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.
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Today's pic comes from the front gate of the
school looking at Mt Meru while waiting for our taxi to take us shopping. What a great sight.
On Thursday we met up with other
organisations in and around Arusha with volunteers. It was part social and part sharing
information and ideas. It looks
promising, but will require commitment to make it work.
Technology has been good to us lately. We keep in contact with family and friends using
SMS, Skype and Viber, and Denise is using Facebook. I have worked out that if I turn off wifi on
my phone I can use Skype and Viber at school.
The plan I'm on gives me 500MB/week so I am well within that limit. It also gives 1,400 SMS per week which includes overseas
SMS. There is no way I could
send 100 SMS messages in a week let alone ten times that.
Friday was a half day so I used a few hours
to catch up and then came home to catch up on emails etc.
This Sunday we are off on what is called a Boma Trip - A Day in the Life of a Maasai
Woman. Earlier last year one of the
volunteers at St Jude's adopted a maasai boma and has been delivering
supplies to the population of around 27 people on a monthly basis. More than half the population are children,
with about 8 women and the remaining being the usually absent mere males. The boma belongs to the Head Guard at
Moshono, Lucumay.
As a way of expanding our
exposure to true African style living, Lucumay has given me permission to take
a small group of westerners each month to experience a day in the life of a
Maasai woman. This invitation is open to
volunteers only (and their visiting families/friends) to experience the
following:-
* 8am - travel via dala dala to the
Tanzanian Military Academy (TMA) just before Monduli
* 10am - toilet stop at TMA then
Travel via taxi to the boma, and check out the supermarket if it is open
(cheaper than Arusha)
* 10.30am - Morning Tea in Lukumay's
hut of maandazi/scones/vitumbua and sweet black chai while we meet the
children, hand out zawadis (gifts) & pipis (lollies), meet Koko (grandma) and
Lucumay's wives.
* 11.00am - We help cook lunch in a
smoke filled maasai hut on an open fire, while the organiser attacks the
children with medicine for their heads and eyes.
* 12.30pm - Take a tour of the boma
and visit Mama Samwel and Koko in their huts.
They are full of information so we are encouraged to ask questions about
their Maasai life.
* The children love to show you
their maasai songs and dances - soooo cute!
* 1.30pm - we will eat rice and veggies for lunch in the
kitchen by ourselves. This is their
tradition for visitors to eat alone so don't feel bad!
* 2.30pm - if time and energy permit
we will walk to their closest water source (about 2km round trip) and then
return 3.5km to TMA passing the little shepherds herding their goats and other
strange sights! You will see the dams
where the stock get their water, and the small plots the families rent from the
government to grow food for the year.
* 4pm - Have a nice cold soda at the
local pub before catching a dala dala back into town.
* 5pm - Arrive back in Town.
Next week we will report on the trip.
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