Hopscotch

Here you can see my braids - me with Nashesha and a few neighbor kids after an intense game of hopscotch!


Nashesha can fly!

The Weekend

Saturday I biked with Uncle Erik from his house to Erik Mdogo's house, almost 70 km round trip! He asked if I wanted to ride tandem or my own bike, and without much hesitation I picked the tandem so he couldn't leave me in the dust!! We got a lot of comments as we rode along, partly because we are white, but mostly because it is the only tandem bike in TZ. It was a lot of fun and I was only moderately sore the next day :) Erik Mdogo built a "cob house" made from mud and rice husks, pounded down so hard it's like cement. The second story was reached by a ladder and he had recently installed solar electricty and had a solar water tank outside. It was very cool.

Sunday morning before the wedding I had my hair braided at a local "saloon". Bernice assured me it wouldn't take long, but over 3 hours later it was finally done! I'll try to add a picture later :) The wedding lasted the whole day and into the night. I left early since the reception (at least the first reception) was in walking distance of the house so I went home and enjoyed my book.


Bernice, Nashesha, and Erik at the wedding reception

Pictures!

Bovey Castle, where we stayed in England


Helicopter ride from Bovey Castle back to London


Clayton playing a game with kids from the African Children's Choir, Kampala, Uganda


As a service project we "mudded" this hut for a widow and her family, north of Kampala


Cousin Nashesha holding her Webkinz, "Fluffy"


Erik and Bernice built this beautiful patio with lots of incredible plants on the back of their house

Send Off

Last night we went to Richard's future wife's "Send Off". The Send Off is sort of a mini wedding that the groom does not participate in as the family sends off their daughter. The future bride shows her sadness at leaving her family by not smiling the whole night. The send off often costs as much as the wedding itself! Major decorations, live band, DJ, MC, buffet meal, matching dresses for all the female members of the family, dancing, speeches, traditional and western wedding cakes etc. It started at 6 (officially), we arrived at 7:30-ish, meal was served at 11 pm and we left around midnight, just as the dancing got started. The highlight for me was when one of the bride's uncles grabbed Uncle Erik and started dancing with him. We Rowbergs are not typically known as wonderful dancers :)


The future bride Anna and her Maid of Honor. Behind them are two chairs up on the stage where they sat most of the night. Behind the chairs were flashing twinkle lights.


Traditional wedding "cake" - a whole roasted goat. Slices of cucumber and carrots are stuck in it.

Tanzania

Ok, so I haven't done very well at updating this, but we had limited electricity most of the time in Uganda. I'll try to write more about Uganda when I have time. Now I'm in Arusha with my uncle Erik, aunt Bernice and cousin Nashesha. She is 10 and I cannot believe how much that girl has grown in the last 1 1/2 years! She looks like a string bean, with the longest legs you've ever seen! (Mom, the flipflops are too small!) It is great to be here although it is quite cold and I'm wearing all the clothes I brought...at the same time. Sunday Shesha's cousin Richard (Bogoo) is getting married, so today we're going into town to pick up some dresses Bernice ordered. I brought Nashesha a Webkinz since that is the favorite toy of all the American 10-year olds in my life. So far it's a hit with her too :)