Being the procrastinator that I am, I have waited until the absolute LAST day in January to do my January blog entry. Typical! I dont have a good excuse, but I have been super busy since I returned from Italy. For some reason, things have picked up around here, and I am busy, busy, busy with work right now. We are in the midst of doing our school's version of IEP's (Individualized Education Plans), which are extremely time consuming. They require several meetings...and meetings are surprisingly difficult to coordinate with busy diplomat parents! I am also planning a week-long service trip for 15 of our students to Moshi to work at Light in Africa. We leave next weekend, so the logistical planning of that has been a nightmare. Once these two things are behind me, it should go back to normal...hopefully!
Most of you know that I was in Moshi at the orphanage for Christmas this year. What an incredible experience! I have had such a diverse range of experiences with the kids at Light in Africa, but this was one of the most touching days I have ever had. During the two days before Christmas, we spent hours and hours organizing a present for each and every child. Mind you, there are over 150 children, so this was not an easy task. People from all over send shoeboxes for the children. Some are labeled with names, some arent. Most of them have toothpaste and a toothbrush in them, and those all had to be removed so that the children didn't think the toothpaste was candy!!! This was a greuling process in a very small, hot room. It took two full days. However, when we saw the childrens' faces when they received their presents, it was all suddenly worth it. The kids were so happy to have some toys, books, candy, etc. that they could call their own. Everything is shared at LIA, so to be able to have some ownership over a few things made them very happy! On Christmas day, we also had a big feast with the children and the children prepared some performances for each other. It was truly an amazing experience...one I won't forget.
After our few days in Moshi for Christmas, Emma (a fellow teacher) and I hopped on Ethiopian Airlines headed for Rome! We were meeting Sarah and Ben there, some friends from Alaska. Sarah and I had lived together when we studyed in Florence in 1999-2000, so it was great to be back in Italy with her. Plus, Ben and Emma had never been to Italy, so this was a big adventure for both of them! Italy hasn't changed a bit. I was there almost a year ago...and I am always shocked at how little things change in Florence! I think that is part of the reason I love it so much. We went to all my favorite places, but spent most of our time at the Joshua Tree...and I am sure nobody is surprised by this!!! If you haven't heard of Joshua Tree, it is my home away from home...a lovely little pub in Florence. We also spent a lot of time with Simone, the owner of Joshua Tree and a great friend. He sends his love to everyone who knows him!!! Overall, our vacation was amazing. We did Rome, Venice, San Gimignano, Greve and Florence in about a week and a half. I acted as tour guide most of the time which was fine...especially since I was only guiding around a few people. Quite a change from touring around with 150 obnoxious college students!!! Just kidding all you GIF people!!! Well, maybe not!
My vacation ended with a few days in Moshi with Abdi...which was wonderful! After our whirlwind vacation in Italy, I was ready for some down time...and some sun! Italy was COLD, especially coming from the 90*+ weather we have in Dar right now. I never quite adjusted to the cold temperatures in Italy, so I was extremely happy to be back in the sun. After some time with Abdi, he went to the mountain with some clients and I came back to Dar to go back to work. Because nothing is easy in Africa, I OF COURSE had the bus ride from hell on the way back. Our bus had an infestation of cockroaches, which were crawling on me the whole 9 hours, I sat next to a very sick man, we had a minor breakdown, the air-conditioning didn't work and the sick man wouldn't open the window, and to top it all off............we ran into some backed up traffic and were stopped for over 2 hours. As I waited in the hot sun on the hot pavement, I found out that a truck had run off the road, and slammed into a mud hut in a small village up ahead. He killed several people, and the villagers were protesting by blocking the road. This was a problem because this particular road happens to be the ONLY road in Tanzania that is paved! So, we were forced to wait it out. It was a nightmare, and was just a friendly reminder that I was back in Africa...and not in Italy anymore!!!!!!!
I love you all! Hope everyone is happy and healthy. Happy 2009!!!
Jen
