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!

1 comment:

  1. it was so lovely talking with you :P it's funny how an hour doesnt even scratch the surface of the things i want to say to you-- though we do sorta meander our way through our conversations haha

    that sounds like a lovely church experience! :) i'm glad it was fun and unique and new

    i hope things turn out with the internship :\ if not, i am awaiting details and here to offer supportive comments!

    you're looking lovely by the way! you always do, but you look nice :) it was nice to see your face and your pictures are all awesome!

    hahaaa sorry school is still school wherever you go haha XD oh professors...

    <33!!

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