Crossing the border

This afternoon we took a trip to Tanzania -- my first time in the country unless you count the time earlier this week when I ran (slash bounced with my very full backpack to the tune of my laughing team and to the amusement of the truckers) across the "border line" (a half-carved ditch on the maize trading road). Today we were escorted by Eunice (one of the Kenyan Nuru office admins) and Victoria & Victoria (two of Crystal's very stylish interviewers -- really bright, cute, late teen / early 20s-aged ladies who could really be anyone's fashion consultants. I wonder all the time what they must think of us in our ever-dusty "field clothes" and dirty sneakers and sandals. I felt a little sad at one point because they got heckled a little bit by some of the dirty, rude border guys for hanging out with the mzungus. I know the girls didn't care, but it's frustrating to us all the same -- they deserve nothing but the best for being so nice to spend the day with us.)

Anyways, stuff is apparently a lot cheaper in Tanz, so we went bargain hunting for cool fabrics to get African dresses made! We went to this big market area - it was totally a great developing-country market full of alleys with stalls and rows of little street-side shops - and wandered around for a few hours, with our counterparts smartly chiding any vendors who tried to give us "mzungu prices". I hope (I'm quoting Gaby's thought on this one) that someday there is a point when these vendors don't see a white person and automatically think "money". Then afterward they brought us to the Tailor in town, "Mama Kate" (real name: Nelly. yeah, i don't get it either), to design our new clothes.

Another cool part of our wanderings through the border towns today was that we ran into a rather good number of people we "know" (aka have met or worked with over the past few weeks). Kenyans are so warm and believe so strongly in the importance of greeting that it's impossible to pass by an acquaintance without a handshake and a warm "habadi" ("how are you"). I'm so glad they include us in that custom.