Overwhelmed.

Dear Mikocheni Report readers: thanks for your patience. I fell off the edge of the blog again, we both know it, and I apologize. It happens at least once a year (maybe more, but who is counting) and I can't tell the three of you how deeply I appreciate your not switching channels on me, if you know what I mean.

Now that I am getting back in stride, I am feeling excessively enthusiastic and thoroughly stifled under the sheer number of topics I want/need to over-share with you. Which means bullet points are the only way to get this done. So:

1. I missed the blogiversary again... which makes this a tradition. The Mikocheni Report turned four years old in April. I won't lie to you: I have thought of quitting many times and more so lately. I am finding it challenging to keep up- this blogging is an evolutionary process, and a demanding one at that. But it is not yet time to throw in the towel. Not yet. So- no discussion of stats this year, no empty promises of improvements. I cordially invite any suggestions, with the usual caveat that who knows if I will work on them. I just want to say this: still utterly amazed by what the blog has made possible, and humbled by the experience of sharing some part of life with you online. And grateful. 

2. I am going to Cape Town soon-soon to attend a Forum about Money (ugh), Power and Sex . It's the second official trip for The Mikocheni Report to blog/panel, and yes I still find public speaking more terrifying than death, or rats. But maybe not spiders. Since I have to sing for my supper and the topic is leveraging social media for activism (preferably health activism) holler at me if you think that there are Tanzanian initiatives I should name-check. So far am planning to ramble about: the Dar Blogger's Circle, Twitter Politics, the Doctor's Strike, #ChangeTanzania and whatever else I can pull out of my memory if my voice does not retreat into my little toe out of fear. Suggestions more than welcome. Also: did I mention I'll be blogging? So, like, come to Cape Town with me.

3. Non-sequitur: Dar is getting super culturally diverse, hallelujah. And with this diversity have come all kinds of 'ethnic' restaurants- praise be. Sound-byte reviews: 1.Velisa's (Mikocheni)- order the slow-cooked stuff like oxtail and goat curry, it is a Jamaican restaurant after all, they pour a generous cocktail and are right mellow if pricey-ish. Bella Luna (Masaki)- sweet lord almighty, take your loved one there and share a plate of the ravioli and a bottle of wine, just ignore the atrocious europop on the sound system. 3. The Brazilian Churrasceria whose name I never got (Mikocheni)- nearly made three grown women weep from meat-induced rapture, none of the beef is Tanzanian but for once I didn't care about foodmiles: this is nearly Maasai-grade firemeat. 4. Unnamed Location Number One (Mikocheni)- I promised not to tell, but there is a hotel in the hood that has superb spicy/sweet BBQ chicken that I dream about, and I am not even into chicken. Follow your nose. 

All right, get back to work you web-surfing slacker. And thanks for stopping by. Normal-ish operations to resume sometime in the near future.