Mama Simba and Simba (who is afraid of the camera!)
Bahati, Iddy and Rasheedy (Unfortunately too dark of a picture)
Mwanne
Sidewalk Chalk Fun- Left to Right- Iddy, Simba, Michael
Michael Age 2
Bahati, My Besti & Host Sis, Age 8
Rasheedy- He is so cute!!!
Bahati- Hamming it up for the Camera.
First of all a shout out to some people who I have not emailed:
-My Cousin, Janet, for commenting regularly on my blog- I love love you and your support.
-My partner in crime at Mercy Corps, Mariel, for all the emails- and yes, I do want the care package, send away!
-My little brothers, David and Jeremy! Happy Ninth Birthdays on July 29th!!! Love you Boys!!
-My little Cuzzies, Nicole and Sophie, Happy Ninth and Eleventh Birthdays!!!
July 17, 2008
Living in another country is humbling. Being part of the Peace Corps is a constant lesson that Americans do not know everything. Being corrected by in language by my two year old brother is sort of funny and has made me realize that Americans take themselves all too seriously. We are too afraid to be the butt of the jokes, here we let ourselves be, we have to be. I now sing and dance to get a rise out of my sibilings. We play a game called "Mosquito", which is now their one english word. It consists of me running around yelling "Mosquito" and attacking them with one finger. Now they do it to each other and me.
I should note that there are some changes in my family. Mama Simba is not actually my Baba's other wife, like I had previously thought. Family relations here are difficult to tell since they call everyone family and physical affection between genders is rare. Anyways, it has become clear to me that they are not married, even though he treats Simba like a son. We also have another Mama who moved in with us a little over a week ago. She was introduced to me as Mama Michael. Michael is an adorable, happy two year old who fits right in with the Iddy/Simba two year old gang. They live in the back room with Baba Michael who showed up a few days after they did. I love them- they listen patiently to any simple Kiswahili sentence I might say and react like I have just spoken the words of Shakespeare and am the most clever girl alive. They are very calming people.
So Last weekend was amazing. On Sunday, I went hiking up behind my house with my 20 year old neighbor, Anna. She is gorgeous and speaks a bit of English which is fun. She is engaged to a man living in the Tanga region and is one of the few girls I know who is over 15 and still in school. Her goal is to be a secratary living in Dar. After the hike I learned to cook every Tanzanian dish under the sun with my Mama, Mama Simba, Mama Michael and about a dozen other neighborhood mamas- all attempting to teach me to be a proper Tanzanian woman. We made on our little charcoal fire- Maharage (Beans) mchicha (Cooked spinach) Wali ya Nazi (Coconut Rice) Chapati (Flat Bread) Sambusa ya Viazi (potato samosas) and Ugali. Let's just say I have a strong dislike for Ugali a play dough like substance that consists of cooked flour and water. I also did laundry and mopped my floor- exhausting day! The fun part came when I got out the box of colored sidewalk chalk that my brothers in America gave me to give my host sibilings. The two year old gand and I had a blast drawing in the courtyard, pretty soon all my sibiling and children from all over the neighborhood were out there drawing in the yard!!! It was awesome. It was fun to see these hard working kids be goofy.
This week was hard. I had three tests: a tech test on HIV/AIDS and Life Skills knowledge, one that was written Kiswahili and one that was an Oral Profinciencty exam- involving chatting in Kiswahili. I think they went okay. Overall, life here is pretty good.
-My Cousin, Janet, for commenting regularly on my blog- I love love you and your support.
-My partner in crime at Mercy Corps, Mariel, for all the emails- and yes, I do want the care package, send away!
-My little brothers, David and Jeremy! Happy Ninth Birthdays on July 29th!!! Love you Boys!!
-My little Cuzzies, Nicole and Sophie, Happy Ninth and Eleventh Birthdays!!!
July 17, 2008
Living in another country is humbling. Being part of the Peace Corps is a constant lesson that Americans do not know everything. Being corrected by in language by my two year old brother is sort of funny and has made me realize that Americans take themselves all too seriously. We are too afraid to be the butt of the jokes, here we let ourselves be, we have to be. I now sing and dance to get a rise out of my sibilings. We play a game called "Mosquito", which is now their one english word. It consists of me running around yelling "Mosquito" and attacking them with one finger. Now they do it to each other and me.
I should note that there are some changes in my family. Mama Simba is not actually my Baba's other wife, like I had previously thought. Family relations here are difficult to tell since they call everyone family and physical affection between genders is rare. Anyways, it has become clear to me that they are not married, even though he treats Simba like a son. We also have another Mama who moved in with us a little over a week ago. She was introduced to me as Mama Michael. Michael is an adorable, happy two year old who fits right in with the Iddy/Simba two year old gang. They live in the back room with Baba Michael who showed up a few days after they did. I love them- they listen patiently to any simple Kiswahili sentence I might say and react like I have just spoken the words of Shakespeare and am the most clever girl alive. They are very calming people.
So Last weekend was amazing. On Sunday, I went hiking up behind my house with my 20 year old neighbor, Anna. She is gorgeous and speaks a bit of English which is fun. She is engaged to a man living in the Tanga region and is one of the few girls I know who is over 15 and still in school. Her goal is to be a secratary living in Dar. After the hike I learned to cook every Tanzanian dish under the sun with my Mama, Mama Simba, Mama Michael and about a dozen other neighborhood mamas- all attempting to teach me to be a proper Tanzanian woman. We made on our little charcoal fire- Maharage (Beans) mchicha (Cooked spinach) Wali ya Nazi (Coconut Rice) Chapati (Flat Bread) Sambusa ya Viazi (potato samosas) and Ugali. Let's just say I have a strong dislike for Ugali a play dough like substance that consists of cooked flour and water. I also did laundry and mopped my floor- exhausting day! The fun part came when I got out the box of colored sidewalk chalk that my brothers in America gave me to give my host sibilings. The two year old gand and I had a blast drawing in the courtyard, pretty soon all my sibiling and children from all over the neighborhood were out there drawing in the yard!!! It was awesome. It was fun to see these hard working kids be goofy.
This week was hard. I had three tests: a tech test on HIV/AIDS and Life Skills knowledge, one that was written Kiswahili and one that was an Oral Profinciencty exam- involving chatting in Kiswahili. I think they went okay. Overall, life here is pretty good.
1 comment:
Dear Brie - I look forward to reading your blog and I love, love you too little cuzzie! My what a life you are having. I am amazed at how well you have adapted and how hard you are working at it. You are amazing. there is nothing you can not do if your heart is willing. You have given up so much to live in Africa but have gained a tremendous amount already. Feel my arms around you as I give you a great big hug!
I have asked to place a box at work to collect new/nice summer clothes as the season will start to change here so that I can send it to you if that is okay.
All is well and I am looking forward to reading more of your adventures and life in Africa. You and Alexandra should write a book about your experiences when you return.
Wishing you peace in your heart and tons of love your way!
Janet
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