A bit of this, a bit of that

Jambo, hibari? Mimi nzuri sana J

Well Christmas came and went and I had an amazing Christmas break (that’s Christmas holidays to you and me) I feel rested, energised and ready to go, and when I say go I am not talking about going on a run, just ready to go for 2013.

All prepared with our snacks

As a treat over the holidays (look I mean I cant even stick to calling it a break, and who decided on break anyway, holiday sounds a lot, more, well like a holiday) so anyway we got to go back to the city of Arusha to go to the cinema. Now going to the cinema in England is something you do when you really want to see the film, or if you are just going because a guy/girl you like wants to see a certain film, or indeed you went to the cinema too late, they sold out of the movie of your choice and you then have to see the next available film (cough…mother) Well in Tanzania, it such an incredible treat and rare occasion that you go more for the fun of going to the cinema rather than what is showing. This leads me to why I sat 3 and half hours through the ‘Hobbit’ yes the Hobbit as in the whole Lord of the Rings thingy. (not sure if it’s a trigilogy or a whatever comes next)

Lets just rewind for a sec, so we get to the cinema and there is a big group of us about 16. We are told it is in 3D so we pay ect and then ask for our 3d glasses (cant watch a 3D film without the glasses) and they tell us they have run out. So they let us buy our tickets, full well knowing they had no glasses for us. Crazy! I mean I found it all rather funny, but the hobbit/LOTR fantatics were getting rather ansky and asked to talk to the manager ect ect. In the end the manager mysteriously found 16 glasses in his office or something and we were given them with the strict instructions to hand them back.

A couple days later we took a trip back to the hot springs. Now this is the place in which I was a dare devil and hung 20 feet off a tree trunk and then plummeted into the water. Well I can tell you there was none of that craziness this time, it was a time of relaxing and enjoying hanging out with my friends.

A bit blured but its an action shot

New years was a cosy night, we met up with a few other missionairys and ate and played some games. The food may not have been enough for me as I then choose to eat a live termite. Why? Well I always like to try something at keast once (within reason) I did however chicken out a bit and instead of biting it to kill it I swalled it like a pill. So wether that means a termite is crawling around inside me, I do not know.

Peponi is a beach resort in the East of Tanzania, looking out on the Indian Oceon. We went with 5 other missionairy families and it took a 7 hour car journey to get there. Now I don’t know about you but I LOVE car journeys, just being with people for that long and talking ect ect. So being a volunteer, money doesn’t exactly roll in. So myself and the other teachers packed up snacks and lunch before hand. We had popcorn, fruit, veg, a potato veg dish for lunch, crisps ect. Bearing in mind this was meant to be for the whole journey, you can probably guess that within an hour and half to the journey ALL my snacks were gone. The rest of the journey was a rather hungry occasion.

So being a volunteer, money doesn’t exactly roll in. So myself and the other teachers packed up snacks and lunch before hand. We had popcorn, fruit, veg, a potato veg dish for lunch, crisps ect. Bearing in mind this was meant to be for the whole journey, you can probably guess that within an hour and half to the journey ALL my snacks were gone. The rest of the journey was a rather hungry occasion.

Pepponi was amazing we camped in tents, was footsteps away from the pool and beach. Ate sea food, snorcled, swam and collected shells. It was a very special and relaxing time, I wish I could have stayed longer.

The journey back was just as fun but not as successful as the way there. The car I was in broke down from a flat tyre, when Vince (the driver) changed it to the spare tyre we saw that it also was flat. 

We were thankfully station outside a village, all the village children ran out to come see us but with no English it was case of communicating through smiles and made up games. It took 2 hours for us to get the tyre fixed but was an adventure spending time with the locals.

Well there we have it my Christmas break/holiday school has started back up with a bang and a new student in my class. The third day back at school was rather an adventure. So shhh, but our school building is technically not registered and on this paticuar day we had government officials coming round to check out the school to tell us wether we can be registered or not. To be on the safe side (and its always good to be safe) when we got the call they were on their way, we loaded all the children into a10 seater mini van. Bearing in mind we had 16 children, 3 teachers aids and 5 teachers, it was a squeeze to say the least. We drove to a café that has a children’s area to play. It all felt very James Bond’ie’ the children must have thought they were on the strangest field trip ever playing around while the teachers sat and drank sodas. 

We were only there for a couple of hours and we got drinks and snacks out of it. The children loved it and saw it one big adventure.  It was all for a good cause as we want the school to be government standard registered. 

My very Different Tanzanian Christmas

Happy Christmas to you all. 

Its funny, Americans do not say Happy Christmas, they tend to say Merry Christmas. This was new information to me, as I was getting rather confused with some of the looks I got after I greeted people ‘Happy Christmas’ I mean when you think about it they mean the same thing, however my conclusion is happy means well just happy, whereas merry can be interpreted into a little tipsy therefore are Americans telling you to have a tipsy Christmas? Well whatever it is I learnt something new. 

Our homemade stockings all hung up.

So Christmas is a BIG deal to me and being the first Christmas away from home and my family was a toughie. (Let’s just say after a whole pack of Kleenex and a soggy pillow I wasn’t in the best of states) However Christmas came and I’ll be honest it was different but also very enjoyable. Lots of things were done using improvising, for example my Christmas wrapping, using what I could find I thought I did an alright job, it kind had that vintage edge to it. We all did presents together and I was blown away with the kindness of my friends and family who had sent cards and gifts. (Thank you to those particular people)

We all then went to another missionary’s house who was holding a Christmas dinner and games afternoon. About 5 other families were also invited so it was going to be a packed house. Even after a breakfast of miniature hero’s  (Christmas tradition, thanks Rumana) and some eggs, I was still rather ravines for some food. 

You see I do try and be healthy with a segment of orange.

Okay so now I new not to expect a traditional English Christmas dinner as 1) I am in Tanzania and 2) all the missionaries are American. But when I lay my eyes on the buffet feast that was before me I had never been so surprised in my life. (Okay slight exaggeration but just need to set the mood of what is about to come)

Laid out on the table they had all the right food groups that you would get in your traditional English roast, protein, carbs, veg etc., but in a very different way.

Okay so let’s start with potatoes, now I am use to roasties at Christmas, I would stretch to mash or possibly new but never have I ever envisaged eating potato salad on my Christmas dinner. (Let me just stress the potato salad was out of this world I am merely stating the bizarreness of it compared to what we are all used to) I then moved up the table and there was a big bowl of macaroni cheese, not sure where that fits into the food groups I could kind of get away with substituting it for cauliflower cheese, but anyway I had to side-track that helping as it was full of gluten. 

We then come to the veg, or should I say salad in this case, slices of cucumber and green pepper (very nice but again so different) With the absence of Brussels sprouts I gather they needed to find something that well, erm, lets just say…. You know…. So there was a bowl of baked beans, yes baked beans (extremely good if I say so with an added bbq spice to it) but yes there we have it. Opps, yes of course we also had some delicious roast meat, pork and beef, which I guess, was one thing that resembled what of an English roast. The meal was delightful and after 2 ½ helpings later I was feeling that same ring of belly that is always evident on the 25^th.

The games that followed were so imaginative and fun; our host did a good job. We played lots of different Christmassy films, but one that stood out was an outdoor snowball fight. (Yes yes before you begin to wonder why on earth we had snow in Tanzania, it wasn’t real) It was a concoction of flour and something in a scrunched up pair of tights. You would throw it at your opponent and it would explode leaving them covered in flour. Now I got covered (a bad time to where one of your best dresses) it was such fun and I felt the potato salad drop from my belly just in time for pudding. 

So there you have it, my very different Tanzanian Christmas. 

My housemates and I

Even though I was away from my family it was very special spending it with the people I have met here, and even the children missionary children that I teach in the school.

Teaching the kids the chocolate game. (When you roll a 6 you come put a hat, scarf and gloves on, then use cutlery to eat as much chocolate as you can untill another 6 is rolled) We had to improvise with what we had in Africa. 
That turned out to be a helmet, gardening gloves and a pretty scarf.

Only in Africa...

Christmas Production

INN 355 (said three, five, five. Not three hundred and fifty five, just saying)

So all the children in school are involved in the play from the very youngest 2 year olds up to the eldest at 13 we have all worked really hard together to make this production a success.

So I wanted to give the children a chance to put some input into their costumes. So children were able to look through their clothes (or families clothes) and pick out items that would be suitable for their character. 

One by one the children came to me with their costumes picked out, then came the day when the adorable 7 year old Charity came to me (very pleased with herself that she had brought in her costume, picked out all by herself she told me) 

Just thought you should all know the character that Charity is playing is a shepherd on the way to the birth of Jesus.

With that in mind I was expecting brown rags, a rake and something resembling somewhat of a Shepherd. So you can imagine how I was rather taken aback when she pulled out her Disney’s Little Mermaid costume. (Literally using all my self-control not to burst out laughing) 

As she was so pleased with herself for bringing it in, I allowed her to wear it during the play.

The programme for the play

In addition to this the same darling little lady came to me the day after looking rather pleased with herself informing me that she has 2 goats. I smiled as I thought toy goats would be good to use in the stable set. It was only after a little more conversation that I realised that these were not toy goats that she was talking about, but real live goats. (Yes real live mitten munching spitting goats) Lost for words I just told her I’d get back to her (which opps I never did)

The children did tremendously well, they all remembered their lines, spoke with enthusiasm and the audience loved it. I felt so proud looking up at them all I could have cried.  In true African style the power was out, (on both days of the performance) so the keyboard was out of order so accapella it was, and it was fantastic. To end it all in true school style, our little kindergrarder that was playing Mary asked to go to the bathroom during the stable scene, (all I could think was I’m so pleased she asked and there was no little accidents)

The last day of school was such fun (tiring, but fun) we celebrated after the play with a Christmas party, a Christmas party with no Christmas songs (not enough internet to download all the classics) so S Club 7 it was however I think it was just myself enjoying it. 

A little gift for each of my children.

(so amazed at how excited they got)

Some of the children and I enjoying a Christmas party :)

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Ahhhh Christmas time, mistletoe and wine (minus the mistletoe and wine unfortunately :p) I look outside my window and feel the sweat start to drip down my neck and I know it’s the Christmas season but it just feels all wrong. I should be choosing out a new set of gloves, gorging on gluten free mince pies and sitting on Father Christmas’s knee telling him what I want for Christmas (okay I got a little carried away with the latter but you understand) But you know what? I wouldn’t change being here right now for the world. I am surrounded by love, faith, happiness, beautiful children and a tremendous view of Kilimanjaro. What more could I want?

 My 3^rd and 4^th graders and I have began the process of transforming our classroom into a Christmas bonanza, with a lack of coloured paper, Christmas trees, tinsel and Christmas lights, we had to use our imaginations to create that Christmassy feeling.

Making salt dough christmas decorations. (so not gonna lie they all thought id brought in cookies so making decorations was a bit of a blow)

The finished product:

It’s less than a week until the big Christmas production arrrrghh! (Breathe holly breath) So writing and directing a production is a lot more work than I had anticipated. Along with the play you have to then think about the set, costumes, music and believe me they are a lot harder work in Africa. That is why I am so grateful to my other teachers for all pitching in and helping make the practice run so smoothly (just)

The children are great and are all super excited about the coming play. I have some real budding actors amongst the midst. Along with acting the children have got involved with all aspects of the drama such as painting the drop, making props, costume design and creating the Play’s Programme.

I love teaching drama and am too excited for the performance to take place. I had each child involved in the production to draw their character and then stuck them all together to create the front cover of the play’s programme. It turned out really cute.

In addition to making Christmas crafts at school, us teachers have been busy at home also. Making out house festive to the best of our abilities.

our christmas decorations cardboard and twigs. simples

nativity made from Banana leaves

twigs glued together in 

We also decided to bless all the other missionary’s out here with carol singing. We dressed complete with woolly hats (which resulted in a bucket full of sweaty hair) and candles (unlit, they are to precious in times of power cuts) and went one by one to each house and sang a medley of Oh come all ye faithful, a mash up of Away in a Manger English/American (yes there are 2 different versions) and ended with the crowd pleaser that is We wish you a Merry Christmas.

It was such a joyful Christmassy night, and the last house we went to invited us in for soup (shame it wasn’t actually cold as hot soup would have been so nice, I mean it was nice anyway but you know what I mean)

And then just as teachers do when the kids are away we all had an indoor water fight, it got rather messy but was refreshingly good and cooled us all down.

I will now leave you with a glimpse of the joy that I get to experience each and everyday.

Presents, chocolates and Christmas trees are nice but living in Tanzania with these kids and seeing them grow and smile every day (well most days depending on the amount of work I throw at them lol) is priceless. (Oh crickey I sound like the MasterCard adverts)

Thanksgiving a view from a Brit

Thanksgiving what to say… 

a time where you eat marshmallows on top of your potatoes, where you make crafts of the meat that you are going to eat before you even eat it, a day in which you think about what you are thankful for and the day after is a day in which you supposedly shop till you drop buying things on the cheap, a time where it is evidently acceptable to belch, fart and make other noises unknown to me up until now and a time for getting together with great friends and seeing everyone in the spirit of the holiday.

Making felt Turkeys with one of my students

I should clarify my mouth is not actually touching the Turkey

All in all I LOVE thanksgiving! 

All the more for celebrating it in Tanzania of course. So even though it is not an official English holiday I still woke up bright and early, unable to sleep from the excitement of a holiday and got dressed in my comfy thanksgiving clothes (stretchy trousers (oh my goodness I know your not meant to put a bracket within a bracket but I was just about to type pants in stead of trousers, the Americans are turning me) as I knew I would be eating a lot) and waited for everyone to wake up ready for our planned brunch.

Gluten free corn bread (tastes better than looks honest, and a lovely card from Melissa)

Unfortunately there is no Macy’s thanksgiving parade in Tanzania, so we settled for getting cosy (well as cosy as you can in 30+degree heat) in front of the film Miracle on 34^th street seen as it has the parade in it. We had a full day of preparing our dishes for out thanksgiving feast later on in the day. Well I say we but really I was a little too engrossed in the film but I was there with a helping hand when bowls needed licking or fudge needed test tasting.

my lovely housemates engrossed in the film

Other than brunch and my occasional nibbling I had saved myself for my feast, you only have your first thanksgiving once so I wanted it to go down with a bang aka bloated stomach. When I arrived at our host’s house I was not disappointed, there was food coming from every direction and I got a glimpse of the 100 US dollar Turkey before it got carved up. (yes I did say 100 dollars no idea why it was so expensive, when there’s food about don’t ask questions as I am too busy scoffing my face) Oh boy was it all delicious. 

Blooming expensive Turkey

 After my 4^th plateful I decided to pace myself to make room for pudding, (don’t want to be greedy or anything :p) Deserts are harder to find gluten free but my trusty housemates had cooked up delicious fudge and chocolate toffee so I was more than happy and satisfied. After a Christmas sing along and a cuppa thanksgiving was finally coming to a close.

Stuffing my face while I can

Opps I forgot to mention the best bit, just like they do in the movies, before we ate, we all went around the room and said what we were thankful for. It was so exciting. What was I thankful for? Well that would be telling, it might not be worth being thankful for if I tell. (Not sure if that’s exactly how it works but hey)