Christmas with the animals

Although the Christmas season continues, Christmas day is over and a wonderful time it was.  Three of us decided to go visit the animals at Mikumi Game Park this year.  From Dodoma it’s about a five hour drive, not exactly around the corner, but the closest game park to us.  On Monday the 23^rd we arrived a bit after noon and settled in, catching up with each other since the last time we had met.  We stayed at a lodge just outside the park, small and cozy and nice.  One of the reasons we decided to celebrate this way was so that no one had to cook, no one had to wash dishes - we just enjoyed!

Hot it was, however.  Here in Dodoma we are at a higher altitude but Morogoro and Mikumi are lower and it’s hotter and much more humid.  We were more than grateful for air conditioning in our room especially before it rained Christmas night and cleared the heaviness a little.  Actually, it’s really hot here in Dodoma now also, although it doesn’t feel so humid.  As I write this nearing 5.00 in the afternoon, our thermometer shows over 95° in the shade of our back porch.   

Tuesday morning we didn’t manage to get up early so as to be in the park during the optimum viewing time but did manage to arrive about 9.00 a.m.  We hired a guide, several who are there at the park entrance looking for work, in order to not get lost in the park and to have him show us where to go to look for animals.  Very shortly after entering the park we saw a huge herd of elephants and stopped to watch them for a long time.  They crossed the road right in front of us and it was thrilling.  The herd consisted of a few huge ones, some medium sized ones, and even some babies.

Every time we stopped the car to look at animals we were bothered by biting flies, some of them tetse, coming into the car.  They must be really bothersome to the park inhabitants, animals and those park employees who have quarters there.

We went to the hippo pool and watched the hippos do nothing.  During the day they just sleep in the water so their backs sticking out of the water were all we saw.  Without a guide we never would have noticed that there were crocodiles along the edge of the pool – One of them poked the top of his head out a little; another showed only his eye.  We were told that sometimes they manage to kill a baby hippo but otherwise they have to wait for other game to come to drink. 

We saw lots of impala (and other similar animals in their same family), giraffe, zebra, baboons, many different kinds of birds, buffalo, warthogs,  and even a lion.  We really didn’t expect to see a lion because it was mid-day but maybe because it was overcast she was out scouting around.  She wasn’t very close, and was actually walking away from us, but it was great to be able to see her.

The park is 450 sq. miles, so it’s a big one and we only spent until noon there but managed to see lots of animals and enjoyed it very, very much.  How magnificent they are, each kind in its own way, and it’s marvelous to be able to see them in their homes.  So all in all it was a very happy Christmas and a blessing to be able to spend it so comfortably with friends and some of nature’s glorious animals.

“Anyone who truly knows creatures may be excused from listening to sermons for every creature is full of God, and is a book.”  Meister Eckhart (1260-1327) 

 

Merry Christmas!

                   This week is Christmas and such a special time of the year.  I was in town last

week and there are signs that Christmas is coming, besides the CD’s of Jim Reeves singing “Silent Night”.  Some shops are decorated and the bank has a very nice Christmas tree, artificial of course, but it looks nice.  There also seemed to be a lot of people on the streets so maybe they were Christmas shopping.  Some little kids I’m pretty sure were getting measured for new shoes so they’ll be all spiffed up for Christmas.

I needed to renew the car’s registration as well as renewing my driver’s license so that was my main job in town.  I was treated very well while doing both tasks, a reminder again of how it pays to be an elder in this society.  Another interesting reminder of different cultures was when I was standing in line at the bank.  It was a long line and a long stand, and I stood at a distance which was comfortable for me behind the person in front of me.  The woman in back of me was probably at a distance comfortable for her as well, but it was really close for my comfort zone.  It’s like in church when there really is no more room in a pew but another person comes and manages to sit.  Amazing …. 

The other day while out doing my early morning walk, I met a woman who was coming in from the outskirts of town with some vegetables to sell.  We had met before but this day we stopped to talk.  She asked me if I was Chinese (!) and I guess that’s because many other strangers around are Chinese since they are building the university as well as some roads in the area.  After we got through that bit of the conversation, she asked what I was doing in that area.  She knows where we live but I was a bit far from the house so she was wondering where I was going.  I told her that I was just doing exercise.  That surprised her, and finally she said, “Well, as I see it, you’re already old so I don’t know why you would be doing exercise!”  What to say to that?  I admitted that I am old but that exercise could be helping me stay healthy.  She just kind of shook her head and off she went.  I can imagine that she would love to be able to not walk miles in order to make a little money …..

Merry Christmas!

15 December 2013

“The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus, it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing.”  (Isaiah 35)

This reading of the 3^rd Sunday of Advent couldn’t be more appropriate for us today in Dodoma.  Early this morning the third nice shower of the week poured down, and already grass and green things are sprouting, the desert is blossoming, and I’m sure the dry land is very glad.  The frogs are singing all night long after having been silent for months, and the insects are appearing out of nowhere to fly around and some drowning in pools of water, so glad are they to have moisture again.  Farmers are excited, and are busily finishing their fields’ preparation.  My flower seeds have already sprouted and it won’t be long before the Chinese cabbage that I planted in a bag seed bed will be up as well.  After Christmas these vegetable seedlings will go into a small plot and soon we’ll be eating fresh greens.  Chinese cabbage is available every day from the lady near us who sells fruit and vegetables but how satisfying it is to eat something just a little bit closer to one’s own labour. 

Mandela’s burial was a large part of my day today, as was the memorial service  on Tuesday.  He is resting in peace after a full and self-giving life.  Also Tanzania’s Independence Day was celebrated on Monday, 52 years since Independence.  A lot has been accomplished; a lot needs to be done yet.  But listening to President J. Kikwete talk today at Mandela’s funeral, I remembered all the sacrifices that Tanzania made so that other countries in Africa, younger than Tanzania, could be independent.  And as Pres. Kikwete said, it was often to the detriment or delaying of Tanzania’s development that this was done.  How nice that Pres. Nyerere’s widow, Maria, was present.  I wonder how many young people in Africa today remember all the sacrifices of their elders to achieve the opportunities available to them now.  I liked it when Roda ( 9 years old) came to visit today and I asked her if she knew who Nelson Mandela was, and she said “Yes”.  When I asked her who he was her reply was simple, “He was Nyerere’s friend.”  How true.

8th December 2013

 Yes, the month of December is upon us and Advent has begun with all the promises of hope that it brings.  This is our Advent wreath – candles in a clay pot filled with sand, and a clay vase holding some greenery.  Most trees are beginning to bloom and/or leaf out now so we know that the rain isn’t too far away.  It can’t come soon enough to relieve the heat.

We celebrated a birthday in our house on Monday by going to a winery about 40 kms. away and having a nice tour.  We drove just a few km toward Morogoro on the tarmac road and then turned in, so most of the journey was on a fairly well maintained dirt road.  There isn’t much to see along the way until we got to Hombolo, and there we found a beautiful training college and not too far away the winery that we had gone to see.  We had a good tour, sipping wine along the way, and enjoyed learning a bit more about wine making.  There are vineyards all around the winery, and small farmers grow grapes to sell for the wine production.  We were told that they use all the grapes that are sold to them and have a bigger market for their wine than they can produce for.  And the wine is good!

The death of Nelson Mandela has been the big news this week.  I admire him so much for his peacefulness and patience and spirit of forgiveness and for all that he endured in order that the people of South Africa and others could be free from apartheid.  I have so many memories of solidarity with the South African struggle.  One is from the years that I worked in California, in the late 70’s.  We had our meager amount of money in an account in the Bank of America.  We learned that the Bank of America was investing in South Africa (when responsible corporations were not doing so, in order to bring down the apartheid system) and so we wrote a letter explaining that we were withdrawing our funds from their bank and marched down to withdraw our money.  Of course it was simply a gesture since the amount of money we had in that account was peanuts!  But gestures were made because of principles.

Another thing we did as Maryknoll Sisters in Tanzania in the 80’s was to fast and pray one day a week in order that Nelson Mandela be set free.  We were faithful to that until that day in 1990 when he walked out of jail.  I remember sitting in Olkokola and crying when I heard that news that he was actually free.  And even now when I drive to Morogoro  I pass the places and remember where so many  South Africans found refuge in Tanzania during those years when it was dangerous to struggle against the government.  And it was to Tanzania that Nelson Mandela came soon after he was freed, in order to thank the people and government of Tanzania for their support.

A couple of years ago, on the 20^th anniversary of his release, I wrote a poem and in memory of his passing, here it is (hey, if Maya Angelou can do it so can I!):

IN PRAISE OF A JUSTICE SEEKER

It’s 20 years now,

After 27 years then.

Mandela is free,

South Africa is free.

Before then the risk of death was in front of his eyes,

Imminent as system changer lives danger.

 

Now death, peaceful death of a free man,

Is in him, as old age, long-lived life, claims its own.

Praise to the brave, praise to the weak-strong,

One who shows us how to live,

Praise to followers in his footsteps.

His life, our gift.

2010

(on the 20^th anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s release from prison)

 

 

 

 

THANKSGIVING

Thanksgiving.  It really is a special time in the year when we’re reminded to give thanks for all the blessings we experience every day.   It’s a special time for us with ties to the U.S., a nation which celebrates this special day.  I think there are lots and lots of countries and cultures around the world that celebrate the blessings of the year, mostly at harvest time when folks give thanks for the completion of a growing season.  But I don’t know of other countries that have a national day, that is,  celebrating on the same day for the whole country.  And so this past week I’ve really been reminded to be grateful.

I’m grateful that every single day I have food to eat.  I’m grateful that I have a house to live in, a place to be safe.  And not only do I have that here, but I also have so many people who are willing to take me in at a moment’s notice and provide a bed and safe place for me for a day or week or more.  I have so many homes:  here, Maryknoll, NY, with Sisters around the world, with my brothers, my nieces and nephews, my friends.  I have enough clothes to wear, more than enough, and when they get ragged I don’t need to keep wearing them but they’re converted to cleaning rags. 

I have had the advantage of a good education, I have a ministry that gives me joy.  I have been endowed with decent intelligence and the gift of common sense.  I have good health and quite a bit of energy for someone pushing 72.  I can walk without hurting, I have almost all my teeth, and I’m only forgetful when I’m tired!

I’m grateful for Maryknoll, my missionary vocation, for belonging to this community, for all the years spent among the people of Tanzania.  I’m grateful for all the learnings I’ve experienced in living with people of different cultures and for the ways that that experience has stretched me.  I’m grateful that this experience continues to challenge me and to make me think about my assumptions and how I do things and how I think about things.

I’m grateful for a loving family, for brothers, sisters-in-law, nieces, nieces-in-law, nephews, nephews-in-law, grand-nieces and nephews and now even great-grand-nieces and nephews.  I’m grateful for those of our family who have become our angels:  Mom, Dad, Don, Ron, Kathy, JoAnn, Monte.  And I’m grateful for my friend who is like the biological sister I never had , Pat.  She is an angel to the children I meet every day, and she’s doing a wonderful job of it, just like she did while she was on this earth in her earthly body.

I’m grateful for all my friends:  for Maryknoll Sister friends, for friends I’ve known because of Maryknoll, for friends I’ve been fortunate to have met along the way and who have made me a more loving person.  I’m grateful that they continue to be faithful friends through all these years and I’m grateful that I can continue to meet and make new friends. 

I’m grateful that the earth continues to provide for us humans, and I’m grateful that we humans are learning how to care for her a bit better.  I’m grateful that I was born on the land and have grown up with a love of the land.  I’m grateful that I love getting my hands dirty in the soil and I’m grateful for everything that grows and delights my heart.

Whew, this is getting to be long and boring.  And so even though this list may not be exhaustive, I’ll finish it by saying:  THANK YOU!   

Early morning walk to the baobab trees

A bit before 6.00 a.m. and the sun is beginning to rise in the east.  I'm on my way to the baobab trees.  The area in which we live is really on the outskirts of the city, and not much walking needs to be done to get me out of the housing area and into the open spaces.

This is the trunk of one of the trees, beginning to be hollowed out.  It reminded me of creche, a perfect Christmas scene.  Everything is extremely dry these days, with rain expected in about a month.  You can see the color of the soil.

 

Isn't it a beautiful tree?  And the background is pink with the sun starting to lighten the sky.  There are only a few blossoms on this tree this year.  These trees blossom in the driest part of the year, so that their seeds get the maximum rainfall possible for growth.  Nature has her ways.

These trees have such magnificent blossoms, pure white and esquisitely formed.  It's a bit hard to see on this picture but can you see the bee having its breakfast?

This shot was taken up through the branches and the moon is almost ready to set.

21 November 2013

21 November 2013

Another weekend went by without posting a blog.  That was because I was travelling and attending meetings and enjoying time with friends and so writing a blog took second fiddle.  Last Thursday (14^th) I went to Dar es Salaam, leaving here by Mohamed Trans Bus at 6.00 a.m. and arriving on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam by 1.00 p.m.  The trip was fine up to here, with only one stop along the way, for bathroom and breakfast.  Then as we started getting into traffic, everything came to a standstill.  There is a lot of building and repairing of roads going on, widening the road as well as building some sort of rapid transit train system, and  everything and everybody keeps wanting to get somewhere at the same time the building is going on.  After some time of sitting in traffic that was completely stopped, our bus driver jumped up, went out of the bus, got on the back of a motorcycle that was on the side of the road, and off he went.  Before too long, he was back, having scouted out a way around/though the jam, and we managed to get to the station within the next half hour.  We got into a taxi to take us to the hostel at the Tanzania Episcopal Conference, and then sat in the taxi for another good length of time waiting to leave the bus station.  The taxi driver maneuvered around stopped traffic and back streets and we made fairly good time until the last couple of miles, where again there was a jam with nothing moving.  Finally our driver was able to get off the road and take some back paths and we made it to TEC, sweating profusely and grateful to be out of a “moving” vehicle.  This isn’t a good month to go to Dar es Salaam, since the heat and humidity is awful and it really wasn’t pleasant.  However, it was good to see the Maryknoll Sisters from all over the country and we had an air conditioned room for our meetings, so all was well.  I came back here on Sunday, leaving Dar es Salaam at 6.00 a.m. and arriving in our house by 1.00.  That was good time and my only complaint was a headache, since there was no coffee to be had either before leaving or on the way.

Dar es Salaam has changed so much since I lived there in the 70’s.  Then the population was so much smaller and cars were few and far between.  Now the population is almost 4 ½ million, and I swear most of them are on the road all the time, either on foot or bicycle or motorcycle or car or van or bus.  And don’t forget the truck traffic, with huge trucks and trailers hauling cargo to and from the port in Dar es Salaam travelling all over Tanzania as well as Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and the DRC.   Hopefully when the building and repair are finished the traffic problem will be eased a little.  Talk about energy and life, however – lots and lots of that.

10 November 2013

I didn’t manage to write last weekend nor throughout the week.  It was a busy week because I taught four or five hours every day besides having the little ones (20 strong, on our porch, in the heat) in the afternoon.  Sometimes I think I’m getting too old for this!!

But I went “downtown” a couple times and thought readers of these ramblings might be interested in those experiences.  First of all, the distance from our house to get downtown is about six kilometers, not far and on a good road.  BUT the traffic has increased dramatically since our coming to Dodoma four years ago.  Although there are plans for a road that bypasses the main part of the city, that isn’t the case right now and all the truck traffic which comes and goes from the port in Dar es Salaam upcountry to here, Singida, Tabora, Shinyanga, Mwanza, Bukoba, Musoma, etc. goes right through the town of Dodoma.  Besides the trucks on the road there are hundreds of “daladalas”, small mini-buses that carry folks from one part of the city to another.  And they’re always looking for passengers (aka money) so they zip around trying to get ahead of one another.  And then there are the motorcycles – hundreds of motorcycles.  A lot of transport is carried out by young men on motorcycles these days since they will take passengers anywhere around the town for a much cheaper price than a taxi.  And we can’t forget the bicycles, many carrying loads on the back, nor can we forget the people on foot.  Dodoma is a town which has almost no sidewalks, so people walk on the road along with all the other things mentioned, and now and again there are cows as well.  So observant and defensive driving is the name of the game.

To get a perspective on the size of Dodoma, the 2012 census report says the population of the municipality of Dodoma is 411,000.  That population swells considerably at times like now, when Parliament is in session.  Not only do we have the influx of all those elected representatives of government but also all the other folks who are support staff and other people who travel here in order to meet with parliamentarians.  Plenty of people around.

Since it is my week to cook, I went to the market on Monday after classes.  I always go with a big basket and before I get very far in the market, some young boy, probably about 13 – 15 years old, usually comes along and asks if he can carry my basket.  I always say “yes” since it gets heavy before I’m finished.  So around the market we go, and before long my basket is filled with carrots, green beans, peas, a big cabbage, cucumbers, green peppers, potatoes, onions, garlic, ginger, avocados, oranges, mangoes, lemons – anything and everything that is in season.  The market also has dried grains and cereals (rice, lentils, beans, etc.) but I didn’t need any of that this week but we stopped to pick up a half dozen of eggs on the way out.  My “helper” insisted that the seller put some rice hulls in the bag before putting the eggs so that they wouldn’t break, and then he also insisted on carrying them instead of letting me carry them.  And then we left the market for where the car was parked, about a half block away, and for all this service I paid him the equivalent of 25 cents.  He was very grateful, and off he went looking for another old lady for whom he could carry her basket!

Another service that I had done for me last week was a car wash.  Two young men spent about 45 minutes cleaning a very dirty car.  The place where they work has a power wash and a vacuum so they did a fantastic job and the car shines.  They also informed me that a tire needed air so made sure I got it put in before I left.  And that service cost the equivalent of $2.50 and then I added a tip of 50 cents.  Again these kids were happy that they’re working AND got a tip besides!  There is so much youth unemployment in Tanzania.

First Graduation!

The first graduation for Maria de Mattias Secondary School is over!  We had a big day on Saturday after several fairly big days of preparation.  But everything went quite well and it seems as though the graduates and their families as well as the other students had a good time so that’s what counts.  We started the ceremony with a Mass at 10.00 a.m. with the graduates acting as the choir.  They did a very good job of singing, doing the readings, etc., and there were about half a dozen priests who helped con-celebrate.  The main celebrant gave a very good homily with emphasis on women and education, contrasting the privilege that the graduates have over the many girls living in villages who haven’t had the opportunity that they have had. 

After the Mass the entertainment started.  The students, graduates and lower forms, had all prepared songs or dances and they performed with lots of energy and enthusiasm.  In between there were some speeches, the graduates gave gifts  to the teachers, and plenty of loud music was also part of this segment.  Finally came the giving of gifts/awards to those students who performed well in various activities during their four years, e.g., sports and games, discipline, punctuality, neatness, and of course academics.  Then school-leaving certificates were awarded to each of the 80 graduates, they were showered with paper leis and gifts by their family members, and then this part was over.

We had contracted with a caterer to provide the food for the graduates and their guests and that went well, with about 300 plates being served.  The food was good:  plain rice and sauce, pilau, chicken, beef, cabbage, roasted potatoes, and fruit.  There was soda and water for everyone, and even some cake.  Everyone had enough to eat, I think, and enjoyed the time together.

By this time it was 5.00 p.m. and after paying for some of the services like food and sound system, (I was chairperson of the planning committee hence that was my job …) I left the students and their matrons to clean up and came home to rest.  I think I was sleeping by a little after 8.00 p.m., tired but happy that the day was over and that it was such a special one for the graduates.

Now I’m trying to remember everything that we did, what was done well, what wasn’t, what we forgot to do, problems that arose, so that next year the planning will go a little more smoothly.  Doing something the first time is always a bit problematic; next year should be easier.

 The school courtyard and decorations.

I was too busy to get more photos but here's one of Eva and I.

20 October 2013

This past week was full of activities, and nice ones on the whole.  On Monday morning early we went to Morogoro, a 3 hour drive away, to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of priesthood of a friend of ours from the early 70’s when we lived in Dar es Salaam.  It was a great celebration, with the Mass so filled with joy and celebration.  The church is large and it was packed, with groups of children dancing and singing, a group of really elderly folks, and lots of people of in between ages.  We sang songs most everyone knows so the roof almost rocked off the church.  The Bishop of Zanzibar gave the homily, talking about how J. was the first Tanzanian to become a Spiritan (Holy Ghost) priest who had not been a diocesan priest before.  Since that time the Spiritan Congregation has been blessed with many young Tanzanians and has been a province of its own for quite a few years.  He talked about how J. can get along with any person, and loves and is loved by all.  All of that is true and really the celebration showed how many people care for him.

And that came through again in the party that followed.  We had entertainment, speeches, food (1800 people were fed!), and gift-giving until nearly 6.00 p.m.  We were then invited to the parish house for further food and drink and conversation so it was a full and happy day.  We stayed with the sisters in Morogoro overnight and came back here early the next morning.

At school we continue to prepare for next Saturday’s graduation.  Things are coming together and I guess there’s no hurry on anything!  The invitations are still not out but hopefully that will happen today.   

Saturday I met with a young woman who is just starting her course at the University of Dodoma.  Esta is from a home very close to the school I was at in Singida, and attended secondary school there.  Her family has very few resources so I helped her through secondary school, through A-level, and teacher’s training college with gifts that people had given me.  She taught for three years but her desire for further education remained and so she applied to and was accepted at the university for a degree in education.  She had her finances all worked out:  With the salary she gets (she is employed by the government so a small part of her teaching salary continues to be paid) plus a little loan she managed to acquire from a bank, she paid her tuition and her room in the dormitory.  She needed stationery money yet (which I gave her) and money for food.  I thought it amazing that food was the last item on her priority list!  Somehow she’ll manage, and I’ll help as much as I can.  This is just another example of how important education is to so many young people here. 

Esta and I met at the town square in Dodoma, and sat at a place where they sell soda and lunches.  We each had a soda, and I also ordered sodas for her two roommates, with whom she came.  I noticed that they weren’t drinking their sodas and later Esta told me that they were probably saving them for later, when they’d buy a packet of biscuits and drink their sodas and count that as their supper.  These kids know how to get by!!

Another week has gone by, and so fast.  There are not that many days left in the year, and I was reminded of that with a notice on the bulletin board at school:  Terminal exams are due into the office by 8^th November!  That really means the calendar year as well as the school year is drawing to a close.  We are busily preparing for graduation and had the first rehearsal of the students’ entertainment on Wednesday.  They have prepared some nice entertainment -   A little play, some songs of various kinds , i.e. traditional and modern, a traditional dance.  The program is set to last for 2½ hours so I hope that everybody is ready to be entertained!

The little ones are still so faithful in coming to their afternoon sessions.  I have divided them into two groups because of their number but these days the ones of the older group are coming late because of activities they have at school.  And so the small ones hang out by the gate and ask if they can come in to study!  And one of them told me the other day that she thinks I should teach on Saturday as well.  No thank you!  Anyway, I love their enthusiasm.

6th October 2013

Another week has gone by in Dodoma and more signs are here of a change of seasons. Just like in the north there’s an obvious change of seasons (I’m reading of snow in ND, SD and WY!) so here we have much warmer weather with lots and lots of wind. Also during the week there were some cloudy days as we hear of rain in neighboring regions. Here in Dodoma we don’t expect any rain until December but some parts of Tanzania have what are called the “short” rains now, and these places will have a longer and heavier rainy season in March and April. There farmers plant some short growing crops at this time and so have two growing seasons and two harvests every year. That’s certainly not true for farmers here in Dodoma. Another sign of changing season is the appearance of leaves on the jacaranda and flamboyant trees. I’ve already seen some jacaranda trees in bloom and the flamboyant trees will be a sea of orange color before too long. I continue to be amazed at how, during such a dry time, these trees can produce such beauty. Last week we administered the entrance examination in order to choose students to join the secondary school next year. 360 girls sat for the exam and 80 were chosen to join. Lucky are those who are assured of a place in secondary school for next year. Now I’m working on a program for intensive English learning which these girls will do in November. That will give them a good preparation for their first year and learning all their lessons in English and hopefully make it easier for them next year. As I see these girls beginning school I always think of all the other ones who don’t have this chance.

Reconnecting

The last time I posted on this blog, I promised to be faithful to writing. Yikes! Two plus years later and I never fulfilled that promise. Now this morning I woke up and decided to try again. There really is plenty to write about; I just need to remember to notice it and write about it. I’ll start with yesterday. I enjoyed a very nice visit with my godchild, Jocelyn Kitakwa. Her father was a music student of mine in Dar es Salaam in the early ‘70’s (!) and during that time he got married in the southern part of Tanzania and I travelled there for the wedding (after already having made the wedding dress for the bride, never having laid my eyes on her). We have remained friends throughout the years, and at the birth of their third daughter, I was asked to be her godmother. Jocelyn is in Dodoma for a couple of weeks, playing sports (netball is her game) for her work place. There is a huge competition going on now in Dodoma with teams from all the different government agencies competing in sports like athletics, netball, football (soccer), bicycle riding and my favorite, chicken catching! Jocelyn’s team didn’t have a match yesterday afternoon so she came to visit, and it was wonderful. When I took her back to her hotel, I also met her older sister, Massa, who, with her husband, is in town for a meeting of the Tanzania Law Association. Massa is a lawyer with the Civil Aviation Commission and her husband is also a lawyer. It was very good to catch up on news of the family. On Monday school reopens after a two week mid-term break. Actually, the 2nd and 4th year students didn’t go home because they have serious national exams coming up in the next couple of months and so they stayed at school to continue their lessons. But my first year students were home so I’ve had a nice break. It was a blessing to have had that time to remember the family and mourn the passing of Monte. I won’t exhaust all observations and news that might be interesting to readers so that may prod me into writing regularly. Let’s hope!