In Tanzania. It seems unreal. It's beautiful here, luscious and dry at the same time, and the house is amazing and clean. There's a huge garden that surrounds the property, and there are many people that work for us here. We have three cooks, three housekeepers, gardeners, and drivers. It sounds excessive, but that's the way things work here. Apparently there's a happening nightclub that we're going to go out to at some point. We start work tomorrow after two days of orientation, and I'm excited to start. I met the woman who runs the nursery school, Mary, and her daughter, Aika, who teaches there, and they are friendly and passionate about the work they do. I've made quite a few friends, and the local people are really lovely. We've gone to the local market, where we were immersed in smells of tomatoes, fruit, and freshly slaughtered livestock. We also took a tour of Moshi, the town next to Karanga. The only thing to detract from the experience is the men... they're all very forward and most of them believe that women are inferior to them, and therefore treat us as such. Also, there's no sense of a personal bubble.. it's like your body is free to touch, which is definitely something that's hard to get used to. Less homesick than before... will try to get my blog post from yesterday from my iPad onto this. It's less hurried, and more detailed about our journey (and I do say journey because I believe I gained years in the spaces of hours) to Karanga.
“To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted." - Bill Bryson
Lovely to hear word from you, Grace, and to be reassured that all is going well. However annoying the intrusions you speak of are, they present valuable learning opportunities for you and Lydie about how to live safely and wisely in the world at large. You are beautiful, captivating girls in any event, but especially in the eyes of those in such a foreign culture as Tanzania. (This will go for India as well.) I love the descriptions of home base. It sounds very comfortable and authentic. I imagine having a blog provides added inspiration/discipline to write down your experiences on a regular basis. For this reason, it would be nice for those of us left at home if Lydie will launch one as well -- at least for India. For now, I have yours and am most grateful for that!! Will you be able to post photos anytime soon?? Much love to you both, Felicity/Mum Please tell Lydie to read her emails. xx
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