When wazungus went to Kariakoo

Yesterday was supposed to be an easy day. Easy Sunday. I had agreed with my friend Nina that we go to Logos Hope (without kids, since they went with school) to grab some books. Maybe pass by Kariakoo to find some back bags for my boys, since I've been planning to do so for about a year. For those of you who don't know Kariakoo, it's CHAOS and then some. To the point where most of us with white skin avoid going there.. at least without an escort. But we are brave and usually our outings go nice and smooth... Sunday was not one of those days.

Since I still don't have my Tanzanian licence and this requires driving through the city, we agreed, as usual, that she comes to pick me up with her car at 11. 10:50 she calls. They had just realized that her car is out of oil - this was the first sign to give up. But why, oh, why would we??

She then tried her husbands car, that for some odd reason didn't start. Which resulted in me hopping behind the wheel... We could've understood that this is sign no. 2. But no giving up: we made a plan and we will stick to it. The drive was easy enough, and no one asked for my licence and I even found parking in a second so we parked, locked the car, and headed happily for the shop. I found awesome bags for boys and bargained like a true Tanzanian and was happy with the result. Part 1 done, now lets head to the boat for some book shopping.... Car hadn't been stolen, mirrors were all there, no bumps or scratches. I would call this trip to Kariakoo a success.. Except that when we tried to open it, it didn't. Open. Kabisa. At that point, what else can you do than laugh.... This area which is known for it's car thieves and we can't get into ours.. Luckily this is Tanzania so help is always near - within minutes there were about a team of 7 guys trying to open the lock. We had to endure also seven questions of "did you try the other door???" as if we have no brain, but hey they were helping so I was not going to complain. Eventually they concluded that even if a man no 7 tries with the key we are not getting the lock open. This is where it got interesting...

"mama.." - they start - and continue with swahili so fast that I can't keep up... Slowly please, tell me the plan.

Then this happened:





And about two minutes later we were driving off...

TIA - TIT. Help is always near, and if you have to get locked out of your car, Kariakoo might be the best place in the world to do so..

By the way, we got to Logos Hope in the end and kids got so many books to last couple of birthdays and Christmas.

Not a day I will forget soon. Life is never boring in Tanzania.

This little guy is just too AMAZING

The joy of accomplishing the simplest task. I look at him in awe...

He's on wheels

Mr. J has always been e-x-t-r-e-m-e-l-y careful, so it didn't come as a surprise that he hadn't mastered the bike yet. Firstly in our old apartment there was very little space to bike, secondly he just wasn't interested. When we went to Finland he tried once (while I was supporting him) and even though I told him he is very close he blatantly said "no, I can't, I won't", and switched back to kick biking.

So we agreed we will practice when we get back to Tanzania. Few days after we arrived he wanted his bike. I gave it to him and told him I'll help once I get back from the shop. I was back within 15 minutes and he happily came to greet me saying he can BIKE! What? You, Mr. "I can't/I won't"? Awesome. He was ready. And he did.

This is from those first special days. We can now go for a bike/run and he can keep going for 10-15 minutes easily (after that mama needs a rest :P)

Awesome my little dude! Could not be more proud of you! Can't believe this is the same guy who learned to turn (read fall) around just yesterday...

Saying Goodbye

One of the hardest things that I have experienced here was losing my grandmother. Not to be able to say goodbye and be there at her funeral broke my heart. That is why it was extremely important to arrange a special moment where we all got to say our goodbyes.

Last Friday, few hours after her funeral we picked up the kids from school and drove to the beach. There is a beautiful location off to the beach where you can stand on the cliff and see the amazing blue ocean in front of you. We each had a rose, said a few words then sent the roses into the oceans while Whiz Kalifa sang on the back ground. Then we came home, ate some Fazer chocolate she bought for us. It was special. Our goodbye. I'm still waiting for a visit though Mummu if you are reading :). She was extremely special and I know she's smiling down on us every single day.

Love the people around you. Love them so hard that when they are gone, you know they felt your love. That is all that matters. Love. <3 p="">

Monday morning

Since we got back I have been struggling with getting back to my early morning routine. So week after week I've been moving the alarm to get up earlier and find "my time" again. Man, it has been difficult. I started with 7 am, then 6:30, 6 and now today finally 5:30. Half an hour to go and I'll be on track.

My eyes might disagree but I love this moment. My soul needs this moment.

I love that the house is quiet (for a minute) and I love how I can just do 'me' stuff for a minute. Check my favorite blogs for inspiration, have a quiet cup of something, listen to me. I also prefer to be ready when it is time to wake up the minions, otherwise I do feel like I'm playing catch up the whole morning.

Now if only I could manage to make smoothie ingredients ready the night before, I'd be in heaven :P.

Happy Monday everyone!

New year, new dreams - but what to dream about???

Stories from last week when internet was not cooperating...


Happy 2016 everyone! I hope your year has started off with a bang. We spent five wonderful weeks in Finland (in the loving care of my mother) and were able to re-connect with some of our loved ones. Sadly the time wasn’t enough – or we were too lazy – to catch up with everyone, but hey, I guess that is a good motivation boost to go back again sometime soon.

I’ve been trying to work on a post that would best describe what I want from 2016. I even started to work on my spring 2016 idea board, but sadly – or not – I’ve hit a slump. Not so much in life, it’s as busy as usual, but more so in my dreams and hopes and plans.

We’ve set a MASSIVE goal as a family to gain some financial freedom this year. Nothing insane like “Let’s try and win the jackpot-bingo-lottery-raffle" but rather in managing our finances responsibly, working on some buffers and clearing some debt that we have accumulated over the years of relaxed consumerism. This also means that I note down every, yes EVERY, income and expense into our home budget app. Still trying to turn it into a routine.

I’m also working on some very personal goals of reaching a massive dream of my own: having my own gymnastics hall this year. While it seems to be becoming reality, I’m struggling to grasp it fully. Somehow, the fact that it is actually happening is making me freak out. While it was just a dream, it didn’t seem so daunting. 

I still want to set some personal goals, and quite surprisingly losing weight is NOT on my list. Yay. I would even call that personal growth. But balance, simplifying, family time, good food and exercise are on my top 10 list. But as most lifestyle gurus say, the goals should be specific and tangible so I will work on these topics once my head clears out.

We lost some loved ones last week, I lost my amazing and loving mummu (grandmother) and Tonny lost a close friend. The emotional roller coaster that I went through last week was not easy. At times I felt overwhelmed with emotions of missed opportunities and regrets and of unfinished business. Saying goodbye over the phone was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. I know mummu is now in a happy place, with her husband and watching over me and my family in Africa. But last week I really wished I was able to go back in time, a day, a week, a month. She was a very special person to me, and I hope she knew that. I will miss her dearly.

It's a rainy day in Dar es Salaam today. While in practice it means huge pools of water on the roads and massive traffic jams, I do love the quick break from sun shine and the freshness in the air. It's a perfect excuse to sit down and relax with a cup of hot lemon water and the last rye-cheese-tomato sandwich made of Finnish cheese.