Elections are Over, What has Changed and Mama Mkali is Alive and Well

John Pombe (really) Magufuli (the Bulldozer)

Samia Suluhu Hasaan First Female Vice-President of Tanzania

I felt as if I were in the US after Bush V Gore and the Florida election votes had been tallied.  “ hanging chads”  and the election is over…almost, and then over as Magufuli was quickly seated with his Vice President, Samia Suluhu, a strong woman from Zanzibar. I find it hard to understand a good deal of the response to the elections.  I am completely baffled by the CCM party’s ownership of the National Election Commission and the Zanzibar Election Commission and their overt “flip-flop”; i.e., the acceptance of the mainland vote (which was clearly manipulated, probably not enough to change the outcome of Magafuli winning, but enough to infuriate the voters who voted for the opposition and are probably correctly sure that ballots were not counted properly from certain regions), and the Zanzibar nullification of their vote in which the opposition won.  (and probably even there the opposition votes weren’t fully counted).  So, my African friends are angry, yet not surprised, and they aren’t rioting but they are hoping that some international group (hopes hanging futilely on the US) will get involved and force a recount of the mainland and an acceptance of the vote on Zanzibar.  Sigh.  Magufuli has pledged to end corruption of the high level party officials.  All of us are hoping that he will make good on his promise, and that the new leaders will be strong and willing to work with the opposition instead of trying to crush them.  Who knows.

Golden weaver bird in Zawani Tented Lodge Camp

Mama Mkali (Mama Harsh, mean or whatever) headed out for a short run on Wednesday, only to run into a little boy and his young mother.  The little boy had rocks that he was throwing at the weaver nests, where babies were chirping and mothers in their plain colors were anxiously flying around trying to protect their nests.  I (mama mkali) in my most stern Kiswahili (which of course isn’t that great) in no uncertain terms told the little boy to stop, I took his rocks and gave him a lesson in the worth of birds that eat bugs, mosquitos and other “wadudu” that are annoying and sometimes harmful to humans.  His stunned mother finally said, “si piga motto”  (stop hitting child) and he did.  So here again is a beautiful golden weaver from Ziwani Camp.  The weaver nests are fascinating, but let them fall after the babies grow and leave, please.

Because of the elections, John and I had stocked up on provisions and made a pledge to stay near home and KCMC (to which we can walk if need be).  It was actually a good week, and I revel always in our sweet house and all the flowers that Pauli has planted and nourished.  I try to help him, but my zeal for manure and feeding some of the plants results in the tragedies of their demise.  Here are some just fabulous ones.!

Clerodendrum (beautiful)

Shell Ginger beautiful

And this is Pink Oleander, beautiful but very poisonous

Our fun house

I'm obsessed with the Rangoon Creeper

And, so sad to report that the baby ducks have been struck by some virus.  All but 5 have died.  I fear the same outcome for the others, but maybe fate will intercede.  They are so cute, and for Pauli, Lucy baby Joni and me, it is very sad to watch their quick demises.

 

In this “stay near home plan”, we had a lovely dinner with the new Executive Director of the hospital Gileard Masenga and an opportunity to chat about shared hopes and dreams for KCMC and for projects that are on-going or about to come.  

Two incredibly handsome guys!

We also had a fun conference that our wonderful Dr. Nyindo presented on his parasitology “MOK”.  I thought of my friend Doug, and how, at the end of his life, he signed up for every on-line course he could find.  He would have loved this one, I guaranty.  And, Nyindo is so very happy when he finds an outlet for his special field of gross bugs and snails and horrible diseases that sail right along with them.

Kili  Oct 28 2005

kili with bouganvilia oct 28 2015

Kili Oct 28 2015

The mountain has been out, and though it is always inspiring, take a look at the loss of snow.  Stunning this year.  When I compare the snow just 10 years ago this month, it is astonishing.

Finally, it is Halloween!  And here we had the first “trick-or treaters” I can remember.  Start a tradition kids.  Wonderful.  So Happy Halloween all! Or All Hallows Eve or whatever.

The week of Halloween

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Portender of problems to come

 Somehow, my friend Terrie and I always wind up with a disaster on our hands.  This week, that of Halloween was no different. 

Once the Blue JellyBean was fixed, I was back to my bouncy old Rav4 and no more fancy lady.  But that is actually ok.  My Rav4 and I are used to one another and we are both old together. 

On this week there was much planning to be done.  Our Youth CAB would be meeting on Saturday, a new expatriate is eager to find volunteer work with several agencies, and my computer shidas needed to be resolved. 

My first anxiety was my computer, in which, suddenly my entire iphoto library had disappeared when I tried to merge two libraries.  There were many more stories, but suffice it to say between frantic e-mails to my friends in Durham, (who kindly sent me links to try to resolve) I took my computer and all the links to our dear computer guy at KCMC and laid all the shidas in his lap.  I love our MEPI team, they are so smart, so energetic, and always so positive.  “I am sure, Mama, that we will find out what is wrong and fix it.”  And low and behold Ndmangwa did. The restore was back to an earlier date, but I had lost no photos and had some documents backed up on a flash, so now I am business as a photo freak again.  I am desperately going through an additional back up photo drive and trying to remember names and dates for them.  It is slow slow work but I’ll get through it before I die I’m sure. It was particularly reassuring to see pictures of graduations showing up again, and Christmas at the Cave for many many years.

1998 Christmas at the CAVE with DAD

Halloween was another matter.  This, I have to confess is not my favorite holiday.  I never for some reason could “get into the pumpkins” or dressing up.  I think, perhaps, it was that my mother did not either and so for all the Halloween parties that I was invited to at school, I was always the old pauper lady, or the “old woman and the shoe” meaning that I wore some old ragged dress of mother's and carried a bunch of shoes around.  But suffice it to say, this was important to my friend, and how important it was as two other “grown ups” bailed on her ON THE DAY saying that they were not “into this sort of thing” after agreeing to be part of it earlier in the week.  (and all the school kids were to come to her house--too late to change) So old me, had to be witch and sort of leaping artist to get over a table, to flick lights, and hold doors and craggy voice meanness in order to warn everyone else that things were either ok or not.  

 

Deo, the day askari is horrified at me!

there we are

Trish Gaudi (guard) Terrie, scary clown

Poor Gaudi has never done anything like this b4

 In the beginning all went well, but it deteriorated as more kids came at once, and then suddenly the power went out.  Suffice it to say, I was done when the power went out, and the last group had ripped my nose and chin off and grabbed at the candy bowl just one time too many—oh and sprayed me with water pistols full of red food dye that was on the table for me to use.  Sigh….

So I wound up with the worst back I have had since 2006!  Unbelievable, I am sidelined from running, sitting in a car, and even walking more than to the back yard.  Back on steroids for the first time since 2008, and just trying to plan a different week than last week.  My motto?  NO MORE HAUNTED HOUSES FOR ME! I even missed All Saints Sunday and “For All the Saints” and my all time favorite “ I sing a song of the saints of God”.  That is definitely significant.  For, I have loved the Saints of God for ever….”you can see them school or in shops OR AT TEA” for they’re all of them saints of God and I mean, God help me to be one, too.”  At 65, I am definitely not there.

But on to better things.  And I know it will be better.

They're just folk like me!