Tea Time

Tea time is big in Niamey.  Every workday at the center, morning and evening we see men gathering for tea.  Why just the men I am not sure but on the center it is definitely a men’s activity.  

The "Men's" tea time.  The black plastic bag is required.

Well on Friday, Mary took me to a home of a West African, for tea.  I guess we could call it a ladies tea.  We took Mary’s house help, Dalia, with us because the lady doesn’t speak French or Hausa or Zarma.  She speaks Fulani and we needed Dalia, who does, to translate for us.  Also I will be referring to her as the lady as I don’t know her name.  She is Ali Musair’s wife.  That is how she was introduced to me.  Mary who has known her for several years does not know her name either.  Guess that is just the way it is. 

This was not a tea party of china cups, silver tea service, cloth napkins, silver spoons, and scones.  This was an authentic West African tea party and what you get is green chai tea.  Actually Mary brought the tea that Dalia had purchased for this occasion in the local march.

The tea party was held in the lady’s home.  The lady is Tuareg; that means she belongs to a nomadic people group of West Africa.  Evidences of the Tuaregs are all over Niamey.  They produce the nicest leather and silver items that expats like me like to purchase.  Actually their craft/art work is hung in many homes, restaurants, and office buildings like the dentist office I frequented.   

Ali Musair brought his family to Niamey from Mali several years ago after a severe drought drove them to move to the city.  The lady explained that while she wants to preserve her culture she is actually happy to be living in the city and not on the move all the time and not so much at the mercy of the water supply for their subsistence.  Living in the city is easier she said and their children can go to school. 

Looking at pictures of themselves on the iPad

We may have been in Niamey but you would not have known it.  The family home is in a walled compound like all of Niamey only on the inside of their walls were three or four woven dome shaped straw homes with no electricity and no running water all built on the orange sand that is everywhere here.  This family purchases water sold in big plastic containers.  The lady goes to the marche a couple of times each day getting just enough food for a meal as there is no place to keep unused food. 

We removed our shoes when entering the home (even though the floor inside is the same orange sand.)  We sat on woven mats on the floor; as there are no chairs or tables.  We were wearing our pagnes (African cloth clothing/dress.) 

The lady made tea in a small metal teapot that she placed on a bed of charcoal held by a little wire “grill.”   She placed the tealeaves directly in the water.  Making tea this way took much longer than my heating a cup of water in the microwave. 

After a long while she began pouring the tea into small juice like glasses (a little bigger but not much bigger than a shot glass) and then she would pour it back into the teapot.  She did this several times.  And she would pour the tea by holding the tea pot shoulder height into these tiny glasses – I would have had tea everywhere but the glasses.  I was told the Tuaregs have pouring tea contests – like pouring from the back of a camel into these tiny cups!!  

Pouring tea.

We were given a first cup with lots of sugar.  The first cup is quite strong but I managed to drink it.  When we finished she rinsed the glasses in a tub of water and redid the whole procedure until we were finally given a 2^nd cup which actually tasted better as it was not quite as strong but still had plenty of sugar.  

I was told that this tea is quite addictive but that the adults all drink this tea at least once every day.  I guess that is much like my coffee drinking habits.

The two children of the family were also there.  They were so adorable and so well behaved.  They were like most African children that we have been around - quiet and in the background.  They do not interrupt or whine or cry or fight or ask for tea or ask for anything.  Amazing! 

Anyway, I felt privileged to have shared tea with these ladies and to experience the living space of this family. 

Mary and my new friends

African hospitality is so warm and welcoming.  This lady for example was completely present to the moment – as if she had nothing more important to do than spend a whole morning having tea with us.  It was a special morning to be sure.