That's What My Name Means In Swahili???

Well, I'm here in Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania, Africa! And it has been an amazing trip so far! I am having the time of my life as I try scrumptious new foods, see breathtaking sights, and continue to meet truly lovely people!

Karen is a wonderful travel companion; making sure I get to meet every one she knows! She took this picture of me with my new friend Samuel, the safari driver of our company of tourists.(I'm excited to tell you more about Samuel and his family in an upcoming blog!)

As we talked with Samuel, he told us that in Swahili, the name Lulu means "something very valuable, precious, rare, and unique." What a lovely thing to hear! :)

Back in my home of California, my "person", Kimberly, had chosen a doll for me to bring to the people here. She wanted to give them their own doll so that when I left, they would still have a doll to keep! Karen and I decided to give the doll to Samuel, for his children, as they have never been introduced to dolls such as this. Samuel will be asking his wife, a jewelry maker, if she can learn to make her tribal inspired jewelry doll-sized! I cannot wait to see what she comes up with.

Here is an example of the one of the wonderful baskets the women of the tribe make to sell. This was one of the many gifts the tribe gave to Karen on her last trip here. They had heard she was a mother and they honor mothers greatly, so they insisted she accept many gifts.

Upon her return to the states, Karen shared some of her gifts with family and friends. Her sister, Kimberly, was one of the lucky recipients! Karen felt it was appropriate since the gifts were given to honor the role of "Mother," and Kimberly is a mother of five! (Six if you count her adopted Blythe, named LuLu).

The people here are amazing! They certainly live a much simpler life than what I am used to in San Francisco! They seem to have a certain peace about them as they focus on the things that matter most to them. It is common for women stay in the villages and the men go to travel and deal with other tribes, often selling or trading items the women have made. Since this is a common way to trade for what they need to survive, the women have become very skilled at creating precious and useful items. They make intricate beaded jewelry, necklaces made from bone, baskets, and many other items. They also sell their crafts to the tourists who come to visit. (If only they had Etsy in Olduvai Gorge, they could bring their artistry to the world! :) But, for now, this system seems to be working for them.)

There are many more stories that I am anxious to share with you, but for now, I must go "live those stories! So, until then, I hope you chose to live joyfully! (And I'll do the same.)

Love,

Lulu

To read all of Lulu's stories, click here http://kimbengali.wix.com/lulu-blythe

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