This is not a great picture, but you get the idea. I had lunch here today and the decorations sort of take your breath away when you step through the door. Crazy as it seems, only a few Christmas decorations have been added. They tell me that most of these lights are here all of the time. Once you get use to it....the place it is certainly oozing with atmosphere.
In case you are interested, it is a Mexican Food Restaurant in Arlington, Texas which is one of the towns between Fort Worth and Dallas.
I was here for a very special reason. My great niece, Maddy (my sister's granddaughter) is in the states for a short Christmas visit,and I was lucky enough to snag her for lunch. You see everyone wants a piece of her time. Maddy for well over a year has been living in a small village in the mountains of Tanzania where she is a Peace Corp teacher.
She is the only American and the only Peace Crop teacher in her village. She lives in a new three bedroom home. Sounds lovely until you learn that there is no electricity, running water, and the kitchen,cooking stove, and squat toilet are in the courtyard. She goes into a larger town maybe twice a month to buy necessities. There is a rainy season which supplies ample water, but no way to store it for the dry months. The whole village lines up when this happens at one faucet that is only turned on twice a week. Living in the Usambara Mountain range means that the heavy water container must then be transported uphill to your house. Maddy though is not one to complain. She is very dedicated and has been working on a couple of projects to make life easier for the villagers. When ask what she misses most she will quickly answer "a hot shower".
She teaches English and Biology to enthusiastic high school students (her class above) ....teaching in both the English language and Swahili which she speaks fluently.She said if the students had a choice all of the lessons would be about biology.
Maddy in her favorite tree near the village
I adore bright young people and I am so proud that this one is in my family.
Love you Maddy.
The Lushoto region of Tanzania is only about 200 miles south of Mount Kilimanjaro
The area looks really interesting and it is great that Maddy is bringing her expertise and learning to help these young people.
ReplyDeleteJust discovered your blog and am following!
ReplyDeleteShe's certainly dedicated!
ReplyDeleteWow what a girl, very clever and with a great heart for other people!
ReplyDeleteIn the world we live in now where so many bad things are happening...what a breath of fresh Christmas air to see this post this morning!!! Plz tell your neice how proud her work makes me,a former teacher, and so many others who want to educate the children of the world. Her sacrifices are giving so many kids wonderful opportunities.
ReplyDeleteBrings a tear to these ol’ eyes😅
She is very talented and sounds a wonderful person devoting her life to teaching others in difficult circumstances at times.
ReplyDeleteMaddy sounds like she has the whole package - beauty and a warm heart. How wonderful that you got to have lunch with her. Janie... I hope that you have a very Merry Christmas and Happy healthy New Year!
ReplyDeleteDearest Janey,
ReplyDeleteMaddy is a special young lady for whom we can all be very proud! Yes, in the mountains the water can be cold, if you happen to have any! A nice shower as we know to indulge in here in the Western world, is a treasure to so many! She will forever feel enriched for knowing the differences in this world.
Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Hugs,
Mariette