My homestay experience has been wonderful so far. Bangata is a very friendly place and I feel very safe here. Kiswahili lessons in the morning fly by and then we have the afternoons to ourselves. Today we hung out at the center and relaxed for a while before heading home. We found a route to school that goes along a road. It is a little bit longer, but it is a lot easier than trying to climb the path through the ravine and across the river! Mama takes very good care of me (her "baby") at home. Her children are all away at school, so all of her motherliness gets taken out on me! Today, mama taught me to make chipati. Mmmmm! With the exception of some questionable meat, the food here is amazing! She said it was "chicken" but it definitely wasn't the parts of a chicken I am used to eating!
As we walk down the streets of Bangata we hear shouts of "wazungu" from all around. It is interesting to see how people respond to this. Some parents have advised students to reply with "mafrica!" Others just wave and continue walking. The term is not meant in a derogatory sense (usually) but it just shows how rarely these people see foreigners.
Tomorrow we are going into Arusha for a practical Kiswahili lesson at the post office and a restaurant. I am looking forward to mailing some letters and going online. We re pretty much cut off from the world up here a mile up Mt. Meru! We are on our own to get back to Bangata before dark, so hopefully I can catch a dala dala and not have to hike all the way up!
No comments:
Post a Comment