Chocolate Brownies and $15 000 Giraffes

Do you know one of the best places to go out for coffee? It is the Greek Club in Iringa! We went there for a treat with Grandma and Grandad! They have the best brownies with strawberries and real cream! And when the adults get their coffee, it comes with real grated chocolate which they let me have in the milk! Yum! There is also a really good playground with a playhouse and swings. If you come to Tanzania, you should go there!

The Greek Club Brownie (without cream)
 

Our new dresses from Grandma (we are doing a silly dance)

Celebrating Dad's Birthday!

Last week we went to Kipepeo Beach in Dar es Salaam. Kipepeo means butterfly in Swahili. We went there with Grandma and Grandad when they were leaving to go back to England. The waves were strong, they knocked over all us in the water! I tried to run back to the shore to beat a big wave. But it beat me and knocked me right under the water. We have been learning about coasts and the seaside with Grandma. We learned about sand dunes and cliffs and creatures. At Kipepeo, it was very sandy - the sand was very hot and burned our feet! There are lots of jelly fish there, but we didn't get stung. We saw fish swimming below us in the clear water and fishermen with their nets. 

Kipepeo Beach

 

It was so crowded getting on the ferry on our way to Kipepeo!

On the way home from Dar, we saw lots of animals in the gamepark. A giraffe crossed the road in front of us. It was good that we didn't hit it, because then we would have to pay $15 000!

Here is a list of what you have to pay if you hit animals on the road through the gamepark. Most expensive is a twiga (giraffe) and a tembo (elephant). But you would not kill an elephant I don't think, because they are so BIG!

 

Today I had to say good bye to my friend, Kaiya. She is going back to Australia until January. She is seven years old like me and we love playing together. I am going to miss her.

 



Pease Porridge, Tea and Bones



Remember all those bone questions in my last blog? Well, here are the answers!

1. One adult has 206 bones. Younger children have less.
2. To smile, 17 muscles are used.
3. To frown, 42 have to work... so it is a much better idea to smile :)
4. Bones do grow
5. No, skeletons are not always inside the body. Creatures such as a crabs or snails have their skeletons outside their body called exoskeletons.

Well done, Jake, from Jake's Bones Blog. You were the only one who answered all the questions! You must be a bone expert!

TEA LEAVES
Last week, we went to the tea factory in Mufindi! We dressed up in long white coats, masks, caps and even earplugs!

Tea Experts!

First we went to the head office and then we started on our finding-out tour with Esther, our guide. I have a slide show to show you what we learned ... coming soon!



Taste Test

 

If you come from England, look out for Lipton tea. 80% of the tea from the Mufindi factory is sold  to Lipton UK (it used to go to PG Tips). So next time you buy tea, look at where it comes from. It just might say "FROM TANZANIA!" Here it is sold as Chai Bora which means "better tea."

MEDIEVAL DAY
Last week we had Medieval Day! It was great fun. We did activities and games first, and then we started to get ready for our Medieval Feast. We put hay over the floor and set the table with candles and only bread instead of plates! We ate with our fingers by candlelight! We had pork on sticks, pease porridge, eggs, and potatoes. We had yummy honey tarts for pudding.



Pease Porridge Hot

Between courses, Louisa the Jester entertained with juggling and jokes.
Knock-knock. Who's There? Jester. Jester who? Jester minute and I'll unlock the door!



Louisa the Jester

I was a Minstrel and entertained with medieval music on the stringed instrument. And after dinner there was story-telling with puppets.

Also last week, before we went to the tea factory, we went to teach healthy and efficient cooking on the jiko (clay stove) to the Bible School students. I was in charge of the visual aids. Louisa made sauce. Both of us washed everyone's hands before we all ate the food at the end. It was fun.