ZooLights

 There's still time to catch ZooLights at the National Zoo!
December 20-24, 26-30
January 1
Dusk until 9 pm
Enjoy Zoo Tubing, the Zoo Choo-Choo, Snow Globe, Carousel, hot chocolate, and more!

Let the National Zoo help you celebrate the holidays with a bright night out.

Gift Giving

In the spirit of Christmas (it doesn't much feel like Christmas here since it is 85 degrees... but my house does have a plastic Charlie Brown Christmas tree that we decorated with tinsel and tiny lights) and in Tanzanian culture, I am spending this week giving gifts to the important people in my life here in Tanzania. Adellaide is the international nursing student coordinator and is getting all things that a nurse should have in her pockets-- a UNC notepad, pens, highlighter, and calculator. Vera is the Duke liason at KCMC and is getting earrings. The clinic nurses are getting American pens (a highly coveted possession). And the doctors are getting bubbles and stickers to entertain the children in clinic. There have been some Tanzanian mamas who welcomed me into their homes and fed me (wayyyy too much), so I am giving them durable grocery bags to take to the market.
Hospitality and gratitude are very important parts of Tanzanian culture so it feels good to show my thanks and appreciation to everyone that has helped me thrive here.
I am getting excited to be back for Christmas. Dad told me that all he wanted for Christmas was me back on American soil, so I'm giving him his gift a little early and coming home next Monday.

Asante-giving in Africa

My Thanksgiving was unconventional, to say the least. I went with a group of American ex-pats to a Tanzanian barbeque restaurant where we had to forfeit our stuffing and cranberry sauce for ndizi (banana) and kuku (chicken). It was delicious but I am still miss some of my diet from back home. We went around the table and told everyone what we would be doing if we were back at home in the States right now. My story was about my Dad rocking out the kitchen as the chef-du-jour, watching re-runs of Saturday Night Live with my brother and Dad, putting some Tar Heel pie to the face (can't wait to have a piece at Christmas!), finally waddling to the couch post-dinner, and seeing whether my mom and I have enough bravery to tackle the black Friday crowds.

Our "Asante"giving ended up with a trip to a playground lit up by the African stars and moon. Swings, a merry-go round, see saw, jungle gym, and slide made that kuku sit a little funny in my stomach, but it was so worth it to have a few minutes of childlike play.

The Americans are also missing our usual diet... greasy Mexican food. So I think we're going to have another holiday this weekend and call it "Gracias"giving as an excuse to put cheese on everything and smother it in local avacado. Mmmmm