Waka Waka

Some of you might recognize the title as a line from Shakira's latest song, "This time for Africa." I have noo idea what it means, but I will. And you wanna know whyy? Becuase I'm going to live in Africa, and I'm going to speak Swahili, and I'm going to get blessedly tan.

I don't think I've talked about my number one dream. Allow me to enlighten you. I want to be a Game Warden in Africa. Kenya to be specific.

This dream first entered my head when, bored one day, I picked up a book. It was Born Free by Joy Adamson. On the cover was a beautiful blonde woman, smiling an playing with a fully-grown lioness. As I read (no longer bored in the least) I discovered that the woman was the author, Joy Adamson and the lioness was named Elsa.

Joy was married to a man named George. He was a Game Warden in Africa. She met him while on a safari. They got married and she moved to Kenya. One day, George got a message that a rogue lioness was killing people. George went out to see what he could do. He and some of the natives that helped him had tracked the lioness and were hot on her tail when they lost the trail entirely. About to give up, they were surprised when a lioness raced out of the trees, aiming for a member of their group. Seeing no other choice, they shot her. It was only when they were examining her body for broken teeth, missing fur, etc (indicators of man-eaters) that they realized she was a mother, a nursing mother.

They knew that they must find the newborns, otherwise they would never survive, and that night when George returned home, he had three baby lionesses in tow.

They took care of them for a couple years, but then the biggest two they sent to a zoo. The smallest they kept, and her name was Elsa. As she grew up, Elsa was gradually introduced into the wild, but she remained ever friendly and loving towards George and Joy. I want to have my own Elsa one day, but I'm hoping to rescue a tiger and name her Raja, like in Aladdin.

Elsa died eventually, but Joy lived on to help other animals until she was killed by poachers. I know this is very depressing, but don't worry. I don'ttt plan on getting killed while I'm in Africa. My animal friends will protect me. I plan on beezing friends with

• a lion
• a lioness
• an elephant
• a cheetah
• a zebra (but apparently they're really mean if you don't raise them from birth)
• lotsa birds
• a snake that I will carry around on my shoulders. Preferably a big lellow one like that banana snake they would bring around to our elementary schools, but I'm not picky.

So anyway, this is pretty much my dream, and I've surprised myself with how dedicated I've been to it almost since the moment it began in my head. I honestly can't wait to live in Africa, and this song, "This time for Africa" by Shakira makes me even more excited. Youuu should listen to it :)

In preparation for my living there, I'm going to get a BOM in Swahili and I'm also going to watch a lot of Animal Planet. I am also going to learn this dance. Heather and I are already working on it and you knoww how challenged we can be. That, my friends, is dedication!

I hope you will all visit me, but make sure you give blood before you do, because you can't once you've gone to Africa. My dad says he won't come, but my mom will so he prolly will be dragged along.

And who knows? Maybe I'll meet some other crazy American kid over there and he'll happen to be hotter than Harrison Ford as Han Solo and we'll get married and spend our days rescuing baby birds from alligators and raising elephants and arresting poachers. I would even analyze animal poop. Thattt is how much I want to be a Game Warden.