For those who ask about Clara

One of the first and most important questions people ask me is: how is Clara adapting to Tanzania? Well, I think she’s doing great. I often realize how lucky we are to be able to offer our child such a fantastic environment to grow up in. I am sure that she is a very happy child. She spends lots of time with us, plays outside with children every day, and the weather is always warm. Some of her favorite activities are: finding the baby gecko in the bathroom, squirting water at insects using a water pistol, collecting mangos fallen from the tree in our garden, splashing in a big bowl of water with other kids, feeding our neighbors monkey, turning the ventilator on and off and on and off and on and off, running around naked with just mama’s shoes on, swimming in the pool, painting the TV screen with chalk, “helping” our housekeeper, pretending she is monkey who eats us alive, etc. She has learned the name of almost every wild animal and when driving in a car she keeps asking if I see an elephant somewhere. At home she imitates some animals and pretends to hunt and to eat us, we do the same. I think she will be a big safari fan.

During the last weeks a family from Uganda is living next door to us, they have a little daughter called Esther. The mother is Italian and the father is Ugandan, so little Esther speaks a bit of English and Italian. She and Clara don’t share any common language but nevertheless they understand each other perfectly. There is also a language barrier with the other kids in the compound but they can communicate and play without any problem. This talent is sadly lost as a child grows up. She speaks mostly German and sometimes she says a word or two in Portuguese, Swahili or English. There must be such a language-salad in her head. I’m sure she’ll manage one way or the other. Big news is that recently she refuses nappies. She has started to become a big girl and uses the toilet! I am so happy about this! Although accidents happen regularly it is still a big difference.

Clara almost every day asks us about Oma and Opa (grandparents), as well as Maya, Gwen and Levi (three little friends). I tell her we will soon visit them in Germany and she is happy to hear this. A strange thing that I have noticed is that she never asked about the kindergarten or the kids from it. Although she spent a lot more time with them than with Maya, Gwen of Levi, she is completely uninterested in knowing where they are or if she is ever going to see them. I think she doesn’t miss the kindergarten and the kids at all! I wonder if she ever felt happy there. I honestly thought she would miss it, but obviously she doesn’t. In three weeks we’ll be back in Berlin and she’ll be able to see the ones she so dearly misses. I am also happy to be back for a while.