Crafts, Curries, and Cullens

Today we went to Makutano, a big craft fair in downtown Dar.  Local artists bring their many wares and sell them at somewhat puffed up prices to tourists and other expats.  There were all kinds of things available, from clothes to jewelry to 15ft. long metal crocodiles.  I tried to convince Brett that we needed to strap that thing to the top of our car and take it back to Geita for our front yard.  What says welcome more than a large snapping beast?  We didn't buy very much, but it was enjoyable, nonetheless,  and I know a lot of Tanzanians made a lot of money that they don't often have, so I'm glad to have participated.

After the fair, we went to a community Thanksgiving dinner.  This was the most unusual Thanksgiving dinner I've attended.  First, it wasn't on Thanksgiving.  Second, I only knew a few people.  Third, it was held at the home of two South Africans.  Fourth, there were not only Americans, but also the aforementioned South Africans, Britains, Tanzanians, and Indians.  And fifth, this was an everybody bring a dish meal, and the food was a bit different than what I expected.  Our little group brought green bean casserole, corn casserole, and apple pies.  So traditional we are.  When we walked in the room the overwhelming aroma was curry.  Not quite the cinnamon and sage smells I was expecting.  They had two turkeys, one of which was grilled, and the other of which was seasoned with all kinds of Indian spices I don't know the names of.  There were also a few other dishes I've never seen on the dining room table at this time of year.  It was all good, though it was a strange mixing curried meat and raisins with sweet potatoes and marshmallows.

After our very American Thanksgiving, we headed to the movies with friends to watch New Moon, the latest in the Twilight series.  I've read all the books and really enjoyed them, but thought the first movie was horrible.  But the movie theater being air-conditioned, I was more than willing to sit through the second installment (which started 30 minutes late), and it was actually a lot better than the first.  I think that was mostly due to the fact that the guy that plays Edward Cullen was not in the movie for much of the time, greatly increasing the general talent level of the cast.

It was nice to get out of the house and break the monotony of sitting and waiting.  We've been doing that kind of a lot lately.