Black.. or White?

Hellow hellow!!!!

So sorry that I haven't been posting in a while. The internet here is very very stupid. I mean, yes I can connect to the internet almost every day but it is very difficult to access a website. It takes more than 15 minutes just to open Facebook. I can access Kenyan websites almost instantly though.

I just got back from Eastern Garden with SiNae. It is this Chinese restaurant located in Liza Apartment, about one block from where our apartment is. We are super stuffed but she bought red velvet cake from Dorman's earlier so we decided to end this looong looong day with dessert and tea. Talking about tea, I feel that the hardest transition for me here is the way people serve their tea. I love drinking tea. I think that both tea and coffee are my favorite drinks of all time. I also like to drink both of them straight, no sugar, no milk, maybe a bit of honey sometimes, or a hint of cinnamon/nutmeg. Don't get me wrong, I like having flavor in my tea, which is why I always buy flavored tea (rose tea, almond black tea, cherry rooibos, you know.. stuff) on top of my regular tea.

It came as a big shock to me when I realize people here loooooovvvvvee their chai (swahili/indian word for tea) with milk and sugar. Actually, drinking tea with milk and sugar is a symbol of status. If you ask for tea, they will automatically give you chai the way it was meant to. If you ask, "Nipe chai bila maziwa na bila sukari," they will think that you are dirt poor and can't afford to pay for sugar nor milk. Also, it is the first thing that people offer you when they invite you to their home. When they ask "would you like some tea?" it's not actually a question, more like a statement and your answer better be "yes." You also don't ask what's in the snack they give you nor refuse whatever they are serving you. It is rude. The best thing you do is nod, finish whatever snack they give you, then you can refuse the second offering. For the last 38 days I've ate sooo many breads and milk teas that I swear I might start serving people that when they visit my place.

From that experience, I always assume that restaurants work the same way as Kenyan households (except Java House, cause they know what foreigners like). So everytime I order Masala Chai or any Chai in general, they always ask me if I want it black or white. You would automatically assume that the waiter is asking for the kind of tea leaves you want. I always choose white tea since it is usually lighter than black tea. Until one day at Amani ya Juu, I decided to order my tea black since well... I get kinda suspicious that they are not asking for the type of tea leaves. I mean, who makes Masala Chai from white tea anyway, right? (Well.. okay this is Kenya. They might do things differently). So, guess what the waitress put in front of me? A tea pot full of chai without milk... So, yeah, I still got this whole culture thing to figure out. Glad to know how to actually order my tea the way I want it though.

Other than the whole culture thing that I am obviously still not a pro at, I really enjoy my time here. I love my routine, it's exhausting but it's very rewarding. I love my job, I love the role that I serve for my organization. I love knowing that this project I am working on will impact a lot of people for a long time. Guess that's why they call it sustainable development, right? :) Anyway, I gotta go back to fixing my Valentine's Day gift for Hoover. See y'all later.

xoxo