Hospitality

Just on the other side of the hedge on the right in our front yard are our Maasai neighbors. When ever they hear us outside they shout greetings in Swahili. Yesterday late afternoon we said back and forth habari za joini which is actually how is the news this evening. You could hear them chopping wood for the fire to cook the evening meal. I asked watoto hawajambo?, your children are they fine, they said hawajambo, they are fine. So far I was doing ok.

Then the father said karibuni chakula, you are welcome to join us to eat, and I said haya asante, ok thank you and went on my way. Later Ron and I were talking and he said, so do they expect us to come over for the evening meal? I thought they were just being friendly but we didn't want to offend them. So I ran up to our teammates who live on the center and asked the culture question- What did they really mean?

I guess it is common to invite people to come over and eat. They don't really expect you to come, but if you do they are pleasantly surprised and will definitely feed you. Many homes do not have much food but what they have they will share. And they are happy to have you sit and visit for hours while they cook the food over the fire. Much different than my invitations. I have to plan it all out, do I have enough food, what will we talk about, do I have enough time, and I have never called across the fence to ask a stranger to come to my house and share what ever food we can find.

There is much I can learn from these people. We did not go over but plan to the next time they throw that offer over the fence.