Return to Tanzania

You might all be wondering what's happened to me?  There again you might not!  I returned to Tanzania on the 13th January and will be here until the 24th March.  I can't believe that I have been here already for three weeks.  Although time means little out here it certainly passes quickly. Although it was great to be home, and thank you to all those friends who made me so welcome, it is strangely good to be back. I have developed a real affection for the country, its customs and its way of life and in particular its climate.  The simple way of life suits me.  I enjoy the slowly slowly. For me its like going through a time warp - back to the 50's when people cared about each other, neighbours looked after each other, people talked to each other and no cars.  However, I can no longer say that it never rains because this week it has rained everyday in the afternoon and last night there was a mighty thunderstorm that kept me awake because of the beating rain on the tin roof. Yet it is still relatively warm and despite the rain I have been walking to the schools in a short sleeved shirt everyday, even when its raining. Warm rain!?  It was good to be back in the schools and teachers seemed pleased to see me but it might have been the chocolate I brought back and shared with them.  I have already been higher up the mountain and sat in my favourite spot and the photos attached are shots of the mountain from there.  I have also brought out with me a telescope because the sky at night is something to see.  Thank you Stephen Bell.  However at the moment there is too much to take in.  I have been looking at Venus and see the twinkling star as a shining planet.  Its remarkable.  I also have some playmates out here now with the arrival of the Gap students who are here for 7 months teaching English and a new lady managing the Vocational Training Centre.  Evenings are no longer so empty.  Well thats it for now.  I will soon be back in the routine of regular updates.  Love to all.

Home

You might be wondering why there has not been a recent update on my blog - no its not that I have been eaten by a lion or bitten by a poisonous snake or offended a local father of this very attractive young lady I have met.  Its not even because the Tanzanian Government have asked me to the leave the country because of my radical out spoken changes I want to instigate.  I think the attached picture explains all.  However I wonder why I have come back to the cold and rain and the economy that seems to be  in melt down.  Its great to see lots of friends - yes I do have one or two and I am still looking forward to seeing those friends who are trying to avoid me.  But I do miss my new Tanzanian friends who I have learnt much from over the last few months and in particular what is valuable in (my) life.  By the way the winner of the puzzle is Di Shanley for her caption of 'Pigs might fly'.  The Stairway to heaven is a funeral parlour and the pig was tethered outside this awaiting its fate.  The lucky lady is being taken out for a romantic meal for two with me!!!  But she doesn't know yet.  I return to Tanzania on the 13th January.  Happy Christmas to you all.

The Social Gathering

As many of you know I am working mainly with three schools. These first few months have been essential in the building up of good positive relationships with the teachers in the schools.  I thought it would be useful to meet the teachers socially to develop these relationships by inviting them for a meal at my house.  The first teachers invited were from Masia Mamba.  I hope I haven't paid a too bleak a picture of my accommodation because apart from the continuous loss of electricity it is very good.  There were 10 to be accommodated which I just managed around my table as you can see from the first photograph.  I decided we would have pre-drinks in the gazebo with a few nibbles before then moving inside to eat.  That was my first hurdle - what should I cook. I decided on a starter of tuna with salad to be followed by Bob's version of bubble and squeak and followed by an assortment of cheese and finally finish with yogurt and fresh pineapple.  I have a small oven  which has two rings and two kerosene burners. The morning didn't start well with no electricity but I didn't panic.  The bubble and squeak is a beef dish with onions, carrots and leaks with a topping of  potatoes and cabbage.  Thankfully the electricity came on just as I put the two dishes, precariously balanced in the oven, to cook.  The guests should have arrived at 2 pm and by 2.30 I began to get worried.  Had they mixed up the time thinking I meant Swahili time.  That's another thing to tell you about - Swahili time!! Another time perhaps. They arrived at 3 pm (Andy Page and Sandra all is forgiven- an in joke with friends who are always late)  just as I began to think about abandonment and opening a lunchtime stall in the gazebo. Time means nothing to them and arriving at a set time unknown!  They all but 1 drank beer and thankfully I had purchased a grate of Kilimanjaros. The pre-drinks and nibbles went down well.  We didn't sit down until four and thankfully because the electricity is so low the food was just cooked to a turn.  The food went down really well and the conversation flowed for the next two hours.   They have the same hang ups, aspirations, fears, desires and needs as all my friends!   A home from home.  They loved the food and the different courses.   They particularly liked the yogurt which they had never had before.   Although I was amazed when they asked why the lettuce was not cooked.  We drank much beer and finished with a nice local coffee and whisky.   They now think I am the best thing since sliced bread!! But I think its cupboard love!!! 

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.