“I Hate This Bus”

“I hate this bus” Hilary turns to me and says, 30 minutes into our bus ride from Kahama to Arusha. It's 6:30am and we've been up since 5. We still have 9-12 hours of transit to go...as long as the bus doesn't break down. I look over at Hilary as we both catch air and are launched off our seats for the hundredth time. Her coca-cola almost explodes all over her. The expression on her face is priceless. She is less than amused. I erupt in laughter.

These days, I'm finding it easier to laugh instead of get frustrated. A three hour excursion often turns into ten, and anything that you can imagine can – and will – go wrong. I've learned to accept that every day there will be major stressors thrown in my face and that things will not go as planned. And I've found ways to cope with things being so.

In Tanzania, there are no bathrooms on the buses. No surprise really there, but there also are no planned bathroom stops. Or bathroom announcements for that matter. So on a 9-12 hour bus ride, things can get really interesting. On our bus to Arusha, we were lucky enough to stop at a gas station/convenience store a few hours into our ride. We saw masses of people exiting the bus, so we figured it was safe to do the same. We successfully found some bathroom stalls (although here I really prefer to go outside in the open air. The bathrooms are often beyond mention here) and then made our way back to the bus.

“Anything else you want to do before we get on?” I said to Hilary.

“Yeah...I think I'll check out the convenience store. See what they have,” she said. (After being in Murgwanza for months, stores with things such as face wash and deodorant are exhilarating).

I decide to wait outside, stretch my legs, and get some fresh air. All of a sudden, our bus starts pulling away, and people start running to jump on. 4.5 million shillings worth of WomenCraft products are on that bus – not to mention all of our personal items – and I am responsible for it all.

I run towards the bus and turn around and yell “Hilary!” Lucky for me, she's right behind me – also on guard since we both didn't know when the bus would officially take off. As it pulls away I jump on, and pull Hilary up behind me. She's the last one to make it.

Relieved and at peace with having made it on board, we let out a deep sigh.

...and then the bus parks. About 20 feet away from where we made our daring leap.

Embarassed, confused and dumbfounded (why was everyone ELSE running? Does anyone know what's going on here??!!) we decide to stay on the bus and wait it out until its really time to leave. We watch our fellow passengers re-board with their truck stop purchases, and our bus now holds about 10 chickens more than it previously did...including one rooster seated directly behind me, beak at the ready to peck at my head.

Our business trip to Arusha was a roaring success. When we left WomenCraft with all our products, Shannon informed me that she was giving us four times the amount of products than they usually sell during a fair.

“We're going to sell it all” I told her. She chuckled, but appreciated my optimism.

But...we did. We sold all of the products we brought with us. Elated, we returned home empty handed with heads high.

But wait. Before I returned home, there was a Belgian dilemma in the mix... named Maxime Seleck.

When Maxime and Alix (his girlfriend) came to visit me in Eugene this Summer, he told me that he'd be working in the DRC again this Fall, and that if I was in Tanzania he'd love to come visit. It sounded like a great plan to me, but I didn't have any details about my trip, where I was living, or what my work situation/days off would be at that point. Maxime wrote me again while I was in India, saying that he had to purchase tickets and make a decision quick.

“Maxime, I'm sorry,” I said. “I am in India and have no idea what the rules are or what things are going to be like when I arrive in Ngara. I wish I could help more”.

At this point, I figured that Maxime had given up. But...when I arrived in Ngara and checked my email for the first time, I had a message in my inbox from him:

“Hey! So I booked my tickets. I arrive December 3^rd. See you then!”

Now as I mentioned above, nothing goes as planned here. But if you know Maxime, you know that's right up his alley. “I've never planned before and it's seemed to work out quite well for me” he tells me confidently on the phone the day before he's expected to arrive in Murgwanza. And if you know me....I plan like nobody's business. Can you see where this is going?

Long story short, Maxime arrives in Murgwanza and I'm not there. Our transportation situation from Arusha to home gets complicated, and at the last minute it seems that Maxime and I are going to miss seeing each other by a matter of hours. After two days of waiting for me at WomenCraft, he has to leave and head North so that he can catch his flight out of Arusha on Monday. He came all the way to Tanzania to visit and I wasn't going to see him at all.

At the last minute, we decide that we can't let that happen. So...we make a plan. Maxime and I ask our drivers to cross paths in Lushunga - a small village between Murgwanza and Kahama- so that we can meet up. I'd planned on just saying hello and returning back to Murgwanza, exhausted after two straight weeks and weekends of work, but seeing him and feeling guilty for not being able to meet up, I decide to go with him. Work had given me permission to take a few days leave since I've been working so hard. And after all, Maxime assured me that he had a taxi already reserved to go to Mwanza, and that the same taxi could take me back to Ngara the following day.

10+ hours later...after traveling via taxi, bus, dhala dhala, and ferry...getting pelted by rain and heavy winds...we arrive in Mwanza long after dark. My dad happens to call me while we're on the bus – at night – in the middle of a lightening storm. “Hey...are you at a party or something?” my dad says, hearing the roar of the bus crowd. He's thrilled to learn of the situation (not), but isn't too surprised knowing the company I'm keeping.

Maxime and I passed a few great days in Mwanza (google it), taking loads of pictures of Lake Victoria (Africa's largest lake), catching up and enjoying yet another small break from African life. Two days later, I caught a bus back to Ngara and Maxime went on his way to Arusha. After getting my phone stolen (but luckily nailing the thief down and getting it back) and several marriage proposals, I was finally home. Familiar faces and places were very comforting.

I'll be working for the next two weeks and then we close WomenCraft for the holidays and I'm going on vacation. Where to? Well...you'll just have to stay tuned...