I have discovered a new side of shopping; bartering! It is the most fun thing ever! If you want to buy something, you ask how much for one, then for two, then for three. If you think it's too much, or you just want a better price you tell them how much you want it for. In Tanzania, they use shillings; 1500 shillings=1 Canadian dollar. So, let's say you're buying a shirt at the market. You're blue, the vendor is pink. "How much for 1?" "15,000 shillings." "For two?" "22,000 shillings" then you say, "too much." "How much you want for? ask!" "Two for 20,000 or 1 for 9,000." If they say no, you just turn your back, and then they give it to you for about 1,000 more than you asked. It is so fun! I wish it was like that at Thrifty's. "$4 for oreos?! That's too much. How about 2$?" "Okay, $2.50" "No, $2, or else I'm not buying it." "Okay, $2." That would be great. Any ways, the day before yesterday, we visited our sponsor child, Leila, about two hours with traffic out of Dar Es Salaam. First we picked up 10 kilos each of sugar, beans, rice, and laundry soap, and some oil at the local market for a gift for her family. We stopped at Leila's school, and the class always recites a song/chant/shout when visitors come, but it was in kiswahili, so I don't know what it was. We gave the teacher a big bag of lollipops for the kids, and then we took Leila to show us her house and family. On the way to her house, we picked up her little brother who was with a big group of kids who tried to start the car by pushing it and running after it. We arrived at their house, which was mud walls and banana leaf roof with no electricity or toilet, and we met a lot of neighbour kids, her grandmother, her mother, her father, the neighbours father, her brothers etc. Leila, we found out after her mom looked it up in her book, was born on exactly the same day as Kali, and the same year. We asked Leila what she liked to do, and she said soccer( whig is good, because I gave a soccer ball to her PE teacher), skip rope, and drawing, which is like Kali also. We decided when we get home we are going to send her skip ropes, a dress, and some pencil crayons. Leila was very shy and she was so cute, just like Kali (Well, people tell me that, I'm not sure, but Leila was definitely cute) and she kept handing out the suckers we gave her to the little kids. She lived on a kasava farm, which is sort of like a potato, and it tastes really good raw. After we had met with her family, we went for a long ride back to Dar Es Salaam. It was a really fun day, and I'm glad we met our sponsor child, because it's really an eye-opener.
I am so jealous! It seems like you are having a great and fun time on your trip! I wish I was with you! Can't wait to hear all about the animals and the adventures. Take Care. We miss you :-)
Reply
Nana
2/16/2014 08:45:36 am
Hi Lia- how I envy you and all the adventures you have had!!
Isn't bartering fun! -I love it too!
Looking forward to you next blog!
Love, Nana
Reply
Landy
2/22/2014 12:11:07 am
Totally agreed on the oreos Lia!! bet this experience was an eye-opener and can't believe the similarities with Kali, it makes me want to meet Leila.
Keep enjoying :)
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Brooke
3/10/2014 08:09:49 am
If we could do bartering here then I would love shopping.
I'm sure those little kids loved those lollys.
I wish I was there to see it.
Miss you soooo very much.
Brooke
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Brooke
3/10/2014 08:13:08 am
I know what you feel when people say you little sister is cute and Is an angel and stuff like that.
(cough cough Katie)
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Monika
3/23/2014 08:33:46 am
Wow, what are the chances of THAT?! Leila & Kali born the self-same day?!! What if Leila had been born in Canada, and Kali (& you) had been born in the mud hut where Leila was birthed . . . ?
Great idea to have given the PE teacher a soccer ball, by the way! How did it feel being in Leila's school?