A Bionic Woman and a Lizard Wedding

Hujambo from Tanzania!

My life continues to be full of surprises and adventures. So many things that are "taken for granted" in the U.S. can become a major challenge here. I have a cute roommate in my little cement house that I call Larry. He's a tiny lizard about 3 inches long who is awesome at keeping the mosquito population manageable.

It is very difficult to find a stamp for a post card or letter and even harder to mail (for me, it involves taking a raggedy taxi into the village and HOPING the driver can find the tiny Post Office!) Clothes "shopping"is even harder. Seldom are clothes pre-made for women. If you wish traditional fabric and dress, there are many places available to do so, most at very reasonable prices. I went into a little shop with a friend to pick up the dress they had made for her. The tailor held up a blanket (rather small) as she tried it on -- good thing it only needed minor alterations! I had a pair of slacks made from a hand-printed batik fabric that ended up being large enough for at least 2 people to wear (although they had actually taken my measurements). When I showed them how big they were on me and asked (nicely) to have them taken in, they ended up way too short and still very baggy, but they ARE comfy! As we say here Hakuna Matata - "no problems, no worries!"

Cleanliness is, Well You Know

I've been on a "cleanliness campaign" at the prison lately. I announced the other day, that it is NOT bad to be poor, but there's no excuse to be filthy. I'm embarrassed when visitors come to the prison and see trash and mud everywhere -- "this is your home. No reason to smell like a pigpen!!" The next morning when I arrived at work, ALL of the prisoners were standing in a line in the front yard along with the warden to greet me. (VERY unusual, since there are normally only 2 or 3 boys with bundles of sticks "sweeping" the front yard so we look wonderful for the outside world). This day, the warden greeted me with "Mama Pati, smell the boys!" I'll admit that this is about the STRANGEST thing anyone's ever said to me! With trepidation, I approached my first lanky prisoner and was astonished to find he not only had showered and brushed his teeth, but scrubbed his "wardrobe" and had on clean clothes! I found that the boys took turns wearing someone else's clothes while they washed their own until EVERYONE was clean.

I was thrilled to find the entire prison had been scrubbed. The warden then asked me to check the smell of their cell. I will admit that I was VERY nervous because I had been in there BRIEFLY the day before, and I thought I'd throw up from the smell. Much to my delight, the beds were all made, the floor and walls scrubbed and even the toilet wasn't totally disgusting this time! The boys were almost as excited as I was, and there were many happy hugs!!! For a special treat, we cancelled Math for the day, and spent the day beading necklaces and bracelets. When I asked one boy why he wasn't beading, he told me the warden said he had to make his bed and brush his teeth first! (Yaa -- I AM making a difference!)