Happy Birthday Mom!

A very special shout-out from Tanzania to my Mom, Marian. Andy and I both agree that, coupled with our shared sense of wonder about the world and people, it was our amazing parents who helped shape us into two dudes who can go do what we do. Mom, I wouldn't be here, sitting in the amazing city of Dar and preparing to go to the Jane Goodall Institute in Kigoma, without your unconditional support and love. Happy Birthday! I love you.

I asked Mom to write something as the only gift I could think of from this far away was a bit of the spotlight on the blog. Here she is:

Everywhere I go these days people stop me to say how much they are enjoying Erik's and Andy's blogs from their experiences in the five African countries. I've heard from neighbors, friends, relatives, colleagues and even one of Erik's childhood friends. We're checking maps on the Internet to see just where the Pearson Foundation is providing such wonderful experiences. Their descriptions are so vivid that we feel we are there. It has been terrific to hear perspectives from Jaime, Sandra, and Gabriel, too. The pictures are vivid and so important to the whole story. The comments readers post also add another dimension. I love how the Internet can make us so instantly connected to humanitarian efforts.

When I was reading The Story of Ferdinand to a class of kindergartners on September 20 for Read for the Record I loved having the connection to the children hearing Kelly Hu read it to them in Botswana. Those pictures of beaming children holding up their very own copies of the book were priceless. I know you are all gaining empathy, knowledge and perceptions of reality that could not be experienced any other way. This is education!

Thank you for taking us along for the ride.

Marian (Erik's Mom)


We're off to Kigoma at Noon. It was great to walk around the city last night. We at at an outdoor patio and soaked in the humidity, lush bougainvilla, and exotic bird calls. The humidity has a great side effect as my extreme hangnails are healing right in front of my eyes! I ordered chicken pili pili and asked for it extra hot. I think my fellow Americans who have come here before me have ruined any chances of me getting my food as spicy and hot as I like it. I'm betting the kitchen hears that a Mzumbo (white man) ordered his food extra hot and they just roll their eyes and leave off the chili.

I'm just now off on a walk along the beach to poke a stick in the Indian Ocean. It's not quite clean right here in front of our hotel, but beautiful none-the-less. We went to dinner with our new friend Alicia last night, then off to a fun dance club. After watching Andy work his way into an all-Tanzanian dance circle, then keep up with the hottest girl in the club, I'm now convinced he has African blood in him somewhere (well, we all do, don't we?...). It was great to walk around the city and see all of the beautiful people. I am so jealous of their smooth, toned, and glowing skin. Nothing like watching a beautiful Tanzanian woman walk by with her regal airs, toned body, and beautiful cappucino skin to make me rue my mottled, mole-covered, and splotchy outer-layer. C'est la vie. I left Andy and Gabriel getting their groove on to some poppin' hip hop music at about 1:00am. I may be 42, but I can still bust a move.

For those following along on Google Earth, check out Gombe forest. There are tons of great pop-ups that will tell you all about Jane Goodall's work with the chimps. Or, Google "Jane Goodall Institute Roots & Shoots" to learn more about the kids we'll work with tomorrow. I am so excited to get there!

More from Kigoma,

Erik. (Oh, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!)