Thank the Lord for Agnes

Last week I met Agnes.

Thank the Lord for Agnes.

She is one of the nuns in the school musical, and a mom of 2 HOPAC students, ( her second daughter Amy is also in the play). Aside from getting to know Agnes through the rehearsals for the play (which are now every week day evening 5pm-7pm and Saturday afternoon, which makes for 12 hour days at the school.. I am busier here than i was at home!) I have also been getting to know her as she has been driving me home from the rehearsals.
...side note, she drives a car that is called a "picnic".. it is so cool!...
Agnes started driving me home last week one day when Joel was on his way from a late meeting at the University (only about 4 or 5 km away) when they hit traffic and would be stuck for forty five minutes.. another side note...traffic has a WHOLE new meaning in Dar. a 200 meter stretch can take up to an hour in really bad traffic.. Joel called me to tell me he was going to be late, and when I said everyone was leaving the school grounds and it was pitch black out (nightfall is at 7pm and there is no such thing as street lamps) Joel started getting worried (ok, I did too).. As the crowd was quickly dispersing, and hopping into vehicles I knew I had to ask someone for a ride.. if I was able to get a hold of a taxi I would have had to wait atleast 15 minutes, alone.. in the dark. I was still just getting to know Agnes, and did not know where she lived but I thought I would be bold and ask her for a ride home. She (being one of the worlds most friendly people) said OF COURSE, and it turns out she lives less than a block away from where we are staying. We are pretty much neighbors..

So, with Agnes to the rescue, and me safely in the picnic, we headed home for the evening. Catching a ride with someone (versus taxi) has also made me start to feel at home here, and less of a visitor. I am starting to feel connected, and a sense of community.. I have been enjoying my rides home from the rehearsals with Agnes, and getting to know her. She is a total combination of Joel and I, but packed into a boisterous, friendly and hilarious African woman. She is considering a PHd in Urban and rural planning (already has 2 masters, and they will not let her get a 3rd, so she will  have to do a PHd instead, and she is even considering some of the Universities in Canada that Joel has looked at for his masters.) Her sister in law (also named Agnes) is actually a lecturer at the University here where Joel is doing his internship..
Agnes just completed a language certificate, just for the fun, (in French though, not Spanish).. which is an interest that we share in common.. In her spare time she has decided to open up a wedding dress online store, as good inexpensive dresses are hard to come by here in Dar, and so I told her how I always talk about how fun it would be to run a consignment wedding dress store.. I had to explain consignment though, as I guess that is not something they do here! For wedding dresses anyways... She has also lived in Scotland for many years, (though she was never a Highland dancer..) Needless to say, Anges is someone that Joel and I would both enjoy talking to.

She has invited us over for a traditional Tanzanian meal, which I am looking forward to!

We are just back from Zanzibar, the whole weekend which I spent very ill - not sure from what. the food? the water? it is always hard to tell.. but it was still a good trip, and I believe Joel is going to blog on that tomorrow..

This is the week of the musical.. it is going to be a busy one, with last minute set construction and dress rehearsals, and I am starting to help out the HOPAC grade 5 students choreograph a worship dance for their "graduation" assembly.. One month ago I was sad to leave BC, as the end of the school year is always such an exciting time to be teaching and working with students, but needless to say I ended up in the thick of the end of the school year activities here.. :) I will bring out camera to the dress rehearsal at the theater on Wednesday and try to take some pictures..

Badai! (Later in Kiswahili)