hippie movement. It was centered around San Francisco and the Haight Street area and became the consciousness of a generation. Some of us were "out to save the world" and we went on bus caravans around the country in converted schoolbuses and started up big community farms and went to third world countries and tried to raise their standard of living. For thers, it was mostly rock and roll and dope. But I think there was a certain idealism around ending war and entering into a peaceful era that has had a good effect on the times.

Unfortunately I don't have proper pictures of my mum - she hates having her picture taken. But she is a truly beautiful woman, not only because of her appearance, but because she is just so, I don't know. We always call her 'borrelmamma' - that means 'bubble mum'. And that's what she is. She says when she was a hippie they marched for free love and peace, and slept in the open, and laid every person on the grounds! It all sounds very cool and noble to me; if there were a hippie movement now, I'd defenitely join, kids and all! I'm afraid the closest I've ever come to a sort of half noble rebellion was not a very glamorous affair. It happened on a school military parade day - Wednesday - when I was sixteen, and hoisted the South African flag upside down on purpose when we were ordered to ignore the new independent black government that had come to power the day before. Can't say it made much of a difference. The other kids didn't know I was trying to express something, thought I was merely being silly, so they laughed. And he teachers were mostly fascist, headed by my father, so all it was good for, was a month-long expulsion from school, ten blows with a stick on my backside in front of the whole school, which pretty much opened it up, and then became infected so that I was unable to sit for about six weeks! ha-ha! That was the first time it dawned on me that shutting up is sometimes a wiser strategy than wanting it all said and out in the open. Pity I never learned ot apply that lesson, huh?

I'm glad you were brave and went against the grain and stood up for your beliefs in an era when this was unheard of, Ree. Good for you!

Oh God, no, there was nothing admirable about it! I mean it didn't change one bit of how ANYTHING worked - where's the use in that? So, Terry, do you have those hippie outfits? Are you going to wear them at the spring party next year?

By outfits, you mean blue jeans and a t shirt, that's what I wear every day. I haven't changed what I wear in over 20 years really.

Except for underpants, I hope! No, just kidding! And why should you - jeans and t shirt's my favourite too. I'm not much of a fashion gal. I prefer being comfortable to looking smart.

I've been to Reno, Chicago, Fargo Minnesota Buffalo, Toronto, Winslow Sarasota Wichita, Tulsa, Ottawa Oklahoma Tampa, Panama, Mattawa La Paloma Bangor, Baltimore, Salvador Amarillo, Umadilla I've been everywhere, man ....

Fargo, you betcha'

I've been to Boston, Charleston, Dayton Louisiana Washington, Houston, Kingston Texarkana Monterrey, Fairbanks, Santa Fe Tallapoosa Glen Rock, Black Rock, Little Rock Oscaloosa Tennessee, Chicopee Spirit Lake, Grand Lake, Devil's Lake, Crater Lake For Pete's sake I've been everywhere, man....

"...Aruba, Jamaica, oh I want to take ya..." :-) (Not Glen Rock, PA??)

�clearing throat importantly, preparing for show-off� I've been ta: Lots of cool places in South Africa, like Cape Town Jo'burg Durban Krugerpark Lots of cool places in Namibia like, Fish River Canyon Swakopmund Moon Valley Petrified forests Sossusvlei Etosha Park Caprivi I've been to Botswana and Angola and lots of cool places in England, like London York Durham several castles, including Bambourgh Scotland, staying in a castle right by the sea cool places in Switzerland like The Jungfrau Davos Montreux Luzerne Interlaken Morge Geneva Basel Biel Chateau d'uex Brunnen Locarno Lugano etc. etc. wine tasting in Italy cool places in Germany like Munich Berlin Frankfurt Mannheim Halle D�sseldorf cool places in Holland like Amsterdam Den Haag Nijmwegen cool places in France like Paris Cyprus Turkey Greece Finland shall I go on???

Go on, your on a roll (show off!)

Way to go, Riette. I've been to Louisville, Nashville, Knoxville Jacksonville, Watsonville Pittsfield, Springfield, Bakersfield Shreveport Hackensack, Cadillac, Fond du Lac Davenport Idaho, Jellico Argentina, Diamatina, Pasadena, Catalina See what I mean? I've been everywhere, man.

Jellico and Diamatina? Say where?

I don't know. It's from a song lyric.

I've been to Pittsburgh, Parkersburg, Gravelsburg Colorado Eldersburg, Rexburg, Vicksburg El Dorado Larramore, Atmore Alaska, Shasta, Nebraska, Opa-locka Vera Cruz, Waterloo, Kalamazoo Kansas City, Sioux City, Cedar City, Dodge City What a pity. I've been everywhere, man.

OK, my last few posts were the lyrics of "I've Been Everywhere," which I heard on Johnny Cash's "Unchained" CD. It's an old song. Anyway, I've gotten in the rythm of it and now have my own lyrics -- and have been to most of these places. I've been to Smithville, Jonesville, Brownsville Tallahassee Catskill, Gainesville, Thomasville Waxahatchie Osceola, Pensacola, Mineola Syracuse, Prairie View Platte, City, Rapid City, Bay City, Rock City Cleveland, Levelland The highway never ends. I've been to Peoria, Astoria, Emporia Hartford Lauderdale, Riverdale, Glendale Rockford Daytona, Ozona St. Pete, St. Paul Beaver Falls Seen it all. Join in....

I've been to Fort Worth Never heard of Colin Firth

(LOL!!)

ha-ha!! Yesterday I added the Rhine falls (from the train window doesn't count for me).

hmmm...I wonder if reading everyone else's posts counts for me? haven't been many places except the southeastern United States...

Wer, your vicarious experiences count. Don't discount those webcams, either! I check in on several South African watering holes every day, as well as the South Pole, and I don't have to worry about ebola or gore-tex.

sometimes, Autumn, I wonder if those vicarious experiences contribute to my life negative things...probably never know, huh?

You mean the vicarious enjoyment is interfering with your enjoyment of reality?

don't know that interfering is the right word...

What is the right word? Hindering? Please explain.

and we just hit major malfunction of mine #24... the inability to explain what I mean... maybe something along the lines of "substituting itself" ???

try drawing pictures... (just a suggestion... you could ask Zoe for help!

I've always wanted to be somewhere else, but never got there. Where I was, I hardly ever felt like staying. Maybe Wer knows what I'm talking about. (I couldn't even go and say "Hey! I'm running off to Europe!", since I already am here...)

you could run off to Canada!

Actually, I like it where I am, now. Sad little content old man. But I've made my peace with things, more or less. And my life is ok, I'm happy with it most of the time nowadays. Some people say I smile a lot. What else can you do? Some people say I look worried and desperate sometimes, though. I only hope these two groups never meet...

sheer chaos would be the ultimate result, no? .ok oops! a little to fast for myself there!

;=}

Apart from places in Britain (where I live), I've lived in a bush village in The Gambia West Africa (for a year, - yes, in a mud hut!), and Senegal. I've just come back from Mali. I went on a school journey many years ago to Zermatt in Switzerland - fantastic. Love to return sometime.

Hey, Maggie! Great to have you here! Tell us more about yourself.

what do you want to know?

How's the bank account? Marriage status? Please post a pic in the Spring Gallery... Maggie, EVERYTHING!

Or ANYTHING! Anything you feel like sharing, that is.

While she thinks...places I've been: The entire Eastern Seaboard from Virginia to Maine New England West Virginia Tennessee Kentucky Ohio colorado New Mexico Nevada California Seattle, Washington Britain (Cornwall, Wales, England, Scotland) Hawaii (Molokai, Oahu, Kauai, Hawaii)

And for me: This way. Some other place. Dat way. (Mostly dat way, though.)

Oh, and of course I've been: about.

One thing about you, dear Alexander..You are specifically inspecific...

Personally I think he's a little ... confused .... �sweet smile� Maggie, stuff like where in England you live, what you do for a living, and, oh, just any sort of stuff that one tells when you meet a person/persons. Eg., my husband is half Scottish, half English, and it is one of my favourite countries in the world - so we've already got something to talk about. My favourite part of England is the Lakes, and someday I'm going to live in Kendal and drink rose-flavoured hot chocolate for a living. What's your favourite place in the world?

Ok Here goes. I live in High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, which is almost exactly halfway between Oxford and London. I'm a Londoner by birth but I'd hate to live there now. I've lived in Kent and on the scottish border. I'm currently studying for PhD in education, looking at the use of local languages in African schools. We lived in The Gambia for almost five years, working mainly on language survey, but also on the Gambia National languages Project a basic education programme, developing teaching materials in one of the national languages (more languages to come later). I home-schooled my kids for two years then they went to mission boarding school. I have a husband, who is very supportive, and two grown up girls. I play the recorder and love making things. My current craft is 'glass painting' greetings cards using old OHP slides. I'm just about to start French classes to get ready to go back to Mali next October and hopefully cope better in French than I did this year! By the way, I loved Riette's Namibia pictures on the other board. I've made the desert one my wallpaer. That's enough for starters. Maggie

Places I�ve been: Finland all over the place, at the moment I�m in Karkkila Sweden: Stockholm & surroundings Denmark: Copenhagen, Roskilde, Köge etc. And: Leningrad,Tallin, London, Amsterdam, Paris, Versailles, val de Loire, Chamonix, Lisboa, Albufeira, Prague, Brussels, Bruges, Hamburg, Hannover, Berlin (west), Heidelberg, Sardegna, Corsica (Bonifacio), Luzern, Genova, Rimini, Ravenna, Pisa, Rome, Florence, St. Margherita Ligure, Milano, Venice, Cairo, Alexandria, Jerusalem, Greece: many different islands, Kenya,Tanzania, Maldives, Malaysia (Langkawi & Kuala Lumpur), Bali

Cool! Maggie, your project in Africa sounds fabulous. In Namibia there has been an interesting change in the schooling system since the beginning of Independence in 1989. Before, when schools were still segregated, all students received education in their mother tongue; the difference in quality of course, being that white students HAD to attend schools and could do so for free, and only those black students who could afford it could go to black schools where staff was underpaid. When Independence came, Eng ish was made the national language, even though few people speak it as a first language, but the main ethnical languages like Afrikaans, German, Herero and Ovambo were made into optional subjects to take Higher Grade exams in. Although it meant that there was a huge failing rate in the first several years, I think it was an excellent move. It has levelled things out between black and white pupils, since both had to learn to write a high standard of English, and has enabled them to communicate in a langu ge universally spoken, without having to compromise their mothertongue. Now, when I go back and meet people in pubs, every second one, regarding of their skin colour, has been abroad - 10 years ago that was UNHEARD of. How does this work in other African countries? And did you enjoy your years in the Gambia? I think Africa crawls under one's skin, and stays in your blood; I spent my whole life there until I was 18, and have been living in Switzerland for almost 7 years now, but I will always consider myself Namibian/African. Your crafts sound interesting too. Did you see there's an Art Conference? In there you'll find a topic called 'The Gallery'. If ever you feel like posting some of the stuff you do for us to see and talk about, just scan me a picture through, and I'll ask Marcia to put it up.

Yes, Africa does get into the blood! My youngest (22) is now talking about trekking through West Africa and wants to show her boyfriend where she grew up. The kids found living in the village (in Gambia) difficult. I think more for the communication problems rather than the living problems. Its funny, you adapt to the 'privations' ( water from the well, outside pit toilet/washing place, no electricity) easier than the communication/world view gap. At least that's what I found as an adult coming into th situation. The girls were thirteen and ten at the time. Hannah, the youngest adapted much more easily than the older one. I think it would have been different if they'd been born there. They went to boarding school in Senegal during term time. We were adopted by a village compound (even to being given genealogies) which made a huge difference, particularly to me as I was often on my own during the day when my husband was travelling to town to work on the Mandinka dictionary. Did you live in town or village in Namibia, Riette? We found a huge difference between them in Gambia. Oh, in my 'where I've been list I forgot Cameroon and Dallas, Texas! We did 'boot camp' in Cameroon - where we were dumped as a family in a village for a month. Quite traumatic at first (that's British understatement!), Hannah (then 8) sat and cried for two hours after we'd been dumped. I guess it broke the ice because the family we were staying with were fantastic about it. We hardly spoke French and they only spoke Ewondo. At one point we had sixteen people living in the house with us, including two omen and their children in our girls room. The only private place was my kitchen (there's a rule that a woman's kitchen is a no go area) so we had the 'loo' in there, and cooked, washed etc. We had to go a kilometre for clean water from a spring, half a kilometre down the road and then down a steep bank and a walk. It took all four of us over an hour to fetch water twice a day. I found I could carry two buckets, but only manage two half buckets of water up the steep slope. Hannah, being Hannah, alwa s insisted on managing her half bucket on her head once we got to the road. The washing place (bodies and clothes) was another long walk in a different direction. Women and girls had a different set time from the men and boys to go to the washing place. As we went along to the place we had to shout 'we're coming, get out of the water or we'll see you'. Sometimes we had to wait for the old men to get out of the water. Girls with us would go through the bushes sending out all the young boys who'd hidden to watch us bathe! As you can see the memories are still fresh.

Wew! Sounds like you've really seen the tough side. You're right: there are huge differences between living in the city, in a town or in a village - as well as huge differences between villages. In some villages the people never learn to trust strangers, and in others they are accepted like family. I grew up on my grandfather's farm, which was on the border of Hereroland. For 2 Herero villages about 80 kms away, he was basically the only medical service available. The one village was Okakarara and he other was Okatjipowisa. Both extremely poor villages. So each week we had to drive there, see to the sick, and take them extra food. In Okakarara they called my grandfather 'Tatti' (father), and gave us kids rides on the donkey carts, gave us brilliant toys that they made themselves - like we were their relatives. In Okatjipowisa they never trusted us, even though my grandfather came every week for almost 40 years until he died. That was weird, because the 2 villages were only about 10kms apart. It was probably more difficult for your girls coming to Africa so late. I was born there, and didn't know hot baths and house toilets until I was about 12 - which was when my grandfather built a bathroom and toilet in the house. Before then we had to wash under a tap outside, summer and winter, and pee in an out-loo. There was nothing to it. In the beginning when we had all the fancy new facilities I sometimes forgot to use them, and even 'rebelled' against the decadence of it! Only until the next wi ter though! ha-ha! But, like you say, things can be really tough out there. It really is still a case of man battling against nature in his everyday existence. There was never much money, our only toys were those that the hereros made for us, I had 3 dresses, 3 pairs of knickers and one pair of shoes - that was the limit. I loved it, because without money there was nothing to worry about; it was a totally free existence. Nobody told me what to do or where to go, I could see the horizon every time I opened a window or s epped outside; in summer we almost always slept under the stars. I wouldn't trade that for anything in the world. I notice with my little girls though (they're 3 and 4) - they love going, but when the water is brown, they worry about it, and it takes alot of persuasion to get them into the bath; when the toilet makes funny noises, they get scared. It's just a different life; I can't expect them to take to it as I did, and sometimes that's hard, because I think there is so much to learn out there, so much to appreciate. I regret not being able to offer them what I got out of the experience, because over here life is one luxury after the other, no matter how determined one is about not spoiling them.

I think the thing is that they will get different things out of the experience. Often that won't be apparent until later. What will be interesting is to see how their relationship with Namibia develops as they get older and you keep going back. What has surprised me, talking to our girls now as adults, is how little they remember of our life before Africa. Despite the difficulties at times they both seem positive about the experiences they had there, and I think they really did gain something from going with us. They are both encouraging about us going back again (once I've finished the study programme we hope to go back to Mali for a four year stint - if the French is good enough). We've decided we're too old now to go back properly into village living. Frankly I haven't the stamina required.

Wow, Maggie, I applaud what you've been doing. It's the experience of a lifetime! You and Riette have "lived" more than I ever will.

I've been to Amarillo where I ate an armadillo Been to Talahassee got to know a local lassie Been to Birmingham No, not England--Alabam Spent some time on Maui where the herb is known as "wowie" Made it to Tacoma breathed the pulp mills' foul aroma Took the turnpike in Ohio and a small boat on the Bayou Caught a marlin off of Kona Overheated in Pomona Saw the flour mills in St. Paul got lost at the nearby mall Heard the outlaws down in Austin ate some baked beans while in Boston Lost my money down in Reno went to Napa, drank some vino Put the Ritz on in New York Dined on Iowa's corn-fed pork Rode a storm out in Key Largo and was snowed in north of Fargo Almost got hanged in Missouri But I didn't (thank the jury) walked the gulf shore in Mobile cursed a Vegas roulette wheel Felt the heat in Corpus Christi San Francisco's nights were misty Spotted stars while in L.A. ate some jack in Monterey Caught some king crabs in Alaska Took a swim in Lake Itasca Joined a march in Tuscaloosa Took a train ride to Azusa Bought a new car in Detroit but it broke down in Beloit drank an ice tea in Long Island got so drunk, thought it was Thailand Skinny dipped in Walden Pond got arrested, posted bond had a bar brawl in Topeka drifted west, stayed in Eureka Now I'm back in Hilo town where I plan to settle down. --John Burnett, copyright 1999

...and I'll be you have not been arrested in years, now! *lol* Maggie, so consider sending pictures to Riette and she will get them to me and I will post them for you - or you can send them directly to me at marci@aloha.net (hard to tell I live in Hawaii with that Email address!) How exciting your life sounds to have been - but I think I have been "civilized" for so long I'd rather read about it than experience it now! Thanks for sharing an incredibly full life with us!

Maggie, your story is fascinating and so is your's Ree. I wonder what the differences are in the history of relations with whites in those two Herero villages...obviously their pasts must be vastly different to make one open and trusting and the other suspicious.

Exactly. During the late 1800's and early 1900's there was a terrible war raging between the occupying Germans and the Hereros, which the Germans of course won with their superior weapons - the whole region is full of grave-yards. I think much of the animosity that we experienced in Okakipowisa had something to do with that - the people had basically no contact with whites, and the only contact they knew about was probably from stories about the war told them by their parents and grandparents. Maggie, I have to say that, even though I love Africa more than anything, I'm not sure I could live there permanently anymore. I get terribly upset about the poverty, especially since I'm on holiday when I go there; I worry about whether the bus or the train will be more convenient for travelling, whereas ALOT of people there worry about where their next meal will come from. I'd love to go back to work there, especially with kids, but I couldn't just live and see cool things anymore. The distance has iven me a different perspective; no matter how close the friendships we had with the Hereros on the farm, at the end of the day I still grew up in the priveleged white position. I find that hard to live with, and there is terrible guilt every time I go back. I want to wait until the kids are in their teens, like yours were, then take them down during their summer holidays, to go help out in one of the aid organizations; I don't want Namibia to just be a holiday resort for them - somehow the idea of b inging them up shielded from the tough side frightens me. I feel they will gain something more lasting, and something that will add to their personalities and the way they see things if they can be confronted with both sides when they're old enough. I guess I just don't want them ending up thinking of themselves as tourists in a country to which they partly belong. The way your children see Africa now - I think it is clear evidence of what you have given them with those experiences; that's how I want t to be with mine. I envy you for going back for a year; I wish I was in a position right now to do that. I know little about Mali - could you tell us more? Next year I'm going to go see Kenya, possibly with my brother. I'm really excited about that, but with the kids being so young, I'll probably not stay for more than 2 weeks.

Fascinating, Ree...How can you have packed so much into those few years of your life so far?! How fascinating! It is always easier to experience less than luxurious surroundings as a child...I do not think I would like doing any of these things you and Maggie have been doing at my adult age. Innocence in bliss, indeed

I guess you're right. Now that I have money and material comfort - it really feels like I've lost something. I don't know if Maggie feels that as well. Sometimes it feels like I'm bringing my kids up in a prison. There are so many rules here, they can't just RUN when we get out of the door, because there are cars everywhere, they always have to wear shoes, they always have to wear clothes; somehow I find that a shame. If I could I would have brought my kids up in the bush; childhood lasts for such short time, one shouldn't have to spend it in chains. Even if those chains come in the shape of pretty toys. One HAS so much, but DOES so little. Every few weeks it gets me so bad, I get on a train with the kids, and just go away for a couple of days, to stay in some obscure village, but it's not the same. There are still time tables and breakfast times and stuff that are restrictive. Then again, perhaps the kind of freedom that I want, and that I knew for the first part of my life has it's own rest ictions in that it doesn't equip one to live with the way things are nowadays. I guess there's just a price to pay with everything. In every situation you have losses and gains; which means the same thing for everyone, whatever the situation in the end, and the way to inner freedom for me goes something like: don't just cope with it, DEAL with it. .

I'm really enjoying this discussion!! I think Riette's right that after experiencing life in the raw so to speak you see everything differently. I have been on the guilt trips at times, but I have to admit they don't last, probably because I feel I am doing something however little. Recently my research partner from Mali visited to give a paper in Oxford. He stayed with us for his first and last nights. I was really apprehensive before he came. We live in a very modest terraced house (i.e. joined to lots of others) in a social housing a ea. In local terms here we are not well off, but in Malian terms we're millionaires! I was really worried that Yalla visiting us would change the relationship. It didn't. You know it's so nice to be able to talk about all this without feeling you're boring everybody! Marcia, I have got some pictures of Mali but I don't know how to send them in by email. I have a scanner. What do I do? You know I think that at 40 odd I must really be mad to think about going back to Africa. But at the same time I'm scared I'm excited too!! Riette, I think some of the feelings you describe are what some call being a 'third culture kid'. It's a sort of not belonging in any one place. I can certainly see that in my girls now even though they're independant of us. For you it's been a bit the other way round Africa - Europe - Africa, but I guess the principle's the same. It's almost like being part of a world culture rather than one specific one, and it's something others who haven't had that experience find difficult to understand. John, I loved your very graphic poem about all those places you've been to.

great poem John... wow Maggie... you're quite the world explorer as well (Ree-head being the first one I'd 'met') and Alexander... Mr. 'dat way... haven't you also been to 'over there' and 'down yonder'?

Maggie, to send the pictures to me, just locate where they are in your computer. Then when you are ready to send them, attach them to your email (does Yahoo email have this option?) by clicking on the attach button then finding the pics you want to send (one at a time usually works best), clicking on it and it is attached to your email. I'll send you one so you can see how it looks.

Or if that doesn't work, I'll send you my address, you can throw the photos in the mail, I'll scan them, send them to Marcia, and send the photos back. Maggie, I think it's fabulous that you don't put an age-limit on the stuff you do - that takes real guts. I have a friend here who is 76 - older than my grandma - and she still travels all over the world, seeing things, experiencing things; still as excited as a child over every trip. That's how I want to be - I've never really seen the point of 'growing up' in that sense.

I've sent a trial photo to Marcia of our village house in the Gambia. I couldn't get it smaller than 750k - any ideas of getting the file size smaller. I think that was at 150dpi. I'm new at this.

Did it for you, my dear!!! Here is Maggie's home away from home:

Maggie, if you have plenty of pictures to show and tales to tell, may I suggest your very own topic? We can do that for you! Say the word and I will create "Gambia" for you!

Please check new Topic http://www.spring.net/yapp-bin/restricted/read/travel/39/new

It's FABULOUS, Maggie!! So green!

Wow. Right in the rain forest...

I'm working on some info and pics for Gambia and Mali. So keep a look out for them.