Holidays at the Hill House

The table set for Thanksgiving before the food and guests arrived. We had two of our American friends join us for a chicken lunch with all the typical side dishes except sweet potatoes.
The bouquet centerpiece. I cut these flowers from our garden earlier that morning and was pleased to find so many with fall colors. Below the vase I placed some flowers from our very tropical looking ornamental bananas - they're so heavy, and hang upside down, that I haven't figured out how to put them in a vase.
The kids decorated turkeys for each person's plate. Tessa insisted that I draw her turkey with a bow, eyelashes, and a skirt, but would not let me put on a beak! Instead she drew in a nose and smile - nothing quite like a cute turkey!
The pumpkin pie. We had extra dough that the kids wanted to play with. I had no Thanksgiving cookie cutters, but we figured that apples and chickens would do fine. I think they were the favorite part of the pie for the kids.
Apparently chicken does indeed have tryptophan because we all became quite drowsy after our lovely meal. Here are Dusty and Tessa napping on the back porch. It seems that only Tessa was pretending.
We are celebrating Advent in our home for the first time this year. I was thrilled to find a juniper bush next door that needed clipping, and three purple candles in our drawer. The green one has to substitute for the pink candle since we didn't have one. Before dinner we sing a Christmas carol and light the candle and talk about a Scripture passage leading up to the need for and birth of Jesus. The candle came in useful tonight when the electricity was shut off. Because we lack all the Christmas season broo-ha-ha that comes with the holidays in the States, it's nice to choose some elements we can still practice here that are festive but also instill a spiritual understanding of the season in our kids, and keep our focus on the Lord as well.
The Christmas wreath currently has frangipani blossoms on it which I will cycle out when they wither. I was very excited to find pine trees and pine cones on my walk today in one of the neighboring convents. The gardener happily let me take some cones home, although I'm sure he thought I was odd in spite of my effort to explain. I placed them on the Advent wreath and will follow suite with the door wreath when I can figure out how to attach them or when I run out of frangipani blossoms from my one little tree.

Khanga

"I have been satisfied, and God arranged my condition"

I went into town this weekend to buy the new Christmas khanga, and it occurred to me that this is something so very Tanzanian, and it might be interesting to the folks back home. Khanga are cloths which are worn by women here either as wraps or they are tailored into dresses and outfits. They are about $4.00 usually and come in sets of two. The khanga I bought is white with black polka dots and purple bells and candles. It says "Heri ya Chritsmas na mwaka mpya" or "Happy Christmas and new year," but we had to laugh that they spelled Christmas wrong.

I'm not sure what this one says. The proverbial Swahili can be very hard to translate.

The interesting thing about them is they all have a saying/proverb at the bottom, and these proverbs can be used as messages. So many with wedding proverbs are given to brides. Those with Christmas messages are given as Christmas presents. But often, one woman will wear one with a saying intentionally to communicate something to another woman.

For instance, if you have made a mistake, sought forgiveness, but didn't get it, you might wear a khanga with the following proverb around the person you offended. "Mhesabu visa pendo haliwezi." "Whoever counts the mistakes of his or her friend can never love."

And "Maneno yako mazuri, vitendo vyako hatari." "Your words are good, your actions are danger." Someone might wear this around a hypocrite.

"Yote ni matawi shina ni mimi." "All are branches. I am the trunk." (The legally married woman is the root. The rest of the women/wives are branches to the man.)

"Coast issues are not a game." I'm not sure what this really means.

Many khanga are simply nice reminders: "Natule asali tumwache nyuki na ukali wake." or, "Let’s enjoy the honey and ignore the bee and its sting."

"Penzi la mama haliishi." "A mother’s love does not end."

"Furaha ya harusi ni kupendana." "The joy of a wedding is to love one another."


This one is a mystery to me too.

Some khanga simply make political statements: "Hongera Rais Kikwete kushinda uchaguzi." "Congratulations President Kikwete on winning the election."

Currently there are several khanga with Barak Obama's face on them as folks are still excited about Obama as the American president. I've also seen his face on belt buckles and other odd places.

In any case, it's very good to know at least some elementary Swahili before buying a khanga, even if you love the pattern and colors, or else you might be making a statement you did not intend!

Cooking Substitutions and Thanksgiving in Tanzania

Local produce brings great inspiration:


When the recipe calls for something from the list on the left, I use what's on the right:

One can chicken broth = boil a chicken, save the water
Canned pumpkin = peel, scrape, boil, and mash a pumpkin
Tortilla chips = make tortillas from scratch and then cut up and bake
Sour cream = maziwa mgando (clotted milk we can buy in town) strained through a tea towel
Cream cheese = maziwa mgando, strained longer through the teal towel
Butter = Blue Band margarine, the butter of the third world!
Asparagus = green pepper
Artichoke = green pepper
Broccoli = green pepper
Red bell pepper = green pepper
Celery = sadly, nothing else will do
Pecans, walnuts, almonds = somehow, peanuts just don't fit the bill

This is definitely the short list. Substituting occurs daily in my kitchen, and as they say, necessity is the mother of invention. It's true!

Although meals take significantly longer to prepare here, we've learned that some American friends think our African foods are enviable! While I was moaning about having to scrub piles of dirt from potatoes, wash the chicken crud from the still-warm eggs and boil the still-warm milk from neighboring cows, our friends back home are paying through their noses to eat locally grown produce, organic eggs and "raw" milk!

So although on furlough I loved all the easy, prepared, frozen, and processed foods in the grocery stores in the States, I've learned to appreciate our raw, organic, and fresh foods in Tanzania. Plus, for the first time ever I have a vegetable garden with lettuce, pumpkin, and corn!

Thanksgiving this year will have (among other things) pumpkin pie from the pumpkin I bought at the market yesterday, chicken from the Catholic retreat center down by the lake, stuffing from the bread baked in my kitchen Tuesday, and cranberry sauce from ... a jar (which we found in Mwanza, a city 3 hours away)!

Our Thanksgiving turkey from 2007. Turkeys are very rare, hard to buy, extremely expensive, a lot of work, and not all that tasty, so this year, we're stickin' with chicken!

As always, so much to be thankful for! But do enjoy some pecan pie with us in your thoughts this year!

Photos from Kenya

This first picture was actually taken after we got back from Kenya. I was home with a cold and the kids, and they were desperate for action when I was desperate for rest. Relief came to all of us in the form of a rainstorm. I sent them out in their raincoats for some fun. They had a blast, and I did not mind cleaning them off with a hose as much as I thought I might. I'm sure they would beg to differ though!


One of the sweetest moments in Kenya, and in parenting too!


The kids encouraging Dusty to do a somersault. They succeeded.


I've recently been given a bird-watching book by our friend Patrick and have become an amateur bird-watcher. The Kakamega rain forest in Kenya is the perfect place for watching birds. Because the kids frequently want to get their grubby hands on my binoculars, I made them their own - fun for the whole family now!


A Sausage Tree! I guess these are just big seed pods, but the tree really is called a sausage tree for obvious reasons.

The Oddities of Exercising in Tanzania

Let it first be stated that exercise for the sake of improving one's health is not really something people do here. You probably do not recall any Olympic track events with Tanzanians (although a few were there). This is because individual sport is not really a value here - soccer is. People spend so much energy hoeing fields, walking or biking to their jobs/school, carrying large buckets of water or bundles of sticks on their heads, and other sorts of labor, that they do not require additional exercise.

I think it is difficult for them to understand our more sedentary lifestyle and the fact that we do not want to be plump. The concept seems to be that rich people are heavier because they don't have to work physically, so weight is considered something to be admired. In spite of this a Westerner is still usually appalled when a Tanzanian compliments him/her with "Umenenepa!" (or You've become fat!)

Secondly, white people (wazungu) are also oddities here. So when a Tanzanian sees an mzungu (one white person) exercising, it's very unique for some people, and they are inclined to stare or ask questions, or even join in - especially kids. Having people comment and stare while one is exercising can be quite bothersome, and can you even imagine joining a total stranger walking or running in America? Last week I had a boy walk with me till I turned to go back home, and he had to occasionally run just to keep up. This week a car pulled up beside me, and the passenger asked me where I was going, if I needed a lift, and what about the dog!

I am walking about three days a week with our Rottweiler Ellie (purebreds are another oddity). On Saturdays, when they are not in school, I frequently have children follow me giggling and making comments. I have recently discovered the joy of realizing that the children are giggling about Ellie's "missing" tail instead of laughing at me! It is truly a relief to know I am not the brunt of the joke, and Ellie never seems to mind.

Using my iPod has also helped relieve some of the displeasure of exercising as I generally can't hear what people are saying about me or Ellie. I try to be cordial and return greetings, but I keep going instead of stopping for conversations with those who are inclined to ask more questions.

Finally, whereas last term I did all my walking on the dirt roads and was put off by cars, bikes, and heavy foot traffic, this term I am trying to stick to the trails in the hills behind our house. It's made a huge difference in my enjoyment of exercise as now I get to relish truly magnificent views of Lake Victoria and the surrounding hills. Plus I occasionally see turtles, monkeys, and rock hyraxes. And, the only traffic is the occasional person carrying a load of something to sell on their heads. Clearly, they're working much harder than I am, and that helps keep me in my place!

What do they have in common - church, cows, and tortoises

This morning we went to church and found a few new items of note. Firstly, the new pastor's family, who live next to the church, now have a cow. It kept occurring to me that in the States, before church, we tell our children such things as "be nice to the other children, do what the teacher tells you to do, your water bottle is in your backpack" etc. However, now we are finding ourselves at church telling our kids "don't get too close to the cow, do not go behind the cow, cows can be very dangerous," etc. The kids apparently got the picture, but I had to laugh when the cow kept mooing, and then Jack mooed back - nice and loud - during a solemn communion.

Secondly, it is possible to have a one man choir. You've surely heard of a one man band, but a one man choir? We go to a very small church. This morning I counted 9 adults and 21 children. Apparently a lot of the kids come on their own. Most of the time we have about 5 or 6 people in the choir, but for the last two weeks we have had one. He does a great job, with all the moves (Tanzanians choreograph every song) and even sang some of the harmony as well. He was later joined by another member of the choir so we had the duet choir. The music is always my favorite part of church here, and today was no exception.

Finally, and this brings in the photos, Jack found a tortoise outside the church. Sometimes the church has a lesson for the kids, but sometimes the kids just wander around outside and get into mischief. This little fella was too cute, so we had to put him in Jack's hat and take him home.


The Little Fella.


The Other Little Fella.


"Aw, this tortoise is so cute. I'm so happy to hold it. I'm having so much fun!"


Half a second later: "Oh no! It's moving! There is a monster in my hands! Take it, take it or I'm going to drop this horrid creature! Aaaagh!" Hee hee.

We gave the little guy away to our friends with four kids tonight in the certainty that a)we would lose it, b)the dog would eat it, c)Jack would surely drop or crush it, d)both kids would get salmonella from holding it and then sticking their fingers in their mouths, e)it would get too big and then eat my entire garden, f)it would starve to death from shock, or g)it would outlive us, and we'd have to write it into our will.

I can't wait to see what adventures are in store for us next Sunday at church!

Tessa's New School

Every Tuesday Tessa is going to the school here on our compound. All the other children are Tanzanians, and it is our hope that Tessa will pick up Swahili from them even though instruction is given in English as it is a private Catholic school. This week will be her third time, and so far she seems to be enjoying it.


The "sherehe." (celebration) Last weekend the children of the school put on a program to celebrate Founder's Day for the man who began the Catholic order for this compound. The nuns and priests of our compound come from India, and it was a real hoot to hear an Indian nun singing an Indian type of song in English to an African drumbeat while Tanzanian children were dancing with Indian movements. Tessa's comment was "why are they wiggling their heads?"

During the program our landlord, one of the priests, asked me if Tessa would like to go up on stage and recite a poem. I said "she doesn't know any poems," to refuse him as I knew she would be too shy to give a public performance of any kind. His return comment was, "you bring her to our school for a month and she will get smart." Hmmm.


The kids at the gate to the school. Everyone was eager to pose for my camera. I wish I could give them all a copy of the picture.



Tessa's classroom. The kids all wear uniforms, so I just do my best to have her in white so she mostly matches the other kids when they take off their red sweaters. Isn't it amazing that kids here wear sweaters at all? Even when we think it's hot, they still can feel cool so it makes sense for them. I'm just wondering how long I can keep her white jeans and shirt truly white from the wear and tear of the playground at the school! We're fortunate the school has a playground - it is the only one I've ever seen in Musoma, but it makes American playgrounds look like Disneyland, and is totally void of anything remotely resembling safety.


Tessa outside her school building on her second day of school. The kids absolutely adore her. Everyone knows her name - from the smallest 3 year old to the oldest teen. Word got around fast about the little "mzungu" (white person) coming to school. She doesn't seem to mind the attention, but is starting to make comments about how her skin is different from theirs - it's a great open door for lots of good conversations at home.

Backyard Follies

Rain at last! This photo was taken on October 30th at about 4:30 even though it looks like night-time. We have been back in TZ since mid July, and finally the rains have started for real. It has been VERY dry and hot, so we all are very happy to have some big rain, even if it means that the laundry isn't drying, and I have to mop up puddles from the back porch or the leaking roof in our bedroom. The kids have a blast in their boots and rain coats in the puddles when I'm in a good enough mood to let them go splash around and then deal with all the wet clothes, hair, boots, etc. It's worth it for them to have such a great time together. Good clean fun!

Mostly the rain is a huge relief to the vast majority of people here who rely on farming for food. It really puts things into perspective for me because I'm accustomed to appreciating rain only for bringing relief from the heat or from having to remember to move the sprinkler for my flower gardens. But here, it really is the difference between life and death.


Sibling affection in the hammock - aren't they sweet? OK, I admit, I did ask them to give kisses for the camera, so it wasn't totally spontaneous, but they were happy to oblige. We all love to hang out the hammock, get a few books, and have some quality time together under the leaves. That or just have some serious tickle-fests!


The mysterious lily. Some of you guessed what it might be, but so far no right answers. Keep them coming! I wanted to show a picture of it on the actual plant to give you a better idea of what the whole picture looks like. This was about two days into its blooming. It has up to 12 flowers each time it blooms so it smells wonderful for a whole week.


Our house as seen from the back yard. The back porch is on the left, and the master bedroom's windows are on the right. Our most recent addition is that we put in a little sand pit under one of these windows, which the kids are loving. We just got some sand from our road and surrounded it with some rocks. People often ask us what "that" is growing up our tree. One friend suggested it must be "Jack's Beanstalk" and the name has stuck. It always makes my imagination go wild thinking about what could be at the top. Fee Fi Fo Fum...


The view as seen from our back porch. Unfortunately you cannot really get a good glimpse of the hills on the other side of the bay from this photo, but we get to see them every day. Somehow having a great view really refreshes us all day. Plus, usually we have a very blue sky, which you can't see here either. One of the best things about our home is that we have huge old trees to give us shade - a great blessing in a hot land.