"Ms. Mulloy, I Presume: Chronicles of a Young Change Agent on the African Continent"

Happy Tim?

The rains came yesterday...I think this is the longest I've gone in my life without them. I chased my dog around in the yard as an excuse to get throughly soaked. It was funny when they started- I caught myself gaping in disbelief at the fact that water was coming from the sky(strange when something as prosaic as rain seems unfamiliar!) But you know, while I miss having weather here, (there is no "weather" per say; every day is sunny and windy with low humidity) I won't pretend that I miss that cold stuff you have going on over there. No, I think I might have to make my retirement move south a bit early...26 is sounding about right. You'd think so too if you could see it; Dodoma wears hot and sunny like an Armani. While some deserts look parched and dessicated, Dodoma merely looks ascetic- as though it made a conscious choice to deny itself rain knowing the beauty that would result. And is it beautiful...all pink sand and brilliant, brilliant desert flowers and rocky, blue-tinged mountains receding into the distance. I just can't get used to it- everyday I wake up and feel the urge to write bad poetry. But as well as Dodoma functions as a muse, I can't deny that it's a laughable capital city. There are plots of land all over the city earmarked for things like "The National Library," which have instead been overrun with carts of mangos and pineapples, vendors hawking phone cards, masaai witchdoctors concocting love potions on folding tables, and daladala's pushing and shoving for customers. Have I told you about the daladalas? Tanzania's public (but privately operated) transportation system consists almost entirely of daladalas; colorfully painted minibuses (mostly Dynacruisers or Toyota DCM's) that run along established routes and are remarkably cheap and efficient (if a bit unsafe as seatbelts are an unknown here and they pack people, animals, chickens, etc. into this bus like they're in a Tetris tournament.) The Nkuhungu route goes right by my house so getting into town is easy, and I've yet to wait for one by the road (although they'll stop to talk to people, kill time, collect customers and fill up on petrol so saying I've yet to wait for one doesn't necessarily mean I get to town quickly.) The best part about them is that they're all named- "Baba Kubwa" (big dad), "Bush Parts" (what parts of Bush I wonder? his legs? his nose? this could explain where his brain's been all these years- backfiring on Tanzanian highways!) and my personal favorite "Voice of Sweden" (What is the voice of Sweden? Is it the Swedish chef from the muppets? An Ikea advertisement? our own Garrett Bucks saying "matten" over and over? ) I've yet to catch up to it, but when I do, I'll let you know. 'till then...
kt