Generosity and Woah…Kuku in my chumba

I have survived my first week at site, which to some may not seem like much, but the fact that I have washed clothes, cleaned my house, jumped on a bus and also walked to a near by villages to buy food and cooked is amazing!

This week I have also started to get to know the people in my village who will be my neighbors for the next two years!  Earlier this week on another of my runs through the shamba (farms), which surround my site, 6 or 7 women stopped me and offered to give me some potatoes from their field. I informed them that I was exercising and did not have a bag, but would return shortly. Upon returning to the field with a bag, one of the women filled it completely full as she smiled at me and asked me if I liked “chipsi” (French fries).  I thanked them profusely because I did not have much else to offer them. I can only hope my gratitude comes across when I attempt to speak Kiswahili. A similar occurrence happened the next morning as well. After returning from my run my neighbor gave me a mango and an avocado. I am absolutely amazed how generous people are in my village. [Even as I write this…a Bibi from my village came over to give me greens! Ironic?] The majority of the people are farmers, growing mainly potatoes and corn. Currently, I am living on a small amount of money, as far as American standards are concerned, about $153 a month, which is more than enough to survive on, but the people in my village are living on much less than that.  It amazes me that these people who depend on their crops to live can offer me even a bag of potatoes without expecting anything (I did offer to pay them). To finish my story… I attempted to walk home (about 2k) balancing the bag of potatoes on my head because I figured I should try it (everyone around here can do it, why can’t I) and no one was going to see me if I failed miserably. Let’s just say it went pretty well, as far as first times go.

Also this week, in order to keep myself occupied and to potentially gain favor with my agrarian cohorts, I bought a jembe or hoe. I ventured down to Uyole, a neighboring town, on the coaster (where I was proposed to by the conductor.. long story) to purchase it.  Let me just say, I have never seen so many people so excited and/or confused. Honestly, had I known that every other person in town that day was going to ask me if I was a farmer I may have reconsidered going. People were absolutely shocked that a white woman bought a jembe and was going to start a garden. Today, I actually started my garden, which will probably take me all week to get up and running as I have to clear the small plot of land, build the beds, build a fence and plant the seeds!

This past weekend I ventured back to Tukuyu to see the town and meet up with some other volunteers. Friday night we ate kiti moto (pork, but which literally translates in Kiswahili to “hot seat”), which was surprisingly good and had a few drinks. Saturday we ventured to the market for some chipati, mandazi (Tanzanian doughnuts) and chai. I also picked up a few buckets, beans and a clay pot. Upon returning home yesterday I realized that I had red dots all over my skin…. flea bites, to be precise. The volunteer I stayed with Friday night has indoor/outdoor cats that are apparently carry fleas, so I soaked my clothes in soapy water overnight and am currently applying hydrocortisone cream hourly. Thank goodness the bites are only on my arms, but I feel pretty unclean. On a similar note, I talked to another volunteer this weekend whose dog had puppies, so I will be getting a puppy come the middle of January! I will also be giving said puppy flea baths every other day!! In addition, after taking my de-flea bucket bath, I was changing in my room when I heard a really strange noise. I turned around to see a kuku (chicken) standing in my chumba (room).  I screamed fairly loud purely because I did not expect a chicken to be in my house, let alone my bedroom.  I am not sure who was more shocked the chicken or me, but lesson learned… from now on I am no longer leaving my front door open.

So as mentioned above this week was also the first week of cooking every meal for myself. I will say that I am thankful mangoes here are wicked cheap, about 15 cents or 100 tsh per mango, because they are great for breakfast/ a snack. I am also thankful that Rise Up Coffee, a company owned by a returning Peace Corps volunteer (RPCV), sent me a small package of free coffee because I have only been able to find instant coffee so far. My diet this week consisted mainly of rice, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, garlic, pasta and tea. I was brave this week, however, because I ventured to the butcher for some steaki. I must say it was pretty intimidating. Most butcher shops in Tanzania are little isolated sheds with a window with bars. You walk up to the window; greet the man, flies and the large slabs of meat hanging on hooks behind him; get the courage to ask him in Swahili for a 1/3 of a kilo, then watch him wrap it in newspaper. It was honestly quite an experience and if anyone has ever considered being a vegetarian or an ax murder I advise you to visit a Tanzanian butcher shop. Another cooking adventure I had this week is one I and probably too many other people have taken for granted, cooking beans. If anyone has ever cooked beans before it takes a while, as you have to soak them over night and then cook them for at least 2 hours (kidney beans). If you are in Tanzania, however, you must factor in the extra hour that it takes some of us, me in particular, to light the f’ing jiko (charcoal stove). I would like to take this moment to say that my jiko and I have currently reconciled, but it was touch and go there for a little because it wouldn’t light and I was favoring my kerosene stove.

As far as Tanzanian culture goes I feel I am starting to get the hang of it, as well as the language. Just as life in Tanzania is slow, so is the learning process. I still have many moments of “holy crap I live in Africa” and many other moments that could only happen in Tanzania (these are affectionately known as ‘Karibu TZ’, Welcome to TZ, moments).  My one hope is that I begin to get into a routine once school starts in January. My counterparts, Tanzanian teachers at my school, have been really nice and constantly want me to piga stori (tell a story) from home. They are also very interested in American culture and what my life was like at home. Currently, I have been explaining to them that in New England it is currently freezing cold and probably snowing, something they occasionally experience here between the months of June and August.

So all in all this week went pretty well; flea bites, one marriage proposal on the coaster, three hours of bean cooking, a chicken in my bed room and a bag of potatoes. Not too bad. As always I hope everyone at home is doing well! I miss you all! All my love from TZ.