November 14th: It rained and rained and rained

I really feel like I've jinxed the sun by going on about the lovely blue sky. It rained ALL DAY today, like in the Cat in the Hat.





Here I am in my ludicrous rain outfit. Note the appalling sports sandals, rolled up trousis and waterproof. I look like I am just off to some National Trust property with my Senior Citizen's pass.





You can just about see the crucifix in the background. A feature of many rooms here.

I splashed my way to school, crossing the little bridge with much trepidation. School was very quiet, because all the pupils except the fourth years, who have exams, have the day off. I wrestled with the school budget for a while, talked to the carpenters about their budget, chased the sewage again, and finished packing up the first batch of Christmas decorations. The nice driver took me to Horrible Kariakoo to buy wellies and an umbrella, and then we rumbled along in the pick-up truck to the Post Office to post said decorations, and also some cheap but - I like to think - charming gifts for a lucky few pals. Those of you with a birthday coming up, don't worry that I've spent too much.

Later that afternoon I had a long, wet journey to Mikocheni B, a posh area in Dar, to go to Lucille's house to practise for choir. The last stage of the journey had to be by piki piki (a big motorbike / very small car, pronounced peekee peekee by Lucille). The driver and his friend had tied plastic sheeting to the sides, which are open. It was not exactly effective, but I was touched by the effort. The piki piki broke down. Horror. The driver's mate had to get out and push, with me and other passenger still inside. I was faintly embarrassed and thinking of offering to help. He was Tanzanian and just looked irritated and as though he wished the driver's mate would just push a bit harder.

Lucille made real coffee! My first nice coffee for months. And she played the flute. It was all very idyllic, except then we had to leave the house go to choir. The roads are rivers. And this is just one day of rain. I cannot imagine the havoc the proper rains will bring. Memo to self: at this point, leave the country and come back to nice civilised flooded-only-occasionally Britain, where I have cleverly bought a house on a hill.

I was really tired when I got home, but thoroughly revived when I read the following line of an email, from the Sex Manuals and Ivory Figurines Man - he is asking the President of his Rotary Club if I can present to them, to try to raise money for the school:

"Lucy is with Buguruni School for the Deaf and she is working as Consultant from UK and she is young beautiful looking and I am sure if you announce all the members who is a Speaker you should draw lots of attendants. "

Glorious. He is probably arranging a nice safari right now, to shoot a huge bull elephant so that he can make a life-size statue of me out of just one tusk. I must remember to wear nice clothes and NOT my rainy day outfit (for the meeting, not for sitting for the carving). I like the idea of an audience full of parking attendants, but hope some of them will be rich businessmen instead.