Birthday in the Bush!

While at the outset, celebrating a birthday in Muyenzi might not seem like the most exciting way to ring in 24 years on this planet. But overall, I must say that it was a very pleasant day. We woke up to the sound of rain pounding on the roof, a typical occurrence lately. And while this might normally make me feel trapped inside the house with nothing to do, it was my excuse to lie in bed reading Harry Potter until 11:30! How great is that? When it finally stopped raining around midday, the sun came out and we were certainly in the Tanzanian heat again. We took a stroll to visit Mama Kabibi and then to explore the fields and land around us. We live in such a beautiful part of the world, nearly completely untouched by man, other than the simple footpaths that meander the mountainsides and occasional mud hut. It’s easy to take for granted the beauty that surrounds me daily, so it was nice to have a day to wander aimlessly along the paths, exploring rice patties, smelling the flowers, and merely soaking in the loveliness of life here. We finally made our way back home and decided that it was the perfect day for some good old mac n’ cheese! Tasted just like home! For dinner, eggplant stew and homemade tortillas was certainly delicious, as was the birthday cake Marisa made for me! Funfetti!! While cooking a cake on our jiko never fails to be an adventure, this one faired decently well. And while slightly undercooked, neither of us has experienced symptoms from eating the raw eggs, so I would say it was a success! The cake even had candles that I blew out after a lovely rendition of “Happy Birthday!” was sung for me. And the evening was complete with a bottle of wine, just for good measure.

I even had a few cards and gifts to add to the celebration! Sue bought me a…unique…authentic singing Tanzanian birthday card, covered with hearts and glitter and the sappiest Happy Birthday message I’ve ever read. Marisa happened to find a “Best Friend” card, with two white children on the front holding hands…how perfect is that? Larissa, our friend from the Netherlands, brought Marisa and I both suckers and stroopwaffels(?), a Dutch delicacy from home, while also leaving us her hand sanitizer. Which might not sound so great, but when you live in here, there is no more practical gift you could receive! And while all of my Happy Birthday text messages didn’t come through until Monday afternoon (I HATE Vodacom…), and while I couldn’t read my facebook wishes until this weekend, it’s the thoughts that count! And I certainly appreciate everyone who took a moment to wish me happy birthday! I can’t wait to see you all again soon :)