Top 5

The top 5 things I enjoy about Africa (thus far).

5. Kongas

No matter how many times in a row I have to wear a skirt, I can always change it up with a new Konga (piece of cloth tied around the waist like a towel) whose colors I can switch every day. For extra flavor, I change the smells of my konga, from soapy fresh bath konga to smoky cooking konga. I like to keep the public on their toes.

4. Muzungu

A muzungu is the African term for white person or foreigner. True, not a particularly great term, but when you walk down the streets and everyone drops what they are doing to lovingly call to you, and the ever more popular follow and call at the same time, it's hard not to feel like Brittney Spears being chased by the paparazzi (I wonder what my village would think if I shaved my head).

3. Chakula

The food here supposedly makes boys skinny and girls fat, this is due to the amount of starch that makes up a large portion of the Tanzanian diet. To this, I can only say, Bring it on! My Tanzanian mom (also know as Wolfgang Puck) is an amazing cook, beans, bananas,potatoes, cabbage, she is a genius with a charcoal stove, and I have no issue gaining a flat tire around the middle to satisfy her intense need to serve my 3 helpings at every meal.

2. Mbu

Owing to my large wariness of the fun of contracting Hepatitis C I have decided to stop biting my finger nails. At first I was annoyed by these long worthless dead deposits of calcium on the tips of my fingers, but thankfully the Mbu (mosquito) have provided me a solution, and now I have hours of entertainment scratching the millions of bites that cover my feet, legs, and arms.

Thank you mbu.

And the #1 reason I enjoy Africa............

It is true that you can get some horrible sickness while in Africa, but if you are a PCV, you have the super-duper, medical protective drug bubble. I have enough shots to avoid Meningitis, Yellow Fever, Flu, Typhoid, and Malaria. Lets not forget that I need only two extra shots should I be bitten by a rabid version of Pumbaa (because I already have the other 3 rabies shots).

True, no one is immune from the runs, but if you really think about it, with all the starch we eat, having the runs is slightly better than the alternative (having a "food baby" in your belly).

These reasons my friends, are why you should all come visit me soon (or within 6 months, as sanctioned by PC).

Ta!