African Easter Sunday

I would be lying if I say I didn’t miss the Easter Party and copious amount of chocolate and pie from back home… But Easter in Africa is pretty amazing. We attended the church service at the church by our house, and it is probably one of my favorite services ever! Not only was the coir music incredible, but the church was beautiful, and listening to hymns and choir pieces in Swahili is so interesting. From what I got from the message and from what our host mama interpreted for us it was a similar message to your average Easter service sermon, but with more of an emphasis on how Easter is also a time to spend with your family. Allie and I also got to introduce ourselves to the giant congregation… Somehow I wound up going first and in front of about 4 or 5 hundred people I stumbled through very basic introduction…  Habari za asabuhi. Jina langu Andrea, ninatoka Mericani, sijui Kiswahili… I am a student  and here in Tanzania I am studying African culture, history, politics, and Kiswahili…. Right after I said it I realized I know all of those words in Swahili… *facepalm moment* But my host family and the church secretary later told me and Allie that they were so happy we tried, so I guess it is the thought that counts! Anyways, after church we hung out with our host family and low and behold… THE TV HAS CARTOON NETWORK, DISNEY CHANNEL, AND OTHER CHANNELS WITH HAWAII 5-0 AND FRIENDS! Allie and I were thrilled and our host parents thought it was hilarious. We only found this out because our host parents eldest daughter was visiting with her family and the kids were watching tv shows… Also, I was wrong before… She has a set of twin boys, a single boy, and triplets 2 girls and a boy… All under the age of ten… If there were ever super parents… Those were them. I commend and am in awe of those parents… Though in all honesty the kids seemed really well behaved, as most African children are. Mama says we will be visiting them on the 1^st of May, which I am very excited for! Before the family left Allie and I ran into our room and got the few little gifts we had for children, when we came out everyone was looking at us… We then attempted to explain that in America we have an Easter bunny (probably the most confusing tradition to explain)… Thank goodness our host parents had had the explanation last night and their daughter already knew about it, other-wise that explanation could have been terribly long and awkward. The kids loved the bubbles and toy cars and everyone was thrilled with the gifts. When the family left, Allie and I spent an hour or two planning our lives and getting everything in order and making lists… And watching friends and Hawaii 5-0… After the 1960’s Jesus’s life and works special dubbed in Swahili of course. After that we had lunch… Pilau and nyama… Aka PIlau ( a mix of seasonsings) seasoned rice, and meat. With a tomato and red onion salad. Traditional African Easter food!!! Soooo good! The rest of the way was filled with homework… Which we still have not finished… It is looking like it will be another day of hunkering down and essay writing, job applications, and movies… and sleeping. Not a bad day if you ask me but I am looking forward to Tuesday and moving and walking. At dinner we came out and chatted with our host brother who had come to visit, he is a 21 year old law student and was really interested in the school system in the US, and was wondering if things were really like in the movies. It was great, after dinner which was pilau and ndizi mbichi ( raw banana stew.. I promise it is nothing like it sounds… It is amazing) we talked for a while until he left and then Allie and I stayed up late working on applications…. We also each got a little hershey’s Minnie that Allie and saved from her America candy stock pile and was kind enough to share, we also got to read Easter letter’s from family. It was an amazing day!