Africa Journal # 4
Today is Tues Feb 21
I am finally getting around to writing my journal. I have not had the opportunity to do so until tonight. During each day, I tell myself "Oh, I have to remember this moment, or I have to remember this conversation." And there are hundreds of these every day, so it is nearly impossible to recall all of them. But, I will give it my best.
Wed Feb 16th Field Trip
Today, CCS planned a trip for all the volunteers so we all played hooky from our jobs. We loaded into the van as usual, shoulder to shoulder and took off. Our first destination was a local market. We were instructed to go into the market, interact, buy items if we wished, but not to take pictures. This market was not for tourists, but for locals (bongos) to get the items needed for their daily living and we didn't want to make them feel they were on display. But I have to say, this was a vivid picture and would have made a wonderful photo. The market was outdoors and was set up in a wide-open space. All of the goods were spread out on the ground on colorful cloths. There were fruits and vegetables, clothing such as shoes, pants, shirts, etc and cloth to make dresses, etc. It was a crowded, moving swarm of color and sound with Tanzanians of all ages, doing their business. It was difficult to make my way through the flood. The noise level was also high due to people greeting one another and bartering, sometimes with much vigor.
My bartering skills…
I decided to buy some cloth, which was a small challenge due to my rather meager Swahili vocabulary. But, I gave it my best. "Shi linge gapi? Or "How much is it?" And once I got a response, I had to count aloud on my fingers in Swahili (moja, tatoo, mbelie, nne, tisa – and that's as far as I can remember) verify that I understood the number correctly. If I got stuck and I usually get stuck on the number five for some reason, they would laugh with me and then help me by counting to ten with me in Swahili. So, after I verified the asking price, it was time to negotiate. As I have probably mentioned before, it is considered an insult not to barter. During this process, it is important to let them know that you are not a tourist, but living in the country, so the next thing to say is "Punguzi bei" which means "give me the local price". When I said that, the woman with whom I was negotiating with was tickled that I knew that term, laughed and gave me a high five, then refused to lower her price. This went on for a while, and finally she came down a little. So, I caved and gave her my mzungu money at a "non-local" price.
We stopped at a blacksmith on our way to the Chagga village (one of the two dominant tribes in the area). I was amazed by the fact that these men were squatting all day in front of a fire in 90-degree weather, working very hard and hardly sweating. I think we were sweating more than they were.
After the market, we went to a Chagga cave. There are two major tribes in the area; the Chagga and the Massai. In the 1700 – 1800 era, these two tribes were in war. Our tour guide, Folgence told us they fought over two things "Cows and women." The war apparently ended sometime in the 1980s (I'll have to verify that time frame) when the German missionaries came over.
But during the wars, the Chaggas built caves in which to hide when they felt they were in danger. The cave entrance was basically a ten-foot drop and we had to use a ladder to descend. Once inside, it was pitch black and we could not stand up. There was a guide awaiting us at the floor of the cave with a flashlight so we could finally see. And had we been able so see better, we would have realized that the floor of the cave was covered in bat dung. We had to travel down a tunnel using the crab walk to get to the "kitchen" area. This consisted of a shelf for storing utensils and food, a fire pit and a "chimney". The chimney just appeared as a hole in the wall, but what we could not see was that it was several hundred feet long. It ended in the Chagga's hut so if the enemy came and saw smoke, they would think it was coming from the fire, which they had built in the hut.
These caves were dug by the women and children and took about 8-10 years to complete. They started digging by the river so they could haul the dirt into the river and not are discovered due the presence of large dirt mounds. The tunnel to the cave was at least a hundred feet long. The cave also contained sleeping quarters and a nifty little area to store the dead bodies of the enemy until there was an opportune time to take them to an area where their tribesmen could discover them.
After the cave, we went into a Chagga village. These round homes are made of branches, grass and mud. Inside, it was very dark, except the embers of the fire from the inhabitant's breakfast. There was an indentation - shelf like area with a straw mat for sleeping, an area for livestock (they bring them every night) and an "attic" to store wood during the rainy season and to store extra food such as bananas. There were several of these homes with people currently living there. Very different than the homes I have been seeing in my little village. Also, each family's property is marked by a row of totem plants which not only act as a natural divider of their lots, but also they are a sacred plant to the Chagga people. It is against the law to chop one down.
After visiting the village, we had a box lunch and then hiked down to Marangoo Waterfall. This hike was very steep, but filled with beautiful green trees and foliage. It ended at a river with a huge waterfall and pond which descends from Mt Kili. I was so hot by then that even though I didn't have a swimsuit, I went in with my clothes on. The water was shockingly cold, but totally worth it. There were about four local boys, swimming in their underwear. They scurried effortlessly up the side of the waterfall and jumped once they were about half way up – about twenty feet. A couple of our volunteers climbed cautiously and slowly up – and these boys were terribly amused to see these Mzungu having such trouble with task that is as effortless as walking to them. I wondered if these boys had any idea how beautiful and fabulous their playground was.
African Disco
Although we were exhausted and sunburned, we went into Moshi after dinner to Pub Alberto. We walked in the door and the five of us raised the number of patrons by about 50%. We had a beer, did group dancing and were home by curfew – 11:00. By ten-thirty, there were a few more people at the disco – all men except a fifty-year-old white guy with two hookers. That guy was very inebriated and was all over the two women – ick - pathetic. Also, all the men were dancing together. An interesting thing in Tanzanian culture – it is a common sight to see two men – of any age holding hands in friendship. Also, I have had several people – men and women alike walk with me and hold my hand. The thing that is never seen in public is romantic affection between men and women. That is taboo and is only for in the privacy of the home.
Thursday Feb 17th
A visit to the rectory
Dahala-dahla adventure…
After lunch, Jessica and I were invited to go to the rectory to meet the parish priest. We walked about a half-mile down the road to catch the dahla-dahla (the public transport van) I think I have mentioned this before, but the definition of dahla-dahla is "never too full for one more". There is no schedule for these, so Jessica informed me that we might have to wait one or two hours. We sat down at a small outdoor café and waited in the shade. At one point Jessica asked one of the women working at the café when they thought the next one could come. She said it would not be too long. I asked Jessica how this woman knew this and Jessica said that they watch all day and just have a sense for when the next one for a certain direction will come. And thankfully, it was true. About twenty minutes later up pulled the van, packed to the hilt, but of course with room for two more. When we got in, Jessica handed our water bottles to woman who sitting on the front seat.
These people have a very cooperative system for entering, exiting and riding in the van. We stood up and it was so packed that I had to turn my feet at a certain angle so I could fit. And when someone exits the van, a few people have to hop out and the person leaving points out where their parcels are in the overhead bins. Someone takes out the packages, hands them out the window or down the line to reach the owner. Then, as the van takes off, the people still outside it run along side it and jump on. Once I had to step out and I made sure I got right back on because I was unsure of my ability to time the run and jump just right and did not want to end up under the tire as a "dahla-dahla cake".
We got off at a stop near the parish and walked a block or so to the church. This church was an older, more established building than the one I visited a couple of weeks ago, complete with roof, walls and even artwork. It was beautiful. Jessica asked an older gentleman whose name was Alphonzo if Father Joseph was in. He held my hand and walked me to the rectory.
Father Joseph told us he was glad we had come and that in fact, he had almost forgotten we were coming. He is a jovial man in his 40s. He told us that he had already done one mass and a funeral and was headed to do another mass at another church. He has three churches he is in charge of. I asked him if he had an associate and he explained that he did have an associate, but he was in the hospital dying of cancer. Very sad. I asked if he would get a replacement for him and Father Joseph said that it would not be discussed while the associate was still living so he would not think he was unneeded.
Father Joseph brought out warm bottles of sprite which I did not want to drink, but as I have mentioned before, it is important to Tanzanians to offer food or refreshments, so of course I accepted it and drank it down. Oh how I miss ice. He also had us sign a guest book. That is another thing I have noticed. In Tanzania, whenever you visit a public place or institution, they like to have you sign their book. I think they are proud to have all these guests. Father Joseph's book was filled mostly with priests from Africa, Europe and the US. We had a nice visit and then he had to go so he could be "on time" for his next mass. For a man who is over worked and fatigued, he is a cheerful and gracious man.
I asked Jessica how far it would be to walk home and she said about 3 kilometers. I was thinking that we cold walk that easier than we could wait of an indeterminate amount of time for the next dahla-dahla. So, we decided to hoof it. It was kind of a hard walk, because of course the roads are filled with rocks and ruts and it was in the 90s for temp. As we walked, we met a lot of people and many of them wanted to talk to me because they don't see that many mzungu. It is kind of funny how the people here react to my Swahili. It is with a combination of appreciation that I have put effort into learning and some amusement. What typically happens is we start with basic greetings, then if they say something I don't understand I say "pole" (sorry) kidogo (little) Swahili. And they will smile in understanding. Or sometimes they tell me what my reply should be.
Mzungu know everything about everything…
We met an older lady on the road that day and went through this procedure. Then when she realized that I didn't know any more Swahili, she said something to Jessica. Jessica told me that she was encouraging me to keep practicing. Then the woman and Jessica continued to have a long conversation. Afterward, I asked Jessica what was said. She told me that she had informed the woman I was from America and was working in the orphanage. She said the woman said I was a good person for doing that. Then the woman had told Jessica that she could not see to read small print anymore and wondered if I could help her. Jessica explained that people here think mzungu know everything about everything and I explained that of course that is not true at all. A lot of Tanzanians think that mzungu are superior to them and that we are all rich. I am working to dispel the myth.
Going visiting…
As we continued on our journey, we passed the home of another older lady who turned out to be the second wife Jessica's grandfather. She invited is into her home and wiped the bench us to sit. She and Jessica had a long conversation before we left. Jessica had asked her why she didn't visit their home as often and her grandmother explained that she has had trouble with the pressure (I think blood pressure) and rheumatism.
We got a little further down the road and I was thinking I really needed to get back to do some clothes washing and journaling, but I have realized that when you go visiting here, you cannot plan when you will return home. People here can stop in at any house at any time – even a stranger. They just say "hodi" which is the Swahili version of "yoo-hoo" and then go on in the door.
So as we continued on our way, we passed the shop and home of Mama Tunamaini who is Jessica's aunt and were invited in for a visit. Also, Mama's younger sister, Lucy had a new baby and was staying with Mama T for two months to recover. We went into the back bedroom to visit Lucy and her baby, Glory. There were five other women and another baby (named Catherine – a very good name I think – she is a little doll too – just like another little Catherine I know). They were all sitting in this tiny room which had only a bed and a table. They were very welcoming to me and went into the living room to get a chair for me. At that point I abandoned altogether the idea of when I would get back to CCS and decided to enjoy the moment. I held the new little baby for a while until she got hungry.
Lucy, the new mom had lost her first child. She was having the baby at home (as they usually do), but she was having extreme pain and they brought her to the hospital. It turned out she had placenta previa and they tried to do a c-section, but the baby died just a few minutes before they could deliver her. Lucy lost a lot of blood and almost died as well. This struck me because if she lived in America, that both mom and baby probably would have lived. As we were leaving Mama Tunamaini's house they all said "Karibou, you are always welcome". Again it strikes me how honored I feel whenever I am at someone's home.
Honey Badger
That evening, CCS took us to the Honey Badger which is a cultural center for dinner, African drumming and dancing. We sat at tables outside and outdoors and had a delicious meal of chicken, vegetables, cabbage, flat bread, watermelon and rice.
The dancers came out to the tables and pulled us up on the stage with them to dance. Now, these women have a special way of moving, especially their hips which they must learn from birth. There was no way that any of us could come close to being able to dance like them. The only instruments they used were clapping, singing and drums. We were joking that they were probably singing
"These white people have no rhythm…hey oh hey oh…"
"It s fun to try to make them look really silly…hey oh hey oh."
We got a huge laugh out of Jessica over this and could never get her to tell us what they were really singing because she started laughing every time she tried. We had fun trying to dance and when I exited the stage a woman who was at least 70 (who could really move by the way) kissed me on the cheek. It is a Chagga tradition to kiss hello and goodbye on each cheek. I am growing used to being kissed.
I was sitting at the table with Mama Grace who is a staff member for CCS. She previously worked for the peace corp. She is a very interesting and bright woman with a great sense of humor. She was confiding to me that her 17year old son has been invited by a previous volunteer to live in Minnesota with her and go to school. Grace was worried about a number of things regarding this. She told me that she has known others who have done this and have lost their culture and dropped out of school. Then them come back to Tanzania in shame. She also asked me about how much racial prejudice there was in the US. I did my best to explain to her that yes, it exists, but that there are many people who are not racially bigoted as well. Then we talked about the fact that it is always hard to let your kids go on their own. We found common ground in that we are both moms who love and want the best for their kids.
After dinner, the owner of Honey Badger, Mama Lucy came to our table. I was telling her how much I like the food, which was a small mistake because she said "Oh you must go have some more." I said "Asante, nimeshiba." (thanks, I am already full). But she didn't buy it, so I went back for a small helping and stuffed myself. Lucy is another bright, funny woman whose kids are grown. She invited Anna and me to come back to visit her this week and she said "Lunch is on me and I will lake you on a tour of the village."
Friday Feb 18th
A good day at the orphanage
This was probably the best day I have had at the orphanage so far. I am starting to get to know each of the kids and vice versa. Also, I am getting to know the routine and the nurses. Part of my strategy is to gain the trust of the nurses so they will listen to me when I tell them to make sure they are taking the kids to the bathroom, keeping them in dry pants, wiping their noses and not hitting them on the head, etc.
I have decided that since the nurses take care of their basic care, I will be less involved in that and spend more time giving them what they need individually. This depends on the kid and the mood of the kid at the time. It could be in the form of a hug, a song, a tickle, looking at books, counting or kicking a ball around. Today, I took 4 of the older kids aside and we colored, drew shapes and played with the etch a sketch. After that, I went to the toddler room and held them, sang and looked at baby animal books. Then at milk time I helped hand out milk and take kids to the bathroom. At lunch, I fed the little boy Baraca who is around 3 years and disabled. The kids seemed to respond to the more individual attention and the nurses are getting friendlier with me.
Sister Emaculatta took me on a more extensive tour of the orphanage. They have about 8 cows, 4 pigs, chickens and a few goats. She said that they do get milk from the cows, butt not enough, so they mix the cows milk with powdered milk. They also have a vegetable garden and get most of the veggies they need from that. The kids eat some kind of meat on Sundays, but the rest of their meals are a porridge mixed with beans, maize and vegetables. I asked her if they could use more cows and she said it wouldn't do any good because they don't have space for more cows to graze.
One of the CCS volunteers had given me a $100.00 donation which a friend from home had sent with her to use where she thought it was needed. Sister had previously mentioned to me that right now their greatest need was shoes and nappies. I asked her if she would want me to go out and buy these, or would she want to do it. She told me that it would be better to give her the money because she would get a better price being a local and that she would show me what she bought.
A Friday Afternoon….
After lunch I washed some of my clothes. There is a basin and a bucket in my "shower" with which to wash clothes. You cannot imagine how much dirt is contained in these threads. When I am rinsing them out, it looks like a red river running down the drain; So, I have learned to soak them for at least 2 hours in detergent and water. Then scrub vigorously, then scrub again. My socks do not come out white no matter what I do, so I have just accepted that I am now wearing red-brown socks rather than white. And my feet are now a permanent red-brown that no amount of scrubbing will rectify. God help the person giving me my much needed double emergency pedicure when I get home.
After laundry, I went running. While I was running, I passed Mama Tunamanis and saw 2 other volunteers, Anna and Lindsey sitting outside and getting their hair braided. Jessica was there too. Here, if you see people you know, you must stop to visit. Even though you might be wringing wet with sweat and parched. So, I walked up to visit and saw that Mama T and her daughter ware frying some bits of bread in a pan over the fire. They offered me one and though my mouth was bone dry, I felt compelled to accept. It turned out that these little things could rival Crispy Cream for their goodness. In fact, Anna refers to them as "little bits of goodness".
Dinner at El Ranchero
When I got back to CCS, there were 2 taxis waiting and it turns out that while I was running, all the other volunteers had decided we were all going out for dinner. A taxi costs 2,000 shillings which is $2.00 US and we always pack as many people in as possible so we can each save 75 cents. So, I ran into my room to primp; wiped off with a towel, readjusted my ponytail and was ready to go. I don't think I have ever gone from running and sweat soaked to ready for Friday night dinner out in so short a time.
We went to an outdoor restaurant called El Ranchero which served Indian food. The food was very good and it only cost $6.00 including tip. The place was packed with white tourists and it struck me how funny it looked to see this many white people in one place.
Saturday Feb 19th
Safari – adventure!!!! Life without a seatbelt…
On Sat morning, Anna, Jessica and Sonja went on safari for the weekend. We were picked up at 8:30. Our first stop was the Shop rite in Arusha. This as a large, modern supermarket. We picked up our very important supply of snacks, chocolate and bottled water for the weekend – for safari does not mean 'to suffer'. It felt like a little culture chock to be in this air conditioned store with isles with signs directing you to where the sweets and snacks, toiletries, produce, etc were located. Arusha is a larger municipality that Moshi which is the village near where I live, so it has a few more westernized businesses.
After grocery shopping, we went over to the coffee shop called – now are you ready for this? – "Stigbucks"!!! I had the first cappuccino I have had in weeks and really enjoyed every single drop of this precious and rare nectar of the Gods.
Our first destination for safari was Lake Minjora. But first, we stopped by the "lodge" where were to stay to drop off our bags and eat lunch. Now this lodge was situated in a noisy little village with several shops and bars. Since it was a weekend, it was hopping. Also, there was a mosque nearby which were having their prayers over the PA system hourly. I was happy to have brought along earplugs. Our room consisted of a cement floor, a bench, two hard beds with hard pillows. But, the sheets looked clean (the towels didn't, so luckily I had brought my own) and it was sufficient for our needs. It did have a courtyard with grass – a rare sight in Tanzania, so we enjoyed sitting of the grass in the shade to rest.
After lunch, we went to Lake Manjora where there are many animals. Our guide's name was Wilson and he was a friendly, nice guy who had a keen eye for spotting animals for us to see. Whenever we would have to drive over an especially rough patch of road or through water on the road Wilson would say "Safari….adventure". Anna and I were discussing the fact that since we have arrived in Tanzania, we have not worn a seatbelt. Not because we are being daring, but because they are either not available or are broken. I have already described the roads here. And, I have described the fact that cars, bikes, pedestrians and animals are all doing a traffic dance to avoid catastrophe (and with surprising success I might add).
Digression warning…
Now I have to digress here and describe one taxi ride in particular which was rivaled any roller coaster in the US. Most drivers are at least somewhat cautious due to the fact that these roads have the definite potential to demolish anything with wheels. But this particular driver had no such fears. He drove so fast that my ass lost seat contact multiple times while my head made contact with the roof. This driver went from the left side of the road to the right and back and forth, ironically trying to find the smoothest part of each stretch of road. We counted at least four times he was driving in someone's yard – though no one seems to mind that. So, although ride was the most memorable, most car trips here are somewhat adventurous. So, now, our motto is "Living Life Without a Seatbelt." Digression finished.
Meanwhile, on Safari, Wilson opened the sunroof so we could stand up and look around. Lots of sun, wind and dust. We saw baboons playing and grooming one another. We say elephants, giraffes, zebras, water buffalo, wart hogs and guinea fowl. The elephants were fun to watch. One big guy was standing near a mud puddle and slopping wet mud over his back. We watched them eat. They use their trunks in a circular motion to wrap the long grass around, then pull it up and put it in their mouths. Those trunks are surprisingly dexterous for how large and ungainly they look.
When we returned to the lodge, we had dinner. The set-up is that each party also brings a cook. Our cook's name was Fiti. The lodge allows each cook to use the kitchen area to prepare food for their party. We had a delicious rice dish, beef, fruit, sliced avocado, tea and bread.
Discussion of cultural problems over dinner…
At dinner, we were asking Jessica about the cultural problems here. As far as HIV, she said that people who have HIV know it, and infect people anyway. Also, she talked about the fact that there is no real education in schools. They just say, "just don't do the bad things". Also, she said that people don't feel comfortable buying condoms because then people would know what they were doing. Also, Sonja, who is a volunteer in our program and is working with "White Orange" which is a program to education youth on HIV/AIDS. Sonja said that people don't like to buy condoms because they are either colored or white and not a match for African skin. She heard a story about an AIDS educator having shown some youth how to use a condom and used a banana as a demonstration. People in that program came up pregnant and they could not figure out why. The educators finally found out that it was due to the fact that they were putting the condom on a banana and putting it beside the bed. Not very effective. Another problem is that people in the most poverty-stricken group really cannot afford condoms. There is another myth that has gone around that Europeans have put the AIDs virus in condoms to purposely infect people. And, there is a problem with alcohol consumption in that group which of course causes promiscuity. The biggest thing here in preventing the AIDs epidemic is EDUCATION!!! Everyone here knows someone who is HIV positive.
After dinner, Wilson, Jessica and I took a walk. We had an interesting conversation about life in The US. Wilson was saying that he has heard that people can make a lot of money there. I was talking about the fact that sometimes they can make a higher wage in America, but things cost so much more too. I also talked about the fact that people are rushed and don't take the time to stop and visit on the streets. And that people work long hours and suffer the effects of burn out. We also discussed the extreme poverty here which is also tremendous stress here in Tanzanians and wondered which type of stress was worse.
Wilson mentioned that he wanted to come visit America for a week. I explained that it was an expensive, 24 hour long trip and that if he decided to visit, he should come for a longer time frame.
Another interesting point we discussed is that Tanzanians do have an opinion on American politics. Most of them don't like Mr. Bush and feel he is killing innocent people. They acknowledged that there were horrible things being done to the people there, but that was true in other areas of the world and the US didn't get involved.
Sunday February 20th
Safari – the adventure continues…
Sunday morning we took off for the Massai village. As I mentioned before, the Massai are one of two tribes who are prevalent in the area. This tribe has remained most true to it's customs. Most of them dress in their traditional clothing. The men wear Massai cloth in a skirt-type wrap and another piece draped over their shoulder. The colors are very vivid, reds, violet, blue and green are the most common colors. Even the children dress in the traditional clothing. As we drove toward the village, we could see little boys herding the cows out to pasture. Also, we saw a group of boys about 12 years old who were wearing all black, had their faces painted and had two feathers sticking up on top of their heads. It turns out that they are preparing for the circumcision ceremony. The girls of the Massai tribe also undergo female circumcision, but the rest of Tanzania has abolished it.
Visiting the Massai Tribe…
The Massai men and boys carry a crook and I saw one man in town who had a long knife in a sheath around his waist. Many of them have the large, stretched out holes in their earlobes. The women wear gowns, usually vivid blue, long earrings and the wide, beaded collars around their necks. The Massai people's faces are more defined and angular than those of the Chagga. They are taller than most Tanzanians and have longer limbs. The men look very proud and I can envision them as fierce warriors.
As we got closer to the village, we could see it's design. From the hill. The huts were built in a circular pattern. We were greeted at the village gate by the men singing and dancing. The singing had a really primitive sound and was filled by whoops and jumping. Very interesting and just what I would have imagined.
They took us inside one of their huts. I could not see a thing and the owner of the hut kept motioning me forward, further inside the pitch-blackness. I could not stand up straight. He had us sit down on the bed which was basically a shelf with a straw mat and I heard a sound behind me. It turns out that a mother and her baby were sitting on the bed behind me. I felt like I was really invading their space. They had a fire in the middle of the hut. They also had a space for the children to sleep and a place for their livestock to sleep at night. Cozy.
In the center of the village was a large circular corral structure. It was filled three feet high with compacted manure which we realized was the source of the swarms of flies. These flies were profuse. There was one little child who had a runny nose and his face was almost covered in flies until his mom shooed them away. We all tried to speak to Swahili as well as we could and the tribe's people really appreciated the fact that we did, although our vocabulary was very limited.
Safari in the Ngorongoro crater… "Wilson, are we in danger?"
After the Massai village, we drove into the Ngorogoro Crater. The crater was created by a volcanic eruption. It is actually just a humongous bowl. It is unlike the other areas we have been in that it is a completely wide-open space. The other areas have been filled with very dense foliage and trees making it more challenging to spot the animals.
Wilson, our guide had taken another group of volunteers a few weeks ago. That time, a lion got really close to the car and he said "Be quiet, we are in danger." That was because the lion could have gotten riled and tried to pull one of them out of the open window. So, we told Wilson that we waned to be in danger. He just laughed at us. Every now and then we would say "Wilson, are we in danger?" He would say "No, you are not in danger." Finally at the end of the crater when we were ascending the narrow, bumpy road, he at last said "We are in danger".
In the crater, we saw a lot of the same animals we did at the lake and in addition, we saw impalas, ostrich, lions, jackals, hyenas, pink flamingos, hippos and rhinos. The funniest and most entertaining animals to watch were the hippos. They were all floating in a murky, muddy pond and would occasionally turn over. It was hilarious to see these rotund creatures roll over to their backs – exposing their pink bellies and stubby little feet.
After the safari, we had a five-hour drive back to CCS. I think I had reached a record-breaking level of dustiness along with butt numbness this weekend.
Monday Feb 21
Another good day at the orphanage…
I took some of the older kids to color and look at books. Then, I went to play with the 18-month-olds. There is one little boy named Noelle who is very passive. I finally got a smile out of him when I was looking at a book of baby animals. There are a couple of other little ones who are also passive and I am making it a point to spend time holding them and reading to them even though they don't rush up to me like Emile and Noella. Little Noella is the baby girl with whom I have fallen in love. This little girl has a sense of humor. She has this face she makes where she scrunches it up and looks very serious. I make the same face it back to her, but then I wind up cracking up. As I am laughing, she continues to hold that face. She is always cheerful unless there is really something wrong.
After playing with the toddlers, I went to the girl's room for a while. This week, the government schools are closed, so there was a twelve year old girl named Mary Pendo who helped with the younger kids. Mary is someone who has the spirit of a girl her age, but the aura of someone much older and wiser. She speaks pretty good English and is so good with the kids. She knew when to hold them to get them to quit crying, or when to tease them to get them to quit crying and when to give a little correction for undesirable behavior. I guess she partly gets this from her experience as one of these ids. The kids love her and she has been a great help. Also, she reads English very well and has a cute, playful sense of humor. She loves to tease us.
Today, the nurses put on some music and since now I am an expert on African dancing (from my lessons at Honey Badger), I started dancing with a few of the little girls. The kids and the nurses thought this was hilarious and this provided a good span of entertainment. There is a little girl named Basalisa who normally has not warmed up to me easily. As I was feeding the little kids their lunch, she and Lillian came over and sat on my lap. I feel badly because I think that maybe these kids are old enough that they know that at some point I will be leaving and therefore don't get too attached. I wonder what I can do to make this easier for them. I hope that in March there will be another volunteer coming so I can help them get to know the kids before I leave.
Another cool thing happened today. A nurse started singing Amazing Grace in English and I joined her. She looked surprised and delighted that we both knew the same song. So we sang three verses while the kids listened. I am making connections with the nurses which will help me in doing my job better. I think it will help them trust me so they will listen to my ideas.
Tues Feb 21
Wild kids
I am not sure if there was something in the water or what, but the kids were wild today. It was extremely hot today so that even the Tanzanians were complaining of it. They are saying that it will cool off when the rains start in March. So anyway, there was just a lot of hitting, crying, hitting, biting and peeing. I spent some time looking at some of the books I brought from home and the kids did really enjoy that. Also, the View Master I brought along from home has been a hit with the kids and the nurses too. One of the nurses was looking a Monsters Inc. slide and screamed whenever there was a scary one. Mary Pendo – who is with us all week due to school closing, also got a huge kick out of the view master.
A couple of the older girls, Lillian and Basalisa have continued to warm up to me. Today, Basalisa wanted me to hold her - when I first came to the orphanage, she would hardly look at me. So now, this is especially awesome that she trusts me.
Lunch with Mama Lucy…
After work, we (Anna, Julie and I) had been invited back to the Honey Badger Cultural Center by the founder Mama Lucy. We were tired and extremely h
