Graduation!

Our last day at Riverside Camp was duly commemorated with a graduation ceremony.  The other students got out of class for the last hour of the morning so they and the teachers present that day could celebrate with us.

We graduates had been asked to give speeches.  So we did a trilingual speech to give the other students an idea of what it's like to learn a language through another language that is not your first.  As André said (in Dutch)--and Dorien translated into Swahili, and I explained in English--this is how 66% of our group operated. :)

Proverbs and sayings are a prized aspect of Tanzanian culture.  Thus, we teased our teachers with a proverb for each of them of our own creation.  However, we explained (tongue firmly planted in cheek) that since we had learned how Tanzanians value indirect communication, we would call up other students to represent each teacher and read the proverbs.  I think everyone had fun with this; we certainly did.

More followed... we each gave our sincere thanks to our teachers, a few of the other students said a few words, and so did some of the teachers.  (Recognition ceremonies are important here!)  In the end, each graduate received his or her certificate.


We're done!  Hooray!  That is something to celebrate!

... and Fauna

I've already devoted blog entries to my more spectacular finds (giant stick insect, hippo).  But these creepy-crawlies are interesting, too.

I took this picture during my first week at camp.  All those little specks are ants.  They form long highways, piling on top of each other along the sides in countless numbers.  The camp staff would wipe them out, but the next day more would take their place!

A couple normal critters... supersized.

This one sure looks like a caterpillar--but then what does it turn into?

Seeing a locust in real life... they're BIG.

Millipede!  (discovered right outside my tent)

Big Ugly Bug

This photo earned me persecution from André, who accused me of cruelty to smaller beings because I nudged this thing back onto the road with the toe of my shoe so I could get its picture.  I was delighted to return the favor when he was later trying to photograph another hapless victim.

These lizards turn brilliant colors in the mating season.

Riverside Camp has its three macsots: the kanga, or guinea fowl.  As far as I can tell, their main purpose it to provide entertainment for the preschool set.  Michaja (and now Elisa) is determined to catch one.

Gallery of Iringa Flora

Otherwise known as:  Trees Do Funny Things Here!

Also pretty things.  I have seen several flowering types that erupt into color at the end of each branch.  This one I recognized... except that I thought it was a little plant that comes in a pot at Christmas time.  Here poinsetta trees are common decor.

Then there are trees that have creative ways of sheltering their seeds.  The example below is referred to as a Sausage Tree.  Each "sausage" is rock-hard, and easily a foot long.

The brittle "streamers" on this tree are at least two feet long.

So you have probably figured out that my botanical knowledge is limited.  I have no idea what to make of these things.  But this one really throws me:  It's like a tree grew, and then changed its mind as it sent out branches, prefering to become a cactus.  I'm serious--trunk of a tree, bark and everything; arms of a cactus, complete with stickers.

(And since taking this picture, I have discovered that these "trees" also produce flowers at their tips.)

Kids' Entertainment at Camp

Little kids are experts at finding amusement in everyday items.  Michaja and Elisa may not have a room full of toys here at Riverside, but they know there is fun to be had everywhere.  

Here Elisa (now a toddler!) keeps herself--and me--entertained by playing peek-a-boo at the entrance to my tent.

She kept it up until she had learned a new word (from hearing me say it so often): "Hi!"

Meanwhile Michaja has long ago discovered the many possibilities of her family's large laundy basket.

It's big enough for her to hide underneath... and then dramatically reappear!

Hippo Sighting

This actually happened in April.  I guess I forgot, or maybe I was working on getting other things posted (long process sometimes).  Still cool!

Living at Riverside Camp, I had heard stories of a hippo that was sometimes seen in the river.  (The camp really does sit alongside a river.)  "Yeah, right," I thought.  "This close to people and villages?"  I wrote the stories off as rumors told for the benefit of gullible newcomers, a legend for camp veterans to pass on, like seniors with freshmen.  Once we were in a classroom near the river, and Shona thought she heard something... "Maybe it's the hippo?"  Of course not, Shona.

Well.

May we never doubt Shona's instincts again, because it turns out there is indeed a hippo who meanders up and down the river during the rainy season when the river swells over its banks.  One evening André heard something while playing with Michaja at the playground... another student saw it... pretty soon a whole group of us was up on a huge rock overlooking the river.  Everyone was excited, pointing out the spots where the hippo had surfaced.

And me--I was bummed.  I hadn't gotten there soon enough.  So I decided to follow a trail that leaves the camp and runs along the river in hopes of seeing it as it continued its journey.  I knew of a place where you can sit high on the bank and command a good view of the river for quite a ways.  A couple others joined me, and we sat down to wait.

At one point I turned my head and discovered a sizeable spider in its web, not 18 inches from my face.  He was striking, so I amused myself by taking pictures of him while I waited.

To our joy and near unbelief, our vigil was rewarded!  We heard the hippo raise its head out of the water and give his distinctive snort.  He even humored us by picking a spot under the reeds along the opposite bank.  There he rested, submerged except for the top of his head.  In the picture you can see his light-colored nostrils and eye ridges.

Wow!  A wild hippo, wandering so near to where people live...!

My Banda's Guestbook

During most of my time at language school I lived in a stone banda--the word for a temporary dwelling--"cottage" being the closest word I can think of to describe it in English.  There are only a few of these at Riverside Camp, so they are generally reserved for families.  However, there have not been as many language students this spring as usual, so I was allowed to keep my banda for quite some time, even after Shona left and I was the only inhabitant.  My good fortune finally ran out, though, and I moved back into a tent a few weeks ago.  I miss my banda!  (Especially my indoor bathroom!!)  

And so, "In Memorium" of happier days, I thought I would introduce some of the visitors/co-residents I hosted there.

Of course, there must be some interesting spiders...

This beast spanned at least 4 inches with his legs.  He's also flat enough to be considered two-dimensional.  I'm proud of this one, because after I took his picture, I squashed him.  Shona didn't want him in her room for some reason...  It was fun to play the hero; makes one braver than one would normally be.

A few good reasons for using mosquito nets at night:

(both of these about 3 inches long)

(this one more like 4 inches)

The things about bugs on an unfamiliar continent, I decided, is that you have no idea what they will do when you flick them away.  Say you confront an insect of unknown species--does it fly or not?  This is crucial, because if it does, it may not travel in the direction you expect when you brush it away... you may suddenly find it in front of your face instead of across the floor.

Moths come in all sorts.  I found this one particularly striking.

Moving away from creatures with exoskeletons...

Geckos and lizards made occasional appearnces.  This guy was about 8 inches long.

These were more common.  Admittedly, this picture was taken during my Easter weekend tent stay (extra visitors at camp then), but his cousins found me in the banda after that.  (They were my famous "Warring Geckos"--chasing each other noisily all through the night.)  I felt some comraderie for this particular gecko... I was pretty miserable about living in the tent, and he seemed suitably pitiful with his stump of a tail.

Upon moving back into the banda after Easter, I discovered a stowaway in my backpack.  As in, I felt/heard something inside while pulling out my books.  I recovered from the surprise before my fugitive did, or at least he was easily scooped into this little basket and didn't even try to jump out until after I had taken him over to the Kamphuises' for Michaja's examination.  (She didn't look quite as closely into the basket after he made his escape attempts.)  Thanks to André for taking the great photo.

Finally, the mammals.  I will say this:  If it's larger than two or three inches, it's not a mouse in my book.  Obviously, I should not write my book in Africa, because "mice" here are easily 6 inches long (not including tails).  So no, it's not a kitten in the picture below.  (I hear there are giant rats the size of footballs.  But they're shy; Shona saw one, but I haven't.)

Doormice were my most common housemates, becoming a sort of mascot of the banda.  I kind of enjoyed them--they're so stinkin' cute.  On the other hand, there were worries about what they would get into and whether the leaky (thatched) roof was the worse for their tunneling.  Thus we waged a recurring war, with three of their number falling to my traps over the course of the 10 weeks.  Funny thing was, the most telling indication of their presence was at the bathroom sink: my bar of soap.  They loved it, nibbled at it nightly.  It was one of the easiest ways to get a glimpse of this critter.  (Strange!?!)

So long, farewell, all my little friends.  My tent (this time) has been comparatively lonely.  There was this ugly, nondescript bug once... but otherwise I just listen to geckos and other things outside the canvas.  (A gecko's scramble has its own peculiar sound.)  Now if I ever get a look at the bush baby that crossed over the top of my tent in just a few bounds... that would be cool!

Tumaini Center

Our Swahili teachers took us on a "field trip" to the Tumaini (Hope) Center, a refuge for pregnant teenagers with nowhere to go.  Here they find not only a place to live, but also some vocational training.  The girls learn to make various handcrafts--I've seen them for sale in town.  They also learn basic computer skills and other things to qualify them for getting jobs.  We really enjoyed our visit--everyone from the woman in charge to the students themselves were welcoming and happy to show us around.

Here a couple women (former students, I think) work on making dolls and animals out of brightly colored scraps of material.  (The scraps are the leftovers from tailors' shops in town.)

The girls had a break from class, thanks to our visit.  Both students and visitors introduced themselves, and their questions led to us teaching an impromptu foreign language class.  (We represtented Germany, Holland, Switzerland, and the USA--me.)  André started them off with an impossible-to-pronounce Dutch word--it actually means "terrible"--and that led to each of us sharing some oddball word or phrase from our own language.  (I showed how the Southern US has solved the problem of lacking a separate pronoun for you-plural by introducing "y'all".)

Here the weaving teacher demonstrates his craft.  But first he showed us the many steps necessary before the actual weaving can take place (spinning, etc.)... what a job!

The girls showed us their pottery workshop, also.

A big highlight of the visit was visiting Tumaini's little school, where former students (and others) can send their children.  We visited two classes and were serenaded by each.  Listening to all those shrill voices chant or sing in (almost) unison, I couldn't stop grinning.  They're so cute!  Here are some of the kindergarteners.  The short little girl in the center with her smiling mouth wide open really got into the performance, motions and everything.

The first grade class also showed us their math lesson.  They were doing simple addition using bottle caps as counters.  Here is one of the volunteers working a problem from the blackboard.

These girls were a little shy at first, but after they heard us commending the work they'd done in their notebooks, they started showing us every assignment they'd ever done.  From their expressions, I think they were either surprised that we were speaking to them in Swahili, or else they were clueless as to what we were trying to say!

Everything's Bigger in... Africa

Sorry, Texas.

I've been trying to get a good internet connection so I could share our discovery from last week.  This was our excitement before class that Tuesday: a giant stick insect!  We'd had a hard rain, and Alec found this thing wandering around the central camp buildings.  I've never seen a walking stick like this!

For the record, Alec stands 6-foot-7, so for this bug to span the length of his forearm is saying something.  He let it crawl all over him, to the delighted shrieks of his daughters.

Here you can see it expanding its (already remarkable) size.  By now it was a little freaked out by all the commotion, so it unfurled its funny round wings, curled up its tail, and stretched its two front legs straight out in front of him.

WOW!!!

Future Students

Not long before leaving for Tanzania, I found out that I would be attending language school at the same time as the Kamphuis family, who are also bound for Musoma.  In other words, I get four months to get to know some of my teammates before I even join the team.  I appreciate this blessing more every day.

It's especially fun because the Kamphuis children are likely to be among my students.  They're a little young at present, but it won't be long... :)  Then also, they speak Dutch (or baby-Dutch), so we'll see how it works out!

Michaja (Michaiah in English) is 3 years old, and Elisa just turned 1.  Shona and I practiced the Dutch birthday song in preparation for the big day.  Monday morning we actually got up in time for breakfast(!), and we did our best to sing along.  Elisa seemed to enjoy all of us adults making a big deal of her (for some reason unknown to the new one-year-old).  Here is their family: Michaja, Andre, Elisa, and Dorien.

This last week has been special for me, because Michaja has evidently accepted me into her circle of "ok" adults.  Last Sunday we visited a local church--a neat place, but the kids stayed with us throughout the service.  During the sermon I was able to help entertain Michaja, and I was surprised how easy it was.  I had absolutely nothing interesting in my bag (discounting the pocket knife, which I did not consider age-appropriate), but we had a grand time sitting quietly in the back row, making faces at each other.

Later that afternoon I decided to drop by the Kamphuis' banda and see if Michaja would play with me.  She didn't want to leave Mama and Papa, so I hung around with her on their front porch.  When the topic of going for a walk came up again, I offered to take her to the children's play area in camp.  Dorien and Andre asked her if she wanted to go with me, and she was undecided... until I asked for the Dutch word for playground.  "Michaja, do you want to come with me to the speeltuin?"  She immediately took my hand and set off down the trail, an amazed Lyndy in tow.  And that day was just the beginning.

It can't be easy for a three-year-old to go through all the transition Michaja is experiencing, but she seems to be doing really well.  I think she is getting used to life at Riverside and enjoying it.  With students from all over Europe and North America, the common language is English.  Meanwhile we're all practicing the Swahili phrases we learn, even the older kids here.  So Michaja parrots everything, and I don't know if she has any idea what language she's speaking!  It's really cute how she will repeat anything we say to her, even imitating the intonation in a sing-song voice.  An early "English" phrase she picked up was "Whurdit go?"  Given a little time, she'll be trilingual!

I'm looking forward to working with these girls, to whatever extent I can.  This picture was taken on a field trip we took the Friday before last.  (First piggy-back ride.)

Tanzanian Cooking Class

Last Friday our teachers gave us a project day instead of our normal lessons.  They showed us how to make a bunch of different Tanzanian foods--and let us participate!  (We also learned a ton of new vocabulary in the process... including what has to be one of my favorite Swahili words: pili pili ho ho -- it's a pepper!)

Coconuts are used for a lot of things, especially in the coastal areas.  We cracked them open with a solid metal pestle (you know, "mortar and pestle").  Shona's broke open a lot more neatly than mine. :)

To get the coconut "meat" out of the shell, we sat on these special stools, nicknamed "goats."  On one end is a stick with a rounded blade at the end.  By rolling the coconut half over the blade--over and over--we scraped out all the good stuff.

They use the coconut mostly for what you can squeeze out of the white "meat."  In order to get this "juice" you pour a little warm water onto your mound of coconut shavings and squeeze it out, yeilding a nice rich liquid.  You repeat the process a few times, but that "first milk" is the best.  It gets saved, to be added last into what you're cooking.

Then there the rice.  The mills here don't have machinery specialized enough to get all the tiny bits of things out of the rice, so you have to do that.  First you go through and pick out any little stones you can see... as demonstrated by Dorien and Andre.

Then you sort out the lighter, invisible things using the large flat basket.  One of the verbs we learned was for that process; my best translation for that one word is: "toss rice up in the air so that the little bits of chaff(?) float away."  In this picture, I think Dorien and I were laughing about how much rice we'd managed to slosh out of the basket.

Another thing I enjoyed was making sambusas.  They are made with strips of dough folded into a triangular pocket; ground meat, onions, and maybe other things go inside.  Then it's fried.  The process for the dough alone is daunting... it gets rolled out, stacked, partially cooked, folded, cut, peeled apart... I forget it all.  But I love the finished product.

After working from 8:00 to 2:00, we finally were able to enjoy the feast we'd prepared.  I admit, I enjoyed the preparing more than some of the dishes themselves... not used to it all yet. :)  But it was a great experience, and we were all proud of ourselves!