Tanzania, Round Two!

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A 13-hour flight means 6 movie attempts, 4 in full, 2 which need to be mentioned!

a) The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: Maggie Smith, Judy Dench, Bill Nighy, and the dude from Slumdog Millionaire

b) The 2nd Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: Same as above, but with Richard Gere this time

I’d never heard of these films, and being a fan of Dame Judy Dench (ahem, M, 001), I decided to give them a go. I was pleasantly surprised.

The films paired two of my favourite quotes of all time, “If not now, when. If not us, then who?” and “In the end it will be okay, and if it’s not okay, it’s not the end” with some life lessons and experiences, and I was gifted with a new perspective, something I’ve really always known, but never fully realized until now – “There is no present, like time”. So fitting and apt for this life.

I suggest you all watch these. Karibuni sana.



KIA, TIA & M, oh my!

My flight back to Africa was fortunately uneventful; less than 2 hours sleep on the flight to Addis, and then from Addis to Kilimanjaro, I was the anomaly, a lone traveler on a flight chock full of student groups and what seemed like at least 20 people on a large family vacation from Italy, complete with their Lonely Planet guide to Tanzania, cargo pants and fanny packs. Obviously all their first times, as soon as our pilot announced a view of Uhuru on the left side of the plane, literally 50 people from the right side stood up and went to the left side for a quick peek (pun intended). I was finally almost home.

I was determined to beat all of them off the plane and get to the customs desk and baggage claim first. In record time I found myself walking to get my luggage just as the onslaught of students in neon green hoodies and families were lining up for their visas. M: 1, KIA: 0.

I happily spot two dark green luggages moving towards me on the carousel, one looking super misshapen. I pick it up and notice that one of the corners with wheels was pretty much ripped open; as if it got stuck somewhere and a baggage handler just had zero effs to give that day. Luckily, LUCKILY, I was happy to be back in Africa and chalked the experience up to TIA (this is Africa). Hamna shida (Translate: No Problem). TIA: 1, M: 0 but happy to be back in Moshi.

Karibuni moyo wangu.

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