Imbaseni Village -Internet for a few minutes!

 Arusha is wonderful.  It is rural mountain town.  The small village
of Imbaseni that I am staying in has mud brick houses cows chickens
and goats everywhere tiny two room shacks, cooking over small fires,
no electricity, outhouses.  The women carry water every day sometimes
from a mile or more away on their heads.  It is truly incredible. But
despite this the people there are so happy.  I am staying with a
husband and wife.  My host mom is twenty years old and my host dad is
24.  Crazy huh?  The have a one month old daughter who is absolutely
beautiful.  Last night I slept in a twin bed with the one month old
AND my host mom.  Needless to say I did not get much sleep, but it is
okay.  They talk barely any english and i talk barely any swahili so
it is very interesting with a lot of jumbled words and crazy hand
motions.  I cooked chapati bread over the fire and watched them
slaughter, defeather, and prepare a whole chicken.  It took a lot of
effort for me to eat a few bites. But the food was delicious.  There
are relatives everywhere.  Grandma Amina lives in the house over and
sells mandazi bread and other homemade food out of her house.  all the
relatives came to look into the cook shack at me trying to make
chapati.  They laughed and talked in swahili and said nzuri sana (very
nice)!  I was pretty darm good:)  I also went to the village mosque to pray.  I was wrapped up in a headscarf and long wrap skirt and I followed the motions of the other women, but had no idea what I was doing.  Then I visited a relatives home and we looked at pictures and went to get a rack of soda bottles to bring to her duka (store) to sell.  She carried the whole rack on her head.  INCREDIBLE.  There is so much more to tell you, but it will ahve to be later!

My time here has been wonderful.  There has been misunderstanding, mess ups, and blank stares, but above all else so many laughs, handshakes, and warm smiles.  They accept that I do not know how to do anything  the way that they do it and they teach me.  I help my host mom learn the English words and she helps me learn the swahili words.  Above all else it makes me so grateful for the wonderful family and the privilege that I have.  I have missed writing about so much.  There are so many stories to tell, but I will ahve to share them later.  Now I will be going to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.  Wow.  What is my life?  It is going to be an intense day.  Then back to my homestay for one more night.  And tomorrow NGORONGORA crater for a SAFARI!!!  Woo!  I will be home on Tuesday :)