I'm Baaack--But Not Back in Tanzania

When last you heard from me, I was on  Kauai and it was three months ago. A few weeks before that, I mused about being still in America, as opposed to back in Tanzania. I really did expect to go back to Tanzania sometime around July, then October, then March of this year. But now that March has come and gone, it's time to admit to myself that I'm not going back in the foreseeable future.

In that earlier post, I said I didn't want to start a new blog on a more general theme, because it would mean admitting to myself that I was finished with Tanzania. Well, this blog has already become more general, or at least less Tanzania-themed. But I'm keeping the same name, because I'll never be finished with Tanzania. I don't know when I'll visit again, but everything about Tanzania will stay with me and will color everything I see here. Much as my two years living in the Philippines in 1982 and 1983 still colors everything I see here, and colored everything I saw in Tanzania. You never finish with those other places and people; they come away with you. So thank you, Tanzania and K2, for the big adventure.

And since I stopped posting back in January, my readership seems to have gone up! I'm not sure if that's good or bad. Anyway, it's mostly based on tourists at Kenyan and Tanzanian beaches trying to find out if an insect has actually laid  eggs under their skin. The answer to that question is usually "Yes! And you'd better do something about it!" So I'm providing a public health service by keeping this blog in place.

Good bye for now, Tanzania...

What's next? Who knows? Not me, that's for sure. I have wandered away from my home in Utah, where allergy season is in full bloom and I could expect to have a sinus headache every day for the next five weeks. I'm in Tucson for a few weeks, because I like it here. A lot of retirees move to Arizona. Maybe I will, too. It's a test run. But I notice there's palo verde and mesquite pollen everywhere. Wherever you go, there you are--and it's allergy season.

 Hello, Tucson...

 ...where the prickly pear are blooming. 

Just look at all that pollen!

I'm into the second course of the Stanford Continuing Education Online Creative Writing Certficate Program. That continues to keep me busy. I'm learning lots and enjoying it. So maybe, in addition to the big adventure, I'll get a book out of Tanzania. But that'll be at least a couple of years away, so don't worry about my blog going all promotional and author-platformish just yet.

Wearing My Obama Khanga

I'm in Kauai, Hawaii right now. I am sad to report that I'll be returning home tonight.

I bought a khanga in Tanzania in 2008 that comemorates President Obama's election. (You can read more about khangas here. ) At home in Utah, I don't wear it out in public for fear of sparking an argument with my conservative neighbors. But I thought since Hawaii is Obama's home state and a khanga makes a great swim suit cover-up, I would take the opportunity to wear it. It's a big rectangle of printed cotton that wraps around your waist like a sarong or pareo. Like this...

After a snorkeling/whale watching trip on a Zodiac with Captain Tara, we found ourselves wandering through the botanical gardens in swimsuits with coverups. My friend M overheard a conversation between a mother and her young son, about six years old, when I passed by.

Son: "Mama, that lady had President Obama on her butt."

Mother: "Don't talk like that. He's our President."

Son: "But that lady had Obama on her butt."

Mother: "Shush! Don't be disrespectful of the President." Turning to the auntie: "What's he talking about?"

Auntie: "Look at her skirt. It has the President on it."

And let me say that I really do not want to precipitate any political discussion here. I just thought this was funny, and I found it so refreshing that at least one American still thinks it's important to respect our President.

Also, the owner of a jewelry booth in the outdoor market at the Spouting Horn State Park offered me a sales clerk job two days a week after we got to chatting. She'd chased me down saying, "Where'd you get that pareo? I have to have one!"

And here are a few pictures from the botanical garden.

And lastly, I'm sorry for the infrequent posts! I've been traveling a bit again, and also this online creative writing class is keeping me busy! I may do better with the blog in about two or three weeks. Thanks for staying tuned... Aloha!

Oh, and if you find in yourself in Kauai and want to snorkel or see whales, I highly recommend Captain Tara and Kauai Sea Riders.