Tanzanian Wedding

I recently got a call from my long lost Baba... remember my host family? I haven't heard from him since mid-July when he asked for a contribution for a cousin's wedding. Well, the big day finally arrived. The groom, Lawrence, is an engineer!! I think I only met him once or twice. I remember he stayed with the family for a few days back in March. He thinks my name is Kate... oh well. The wedding was awesome. 

I met up with some of the family at my old house, and we drove to an area called Mbezi, where they go to church. There was a huge party going on before we got there. A band of trumpets, trombones, and drums were echoing for miles. Whenever they took a break, you could hear the choir singing and dancing. They looked (and danced) exactly like the women from this video. In fact, this is one of the songs they sang, a very popular Christian song in Tanzania. 

Everyone danced as they processed in. It was a huge celebration--for 3 different couples. Although each wedding party had 3-4 bridesmaids and groomsmen, only the bride, groom, maid of honor, and best man from each marriage sat up by the altar, and everyone else in the pews. 

There was nothing too remarkable about the ceremony. They walk up to the altar, priest says a few words, lift the veil for a very quick peck on the lips, exchange rings, read to each other from the Bible, and then repeat for the other two weddings. The real shocker was the response of everyone in the audience. There are a few moments throughout each ceremony when the audience completely freaks out and starts screaming. I nearly jumped out of my seat the first time it happened. This isn't just normal cheering. It's almost like a dog yelping, but they trill it, and go on for like 25 seconds! It's really impressive, but something I'd never try to replicate. 

As soon as the wedding was over, we all walked out to the front of the church and took a million pictures. People would randomly break out in song and dance. They never really stopped dancing from this moment on. You had to have a bounce in your step for absolutely everything you did from this point forward. We loaded up a giant bus and headed to the beach for more pictures.

Something I was not told beforehand was that the wedding had a very specific color scheme. I'm not sure how this is selected, but every person in the wedding parties, family members, and everyone else in attendance was wearing maroon splashed with either silver or gold. I showed up in bright blue. As if i don't already stand out in Tanzania...

I spent most of my time with my best friend, Neema. Anyone remember her? She's the greatest housegirl/sister anyone could ask her. Still doesn't speak any English, but we make it work. 

I had one other friend for the evening, Deo. He's my brother, though we'd call him a cousin. I was psyched that he was also not wearing maroon. 

My favorite comment from him was "I think I want to get married in the next 5 years. I'm still young now, but I get so bored washing clothes by myself. I want to get married so I have someone to help me wash." With that attitude, I'm sure he'll find a lovely Tanzanian girl... certainly not an American!

We had some major bus issues on the way from the beach to the hotel. First we had to push it to get it started. Already a bad sign... then the driver tried to take a shortcut through the sand, and got stuck. After about 10 minutes of failed attempts, we dug ourselves out of the sand and continued back on the road. One problem--the bus couldn't go any faster than 10mph now! It took us about an hour to get to the reception. No worries though, because nothing ever starts on time. And half the guests were on my bus! 

The reception was a lot of fun. There were a few quirky Tanzanian traditions that I really enjoyed. There was a structured schedule of events, hosted by an MC. It started off with procession of the wedding party. Obviously they all danced in. It was really cute. When the bride and groom finally entered, everyone stood up with their special wedding handkerchiefs. Instead of bubbles or rice, all the guests here get hankies with a nice message from the bride and groom. You have to dance while waving them in the air as the couple processes in. 

Then they introduce all the elders. In Tanzanian families, you don't have aunts and uncles, you just have big fathers/mothers, and little fathers/mothers. So nearly every relative that is older than the bride and groom gets a special introduction and a big cheer from everyone in the room. After that, everyone else is introduced to each other. They do this by a community toast. Everyone stands up with their glass and walks all around the room. You clink glasses with everyone you run into! And of course, you're all dancing while this happens. It's a really cute tradition. 

Then they bring all the families onto the dance floor with tribal dances. This is where things get really cool. As you've probably heard by now, I try really hard to be Tanzanian. Many people don't believe me because I'm so white... but I'm mastering all the important stuff--being late to everything, speaking colloquial swahili, welcoming others to my food, etc. When people call me "Mzungu" ('white girl' or 'foreigner', however you choose to translate it) I've earned the right to snap at them at say "mimi si mzungu! mimi ni mbongo!" which basically translates to "I'm SO Tanzanian!!" They always get a big kick out of it, because they don't expect me to understand them in the first place. Now that I've been to this wedding, and performed the ritual Chagga (tribe) wedding dance, I'm even more Tanzanian than before. There wasn't much to it, but it was so much fun! Everyone ran up onto the dance floor waving their arms around like monkeys. Then they all linked hands and swayed back and forth while continuing around the circle, stomping with the major drum beats. 

There's one really weird tradition that I can't quite understand--presents. Everyone who brought a gift dances up onto the stage with the present, sets it aside on the table and then hugs/shakes hands with the bride and groom. Then they all pose for pictures. It doesn't end there, though. Afterward, all the siblings (including cousins) open each present and run (dancing) onto the stage waving them around in the air. Then they drop them all in front of the bride and groom and pose for more pictures. Weird... but that's not all. Then the parents of the bride and groom are invited onto the stage. They all sit down in a line and even more presents are brought forward. Instead of just dropping the gifts in front, as with the first group, they are literally COVERED in the gifts. Why? I'm not sure... tradition. 

Now, please brace yourself for the BEST part of the evening. It's called Ndafu. Words cannot describe how excited I was for this. In English, Ndafu is "goat cake." 

I imagine it's kinda like a pig roast, but way cooler. Look at that head! This is one of the greatest Chagga traditions. I'm pretty sure no other tribe eats ndafu at weddings... or ever. 

They carve into it like a turkey... or like a cake. And then the couple romantically feeds each other pieces of this goat as it stares them in the face. 

I love Tanzanian weddings! Can't wait for the next one!

Fuel Crisis

It seems like every part of the world is experiencing some sort of devastating crisis right now. With all the talk of debt ceilings, rioting, and famine, I bet none of you have heard of the fuel crisis in Tanzania. I don't blame you; it's hard to make the news these days.

Fuel prices have been rising significantly in Tanzania, along with many other places in the world. As you probably know, rising fuel costs lead to higher costs for food and other items that are processed or transported aka EVERYTHING. To put this into perspective for you, the cost of sugar 6 months ago was 1500Tsh. Today it is 6000Tsh. That's a 300% markup! You might be thinking, 'Come on Christina, that's still only $4. What's the big deal?' Well, let's remember that over 80% of the population lives on less than $2 a day. (Maybe my data is slightly outdated because they haven't done a proper analysis in almost 10 years, but you get the point.)

People are really struggling with the increase in fuel costs. Especially because there has been an energy crisis going on at the same time. Tanzania's power supply is mostly hydroelectric, and insufficient rains in the last year led to a 230MW deficit in the power grid. To put that in simpler terms, they could only produce 2/3 of the energy needed to supply the nation. They started this practice called "power rationing" which is just as inconvenient as it sounds. Around February, the power companies began to supply power whenever they felt like it. For a while it was consistent--power one day, no power the next. But things always got crazy and unpredictable. I'm very fortunate to be living on the same line as a major University and Hospital, so the power company tries not to take away my power so often. We're not so lucky at the office or my classroom where we work by lantern (when they can afford fuel).

That brings me back to the main point. Many of the wealthier people were dealing with the power rationing by starting up their nifty little generators every evening. When fuel prices kept increasing, they realized they couldn't afford to watch tv or keep their AC running. I'm not sure if you can sense my lack of sympathy... but it did become a major issue for the tourism industry, which brings in the most revenue to the country. The hotels were spending over $10,000 each day to fuel the generators that they needed to keep the kitchen and laundry facilities running, along with adequate power for each room. Major problems. We wouldn't want the rest of the world complaining about their terrible vacation to Tanzania... it would seriously hurt the economy.

Once the government recognized the extent to which people were suffering with the power deficit along with a steady increase in fuel costs, they decided to put a cap on the price of fuel. Good Job Government! I'm happy to say they actually intervened in a problem. Though you can see how this may have upset the fuel companies. Some of them were so mad about the 91Tsh (6 cents) per liter reduction that they stopped selling fuel altogether.

Let me be more clear about that last comment: For over 4 million people living in Dar es Salaam, there was one day this week that only 2 stations were selling fuel.

I can't take credit for this photo, as I refused to get within 5 miles of any working petrol stations. I heard the lines were backed up for 4km this day, which doesn't surprise me one bit.

As each day passed, there was uncertainty as to which petrol stations would be selling fuel. Most said they didn't have any fuel available. When they were open, they would only supply 10 liters per customer. Priority was given to anyone who showed up on foot with containers. BP still hasn't opened any stations throughout the city... even more reason to love them, right?

I'll admit that this hasn't proven to be a major inconvenience to me just yet... I try to live simply here, so I'm not traveling too much (except walking) or using fuel for any other reason. They anticipate the cost of public transport to increase with the current situation. They also expect that the cost of food will rise significantly over the next few months. If these predictions are accurate, I'm sure you'll hear me ranting and raving through this blog. There's still no end in sight.

Babies!

Today I was talking to my friend Regina outside her soda/carving supply shop while waiting to eat lunch. This woman walks up and asks Regina for something. She had an adorable little baby with her, so I obviously admired it and touched its pudgy little hands. So cute. It couldn't have been more than 3 months old. Just sitting there like a little chubby lump on her hip. The mother looked at me and told me the baby likes me. Then she handed it to me and walked away! I didn't even know where she was going or who this woman was! Regina and a few of the carvers were confused about why I looked so surprised. They just told me "It's ok. She'll come back later." No big deal...

So I amble around the carvers' area with my new friend. We were a hit. Everyone loved looking at me and my little Tanzanian baby. I asked them all "unapenda mtoto wangu?" (Do you like my baby?) and they would all burst out in laughter. But no one thought it was strange for me to walk around with this mystery baby.

The mother came back about fifteen minutes later. What a relief!

I told a few of my friends about the baby incident and how I couldn't believe she just left her child with a stranger for so long. They didn't understand what was so shocking. "Well, did the baby like you? It wasn't crying, right? Then you should've given it back." I admitted that I liked having the baby for a little while. Then they said "Do you want it again? We could go get it for you to play with." Then they began yelling to the mother to bring her child over to me. So I said "No, that's ok. It was really small... not the kind of kid you play with anyway. But it was cute." Then they said, "oh, ok, I understand. You want a bigger baby. Would you want like a 5 year old? They're fun. I can bring one of those for you tomorrow. Actually, just tell me what age. I can bring some kids everyday if you want."

Tanzanians are so generous...

I miss America

Don't get me wrong, I truly enjoy Tanzania and I hope to stay longer than I initially planned. But with the recent news of bin Laden's death, I can't help but feel a strong sense of American pride. When I first heard the news yesterday, I wasn't sure how to react. I heard news of many Americans celebrating and crowding the streets in excitement. My first instinct was to celebrate because a terrible man will no longer be able to spread the message of terrorism.

But I didn't.

I smiled to myself and tried to learn more about how it happened, and how they could be so sure it was him. More than anything, I wanted to discuss what this means, why everyone is so happy, and what the possible implications would be. I just wanted to talk about with someone.

But I couldn't.

So far it seems that people in Tanzania care more about the royal wedding than the death of bin Laden. Obviously his death does not mark an end to terrorism, but it is symbolic because we are achieving small victories in the fight against terrorism. And yes, there is that underlying excitement of vindication because we finally got the bad guy that caused all the pain and heartache as a result of 9/11.

I'm not sure what emotions to have anymore. I wish I could be back in America to enjoy this moment in the company of others who know what we all experienced. They might share my confusion, or help me sort out all the feelings running through my mind. At the very least, I'm sure they'd be willing to speak openly about everything.

Maybe it is too soon to pass judgment on the reaction of Tanzanians. They often watch news every evening, so it is possible they just hadn't heard anything about it yesterday. Still I wish I could've been in an environment where that was the hot topic.

Instead of sulking because I'm missing all the patriotism and unity back home, I decided to make myself a mix of songs that reflect my love for America. Right now “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue” by Toby Keith and “It's America” by Rodney Atkins top the list.

I can assure you that I never realized how much I love America until I left. It's strange to recognize how much I took for granted.

Working on Africa Time

Machui plans put on hold again. To refresh your memory, that's the small village in Zanzibar that I'm hoping to reach out to for a solution to their water crisis.

I was supposed to visit to assess the situation quite some time ago, but then I broke my leg. That made independent travel by bus and ferry a bit too unsafe and near-impossible. I've been speaking with the Sisters and someone who previously worked on the water project in hopes to get more information, but it seems like I really need to be there in person to figure out the current situation. So I waited it out, and had plans to go last weekend. I actually made it to Zanzibar! And then I got sick... I swear something is trying to keep me away from this little village.

I couldn't keep down any food, and felt like the world was spinning around me anytime I moved my head. I rushed back to see a doctor in Dar. After a day full of testing, doctors concluded that I had a parasite in my stomach, but they couldn't be entirely sure which type until they performed more tests. Once they figured out precisely which bug took over my body, then they could determine how to get rid of it. I returned the following day, after having nightmares about a worm eating me from the inside out. Then they decided that it wasn't a parasite (phew!) but they couldn't figure out what the problem was. Apparently my stomach was inflamed to a "moderately severe" level, but my body looked strong, so I should just allow myself to fight off whatever the problem is. Even more reason to love Tanzanian healthcare...

I'm doing much better now, but disappointed that my Machui plans have been pushed aside again. Hopefully I'll get out there this coming weekend--fingers crossed! 

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter Everyone!

I hope you're all having a lovely day with family and friends. It never occurred to me how much I would miss one of those big family functions at a time like this, but I still had a nice day here in Dar. Last night I attended the Easter Vigil at the campus chapel. They cancelled the English mass this weekend, without any explanation, so it was really interesting in Swahili. And yes, an Easter Vigil in Tanzania is just as long as the ones in America. They did a very nice job decorating the chapel, and they had beautiful Swahili hymns sung by one of the most talented choirs I've ever heard. It was really nice.

My Easter morning consisted of piles upon piles of laundry. Done in a couple hours, with limited cuts on my knuckles. I'm definitely getting better at this!

It was nice and quiet because my host family took off to their other home in Morogoro for celebrations.

I met up with Pam and Jas, two students from Fairfield who are studying at the University. We decided to grab lunch together and search for chocolate bunnies! Unfortunately, Tanzania wasn't on the Easter Bunny's map this year. But we each bought an over-sized chocolate bar and walked over to the movie theater. We saw the movie "Hall Pass." It was hilarious, but not exactly easter-appropriate.

On the way home, the real excitement happened. We were walking back towards campus when Pam stopped short just before the gate. She called us over to see a massive lizard. It was just under 3 feet long!! I was really glad to see it was dead, but it looked so alive. This girl saw us gawking at the beast, and she walked right over and picked it up by the tail. She started swinging it around like a toy! For the record, this girl was actually like 20 years old... not a little kid. And she showed absolutely no fear while playing with the lizard. This is actually the second time I've seen such a big nasty thing. (the first one was squashed in the middle of the road). The dead ones don't bother me so much, but I'm pretty sure there are living ones out there somewhere, and I really hope I never cross paths with them. 

Back to Blogging

This is a pretty busy week for me. I finally got my cast off! I'm hoping that was my last experience with the hospital because it was just as frightening as every other. The nurse set me up in a nice room in the "casualty" department. (That's their word for "emergency room," but I think it's slightly unsettling.) Then she hooked up a nice rotating saw. It looked a lot like the dremel I would use at work, but bigger and sharper... and I've cut through some thick metal with those things! It's ok, she was only going to cut the cast, right? 

The nurse was making a pretty good dent in the top layer of the cast, but she kept taking breaks, as if this was a very exhausting exercise. Finally she said "It's too thick!" Then she grabbed the saw again and started hacking away. Her entire body was bobbing up and down as she fought with the thick plaster. The worst moment was when a person from the custodial staff walked into the room. She turned around and politely said hi to him WHILE USING THAT SAW ON MY LEG!! I honestly thought I was going to lose my leg. In an effort to be less dramatic, I turned to my friend Pam and began to rationalize the situation. I calmly told her that the worst thing that was going to happen was for her to hit the skin, see a little blood, and then I could call in her supervisor to finish the simple procedure. I was actually preparing for her to cut my leg, and assuring myself that it wouldn't be that bad. Way to go, Tanzanian healthcare. It's hard to believe that this is one of the best facilities in East Africa. It definitely makes me appreciate the high level of care I receive in the US. 

Well, the good news is that I survived--no scars! Except that big burn on my heel. More good news--it's healing! I have to wear an ankle support (kind of like an ACE bandage) for the next month and build up the strength in my little chicken leg. 

For the next month, I'm advised not to walk on sand or hills. Good thing I'm going to Zanzibar on Friday! That's the beautiful island off the coast of Dar es Salaam. I'll be heading back to Machui to find out firsthand about the struggles with water in the small village. 

But I can't think about that until after my big test tomorrow. Essays on African Civilizations. Thousands of years, starting with the hunting and gathering lifestyles, all the way through iron working and the formation of major cities. This should be interesting... I haven't taken a test like this in almost a year! I'm getting too old for stress like this.