Out of Africa, Part 3: Pool , Pizza, and Party!

Saturday, July 18

Though Jason was responsible for Chai time* at the school work site yesterday (*hot tea and African doughnuts served to and enjoyed by the workers while one of the team leaders shares an Old Testament story - in swahili, of course); and both he and Roxanne attended a team meeting in the afternoon, today their official "vacation" began for the duration of our stay.

Yippee! That first day of vacation always provides such a free, hopeful feeling! We all agreed that it would be great to spend the day lounging at the pool and enjoying the sunshine, so we headed to a beautiful Zanzibari hotel. The admission fee allowed us to spend the entire day enjoying the pool as well as a generous lunch in the lovely outdoor restaurant there. Annikah made a beeline for the water, and anyone who agreed to spend a little time with her in the pool became her instant "best friend." It was a lovely setting overlooking the beach. We nearly had the pool to ourselves.

We enjoyed a delicious feta and spinach pizza at the lovely outdoor restaurant. We hadn't expected to find such good pizza in Africa!

Annikah had fun playing on the African-style playground equipment. Even Bibi got in on the fun!
We headed home about mid-afternoon so the ladies - Roxanne, Annikah, and I - could get dressed to attend a local party. I must admit to feeling a little nervous, but was also excited for the opportunity to experience some true local culture. I felt honored to have received my own individual printed invitation to the event. Everyone seemed to know that Bibi and Babu had arrived!

So I'm still not sure what the celebration was for - but I guess it was a sort of religious celebration that the Muslim people have from time to time for their children. The little boy honored this day was just a year old. The parties are attended only by the women and children. The host had laid down straw mats to cover the entire outside surface where the party was held, which I was grateful for, because everyone sits on the floor (ground) and no one has grass or manicured lawns - just plain dirt! Even though the party was outside, we still removed our shoes upon arriving. Once the music began, most of the women and children were up dancing. It got really wild when the women started waving money! Roxanne was grabbed by a friend right away and pulled right into the middle of all the dancing and partying, so I just sat and watched. The women and children sitting near me enjoyed staring at me, and it was a really strange feeling not to be able to talk or even really comprehend the experience. The music (?) was more like an irritating wailing, and so loud that Jason and Jim, at home a few blocks away and hoping to nap, had no such luck. They were subjected to the music, too, for the duration of the party. All of the guests were given a "party bag" filled with African foods (fried meat pie and other such "treats") to take home; and I had to laugh because most of the bags were Mickey Mouse. Who knows where they came from! The picture below shows Feisal, the boy who was being celebrated. What a little doll!

The "band" was made up of a group of men - the only ones present at the party, except for a videographer.
The girls all wear complete headcoverings, just like the women.
Roxanne and Anni are getting ready to party!

This is Hans' oldest daughter, Natsia, dancing with an African friend. Hans's wife, Doro, and her three daughters attended with us, which helped me feel not quite as strange as I might have.
Here I am, taking it all in!I loved being able to personally experience an actual social event similar to what Annikah and Roxanne go to quite regularly. The children are all so beautiful, and they loved being photographed. They would pose and then laugh when they saw their image on the camera. As I looked around at the crowd I couldn't help but imagine how different my life is from the women there. Most have never been off the island, and the only life they know is regulated by rules and observances; sharing a husband with one or more other wives; raising a family with few conveniences or opportunities outside of their home; a home that in many cases is nothing more than a hut. It made me so grateful for my own life. I am humbled, and hope and pray that I will meet each new day with gratitude for the abundant blessings of opportunity, monogamy, riches in family and friends, freedom in Christ, and hope for the future.