good bye tanzania (until June)

so we’re off (shirley and I).  Heading down to South Africa for 3 ish weeks of fun and then it’s one hectic week in NYC with 40 hours in Boston then back to MN to see if the world is gonna end and I go ex pat. 

Am I sad to leave Tanzania?  No, hell, no.  Yes, I will miss the kids and the beauty of the place and I would be even more angry had we not met the most amazing woman last night, but good bye.  and right now good riddance.  for a bit.  I’ll be back here in 8 months as part of a camping trip.

Didn’t know I would get so homesick for the US.  My freedom, my culture.  Fast internet and great cheese.  But I did realize how much I love the US.  For all it’s shit I am totally completely in love with the US and everything it has to offer.  Everything I can take advantage of, even when we’re taking advantage of others.  And the fact that I can opt out of taking advantage of others.  And political dissent. 

 

this is short, after the longest time away.  the truth is I haven’t got the energy or patience to explain.  nor will I know, if ever.  Some really shit stuff happened while I was away and it’s made me weary and disappointed in the ablity of people to choose bad instead of good.  Yet it has only strengthened my resolve to make good choices.  most of the time.  at least when it involves other’s welfare.  It also make me want to live up my youth as much and as long and has hard as I can. 

 

if when I get home you see a sadness in my eyes, look at me, smile genuinely, put a hand on my shoulder and say “guilt is a luxury, most of the rest of the world is just trying to survive.” 

and at my best, I’ll smile and say thanks, but when it’s really hard, I’ll just say “me too, me too.”

 

must I title these? apparently so

I’m exhausted.  but sassed in my exhaustion with a WSJ article about my friend’s platoon in Afghanistan. (http://www.wsj.com/article/SB121519575561429201.html?mod=fpa_editors_picks)  His name is Hank and he made amazing films at BU. 

Anyway, I’m tired, my back is kinda hurting, I walked all the way to the Shoprite and Woolworths and back, about a mile one way, I think.  it’s hard to tell distance here.  I got a few Western luxuries (I had to get cadbury’s cocoa mix, they only had strawberry quik) and stopped into Woolworths for a peek at Dayton’s like fashion.  I loved it in South Africa but they also had a sweet local designer doing stuff.

Much to my surprise it was tiny… and crappy.  Or perhaps my perception has just shifted.  Oh wait, yea, it has.  They wanted 20 bucks for the cheapest t-shirt.  Do you think I’m made of money?  And how do I know you didn’t use small children to make those shirts?  And even if you did, you can’t gurantee laughter and smiles for them, probably cuts, missing digits and no pay.  The shopaholic in me is slowly dying and it’s been a 6 year quest to make that happen.  Please hold me accountable when I get back to the US. 

As for now, I’m gonna grab my somewhat heavy pack, pay my $1.35 for one hour of internet and walk the half mile back to the house in the 6:30 pm dusk for a meal of rice and beans/lentils.  I think I eat meat once a week here and not since I saw a chicken plucked and cooked over open coals.  I may become a vegetarian yet………..

 

Mambo mzungu!

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!