Tuesday – Does & Don’ts in Tanzania

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After forcing myself to get the vocabulary we had been taught during the day the previous evening I felt a little less lost at the beginning of the morning lessons. But nevertheless we continued to race through basic Swahili in record speed, ‘to have’ and ‘to be’ including negative versions in the morning interrupted by some Cornish pasty style things stuffed with mince - I resorted to some fresh mangos from the market in stead.
Then groundhog day lunch: same food, same music - we had to endure the same tape of a church choir at full blast for every meal.
The afternoon was a welcome break from the fast track language lessons - some cultural does and don’t - that we were to demonstrate in role play. We were reshuffled into bigger groups and had to re-enact some Tanzanian particularities: Our group had to show, that you never hang out underwear to dry openly, you cover it with a piece of cloth, if you really need to dry it outside. You don’t ask guests, if they would like anything (otherwise they’ll answer ‘no’ out of politeness). You’ll have to rather ask them what kind of drink they like or just some food in front of them.
After this quite fun way of cultural awareness training, I felt the need for some exercise and wanted to treat myself to a swim. I was told the ‘Morogoro Hotel’ sells day passes to their pool, so I made myself on the 20min walk there, passing a group of monkeys in the trees on the way (this time I didn’t have a camera with me).
Fortunately Tuesday evening was one of the nights off for the nuns to cook, so not the usual food tonight! Instead we went to Dragonairs - a place in the next village, that we had passed on our way back from the mountains on Sunday. Unlike pretty much anywhere else, where we had dinner before in Tanzania, there was some ambient lighting (and not the overly bright strip lighting). I guess with electricity still being not that widespread, people are really pleased when they have ample lighting and don’t want semi-darkness with candlelight… Most of the open shops had only candles lit, when we arrived in Morogoro on Saturday night.
So we sat under Chinese lanterns listening to Country & Western from Nashville, a slightly surreal experience in the middle of Tanzania. Some of us seemed to miss the nuns food that much that they ordered chicken and chips, which looked just like at the nuns, only smaller portions. Having some stir-fry I was rather pleased with not just a change in scenery.

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Photos

Getting ready for another Swahili lesson
In the atrium of the convent: Mama J (one of our teachers), Sue, Annie, Sandra & Sara

Teachers meeting
Benjy, Mama J, Pepe & Chuma