This is almost the end of the road and I am feeling good. I've been finalizing the documents I have created for the project and I must say they look pretty good. The director seems quite pleased as well so this is good news. It is a rewarding feeling to bring something to completion. Tomorrow I will go to the printers and then I can relax for the last couple of days...a sort of debrief i suppose...and hopefully get my tan back! A young friend i visited today reminded me that I have become yellow again...
So I will be home soon!
I think I am ready. I mean I could live here but shifting to multiple locations and living out of a bag is tiring after a while.
It is late so I think i'll go to bed but I wanted to say see you soon!
Hopefully this psychotic weather will not hinder my flight plans! I may have to buy a sweater or something in Amsterdam! Which by the way, I am excited to go to Amsterdam because I'm meeting my cousins for lunch!
Okay Badae!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Christmas in Arusha
Lately I feel like most of my life is spent waiting. But patience is a virtue right? It's been a bit cold in Arusha lately although I'm sure its not nearly as cold as back home.
So today is Christmas Eve and normally I'd be hanging out with family in anticipation of some delicious food and gift giving. This year I read my novel for a couple hours and then I went swimming for the afternoon. In the evening I hung out with my friends, had a yummy, fairly Indian dinner and then went to the club for a couple drinks. Kind of an odd way to celebrate but "this is how we do." Tomorrow should be quite a lovely day. Some friends and I are doing a day trip to Lake Manyara/Tangire National Park. I think that is a good way to spend Christmas don't you?
Everyone asks if I am going to do a safari while I'm here. The answer is no. I just don't think now is the right timing. I don't want to rush it or do it to cheaply. I'd also prefer not to go alone so I think that will be a future trip. Of course I always take for granted that I will be back in Tanzania.
It is about 3am here so I am tired and need to go to bed but I hope you are all enjoying a lovely Christmas Eve with family and friends.
So today is Christmas Eve and normally I'd be hanging out with family in anticipation of some delicious food and gift giving. This year I read my novel for a couple hours and then I went swimming for the afternoon. In the evening I hung out with my friends, had a yummy, fairly Indian dinner and then went to the club for a couple drinks. Kind of an odd way to celebrate but "this is how we do." Tomorrow should be quite a lovely day. Some friends and I are doing a day trip to Lake Manyara/Tangire National Park. I think that is a good way to spend Christmas don't you?
Everyone asks if I am going to do a safari while I'm here. The answer is no. I just don't think now is the right timing. I don't want to rush it or do it to cheaply. I'd also prefer not to go alone so I think that will be a future trip. Of course I always take for granted that I will be back in Tanzania.
It is about 3am here so I am tired and need to go to bed but I hope you are all enjoying a lovely Christmas Eve with family and friends.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
All Maasai, All Swahili, All Day!
Yesterday I spent the entire day, 9am - 5:30pm, in a Maasai meeting solely in Swahili. Fortunately I had some interpretation...
It was a stakeholders meeting for an organization called Monduli Pastoralist Development Initiative. There were over 40 Maasai leaders from 8 villages in the Sepeko Ward, to discuss the importance of Early Childhood Development. It was more or less a training session and a reminder to consider ECD in their budgetary planning. Thesse are important issues as the Maasai community is reluctant to educate their children and budget planning tends to be more of a shopping list than a detailed plan. Our hope is that the leaders will now implement some of the things they have learned and commitments they've made. I'm afriad it is part of the human condition that people talk big but do little.
It was interesting to see how the meeting was conducted. The presenters were very particular about audience participation and stretching breaks. Everytime they wanted to applaud a presentation the moderator created a new way for us all to clap. It was quite fun and it kept everyone's attention. Even so, by the end of the day people were falling asleep!
I must say I throughly enjoyed spending the day with them. It was great to be welcomed into such a meeting where I obviously didn't belong.
It was a stakeholders meeting for an organization called Monduli Pastoralist Development Initiative. There were over 40 Maasai leaders from 8 villages in the Sepeko Ward, to discuss the importance of Early Childhood Development. It was more or less a training session and a reminder to consider ECD in their budgetary planning. Thesse are important issues as the Maasai community is reluctant to educate their children and budget planning tends to be more of a shopping list than a detailed plan. Our hope is that the leaders will now implement some of the things they have learned and commitments they've made. I'm afriad it is part of the human condition that people talk big but do little.
It was interesting to see how the meeting was conducted. The presenters were very particular about audience participation and stretching breaks. Everytime they wanted to applaud a presentation the moderator created a new way for us all to clap. It was quite fun and it kept everyone's attention. Even so, by the end of the day people were falling asleep!
I must say I throughly enjoyed spending the day with them. It was great to be welcomed into such a meeting where I obviously didn't belong.
Monday, December 14, 2009
UPDATES!
Okay so things have been busy the last few weeks so sorry to those of you sitting on the edge of your seats waiting for my next entry! Where to begin?! I think this warrants a few entries…scroll down to "Maasai" if you like to read it in order
In other news my camera is now broken...so much for pictures!
Maybe I can buy a cheap one somewhere.
In other news my camera is now broken...so much for pictures!
Maybe I can buy a cheap one somewhere.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Advances from the O'bay Po Po
This is possibly one of the funnier stories I have to tell. I finally decided I should make the police report on my stolen wallet so that I could cancel my TZ bank card. Dennis was kind enough to make the time to take me to the Oysterbay Police Station. In Tanzania you generally avoid the police at all costs, the mantra “to serve and protect” isn’t executed quite the same here. Anyway, I went in with that somewhat sickening nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach. Not wanting them to smell my fear I tried to be as casual and jovial as can be appropriate in a police station. Things went quite smoothly, in fact I was in and out in half an hour with the report in hand. It is possible the Oyster Bay Police are just that efficient but it is likely another case of Mzungu fever. Let me explain…
So first I had to sit down with an officer (I now know him as David) and describe what happened. Dennis explained the basics but then the officer looked at him and said, “You go wait over there.” Now I was left to answer technical questions including “what’s your tribe?”… Canadian?
Then the officer sent me upstairs to room 5 where I was to pay a 500Tsh fee – that’s about 45 cents. I walked out of that room and found the officer waiting for me outside the door, “Okay, are you done?” Yes. “Now you go to room 1 and they will write a report.” It was back downstairs and on the way, the officer turns, suddenly having lost his demure stance, and says, “So can I have your number?” What?! He repeated this request and I burst out laughing! Perhaps that was an inappropriate response toward a police officer but I experience advances from people in the street and people in government offices and people in hotels but somehow I thought the police station would be different. Maybe because I’m afraid of them. Haha.
I gave him the number and we proceeded to chat like buddies about the fact that I was heading back to Arusha but would be in Dar for Christmas. Then he says, “So don’t be afraid to answer when I call you." I laughed and said Of course I’ll be afraid, it’s the police calling! We reached the bottom of the stairs and he turned to walk down another corridor and I had the nerve to say, Hey! Aren’t you going to direct me to room 1? He pointed the way and we parted…and Ihave been getting friendly text messages ever since…including a transfer of 1000Tsh mobile credit. Apparentely he misses me and life is bad ever since that day as he awaits my return to Dar for Christmas…let’s take a poll…can an officer detain me for refusing him? I think I better tread lightly. haha
So first I had to sit down with an officer (I now know him as David) and describe what happened. Dennis explained the basics but then the officer looked at him and said, “You go wait over there.” Now I was left to answer technical questions including “what’s your tribe?”… Canadian?
Then the officer sent me upstairs to room 5 where I was to pay a 500Tsh fee – that’s about 45 cents. I walked out of that room and found the officer waiting for me outside the door, “Okay, are you done?” Yes. “Now you go to room 1 and they will write a report.” It was back downstairs and on the way, the officer turns, suddenly having lost his demure stance, and says, “So can I have your number?” What?! He repeated this request and I burst out laughing! Perhaps that was an inappropriate response toward a police officer but I experience advances from people in the street and people in government offices and people in hotels but somehow I thought the police station would be different. Maybe because I’m afraid of them. Haha.
I gave him the number and we proceeded to chat like buddies about the fact that I was heading back to Arusha but would be in Dar for Christmas. Then he says, “So don’t be afraid to answer when I call you." I laughed and said Of course I’ll be afraid, it’s the police calling! We reached the bottom of the stairs and he turned to walk down another corridor and I had the nerve to say, Hey! Aren’t you going to direct me to room 1? He pointed the way and we parted…and Ihave been getting friendly text messages ever since…including a transfer of 1000Tsh mobile credit. Apparentely he misses me and life is bad ever since that day as he awaits my return to Dar for Christmas…let’s take a poll…can an officer detain me for refusing him? I think I better tread lightly. haha
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Wallet Woes!
My Wallet was stolen! I was so proud that I had made it 2.5 months in Tanzania without any problems…I haven’t even gotten lost! Of course this happened in Dar though. I had to return to Dar for some planning meetings and to renew my visitor’s visa, a process which went quite smoothly thanks to the professor who seems to know someone everywhere. The funny thing about Prof. Mongula is that every time someone is struggling to get something done or contact someone he just says “oh, well let me just call this guy…” out comes the mobile and within minutes there is a solution. So of course he has a former student working in immigration and she had me in and out in half an hour while the rest of the world sat in the waiting room all day.
Anyway, following lunch I went to Mlimani City (a mall) to look around and hear some Christmas music. I left with a couple bags in my purse and hopped on the daladala. I was headed to my friend and fellow Canadian’s house to stay and share a bottle of wine. At Mwenge I had to transfer to another daladala, this area is somewhat notorious for theft but it was a short walk around a corner to catch the Tegeta dala. I’ve also done it a million times!
Long story short, when I went to take the fare from my wallet I discovered there was no wallet. I had a silent frantic moment searching through my bag just praying, please let it be here! Fortunately I had some change at the bottom of my bag and could pay the conductor. Unfortunately my wallet was now gone including all my Canadians banking cards, Mastercard, my Tanzanian Tembo card (ATM) not to mention the international calling card I had just bought, $100 I had just taken from the bank and the JYSK credit, spa giftcard and Indigo giftcard that were still sitting in my wallet. Oh and I really liked that wallet!
I think the reason it got taken was that when I put the wallet away after the first dala I sort of left it on top…usually not a problem but there is usually less in the bag and so it was an easier grab. It is odd though since I didn’t even feel someone brush against me and I generally notice stuff like that.
Today I wrote my Mum and asked her to cancel all the cards…thank God the Canadian system is so simple! When I went to my Tanzanian bank they said I had to make a police report BEFORE they would cancel the card…but that’s another story.
Anyway, following lunch I went to Mlimani City (a mall) to look around and hear some Christmas music. I left with a couple bags in my purse and hopped on the daladala. I was headed to my friend and fellow Canadian’s house to stay and share a bottle of wine. At Mwenge I had to transfer to another daladala, this area is somewhat notorious for theft but it was a short walk around a corner to catch the Tegeta dala. I’ve also done it a million times!
Long story short, when I went to take the fare from my wallet I discovered there was no wallet. I had a silent frantic moment searching through my bag just praying, please let it be here! Fortunately I had some change at the bottom of my bag and could pay the conductor. Unfortunately my wallet was now gone including all my Canadians banking cards, Mastercard, my Tanzanian Tembo card (ATM) not to mention the international calling card I had just bought, $100 I had just taken from the bank and the JYSK credit, spa giftcard and Indigo giftcard that were still sitting in my wallet. Oh and I really liked that wallet!
I think the reason it got taken was that when I put the wallet away after the first dala I sort of left it on top…usually not a problem but there is usually less in the bag and so it was an easier grab. It is odd though since I didn’t even feel someone brush against me and I generally notice stuff like that.
Today I wrote my Mum and asked her to cancel all the cards…thank God the Canadian system is so simple! When I went to my Tanzanian bank they said I had to make a police report BEFORE they would cancel the card…but that’s another story.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Government Presentation Meeting
It has been a long and busy week! With Chantal here for only a short time we needed to fit in a lot of activities. It is really great to accomplish so much though! Today we had a presentation meeting with government officials to offer a comprehensive description of the project, the research Mesha and I have been doing and to discuss continued cooperation in the next steps. There is something about knowing people are government officials, even if you’ve become friendly with them, that makes giving a presentation intimidating. I’m not usually very nervous for these things but I had butterflies and wanted to get it over with. I must say it went well and we received helpful feedback. It is nice to do something so conclusive and official.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)