The One With The Huge Improvement (written 9/28/2012)

Dahlia and I invited Elizabeth over for dinner last night and so we decided to give rice and beans another try.  We came straight home from school and began the long cooking process.  Three hours later we had rice, beans, and cabbage (it is not often that we are courageous enough to cook a three part meal but we were struck by ambition yesterday and it turned out well).  Just as we finished cooking Stela and Grace stopped by so we invited them to stay and eat.  Grace took one bit of her rice and said, “Oh you have very much improved!” in an astonished tone.  We know it is not the best rice in the world but we were excited for the compliment! And we just keep reminding ourselves that we have 8 more months to practice.  Elizabeth seemed to enjoy it as well, but I think she enjoyed the fact that we tried to cook Tanzanian food more than she enjoyed the actual food. She just kept saying, “I am so happy to be eating the food that white people cooked.” 

After dinner Dahlia and I cleaned up and sat down after an exhausting day, so excited to read and relax and go to bed early.  Not five minutes later did we hear a knock on the door.  Our neighbor, Mr. Mbughi had sent two of his daughters to invite us over.  So to the Mbughi’s we went to eat (again!) and talk.  We finally made it back home and were able to get some sleep before waking up early for the big day: graduation!