Making friends

7/10
I figured it would be a good idea to take a break from work today to get over being sick, so I ran some errands in the marketplace and relaxed in my room today. But I also made some new friends! I went up to the bar to charge the laptop and I said hello to the bartender, Joseph ("Joe"), who I had met a few days earlier. I learned that one waitress's name was Moija and a very nice waitress who said hello to me every morning at breakfast was named Sophia.

The internet is an incredible technology. For the next hour, Moija and I proceeded to sit at the bar with google translate on and talk to eachother back and forth, typing in Swahili and English. She asked me where my parents were, what I was doing in Tanzania, and what I am studying. She asked me if I would be her friend and, of course, I accepted. She then asked what I was doing for lunch, and I told her I had eaten at the local fruit stand. Moija was called back to work and I sat at the bar, talking with Joseph, a very animated (28 year old) bartender. He asked me if I had a boyfriend, and I said yes (everything is easier when you are getting more marriage proposals than facebook friend requests). We talked for quite a while, discussing topics from mzungu bargaining to love (but he made no efforts to propose. He did, however, ask to take me out on a date so he could buy me a beer and we could "disco"). Joe offered to buy me a beer at the bar, but I declined. He told me it would be free since he worked there, and offered to get me any drink I wanted. I continued to decline until, 5 minutes later, he asked why I did not want a free drink from him. I did not want to offend him, so I got an African cider ("Savannah Dry") and offered to split it with him. Joe was not allowed to drink while working, so he got out a wine glass and poured some for himself under the table. He sneaked a drink, and grimaced (like me, he does not drink alcohol often) but then laughed and began serving an actual customer at the bar.

As I was leaving, Moija called out to me holding a plate of wali majarague (rice and beans, traditional Tanzanian fare) and insisted I eat lunch with her. I was very full already, but accepted the invitation. I bought her a coke for giving me a free lunch, and the two of us ate together off the one plate, as if we had been friends for years. Moija is very sweet and I will definitely be seeing her more often around the hotel!

I walked back downstairs from the bar and was greeted by another hotel staff member, Bruno. Bruno is a great guy to talk to, since in addition to being fluent in Swahili, he is also well versed in Spanish, so this makes conversations much longer and detailed between the two of us. Previous to this evening, we talked a lot and he once told me he wanted to find a nice, beautiful Spanish girl in Arusha to marry. He knows this will never happen, but has a great sense of humor though he can be very flirty at times. So on my walk down the stairs today, of course, Bruno asked if I had had lunch yet. I said, yes, sorry. He told me he wanted to take me out to lunch sometime, and would not take no for an answer. I did not want to offend him, so I said maybe one day I would go out to lunch with him. Knowing Bruno's humor, that would be an interesting lunch date. I may or may not keep you posted.