I was on our Internet phone last night in a conference call with two college buddies and they told me to tell my wife to include me more in the blog....except for an occasional picture, they were wondering if I had made the trip and how I was doing. I'll try and take a few minutes on a regular basis and make posting.
First, I think it is amazing that I am here in Africa on a conference call with the United States for free. When I first started dating Carla (1982) it cost me nearly 20 cents a minute to talk to her and she only lived 25 miles away. I also had to catch her when the neighbors on the party-line were not trying to make a phone call. Those of you who have spent your life in the city may not know what a party line is, but several families share one phone connection. Each has a different ring and it takes quite a bit of cooperation with people you don't know to make a call. We just got our Internet phone working last week and for me it came a great time. I was feeling very isolated and alone after the first six weeks here and the ability to just call home was great. My parents live in Gig Harbor Washington, so I only see them once or twice a year. The phone has been the way I have stayed in contact with them....talking to them on a very regular basis. I surprised them on their cell phone somewhere in Iowa. I can imagine them standing in the mall sharing the ear piece talking to their son in Africa. I know without a doubt that everyone they met that day learned the story of their surprise phone call from Africa.
I have had a good first two weeks of working. I must have set some reasonable goals as I have been able to accomplish most of them. One of the most important things I have been trying to do is to get a contract set with a retired head master (school principal) here in Arusha. He has started three schools during his career and they have been very good schools by Tanzanian standards. He is a strong Christian man and, I think, is hoping to be hired as the first headmaster of our school. The board and I have been searching at this point, for an advisor, not a principal of the school yet. It has been hard to communicate both my respect for his experience and success, and my need to have someone with his connections along side me as I learn here while also making it clear that our work relationship will likely be temporary....that there are no promises of future employment. We are, I think, close to an agreement. Maybe tomorrow.
A picture for you to imagine. Ava and I have developed a fun tradition of going for a run together. It is always directed by her and she can actually run for quite some time. This started for us on Christmas day when she turned a family walk into a Dad/daughter run. I'm sure it was something to see us in the States when we were jogging down the road, but I assure you the Tanzanians don't know what to think when this little American girl leads her dad down the dirt roads and over the mud puddles. Some laugh, all comment, many join us....especially other little kids..... How lucky I am that she wants to spend this time with me...a good time for talking too.
A final note: I am so grateful that Carla has started and kept up with this blog, for you who read it and later....for our families memories! I'll try not to spoil her writing!
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2 comments:
I love that image of you and Ava running down the road joined by Tanzanian kids! Very sweet.
She really does stand out in our neighborhood. But at school, she's just another in the pack of very blond, very blue-eyed kids here (just like Minnesota)! In fact her classmates either look just like her or are Indian, so there's a real contrast.
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