Which roughly translates to what’s up whitey.
Well, white foreigner. I’m in Tanzania, a little village called Tengeru which is just south of Arusha. Arusha is in the north of the country, about an hour south of Kenya. It’s quite nice, winter here but that means 70 degree weather and sun. I can see Mt. Meru everyday but have yet to see the mammoth called Kili due to clouds. Perhaps it’s hiding cause it’s afraid of how I’m gonna conquer it. Or gasp up to the top in 6 weeks.
I started my volunteering today, officially. I hang out with 30 orphans aged 2-6 and try to teach them a thing or two. Basically, I stand, occassionally say some things in english which they repeat but do not learn and then they run around, touch my hair and call me mzungu. I mostly love it. Mostly because I just started and haven’t gotten into a groove where I can really help them. We’ll see, we’ll see.
Differences from the US: I say hi to about 30 people I’ve never met on a daily basis, I walk atleast a mile a day and pay 15 cents for a bus ride. The electricity in our house frequently goes out and I try to relish every minute of sunshine before darkness covers us for the night. All in all, pretty good.
Except for the internet. While available, terribly slow. Terribly terribly slow. There will be no posting pictures until October in South Africa. And then watch out!
July 8, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Keep the stories coming. I will share the love of storytelling in my own day to day life with you in t-minus one week (when I finish this thing called school). Painfully tired of design at the moment.
Now you know where the mzungu in matt’s email comes from (he is white, albeit a fairly tann-ed white fellow).
Keep living the dream.
brother
July 8, 2008 at 3:15 pm
Bwana mkubwa here, bibi. I know Tangeru–one of my best friends was born & brought up in Arusha area (for a time headmaster of a high school there, some years after taking a degree from St. Olaf). And, briefly, served in Tanzania’s foreign service in Japan and other places…and was Tanzania’s first novelist published in English (Peter Palangyo, his name. His daughter lives in Mpls. He’s dead (accident in Dar)). Just wondering: that ‘one hour south of Kenya’–is that walking, biking, busing, flying (like…mzungus need to see thru local eyes?)–2 bowls of ugali daily = best prep to conquer Kilimanjaro.–Phil
July 9, 2008 at 7:14 am
Wonderful to hear of the experience with the kids. Story in today’s paper of a 8 year old girl from Tanz. here at Gillette Hospital having her club feet straightened so she can then return home with her mother and hopefully a normal child’s life. Love the stories. God Bless and keep you safe.
Love MOM
July 25, 2008 at 12:05 pm
If you’re still there…give all the kids hugs from me! every single one. thanks! ha. wish I was having these adventures along side of you.
thinking of you. be safe.
Juls