The Get-together of 14 March

We had settled long ago that we'd make a follow-up get-together when our colleague and real M+ enthusiast, Mr James Zachariah Tano hit the Bongo land.

Well, he did, and we communicated appropriately on M+ list to the effect that we'd meet "nex" Saturday. (Mea Culpa, I didn't specify the date, though some of the absentees would cling to this excuse why they did not show up). The venue had been proposed: Mlimani City, Samaki Samaki Pub.

I was the first to reach the venue. Although we'd talked about 5 pm, I was there at 5.30 (half hour early by African standards). James texted at that time saying he'd be late for 47.314 minutes (Japanese precision?) Then Kilasara showed up almost immediately. I'd also chatted Dunia Yusuph into attending, and he showed up. He's not an alcohol man, so I'd predicted he'd have trouble locating Samaki Samaki, but on the contrary he told me he was a regular visitor of Mlimani City on weekends for movies. Happy Magoha (Professor-to-be) brightened the group with gender representation when she arrived almost at the same time as James.

I, as is normal in these meetings, was the common denominator, so I had introductions to make around: Dunia Yusuph has never been employed by T**DO but knows it very well, as he has done two PT sessions there at different times, first as a Technical College student and later as a UDSM student. Salvatory Kilasara had been a Human Resource Officer who opted to move into a more challenging job in the civil service. Happy Magoha moved to Open University of Tz. James who took up lecturer job like Happy (but at DUSE) when he seiyaed, is presently doing his PhD in Japan, in a city of Kobe.

On the venue: Mlimani city is a huge complex that has shops for all manners of things from fresh onions to motorbikes, and, with the artificial lighting and environment one gets into when one visits there, one gets the feeling of being out of Tanzania, kins of like you are in Schipol duty free or Walmat store. The Samaki Samaki is one of the several side-by-side bars and eateries where customer has to be a king (to afford foods and drinks there). Samaki Samaki, particulsrly is a fish-and-chips specialist that's built to give patrons an aura of seaside without water. Tables and chairs are made out of coconut trunks, counters are made of improvised weatherbeated boats and everything from plates to tablemarker are fish-shaped. I saw James closely examining a toothpick, said he suspected it was of fish shape.

Needless to say, we were all eager to milk orient stories from James, but also spoke a little about T***O, OUTz and other small matters. For meal we took (of course) fish and other sea favourite, prawns. We also were of agreed viewpoint that we ought to make something tangible out of M+, if anyone had an idea s/he should float it on the list.

We parted company ealy--about 8 pm and went our separate ways. While the evening was enjoyable, it would have been even more so if the group was bigger. No OC, no Big Man, no Vitus etc etc. Hopefully we'll get to meet some more in future.

Get-together of 21 Feb 09