At lunch time yesterday I walked home to the apartment, and there were donkeys chilling across the street with no apparent owner to claim them. By the time I came back out they had crossed the road and ended up in the roundabout with the big Kilimanjaro brewery fountain. I really wish I had been carrying my camera.
After work yesterday I aquired a surprise walking companion, a boy of about 8 still in school uniform, named Andrew. I said, mambo, he said poa, and next thing I know he was dodging puddles with me the whole mile to my gate (this is the 3rd day in a row of Oregon weather, thanks to whoever put in that request for me :0). The funniest thing about our walk together was that we really couldn't communicate. I would try to ask a question, in either swahili or english, and he would try to answer it. But I dont think either one of us ever understood each other, other than that we were enjoying not walking alone.
When I got home, I turned the t.v. on for the first time in a month, prompted by a rumor that our cable was working again. There was a cute Indian commercial on with people singing on a train, and at the end of the commercial the following words pop up on the screen: "why walk alone?" very cute and conincidental, I thought to myself.
A bit later I was texting my friend Alfred to find out what the world cup game schedule was for the next couple days, and he wrote back the following (verbatim mind you): did u c liverpool play the other day SWEET "YOU SHALL NEVER WALK ALONE"
Okay so blame it on me reading too much into things, or the fact that the power had just shut off and I was sitting in the dark, or the fact that Victoria who was sitting and chatting with me was creeped out too, but I was about ready to NEVER walk by myself again. Alfred clarified later that it is the liverpool motto, which gave us all a good laugh, but I'm still not so sure someone wasnt trying to tell me something!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
thoughts on the week as it ends
"Its Friday, Its Friday, its the end of the week and the last day..." This is how many of our week's end, with Selina's catchy little song.
I cant believe how fast the weeks are going by. Herein lies a summary of the past 6 or so days:
Selina's birthday party was great, so many people came out to celebrate with her! Unfortunately, the power went out (it NEVER goes out Saturday, of course it would this week!) so we ate by candlelight and without the music playlists we had so meticulously planned earlier. Some of our hip hop dancing friends managed to perform for us without any music though, which was so fun!
The after party moved to a reggae bar where a live reggae band was sharing some very soul filled tunes. We enjoyed ourselves until trouble among some drunk people started stirring up. Some big belligerent military commander was threatening a woman we work with. Thankfully no one was hurt, though tensions got pretty high for a moment. We took that as our cue to call it an evening.
The next morning we left for our surprise safari. Of course, the safari jeep broke down. But we were on a beautiful somewhat deserted stretch of highway content to take pictures of the dusty scenery. After a good 25 minutes of watching Alfred mess around under the hood, a semi truck pulled up behind us. Something was wrong with our fuel line so the diesel wasn't getting to the engine. So these kind men siphoned out some of their fuel for us so we could be on our way.
We arrived at a gorgeous little oasis in the desert filled with monkeys and monkey babies. We had a huge delicious lunch, and then hopped on mountain bikes for an 8 km ride through the bush. It has been so long since I rode a bike! And its not like we were riding on smooth pavement... we went from a rocky road to a dusty field filled with cow poop. Once we passed the poop piles we had to watch for the prickly acacias. I am hard pressed to describe the beauty we encountered out there on our bikes. Desolation. The dusty field at one point was the bottom of Lake Manara, but it hasn't been covered with water since the late '90s. This year's drought alone was quite visible in the bodies of the cattle that occasionally blocked our path. There is so little grass that their ribs protrude almost painfully. We had many kids run up and touch our skin as we rode by. And there was a lady who tried to race me on foot!
Driving back from Lake Manara, we hit a giant dust storm. It was like a pinkish whiteout as the sun was setting. We drove for miles through it, passing people walking, cycling and working in fields all the while. I wished we could have picked them all up in our car for at least a moment of relief.
We also passed something a little disturbing, police officers forcing some suspected thieves into the back of a truck. It was like see something out of a movie. SO much for innocent until proven guilty.
Plans for this weekend arent really set yet, there are so many things to do as it feels like our time here is running out. But main priority for me SHOULD be the paper and presentation and take home final that are all due next week. Its crazy how much reading we have been doing lately.
AND I BOUGHT A PLANE TICKET TO SPAIN! I will be going for 2 weeks with some friends from home in March- Im thinking of it as an incentive/reward for completing my thesis. :0)
I cant believe how fast the weeks are going by. Herein lies a summary of the past 6 or so days:
Selina's birthday party was great, so many people came out to celebrate with her! Unfortunately, the power went out (it NEVER goes out Saturday, of course it would this week!) so we ate by candlelight and without the music playlists we had so meticulously planned earlier. Some of our hip hop dancing friends managed to perform for us without any music though, which was so fun!
The after party moved to a reggae bar where a live reggae band was sharing some very soul filled tunes. We enjoyed ourselves until trouble among some drunk people started stirring up. Some big belligerent military commander was threatening a woman we work with. Thankfully no one was hurt, though tensions got pretty high for a moment. We took that as our cue to call it an evening.
The next morning we left for our surprise safari. Of course, the safari jeep broke down. But we were on a beautiful somewhat deserted stretch of highway content to take pictures of the dusty scenery. After a good 25 minutes of watching Alfred mess around under the hood, a semi truck pulled up behind us. Something was wrong with our fuel line so the diesel wasn't getting to the engine. So these kind men siphoned out some of their fuel for us so we could be on our way.
We arrived at a gorgeous little oasis in the desert filled with monkeys and monkey babies. We had a huge delicious lunch, and then hopped on mountain bikes for an 8 km ride through the bush. It has been so long since I rode a bike! And its not like we were riding on smooth pavement... we went from a rocky road to a dusty field filled with cow poop. Once we passed the poop piles we had to watch for the prickly acacias. I am hard pressed to describe the beauty we encountered out there on our bikes. Desolation. The dusty field at one point was the bottom of Lake Manara, but it hasn't been covered with water since the late '90s. This year's drought alone was quite visible in the bodies of the cattle that occasionally blocked our path. There is so little grass that their ribs protrude almost painfully. We had many kids run up and touch our skin as we rode by. And there was a lady who tried to race me on foot!
Driving back from Lake Manara, we hit a giant dust storm. It was like a pinkish whiteout as the sun was setting. We drove for miles through it, passing people walking, cycling and working in fields all the while. I wished we could have picked them all up in our car for at least a moment of relief.
We also passed something a little disturbing, police officers forcing some suspected thieves into the back of a truck. It was like see something out of a movie. SO much for innocent until proven guilty.
Plans for this weekend arent really set yet, there are so many things to do as it feels like our time here is running out. But main priority for me SHOULD be the paper and presentation and take home final that are all due next week. Its crazy how much reading we have been doing lately.
AND I BOUGHT A PLANE TICKET TO SPAIN! I will be going for 2 weeks with some friends from home in March- Im thinking of it as an incentive/reward for completing my thesis. :0)
Friday, October 16, 2009
odds and ends before a big weekend
A soft gray Saturday morning finds me at my FAVORITE spot in Arusha. The Blue Heron. This place has big fluffy pillows on couches and beds spread all throughout a lush landscape of flowers, grass and trees. And free wireless to boot. Wanted to fill you in on a few funny things before the happenings of this weekend because they will need a blog on their own. Also, as I write this I am multitasking and trying to fill out school loan forms and do reading for class. woo.
Monday night around 1 am, we awoke to POUNDING noises in our apartment. It was actually quite startling at first, we were all thinking the worst (WHO IS TRYING TO BREAK IN). After the initial feelings of fear I got up to double check the lock on our door, and realized the pounding was coming from our neighbors apartment. I could hear their voices talking calmly. These are the neighbors you may have read about on Selina or Eunice's blog, with the 11-year old daughter, Olifia, who is always pounding on our door and following us around. I went back to bed thinking it was some late night construction project. The next morning there was definitely blood out on our gorgeous mosaic tile court yard. Turns out, Olifia's dad had brought home some animals and had to chop them up outside our door before they spoiled. GROSS.
Did I mention it rains every Friday here? Seriously. How weird is that.
Last night we watched the under-20 world cup game! Go figure Tanzania is making a soccer lover out of me. Yeah Ghana!
Tonight is the long anticipated birthday party for Selina, we rented out a little venue and have our chef friend Victor and invited at least a third of Arusha... Seriously, its going to be really cool to see all the people we know in one place: students, interns, security guards, fruit stand workers, etc. It will be a true test to see if we can recognize everyone outside of the context we know them in.
Tomorrow is a "surprise" safari trek... about 8 of us are heading out to a place that Alfred picked for us for another break from Arusha. I'm hoping to make this a new Sunday tradition. What could be better than fellowship whilst exploring??
Monday night around 1 am, we awoke to POUNDING noises in our apartment. It was actually quite startling at first, we were all thinking the worst (WHO IS TRYING TO BREAK IN). After the initial feelings of fear I got up to double check the lock on our door, and realized the pounding was coming from our neighbors apartment. I could hear their voices talking calmly. These are the neighbors you may have read about on Selina or Eunice's blog, with the 11-year old daughter, Olifia, who is always pounding on our door and following us around. I went back to bed thinking it was some late night construction project. The next morning there was definitely blood out on our gorgeous mosaic tile court yard. Turns out, Olifia's dad had brought home some animals and had to chop them up outside our door before they spoiled. GROSS.
Did I mention it rains every Friday here? Seriously. How weird is that.
Last night we watched the under-20 world cup game! Go figure Tanzania is making a soccer lover out of me. Yeah Ghana!
Tonight is the long anticipated birthday party for Selina, we rented out a little venue and have our chef friend Victor and invited at least a third of Arusha... Seriously, its going to be really cool to see all the people we know in one place: students, interns, security guards, fruit stand workers, etc. It will be a true test to see if we can recognize everyone outside of the context we know them in.
Tomorrow is a "surprise" safari trek... about 8 of us are heading out to a place that Alfred picked for us for another break from Arusha. I'm hoping to make this a new Sunday tradition. What could be better than fellowship whilst exploring??
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
mteremo [lightheartedness, freedom from care]
“You girls are the glamour of the event,” Ben tells Eunice and I as we don kid-sized ford logo t-shirts and fluff up our hair. He hired us for a few hours of looking pretty and shaking hands of Arusha’s highest society at the launch of the newest model of Ford luxury vehicle in Tanzania. Of course it was held in the garden of the 5-star Arusha Hotel. We were asked to stand smiling on either side of the new Everest as someone gave a promo speech. We were even asked to pose in a few pictures with people. We just kept laughing at our luck… we have managed to meet the coolest most connected people in this town.
We spent Saturday learning about the initiatives of a local greening project. I met a really cute little boy who accompanied me playing with seeds and flowers rather than listening to one of the presentations. He was shocked when I said “asante,” even though I had already asked him his name using his own language. “You speak Swahili??”
We proceeded to a Maasai boma. Stepping out of the car we were greeted by about 10 ornately dressed women that were singing and dancing our welcome. They laughed and smiled as we tried to emulate them, and we all shook hands. God, they were gorgeous. I didn’t realize how much I had been lacking the company of older women. There is something profound even in sitting in such close proximity to someone with so much wisdom and maturity. I found myself staring at them a lot, although I didn’t feel bad, as they seemed to be reciprocating. I can only imagine how ridiculous the things we were wearing must look to them, or even my skin that was quickly turning pink from sitting in the sun so briefly must look quite foreign. The kids had mixed reactions toward us, they kept running to touch us, and then running away to safety just as quickly. They disappeared for a while, but their giggles in the distance beckoned me turn around to see them all standing staring at their reflections in the shiny bumper of our SUV.
There were no trees to be seen around this village, and as the wind picked up we were bombarded with dust from the parched earth surrounding us. I alternated quite frequently between rubbing my eyes and squeezing them shut. I’ve never been affected by a drought so directly. When the dust subsided I noticed two of the women sitting closest to me eyeing my amani tattoo and exchanging whispers. I liked the look on their faces, something between surprise and intrigue and approval.
Later they danced and sang and laughed some more, and they dressed us in traditional clothes and beaded jewelry. I think the vision of their calm smiles will stick with me for quite some time.
When I awoke Sunday, I felt a deep longing to go back to the bush. Somewhere I could set my feet on real earth, rather than concrete or tile; somewhere away from development. I secured the good offices of my friend Alfred, who always seems to come through for me at these moments. We left in the early afternoon, with his brother and one of my classmates, in search of a hot spring. It was about a 45-minute drive on marked roads, and 30 minutes on something more like a rocky maze in between baobab trees and small villages.
We arrived to find a lonely little pool with crystal clear turquoise water. It wasn’t actually a hot spring, but a gorgeous fresh water swimming pool surrounded by low hanging branches and vines. Swimming in this pool was the kind of refreshing that leaves your soul feeling quenched.
After a while we started hearing things rustling in the bushes around the pool. Monitor lizards! Coincidentally, we all tired from swimming. So we switched our focus to climbing the trees. Perched up high with Alfred we enjoyed coke and ground nuts and light conversation. We talked about Obama winning the peace prize, (though I still think a commander in chief of the army should not receive that honor) and the recession.
Our relaxing was soon interrupted with another adventure. In search of a place to relieve ourselves, we came across a newly born calf- umbilical cord still attached. Alfred picked it up. And then it chased me, like a scene straight out of the book Are You My Mother. We next had to cross a stream to get to the desert on the other side. However, we had to wait for a herd of goats to pass through first. I would have loved somebody to take a picture of me in my bikini patiently waiting with Maasai men for these animals. On the buisness of the bathroom, let me just say it is difficult to find a private place in a desert that supports nomadic Maasai.
During the wait, Alfred had struck up conversation with one of the locals and learned that there was a hydroelectric plant nearby. We went in search of it with this man as our guide. We saw rustic equipment and monkeys and birds that looked like dinosaurs and women bathing in the river. Don't you always find more than you start out looking for?
I felt such relief to be in the bush, that I started scheming my future as a safari guide. Alfred talked me through my options. I thought maybe this could be a solution to my wanderlust: a job description only limited by the definition of exploring.
We rode home at my favorite time of day, where the sky becomes pink and the earth becomes somehow golden. I could feel the wind in my hair and the dust covering my skin as I watched the peak of Kili slowly fade into the twilight. And I finally felt so free and content in that moment. That night I read a great passage from Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet:
“You shall be free indeed when your days are not without a care nor your nights without a want and a grief, but rather when these things girdle your life and yet you rise above them naked and unbound.”
I think this will be my inspiration for this new week. In celebration, Eunice and I have decided to forgo the use of utensils. Ill let you know how that goes.
Check out all the exciting pictures from this week on facebook. Hopefully East African internet allows me to post them :0)
We spent Saturday learning about the initiatives of a local greening project. I met a really cute little boy who accompanied me playing with seeds and flowers rather than listening to one of the presentations. He was shocked when I said “asante,” even though I had already asked him his name using his own language. “You speak Swahili??”
We proceeded to a Maasai boma. Stepping out of the car we were greeted by about 10 ornately dressed women that were singing and dancing our welcome. They laughed and smiled as we tried to emulate them, and we all shook hands. God, they were gorgeous. I didn’t realize how much I had been lacking the company of older women. There is something profound even in sitting in such close proximity to someone with so much wisdom and maturity. I found myself staring at them a lot, although I didn’t feel bad, as they seemed to be reciprocating. I can only imagine how ridiculous the things we were wearing must look to them, or even my skin that was quickly turning pink from sitting in the sun so briefly must look quite foreign. The kids had mixed reactions toward us, they kept running to touch us, and then running away to safety just as quickly. They disappeared for a while, but their giggles in the distance beckoned me turn around to see them all standing staring at their reflections in the shiny bumper of our SUV.
There were no trees to be seen around this village, and as the wind picked up we were bombarded with dust from the parched earth surrounding us. I alternated quite frequently between rubbing my eyes and squeezing them shut. I’ve never been affected by a drought so directly. When the dust subsided I noticed two of the women sitting closest to me eyeing my amani tattoo and exchanging whispers. I liked the look on their faces, something between surprise and intrigue and approval.
Later they danced and sang and laughed some more, and they dressed us in traditional clothes and beaded jewelry. I think the vision of their calm smiles will stick with me for quite some time.
When I awoke Sunday, I felt a deep longing to go back to the bush. Somewhere I could set my feet on real earth, rather than concrete or tile; somewhere away from development. I secured the good offices of my friend Alfred, who always seems to come through for me at these moments. We left in the early afternoon, with his brother and one of my classmates, in search of a hot spring. It was about a 45-minute drive on marked roads, and 30 minutes on something more like a rocky maze in between baobab trees and small villages.
We arrived to find a lonely little pool with crystal clear turquoise water. It wasn’t actually a hot spring, but a gorgeous fresh water swimming pool surrounded by low hanging branches and vines. Swimming in this pool was the kind of refreshing that leaves your soul feeling quenched.
After a while we started hearing things rustling in the bushes around the pool. Monitor lizards! Coincidentally, we all tired from swimming. So we switched our focus to climbing the trees. Perched up high with Alfred we enjoyed coke and ground nuts and light conversation. We talked about Obama winning the peace prize, (though I still think a commander in chief of the army should not receive that honor) and the recession.
Our relaxing was soon interrupted with another adventure. In search of a place to relieve ourselves, we came across a newly born calf- umbilical cord still attached. Alfred picked it up. And then it chased me, like a scene straight out of the book Are You My Mother. We next had to cross a stream to get to the desert on the other side. However, we had to wait for a herd of goats to pass through first. I would have loved somebody to take a picture of me in my bikini patiently waiting with Maasai men for these animals. On the buisness of the bathroom, let me just say it is difficult to find a private place in a desert that supports nomadic Maasai.
During the wait, Alfred had struck up conversation with one of the locals and learned that there was a hydroelectric plant nearby. We went in search of it with this man as our guide. We saw rustic equipment and monkeys and birds that looked like dinosaurs and women bathing in the river. Don't you always find more than you start out looking for?
I felt such relief to be in the bush, that I started scheming my future as a safari guide. Alfred talked me through my options. I thought maybe this could be a solution to my wanderlust: a job description only limited by the definition of exploring.
We rode home at my favorite time of day, where the sky becomes pink and the earth becomes somehow golden. I could feel the wind in my hair and the dust covering my skin as I watched the peak of Kili slowly fade into the twilight. And I finally felt so free and content in that moment. That night I read a great passage from Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet:
“You shall be free indeed when your days are not without a care nor your nights without a want and a grief, but rather when these things girdle your life and yet you rise above them naked and unbound.”
I think this will be my inspiration for this new week. In celebration, Eunice and I have decided to forgo the use of utensils. Ill let you know how that goes.
Check out all the exciting pictures from this week on facebook. Hopefully East African internet allows me to post them :0)
Monday, October 5, 2009
steps to fighting burn out
By last Friday I was feeling the effects of working/schooling/playing too much. So I decided that this weekend I would focus on just one of these areas. The following should help you deduce which area I chose.
1. hang out and dance with friends Friday and Saturday night until the morning call to prayer (about 5am) calls us home.
2. lounge around the 5 star hotel pool (aka lagoon) in the hot equatorial sun chatting with strangers and old friends
3. watch our new friends in break-dancing and rapping performances
4. drive all around arusha asking for directions to a restaurant that no one has ever heard of but pretends they have and they know exactly how to get there
5. watch the intense chelsea-liverpool game with a friend who insisted on making it more exciting for me (did you know number so and so is the son of a colombian drug dealer? you tackle him and he kills your whole family.)
Turns out it was JUST what I needed. Last night before going to bed Victoria and I hung up a bunch of my pictures all over our living room, so now it feels a little more cozy and colorful for us. Got up this morning feeling refreshed and nearly ready for the week of work and paper writing and exam taking.
Can you believe whats going on in southeast asia right now? and did you hear the "new" news that Somalia is on the brink of famine? would love some updates from anyone who is good at summarizing on whats happening in the U.S.
amani.
1. hang out and dance with friends Friday and Saturday night until the morning call to prayer (about 5am) calls us home.
2. lounge around the 5 star hotel pool (aka lagoon) in the hot equatorial sun chatting with strangers and old friends
3. watch our new friends in break-dancing and rapping performances
4. drive all around arusha asking for directions to a restaurant that no one has ever heard of but pretends they have and they know exactly how to get there
5. watch the intense chelsea-liverpool game with a friend who insisted on making it more exciting for me (did you know number so and so is the son of a colombian drug dealer? you tackle him and he kills your whole family.)
Turns out it was JUST what I needed. Last night before going to bed Victoria and I hung up a bunch of my pictures all over our living room, so now it feels a little more cozy and colorful for us. Got up this morning feeling refreshed and nearly ready for the week of work and paper writing and exam taking.
Can you believe whats going on in southeast asia right now? and did you hear the "new" news that Somalia is on the brink of famine? would love some updates from anyone who is good at summarizing on whats happening in the U.S.
amani.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
One more presentation down
Big sigh of relief.
Got another presentation out of the way for class. Schedule has been a bit crazy as we started taking a french class during our lunch hour, and classes have been starting an extra hour early all week. Last night was my first night of sleeping more than a few hours due to stress and over involvement. It felt so GOOD!
Funny story to entertain you (especially Grandma Sue!). To take a break from studying Victoria and I went and got dinner and played pool with a couple friends. One of them has a car and was taking us home (after the longest game of pool in my whole life- we really were that bad!) when his car died in the middle of the road. We all thought nothing of it because this car dies quite often, and this guy has a knack for restarting it. But pole sana nothing was happening. The car was still sputtering. OUT OF GAS. Lucky for us, we were less than 50 yeards from a gas station. Luckier still, Arusha has no fire stations so they park their emergency vehicles on the side of major roads to be ready, complete with at least 4 firemen (same situtation with the securit response teams). We had stopped RIGHT next to one of these trucks. So something like 6 guys come out and start pushing the car to the gas station. Victoria and I just sat in the back like nothing was out of the ordinary.
Have free tickets tonight to the Mama Africa circus that just set up across the street from our apartments. I'm excited!
Got another presentation out of the way for class. Schedule has been a bit crazy as we started taking a french class during our lunch hour, and classes have been starting an extra hour early all week. Last night was my first night of sleeping more than a few hours due to stress and over involvement. It felt so GOOD!
Funny story to entertain you (especially Grandma Sue!). To take a break from studying Victoria and I went and got dinner and played pool with a couple friends. One of them has a car and was taking us home (after the longest game of pool in my whole life- we really were that bad!) when his car died in the middle of the road. We all thought nothing of it because this car dies quite often, and this guy has a knack for restarting it. But pole sana nothing was happening. The car was still sputtering. OUT OF GAS. Lucky for us, we were less than 50 yeards from a gas station. Luckier still, Arusha has no fire stations so they park their emergency vehicles on the side of major roads to be ready, complete with at least 4 firemen (same situtation with the securit response teams). We had stopped RIGHT next to one of these trucks. So something like 6 guys come out and start pushing the car to the gas station. Victoria and I just sat in the back like nothing was out of the ordinary.
Have free tickets tonight to the Mama Africa circus that just set up across the street from our apartments. I'm excited!
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