Busy Weekend

Trip Start Jul 16, 2008

Trip End Ongoing

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Flag of Tanzania Moshi, Tanzania
Monday, February 9, 2009

Had a very nice weekend. Went to visit Elias's mother in Sanya Juu. It is in a beautiful area, just a few km from Bomangombe, yet very different. It looks very fertile, with deep colored soil and green everywhere. Many fruit trees-papaya, mango, banana (so many different kinds of bananas). Coffee and tea plants. Sugar cane...really very beautiful! We brought some fruit home with us...Yobu used a big stick to get the papayas down from the tree!

Elias's mom was so nice. I only wish I could speak to her in Swahili and understand her. I met another of Elias's sisters, Christina, and many grandkids. Another of his brother's, Mwalimu (he's a teacher...it's his nickname...means teacher in Swahili...sometimes they call me that too!) Met some of their neighbors and Yobu's young father (took a while to understand what that meant...your fathers brothers are called young fathers and their wives are young mothers. Your fathers sisters are your aunts. Your mothers sisters are called young mothers and their husbands are young fathers. Her brothers are your uncles. Unless the siblings are older then your parents...then they are your old fathers or mothers. And you can call your cousins your brothers...the relations can be quite confusing!)

On Sunday we went to the other side of Bomangombe to meet another of Yobu's brothers, Baba K and his wife Mama K. Many people were at their house, not sure who they all were. I think relatives of Mama K. It is a very friendly place, with people always over at other people's homes. Many people here spoke English so it was a bit livelier of a gathering than most have been. After lunch we went to a restaurant for a drink. Of course 1 drink turned into 5. New friends/family kept joining in and buying a round. Most people were drinking soda, 2 of us beer. After the second beer I refused a third (I had work the next day!) and I was glad I did when drinks 4 and 5 came unexpectedly and I would have had to have drunk 5 beers!

Yobu is going away to the mountain this week (he is a guide on Kilimanjaro) so I'm a bit nervous about communicating with the family. He has been giving me Swahili lessons so I should be able to say what I need! We shall see!

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