Departure 4 weeks tomorrow
Getting excited about next adventures
Cycling group e-mailing and planning too
BUT
I (we) are in no hurry to leave MUHEZA
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Swahili time,Mzungu Time,and Recent Logistical Errors in Tanzania
1) Swahili Time….. the time in Tanzania told by Tanzainas is different than ‘our’ 24 hour clock
It doesn’t affect us usually because most hospital, school, bus… events have been converted to our clock. But it was curious to learn that 0600 our time is actually 0000 hrs. so 0900 is 3o’clock for locals and 1400 hrs. would then be 8 o’clock Tanzanian/Swahili time. This is a generally functional system because it seems things slowly start around 0600 hrs. and since we are close to the equator ( but clearly less so as you go south) the days are not very variable in their sunrise/ sunset pattern with sunrise around 0600 hrs.. There you go. FYI
2)Mzungu time…...We experienced a vivid example of this today….We are at a resort on the Indian Ocean with Joel and Paula ( called Peponi) and Leah and I are travelling to a small town Pangani where ware doing some palliative care outreach ( to far to drive back and forth from muheza daily so we made this into a break for the kids too)
I texted the hospital palliative care team at Pangani on Tuesday to set up our morning meeting. I suggested we arrive at 0900 ( our time -ignore previous essay ) and Edith Chuma the ‘matron’= Headnurse said that 0800 would b better for the staff. So Leah and I got up at 0600 ( 0000 Swahili time –refer to previous essay) had water and Paula’s banana bread deelish .. NO coffee (refer to essay on breakfasts in Tanzania) and we walk out to the road and eventually a passing Dala Dala takes us to Pangani ( our boys and and Jand P still resting comfortably). Walk in Pangani to hospital arrive 0810 and Edith is just arriving and we are escorted to the DMO’s ( District medical Officer) office, sign the guest book, “de rigeur” and eventually start our lecture about 0910!!
Last week a meeting was called at 1400 hours- important strategizing meeting. Leah and I and Sally were there at 1401 hrs … meeting started at 1425 hours . we all laughed
.Even here( after 5 months) we can’t slow ourselves totally to the pace or the apprectiation of time as the locals do
3)Logistaical Nightmares of the week
We met a few weeks ago in Dar es Salaam a cab driver who was very helpful ( our friend Juma was not available) he gave us his card .. Jonas” Logistical Expert”
This week I should have had a Logistical Expert.
i) Monday we contact Edith Chuma at Pangaini District Hospiatl ( see 2 above) to confirm our arrival. This after numerous text messages and e-mails and attempt at faxes in December. Much to my horror she was expecting us next week. This after we had coordinated time at Peponi with the boys, and Joel and Paula and then to connect ( in 2 days) with Fiona Manning and Stephanie and their girls( friends from Victoria) for a further 2 days here. The next day she texted back and said she would work things out.
ii) We arrived at peponi and they had no record or our reservation!!!! after numerous calls and e-mails by Leah in December and January. Although it was initially a bit stressful , they did get us into the family banda (sleeps 6)… Curiously the place is empty except for us so I am still not sure about the initial hesitation.
iii) Last night was the inauguration of Barak Obama we dined here at Peponi after a lovely day of travel and and a before dinner swim. They have a TV here so we were excited to se his speech. Dinner was started with Paula’s beans and cold beers (all quite fartogenic) at the banda and then delicious fish and prawns and pasta for dinner. Paula offered to treat the adults to a brandy and locally famous Peponi Brownies for the boys as we watch the speech .I (I) had calculated the time difference at 9 hours earlier even though I knew Victoria was 11 hours earlier and I am well aware it is 3 hours different between the west coats and Toronto/Washington DC. So we sat down as Barak kissed Laura Bush goodbye and sadly realized that we had missed the speech, we had missed history, I had miscalculated.
Where are those Logistic Experts when you need one.
It doesn’t affect us usually because most hospital, school, bus… events have been converted to our clock. But it was curious to learn that 0600 our time is actually 0000 hrs. so 0900 is 3o’clock for locals and 1400 hrs. would then be 8 o’clock Tanzanian/Swahili time. This is a generally functional system because it seems things slowly start around 0600 hrs. and since we are close to the equator ( but clearly less so as you go south) the days are not very variable in their sunrise/ sunset pattern with sunrise around 0600 hrs.. There you go. FYI
2)Mzungu time…...We experienced a vivid example of this today….We are at a resort on the Indian Ocean with Joel and Paula ( called Peponi) and Leah and I are travelling to a small town Pangani where ware doing some palliative care outreach ( to far to drive back and forth from muheza daily so we made this into a break for the kids too)
I texted the hospital palliative care team at Pangani on Tuesday to set up our morning meeting. I suggested we arrive at 0900 ( our time -ignore previous essay ) and Edith Chuma the ‘matron’= Headnurse said that 0800 would b better for the staff. So Leah and I got up at 0600 ( 0000 Swahili time –refer to previous essay) had water and Paula’s banana bread deelish .. NO coffee (refer to essay on breakfasts in Tanzania) and we walk out to the road and eventually a passing Dala Dala takes us to Pangani ( our boys and and Jand P still resting comfortably). Walk in Pangani to hospital arrive 0810 and Edith is just arriving and we are escorted to the DMO’s ( District medical Officer) office, sign the guest book, “de rigeur” and eventually start our lecture about 0910!!
Last week a meeting was called at 1400 hours- important strategizing meeting. Leah and I and Sally were there at 1401 hrs … meeting started at 1425 hours . we all laughed
.Even here( after 5 months) we can’t slow ourselves totally to the pace or the apprectiation of time as the locals do
3)Logistaical Nightmares of the week
We met a few weeks ago in Dar es Salaam a cab driver who was very helpful ( our friend Juma was not available) he gave us his card .. Jonas” Logistical Expert”
This week I should have had a Logistical Expert.
i) Monday we contact Edith Chuma at Pangaini District Hospiatl ( see 2 above) to confirm our arrival. This after numerous text messages and e-mails and attempt at faxes in December. Much to my horror she was expecting us next week. This after we had coordinated time at Peponi with the boys, and Joel and Paula and then to connect ( in 2 days) with Fiona Manning and Stephanie and their girls( friends from Victoria) for a further 2 days here. The next day she texted back and said she would work things out.
ii) We arrived at peponi and they had no record or our reservation!!!! after numerous calls and e-mails by Leah in December and January. Although it was initially a bit stressful , they did get us into the family banda (sleeps 6)… Curiously the place is empty except for us so I am still not sure about the initial hesitation.
iii) Last night was the inauguration of Barak Obama we dined here at Peponi after a lovely day of travel and and a before dinner swim. They have a TV here so we were excited to se his speech. Dinner was started with Paula’s beans and cold beers (all quite fartogenic) at the banda and then delicious fish and prawns and pasta for dinner. Paula offered to treat the adults to a brandy and locally famous Peponi Brownies for the boys as we watch the speech .I (I) had calculated the time difference at 9 hours earlier even though I knew Victoria was 11 hours earlier and I am well aware it is 3 hours different between the west coats and Toronto/Washington DC. So we sat down as Barak kissed Laura Bush goodbye and sadly realized that we had missed the speech, we had missed history, I had miscalculated.
Where are those Logistic Experts when you need one.
Friday, January 16, 2009
4 days in Muheza
When everyday is new and unusual and sometimes difficult,here is an intriguing set of 4 days
Only the funny,disturbing, interesting, frustrating -story- telling bits
DAY 1( was a Friday) while I was in Tanga with griffin ,working and successfully erranding Leah was discovering and cleaning the maggot ridden, dead rat that had shorted out our stove so that cooking had been impossible and breathing even worse. While cleaning the stove with some eventual help from Juliette and Athmani they also discovered that our running water was dirtier than usual and the holding tank was found to be holding surface insects and had a bottom full of black slime that also needed cleaning.
All nauseophilic events.
Day 2 found Leah ill with nausea and malaise and I had bad diarrhea ( no more details necessary) unlikely related to the water issues ( see day 1) which was probably a newly discovered chronic state.
After a history of recurrent power outages and blackouts ,day 2 developed POWER SURGES- where the fans felt like they might lift us off the ground or blow us away- and POWER FADES- where lights dimmed to almost imperceptible and the fan blades circled slow enough to be counted. We didn’t trust the stove so chips and miyii( eggs) and meat (unnamed) skewers, from street vendors for dinner.
Even before dinner some local lads ( new to us) came to our door. I thought, to borrow a soccer ball. We had decided only to lend out the ball to boys we knew ( as a general policy not because of any historical losses). They didn’t want a ball. They had a big plastic weave bag that once held 25 Kgs. of flour.They seemed to want to sell me the contents.
So I looked in.
A 2 foot ( maybe ½ meter) in diameter tortoise!! Why should I be surprised?
So I called all family members and friends and friend’s family members to see it and watch it poke its head out and run( ya right) for cover.
After our curiosity and wonder had been satisfied and pictures taken( hopefully attached), I realized they did mean to sell it and if we did not buy it they would terrorize it, or kill it, or sell it to someone else who might do similiarly nasty things to it. So I bought it.
2000 Tz. Sh. Down from an opening gambit of 5000.
Now what.
First I waited until its captors, who were trying decide how to divide up their windfall, hd left. I would have loved to have understood that conversation.
Then more pictures including video as it (he/she) wondered off.
I needed to insure that the initial captors were not watching my compassionate act with thoughts of recapture and resale.
All went well,including the tortoise.
So for about 25 minutes I owned a tortoise in Tanzania.
Day 3 more fades than surges until later in the day so we were able to cook fish and play Catan. ( Griffin and an Aussie student named James-the problem being the other Australian medical student’s name is also James.
Leah felt better and my bowels settled ( no details necessary).
Around dinner time (before Catan) we realized we had no running water. Was this due to local water rationing which until now we had seemingly been protected by or was it pump failure due to the electrical variability.No idea.
No prebed showers.
Day 4 sadly at 0400 hrs Alex and Emily had their house terrorized by 4-5 men and an attempted burglary was thwarted only when we( Hatibu –our night guard- and I)arrived and Alex surrendered some money. It was only the noise of our arrival not any physical presence that scared them away.We did not actually see them, but the evidence of their attempt was physically clear and Emily and Alex were very shaken.
The next day found us with no water , no new pump available and the whole community quite upset and worried about the assault. Until their house is made more secure they will stay with us.
4 Days in Muheza.
Only the funny,disturbing, interesting, frustrating -story- telling bits
DAY 1( was a Friday) while I was in Tanga with griffin ,working and successfully erranding Leah was discovering and cleaning the maggot ridden, dead rat that had shorted out our stove so that cooking had been impossible and breathing even worse. While cleaning the stove with some eventual help from Juliette and Athmani they also discovered that our running water was dirtier than usual and the holding tank was found to be holding surface insects and had a bottom full of black slime that also needed cleaning.
All nauseophilic events.
Day 2 found Leah ill with nausea and malaise and I had bad diarrhea ( no more details necessary) unlikely related to the water issues ( see day 1) which was probably a newly discovered chronic state.
After a history of recurrent power outages and blackouts ,day 2 developed POWER SURGES- where the fans felt like they might lift us off the ground or blow us away- and POWER FADES- where lights dimmed to almost imperceptible and the fan blades circled slow enough to be counted. We didn’t trust the stove so chips and miyii( eggs) and meat (unnamed) skewers, from street vendors for dinner.
Even before dinner some local lads ( new to us) came to our door. I thought, to borrow a soccer ball. We had decided only to lend out the ball to boys we knew ( as a general policy not because of any historical losses). They didn’t want a ball. They had a big plastic weave bag that once held 25 Kgs. of flour.They seemed to want to sell me the contents.
So I looked in.
A 2 foot ( maybe ½ meter) in diameter tortoise!! Why should I be surprised?
So I called all family members and friends and friend’s family members to see it and watch it poke its head out and run( ya right) for cover.
After our curiosity and wonder had been satisfied and pictures taken( hopefully attached), I realized they did mean to sell it and if we did not buy it they would terrorize it, or kill it, or sell it to someone else who might do similiarly nasty things to it. So I bought it.
2000 Tz. Sh. Down from an opening gambit of 5000.
Now what.
First I waited until its captors, who were trying decide how to divide up their windfall, hd left. I would have loved to have understood that conversation.
Then more pictures including video as it (he/she) wondered off.
I needed to insure that the initial captors were not watching my compassionate act with thoughts of recapture and resale.
All went well,including the tortoise.
So for about 25 minutes I owned a tortoise in Tanzania.
Day 3 more fades than surges until later in the day so we were able to cook fish and play Catan. ( Griffin and an Aussie student named James-the problem being the other Australian medical student’s name is also James.
Leah felt better and my bowels settled ( no details necessary).
Around dinner time (before Catan) we realized we had no running water. Was this due to local water rationing which until now we had seemingly been protected by or was it pump failure due to the electrical variability.No idea.
No prebed showers.
Day 4 sadly at 0400 hrs Alex and Emily had their house terrorized by 4-5 men and an attempted burglary was thwarted only when we( Hatibu –our night guard- and I)arrived and Alex surrendered some money. It was only the noise of our arrival not any physical presence that scared them away.We did not actually see them, but the evidence of their attempt was physically clear and Emily and Alex were very shaken.
The next day found us with no water , no new pump available and the whole community quite upset and worried about the assault. Until their house is made more secure they will stay with us.
4 Days in Muheza.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Breakfast Foodie Blog
Breakfasts
Breakfasts have 2 general themes – simple and special .
For Leah there is also the simple and special breakfast theme but ……NOT BEFORE COFFEE ( since I described coffee with beverages in the previous ‘foodie’ blog I will give no more details except that griff tried his first coffee yesterday)
Simple breakfasts are on work and school days.
Cereal available but expensive, not in our 100 mile diet and not popular amongst us and the Rice Krispies didn’t really go Snap Krackle Pop very well.
Toast and Tanzanian peanut butter made in Arusha.- Arusha is North Central Tanzania on the way to the Serengeti ( very tasty and no added sugar) and/or Tanzanian Jam also made in Arusha ( more like jelly and lots of sugar added) with a variety of flavours classic strawberry and raspberry but also mango, watermelon,safari mix , pear, apple and others.
We make granola with oats,cashews, groundnuts, local honey and I eat it with raisins, but as many of you know the rest of my family have a psychological aversion to raisins, created and reinforced by their mother.
Lately Griffin has been making oat porridge ( Neil Neate will be proud of him for that)
Eggs are very plentiful ,15-20 cents each . clearly free range( the chickens are everywhere and we have a local rooster alarm clock) scrambled, boiled ,fried always an option and still simple.
But Special Breakfast ahh there is a treat.
Omelets, Toast, French Toast, Pancakes and Bacon are courses in one combination or another qualifying breakfast as special.
Fresh fruit bananas, oranges, jack fruit, pineapple also makes special breakfast nutritious too.
But really the topper to special breakfast is CANADIAN MAPLE SYRUP. ( clearly disqualified from any 100 mile diet in Tanzania but patritic too) First brought to us when Sally and Rose came to visit ( just having S&R here made it a special breakfast) and then Leah brought some back during her Canadian interlude ( she even brought an extra litre for Emily and Alex’s Christmas gift , now the have ‘special’ breakfast too)….. used sparingly except by Simon the CMS makes our special breakfast ( the most important meal of the day) oh so special.
Breakfasts have 2 general themes – simple and special .
For Leah there is also the simple and special breakfast theme but ……NOT BEFORE COFFEE ( since I described coffee with beverages in the previous ‘foodie’ blog I will give no more details except that griff tried his first coffee yesterday)
Simple breakfasts are on work and school days.
Cereal available but expensive, not in our 100 mile diet and not popular amongst us and the Rice Krispies didn’t really go Snap Krackle Pop very well.
Toast and Tanzanian peanut butter made in Arusha.- Arusha is North Central Tanzania on the way to the Serengeti ( very tasty and no added sugar) and/or Tanzanian Jam also made in Arusha ( more like jelly and lots of sugar added) with a variety of flavours classic strawberry and raspberry but also mango, watermelon,safari mix , pear, apple and others.
We make granola with oats,cashews, groundnuts, local honey and I eat it with raisins, but as many of you know the rest of my family have a psychological aversion to raisins, created and reinforced by their mother.
Lately Griffin has been making oat porridge ( Neil Neate will be proud of him for that)
Eggs are very plentiful ,15-20 cents each . clearly free range( the chickens are everywhere and we have a local rooster alarm clock) scrambled, boiled ,fried always an option and still simple.
But Special Breakfast ahh there is a treat.
Omelets, Toast, French Toast, Pancakes and Bacon are courses in one combination or another qualifying breakfast as special.
Fresh fruit bananas, oranges, jack fruit, pineapple also makes special breakfast nutritious too.
But really the topper to special breakfast is CANADIAN MAPLE SYRUP. ( clearly disqualified from any 100 mile diet in Tanzania but patritic too) First brought to us when Sally and Rose came to visit ( just having S&R here made it a special breakfast) and then Leah brought some back during her Canadian interlude ( she even brought an extra litre for Emily and Alex’s Christmas gift , now the have ‘special’ breakfast too)….. used sparingly except by Simon the CMS makes our special breakfast ( the most important meal of the day) oh so special.
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