Bickering and bracelets

Ruefully I admit that parental stress affects the children's behaviour....or is it the other way around?
We've all been more than a little snappy with a week of bickering. I wasn't even sure I wanted to embark on this weekend's proposed adventures, but with a rare pre-planned trip to Arusha we were all set to go.
And a good thing to. A remarkable peaceful & organised exit from Hillview yesterday to get the bus for the 7 hour journey to Moshi. The children don't bat an eyelid now at sitting for interminable periods of time. The passing African scenery is somehow soothing. And we have learnt to avoid looking at the tv screens which play endless violent boxing/shoot up movies on loop! Air-con luxury bus cost us £30 for all of us.... the extra pound for air con is completely worth it as we all wilted on our one bus journey without it. M even bought himself a fried plantain at the 1 pit stop en route, something he would never have done a few months ago.
A change of scene, a communal sense of journey and dynamics get a good shake up. So we had a lovely family evening in what is now our 'regular' restaurant in Moshi, along with all the other wazungu, in the 'IndoItalian'. An obvious menu of pasta or curry!! Funny how we are creatures of habit, liking the feeling of knowing which streets we are heading for rather than hesitating on each corner.
We have returned to the same hostel we used either side of our Safari, basic but clean with fabulous artwork on the walls and leopard print sheets. I have learnt to check the mosquito nets for large holes and make sure the fans work before accepting a room.
This morning we were greeted with delight by the Masai security guard (Masai's fearsome reputation means that is their commonest line of work). He, along with most people we meet, is so enthusiastic to be welcoming children who speak a little Kiswahili, most especially the smallest one. We had wanted to get a photo with B last time, but missed the moment. This time he was very keen, but she wasn't (never work with small children or animal). He obviously had her measure and returned with a small Masai bracelet as a gift, and hey presto, one happy child wanting photos!

We have an invitation to visit his village next week to see some traditional dancing and his goats. At least I think that's what he was asking, B seemed to think he was offering her a goat!
M has gone to visit the hospital as part of his expanding surgical network so  we are reliant on my Kiswahili which is a tenth of his.

So we are going to attempt some school work with the majestic Kilimanjaro in the background before making our way a further 2 hours to Arusha to visit the lovely French/English family we met at Christmas.
Best of all our tensions have evapourated and we are back to the happy, connected family from last weekend.

HALF WAY

One of those days where you'd rather hide from your children and forget you had them, than face the battle of chivvying out of bed and off too school. All too tired after a busy weekend (no I never do learn to leave enough down time). A sigh of relief when the hospital car toots it's horn to pick up those girls who are ready.

Two in today, the youngest having dabbled in pre primary is not to be swayed from her determination to stay safely at home. She at least set to writing out her proposed schedule for the day and resolutely made swift work of her maths and spellings for the day before I disappeared to fulfil my hospice commitments.

My flat state of mind was not helped by my first home visit, where for all my wealth of knowledge, I had no promise of any treatment to offer. He has Parkinson's, which in the UK is bad enough, but here with no medication available he is rapidly trapped in his ageing body. All very well being able to work out what's wrong with him, but I felt miserably inadequate without drugs to help. We at least gave his elderly wife a medical overhaul. She is caring for him alone, unusually their children (who live in the same village) do not offer any support.

The day was no more brighter with the last visit. A lady of indeterminate age, discharged a few days ago from the hospital. She is on treatment for HIV and TB but they had told her she probably has oesophageal cancer. Frankly it probably doesn't matter what cancer she has, she was a living skeleton and in terrible pain. I at least could offer comfort in knowing we could help ease her pain and support her and her family in what inevitably will be her last bit of time.

Back to review some of this week's clinic patients, a bit of teaching and then more home school. Slowly climbing back up from emotional depths of the morning.

B & I gorged on mini mangoes and felt very self satisfied with our work achievements for the day, before I collected the others from school.

And what a difference a day makes, the monsters returned as angels and we have merged into a serene evening. I have morphed from a gloomy fed up mother and doctor into a multitasking super mum. Yep, I can cook supper, make chocolate brownies (it's pudding night), help complete word problems on ratios and proportions, spell check middle child's emails and English homework, hopping over sharp pieces of playmobil and researching questions on the healthcare organisational setup in Tanzania (from a husband with an overflowing brain of blue sky thinking) all at the same time!

Back to earth with a crunch tomorrow morning no doubt.

But for now I shall enjoy my secret supply of fruit & nut chocolate and bask in the words I never thought I'd hear from L "Thank you for bringing me to Africa. I'm glad I have stayed and not made you take me back to England. I feel almost African now". Cue mental fireworks and fanfare.

Today is our official HALF WAY THERE, according to M's calculations, and for now at least it all feels worthwhile.

Karma Chameleon

Chameleons are my new favourite animal!

We have driven up a very long bumpy track into the Eastern Usambara mountains, which make up the view from our house.

Flashbacks to being forced out on fabulous adventures by my mother, with us all dragging our heels wanting just to stay at home and read. Total empathy....no interest from my passengers about all the information I wanted to share about the Amani Nature Reserve where we have woken up this morning (some of the best rainforest in the world, with hundreds of species not found anywhere else, home of the African violet, and an impressive old German medical research centre looking at the jungle plants). My sisters will all groan knowingly! 

I would love to be here with my grandfather Ioan for all his botanical knowledge. You could really get engrossed here.

Chameleons saved the day...the ultimate reason for trekking up here...and the lure to our little fish. A begrudging hike up to a view point...highlight being attacked by Safari ants....wow they really hurt.....especially when you're ignoring one in your bra to come to the aid of your shrieking daughter with one embedding itself in her finger! View point itself out over endless treetops, peaceful between the raucous cries of birds. 

The piece de resistance, our night walk to find the prized chameleon. Our guide thoughtfully tracked a few down for us in advance, saving us a longer hunt. The creatures themselves are so captivating: eyes that swivel independently, bodies that change shape to mimic the leaves around them, careful paws gripping so tightly to the thinnest of stems, and of course their colour changing ability. We all now envy Rapunzel in Tangled with her little friend Pascal.

We enjoyed our venture into the pitch black of the forest, busy with night noises. Our guide's headtorch picked out chameleons that I wouldn't have spotted if I stood there all night. We were mesmerized by a lone firefly, or perhaps a forest fairy tempting us to follow deeper into the trees.
I have woken before the girls, though the dawn chorus here is so much quieter than muheza. 

The day ahead promises butterflies, a waterfall and a tea plantation