Q & A from Taran's classmates

Where has been your favourite place so far?

Probably the west Serengeti safari camp Little Okavango in Tanzania. 

What animals have you seen so far and which is your favourite?  We have seen a large variety of game, including: elephant, lion, hippo (fetid smell); impala, etc. And over 140 different kinds of birds.

My favourite so far is either the leopard or the secretary bird. 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/nk1uvo5ypxw9mfk/leopard%20video.mp4?dl=0 (this is a link to leopard video)

Are there any vegetarians there?                                                                       

No, but there still is good food without meat.

Favourite food so far?

I cooked a pasta sauce, which I really enjoyed; there was an extremely simple but satisfying egg fried rice which also didn’t last long.

Are the people hard working there?

(most people) yes, very – because they need to be, to survive.

What kinds of food do they have there? Do they have anything that we eat here?

No English food, but plenty of corn flour paste which is included in most meals.

Seen any monkeys yet?

Yes; blue monkey, black and white colobus monkey, capuchin monkey, and olive and yellow baboons.

Which city are you in now and which has been your favourite so far?

My favourite city was probably Mwanza (tonnes of Marabou storks), and we are currently in Battambang (Cambodia).

Seen any honey badgers yet? If so, can we have a photo?!

Unfortunately not, no honey badgers in Tanzania and very few in East Asia, but will keep looking. We have, however, seen a bush baby, but to dark for photo’s.  

When are you back?

We’re back for a week on 3^rd May (week before SATS) so see you then.

Best car you've seen since you've been there?

I believe we already sent Kike’s dad Nick a picture of an orange lamborgini we passed in Dubai.

Is the food tasty?

Yes, although we haven’t tried much Tanzanian local cuisine -  but the Asian food is excellent. 

Do they play ice hockey there?

Never have, and to be honest I don’t think they ever will in Cambodia or Tanzania.  However, in Dubai there was an ice rink, so it is a possibility.

How many places have you been to so far?

Country-wise we have so far been to: Tanzania, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Cambodia, and we have touched down in Zanzibar and Myanmar but not actually stepped outside.

Are the people friendly there? Have you been made to feel welcome?

Yes they are very cheerful, but also quite shy (save the market sellers, taxi drivers and anyone working in the tourist industry) especially in Cambodia as there has been a generation of trauma after the Pol Pot regime leaving much less optimism, self-belief and confidence to talk to strangers.   

Have you seen any wild boar?

Like the honey badgers there are no ‘wild’ boar in Tanzania and I don’t know about Cambodia.

The storm video was cool, how long did it last for?

Only about half an hour, but submerged the once bone dry terrain in an at least 10cm of constant water!

What are their clothes like? Are they similar to ours?

Yes, their clothes are mostly similar to ours although the Masai are fond of dressing up in brightly coloured picnic blankets.

Have you visited any schools? Are they different to our schools?

We have visited one of the schools the donations went to and it was very different to any English school (much more basic) here is a video of a Tanzanian school Mum and Dad visited.

Have you made any friends?

We haven’t settled down anywhere yet so it hasn’t really been an option. Fingers crossed that we’ll find someone soon.

Played any football there yet?

Yes, we have, in a few local villages in Tanzania; none in Cambodia yet though.

Where's Donny?

He’s on holiday with our friend (in Wytham).

What do you do in your spare time?

What spare time?

We have very little of it but this is one of the things I did manage to get done (amazingly).   Garageband song to follow.

What's the most memorable thing so far?

Our first safari, or our 7hr bus journey. (this is dad in the front seat)

Do the children like reading?

 To be honest I don’t know; but part of my homeschooling schedule is 1 hour reading a day. 

Do the children speak English?

             In Tanzania very few did, but when we visited one of the Cambodian schools we met a 6 year old who spoke better English than me.