Last Minute Details, Polaroids and a Travel Mixtape
March 4th, 2007This was uncalled for…
85 total packs of Polaroids sent from all over the U.S. and even as far as Glasgow, Scotland (really good hustle on your part, Glasgow). Arizona made a surprising stand by sending the most total packs. One fine gentleman from New Jersey sent in 10 packs on his own (again, good hustle Dylan). Overall I am completely thrilled. I really expected to get at the most 10 packs total. It’s one thing to take a picture of yourself with the words I Am The Church scribbled on your hand. It’s completely different to go out and buy packs and packs of Polaroids, put them in an envelope, and send them to some guy you’ve never met in Indiana.
You people are really, really odd.
Nonetheless, I am grateful. I will do my very best to give as many kids Polaroids as possible. I really didn’t expect to have 850 Polaroids at my disposal. As I’m sure you know, I don’t want to orient my entire time there in taking Polaroids and forsaking everything else. But I do promise you that I’ll give away as many as I can and I will come through on my end of the deal of mailing you Polaroids of those kids upon my return. I hope you understand.
So I leave from Fort Wayne to Detroit, from Detroit to Amsterdam, from Amsterdam to Kenya, and then drive from Nairobi, Kenya to Uganda. It’s going to be a long day. I’m pretty sure I won’t have internet access (nor do I really want it) while I’m gone, but when I return I will start posting stories and photos.
Lastly, I got tagged by John who was tagged by Zach. Therefore I have created for you a travel mixtape.
1. scan through your itunes or cd library. refamiliarize yourself with the nooks and crannies of your musical options.
2. identify five categories — genres, if you will — of music. these should be as obscure and finely-articulated as you’d like. feel free to use modifiers liberally.
3. nominate — select, really — a “perfect song†for each category. include a link for each song to something (the amazon page for the CD, or the artist’s website, or whatever). you may find it easier, as i did, to find “perfect songsâ€, and craft categories or genres around them.
4. ideally, some of the songs will be nominally obscure, or, at least, not completely mainstream and overplayed. no need to tell us all about songs we all know!
So…let’s get on with it. I give you the perfect song for…
…walking through an airport knowing that you have no clue what is ahead of you: Mushaboom by Feist
…being single and knowing that you have no clue what is ahead of you: Teen Angst by M83
…falling alseep in another country with a mosquito net around you to protect you from malaria but not caring at all because adventure awaits around every corner: Over the Pond by The Album Leaf
…walking through a market and trying to buy a leather bracelet but not speaking their language: Piano by Aphex Twin
…trying to convey your thoughts with pen and paper after having your heart torn open by orphans who have real needs: Rewrite by Sia.
Tag Andy. You’re it.
Enjoy your week. I hope to enjoy mine.
Tags: self
how fast we burn.
the more we learn. the more we die.
Godspeed, Joshua. Looking forward to hearing/seeing/learning once you’re back.
*Rachel
Jambo, brotha. Savour the journey. The overland from Nairobi to Kampala is to be remembered - click the shutter on a few baboons for me (hope none of them make it into your vehicle… but, if they do, it makes a story for the ages :). Hope you get to visit Rift Valley Academy en route. A decade ago, they had the best 1 km of road in the country (you’ll know when you get close) - they may still.
If you don’t dine at The Carnivore (only my favourite restaurant in the world) I’ll be disappointed.
Looking forward to checking out your mixtape.
See you soon…
woot! mushaboom! i love that song.
and, i wish i could have sent polaroids. please do it again, at another time. i always miss the photo projects. :( how many of these photos are you going to post here?
Given the fact that you may not be able to take 850 photos, I think you should leave the extra packs and your polaroid camera in Uganda. Instead of having people send new packs of Polaroid’s to you, have them send them to a designated individual in Uganda. That way the photo project doesn’t end after you leave. And it’s only one camera…as you state…the less you have the better off you are.
Brilliant idea, Ashley, my vote is for your idea!! Nice to meet you by the way!
Josh, I’m claiming all of those Arizona packs, since I’m from AZ and all of my blog readers read your blog…yeah me!
Plus, two packs came from Czech via Oregon…Czech = further than Scotland…I’m claiming longest send too.
Man, I must be feeling rather self-centered today…in fact, I’m taking Ashley’s idea, Hey Josh, why don’t you leave your camera and polaroids in Uganda, that way the project doesn’t have to die when you leave!
I’m brilliant…
Nice to meet you as well Nathan! By the way, I liked your idea about extending the life of the photo project. It makes sense to me. If our bearded friend could convince strangers to send 85 packs of Polaroid’s, how many more could we get from our own friends and family? I think we could get a ridiculous turnout. I just think it would mean more to the people of Uganda if the “gifts” were coming from someone who was not of Caucasian decent. I think that would cause some questions to be raised. Thus, the opportunities for eternity altering conversations arise. From my experience, (limited as it may be) they would expect a “missionary†to do as much. However, they wouldn’t expect Bandele from down the path to do so. Make sense?
I’ll be leaving Polaroids and cameras here. Don’t worry. Already in the plan.
Mmm, no. Gifts from random strangers are always much better than gifts from people I know. I will take all the gifts any random strangers want to give me. Missionary status, not required.
Ashley and Melody, I agree with you both. Melody, with in the context that you live, it probably is better to receive presents from complete strangers. Ashley, for someone who may be more familiar with support from “Missions”, it would seem logical that gifts from Nationals would come as more of a surprise. Hence, I agree with your comment about that leading to further conversations. Either way, the love of Christ is being spread. Even though Josh apparently had this in his plan all along, I think Ashley’s idea was a good one. And Nate, you are brilliant. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Keep spreading the love.
For those of you linking to my site, I would like to clarify that I did not get my name from Josh’s photo blog. I had it copyrighted prior to his creation. In the same way, I’m sure Josh did not get his name from my site given the fact that no one ever goes to it. That’s all.