I’ve been very busy lately! Or maybe it just feels like I’ve been busy because time has been flying. It does not feel like the holidays. I hear Jingle Bells played on the radio – in Swahili of course – which is kind-of just annoying, if I’m going to be honest. In addition to Christmas …
14 November 2015
The days filled with unanticipated activities continue! My friend, the fundi (craftsperson) showed up this morning to replace my other door! I was looking forward to a quiet morning after a long day in town to do some grant-writing yesterday, but that’s okay! It’s better they show up randomly, ready to work rather than not …
12 November 2015
Another week gone. It truly felt as if time did not exist for most of this week. All the things I planned to get done on my own did not end up happening as other village randomness took over, with last minute notification. Luckily, I was smart enough to let go of my personal plans …
26 October 2015
Yesterday was Election Day for Tanzania, and all was surprisingly calm and peaceful. People stood in a line – crazy! a foreign concept – waiting for their turn at the polls in the village government office. It seemed like any other Sunday, except for the long line that never seemed to diminish. The polls very …
12 October 2015
My first meeting as a member of PC TZ’s USAWA committee (Unified Sexes Achieving a Wealth of Awareness – the gender and development committee here) went quite well this past weekend. We met in Dar, a place with good food but way too much humidity. I’m glad to be getting back to my village soon …
1 October 2015
So, it’s October. That happened. Things are going well in the village. The weather is noticeably warmer now, though the rains have yet to truly come. Most mornings these days are overcast and foggy, and there’s usually some drizzle off and on – not enough to make the ground soft. The sun usually shows up …
21 September 2015
Some new poetry/prose in the corresponding drop down menus at the top of the blog page - enjoy if you're interested.
16 September 2015
I just had a fascinating discussion with the head teacher (mwalimu mkuu) at the primary school, and decided that before doing any other work, I’d write a bit about it. The teachers have borrowed an inverter for the solar panel here at the primary school, so I’ve been able to come and use some electricity …
6 September 2015
I am sitting here in the living room of the village chairperson doing some work. He has solar power that he lets me use sometimes – and a radio and TV… Sometimes I come over to visit and we watch the news, or bad children’s cartoons, or nature shows about termites, or giant lizards eating …
23 August 2015
Back in the village. I think going away for a while did me some good. My village feels more like a home now. Almost everything is the same as when I left, and that made my return surprisingly comforting. No one broke into my house or courtyard while I was away! And even though the …
marks in the sand 