The electricity here is super dirty. It makes me worry every
time I plug something in. I think it killed my power converter, which sucks
because that’s how I’ve been charging my laptop, kindle, camera battery, and iPhone.
I guess I’ll need to whip out my solar charger while we go to CCT…I don’t want
to leave my electronics out charging in the sun around my house. Pretty much
would be a terrible idea. I’m largely disappointed by this development, but
hopefully I can get a new surge protector soon. I’d get one via mail, but that
will take 3 months.
Today we did more Kiswahili at the school with PJ, our
language and culture teacher. Afterwards I took some pictures of sunflowers and
chickens (which are everywhere in my village) and then we went to Michelle’s
house. Her house/room is really nice. She even has a mirror and a wardrobe.
(There are no mirrors anywhere in my house, and my one piece of furniture is a
drawer-less desk. This is pretty normal I’ve been informed.) It was nice to sit
and chat for a while, but I do need to take a trip into Morogoro to go to an
Internet café…. and apparently now to buy a new converter.
I’m still confused why my whole family doesn’t eat together
or at the same time. Jackie, my older host sister, never eats, and today my
mama ate an hour after I did. My kaka was home, so he ate with me while we
watched Nat. Geo TV. Apparently Channel 2 here carries some adventure shows,
including one about a British guy who drives around and cooks in a van. Other
people from the neighborhood sat in the living room while we ate. There are
always a bunch of kids in there. It was really cute to watch one little girl
play with two stuffed animals and have them talk back in forth in Swahili. The
kids here are all very adorable and most of them address me with the formal
greeting you give adults: Shikamoo. When we were walking some little kids also
shouted in English at us, which was pretty surprising and impressive. It’s far
less cute to me when adults do it…especially when pushy men shout out daladala
windows.
I had “chips” for the first time (French fries done in a
pan). We also had the usual rice and beans, green leafy vegetable, and fruit
juice. Same deal with our lunch, except we had oranges instead of the juice
today. Tanzanians are not afraid of carbs and big butts, that is for sure!
Last night I dreamt I was being covered in thousands and
thousands of ants, but couldn’t move until they had finished running out of my
mosquito net. I thought it was really happening and I’m pretty sure I whimpered
and cried a little about it while half asleep. Pretty pathetic. The malaria
meds they give us can induce vivid (aka horrifying) dreams. I normally have
weird dreams, but the meflo makes them truly quite trippy. Peoples’ faces
melting off, scary social situations, bugs eating my stomach etc. There are a
lot of bugs and diseases here, but so far I’ve stayed away from the roaches,
and they’ve mostly avoided me. One is camping out in my room somewhere, but I
don’t feel like finding his exact location under the bed.
Hoping my bucket bath will be warmer than usual tomorrow. I
think they are all going to mass, but I’m not sure. I’m fine with getting my
own water, but I’m worried about burning myself. They just pick the big pot of
boiling water up with their bare hands. I am not nearly as awesome. I’m also
impressed how many men and women carry things on their heads here. HEAVY
things! Westerners just don’t have any cool skills like that anymore. I will
say that cutting boards and potholders are nice, though. And shower nozzles.
Baadaye! (Later!)
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