ngirilover: Coffee Anyone? Week 6 Blog

Kilimanjaro from Alex and Lorena's farm

The Super Moon on Full Moon night

My apologies for a late post for week number 6. You will see that there was and is such a lot going on that there was no way to sit down to write and post. As it turns out, my knee exercises and treatments take most of my day. It is getting better and that is the blessing but such a lot of really hard work. It really makes me cry for a little nap.

My week began with the last 3 of the Saa Moja's (seven o'oclock swimmers) My instructor Sabini, Sophya, and Eric. We are a very complementary group and having fun while working hard. My knee is better I think mostly because of Sabini and my PT Dee Dee.

Sophya, Sabini, and Eric

That night was both the super moon and our planned with dinner with one of our adjunct DGHI professors Abu from Shanghai. We had a good dinner at 10 to 10 pizza, even though only one of us Frances (our admin. director had pizza!)

John Abu Frances Dorothy Trish

Abu was presenting research that he had been involved with in Shanghai regarding smoking cessation and the huge success they have had with this campaign. I found Shanghai to be lovely and not nearly as polluted as Beijing, but it was definitely a city of smokers. So three cheers to Abu's work. Can we replicate it here at KCMC? We shall see. Thanks Abu, and such a charming man. We headed home and I took about 30 pictures of the super moon, as you can see up top.

On Tuesday I headed out with my Dada's group to my Dada Agnes' home. There we had Agnes to greet us but also her husband my dear friend Baba, and her daughter Yusra who has turned into a stunning and very sweet, smart young woman. Wow!

Dada's and Baba!

Dafrosa being silly!

We had some very traditional Wednesday Pizza night, Bob, Pastor Tony, and then Greg & Nikoli but wait.. Terrie had just returned to Moshi from a 6 month stay in the US. She was repairing their house and going to horse shows it seemed, but fortunately the house is much better, and it is great to have her back. She says going back to African time is a bit of adjustment. Goodness so busy. Friday night was play night at International School, and who should be the stars, but our "God child" Nikoli and his good friend Ita. The play was he "Delicious Death" and it was a Miss Marple adaptation. Our friends Phil and Sara who run Rafiki foundation's eldest daughter Lydia directed the show in less than 5 weeks.! The whole group was quite good but I of course thought that Nikoli and Ita were terrific. We sat in possibly the worst chairs in the world in the Gym, all of which made the acoustics and the back and knee comfort tough. But it was worth it to see how far in theatre Nikoli has come, and to mention how tall. But, on to Saturday!

Trish giving presentation about Mother to Child HIV Transmission

Trish and Yusra at Social Work Meeting

Saturday was the all day Regional Social Workers meeting. I was delighted to be asked to give a presentation on the PMTCT cascade and the "leaky PMTCT cascade" It was well received even though a great deal of the the time of the meeting involved fees and social workers not paying their membership fees. I was driven home by Agnes daughter Yusra and we had a chance to talk together about her hopes for the future. She loves Math!!! Can you imagine. I think she has a great future ahead of her!

Finally Sunday and the hash. Coffee anyone? It was located on a farm in the upper part of Kibosho and the farm is run by Alexandro and his wife Lorena. They are both originally from Columbia where coffee is a huge business as well. They have two sons who go to ISM even tough it is a 30 minute drive to town. But the beauty of the farm and the delicious coffee they grow is worth it.

Levi John and Lorena arguing over end and beginning of hash

The hash had its issues, for though John, Levi and Lorena set it carefully with lots of flour, some children must have been watching and made all sorts of false trails with bits of the carefully laid flour, so everyone got off a bit and some even a bit lost. It was crazy. But everyone was back in before dark...altogether good fun.

When they were back, I explored the coffee and the house with my camera.

Alex and Lorena house

Some favorite flowers though I don't know their names

beautiful falling geraniums around the house

coffee beans close

Do you know that as high up as this farm is in Kibosho, it takes 32 days from flower to bean, and then another maybe 2 weeks before red and then just a short time to pick. Down lower the beans come much quicker.

Flowers and hash flour

landscape with coffee mimosa & Acacia trees and flour for the hash

coffee flowers

coffee flowers up close

Funny black bird fluffing like crazy S/he had a nice call

And after the hash we drink beer and catch up. I took pictures of an amused Leonard (who was a hare) and one of the local lawyers who usually walks with me.