It's been an eventful week, full of the unexpected - bumping into people, going to weddings, meeting up with AIDS consultants and gathering material for the library/reception at Kinshai. As ever, nothing ever quite goes according to expectations. So, having gotten to a conference in Swahili, one of the things I did was take advantage of the location and go for a hike in the Uluguru hills. These are about 3 hours south west of Dar. I was taken up by a guide - 26 year old James, who wanted to know why I thought some people are poor and some [View Full Entry]

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In an attempt to get in shape for Kili, I’m going to be running a 10km race on Sat and probably another one in a few weeks. I reckon it will be kill (me) or cure, particularly after some overindulgences in Dar. I’ll be raising money for Kinshai, so I’m looking for sponsorship. To remind you, here are some of the things Kinshai does: * HIV testing and counseling in the offices in Moshi * Family planning education * Care of HIV positive babies * Adolescent health and condom negotiations * Education and support for people living with AIDS * [View Full Entry]

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There is currently a big controversy over here about the film ‘Darwin’s Nightmare’ which was Oscar nominated for best documentary this year. An Austrian journalist started to investigate the Nile Perch trade in lake Victoria in the north west of Tanzania. What he exposed has enraged politicians and environmentalists alike. He claims that the area is poverty stricken, due to the over-exportation to the West, leaving locals to eat only the unsanitary fish heads that are left behind. The director, Hubert Sauper, also points out that the area is a hotspot for arms trade, with [View Full Entry]

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After a surprisingly comfortable 8 hour bus journey from Dar, I reached Moshi to the warm welcome, embraces and laughter of ‘Mama Veronica’ the Executive Director of KINSHAI - the NGO who had agreed to take me on. I couldn’t have had a warmer welcome and it didn’t just stop at the bus station. From Miko the security guard at the hostel, to the local shop owner, everyone is overwhelmingly friendly. Smiles, hugs and laughter abound and any encounter involves a lengthy exchange of ‘how are yous?’, and hand clasping and hi fives and hugging. Each morning in [View Full Entry]

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It’s been a hectic week of zooming up and down the country. I’ve been in places I never thought I’d be involving flights, and days of solid driving along dusty dirt tracks and very very bumpy roads, eating bananas and oranges and packaged biscuits. I’m now back in Dar, but have spent some time in Masasi, and Mtwara, about 60 km from the Mozambique border. Masasi has little to offer other than a thriving cashew nut trade and a tarmaced road (which after 2 days of driving was a sight for sore eyes. The cashew nuts, however weren’t.) On the way [View Full Entry]

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"Blood Donors Galore" - That was one of the headlines in the New India Express the day after the Mumbai bombings. I was watching the news pretty much incessantly when it broke. I noticed how different the reporting of this atrocity was from the reporting of 7/7 just over a year ago. At first it was fairly similar - confused reports about blasts, uncertaintly of the timings, steadily escalating death tolls and avoidance of blame. However whilst in London this swiftly changed to finding a culprit (and then shooting the suspect), here the press reports lingered on the gruesomeness of the [View Full Entry]

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My moves this week have been mostly dictated by trying to escape from the rain and trying to ensure I find tv (and maybe even beer) to watch the footie. I've managed quite well, mostly thanks to a chance encounter with Katy and Ingvill - 2 MA students from Kings, who also took me to the only proper beach I've seen so far. Of course we couldn't swim in the sea - it was way too rough, but we did managed a couple of cocktails :o). I didn't come 6000 miles to be rained on so I left Kochi and headed [View Full Entry]

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I'm now at the Kalari and it's just me and a load of oiled men in loin-cloths with an assortment of the most dangerously sharp weapons I have ever seen. Getting to the 'Kalari' (that's Indian for 'dojo' - martial arts arena) was a trial in itself. It's all been a bit Kill Bill with 'The Master' not wanting to take me on at first. It involved lots of phone calls some blagging about 5 years kickboxing, international competitions, paying hommage to the mother of all martial arts a lifetime interest in martial arts, blah blah blah before he eventually conceded [View Full Entry]

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Carmen had insisted that whenever possible I stay at any Neemrana property. Before leaving London I had looked up the one in Pondicherry and it promised to ‘take you back in time’. - http://www.neemranahotels.com/ Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately for my wallet) it was booked up. However, as my dad has always advised me to go and use the loos in posh hotels, I did go and sup a traditional g&t in it’s cool courtyard (is there a theme here?). In the process I found another Neemrana property in the hills of Tamil Nadu, in Coonoor, 1 hour away from it’s more [View Full Entry]

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Well, I’ve caught my first Indian train. Just. It did of course involve torn trousers, running out of petrol (twice), hitching a lift with a random truck and clambering across railway tracks, all whilst debating the adjective Matrix-esque. Despite the chaos of leaving the village, it was a very emotional goodbye from Arasavanankadu (and no I never did work out how to pronounce it). I was given a thoughtful and touching farewell from all the kids who put on a show in my honour. I was graced with handfuls of flowers and cards as well as silks and a handmade bag [View Full Entry]

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