So much time, so little to do... Strike that, reverse it

Today was our first lesson in Kiswahili. It was refreshing to finally understand what people have been saying to us all weekend and learn how we should have responded. Apparently Jambo is not a greeting whatsoever, unless you want to send out a large beacon that says you don't speak Kiswahili.

This past weekend was amazingly hectic and fun. Saturday we went to a wedding in a very poor village. We got to see first hand how weddings go in Tanzania. In the US the wedding day is typically reserved for just the wedding and nothing else, but on this day there was not only a wedding but also two baptisms and communion. The bridal party did not seemed fazed by this whatsoever. It is just a part of life. The people here in Tanzania live as a community and share in everything. I felt honored yet awkward during the meal afterward because we sat at the main table with the bridal party, but again they didn't seemed fazed by this one bit.

Sunday we took a two hour trip out to a Masaai village for worship. For those of you that are reading this that went on last years May term trip you will be happy to know that Moreto came with us. Moreto (a teacher at the language school) and Luka helped us along all day letting us know what was going on and who was doing what. Moreto and especially Luka have been most helpful whenever we go some place, and are always ready to help us out whenever we need it. The church service went on for about 4 hours. After it was all said and done, the Masaai people ended up feeding almost 300 people spiced rice and goat. The head male of the village let us have the honor of eating the goats' liver, which tasted a lot like beef jerky.

Through out all of the festivities this weekend we definitely learned the "hurry up and wait" mentality. We would arrive to a place, which we thought we were late to mind you, and end up waiting 2-3 hours before anything starts to happen. The sense of time here is very relaxed, which at first I found fairly frustrating because I was still in the mid-west idea of punctuality but by the end of the weekend I kind of enjoyed it. I mean what else have I got to do all day?

Jumping to Monday evening (which is right now as I am writing this) we got to know some new students at the seminary with the same level of Kiswahili as us (none). They are mostly all from Germany and we sat around, playing guitar and singing songs. You should all be happy to know that they loved the fact that I knew Cat Stevens :). Come to find out another German student also really likes Cat Stevens and brought along Harold and Maude... therefore Americans + Germans + Cat Stevens= Grrrrreat times to be had.

Anywho... Tomorrow is another day of learning and living, so one must sleep to restart their brain.

Peace,
PHW