Metafari Ya Kwanza – Day 5 - The Termite Mound

It is the fifth day of the Metafari and life is good.
Up at sunrise. Birds singing. Remembering the darkness of the night, and the bright stars that look so different from home.

After breakfast under the trees, we gathered round the termite mound together with a group of Massai.

What do you know about the termites?
Zacharias: You ask very strange questions. However I must admit I have often thought about how so small animals can create such a large thing. I sometimes wonder about their leadership and organisation.
A lot of small animals come to the mound, using it for their own purposes.
We sometimes say that the mound is built by the Japanese, and that the maasai is like the small black ants. They live elsewhere and come to the big building just to pick out things they can use


On the way back we passed the school. Ruth talked to the eldest about the importance of continuing education. The school choir and its excellent female conductor performed and we countered with singing Brother John in as many languages as we knew.

Back at the centre we got some time to reflect and write and/or take pictures, and then gather for reflection together.

Inspiration Focus: The termite mound

Lessons Learned: How important play can be for learning. How to confront your fears by talking about them or changing shape of your fear. (instead of thinking that there might be danger out in the dark, thinking that the Massai is out there watching over you) How to frame your question by providing a context.

Method Toolbox Contributions: Golden Moment discussion at lunch. Morning habits dialogue around your daily rituals to start the day. Bengts Smurf toolbox as images of different way to organize collaboration and to identify yourself with "your smurf" (The discussion around this was an absolute highlight!).
Reverse questioning: Asking the person you are interviewing what he/she wants to ask him/herself. The questions we were asked brought us more insight then the questions we asked ourselves.

Metaphor Treasure Chest Additions:
The termite mound as modern society. And as TICC, with a lot of its organisation invisible to the casual visitor.
Spider as a memory. Jazz band as an organisation.


Creative Expression
“Immediately when I opened my bag while unpacking after the visit to the Maasai village, a spider jumped at me. It didn’t succeed in leaving the large bag, so a picked up the blouse it was sitting on.

The spider was very black against the white blouse. I opened the door and carried the spider and the blouse out to the nearest large flower pot. There I tried to get rid of the spider. I shook the blouse thoroughly, but it didn’t want to let go. Suddenly, it jumped to the palm tree in the pot and crawled quickly up the stem.

I was a little stunned by the sudden movement, and I almost started to feel abandoned.”