This week was a typical one of our scholastic lives in Africa. Monday’s breakfast and lunch were eaten at the cafeteria before and after Kiswahili with the usual snack at the cafe next to the Degree Tree. A development of today was that our Kiswahili teacher, Aldin, is a socialist and a Christian. For those unfamiliar with Tanzania’s history, a president during the middle half of the 20th century named Julius Nyerere implemented socialism in Tanzania, as well as united the country under the national language of Swahili. Although united the country might seem like an easy task, Nyerere was wildly popular, despite the falure of socialism to propel Tanzania from its status as one of the poorest countries in the world. There are also roughly 100+ indigenous tribes in Tanzania, and depending on where one is from, another language is often spoken before the Swahili that is taught in schools. Just a side note, but one that was definitely interesting for me. Tuesday started off much the same as Monday with the usual meals and predictable classes. As our knowledge of Kiswahili grows, so does our ability to read signs and communicate! Until one has taken a foreign language, I don’t think one can fully grasp the sense of accomplishment when one is able to understand at least basic elements of the foreign culture. After class, Hamida took Abby and I to the tailor’s at Mwenge to have dresses made from our fabric that we acquired a few days prior. The tailor’s was definitely an overwhelming experience. The tailor place is a little place (just a bit bigger than what we would consider an appropriate size for a bathroom in the states) with a ton of fabric and 4-5 ladies seated around sewing machines that came straight from, and before, the 1950s. The experience of having a dress made went something like this: the ladies hustled and bustled us into an area to look at catalogs and posters of khangas and kitengas (dresses and fabric styles). I found the style that I wanted and then was moved to the back to get measured and give modification requests. While Abby was getting measured, she still wanted to pick out a different fabric, so I was running back and forth from the clothing stands to where she was so that she could pick out something. After getting measured, the ladies told us that my dress and Abby’s skirt/shirt combo would cost 18,000 /= (shilings), roughly $12 for a handmade ensemble. From there we went back to UDSM to have dinner with Dr. Roberts at Hill Top. Wednesday unfolded the same as the previous two days, with nothing particularly eventful happening. Although at night, some girls and guys got together to sing while Katie played her ukelele on the stoop of the dorm. Thursday was also pretty uneventful with the usual routine of meals and classes. During Kiswahili, the class went on a field trip to Mwenge to utilize our newly learned bartering skills and vocabulary. I came back with a hat made out of banana leaves that I bartered down from 15,000 /= to 5,000. Others came back with necklaces, bao (mankala) boards, and baobob seeds coated in raspberry flavoring. The night was spent studying for our second Kiswahili test the next day. I also learned today that my grandma (in her early 70’s) had a massive blood clot hit her brain and needed to be airlifted to a hospital for a series of surgeries. Through a series of texts with my mom, I was told not to worry and that her quality of life would likely not be the same again. At about 9 p.m., all of us in Hall 3 were treated to a concert of sorts. The large population of Mozambique students decided to hold a choir practice in the outside common area of the dorm. They were fabulous singers! The next day, we took our Kiswahili test and had our group meeting as usual with our TA., Justa. After lunch and Research Methods, I learned that the stroke had paralyzed the right half of my grandma’s body with the left side having limited functionality, at best and that they had decided as a family not to perform any more surgeries on my grandma. I also learned that she would likely be taken off life support within the next few hours. This was incredibly sudden for me and came as a big shock, especially since I was not there and in constant communication. Please keep my family in your thoughts and prayers as they cope with this. I decided to take it very easy tonight and instead of doing something high energy, most of us went out to a restaurant billed as the best Chinese/Indian place in Dar with Emanuel. I got sweet corn and chicken soup that included pieces of poached egg and naan – some of the best naan that I have ever tasted. Scott, Caleb, Stacey, Becca, Brittany and I all shared our meals and reveled in the delicious food and air-conditioned atmosphere. Some got a dessert of fried bananas with honey and strawberry ice cream and it was barely on the table three minutes before eaten. The next day, I woke up early to skype with my family – one of the highlights of the day. After skyping with my family and Caleb’s family, Caleb and I joined Linnea and Brittany for breakfast at the caf. From there we all went back to the dorms for some lazy Saturday R and R. After lots of chilling, Linnea, Stacey and I decided to go to Mwenge to check out the woodcarver’s market and to pick up my dress. Unfortunately, the zipper was not long enough on the dress, so they told me to come back in a few hours. After looking around at the market, buying some khanga fabric and baobob seeds, we met up with some other group members, picked up my dress, and headed back to the dorms. When we got back, I received word that my grandma had passed away. Instead of going out clubbing, I decided, with roughly half the group, to watch “The Big Lebowski” and eat cookies with peanut butter. As a side note, this peanut butter is amazing stuff. It’s made in Arusha, TZ and only has two ingredients: peanuts and salt. After lots of chilling, the clocks turned over to 12 a.m. on September 5th – my birthday! The group that was there sang a nice rendition of happy birthday and made me some funky balloons. The next morning I woke up and greeted the day with a smile and bright outlook. Caleb made me banana pancakes at Dr. Robert’s house and all of us chatted over a lovely breakfast. After breakfast, I napped and read. Then the group went to Makombusho, a cultural center with replicas of many of the tribal dwellings found in Tanzania. I thought that it was really pretty neat to see the different styles of houses and get a short cultural lesson, even if it was a bit touristy. From there we went into Dar to go to a Lebanese restaurant. The food was delicious, especially the chocolate cake and smoothie made from honey, whole milk, and bananas. After dinner, we headed back to the dorms to play games before calling it a night.
