Here's some human interest writing from a while ago, to lighten up all this work-writing:
wanting to e-mail about my phone, my family, aunt laura, about manu-chou, about fay and ededwin, and about harry and Ikunda, so sebastian, about Rahel, Placid, yusuphu and mary. So can i start with the phone? how my phone got pic-pocketed last week at lunch time, boarding the dala dala perhaps with Placid my Tanzanian 'counterpart' or workpartner in Tengeru which though reminded almost daily, i'd forgotten was a notorious cell-phone theft town. And then when nearing our destination on the DAla Dala (arusha) i searched unfruitfully for my phone and Placid says in horror -"someone has absconded with your phone!"
How i've been hanging out with these youngsters in their 20's and want to hang out with w/older, but can't seem to find them, so for now enjoying the youngsters. It's odd to lose your phone here because you've written a lot of texts on it, it's personal like losing your computer. And the sympathy! Placid texted several friends in alarm reporting my phone had been taken - At home they reacted with shock and such sympathy! Then within minutes though, people reveal theytoo have had their phones stolen - Placid has had 2 taken, my house father also 2, the 4 tanzanians i work with in tengeru have each had their phone stolen - and once they get onto these old stories it's often relayed with great amusement! The sympathy and shock at the loss of my phone is in great contrast to the reaction to news of personal losses, Nate, Vicky -which is often diverted eyes and a brief 'i'm so sorry' and change of conversation. What else. Agnes the house girl, and aunt laura, a grown unmarried sister who lives with us. laura is very chritian. she's up praying from midnight to 2 am most nights. she's a bit younger than i -beautiful, tall thin, killer gifure like many women here- chiseled features and long braids, burning eyes. she could be an intimidating character- want her in my corner for sure- she's usually laughing and has got great business schemes -open a spa for income and then open a joint center for elderly and hiv+orphans, to care for eachother. she barks at the kids in the house, is the only one who seems to discipline them, and she bakes cakes late at night after most have gone to bed. i like her- she'd take shit from no one and is very funny. Agnes the house girl who walks around the house spreading calm and good will and taking care of all the things that need to get done. agnes is very amused by me. the kids: fay and edwin- i've bragged too much about well-behaved african kids -as penance have landed in the household with unruly undisciplined little tyrants. cute as can be and not as bad as i say. but little edwin gets away with murder-screaming at the dinner table, giving his big sister a bloody lip, whining, and no one says much. whenever he sees me he bursts out "hi Dafna!!!!" it absolves him for me of many sins. then there's fay who i share my room with. she says things to me before sleep like, "daphne, i like you. let's pray', then she closes her eyes and starts chanting, 'father bless us bless us bless us' the other night she said 'daphne i like your nose, it's big.' i like fay too. although all this togetherness does make me miss having my own space where i might start being more creative. Fay is a little fat and everyone thinks it's funny. teases her about her belly. she could care a less, also thinks it's funny.