6 Days of Enlightenment and Adventure.

Well let me tell ya...bear with me, its been awhile. 

So a few fun and exciting things done over the weekend...some friends and I have made up this new term called Forodhani Fridays, where we go to the Forodhani Gardens for dinner. Let me tell ya, there is so much food and all of it is good. I had a chicken "Zanzibar pizza," which is a concoction of vegetables, chicken meat, mayo, and other things wrapped in this  chapati/tortilla-like thing. It was so good! 

There we also had the opportunity to speak to the mpishi (the chef) named Muhammad (pretty original muslim name, but his American name is Mr. Chocolate) in Swahili about who we were and what we were doing in Zanzibar. We got to joke around with him and learn about him. I told him I had a Zanzibar name that I actually received from these women Muslim shopkeepers who like me to come in every once in awhile to talk and say hello in Swahili. They gave me my African name "Jamila," which I learned later from my host mom, comes from the root word jamili. Jamili in English is literally translated to attractive, nice, and kind... I felt like I had just typed my name into urban dictionary, so that was a surprise.  My friends also received their Zanzibar names like Sharifa, Shamila, etc. 

I also tried octopus (not super awesome but it is kind of like calamari...calamari is better), a banana chocolate syrup pizza, and shawarma. Now let me tell you about my relationship with shawarma. I have no idea what it is, or what they put in it. It is meat with these amazing sauces and similar to a burrito that is the best burrito you have ever had. (This is a terrible example) At first, it's like walking into a dark room you have never been in before. Everything is uncertain, but then once you take a bite, it's like the light turns on and everything makes sense. It is soooooo good. 

In other news, some friends and I went to a rooftop bar place, and I got Classic Coke in a bottle. However, it was a very nice time hanging out, conversing with friends and looking out over the bright blue ocean. Of course, a night like that in America looks like people walking in short, tight, glamorous dresses with 6-inch heels and a lot of rich alcohol racing down their throats, maybe throwing in that extra act of recklessness such as drinking too much, swinging on chandeliers, dancing on tables, getting into a fight, or kissing someone you just met. In Zanzibar, a night like that consists of being covered head toe in loose fitted clothing, with the skin of your feet hands and face showing, minus any acts of recklessness...no, no swimming naked with dolphins, and absolutely NO vandalizing.... Yes, to some a Zanzibar night wouldn't be as eventful, but it was also a lot of people's kind of night to relax and talk and drink Coke on the rocks...or for those Big Bang Theory fans...a grasshopper. On a side note, I actually got to watch a movie called Good Will Hunting. Really good by the way!! 

Anglican Church - 

Then, on Sunday we went to an Anglican church. Now, keep in mind that I have never attended an Anglican church, I have just learned about it. They had an English service first, and there I sat next to this engineer from Scotland who was working with the church to rebuild it. Of course, I had to tell him I am half Irish even though the two are not the same, and to this day that slight subtle tension lies between the east and the west of Ireland and Scotland. 

A little history about the church is that it was built by Edward Steele in 1993. It has a huge steeple, but a very small sanctuary where the pews are made of wood and look as if more than 5 people sat on them the wood would snap in half. The church, in Swahili, is called "kanisa na mnara kwa nara" which literally tanslates to "the church with one tower." For those history buffs, at the top of this church there is a wooden cross made from the tree of where the heart of David Livingston, a dedicated scientist/missionary, was buried. Yes, his heart is buried in Zambia, Africa, while his body lies at rest in England. He was one of few explorers that traveled into the treacherous depths of the interior of Africa in the 1800's and died of disease in search of the source of the Nile. 

Memorial for the slaves

The service was very traditional, but very orderly. I think it gave a lot of people peace to hear a sermon that was in English... me, well I was busy stressing over the communion, because, of course, it had more nasty wine...I am kidding, but the wine is not very good. The church is built on top of the place where the slaves from the interior and the Congo were traded off to go to India, so next to the church you have a museum for the slave market, and where the slaves were kept and sold. Quite depressing really... 

I also met and talked with a couple from Switzerland who have been there since the 1980's. The woman taught at this blind school in Arusha for a long time, and then moved to Zanzibar, opened up a jewelry shop called "Shangalia".... don't know if there's any connection to "shanga shangaa"... but she also hires blind people to help her with her store. Her husband was shy, but very kind. 

Millipedes

That night, I got to hang out and make my new Scottish/British friend, Hannah. I knew her through Alex, but together the three of us went to the market, and I just got to listen to them speak Swahili. I joined in a few times, but dear lord, they are so good at it. They have been here for almost 6 months, but it is quite fascinating their skill in Swahili. So the story is Hannah wanted to cook dinner, but not just any dinner. She wanted to cook samaki papa (I love this word), but it means shark. Unfortunately, there was no shark, but we got changu instead which are small white meat fish. We took the ingredients back to her house... I was not involved in anyway with cooking because they had a lot of hands in the pot and so few knives, but it was an adventure. It turned out to be a very good dinner. 

Michael joined us later, and I got to talk with Hannah's apartment-mate who is a French retired flight attendant who is about 40 years old. I got to hear all about his life as a flight attendant. I told him how I wanted to backpack Europe, and he told me how expensive it was, but to try to stay with people I knew. He seemed like he didn't love his Paris home because he was in Zanzibar with no plan. Haha, he literally will go to Dar es Salaam, get a motorcycle and ride it to Mozambique to live there for a little while, and then from there it is a whole new adventure, just traveling from place to place living off of the land, with a limited budget. We also learned Hannah plays ukelele and plays in a small band back home that hasn't gone big yet, but it will. I know it. :)

Paje where they farm seaweed

At last, we also got to listen to a lecture about the marine biology here in Tanzania. I was happy to finally get to hear about science. Never thought I would say that, but science is more a part of me than I know. We got to view the Dar es Salaam University campus, and they have a graduate program for biologists if anyone is interested. We got to view their tiny, but cute, aquarium where we saw our first African sea turtle and barracuda. 

Amongst hanging with friends and learning about the people in my group, I have been attending the local yoga and Zumba (yes Zumba in Zanzibar) classes and the music academy. It is like the African version of ladies community fitness. You have your average Muslim ladies dress down in their black gowns and head wraps, and then you have local tourists or students like me. It's an interesting yet enlightening experience. Our Zumba instructor is this young American white woman whose husband plays at the music academy with pizzaz. She has so much energy, but what dance instructor doesn't, right? Then our yoga instructor is this small, local woman who has a more quiet passion for yoga that shows in the hard work and flexibility she has put into being good at it. Yet, for her it isn't just for health. It is for harmony, and she does her best to share that with her students. Keep it on the down low, but none of these people are certified, but it is only donation to do these classes. They are great!

It also takes its toll on the soul. Zumba is meant to be fun, regardless if you can dance or not. Let yourself have fun. I know it doesn't make sense to make our bodies sweat even more than we need to, but it's diving into a different party for sure. I had a Muslim lady dancing next to me, but she danced without a care in the world. In yoga, I meet so many laid back people. They are quiet, but you can tell they carry a peace with them wherever they go because they always have that hint of a smile.

Me and my friend, Ruthie.

Now, Chelsea and I always had a hard time doing yoga together, but I know when you are in a pit in your life, you need routine, you want strength, you need to let go, or you are desperate for peace, things become serious, uplifting, and spiritual real fast. No, I haven't had any encounters with God. My soul hasn't traveled to a new world and back or anything like that, but in a different country, where you are doing yoga looking out over the calm sea water, you learn to forget about everything else for a short while. Heck, I even forgot Valentine's Day is coming up (all I can say about that is...well...crap). Slowly, with routine, you can begin to learn that you can carry that peace wherever you go in the world. It just takes a little practice. 

Quran

As for my studies, well, I would much rather say I study the people more than I study everything else. The other day I asked my mama about prayer (because I may or may not have accidentally peeked on her praying). For those of you who don't know, Muslims pray five times a day, always facing east toward Mecca. So I asked my mama about her prayers. This is what she told me in a lot of Swahili. Prayer is not spiritual, uplifting, or emotional. It is routine. It is something that brings order to Muslim life and culture. Sure it is very conservative, but it makes the world make sense. There is something about uncertainty that certainly scares the human race. Even the prayer is structured. They recite the Quran, which I saw the whole thing in microscopic letters in the museum of the old Omanis sultans palace, and it is HECKA long. Then, they pray to God about their wishes, and then they go into peace and bow before God lifting them up to him knowing God has heard them. 

To an outsider, Muslim culture has a hard time making sense. However, there are things it can teach us. Religion sometimes isn't a thing for everyone, but happiness is. That is why people do the things they do, because certainty is the first real step to contentment. There are many things to try, learn, and accept the facts about the culture. Disagree or agree, we all have happiness in common. However, for everyone, the journey is different. 

On a more simple note, my mama, I learned, is 29, but she is so funny! She literally makes me laugh all the time because she is the first sarcastic Muslim I have found. The sense of humor in Zanzibar is very different. You have to make a lot of fiancee jokes. Which I have received quite a lot of proposals lately. I had this long spiel from this guy about why I should be his fiancee, but our Swahili teacher says that is just how they do things in Africa. 

I would recommend to people to keep an open mind. Some doors in life don't seem likely, but maybe it is the door a Supreme Being is pointing you toward. Every door has something little to offer, but it also offers understanding to the uncertain things. It offers peace. If you are at war with whatever in life, work, stress, marriage, depression, or small things like cooking, or working out, do whatever it takes to find peace in your life.

Sending love from the Muslim Capital of Africa (kidding), 

Jax

Melding and Melting in Zanibar

Well, I wish I could say my first few days in Zanzibar were filled with more exciting adventures, except I haven't traveled very far on my own because of the fear that I just might get lost, or the homework I must finish. Both two very stupid excuses, because those are parts of the adventure. However, what I will do is fill you in on some details.

Not everyone's thoughts and experiences of Zanzibar are ever the same. Temperatures top 99, and it is humid. Your hair gets frizzy. You are sweating buckets, and from the perspective of an outsider in Muslim culture, you have to FORCE yourself to dive into their belief system and cover your shoulders, your knees, your head, your belly, everything. Your clothes stick to you because you are so sweaty. This isn't Hawaii people!  You can't go walking around outside in your bikini, or short shorts and tank tops. In order to truly understand and appreciate the people, you must be willing to do what they do.

I have gained more respect from the people here by covering myself as they would. For example, vendors don't hassle me, women greet me, and children don't call me mzungu. Instead, they call me sister. More importantly, you have to learn to be aware and adapt to your surroundings. I cant walk around in my jogging shorts all the time because I have a teenage boy coming in and out of my flat. If I am not aware, I might put him in an embarrassing situation. Recently, I have also learned that women here don't get to attend mosques. They have to pray at home. My family is a laid back family and may not let me help as often as I would like, but I quickly learn the chores a woman does, not only in the Arusha culture, but also in the Zanzibar culture. 

This might sound redundant, but I am gaining an understanding of day-to-day life here in Zanzibar. For those who aren't men, or aren't women in the tourist business, people literally do a chore and then rest, do a chore and then rest. It's a constant cycle. Many women don't even like to leave their homes. It's not like America where you go out and have family time at a restaurant, or go to the movies, or go to a theme park. It's too dang hot, and why would you do that when you have food at home? That's their mentality. However, in the evenings it cools down, and the night hypes with people, with food galore, and with action.

Another thing I like about Zanzibar is that my Swahili is challenged in such a good way. People are so shy to communicate a language they don't know, and it's ok to feel shy, but as my Mama in Arusha says "you have to be Kichaa, to be a good speaker." You have to be willing to be a little crazy. If you only have a few words you know, communicate them in the best way you know how. In Zanzibar, people aren't as impressed with the fact that I can speak Swahili compared to Arusha, but rather, people are ready to correct me and give me feedback. The key is to never get discouraged. You are communicating. Communication is 80% body language and 20% words, and sooner or later you are going to get your point across. 

Street view from my apartment.

The things I have done, however, is spent money on ice cream... I am waiting for the right moment to get people gifts (they have a python skin for sale if anyone wants it), and the ice cream is so good. You can't pass up ice cream no matter what country you're in...maybe Antarctica, but you can easily get away with making snow cones. I will let you in on a secret. The other day I spent 30 cents on a bowl the size of a "like me" size that you would get at Coldstone. It might be a little difficult to adjust to American prices when I get home. 

I have also enjoyed resting at the beach. Not a bad place to do homework might I add, and if any of my Skype friends are interested, maybe you can make a quick visit to the beach from your homes in the cold fronts of winter. 

State University of Zanzibar (SUZA)

So because my host family is orientated with Alex's (my friend from SUZA), therefore being orientated with Alex, I get to hang out and explore with him andhis friend, Michael. To give you background about these two, Alex is on a Swahili Flagship study abroad program, while Michael is on a Boren Fellowship (I'd like to think its Bourne like Bourne supremacy...more exciting) through his graduate degree at his college in Louisiana. People who are interested in traveling, maybe go check that out soon. Alex is 21, is a premed major, and ma ybe from Indiana (don't quote me because I haven't asked yet), and Michael is 22, a public health undergraduate, continuing into his masters, and is from Rhode Island. Both of them have shown me around to gelatto, to the beach, to the market, to Zanzibar cuisine, to meet new people, and to even see my other fellow students' homes. It's been such a huge blessing to meet these fellows because they were very welcoming and very understanding with me. They are currently teaching me the ropes and the geography of the island.  I almost don't want to rely on them too much, because what kind of independent woman gets help? 

Lastly, I want to say I don't want to give off the impression that Zanzibar is unbearably hot, too conservative, and is dangerous because maybe to some, if you ever come here, it might feel that way. However, it isn't impossible. What I am saying is to try EVERYTHING. That is easier said than done because, no... I don't exactly want to go skydiving, and my life continues on without skydiving. However, there is magic in our surroundings. For instance, women may not like covering themselves to get a taste of Muslim culture, but whats the harm? It will teach you more than you realize. Another example is that sometimes in Tanzania...every food is finger food. It might not be the best manners in America, but you do it to understand a group of people and a culture different than your own. It is easy to be a tourist, but it's meaningful to embrace a world different than what you're used to.

Next time you go on international vacation, maybe one day embrace, or familiarize yourself with the way they live by diving in. You may say that life could go on without you doing that, but where's the adventure in that? 

Sending my love from Africa

Jax

Zanzibar! Wow!

I made it to Zanzibar!  And let me tell ya, the streets smell bad.  There is not really a sewage system here, and the roads are small, but the buildings are white and beautiful.  As I am writing this I am planning to walk to the beach to watch the sunset. The streets are like walking through a maze, but my sense of direction is a work in progress.  Many have told us that there is so much to see and do in Zanzibar, like a sunset cruise, explore shops and restaurants, go to the beach, see landmarks, and go crazy! Its probably the safest out of all the places we will go in Tanzania.

So as soon as we got to Zanzibar, I got to sit next to one of our teachers at the university and talk with him in Swahili.  He was there to correct me when I needed it, and congratulated me when I said things right. The university is small, but it is a tall white building among other buildings with an enormous courtyard. Then we got to go home with our families, and believe me, I was just as excited this time as the last time.

I am now staying with a young woman named Salma.  She doesn't have any kids yet, but two little girls, Chemsa (9) and Rabira (6), live with us. Both of them are such funny chatterboxes.  I didn't get to meet her husband, because they both originally live in Dar es Salaam for business, but I got to talk to him on the phone. Its really nice and challenging, because Salma hardly speaks any English, so we speak in a lot of Swahili, which teaches me a lot.  I'm trying to remember a lot of words so I can look them up later.  However, Salma is such a laid back woman, and she is very beautiful too! She is very patient with my Swahili, and she is ready to teach me more. 

We live in a flat up two skinny, steep flights of stairs, which I tried to carry my 45 pound bag. Lets just say it was a struggle. The flat is small and intimate. The toilet and shower and sink work, so that's wonderful. I have a room to myself, with a fan and a nice bed.  We have dadas who live down the road from us, and they have four children, including Chemsa and Rabira.  They have a teenage boy named Issa, and a young girl named Jokha. They also have a student named Alex who is studying at SUZA. He's a pre-med major, so we both get to question how this affects our school schedules.

The next day we spent the whole day with the family. We walked to the market where the atmosphere is so much different than in Arusha. Their Swahili isn't as fast and as full of slang. People aren't as aggressive. Even the call for fitness is so much different here. Here they seem more insistent on speaking just Swahili. They have a Zumba class that I might do! Fun stuff! 

We then walked to get henna...and oh lanta! My body is like a canvas! They painted my arms with delicate lines and art and everyone stares at my henna and says wow! Henna is what they use before weddings, so everyone says you're ready to get married now! I will say I am so excited to get to see a wedding here!

Alex showed me around parts of Zanzibar, (obviously where the free wifi is) and showed me some of the best ice cream... caramelos...you can't pass that up.  We went with friends to the beach to watch the sunset, and the rest were  swimming. Oh man did the girls get stared at! The beach was made up of local boys and teenage boys that look as if they'd never seen knees before... a lot of them were doing really cool flips and break dancing moves. You better believe I got a video! If you see it, dont mind the Asian guy in the speedo that walks into my shot. We also walked by all this street food that looked sooooo good. They had fresh fruit, kabobs, and schwerma, which is like fattening beef, but I heard its so good. 

Oh yeah, took my first shower since I've been in Africa, and I have never been so thankful for cool water.  I melt everyday, but I'm not complaining about the weather. Although it makes me tired and not want to eat as much. 

My Swahili is really pushed to know more vocab here.  Bad news bears is my tonsils feel swollen. African immunity here we come. There is so much to see, so many relationships to make, and so much to learn. Continue to count your blessings! 

Love from Africa

Jax

Arusha, we shall return. Off to Zanibar!

Well the day has come for us to travel to Zanzibar for our next month of study. But first I want to share the many things we have done over the last few days.

First, we went on a long hike to these waterfalls, which was me in my natural element. I love to hike.  We traveled into the countryside of Arusha where many crops lie on mountain sides, many men and women stop to say hello to one another, the grass is green, and the air is warm. People greeted us as we walked the six miles to get to our destination. Along the way we picked wild African raspberries, talked with some soldiers, saw lots of monkeys, tried catching frogs, and walked in a cool green canyon where we found a GINORMOUS, peaceful waterfall. I did my best to skip rocks in that little pool, but I found out quickly that I haven't thrown anything in awhile. We taught our host cousin the term "your brother from another mother" and he replied "oh yeah! My uncle from another cousin!.. "  Not quite, Walter. 

We also went to the Arusha Declaration Museum, where we got to view the history of Tanzania from Paleolithic times till now. Funny story is that we got to go out and fend for our lunches by ourselves.  After searching aimlessly, we found this pizza pointe place that was interestingly good. The pizza sauce here is sweet and not a lot of people eat cheese.  After lunch we tried to find our way to the museum, and we had to ask directions from people, and nobody knew where it was, and finally, we figured it out, and phew! That was a run on sentence, but I made our group of four speedwalk, and we were only 5 minutes late!!! :) The museum was great, except the exhibits were more like pictures printed off the internet in exhibit cases where glass was broken, and it looked more like a run down warehouse. But it was such a wonderful experience!

Another cool experience was that we got to be hostesses for our house because an experienced Lutheran pastor from Texas came to visit our home. He told us stories about his outreach program for people who haven't heard the gospel yet. He had been out in the bush for 30 days, but he said the experience is amazing. You'll be sitting in church and a cow or donkey will come in and just lay down right next to you. He was a very confident, caring, and rambunctious fellow. He just went with the flow of the things. 

I went to visit my internship at the Arusha Society for the Protection of Animals, and it sounds like a very eventful, challenging, but maturing experience, because we will be doing PR things as well as working with some clinics every week. Wherever they need us, we volunteers go. Except, because we are white, the locals here think we are doctors. "Dr. Brennan" has a ring to it... I guess.

Every day we walk, talk to new people, and explore new things that we didn't notice before. For instance, we printed something for the first time the other day, and ladies yelled at me from across the road in Swahili "how are you?" And when I responded in Swahili they giggled like little school girls and yelled back "I love you!" in English.  We also had African pancakes...which are basically eggs and milk, but still good.

Mama Peace gave me a dress from her shop, and the
barber inside her shop asked to cornrow my hair.  It's fun!

As the days have been winding down, we have been making the most of staying with our families, because we wont see Glory and Peace again unless we come back to Arusha again in later years. They are off to boarding school.  We have cooked french toast with them, which was nothing like my grandma's, but it was sufficient. We also made farm animal origami, which was actually kind of difficult, but it was great bonding. We lounged around, and I taught our family an American worship song, I knew they would like and that all of you might know, "Shout to the Lord." Mama Peace kept telling me "play it again, play it again." Then, an even greater experience, is that me and Amaya were teaching our dada and Glory how to work out (yes how to work out because they want to "reduce their stomachs") all in Swahili. Mama Peace said that Amaya and I were her favorite students out of all of them...sorry not sorry (yeah I just said that for the sake of the moment). We shared great laughs, and we made great friends. 

We found this gift from Glory waiting for us one evening

So today we said our farewells and our see ya laters to our new friends in Arusha. Our little host brother even cried as we said goodbye, and we had to reassure him that we are returning again soon. I told him one of my favorite phrases "usiogope," which means "fear not." We have learned lots from these new friends. Too much for me to explain here, but all of us are excited to be able to see them again soon.

As of now, I am reading lots, doing my best not to stress out about school, trying not to get sick (a lot of people in our group have been getting sick), and getting excited to see the hot, white, sandy beaches of Zanzibar. I will be staying alone with a Muslim family that I am so excited to call my own because if they are anything like my family in Arusha, I know that I have a lot of love waiting for me. 

Decision of this post: Be grateful for the relationships you have made and will make in your life because each relationship teaches you one thing or another...

Sending my love from Africa,

Can you see the monkey?

Jax

Big slug!

Coffee and Culture

Hello again! 

Make sure to fasten your seatbelts on this one, we are going on an adventure.

So this is what you missed,

Saturday we went to the Arusha Cultural Heritage Centre, and might I add that it has the equivalent feeling of being at a zoo.  There were statues of all sorts of African wildlife throughout the center.  There was even a spice center! Maybe that is a common thing, but I was enthralled! 

Loving the elephant

The place had an art gallery you could get into for free and admire all the beautiful art and history within the building.  Cool fact about the building is that it was engineered to resemble three important artifacts of Africa: a spear, a shield, and a drum. The spear represents pride. The shield represents bravery. The drum represents harmony. 

Cultural Center.

It was so interesting to walk alone and explore all the beauty in art in silence. Now art is for everyone, but you don't have to go in observing the brush strokes, or the symmetry, or analyze why everything is where it is.  Rather, what I did was just appreciate that the art exists for what it is.  There are so many things to see in the gallery, from old statues that represent guardians for African tribes, to modern artists painting realistic human portraits, to 14-foot tall statutes that implement a mold of Africans formed together as one being. On a personal note, this moment was a huge moment for me. All those single people, or introverted people, or people who just need alone time out there, go to an art gallery, swear yourself to silence, and allow yourself to soak up what it feels like to be an individual, to worry about only yourself, and be glad you are doing something for you.  It will be rewarding.  If you're married, drag your spouse with you to one and enjoy what culture has to offer.

The centre is a for-profit organization that is run off of the many wealthy tourists coming into buy paintings or art. They also had an old, dusty flea market that was basically an old warehouse full of old dusty things where I found this really heavy, but cool old elephant body mask....I was very tempted to get it, but there was no way I was going to fit it into my suitcase. 

Can you tell this is me? 

Recycled bottles at Shanga Shangaa

The next thing we went to was Shanga Shangaa, which stands for "amazing beads." This place is also a for-profit organization, but the cool thing about it is that it employs disabled people to create all kinds of glamorous jewelry, candle holders, glasses, "lady gaga" shoes, and even pillow pets!

They have pillow pets in Africa too

Making kangas.

We ate amazing food that was completely American and touristy. They had an awesome lounge area where we saw baby monkeys galore! That's right!

Be jealous! We learned about the coffee plantation that has 2,500 coffee bean trees to ever hectare, which produce 2,000 coffee beans per tree per year. Their coffee is good; you probably drank it at Starbucks this year. It was such a peaceful time to be a tourist.

Coffee beans start like this.

Then we went to a Lutheran church on Sunday, obviously, and it was entirely Swahili and was entirely traditional. There was a lot of standing and sitting, and we even took communion. Keep in mind that the wine was...very alcoholic and...I am not a drinker, so I tried very hard to keep it down. I was amazed with how well I caught up with the sermon and he preached a lot about how God heals the sick. An interesting thought was that they had an auction after the service, for when people can't bring money for offerings, they bring food and sell it. The choir was very angelic too and it was a very peaceful time to just sit in the presence of God.

Coffee Beans

There were so many things we have done the past few days, however I bid everyone a quick goodbye and know that I am sending my love from Africa and will return with more stories. Keep in mind. Make time for yourself.

Love from Africa 

Jax

So many experiences...so little time!

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

My first Tanzanian weekend.

So this is several days combined:

 Phew! A lot to mention. So it has been raining often here in Arusha, but it is such a wonderful temperature here that even cool mornings feel good. The rain is extremely loud! I have absolutely loved warm rains and soaking up the smells and sounds, while I have become a fond reader of Eat, Pray, Love. I know I am a little behind, but it's never to late to read it, especially in a foreign country where not only are you experiencing new and exciting things, but also facing some of your deepest fears. 

   I know people have this idea that Africa is starving, but let me reassure you...they eat A LOT! So put eating a lot together with not getting enough exercise, and you quickly figure out that sometimes you just got to let go.

   I guess that school stuff is good too... I'm learning a lot about colonization, African religion, politics (read about Ujamaa if you're interested), and the effects colonialism has had on African society today. Most importantly, I am learning a lot about myself.

  So fun fact...

Africans LOVE long hair! My youngest host sister will play and brush my hair for a whole hour because she is so fascinated by it. My host sisters love to touch it and braid it, and can't believe that I cut it short. They ask me in almost a disappointing voice, "why would you do that?" 

  Anyways...Cool things that have happened...

We went walking on Friday to this Maasai craft store that had some awesome things in it! The art was eccentric, and they had interesting trinkets of all kinds. I spoke with the owner of the store in Swahili, and just because I spoke Swahili he said that we would get the wanafunzi ("students",  because students are fun...get it?:)) price. So prepare yourselves because I might come back with some souvenirs.

   We also went walking on Saturday to go buy towels with my host sister. Our host mama owns a clothing store in this market place, so we went to see her small shop and buy towels, except Peace did all the haggling for us... oh boy. What would we wazungus (white people) do without her. We walked a shortcut to get there, and it was very interesting to walk the back streets of Arusha.  Let me reassure you, it was very safe. I will say I have never been stared at as often as that moment though. White people are like celebrities in Africa. Some of the citizens were very friendly and would yell out of their huts "karibu wazungus!" Sometimes you just get to accept your role with a laugh.

This little man just wanted his photo taken. 

   We also did laundry today... boy is that a good arm workout. Lots of scrubbing. Lots of wringing out water. My host cousin helped in teaching us, and all I kept hearing her bark at me was "no! Like this.. no! Like this..NO! Like this!"... I would just smile and say OK. 

Loved taking this hike

   We went on a hike up in the foothills of Arusha with two of our classmates, Grant and Chris, and their host brothers, to go spot some monkeys. We went down into a dirty pond hoping to find fish, but found none. We passed this really big cool tree (not very descriptive, but imagine it being magical) that stood tall to protect the churches that were in front of them. We climbed up a hill to look out at the city of Arusha and Mount Meru. Basically, the countryside of Arusha and Tanzania is very beautiful. Long story short, we saw one monkey and a lot of luscious vegetation. 

Overlooking Arusha.  Mount Meru is in the distance.

   We passed a boarding school for boys, and if you know nothing of the education system in Tanzania, basically boys and girls go to separate boarding schools once they reach their version of high school, with no phones, no t.v., and no computers, because they need to focus. Their parents don't even get to see them until their graduation day. 

   At the top of the hill, boys were playing basketball, and at least fifty of them were playing soccer. That was my favorite part of the hike, getting to see how skilled even little boys were at soccer, and how they knew the game. 

   We sprinted (yes, sprinted) back down the hill, and we got to see Chris' and Grant's host family's Lutheran church. It was yellow and green and towered so high above the trees. The choir was practicing the hymn "It Is Well" in Swahili, and it was such an angelic moment.  Boy can they sing! We also paid respects to their small cemetery, where the boys' father/uncle and grandparents were buried. While it was a very decorated and beautiful cemetery, it also shared it's sense of grief. We also saw the oldest Anglican church in the area. 

Lutheran Church

  Sunday, we went to a Pentecostal church, and man, can those Tanzanians worship! They sing and dance loud and proud. They say amen and hallelujah to everything. The preacher yells. It's pretty stereotypical, but being there will always give you chills. A few things I thought were funny were:

   1. They had a special with two guys, both of them were dancing but one of them was singing. However, it was super obvious that the guy was lip synching, but to everyone else that was so normal! Then people started going up and putting money in the man's shirt pocket! If you didn't know better, you'd think we were at a night club, but I swear it was clean. 

   2. We also had to have handkerchiefs, because the pastor would take a towel and bless us by putting the towel on our face and placing the towel on our handkerchief, and then you would sit down and cover your face to pray with it. Similar to a rosary. Never in all my life have I seen such a thing! 

   3. Then of course we had to go up as first timers and stand in front of everyone to get prayed for, and fill out guest forms, but they were so surprised, when I told them we could read Swahili! They were so appreciative!

   4. It was also nice because they had one pastor preaching in english, and another pastor translating, but they were preaching about financial fortune, which is a topic I am not used to hearing about in a church. As if they were telling people how they should use their money to gain promotion in this life. In the pastor's words, "you put money in all the wrong things, the world will vomit it out!"

   We also got to try Tanzanian cake for the first time! Holy crap, that stuff is sugary and rich. It was our host cousin's birthday, and she turned nine. I know to a Tanzanian this isn't a huge deal, or maybe even other fellow Americans, but usually, I am used to seeing at least one gift at birthday parties, but for them, they had the power of loved ones around them as a gift. Her cake was decorated really extravagantly...or as extravagantly as a Tanzanian could make it... as Disneyland.  So when its your birthday, it's always good to go to Disneyland.

   So I suppose moral of the story... even if you, me, we, etc. forget to at times,

Eat, pray, love.

Love from Africa

Jax