Back blogging again!

So, I’m back at last. I know I’ve not written for months- what can I say? Dog ate my laptop? I don’t know what happened really. One second I’m getting ready to head off to Amsterdam ahead of some summer holidays, the next I’m back in Dar in the middle of November- time flies!

Anyway, it’s probably best if I gloss over the last few months. Nothing particularly bad happened but it is all fading into the past now and, anyway, much of the news involved either people visiting us from home or us going to the UK. Either way much of our summer has probably found its way safely onto the grapevine.

Life here is its usual self. I really can’t believe that a week ago we actually marked our first year here. A whole year ago since we packed up the Maadi apartment, got into the Pajero one last time and bid Mohammed a sad farewell. A whole year since Kieran discovered the Emirates Mall in Dubai, whose combined attractions of Magic Planet and the Middle East’s largest indoor ski slope make it his idea of heaven!

So, a year on and what is life like? In short, not too bad. Sure we’re a little further from Britain- the ten hour flights there and back made that point very well- but the Msasani Peninsula has really become home to us. We really get the best of all worlds here. The Peninsula is certainly not as enclosed as Maadi was. Maadi was to all intents and purposes an expat compound- the ring of soldiers checking cars after dark around the suburb’s perimeter made that crystal clear. Here, it is a little less rarified- not much mind you!

The expat community seems to divide itself into two areas. The Indian community (some of whom are expat some of whom are Tanzanian) seems to concentrate itself in Upanga- a small suburb closer to the centre of Dar. The houses are big and nicely built but it all seems a little crowded- also you’re a little further from the sea. All the other expats tend to concentrate on the Peninsula.

The Peninsula is home to a wide variety of nationalities. Firstly, of course you have the wealthier Tanzanians- either those wealthy enough to buy a house at what is basically London prices or those forward thinking enough to have built here twenty years ago when the whole area was wild and land was being given away. There is a very strong British community here- several hundred strong, perhaps even a thousand people. This is unsurprising I suppose, given the historic links between the UK and Tanzania. The community is well catered for, not least in terms of pubs. The English tend to go to the George and Dragon- a small pub run by a couple from Nottingham. The Irish go to O Willies- a slightly rougher establishment with a killer karaoke night. The Scots, Aussies, South Africans, French and myriad other nationalities meet up at either pub- I’ve no clue what the Americans do though! In short however, the expat community here is both varied and quite large- making for a lot of interesting friends.

Last weekend we celebrated bonfire night. Although this was organised by the St Georges Society (an organisation whose main aim is to celebrate English culture and to annoy the Caledonian Society), it was attended by a wide cross section of society. It was held on the grounds of the Police Officers Mess- a fairly spacious field just up the road from our house overlooking the sea. In keeping with tradition there was a bonfire, a best dressed guy competition, fireworks and even toffee apples. I spend a good while trying to explain the event to a French friend of mine. The best I could come up with was that we were celebrating the life of the only Englishman to go into parliament wanting to do something for the good of the nation- he understood straight away, indicating that some things really do transcend nationality!

Anyway, bonfire night is over and the next big event must therefore be…..Christmas! Actually I have a few odds and ends to sort out beforehand. I’m off to Mozambique at the end of the month for a few days- the furthest south I’ve ever been in the world! Early December I fly up to Arusha to sit my MBA exams (sitting them at the foot of Kilimanjaro in an African summer has got to be better than doing them in Warwick in the depths of winter!) Once that is done we’re off to India- a week in Calcutta to see family followed by a week in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands- can’t wait.

Another thing- I hope you like the new picture at the top. Unlike the previous one, shamelessly pinched from the net, this one was taken here in Tanzania by my mum-good isn’t it!