Metafari Ya Kwanza – Day 6 - Sandbank and the Reef

Day 6. Life is still good. Some stomachs are less good.

Everyone except Bengt overslept the sunrise. There is a special feeling in the air as we are on our last Metafari Day. Today the goal is a sandbank and a coral reef an hour boatride out in the Indian Ocean. We are taken to the Yacht Club where Sture is waiting for us in his Dhaw, a traditional boat.

On the way to the reef, Sture tells his story about how he was on sick retirent from his job as a paper mill mechanic in a small town in Sweden, but how he refused the thought of being an aging cripple and how he just took off from Sweden and landed in Tanzania where he is now living a good and healthy life. At 60 he has married an African woman and they are building a life together. He is an amazing man.

At the sand island (very small at high tide. Hundreds of meters long at low tide) we had many good discussions and interviews in the shade under the umbrella. There was even time for reflective writing.

There was also time for some of us to do some snorkling. We were told by Odd and Ruth that the coral reef was destroyed by dynamite fishing. And of course, if you focus on the dynamite holes and the coral reefs that were gone it is sad. But with appreciating eyes there was still lots of small places of outstanding beauty. The seastars, the little green mat that looked like an Astro Turf mat. All the fish that were swimming around wherever there still was a coral left.

Everybody was glad to soak up some sun in the breeze before the long journey back home to Europe. Coming home we were presented with a magnificent song and dance show put up by the youngsters from the music and dance club that Ruth has assisted in starting a few years from now. One of the guys in the group is the no 1 rapper of Tanzania. It became even more stunning when the Maasai warriors decided to contribute with dance and singing.

We also got the chance to interview the young performers, and it turned out that they had to practice a lot almost every day.

Finally we had a great BBQ feast. And it was the end of Day 6

Inspiration Focus: The Reef and the Sand Bank

Lessons Learned: How even a small coral can be very interesting if you care to focus and look at it with curious and appreciative eyes.

How much your language skills can be improved by reading, talking and writing English and by being in a multi-language environment where everybody constantly talks about communication.
Method Toolbox Contributions: Snorkelling to learn how to focus on small issues. Food Critic exercise to discuss cultural differences and similarities.

Metaphor Treasure Chest Additions: The living coral reef defying destruction. The sandbank that is totally different with tide but all the time still is the same.