New year’s motivations

Flame trees in Bloom… My gardener Humphrey calls them “Christmas Trees” because they bloom in December. My tree, in the middle of a garden, is shaded by three enormous palm trees, so it is only now is full bloom…

. And my writing motivation is also now in full bloom. My quick trip to spend Christmas in Colorado with my lovely daughter was delightful. We had snow and then by mid-week, the temperatures rose into the 50s,’ reminding me how variable USA weather can be. Now I’m back by the Indian Ocean, the temperatures are in the 90’s and going to stay there. So I’m going to stay here at the laptop and work like crazy. Those stories I started in May deserve some attention, the second novel is ready to be marketed and who knows what else 2012 will bring.

water intake valves and… Happy Solstice

In a hilarious turn of events here in Dar, I just had a fountaining water intake faucet thingie, my very own Three Stooges movie. I had turned on the intake supply on a little used toilet in the pool changing room (I was cleaning up after a “guest” dog who will never be a guest again) and the faucet came off in my hand. Clean water shot 4 feet in the air!! I yell for the gardener who is nowhere to be found. I try desperately to screw the damn broken piece back on. I leave it gushing to call the fundi who is excellent. I run to get the crescent wrench and realize I have no idea how to use a crescent wrench. Get another shower in the clean still fountaining water. Pause for a moment and realize this pool room bathroom floor was going to be very clean! Find the gardener and the security guard who join me and now also get soaked. I find the outside water shutoff valve. Its handle is broken off. Run back offer moral support to the gardener and security guard. The gardener has by now rigged up a cap from a plastic bag and a lot of electrical tape.

 

The fundi arrives, calm and cool, carrying a little biff kit size of tools. He walks in, does not join the free shower. The fundi goes outside to the water shut off. Uses his own cresent wrench to shut it off. Smiles and says he will be back soon to replace the part shutoff.
Did I mention that is pouring, like a monsoon outside?

Ha! Life in Dar. Happy Solstice.

Anybody need copies of “Their Voices, Their stories”?

Here’s Cecilia reading from “The Trial”

Next week I fly to the US. I’d be delighted to bring copies and mail them out to you, if you’d rather not pay Amazon’s price. I haven’t talked to the publisher about getting it back in line with reality. So email me if you’d like me to mail them to you when I’m in Colorado. Wishing you a wonderful advent season…. or a joyous approach to the solistice.
 

The amazon and abc links for the Girls’ book are Live!

Their Voices,Their Stories… successfully launched here in Dar es Salaam. Thanks to the IST community and particularly to Ilana Turner and Rebecca Gilman for an amazing launch party. We sold over 123 books to a packed house. The Bethsaida girls sang and danced and then read from their stories. I was so thrilled to have been part of their lives. I will post photos on Facebook  so you can share our evening.

Amazon (Their Voices Their Stories on Amazon)has gone live with the link, but I’m bit shocked at the price. If you email, I will arrange to ship copies to you. If you want a set for a book club or a reading group or a fund-raising function, just let me know! The ABC (African Book Collective Their Voices Their Stories link is now “live” and more of the money goes to the Bethsaida School and to support future printings. So Buy from them if you can. Also anyone who wishes to post a “review” please do!

Spider web on the gate

How beautiful to have the sunlight pouring through something so fragile and resilient as a spider web, attached to something so rigid as iron gates. Such is life here in Dar, where it is beautiful and terrible in the same breath. We have had a very busy two weeks with the Bazaar and the launch of the girls’ book, Their Voices, their Stories. The publisher tells me it is their best selling He says we need to prepare for a reprint soon! I’m proud of the girls, of the publisher’s incredible work and of myself, for my idea and its successful completion. On the DSG front, the early counts show that the Bazaar will have surpassed last year’s huge total of 71 million tshillings, all for the Project committee to give to the most vulnerable here in Tz. We had fun, too, so I count the whole event a success.

greetings from zanzibar from Honey and me

The Bazaar is over and it was fun and a success and, I”m told, much less stressful than last year! That was my goal, right after fund-raising, that the event be fun, cheerful and not too crazy! I’ve been here on this amazingly beautiful beach at this little hotel, Kikadini Villas, for the past 3 days, recooperating, relaxing and generally catching up on my sleep.

Also I’ve been thinking about the writing life and restoring it: first in the morning, writing new material at dawn. Then answer emails and there will be a lot fewer crisis ones now that the bazaar is over. I’ll save the editing and revision of the novel mss until after these first two tasks. Here is Honey the resident cat who joined me for breakfast.

DSG Bazaar 5 days to go!

Gentle readers, near and far. Actually Near. The DSG Annual Charity Bazaar is this coming Saturday. And as you may recall, I’m the Chairman. Don’t ask how that happened but it doesn’t matter because it is going to be a great event. So everybody in Dar tell all your friends and family to join us at the IST secondary school at Noon,Nov. 26th. I’m most thrilled with the amazing raffle prizes (Helicopter rides, KLM tickets to Amsterdam, a Tanzanite Pendant and a Spa day.). Can the chairman will all the prizes? I guess not–so you better come and win them yourselves.

November heats up! The Prince of wales. DSG bazaar

We landed back in Dar on Tuesday morning and opened the invitation from the wonderful UK high commissioner (we love her bashes) except this was one was to meet Prince Charles and Camilla. Just off the plane, in the car on the way home, we laughed for nearly a mile–a high level technocrat, an English prof and a raft of Ambassadors and a Prince. There was a strict prohibition on photo taking, but no worries, He looks exactly like his pictures. camilla did not wear a hat but then neither did I. I did not engage the Prince, being the egalitarian democrat that i am but it was lots of fun to catch up with friends and watch the antics of all, while jetlagged nearly out of my mind.
now, on a sadder note, the writing life is ON HOLD, while the d— DSG bazaar looms. Only 12 days until it is over. I did my best with the big cash donations in advance and some amazing raffle prizes (a helicopter ride, a tanzanite pendant and 3 cases of booze from the Duty free, nearly every good restaurant in town plus the two KLM tickets to Amsterdam).
But on Nov. 27th at o-dark-thirty, the writing life recommences. Now wonder I’ve been so cranky! Too much stuff, too many huge life changing rituals in the last 3 weeks. Oh well, more hilarious gecko tails soon… take care and more soon… best, Julie

Julie on safari in London

gotta love the lions

so Joe and Marguerite’s  wedding was beyond wonderful and my mom’s funeral was lovely.Wow, two huge rituals in the same 7 day period. thank you to all of you who sent wishes and thougts and love.

Oh well, here is me ” on safari in London.” Trafalgar Square. I think i have had a snapshot of me and the lions once a decade since 1980 but who is counting. Today we discovered two new Michaelangelo’s and two new Van gogh’s. I love London. tomorrow back to Dar.

wedding!!

Joe dances as beautifully as his father!!

Mary next to Joe next to Marguerite next to John next to Me!!

The wedding was a really special week, blending aunts, uncles, cousins from both the Wakeman and Linn sides. M’s family is interesting and lively and from all over the country. New wedding traditions like game night and flower arranging and of course the ever popular “spa” day are now in our traditions, too.
They look so happy together!