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Looking Forward to Savoring Some King Lobsters B Or is it Mutura!by lute wa lutengano
More than a year and half ago, the Chief Executive Officer of the General Tyre East Africa Ltd, Mr. Deven Lohan, hosted a dinner bash, which, I can easily say was the classiest and grandest, I have ever attended in this part of Tanzania. I was one of the lucky invitees. The party held at the Company=s sports grounds along Njiro road assembled dignitaries from all over the country. Naturally most of them came from Dar es Salaam. There were senior cabinet ministers, chiefs of local and international companies, diplomats, senior civil servants and executive businessmen. I have to admit I am none of the above. But there I was brushing shoulders with the cream of Tanzania. Cream coloured tents had been erected on the grounds and some good music B imported from Dar es Salaam - was serenading the guests as they devoured the king lobsters and washed them down with some chilled champagne. The coloured floodlights added to the bon ambiance of the evening. Moving around the beautiful people of Tanzania B I swear they were all very beautiful BI felt I got a feeling that I must be somewhere in Malibu or Hawaii, and not in Njiro, next to such eyesores as Unga Limited and Maji Machafu. But here I was enjoying every minute of my life. It was while doing so that I came across Mr. Deven himself. Naturally I paid special tributes for coming up with this glamorous event and assembling all those Tanzanian socialites. AThank you,@ he replied and asked whether I was enjoying my time on these premises which are actually a football pitch. I looked around, and surely this event was taking place on a football pitch. I was amazed at how one could transform a common football pitch into a venue of such a glitzy affair. That is when I found myself uttering, AIf this is a real football pitch, I believe it could be an appropriate venue to assemble all the Wazees of Arusha once a week, for a sporting bash.@ Surely enough, a month later, the process of establishing the Arusha Wazee Club was in full swing B thanks to strong and unwavering support by Mr. Deven and his team at the General Tyre. The rest is history. This Saturday, all roads lead to the same sports grounds for an end of year Arusha Wazee Sports Club bash. The Club, which now enjoys more than 150 members, is also marking its one year and a half anniversary. Every Sunday these wazees who come from all walks life in Arusha B diplomats, businessmen, senior civil servants, academicians etc. - assemble at the grounds to sweat it out. The Club has grown from strength to strength. It now owns several sets of football jerseys B 7 for adults and 4 for children, about 20 footballs, a music system and a fully equipped medical kit with a masseur and a team assistant to go with. No wonder, every Sunday, after the more than 2 hours of exercises, the Wazees sit down to listen to the soothing musical hits of yesteryear and for some drinks and bites at the grounds. The event has now become one of the biggest social dos in Arusha. So this Saturday, the Wazees, their families and their friends plan to turn up at the bash to celebrate this community spirit and to recognise all those who have made this possible. There will be some live band music, drinks and bites, non-denominational international choir, children=s games and lots of fun games. Being a friend of Mr. Deven and being close to a number of Wazees, I can swear that I will not miss this event. I definitely expect it to be a knockout and look forward to savoring some king lobsters B or is it nyama choma and mutura B and washing it down with champagne - or even a mortuary cold lager will do.
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