The first weekend of December, Emma, Fikiri (a math teacher at MGLSS), and I went to the [region] immediately bordering the Arusha region to the west. Emma had been invited, and tasked with being, the primary speaker and one of the main donors for a rural church build in the Galapo (?) area. We left late Saturday morning, and got home late Sunday evening. It was a wild 48 hrs or so and a long journey. I experienced my first ‘coaster’ experience ~ Tanzanian Grayhounds/mega-shuttles.
While there, the parish pastor who invited Emma (Elisante) provided us lodging at his house, as well as had a meal prepared for us that evening. What was memorable about that first night was (i) the bonding I got to do with Fikiri (awesome guy) inside the house with Emma in the den area (sebule) before transitioning outside; the room was overrun by flying beetles once we turned the lights on. Our downfall as it turned out, and what prevented us from staying there for theoretically the rest of the evening, were the open windows. So it goes.
Bugs looooooove the electric light source. Why? I don’t know. I really have no idea, but it sure does kill my vibes; thinking specifically about how BUG-zillas fly at the windows sometimes while I am using it in the evening up at the office, trying to get in, flying at the incandescent bulb hanging from the ceiling. Tough.
The open windows led to the (ii) memorable activity from that evening, i.e., a most fabulous 1.5 hrs spent outside under the skies. It was a starry night with a delightfully calm and peaceful evening temp and feel. Being completely forthright, Emma and Fikiri were being mostly big phone guys, so consequentially, they were not super present, but for myself, taking in the stars and thinking, pondering what it meant to be here in Africa, reflecting on what was God trying to say to me in the here and now, that was significant. I came to no definite conclusions, but it was a joy to be there that night.
The next day, we had a cool 4 hr church fundraising event. Thank goodness I brought Dombey and Son by Charles Dickens for the last hr. One can only translate and have maybe 20% of an idea regarding what is going on, for so long. A beautiful bodaboda (motorcycle taxi) ride back into [Galapo area town], brought us close to our time for departure. We took a private van back into the Monduli area (four across in the middle where Emma and I were. Classic super tight fight on Tanzanian transit), transitioning to the bed of a low-lying pick-up truck for the last 25 minute drive into Monduli proper. I bought us a carpet to put under our kitchen table at a roadside stop; home décor, super important.
Our house is poured with a concrete floor, so there is a need to wear flip flops in the house to mitigate the firm surface of brushed concrete on bare foot. In addition to that, there is also a need to lay down carpet where possible; hence the roadside, highway purchase. I’m still imagining scooping a third carpet as a runner of-sorts. We’ll see what happens there.
God was with us from start to finish. Emma and Fikiri were the big donors and supporters of this fundraising event for sure. Emma and I made out with a rooster and hen for future consumption at some point. Plus, we got some killer pictures back at the house before leaving. One must document one’s travels; the human memory can only do so much, is fallible, and does fade with time.
Seeing another region, experiencing a few different forms of transport, and making memories with Fikiri and Emma, as well as just myself, compiled the highlights of this trip.
Tanzanian Times 