Mzungu

I had a bit of a frustrating day and feel the need to rant..

Being a white woman in a sea of Africans is entertaining…mostly for them not me. If you have been to Africa as a visible foreigner then you are familiar with the constant declarations that you are white. “Mzungu, Mzungu” is like a incessant ringing bell. Everywhere you go people feel obliged to remind you that:

a) You are white
b) They have noticed you are white
c) This is something we should all comment on

Most of the time they just want to greet you or ask you to marry them. ..
Oh and it’s perfectly alright for me to have multiple husbands…in multiple countries…so say the boys at the market. Watch out.
Africa is funny. If you have serious issues with self-worth or confidence I don’t recommend coming here…on the other hand it might be just what you need to get over it. Being the object of investigation for everyone around you means every flaw will be noted and mentioned…and likely laughed about. I can’t even count the number of times the freckles or moles on my arms have been counted or comments on my stray-away hair in the wind or discussions over the fact that I don’t take sugar in my coffee and take smaller portions at dinner or the fact that I drink a lot of water or that when I got sick last time I was here I cried (um…I think they’re missing the severity of that situation…I was temporarily paralyzed and that warrants crying!) or that I didn’t cry this time when I had a fever or that I look skinny now or why do I shave and what is this mark and it goes on and on…

But this is all tolerable. What’s actually annoying is walking through the street and constantly being called upon. Now as you know, I’m a friendly person but I have my limits and sometimes I would like to be able to walk in the open air without having to say hello to everyone or being starred at, looked up and down, hollered at or propositioned. Sometimes I hold Alex’s hand just so people will leave me alone.

Okay I’m done.

As an aside: I miss GRASS! Dar is so hot and dusty there is next to no grass and I miss it because grass is beautiful and it feels good under my toes. Arusha will be cooler and more lush!