Lord of the Dance - Cez Arena, Ostrava

Two tickets to attend Lord of the Dance in Ostrava at Cez Arena on 24 February 2014,a Christmas present for me and Zuzka from her Parents, fantastic

I always watch this kind of dance in the medieval English movies now I see it live on the stage, you don’t wanna miss this if is to be performed in your area. You will be thrilled. How can people be creative like this? I admire this kind of creativity.

Lord of the dance is an Irish musical and dance production created by Michael Flatley. Their style of stomping their shoes on the floor and create a musical beats will amaze and make you frozen stiff. The violin players are incredible.

 I have attended several music shows but this was the best ever.
“Ladies and gentleman, there will be an interval of 20 minutes” A lady on PA spoke
“come on !...I wish they could continue playing the whole night” I said because I did want to get up off the seat and go for a break, the dance was just perfect. But It’s ok because the dancers probably need to rest for a moment after stomping the floor for quite sometimes

Mr and Mrs Klus have made my day. My brain is fresh and ready for the next Bez Mamy's projects presentation in Dobratice.

Projekt Skola Skole - Uherský Brod Újezdec & Uherský Brod

It is 9:00 am at Sumice 491 in the house of Ondrej Horecky, the door bell rang, it was Eliska Novakova coordinator of School for School project. She arrived to pick me up for project presentation at Uherský Brod Újezdec & Uherský Brod, partner schools of Mahango and Simike.

Ondrej was abit sad as I just spent one night in his house then I have to go but we will soon meet again in Prague end of this week.

We left Ondrej’s house for Uherský Brod Újezdec school, We couldn’t find the school before but then after asking someone on the road we got a right way.

Children were there waiting for this moment. Children of Both schools, Uherský Brod Újezdec & Uherský Brod were very good as they know a lot about Tanzania, nature and especially Mount Kilimanjaro; they even asked what FC Barcelona’s Lionel Messi was doing on Mount Kilimanjaro. I had to explain that Kilimanjaro is a very famous destination in Africa.

 Im glad all teachers from both schools were very happy for my visit. It is a good status for our project

Nobody before in my life ever asked for my autograph but in Uherský Brod Újezdec children were asking for my autograph. We were late for Uherský Brod but I wasn’t able to do anything, I must sign their autographs no matter how late we were, it was their happiness and was my pleasure to do it because this is one of the schools supporting schools in Tanzania

Uherský Brod.
We arrived in Uherský Brod 15 minutes late but nobody was angry of us. I must say Uherský Brod was the best school as most of students could ask questions in English, I couldn’t hide that,I told them how good they are and congratulated their teachers for a good job.

After the presentation we showed them some videos of safaris in Tanzania, Tanzanian Music and Masai Dance. One girl asked me to sing and dance for them. I sang a Swahili song from Kenya “Jambo” and danced Tanzanian Hip Hop mostly know as Bongo flavor, two boys joined this short "school disco".

It was perfect end of my best presentations ever

I and Eliska were invited for lunch at the school canteen. When eating an assistant head teacher offered me a job to teach English at their school for one year. I told her I don’t know what to answer her because I currently have Bez mamy’s responsibilities in Tanzania and I think it is important for me to be in Africa than Europe

Luhacovice Spa
After I finished the presentation at Uherský Brod school, I had 2 hours before I catch a bus at Luhacovice to Frydek-Mistek. It was too long to wait at the bus station so Eliska decided to take me to Luhacovice Spa. Before, I found that Luhacovice Spa was a new name to me but later when I was there I remembered that I have been there in 1998

At 15:35 I left Luhacovice for Frydek Mistek where Michal Sotak was waiting for me at the bus station. I arrived at 18:00.

16 february-Another Bez Mamy's Team Building

Although most of the members were tired from the last night ball dance, especially for those who just slept maximum of 4 hours like me but we had to go again to mount Prasiva for another team building trip. Before,I thought climbing the hill for 2 kilometers to the top it was a very bad idea but then I enjoyed as it was exciting 

This time more members participated; Bezmamy’s founder Ondrej Horecky, his wife and current members.

In today‘s post I will not write much, I will let the photos speak

13 February-TEAM BUILDING TRIP TO MOUNT PRAŠIVÁ

Any team needs to bring its team members together by making some trips,playing games or eat together, so is Bez mamy. We had this plan four days ago.

I started being ready for this day at 4pm in Ostrava when I left Portas office to the photos exhibition  with Lukas Zavadil of  Polar TV, at 5:30pm we started driving to Frydek-Mistek to meet Zuzana and Michal. After we met Zuzana on her way from work Lukas had to leave us and we then had to get Michal from his flat and started driving to Dobratice to get Tomas and Michaela for the trip to Prašivá mountain.

Unfortunately Zuzana and Gabriela did not go with us so the team building was for only 4 organization members,Me, Michal, Tomas and Michaela.

It was dark, very windy,snowy and cold for me but as we started climbing the mountain I started feeling much warmer and sweaty. On top of Prašivá mountain there is a church, we stopped there for a while for prayers and then proceeded to the pub. The pub was closed so we had to go back to Restaurace Kohutka(Chicken Restaurant) where we parked our car, before we started walking down the mountain,Michal asked if would I like to see a snowman.

“But there is no snowman here“,I said
“Yes but would you like to see a snowman?“ he asked again.

Before I could say anything he jumped on me,together with Tomas they put me on the ground with my face on the snow ,It was too freezing as if I was taken in a fridge but it was ok as it was part of games for team building.

Quickly you might think it is nonsense to do these kind of trips and games but believe me I have experiance about this from Milicom International Celular where I was working before,it helps to bring workers together

We continuned walking down the mountain then took a car to Konicek pub for dinner and drinks then went home to sleep.

14th February-SCHOOL TO SCHOOL PROJECT PRESENTATION IN DOBRATICE
At 9:00am,Zuzi,Michaela and Me were at the front door of Dobratice school, a partner school of Ilenge. Zuzi just drove us there and she had to go back for other responsibilities. Me and Michaela proceeded inside the school building. On the way in we met a mayor of the village, she greet us and introduced herself to me and was looking forward to meet again.

The presentation was very nice as the children where happy to know more about Africa and Tanzania,moreover to know how was their money useful. With Michaela as my “google transilator“, we explained how is Ilenge and the progress of the class construction.

At the end Michaela explained to the children about books reading program whereby whoever reads a book will take online quiz with question from the book and after answering all question correctly will be awarded some money which will go to Bez mamy for supporting African projects

All kids where happy to be part of this program.

Children also had a chance to ask me some questions, many question were asked but the funniest question was why was I born black? And my reply was why were you born white? Everybody in the room bursted into laughter and smile   

Coffee Vending Machines Project in Prerov and Olomouc

Its zero degree with shower rain but me and Michal have to wake up at 6am, drive from home (Frydek Mistek) to Ostrava. Kamil of Kavamat vending company has to pick us in Ostrava at Portas office at 7 on the dot. 5 minutes before 7 we were at Portas and Kamil showed up at exactly agreed time with his nice Audi car.

We are going to Prerov and Olomouc for the project of installing Coffee vending machines in five schools. This project contributes 2 Czech Crowns to our projects in Africa for every cup of coffee bought.

Michal tried his best to explain about our school for School project and the advantage of coffee vending project that it is not only buying and drinking coffee for refreshment but it is all about buying coffee for refreshment and at the same time helping children in Africa as about 30% of the profit goes to charity projects. One school was a little discouraging another one the headmaster was absent but the rest three had promising future for this project.

Some teachers had interest of me visiting them again for presentations about Africa. So long as It is good for Bez mamy and African Children I don’t have any problem going back there.
One headmaster of agricultural school in Prerov said Tanzania is a very beautiful country, I asked him how does he know if it’s beautiful? He said he checked on internet and moreover his daughter was in Tanzania 5 years ago

it was nice doing business with Kamil as he looked interested with our projects in Africa and he promised to attend our project presentation in Dobra

10th February 2014. Vsetín, Zlín Region

Vsetín is a town in Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It has around 28,500 inhabitants and lies on the Vsetínská Bečva river.The area around Vsetín, called Vsetínsko, is spread out on the foothills of the Vsetín

This is where I need to go for migrant’s registration because it is the nearest point in Zlín Region from the district of Frydek Mistek . An alien is obliged, within 3 working days from the date of his/her entry into the Territory of Czech Republic, to report his/her presence and the place of his/her residence in the Territory to the police – Residence Administration Unit of Alien Police Department within Regional Police Directorate having territorial competency according to the reported place of the alien's residence. This obligation does not apply to an alien younger than 15 years of age

If an alien fails to fulfill the obligation to report the place of his/her residence in the Territory, he/she commits an administrative offence. For this offence, a fine (a penalty) of up to 3 000,- CZK can be imposed
I don’t want to commit an administrative offence so I and Zuzana woke early in the morning not to be late for the train running to Frydek Mistek where we would catch the earliest bus to Vsetín.

Right on time, we board a bus at 7:35. The journey to Vsetín took 1 hour 45 minutes. It is a first time for all of us being in this town but we had a map,it was a little easier to find a Police station building but unfortunately we were in the wrong building despite of asking some guy at the front desk, we were in Městská policie ( City Police) it is a department which does not deal with my case of Alien registration.  In the same building we entered in an evidence room where we asked for the right office. It was about three blocks away, not bad it is quiet near, but then in the right building we entered the wrong door. There was an officer, a good one, he said we should go out and enter the next door.

We are now in the right office, with two friendly officers. They were surprised to have a Tanzanian in their office as none from this part of Africa has ever been there before

It did not take too long to finish my registration after I provided all necessary documents. A moment later we left the building for the coffee and tea while waiting for the bus. It is about time, we moved to the bus terminal and try to find our right Nástupište (Platform). It was Nástupište 2.

Few minutes later, the bus driver came and opened the door ready to sell tickets, Zuzana asked me to buy tickets for us, she thought I wasn’t able to do it because of the language. I was behind three other passengers buying tickets. When my turn came I stepped up into the bus and the driver was a abit stuck, he did not know what to say to me, so I started
“Dobrý den!”
“Dobrý” he replied
“Frýdek-Místek” I said while showing him 2 fingers meaning I need two tickets and gave him 200 Czech Crowns. He printed our two tickets and I pulled them from the printer and said; 
“Děkuji !” 
“Prosim” he replied while smiling to Zuzana and told her that I was good. Zuzana said to me;
 “it is very funny travelling with you, may be back home this driver will tell his wife that he met a black man who can speak Czech, but unfortunately we won't be able to find out if he said or not”.

In Frýdek-Místek we stopped by a super market where I changed dollars to Czech Crowns and went to another shop where Zuzana bought a pen.

We then returned home, took our lunch and went to sleep for a moment then at 17:00 Zuzana took me to Tomas’s new house in Dobratice where I had a meeting withTomas, Michaela and Michal. My bag was finally there delivered from Ostrava airport to Tomas's house

It was a good meeting started by catching up old days and then we discussed the plans and duties for the whole February. We also discussed a bit about the future of Bez mamy and how we can make our activities in a much more formal plan.

7th February 2014-Prague, Czech Republic

At exactly 10:30am Turkish Airline’s Airbus 320 from Istanbul touched down at Vaclav Havel (Praha Ruzyne) Airport in Prague Czech Republic. After passing through all security and Migration checks I went direct to Carousel to get my bag. 10 minutes my bag is not showing up, I freaked out but I felt much better as I wasn't the only one whose bag is missing, there were other two guys from Tripoli, Libya. These guys were complaining a lot, we all had to go to the baggage claim desks for necessary baggage claim documentations. 

After all paper works I was good to go out of the Airport as I knew Zuzana Klusova was waiting for me. For the third time I was not alone in Prague after my arrival. First time it was 2008 when an old friend Vendula Veckova picked me up from the airport and second time it was 2012 when my bosses Michaela and Tomas Gongol were there for me

Face to face again with Zuzana after 5 months of parting ways in Moshi, Tanzania, I feel much better to see her again. After Hugs and kisses, we then exit the airport building. Wow, it’s freezing outside;

“I have a present for you” Said Zuzana
“what is it?” I anxiously asked
She opens her plastic bag and give me a new pair of black jackets,
“You are my savior” I told Zuzana

I put on my new jackets, now I’m not worrying about freezing but Im worrying about being late for the business meeting with Jane and Jirka to be held at the pub in Prague main train Station.

We have to wait for the bus, which runs every 30 minutes from Vaclav Havel Airport to Prague train Station. We have 20 minutes of waiting.

20 minutes later the bus arrives we board and start cruising to the train station, after few minutes of struggling to find the pub location, we found it and Jane was there waiting for us but Jirka had to go to work. Jirka and Jane are couples to be married after six months then would like to go to Tanzania for their honeymoon so the meeting was planning their trip to Tanzania which will be arranged by my Company Tanzania City Explorers. The meeting was fine and everything went as planned despite of me being late.

After the meeting Jane goes to work, I and Zuzi had to wait for almost 3 hours for the training running from Prague to Zilina, Slovak Republic. The train arrived we boarded and left for Ostrava. In Ostrava there were Gabriela and her friend (Zuzana’s Colleague) waiting for us. Another happy moment meeting Gabriela, hugs and jumping, funny as usual when we two meet. Time to go home, Zuzana’s Colleague drives us to Nizni Lhoty at Zuzana’s home.

8^th February 2014
Its is Saturday, we have to go ball dancing, but the dance requires black suite and I don’t have one as my bag hasn’t arrived yet. Zuzana made a call to Michal Sotak and the suite problem was solved, I will were Michal’s suite and Zuzana’s father shoes. Zuzana has to go to work in the morning the next so she won’t be with us at the ball dance, so in the evening on her way to work she drove me to Michal’s family house and drop me there. It has been almost 14 months ever since I was in this house, quite happy to meet Sotak’s family again and moreover meeting Tomas and his wife Lucy, I did not meet them in 2012.

Michal, Lucy, Tomas and I left the house to Frydek Mistek to Michal’s apartments where I had to leave my small backpack and then proceeded to the middle age pub. It is quite old building and interesting, we had dinner and drinks and talked a lot.

Something funny happened at the pub, Michal asked something about visa, he actually did not understand why Mama mkuu from Mbeya was not allowed to fly from Milan to Czech Republic when she had a Schengen visa, so I took out my passport trying to explain to him that when asking for a Schengen visa and needs to freely move in Schengen area you must mention that on the application form.

After my explanation I put my passport back in the inner pocket of the jacket but then I couldn’t feel that the passport was in the pocket, I was wondering where did it go, I just put it in one minute ago, I quickly thought maybe I missed the pocket and I dropped it but it wasn’t on the floor neither, I freaked out and started looking all over for it, I had to unbutton the jacket and finally found out that the passport was in the back of the jacket because the was a big hole right close to the jacket pocket

From the pub we headed to the ball dance, It was like re union as I met so many people and families I know as well as Bez mamy team, Gabriela, Michaela and Tomas Gongol. The dance had a lot of fun, I'm looking forward to the next ball dance

Nairobi Kenya -31st January 2014

In the noisy and congested Nairobi I woke up at 7:30 for breakfast then headed to Ethiopian Embassy located at State House Avenue. I freaked out seeing a note on the gate that the embassy is temporary closed on this day, no reasons no nothing. The next day is Saturday obviously all embassies remain closed. Four more days in Kenya this means more expenditure for accommodation and air ticket changing

 I tried to talk to some guy at the embassy if they could help me get a visa because Im from Tanzania and I have a ticket already to fly out on Sunday morning but nobody understood me. What are the odds? November 2012 in Addis Ababa there was same situation, the Czech embassy visa section was closed but they opened it just for processing my visa

Whenever things go wrong you have to Improvise, adopt and overcome, that’s what I did. I had to move from the hotel Embassy to the cheapest Eurika Highrise Hotel. The good thing about Hotel Embassy was free WI-FI, couldn’t be bored in Nairobi when connected to internet.  The crazy thing about Eureka Hotel is everybody keeps giving me a wrong password for the WI-FI connection and the good thing is free breakfast and cheap accommodation but you wouldn’t need to stay at this Hotel at all. 2 Night clubs without sound proof are within the building, I couldn’t sleep the whole weekend as I could feel my bed was moving because of big speakers on full burst. It was morning; it was evening the next day.

2nd February 2014

What kind of a city is this? Now the clubs are closed and the evangelist church is open just above my room on 5th floor, I can’t even talk over the phone, it’s too noisy people dancing gospel music, stumbling in the room and stomping the floor 

3rd February 2014

Here we go again with Ethiopian visa application Saga. At 08:55 I was at the gate of Ethiopian Embassy, I was told by the gate keeper that I have to wait until 9 o’clock…Ok, 9 o’clock it is 

It is time, we are three Tanzanian going in, before getting in we must undergo maximum security check as if we are Arabs getting in the US Embassy. One of us final destination is Addis Ababa another one is going to Sudan via Ethiopia for coffee machines installation, I wonder if he has military combat trainings, why would he go to work in a war zone? And me?…I’m mercenary of compassion going to the freezing point. My fellow Tanzanian going to work in Sudan he certainly needs military training, AK 47 and colt 45 to keep him alive but I only need warm clothes and winter shoes 

We both filled visa application form, went out again for payments at CBA bank..it is 20 dollars for tourist visa, fair enough. Went back to the embassy, undergone maximum security check again then we submitted our visa payments receipts to the receptionist, I was shocked when she said we should comeback for visa collection at 4pm, “what the……!”, I have to check in at Jomo Kenyatta airport at 3pm

“Excuse me” I talked to the receptionist, “I have to check in at 3,is there any possibility that my visa can be issued before that? “I’m no sure about that, may be you can try to come back at 2” she said. Wooow! She just said maybe I can try at 2, ok I will try at 2 then.

2:00pm I was at the gate, maximum security check again then went in, I waited for about 20 minutes.. Here comes my passport with the visa I’m good to go.

Left the embassy for busiest airport in East Africa, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, one hour later I was in the airport checking in for boarding Ethiopian Boeing 777-200. 

At 18:05 we flew out of Kenyan airspace heading to Addis Ababa’s Bole International airport. At 19:30 we landed in Addis Ababa, the new gate way to Czech Republic for Tanzanians, Rwandese, Comorians, Ugandans and Burundians. Kenyans can apply for Czech visa at the Slovak embassy in Nairobi.

Addis Ababa-4th February 2014  

At 08:50 I was standing at the gate of the embassy of the Czech Republic, 2 other Ethiopians were waiting to get in. 4 more Ethiopian applicants came to join us.

After the two were done I went in, the gate has minimum security check up. Inside the Embassy at the reception desk I met a Czech old woman who I think is an assistant to visa consular, she doesn’t look like Czech but she speaks Czech and she wasn’t here when I came in 2012. She took all my documents and realized that I have to fly to Prague on 7th in the morning….”This is impossible, you can’t get a visa in two days, you must apply 15 days before you fly to Prague” she said to me. In my mind I was thinking how was it possible before I could get a visa in three days and sometimes my visa was processed when the visa section was closed? Never mind may be it is a new policy.

“Wait, let me talk to the consular” she said, after phone conversation lasted over approximately 5 minutes I was allowed to get in a visa section room for interview. I had to wait again for like 5 minutes and a young officer showed up, he looks like fresh from school. He was also not here in 2012; looks like so many things have changed in this embassy in one year. 

After greetings he took my documents and was also shocked about my departure date, then took my finger prints. I have never gone through this process before.  “I can’t guarantee you will have a visa in two days, he said. I replied “I know… but I’m from Tanzania, it’s too far to do all these as required”. We continued with questions and answers, he was noting my answers and going through my old visas, after like 30 minutes of the interview he kept my passport, asked me to pay visa fee of 1,540Birr (approximately 80 US dollars) and told me to call on 6th at 14:00 to check if my visa is ready. 

I left the embassy without being sure if my visa will be issued on 6th but as time passed by I was positive that I will get my visa on 6th. It was 4th then 5th , it was morning it was evening, the next day.

6th February 2014 - 19 hours before my departure to Istanbul.
Should I call the embassy or just go physically to ask for my visa? May be I should call but then if my visa is ready I still will have to go collect it. So now I don’t know the sense of making a call before I go.
At 11:00am I picked up my phone and made a call to the Embassy,
 “Hello, am I speaking to the Czech Embassy?
“Yes, who do you need to speak to? A woman answered.
“Well my name is Christopher from Tanzania”
“Aaah You are calling to ask for a visa?
“Yes Mum”
“Your visa is ready just come and get it”, she replied.
 “Thank you very much”.
 “You are welcome, she finished the conversation
I caught a bus to the embassy to get my passport and other documents I left two days ago. I arrived there at 14:00. At the gate of the embassy there were lots of Ethiopians probably waiting for visa interview, I went straight to the gate keeper told him my name and ask for my documents. In 10 minutes all documents were handled to me. I’m good to go .

Leaving Mbeya - 30th January 2014

At 8:30am I left Mbeya by fast Jet to Dar es Salaam where I connected to Kilimanjaro International airport. We landed in Kilimanjaro at 11:30. For your information; Fastjet is Africa’s low cost airline but there is neither drinks nor snacks provided in flight for free. So eat and drink at home before boarding Fastjet’s airbus.

In Kilimanjaro airport at 11:55 I caught a private car to Arusha where I had to buy Schengen states travel insurance for 75 US dollars, actually it is a worldwide Insurance excluding USA and Canada
2:00pm boarded a River side Shuttle to Kenya from Arusha. 5 hours on the road we finally entered Nairobi at 8 pm same day, Quite a long way from Mbeya to Nairobi but shorter and cheaper because of fast jet, can’t imagine how many days and money would I spend  If I would use buses from Mbeya, Arusha to Nairobi