Here I Am

Here I am.

I am Jacqueline Brennan coming from your small town USA and embracing a world that is different, yet not so different than my own. Over the course of the trip, I find myself asking what will happen when I get home?  How will people react to me and my adventures?  What will I say to them?  How do I explain everything in one simple email?  I can't even say that what I have for you now is sufficient. 

Life exposes the superficial and thoughtful ideas to those it controls. Some things need to be realized by an individual through their passion, while other things need to be realized through their faults.  Life takes our hands and drags us through thickets of deception and pulls us through mogs of our biggest fears...for what?  From a recent movie, I heard a cool quote, "I am glad people can't tell the future; otherwise, we would never get out of bed."  Life can be the childhood monster under your bed and hiding behind the door of your darkened closet. Those thickets and mogs become so overbearing and derailing at times, we just try to hold on tight to whatever strip of our own identities we have left in our possession. We become brave.  We become resilient.  We become the cliche version of ourselves.

I can sit here and explain what a life changing experience Tanzania was for me, and how much I gained from it, but I would hate to bore. Truthfully, upon arriving in the Amsterdam airport, I realized one thing, I become just another face in the crowd.  I am not saying this cynically, but the simple idea is that no one knows what I have learned and done in Tanzania, and no one really cares. The truth is, people want to hear, "It was a life changing experience, and I wouldn't trade it for the world." 

However, a short turn of events also made me realize that Tanzania has not left me with a constrained view of human nature. I witnessed our Dutch captain of our KLM flight come to my friend, Kristin, in the wee hours of the morning and presented her with a book.  It was book number 6 actually, for passengers to write their aspirations and wishes of their lives, and it carried the most valuable and priceless treasures that answer many of life's most daunting questions. The book revealed the human resilience, courage, and the significance of the various personal identities contained in the borders of the world. 

This was our chance to either embrace being another face in the crowd, or fight it.  Writing down these things in a book of dreams does not necessarily make us change this inevitability, but it does make our lessons learned seem more official because other people will be seeing them. It was fate that Kristin was randomly selected out of all the passengers to do this, and I witnessed it.  I began thinking about what my entry would've looked like.  Something like this:

"It is easy to let life scare you. People all over the world, rich or poor, big or small, young or old, continue to get up and press on with the day, believing that tomorrow has a better future. What are these people looking for?  That's easy...Happiness. Success is not defined by material wealth, or the quantity of relationships you have, or how many places you've been, but rather a new definition of success is by being truly honest with yourself about your personal happiness. 

In Tanzania, I experienced and witnessed many things, but one of them is that it is a place that carries dreams in the light of a Tanzanian eye. I have seen it. Whether you (but mostly I) have learned that a shampoo bottle can last longer than 4 months, a scrap of toilet paper can go a long way, a bucket of bathing water could be more than you asked for, and eating with your hands can save doing the dishes, you never want to take ANYTHING for granted. Tanzanians most certainly do not underestimate their faith (nor the will of God), and as a result, Tanzanians have an imploding faith that allows them to never stop dreaming and fighting for their happiness. They exemplify the human resilience in their daily life. They have more to teach America than for us Westerners to try to teach them.

In accordance, you realize the world and its dreams, including your own, get that much bigger (and sometimes even more confusing), so find your Africanness."

There is my tribute.  Truth is, I care about Tanzania and the love, the relationships, the views, and smiles it has so kindly offered to me. I am returning home carrying on my back life-created wings from the superficial and thoughtful lessons I have learned. My cliche version of myself is my better self, and honestly, it is up to you all to observe the mark and impression Tanzania has left on me. You all don't have to care about all these life lessons I have learned, but promise yourselves that you never take for granted all the places you will go in search of your happiness. 

Thank you all for reading up on my journey, and this won't be my last adventure. Study abroad trips ruin you with restlessness (in a good way of course) for something else exciting just around the corner.

I bid thee adieu. 

Sending my love from around the world.  I am home.

Jax

Give a man a fish....

IT'S THE FINAL COUNTDOWN! 

I am down to two days left of Tanzania. What am I going to do next you might ask? Well maybe I will save that for after I talk about what I have been doing.

To start off, I hiked Mount Kilimanjaro. Ok, I hiked AROUND Mount Kilimanjaro, but I will tell you that it was on the list of top prettiest hikes in the world, and let me tell you, they aren't kidding. Avocado trees, banana trees, and coffee plants lay all over the mountain side. It smells of a mixture of mbege (the local brew...amongst other moonshine) and fresh rain, and the sound of a ninety meter waterfall in the distance. Toucan and other bird singers flutter around during the day, while the big-eyed Bush baby crawlers of the night scurry under the sheet of darkness. Very few people were bustling around, and if they were, they were farmers tending to their crops just like my good old home range in America.

I can't say we lived the village life because truly we were spoiled, but we got to talk to a ninety-six year old Chagga woman about her life, explore the wonderful terrain, learn about the nature and history of a farm village, consume some organic Chagga coffee we ground ourselves (which we got to trend and coin the new dance move...the twanga, so much better than twerking), and dance the night away with some great company. We stayed there for five days and then off to Lushoto for three days.

We thought the good village of Shimbwe was beautiful, but Lushoto is something else. It is a small town tucked back into these tall mountains. The town itself is so high that their buildings touch the clouds half the time, and they themselves feel so much closer to God. We stayed at this beautiful lodge that lies on the top of these mountains. You looked out on this vast valley of fluffy white clouds, while another layer of clouds lay just above you to shade you from the sun. Our tropical arena was just short of heaven. 

At Lushoto, we got to hear from a few truly wonderful people, Steve, Susan, and Yona Vinton. Actually, if any of you know Josh Vinton at Whitworth, he is a great fellow and a very good friend of mine.  We had the chance to talk with his family about the work they have been doing in Africa and specifically, Tanzania, for over 20 years. They are the type of people that when you talk to them, you just want to be surrounded by them all the time. 

A little background about them is that Susan has been doing fantastic work with those with HIV in her area in Iringa, and she had recently opened a clinic with all her fellow villagers to cater to other villages to obtain ARVs and receive treatment of sorts. Truly, Susan's job is to make people feel valued by visiting those who are suffering and give these people hope by saying wonderful words of wisdom like, "these days are the best days to get HIV!" Essentially, every outcome is going to be great, you just have to have hope and keep living, and that is something to apply to every day life. 

Steve Vinton of Village Schools Tanzania

Steve is working with an NGO run by Tanzanians...mind you... called Village Schools Tanzania. This isn't a place where people come in and build schools all over Tanzania and leave. Schools that are desired in the area are organized by Village Schools, but are built by the hands that desire these schools. The administration of these schools are Tanzanian, the workers are Tanzanian, and the material they use is from Tanzania, and slowly but surely, an amazing thing starts to spark on the stone.

I will let you in on a little secret that even I had a hard time understanding at first. I don't know if you are ready for this America, but think back to all those times that you went on those two-week mission trips to another country and built a house and left. Recall all the times you gathered canned food to send off to these countries in poverty. Think back to all the pictures that companies show you of how low poverty can get in the world. You know, the more flies on the face the better. Those were great ideas weren't they? They sparked a fire in you to go help and serve others less fortunate. However, you haven't seen what all these things have done after the fact.  Those were great ideas weren't they? They sparked a fire in you to go help and serve others less fortunate. However, you haven't seen what all these things have done after the fact.

I haven't personally seen this, but Susan explained to us that even though people in her village sleep on the ground, or don't have a lot of money, they don't feel like they are in poverty because what they have been doing there is quite amazing. I don't know why I hadn't thought of it before. Let Tanzania and Africa build their own schools and hospitals. "But...but they need our help. They might build it wrong. They don't how to make it efficient without our western ideas." No,  think about what you're saying. What you're saying is "they can't do it."  If you do everything for your child, you're telling them they can't and don't have to do it themselves. What justice does that do to them? America has far too long babied Africa, when they are more than capable than people think to realize. We have to realize that maybe helping Africa is only for our own personal gain rather than truly helping those less fortunate.

This is the message that Susan and Steve try to get across to Tanzanians. They don't need anyone's help but the help of each other. Now, this isn't saying those canned foods you sent out, or that house you built was in vain, but it is important to think about what message we are truly getting across when we do these things. Everything just got even more confusing didn't it? Am I donating money to the right things? Am I turning people into beggars? Am I sending the message of self efficiency, or reliance? That is a matter of opinion. If any are interested in the Village Schools Tanzania and support their message, check them out at villageschools.org. You can volunteer teaching English or whatever your heart desires in Tanzania, which is a constant growing demand for all the people in Tanzania. It is a selective process, and with a bright outlook, I bet you won't come back the same person. 

It was all a good weekend spent listening to some really wise people. Lushoto had a lot of beauty to offer us, but that too came to an end. It was off to Dar es Salaam. We set out at eight in the morning, doing our best to beat the rain, simply because our bus had gotten stuck in the mud prior. Truly, throughout the three months we had been there, everything had gone according to plan, which is good, but too good. Our journey and race ahead was to beat the floods sent by God himself. Instead of getting to Dar at 4 in the afternoon, we got there at 4 in the morning the next day. We got caught in traffic outside a hardly acceptable version of a town and we were there for over twenty hours trying to wait out the floods that stood as our obstacle. Surprisingly enough, our group was the best group to get caught in a traffic jam with, simply because every day was an adventure and everyone took it that way. The best type of people to surround yourself with are the people that can take a 20-hour traffic jam and make it something good. I got to talk with some interesting characters from all over Africa. In Tanzania, there are no strangers. Once we were moving, we drove through the flood itself where the waters had swept away many small vehicles, houses, and sadly, people. It sounds very dangerous, I know, but all is well. A lot of plans changed that day, and it worked for the best.

Over the past few weeks, we have talked with the US embassy, the Peace Corps, ex-members of parliament, visited museums of all kinds, and sat in on a university class. As of now, it is the countdown to make Tanzania last for as long as possible. Every day is an adventure. Tata for now! 

Sending my love from Africa!  Coming home soon!

Jax

The Road Goes Ever On and On.

I hope this is what you all have been waiting for.

As said in The Hobbit…

Gandalf: "All good stories deserve an embellishment. You'll have a tale or two when you come back."

Bilbo Baggins: "…Can you promise that I will come back?"

Gandalf: "No. And if you do… you will not be the same."

Yes, I just quoted Lord of the Rings, but truly, no one can contemplate my love for reading those books right now. There is a slight truth in the journey Bilbo Baggins, a wee hobbit with a sense of adventure about him, took into the truly unknown and uncertain, and in the end, he ended up with more than just riches, but priceless friends, lessons, and memories that lasted him an entire 150 year lifetime.

As your average human being, I fear uncertainty. At some point in our lives, we always ponder where life will take us, and as we dive deeper and deeper into the unknown, our patience grows thinner because life doesn't feel anymore certain than when we first took the leap of faith to live out all the options. In the end, some of us have learned that beyond the point of uncertainty, you have to let God, Faith, Life… whatever you feel like calling it… drive it. I truly love praying for this:  "God, give me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change (the patience to understand them too), The courage [strength] to change the things I can, And the wisdom to know the difference."

Where am I going with this? Well, let me share some life lessons with you.  Upon arriving in Arusha that fateful January 11, 2014, I had no expectations to be mind blown, or to be disappointed. What were you then, you ask? I was simply coasting. I came to my host family as a girl lost in a new world, merely contemplating the life that Tanzania would have for me. Just rule number one: Prepare yourself to adapt. Battle Ready! Now, I write to you on my last day in Arusha. This is the last day I will be spending at my internship, within the city of Arusha, and spending time with my family: Mama Peace, Tini, Eklesia, Baba, Michael, and Rehema.  I was going to wait until the end of my Tanzania trip, but I thought, 'Na, it is fitting to tell them now, under the emotional circumstances.' 

Arusha has given me many things.  Number one…(Haha Numba One)… many new friends and family. I am blessed by God to be placed into a family that teaches me more about a different side of faith than I choose to believe. Well, let me tell you what that means. STOP RUNNING SCARED! Those who know me well, know I worry over the little things, but in the Bible it states, "there is a time to keep, and a time to cast away." For example, even you who sit in the back of the church so comfortably listening to the pastor and mouthing the words to worship songs, God wants to see you dance, to let go of all the things that hold you back from letting loose and worship, even if you can't sing, or dance. God wants you to feel comfortable around him and not worry about what those around you might think. I completely testify making yourself uncomfortable teaches you more about yourself than maybe you wanted to know. 

Look, I am not a person that sits in the church like my Mama Peace and cries AMEN to everything, but I wonder at times why I am not? I just don't like to? Am I afraid that people will hear? I will tell you that something like this is good practice for when we are outside of church. I don't want people to believe that God is merely some sort of money bank and wish-granter because he is more than that. We can say we are blessed, but truly, the connotation should be that we are thankful, and in moments outside of church, when God blesses you with kindness, with breath, with money, with food, with a job, whatever, that is the moment to truly say AMEN Jesus, I praise you. As hypocritical as it might sound, I don't think I will return being that "AMEN" singing lady in church, but more of as a reminder that I must practice what I preach by praising God not only in church, but outside it. Only by action can I say I have learned such things of Faith.

Number two… Arusha has given me much to see. Sure, it might be polluting the air and dangerous in places, but it is not as dangerous as people say it is. It is easy enough to say that no matter where you go in the world, even to New York, you have to be aware always. I cannot reiterate that enough. It is easy to sit on our high horses and say that we are more civilized than most Africans, but let me tell you a little parable. A thief and a businessman can be both devious and tricky with money. Both can take your money, maybe because they needed more than you were willing to spare, but one is in a suit. Does that mean the one in the suit is more correct than the other? No, thieving isn't easily compared to being a businessman, but taking money without permission still isn't OK.  And no, not all business people are devious (for my business major friends out there), but think about it. I imagine some people have met some pretty devious businessmen trying to trick you out of your money for their own personal gain, while a thief steals for his personal gain. Culture is not as civilized as we think, no matter how sophisticated we think we are.  The people of Arusha are people you won't meet anywhere else in the world. It is a system here that is a rare find. It is a culture you will never know until you allow yourself to live it.

Number three… I can officially say I had a job in a foreign country. Honestly, I can't say that I loved doing office work, but I built a greater network in the world simply because I decided to look forward to every moment. I worked with donkeys that weren't treated fairly, were malnourished, and uncared for. I visited dogs that were more cared for than some Africans would have thought practical, and I taught over 150 kids of many ages about animal welfare just to watch them smile. I have met some pretty down to earth people in this job, and yeah, work ethic may not be like it is in America here in Tanzania, but I am not here to tell them their culture needs to change. There is some value to teach us in being different.

Lastly, being in Arusha has given me a whole set of courage, like Bilbo Baggins, that I have never had before, and I am going to keep this short and simple. I get on a daladala. I have to use Swahili to tell the conductor where I am going. He forgets I am stopping there, and the daladala passes my stop. Whether I shout, or simply tap him on the shoulder to let me off, I am going to get out of that daladala, and I am going to get to my destination when time allows me to get there. Life isn't always as simple as that. We most certainly can't be late for work, but sometimes in life, we get there when we get there, and it is OK to allow yourself to squeeze in a little chuckle to yourself saying, 'Ha! I have to walk a few more feet than I originally intended."

I will miss my family so much. Each and every one of them has taught me one little thing, whether it is Tini and Ekle teaching me to have patience with children, whether it is Mama teaching me to be a 'Hebrew' and letting God worry about your fears, or Rehema teaching me to smile big when facing adversity. I wish I could describe them all in greater detail because all of you should know them, but I will say the one thing I wanted to do when I got to Tanzania was make new relationships that I could count on to last a lifetime, or to build a new sense of family on the other side of the world. Folks, I did exactly that, and there is nothing I have regretted not doing in Arusha.

Sending love from Africa,

Jax 

P.S. We are going away to a Chaga village for a week without Wifi, so don't wait up!

Students, Safaris, and Soulsearching...

Well, I suppose here I am...going into my third month of being amid the culture of Tanzania. Of course, it is dawning on me that time is flying drastically, and soon I will be on a plane flying back to America and diving back into my own culture.  But lets not think about that yet.

So, lately I have been working alongside the Arusha Society for Protection of Animals, or ASPA (a non-governmental organization, non-profit too), to help teach children of all ages about animal welfare. I am also involved in writing proposals and designing brochures and all that for the company, which is new to me since I have never truly been in the business sector of a company. However, I hope to get the opportunity to participate in dog, cat, and donkey vaccination clinics soon. 

Truly, though, my internship couldn't teach me more. I work hard every day with this job with the hopes that I am constantly getting better at communicating in Swahili, or understanding the mindset of the people, or doing business things. The ASPA also has volunteer work for anyone who is interested. A neat fact about the ASPA is that it partners with "Roots and Shoots", the Jane Goodall Institute here in Arusha, which means we have a big opportunity to work within their institution and gain experience, as well as working for the very famous Chimpanzee researcher and conservationist herself. If you don't know about her, she truly is an ambitious and amazing character. 

Recently, my colleague, Chris, and I got to go in and teach about animal welfare to a class 12-year olds.  Let me tell you that the education system here is very different. It's very restrictive and disciplined. The students have to raise their hands every time they want to talk, have to stand up when they talk, and always have to behave because people are watching always.  Critical thinking isn't a thing within schools; it's memorization. From a teacher's standpoint I can imagine how having well behaved children is the ideal, but I can feel how suppressed sometimes the children feel, even if they don't know what they are capable of. One thing people may not like is that they still beat the children with thin wooden sticks for punishment. We witnessed five young boys being forced to bend over, and each time the stick would strike their backs we could hear their faint pathetic squeal. Whether this is right or wrong is a great controversy among American parents. Is punishing using pain and fear the right way to go? I'll leave it for you to think about. 

Otherwise, the lesson went very well, even though we couldn't entirely teach in Swahili. We had a wonderful translator to help us, but the children were very involved and very excited. We had about 50 kids in the class, which was more than I was expecting, but I am slowly learning that Tanzanians may have a very very VERY wrong rough estimate about 95% of the time. We were thankful with the opportunity and now, we will see where the rest of our internship takes us.

As for the moment I, and most of you, have been waiting for, we have experienced our safari to its fullest. We stayed in some of the nicest places that I have ever stayed in and may ever stay in again. We stayed in a "tent" with a queen sized bed and beautiful wooden floors... I am sure everyone could camp in that fashion, but believe me it will forever be the nicest tent I will ever stay in. It was so nice I wanted it to be my house one day. The hotels were absolutely gorgeous sitting atop mountains to look out upon the miles and stretches of the east African scenery. It was unbelievable. 

Swimming pool at the lodge on safari

We saw many types of animals; from all the animals on Lion King, except Timon, even a BABY LION, and then some. As my friend, Ruthie, would say, "I basically died from happiness..." and I felt that happy in that moment. Most of the animals came within 2 feet of our car, except the rhino. It was so majestic and magical that the scenery reminded me of many places I have hiked back home with the addition of so many diverse animals. I am making it a priority to go see those places when I get home, and, in essence, I can sort of carry Tanzania back home with me by hiking those beautiful places. 

We saw many baby animals, which is everyone's dream to just fall into a haze of baby animals, but I will let my pictures do the talking, and then you can feel as jealous as you'd like. If you ever go on safari, check out Africa Untamed for your company (also keep note that prices of things to me are unknown because we also got resident pricing) because our guides were hilarious and personable, and they know their stuff.  It is easy to get caught up in seeing all the big animals like lions, elephants, wildebeests, etc. But try your best to really dive into knowing the little animals, like the birds and the lizards because they have a lot to teach us too.  As for me, I felt so drawn to these sorts of areas. Of course, that isn't a shocker since I love animals, but my heart has a place for these conservation areas, the animals, the country, and the peace found within God's creations. 

A wonderful person I have met on this trip is actually the owner of the safari company, whose name is Elphas. Elphas is originally from Nairobi, but he was such a wonderful and understanding passenger guide. He came along with us to get updates about the company and learn of our own experiences, which is quite amazing customer service, and surprising because I have never had any African ask me about what I have learned about African culture and what I have learned from my host families. His idea is he might begin a safari tour where people can come in and dive into African culture and live with local families to live a life in their shoes. He truly finds value in people knowing the culture of Africa, and he is proud of where he comes from. Isn't that interesting?! He is also very interested in American culture and asked so many questions about where we come from. 

Coming from a business that attracts international people, Elphas taught me about ways on how to communicate to people cross culturally, even to high maintenance tourists. He remains understanding and it also becomes one of the best parts of going on safari with clients. He has taught us so much Swahili, and we have shared so many laughs. He actually reminds me a little of Samuel L. Jackson by the way he talks. However, he has insisted that I come back to Kenya to come visit his family and go to the Serengeti. He has even said he would do research about what it takes to work at the national parks we have been to, which would be just one more option among many for possible careers. 

As for all the things I have learned, it is one new thing everyday. I will say after conversing deeply with my peers I just begin to realize what type of person I want to be. We have students who have their own ministry, who volunteer everywhere, who are camp counselors and singers, and future politicians and brainiacs. They are people who were just born to make an impact on life with ambition and passion and do things you could only dream of. They have so many traits that  I would love to aspire to be and learn from, whether it is more patience, be a better listener, more organized, more involved, or more confident, but, you know, characteristics you just can't force. Even if you think it is such a wonderful thing to start your own ministry, maybe it is just something you weren't meant to be good at. Even if you want to be that daredevil who tries everything in the world, sometimes you just know it isn't for you. People want to be that person that others say "she/he is such a force of nature, a down to earth, ambitious, super smart, beautiful person that it's intimidating because you want to be just like them." But it is okay. You shouldn't feel the need to be more involved, or start ministries, or do daring things that don't make you happy just to feel awesome, because it is okay to just be comfortable with what you enjoy even if it means you aren't doing other people's definition of awesome. You are awesome for being comfortable with who you are. Be who you want to be in the world. That is something I am learning to tell myself every day.

Commitment: Be who YOU want to be in the world. Experience how you want to experience it. Not how you think people want you to experience it.

Love from Africa,

Jax

Zanzibar - Kwa Heri (Farewell)

Do you ever ask yourself why it always takes the last minute to realize something has grown on you?  I will say that my time here in Zanzibar has been a well spent time. I have learned more about culture here than I have anywhere else in the world. There so many things I have done over the last few weeks, and while you must forgive me (nisame), I don't remember everything. 

All my female fellow travelers in our conservative garb

However, I will let you in on a secret...I have waited to explain this until this day I am leaving the island, because it is up for a high amount of debate and conversation in America. Recently, Zanzibar has experienced bombings at the Anglican church and Mercury's, a tourist bar. Now, before you freak out, no one died and no property was severely damaged. The motive is in question, but it is said that the bombing was in response to Zanzibarian locals not wanting to work with the mainland of Tanzania anymore. 

But let me reassure you all...never have I felt persecuted here for being a Christian. Nobody looks twice about my religion. I get hassled more for being a white woman than being a Christian, and even then, I walked around the market, and no one took a second look at me. I was more one of them because I could speak a little Swahili, and I knew how to survive there. For the first time, I felt I was the closest I would ever get to being a part of the culture. 

Sure, at first when I heard the news, I was slightly nervous. I wore my head scarf for a day, but life went on here in Zanzibar. The streets did not change. People went on with their lives trying to survive this world with what God put in front of them. It is a lot less then what we have, and no, I don't miss my h&m clothes, or my nice foam mattress, or my car, or all my stuff that somehow managed to work its way into my life, but being here you learn to miss the freedom you don't realize you have in America (especially as a woman), or drinkable water, or healthy food, or the privilege to workout in our nice air conditioned gyms that people might have the money to spare for memberships. 

In America, we have fallen back on the idea that all Muslims hate Christians, or Americans. We are told to believe that we are the victims, but let me tell you that even though a Muslim and a Christian are seen differently in the way they live their lives, or how they express their faith, we believe in the same all powerful, merciful, gracious one God. As seen in the 6 articles of Muslim faith, there is only one God, and one God alone. 

On that note, a few convicting things about Swahili is that in Swahili they have two different versions of praying; omba and sali. Kuomba means to beg. This is the prayer that is said to lift up all requests to God: "I pray for a new job, a new car, a significant other, more money. I pray for stuff." Or... "I pray for peace, love, patience, stability, etc." However, kusali just means to pray. This is the recited prayers as well as the type of prayer that praises God in all his glory. So just ponder to yourself, why begging and praying are two different types of praying.

Mama Salma and me on graduation day.

Two things that are frustrating as well as interesting, is that "like" and "love" are the same word in Swahili (penda). Your love for coffee, or chocolate is the same kind of love you share for you spouse, your child, or your friend. In English, there is a very distinct difference between all these kinds of loves. Another frustrating thing is that in English we have all these filler words like "really", "too", "so", etc. that feel like you are truly explaining how you feel. For instance, as I wrote my host mom her thank you letter, I tried so hard to explain how awesome and how much I REALLY appreciated her as my host mom, and how she was SUCH a great mom... but there is no way to say that in Swahili as you can in English, so saying she was a good mom will have to do. 

As for the other Swahili, I graduated from the State University of Zanzibar on February 28, 2014, with a certificate of achievement in the intermediate high level with an excellent score. It was officially signed by the head of the foreign student department and the Dean of SUZA himself, and I felt like I was back in high school again. Might I add that we had to do skits in Swahili, and while I am a terrible actor, we had one of the funniest ones. We had everyone laughing and rolling on the floor. 

Beach at Matemwe

The best thing we did in that time was we drove to the north tip of the island to a small town called Matemwe. I will say right now, everyone needs to go stay in Matemwe if they come to Zanzibar.  It is right along the coast line where the Indian ocean is a beautiful shade of blue and is warm. People are always seaweed farming in this water, so wait until later to swim, but there is a peace in watching the people do what they know best. The resorts there are very nice, with very cheap, but very good massages, or spa type things. They have amazing food that you can easily get to right along the beach. The sand is so white it looks like snow, and the sun glares off it like no other. The village around this area is so peaceful that even if you know nothing about Swahili, they will come up and say hello to you, or they will stare as you walk by, but with a smile. It is the most laid back and least stressful place in all of Tanzania. It was truly a great chance to relax, enjoy good food, and good company with Grant, Allie, Ruthie, Andrea, Hannah, another Hannah, Alex, my french flight attendant friend, and Young John.

Matemwe Resort

The daladala ride to get there was even more exciting. We waited for 30 minutes for a dala to show up, while many passed fuller than I can imagine and still calling people in. They should definitely make a roller coaster ride called the daladala because it is the exact equivalent. It was the most eventful daladala ride I have been in. We had up to 37 people in the back at one time, with two women breast feeding, a bicycle, and a flat tire. It was probably one of the greatest adventures out of that whole day, even if my butt fell asleep after a two-hour ride, feeling claustrophobic, and the possibility of getting car sick. Sometimes you just have to toughen it out for the sake of the adventure!

We are making the pirate hook sign to send good luck
wishes to our Whitworth Pirates basketball teams
back in the states.

As I was just getting to know my way around the maze of Stonetown, and as we say Kwa Heri to Zanzibar, we can only hope that one day we will come back to visit, or see the people that we have met over the period of a short month here in Zanzibar. So far, I have been blessed with so many wonderful adventures I will never forget, as well as the wonderful Mama I was blessed with, and the many people I have come to know as my friends. I hope that one day you all come here to see for yourself the beauty and history and culture it has to offer. You may or may not like what you see, but just always remember that this world isnt always about ourselves. 

Sending love from Africa            

Jax

The Zanzibar Experience Continues...

Part 2

Alhani

After Sauti Za Busara, things died down, and everyone left with memories to remember forever.  However, life went on.  For instance, I went with Alex and Michael to the house where our favorite little girl was just turning 2. Her name is Alhani, and she is, of course, your cute, chubby cheeked, button nosed, big brown eyed girl.  For short, she is my shoga.  Shoga, in Swahili, represents the relationship between girls who are good friends. 

Have you ever been this tired?

As we sat watching the many children crowded into one small living room watching TV, we witnessed a little boy who was so tired he was falling asleep sitting up. We watched as the little kids watched music videos that weren’t exactly family friendly, nor were they videos that you would want your kids to be watching. They were music videos about drugs, or sex, and usually had half-naked girls shaking their butts at the camera.  But the parents didn’t think anything of it. In fact, I saw the parents singing along with this Afro-beat type music (i.e. Diamond Platnumz is the big one). It made me think about how the older generation really accepts the modern music, which made me think about how I am used to hearing the older generation in America talk about how “the music isn’t how they made it back in the good ole days.” While this partially may be true coming from a big Oldies fan because of my Dad, rather than complaining or hating it, the people here just embrace the new music.

So the celebration happened something like this…Alhani came in dressed as if she was a bride; all decked out in a white dress with makeup and a white flower pin in her hair. There were many kids watching her, so, of course, she was very shy at first (I am not sure she loved her outfit because it gets better). Her parents, her aunt and uncles, and her Dadas were there. Everyone, even each little kid, came up and greeted me, Michael, and Alex by touching our hand (not exactly shaking it).  So for all you germaphobes, you might need hand sanitizer. The special guests generally get there later, but we were the exception.  They greeted us with sweet juice, and fed us soup with potato and pepper tasting things. 

Alhani disappeared for a little while, but soon she came out wearing an extravagant green and pink fairy outfit. It was obvious she loved this outfit more, because she began to clap her hands and dance to the music playing. They brought a green and pink cake where a Barbie was built into the cake with her arms to say CONGRATS!! They played a whole CD of different versions of the Happy Birthday Song, which was fairly interesting.  

The tradition they have here in Africa on someone’s birthday is that every guest must feed and be fed by the birthday person. I was the third person to be fed cake, which is a big honor to think about because the special guests go close to the beginning after parents and grandparents. The atmosphere was ‘bumpin’ as they would say in America, with everyone being crowded in this small living room, dancing, laughing, and singing. Alhani shared her bright smile with the whole world, and I hope her bright smile is shared with you in her pictures.

My Swahili professor and classmates, Amaya, Rachael & Ruthie.

The whole week after that was spent going to class, learning and practicing more Swahili. We explored a cave where 100 slaves were kept to work on crops, because in 1873 the Sultan was forced to sign the document to abolish slavery (if he didn’t sign, there would be no protection by England…) This cave also had fresh water that was used for drinking, bathing, and irrigating. Keep in mind, this cave is NOT handicap accessible. It isn't like the famous monuments in America where they build fancy ramps and lights to light the pathway. So we climbed back into the cavern (pango) with our headlights and the best sturdy shoes we had, along with these crickets with 2-inch long antennae, bats, millipedes bigger than my hands, spiders the size of my hand, and rocks that are very slippery and treacherous…and muddy. Its okay, only one of us fell, but the outcome was a camera being broken (Kristin). I did my very best to catch her.  It wasn’t very long, but just imagine slaves who are barefoot and weak climbing over sharp rocks with animals that are creepy crawlers.

Cave entrance

Cave exit

Then, we traveled to slave chambers where over 200 slaves were kept chained to walls standing up, with no toilets, with only bread and a glass of water a day. The slave traders would take the slaves and send them out on a secret port to India and the Middle East. It makes you wonder what kind of tension there is between Africans and India. It makes you wonder what sort of tension is between Africans who imprisoned other Africans and used them as slaves.

The next day… something amazing happened.  Rachael and I decided to go explore the beach of Ngazi Mia. Of course asking for directions to the beach ended up being told “It's over there. You know, over there.” Then, they show us where we need to go, and then ask for money. Our guide was very nice and did not ask for money, but he told us to walk and explore everywhere and we gave our thanks. This beach was secluded and SO peaceful. I can’t say it was the prettiest beach I have seen, but because it wasn't swarming with tourists, or people, other than African runners on the beach, it was wonderful. We watched the many fishing boats being cared for, explored the seashells, climbed onto this old cement hangout place to do homework and relax on the beach. 

We always have people who come up and talk to us, but they are usually teenagers who want to practice their English, or teach us Swahili. I read in Eat, Pray, Love that Muslims have an order to their world. Life makes sense when you have a plan. It is against the natural order to not have a plan. It is kind of like you are floating aimlessly into the dark abyss of the universe with no direction. It is the exact same here. Every guy asks me the same three questions in order. Do you have kids? (No) How old are you? (19) Are you married? (No).  Then follow all the average Whys? You quickly learn to say politely “I don’t have kids, YET,” avoid the age question, and lie and say, “Yes, I am married.” 

After that, we swam in not the cleanest ocean water (we witnessed a cow being washed in the ocean near us… No Judgment), and indulged in the little pleasure of letting ourselves be tourists for a few hours.  We even wore our bikinis, which is very scandalous. Teehee.  We got some courage to do 50 jump squats on the beach, which was a great workout while it lasted. It gets better…

The beach filled with more locals by the minute. Even some women were swimming by this point, which is practically unheard of. As we approached our cement hangout place, we saw a ginormous group of people circled and facing toward each other chanting in these rhythmic drill with a slight hint of African songs. It took a minute, but all of a sudden I realized all these people were counting because they were working out. Men, soccer players, boys, and even women in their long gowns and covered heads were here working out. I began to videotape and traveled to the top where I could get a better view. I was so entranced by the fact that the whole Zanzibar community was here doing these aerobics without stopping in the hot Zanzibar sun for a whole hour. 

Click on these links to see videos

                 Swahili Aerobics!                                                 And I got to play too!

The man leading the workout was this man who had a spring in his step and a large smile on his face that was warm and welcoming. He spotted me up in the crowd and yelled up to me to come join… I couldn’t pass that up even if I was in a beach dress and bathing suit. So I worked out with the Zanzibar community, doing aerobics for 45 minutes without stopping, with a huge smile on my face. I could not believe what I was a part of. I was surrounded by the wonderful sound of African voices chanting and yelling Swahili around me, and it gave me the best motivation to enjoy the workout while I could, even if it meant I was sweating an oceanful. I didn’t understand everything they said, but it didn’t matter. The sound of their harmonious voices lifted up everyone’s spirits. Everyone around me shared a smile, a pat on the back, and even a short clip of the workout for proof. A man even gave 100 shillings for all my hard work. All around that day was a day I will remember for the rest of my life because it was something that a person may not dream of doing, but it was an unknown dream come true.

            As of now, food is calling me home, so I will leave you with this: peace can be found in the most unlikely things, so let yourself be caught in the moment.

Love from Africa

Jax

Photo credits to Michael Celone and my traveling companions.  Thanks!

Sounds of Wisdom - Sauti za Busara

Lets just say that this weekend was spent in experiment and committed to observation. This post is dedicated simply to one amazing instance in my life.  But first off, let me just say thank you to the random vicarious readers of my blog, because without you I would not have a true reason to share. I did not expect my blogs to be seen in other foreign countries, but hey, if you like it, I am all for it. 

Part 1

Now, lets get on with it... three words:  Sauti za Busara...

This means voice of wisdom in Swahili, and let me tell you with a voice of wisdom. It is this ginormous international music festival that is so outrageously energetic and smoky you might actually feel like you stepped into an 80's rock concert. Now, concerts aren't for everyone.  I get that, but I have to say that one day of listening to various forms of music, anywhere from African tribal or techno, to Latin American, to rock, to Indian sounds, you get a better appreciation of music and dancing...oh boy did I dance! 

But here let me start at the beginning...

So, before this festival I had never seen so many different types of people in my life. There were people from all over the world on this small island in Tanzania. It's a time when every white person in African can strut their "mzungu swag" because now, you aren't so few anymore. Not only that, you have your ex hippies with their peace necklaces and beads in their hair and their parachute pants, to your reggae Bob Marley look-alikes, to your conservative muslim women, to your European hipster, to your high school jock, to your exotic, sexy, mysterious beauties, to your average American (who can't be so average if they are in Zanzibar), to your Asian tourists, to your curiously small, strong looking Indians, to your odd, half-naked beer-bellied redneck... I dont think redneck may be the proper term... I am telling you this festival attracts people of all shapes, sizes, looks, piercings, colors, and more. *note that it's a great place for people watching, but the challenge is to refrain from judging. You're at an INTERNATIONAL festival* 

One thing that I have noticed about going to something like this--girls, do NOT do this (but lets be real with each other, we do this a lot)-- is that you have a lot of different types of beauty to compare yourself to in the world. You have SO much to compare yourself to that it is almost so unrealistic to compare yourself because it isn't even the same kind of beauty. The moment you get an opportunity to go to a foreign country (I am going to have to be biased and say Africa, because I have seen the most diversity here) and go to a music festival, you will begin to see a flock of different types of beauty in the world that you have never seen before. 

Its also a wonderful time to meet people...dear lord, I have met literally the coolest people in Africa, and that is saying a lot about the kind of people Africa attracts. Recently, I have met Joao, a young Brazilian man who I nor anybody else other than those who speak Portuguese will ever be able to pronounce his name correctly, so we call him Alex or preferably J-money, and who is on a month-and-a-half long vacation to see Tanzania. We met some random New Yorker named David who works for World Bank...pretty cool. I have met more people from the Boren group. I have met an Indian Tanzanian film maker name Deepesh, who was making a documentary about the festival and has also been on the staff for Bollywood, which is a huge thing here in Africa (you'd better believe I am going to make my appearance in that documentary). 

I have met this really lax Catholic Zanzibarian named Elvis who has the funniest sense of humor of all Africans put together. He also works as a guide for the slave market memorial, so if you come here within the next year, ask for Elvis! Best of all, I have met Old John (Young John is part of a study abroad group who is also his own awesome character and greatly resembles Jasper from Twilight... haha yes, John if you read this one day this is my first impression of you). 

Guanajuato

Now, let me tell you about old John because he deserves a whole paragraph of his own. Old John is a retired man in his 70s, who's lived his whole life in Austin, Texas,  and has literally been all over the world. I am not sure what he did, but he has been to 40 US states, every state in central america, every country in eastern asia, a few countries in europe, and now, countries in Africa. Today, he is still going strong, but during the festival, I got to listen to old stories about John's travels, and I was in complete awe. Over the years, John has learned to get lost... and that is why he has found himself traveling to so many places and loving the roads less traveled... heck a few days ago he white water rafted the Nile. Today, he has officially convinced me to travel to his lovely secret retirement city in Mexico, which he fell in love with eight years ago. After traveling for almost 50 years, he said, "I went there, and I just knew that it was the paradise I had been looking for all my life."  He joined so many other characters there, all of whom flocked to this secret city that has already captured my heart.  I am intent on going there one day to see for myself this beauty that Old John raved enthusiastically about for hours. I am sure by now you all are wondering where...the name is Guanajuato, the university town in the exact center of Mexico, tucked into a canyon with underground traffic and beautiful buildings that John described as "it feels like you're in Italy."

Guanajuato

So many people in so little time, but let me tell you every single one of them made an imprint on my life as I spent time around them.  Of course, Michael, Alex, Hannah, Grant, Ruthie, Andrea, and Kristin were there, and they also helped me have the time of my life. We danced from 5:00 p.m., untill one in the morning without a care in the world (I suppose I have been in a dancing mood lately), and the best part is the music was still going even after we left, both in the concert and in our hearts (as cliche as that sounds).

Sauti za Busara takes place outside in this old historical fort that is totally awesome.  Google image "old fort", "zanzibar" and picture hundreds of people standing in the area, with vendors of all kinds, and a gigantic stage with African, reggae sounding music blaring from 30 speakers. The only downside is you have Africans and Europeans who are super into smoking, so you get that extra addition of secondhand smoking, while you attend. We heard so many different types of music, seeing so many different types of instruments I have never even seen, or heard of before.  My favorite act was 
the ethnically diverse group called the Nile Project. Look them up on itunes because it will give you a sense of how diverse their music is. Yes, I am also aware that you can't understand the lyrics, but if you are about culture awareness, or enjoy foreign music, look them up. The reason it's diverse is that each person comes from different African cultural backgrounds. One comes from Sudan, another from Egypt, another from Burundi, another from Ethiopia, another from Uganda.  Yes, all these countries are from Africa, but people don't realize even how different culture is from African state to African state, because even dancing is different. 

Gosh...I wish there was a way to better explain this festival, but the trick is to just be there. However, even by the end of the night, good things come to a close (except for the Scottish guitar players who were still drinking margaritas and playing guitar at 8 in the morning the next day). The question remains, would I go back to this awesome experience?  Yes, I totally would, but I will say that things like that night only happen once. Some people may disagree, but 

Ampitheatre

a night just like that one can never be relived. I have learned this as I have gotten older. No, it doesn't mean the next experience won't be a good one, it just means that it won't be the experience you remember because for me, it is about the people I am with and the relationships I have made that made it so worthwhile. So, I know as your average human being sometimes we get so caught up in the past. We want so badly to relive all the wonderful memories over and over again if we could. We want to relive the most fun birthday party we've ever had, relive the most fun high school dance we've ever been to, relive the best concert, even relive our first kisses, favorite loves, or most memorable acts, and I hate to burst a bubble, but we can never go back. We can never relive those moments again no matter how hard we try, but that is what is so wonderful about them. I would love to come back and relive the first time I went to Sauti za Busara, because of the people I have met, the time in my life I am in, and the wonderful ability to just dance and appreciate the world we are in. Then again, a moment like that is just simply meant to keep us chasing after more memorable occurrences very similar to them.

So, now, even when it's so memorable, the key is not forgetting even the slightest detail about what happened, because from this I have made more friends that I would be honored to be able to see again one day...

To be continued...