Just a short one...

7th February 2010

Hi and hello.

As it has only been a few days, which in honesty have been relatively uneventful, I have decided I would fill you in on the interesting elements of the days gone by. Friday evening, at about 10:30-11:00pm, the sky got very angry. There was a whopping electrical storm and some immense rain. It was like a series of unfortunate events had occured in the heavens and Zeus and his friends were desparately upset, and so they had a bit of a cry...only they flung their tears to the earth with an intensity and anger that is unrivaled. It was amazing to listen to the thunder and the rain, and to get the eyes tested by the incredible flashes of lightning that illuminated an already lit room. It was the first significant rain that I have experienced in Dar. All was good until this one flash of light (and very soon after, clap of thunder) provided me with a split second of the kind of white that Daz can only give. And then nothing. The lightning had struck the building, or at least near by, and the electricity had been wiped out. Now as I was trying to read, I found the pitch blackness to be something of a hinderence. So I got up and went outside to the fusebox. Having waited for the next burst of lightning I quickly reset the trip switch and went back into my air conditioned room thinking that I probably shouldn't play with electrics during the storm.

A brief snooze later, and it was early morning, around abou 5:30ish. There was no gentle hum from the air con, so I went and investigated the fuse box again to find the switch tripped once more. I tried resetting it, but it was not working. It turned out that lightning had hit Dar with some cursed efficiency and had wiped out the electrics. Luckily I have mosquito gauze on my window frames now so I cracked open the windows and attempted to get the breeze flowing through the apartment. I had decided to spend the day working, and the Professor's brain child seemed to evolve something chronic in my mind. I now have plenty to do to keep me busy. It got to about 6 in the evening and there was still no electricity so I went off to buy some candles. I sat around for much of last night reading by candle light. I was feeling a bit anti-social so I decided against venturing out for the evening. At about half 9 I went to visit the fuse box to see if I could get some air conditioning going, and to provide some power to my fridge. Somehow I had electricity for a while. But then it tripped out again...only to be restored.

And so all was well this morning, until the electrics went again. I headed up to here (UDSM) so that I could come and tell you all of my life without electricity. I am sure you care. I am really just wasting time before going back to the heat trap, that is, my apartment. I may go for a swim if there is no power. I fancy a swim! Hmmm...swimmy swim swim.

Oh yes, must mention my journey home the other day. The dalla-dalla had 21 people in it, which isn't bad, but not my record, but I was sitting at the door, and that is possibly the worst seat to have! I got the privilage of sharing the front seat this morning. Three of us, on two seats, when there should be a central panel/arm rest...Tanzanian's know how to use space effectively...of course at the expense of comfort!

Toodles.