Italian Meatloaves

Hellos,

So, I decided to join Hello Fresh and try out their recipes. My first attempt was the Italian Meatloaves. I must say, I am very impressed. It probably took me more time than they'd mentioned, but I did it. Yay to me. 

It's all about perspectives

I recently had the opportunity to teach a class on Tanzanian food and culture, and as usual, I didn't disappoint. I taught them how to make chips mayai (how genius of me)!!! They enjoyed the food, but I was also able to give them a little lesson about Tanzania, the culture, economy, education, beliefs and Tanzania real estate. 

Part of our discussion was about the land we have, farming or keeping a garden, poultry farms, and people owning their own lands and houses. I had to explain how even though you may find that people live in the villages or maybe make as little as $1 a day in actual wages, that does not translate into overall poverty on that person's part. We still have nuclear families which means we've got each others backs and which helps prevent having more people in the streets. 

Being here made me realize the difference between being poor and broke. And I say that because, most of us, we had parents or grandparents that owned their own lands/houses, whether in the towns they lived in or else where. We may have stayed in a house for rent, and gone broke throughout our growing up years (meaning money was over before the month ended) but it did not translate into poverty. Because our parents knew the importance of owning land/houses and that being an asset, it always added value to their lives. I remember when my folks had put their house for sale to cover other major expenses. It  only meant they had the option to sell the house rather than get a loan from a bank. I feel as though there are  multiple options in Tanzania when it comes to owning a house. One can build a house for as many years as he is able to finance from his income or can opt to get a loan and build one quicker. 

The best part, at least for me, is knowing there are places where one can rent a room for 20k Tzs a month even in major cities like Dar, Arusha, Mwanza. I am not saying Tzs 20k is not hard to get, but I feel  that it allows those who are working hard to make a living for themselves and for their families to be able to  have a roof over their heads as compared to being completely homeless. 

But again this was my perspective, others may have different opinions and views about things and life in Tanzania, I can only speak based on my own experiences and of those I came in contact with. 

Adulthood

You wake up one day and you realize, if you don't move nothing else moves.  

You need to get out of bed and go to work if you need a paycheck.

You need to pray and connect to the word of God if you need your peace of mind.

You need to nourish your relationships if you need to get anything in return.

You realize, you have a part to play for life to happen.

You don't have the privilege to let things happen, you must do something about it. 

That's when you realize, you have grown. But wait, hasn't this been the case from the day you learned how to bath yourself, make your own breakfast, read and write, and so on and so forth. Life has a way of making us get "there" (wherever ‘there’ is) one step at a time. And where you are now, is a result of the many little steps that you and people around you took to make sure you can handle the journey of adulthood. You have been growing everyday of your life, but you have now become an adult because every little thing that used to happen, has led you to this present moment. So no, you don't have the right to give up, and yes, you can do it. You've been doing it every single day; you just didn't realize it yet. 

You complain, and say life is hard, dealing with things is hard work, but to be honest, it's about you. It's always been about you. How you handled your relationships at school, in your neighborhood and family members all these years has prepared you with skills to handle relationships with your co-workers. The test of how responsible you've been with your school and non-school assignments, is now reflected in your job-related assignments. How you've managed your time between playing, praying, eating, doing your school work, doing your chores, etc. And now, you are a mother or a father - with kids, a job, a spouse, a place of worship, and other responsibilities looking you in the face 24 hours. 

Did you know you've been maturing from the day you were born? Did you allow yourself to let the maturity sink in as you aged, and accept your lot? 

Don't complain, you've been doing this since way back, it was just in smaller doses. Now it's time to look back at how you handled some situations years ago as a teenager, or as a young adult, and see what worked and what didn't work, then ask yourself - will it work this time around? 

Just because you are now a customs clearing agent, or clearing agent to Malawi working for  cargo clearing services (hypothetically) ask yourself, how did you get that job. Did you go to school for it or were you favored because you know the boss? Well, if you went to school for it then use the knowledge you acquired to tackle your challenges. If it is a situation beyond your school knowledge then ask yourself, who did you pray to when you needed help to pass those exams? How about you now get on your knees and pray again? If it is about being overwhelmed, then ask yourself, how did you balance life back in college with 5 to 10 different courses along with midterms and finals? Did you have to prioritize things in your life? How about you do that now as well. 

And  if you never went to school, that's not an excuse. We have successful and well known musicians, actors, writers, painters, photographers, or property agents on social media posting about cars for sale and houses for sale and yet did not graduate from primary school, high school, or college. The challenging question is, what did you learn along the way as you were growing up? Utilize that.

We have been growing up even before we knew it. We just need to be in touch with our past, present and our future to put things into perspective.

I AM - Inspired

Image by Mwinga

A friend told me about a declaration she wrote on Facebook 7 years ago and every now and then she goes back to read it  so that she is constantly reminded of her dreams. The post is very inspiring, reading it reminded me of why I wanted to live a purposeful life on this earth with whatever talent, career and education God has blessed me with. 

When we are young, when we are not traumatized by the struggles of this world, that's when we are true dreamers and living with hope. That’s when our true, unfiltered, and God-focused selves can be seen. 

My friend’s post has inspired me to write declarations for myself  at every stage of my life to keep me on track. 

I remember when I was a teenager, I was in a car with a friend’s mom as she give me a ride home after a sleepover. The roads were clear back in the day (not like the present Dar es salaam), but in those few minutes drive to my place she asked me what I wanted to do with my life, I told her I will be a lawyer. She asked me why, I told her because I am following in my father’s footsteps and that’s what he also wants for me. She asked me other questions but because she knew I had no real world experience she opted to give me an advice instead. She told me that once I graduate with my bachelors, I should work then go back to school and get a master’s in Business Administration in order to broaden knowledge. I was grateful for the advice. Fast forward years later, after I finally had a real world experience, I decided to get a master’s degree in the area that I am passionate about, communication. Even though it’s not an MBA, what she said to me stuck. Her advice gave me wisdom and allowed me to dream again. I aspired to be educated in the area that I find meaning. With my passion for media and communication, I see how I am able to be a blessing to others in my community as well as my place of work.  

The reason I wrote this post is to remind you that, there have been times in your younger self when you wanted to do more in life than work a 9-5. Times when you wanted to be a blessing to others outside of your family. Times when you believed beyond what the world has chosen to limit you. 

Wake up and dream again. And be encouraged because every little bit of what you have will be used to bless a life or lives of those around you. Be encouraged, and continue to dream big, see beyond the limitations and reach for the stars. God wants you to be and do what He had put in your heart for you to do for the betterment of the human race and for his Kingdom. 

Be encouraged by my friend’s declaration titled I AM.

“I am a young and strong 23 year old African woman who is on a journey of discovery. I admit it has not been easy but it has been worth every breath, every fall and every rise for I have been able to ascertain attributes within me that I never thought existed.

As I am getting closer to attaining my bachelor degree in Law, all I can think about is what the hell am I going to do with this? Do not get me wrong, I have no regrets in pursuing LLB or taking this path in my life because the long yet short five year experience I have had in this cultured part of the world has been remarkable, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I have without a doubt learned a lot.

With some of us, as a consequence of education, we get this compelling force within us that we have to do so much more than just sitting in an air conditioned office, summoning others to fetch us coffee, writing down monthly reports and coming up with innovative ways to swell our bank accounts.

I, for one, would not want to become one of those people who get wrinkles before they are 30 just because they keep on doing what they hate but they just perform because of that hefty pay cheque at the end of the month. Or those who settle for something less fulfilling just because they think they can not get hold of their “dream job”.

I want to be exhilarated waking up in the morning, be driven in doing what gives me pleasure, put a smile on SOMEONE’s face by doing what I love to do and acquire contentment in the course of that, and when I lay in bed at the end of the day, I want to feel imperative in else’s and my own life. i want so much more out of life.

I might seem greedy for I want so many things. But this is life, and it is short and as long as we have the energy, liveliness, willingness, courage and the tenacity, we should always go out there and get what we want and with God’s grace, we can achieve.

I want to make a difference in our community. I am not a billionaire, I don’t have money to give around and fulfill people’s material needs. But what I have, is much more precious than gold coins. I have a lot of love within me which am willing to share with the whole world, especially those who need it the most. There is always some one out there who needs a little extra love in their lives.

To that little girl who is infected with HIV/AIDS, I will give her hope. To that young man who was abandoned when he was only 10 years old, I will be his hero. To that young girl who thinks life is not worth living because she has grown up being sexually abused by the men in her life, I will make her see a whole new world through my eyes. To that young man who was robbed off his life by drugs, I will give him a second chance. To that hardworking mother who is a victim of domestic violence, I will teach her to say Enough.” And to that beautiful girl laying on the hospital bed with ruthless cancer eating her up, having few days to live, I will lay beside her and whisper “it is going to be ok!”

I am not superwoman, I am an ordinary person who is out to do extra ordinary things.”