Week 9 at School

Last Sunday was our Boma Trip - A Day in the Life of a Maasai Woman.  What a fantastic trip.  It was an eye opening experience into what the real Tanzania is all about.  It just makes you realise that we do waste our money on trivial and frivolous things in the western world because we can.  Us included.

The only thing I didn't like was a cup of cold milk I was offerred - it tasted terrible.  Not too sure what it was but it was not any milk I have ever tasted before.

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Week 8 at School

Last Sunday after doing our shopping went to a place about 2kms up the road for a drink.  We had been shopping and our normal taxi driver, Burhan, had waited for us and gave us a lift at no charge. When we arrived I noticed a new Jaguar, which in Arusha stands out like the proverbial.

We met up with one of the volunteers from St Jude's to watch the F1 Grand Prix from Spain and while there we started speaking with 3 locals who were at the next table.  One a salesman, one in IT and the other a local lawyer who owned the Jag (what a surprise).  After a few beers and a feed of goat, chicken, cow and chips we walked home.  We made it home in one piece before dark, but I carried 1,000 shillings and no keys just in case we were stopped for some reason - we weren't.

For those reading the online blog, there is more if you click on the Read more>> button below.

Week 7 at School

Well here it is Saturday night and I thought I would have nothing new to write.  That was wrong as the weeks interesting story happened today.

Before I begin, I thought I would show you my second office.

That is how I spend a few hours every day except Sunday, reclined on the bus, usually trying to balance the accounts.

For those reading the online blog, there is more if you click on the Read more>> button below.

Week 6 at School

This week it is business as usual.  We got back from Zanzibar with upset stomachs, but that cured within a day or 2.

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Week 5 at School

Some questions I (Peter) have been asked

What are the best/worst bits so far?

Best: the people.

Worst: not knowing Swahili. I am learning slowly, and Denise & I have even started lessons with some others at the school.  The most frustrating thing is being in town to get the shopping done as quickly as possible and work out where you are going next and somebody says something in Swahili.  I am not thinking Swahili, so it takes me a while to get into Swahili mode.

How is your work going?

Work is very basic.  You receive all the orders for the day, get some TZS (Tanzanian money) from the school Bursar, get driven to town on a school bus, find the right shops, buy whatever it is you need, bring it all back to the correct campus, write up what was purchased and balance money (the hardest part), return excess cash, then start all over again for the next day.

There are plenty of opportunities for improvement.

For those reading the online blog, there is more if you click on the Read more>> button below.