Lesson: Send kids to a school that makes them perform weekly

Lots of new posts- I think 5 or 6 today so scroll down at your leisure. Birch has an assembly - he was chosen to show how to read with expression. No problem there. Kids do this at least once a month in front of the whole primary school. Tried to cut video when I forgot to turn off camera, but couldn't, so just stop watching when Birch finished- the rest is me just carrying my camera upside down. typical joey


off to check on Birch- another bout of something like dysentery- but I think on the mends- I may even hear the Wii on upstairs.





Also David has a new column on The Nature Conservancy site called David Banks dispatch from Africa- I included the site on the side bar. Check it out.

A day in the life of a Tanzanian expat mom/doc/wife

Monday: Kids to school at 8.  Make sure to have homework and spend 10 minutes searching for last weeks library books every  Monday morning in a mad rush to make school in time.  Touch base with teachers.  Off to work.  15-40 minute drive to the hospital depending on traffic on the one road I take.   Set up room- I bring my won BP cuff, doppler, towel for hand washing, soap, and speculums-  go steal gloves and speculums I see lying around in other rooms.  See about 10-16 patients.  I see mostly pregnant women, and kids but  some family medicine for expat and Indian TZ families that know me now.  Maybe do a few ultrasounds.  Check in with lab for lab results and pathology reports I have been waiting weeks for.  Drive home, maybe stop for veggies, and try to get exercise in at our local gym if I have time.  Home to kids, homework, dinner- 

See not much different from your life- except-

My office has no paper towels yes a medical hospital with nothing to wash your hands with. 

I have to see 2-3 kids at school  in the morning for quick MD consults before I drive to work.

On the drive I see chickens and goats on the road and I fight with dala dala vans who drive like maniacs picking up people.

After school clubs for kids are archery and tae-kwan-do outside on playing field.

No power when I get home so I need to keep refrigerator closed and it means no hot showers that night.

Light candles to read books to kids in bed, fight with kids because they can’t play wii when the power is out.

Give extra dinner to our night ascari ( guard),

Giant ibis birds landing on my roof and making noise the next morning 5:30 to wake me up then the rooster then the dogs….. here it goes again- except it is Tues so I get yoga maybe if Lisa Peterson is in town, I can get down her road, and there aren’t too many sick kids I need to consult on at school before I get to go to yoga. 

So many thing are easier here-  I have help to clean , garden, watch kids.  I have lots of time with the kids.  I have great vacations out my door.  We have good food even if we miss some American stuff.  I mean fresh avocados are 50 cents if I buy that at the expensive mazungu market.  I have internet some and power some- unlike Ghana 20 years ago.  I have my own car and don’t have to take dala dalas.  I still miss America some though. 

Peace to all- I must be missing you more this morning or I am writing more because I actually have power and internet both this morning.

Lesson: Force your kids to the ballet especially if it comes to Arusha- they will love it.

Russian ballet came again.  David was still OOT so we made a night of it and had our friends over to spend the night.  Best part of this ballet is how up close the kids get to be to these professional ballerinas. 

They perform on the school stage and the PTA serves wine, vodka, and salami for snacks.  It is all outside with the mosquitos buzzing in front of the person in front of you.  The ballet itself was great. Birch took 178 pictures- I have chosen just a few for you.  Afterwards the kids got to take pics with the performers and even get their autographs.  Only 4 boys went from the school- I was glad my boys saw the diversity of art the world has to offer for both boys and girls. 

Lesson: Be home for moms day and you get cool gifts

When I got back from USA that Sunday was Mom Day.  Boys made cards and helped daddy make my favorite breakfast.  They made eggs benedict with spinach from the garden.  No English muffins, but great really thin cut toast and…..David made homemade hollandaise sauce ( then told me I couldn’t eat the rest of the day because my calorie count had reached its max just with the sauce.)  David with help from his parents got me a painting by and Tanzanian/Indian artist that lives in Dar and was showing at the art museum in Arusha.  I love this painting because it depicts African women anywhere in Africa.  Always together, always in bright colors,, always with babies on their backs.  It could be Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya, Cameroon….Thanks to my boys……….I love them.

Adventure: Fun in the yard New Orleans style.

One of my trips in the US was in New Orleans.  So I brought back masks to play with.  This is our gang ( remember the girls live just with us) playing all day in the yard with the chickens, rabbits, dogs, and on top of the safari car.  David is proud of the garden that he helped design and build and that now Samwell maintains…. (our gardener/everything worker who helps us by opening compound gates, keeping lawn mowed, playing with kids, raising chickens).  We are lucky to have him around to help out.  He lives with us. If you visit bring him a real novel- he reads better than most Tanzanians.  Mt Meru is the mountain we see each morning.  Peaceful …

Travel for mom Adventure/Lesson for David

I went to the USA for conference and work and Dad had to manage in Africa on his own for 10 days.  When I returned kids hair still long, but kids alive and happy.  David and I reunited for two days and then he was off to Europe for 10 days.  We got a new camera in the US and Cole was the first to try it out.  He also got new Ninja Go Legos.  Birch got Legos also for riding his bike to school.  Our ride to school is one bumpy, dirt, long road- makes learning hard.  But we have mastered the skill now!!!!!!

Travel: We are in Africa , so lets see Seychelles while we can.

We went to Seychelles for 10 days.  Doesn’t feel too Africa like.  It was more developed than I thought it would be, but not a lot of groceries.  We beached and beached and snorkeled and snorkeled.  We saw some things you can only see on the islands and may not be able to see in the future. 

    

 

 

Beach 1- with waves

Local beer

 

Our first hotel didn’t have our reservation so they upgraded us for free to a real hotel with 30 rooms, a pool, and cool tubs the kids liked.  Luck- really luck- in Africa. 

Hike 1 to our secret beach in the back.  Forgot water so kind of a bummer once we got there, but we survived.  Hot to hike in the jungle. 

Hike 2- for the view….

More private beach space

A ferry to La Digue- cool town with bikes for rent to explore the town.  ( or cow cart taxis)

Beaches on La Digue with granite formations – but little shade- so David made our hut of shade. 

 

Hotel in Praslin- smaller and further away from beach than expected.  Self catering but minimal groceries.  In fact I felt like we were spoiled in TZ with groceries in this place.  But we made due and by the end even liked our little place for walking to the beach at night to see the sunset.

Side trip to an island with giant land tortoise reserve.   http://islandbiodiversity.com/tortoise.htm#Giant Tortoises

 

Coco De Mai- largest nut and only found here!!! Looks like men and woman private parts.  Endemics like the black parrot seen here. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coco_de_Mer

Our favorite beach on Praslin. 

I brought one suit that Cole couldn’t wear so we bought him a European little suit and he loved it.  He called it his fast swimsuit.  Couldn’t believe he said yes.

Nights at the beach.