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Remembering Africa: Moments in Time

by Jo Paroz

194 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); black and white pictures; catalogue #04-2769; ISBN 1-4120-4961-X; US$19.99, C$22.99, EUR16.42, £11.49

What is it like to live and teach in Tanzania? This adventure comes alive through the author's personal stories and travels to exotic places in Africa.

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About the Book      About the Author      Excerpts      Catalogue Information

About the Book

After a 30-year career in New Mexico, it was time for a change, but what to do next? That was the dilemma. Jo was seeking something unknown and unnamed until she found her way to Africa, a place where she could live out her dream of adventure and travel.

Remembering Africa: Moments in Time is the author's memoir of the two years she lived in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, while teaching at an International School with students and teachers from many different countries. Through her personal stories, she portrays both the humor and struggle of daily life in Dar and working at the International School there. She provides a window for the reader to share her travel adventures to the exotic island of Zanzibar, the Seychelles, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Namibia, and safari adventures into the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, etc.

Jo was enchanted with the land and people of this amazing continent, and she recorded events from those memorable years in a journal. When she returned to the states, the memories of her life in Africa lingered and begged to be shared. Remembering Africa had to be written.

The poem "Moments in Time", written by Jo, was inspired by her experiences while living and working in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

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About the Author

Jo was born and raised in Kohler, Wisconsin. After earning her Bachelors degree from the University of Wisconsin at Stout in Menomonie, she ventured out West to teach in Denver, Colorado, for a year and work for two summers at the C Lazy U Dude Ranch in Granby, Colorado. She then married and moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she raised her children and earned a Masters degree in Special Education and an Ed.S in Education Administration at the University of New Mexico. During this time she taught and/or administered Special Education Programs for the Albuquerque Public Schools. Much of her work was done at school sites with diverse socio-economic levels and multi cultural populations.

At the end of a 30-year career, she was ready for a change. While searching out options on what to do next, she found her way into the International School Network and a teaching position at the International School in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. After her years in Africa, she moved on to Bangkok, where she taught at the New International School of Thailand.

Jo is now back in Albuquerque, enjoying life in the Southwest with family and friends. Her fascination with Africa continues to influence her travels. Thus far, she has made one trip back there, to Egypt, and has plans to visit Tunisia and Malta in the near future.

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Excerpts

There were safari opportunities three times each day, early morning, late afternoon, and early evening. I didn't miss any of them. On the last afternoon, when we were all on the little bus ready to head back to Dar, Jedo drove around the park to provide us one last look before we left. I was really into taking photographs on this trip and knew I had some great shots. However, my last photo of a lion pair was a winner. The bus was stopped not far from where they were involved in their mating routine, which I thought would make a great picture to send back home. I asked Jedo to open the bus door so I could get a clearer shot, which he did. I knew better than to step out on the ground, but I did drop down to the bottom step to be at a closer range. The lions were busy. I focused carefully and clicked. The flash went off. Now alerted, the male immediately got up, turned, looked right at me, and let out his glorious roar. Whoa! This sent me immediately back into the bus, and the door was quickly shut. My heartbeat had definitely quickened. However, in no time at all we were completely ignored as the lion went back to his mate, lay down, and picked up his routine at the nap interval. It was a little tense there for a moment, but I had a great photo.

Several boys joined us as we made our way into town, anxious to practice their English and show us their village. They told us they had never been outside of Lalibela, and that they go to school every morning. The young man accompanying me said he was 20 years old and in the 8th grade at the elementary school. He said he wanted to be a teacher. On the way back, he asked me to come and see his school, located right off the side of the road. The school consisted of several connected buildings made of rock and mud; as we approached, the afternoon group was in session. I didn't want to interrupt the class, but it is hard to be unobtrusive here, where a white face is something of a novelty. As I peeked in the open windows (trying not to distract) I could see about 100 children per classroom, who were all quiet and seated tightly together on benches set upon dirt floors. The teacher was directing the lesson from a chalkboard at the front of the room. Of course, I was a distraction; when the children saw me they smiled and waved, so I didn't stay long. However, news travels fast, and as I was about to leave one of the children ran up and said that the director wanted to see me. Walking toward his office, I became excited about the prospect of having a discussion on education and obtaining more information about the school system here. However, that didn't happen. Instead of the lively educational discussion I had anticipated, the director just handed me some letters, asked me to mail them when I returned to Addis Ababa, and then dismissed me. I was disappointed.

Tuesday, February 4, 1997 Journal [The water shortage is critical. While riding the bus home from school today, I got a funny feeling in the pit of my stomach as we watched many of the local women. Dressed in colorful kangas and balancing empty buckets on their heads, they were walking along the road in search of water. There is no longer any water at the Upper School. It's a mess, toilets won't flush and there is no water for hand washing or cleaning the classrooms. On the elementary school campus, where I live, we're at a lower level and still have a small amount of water. Upon arriving home, I found that Anna had filled every available pan and bucket in the house with water for future use. She is a real jewel. I told her to take some water home with her, because many parts of the city are completely out. I wonder how long this will last and what's ahead for the people of this city. It's an eerie feeling; the water tables are about to dry up and there doesn't seem to be much gas for cooking either. My stove is electric, so we can all share that, if necessary. This coming weekend I'm going to the Selous Game Park in southeast Tanzania. Hopefully, they'll have water there. This situation makes the concept of drought a new reality. When water is gone, it's really gone!]

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Catalogue Information

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