Site Meeting

Just got home from a day-long meeting at our site. I think we're going to make it re: timing. I really now do think we'll be able to start on time (which is actually two weeks later than what "on time" formerly was)! Whew! Maybe I'll start sleeping more now.

In my absence there was one rain -- our first since March. From what I understand it was a good rain, lasting for several hours (and coming down in buckets). Nature is already saying its "thank you," and things are turning green. We just need three more months of such good rain, and we'll be set!

My frustration for the day? We still have not our relief from import duty and taxes from the Tz Revenue Authority regarding our school bus.

Nipo Nyumbani!

I'm home.

And glad to be here.

My days away were rejuvenating, but there's much to do here and I'm glad to be back to it.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, the UNESCO conference was not everything that I'd hoped. I felt very much on track with UNESCO regarding St. Peter Claver in at least one regard: philosophy. One of the foci of the conference was the importance of introducing students to philosophy even at the high school level (and earlier!). In fact, our students will have a course devoted to moral reasoning taught by one of our volunteers, Laura. It won't be a history of philosophy, but it will be an opportunity for them to engage in "doing" philosophy.

I arrived home yesterday afternoon after a 7 hour bus ride from Dar (and a days' long journey the day before from Paris). I had the 6:30 a.m. Mass this morning and then headed right out to the site. I was pleased to see great progress.

We'll have a second entrance test on Saturday. I'm a bit concerned with the boy:girl ratio, however. We have a few seats left, and I'd like those to go to girls (they make up less than 1/2 of the students already accepted).

More news as the days unfold. This afternoon, I'm setting up the schedule and beginning to prepare documents for the teacher's orientation that begins next Monday.

UNESCO

My conference at UNESCO has been mixed. There was no simultaneous translation, and though my French is okay (just), it was too much for me.

It was good to get to know more about UNESCO's work, and I had a very good meeting with the permanent representative from the Sultanate of Oman, Her Excellency Dr. Madiha al Shaibani.

Struggling with a French keyboard. More later.

I Wrote too Soon

Remember that post yesterday when I mentioned how surprised I was that the traffic at rush hour was so smooth? Well, I paid for that observation today -- 1.5 hours to get to the airport, which is probably at the most 12 kilometres away from the Jesuit community.

Rain

Not in Dodoma but rather in Dar es Salaam, where I find myself today, preparing for a night flight to Paris, via Nairobi and Zurich.

Dar-es-Salaam is known for its hot, humid weather. Natives and other friends who've lived there for a long time have all told me that this year the weather has been especially bad. Leaving Dodoma yesterday, I prepared myself psychologically to face the trials of Dar (traffic, heat, mosquitoes, etc.). What a wonderful relief to find that there's a break in the weather -- only 29 degrees Celsius (84 degrees Farenheit) instead of the customary 40 (104 degrees Farenheit). It's still humid but manageable. And there was little traffic on our way in to town at six in the evening -- and I haven't been bitten by a single mosquito!
Today I'll meet with Sr. Mary Rose, a Congolese sister who serves as the material manager at Loyola High School, Dar-es-Salaam. I'll also meet with another sister form the same congregation, Sr. Eugenie, the head teacher at the Jesuit primary school here in Dar. We have two students from the school coming to join us, and two others now are keen on coming to Dodoma. Later today, I'll visit with a member of our advisory board, Veronica Sarungi, a mathematics teacher and educational consultant.

I suspect it will be a productive day.

Dust

I was raised with the notion that to say "I hate...." is uncouth. One should say instead, "I dislike..."

Well, I hate dust. And Dodoma is filled with it.

I also hate cleaning my room.

It's not a good combination, I assure you. (Said through a scratchy throat, watery eyes, and dripping nose.)

Pushing the Sartorial Limit

I am heading to Paris and London next week. I'll be in Paris for a conference at UNESCO. I'm using the conference as an opportunity to get a way for a bit,

visiting friends in London (our great friends at St. Ignatius, Enfield, in fact),

and my good friend in

Paris, Alexandre.
I don't have good winter clothes. I have one overcoat, a cardigan,

and a hoodie -- but that's about it. I have decided to push it a bit and bring

a little of TZ to Europe. I'm going to wear my Maasai blanket! I'll report on what people make of it. I have been always a bit wary of Jesuits who've returned from Africa wearing African dress (many Africans don't wear traditional African dress -- though, of course, many do), and now I'm taking the plunge. The blanket I have is more orange than the one on the right -- and it has subtle blue lines that establish the checkers.