almost-goodbyes, cooking, and parties

Let me start by saying, happy 4th of July!

I have spent quite a bit of time at the computer the past few days...and yet I haven't blogged or posted much!

I'm working on a few brochures/web updates for the Mission here. I love this sort of thing, and while it is simple enough to sit in front of a computer and format things, it doesn't get me into a very bloggy mood. I don't feel like just sitting and typing some more.

I'm leaving here Saturday morning at 2:40. Only 2 more days in this beautiful place!!   Leaving is going to feel so surreal, just as coming here initially felt surreal.
Also, I can't say this enough: I have been so thankful for the love and support I have received while I have been here! Thank you!

I have also been blessed with many friendships here, and I am excited to keep them going and (someday! Lord willing!) be Burundi-bound once more.

...but this is not time for goodbye. Not yet, anyways. There is still much to be written about.

Yesterday, I cooked dinner with my friends Alphonsine and Whitney.

It was the real African experience.
We went to the local market that sits right outside the mission gate (it is so much smaller than the big one I've been to a few times) to buy the needed items.
For less than $5, we got:

• 3 onions
• 3 tomatoes
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 7 carrots
• one bell pepper
• 1/2 kilo of cassava (tapioca) flour
• one cube of chicken bullion
• 3 large bananas
• 5 mandarins

It was a good haul. We got back to her house and scrubbed the veggies, sliced them up, and stuck them in a pot.

Of course, we first had to prep our stove with charcoal. This took some time, and I looked on in shock as my friend lit her charcoals with a plastic bag.
I told her I would be happy to find scrap paper. She said she was all good.
Oh dear.
I do NOT recommend lighting plastic bags to start fires.
But we were okay (I think)
The charcoals were lit, our veggies were simmering, and we had a good conversation while we waited for our meal to cook.

After the veggies had simmered, Alphonsine added some mukake to the dish.
Mukake is the local fish. It's traditionally eaten whole. 

Annd, the food simmered some more.

Lemon was needed, so we found a lemon tree nearby and picked a lemon.

I can't get over the novelty of having fruit trees. In the states, of course there's apple, pear, and peach trees, but they aren't quite as exciting as say, orange, passionfruit, mango, guava, tangerine, avacado, breadfruit, and lemon trees are.

A lemon was squeezed in, and we waited some more.

Cooking this way was relaxing. It's pretty much waiting, sitting around the pot and inhaling the mouth-watering odors.

After some time, everything had cooked.

It was time to make the ugali.

Now, I have posted a picture and blogged about ugali. I have eaten the sticky, playdough-y stuff. BUT, I have never made it, so this was an experience!

We sifted the flour, boiled water, added the flour to the water, and stirred.

That's all there is to it!

...except the stirring? It takes some major muscles.

When our feast was ready, we sat around a small table with our citron (lemon fanta...but it must be said with a French accent. Citron!)
After praying, we ate with our hands (after washing them well!)

Now there is an art to African eating. I have yet to master this art. I was taught well (enough) in the way of fork-welding growing up that I have lost the knack that I was born with: eating with the hands.

Babies have it figured out!

To eat ugali, you pinch off a small ball of it and roll it around in your hands. You flatten it and use it as a spoon to scoop up sauce.

It's pretty tasty and super filling. 


After our feast, we took some time to say goodbye.

In this culture, speeches are very important. Alphonsine has been a great friend to me, taking me to market, showing me around a wedding ( I blogged about it in 3 parts!), and being so welcoming and generous. I was very thankful for her!

On another note, it is acceptable, even expected, for one to throw their own parties. Baby showers, weddings, birthdays, going away parties...
As I am getting ready to leave, and as I have made many friends with the teachers here, it is appropriate for me to throw myself a goodbye party tomorrow.

...so I am, in the Burundian fashion (though Joy is orchestrating most of it...shh!)
The Burundian idea of a very good party is one where everyone sits around, drinks a citron, eats some cake, and makes speeches.
The thrower of the party makes a speech about how they are glad everyone came. The guests each make a speech about how glad they are that they were invited. And so on and so forth. This will be a good final African experience for me.

I will be sad to make this goodbye 'speech'. I really hate goodbyes.