Auf dem Dorf Sometimes I have the feeling to know the Tanzanian life now. After all, I live numehr about 6 months in Tanzania, along with a Tanzanian in the house, together with Tanzanian friends in my spare time and with Tanzanian colleagues at work.
But a short trip to a village near Kyela me once again taught a lesson. For there is "the" Tanzanian life is not easy. I know now, perhaps, what it is like to live in a Tanzanian town, but life in the village is pretty different.
morning at 9, it timidly knocked at our front door. Jose, the son of Mama Jose (Who would have have thought it?) a friend of Anna, came to me and our two bikes to pick up.
I was there, my bike also but unfortunately Jonas was his way, so I first had to organize another bike. A friend
could unfortunately not help because he and his family took all the bicycles, but in Itunge at my host parents, I finally found and went with Jose on the bike my host brother to the house of Mama Jose.
were there for me then first plantains with fish (Mmm, yummy, we would have liked but I gave the fish to the cat ...) before I opened it with Mama Jose after Ipande.
Ipande is a small village about 25 kilometers von Kyela entfernt. In dem Dorf wohnen die Eltern von Mama Jose, die wir besuchen wollten. Es gibt zwei Wege dahin, auf dem Hinweg nahmen wir den beschwerlichen durch den Wald und über kleine Wege, die zwar matschig und rutschig waren, dafür aber im Schatten lagen. Auf dem Weg dahin kamen uns immer wieder Lastenfahrräder mit vollen Kanistern entgegen, die Ulanzi vom Dorf in die Stadt brachten. Zu Ulanzi später mehr.
Ansonsten konnte man die Ruhe der Natur genießen, es ging zwischen großen Feldern und Wäldern voller Bananenstauden und Kakaobäumen hindurch, und bis auf die wenigen Leute, die uns entgegen kamen herrschte wirklich eine schöne Stille, unterbrochen nur von Vogelgezwitscher. Dazu konnte ich von Ferne den Mount Rungwe see, we had climbed the last week in Tukuyu and from far higher and steeper looked. Arrived in
Ipande it was of course immediately to the parents but it was once the brother visited with his family. Of course, there was a great excitement and we were greeted warmly, I very naturally. When I even took out my Kinyakyusa block form, everyone was thrilled. Kinyakyusa is the language of Wanyakyusa, one of the tribe is located near Kyela. In a tribe can be thought about the Basques in Europe, has its own language, its own culture, a very strong identification with the tribe and other similarities. It has nothing to do with the image of Africans dancing in front of straw huts that perhaps the word "tribe" has in mind.
Back to Language: Kinyakyusa is in Kyela hardly spoken when there will only be welcome, in the villages, however, there are also people who can not speak Kiswahili.
The language itself, at least the welcome, the important thing is not that difficult, you have to string together only sent the three words "Mugonile", "Ndaga" and "Tununu.
And so was I so admired because of my language skills and showered with food. Fortunately I was able to choose between cooking bananas and ugali, so I do not compulsorily had to be content with the porridge. These were delicious freshly harvested and roasted corn on the cob, really tasty. And as a drink, there was not as in the city for guests usual, a soda (Coke, Fanta ...) but rather that Ulanzi, which still had the bike brought to us by the city. Ulanzi, bamboo sap, which is collected from freshly trimmed bamboo rods. He is slightly alcoholic, but tastes refreshing.
the talks although I was often - because of Kinyakyusa - not follow, but the people who were there were talking of course with me and asked me about my interest in working with solar. It was even too someone like this, I think a cousin of Mama Jose, we wanted to visit the office to learn more about our systems.
strengthened by the corn and thankfully despite the sun still drunk from bamboo juice it went, this time to the village square. There we met
many many friends of Mama Jose, which of course everyone wanted to be welcomed. But this place was unfortunately a bit too much to drink Ulanzi, so unfortunately the villagers drunk by noon to 2 right sat together in groups, listened to music and stories. Of course these were only a few villagers and of course looks like it is not in every village as in Ipande, but it was the sight of this central square is not very nice. For an alcohol problem, I know from Kyela not just during the day I meet on the street still had not drunk.
went there to the house of a friend where it was unfortunately also very much Ulanzi where I was but just welcomed so warmly welcomed.
And finally, I thought I had seen their parents already, we went a bit further up to the house of the parents. They were really old and looked at me with really big eyes, especially when I with "Mugonile mama, baba mugonile" spoke. Very nice. Since the parents were not only the house but also a very large property, I was still walking a bit and was even two pods (really tasty) and take several freshly harvested oranges (Still very acidic).
As we wanted to get rid of, nor a man came by with a bicycle, had great time on the racks a large bag of old pots. The recycle he wanted to (leave?), But instead to buy Mama Jose's parents, the pots, they were exchanged for several packets of salt. Also new to me, in the city there is not, and on the village, it is also by no means the rule, but that there still exist such a barter transaction, astonished me. Then it was back then
, the sun was not as strong from the sky und als wir dann endlich in Kyela ankamen, war es auch schon dunkel. Passend zu meinem „Dorftag“ war natürlich der Strom mal wieder ausgefallen.
Ein schöner, wenn auch anstrengender, Ausflug, bei dem ich ein doch irgendwie verdammt anderes Tansania kennen gelernt habe.
