The next chapter

30th Jan

Last Sunday we went to church at the cathedral, (Dodoma being the capital has a cathedral). The English service is at 9.15 between 2 Swahili services, which are both full, where as the English service has around 60 people both European and Tanzanian.

Monday was my first day at school. The staff meet for prayer at 7:30 and school starts at 7:45 and finishes at 2pm. I am slowly adjusting to having so much free time in the afternoon. I've been reading a great book called "Inspired Stuff" by Peter Downey. It is a simple users guide to the bible and well worth reading as it is simple and often humorous guide for those who have never read it and those who have. So if you see me getting ready to go around 2pm when I am back in Oz remind me that I am back in Australia hehe.

After school we went to the fruit and veggie markets with some of the other teachers in my compound. The markets cover quite a large area mostly under cover. There you can buy almost anything in the fruit and veggie line, as well as multiple varieties of rice, maize beans, spices flour and many other things. Things don't come in packets here so what ever you want is weighed out and put into black plastic bags. Fruit and veggies are very cheap here. Anything else you might need is available from one of the many shops in the street that sell a variety of things. The other things of interest that some of the fruit is not always the same colour as we have back in Oz, oranges are actually 'greens' over here and passion fruit are yellow.

After shopping I moved into my unit in the lower school compound, it is very roomy (pictures to follow) separate lounge and kitchen/dining room, bedroom with lots of storage space and double bed.

I have a house helper, whose name is Nema who comes twice a week to wash my clothes and clean house as well as cook, she makes excellent quiche and I'm told she makes sensational coconut cookies but I think I'll try and stay away from those as I am trying to lose weight!

Tuesday; rain at last, we had a storm lots of rain but only lasted 1 1/2 hours, more rain needed.

Wednesday - Australia Day! Went to the chemist to buy more Doxycycline (antimalarial) drugs and medicines are very cheap here 2 months supply (60 tabs) cost about $A3.20 compared to the ~ $8.50 I paid for 2 weeks supply in Sydney. The Pharmacist is on a 2 year assignment. So all you pharmacists out there, would you like a change from the rat race in Sydney - then think about Dodoma!

That evening we had an Australia Day dinner at the Horrock's house with all the Aussies complete with meat pie and peas, meringues and all other types of Aussie tucker.

Thursday, another bigger storm more rain in the late arvo in to the night. We were sad to learn at bible study tonight that in Tuesdays storm at Mvumi - 40km's away they had a very bad hail storm - hail is very unusual in this area which completely decimated all the crops. Please pray that they will be able to grow another crop before the rains stop in April/May. Another interesting little difference about life here is that margarine is made to be stored on the shelf, if you forget and put it in the fridge it becomes rock hard.

For most wazungu there are 2 rituals that mark everyday, antimalarials in the morning and tucking in the mosquito net at night, sleeping under a mosquito net is a way of life here. Wazungu is what westerners are called here. It is derived from a Swahili word which means to run around in circles, which if you stop and think about it for minute is very apt as we are often so busy doing things that we have little time to just stop and appreciate all the gifts and good things that God has given us.

Saturday: we go to the meat market 6kms out of town. This is quite an experience, There is a row of tables and the 'butchers' either have their carcasses hanging or laid out on their tables and you just ask for what you want and they cut it off and trim off the fat. I bought a kilo of beef fillet steak which cost $3.50! At the meat market you can also buy good quality new and used clothes very cheaply as well as locally made - Kanga's - printed cottons, some fruit & veggies and also pots pans and plastic ware.

In the afternoon I went to the pool, Saturday afternoon is after all pool afternoon

Today I went to the Swahili service with 4 other teachers from school - one sings in the Swahili choir that performed

The service was a lot longer about 2.5 hours but the music and singing was fantastic and at end they sung Lord I Lift your name on High in English that Jon had taught them.

Another difference between services was that in the Swahili service when the collection time comes, they put baskets at the front and everyone who has an offering files past and drops the money in the basket After the service we went to the New Dodoma Hotel for lunch - this is the most upmarket hotel in town and very nice. The prices were expensive by local standards but still very cheap compared with Sydney prices.

The work that I have come to do is progressing slowly, there have been a few complications, as I mentioned last time 2 power supplies died and we have also had some cabling issues but these are being sorting these out and hope to start creating the AD structure and accounts later this week.