Walking into a Music Video

This will be a shorter blog as I have just finished up my required 90 day trip to Kenya and then stopped in Arusha to purchase a lot of items for the site including solar power systems for the classrooms.  It was a log trip and I have been frustrated recently due to the lack of communication I was getting from some involved with the ministry here in Tanzania, lack of any good sleep as I travel, and my recurring chest cold for the last two months.  I was tired and looking forward to getting back to my house and going to sleep early.  I should know by now that Tanzania just never lets that happen from the constant fishbowl affect to recurring visitors for no reason other than they want to see the "white guy."  The fishbowl affect is basically that I feel like I am in a fishbowl or aquarium always on view for everyone to look at and comment on and talk about.  It is a real thing and I have talked about it with many other missionaries and peace corp volunteers.  People come visit the headmaster's family and sit on the porch looking at my house.

Today's particular "you can't do what you need for your health" activity was a surprise though.  They were shooting a music video at the school.  It featured a man who sang a common song about through God you do good things.  They had recorded the music and he was playing it on a hand held radio over and over again.  They were using a lot of the women from Pastor Stephano's church in their Maasai clothing and some they video crew brought out that was more ornamental than what the women normally wear.

They had several outfit changes through the video shooting.  They even had some of the local girls involved and two of our school girls were involved.  Stella and Grace as seen in the photo above.  They are the smallest two in the group.

They even put them on our playground equipment.  I am not sure what they were going for as a visual but if it was pure terror on their faces they succeeded.

We arrived at roughly 3 pm and this went on until it was sunset at 6 pm.  They even had a cheering or snarky comment crowd depending when you were there.

Of course when I arrived, they had to figure a way to get the white guy in the video.  So they begged me to be in a dancing scene with the men (Fredy, Sangwa, Stephano and the singer).  This was interesting because all Fredy did was roll his shoulders.  Stephano only bent his knees.  Sangwa and the singer moved from seizures to jumping.  I am not even sure what I did but let's say it was not enthusiastic as I had not energy left for the day.  I did at least get my Clemson ball cap in the video.