Harusi

One of my local friends came and visited Amani this week, it was pretty cute seeing him playing with all the kids. He played football with them for at least an hour, and only stopped because the office was going to close and he wanted to find out about being a monthly sponsor. It’s nice to get more locals involved, and for him to be able to come play with them and be a role model for them. He came back again the next day, I wasn’t even there, he just wanted to play football with them again.

On Thursday the kids and I listened to music on my iPod and Daudi (the special needs boy) and his teacher came over, they’d been gone all day. Daudi sat next to me and put out his hand, and we sat there with him holding on to my arm with both hands, so adorable! If someone came over and wanted a high five he’d use his elbow, he wouldn’t let go. That is until one of the kids volunteered to write on his hand anyway. He has a new teacher so I don’t really get to spend time with him anymore, it’s good to know he still loves me! I really like his new teacher though, Daudi is already really close with him, and he has high expectations of Daudi and is really engaging him.

I wanted to make sure the kids knew I’d be gone for a couple weeks, just so it’s not a surprise. Well, I told Alex and begged me not to go and cried on my lap for a half an hour. I cannot handle making kids cry, saying goodbye for good is going to be absolutely awful. I’d like to visit in January, but that all depends on getting the money, and getting time off (of a job I don’t even have yet), so I can’t promise them anything. Even if I knew I was coming back for a visit, so many get reunified or run away it won’t be the same group of kids if I came back.

On Friday I brought some candy in for the kids, there’s only 25 of them (compared to the usual 90) so I can get some for everyone. I handed it out and caused mayhem, and they were all looking pathetic and saying they didn’t get any and surrounding me. They’re pretty good liars, enough to make you really question it, but I knew they all got it and didn’t give in. Then with an angry mob surrounding me I said “Now should we listen to some music?” and they all screamed and started cheering.

I went to a Tanzanian wedding yesterday! My friend’s brother was getting married. It was really interesting, completely 100% different than anything in America. The church service was pretty confusing for me. My friend didn’t realize that it’s completely different and I would have no idea what to do and was up taking pictures. It’s a lot more participatory than American weddings. At one point everyone got up and was walking to the front but I couldn’t tell what they were doing. I got up and followed looking unbelievably confused. Turns out you gift money to the couple…yea, I didn’t have anything with me. So that was super embarrassing. Then later everyone gets up and shakes hands with everyone else in the church, then get in a line and shake hands with the wedding party. There is only one bridesmaid and one best man. The whole ceremony was interspersed with loud music from a big sound system, yea the wedding had a DJ. Towards the end they signed the wedding certificate and everyone posed for pictures with it. First the priest, then the groom, then the bride. There was loud music as the couple walked out of the church, and everyone followed them out dancing. Once outside the live band kicked in, three trumpets, two trombones, a bass drum and a snare drum. Then everyone just stood there and danced for quite awhile, as the line of cars prepared. The couple got into the front car that was decorated with ribbons, and the band got in the next car, and played from the back of the pick-up truck. Everyone else loaded into their own cars or rented daladalas (mini buses). Then the whole procession went to another place, just like a little bar with a field, to do the photoshoot (which took ages, and it was raining). There is a picture of the whole party so I’m in their wedding photos! The group that attended the wedding was pretty small, just people who were invited by the family. After that the whole procession again went through town to the reception venue. This is when everyone comes, a couple hundred people. Once everyone was in and seated the bride and groom made their entrance, to bongo fleva (Tanzanian hip hop music). There were a lot of speeches, I’m not actually sure what was going on but the DJ was talking for ages and the poor bride had to stand for over an hour (the groom could handle it he was in the army). Then the special guests were introduced, and apparently I was one of them. I had to stand up in the spotlight and wave to everyone, I wasn’t’ really paying attention to how they introduced me but I did hear something about speaking English. After that was the buffet, which took ages for everyone to go up and get food. Luckily I was first, by the time I finished people still hadn’t even started. Then it was time for presents. Groups of people go out to the dance floor and dance around with their gifts while everyone else watches. I brought a set of hand carved candlestick holders. Other gifts were a piece of fabric, a Maasai blanket, a stove, a blender, a pot, etc. So everyone danced around holding their presents up, this took over an hour at the very least. By the time that was finished it was midnight. I’m pretty sure the celebration continued, and I really wanted to go dance but was just too tired. I’d gone out the night before then got up to catch a bus to Arusha at 8am, then another bus to a little town called Monduli, I think about 50km outside of Arusha.

The next day on the way home there were a lot of Maasai on the daladala. There was a young couple that looked like they’d just been married. They were covered in white beads, it was really strange seeing them on a daladala. I also saw some boys who had just had the circumcision ceremony, the wear black robes with white face paint for about a week after the ceremony. Then later on the ride they put an entire bed in the back of the daladala. I mean the sideboards, headboard, footboard, and two planks. The space between the back seat and the door is about a foot, not even. The two long ones were laid on the floor under our feet and the rest were somehow shoved in the back with the door tied shut with a bit of string (once we got to Arusha they kept falling out. They put an entire bed, and a goat, back there.

It was a good weekend, tomorrow morning I’m headed to Dar es Salaam, an 8-10 hour bus ride. I’ll spend the night there then catch the TAZARA train (Tanzania Zambia Railway), which takes two days and goes all the way through Tanzania and Zambia. After that I catch a two hour bus to Lusaka then a six hour bus to Livingstone, and will spend four days at Victoria Falls! I’m going with three friends, we’ve booked first class on the train so we get our own room with four beds and a table. I’d planned to do this all alone so I’m really glad they’ve decided to join. Will definitely blog about it when I get back. I’ll be gone two weeks, then one more week in Moshi town, and back to America!