A few of my favorite things

1. The custom and ritual of morning chai at 10:30 am each morning. The chai is hot, sweet, and milky. It is so nice to have a break in the middle of the morning with my teaching colleagues. Schools in the U.S. should adopt this practice at once.

2. When people knock at the door they say, Hodi! and the person inside answers, Karibu! (you are welcome, please come in) Such a welcoming and warm feeling.

3. The way the faces of the Maasai people transform when they smile. At rest their faces are very stoic. When they smile, the smile lights up their whole face and shines on you: the lucky recipient. I have never seen such beautiful smiles in my life.

4. In the afternoon when you meet others you say, Pole (polay). This means sorry. In this case you are saying that you are sorry they have had a long day of work. You can also say pole if you see someone carrying a big load, or working hard. This is a caring greeting, to acknowledge your hard work. It is immensely encouraging.

5. This week I handed out a photocopy of the English parts of speech to each student for them to keep. I felt like I was giving out college scholarships or something! I was surprised at how extremely excited they became when they realized they could keep the paper; saying thank you in English, Kiswahili, and Kimaasai! In the U.S., half of my students would have left their papers on the desk or on the floor. I even received a You are a very good teacher! Amazing.

6. In Kiswahili you words generally end with a vowel sound. So its difficult for students to say, for example, road or tent. They would say road-ee or tent-ee. So I love that when I tell them they will have a test they all repeat, Test-ee? Test-ee? Ah, if you cant find humor in that, youre just not trying.

7. All of the random wildlife that just becomes a part of life here. Roosters, chickens, dogs, cats, donkeys, goats, sheep, cows, spiders, huge insects, and so on.

8. The crazy weather: one minute hot and sunny, the next a complete downpour.

9. The magnificent landscape: the Monduli mountains, Lashaine, Mt. Meru, the fields, trees, hills, and valleys. Everything is beautifully green from the rains.

10. How loving and warm the students are. They get excited when they see me every time. Mrs. Remple! Mrs. Remple! How are you? Where are you going?

11. The wry sense of humor of the Tanzanians.

12. The samosas, chocolate cake, and internet access at the Patisserie in Arusha. (In that order!)

13. The coffee shakes at McMoodys in Arusha.

14. The winegum candies at Shoprite in Arusha.

15. My alarm clock of sunrise and hearing the water rushing into the pipes plus the ever-present roosters.

16. The daily practice of respecting your elders. When you meet an elder you must greet them with the word: Shikamoo (may I kiss your feet a million times). They respond: Marahaba (only once or twice). It is nice, no?

17. Greeting. For example when you are walking down the road and you see a complete stranger you might have a conversation that goes like this: Hujambo. Sijambo. Habari za asubuhi? Safi. Na we we? Salaama, asante. Kwaheri. In Tanzania, you must greet everyone you meet absolutely. It gets tiring, but it forces you to interact with those around you. You must actually SEE your neighbor and interact with them even just in passing. This makes you part of a community, whether you like it or not!

18. That you can buy fresh bread for the equivalent of $.60 and get a weeks supply of fresh vegetables for around a dollar. Yum.

19. Drinking coke from glass bottles and returning the bottle when finished to be recycled.

20. How every child you meet, once they see you are a mzungu (white folk), say loudly, Good Morning, even if it is late afternoon.

21. The snake park for burgers, beer, fellowship, water fill-up; and the occasional view of snakes, crocodiles, and Tonys favorite: a vulture.

22. Jean and Marv who have taken excellent care of us.