There's Lots to Learn...And It Isn't Always Easy

Since I last posted, I've attended three four hour long Swahili classes, lecture at a different school, been partnered up with a conversation partner, and a day at a spice farm. All in all this leads to tons and tons of great learning opportunities both academically and personally. If learning was easy we would all do it, but this week it's been a mixed lot on how " easy" something is.

Swahili is a fascinating language. It mostly comes from Bantu tribes found in Tanzania, but also has an Arabic influence from traders coming down the shipping routes centuries ago. Just like with any other language one needs to be aware of tenses, vocal and tons of devices used to make a coherent sentence. This week we have learned the tense for when something is always done the same everyday, and how to make a clause ( when you go to store,....). Both of which are really important, but it is starting to get confusing on what to put where. Although I continue to love to learn, it is tricky to put parts in the right order. Overall though, my teacher (Mwalimu)is really good and helps sort out all the quirks one might have.

On Tuesday afternoon, we went to the Univeristy of Dar-es-Salaam Marine Biology school for a lecture on coral reefs. This was really interesting. Did you know that coral is actually an animal? Loss of coral reefs is a really big problem off these shores as individuals are using distractive fishing methods(dinamite for example) or putting pollutants in the water. There is also problems with water becoming to acid-y for the coral to be able to grow. It was really interesting and see how we are all connected and need to take care of the Earth we were put in charge of taking care of.

Also on Thuesday afternoon, we met up with conversation partners that SUZA assigns for us to practice talking for an hour. Besides being half sleep deprived from too hot temperatures and tired from walking all over, this was another challenging learning experience. Although I've been studying Swahili for awhile now new words are always brought up leading to halts in actual conversation and sometimes miss communication in language gaps. It isnfrustraing to be half confident going into the hour and coming out feeling that you actually don't know anything. But in that frustration is also the greatest challenge: Either you can give up and decide you weren't ever actually any good at it, or you can step up to the plate and continue to take the pitches. I can't give up. Not when I feel this is what God wants me to do with my life. So, even if I occasionally get hit by a pitch or strick out, I will continue to keep going to the plate and working hard.

Today we went to a spice farm. Here I learned that cloves(karafoo) will make your tongue/mouth numb if you eat even a little bit, there are four different types of pepper corn, There is this fruit called darran that smells like rotten eggs and tastes lice ice cream, nutmeg is fist a black seed that has red mace around it inside a tennis ball shape pod and it takes along time for a coco bean to become chocolate. Throughout it all, it was crazy to think how each one of these plants (besides coconut) were first imported into Zanzibar. It all goes to show that our influence may last around for a while.

This week has been hard. Tomorrow I go back to class to learn something more and will talk again with my conversation buddy. I still have homework to do that will take awhile and more vocabulary to learn. Learning is not always easy, but that doesn't mean one shouldn't do it. If I have learned anything about learning, it is that the hardest learning is often that which you remember you remember the longest because you had to struggle to get it.


Ps if you want to know about something specific I am learning or experiencing on this wild safari I am on, please let me know either in comments, Facebook or email.

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Some things I've really learned in the past month...

1. Food isn't bad just because it is different
     Over the past month, and really the past week, I have come to realize that good food depends on how it is   prepared and accepted. Oh of the yummiest things I have had is a banana soup, that has bananas in it, but has the broth of something else. It may be hard to explain, but boy how good it is. However, I have reaffirmed my stance that I do not like salt in my fried eggs, but even that adds to the experience.So, although I do have cravings some time for a good ol' fashion American dish, I am excited and eager to eat all that this experiences offers. I mean, how hard is it to each fresh mangos every meal!?

2. Style isn't oppressive just because it is different
      In Tanzania it is highly offensive for a woman to show her knees. This has open up a whole new adventure on the way of a kanga. A kanga is pretty much a piece of fabric with a saying on it (kitangas don't have saying) that you can tie around your waste and presto! Knees are covered! At first this was hard to get used to, but now I am realizing that it is the style that is apart of the culture here. It isn't wrong just a different way at looking at things.

3. Nature is pretty fantastic everywhere.
     Today we walked over coral in a forest that had monkeys in it! There are plants there that are not for humans, but worked perfectly to sustain the animals living on the branches. There were vegetarian crabs feasting on lime green leaves, big fat juicy ants that are probably satisfying to the elephant shrews that suck them up their noses, and people from all over the world looking at them. How cool is that!?!


4. Assumptions are downfallers.
    Right before I came here, I wrote down assumptions of Africa on a piece of paper, folded it up and stuck it in a box to be packed and forgotten for four month.Oh how thankful I am for doing so. I have been able to adjust and appreciate the culture far more than others on the group because I don't view it first through American glasses. The trickiest thing is still time, but I feel so comfortable working on African time that I am not sure how it is going to be to adjust back to fast paced American time. Some assumptions I have seen knocked down: everyone here has cell phones, there are red clay mud huts, but there are also six story apartment buildings, I have yet to see anyone eat insects, a high majority of the people speak English and there are not that many beggars on the streets.

5. Religion is a part of life.
    99.8% of Zanzibar is Muslim. Seven times every day I hear prayers echoing off speakers. Next door to us is a place where children come and sing prayers. Men, women, girls and boys all dress the proper way. On Sunday was a parade for Phrophet Mohammad's birthday.  Religion is what you make of it. On Sunday I went to a Swahili speaking Catholic church. The other night when Ashley was out, I had my own little Hosanna time with music, Bible, and prayer. Oh how great it is to be free to worship God anywhere. It may be dominately Muslim here, but that doesn't mean the people are bad. People here are so nice and have yet to ask what religion I am. It's interesting how religion is honored throughout different parts of the world.

6. It really isn't that big of world.
    For most of my life I have been living 11 hours previous to where I currently am and thinking that is where it is at. How awesome it has been to realize that there are people all over the world still awake and working and at different parts of the day. I have also seen how America and other countries have influenced this small island. When that is realized it is easy to see that we really do live on a small world and we need to be aware of it. There is a lot more to just the here and now wherever you may be.

Well, that is just some of what I've learned. Here are some pictures of what I've experienced in the last week of so.

My friend Krista in the forest!

Crazy python picture!

This is Ellie my elephant enjoying a day at the beach. This is typically where we go after class for a swim!

 

Holding a little turtle! Also, this is a kanga around my waist! 

                                                      Who doesn't love a good monkey?

Tropical Island

I lie on my back peaceful and calm as my body cools slightly to the water. My skin has been kissed by salt causing my skin to feel slightly tight. Avove the soft white sand and groves of banana trees there is a wonderful blue sky. Wood boats, mostly empty, idolly bob in the clear blue water around me. I swim on. Surprised that I am unsinkable in the dense salt water. Ah life on a tropical island.

But out of the water, life is a busy swarm of images. All of them vivid and alive and wanting your attention.

There is the House Of Wonders with it's massive white pillars three stories high. From the porch high above in the wind,  I have seen across this bay and to the other side of Stonetown. Inside I have learned the history of the many roads that I have traveled so far.

Forodhani is currently just empty lawn where people mingle and meet in the shade looking out over the water, but come tonight it will be a bustle of comotion. Sailors come and prepare their fresh caught prizes and sell them to anyone needing some dinner. Under the glow of their tables' lantern crab, shark, lobster, and different kinds of fishes lay waiting to be eaten. The Zanzibar Mix soup is amazing. And whatever you do, do not forget the sugar cane juice that is squeezed right before your eyes. Oh how wonderfully sweet and tangy it is.

If you take a doladola (kindof like a hippy van that has been changed into local bus transportation) about ten minutes out of town there is a wonderful zoo. For 10,000 TZS ($1 = 1570 TZS) you can go in and pet/hold giant turtles, have a python wrap around your next to constrict with camera flash, scratch a hyenna behind the ear to make it laugh, feed monkeys, ride a tall camel and see zebras, waterbuffalo, horses, chickens, cows, foxes, vultures, spiders, aarvarks, porquipines, and oh so much more! Oh what a fun afternoon that was!

Ofcourse the mornings are devoted to learning more Kiswahili at the State University of Zanzibar. In a classroom with old wooden desks, a chalkboard, not fitted linoleum, and two fans, we learn from Mwalimu Omar. The language is amazing and starts to make sence. It is when we  go out and start using the language that it really starts to come alive. From bardering in the market over prices of fruit, to just introducing self to someone else, it is amazing what doors language can open.
My host family this month is quite different than my last one. This family is Indian ethnically, but concider self to be African in nationality. They do not eat together, and love to show hospitality to all. There is a little boy named Mohammed that is three and so cute. He does occasionally mix kiSwahili, engligh, and Indian together in a sentence which is sortof hard to understand.  Khiriat (pronounced: hi-rat) is six and so much fun to talk to in kiswahili with.
 Sophie, our mom, is really nice, though is a little demanding and doesn't except "No thankyou" as an excuse for anything. Hamin, is a buisness man who isn't usually at home, but is fairly nice and easy to talk to.

Yes, it is very hot and humid here in Zanzibar. Yes, 99.8% of the island is Muslim. Yes, the food is overall pretty good. I can't wait to see what else this island has to offer as we have a very busy schedule planed ahead. But as for right now I am going to sign off and go jump in the Indian Ocean!

All The Places You'll Go

Hey friends!

I have already been so many places these past two weeks and feel like I haven't shared much about them. I don't have much time and figure a picture is worth a thousamd words so here are some pictures.

This is Arusha National Park where there are lots of "twigas"! 

This is also at the park where we got to walk around and see animals such as watter buffalo (everyone has one ya know?!), baboons, zebras and cool bugs.

This is our classroom! Taking Core 350 (philospophy and political class), Cross Cultural Religion, History and kiSwahili are all taught here!

This is our room in the house. I feel kindof like a princess under the nets. 

These are Arabic coffee beans being grown in Tanzania. They won't be ready to harvest until June through October and are picked one by one by the hands of 6,000 workers. I even tried some kawaha (coffee)....still don't like it!

This is the Pentacostal Church that I went to this morning. It was very big and very loud, but the people were really welcoming of their "unique" new freinds. 

Those are some of the places I have been. A week from today I will be on the Island of Zanzibar getting ready to go to classes at the University of Zanzibar (SUZA) as an international student. Also, as I highlight and super blessing, on Friday, March 9th I will be visiting Larry and Joni Bender's compassion child back in Arusha! 

Hope you all have a wonderful January and that the weather is as good for you as it is going for me! 

Hakuna Matata

Timon and Pumba were onto something when they coined their famous moto. Over the past two weeks I have seen how true it is not not worry.

I have had exchange student siblings before. I have seen them come into a new culture and tried to help them in anyway I could to adapt. However, I have never been on the other end of it. Before coming I was worried that I would be in a host family that wouldn't work and have no kids. No worries! I have both. My host father, called Baba, works at a safari company and knows English pretty well. He also explains stuff in swahili which has really helped. Mama works at her shop of childrens' clothes. It has been so much fun getting to talk with her both in engligh and Swahili and make her laugh. This past week we even made a song while cooking. Peace in 13 and sadly went off to boarding school for 5 months. I am sad she is gone but am praying she is learning tons so she can be an engineer. Glory is 10 and fluent in english and tagging around. She is so fun to wrestle, joke, laugh and learn each others language. This past week I helped her with order of operations. She was amazed as she used a calculator to check her work for the first time. Brittney who goes by Angel is my buddy who is 5 and know little English. She has really taught me that language doesn't have to be a barrier. Her favorite games like coloring and being flung in air, involve little language. She has been my inspiration to learn more. Each day I try to form a different question to ask her to see if she understands. Most of the time she does which is really cool. Iglesia is 16 months and has just now gotten use to the first white people he has ever seen. Hopefully he doesn't forget me over the weekend. Asia, the house girl, isn't related, but she is so much fun. She usually just laughs shyly when I say something in Swahili but then replies. It has become clear in the past few days that I am no longer a guest in the house, but a family member. I have been reminded not to worry about the people.

Another concern that was raised as I was left was the food. I love it! It mostly concerns with meat, rice, veggies, and fruit for every meal. The most interesting thing that I have had was a four inch full fish. I had to pull back the skin in order to eat it. We also have shocked our Mama by eating traditional food with fingers and liking it. Fruit also tastes wonderful here. One of my friends doesn't like bananas in the states, but enjoys them greatly here. We drink bottled water that tastes better thank American and chai that is super fantastic, Thankfully I have not gotten sick from food like others in the group.

I have become a master at bucket and bottle showers! No worry that there isn't any water working in the showers, because a bucket of stove boiled water and an old water bottle work fanatstically. Don't worry that people drive on the other side of the road on uncivilized rock and dirt roads without seat belts as the drivers all how everyone else is driving and magically doesn't get hurt. Don't worry about school, as we are learning so much both in and out of the classroom.

The biggest adaption was to not worry about time. If someone says that they will meet you at nine in America you expect to meet at least five minutes before. Here if you say nine you may me ready at nine thirty at the earliest or eleven at the latest. There really isn't any rush. People value each other and know that you will come to fulfill your word eventually. Hakuna Matata!

I hope you all are able to just set aside some worry to enjoy some time being free. Living under the grace and love of Christ it will open up a whole new world.

Made It Safe And Sound

With a bag weighing 38 pounds and a backpack weighing 25 I left on a wild adventure. Amazingly enough everything went smoothly as planned. Our lay overs were as long as expected and our flights a little shorter due to a pilot admititting to flying fast! But oh what and adventure.

Quick highlights of the trip:
Nothing was lost or broken
Ate two decent meals on the two long flights
Played tons of games in airports
Watched movies and colored
Made all connections with no delays or complications



Looking out of the window coming into Dar Es Salaam was amazing. Green trees and grass was every where thanks to the recent floods. Flying into Kilimanjaro everything was dry. The only unsparatic trees were used as borders around houses. Driving to Arusha was fantastic. There were goats and cows grazing at ease on the side of the road. People from all classes were walking in bright colors. Corn and sunflowers grew in the same field. Every once and awhile there would be a town with speed bumps that made a snail seem fast. The majority of people walked any where and everywhere. Those on motorcycles and vans loved to drive anywhere and everywhere. This combination of those two made me thankful I was sitting in the back.

After checking into our hotel we went exploring....don't worry we have been reassured that it is safe to go walking in the day and I was with a friend. The small shops along the side of the dirt walk was amazing. There were many people roasting corn on a fire along someone selling shoes, next to a pineapple stand and across from a mattress stand. It was here that I realized how I have been apart of the majority my entire life. Amongst the streets of dark skin I look like a splotch of white paint. People would change to speeking in English to try to get our attention and no doubt our business as well. What is amazing is that English spoken here is pretty good;however, after practicing some swahili it is clear I have a long way to go. Oh it's all part of the adventure.

In short I love Africa. The weather is nice and warm all the way to reach my fingers and toes. The food is amazingly good. I keep learning more and more and more although classes haven't started yet. My camera is going crazy!

PS I know it is like no big deal or nothing, but just so you know Emma Watson (Harry Potter's friend Hermione Granger) met up with us in London to Africa. She didn't have to deal with long customs lines and got to go on her journey.

Let's Go!

When I was younger, my parents always made us do a double check to make sure everything was alright and in working order before a trip. Not every event needed to be planned to a tee, but you had to be ready to go when they said; “Let’s go!” Tomorrow at 1:45 pm I will fly into the air on a “Let’s go!” on an wild adventure…but first let’s make sure everything is in order and there is a game plan for this adventure.

So game plan for whirl wind adventure kick-off:

Check in at Spokane Airport (12:30ish)

Fly to Seattle (aprox. 1 hr)

      Have a great four hour lay-over

Fly to London (aprox. 9 hrs)

      Have a six hour lay-over

Fly to Dar Es Salaam (aprox. 9.5 hrs)

       Have a three hour lay-over

Fly to Kilimanjaro (aprox. 1 hr.)

       Check in at hotel, go to market and eat dinner

Extended Outlook for January

9^th, first day in Arusha, Arusha National Park

10^th:  Meet Tanzanian mentors

12^th:  National Holiday – Zanzibar Revolutionary Day

Be with host families getting accustomed to Tanzania

22: Church with host families

26^th: Start classes: Swahili, Core 350, Politics, Economics

27^th: Start religion class

28^th: Go to the Island of Zanzibar

29^th: Attend services at Christ Church Cathedral in Stonetown

30^th: Start classes as an international student with Swahili

Tomorrow I fly 11/24^th , about 9, 302 miles, around the world. It’s going to be an adventure and I am really ready for the “Let’s go!”