"There's no place like home for the holidays..."

Hello from Waterloo Ontario! I arrived  Dec.21 and will head back to Tanzania January 8. It has been an excellent few days so far.

 I had a 5-hour layover in Amsterdam on my way home and was able to go on a bus tour of the city. Pictures to follow when one of my tour-mates emails them to me! Enjoyed seeing the sights and am looking to spending a few days there on my way home next June.

My flight got in to Toronto right on time, and I was happily met by Brian. After about an hour in an airport coffee shop catching up (I think we were both talking at the same time most of the time) Marlee's flight from LA arrived. The three of us, being hungry by that time, headed out to an Indian restaurant near the airport and then back to the airport to meet Brian's sister Kate, whose flight also was right on time. Everything went so smoothly! And how wonderful to be all together! We arrived home mid-evening and I was struck by how beautiful the house is... thanks to Brian's wonderful decorating.

The next day I took care of some important details like getting a haircut (had a great time driving to New Hamburg in my little blue car!), straightening out some banking issues, opening (and recycling) a huge pile of mail, and buying party food. And last night we had a wonderful party at our house: the 20111 installment of "Merriment and Mayhem at 45 Young St. East." A great time was had by all! So good to see so many dear friends. I am grateful for the abundance of love in my life.

I'll leave you with a quote from Dickens' Christmas Carol and some pictures...

"But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round -- apart from the veneration due to its sacred name and origin, if anything belonging to it can be apart from that -- as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time: the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, 'God bless it!'" (Scrooge's nephew in Dickens' Christmas Carol)

Concert pictures!

December 10 Umoja End of Term Concert:

Advanced Suzuki violins

Everyone participates, even the youngest violinists!

Umoja Ensemble: "Ninapenda kula..."

Umoja Ensemble

My drumming debut!

Danielle conducting Mungu Ibariki Africa

A Musical Celebration

This past Saturday afternoon was Umoja's end-of-term concert. It was a great success!

The eclectic program included:
     A "Suzuki play-down" with all 30+ violin students on stage at the same time
     Piano, violin and guitar group class presentations
     Umoja Ensemble singing traditional music and a newly-composed song by Danielle!
     A jazz ensemble
     A movement of a Bach Brandenburg Concerto performed by several advanced students
     Danielle's arrangement of Mungu Ibariki Afrika (Tanzania's national anthem) for pianos, flutes, violins, guitars, and singers

A lot of work and preparation went into this epic performance, from organizing the program to making stage set-up charts to rehearsing with students to publicity to catering... and of course, all the students practiced and prepared and really rose to the occasion in the performance.

It was great to have everyone involved in Umoja together in one place:  international school students, outreach students, Umoja Ensemble kids, all the teachers, and of course everyone's families! Not to mention a sizeable audience from the Arusha community.

Several personal highlights: leading the big group of violins, getting to play for Danielle's Umoja Ensemble song, making my public debut on a drum (!), participating in the national anthem ensemble (it is such a beautiful song -- look it up on youtube), and being hugged after the concert by my youngest student, a little Tanzanian boy who until recently has been very shy around me and often looked sad. But after the concert he not only gave me a hug but he had a big grin on his face! A wonderful moment.

And now: countdown to Canada! I will be home for a visit from Dec.21 - Jan.8. Really looking forward to it.