Getaway Weekend

new pictures!

I never pegged myself one to love an intimate weekend in the hills with family, tossing around kids on my shoulders and cooking gourmet meals. Okay, truth be told, it would normally have sounded ideal to me if someone else was doing the cooking and holding children.

In fact, this was my weekend. And it was glorious. Selina, Eunice and Melissa have become my family here and I love the time we spend together, lounging around with intellectual books and cheesy movies and alternately talking about petty and weighty things. This weekend we were also accompanied by two U.S. imported dogs, Cookie and Shadow. They were nice, though smelly, company. Apparently our cooking didn’t settle as well with them.

We were in Usa River where Melissa stays during the week. It is pronounced oosa- but allegedly named for its similarities to the US we were told- similarities such as the river and trees and grass. Hm. We stayed on the University of Arusha campus, which is surrounded by five villages and about 25,000 villagers. It is really difficult to tell where the campus ends and village begins. I kept hoping to see Mt Kilimanjaro, but a bunch of toddlers would later inform me it was hiding.

We experimented with spices and no recipes. Managed some great pastas, egg skillets, rosemary potatoes, french toast and cookies! Pretty much we would sit to eat a meal and already be planning the next one. I think I need to send a thank you note to the house owners and let them know I may have discovered a new love through their very own pantry and stove.

We played just about every game we could think of with 20 beautiful kids at an orphanage next door to Melissa’s house. We met them out on the soccer field, in the two- hour playtime between their naps and baths. Red light green light was hilarious. Also, mom, I imparted the experience of “tickle sprinkler” and it was a hit. The greatest thing about this particular orphanage was how wonderful their grounds were. They had an actual house for each group of 10 kids, complete with a living room with framed art, a big open kitchen, and a bathroom with a rubber ducky shower curtain and letter magnets on the wall. It was like a college dorm brilliantly adapted for children.

We used a washing machine! Interestingly enough you have to fill it manually with buckets of water. Washing here is such hard work.

One of the village head chiefs, arguably the most important person across the five villages, came to check on Melissa unannounced. So we met him while in our sweats.

Still, not entirely spaced out on vacation, there were a few things I found to occupy my thoughts. There were many shipping containers interspersed between houses throughout the area, which left me curious of course. And there were a few signs in the people of years of drinking bad water. And the maize was brown and dying from lack of rain water this year but everything around it was green.

back to work today. and wouldn't you know my computer didnt work this morning. EDP techs recognized my name when I called for help, oh you again, huh? This time repairs only took an hour. Progress.