- On the last day, I rose to bid goodbye to everyone as they followed their routine. Mass in Swahili. A fond farewell to the 3 lovely nuns. Brother and Mary looked after the animals and the kids lined up for porridge as always. Agatha in the kitchen. The priests who came down to bid us aideu. The tailor and his ever smiling, energetic little boy. In just a couple of weeks I felt I got to know them. Their habits, their personalities, their smiles. I will always be grateful for this time that I got to spend with them. I will always look back on this experience and smile. As we drove to the airport, the now-familiar sights of the city filled me with a bit of melancholy. I know that one day, I will be back.
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On the last day, I rose to bid goodbye to everyone as they followed their routine. Mass in Swahili. A fond farewell to the 3 lovely nuns. Brother and Mary looked after the animals and the kids lined up for porridge as always.Agatha in the kitchen. The priests who came down to bid us aideu. The tailor and his ever smiling, energetic little boy.In just a couple of weeks I felt I got to know them. Their habits, their personalities, their smiles.I will always be grateful for this time that I got to spend with them. I will always look back on this experience and smile.As we drove to the airport, the now-familiar sights of the city filled me with a bit of melancholy. I know that one day, I will be back.Related Posts
Sunday…. phew… so many people, so few cars… we struggled to figure out the right combination, but finally it was B & I who made it to 8:30 mass at the Church nearby. 8:30 mass started at 9:18 because the 6:30 mass didn’t end on time, but gosh… that music… so uplifting… so beautiful! Lab work followed and my fear at the assignment caused me to decline an invitation to visit the cathedral, exchange money and buy tickets. While my tripmates went out, I worked in the lab, collected a record number of eggs for a daily haul :P, danced with the kids and phew… they are amazing! Here’s a link to the music they love to dance to:
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Sunday…. phew… so many people, so few cars… we struggled to figure out the right combination, but finally it was B & I who made it to 8:30 mass at the Church nearby. 8:30 mass started at 9:18 because the 6:30 mass didn’t end on time, but gosh… that music… so uplifting… so beautiful! Lab work followed and my fear at the assignment caused me to decline an invitation to visit the cathedral, exchange money and buy tickets. While my tripmates went out, I worked in the lab, collected a record number of eggs for a daily haul :P, danced with the kids and phew… they are amazing! Here’s a link to the music they love to dance to:
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- Saturday was time for mass in English. What I wasn’t expecting was to be introduced to the entire assembly. That intro got me a hello from a couple of Indian sisters who were visiting and subsequently an invitation to their house. It was also the day for a glimpse at the sordid past of Tanzania. A visit to Bagamoyo (“Bwaga-Moyo”) which means “Lay down your Heart” in Swahili. The original settlement was called Kaole, founded in 800AD, and grew into an important trading town by the 13th century. From Wikipedia, we get some more info: “The Kaole Ruins contain the remnants of two mosques and 30 tombs, dated back to the 13th century. Until the 18th century, Bagamoyo, the settlement 5 kilometres north of Kaole, was a small trading center where most of the population were fishermen and farmers. Their main trading goods were fish, salt and gum, among others. Around the 17th century this area began growing in prosperity and by the 18th century it was an important stop in the caravan and slave trade, acquiring the name Bagamoyo. It became the most important trading entrepot of the east central coast of Africa in the late 19th century. In the late 18th century, Muslim families settled in Bagamoyo, all of whom were from Oman. They made their living by enforcing taxes on the native population and by trading in salt, gathered from the Nunge coast north of Bagamoyo. In the first half of the 19th century, Bagamoyo became a trading port for ivory and slave, with traders coming from the African interior – places as far as Morogoro, Lake Tanganyika and Usambara- on their way to Zanzibar. This explains the meaning of the word Bagamoyo (“Bwaga-Moyo”) which means “Lay down your Heart” in Swahili. It is disputed whether this refers to the slave trade which passed through the town (i.e. “give up all hope”) or to the porters who rested in Bagamoyo after carrying 16-kilogram (35 lb) cargoes on their shoulders from the Great Lakes region (i.e. “take the load off and rest”). There is considerable debate regarding the extent of the slave trade as a major export in Bagamoyo, with archival analysis suggesting that ivory was the primary export over slaves, and that many of the caravan porters on the ivory route were free wage laborers as opposed to slaves. However, the history of the slave trade features prominently in the shared culture of its residents and organizations such as UNESCO emphasize its importance as a cultural heritage site memorializing the slave trade in East Africa.” After visiting the tombs, the mangrooves, the museum and circling a humungus Baobab tree in the vicinity, it was zoo time. My heart broke at the little cages and the small enclosures where such majestic creatures were kept. Tanzania is beautiful, but in their eagerness to provide entertainment, they are making the same mistakes that other countries made decades ago. I really hope it can be fixed before the animals die out. We headed to a lunch right on a beachfront hotel run owned by priests. A thunderstorm caught us by surprise, but hey … that’s coastal weather for you. A chance to taste King Fish and Serengeti beer while watching the fishermen haul in their catch for the day. A photosession that had us in splits and back to the school it was, just in time to hear the choirs – yes… Swahili and English choirs practice for their upcoming masses. It’s amazing how all of them have such amazing voices and skin and smiles. One more evening of responding to curious questions, feeling kids tug on my hair and fawn over India.
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Saturday was time for mass in English. What I wasn’t expecting was to be introduced to the entire assembly. That intro got me a hello from a couple of Indian sisters who were visiting and subsequently an invitation to their house. It was also the day for a glimpse at the sordid past of Tanzania. A visit to Bagamoyo (“Bwaga-Moyo”) which means “Lay down your Heart” in Swahili. The original settlement was called Kaole, founded in 800AD, and grew into an important trading town by the 13th century. From Wikipedia, we get some more info: “The Kaole Ruins contain the remnants of two mosques and 30 tombs, dated back to the 13th century. Until the 18th century, Bagamoyo, the settlement 5 kilometres north of Kaole, was a small trading center where most of the population were fishermen and farmers. Their main trading goods were fish, salt and gum, among others. Around the 17th century this area began growing in prosperity and by the 18th century it was an important stop in the caravan and slave trade, acquiring the name Bagamoyo. It became the most important trading entrepot of the east central coast of Africa in the late 19th century. In the late 18th century, Muslim families settled in Bagamoyo, all of whom were from Oman. They made their living by enforcing taxes on the native population and by trading in salt, gathered from the Nunge coast north of Bagamoyo. In the first half of the 19th century, Bagamoyo became a trading port for ivory and slave, with traders coming from the African interior – places as far as Morogoro, Lake Tanganyika and Usambara- on their way to Zanzibar. This explains the meaning of the word Bagamoyo (“Bwaga-Moyo”) which means “Lay down your Heart” in Swahili. It is disputed whether this refers to the slave trade which passed through the town (i.e. “give up all hope”) or to the porters who rested in Bagamoyo after carrying 16-kilogram (35 lb) cargoes on their shoulders from the Great Lakes region (i.e. “take the load off and rest”). There is considerable debate regarding the extent of the slave trade as a major export in Bagamoyo, with archival analysis suggesting that ivory was the primary export over slaves, and that many of the caravan porters on the ivory route were free wage laborers as opposed to slaves. However, the history of the slave trade features prominently in the shared culture of its residents and organizations such as UNESCO emphasize its importance as a cultural heritage site memorializing the slave trade in East Africa.” After visiting the tombs, the mangrooves, the museum and circling a humungus Baobab tree in the vicinity, it was zoo time. My heart broke at the little cages and the small enclosures where such majestic creatures were kept. Tanzania is beautiful, but in their eagerness to provide entertainment, they are making the same mistakes that other countries made decades ago. I really hope it can be fixed before the animals die out. We headed to a lunch right on a beachfront hotel run owned by priests. A thunderstorm caught us by surprise, but hey … that’s coastal weather for you. A chance to taste King Fish and Serengeti beer while watching the fishermen haul in their catch for the day. A photosession that had us in splits and back to the school it was, just in time to hear the choirs – yes… Swahili and English choirs practice for their upcoming masses. It’s amazing how all of them have such amazing voices and skin and smiles. One more evening of responding to curious questions, feeling kids tug on my hair and fawn over India.Related Posts
- I was to teach them, but then I learned that their lab was locked for a few years. Naughty kids had reset admin passwords and now no one was allowed into the lab anymore. My mission as I chose to accept was to get the lab fully functional again before my 2 weeks were up! Thankfully I had 2 very able helpers As the afternoon approached, it was time to drive down to the airport and pick up 5 more members of the team. A long drive with a stop to pick up SIM cards followed. Love learning how things work in different places. Experience – 100XPEfficiency – 0 Opportunity – 100%
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I was to teach them, but then I learned that their lab was locked for a few years. Naughty kids had reset admin passwords and now no one was allowed into the lab anymore. My mission as I chose to accept was to get the lab fully functional again before my 2 weeks were up! Thankfully I had 2 very able helpers As the afternoon approached, it was time to drive down to the airport and pick up 5 more members of the team. A long drive with a stop to pick up SIM cards followed. Love learning how things work in different places. Experience – 100XPEfficiency – 0 Opportunity – 100%Related Posts
- The next morning, a rushed breakfast and a long wait at the airport for the last leg of the trip. At least a chance to browse through the million shops.A short journey and they we were… Dar es Salam, Tanzania A bit of a hiccough at immigration … Reminder to self: Friends not volunteers… D’oh! From there off we were, welcomed by Fr Aidan and Fr Filbert. It was nonstop as we got a taste of the traffice and a chance to explore the school and get to know the kids and their routines. Introductions to Fr Tasilo, Fr Edgar, Fr Tobias, Br Anthony and several other lovely people. Such a promising start!
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The next morning, a rushed breakfast and a long wait at the airport for the last leg of the trip. At least a chance to browse through the million shops.A short journey and they we were… Dar es Salam, Tanzania A bit of a hiccough at immigration … Reminder to self: Friends not volunteers… D’oh! From there off we were, welcomed by Fr Aidan and Fr Filbert. It was nonstop as we got a taste of the traffice and a chance to explore the school and get to know the kids and their routines. Introductions to Fr Tasilo, Fr Edgar, Fr Tobias, Br Anthony and several other lovely people. Such a promising start!Related Posts
- Madrid, España – Dubai, UAE Time for a short adios and a swap of hand luggage. Before we knew it, we were air borne, off to have an adventure. TBH though the prep began months before. Vaccines, Donations, Insurance, Details, Details, Details. From Madrid to Dubai. A hotel for the long overlay courtesy the Emirates. It was the heat that caught us by surprise 39 degrees at almost 0100 hours.
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Madrid, España – Dubai, UAE Time for a short adios and a swap of hand luggage. Before we knew it, we were air borne, off to have an adventure. TBH though the prep began months before. Vaccines, Donations, Insurance, Details, Details, Details. From Madrid to Dubai. A hotel for the long overlay courtesy the Emirates. It was the heat that caught us by surprise 39 degrees at almost 0100 hours.Related Posts
- — Sofia – Sofia– Being in the midst of artefacts from the 3rd century– State vs church– Walking until our feet refused to move.– Spanish in Bulgaria… the siesta has to be used.– Witnessing a baptism… the cutting of hair, the mini procession. the singing. the camiradarie between priest and kid. The smiling kid that changed from clothes to towel to white vestiments.– The relationship between priest and family.– Cancelling a reservation on finding a chatty waiter.— Sofia – Sofia– Being in the midst of artefacts from the 3rd century– State vs church– Walking until our feet refused to move.– Spanish in Bulgaria… the siesta has to be used.– Witnessing a baptism… the cutting of hair, the mini procession. the singing. the camiradarie between priest and kid. The smiling kid that changed from clothes to towel to white vestiments.– The relationship between priest and family.– Cancelling a reservation on finding a chatty waiter.
- Madrid – Sofia– Just as we left, I saw a Magnolia bud on the little tree at the entrance. Such joy. – At Madrid, I came across the nicest airport and security personnel. One even carrying my cameras to a table for me to stop stressing about getting it all in without holding the line up. Madrid you surprise me. Just after the pandemic, there weren’t many people flying out and the attitude of the personnel was way different from pre-pandemic days. – The most spectacular take off with “The Simpsons” like clouds … – A promising entry into Sofia … a bit too fast, but phew…– First time using a bellhop.– A talkative receptionist.– Food that was just an explosion of flavour. A very strong reminscence of it’s Arabic influences. Berkovska liutivka.– Lights … lots and lots of fairy lights. (some in the shape of beer jugs)– Gorgeous view from the hotel.– A chauffer wishing that Bulgaria gets on par with other European city. I’ve sampled those cities… keep your uniqueness. It’s amazing.Madrid – Sofia– Just as we left, I saw a Magnolia bud on the little tree at the entrance. Such joy. – At Madrid, I came across the nicest airport and security personnel. One even carrying my cameras to a table for me to stop stressing about getting it all in without holding the line up. Madrid you surprise me. Just after the pandemic, there weren’t many people flying out and the attitude of the personnel was way different from pre-pandemic days. – The most spectacular take off with “The Simpsons” like clouds … – A promising entry into Sofia … a bit too fast, but phew…– First time using a bellhop.– A talkative receptionist.– Food that was just an explosion of flavour. A very strong reminscence of it’s Arabic influences. Berkovska liutivka.– Lights … lots and lots of fairy lights. (some in the shape of beer jugs)– Gorgeous view from the hotel.– A chauffer wishing that Bulgaria gets on par with other European city. I’ve sampled those cities… keep your uniqueness. It’s amazing.