On an 18 month voluntary assignment to train teachers in one of the world's least developed nations, Garry Dagg discovers that things are slower to fall into place in middle age with four kids. Having left a postcard existence behind them, the family negotiate a tyrannical boss, weekend trips amongst elephants and the sensory overload of a Tanzanian city to find that the pleasures of getting through the day amply make up for the lack of modern comforts.