Today ended great. Marty and I made a fish concoction and it was HORRIBLE!! We invited Jacob and Joshua and they absolutely loved it. They were adorable, good company and even finished off the gross dish by having seconds and thirds. They loved it. I am glad we tried it, but nie wieder!! The fish are about three inches by one inch and they’re dried because fresh wouldn’t last long enough to travel and sell at our market. The fish wreak and when you cook it even with tons of vegetables, the bitter rancid smell and taste gets in the whole dish and you kind of want to die. The first bite was ok, then the aftertaste was too overwhelming. Then each additional bite got stronger and stronger until I had to quit. I can say I ate three of the fishes but I’d rather see them in the ocean or a fish tank, not my plate. We even gave the extra frozen fish to Jacob. Ooh, in two weeks, we got to Matama with them. That’s a city on Lake Malawi. I’m stoked! We’re taking motorcycles down.
After church, we talked to Zachariah and Robson, both Form 6 students with great English. The pastor today was very animated so I wanted a translation. On the walk home, I just started talking to anyone who would listen that was in school uniform and a bit older. That guarantees Form 6, and that fact guarantees more English skills. It worked! Zachariah gave us the sermon translation. Then he asked us about politics, pensions, and climate in the US. Very sharp kid. We invited them in to show a book on Washington and that just brought more curiosity and questions. It was fun to compare cultures.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
I got a dress…for me!!
So yesterday was funny. I was talking to Macapagi and asked him to ask the pastor a question. I had told him a man called Macahabe was still at the church, so the church needed to be locked up. I got a delayed response from him: “Sawa.” I ask Macapagi to tell him my situation. Macapagi translates and then waits until the pastor leaves and says to me, no wonder you got a delayed response, the name is really something else and what you said translates to a prostitute! I told a pastor that I left the church unlocked for a prostitute! Marty, him and I bust out laughing!! Whoops!
Today cracked me up with the kids. We had a role playing game and we had it with a mom and a child over household objects. I got Asifiwe and Alpha to do it. Asifiwe was the mom and he’s a boy. They did a rockin job. I was a little proud, too because the skit finally worked.
Today I asked Ngwatika to make me a dress. It cost 3,000 Tsh. I gave her 4 and she tried to refuse. The dress would have been less than $3! Nuts, huh? Material was 7,00, so I’m paying about 10 bucks for a customized dress. I think I’ll make a few skirts since my clothes are ugly. I need different tops, too. Ironic. I’m so materialistic in a third world country. The people dress here pretty well. But I need to grow up. Ngwatika was getting three bucks for a dress and I’m complaining about my wardrobe. Well I do stick out too much. Oh well. :) I’m already the only tall white girl for miles. What’s an ugly shirt to go with it?
Today cracked me up with the kids. We had a role playing game and we had it with a mom and a child over household objects. I got Asifiwe and Alpha to do it. Asifiwe was the mom and he’s a boy. They did a rockin job. I was a little proud, too because the skit finally worked.
Today I asked Ngwatika to make me a dress. It cost 3,000 Tsh. I gave her 4 and she tried to refuse. The dress would have been less than $3! Nuts, huh? Material was 7,00, so I’m paying about 10 bucks for a customized dress. I think I’ll make a few skirts since my clothes are ugly. I need different tops, too. Ironic. I’m so materialistic in a third world country. The people dress here pretty well. But I need to grow up. Ngwatika was getting three bucks for a dress and I’m complaining about my wardrobe. Well I do stick out too much. Oh well. :) I’m already the only tall white girl for miles. What’s an ugly shirt to go with it?
Sunday, October 3, 2010
markets and church
This was a nice weekend. Friday we got out early because of the kid’s exam. We saw Joshua, a teacher and invited him for sodas at the duka. It’s a little ritual we have, to get sodas. Joshua is a sweetheart and talked to the pastor and translated for us the history of Manow and the school. I kind of went in and out but it was nice to get interaction. That night Marty and I graded the tests and two got 100%! I was proud.
Saturday was market in Lwangwe with Jacob. We got sweet potatoes, lots of tomatoes, lettuce, bananas and avocados. I love avocados. They are only 20 cents here, so we get our fill!! Marty has started cooking breakfast with fried egg and some avocado. So yummy. Ooh and the best part- we got over four pounds of beef! It’s hard to get protein in our diets. We eat eggs and meat when we can. Later we got a surprise dinner of chips mai ai from Mr. Macame. That’s potatoes (irish, they delineate since sweet ones are more common) sliced into fry shapes and cooked in fried egg. It’s super greasy and super good. I like it with ketchup. Nicole, you’d be proud. We thought we were just invited over for a visit, not a whole meal! When you eat, they always begin with woman pouring a pitcher of water over your hands to clean them. Then, at every meal so far I’ve been to, you have a soda with your meal. The sodas are in a glass that has been used probably a good 20 times because they are worn white. It’s a cool system really, and we Americans should get rid of our plastic “recycling” ways and do this. The food was delicious and we decided we’ll get a kitange for the mother. (Sewing material to make clothes, looks like a Hawaiian sarong but not stretchy and darker in color) That’s etiquette for dinner invitations. Then we got a tour of Macame’s farm which was beautiful because we went up on the high hills and overlooked the country, including our town Manow and neighboring Lwangwe.
Later we had good ol chili with our freshly purchased meat. We invited Jacob over to join us. Thanks to him, we got the meat without any bones or fat. That’s a feat! Sunday my parents called and we tried figuring out places they could find on the internet that is located close to me. I was a bit out of it, so I’ll have to have them call me again. We got to church at 10 am and it was 2 ½ hours. Almost like an LDS church! They had three choirs, blessing for the Form 4 kids because they have testing next week and local news. The choirs were so pretty with their acapella. I got a little emotional because although there are not many who can talk to me with the Swahili language barrier, I could listen to the harmony and beauty of the songs. The last song was one I actually recognized from our hymn book and I was thrilled! I felt at home. The whole service, I didn’t know a lick of what we were doing. All in Swahili. I followed the liturgy and the evangelist Mwandenkuka helped me find scriptures. After there was the weekly auction and they sold a mkeka for elfukuminatano (14,000 shillings…aka 13 bucks for a straw weaved rug), a live chicken, 6 feet long sugar canes, and a tree limb thing with big leaves. Only in Africa right? Later we got invited for lunch at Jacob’s. It was very nice. Actually it was way nice to get comfortable and chat. I feel like I haven’t really opened up or been my bubbly self because this school thing stresses me out. I got up and down. But Jacob gives me motivation to really be positive and pay it forward. He is an AIDS orphan and he volunteered for three months teaching at an orphanage. He is supporting three boys and is really generous. He’s going to be really missed in this community when he sets off to Dar for his masters. But it will be so good for him, plus he’ll be reunited with his wife.
Tonight I ended a good night with banana pancakes with Marty, calling Liz and having a good convo, and saying goodbye on the phone to Nancy. She’s flying out of Dar. Makes me think of flying out and how I think, I will miss it here. I will make connections and friends and I don’t think I’ll ever have the means to come back since it’s so expensive to fly here. Sounds strange. I am so glad for this crazy unique opportunity. Wow I am blessed.
Saturday was market in Lwangwe with Jacob. We got sweet potatoes, lots of tomatoes, lettuce, bananas and avocados. I love avocados. They are only 20 cents here, so we get our fill!! Marty has started cooking breakfast with fried egg and some avocado. So yummy. Ooh and the best part- we got over four pounds of beef! It’s hard to get protein in our diets. We eat eggs and meat when we can. Later we got a surprise dinner of chips mai ai from Mr. Macame. That’s potatoes (irish, they delineate since sweet ones are more common) sliced into fry shapes and cooked in fried egg. It’s super greasy and super good. I like it with ketchup. Nicole, you’d be proud. We thought we were just invited over for a visit, not a whole meal! When you eat, they always begin with woman pouring a pitcher of water over your hands to clean them. Then, at every meal so far I’ve been to, you have a soda with your meal. The sodas are in a glass that has been used probably a good 20 times because they are worn white. It’s a cool system really, and we Americans should get rid of our plastic “recycling” ways and do this. The food was delicious and we decided we’ll get a kitange for the mother. (Sewing material to make clothes, looks like a Hawaiian sarong but not stretchy and darker in color) That’s etiquette for dinner invitations. Then we got a tour of Macame’s farm which was beautiful because we went up on the high hills and overlooked the country, including our town Manow and neighboring Lwangwe.
Later we had good ol chili with our freshly purchased meat. We invited Jacob over to join us. Thanks to him, we got the meat without any bones or fat. That’s a feat! Sunday my parents called and we tried figuring out places they could find on the internet that is located close to me. I was a bit out of it, so I’ll have to have them call me again. We got to church at 10 am and it was 2 ½ hours. Almost like an LDS church! They had three choirs, blessing for the Form 4 kids because they have testing next week and local news. The choirs were so pretty with their acapella. I got a little emotional because although there are not many who can talk to me with the Swahili language barrier, I could listen to the harmony and beauty of the songs. The last song was one I actually recognized from our hymn book and I was thrilled! I felt at home. The whole service, I didn’t know a lick of what we were doing. All in Swahili. I followed the liturgy and the evangelist Mwandenkuka helped me find scriptures. After there was the weekly auction and they sold a mkeka for elfukuminatano (14,000 shillings…aka 13 bucks for a straw weaved rug), a live chicken, 6 feet long sugar canes, and a tree limb thing with big leaves. Only in Africa right? Later we got invited for lunch at Jacob’s. It was very nice. Actually it was way nice to get comfortable and chat. I feel like I haven’t really opened up or been my bubbly self because this school thing stresses me out. I got up and down. But Jacob gives me motivation to really be positive and pay it forward. He is an AIDS orphan and he volunteered for three months teaching at an orphanage. He is supporting three boys and is really generous. He’s going to be really missed in this community when he sets off to Dar for his masters. But it will be so good for him, plus he’ll be reunited with his wife.
Tonight I ended a good night with banana pancakes with Marty, calling Liz and having a good convo, and saying goodbye on the phone to Nancy. She’s flying out of Dar. Makes me think of flying out and how I think, I will miss it here. I will make connections and friends and I don’t think I’ll ever have the means to come back since it’s so expensive to fly here. Sounds strange. I am so glad for this crazy unique opportunity. Wow I am blessed.
Friday, October 1, 2010
We survived :)
One week of class: completed! We survived! The real scary thing is, Nancy Winters left Manow today and Marty and I are officially on our own teaching. Ah! We will do it. We can do it! We are officially independent, too because we cooked our own home cooked meal. Rice and eggs together really are good with onions, peppers, tomatoes, and a local green called mchicha. Rice makes it seem creamy. I made a salad from Chinese cabbage and it was awful! You’re supposed to cook it and I didn’t realize. Marty was so kind and even had seconds…I thanked him!
One of the students is very helpful. He can’t say much in English, pretty short and looks about 13 but I think he’s 17. He carries our teacher things after class every day. Teacher’s pet? Ya but we’ll take it. :) I just wish I could talk to him more. Hopefully that’ll change when we teach him more English and I a little Kiswahili! Ha ha.
Tomorrow is Saturday! We sleep in an hour, go to Lwangwa market for two kilos of meat, then tomatoes, cabbage, bananas, carrots and whatever else we may be lucky to spot. We don’t get apples. :( In Tukuyu, two hours away, we do and they’re soo good. Cucumbers, apples, carrots, and avocadoes are so good here. Carrots and cucumbers seem sweeter here. Bananas, I must admit, aren’t what I expected. I think I just don’t love bananas.
Then tables from school to church, visit Macame at 3pm, then pick up two loaves of bread at Mwasamwajes at 4:30pm. So glad I have bread. Here are the staples out here: eggs, tea, bread, tomatoes, rice, beans, and mchicha.
Glad Joshua is in Manow. Marty, Joshua and I got sodas at the duka (store) for 1500 shillings for three. So about 40 cents a bottle. Glass bottles are recycled til they’re scratched and worn white. It’s really cool.
One of the students is very helpful. He can’t say much in English, pretty short and looks about 13 but I think he’s 17. He carries our teacher things after class every day. Teacher’s pet? Ya but we’ll take it. :) I just wish I could talk to him more. Hopefully that’ll change when we teach him more English and I a little Kiswahili! Ha ha.
Tomorrow is Saturday! We sleep in an hour, go to Lwangwa market for two kilos of meat, then tomatoes, cabbage, bananas, carrots and whatever else we may be lucky to spot. We don’t get apples. :( In Tukuyu, two hours away, we do and they’re soo good. Cucumbers, apples, carrots, and avocadoes are so good here. Carrots and cucumbers seem sweeter here. Bananas, I must admit, aren’t what I expected. I think I just don’t love bananas.
Then tables from school to church, visit Macame at 3pm, then pick up two loaves of bread at Mwasamwajes at 4:30pm. So glad I have bread. Here are the staples out here: eggs, tea, bread, tomatoes, rice, beans, and mchicha.
Glad Joshua is in Manow. Marty, Joshua and I got sodas at the duka (store) for 1500 shillings for three. So about 40 cents a bottle. Glass bottles are recycled til they’re scratched and worn white. It’s really cool.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
School and African-ness
Whew! Almost whole week of teaching, and we’re still alive! Yesterday we found out we have to move 8 tables a half a mile from the school to the church because we’re getting kicked out for two weeks. Form 2 testing, the equivalent to sophomores. What a joke. Jacob, a teacher here in Manow, is helping us a great deal and arranging for help from students on Saturday. He’s also driving 3-4 hours round trip to take Nancy on a motorcycle to return to the states. I’ve never seen such a loved person. The whole town loves her, they call out, “Mama Nancy!” When we walk around. We were in Tukuyu, two hours away from Manow where the school is and a girl says, “Hi Mama Nancy!” and Nancy didn’t even recognize her! But lucky for us we got a ride home because of it, saving 50,000 shillings!
So another Tanzania tidbit. I wake up to roosters every morning at 6:15am. They’re punctual. Sometimes in the afternoons the pigs go nutty and squeal. Those are next to our front lawn. We have chickens and baby chicks running around the perimeter of our house. They’re funny. We have a 500 gallon bucket on a 15 foot platform that keeps our water. Every night you think it’s raining but Nancy and I went on a wild goose hunt chase and found it to be water from the tank…overflowing! Funny how sometimes we have no indoor water and other times we have overflowing. We have buckets fortunately, that keep water in droughts or when our neighbor washes a lot of laundry.
I’m a bit terrified Nancy is leaving. Marty and I will do the program on our own. She knows so many people and quick with names. But it’s nice and relieving that there are people who will help us like Jacob and Joshua. Nancy has done so much for the community, her home really is in Tanzania and America. Ok goodnight, my tea is done. I’m learning to drink lots of tea and chapatti and mandazi! Mandazi is soo good!
So another Tanzania tidbit. I wake up to roosters every morning at 6:15am. They’re punctual. Sometimes in the afternoons the pigs go nutty and squeal. Those are next to our front lawn. We have chickens and baby chicks running around the perimeter of our house. They’re funny. We have a 500 gallon bucket on a 15 foot platform that keeps our water. Every night you think it’s raining but Nancy and I went on a wild goose hunt chase and found it to be water from the tank…overflowing! Funny how sometimes we have no indoor water and other times we have overflowing. We have buckets fortunately, that keep water in droughts or when our neighbor washes a lot of laundry.
I’m a bit terrified Nancy is leaving. Marty and I will do the program on our own. She knows so many people and quick with names. But it’s nice and relieving that there are people who will help us like Jacob and Joshua. Nancy has done so much for the community, her home really is in Tanzania and America. Ok goodnight, my tea is done. I’m learning to drink lots of tea and chapatti and mandazi! Mandazi is soo good!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
The Second Day
Wow 7 ½ hours a day on your feet is tiring! I wasn’t looking forward to teaching my second day to tell you the honest truth but my parents called me and that boosted me and started my day on the right foot. Nancy let me be late and talk. Marty and Nancy went ahead. It was good because I got to wander by myself to the dining hall to class. Didn’t realize I didn’t know how to really get there! Some trial and error and I found it!
The end of the day left me a bit discouraged because the second to last game of “I Spy” flopped. It’s nice to team teach with Marty so we can help each other.
So I was tired and got home to drink some delicious Mango nectar. Oh man! Nancy is the best. We drank it on the porch, taking a good load off our feet. Later that night I realized besides, “I Spy,” I have a lot of fun making a fool of myself and teaching. I told Marty and Nacy that I think I may consider TESOEL testing and teach ESL. I love grammar. Doing games and songs is fun, too.
So let’s talk about some African craziness. I took a sponge bath-ok a pitcher bath in a small tub made for a midget. Ha ha. I was proud. We ran out of water so we use our 5 buckets. I use maybe four gallons. Go me! What’s another thing? Nancy got a great gift of a weaved carpet mat called a mkeka, and the cutest part was a big container of bananas, rice and fresh eggs. Who gets eggs in America as a gift? I love it.
The end of the day left me a bit discouraged because the second to last game of “I Spy” flopped. It’s nice to team teach with Marty so we can help each other.
So I was tired and got home to drink some delicious Mango nectar. Oh man! Nancy is the best. We drank it on the porch, taking a good load off our feet. Later that night I realized besides, “I Spy,” I have a lot of fun making a fool of myself and teaching. I told Marty and Nacy that I think I may consider TESOEL testing and teach ESL. I love grammar. Doing games and songs is fun, too.
So let’s talk about some African craziness. I took a sponge bath-ok a pitcher bath in a small tub made for a midget. Ha ha. I was proud. We ran out of water so we use our 5 buckets. I use maybe four gallons. Go me! What’s another thing? Nancy got a great gift of a weaved carpet mat called a mkeka, and the cutest part was a big container of bananas, rice and fresh eggs. Who gets eggs in America as a gift? I love it.
Monday, September 27, 2010
What, me? Teacher??
I taught my first day in Tanzania, Africa! Wow! These kids are cute. I know I wish I learned more Kiswahili but I’m glad I know a little and can make a fool of myself a lot. I just have to set my pride aside. Marty and I have a lot to learn but tonight we did some good prepping. Granted it took 2-3 hours, but we will get faster. I’m glad the kids like the songs. They got really into “The Ants Go Marching.” Lots of hand motions and dancing got them giggly and I love it. Alpha and Asifiwe and Mary contribute a lot. It’s interesting yesterday how worried I was to be in charge of teenagers. They are so vulnerable and shy because o f the language. Most of our curriculum is writing on the board and recitation to improve they’re pronunciation. It’s difficult to do group or partner activities because of the language, but we’re learning. We do try to do examples and animated demonstrations!
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