I woke up with the light shortly after 6 am. The strange bird noises kept me from sleeping again. The move able glass in the windows doesn't really close. I opened the curtains on my bedroom window and enjoyed the view of Mt. Kilimanjaro.
At breakfast a German man abruptly asked to sit with me. He has been coming here since the early 90s to train teachers. He developed a training program to help teachers move from only using lecture and rote learning in their classrooms to getting students move involved in the learning process. I think he was particularly interested in the field of science and math instruction. A NGO took an interest in his work and has established a number of pro bono schools all over the world. They send Jurgen to various places 4 times per year. He was eating the rest of his German rye bread at breakfast and I mentioned that I baked bread like that. He offered me some and it tasted just like the seeded rye that I baked last week! I enjoyed our meeting and tried not to be annoyed with his German attitude that believes that anything can be fixed by implementing the right system.
Since I haven't exchanged money yet and don't have a phone yet, I figured that I would walk to Mass. Gabriel helped refresh my memory on the route and I headed out. I walked about 2 miles and knew that I was close to the cathedral but I also knew that I probably needed help. Uhuru is on the outskirts of Moshi which means that it is in a neighborhood of 'compounds'. Once I arrived in town there are more people around. But who should I ask?
One man walking near me said hello in English and we began talking. He was from another town and had spent the night in Moshi. He had also worked as a translator for a lady working on a PHD project from UPenn. In any case it wasn't difficult for him to ask directions to the cathedral. The interesting part of this chance meeting was that Julius is working independently to set up a 20 farm in order to grow vegetables and corn and beans to help feed people and to help train others. He asked if I might be able to come for a visit and I said that I would try. He lives over an hour from here but I will be going that direction to visit another farm at some point. He lives in Masai country where people are pastoralists and are not growing as many crops. Apparently the price of corn has tripled and people are suffering. He wants to encourage more people to grow their own food.
New information about a culture naturally raises 'why' questions. Why do they do or not do something? I have tried to ask these questions carefully and to be slow in coming to conclusions. It seems to me that service begins with listening carefully and gathering information. Experts who think that they can solve the problems of the poor are everywhere and the United States is a demonstration of their impotence.
I attended the children's Mass at Christ the King Cathedral. Imagine 400 children sitting in the front with about 8 adults to manage them. The adults sat in back with the teens and there must have been 300 of us in the rear. I was the only mzungu or white person in Mass. Women sit on the left and men on the right and the sexes sit mixed in the middle. It was a beautiful Mass in spite of the priest turning the homily into a pep rally. The nuns dressed in white helped distribute the sacrament.
It was quite hot after Mass so I asked a few people for a ride. None would take me so I walked back. I didn't get an air conditioned room this time and my room is 90 degrees right now. My body is learning to sweat again and I'm drinking the bottled water with the brand name Kilimanjaro and owned by Coca Cola. Unfortunately it is chlorinated and fluorinated. I hear thunder right now so maybe it will rain.
Not sure what to do the rest of the day. I didn't bring much to read and I can't get internet without shillings to purchase wifi time. Hopefully they will let me eat at the restaurant and pay tomorrow. I'm not too concerned. After all; this is Africa.
Reuben
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