I spend a lot of time at the hotel which is kind of like staying at someone’s house so I sit and hang out like everybody else.  People often sit under a tree on on the porch and the women are often in groups sifting through rice or cutting veggies.  I have been offered 3 chickens to buy and the men selling them often put them right in my hand so I have a dead dangling chicken that I’m not really sure what to do with so I just say “Kuku Hapana asante” (Chicken no thank you).  People carry their wares (eggs, chickens, toothpaste) from house to house and then stand around for a bit to talk.  If you sit in one spot long enough you really see what is happening.

Yesterday Moshi and I were talking about someday visiting Vancouver. It’s my dream to find a group wanting to do an environmental exchange and it’s Moshi’s dream to join in with someone’s soccer game in a park near my home.  He got super excited about meeting people in a soccer game.  If he does ever get to Vancouver I am hoping that we can all play in the park and I’m going to call YOU!

Yesterday we had been working all day writing up tour descriptions so Moshi said “let’s go for a little walk” which I was all for but we ended up walking for over 3 hours.  People walk everywhere because there are no cars so a “little walk”  to him is quite another thing for myself.  However it was very interesting because we went through the richer part of town.  I would not want to be rich here either because the disparity is so huge and then you have to watch your back all the time.  We left when kids were just getting out of school and they love getting their picture taken.  I have learned how to say Moja mbili tatu tabasamu (1,2,3 smile) which make the kids fall over with laughter.  They also love to practice their english and I have heard many “Good Mornings”.  Moshi said the english is taught in the morning and the teacher will enter and say “good morning” so often they don’t know “afternoon” or “evening” they only hear the word morning from their teacher.  It’s always morning in english!

Truthfully I am a bit tired and missing friends and the slowness of the place is great theoriectically but I do like action so am a bit antsy.  Next week is going to be crazy (yippee) because we are going to paint the kolo office and put in a bee hive, set up a women’s group and plant a nursery there, head to cheku to see how the trees we planted last year are doing and check on the well and see if the solar chargers are still working.  Plus we are going to have a huge PARTAY.  It’s either so slow or warp speed and I’m looking forward to warp speed again.

Thanks for the emails back.  I am feeling so far away here and any news from home is always welcome and makes me feel connected.

kuwa na siku njema (Have a good day)