Christmas MT style

(some names have been omitted to protect the guilty)

Did you blink? You might have missed it. We did. We heard there was music and great TV and delicious food and special shopping nights and office parties, but I think we must have dozed for 10 mins. And it looks like Father Christmas missed MT on his way through, sorry kids.

In some ways it was refreshing not to have the constant pressure to spend, not to have pretend you like your colleagues, mince pies and Brussels sprouts, and not to have to join the mass exodus from everywhere to everywhere else. But in other ways, without it… it just isn’t Christmas.

There was tinsel though (one piece), and Christmas crackers (a complete novelty, not just to Tanzanians but to Canadians and Polish alike), and Christmas pudding (thanks Dad) and Mark had his Christmas shave. In our house we made the day a little different to make it memorable. We didn’t arrange for a monitor lizard to wander through the garden or for an enormous storm at 6.00 which dropped the temperature a few degrees – heaven sent indeed – but both added to our festive cheer.

After a fried breakfast and opening of a couple of pressies we have room to carry out in our luggage, we got in Steve’s taxi to go to the next town – no day off for him. Early on we had decided that, because of our limited cooking equipment, transport options and the hard work it took to procure food as well as get it home and prepare it, the Christmas lunch being put on by a nearby ‘Up market hotel’ was worth spending a bit of cash on. The set up for the meal was nice enough – in the shade of the trees next to the small pool on the hillside so it caught some breeze. We even remembered to bring our cosies for a pre lunch dip, thinking, ohhohhoh, that as we were spending quite a bit of cash having lunch there then they wouldn’t charge us the ‘visitor’ rate for swimming for £2 a person. There were several other wazungus there but not many Tanzanians. Sodas and beers were opened and the seafood starter was a good thing to kick off with.

I had forgotten the mean mosquitoes that they breed at this hotel, but they really got going just after the seafood starter.

Then it just got odd.

Mango soup followed. It was an interesting idea but I’m not sure it worked. It’s fruit. It’s sweet. And it’s a cold soup. But points for imagination and local food sourcing.

Then the main course. Turkey! Yipee! OK, don’t get too excited. For a start did someone tell them that Christmas day was the 24th? Cos I’m sure it was done by then but they had to keep it warm until the 25th. And I think the waitresses could have got more meat off the bird if they had gone at it with a feather duster. Use a sawing action people!! Don’t just poke at it with the end of a blunt knife and smile at the queue of people who are beginning to realise that in yes, in fact they could have done a better job at home for a fraction of the price. I ended up holding the bird still while the waitress tried again at cutting. I suggested a couple of places she could try for some meat (no, that’s bone again) and eventually I got a few morsels. I’m not sure everyone else was as lucky…. And of course, the meat was served with omnipresent rice and stewed vegetables and beans. Enjoy your cold roasties people! Finally we had what I think was a cake… covered in liquidised cake. Not the Christmas pudding that was advertised – maybe that was a blessing in disguise?

But this was Christmas and not even bad food would get us down! After settling our UK-sized bill, we headed down the road to knock back a few Amarulas and share some banter with the other wazungus, a great way to restore the festive feeling.

And finally, what better way to end your Christmas day than by heading to your local Indian with some local big cheeses, who buy you some scrummy food and a few more beers? If it’s not a Christmas tradition where you are then make it one.

Merry Christmas and Happy 2009 to all our readers!