holy crap i'm so bored right now.....

Butterball turkey, yum. How does one write that sound that homer simpson makes when he's drooling? That's the one I'm making right now.
I did decide, however, that enough is enough, and after writing on Wednesday in town, went to the 'Mzungu' supermarket and bought a super expensive packet of italian sausage/pepperoni thingees. Set me back about 3k shillings (something like $2.50). But it was worth it, and my ColdCutCombo craving has indeed been fed. Multiple times. Cuz I made like 3 sandwiches that night, since I don't have a fridge. And I didn't want to blow the whole $2.50 on one of my makeshift cooling systems that I occasionally use for other things (a bowl of water, a hole in the dirt outside that i water, asking my neighbors).

Even if I did have a fridge, which again, I don't, it wouldn't do me a ton of good here. Granted I do have electricity unlike some volunteers, but it's not incredibly reliable. It cuts out maybe twice a week for at least a couple of hours, and has, like clockwork, been cut for the entire day every saturday for about 3 months now. Yet people still seem baffled when I tell them I don't have a fridge, nor do I see the practicality in buying one. Maybe that stems from the fact that, if my host family was representative at all of Tanzanians, they tend to use their refrigerators to cool beverages, basi, that's it.

So what's new? Nothing. I am so bored it is unbelievable. Having electricity cut every Saturday sure doesn't help. This weekend, I was hoping there would be at least some excitement with the scheduled national elections. Well, on Wednesday or Thursday, the days blur together here so much at this point that I couldn't remember which day for the life of me, one of the candidates for Vice President died. So, according to the constitution, a 60-day mourning period/publicity blitz for the new guy is in order, and elections are now scheduled for mid December. Which leaves this weekend----eventless. Maybe that's why I'm writing so much on this blog - I don't even think I would be updating so often in the states with 24/7 access to internet, but I sometimes feel there's just nothing better to do here (which is not true, but doesn't prevent me from interneting more than i should. oh, and did I mention the internet 'cafe', meaning 2 computers in a little closet, has air conditioning? :-)

On a positive note, after a good 5 days of cooking myself dinner at home, I finally went to my neighbors to eat there. I practically had to, they send a few of the kids to come fetch me every day, and always look a bit dejected if I decline. So I went, and I was so glad I did! I quickly remembered how much fun it is to eat with other people (not to mention to be cooked for by other people). The kids there are pretty freakin funny too, we spent a good 45 minutes singing Tanzanian rap songs (me, the 5 year old, and the 13 year old), and trying out ridiculous dance moves. The kids are way better at me, both singing and dancing.
When I first moved into my house, I ate there almost every day. Lately, I've been staying home much more, or going to my other friend's house (the home-owner's wife's brother). Now I think I'm gonna try to achieve more of a balance, maybe 2-3 nights a week at their house. And bring fruit every time too, so I don't feel like a mooch. Now if I could just master the Sukuma language, I would understand a bit more of what's going on when I do visit.

Speaking of which, not sure how this happened, but a complete stranger at the Mwanza main market on Wednesday called me 'Masanja,' a Sukuma tribal name that I had been given by a few mamas here at the market in Misungwi, and one which has since taken hold pretty well in the area. I like the name a lot - after a good few months having no idea what it meant and not remembering to answer if called, i've gotten used to it. It means 'someone who is agreeable' or 'someone liked by some people' or something like that - generally a positive meaning. But has it spread all the way to the big metropolis of Mwanza?!! Jeez, people talk, I I just hope whatever people are saying about me is good.