Wedding and planning New Years

 So yesterday I arrived back from Bukoba to a huge gathering right next door to where I live. The family next door were celebrating their daughters wedding and half the community had come to join in. My host mum was texting me to meet her there, which initially was quite difficult as the house girl had locked the interior gate with me inside, so for 2 hours I was stuck at home listening to the music and shouting coming from next door. After I was freed I made my way toward the music and found my host mummy had saved me a chair. 

These weddings are much more interesting live than the 3 hour long DVD id been subjected to last week of my host brothers recent wedding in Dar!

There were group dances and professional dancing and local Haya dancing and all the guests and bridal party moved around only by dancing. Such a great vibe and atmosphere and at one point my host mummy dragged me to the front (literally) where I had to shake my tail feather and give some money to the performers. At one point the bride was given her gifts and all the guest danced up to and around her showering her with new kitchen wears and bedding and more materials and patterned sheets than I could imagine one woman could make use of. It was interesting watching the faces of the young girls who were staring wide eyes at the array of gifts being bestowed upon the bride. It made me to realise why getting married is such a big deal here and nearly every young Tanzanian girls future aim.

Unfortunately the screaming and blaring music was not as much fun later that night when I was trying to get to sleep, and my whole bedroom was rattling and shaking with the bass till 5am this morning! These Tanzanians certainly know how to party!

Gifts for the bride:

Haya dancers:

So tomorrow is New Year's Eve and I've a friend from a village about an hour away coming to stay over. We've been invited to a party of Philipino VSO volunteers but haven't fully committed as to whether we want to go....

Then New Year's Day I've two other friends coming to join us and we've arranged to pay for someone to cook for us and the whole family (as our house girl Anita finished today and has returned home). Its sad because she was lovely and her baby was just about getting used to me, but she had always intended to leave at the end of this month so at lease I was prepared.  Also my host brother will be here from Dar es Salaam from tomorrow so the plan is to eat and dance and drink all together on New Years Day. I've also bought some more material and have the tailor making me a New Year's Day outfit which my host mum is super pleased about.

Outside of all this fun I am still working hard and have opted to help the team organise the next Community Action Day. Our plan is to hire a drama group, recruit a choir to draw attention to our event then once the crowds gather run various workshops and activities on HIV / nutrition/ women's rights and agriculture. I'm also going to run a mini sports day with three legged races, relays and tug of war...... I've been continuing with my supervisions as well and I've managed to complete 7 so far so happy days.......