A huge portion of my current life is taken up with managing our home, especially the kitchen. I had forgotten how the simplest of tasks in England can actually be far more time-consuming here. Even going to the shops to get food takes far longer than in England. There are no large supermarkets or even shopping areas/ highstreets where the food shops are all located close together. Finding the food I need for family meals means visiting several different places spread out across Dodoma. Once I get to town, the heat also makes the task seem longer! However, the shopkeepers and market stall owners are mostly very friendly and will do their best to help us find what we are looking for.
Last week, a kind friend watched the children for me so that I could get to town without the hassle of strapping little ones into car seats, getting them out at each shop and strapping them in again each time.... So off I went on my own. Conscious of time, not wanting to leave Joel too long between feeds, I whizzed into town in our 4x4, bouncing over the worsening pot-holes and screeching to a halt in a questionable parking position outside my favourite Indian-run food shop: The Two Sisters Store.
I walked into the welcome cool of the shady interior and consulted my shopping list. "Is there any frozen chicken today?" I asked. "Or some brown flour? Any kitchen towel at the moment? Or maybe (this was a long-shot but worth an ask) some Sensodyne toothpaste for Andrew's sore tooth?"The answer to all of the above was, "No, not today, but maybe we'll get some chickens soon and there may be brown flour in next week". After being spoilt with several food stores and supermarkets right on our doorstep in Lancashire, I came down to earth with a bump as I rearranged my thinking and acknowledged that I am now back in Dodoma- and luxuries like the above are not readily available.
However, whenever I am tempted to feel frustrated with the larger work load involved in being an "At-Home-Mum" in Dodoma, I remember how fortunate we are compared to many of our local friends here. Also, I can always escape to my personal store house of wonderful memories from our recent trip to the UK, which bouy me up when the work load seems overwhelming. Here are a few of the highlights which stand out.
Joel's safe arrival into our family:
Trips to exciting places, including a trip to London where we took little Ben to meet Big Ben:
A fun tube ride on efficient public transport (and I really mean that, since train rides in Tanzania are a world removed from the higher expectations of your average Brit!)
Enjoying the beauty of an English Spring:
And of course, memories of a good old plate of delicious fish and chips!
Our little vegetable garden is working hard to push up some carrots and green peppers (we hope they survive this dry season, with no rains expected now until November! must remember to water them...)
The pumpkin seeds we planted just before leaving for England in February have produced quite a crop, we hear, and Gadi, the man who works in our garden for us 2 mornings a week, says he and his family enjoyed several pumpkins while we were away. He saved 2 pumkins for us, carefully guarded by Joel ( the latest product of the Parker family!) before they made their way into a delicious soup in my kitchen:
Now we need to find homes for them all!! The cats on our MAF compound have been a little too busy if you ask me. Between the 4 pet cats on our compound, 17 kittens have recently been produced!! Does anyone know a vet who would like to come and do a short term assignment here in Dodoma and "sort out" our female cats??? We seem to have rather too much new produce in the cat department!
Thankfully, all went smoothly. We got off to a great start when kind friends from St John's kindly organised the use of a mini-van from their business, meaning that transport to Manchester airport was a dream, instead of a daunting nightmare! Friends at the airport and my parents all helped to make our passage smoother and despite the dreaded "good-byes", we had a safe and easy journey from Manchester, via Heathrow and overnight flight to Dar es Salaam.
Once in Dar, a MAF member of staff (with the fantastic name of Joel!!) came to meet us, to assist us in passing customs with our somewhat large luggage allowance and in loading our car for the very long drive home. 
We arrived safe and sound in Dododma to a warm welcome from Claire and our friends and neighbours on the MAF compound, which included dinner at our next door neighbour's home. When I entered our house, I was delighted to discover a kitchen stocked with fresh fruit and veg, a freezer full of home-made bread, cakes and a couple of pre-cooked meals for re-heating. Our house lady Jane had been busy and her thoughtfulness was a real blessing. Despite my fears and misgivings about returning to Tanzania from my home culture, I felt a great wave of thankfulness for our cool, spacious house and kind friends here in Tanzania.
My wonderful friend, Wendy, arrived at Ormskirk hospital 2 minutes after Joel's birth and was a fantastic help and support, taking some of the following pictures for us in hospital. (Thanks, Wendy, you were brilliant, I don't know what I would have done without you being there for us!)
Esther and Ben visited in hospital and are very pleased with their newest brother.
Today, Joel is 12 weeks old- here is an up-to-date picture taken this morning. Watch this space to see how Joel adapts to life in Dodoma...
