A day of crossing cultures-part 1
"Please pass the sugar."
A few weeks ago, on a Friday, I headed out for an adventure of crossing cultures. Mariamu had asked if I could bring her younger siblings to the city to see real airplanes at the airport. We decided to make a day of it.
The morning was my chance to learn. I headed out early to her home (takes about 45 min) in the village of Bukaga. Her younger brother, Lumweja, was waiting for me. I parked the car and followed him on little foot paths, about 15 min out to their fields. There was Mariamu and her mother and older brother, hoeing and planting. I came a bit late (8:30- they start at 7 and finish each day before the sun gets too hot), so there was only one row left to hoe. I watched and tried my hand at making the massive piles of dirt. Then we went through, sowing small green bean seeds, and sticking cuttings of cassava and sweet potatoes in the mound. They plant 4 different foods in each of the large mounds. The plants mature at different times. Cassava can take up to 2 years! After planting, they continue to hoe up weeds and wait for rain. It is such a foreign concept to this westerner to be so dependent on God's gift of rain for one's food.
By 9:30 we were back at Mariamu's parents' house. We had tea and chapatis (like greasy tortillas-yum!) Mariamu's mom thanked me in her broken Swahili (she knows only her tribal tongue, Kisukuma) for coming. Mariamu explained, because of the large family (11 children) they can't afford sugar or flour for a tea and chapatis (normally they have only ugali). A special guest means special food! Oh- my heart groaned as I looked around the room at all the kids sitting on the floor gulping down their tea and chapatis! How rich I am. When did my family growing up in America ever not have enough sugar or flour?