Pre-Departure tidbits

Hey guys! I just came back from the break and I thought it would be nice to give everyone an update on the trip! I went through quite a bit of trouble getting my passport in Halifax, but finally it will be here by the 26th of this month. That lifts a huge amount of stress off my shoulders knowing NSCC International will be able to book my flights with everyone else. Just last week I went into the travel clinic in Dartmouth to get my vaccinations required for travel into Tanzania. Thankfully it was only three needles, (Typhoid, Yellow Fever and Hepatitis A). The Yellow Fever vaccination was no fun but it's good to have it over and done with. My gear list is coming together and my Photo 1 teacher Ingram has actually let me borrow his monopod for the trip so thank you Ingram, and to all who are helping make this mission to Tanzania a success for me!

I have put the word out there for the people that are willing to donate their recyclables to help me fund the mission. Thank you to all that have helped me out so far! I can't tell you how much it means to me to have your support. As for the rest of you guys, let me know if you are willing to help out even in the smallest way possible it would be very much appreciated. It's been rough but selling things on kijiji has also really helped me out. Let me know if you have any old things of any value that you are willing to part with that I can sell for additional funding. I am trying to make roughly two thousand to pay the one thousand dollar fee to do the program which covers, (Transportation, accommodations and activities) and then to pay for my food and water.

Other than that I have been slowly learning Swahili with a lonely planet phrase book I bought last week at Chapters. "Habari" is hello:). Photography is, "Upigaji Picha". It is a really interesting language to learn and I am really enjoying it! Hopefully by the time we land in Dar es Salaam, I will be able to carry on a conversation to some degree with the Tanzanian people. Once again thank you all who support my work and check back soon for more info!

Mukumi National Wildlife Park and VETA

Hey guys, I've been slacking a bit on the blog posting but I've also been super busy with school and planning the documentation trip to Tanzania! Where to start...well my departure date is may 6th and I will be home by the 22nd. I had issues with my pass-port application the first time around so I spent all day today getting my references to sign my application and it will be prepped and ready to go by thursday. NSCC International needs my pass-port by the end of the month so I'm def cutting it close:P!
As far as layout goes for the trip, our flight path is Halifax-Toronto-Zurich-Dar es Salaam(destination). This is a very, very, very long flight so it will definitely be interesting.

The arts group that has been assembled to document the 2010 Documentation mission in Tanzania consists of a screen arts student( Melani Wood), Two RTA students( James Robinson and Greg Rozon) and myself Harrison burton. We have been divided for two different missions while in Tanzania. Group one, (Melani and James) will work in Dar Es Salaam with the Health and Human Services students to document the education and growing partnership with Kimara Peer Educators. Group two, (Greg and I) are to accompany the tourism management students to Mikumi, (5 hours drive from Dar es Salaam) to document the tourism students working with VETA, (Vocational Education Training Authority). The tourism students from NSCC will collaborate with VETA to improve tourism programs at the training Institute in Mikumi. Mikumi is a small town but it is neighboured by Mikumi National Wildlife park and it's beauty is breath taking!

My job as the sole photographer between these two missions is to photograph the key moments that paint NSCC in a positive light. This is the first time they have introduced a tourism mission so there is a bit of pressure on me for some solid material. I am hungry to do the best job possible for this mission! I am not positive on what I will see during this mission but I have been told we are for sure going on a safari! I honestly think this will be the highlight of the trip for me and I can't wait to do it! All the Gear is slowly getting pooled together now for me to effectively document this mission. I have not been given exact details on everything yet, but they are slowly but surely developing. Tonight I priced out all the vaccinations and pills I need to take for this trip and it is scary lol! I don't think I'll ever get stabbed by this many needles again for the rest of my life!

Anyways..everything is going well in regards to the trip and I cannot wait to tell you more! Thank you guys for checking me out and supporting my work!

Hey guys!! It's been a while since my last post and I am waiting for a studio session, so I thought this would be an ideal time to write about what has happened in the past few days. I almost missed my opportunity for an interview for the 2010 International Learning and Documentation Mission to Tanzania! I was contacted on March 3rd, regarding the interview to be held on March 5th. I was told they had sent me multiple emails trying to inform me of my interview for the past week. For some reason I was not receiving the emails. I thank Andrea Francheville (Administrative Assistant for Doug Barnes) for getting a hold of me for my interview. I almost missed an opportunity of a life time!

Anyways.. I was interviewed by Ashley Tobin (Manager of the International Learning Programs) and Shawn Connors (who subbed in for Doug Barnes). They were very nice but got right down to the point, I gave them all I had and tried in my best words to describe how much this opportunity would mean to me. They told me I would hear back from them regarding my acceptance or decline into the program within a day. Sure enough I came home from work last night(March5th) and there was the email Congratulating me and three other AANM students selected to document the mission in Tanzania!!!!

I am so pumped for this trip and tomorrow morning I am meeting in the Hub on Barrington for a 9 hour session to aid in the organization for the trip. It hasnt really set in at all that this has actually happened for me but I can't wait to be a part of this! A decision has been made and I am purchasing the 70-400 sal G-series telephoto lens for my A700 because I believe it will deliver the best all around results for my work in Africa. I will post on my blog from now on with details on the trip and my departure dates. Thanks for all your support and checking this out guys!!