Resulta

Early morning meeting at the Temple with Pannasekara and he had composed a lovely letter to Immigration - The Director of Affairs, to ask for an extension on my visa. Sometimes they grant it, sometimes they don't and as I keep hearing from everyone, this country runs on money and corruption. Haven't experienced it myself and I hope that continues to be the case.

We went to the Immigration offices this morning where we were greeted by an Amazonianly tall Tanzanian with a big gun and a big grin. He spoke to me in Swahili.. thankfully I nailed it and managed to get a 'bomba!" in there and I also told him that I love Tanzania. He laughed and then said I was a beautiful blue eyed Mzungu. Well, he got the mzungu and the blue yes bit right!

Filled in a form, then Pannasekara ran off to photocopy my passport. There was no power at the Immigration offices. I watched him run off through the carpark with his robes flailing about inthe wind.. he didn't know that I was watching him, though he may have heard me laugh. When he returned he called his friend Happy who works there and explained the situation. He then gave her some money and also the chap who was dealing with me. The offices are like a step back to the 70's. Everything is concrete and glass. When you talk to them you have to bend down and speak through the part in the glass at the counter for documents as the circular part which you should speak through is so high up you'd need to be 6ft at least, or stand on a chair, though there are no chairs, even the seats are concrete.

I was supposed to find out at 1pm if I got the extension and if I'd have to pay for it. I was late as the meeting I was at with Vodacom at Mlimani City ran over and I got stuck in traffic. Narrowly missed 2 crashes. The drivers here, well some of them at least, seem to have a deathwish. Sarah and I also narrowly avoided a collision on the way there too.

At Vodacom, I met many employees, 2 of which had studied in Scotland. Jocelyn who is the Brand Manager studied at Herriott Watt and Albert who is in Finance, at Strathclyde Uni. Hope to catch up with them again soon and listen to their chat from God's Country!

Currently at the Movenpick waiting til 2pm when I have to go back to Immigration. Everything is crossed!