Christmas Fair

Arusha’s annual Christmas fair is going on this weekend.  It’s held on the TGT grounds very close to our house, so it’s a great outing for me (Christmas shopping) and the kids (bounce castles, face painting and lots of kids).  Part of the tradition of the fair is that Father Christmas pays a visit to the kids, answers questions, and hands out small gifts (candy and a small notebook).  The kids loved it and the maasai women seem equally intrigued.

Anderson’s classmate had a birthday party, so we headed there after the fair.  The directions to the party were something like this:

after about 2 kms you will see, on your right hand side, a large unfinished multistory building next to a Petrol Station. Turn left opposite this and follow the dirt road for about 9kms. During this time you will pass many maasai bomas [traditional maasai huts], then a school on your right hand side, a large murram pit, under an electricity pylon, over 2 small culverts and down a long sloping bend. At the bottom of the bend you go over 2 large culverts and after the second culvert follow a track leading to the right, in front of a maasai boma. Follow this track straight, past a watering point and at the little boma after the tap follow the track to the right. It will lead you down a bumpy road and into our fenced farm.  We can easily come and rescue you if you get lost.

You can sense the adventure in the directions, can’t you?  In case we haven’t mentioned it yet, the short rains have started which means dirt roads are now mud roads and can be a tad slippery.  Since several of us were going to the party we decided to meet at a gas station and carpool/caravan there.  We had three cars, 5 moms, and 9 kids.  The inevitable happened and one car did get stuck in the mud.  Luckily we are not afraid to get dirty (and a very nice maasai man stopped to help push).  PJ took the brunt of the flying mud, but it was her car that got stuck, so she had the most incentive to get the car out.  That is a dress (and not pants) that she is wearing.  You ladies are awesome!