Monday, August 07, 2006

quickie update

August 8, 2006

Hello to everyone! This will be the last email update for a bit because tomorrow I am jumping on an airplane again (I think it's about my 40th in the past year but who's couting?) and head back over to North America!! As we speak (rather as I type) my final cut of the Hero Book film is burning that I will premiere at the Toronto International HIV/AIDS Conference!! I know I just sent updates, so I just wanted to give a few quickies from the last email:

First, Beaty, Siphiwe and I got accepted to the MTV film festival at the conference where we will be put into teams with youth around the world and, in 48 hours, make a film about HIV. According to the producer they tried not to take white Americans/Europeans so I'm very excited to meet the people and to network with MTV! Also, MTV was so excited by Beaty's story (who isn't?) that they want for her to be one of the three people they follow before and during the conference for a 30-minute show on MTV!! Since it was last minute and they coulnd't send a crew, they asked me to do filming for them! Now, there are no gaurantees they'll use my footage, but this past weekend I drove up to Knysna to film specifically for MTV and if they like it 100,000's of people will see my footage!!! Very exciting , as you can tell from my many exclamation points.

Next, and read this if you are in NYC (which so many of my loved ones are)- I am 80% coming to NYC sometime in August 21-28!!!! This is not sure yet, and depends on if I can push my flight back from Canada a few days, but there are things I need to take care of there and mostly see people I love and re-center my soul, so if you are in NYC, hopefully I will be seeing you in a few weeks!!! i can't contain my excitement about that one....

Finally, I got two emails from previous host families that I thought I'd share with everyone...they are pertinent, especially these days....I'll attach them below...

Until then, I miss everyone, I love everyone. Thank you for all your support whether about South Africa or about editing or whatever- it feels great to be where I am, and even if challenging at times, still a privilege and an adventure...

Okay, I know my emails recently have been more updates than moments here, which i will try to change, but the emails, as I feel at times, have to be all over the place...


Maital

This is an email from my Moroccan host father:


Dear Maital
we are so happy to have finally the possibility to communicate with you, to receive knews about your health and your activities. We send you an e-mail, in december 2005, without success... anyway, we are so proud about what you did (Arab-Jewish Dialogue Group, movies and scolarship) and we are sure that, with all you qualities, you are going to surprise the world!
Sakina also began to be too active: she is a member of two associations, Caritas (help to subsahariens migrants) and AMEJ (help to young girls in difficulty) and she has a lot of ideas of activities!
Youssef success in his exams and he will be next year in high school (i found the traduction of "lycée" in your dictionnary!), studying science.
Abdallah stopped breaking glasses: he is still unruly, but so sweet!
I will present my doctoral thesis next year, if God want, but I also began to write poetry and I am sure that you can be a great subject of one of my poetry!
Nezha and her sister Doha send you their salutations.

Maital, you have for ever a great place in our hearts, and you are an example, in all our conversations, of a way to communicate with others cultures, to learn the best of them and to transmit the best of your own culture, and all with a magic smile!
So, please, try to return in Rabat : we miss you so much!
Your moroccan family


and from my Kenyan host sister from 8 years ago:

hey gal i just wanted to holla at you

was up!!

missed you how are you doing it has been solong since
we ever communicated well I have a mobile phobe may be
you can call me on Kenya 0721746542. do you remember
your black sister Leiya everyone is fine hope you
aretoo

Maital

regards Leiya

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