'ufuta'....

is my latest obsession. Not sure exactly what goes into it, but it's some kind of honey/sesame seed little candy that one of my favorite mamas at the Misungwi market sells for 10 shillings a piece. That, my friends, is penny candy. Or I should say was before the exchange rate rose. Now it's less than a penny. I frequently splurge and buy a good quarters worth.

Yesterday in Misungwi I realized just how long I'd been here when I said goodbye to one of my good friends, who runs a pharmacy, and who left today for some sort of doctor-school in Tabora. I guess I forget this place is fluid, changing. I kind of assume sometimes that I got plopped down here, things were always like this, they always will be like this. I'm positive this has in part to do with the slower pace of life here, but maybe also I have been looking at my experience a little too much with the perspective that life in Misungwi revolves around me (hey, it often does, especially for little snot-nosed kids), not the other way around. Anyways, I'm excited to go visit him with another of our friends, I hear Tabora has some pretty sweet and cheap honey, good for tea.

I'm in Mwanza town today, and am more irked than I was when I wrote my last entry. Of course with the whole daladala full of people trying to get into town this morning (since tomorrow is a public holiday, the anniversary of death of first president of Tanzania, Julius K. Nyerere), we stopped for gas on the way in. Took a good five minutes, plenty of time for me to both get a good look at the written price, and to confirm that's how much money the konda gave the gas station attendant. It's gone down to 1,020 now, which is LESS than what it used to be a few months ago (1,050). Pointed this out, none of the Tanzanians really seemed to care. The konda smiled and lied to me, said no, the price really is higher. Ok, here's my extra 500 shillings, shall I shove it up your........?

Yesterday I was feeling guilty about work. Basically, I had planned to do it, and then stuff just came up and I did't accomplish much, didn't teach a lesson at the school because I was late, didn't meet with a market official to talk about my nutrition program, missed the staff at the VCT. I felt bad because, well, I kind of just accepted the situation as it was. This is Africa, things happen, so nothing got done. But then I remember how many times that motto screws ME over (this morning I came into town early to meet with Angaza staff in Mwanza - hawapo. They're not there.) So I started feeling pretty bad that I didn't push more to get things done, or at least one thing. Today I'm feeling much better, in part because I did get stood up by the people I had an appointment with. And in part because it is nice and cloudy in Mwanza, and my friend from college is coming to visit for two days. New things are ALWAYS good things here, unless they're new bus fares.