Living Monsoon

This, hopefully, will be one of several 'catch up' posts.  Internet has been out in much on the country for the past five days.  The water system in Dar is not working, resulting in the need to pump ground water, with warnings to be particularly careful about ingesting any of it.  The power goes in and out, and our fuse box at home went out at least 15 times yesterday evening.  As I know people who are having trouble with their water pumps, having tap water at all is quite the luxury.  The water here at the office goes in and out, but it is easy to fill up buckets outside to flush the toilet.  It has not stopped raining for three days, creating lakes/swamps in a city with poor drainage to begin with.  So hopefully internet and power will last a bit to write and feel connected.  Welcome to monsoon season.

In the midst of the rain I lost my umbrella.  As I was squeezing my body into a daladala on the way home from the office, the conductor took my daypack and it was passed up toward the front to go between the legs of someone who was sitting.  My umbrella also got handed to someone, but I was so engaged in keeping track of my pack (and laptop) that the umbrella went out of mind. Once in the daladala there is no wiggle room to search anyway.  I suspect it was on the floor, and I realized it was missing after I got off the daladala, with my daypack, and I took one look at the mass of bodies still on board and said... oh well. It wasn't a moment to engage a search party.

A staff member in the office kindly went out and got me a new umbrella.  It is quite something. I've traded my collapsable non-descript black model for a bright blue non-collapsable number, with bright red roses on a ring around the edge and near the tip.  To make it even better (and even more un-missable) there is a flashy gold plastic handle.  It is an umbrella that stands out in the crowd.  Before I leave Tanzania it will find a new home (not sure who I will bequeath this to - it might become an office extra), as I divest items to reduce overall packing weight for the small-airplane flight to Kilimanjaro.

I look out the window and surprise!  It is still raining!  The blue rosy umbrella will get much use.

Comments

[John]

Hey old friend,

Sounds like you are having the adventure of a lifetime. I am really enjoying the blog!

John

[Gary Koehler]

Hey John!

How wonderful to know that you're out there reading! Thank you! It is great to feel connected.

Gary