Salad, Rats, and other stories from you African Queen

"I'm out here a thousand miles from my home, Walkin' a road other men have gone down, I'm seein' a new world of people and things, paupers and peasants, and princes and kings. Hey Hey Woodie Guthrie, I wrote you a song 'bout a funny old world that's a-comin' along, seems sick and it's hungry, it's tired and it's torn. It looks like it's a-dyin' and it's hardly been born."
-Dylan

January 30, 2009

So the best rumor ever started about me in my village. I still cannot believe that I did not have to start it myself. I was at the P. School in my office working on a life skills lesson plan and on my way out two young girls asked me a question. I did not understand it but I had my dictionary, so I looked up the words. Basically they had heard that I was a queen in America and they were wondering if this is true. All I could think was "I am really going to have a complex when I leave this country." They said they had seen pictures of queens in books and they look like me. I told them that there is no queen in America, remember we have President Obama (Still not over it!) and no official queen. But I tell them about Michelle Obama and explain that she looks like them, and is the closest thing to an American Queen. This thrills the girls and I feel proud to be an American, for probably the 5th time in my life.

My garden is out of control. I have taken the attitude that I take with all things in Africa- survival of the fittest. This applies to my clothes, cat, veggies and me. Unfortunately the weeds are sometimes fitter. However, the lettuce is going crazy. I was always a salad eater in the States. As a life-long vegetarian, it is hard not to like salad, although I know many Americans who do not. I wonder how many might change their mind in Africa though. I am missing something in my diet and I think salad was it. There is nothing like pulling it out of your garden and munching it down, savoring the green taste. A great thing about Africa is how close you feel to your food. If you did not grow it someone very close by did. At first I lamented having to dig through beans to find the bad ones, pick through rice and sift flour, but now I think of how unpackaged, how unprocessed it all is. Eating is not thoughtless here, there is a process and a closeness everyone has with their food. Right up until the end when you use your hands as utensils.

Animals are also active with their food. I walked into the kitchen this morning in time to see Kimulimuli biting the head off a rat. So naturally I did what I have done for the passed 24 years when something grossed me out, disturbed me, or I just did not want to deal.... I shrieked, "Daddy!!!" Before I was forced to realize that my dad could hardly hop on a plane and fly around the world for this. I got the cat to catch rats I just did not want to see it. So no Dad, "What would an African do, who did not want to deal with it?" I thought. Of course, make a primary school student do it. I think that I have accurately depicted so far that PS Student means "Free Slave" or bottom rung of Tanzania's social hierarchy. So I stick my head out the door and yell "Njoo" (Come). Four boys come running at top speed. Let's just stop a second and say- I still cannot believe that I live in a country where it is perfectly acceptable and in fact encouraged to yell at a strangers kids and have them run to you like obedient servants. I assume they come because it is still up in the air whether or not the white woman beats children and none of them are too eager to find out. I just crinkle up my face and say "Panya" (Rat). Apparently the face crinkle translates, because they take it outside, Kimulimuli at their heels, who I guess I will save money on feeding today. That cat will eat anything- oatmeal, roaches, beans, peanut butter, pasta, spiders, fish, lettuce, crepes, and now rats. ewww. I thank the boys and they smile- I am sure thinking "That crazy white girl, she is always entertaining." And I smile thinking, "Watch it- I am a queen and this castle is run rat-free."