This week I had the chance to help out one of my Peace Corp Volunteer friends who started a woman’s group that is now knitting, doing embroidery and sewing. The volunteer purchased a used knitting machine in Arusha for them last year and has been learning how to use it herself as well as getting…
Conversations with Barnabas #1
Welcome to Conversations with Barnabas Bear which I hope to make a regular feature in the blog rotation. A couple of items up front, the conversation is fictional (hopefully that was obvious) but are pulled from some of my (Steve) conversations and observations during my time here in Tanzania. The main purpose of these is…
Umeme
Last week I taught Barnabas and a Peace Corp Volunteer friend how to set up an extra electric (umeme) outlet in their new residence. Yes that is my friend Kyle who came to visit at the site. Fortunately his organization he extended with has provided him with a residence in town near their site and…
When Habits Fail
Well after writing about habits last time and working to get myself back into certain habits like my blog, Barnabas stories and walking, I have to say the beginning of 2016 has turned into a failure so far. Not because I have not tried. I am currently looking at my internet speed of a “lightening”…
Habits
As it has been over a month since my last blog posting, I have been thinking a lot about habits. There are good habits such as regular prayer as I have been reading about in the book “Confessions of a Prayer Slacker” by Diane Moody. There are bad habits such as smoking. Trying to write…
Minority World Problems
One of my favorite YouTube videos other than Jeff Dunham and Achmed the Dead Terrorist is a water charity having Africans read people’s problems from what is normally referred to the First World but I typically refer to as the Minority world since those that live in those conditions are in the minority. So I…
Decorating and Door troubles-Tiny House Tanzania episode #7
This week we are back working on the house or more accurately sharing some items from previous weeks because rain and the need to get end of year information together before I travel home has taken over my schedule.That is right it is that time of year again-both end of year reports and traveling home…
Security?
This blog is actually about a work project on the site to repair the main entrance gates but I don’t feel I can adequately cover the topic without discussing the concept of security here in Tanzania to a Tanzanian. The concept of keeping what is mine is strongly ingrained into most of Africa. Yes in…
Tiny House Tanzania Episode 6 -building Kitchen Furniture
This weeks blog is getting back to working on the house and the next couple of weeks will be a mix of the house work and site work. This is a very busy time of year on site as I am trying to wrestle information out of staff to start our end of year reports…
October gets weird
Was not sure what to actually title this post as I am probably going to ramble a little bit as I have lots of little things on my mind at the moment and I am too tired to try and sort them out. So see if you can keep up with the direction changes.Those who…
Steve and Barnabas 