Happy New Year 2015

On Wednesday evening just after five, Grant and I; Steve and Carolyn attended a function for the workshop staff. It was held at the pool bar, which although frequented by expats, it is mainly patronized by the locals. 

Top photo with the first workshop guests and the bar on the left; photo above is of the pool on the right - hence the name pool bar

Apart from being a New Years Eve celebration, Steve also announced the Employee of the Year (the man wearing a kofi/hat) 

Once the formalities were over, every employee came to our table to clink glasses with us. And then we had requests of everyone wanting to pose with us while another takes the photo; on cell phones, on Smartphones, on cameras and on Ipads

We took our leave and drove back to the Guest House. The expats were waiting for us to join them for an evening of karaoke and a Mongolian BBQ. 

The men were enjoying the new dart board 

Just like last week, Poena was manning the karaoke machine

Me and Carolyn

As this post is aired this morning, Carolyn is on her way to Mwanza. She'll spend five days there visiting friends with whom she taught with for four years. On Tuesday she flies out to Dar and then onto the UK. 

Carolyn arrived in Mwadui two weeks ago to visit her husband, Steve. She and I clicked immediately and as I posted about in several previous posts, were together almost every day of the past fortnight.  Carolyn, I'm going to miss you! 

Bibi and Babu

Because New Years Day is an ordinary working day on the mine, we decided to have New Year a little earlier than midnight CAT. One of the expats, Manie said his wife in India is celebrating New Year two and a half hours before East Africa so we pinned the time at 9.30pm. Steve explained to everyone that he'd be doing Big Ben Chimes to herald in 2015. After which Solomon would sing us a solo. And then we'd all stand in a circle and sing Auld Lang Syne. 

All good and well. Except that at exactly 9.30, Manie's phone rang; it was his wife. He put her on loudspeaker, wished her Happy New Year and then we all called Happy New Year! She wished us in return and added  felicitations in Hindi which only Manie and Dippen (the other Indian expat understood!) 

When Mrs Manie said goodbye Steve did the 12 chimes of midnight: Big Ben Style. Next he asked Solomon to give us a few songs. Solomon has a beautiful voice and can always be heard singing. He sang four Ancient and Modern Anglican Hymns.

O God our help in ages past

Guide me oh Thou Great Jehovah !

Finally it was time to sing Auld Lang Syn. I didn't photograph or video this part as I was having as much fun as the person next to me! 

Grant then asked everyone to pose for a group photo, after which those who wanted to go to bed could do so.

This photo was taken with the self-timer function on my camera. Therefore I managed to get to the group in front of Solomon

Dr Satish (the man in purple shirt in top group photo) took this photo. This time I was able to stand next to Grant

With Poena, the music man assisting, Jung took the mic and entertained us with several songs.

A great start to a Great New Year! 

Good Fences, Good Gardening

Although it seems rather optimistic to plant shrubs and trees with five boisterous pups in the garden, Michael and I made short work of the plants we bought in Shinyanga on Friday.

Michael removes a glossy-leafed shrub from its container in readiness to be planted out into the garden

Colonel nervously approaches  Michael 

While his siblings loll on the grass

Everyone is safe and secure in our garden which is surrounded by a reed fence.

While over the road at the Guest House the welder is busy adding a long pipe to the motor gate. This is to prevent Mvulana and Bibi from escaping into the street,  once they're resident Askari dogs in the Guest House garden.

I loved the way Joshua and Sechamenya were focused on something on the cell phone while keeping the pipe firm for the welder to work on.

For more Good Fences around the world, please visit here

 HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

Pre-Christmas Activities (Part 2)

This morning I posted about me and Amanda visiting Buhangija School early in December. Although it was a working visit for us, we were also preparing for the big Christmas Party she'd arranged for Saturday 20th December. 

In reply to one question from a reader, the center is in a town called Shinyanga which is 34 km from where we live in Mwadui. Amanda, and/or any of the other volunteers endeavor to visit the school at least twice a month.  

As usual all the women on camp pulled together and made toys, bangles, knitted hats, scarves and brought in dozens of games and other interesting items from South Africa.  Marita's sisters in South Africa, sent dozens of pencil cases, each one containing a flashlight - with batteries - and stationery. Louise' mum-in-law knitted beanies and brought them with her last week. Louise brought in cotton hats and dozens of knitted teddies. Nsia collected a huge pile of soft fluffy toys from friends in Tanzania.  

When making up Christmas parcels for 300 + children, we placed the items according to age. in large basins. Note the red and blue pencil cases; fluffy toys, mini-gadgets and games

During the year, Amanda made hundreds of toys and activity boards. To this effect I sent her all my empty containers. (our own recycling system here in Northern Tanzania) Amanda brought in huge bags of beads; I bought thin wire at Shinyanga General Dealers and subsequently made bracelets. Whenever we stay over in a B&B or hotel in Tanzania or in South Africa, I collect and bring back the mini soaps, toothbrushes and paste; shower caps; shower gel; shampoo; sewing kits and hand lotion. 

Amanda drove me around town;  I bought dozens of girls' and boys' underwear;  tubes of toothpaste, tubs of Vaseline; bottles of glycerin and every packet of lollipops and toffees available in town. Amanda bought cartons of mini-packets of biscuits and bottles of candy balls. We added scores of balloons and found some pretty Christmas decorations in the local dukas/shops. 

The men (who have real jobs!) gave of their time and helped with visits during the year or offered vehicles to transport food, sodas, clothes and water regularly. Recently they generously gave money towards items we had to buy for the party. 

On the 16th December, Steve's wife, Carolyn flew in from the UK. She's spending two weeks over Christmas and New Year here with him in Mwadui. After I met her, I said the best way to get to know the other ladies on camp, was to come with me and help make up parcels for the Christmas party. She and I walked up to Amanda's house; there we  met Louise' 80 year-old MIL, Joey, Louise, Debbie, Louise' daughter, Henricke and Amanda. Together we started to make up Christmas parcels. 

Carolyn and Joey filling bags with sweets, candy balls, biscuits, toys, pencils, games, jewelry as befitted the gender and ages of the children  

Carolyn loads the first of the sweets into the bag. There were hundreds of fruit chews,  toffees, lollipops and fizzers on the table ready to go into the bags

Hundreds of sweets again

A closer look at the variety of sweets and lollipops

A couple of the many toys Amanda made during the year

The day before this gathering of making up the goodie bags, my Guest House kitchen staff helped me to pop, fill and seal 10kg of popcorn kernels.

Chef Michael and Salome pop the corn on the stove

Pendo and Isaac filled the bags

While I sealed them

Huge garbage bags filled with paper bags of popcorn: 300 in all

Then the day of the PARTY!

Children excitedly check through their gift bags of toys, sweets, biscuits, balloons, pencils, books and more

Amanda and Clare with children around them 

Amanda's son, Zardo helps the little ones 
to wash their hands before lunch

The ladies served delicious stew and rice 
which Amanda had made in huge quantities in her home!

Huge cakes, baked and iced by Amanda and Debbie were served after the meal

Little Barak, the blind boy and the reason why Amanda and I  first became involved with Buhangija Center,  enjoyed the party just like the other children

Young Wessie shows off the face-paint that his sister, Henricke did for all the children

Henricke and Wessie with with several of the children. I love the two teenagers behind the group who seem to be showing off their lip gloss (one of the many girly items we placed in the big girls' bags)

This little lad proudly displays his bag of goodies

Two girls discuss the contents of their gift bags

Two hours of disco music had everyone, young and old on the floor

Omary dances with Barak while the other children jive energetically behind him

Louise is somewhere in there boogieing along with the children

Finally the food, cake and soda was finished. The gifts were greatly enjoyed. The music ended and the Friends of Buhagija, under leadership of Amanda bid the children and their carers/ matrons fond farewell. 

Here's wishing all my blogger friends all over the world a 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!