Busy Busy Last Two Weeks in Moshi

Kibo and Mawenzi make up Kilimanjaro

Kibo, the big peak almost touching....glaciers fast fading

Events have picked up in our last two weeks in Moshi.  We had a fantastic Youth Community Advisory Board Meeting, and learned to two of our members got married!!! They had met in the clinic, and because of Youth CAB had found that they really could live a normal life and together.  It is very romantic, and the whole Youth CAB is happy for them.  I feel particularly happy about this because the young woman ran with me in the Kilimanjaro Marathon last year, and kept me going, even when we wound up running 10K instead of 5K.  So, it was very fun to see them so happy together.  The Youth CAB as a whole had a good day.

Dr. James leads a discussion about Health Issues

James listens to comments from active Youth

After retreating to get out of rain

We had a beautiful Hash (flour run) on Sunday up in the coffee farms behind our house near Mwenge College. Our friend Susie set the hash, and it was long and a bit tough (because of an irrigation ditch you had to straddle for quite some time) but really different and beautiful.  The river part of the run was very scary for me because I was afraid I would fall, but all turned out ok.  Most people here know that I am terrified of heights and falling.  Anyway, it all worked out and at the end of the run, we had nice beer and a beautiful view of Kilimanjaro from her house near the college.  It is barely 1 Kilometer from our house, but you feel like you can just touch the mountain from there.

Bob is back! 

The girls and the mountain

The beer drinking group (not Nikoli)

William, our Irish Neurologist always has a fantastic story or four

So, "On On" and now dive into KCMC graduation weekend.

From a Whimper to a Bang

View of Pare Mountains from Kileo Village

November 1 began with a whimper from me.  After the Halloween haunted house, I lay flat on my back for the next 3 days, starting a steroid taper and trying to lesson the back pain that seemed to occur with each movement.  Because I knew the week would be busy, I was just as determined to get over this inconvenience!  My first “out of sofa” experience was to ride with my friend Sabina to two outreach health dispensaries near the Pare Mountains.  They were very different.  On the way I listened to another fascinating history lesson regarding the impact of Uhuru on different families….the good and the bad.

Only Water access in village

The first village we visited Kileo, is an example of Uhuru with great difficulties. Sabina explained that in some villages, the people who were sent from the richer areas of the Kilimanjaro side to start farms in these lower lying areas were from many different tribes and family groups.  All the differences meant that it was difficult to form a cohesive village area, and Kileo was still having troubles in this area.  The land is poor, it floods frequently and the diseases from these floods are prevalent.  Medical Students from KCMC have spent rotations there and things improve but also the challenges are great.  I found the staff at the dispensary to be dedicated and very pleasant, dealing with overwhelming problems (no laboratory technician for instance) and having challenges with clean safe water.  We did notice improvements though, and that made Sabina very happy.  Pole pole getting better.

The Opposition party office in Kileo

With my friend Sabina, the Kileo Health staff

Old home from Umoja Village days in Kileo

Village scene

Kileo Village office

Best Bar in Kileo

The second village we visited Kifaru was quite different.  Despite being very close to one another, the villagers were much more motivated and had a strong village leader.  The villagers themselves had organized a “harambee” to raise funds for a new dispensary and the structure was in the process of being built. The staff here were also professional, friendly and clearly dedicated.

Kifaru Health Center

New Building

Village of Kifaru where big fundraiser held

My week continued with a delicious “dada” night at Changbay Annex. It is a likeable nyama choma restaurant.  They had delicious mbuzi (goat) nyama (barbecue) as well as chicken. But the best part was to be with my girlfriends, Lightness, Lui, Eunice, Dafrosa and Theresia.  Sadly, we missed Lydia, Agnes and Verynice….but next time!

 Eunice, Lightness Lui and Dafrosa

Eunice, Lightness Trish Lui and Dafrosa

And finally, I spent a great Saturday with the Kilimanjaro –Tanzanian social workers Regional meeting.  Over 40 social workers and trainees came, and it was great.  We had presentations from 4 people, a special speaker and a fundraising moment for the group.  All in all it was great to have the opportunity to share experiences and challenges with being social workers in Kilimanjaro.  I look forward to next year!

Trish very proper at K-TASWO

Social Workers together

I discovered some very strange vines at our neighbor’s house, and of course had to kiss my African grandson, and give a big “pole” (sorry) to his mom, Lucy because he is so mobile now (crawling, pulling up) that he is into everything.  And, he sincerely believes that he should be able to grab and pull and to eat and stick his fingers where danger lurks.  He is not happy with the word “No”, and poor Lucy says that seems to be the only word she uses with him these days.

Faux Banana plant

Precious Jonathan

Strange and mysterious vine

Strange and mysterious vine2

"Seasons Come and Seasons Go" --Gillbert and Sullivan (Ruddigore)

So, a quick update.  The changing seasons here are marked not so much by changes of temperature,  but changes in trees and nuances of cacti, of course the mangos or the avocados (avocados develop in June and are plentiful in July).

Right now, the Mango trees are filling with fruit. We are pelted with uncompleted fruit on a daily basis, and there is no way to dodge their terrifying accurate shots if fate determines.  But, in our front yard, our big mango tree is almost completely devoid of mangos, the back tree is loaded.  This is the time of year when you could start singing, "Christmas times a comin' Mangos a fallin....."

Our Lemon tree is so loaded that I worry that it might be stressed.  And as I have described previously, if you pick the lemon early, it tastes exactly like a lime, and you only have  to pick up a quick bottle of gin to feel healthy and complete.

But the true sign of the season (before Christmas) is the Jacaranda canopy over nearly every street in our part of town.  It comes before the flame trees, and quickly.  John was complaining that the Jacarandas weren't blooming only a week a go, and now, they are amazing.

Jacaranda Blvd

I have spent time this past week visiting several villages that are virtually without trees with my friend Sabina... She was talking to me about this type of cactus... a truly amazing plant.  We talked about this particular cactus that has a bloom that drops but the green part  then flattens to become the next arm of the cactus.  It is like a family or a village. Sabina loves to describe things with concrete displays and this is just one of them.

Family Cactus

As you can see these pretty flower turn into their own leaves.

The frangipani ( Plumeria) is a favorite because it blooms nearly all year round, and has a light sweet smell and lasts for ever.  We have one or two frangipanis both white, but the compound has hundreds and they bloom in different colors, white, yellow, pink.

 

Frangipani

Then there are the unknown trees for me which are many --but this is the time of the year that they bloom. Other trees blooming now are the African tulip which can be blue or red.  We do not have any in our yard, but there are many many on the streets.

don't know tree

And then there are the giant allium.... I counted at least 50 in our yard alone that are blooming.  (my personal favs.)

Giant Allium

Hopefully before we leave, the flame trees will be blooming as that is for sure a sign of Christmas. We have flame trees that are more brilliant than those I have seen anywhere.  They, too form a beautiful canopy over everything they are near.  I personally will sit in wonder at the way of nature, and my good fortune to be here.

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!

Drama in Greater Moshi

Kigomboni Guest House, Computer and Car Shidas!

The days after arriving back in Moshi from South Africa have been slightly less hectic, but infinitely more complicated.  My gratitude at being in our A-5 house in Moshi is always a relief.  We could even forget how annoyed we were with Kenyan Airlines and Precision Airlines when we were met by Carol at the door, and driven home to the coziness of A-5.  Rose had even picked more Easter lilies for us so the scent in the house was perfectly sweet.

Carol Sangawe our wonderful project driver

Trish at mini waterfall

beautiful views

It became more fuzzy when we were asked to set a hash on the spur of the moment.  So, all focus was on the location, the supplies, cooking and preparing for this event. Our first challenge was that our “guide” in Kigomboni Freddy was very happy to rent the guest house gazebo to us, and to take us around, but he had a particular route that he was determined to take us on, and explaining the hash to him was not easy.  So off we went.  I tried to explain that we needed to make the path a bit complicated, not to stay on main roads (main roads means dirt roads that a car could travel (basically One car) but to veer off to paths that interlocked, went through coffee trees, banana trees or fields, up and down, across streams, etc.  Freddy was pretty sure that I really did not mean that, so he kept us on main road most of the time.  Each time we asked, he was like, “no not here, later” .  Eventually we gave up and at the end of the day the path was quite easy to follow, but very interesting and beautiful. 

 

finally on a path

 

One of the dearest parts of it was coming back through an old lady’s little nyumbani (collections of two or three small houses) and chatting with her.  We returned on Sunday to set the flour over the path.

last beautiful view we saw before car shidas

Just after passing this hotel, disaster struck

beautiful guest house

The drama began on Sunday when we set the hash.  The drive up to the guest-house was without any event until just before we turned into the guest-house. Suddenly John had a difficult time steering the car.  We thought it might have been a flat, but there was no flat.  But horrifyingly the right front wheel was tilted at a strange angle.  We limped the car inside the gate with no idea of what we could do.  Freddy offered to find a “fundi” (fix it man) once we had set the hash, and we gratefully agreed

For hashers, you know that you set the trail with flour. 

Flour marks the trail

 At certain points you make an X with the flour and that means that you have to search in all directions to find where the flour picks up. 

The X 

 The problem with this area is that people are quite suspicious of the motives of the white people, and you have to explain to them that the flour and the X’s have nothing to do with Their land, but only marking a path. So, you have to explain to everyone you meet that this is just a fun outing for a bunch of young and old walkers and runners where you are setting a pretty trail for them to explore the area with.  You ask their permission, they say “yes” and then the problem can be that after all that is agreed on, someone else comes along, sees the flour and is horrified and scruffs it out.  Or, even more likely, children come along and scruff it out, because that is what children do!  So, often, hashes are comprised of desperately searching for flour but it has been wiped out.  The potential at this hash was great for losing the flour.  But, everyone was very pleasant, as there have been several hashes at this area in the past.  Even so, John put a lot of flour down, and we decided to put only a few crosses.

Freddy talked with several people along the way about finding a fundi, and was given lots of advice.  When we returned to the start, he left to find the person, and we greeted the guests.  
 

Trish and John and William...what to do

fab place to party!

 Everyone was shocked at the appearance of “the blue jellybean” and agreed that it would probably have to stay for a few days in the mountains.  But as luck would have it, the fundi had been teacher for the government in mechanics for years and was now retired but teaching mechanics at the vocational school just down the road.  He agreed that one of the “tie bolts” had been sheered, and he would have to trie to cobble something together with parts that he had in his tool kit. He managed to piece together an old bolt that had no threads, a nut that was a bit too big, some sort of electrical tape, and put the wheel in the proper place.  He said to us “pole pole” (go slowly slowly) down the mountain” And hope for the best.  When we limped back to our house, John’s remark was “TOO MUCH DRAMA”.  I had no idea what he was talking about, until he explained just how badly the bolt fit on the car and how lucky we were to be both alive and down the mountain.  So there we are.  Drama. 

Fancy lady?  don't turn around because the slit in the back .....oops

My friend Terrie loaned me her saloon car for a day, and I got to be a “fancy lady” and now thanks to Deo our mechanic, the blue jellybean is back in operation.  YEA!

Our Car mechanic Deo with Terrie and Nikoli

Onto new adventures!