Running for President...

The day of Student Council Elections had arrived. My 10yr old daughter was running with her two friends for election. They had been permitted to pick their own teams and at least 15 out of a class of 25 had decided to run.
We had spent the previous 2 weeks rehearsing, rehearsing, rehearsing- when not at football practise that is! Robyn was running for President - I didn't know how I was supposed to feel about being the President's mum but 1 did know that I knew their speech off by heart and could probably run for them if they got stage fright or forgot their words! Joah was running for Vice President(S.A), and Chema (TZ),for Secretary. They made a good team.

Chema, Robyn (with Minion) and Joah

 Every one of the 15 candidates had a good team. Here was a great class stepping up to their responsibilities as 5th Graders with all the drive and ownership only this class could possibly muster!

Robyn with her classmates, all 5 teams, running for Primary Student Council 

Competition was tough as each of the teams were excellent and would have done a great job!  I have to say though the 'Minions' were the best presentation (ok maybe I'm a little biased), and certainly the most entertaining with the best costumes!!


It all started with the 'Minion' Song. . .

Then some policies . . .

A Reminder of who to vote for . . .

And 'Shine Jesus Shine' - Minion Style to finish!

Definitely a proud mummy moment! 

After a week campaigning and a day to talk to voters the 'Fab Fifteen', as they became known, had run an excellent race.

We had to wait until after the weekend to hear the results.....

But it was with great relief to find out that all the hard work had paid off - Robyn and The Minions were now Primary Student Council Representatives!!! Yay!!

Count your blessings...

You may have heard how the old hymn goes: 'Count your blessings, name them one by one.' So as one day started to overwhelm with things going wrong I decided to look on the bright side of life and follow this advice!

A typical Wednesday morning arrived with the cry of puppies at 5am - Blessing no.1 as they started at 3am the last couple of days!

The power was on - Blessing no.2, it had been off last week, also Blessing no.3 the fact that the mornings are now light enough by 5am to not need power to see to put my contact lenses in! Blessings no.4, 5 and 6 followed quickly as I woke the kids up, Harry and Robyn had had an earlier night last night so were much more pleasant at 5.45am than on previous days, Jack, well, he's a teenager!

Molle (Swedish name definitely NOT Molly as he get very offended!), our big male Rhodesian Ridgeback dog, greeted everyone - Blessing no.7 as he has injured his back, is on anti inflammatories and in a fair bit of pain. He has been thoroughly miserable and not eating for nearly 2 weeks now so this was a good sign. 
Blessings no. 8, 9 10 and 11 came rushing into the house to greet us in the form of our other 4 dogs; Gandalf, AWOL, Sprinter and Millie. Where else would we have been able to have so many 4 legged 'friends' who are so happy and excited to see us each morning as if we had been away for just - forever!!

Blessing no. 12 a beautiful sunrise turned into Blessing no.13 a bright blue cloudless sky with shining sun, sorry everyone in the UK if its dull, grey and raining, but rain is an amazing blessing, so refreshing, we just don't get enough of it here!




Blessings 14, 15, 16 and 17 romped their way up the steps falling over themselves in their eagerness to greet and be greeted - at 6 weeks we are preparing ourselves to say 'goodbye' soon to Badger, Black Beauty and Lady Galadriel.


Morpheus will be staying as sadly we had to have Bilbo put down.








Harry was excited to see I was cooking scrambled eggs - Blessings no's 18-28, our amazing Chickens and their fresh eggs, even had a double yolk yesterday! (It's ok not all of them have names, just Fog Horn Leghorn, Col.Kentucky, Nando's, Reepicheep and Cheekycheep!) -Harry however was less than thrilled to hear the puppies were getting the double yolker for their breakfast, my reasoning being I could deal with a 13yr old who was more than capable of cooking his own eggs but 4 hungry pups tripping me up and chewing my toes was beyond my endurance!

7am - time to get into the car to get to school. Blessing no. 29 the car starts (not always the norm I must say). Blessing no. 30 all 3 children, bags, lunch boxes and water bottles in the car - although Jack did have to get back into the house to get his shoes! It has been known for Jack to forget his shoes on several occasions when we are going out or leave them behind somewhere (like in Ruaha National Park?!), so we often tell him not to bother with shoes, although for school they do tend to need them as he discovered one day when getting out the car to the realisation his trainers were still at home and he had to borrow my flip flops (green and pink), until I could get home and back to school with his.

                                                          

Traffic was awful with so many more cars cutting through to avoid the problems of the busy market area of Tegeta and now with the new road construction meaning new housing developments springing up bringing many more cars, quarry and construction trucks, bajaj and pike pike(motorbike taxi's) onto our normally reasonably quiet road to school. Having followed the school buses, dala dala's (public buses) with people hanging off, pike pike's and morning rush general traffic past the busy market area of Mtongoni where life just happens despite itself, avoided cows, goats and school children crossing the roads (and the dead dog that didn't make it), over several speed bumps and up the hill towards the bit where the road is semi-closed and crumbling away, we finally arrive at the junction to cross over to the children's school.

I would like to call this junction a crossroads but it doesn't resemble anything you would recognise as such, apart from the fact that everyone is very 'cross' whilst trying to navigate a route over the 'roads' to get to where they want to go. Cars are coming in all directions, this morning I counted at least a possible 12 or so different lanes all pushing to go first, and of course no police in sight to 'assist', although I must say the traffic does seem to work itself out better without their 'help'!
As we sat in the middle of 'no man's land' we had 2 lanes approach from in front to the right coming down the hill, the side of the road they should of been on was closed, 1 lane was coming straight towards us, 2 on the left in front coming up the hill and 1 more just above them on what is really more of a path than a road but might get them there quicker! There was the lane we were in trying to go straight across, and 1 or 2 other lanes developing around us all trying to do the same. Behind us there were 2 lanes trying to get onto the main road (African style), and 2 lanes trying to get off and cut down another dirt path to avoid having to wait.

Blessings no. 31 and 32 the traffic was at least still moving and your brain gets a thorough work out trying to work out the puzzle of a route across and back - who needs 'Brain Training' when you live in Dar?!
Blessing no. 33 - guys from Knight Support who help with the traffic outside the school, protect it's gates and grounds and stand to attention and wave enthusiastically as we drive past them in the morning! Great guys always smiling and willing to help!
Blessings no. 34 - HOPAC, our kids Christian school that is safe from the chaos outside it's gates, where they learn so much more than just academics, their spiritual life is nurtured and they can grow into young men and women of God.

International Day

Blessing no. 35 we arrive on time, in fact 5mins early and all 3 run excitedly to class, ok, so slight exaggeration, all 3 wander off grumbling about being hugged in front of the whole school and the fact that it's already too hot (remember those clear blue skies and sunshine at 6am?).

Blessing no. 36 I navigate what by now has broken down into complete chaos and bears no semblance to a road/dual carriageway/junction and head home without incident. The 'you are pushing your luck running on fumes' warning light is still on but, Blessing no.37 by the grace of God I arrive back, not having had to stop and wait as usual for the National Defence Army recruits as they run up the road, but being allowed to continue to drive slowly past as they swelter in full kit, back packs and rifles in 35oC.
On returning home 8 dogs of varying size greet me and suggest I might like to take them for a run on the beach as they try to climb into the car. On opening the house door Molle ambles out, enjoying the fact he is on 2 weeks bed rest and so can't be left out in the hot sun on guard duty to 'rough it' with the other dogs, when its so much more pleasant inside on cool tiles!
Blessing no. 38 - the power is still on, at least the 2 most important phases are working well - the fridge and freezer and the fans! The 3rd phase is a bit dubious but as long as I can get this finished I shall be happy. My computer battery has died so I need mains power to run it, this gets really frustrating when I'm about to go on the the power goes off - but at least I have a laptop that still works, mostly :)
Blessing no. 39 - I discover the puppies hadn't eaten all their breakfast but it had been put out of reach of the other dogs so they can have it later for 'chai'. It's nearly impossible to find puppy food here so I'm improvising using guidelines found on line and from our vet although they eat so much and we have no more money until the end of the month so as they say, 'every little helps'!
Blessing no.40 I have 5L of fresh milk from the cows next door to boil up which tastes so much better than the UHT alternative that is available. I also boil up some chicken livers for the puppies to mix with Ugali for their lunch and dinner, and no doubt for Molle as he seems to approve of these rather than the Ugali and Dagaa (small dried fish) the rest of the dogs will get.

As I hear the fundi arrive to collect the generator which died over the long school break, I turn to notice Molle had been sick, not carrots, but milk, curdled and smelling rather rancid in the heat! The tablet I forced down him on an empty stomach seemed to have back fired on me. So I collected the mop and bucket to clear away the new water feature that was beginning to cascade down the steps into the living room. At this point Gandalf walks in followed by 3 of the puppies who slip and slide in the offending vomit before I can get them back out - when Gandalf first learn't to open doors it was cute, not my immediate thought now.
Just As I finish mopping I remember the milk! As it is about to boil over I rescue the cooker from a milky baptism  (I should really name it Cleopatra the amount of baths of milk it takes), and remember also to turn down the chicken livers - foamy liver juices is never a good look over your gas ring burner!
Molle is now showing interest in the chicken livers that are cooking but having found 2 more piles of milky vomit he's not in my good books - nor is the puppy who relieved herself in the house sneaking in as I went out to give the fundi a hammer!

Blessing no. 41 the generator is now released from it's prison, chains broken, and is now in the back of the fundi's vehicle on it's way to being fixed before we have any 20hr + power cuts that mean the fridge and freezer leak all over the kitchen floor.
Blessings 42 and 43, Tom and Barbara (otherwise known as Neo and Trinity by Jack), are happily settled and running around with the chickens - hopefully eating ticks that plague us due to having so many cows near by.

      

Barbara/Trinity

Tom/Neo

As I throw stones at the crows that threaten to steal the chicken food that I've just put out, I remember another Blessing no.44 - Robert, our guard/worker found where we could buy 70kg of chicken feed for 20,000 Tanzanian Shillings (that's about £8)! Not quite the same quality as before but then at nearer to 80,000 Tsh (£20) for the 70kg they are going to like it!
This reminds me that of course some of our biggest blessings are our workers; Robert, Mama Mawazo (who helps me in the house), Isaac and our new guard Joseph - Blessings 45, 46 and 47.

Fruit from our garden

I make 'chai' for Joseph and as I cut him some papai I am thinking Blessing no. 48 - the fruit here is amazing, you can't beat the sun to ripen it properly making it so sweet and juicy, cold storage on a plane leaves things so...

The sea breeze, Blessing no. 49 is gently blowing the coconut palms which rustle in the background of exotic birdsong - Blessing no. 50 - I was really not looking forward to leaving behind the beautiful chorus of the British Songbirds when we came to Tanzania but God has blessed us with amazing birdlife, some downright bizarre but most of which have a beautiful call. I can honestly say I haven't missed my old favourites at all - although I long to be back one spring again just to hear the dawn chorus and see the blossoms on the trees.


By 10am this morning I had counted 50 blessings - still to come is my bible study group, Jack's football match, the delight of driving back in mad traffic with 3 tired and grumpies, homework (every mother should know my pain with this!) and cooking dinner. Many more blessings to come...

A wonderful blessing . . .

A true blessing was given to us the other week!
The morning started with a beautiful sunrise and gentle cool breeze. After the usual morning rush and chaos to get everyone to school and work at the right time, I had a few minutes to catch my breath before heading to the butcher to get some meat before the flies beat me to it. As I arrived the meat was freshly hanging on large hooks reminding me of something from a living history museum I have taken the children to on many occasions back in the UK. This now is so normal; cutting a slab of meat off a carcass with an incredibly sharp knife, then chopping the bone smaller with an axe on a tree stump. It seems strange that many of these butchers shops are looking to modernise by getting electric meat saws, yet still meat is just meat, different cuts are unknown.
I returned home with my hard won 'nyama' picking up Mama Mawazo (my house help) on the way.
This morning was to be a special start to a much awaited event. Today we would meet our first ever visitor to Dar from the UK!!

Pat Knight with the Kids!

We drove the hour or so to get to town and then spent about half and hour finding somewhere close to our meeting place to park. I had to dash and find yellow T-Shirts and baseball caps (next blog will explain), whilst Stewart went to meet a customer who needed the help of MAF to organise his paperwork and logistics with arriving into the country with his family.

Dar was its usual busy self but I was fortunate to be able to find what I needed straight away in the first shop I went to - Praise God for everyday miracles!

I then hurried to the hotel where Stewart was meeting his client to wait for the phone call to say our friend - Pat Knight, had been safely dropped off. 

Having just ordered a water the phone rang and I left to walk to the rendezvous. It was so good to see Pat standing there! We went back for a quick soda then, once he was ready we headed back to pick the children up from school.

Pat explained he was on a 2 week mission with African Inland Mission, turning containers into living accommodation. This was his second week and they were getting on well though I could sense his frustration with the African 'pace' that things are done. 

It was so good to catch up with him and the children were delighted to receive chocolate brought all the way from the UK - tastes so much better.

We hurriedly changed as it was Tuesday and Tuesdays at 4-6pm mean just one thing -  Sala Sala Kidz Klub!!

Eve (back) and friends 

We rushed back to school with Pat to show him some of the work we are involved in, ministering to the quarry children that live just behind HOPAC, our kids school.

       

Every week the children come from the quarry behind the school where they live, to play on the playground with all the play equipment, be it lego, hoops, pike pike's (toy ride on motorbikes), swings, roundabout or climbing frame or simply a game of 'chase and capture Jack or Harry!' After an hour or so of play and a craft activity, the children gather to wash hands and then sit in the covered banda to hear a bible story or teaching on a biblical theme - a simple, clear 10 minutes when they get to hear of God's love for them. After a prayer it is snack and drink then home. These kids are great, they are amazing. they have nothing yet they we receive so much from them. 

Pat getting to know Isaaka and his sister.

This week the kids got a cup of pop corn which was a great hit! The snack always goes down well and is a real treat for these precious little ones.

It was also a treat for us to be able to share these guys with our friend who we know went back to the UK with lots of fond memories and a real sense of God working through him to reach out to others.

The best thing is you don't need to be on mission, in Africa or anywhere else other than where you are for God to use you to reach out to others. What we have learnt with these kids is that you just have to be there and be real for them. Love them as Jesus loves them, be His presence for them and show them how they can know Him.

We are learning that it's not what we can do for God, but what He is teaching us through what we see and what others are showing us - like these kids from the Sala Sala quarry.

Language on a Spice Island - pt 2

In the last post I shared our first thoughts on our initial encounter with Zanzibar and some of the local experiences. Being only a 2hr ferry ride away you would think the similarities in culture would be stronger than the differences but the people of Zanzibar are very different from the mainland, especially Dar, in so many ways.














The architecture also is strikingly different! Beautiful houses and other buildings are being restored to former glory, although some are just being razed to build new and modern hotels with no thought to the history and charm being lost in the pursuit of the mighty dollar. I must admit I prefer the restoration.



We stayed in a fairly ordinary looking guest house, nothing as grand as these buildings, but it's charm came from the people within.The guys on reception were wonderful, couldn't do enough to help, the chef tried hard everyday to change our breakfast as we were staying 'long term' at 2 weeks. We were made to feel part of the family, nothing was too much.            

Even the ladies who cleaned our rooms put special petals on our beds and were so friendly it was like saying 'goodbye' to friends when we came to leave. 

Our Breakfast Terrace

Roof top view to the sea

It was Ramadan for the first 2 weeks of our stay in Stone Town; the month long dawn till dusk fast which is obligatory for a adults. Never having been in a Muslim community before it was a fascinating time to be in Zanzibar. Stone Town was different to the rest of the island, with many more Arabs living here the mix was rich and diverse. Finding food to eat during daylight hours was difficult but at 6pm people would gather in local restaurants in anticipation of ending the fast. Dates were the food of choice to do this, and we were more than happy to partake as the fresh dates available were amazing!

We loved being able to join in with the Eid celebrations, we were able to find out lots from the university staff as well as the hotel staff about how special Eid is after Ramadan. The best way to describe the atmosphere is a bit like Christmas - everyone is dressed in their best clothes, happy, friendly, a real joyous occasion, children full of excitement at the new toys they have received. Obviously for us we felt the main reason for celebrating was missing. It was like a party without the guest of honour. 

A military parade to celebrate Eid passes right in front of our hotel.

An amazing military band announces the arrival of the President and Vice President of Zanzibar

We found that being in Zanzibar we were not only learning a vibrant language but we were becoming fully immersed in the culture. The Swahili language in Zanzibar is clearer, purer and easier to understand for the beginner than that of the main land. Ideal for us who are getting on a bit and struggle to hear when people mumble!

We took a walk to the fish market one day and saw an amazing display and huge variety of fish - many of which you would normally see swimming in an aquarium! It was a great opportunity to practise our swahili and for the kids to see an amazing sight as hundreds of fish were brought ashore and spread out at their feet for everyone to bid on!  This was away from the main 'tourist' area, although the occasional tourist accompanied by a guide did venture here. It was a real insight into everyday life and the 'old' Zanzibar we remembered from our honeymoon days nearly 20yrs ago.

Zanzibar still has some beautiful beaches

Although now you will find the best beaches crowded with water sports, restaurants, duka's selling local (and not so local) souvenirs, bars etc. It is harder to find that idyllic quiet unspoiled beach Zanzibar was once famous for.

The real beauty of Zanzibar however is in the people. They love the island they are connected to. They are kind and generous and have a real joy for life. Here are a few pictures of some of the people we came into contact with:

Jumping off the harbour wall at high tide - a local sport!

Bibi - Grandma - from the family we stayed with, making mandazi.

Bibi's granddaughter on her way to school

Captain of our boat over to Prison Island to see the Giant Tortoises.

First Mate

Mr Chocolate and friend who make the best Zanzibar pizza - anything you like in it as long as it has chocolate - great hit with the kids!

Our time in Zanzibar became even more special right on the last day - an extra blessing was given to us! Friends from the UK had been on safari on the mainland and were now resting before returning home at a resort on Zanzibar! Jack had received a FaceBook message saying his old school friend was on the island. They didn't know we were there also but knew we were in Tanzania (a rather large country).  We tried desperately to contact them but due to the usual unreliability of the internet, messages were simply not getting through. 

As we packed our bags to leave at reception on our last morning, I finally persuaded Stewart to call the hotels were knew in the area they were staying.  

We traced them to one of the hotels but there was no answer from their room phone. I then asked if the key was in reception as that would determine if they had left on an excursion (possibly). The key wasn't there. 

We then had a decision to make. We could hire a taxi to take us the hour drive across to the other side of the island on the chance we might see them, or just leave it and head home to Dar. 

Not being one to give up so easily we headed off in a taxi knowing we would only have about an hour if we found them. 

On arriving at the hotel we set out to look for them. The place was huge and we couldn't locate their rooms, Jack searched the beach with Harry, Stew and Robyn looking for room numbers whilst I took to writing a note at reception to let them know we had tried.

Time was slipping by - being unable to trace their rooms (or staff to tell us where they were),  we tried to call Jack and Harry to call off the search, we had 20mins before our taxi would return us to the Ferry to leave Zanzibar for the mainland. We needed to go. 

Just then Harry called us and asked where we were - Jack had found them!!

It didn't seem possible, we had spent 40mins looking and right when we held out no hope, Jack who was determined to find his friend, had done it.

Excitement all round as friends are reunited!

Jumping for joy!

"No chance Elliot - I was taught to jump by Maasai!!"

It was amazing, we were elated to see friends again - very surreal but a real boost to us. We didn't have long - just long enough for a quick soda and chat before dashing to the taxi to catch the last ferry to the mainland (which turned out to be by the skin of our teeth!). God was so good to us allowing us this precious time together!

   

Crowds building waiting to board the ferry.

Goodbye Spice Island in the sun - we'll be back!