One of the other things that is different about the schools here is that they students do have so much more respect for the teachers. One way that they demonstrate this is to stand up and say Good Morning Sir whenever I enter the classroom. They won’t sit down until I tell them too in Swahili. It is still funny to me that they do it but I am slowly getting used to it.
The attention that I have been getting for being an American however, has gotten really old. In some ways I am used to it but in others I am not. I am basically like a celebrity wherever I go in that people always greet me first, they always feed me first, everyone always says hi to me on the street, people always tell me how grateful they are that I am here, kids will sing songs and dance for me, people give up their seats on the dala dala, etc. My family also still gives me their utmost attention. My younger brothers never want me to be alone and so will watch me study. My younger brother has asked to sleep in my same bed (since he normally sleeps with is brother) but I think that would be way to much. There is not that much privacy in the Mexican or Hispanic cultures but sometimes I feel like it is a lot worse here. So if anyone wants to get the feeling about how it feels to be a celebrity come to Africa and you will get your chance. I can so relate to celebrities saying they can’t go anywhere with out being noticed now!
We killed another chicken this week. Last time they killed it at the neighbors but this time they killed it out by the front porch. Thank god I didn’t have to watch it and I was busying cooking atole so I didn’t have to hear it. I told them that in America people have meat for almost every meal but they still don’t believe me. We only have meat to eat about once or twice a week and each person only gets like a half of cup of meat. For example, when we had chicken everyone only got a little leg. The chickens are smaller here too, since they are natural, so people really don’t eat that much meat.
I found out that one of the students at my school speaks a little bit of Spanish and wants me to teach him more. I am not for sure how the kid found out that I knew Spanish but he just randomly came in my Swahili lang class one day and asked my teacher when I would be able to talk with him etc. I was really surprised!
One day this week my brother got out of school at the same time I did and so he gave me a ride on his bike. At first I didn’t want to ride on the back of his bike since I didn’t think it was comfortable but he kept asking me since he didn’t want to have to ride so slow while I walked home. I have seen many people ride on the bikes before like that. I have even seen 3 people ride on one bike (one on the back and one on the front bar!). It was more comfortable than I thought but everyone that saw me riding started laughing and yelling even more than they usually do! I know that there are not that many white people that ride on bikes like that so I guess they have to take advantage of the opportunity when they get the chance!
Ramdan finally ends this upcoming week so we get off on either Thurday or Friday to participate in the celebration. I will have to tell you about it next week. I am not for sure if you heard but one of the VP candidates died (Tanzanian) so they are postponing the elections until December. One of my Father’s sisters died too so most of my family has been in Dar es Salaam these past few days. My grandpa that was staying with us finally got all healed up and went back to his village this week. It was sad to see him go. He was really a funny grandpa. However we now have another aunt staying with us and I think another cousin. The fun never ends!