favorite quotes.. and ramblings..
"Shall I roast the hen?" Nsemwa, the head teacher at the primary school in Ngumbulu village, where Nicki has started a soap co-op.. upon hearing that we would be coming and spending the weekend in the village. Translated to me by Nicki, in a very excited voice.
"Are those white people?!" Deborah, our housemate, while sitting at dinner at Mbeya Hotel, nicest restaurant in town, as she spotted people across the restaurant.. as if she had never seen a white person before. Nicki, Deborah and I laughing at how ridiculous we have become.
And a new one.. "I like you.. you are simple.. I was afraid you would be wazungu." Nsemwa to me.. as we sit in her kitchen in front of the open fire and cook and eat.. she was afraid I wouldn't want to live as Africans do. I am the first white person to stay in her house.. and the entire village for that matter. I smile when she says that, and think.. not many people would ever say that to me.. and think of all the times I have heard or felt the opposite.
I am still in Mbeya, Tz.. living with Nicki and Deborah.. who is now visiting home in Canada. Here is our house...
I was going to take a photo of Nicki and my room.. but I figured I would spare you all the disaster. On New Year's Eve.. we went out dancing.. and I wish I could capture the night on film.. as far as what the club is like.. but suffice to say.. we dressed up.. which involved dragging our butts off the couch and putting jeans and tennis shoes or chacos on.. and then as it started raining, our raincoats. Laughing as we realized we would never go out like this in the states on new year's eve.. but we should. Posing with our rain gear.
Here is a view walking from the orphanage into Idweli.. the village..
Our friend Nema's house.. on the walk to the center.. we greet here everytime we pass by. She is 25.. looks like she is at least 10 years older.. she has a 14 year old son.. this could begin to explain it.
A village kid who is afraid of me. I tried offering him candy and he would just look at me and laugh and run away.. and then come close again.. and run away laughing.
Here are some photos from Ngumbulu.. Nsemwa's kitchen.. where we spent most of our time.. cooking and eating.. and staying warm. It is cold in Ngumbulu.. and rainy.. especially at night. They actually have snow from June to September. She is cooking ugali.. a staple.. think thick cornmeal.. but white and with less flavor. This is eaten with your hands.. you roll it up into a little ball (using your right hand only to eat) and use it as a scoop to pick up sauce or beans. And of course we ate the hen.. which was delicious.. although i almost lost it when she gave me a strange looking part of it.. some sort of organ. i was able to get out of this b/c I have typhoid.. so told her I was full and couldn't finish all my meat.. did she want this part? And luckily, she likes to eat.. so was happy to take my leftovers. Although she did comment that wazungu don't like to eat. I try to explain that in America there are many people that want to be skinny, they think being fat is bad, and this isn't healthy. She misunderstands me and says, what, you think I am not healthy b/c I am fat? With a look on her face that this thought is completely absurd. Here, if you are fat, it means you are healthy. I say, no, no.. but eventually give up on trying to explain to her the crazy obsession of Westerners with being skinny. It is completely lost on people here.
Making soap..
Fodia(pouring) and Zena(stirring) inside their new shop.. they are the two main girls in the soap co-op.. who were trained to make soap and will train others. They are both orphans and maybe 14-15 years old.
White girl stirring soap.. it is actually hard work. The girls are very strong.. they of course laugh at me as I stir.
The actual process of making the soap only takes a couple hours.. they pour it into a metal box. Getting this box was a huge nightmare for nicki.. and transporting all of the supplies to the village is an adventure.
The next morning there is soap.. but it is a bit soft.. a problem. Dealing with this will be Nicki's next adventure. There is actually cell phone service.. and thanks to the 3 cell service providers in tanzania.. many people have phones. I say this sarcastically.. although it is good on some level.. if these companies.. along with say coca-cola.. used some money to help in a different way.. that's all I'll say. Coke is huge here.. and even in Ngumbulu.. which is 20km from the main road.. on the roughest, muddiest, worst road I have ever seen.. there is an abundance of soda. Not much other food.. but you can have a coke. It's sort of sickening actually.
The girls clearing a path to the shop.
Everyone wants me to take their picture.. and then see it afterwards. These men pose in the village center on timber. Timber is the main industry in Ngumbulu.. there is a lot of forest.. and they are rapidly cutting it down. Men.. mainly women and children.. carry this timber on their heads.. if it is close to the road, they get 50 shillings per piece.. if it is far, they get 100.. this is equivalent to about 3 and 6 cents per piece.
This is all for now.. I will hopefully write more about my adventures on getting to Ngumbulu and home on piki piki.. dirtbike. And include more photos.
all my love..
"Are those white people?!" Deborah, our housemate, while sitting at dinner at Mbeya Hotel, nicest restaurant in town, as she spotted people across the restaurant.. as if she had never seen a white person before. Nicki, Deborah and I laughing at how ridiculous we have become.
And a new one.. "I like you.. you are simple.. I was afraid you would be wazungu." Nsemwa to me.. as we sit in her kitchen in front of the open fire and cook and eat.. she was afraid I wouldn't want to live as Africans do. I am the first white person to stay in her house.. and the entire village for that matter. I smile when she says that, and think.. not many people would ever say that to me.. and think of all the times I have heard or felt the opposite.
I am still in Mbeya, Tz.. living with Nicki and Deborah.. who is now visiting home in Canada. Here is our house...
I was going to take a photo of Nicki and my room.. but I figured I would spare you all the disaster. On New Year's Eve.. we went out dancing.. and I wish I could capture the night on film.. as far as what the club is like.. but suffice to say.. we dressed up.. which involved dragging our butts off the couch and putting jeans and tennis shoes or chacos on.. and then as it started raining, our raincoats. Laughing as we realized we would never go out like this in the states on new year's eve.. but we should. Posing with our rain gear.
Here is a view walking from the orphanage into Idweli.. the village..
Our friend Nema's house.. on the walk to the center.. we greet here everytime we pass by. She is 25.. looks like she is at least 10 years older.. she has a 14 year old son.. this could begin to explain it.
A village kid who is afraid of me. I tried offering him candy and he would just look at me and laugh and run away.. and then come close again.. and run away laughing.
Here are some photos from Ngumbulu.. Nsemwa's kitchen.. where we spent most of our time.. cooking and eating.. and staying warm. It is cold in Ngumbulu.. and rainy.. especially at night. They actually have snow from June to September. She is cooking ugali.. a staple.. think thick cornmeal.. but white and with less flavor. This is eaten with your hands.. you roll it up into a little ball (using your right hand only to eat) and use it as a scoop to pick up sauce or beans. And of course we ate the hen.. which was delicious.. although i almost lost it when she gave me a strange looking part of it.. some sort of organ. i was able to get out of this b/c I have typhoid.. so told her I was full and couldn't finish all my meat.. did she want this part? And luckily, she likes to eat.. so was happy to take my leftovers. Although she did comment that wazungu don't like to eat. I try to explain that in America there are many people that want to be skinny, they think being fat is bad, and this isn't healthy. She misunderstands me and says, what, you think I am not healthy b/c I am fat? With a look on her face that this thought is completely absurd. Here, if you are fat, it means you are healthy. I say, no, no.. but eventually give up on trying to explain to her the crazy obsession of Westerners with being skinny. It is completely lost on people here.
Making soap..
Fodia(pouring) and Zena(stirring) inside their new shop.. they are the two main girls in the soap co-op.. who were trained to make soap and will train others. They are both orphans and maybe 14-15 years old.
White girl stirring soap.. it is actually hard work. The girls are very strong.. they of course laugh at me as I stir.
The actual process of making the soap only takes a couple hours.. they pour it into a metal box. Getting this box was a huge nightmare for nicki.. and transporting all of the supplies to the village is an adventure.
The next morning there is soap.. but it is a bit soft.. a problem. Dealing with this will be Nicki's next adventure. There is actually cell phone service.. and thanks to the 3 cell service providers in tanzania.. many people have phones. I say this sarcastically.. although it is good on some level.. if these companies.. along with say coca-cola.. used some money to help in a different way.. that's all I'll say. Coke is huge here.. and even in Ngumbulu.. which is 20km from the main road.. on the roughest, muddiest, worst road I have ever seen.. there is an abundance of soda. Not much other food.. but you can have a coke. It's sort of sickening actually.
The girls clearing a path to the shop.
Everyone wants me to take their picture.. and then see it afterwards. These men pose in the village center on timber. Timber is the main industry in Ngumbulu.. there is a lot of forest.. and they are rapidly cutting it down. Men.. mainly women and children.. carry this timber on their heads.. if it is close to the road, they get 50 shillings per piece.. if it is far, they get 100.. this is equivalent to about 3 and 6 cents per piece.
This is all for now.. I will hopefully write more about my adventures on getting to Ngumbulu and home on piki piki.. dirtbike. And include more photos.
all my love..
posted by heidi at 4:13 AM
1 Comments:
has not one person made a comment on heidi's ramblings. i think they're wonderful and a true sign that we all evolve, for the better or worse, but it happens.
thank God for getting out of our 20s.
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