A WEEK OF SO MUCH: BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCES SYMPOSIUM AND THE KILIMNJARO MARATHON 2017

Sorry for the long blog.

This week was one for only the “crazies”.  

It started with a lovely dinner with one of John’s “more mature” (aka—older) students Bernard, who is working on his Phd at the University of Capetown.  He and his wife treated us to a great dinner at Indo-Italiano, which has (no surprise for Moshi) both Indian and Italian food!  We got there early and ordered before anyone came so we would not be stuck for hours, but we were smart and had a lovely time.

Our whole project was excited about presenting their research at the Sociobehavioral Forum, and thus when we had no water, and then no power, at first we hardly noticed.  But, after a trip to the bore hole to get buckets of water filled and the night dark is dark (no street lights, nothing but flashlights flickering, it was not easy. 

Fortunately our Internet is not dependent on power.  I have solar camping lights and battery operated fans, so we were able to see in the house and to sleep with the white noise, but it was hard to get ready for the Forum.

This year’s Forum drew a sizeable crowd, and our own Community Advisory Board and our Youth stood out in asking questions and in a discussion of “Forced Sex”.  Other projects were about Disclosure, Stigma, Medical Adherence, Post Mortem, Social Autopsy, and others. People were engaged and interested.  We were very fortunate to have the Regional Health Commissioner and the Assistant Regional Health Commissioner attend the 2-day meeting.

Cheers to our Youth CAB who volunteered not only to present about this topic, but to make pictures of themselves depicting possible forced sex scenarios.

Some of the reasons for Forced Sex:

We had a really nice group for our symposium dinner.

Assistant Regional Director with Jan Esther Vera

Charles, Seleman, Ahazi ,and Vera laugh of course at Charles

Dr. Blandina kicks off the seminar

Almost Dr. Charles does not quite kick off seminar

One of my favorite projects Sauti Vijana (Shout out Youth)

Our power and water were still off, though the water had a few drips drips by Friday.

Buckets from how we get water

Solar lights

I will add no pictures because hell began on the next two days:

Friday afternoon after the end of the Forum, John and I went to Marathon ground zero. Because we had 46 Community Advisory Board members who planned to run the 5 K, I felt like I was being thrown into the jaws of hell.  John, our CAB member Hollo and I patiently filled out the forms, and then stood in line to have forms registered (by hand of course) get the numbers and pay.  The whole system is so inefficient that it is utter chaos.  First you have to battle your way to the front of the line and hold your ground especially as other people see that you have a handful of entries.  Then you have to beg your documentarist not to take her break because she, too sees the numbers of forms in your hands and wants to flee, then you speak to people who are trying to throw registrations at this person (they say, we are in a hurry, I respond, I am in a hurry, they say but you have so many, and I say, yes and I have waited in the same line that you are waiting in, and then they beg the woman…just take my 5…. And I say ABSOLUTELY NOT..YOU WILL MAKE HER CONFUSED AND I WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MY ACTIONS. And on it goes).  I have a stance that I use when claustrophobia begins to settle in.  Hands on hips and winged out as far as they will go.  No bending no movement except to shove potential interlopers back with my elbows.  Finally, the registration is over, money paid, numbers given, records checked and one is missing.  You have to go through all the numbers to see which one it is, then locate the registration and hand it back so that they can copy the whole thing down on the ledger book, get the number and the safety pins.  But, it is not over yet, as you have to wait for T-shirts.  And my stance on these—take 46 of whatever you can get.  It does not necessarily make the CAB happy, but there is nothing to be done.  Even taking whatever they give you can take up to 20 more minutes.  So, after 3 hours and 15 minutes we were done.  No power at home.

Saturday, the day before the marathon is not relaxing for me.  No, I have to go down to the YMCA, hand out T-shirts, numbers and transportation money for 46 people for 4 hours.  Even then, 3 people had not come by the end of 4 hours and we ended up with poor Hollo having to take their shirts and transport money.  We, by the way, still had no power or water.  John dashed to the Y, said that the electric people were coming the water was back, and it looked hopeful.  But no.  Water came back, but no power.  John’s frustration was at a peak.

Sunday, day of the Marathon, dawns very early with our driver and friend Carol Francis arriving to pick us up.  Not easy to find ways to get to the stadium and I had to walk almost a mile from the car to go into the stadium to watch. My orthopedist, physical therapist, interventional radiologist, and primary care MD would be proud that I didn’t try to run. (the walking was enough)   The race was buzzing and many of our 5K friends and CAB members had finished by the time I got in.  I walked part of the way up the last hill with my Dada friend Lightness Kaale, and we had fun talking.  Then, lots of CAB folks and others called to me when I got inside.  I had a feeling that John would be later than usual because of his hamstring and didn’t actually start watching the finish for 21K until the first 42K Kenyans arrived.  From about 2 hours/5 minutes I watched and loved it when our friend Dr. Bob from Machame arrived at about 2:15, Jan at 2:17, and John at 2:23.  They looked pretty good considering the distance.  

Bob 1

Bob2

Jan always looks like this when he runs, and he kicked from John at the end.

John looking casual really!

Aisa and her 2 watoto and sister's watoto

Bob and Nebraska

some cab members....

Happi Yea

Old friend visiting from New Zealand Jan

John, Jan, CAB

more Jan, john and cab

yea Lighty!

This should be baba an Lighty xmass picture

Melk is fine!!!!!

Rose...raise money from alumni

We all had agreed that it was not as hot as usual and only later learned that many people had collapsed because of the heat and dehydration.  One death for the first time!  But no one knew until yesterday.  So we left walked another mile to find Carol and he took me first to church to practice hymns (recorder) with our pastor, and John home.  Still, no power.

 

horrible

John got back about 20 minutes after church started because the roads were blocked off. And it took just as long to get back home.  But we thought it was a successful marathon. We had a lovely get together in the afternoon to “hash” walk, and while the runners stayed behind drinking beer, we silly walkers headed out to walk the coffee fields and the little back paths. Of course the rains came as they do at this time of year and we were soaked and full of mud. (we say matope nyingi sana).  It is very hard to remain upright in this mud as it is more slippery than ice. CRAZY days.

Home again, NO POWER!  Now our friend and colleague Ahaz was calling the power company about every hour.  Horrid.  Monday morning comes, no power and for me disaster occurs when our cook top ran out of propane.  I cannot describe the horrible cranky mood I was in when our gardener and friend Pauli arrived with a thermos of boiling hot water for my coffee.  Tears!  Suddenly Tanzania looks so much better. Finally, Monday at 8am the Power (Tanesco) man comes to the house and switches on the power.

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Sigh..now on on to the last week in Moshi.