Tis the season

Tis the season..,

Yes, even though we are not enjoying the special Christmas season weather that Minnesota had and now London is enjoying, we are feeling in the spirit of the season.  Our local Mlimani shopping center has a Christmas display, which includes snow!

I finally switched sun hats, no longer am I wearing my Greg Chappell cricket hat from days of Oz, but my African bought Santa hat!  Walking across campus one lunch time down to Geology I overheard the crowd (mostly young ladies) singing Jingle Bells behind me.  I joined in with dance to their tune and this brought smiles to all around us on campus.

We were surprised and happy this past week to find a Christmas tree in the breakfast area at the Research Flats.  It seems that our array of visitors and locals are getting into the season.

The Research Flats has lots of different folks here for varying periods of stay.  Kidane Asmerom, from Eritrea, has been here for more than two years.  A mathematician who teaches mostly grad courses in the Economics and Applied Maths has been here longest.  We are next after being here only a month.  Kidane some time ago established himself here with a satellite dish.  We review NFL football results on Monday morning and occasionally trash-talk college football (he got his PhD from Penn State).

Looking at our Flat (top floor) from the breakfast dinning area

There was David Williams from Auckland.  He was here for a few weeks teaching law to group of East Africa’s top post-graduate thinkers.  David had great praise for the next generation of African leaders.  In fact, just before the course ended, one of his students became the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs in Tanzania.  Leonart Tonell, a Geographer from Stockholm, was working at Ardhi University (adjacent to UDSM).  He was the first guest we entertained for a tomato soup and cheese lunch.  And then there was Beverly Vaughn, a Stockton College (Atlantic City) opera singer, who is irrepressibly happy and full of presence.  She sweeps into a gathering and leaves an impression. Beverly had more colorful dresses than anyone I knew who was on the road.  We would find ourselves wondering – how many suitcases did she travel with?  We never did find out.

This week we had arrival of our Christmas tree

During the last few days we had an onslaught of twenty-year-old Chinese girls who are here to learn Swahili.  You could have fooled me; I could have sworn they were completely fluent.  They are full of energy and a happy crowd.  Saturday afternoon the six or so had several young Chinese men visiting and there was lots of partying, but respectful. 

Lest I forget food… We have had lots of good meals lately, but this last week Roberta made a great navy bean and vegetable soup. The stock was made from scratch and it was beyond yum.  We are really missing good bread. Our local supermarket has some decent bread, but it’s availability is a bit of a mystery (generally once every month).  So yesterday, when they had it, we stocked up (not much else to put in our freezer).

I’m improving on my eggplant creations.  Last Sunday I didn’t have anything in mind, but heck that won’t stop me from cooking.  I sliced the eggplants and let them sit for about a half hour with a toping of salt.  In this climate, that is enough to make the moistest eggplant slices dry.  While the eggplants were in their absorbing state, the potatoes, garlic and oil olive were tossed, which they enjoyed before warming in the oven for ten minutes.  Before the next step I opened a 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon from South Africa that is great (for $10) after it breaths.  While both wine and potatoes were underway I sliced the eggplant, added sliced mushrooms, and red pepper (heck, it was in the fridge) and after ten minutes I happily added them to the potatoes for another twenty minutes of baking.  We wished we had guests for the meal.  Smiles here continue and so too does the grading of homework and work on geoneutrino.