Going round the final bend

When we were expecting visitors, it used to be we’d worry about clean sheets , towels and the house would be just right. Now the priority is to make sure we save the brand of toilet paper that at least tears off cleanly rather than the brand that falls apart when you try to tear it!!!!!

As I’m writing this we have no more than 19 working days left, plus a two week holiday, so we are beginning to think about getting ready to pack up. In many ways it seems we’ve only just arrived – in others we’ll be glad to return to the UK.

Malcolm has found the last week quite hard. Thursday was probably the low point. There had been a management meeting about the money we need to pay to end the court case. The school Principals seemed to understand the problem but there is no certainty that they can or will provide any funds as they only have limited balances and willingness. At the end of the day we are guests here so there is only so much you can do. Next week there should be a meeting with the Finance Officer of the Diocese who is actually the person we think will represent the Hospital at the court hearing, so he will be very concerned that the Hospital finds the money to ‘get out of jail’.

What crowned Thursday was that Malcolm managed to kill the back-up computer in the Pharmacy. It wouldn’t power up and while trying to work out if it was something simple, there was suddenly a pop and a cloud of black smoke came out of the power unit. In England it would be simple – pop down to PC World and buy a replacement. But this is Tanzania. Fortunately it was not the Pharmacy’s main computer system.

With about six weeks to go we are preparing for a flurry of social events. Next week is Irene’s birthday so we plan a long weekend in Dodoma. A week later our son and friend come for a two week holiday so we have been sorting out a safari and stay on Zanzibar. We had booked a safari park in a non-tourist part of Tanzania about 300 km away – nice and quiet. However, it was then suggested that it would be good to travel further to the Ngorongoro crater reserve in North Tanzania – a much more spectacular place. The only problem is (and for Malcolm a key issue) it will cost over 4 times as much (4 times as much!!!!!!) and is in the most busy, touristy part of Tanzania. But, who knows, we may not have another chance to go there.

After that we will have 2 weeks to pack up – and probably attend a wedding of one of the Doctors, which should be interesting.

So for next week:
- Malcolm should have been going to Dar es Salaam on Monday to discuss the future of the hospital as a Designated District Hospital with the Ministry of Health - cancelled for the fourth time!!!!!!
- Irene’s birthday and a long weekend in Dodoma
- still waiting (yet again) for more shelving – Irene is thinking it won’t happen before we go
- Task Force Management Team discuss with the Bishop what happens after we leave in October
There are videos on Youtube – search for ‘thecrawfordclan’