This weekend, I was supposed to go to Morogoro where there is beautiful hiking and lush scenery. I was very excited to have a weekend excursion, but alas, my back got the best of me again. However, it turned out to be a wonderful weekend with few suprises.
Friday night I went out with a few peeps to get Indian food. By the way, the Indian food here is amaaaazing. After, we decided to go see "Safe House" with Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds at the movie theatre with "The Biggest Screen in East Africa". That kind of made me giggle. This weekly movie routine is nice, not going to lie. A new movie comes out every week, so it makes for a nice, relatively cheap, break. Yes, I said that the movies are relatively cheap. Crazy, n'est pas?
The next day I slept in and took a lazy day with some added homework. I also ran to the bookstore to pick up some books for my students who requested things to read and some dictionaries. We are officially teaching 7 students after we had some drama with the director. It's not as many as before, and it's not exactly what we'd like, but there isn't a whole lot we can do. We're still very excited for what we are doing though. While in the bookstore, I found this amazing collection of drawings and writings about Dar es Salaam. It's a perfect souvenir and i can't wait to show it to do. There is even a poem about riding the daladala!
Today I found my way to the United Methodist Church of Dar, which was most exciting. I sort of knew the general location of where the church might be, but really I had no idea. My friend Molly joined me on this excursion with vague directions from the minister I had met previously. After we got off of a daladala, we walked along one of the biggest roads in Dar, hoping to find its location. Eventually, I heard singing and followed my ears to a building that was partially hidden behind some trees. Luckily the sign had a cross and flame, so I knew I was in the right place! We were a little late, but were warmly welcomed into a decent size church with about 20 plastic chairs set up for the congregation. The music was obscenely loud. It seems to be the common thing here for churches to have concert like sound for its music and preaching. By the end I had an enormous headache and there was a definite ringing in my ears. Next time, I'll sit more towards the back.
The service was very nice. The minister had arranged for someone to sit next to me and attempt to translate what was going on. Of course, this was very difficult for many reasons. One, the volume, and two, it's a very particular translation of language that is not easy to do. He basically kept repeating the same phrases to me over and over again. During the first hymn, a white woman in her sixties sat next to me. Later I discovered that she is from Norway, but has lived in the U.S. and Tanzania a large part of her life. She was a realtor in Indiana, but just picked up and left for Tanzania where she has been running an orphanage she founded for the past ten years. I was so glad to meet her. During the service, there was a time where visitors went to the front and introduced themselves. It turns, about a quarter of the congregation were visitors. :) There was another woman visiting who I thought I recognized. It turns out she's one of the missionaries living in Tanzania and is from the Congo! I recognized her from her picture on the UMC General Board of Global Ministries website and was planning to get in touch with her. Wouldn't you know these two extraordinary people happen to be visiting this church the same day I was?!
After the service, the two ministers had all of the visitors in the church office to talk to us. It was a wonderful time for us all to just chat and learn about each other. They were sad to hear that I am only here for a few months, and asked when I would be returning because they could arrange a job for me. It was very sweet and I may take them up on that one day. It was very interesting to hear about the Methodist presence in Tanzania, which is not much. It's odd, since all of Tanzania's surrounding countries have very strong Methodist populations. I also was able to practice both my Swahili and French with the missionary as well as the main minister who is also from the Congo. I had such a great time simply chatting with them and I am looking forward to going back.
Following our chat, the Norwegian woman took us out to lunch at the YMCA downtown. It was good to finally know where that is. I've walked by it a bunch of times, but never knew. We talked for quite a bit about her experiences and ours, and I really enjoyed getting to know her. She will be a wonderful contact and she is just incredibly fascinating. When we go visit the village in a few weeks, I may stop by her orphanage and see what it's like. It's on the way to where we happen to be going.
That's about it. Oh wait! I want to share my Lenten promise for this year. I am going to attempt to memorize the Lord's Prayer in Swahili. Should be pretty rad.
Love to all!
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Hmmm...what to say? What can I tell ya'll about my life from the past few days? I've been trying to update every 3 days and no more than 5, which makes today the day. I am extremely tired after having class from 8 am until 5 pm. Nimechoka! (I am tired in Swahili)
This past weekend was not tremendously exciting. It was lovely, though. Most of the group took off to camp on an island for the weekend, but a few of us stayed behind. I did have the room to myself, which is always nice. I really like my room mate a lot, but we all know that I do need and adore my alone time. My friend Andrielle and I talked about what we should do for spring break. She told me of this man named Pete O'Neil in Arusha who was on the cover of the LA Times recently. Originally from Kansas City, Mr. O'Neil is a exiled Black Panther who has lived in Tanzania for about thirty years. He and his wife opened an organization called the United African Alliance Community Center which provides many resources for the local community. We talked about how cool it would be to visit him and hear of his experiences. Two days later, without relaying any of the previous conversation, my dad e-mailed me letting me know that a friend of the family is good friends with Mr. O'Neil and he thought it would be a great opportunity for us to visit him! I'm taking this as a sign that we should go to Arusha for spring break.
We also decided to treat ourselves to a movie on Friday. I actually got to see an Oscar movie! We saw "The Descendents" which I liked a lot. Some people I know have said they didn't like it, but I thought it was pretty good. Plus the air conditioned theatre made it amazing.
On Sunday, I accompanied my buddy Polycarp to his church. It was a wonderful experience! It was unlike any Catholic service I've ever attended. :) I took a bus to his house early in the morning and the daladala was filled with young men and women in their nicest clothes on their way to church. It was actually very nice and really refreshing. We walked from his house about a mile through the houses of Dar, which is perfect for a Sunday morning reflection. The church was quite large. There were about 1,000 people and children filled up a large number of the front pews. The pews faced in three directions toward the altar. In the middle section was the choir and the kids. The choir was extraordinary. I loved listening to them and attempting to understand the lyrics of the hymns. Each song was accompanied by a particular dance to help them keep time. I LOVED IT! I didn't understand any of the sermon or the readings, but I sat in quiet reflection. Surely the presence of the Lord was in that place. It was full of joy, love, and praise. Everyone in the community was so much a part of what it means to be in worship. There was one girl, about ten years old, who was absolutely fascinated with me throughout the entire worship. She couldn't stop staring at me and would smile. At the passing of the peace, she made a bee line for me and proudly said, "Nice to meet you!" in crystal clear English. It warmed my heart and I was happy to have made a friend that day. I can't wait to see what other positive church experiences I will have over the next few months.
We've had some amusing class days this week. Honestly, I don't know how to react to my classes half of the time. It isn't just a matter of cultural difference. That, I feel I could handle and be aware of in a variety of circumstances. Many students in Tanzania feel the same way as we do about their professors. Much of the time professors ramble about topics that are unrelated to the subject, or they simply spout information that has no connection with what is relevant or necessary to the course. What is said in 2 hours can easily be said in 5 minutes, and I wish I was joking. Nevertheless, I do enjoy the discussions we can have together. It is a wonderful learning experience to see how other universities are structured around the globe. Apparently, CIEE is planning to move this program off of the University of Dar Es Salaam campus because there have been too many difficulties with the administration and students have been dissatisfied with their education (not to be confused with experience) abroad. I wouldn't say I am dissatisfied. I do respect my professors and their perspectives. I also like have the experience of exploring what other countries feel about particular topics or theories, which is not what we are getting.
For example, one of my classes is the sociology of race, class, and ethnicity. The first day, my professor defined his ideas of what race and ethnicity are and they were extremely different from anything me or my classmates had heard before. It's very hard to explain, but it's an odd experience.
Well, that's about it. I have some more updates on my internship which have been frustrating, but I will wait to see what the outcome will be before I write my thoughts. Hopefully things will turn out for the better!
This past weekend was not tremendously exciting. It was lovely, though. Most of the group took off to camp on an island for the weekend, but a few of us stayed behind. I did have the room to myself, which is always nice. I really like my room mate a lot, but we all know that I do need and adore my alone time. My friend Andrielle and I talked about what we should do for spring break. She told me of this man named Pete O'Neil in Arusha who was on the cover of the LA Times recently. Originally from Kansas City, Mr. O'Neil is a exiled Black Panther who has lived in Tanzania for about thirty years. He and his wife opened an organization called the United African Alliance Community Center which provides many resources for the local community. We talked about how cool it would be to visit him and hear of his experiences. Two days later, without relaying any of the previous conversation, my dad e-mailed me letting me know that a friend of the family is good friends with Mr. O'Neil and he thought it would be a great opportunity for us to visit him! I'm taking this as a sign that we should go to Arusha for spring break.
We also decided to treat ourselves to a movie on Friday. I actually got to see an Oscar movie! We saw "The Descendents" which I liked a lot. Some people I know have said they didn't like it, but I thought it was pretty good. Plus the air conditioned theatre made it amazing.
On Sunday, I accompanied my buddy Polycarp to his church. It was a wonderful experience! It was unlike any Catholic service I've ever attended. :) I took a bus to his house early in the morning and the daladala was filled with young men and women in their nicest clothes on their way to church. It was actually very nice and really refreshing. We walked from his house about a mile through the houses of Dar, which is perfect for a Sunday morning reflection. The church was quite large. There were about 1,000 people and children filled up a large number of the front pews. The pews faced in three directions toward the altar. In the middle section was the choir and the kids. The choir was extraordinary. I loved listening to them and attempting to understand the lyrics of the hymns. Each song was accompanied by a particular dance to help them keep time. I LOVED IT! I didn't understand any of the sermon or the readings, but I sat in quiet reflection. Surely the presence of the Lord was in that place. It was full of joy, love, and praise. Everyone in the community was so much a part of what it means to be in worship. There was one girl, about ten years old, who was absolutely fascinated with me throughout the entire worship. She couldn't stop staring at me and would smile. At the passing of the peace, she made a bee line for me and proudly said, "Nice to meet you!" in crystal clear English. It warmed my heart and I was happy to have made a friend that day. I can't wait to see what other positive church experiences I will have over the next few months.
We've had some amusing class days this week. Honestly, I don't know how to react to my classes half of the time. It isn't just a matter of cultural difference. That, I feel I could handle and be aware of in a variety of circumstances. Many students in Tanzania feel the same way as we do about their professors. Much of the time professors ramble about topics that are unrelated to the subject, or they simply spout information that has no connection with what is relevant or necessary to the course. What is said in 2 hours can easily be said in 5 minutes, and I wish I was joking. Nevertheless, I do enjoy the discussions we can have together. It is a wonderful learning experience to see how other universities are structured around the globe. Apparently, CIEE is planning to move this program off of the University of Dar Es Salaam campus because there have been too many difficulties with the administration and students have been dissatisfied with their education (not to be confused with experience) abroad. I wouldn't say I am dissatisfied. I do respect my professors and their perspectives. I also like have the experience of exploring what other countries feel about particular topics or theories, which is not what we are getting.
For example, one of my classes is the sociology of race, class, and ethnicity. The first day, my professor defined his ideas of what race and ethnicity are and they were extremely different from anything me or my classmates had heard before. It's very hard to explain, but it's an odd experience.
Well, that's about it. I have some more updates on my internship which have been frustrating, but I will wait to see what the outcome will be before I write my thoughts. Hopefully things will turn out for the better!
Friday, February 17, 2012
Internship and wedding
After a few days of group drama, boredness, and lots of sleeping, yesterday and today turned out to be really cool.
Yesterday was my first real day at the internship!
Andrielle and I got up on the earlier side so we could prepare for our lessons for the day. Everyone else has to be at their internships at 8, we get to go at 10. booyah! We left on the earlier side to go to the mall and pick up supplies for our students. We got notebooks, markers, pencils, papers, etc. Then I thought we should go to the book store to pick up some basic level grammar and practice books for the people who are taking the class. After I buy the books, I walk towards the door and coming towards me is someone wearing a t-shirt saying, "First United Methodist Church Pittsburg" with the cross and flame. I probably got a little too excited but I went up to him and introduced myself. He said that he was traveling with a group from his church in Ohio and they were with the two head pastors at the church in Dar es Salaam! He brought me to them on the other side of the mall and we talked for several minutes. They were as excited to meet me as I was them, which was lovely. I will attempt to make contact with them soon, but this coming weekend I'm going to a Catholic church.
My internship is turning out to be quite wonderful. Andrielle and I go on Thursdays and for this week we went on Friday too. Regularly we will only teach English on Thursday and work on product designs on Fridays. Yesterday we arrived at 2pm for the one class we thought we'd be teaching. Last week we walked around and talked to everyone at the workshop, about 30 people, and it seemed that everyone was excited to be learning English. Yesterday, only 3 people came to class. Andrielle and I were very confused. We carried on and had a wonderful English course. We figured out that one of the people we were teaching did not know how to read or write. Andrielle spent a lot of the time with him while i worked with the others on learning basic introductions.
We then talked to one of the workers who speaks English fairly well. He said that the woman who runs the workshop (by the way she is a rather eccentric Nordic woman) had said only three people were chosen to take the class but everyone wanted to. We decided to talk to the woman and tell her we were willing to teach anyone who wanted to learn.
That night we were invited to a Tanzanian wedding party. Tanzania is all about the parties, especially for weddings. This wedding was the cousin of one of our local guides. Actually, it wasn't the wedding but the send off party for the bride. This happens a few days before the actual wedding. It was sort of interesting. Everything happened like an american wedding, but the groom wasn't there! there was dancing, gifts, speeches, cake etc. Actually it was interesting because the maid of honor sat at the head table with the bride, she cut the cake with the bride, and she danced with the bride. I had such a good time. It was so great to be a part of something so wonderful that waas also part of regular life in Tanzania. Not to mention, the food was incredible.
The next day, today, We had 4 classes and all but three of the workers came! It just about wore us out, though. We had two beginner classes, one advanced, and one literacy class. We found out that two other women did not know how to read either. These women are in their late forties and one of them has 7 children! She must be a pretty incredible woman to have come all this way with out being able read, or walk, for that matter. Both of the women ride around in hand-pedal bicycles. So incredible. I am already learning far more from them than they are from me. They are all so excited to have us there and are begging us to have more classes than once a week. Unfortuantely, the scary Nordic woman says that it would take away too much time from the work they need to complete.
At lunch time we sat with some of the women who make paper, beads, and soap. They were just wonderful. After inquiring if I have a husband, I have now been set up with three sons and four brothers. Apparently I'm supposed to be married at my age. They were so kind and good to us, and I am so excited to be working with them. We are going to have so much fun!!!
I will try to take pictures of my workspace soon. Love to you all!
Yesterday was my first real day at the internship!
Andrielle and I got up on the earlier side so we could prepare for our lessons for the day. Everyone else has to be at their internships at 8, we get to go at 10. booyah! We left on the earlier side to go to the mall and pick up supplies for our students. We got notebooks, markers, pencils, papers, etc. Then I thought we should go to the book store to pick up some basic level grammar and practice books for the people who are taking the class. After I buy the books, I walk towards the door and coming towards me is someone wearing a t-shirt saying, "First United Methodist Church Pittsburg" with the cross and flame. I probably got a little too excited but I went up to him and introduced myself. He said that he was traveling with a group from his church in Ohio and they were with the two head pastors at the church in Dar es Salaam! He brought me to them on the other side of the mall and we talked for several minutes. They were as excited to meet me as I was them, which was lovely. I will attempt to make contact with them soon, but this coming weekend I'm going to a Catholic church.
My internship is turning out to be quite wonderful. Andrielle and I go on Thursdays and for this week we went on Friday too. Regularly we will only teach English on Thursday and work on product designs on Fridays. Yesterday we arrived at 2pm for the one class we thought we'd be teaching. Last week we walked around and talked to everyone at the workshop, about 30 people, and it seemed that everyone was excited to be learning English. Yesterday, only 3 people came to class. Andrielle and I were very confused. We carried on and had a wonderful English course. We figured out that one of the people we were teaching did not know how to read or write. Andrielle spent a lot of the time with him while i worked with the others on learning basic introductions.
We then talked to one of the workers who speaks English fairly well. He said that the woman who runs the workshop (by the way she is a rather eccentric Nordic woman) had said only three people were chosen to take the class but everyone wanted to. We decided to talk to the woman and tell her we were willing to teach anyone who wanted to learn.
That night we were invited to a Tanzanian wedding party. Tanzania is all about the parties, especially for weddings. This wedding was the cousin of one of our local guides. Actually, it wasn't the wedding but the send off party for the bride. This happens a few days before the actual wedding. It was sort of interesting. Everything happened like an american wedding, but the groom wasn't there! there was dancing, gifts, speeches, cake etc. Actually it was interesting because the maid of honor sat at the head table with the bride, she cut the cake with the bride, and she danced with the bride. I had such a good time. It was so great to be a part of something so wonderful that waas also part of regular life in Tanzania. Not to mention, the food was incredible.
The next day, today, We had 4 classes and all but three of the workers came! It just about wore us out, though. We had two beginner classes, one advanced, and one literacy class. We found out that two other women did not know how to read either. These women are in their late forties and one of them has 7 children! She must be a pretty incredible woman to have come all this way with out being able read, or walk, for that matter. Both of the women ride around in hand-pedal bicycles. So incredible. I am already learning far more from them than they are from me. They are all so excited to have us there and are begging us to have more classes than once a week. Unfortuantely, the scary Nordic woman says that it would take away too much time from the work they need to complete.
At lunch time we sat with some of the women who make paper, beads, and soap. They were just wonderful. After inquiring if I have a husband, I have now been set up with three sons and four brothers. Apparently I'm supposed to be married at my age. They were so kind and good to us, and I am so excited to be working with them. We are going to have so much fun!!!
I will try to take pictures of my workspace soon. Love to you all!
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Zanzibar: The Longest Post Ever
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| The church on the site of the slave market |
Hi all! I've been in Zanzibar since Thursday sans my computer so before I crash out of exhaustion, I thought I'd update so I don't forget to add anything.
We left in the wee hours of Thursday morning to go to a smaller airport in Dar. Everyone was beyond exhausted, especially a group of us who had been out late the night before. We went to Jenny's (our group director) friend's apartment who lives in a rather wealthy area of the city. He and Jenny were in the peace corps together, but now he works in an oil company and lives in these high rise apartments that are full of ex-pats and luxurious. Not going to lie, it was nice to experience. We swam at night in the pool, watched Law and Order SVU and ate pizza. Oh, the comforts of home.
Anywho, the next day we set out. We flew the tiniest of planes. I was terrified and felt very motion sick the entire time, but I had wonderful friends who comforted me for the twenty minute plane ride. I'm still glad we flew instead of taking the two hour ferry ride packed full of people. While flying in, we could see all of the fantastic coral reefs and most of the island. It is much bigger than I thought it was! We arrived in Zanzibar and I could already tell the difference in how the island from the mainland. The architecture was far more complex and interesting, and the air just had a different feel to it.
It's hard to even describe everything we did this weekend. It was all so wonderful. We spent the first day traveling around Stone Town in Zanzibar. I keep calling it Stonestown accidentally, which is the name of a mall I frequently go to in the bay area. We were all pretty exhausted because of getting up so early and we toured many locations in very hot weather. I felt terribly ill which took away from the experience a bit, but I have waited too long to visit Zanzibar to let it get in the way. We saw the location of a former slave market that is now a church. We went into some underground chambers where slaves were kept and the church was built by a man who was called, "The Friend to Slaves". inside the church there are markers where slaves were whipped. It was a large and wonderful church that was made of limestone. If you are not familiar with Zanzibar's history, I recommend that you look into it. The trade routes of the Indian Ocean over the past few centuries have included the island as a primary location. It has also had many rulers which has provided a medley of cultures and traditions.
We also visited some other historical landmarks which I have learned about through my own research and classes in school. It was so awesome to see them in person! After some sight-seeing, we had a few hour break where I returned to the hotel and passed out. It's amazing how many naps I take in this country. Studying abroad is so tiring! That night we went to the international renowned Zanzibar Music Festival where artists from all over the world visit and perform in an ancient fort complex in the middle of the old city. IT WAS SO COOL.We only saw a couple artists, but it was truly wonderful and I was so glad to have the experience.
The next day we started our by driving to an area of Zanzibar that has a ton of spice farms. We spent a couple of hours walking around the farm being led by our Zanzibar guide, Jamal. He stopped at many plants and trees showing us different spices and fruits. It was incredible. We each started our own collections of the spices so we could smell and guess what they were. The guys who worked there also all made us hats and bags our of palm fronds. At the end of the tour we at a fabulous lunch and watched a guy climb a coconut tree to get us some to drink. All in all, it was delightful!
Then we drove to another part of the island called Jambiani where our director knew someone who owns a youth hostel. It was GORGEOUS. the water was turquoise and the village was wonderful. All of the buildings were made out of coral. A few of us swam in extremely kelpy water. Apparently it's much nicer when the tide is out to swim. That night we all relaxed and hung out with people from the area. Some guys had a bonfire and a drum circle and we all sang songs. When the tide went out, me and another friend walked out really far and watched the moon rise. It was so incredible.
The next day was a bit chaotic and did not go as planned. People woke up with incredibly puffy eyes and everyone who swam except me started burning all over their skin. The people of the village said this had never happened before but it was something to do with the concentration of the kelp, perhaps. Lots of speculation started to take place and we finally decided that it was something from a Steven King novel. This all meant that we started a bit late in the day.
We took a tour of the village and walked for far longer than was expected. We spent about an hour and a half just wandering the village and our leader Ken really had no idea what we were doing. A few of us still decided to enjoy ourselves in the crazy hot weather. We took our time and took pictures of the glorious setting around us. We were able to go into someone's house and really see how people live their lives, which is something I truly appreciate. This area of Zanzibar specializes in the farming of seaweed. The men of the island used to work to collect it, but the profit was so little, and the labor so intensive, they passed it on to the women of the community. Now hundreds of women set out each day when the tide is out to work in the hot sun to collect very little seaweed to sell to Europe and Asia for very little money when the buyers make a huge amount off of their profits. It is tough work. Each plot is about 6 by 9 feet with rows of seaweed tied in little bundles around string. It takes about a month to get to the full size. We were supposed to take a tour of some of the farms, but we didn't get back in time to do so. But when I went out to swim later, we walked about a mile through the beach to get to the ocean, not down the beach, through it! It takes so long to get to the water when the tide is out. When I got to the water I walked around for a bit to see what the women were doing. It was very awkward to see all this work they were doing when I was clearly there just to swim and enjoy myself.
Since it was a Saturday, many of the kids were running around helping their mothers with the work. As we toured, many of the kids came up wanting to talk to us and take pictures with us, some expecting money, but mostly not. Since I adore kids, this was one of the highlights for me.On our way back, we stopped by to visit a medicine man from the area. He showed us many plants that are used for different problems people in the village have. Unfortunately we were all so exhausted from walking for so long, it was very hard for us to pay attention. He was a very kind man with many things to say and I'm glad we are able to meet him.
Later after the tour, I went for the swim I previously mentioned. The water was extremely clear and gorgeous. It was one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen. The water current also moved very quickly, which made it kind of fun to swim in. It was almost like a river of salt water that we could float on. Not too far away there was a bank of sand where we could see other people snorkeling. I didn't snorkel this time, but I thought I'd save that for something to do when Daniel gets here. Also, the last time I snorkeled, I got fairly sea sick which is not the best of memories for me even though it was so incredible. Hopefully, the next time it will be better.
That night, we did the same things we did the previous night. It was just as much fun. For some of the time, I was getting over being in such a large group so I grabbed a beer, laid down in a hammock by the beach, and looked at the glorious stars. They were incredible. I spent about an hour doing that and it was well worth my time.My room mates decided to go to the music festival that night, so I had the room to myself for a while, while was fabulous! Sometimes when you are in such a large group, it's just so nice to be on your own.
The next day, we drove back to Stone Town and did some shopping. I got some nice hand-made leather sandals that are made by a couple in town. Jenny showed us the place so we could have good quality sandals. They were more on the pricey side but no where near what I would pay in the States for hand-made leather sandals. I also bought some pants, which are amazing! It was nice to just wander around a little bit in a smaller group, especially since the streets are so small. We then took another terrifying and nauseating flight back to home sweet home at chuo kikuu (university) of Dar es Salaam.
Well, that post took much longer I thought it would. I've now been working on it off and on for about 24 hours. We really did do a lot this weekend! I had a marvelous time and can't wait to go back with Daniel! :)
We left in the wee hours of Thursday morning to go to a smaller airport in Dar. Everyone was beyond exhausted, especially a group of us who had been out late the night before. We went to Jenny's (our group director) friend's apartment who lives in a rather wealthy area of the city. He and Jenny were in the peace corps together, but now he works in an oil company and lives in these high rise apartments that are full of ex-pats and luxurious. Not going to lie, it was nice to experience. We swam at night in the pool, watched Law and Order SVU and ate pizza. Oh, the comforts of home.
Anywho, the next day we set out. We flew the tiniest of planes. I was terrified and felt very motion sick the entire time, but I had wonderful friends who comforted me for the twenty minute plane ride. I'm still glad we flew instead of taking the two hour ferry ride packed full of people. While flying in, we could see all of the fantastic coral reefs and most of the island. It is much bigger than I thought it was! We arrived in Zanzibar and I could already tell the difference in how the island from the mainland. The architecture was far more complex and interesting, and the air just had a different feel to it.
It's hard to even describe everything we did this weekend. It was all so wonderful. We spent the first day traveling around Stone Town in Zanzibar. I keep calling it Stonestown accidentally, which is the name of a mall I frequently go to in the bay area. We were all pretty exhausted because of getting up so early and we toured many locations in very hot weather. I felt terribly ill which took away from the experience a bit, but I have waited too long to visit Zanzibar to let it get in the way. We saw the location of a former slave market that is now a church. We went into some underground chambers where slaves were kept and the church was built by a man who was called, "The Friend to Slaves". inside the church there are markers where slaves were whipped. It was a large and wonderful church that was made of limestone. If you are not familiar with Zanzibar's history, I recommend that you look into it. The trade routes of the Indian Ocean over the past few centuries have included the island as a primary location. It has also had many rulers which has provided a medley of cultures and traditions.
We also visited some other historical landmarks which I have learned about through my own research and classes in school. It was so awesome to see them in person! After some sight-seeing, we had a few hour break where I returned to the hotel and passed out. It's amazing how many naps I take in this country. Studying abroad is so tiring! That night we went to the international renowned Zanzibar Music Festival where artists from all over the world visit and perform in an ancient fort complex in the middle of the old city. IT WAS SO COOL.We only saw a couple artists, but it was truly wonderful and I was so glad to have the experience.
The next day we started our by driving to an area of Zanzibar that has a ton of spice farms. We spent a couple of hours walking around the farm being led by our Zanzibar guide, Jamal. He stopped at many plants and trees showing us different spices and fruits. It was incredible. We each started our own collections of the spices so we could smell and guess what they were. The guys who worked there also all made us hats and bags our of palm fronds. At the end of the tour we at a fabulous lunch and watched a guy climb a coconut tree to get us some to drink. All in all, it was delightful!
Then we drove to another part of the island called Jambiani where our director knew someone who owns a youth hostel. It was GORGEOUS. the water was turquoise and the village was wonderful. All of the buildings were made out of coral. A few of us swam in extremely kelpy water. Apparently it's much nicer when the tide is out to swim. That night we all relaxed and hung out with people from the area. Some guys had a bonfire and a drum circle and we all sang songs. When the tide went out, me and another friend walked out really far and watched the moon rise. It was so incredible.
The next day was a bit chaotic and did not go as planned. People woke up with incredibly puffy eyes and everyone who swam except me started burning all over their skin. The people of the village said this had never happened before but it was something to do with the concentration of the kelp, perhaps. Lots of speculation started to take place and we finally decided that it was something from a Steven King novel. This all meant that we started a bit late in the day.
We took a tour of the village and walked for far longer than was expected. We spent about an hour and a half just wandering the village and our leader Ken really had no idea what we were doing. A few of us still decided to enjoy ourselves in the crazy hot weather. We took our time and took pictures of the glorious setting around us. We were able to go into someone's house and really see how people live their lives, which is something I truly appreciate. This area of Zanzibar specializes in the farming of seaweed. The men of the island used to work to collect it, but the profit was so little, and the labor so intensive, they passed it on to the women of the community. Now hundreds of women set out each day when the tide is out to work in the hot sun to collect very little seaweed to sell to Europe and Asia for very little money when the buyers make a huge amount off of their profits. It is tough work. Each plot is about 6 by 9 feet with rows of seaweed tied in little bundles around string. It takes about a month to get to the full size. We were supposed to take a tour of some of the farms, but we didn't get back in time to do so. But when I went out to swim later, we walked about a mile through the beach to get to the ocean, not down the beach, through it! It takes so long to get to the water when the tide is out. When I got to the water I walked around for a bit to see what the women were doing. It was very awkward to see all this work they were doing when I was clearly there just to swim and enjoy myself.
Since it was a Saturday, many of the kids were running around helping their mothers with the work. As we toured, many of the kids came up wanting to talk to us and take pictures with us, some expecting money, but mostly not. Since I adore kids, this was one of the highlights for me.On our way back, we stopped by to visit a medicine man from the area. He showed us many plants that are used for different problems people in the village have. Unfortunately we were all so exhausted from walking for so long, it was very hard for us to pay attention. He was a very kind man with many things to say and I'm glad we are able to meet him.
Later after the tour, I went for the swim I previously mentioned. The water was extremely clear and gorgeous. It was one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen. The water current also moved very quickly, which made it kind of fun to swim in. It was almost like a river of salt water that we could float on. Not too far away there was a bank of sand where we could see other people snorkeling. I didn't snorkel this time, but I thought I'd save that for something to do when Daniel gets here. Also, the last time I snorkeled, I got fairly sea sick which is not the best of memories for me even though it was so incredible. Hopefully, the next time it will be better.
That night, we did the same things we did the previous night. It was just as much fun. For some of the time, I was getting over being in such a large group so I grabbed a beer, laid down in a hammock by the beach, and looked at the glorious stars. They were incredible. I spent about an hour doing that and it was well worth my time.My room mates decided to go to the music festival that night, so I had the room to myself for a while, while was fabulous! Sometimes when you are in such a large group, it's just so nice to be on your own.
The next day, we drove back to Stone Town and did some shopping. I got some nice hand-made leather sandals that are made by a couple in town. Jenny showed us the place so we could have good quality sandals. They were more on the pricey side but no where near what I would pay in the States for hand-made leather sandals. I also bought some pants, which are amazing! It was nice to just wander around a little bit in a smaller group, especially since the streets are so small. We then took another terrifying and nauseating flight back to home sweet home at chuo kikuu (university) of Dar es Salaam.
Well, that post took much longer I thought it would. I've now been working on it off and on for about 24 hours. We really did do a lot this weekend! I had a marvelous time and can't wait to go back with Daniel! :)
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| A monument dedicated to the slaves |
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| Zanzibar spices! |
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| An example of the Arab influence in the city |
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| Awesome tiny streets! |
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| Being silly in Zanzibar |
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| One of the bands at the music festival |
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| Spice tour! |
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| Me and my friends Polycarp looking fabulous at the Spice farm with coconuts |
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| The beaches of Jambiani |
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| kids scavenging for seaweed |
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Now on to other things...
There have also been some really neat things happening the past few days.
First of all, on Saturday we traveled to a house in town where a woman fondly known as "Bibi" lives. As we arrive to a compound of several houses, a group of kids wave to us and we are welcomed into this persons home. On the floor was an elderly woman hard at work. She welcomed us warmly, as Tanzanians often do, and we all sat in chairs facing toward her. We were served delicious tea and another type of Tanzanian fried dough, which is a staple for any meal. However, this was especially fantastic. It was like a ginger flavored sweet donut. People put ginger in evvvverything here, which is just fine with me!
Next we watched as Bibi showed us how to make chapati, the flat bread they eat with everything. It's a very simple recipe of flour, salt, and baking powder, but it takes the right about of folding and rolling to make it extra delish.
We continued to watch as other things were made: coconut rice, buyrani, fish, vegetables...and boy it was amazing! We had to wait several hours but we kept ourselves entertained with the kids that were hanging around until then. One of the coolest processes of the preparation was the shaving of the coconut. You would take half of a coconut and sit on this little wooden block, with a sharp jagged edge on one side. I had a go at using it and it was really difficult!!!
All in all, it was a great experience where we got to eat amazing Tanzanian food that wasn't from the school cafeteria.
Speaking of which, the rest of the students in the university are on vacation for 3 weeks, which means the whole campus is basically empty. Several of the cafeterias are closed as well, which means it's very difficult to get food some of the time. We've all stashed up on some instant food like ramen and oatmeal, along with lots of fruit. It's working out just fine.
Today I had my first day at the Wonder Workshop. It was awesome! #1, I didn't get lost getting there. This makes me super proud. We arrived at the area about half an hour late, but traffic is baaad here, especially in the morning. We left campus at 7 am and arrived at 8:35. a long commute but it will be worth it. First we went around to each of the different areas of workshops on the site. There is welding, woodwork, glass bead making, paper making, paper designs, and jewelry making. A very kind man who knows some english took us to each of the stations and introduced us to the workers. Everyone was very excited to have us and when they found out that they would be learning english, they were ecstatic. We're going to have lots of fun. It'll be about 15 people we'll be teaching. Then we went into the gift shop and looked at the catalogue to get an idea of the kind of things we'll be designing. We definitely have one of the coolest internshiips and I have a ton of ideas already.
Alright. Off to bed. Be well ya'll!
First of all, on Saturday we traveled to a house in town where a woman fondly known as "Bibi" lives. As we arrive to a compound of several houses, a group of kids wave to us and we are welcomed into this persons home. On the floor was an elderly woman hard at work. She welcomed us warmly, as Tanzanians often do, and we all sat in chairs facing toward her. We were served delicious tea and another type of Tanzanian fried dough, which is a staple for any meal. However, this was especially fantastic. It was like a ginger flavored sweet donut. People put ginger in evvvverything here, which is just fine with me!
We continued to watch as other things were made: coconut rice, buyrani, fish, vegetables...and boy it was amazing! We had to wait several hours but we kept ourselves entertained with the kids that were hanging around until then. One of the coolest processes of the preparation was the shaving of the coconut. You would take half of a coconut and sit on this little wooden block, with a sharp jagged edge on one side. I had a go at using it and it was really difficult!!!
Speaking of which, the rest of the students in the university are on vacation for 3 weeks, which means the whole campus is basically empty. Several of the cafeterias are closed as well, which means it's very difficult to get food some of the time. We've all stashed up on some instant food like ramen and oatmeal, along with lots of fruit. It's working out just fine.
Today I had my first day at the Wonder Workshop. It was awesome! #1, I didn't get lost getting there. This makes me super proud. We arrived at the area about half an hour late, but traffic is baaad here, especially in the morning. We left campus at 7 am and arrived at 8:35. a long commute but it will be worth it. First we went around to each of the different areas of workshops on the site. There is welding, woodwork, glass bead making, paper making, paper designs, and jewelry making. A very kind man who knows some english took us to each of the stations and introduced us to the workers. Everyone was very excited to have us and when they found out that they would be learning english, they were ecstatic. We're going to have lots of fun. It'll be about 15 people we'll be teaching. Then we went into the gift shop and looked at the catalogue to get an idea of the kind of things we'll be designing. We definitely have one of the coolest internshiips and I have a ton of ideas already.
Alright. Off to bed. Be well ya'll!
Another day, another lesson learned
The past few days have been very interesting. It's been a bit of a whirlwind concerning some things happening in the group, but I feel like I learned a lot about myself and how I feel like I truly am becoming the person I want to be in my life. Kind of a cool feeling, right? I know that is something that everyone should experience, but when you're actually proud of the person you are and the actions you take, that is a great lesson to those of us who do not always have the confidence they want.
As I mentioned before, there have been some racial tensions within the group. I do not want to go into detail for the sake of other people's privacy, nor do I need to. I took it upon myself to act on these tensions to confront the conflict head on. I used the knowledge I've picked up to talk to a person in a calm manner through open dialogue without succumbing to feelings or thoughts of anger. We had a genuine discussion where both parties felt comfortable and acknowledged enough that we were able to move past our hurt feelings and guilt. It was awesome. This kind of stuff truly is magnificent when it works well. Open dialogue can work and I wish more people can understand that. Sorry to be so vague on the details, but I do not want to betray the trust of certain individuals. I just want to let everyone know that you should truly get to know a person before you judge them, or assume that you know what they are saying. People are misunderstood so often that it leads to further hurt and destruction of relationships. This cannot be said enough. Know someone is key before acting on thoughts of anger.
Things like this make me so excited to be a human being.
As I mentioned before, there have been some racial tensions within the group. I do not want to go into detail for the sake of other people's privacy, nor do I need to. I took it upon myself to act on these tensions to confront the conflict head on. I used the knowledge I've picked up to talk to a person in a calm manner through open dialogue without succumbing to feelings or thoughts of anger. We had a genuine discussion where both parties felt comfortable and acknowledged enough that we were able to move past our hurt feelings and guilt. It was awesome. This kind of stuff truly is magnificent when it works well. Open dialogue can work and I wish more people can understand that. Sorry to be so vague on the details, but I do not want to betray the trust of certain individuals. I just want to let everyone know that you should truly get to know a person before you judge them, or assume that you know what they are saying. People are misunderstood so often that it leads to further hurt and destruction of relationships. This cannot be said enough. Know someone is key before acting on thoughts of anger.
Things like this make me so excited to be a human being.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
The ramblings of a white, American, female, Christian
Life gets increasingly more and more interesting here. Now that classes are mostly in full swing (with only one professor M.I.A.), I'm starting to get a regular routine of my day. I go to breakfast, where I usually eat a meal of chapati (naan-like delish bread) and fried egg rolled together to make an awesome wrap. That's not a standard Tanzanian thing, I just made it up. :) I either eat with friends from the program or attempt to make Tanzanian friends by going alone. So far it's been pretty hard to make Tanzanian friends. Mostly I have a lot of small talk but it doesn't go father than that. The normal students are in the middle of exams at the moment, so they are very nervous and wound up at the moment. It's hard to get a feel of what the campus is like normally. After tomorrow they are on break for three weeks, while the dorms will basically be partially filled with international students.
My days of class are fairly full, especially Wednesdays. My classes are: International Relations and Foreign Policy, History of East Africa, Swahili, and Sociology of Race, Class, and Ethnicity. All good classes but many are things I've covered already. I knew that would happen, but I really wanted to get a perspective from the other side of the world. Too bad two of my professors are American. Oh well, I'm still excited.
After class, I've been hanging out with some people or studying. It's a fairly normal routine that is pretty similar to home. Being a student is universally the same. One thing that's interesting is the grading system. At home, to get an A you need 93 or above. Here, you need 70 or above. Of course the standards are raised, but I still find it interesting.
I had a lot of interesting conversations about race today. I'm still not fully used to the idea that I can never blend in here. Everywhere I go, I feel like I'm being stared at. People often shout, "MZUNGU!" or "white person" as I walk by. In our internship class this week, our group talked together about different cultural differences. We were given a worksheet that had a picture of an iceberg both above and below the water. For each side, we had to label cultural identities on either side to depict which were apparent and which were hidden underneath the surface. For example: modesty, gender relations, religion...and so on. Hearing people's responses were very interesting.
My group is also predominately white, which also creates an odd dynamic that can often get uncomfotable, not to mention it's 15 females and one male. We have three African American students and two of them have somewhat seperated themselves from the group. They have had the opportunity to blend in and are taking advantage of that by getting to know many tanzanians. I wish I could do that. Many people just wonder who I am but don't really know how to talk to me. I'm trying my best with Swahili, but I'm still learning. I've only been here three weeks! It's not that I don't feel comfortable. I love it here. I think it's a fabulous country that is full of beautiful people. One of the African American students is probably closest with me int he group. She is wonderful and I absolutely adore her. We work at our internship together and have gotten along from the start. Today we spent 3 hours talking about race, religion, gender, and so many other things. She told me that she felt the same way while she studied abroad in Sweden and only really made friends with immigrants and international students. I'm hoping it won't be the same way for me.
I also feel very bizarre about my sense of religion here. Religion is often discussed in our group because people have an extremely open sense of religious identity in Tanzania. Many of the students have felt very out of the place because they do not identify with any particular religion. However, I too feel out of place because the range of Christianity is so different. If I went to a church and stated: "Yes, I am a Christian. I believe in many things like loving everyone including Muslims and all those who identify as LGBTQIA (etc, etc)." Or perhaps, "women should be equal in society and the church! or even, "I don't think that God is wrathful, I think that SHE has unconditional love for each human being." I would be chased down the street by an angry mob. Some of the girls have had probelms in their internships with people who have declared them as sinners becuase they have boy friends that are not their fiances. I was sitting alone outside the other day, and this young guy about my age comes over with a form asking me to donate some money and sign a peition. it was for an evangelical group on campus that goes out into villages and converts "sinners". He asked if I was Christian, to which I replied "Ndiyo" and he said God wanted me to donate money to this cause because we needed to save all those who are lost souls. I found myself speechless. I have nothing against making disciples of Jesus Christ to transform the world, but that ain't the way I would go about doing it.
Explaining this to the people in my program has also been equally difficult. One of the girls asks me religious questions all the time and constantly states, "But what is the point!?" She finally did tell me that I was the only religious person she's ever had respect for. I was both honored and sad by that and truly didn't know how to respond.
What an odd situation I find myself in as a white, American, christian, female.
My days of class are fairly full, especially Wednesdays. My classes are: International Relations and Foreign Policy, History of East Africa, Swahili, and Sociology of Race, Class, and Ethnicity. All good classes but many are things I've covered already. I knew that would happen, but I really wanted to get a perspective from the other side of the world. Too bad two of my professors are American. Oh well, I'm still excited.
After class, I've been hanging out with some people or studying. It's a fairly normal routine that is pretty similar to home. Being a student is universally the same. One thing that's interesting is the grading system. At home, to get an A you need 93 or above. Here, you need 70 or above. Of course the standards are raised, but I still find it interesting.
I had a lot of interesting conversations about race today. I'm still not fully used to the idea that I can never blend in here. Everywhere I go, I feel like I'm being stared at. People often shout, "MZUNGU!" or "white person" as I walk by. In our internship class this week, our group talked together about different cultural differences. We were given a worksheet that had a picture of an iceberg both above and below the water. For each side, we had to label cultural identities on either side to depict which were apparent and which were hidden underneath the surface. For example: modesty, gender relations, religion...and so on. Hearing people's responses were very interesting.
My group is also predominately white, which also creates an odd dynamic that can often get uncomfotable, not to mention it's 15 females and one male. We have three African American students and two of them have somewhat seperated themselves from the group. They have had the opportunity to blend in and are taking advantage of that by getting to know many tanzanians. I wish I could do that. Many people just wonder who I am but don't really know how to talk to me. I'm trying my best with Swahili, but I'm still learning. I've only been here three weeks! It's not that I don't feel comfortable. I love it here. I think it's a fabulous country that is full of beautiful people. One of the African American students is probably closest with me int he group. She is wonderful and I absolutely adore her. We work at our internship together and have gotten along from the start. Today we spent 3 hours talking about race, religion, gender, and so many other things. She told me that she felt the same way while she studied abroad in Sweden and only really made friends with immigrants and international students. I'm hoping it won't be the same way for me.
I also feel very bizarre about my sense of religion here. Religion is often discussed in our group because people have an extremely open sense of religious identity in Tanzania. Many of the students have felt very out of the place because they do not identify with any particular religion. However, I too feel out of place because the range of Christianity is so different. If I went to a church and stated: "Yes, I am a Christian. I believe in many things like loving everyone including Muslims and all those who identify as LGBTQIA (etc, etc)." Or perhaps, "women should be equal in society and the church! or even, "I don't think that God is wrathful, I think that SHE has unconditional love for each human being." I would be chased down the street by an angry mob. Some of the girls have had probelms in their internships with people who have declared them as sinners becuase they have boy friends that are not their fiances. I was sitting alone outside the other day, and this young guy about my age comes over with a form asking me to donate some money and sign a peition. it was for an evangelical group on campus that goes out into villages and converts "sinners". He asked if I was Christian, to which I replied "Ndiyo" and he said God wanted me to donate money to this cause because we needed to save all those who are lost souls. I found myself speechless. I have nothing against making disciples of Jesus Christ to transform the world, but that ain't the way I would go about doing it.
Explaining this to the people in my program has also been equally difficult. One of the girls asks me religious questions all the time and constantly states, "But what is the point!?" She finally did tell me that I was the only religious person she's ever had respect for. I was both honored and sad by that and truly didn't know how to respond.
What an odd situation I find myself in as a white, American, christian, female.
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