👷🛠Eine deutsche Übersetzung ist in Arbeit... 💪
As usual, our dancing lesson is extremely exhausting. On our way back we want to try a new place. In case we like it this would be an easy way to save money because we could walk here and wouldn't need to pay for a DalaDala. We order chips and chicken, we see a waiter running to a house. After 30min we wonder where they are preparing the food anyway because we see someone, who seems like the cook, coming out of the house and then directing his footsteps to a grill. Then we hear a cock crow and J says: “Do they have to chase the chicken first?” I laugh and say that we are not going to pay for the drinks in that case. After 20min J walks to the grill and asks about our food. When he comes back he seems confused and I ask why. The cook apparently complained about being awake. He has a hangover and wants to go to bed again. When our food finally arrives, we are not too happy. In my chicken are still two feathers. As we get the bill we are surprised how this place pays for its existence. The food was neither enjoyable nor was the service and still they expect quite a lot of money. We start bargaining and the waiter gets the cook. He says: “He is the cook and when you're not satisfied talk to him.” We complain again that even the cook complained. In the end we get a discount and J says on our way out: “We eat there once and we leave a mark.”
A new day in school, the pupils saw my painted finger nails and try to have the same so they start painting their own nails during a lesson. But school rules do not allow painted nails. When GM tells me I apologize. I didn't know the rule and thereby I didn’t present a good role mode. He denys that and says: “Teachers are allowed to have painted nails. It's only for students to learn discipline.” “But that is a bad way to teach a child. I am allowed but not you.” I am nearly a student myself. I just got out of school a few months ago. I decide not to paint my fingernails for the next weeks so that the students don't get the desire to do the same.
G comes to me and says: “You need a boyfriend.”
"I agree."
"No, I mean one from TZ."
"Yes, I agree."
"So why don't you have one?"
"I didn't fall in love yet."
"Why not?"
"I don't know."
He sees my finger nail design: a heart together with the initials of my sister.
"Oh you lie. You love someone."
"Yeah my sister."
"Who?"
"My sister?! These are her initials."
"Ah, you love M."
"M? No, you're mistaken."
"Oh at least he is a teacher."
"I'm not in love with M. On the contrary."
"Why not?"
"I am not loving him."
"Fall in love with me then."
"But I don't love you."
"Why not?"
"I don't know..." (I can't tell a person in the face that I don't like him/her entirely.)
"I have everything, my body shape… my muscles…" He stretches and tenses a bit and I'm not too impressed so he says: "So how do you expect your boyfriend to be like?"
"I want someone I can talk to the whole day without worrying about time."
"We do that the whole day! Next!"
"I want someone who can make me laugh."
He makes some crazy faces… they don't make me laugh but wrinkle my forehead.
"What else?"
I check the watch and say: "Someone punctual."
He runs of the staff room to his class… he's already 12min late.
The school has got two new students which have to do some exams first so that the school manager knows wether they are in the right grade according to their knowledge. The academic teacher asks me to correct their English tests. When GM comes into the staff room I hand him the papers over. They performed quite good and GM asks me what I think about them. I tell him that they are pretty good in English and ask about the results in the other subjects. He tells me they are in general a bit above the average. “One of them will join P6.” says GM. Shoot, the class counts already 42 students… Poor GM, he is the class teacher of P6. After the last lesson I walk to P6 and ask my students how they are and introduce myself to the new pupil. She even looks very smart. Not only that her clothes stick to the school rules as though the head teacher himself dressed her but also her bag seems not only clean but also well cared for and as she bends over to close it, I see that she has all text books (which is quite unusual). And to stick perfect to an American cliché about teachers favorites: She wears glasses.
I get a note from one girl in P4. “Can you be my friend and protect me?” During the break I go to her and say “You will have to help me but I'll do my best.” After that I get a hug not only from her but from nearly every student in P4.
The youngest boarding student is three years old and feels homesick today. The teachers take her into the staff room an hour later she is asleep. As I watch her sleep our headmaster gives me his monthly exams and asks me wether I would mind correcting them for him. I feel honored that he asks me for help. I also ask him wether it's possible for me to have a sleepover at the schools hostel. I want to know how boarding students live and get into a close relationship with them as well. He seems delighted and says he will inform the matron and it's no problem. I tell him also that I am planing on organizing drinks and therefore I'd like to know how many students there are. “I think there are 133 now.” My jaw drops. Drinks for 133 students I somehow regret my suggestion.
When I enter my room I decide to wash my clothes and find myself facing a kind of schedule. School, getting chapati on my way to my room, washing clothes/work for school, have fun with J and then go to a different dinner place. I am rather enjoying this way of life. I teach children and grow up, not to be an adult but being an independent person without luxury needs.
When I finished washing I start correcting the exam as J comes in. And again we enjoy the stupid mistakes and strange questions:
29 One of the following is not a natural resource of Tanzania:
A) Minerals B) Land C) Plastic bags D) Water
30 A political party is a group of people with common ideology aimed at .
A) conducting business C) criticizing the government
B) forming a government D) fighting for money
After an hour we decide to go for dinner. But I'm not finished with marking so I take my papers with me to finish my work while we are waiting. Today we try a new place and have the feeling of sitting in a disco. It's pretty dark with flickering neon lights and loud music surrounding us.
I'm a bit late but in the bus I meet an old teacher from the secondary school. I take his bag and wear it to his office. We did that during the last three weeks now every time I saw him I took his bag. The first time he wanted to take it himself but I insisted of taking it because it looked very heavy and in Tanzania everything is done with a lot of respect no matter how uncomfortable it is. When I come to the staff room I notice that they have changed the timetable. I am confused why and try to figure out where I have to be now and what is changed concerning my English lessons. G stands between me and the timetable. I ask: “Can I help you?” He doesn't respond. I shift a bit so that I can see today's lessons and I focus again. G stares and me, then he takes a piece of chalk and points on a point between my eyes. I don't react and pretend to be still in deep concentration. He says: “Look at this.” I look him in the eyes and ask: “Why?” He says: “Look at this and tell me what you see.” Without looking at the chalk I say: “White.” G says: “No, don't look at me look.” Then he points at the round chalk. I say: “A circle.” (not glancing away). He still holds the chalk at eyes' height and points between my eyes. I have the feeling he wants me to squint. I don't play by his rules and keep the eye contact. He says: “Don't look at me, look at the chalk.” I ask: “Why?” And without an answer he leaves. JM calls for me and I cross the room and sit down next to him. He tells me G disappointed him very early in the morning. I ask how and he tells me because of his behavior towards me. I say: “Yeah, that was childish. But there is no need for you to be troubled with that.” A female teacher comes in and asks why JM looks so moody he tells her about G and she laughs. Then they tell me “nobody likes his presence” and the management tries to fire him. The problem is that they don't know how to cope with the work then.
Today I only assist JM in his work so I stay mainly in the staff room. GM sits during his free period in front of me. After 15min he walks to me and strikes my hair. I ask why, he says he wanted to call me because he thought I wouldn't be there. I'm confused either it's his English or me… I ask again why he strikes my hair and he tells me he wanted to align my hair. I tell him he has to ask for permission and then wait for an answer. He asks: “Why?” I answer: “It's my hair and I want to decide which fingers land in it and that this behavior is childish.” He is not at all happy to hear this. But I don't care. I already had to many crazy situations in this staff room and G already made me bad tempered. I am not anyone's marionette and I won't act like one either. I am a human!
During the next break GM tries to “align” again. I've had enough of this and turn the tables. I say: “Ok, do you like this?” I lay my hand on his head and move it a bit. He tries to flee out of the staff room. But I keep up my hand still laying on his hair. The students surrounding us look questioningly at us. GM tries to make an amused face. I think he learned his lesson now (and I don't like the feeling of his hair against my skin). I go and wash my hand.
I am alone in the staff room marking some work when G comes in. He sneaks behind me and tries to tickle me. Bad luck for him, I'm not ticklish there. But I am surprised by his sudden appearance. He raises his hand in order to strike my hair. I hold his hand back I have enough of childish adults now. He asks me why I'm doing that. I tell him the same as GM and he answers he just wants to have some fun. I say: “But I don't want to.” He says: “But you can have fun with my hair as well.” I say: “No, thanks I had enough fun with GMs.” He seems insulted and leaves.
After school I want to take a DalaDala up to town. J wants to show me a place where I can buy another blanket cover. As a DalaDala stops I want to get in but there is no space. I say: “No, thanks.” but the conductor tries to pull me towards the bus. I say: “Stop that.” (in Swahili) and that I'm fine waiting. The front door opens, a guy stands up but where is he going to end up if I take his place?! The conductor looks offended and the passengers laugh. Then the bus takes off.
Memorial: A big market I make fun of the name since I see living people. A guy passes and makes strange sounds while wiping the air. He's obviously drunk – I think. We look around a bit and J explains to me that things on a hanger are more expensive than those on the table and those on the table are more expensive than those on the floor. We continue looking around and as we pass a place where the stands are empty and the roof fabric is coming down, I say: “This looks like a memorial. Now it makes sense.” But J tells me that those shops are just already closed because it's 5pm and they want to go home. I ask why we didn't wait for the weekend to get here earlier and see everything. "Because the later it gets, the cheaper it is." That makes sense.
We search for a place where I can buy another blanket cover. We pass the drunk guy again. Now he makes different sounds. We found a place and J tells me how to ask in Swahili. I ask but I'm already overstrained with the answer. J takes over. But those covers are not for blankets but mattresses. We go and look for another stand. The drunken guy passes again now making sounds like trying to send a message by Morse. J makes me bargain in Swahili again but I'm not really assured after my first try. I try but I only understand parts of what the woman is saying and after three minutes I look at J and wait for him to translate now since I've lost track after three offers of hers and three of mine. He seems daydreaming. He starts in Swahili again and then asks me for my last offer. I say it in Swahili and the woman asks me to repeat it. Did I make a mistake? I repeat it a bit questioningly but J assures me with a wink that I am right. Another woman came over and starts talking now, a bit harsh in Swahili to the woman. When she is finished I say again: My last offer is 13.000TSH (in Swahili). The other woman says something in Swahili and J chuckles hard. The saleswoman agrees, I take out my money and realize that I don't have a one thousand note and so I give her 14.000. She says in Swahili that she could keep it like this. I say no and she asks why. I say "because" (in Swahili) and she has to laugh very hard. Then I get a high five. When we leave J takes me into a hug and says I did a great job and he is jealous of my high five. He also tells me what the other woman said to the saleswoman: “Oh shit, she speaks Swahili. You’re fucked up.” And that's why he was chuckling. I'm feeling awkward because I only said numbers and “last offer” and “I said”. But J assures me I was perfect and he didn't interfere because he enjoyed watching me. We pass the drunk guy again and ask ourselves how long he's going to make those sounds. We stop and make fun of a huge mess of different shoes. The drunken guy comes back again. Okay, how often did we see him yet? We look for a place where J can buy new sports trousers. Since he ripped his old ones during the last dancing lesson. It's 6pm and most of the shops are closed by now. We keep talking about how I've bargained and he wants me to bargain for his trousers again. I hope we won't find them. On our way to the bus stand we see two guys packing up their sports clothes. Everything is packed except for the trousers. J grins. I know what's coming. We look for a light trouser. I don't know why but all the sport trousers seem to be made for cold weather and are pretty heavy. We find a light one in green and a light one in blue. J picks the blue one and asks for the price. The merchant says 8,000TSH J tells me to go for it. I ask how much he wants to pay. He says he doesn't know and I should pick a price. I consider the fact that it's already pretty late so it's cheaper. I think it might has been 12,000 in the afternoon so I can get it for 6,000-7,000 I say 5,000 the merchant says no, 8,000. I say 6,500 and he accepts. J grins happily. We fit the trouser in my bag as well as my blanket cover and J says he loves my bag because everything fits in. I say: “This is the reason for me to buy it.”
We leave for dinner and I start translating one of my English blog entries into German so that I have two languages and everyone is pleased. I finish one and am again proud of me.
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