After we left the Haruma center it was time to start preparing our Christmas dinner. We went to go pick up the duck. It was quite large. I was very supprised. We all had decided that we would be in charge of different parts of the dinner. Linds and I were in charge of the cookies, stuffing and mashed potatoes. Anni was going to prepare the duck, Inga had the gravy, and Sunna would be making a special Finnish dish with sweet potatoes.
First we made the cookies. We made two different kinds peanut butter and regular sugar cookies. We had three kitchens at our disposal so, we didn’t have to be too careful about scheduling a time to cook everything. Due to that fact we decided that we had plenty of time, with three ovens and stoves.
Mom had sent Linds with a Christmas CD, so we popped it in and all enjoyed hearing Christmas music. It was like I was almost home. It made my snowless Christmas not seem so barron.
We were all hard at work helping each other with their assigned food and Frances didn’t feel really good so, she just watched and kept us company. She had been really sick and didn’t do a lot besides try to recover. She went to the market with us a couple of times, but it really wore her out and made things worse.
Linds had called her mom to get a stuffing recipie, but there was a lot of improv on the hole dinner. Linds and I prepared the stuffing and put it in the duck. Then Anni found a needle and thread and sewed the duck shut to keep in the moisture. We were all ready with everything so, we decided to lay out a blanket on the grass, have some tea and enjoys some of the cookies. We sat there in the sun enjoying this sunny, hot Christmas day, even though all of us agreed that it would be even better with snow; considering all of us come from places where there is usually snow on the ground for Christmas. Just as we had finished our tea it started to rain. It poured and poured. There was tons of rain. The air cooled and we all got back to work.
Anni had just put the Duck in her oven. She figured that it needed to cook for three hours. I had the potatoes already boiling, the last batch of cookies was in the oven and we were all set. Things would have gone splendidly but, the power went out. TIA!! We were all so upset. We all just sat out side and pouted. Knowing that there was nothing that we could do about it we decided to trade our presents.
We sat out side of Inga and Chrissy’s house and we al brought our present that we had bought. We put them in the middle of our circle while Anni and Inga explained the rules. If you roll a six then you get to pick a present and unwrap it. We did this until all the presents were unwrapped. Then if you roll a six you can switch with anyone, four you have to move the presents to the right and a two you move the presents to the left. It was quite fun!! We played for about 30 min. It was kind of funny because I got the necklace and earrings that Linds had bought and she got the two sets of earrings that I had bought. The other presents were kitanga ( African fabric) that Inga bought, a tin with peanuts and a your choice of a back massage, homemade dinner, or a traditional Finnish Christmas song from Sunna, or an umbrella from Anni.
First we made the cookies. We made two different kinds peanut butter and regular sugar cookies. We had three kitchens at our disposal so, we didn’t have to be too careful about scheduling a time to cook everything. Due to that fact we decided that we had plenty of time, with three ovens and stoves.
Mom had sent Linds with a Christmas CD, so we popped it in and all enjoyed hearing Christmas music. It was like I was almost home. It made my snowless Christmas not seem so barron.
We were all hard at work helping each other with their assigned food and Frances didn’t feel really good so, she just watched and kept us company. She had been really sick and didn’t do a lot besides try to recover. She went to the market with us a couple of times, but it really wore her out and made things worse.
Linds had called her mom to get a stuffing recipie, but there was a lot of improv on the hole dinner. Linds and I prepared the stuffing and put it in the duck. Then Anni found a needle and thread and sewed the duck shut to keep in the moisture. We were all ready with everything so, we decided to lay out a blanket on the grass, have some tea and enjoys some of the cookies. We sat there in the sun enjoying this sunny, hot Christmas day, even though all of us agreed that it would be even better with snow; considering all of us come from places where there is usually snow on the ground for Christmas. Just as we had finished our tea it started to rain. It poured and poured. There was tons of rain. The air cooled and we all got back to work.
Anni had just put the Duck in her oven. She figured that it needed to cook for three hours. I had the potatoes already boiling, the last batch of cookies was in the oven and we were all set. Things would have gone splendidly but, the power went out. TIA!! We were all so upset. We all just sat out side and pouted. Knowing that there was nothing that we could do about it we decided to trade our presents.
We sat out side of Inga and Chrissy’s house and we al brought our present that we had bought. We put them in the middle of our circle while Anni and Inga explained the rules. If you roll a six then you get to pick a present and unwrap it. We did this until all the presents were unwrapped. Then if you roll a six you can switch with anyone, four you have to move the presents to the right and a two you move the presents to the left. It was quite fun!! We played for about 30 min. It was kind of funny because I got the necklace and earrings that Linds had bought and she got the two sets of earrings that I had bought. The other presents were kitanga ( African fabric) that Inga bought, a tin with peanuts and a your choice of a back massage, homemade dinner, or a traditional Finnish Christmas song from Sunna, or an umbrella from Anni.
Since Frances didn’t feel really well she didn’t pick out a present. Then Anni pulled out some packages that she had gotten in the mail and told all of us that we we could open one of her presents and she would share some of the candy she got with us.
Inga had gotten Sunna’s gift and decided that she wanted to hear the Finnish song. Sunna sang it and it was so beautiful. It was about this elf that lives in the sauna and he comes out around Christmas to check on all the animals of the farm also, he protects the livestock and the family. It was so unique! After that I decided that we should all sing a Christmas song in our native language. Anni and Inga didn’t really know any, so I reminded them of Oh Tanemboum. They sang a little of that. It was nice. I had went on the internet and printed out a copy of the 12 Days of Christmas song. It’s not one of my favorites, but I knew that the Germans and Sunna had never heard it before. Lindsey, Frances and I began to sing. As usual the song lasted forever, but the others seemed to really enjoy it. I was really feeling the Christmas spirit and actually enjoyed singing it. We were almost done and moving on the five golden rings when the power came back on. We were all so ecstatic! It was 8:00pm and the duck still needed to cook for three hours. We decided that we had not gone this far to turn back now. We continued cooking and preparing.
By the time that dinner was ready it was 11:30pm. We didn’t care all our hard work would now be enjoyed. We all sat around the table at Inga’s while Anni presented us with this immaculate duck. We sat there in awe looking at all the dishes that we had magically put together with the things that we could find around Iringa. We sat and soaked in the smells and smiled at each other as our mouths began to water. Luckly enough Frances did join us because she was feeling amazingly better.
This duck that we had stuffed so full with special spices and the innards, the potatoes and special gravy, Sunna’s sweet potatoe dish and others sat on the table waiting for us to dig it. We did. Let me say that My Grandma is one of the best cooks I know and her Christmas dinners are to die for, but sorry Grandma I think we may have out done you. This was the most delectable dinner I have had in my life.
Every thing had turned out perfect, hence our three Christmas miracles. One the power came on just as we finished singing the 12 Days of Christmas ( even though that song lasts forever and the power has plenty of time to come back on during the whole thing). Secondly Frances was better and lastly our dinner that didn’t have excessive planning, ingredients or recipes turned out to be perfect in almost every way possible.
At the beginning I sat there and I stopped, watched as all my new friends and Linds worked together to make us a beautiful Christmas dinner. I looked and saw the smiles on their faces even though their loved ones were half the world away. We managed to make our own Christmas with what we had. We were six women that have all grown up in very different places and cultures, but in this moment we came together as a family, laughed and loved. It was in this moment I grew. I was not the little girl who didn’t really care about Christmas itself and just wanted my presents. I was a young woman in a foreign country basically all by myself making my way in life, trying to make the world a better place. Christmas for me had changed. In the past it had always been a routine Christmas. Go to church, open family presents the night before Christmas day, go to the late service or stay home and play with the presents, go to bed, get up, open presents from Santa, and go to church again. It was this simple little Christmas in the middle of Tanzania that changed it all. It was the Christmas spirit, God, and my friends that made this Christmas one that I will never forget. Even though I missed my family and other friends I would not trade this Christmas for anything in the world.
Inga had gotten Sunna’s gift and decided that she wanted to hear the Finnish song. Sunna sang it and it was so beautiful. It was about this elf that lives in the sauna and he comes out around Christmas to check on all the animals of the farm also, he protects the livestock and the family. It was so unique! After that I decided that we should all sing a Christmas song in our native language. Anni and Inga didn’t really know any, so I reminded them of Oh Tanemboum. They sang a little of that. It was nice. I had went on the internet and printed out a copy of the 12 Days of Christmas song. It’s not one of my favorites, but I knew that the Germans and Sunna had never heard it before. Lindsey, Frances and I began to sing. As usual the song lasted forever, but the others seemed to really enjoy it. I was really feeling the Christmas spirit and actually enjoyed singing it. We were almost done and moving on the five golden rings when the power came back on. We were all so ecstatic! It was 8:00pm and the duck still needed to cook for three hours. We decided that we had not gone this far to turn back now. We continued cooking and preparing.
By the time that dinner was ready it was 11:30pm. We didn’t care all our hard work would now be enjoyed. We all sat around the table at Inga’s while Anni presented us with this immaculate duck. We sat there in awe looking at all the dishes that we had magically put together with the things that we could find around Iringa. We sat and soaked in the smells and smiled at each other as our mouths began to water. Luckly enough Frances did join us because she was feeling amazingly better.
This duck that we had stuffed so full with special spices and the innards, the potatoes and special gravy, Sunna’s sweet potatoe dish and others sat on the table waiting for us to dig it. We did. Let me say that My Grandma is one of the best cooks I know and her Christmas dinners are to die for, but sorry Grandma I think we may have out done you. This was the most delectable dinner I have had in my life.
Every thing had turned out perfect, hence our three Christmas miracles. One the power came on just as we finished singing the 12 Days of Christmas ( even though that song lasts forever and the power has plenty of time to come back on during the whole thing). Secondly Frances was better and lastly our dinner that didn’t have excessive planning, ingredients or recipes turned out to be perfect in almost every way possible.
At the beginning I sat there and I stopped, watched as all my new friends and Linds worked together to make us a beautiful Christmas dinner. I looked and saw the smiles on their faces even though their loved ones were half the world away. We managed to make our own Christmas with what we had. We were six women that have all grown up in very different places and cultures, but in this moment we came together as a family, laughed and loved. It was in this moment I grew. I was not the little girl who didn’t really care about Christmas itself and just wanted my presents. I was a young woman in a foreign country basically all by myself making my way in life, trying to make the world a better place. Christmas for me had changed. In the past it had always been a routine Christmas. Go to church, open family presents the night before Christmas day, go to the late service or stay home and play with the presents, go to bed, get up, open presents from Santa, and go to church again. It was this simple little Christmas in the middle of Tanzania that changed it all. It was the Christmas spirit, God, and my friends that made this Christmas one that I will never forget. Even though I missed my family and other friends I would not trade this Christmas for anything in the world.
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