Vacation break is over - back to 6 day work week!

A week at the coast, two days at Tarangire Game Park, a Beethoven piano trio concert, car repairs all behind me, dinner with friends of friends from the States - all in all a very good break is now coming to an end!
What's next?

Time to get back into the swing of teaching - think I'm ready! One more solo recital to get the kids prepped for (we've already presented two solo recitals: one in September, a second in October). The finale this term will be a large ensemble performance in December. After that, I fly home to Charleston for Christmas break - crazy to realize, only about 8 weeks away.

They say the season of short rains is coming...a good thing seeing as we've had no water coming to the house here for 10 days! One of my favorite Swahili words is "vumbi" = dust. It is SO dry and dusty here, and we add "joto" (heat) to that combo as well. There are quite a few dust devils (like water spouts with red earth) to be seen whenever out in the country/bush. Well, at least I won't be scraping ice and snow off my car this year!

OK so now for my newest project:

My sister Wendy and I ran two half marathons when we were in high school, so here I am 30 years later training to hopefully complete another! Kilimanjaro half marathon on March 3rd is my goal. I've just finished week 4 of a 12 week training program (thanks to my iPhone app), and with four months still to train, I am feeling positive about this project. I really wanted to get my body back in shape while here, so am chipping away slowly. Its good to have goals!

Tarangire National Park

Red & Yellow Barbet (can't believe I got to see this! What do you think Wen??)

 

 nap-time for this guy (simba in Swahili)

 baobabs & elephants

 zebras & wildebeest sharing shade

 river view from my safari lodge tent where I stayed overnight

 Dik-Dik one of my favorites - so gentle and fragile looking

 Impala males eating while on the move

my overnight tent (cement platform, thatched roof over mosquito & tsetse fly proof screen & canvas tent, two beds, bathroom) 

 only safe place to siesta!

 ground hornbill (when not on the ground)

Jeremy - this one's for you

last day at the Indian Ocean

another beautiful day at the coast

This vacation has been loaded with so much that is new and REALLY different. The area where I'm staying is on a massive reef, and we just passed new moon, so lots of extreme tides going on. This morning the beach was totally submerged at high tide. Now, as we approach low tide peak, one can walk straight out toward the ocean for at least a good half mile!

Yesterday evening I was invited by friends on a booze cruise! - Annette, Frank, their daughter Tara and another bunch of their friends (some resident in TZ, others visiting from Germany, Switzerland). We headed out in boats to a mangrove stand where we anchored, swam, and had evening cocktails - SO much fun! Just after sunset we went to Frank & Annette's back on the mainland where we sat outside surrounded by white sand, coconut trees and lots of brilliant stars. Lots of stories, and a ton of laughing! These people have all been so kind and welcoming to me - they live for the moment, they give genuinely and graciously - I am one lucky lady!

 Fishermen heading out - high tide, sun is up!

About five of these vervet monkeys clambered around on the thatched roof this morning, nibbling at some kind of fruit and then throwing left overs onto the ground. They all took turns peeking at me when I went to get my camera, then they scampered off to a nearby Baobab tree. 

Fishing boat heading out at sunrise & fishermen hauling in their net

Tomorrow is the day I pull out my sketch pad and watercolors - SO many extraordinary and beautiful experiences happening right in front of me!

Morning walk going north up the coast

Today's drive to the coast (Indian Ocean)

Today on our way to Tanga, Annette (biology, physics and chemistry teacher at the International School) and I drove past  southern Kilimanjaro (which was socked-in), 3 other major mountain ranges, many villages, areas with passion fruit, coconuts, papaya & orange trees, and also saw quite a few Baobabs. About a five hour drive in her 4x4 on some of northern Tanzania's major two laned highways (east close to the Kenyan border; then south toward Dar Es Salam). Only occasional hair-raising moments with busses overtaking at high speeds on blind corners, or fishtailing on curves (bald tires no doubt)! 

Bien Moyo recording for Tanzanian radio

www.YouTube.com/danispirit
listen to: bienmoyo.wmv

This is a very catchy composition written by colleague Dani, with our other colleague extraordinaire David improvising on drums & guitars, Cate adding a violin to the mix, and the Tanzanian ensemble children we coach, singing. The lyrics tell about a fatal heart disease effecting young Tanzanian children, and the hope is that thru the information provided in this radio song, people will come to recognize the symptoms early on and then to seek treatment. Enjoy!

African sunset at one of my student's homes in the bush

dirt track view behind the school

Yellow-collared Lovebirds in the Jacaranda tree outside my studio window last week

Mt Meru - one of the views on my drive home from work

African Hoopoe - campus resident at the school where the violin studio is located (International School Moshi)

my new wheels (mini 4x4)

One of my goals in accepting the Umoja violin teaching contract in Tanzania was to simplify life! That has absolutely been the case in many areas, HOWEVER transportation has been a little tricky and very restrictive (with regard to both convenience and expense). And so, the search for and decision to invest in a second hand car has been a major project for the past 5 weeks or so. Here is what I found just this week(!)  - hehe - and so I now own a VW Golf parked at dad's house in SC, AND this nifty little 4x4 which will help me with the daily commute (about an hour each way) to & from school. Best of all...I now can go with a friend/s or driver to see animals at some of the local game parks - can't wait! Only draw back = I will miss the daily drive with my taxi driver Rashidi who has taught me so much about Arusha including where its safe/not to drive & he has given me an excellent introduction to learning Swahili!

Mambo!

Mambo (Swahili for "whats up?")
Poe (all is well...I think!)