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| Thursday, 15 May 2008 |
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Home  Musings More Musings (2004) Xmas Letter |
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Dear Friends and Family,
Christmas is upon us and legion are the changes of the past year! Where
a year ago I hustled off to the work of pushing systems out to USAID’s
under-privileged world, I now hunker in a corner of that world. Where
Nancy rose early to teach Peace Corps administrative personnel headed
overseas the nuances of their job, she now practices what she preached.
Only Kate and Luke’s daily schedules remain essentially unchanged,
though their worlds are certainly not the same.
Kate and Luke’s
New World
:
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What’s
the Same
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What’s
Different
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They still walk to school and it still takes about 6
minutes
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They walk on dirt roads wearing dark blue bottom and
light blue golf shirts with the school’s monogram.
They walk with a group of friends and wave to the two guys who
water plants in plastic bags they sell on the corner and the old crippled
homeless man stationed perpetually beneath the fire red flowers of the
Flamboyant tree.
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They are both making great grades…(okay, Kate, you
have the edge!)
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Science is harder over here, math is easier, and
community service – a required course – well…there’s nothing to
compare. They say they
especially enjoy the ‘sense of freedom’ at the school (what does that
mean…no metal detectors?)
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For Kate - music, music, music!
She has her cherished violin, and…
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Nance is forever following up some new lead for a
instructor (though no success as of yet…probably our only disappointment
to date ). So Kate has
compensated with constant, loud, (and sometimes frankly atrocious) music
emanating from her room.
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For Luke – music, music, music!
He still spends plenty of time practicing bass…only he has…
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…moved from coat and tie school orchestra bass to a
long-haired school rock and roll bass - a world shaking change.
His band, TAR (recently renamed...see more at his website: www.tarist.8k.com)
is his favorite activity over here.
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Soccer continues to be both of their favorite sports
and they both still play twice a week, but there are slight differences…
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…first of all, we call it ‘football’ over here!
And they are both struggling to fully make the teams.
Each has been selected to participate in some very competitive
matches, but they have missed others as they hover between tiers one and
two. The players here are
really serious and have the advantage of playing throughout the year.
It is good for both of them and they are enjoying it a lot…but
man I mean its hot! But then
the school also has a lovely outdoor pool and swimming is another required
class in every grade at every time of year…
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Which brings us back to attire…and Kate’s
ubiquitous sweat shirt…
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…which she still insists on wearing even though it
is way above 90°……and the damn thing’s still hooded (though,
contrary to what one concerned teacher suggested, she never wears it up!).
We think this is the down side of school uniforms – lots of
emphasis on other ways to cast your own shadow...for Luke it is a fixation
with long hair (well, he’s is a rocker, after all)
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And best of all, they are still great traveling
companions for Nancy and me…
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And believe it or not, now they regularly kick our
asses at bridge! Luke takes me
down at chess, too, which really isn’t cool.
I’ve asked him to stop doing that but he doesn’t seem to be
listening, so I’m thinking maybe I just won’t play him anymore…
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*Below, Luke gives us additional insights into his normal working day:
“Another boring school day starts out with the usual cinnamon or french
toast poptarts followed by the thought of home work i forgot to do.
School starts off with some boring subject followed by another one as
the 80 minutes seem to take days.  bassist poses chez lui
As does Kate (from a paragraph she sent to me entitled “Life”):
“Life here has been quite interesting in many ways. Things that I have
not had time to do I am now finding the time to do again and things
that I never thought I would do in my entire life I am finding now very
natural.
This school year I have been able to find the school work very easy so
I am not spending a lot of time worrying about that anymore.
 stunning sunning
I also have a busy schedule with soccer three times a week, including
games, and I had the chance to go with the school on the sports
tournament on December 3rd for four days to the International School of
Moshi (close enough to Kili to see it on a nice day). I not only got to
play soccer but I also had the chance to play contact rugby, a very new
sport for me, and had both of my ankles busted in the first two games I
played. I have also been able to play rugby at break everyday, though I
am the only girl playing; I play rugby with boys up to 10th grade
(mostly 9th and 10th).
Everything here has been a lot of fun and I am amazed that I can fit
this all into my daily routine while still having the time to go
running with my mom every once and a while, take Kiswahili lessons, go
to parties, and other fun and important things during the week.”
Nancy: Nance takes a minute out
Nevertheless, her efforts and time with family remain, as ever, Job
One. And somehow she manages to find the time to overdo her exercise
(an hour of yoga every morning and 8k jogs several times a week)…we are
talking Nancy after all. And of course she continues to abhor any sign
of idleness in herself, and she addresses it with a Puritanical fury -
forever finding projects to improve our home, our community, or our
quality of life. Fortunately she still manages to find the time to
travel and to read, and - in what she acknowledges as a ‘personal
excess’ - she also manages to lay out on a Zanzabari couch under a
large tent facing the open sea to have her nails done every other week.
And finally from me...I'm doing just great and I'd love to show you all
around! Wishing a Very Merry Christmas to you all!! With love from the
Gehron's,
Mike |
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Heard This? |
Mchezea zuri ,baya humfika.
=
He who ridicules the good will be overtaken by evil. |
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