Sorry! It has taken me so long to write, I would hate to leave you all in the dark.
The past few days we have done quite a bit.
The highlight of this week is that we got to go to the Eastern African Community (EAC), which is the organization involved in moving east Africa (Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania) into a federation. We talked with a young girl named Belinda, who majored in public relations, and who has been working there since 2011. She had a lot of enthusiasm, as did others in the EAC, that in the long run unity of east Africa would make a whole world of difference. I am not much of a political science girl, but it was actually quite fascinating to view their process and the many challenges they face.
We also talked with an internet company that is now one of the top internet companies in northern Tanzania, and growing. We discussed marketing strategies, the challenges they faced getting the business started in a socialist economy, and even app software ideas for cell phones. I will say that Tanzania is an ever growing economy, and the internet company managers and investors told us that Tanzania is a great place to invest in. Check it out.
If you know the public transit system in Tanzania, dala dalas are very small vans that cram up to 22 people inside of them, when they are originally a van for about 10 passengers to fit comfortably. We have no access to the specific route system, or where they're going, or where they stop, so...you kind of just have to go with it. We went in a dala to get to downtown, and I was horrified when the same dala kicked their whole van full of people out just to put us back in. They wanted our business, but there were old women in the van, and it wasn't fair! I will say that some dalas drive knowing that everyone will get out of their way.. kind of like my Dad..teehee. We literally pulled out of a parallel parking spot with .0002 turns, and I have no idea how we didn't hit anything. They really test their limits with cars in Africa.
Inside a dala dala
We also went to buy fabric for the tailor to make our African clothing (kitenges and kangas and such). I split six meters with a friend for $15! I am getting better at haggling because business is business! We have a friend, Lilly, who works at the Kundayo apartments, and she was amazing. She was the one who guided us in downtown Arusha, and made sure we didn't pay more than what we needed for our fabric. I have no pictures from there because, trust me, Africa is not a bad place everywhere, but the streets have so many people that it would be easy to be stolen from.
We saw some really eyeopening things in the market. We passed by a thief lying on the ground, passed out, beaten, and bleeding for stealing. The source of punishment around here is mob beatings, so you don't steal. My first initiative was to help, but if he's a thief does it make a mob beating justified?
We also celebrated Peace's (our host sister) 16th birthday. She loved the pictures from all of you, and she has great gratitude for wonderful family in America to do that for her.
Presley sent birthday wishes all the way to Africa!
We ended up enjoying a wonderful dance party out on the porch where us girls got to just be weird. It was a lot of energy and exercise, I will tell you that. You know all those hip hop music videos with Nicki Minaj or Beyonce, imagine Africans dancing like that. While I would never...EVER dance that way in public...trying to dance that way was hard! I don't know how they move their butts that way! It was a lot of good laughs and laughter. 
Dancing on the veranda
We finally got to meet Baba Peace! He is very kind and speaks really good English, so we reassured him "tunalazima kujifunza Kiswahili, lakini sisi ni walimu cha kiingereza kwa Mama Peace." Our translation (or what we meant to say): "We must learn Swahili, but we are English teachers for Mama Peace." However...a sad, ironic story is that Baba Peace brought home a nice new van for Mama Peace, but teaching Mama Peace to drive the van is like teaching an elephant how to use a computer. At first, it was a constant speed up, brake, speed up, brake. Then of course... she clips the side of a brick pillar and scrapes the paint off the side of the van. There were a lot of... "bwana yesu, bwana yesu, ahhh, bwana yesu." But we had to reassure Mama, in America we would say the van has character now. :-)
So while I forget many small details, the highlights are here encouraging you all to look past your comfort zone and do something you wouldn't normally do. Because yeah, you just might reiterate to yourself how much you still hate it. So tonight I bid thee adieu. The group of us are baking cookies, some are enjoying the wonderful taste of African beer, which, if you're into that sort of thing, they say is way better here, and enjoy the company of one another. I am currently getting over a cold. Be sure to sit back and enjoy those in your lives. Make sure you know how much you appreciate them.
I am thankful for even the complete strangers who have their own stories and give me wisdom in their own ways.
Love from Africa
Jax
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