Date: 2005-02-07
To: Mzungu!
Miles today: 0.0

Habari! Well, since we are still doing orientation, I have some free time, so I decided to use it wisely and send home another report! I am keeping a really detailed journal and between emails and that, I am already getting confused, so if I repeat something, I am sorry!! So yesterday, Dana, one of the women here, gave me a crash course on the clothing Tanzanian women wear. We can get clothing made very cheaply, so I am trying to figure out what I want to have made. There is a type of sarong-wrap called a Conga that women wear wrapped around their waists as skirts. It is made of beautiful African prints and the thing that sets it apart from other garments is the proverb that is written around the bottom. The one that Dana had on says in Swahili, "I am proud of the woman I have become". However, it is used as more than a skirt.....it is used as a non-verbal communication, mostly with a womans husband. When a Tanzanian woman gets up in the morning, rather than pick out which color she wants to wear, she picks out the proverb that suits her mood! It is a way to let her husband know how she feels without saying anything! There is even one that says something to the effect of, "I know what you are up to", and when a woman knows that her husband has a 'small house', (slang for having a mistress), she wears it. She will say nothing to him, but will parade around all day for all of the world to see. Isn't that neat!? As far as a lot of cultural things go, I am certainly no expert yet, but I am learning very quickly! For instance, if a young man can provide a roof and food, a girl will marry him. That is pretty much all it takes. I explained to my Tanzanian friend that in America, the only real reason to get married is for love. He says that that has nothing to do with it here. But, divorce is almost unheard of. If a couple gets divorced, it reflects very badly on the parents of the couple. It brings a lot of dishonor to the family so relatives will intervene strongly if there appears to be a problem. As for us.....we are all Mzungu. Technically, that means European, but it is a word that they use for all white people. When I walked through the market in Arusha, everyone shouted "Mzungu...Mama Mzungu!". It is not a slur or insult, just a description. However, in this culture Mzungu means money....always. So it is not unusual for children to walk up to you and say with a smile, "Mzungu, give me money". I even had some grown men do it! Don't get me wrong....this is not begging. It is not homeless or street people. It is just something everyone does!Needless to say, I learning alot!!! Not only about the way things are here, but also about the ingrained cultural bias I have brought from America. It is really eye opening! This morning, seven of us walked into town to do email, and swarms of children followed us the whole way grinning and saying, "Hello...good morning...how are you". They are excited to practice their conversational english and delighted when we answer in Swahili. Of course, nothing comes easily!! Yesterday a group of women greeted me with "Jambo" to which I replied, "Loa". As they giggled uncontrollably, I remembered that I am actually supposed to say, "Poa"! There is no telling what I said to them!! As the jet lag and culture shock is wearing off, it is slowly sinking in that I am really here. Yesterday as I walked through the village alone, I was overcome with one thought......"When did I become this woman?!?!?" Seriously, when did I become a person that believed that she could travel around the world to a completely different place and feel right at home? On the one hand, I was very proud. But on the other hand, I wondered if I was, in some way, a ......well, .....bit too big for my britches. Does that make sense? Maybe I am not made for things such as this, and someone just forgot to tell me! Well, I am here now, whether or not I belong here, and I am taking in 150% of what is around me. And as far as how I became this woman.....I am pretty sure that my mom had a lot to do with it! Kwaheri for now..............