Sasa by Proxy: The Rebirth

Jambo friends of Sasafrica!

This is Josh, the original ghost-blogger who kicked off this series back in August while Sarah and the girls got settled in their new African digs. Since then Sarah has taken the reigns and delighted us with her daily tales of life in Tanzania, all while subtly instructing us to send clothes, to carpe diem, and to not eat shit sandwiches. Well folks, we’re going to TiVo that stream of red-headed consciousness for a little while as Sarah leads another ambitious group up Mount Kili. In her absence, I and Eric “Too Tall” Schoonveld, the stretched husband of Shawna, Sarah’s co-leader and partner in crime, will be filling in with both play-by-play and color commentary as Fric & Frac lead another group of brave philanthropists up the hill. For those who have grown accustomed to the stylings of Sasafrica, please note that the tone will change a bit. With me, you’ll get a Sedaris-like slant on the events with a light-hearted, but sardonic take on the climb. When Too Tall starts typing, his eloquent lawyerness will come shining through, and suddenly you’ll be Thoreau country. Once the climb is over, he and I will gladly pass the baton back to Ramona Quimby: The Acid Years for her own take on the climb and 2nd semester in Africa.

As for the climbers, welcome to the great journey that is sure to change your life! Sarah introduced you all in previous posts in guest star fashion, reminiscent of the opening credits of the Love Boat. All that was missing was each of your faces in the ship steering wheel and, of course, the Landers sisters, Sid Caesar, and Charles Nelson Reilly. A key pointer: when you’re on the climb be warned that Sasa likes to tell stories…repetitively. When you hear her open up with “Did I tell you…?” quickly cut her off at the pass. Sure, you’ll need the entertainment to get through the grueling part of the climb, but don’t let her think that the multiple climate changes will erase your memory. Demand new material!

I’ve also sent Sarah 7 awesome CDs, so if anyone is short on music, ask Hannah Africanna if you can borrow her collection, then you all can dance a Soul Train line up the mountain. However, watch out for Sarah’s moves…when she puts that iPod on she’s Elaine Bennis with a backpack, and trust me, there have been casualties.

Shawna will be a great resource, particularly if you need to reach the top shelf. Her favorite pastime is laughing (and subsequently peeing in her pants), so if you want to feel like you’re headlining at Caroline’s Comedy Club, grab Shawniqua and let the jokes fly. Knock-knocks had her at hello.

So good luck to the climbers, and happy reading to friends and family near and far. It’s sure to be another successful adventure, so Too Tall and I will do our best to translate the journey to make you feel like you’re right there with them!