Saturday, September 19. We have discussed Tanzanian wedding customs with a couple of or colleagues. The “bride price” custom is alive and well here. The prospective groom must pay the bride’s family a price in the neighborhood of 3 to 5 cows, or the valued thereof in order to be permitted to marry the woman. Some of our friends back in the States have written to ask how things are in the jungle. I am not sure there is any jungle in Tanzania, except perhaps in the far north along the border with Uganda, and perhaps in a few places along the DRC border; certainly not here in the southern highlands. What we see from our house are maize fields and cattle pastures with trees scattered here and there. It is still quite brown because the rainy season has not yet begun. The rain of a few days ago served only to settle the dust for a short time.
Friday, September 18. No classes again today. There is to be a special assembly to welcome the first year students, with student entertainment, and the students wanted additional time to prepare. The tutors were not all aware that classes were cancelled. I have been to only one class this week. Perhaps the unit on oral communication will finally begin next Wednesday. The assembly itself, conducted in Swahili, went about two hours. It included student comedy skits and a reenactment, including face paint and “spears”—actually broomsticks, of a Nyacyusa celebratory dance. Today was also the day of the netball and football games between students and faculty. Students won the netball game 6-4, but the faculty took the football game 2-0. Neither Karen nor I were needed to play. I did not mind.