Village Update

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While I was away on tour in India I actually didn’t miss much. We were supposed to get our cargo bin full of donations, however, we ran into delay after delay after delay and only now has it arrived in Dar es Salaam. We are actually still filling out paper work trying to get it out of port. The process has been a huge hassle. As a result, my dream of bringing baseball to Shinyanga and the village will have to wait or be done by someone else while I’m away. It’s a real bummer but again it just goes to show you how nothing really works here the way you want it too so you just gotta bury your head and keep skatin.

We were also supposed to meet the water engineers and have them survey the land. But they never showed up for the meeting. Since I came back we have been in talks with a few water companies, so we hope to have them survey the land sometime in January. And up until now, we have been extremely busy preparing for a visit from the Canadian High Commissioner who along with his wife agreed to visit Nhobola during their time in Shinyanga.

So as soon as I got back to India, my bosses put me to work bigtime. And since they were born before the don of computers and because I have nice legs I was basically their secretary for a little less then a month running around town and typing documents faster than a Matty Lombardi end-to-end rush.

The visit was a pretty big deal for us because not only did it give us some publicity but also helped with making connections with local leaders as well as with our fellow Canucks. But the reason why it was a huge deal for me personally is because of whom the Canadian High Commissioner is – Bobby Orr. Haha, he might not have worn number 4, actually I think he said he wore 24, but I gave him a Don Cherry like welcome,

“AND THERES THE GREATEST HOCKEY PLAYER OF ALL TIME NUMBER 4 BOBBY ORR, WHATA BEAUTY!” Haha right in a small leaky school room during a torrential down pour I gave him the Grapes and it was beauty. After we left the school we headed to the village to give him a little tour and a taste of what life is like for these people and to see how they cope with their daily obstacles.

We went to a family’s home just off the road and showed our honoured guests where they collect their water, their farm land, and their living conditions. Even though I’ve seen the place a few times now its still pretty tough, especially when you look inside their home and the water they have to use. After a visit with that family we headed to the centre of the village.

And lemme tells ya, the fans came out in droves. There were easily a few hundred people crowded around the stage to hear what Bobby Orr, the legend himself had to say. Good to see my love for hockey has caught on, eh! The meeting felt kinda like a pep-rally but also showed everyone that were serious about this project and that others in high places are as well. The atmosphere was great. You could feel the hope and excitement in the crowd and all us guests felt the same. The High Commissioner is now an honoured chief. The Chairmen also told everyone in attendance that I am no longer considered a visitor of Nhobola, but as one of their own. I am truly honoured and touched by this and again goes to show you how welcoming these folks are – whata bunch of beautys.

After the village we threw a little dinner party at our pad and it was great. The food was delicious and the company was great. And if your ever in Shinyanga, find the mayor’s wife cause she makes the best samosas in town, absolutely unreal! All in all I think our meeting with the Canadian High Commissioner and his wife went great. They are really awesome people and gave me some really good advice about what I need to do in order to reach my career goals.

Since their visit and the recent departure of my bosses work is now slowing down to a halt. There are some odds and ends to do but for the most part work will not recommence until they return in mid-January. As a result, I’ve been on an absolute tear partying, with the high point being a Bongo Flava concert where I was the first guy on the D floor, met the headliner, and asked the DJ if I could go onstage to sing – but he didn’t have any Stompin Tom or Disney classics on the playlist.

My time in Bongoland is winding down. I can’t believe I only got 5 weeks left here. Although the dates aren’t set in stone its looking like I’ll hit up Moshi/Arusha, Uganda, Rwanda, and then Zanzibar/Dar before I header home. Shes gonna be one helluva finish.

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Photos

A Couple a Betties
Hey if I'm stayin in the village I'm gonna be needin some company!

Couple of my Volunteers in Attendence
Always nice to see the foot soldiers.

Water Hole
That rope tied to the barrel allows it to just touch the water. Looks pretty tricky.

Solid Effort
But he didn't even touch the water.