11/26/2011 — The night I learned that yelling ‘SNAKE’ in Lutindi warrants the same response of frenzied terror and fleeing that screaming SHARK does at a crowded beach. Tonight was not our first encounter with potentially deadly wildlife in the Usambaras, but it was quite entertaining after the initial fright. Short story made shorter, I opened the door tonight around 10 pm to see a snake slithering toward Samtoi’s (our closest neighbors/basically Tanzanian family/landlords) door. My immediate reaction was to scream, at which point Samtoi, along with all of the other surrounding male neighbors, responded to the scene yielding machetes and large sticks. Mamtoi (Samtoi’s wife, by far one of the toughest/coolest/all around amazing women I’ve ever met) also came to the rescue until she saw the snake, under the stars, from 30 ft away… and pivoted with an accompanying wail. At this point I was ordered in Swahili to close the door… there were several seconds of unintelligible swahili outbursts, the harsh rasp of sticks against the rocky dirt path outside the door and then silence. Apparently the snake was dangerous, but not as dangerous as if it were green… I have a feeling I might have lost a few things in translation at this point. Luckily my camera was handy and I snapped a few pics before we poured smoldering ashes on the bloody path and set fire to the carcass (also didn’t understand this part, but was grateful for the protection none-the-less). 
I got 99 problems, but a snake ain’t one!!!
1 DecHow do you transplant hope?
1 Dec
Today was a big day for not only for Umoja Wakulima but also for 2Seeds Lutindi! Here, we would say today was a sherehe wa miche. Today we helped in transplanting the pilipili hoho seedlings (African green bell pepper) from two separate shambas/sub-villages with all our members. Meg headed out at saa moja (7 am) to Kana where she met with the chairman of our co-op and the head of the Agricultural Committee. Wilson trekked to Kunga where we had planted the other nursery of seedlings and helped members divide and distribute the pilipili throughout the morning. We have so much to say but so little time to use internet, pole sana! More updates to come… enjoy the slightly cheesy attempt at a video and pics 
OK, OK, OK…
27 OctThis post is pretty self-explanatory, I’ve accidentally acquired a litter of puppies up in Lutindi. Their mother became sick and they have decided to follow me around like ducklings (not that I’m complaining/or would I EVER THINK OF REPLACING Botchbear). Long story short, they have a nasty case of mange (I diagnosed this, it could be something worse) and since they persist to cry outside my bedroom window until I let them in I have decided to let them in so they can sleep (shivering and wet from the rain) at the foot of my bed. Thus, this past week I decided to start giving them baths one by one. Here is an epic three part documentary of the first one (Bruto). Is this daily life in Lutindi? No. Was it a fantastic/traumatizing experience? Yes! Enjoy!
Because I can’t figure out how to position the pictures so you can see them all…
25 Oct
Megi na Wilson
- Meg and her Macbook
UNO Night with the SinganosUNO Night with the SinganosKwakiliga na Lutindi
2Seeds Network
megburton
