A Week of Event Planning Sandwiched Between Two Weekends

JUNE 7, Saturday

One of the volunteers gave me her leftover honey before leaving. This morning I introduced Neema to one of my favorite breakfasts: Peanut butter and honey spread on toast and topped with a banana. She loved it! I explained that we will buy some cinnamon to add next time and then it will be perfect.

Jenn and I planned to take Debra to Deli Chez for a birthday lunch and ice cream. It was never confirmed if there would be someone to watch the kids so we were not optimistic. I always take the daladala from Pasua to Moshi and then walk to Soweto. As I was approaching the turn to Ibrah’s I passed a woman who called out, “Mama Lee Ann”. (A mother is often called “mama” followed by the name of her child.) It turned out to be Beatrice who worked for TAFCOM in 2012. What a pleasant surprise. She now has a 3 month old little girl and stays at home to care for her. It amazes me how I can run into people I know no matter where I am. I love serendipity!

I stopped by for Jenn. She told me that Mohamed is again staying with Ibrah. He was a student, like Magembe in 2012. He was at the house and agreed to watch the kids next Saturday. Jenn will be on safari next weekend but I am sure we can plan another outing for the 3 of us. Jenn was interested in seeing the Sempai Fitness center so we stopped there and I introduced her to John and Boniface. She was impressed with the facility and I persuaded Boniface to let me come to one of his classes in exchange for bringing him another member.

We continued our walk into Moshi and we went to Uhuru Park for lunch and a tour around the park. We spent close to 4 hours after lunch walking around Moshi, showing each other our favorite places and chatting along the way. We found the library which I was interested in visiting but it had closed at 2:00.

I returned to Soweto with Jenn so I could meet up with Mussa (Lee Ann’s kili climbing guide). He introduced me to his niece who he is supporting to finish school. She is a bright girl who would like to be a doctor. I finally met Mussa’s wife who is a beautiful young woman. The two of them seem very happy. He spoke about the company he is now working with as a Kili guide (http://www.bramwelsafaris.com/). They are based out of Arusha (a larger city about 1.5 hours away and close to the foothills of Kili) and Mussa is the Moshi contact. His office is around the corner from his house and is equipped with all sorts of rental gear for climbing Kili. We discussed climbing as I have added this venture to my bucket list. I had read that February was the best month for optimal weather and clear skies. Mussa encouraged me to consider September or October, explaining that the trails and campgrounds are too crowded in February. Anyone interested in 2016, start saving now! Mussa shared business cards and invited me to go to Arusha with him to meet William, his partner, and to visit their company. He would like some assistance with marketing and I am more than willing to help.

Reading up on Mt. Kilimanjaro, I learned that what makes it unique is that even though it is close to the equator it is capped with ice. The glaciers have existed for over 11,000 years. Once measuring more than 300 feet deep and extending 6,500 feet from the mountain top, the ice is now vaporizing at an alarming rate due to global warming and long term climactic cycles. Some scientists predict that Kili’s ice cap may be completely gone by 2050. Talking to any guide, they will affirm the drastic changes.

By the time we finished our visit it was late afternoon and returning home before dark was questionable. Mussa called his friend, Michael, a bodaboda (motorcycle) driver. He promised me that Michael was a safe driver and would drive slowly. I do not like the motorcycles. The drivers are crazy, swerving in and out of traffic, speeding over potholes and speed bumps with reckless abandon and no regard for human life. This might be a wee bit exaggerated but the bodaboda is one form of transportation I avoid.

As Mussa reassured me, I told him I was “Precious Cargo”. Not understanding what I meant I finally translated the phrase into “Special Luggage”! I must confess Michael was a very good driver and delivered me safely to Pasua. As I gracefully disembarked from the motorcycle, Nie and Jonas came around the corner. We talked a short while and watched a wedding parade go by. Weddings here look like so much fun. The bridal party and several musicians, mostly horn players, all stand in the back of a truck decorated with ribbons and bows. The music is loud and everyone is dancing in the truck bed. The truck is followed by decorated cars for the bride and groom and other wedding attendees.

JUNE 8, Sunday

Neema and I decided to go to the 7:00 am church service. I doubt I will be doing that again! I felt indebtedness for the onions I was given previously. The format of this service differed from the 10am and was considerably longer. The choirs were the highlight and made getting up so early worthwhile. After an hour and a half I noticed a clock on the wall. I then proceeded to watch the clock and time slowed to a snail’s pace. The sermon was presented with abundant passion and lasted an hour ending at 9:20. A 30 minute healing/anointing ceremony followed. Every time the minister recited certain phrases that were answered with “Amen’s” I thought we were wrapping things up. I gave up counting how many times this happened.

At one point during the service, instead of a 2^nd money collection, parishioners presented gifts to the minister. As I observed at the first service we attended, fruits and vegetables comprised most of the offerings. However, this time there were also large stalks of sugar cane and several squawking chickens included in the bounty. The minister concluded the service by auctioning the items. The church operates a pre-school as well as a non-profit. Since the minister we knew was not present, Neema thought it best that we purchase from her at another time. I was grateful because this crowd numbered closer to 300 people and I would have to step way out of my comfort zone to be the only muzungu making a purchase. My hope is to arrange a meeting with the female minister to understand more about the church’s programs and involvement in the community.

Sunday evening Nie and Jonas had invited me to go to dinner with them at the Taj Mahal restaurant in Moshi. The restaurant is a popular place among locals and volunteers/tourists. It is well known for its Zanzibar pizza, which resembles a pocket sandwich and is filled with meat, vegetables and egg. They no longer offer a vegetarian version. Not being a strict vegetarian, I could not resist as I remember how much I liked it in the past. Noting how lean the cattle are, I think it is safe to assume the animals are not plumped up with hormones and other additives. I also am sure that all the animals here are free-range. The chickens I encounter on a daily basis are too numerous to count and at times I change course to avoid the goats and cattle. I often wonder how anyone knows which chickens belong to whom or if the chickens know whose home to go to at night.

Mary returned tonight and is back to her jovial self. We told her we cancelled game night on her behalf.

JUNE 9-13, Monday - Friday

It rained very heavily Monday morning. I have never participated in a Mud Run but think if one was held here it would give a whole new meaning to such an event.

This week is all about event planning. Lynn and her group arrive in a week. I am finishing up the kids profiles. Fortunately I keep everything TAFCOM related on my computer and am going through the documents and budgets from our 2012 event. This truly simplifies things so we do not reinvent the wheel. Price lists and inventory need to be updated. The tailoring women are making products for sale. The children are practicing the songs and rhymes they will perform. Jonas, Nie and I are preparing the agenda and outlining the logistics. Joseph, the man who conducted the Micro Loan workshop will be our Master of Ceremonies and we will also meet with him this week. Jonas is spending much of his time at the Minnesota Academy supervising the “fundi” (Swahili term for “worker/laborer”) who are fixing the roof (storm damage) and getting as close to completion of the building as possible. There have been delays because of the rains making roads impassable for hauling in sand for cement and bricks. The fundis will work on Saturday and Sunday. There is no such thing as overtime; one is paid for the job no matter how long it takes or when it gets done.

I made several afternoon trips to Moshi for copying and other errands. I often stop at Uhuru Park for a Mango Juice or Abba’s bakery for a yogurt. It is such a pleasant feeling not to be in a hurry, enjoying a slower pace of life. On one of my return trips from Moshi, I started talking with a young man who is attending college. It turned out that he is the uncle of Martha from the pre-school. I posted her picture in the last blog; she is the one who is top of her class.

My routine includes working at TAFCOM in the mornings for 3-4 hours. I am most motivated to run if I plan this after TAFCOM before heading home for lunch. I love the road I run on. It is at first sprinkled with houses; then I find myself flanked on both sides by sugar cane and corn fields. Comparatively speaking, traffic is light. Now that the rains have lessened, the roads are getting dusty. The cars or trucks that pass by are usually going too fast and the dust that is stirred up causes one to have to stop and turn away. I close my eyes and cover my nose and mouth until I can see again. Visibility drops to about twenty feet until the dust settles. The experience gives a whole new meaning to “tanning”. I also was provided a white bath towel which quickly takes on various shades of brown after only a couple bucket showers or face washings.

There are several groups of children I have affectionately dubbed “my mini-paparazzi”. The ones I pass when running resemble a cheering section at a race. Another group walks with me to TAFCOM in the morning, holding my hands and just clinging to whatever part of me they can. The children near my house always greet me by running into my arms. I counted 12 of them the other day. Of course they all call out “Muzungu”. The neighbor kids have learned my name.  I pronounce it like it would be in Swahili so it is easy for them. I am not sure which I will miss more – the children or the warm, loving, nurturing feelings they bring out in me.

I went without internet for a couple days because I stupidly miswrote the directions for updating my data plan and flipped one of the steps for entering the voucher. As A result my internet data which should have lasted 2-3 weeks was eaten up in 2 hours. I am a very frugal person and now I think in terms of Tanzania costs. My error cost me $15 which might buy two lunches at Panera’s but here is the equivalent of a teacher’s weekly salary. I got smart and took my internet stick to the Zantel folks and had them load my data!

JUNE 14-15, Saturday & Sunday

My weekend plans were slow and easy - catching up on emails, banking, and other internet activities. Saturday was fairly productive. I was serenaded with the background music of Mary and Neema singing Gospel music. Their harmonizing was amazing. We had game night and each of us won a game of Phase 10. With treats from Abba’s bakery we ended the day playing 3 games of Phase 10 each of us winning a round. 

Sunday Neema and I went to the early church service and it was only two hours. Evidently, last Sunday was a special service. Our female minister was not there so again we did not stay for the “auction” This time someone brought a goat.

We arrived home and I was ready to spend the day with my computer when we discovered that the electricity was out. It did not return until after 5pm and my computer battery is close to useless. The good part was that I became motivated to go for a run. While running someone called out a greeting with “Do you remember me?” I did not look and answered “No”. He then said his name and I realized it was Martha’s uncle. We chatted a few minutes and he introduced me to the family. I apologized and hoped he did not think I was rude. It is very common in Moshi to be asked this question by the young men who then start a conversation which turns into hassling you to buy their art for a ridiculous price.

Returning home to no electricity I decided to make the best of the situation and over lunch told Mary and Neema how beautifully they sang. I asked if they would allow me to record them and they agreed. What a couple of hams! They sang and danced. I love how close we have all become after living together just a month.

Sunday night was a feast at Nie and Jonas’. Nie was cooking a traditional beans and corn dish and Neema was demonstrating how to make guacamole and maize bread. Everything was delicious. Jonas was a big fan of the guacamole. He loves avocado like I love dark chocolate.