I'm getting OLD: I forget things, I look back at things with this annoying nostalgic smile, everything aches, I wake up at 4 am (someone has to make sure the mosque will work), I'm grumpy and snappish (o.k.... always was, nothing new) but - I'm 35 looks like I also forgot the body shrinking part that comes with getting old... unlike the usual me, I didn't spend my day crying. only 15% of the time... it is me, after all, and tradition should be kept... Arusha celebrated my B-day... got some presents, as u can see, our friends embarrassed me and Sang happy birthday song, pointing at me and saying- she doesn't want people to know.. the flowers in the garden - - - amazing, as u can see.... the night flowers are flowers that opens ... read more

I'm back in Arusha. Living in the same pyramid house you've seen photos of before, hoping for a short contract with the UN here and basically doing the thing I like the most - NOTHING!! recently, 2 of my friends had arrived: they are from South Africa, a mother and son traveling together for the last 18 month. First we met about a year ago in Kenya, we lost touch and they've magically arrived here.... they became good friends mainly for assuming I'm 29 years young. But also, because they are great friends. We have all decided to go to Lushoto for a weekend. Lushoto is in Usambara mountains here in Tanzania and is considered as the “Switzerland” of Africa, maybe only of Tanzania. Not sure.. we had great camping, we hiked, played with the kids, ... read more

It's funny that that's how it's described, because million is the common estimation of the number of those who were murdered in the genocide in 1994. Rwanda had captured my heart. It's a country with all contradictions possible: Green prosperous agriculture, hugh green coffee and tee plantations and on the other hand unimaginable poverty. optimism and belief in the reconciliation process but also cynicism and disbelief it could work (depends on whom you're talking to) great hospitality to foreigners but still there is a feeling of suspicion and that everything and everyone is controlled. A traditional society where old people are considered to be the wisest, when there are villages with hardly any elderly people. Rwanda got straight in to my heart. In Tanzania I've started smiling, not only lips but all organs are involved: I ... read more