What a Difference a Month Makes

I arrived in Moshi last night, but spent all of last week teaching at the Dogodogo Centre in Dar. I'm starting to wonder if there's anything Amisi and Athumani can't do with practice. Not only had they mastered the skills I taught them during my first visit, but they had created new combinations, and taught the basic skills to other kids at the Centre. Here a brief summary of what those two picked up this week:

180 triple under
sideswing triple under
double under TJ
pushup landing in a cross, behind the knees cross, and toad
backwards TS
AS to TS
belch
kamikaze
kamikaze with a cross

Kamikaze with a cross? Are you kidding me, Amisi? It's been amazing seeing this kid in action. I'm looking forward to watching him grow over the years. Here's a nice combo he recently put together:

Athumani has really stepped up as a role model for the other kids. He takes time away from his own practicing to teach anyone who is interested in learning. He is very patient, and thorough in his explanations of skills.

As hard as it was to leave Dar, I couldn't be more excited to start teaching in Moshi. The kids at Mkombozi have been practicing regularly since my first visit in January, so I'm very eager to see how they've progressed. I'll also be teaching at the Tunahaki Centre for Child Development and the Amani Children's Home.

On Saturday, I'm traveling to the Nairobi airport to pick up Lebogang, Madigomang, and Lesala, three extremely talented jumpers from South Africa. They will be teaching with me in Moshi for the next two weeks. Special thanks to the South African Gymnastics Federation, and to Sandile Ntombela for helping to make this possible.

Moshi is home to Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. It's pretty amazing to look up at the peak and see snow. I won't be able to make the climb during this trip - it's about a one week trek, and very exhausting - but will definitely be doing it on one of my next visits.

Internet connection has been very hit-or-miss lately, but keep checking back for more updates. I have a feeling that Moshi will be one of the powerhouse regions in Tanzania.

Mike

The Race: Update

Stakes were raised today as a new top speed score was reached in Iringa. 54, set by 10-year old Frieda at IDYDC, is just one jump short of the Tanzanian record (55). This is her second day ever jumping speed, and she's using a plastic freestyle rope. Expect another update in a few days.

The Race is On

Last Monday (11/09/09) marked the beginning of an epic battle of speed in Iringa. There are now 12 or 13 kids after the title of "Fastest Jumper in Tanzania". The record at Iringa International School stands at 47 right-footed jumps in 30 seconds, but the bar was raised on Saturday at IDYDC (Iringa Development of Youth, Disabled, and Children Care) to 49, just 6 jumps short of the Tanzanian record. The scores will continue to rise, and I have a feeling that the current record will be shattered by the end of this week. Most of the kids are still developing the timing between their arms feet as they increase in speed, but once they have that figured out - the sky will be the limit.

I continue to be amazed by the speed at which kids are learning skills. Buddy bounce, caboose, inverse toad, frog, various wraps and releases, you name it. I'll post a video later this week.

Frequent power outages (as often as every other day for 5-6 hours) can make it difficult to keep phones, computers, and cameras charged, but it definitely makes me appreciate the electricity more when it is working.

Iringa is a really nice place. It's a quiet, small town, but there are a lot of really cool craft stands with beautiful handmade jewelry, cloth paintings, and wooden sculptures. There are some really nice restaurants (check out Hasty Tasty Too, Sai Villa, and Mama Siyovelwa), and the hills are covered with huge boulders, the biggest of which is Gangilonga (Talking Stone).

Amani,
Mike

Iringa

I just arrived in Iringa! I'm very excited to explore the town, and begin teaching here. I'll definitely miss Morogoro, though, and for many reasons. Here are a few:

The Mountains: This is what I see every day as I walk to the bus stand. They're beautiful. The picture just can't capture the view, so you should come see for yourself.

The People: All of the teachers, the volunteers, the people in town, and the students are amazing. The kids (especially from Primary) are so enthusiastic and excited about jumping. They run over to the banda during break for Double Dutch or a game of Don't Miss a Loop. It's been fun spending time with other volunteers and teachers. Several of us got together for a fun night of Halloween festivities, and we recently attended a fashion show at a local restaurant. It was a night to remember.

The Mix: I talk often about the food in Tanzania for a reason - it's amazing. There's a stand in town that serves what is known as "Mix". It's a type of soup with different seasonings, tiny fried dumplings, and other assorted things. It's a whole lot of delicious, and I will miss it dearly.

The Teaching: Teaching here has been amazing. The kids at M.I.S. love jumping. One of the students, Andrew, has mastered most of the basic skills, and is now working on combining them into a routine. He jumps every day, and has blisters on his hands from practicing the frog and pushup so much. There are several kids at Faraja and St. Francis who can do the toad, inverse toad, crougar, double under, and 360. The boys at St. Francis must be jumping every day, and teaching each other, because every time I visit, they've learned what I taught them the last time, and taught at least one other kid how to do the skills. They're learning at a remarkable speed, and improving steadily as a group. Morogoro will have a strong group of jumpers.

Morogoro

It's been a whirlwind of a week. I arrived in Morogoro last Thursday night (October 14) after a short 3 hour busride. Morogoro is a much smaller city than Dar, but the landscape is beautiful. There's a stunning mountain range just outside the house I'm staying in. I'll put up a picture as soon as I'm able to take one that even remotely does it justice. After a few days of settling in and exploring the town, the week of teaching began.

Monday - P.E. classes at Morogoro International School (M.I.S.) and meeting at the Faraja Trust Fund

Tuesday - Performance and teaching at the Faraja Trust School; Jump Rope Club at M.I.S.

Wednesday - Teaching at the Faraja Trust School; P.E. classes at M.I.S

Thursday - Performance and teaching at St. Francis de Sales Seminary

Friday - P.E. classes at M.I.S. and "Friday School" teaching session with students from M.I.S. and local schools

Saturday - 9-5 workshop (9-12 for M.I.S. students; 12-1 for Teachers; 1-2 for Lunch; 2-5 for Faraja Trust, St. Francis, and M.I.S. students)

As I said, it's been a busy week - but completely amazing. As I walked up to the Faraja School for my second day of teaching there, a few of the kids ran up to hug me. They all really like jumping, and they've been a blast to teach. Two of the boys can do pushups, and many of them have mastered the toad, inverse toad, and E.B. Here's a picture of the group.

The language barrier can make teaching slightly challenging at times, but it very rarely stands in the way of kids learning new skills. One of the great things about jump rope is that it is such a visual sport. All the kids I've taught have been able to learn primarily by watching. I've learned some phrases along the way that have made teaching easier when an explanation is needed.

Ruka juu zaidi - Jump up higher

Kamba ikiwa juu, ingia - When the rope is up, enter

Jaribu tena - Try again

Usisimame - Don't stop

Kama hii - Like this

Saturday was great. Morogoro International School offered their P.E. facility for an all day workshop, and students from Faraja and St. Francis came during the 2-5 session. It's amazing how quickly the kids learn - caboose, double under cross, 360, pushup, A.S. Unfortunately, frequent power cuts in Morogoro (3-4 times per week) make charging camera batteries difficult, and I was not able to take any pictures that day. Fortunately, a few of the teachers that came took plenty, and I'll post some of those soon.

I'm excited to see what the next week here brings. I leave for Iringa soon, so I will be teaching as much as possible over the next nine days.

Usiku mwema,

Mike

Haven of Peace Academy

Last Friday, the Haven of Peace Academy (HOPAC) held a small jump rope competition between the school's “houses” - Black, Green, Yellow, and Blue, which are the colors of the Tanzanian flag. The event took place during a 30 minute lunch break, and students from all four houses competed in two events: Last-Person-Standing, and a Best Trick competition. Results are pending, but everyone had fun cheering for their house. Here's one of the pictures from the event. You can visit the "Photos" section of the website - http://www.oneworldonerope.org/ - for more.

The kids there have been great: so enthusiastic about jumping and always ready to try new skills. Many of the kids are jumping on their own at home – some every day. Several students were able to master the Toad, 360, and Double Under Cross. The P.E. teacher there, David Taylor, is a first cousin of U.S. Grand National Champion Liz Lyons, who jumps for the Kangaroo Kids in Maryland. David has been extremely helpful in classes, and has gotten to be a pretty good Double Dutch turner.

On Saturday, I performed for about 200 kids involved with a church group in Ubungo. Special thank you to Victor from HOPAC for arranging the show.

I've been working with the kids at Dogodogo on combining the skills they know into sequences, which can then be formed into a routine. This clip of Amisi is the only one I've had a chance to film so far, but Athumani and a few others have put together some nice combinations. Look for those soon.

I leave for Morogoro on Tuesday! I really can't wait to see the kids at M.I.S. again, and begin teaching in some of the local schools I visited last January. It's been almost nine months since my first visit. I know it's going to be hard saying goodbye to the kids here, but now I can look forward to coming back.

Mike

Mzungu Mania, Kuku Carry-On, and Geckos that Fall from the Sky

Here's another non-jump rope post before plenty of exciting jumping news.

Anytime you travel to another country, you're bound to encounter a few surprises. For better and for worse, every one of your five senses will be stirred, but as long as you come with an open mind, traveling can be an amazing and eye-opening experience.

If you visit Tanzania, be ready to stand out. Don't worry about trying not to – you will stand out, and there's not much you can do about it. If you are Caucasian, you'll hear the word “mzungu” a lot – basically, “white person” - and you'll get a lot of stares. Just be friendly. Although the attention took some getting used to, one of the things I love about Tanzania is how natural it is to just say hello to people you walk past during the day. The watoto (little children) laugh and say "mzungu!", then "shikamoo". I greet people with "Habari yako?" or "Mambo?" as often as I can, and I'm almost always met with a smile and greeting in return. I've said it before, but the people here are so kind, friendly, and interested in the well-being of the people in their community.

I ride a dala-dala here on a fairly regular basis. They're very inexpensive, and can get you anywhere you need to get in Dar, which is great because it's a big city, and most taxi drivers will overcharge. The dala-dalas can get a bit crowded, though, since they're the preferred mode of transport for most Tanzanians. The other day, a few seconds after boarding a dala-dala to get back home, I heard a cluck nearby. I looked to my right, and saw a person, who I assumed could not be responsible for the noise. I looked down, and saw two chickens (kuku mbili). Two chickens. In a satchel. Heads poking out for a better view of floor. Sometimes it's the little things that make your day. That was my day-maker.

A few nights ago, I was walking to my room, when a gecko fell from the ceiling. That's right. A gecko, crawling upside down on the ceiling, plummeted a distance of more than 100 times his own height, and landed directly under my next step. I think I must have walked on air during that moment, because he somehow scurried away unharmed, as if this sort of thing happened regularly. I was a bit shaken up.

Napenda mjusi. Napenda kuku. Napenda dala-dala. Sitaki kuondoka Tanzania!

More soon,
Mike