The Weather

Every since I have been here in Tanzania I have done nothing but talk to my friends in England about this wonderful weather and the constant sunshine.  I am sure they are tired about me going on about beautiful sunrises with the sun pouring into my bedroom every morning and the magic sunsets.  But I am not sorry to say they are wonderful.  There has been the occasional drop of rain which has tended to fall in the evening and through the night.  Which is of course very convenient.  However, just so you don't think I have it all too easy I attach a few photographs of children going to school in the rain. Taken from my bedroom window.  Yes I said rain!! During the day!!!I t was raining so heavily I could not imagine that anybody would be outside but these children were making their way to school at 6.45 am to start their morning cleaning duties. Can you imagine children in England being do dedicated? Did they get wet!! They must have sat in wet cloths all day. But on the final note you will pleased to hear that by lunchtime the rain had gone the sun 'had its hat off' and all was back to normal.  But I must say the weather has changed - its getting hotter and every evening we have convectional wind rolling off the mountain and a few thunderstorms with such lightening I have never seen and such thunder.  Its particularly frightening as its directly overhead but what a display.  Thought you might like to see last nights sunset - spectacular.  Its all too much !

The Funeral

Living next to the local church has many advantages.  The bells wake you up every morning at 5.30 am on a weekday and 5 am on Sunday and so there is no need for an alarm clock!! They have the most beautiful church choirs and they often rehearse outside.  I can sit in my bedroom and hear this most beautiful sound. I have bought one of their cds and it is moving music. There could be copies in Christmas stockings this year.  Kings College, Cambridge, choir eat your heart out.  I also go and listen to them and the first time I thought it was recorded music and not live singing. it was so good. The other big advantage for me is that every Sunday I see the local community in their Sunday best. The children look so perfect with dresses, smart trousers and cleaned shoes.  A great contrast to when I see them pass my window on the way to school in their blue uniforms or when I pass them playing out in their 'playing cloths'.  But I also see the church in action when there is a funeral.  The church bells sound and the congregation troop behind a band to and from the church.  The pictures with this blog so such a funeral.  

The Puzzle

Thank you to all those friends that attempted to solve the puzzle.  Here are a few of the hundreds that responded:

"  Does the pig represent the restraint and bestial nature of modern living and the little hut the freedom of your current life style?"

" Venue haul for birthday bash?"

"Is the access to the platform where your looking forward to eating bar-b-qd pork chops"

"Are you missing the heavenly smell of bacon?"

"Have you been converted to a Led Zeplin fan?  Pigs might fly?"

Because of the vast and varied response the competition will remain open until the 27th November!!  For my French friends who ask about the valuable prize.  This will remain a close guarded secret until the 28th November. 

The attached picture is a rare one and will one day be a valuable possession!!  Keep blogging! 

Moshi Market

Moshi is the nearest town to where I live and its where I shop for major European type food like Orange Juice and New Zealand cheese and proper bread and yogurt - those little luxuries that I haven't yet left behind.  Normally I travel there by the Dala Dala but of late I have had the opportunity to travel there using the  Project car.  A lovely white Suzuki.  It is always an interesting journey because there is much to see as you drive through different small villages on the main route and hardly any other transport other than occasional heavy lorries or large buses from Dar es Salaam or of course the Dala Dala.  But you have to keep your level of concentration high as there are big bumps/ sleeping policemen to negotiate and they often come at the most unexpected time.  When I came out here last February I travelled to Kilimanjaro airport in the evening and followed a tipper lorry who obviously missed a bump and hit it too fast and his tailgate flew open and dumped 3 ton of sand and gravel onto the road which we narrowly missed and did it again at the next bump before we flagged him down.  So even in the daylight you have to give full attention.  But the purpose of this posting on the blog is to show the pictures of the market in Moshi and I have been distracted!! My age I think!!??  In Moshi  this is a covered market and you can buy anything there.  I go just for the food and particularly the vegetables and there is always hard negotiation.  I bought  a cabbage last week that started at 1000/- but actually finally bort for 500/-. It helps of course if you have fluent swahili!!  But it is very interesting and I love to visit. Enjoy the pictures.

The significant pictures?

I am learning more and more about the way of life her in Tanzania and in particular in Mshiri Village where I live.  I am following a teach yourself Swahili course and there are real protocols in addressing people.  Who speaks first and the response you should give to the greeting.  The unfortunate thing for me is by the time I've spoken what I want to say they have gone passed and even if I rehearse what I'm going to say as they approach their response is different. It is all related to age, the time of day, whether your walking uphill or down hill. I've come to the conclusion if I mumble everything I know as they pass it seems to work. They keep you guessing  So I attach two pictures with this blog and provide a puzzle.   I would like you to identify the link between the two pictures and their significance.   You can comment on the blog.  I'm got to find some way of seeing if people are reading the blog. Very valuable prizes for the right response!!

Left holding the baby

You never know when skills you learned years ago will be needed.  At a recent leaving gathering for an employee of the Project there was a need for me to leap into the breach.  Gladness's baby, Elizabeth, required holding while mother was eating.  She is a beautiful baby, even when awake, and the gentleness of  my holding thankfully kept her asleep. But you never loose the old skills

Childrens' lot seems a happy one

Life out here for children can be a very busy one.  Once school is over and at weekends and even each morning you will see them busy doing a whole lot of chores.  For some it is the daily carrying of water from the stream source to their home.  For others it can be the washing of their cloths in the local stream or sweeping paths and often working in the garden watering the plants or cutting grass for their cattle. They certainly earn their keep Despite all they have to do they always pleased to see you and the greeting is always the same Good morning sir! How are you!  You always go through the ritual of giving them the opportunity to see the few words that they have learned at school.  You always ask them their name.  And course there is lots of play - very primitive play. The sort that the more mature of us engaged in when we were children. No fancy equpment or computer games.  I've seen the equivalent of hop scotch.  Their balls are made out of paper tightly wrapped in string and they play football continually and what skill. The best views of them are on Sunday when they trip passed my house in their Sunday best.  You wouldn't recognise them.