Saint Ives

Oh noes! Two weeks have gone without a blog being posted! The internet was down. We've now changed our internet to Zantel; it's much faster; even if it is just because it's a much smaller company that vodacom (Tanzanian Vodafon) and there are less people using it. Vodacom would stop dead at around seven at night as everyone went online every night.). Don't tell your Tanzanian friends that Zantel is faster; because if too many people use it; it will inevitably slow down too. (Because of course you all have MANY friends who live in Tanzania; who I'm sure you'll all be on the phone to after you've finished reading this blog; discussing the benefits of Zantel at length. Huh... Telltales...)


     As I was going to Saint Ives; I met a man with seven wives. Ho-ho-ho.... Of course not; that would mean gross overpopulation of the area on the way to Saint Ives!
But It's true. Not on the way to Saint Ives from wherever "I" (as in as "I" was going) come from; but here; in Tanzania, in the area that the Masai (a Tanzanian Tribe) live. I was waiting outside a small building; where someone was being treated homoeopathically; and was me-andering about framing shots with a group of fifteen small children syaing "Give me money" to me; looking at each other a bursting out laughing (Mzungu (white person) with a camera - Much mirth all around). When Henry; who was translating for us came out. We had another translator with us and Henry didn't have to translate, so he was talking in Swahili to a woman who was in the yard outside the house for a while when he turned to me
"Davy; You see all these children?" he said; his voice edged with amazed disbelief. "They are all sons and daughters to the same man. Several different wives; but the same father."
I went away from this amazed; and mentioned this to mum. She said she had heard of a Masai man who had around 300 children. 300! Bloody 'ell. I wasn't that ready to believe her until I thought of the maths behind it. 25 wives with 12 children each? A lot of wives and a lot of children; but still believable. 50 wives with 6 children each? When you break it down it's still pretty crazy; but much more believable. 300 Children... I Imagine Birthdays just become a sort of afterthought there. "blah-blah-blah; maize might need to be harvested early this year... blah, blah, blah wind was very bad last week; wasn't it? A chicken my cousin owns gave birth to the same egg three times, blah, blah, blah; oh and it's Jeremy's birthday today; isn't it? mm. Better say happy birthday when I see him." This chap had to build a school for his children he had so many. 300... you could man a large battle galleon with that many people... You could form a senate three times over with 300 people.
      Anyway; I won't prattle on about that; and I shall move on to the Masai in general. They are a tribal people who live in Tanzania; originally nomadic; they have now settled down and have got involved with agriculture. They live in round mud and wood houses with thatched (Is thatched the right word for it? I'll upload a picture so you can see.)  The colours  they wear are extremely vibrant and colourful; and I fear I have not been capturing the colour very well with the video camera... I'll have to fiddle about with the settings a bit. They wear colourful cloaks and always carry a stick.

 Three Masai silhouetted against the valley behind. There is a plate boundary in that valley which makes a very beautiful ridge through it.

 

 Two Masai standing in the enterance to their hut to greet the approaching pastor. As you can see; Whether or not Masai are technically human is a widely controversial subject; due to their chickenoid body. But their elaborate building skills and prowess in agriculture make it clear the sentience of this race of people.

     The hills where they live are seemingly entirely made out of dust; and driving on the road is a matter of closing the windows tightly and watching the liquid dust splash against the windows. Even at a standstill; the dust in the air is enough to cause problems with the automatic lens cap on the video camera; which takes ten minutes of careful fiddling to get it to close/open without aid. As you drive along these treacherously three dimensional roads you see small children covered in dust turning them into small smiling grey skinned zombies.

     I've been working on a short video about the Masai; and will be releasing it soon. Where; I'm not sure; perhaps on the HHA  youtube channel. If there is one; HHA has made videos before; but I don't know what youtube channel they were on. One thing is for sure and that's that I will be giving a link on this blog when it's done.

     Well! Congratulations on making it through another long, aimless ramble of a blog; and don't forget to look at Sandy's blog if you actually want a blog with direction, information and actual quality. (Hah! Who want's quality in a blog! I'm certain that what people really want to hear is a jumble of incoherent snippets of news that make their brains dribble out their ears!)

          Tara from me; and see you next time.