I'm Moving on Up

That's right, folks, I have officially joined George and Weezie Jefferson, and I've moved up to the big times. After mass ended, we stayed at the church for a special event: the wife of the President of Tanzania was coming to make a speech and to participate in an auction to raise funds for the new church building.

Now, just attending an event at which a member of a nation's elite attends does not move anyone into the big times. Were that the case, I would already be there because I once saw Queen Elizabeth wave from a moving car on the streets of Regina. No, I am in the big times because Liz and I were taken from our seats in the back half of the assembled chairs to the table where guests of honour were seated.

(To be completely honest, we did not actually sit at the table of honour. Rather, we sat in the second row of chairs immediately behind the big shots, making us either "medium shots" or "upper middle shots", depending on how you view the class structure of big shots.)

Our new seating position put us within 15 metres of the President's wife. This gave me, at least, an an excellent view of her two female plain clothes bodyguards -- one stunning in a chocolate brown suit with vibrant pumpkin-orange blouse; the other severe, yet somehow sexy, in a dark pinstriped suit and charcoal grey top. It also ensured that we were filmed when the news crews were filming the crowd for reaction to the speech. And guess who was on the 8 o'clock news later that day?

(Once again, in the interests of complete honesty, the news clip showed a full picture of Liz, but only my right arm and shoulder. I knew I should have sat behind the short woman in the first row, rather than the tall guy. However, since the rest of my body was there with my arm and shoulder, I guess I can still say that I was on Tanzanian television. I do hope I don't get mobbed for autographs the next time I am on the dala dala, although that would be a damned sight better than having my pocket picked.)