Thursday, January 10, 2008

HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

So last night at dinner Neema and I had such a laughing fit! Neema is on staff here as well and we get on really well. She has been taking her Christmas break at Regina’s house so when I have been there on the weekends we have been spending a lot of time together. Her English is very good so we are able to joke and have fun together. She just came back to the base yesterday and already it feels like a more exciting place to be. But last night at dinner, I don’t know if you have ever experienced this, but it happens to me sometimes here, last night at dinner, I forgot I was white.

Because I spend all day with black people and I never think of myself as being any different, occasionally the sight of my own skin surprises me. We were naving a nice meal of makande (beans and maize, one of my new favorites) and a good conversation and I saw my hand and thought “whoa. I’m white.” And not just like “I’m so white I need a tan la la” like, “I am not a black person.” Well, I have never mentioned this before but last night I did and the whole table cracked up! But Neema and I were laughing for almost ten minutes… you know that kind of laugh where just when you get it under control the other one cracks a smile and then you both are at it again… it was fun!

My for-real roommate arrived yesterday as well. Elietha from the photo down below has gone to another base in Lukobe near here to work on a school there and Paulina/Kapesa returned from her holiday today. It is nice to have someone in the room who I can communicate with! Things are getting back to normal after the holidays so it's good.

We’ve set the dates for the school and if all goes according to plan it will start on the 21st of February. This is great for me as it gives me plenty of time to get familiar with the curriculum and to find and work with the other teacher(s). I am asking God for eight or nine students and one or two other teachers. You can pray for a woman , Josephine who is home with her family in Kenya, we are hoping that she will be released to come and staff the English School.

The other awesome thing that happened this week is that I found out that my friend Silje is engaged!!!! Regina and I prayed that I would be able to go to the wedding since I was planning a visit to Norway on my way home from here anyway and turns out the wedding is 8 days after the English school finishes!!! Just enough time to get there. I am SOOOOO EXCITED! And so thankful! And SOOOOO HAPPY for Silje and Benjamin!!!!

Also, many have asked about mailing things. My address here is:
Ashley Horton
Youth With a Mission
Box 6123
Morogoro
Tanzania
East Africa

There is a reasonably good chance of things getting here but a good rule is, if it is so valuable that you will be upset if I don't get it, don't send it. Small packages and letters are usually fine from what I understand and I'm a great penpal when I am away from home so I can promise to write back. Now is a great time to start that stamp collection you have always dreamed of...

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

That sounds so wonderful! I read all the blogs I missed while I was in Wisconsin, yes, I got my white Christmas!!!! and I can't wait to hear about all your meat eating adventures! I'm so glad things are going well. Thank you for my b-day wishes. I miss you!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

holy crap, ash... that was hysterical.... YOU'RE WHITE!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Reading this blog I am reminded of one of my favorite lines from the movie version of HAIRSPRAY - "This is not a black & tan cocktail" - uttered by the fabulous Michelle Pfeiffer, in all her deliciously campy glory.

Anonymous said...

Gee, I guess in all those years of upbringing that was one thing that I never really thought I had to point out :) Glad you had a day that made you smile.
Love you,
Mom

Angela said...

I just dropped in to check on you and was excited to see you had posted. That is really funny! I was just looking at the picture of me with our Haitian children just today and thinking "Man, I'm ridiculously white." I think I at least need to hit a spray tan booth or something. My whiteness is blinding next to them!

I have many friends that have adopted young children from Haiti and Africa and some of the adopted kids will point at baby pictures of their white siblings and insist it's a picture of them.

Color blindness ROCKS!!! Thanks for checking in with my family too. I had no idea I was the least bit famous-- that cracked me up!

Keep having fun. I can't wait to hear what happens next.

Joyfully,
Angela