Almost...

So,I'm back home now and it was a bit of a shock the first day. It feels like I left home and came back to this city full of sky scrapers. I've come to the conclusion that the reason I liked it there so much is because I'm the type of person who likes being in a place where I know my neighbors and sit on the porch and say 'Hi' to people and have the community know when something is wrong with me and wish me and my family best wishes.

My last few days in Tanzania were great Friday I taught the women at Jipe Moyo about black American culture - about CP Time which gave them a laugh since its similar to there TFT Time; about food and family reunions and dating and body types. Then they dressed me in kanga and carried me around shrilling lilililillili!

One group also prayed for me... for a long long time. I think that was my fault because I told one student Grace that I was not Christian. tsk tsk tsk.

After that we went to Makwaiya's house which is really nice except that her husband's family claim that the children aren't his and may take it away from her at any moment) and to see her kids at school.


That afternoon I went to the Kili Center orphanage and played with the kids there. I taught them the hand clapping game and song to go with it. They have had a ton of foreign volunteers so they know all games and etc. so it was so cool to teach them a game/song they DIDN'T know. My sister will remember this one b/c our cousins taught us when we were little "Ronald McDonald had a hamburger..." It was so cool b/c Manka, the little girl in the picture I'll post was like 'Faster!' just like we did as kids. funny.



On Saturday I met with Lule to set up a face book page. He is a fantastic painter so I'm hoping to help him advertise his work online so that he can sell it and send it from there. ( If anyone's interested in seeing a few pieces let me know - they are pretty cheap considering how beautiful they are).

Then I hung out with Amani and had the greatest time just walking through Moshi with him talking about Tanzanian culture, American culture - dreams, etc. I told him he could be a translator professionally and get paid a lot of money but that he should really go into International Relations (I'm going to send him some magazines and books about that to increase the strenggth of my hints)

On Saturday night Beth and I had our 8 pm hot chocolate tradition. I don't know how that started but just like our friendship it just sort of did. Then we WALKED (risky business - no one walks around at night) to Malindi b/c it was so close and taking a taxi seemed ridiculous.
We arrived to meet Amani, Living and Kileo watching football (soccer)with hundreds of other men and no women and us dressed or the club in our kimpy dresses. Yes there were stares. I was like 'Amani, ummm I'm going to sit behind you thank you'. Mancester United was playing and won so it was a good night for the soccer fans.

Then CyPy came and joined us after taking the girls who had been in the accident on safari. He said he was so nervous and needed to get a little tipsy early so he could then take us all to the airport later that night. So we went to Laliga, did shots and danced. Then CyPy and I went out and talked in the safari truck until Beth came out of the club and took her to the airport. It was a loooong night. We left at 3:30 and waited with her until she left at 4:30/ 5. We were so sleepy - I was aking CyPy stupid questions on the way back to try and keep him up. When I got back to CCS I just crashed... on Beth's going away card with glitter over it. So I had glitter on me the next day :D

Sunday I didn't do much. I met CyPy and had an odd time but think that he has got a great life - seriously he's got it made. I think people here probably strive for what he has yet they wouldn't realize it to see it. Anyway I also walked around in the heat for a long time - tried to see if Amani was playing soccer and then Athmani drove me to the airport.


Now that's the end... except that I think I'll go back next year :D in fact CyPy was like 'See you next year!'

The End

In the airport now and will update this last posting later. But had a great time Saturday - helped Lule the artist start a facebook page for networking, walked with Amani around Moshi and got to know him and Tanzanian culture better. Went with Beth to Malindi (to watch football with the boys... uhhh that was a little uncomfortable when we first walked in) then to Laliga with CyPy, Beth, and Kileo. Danced until 3, when we left to take Beth to the airport - boy what a long night! Sunday was a little bland and most boring day. Don't make you're last day in Tanzania a Sunday, things are dead! OH taught Jipe Moyo about black American culture since in a year and a half Amani has only seen 3 black volunteers - no men. OK yall, peace out.

Fundraiser

The Jipe Moyo fundraiser is tomorrow - I dreamt about it all last night. I hope it goes off without a hitch. 3 pm it will begin and we will be shuttled there after a picnic. More tomorrow!

Today was a national holiday honoring TanZania's first president. Since some of the other placements were closed Amani brought his friends, Kileo and Living to class. They introduced themselves in English and made the students introduce themselves. Then we practed at the market. Today I finally got an African outfit finished so I looked Mwafrica (an African/Tanzanian) today. The CCS staff's reaction was sooo funny Mama Grace and Sara were shocked and kept complimenting me and teasing me as did Mama Judith - I'm really going to miss the people here they are just so friendly. I think I'm planning to come back January 2010, any takers?

Anyway this afternoon was my fundraiser and the Mamas welcomed us by screaming llululululull!! and with Karibus and music. We danced I sold - though I thought they would be since we had practiced. I gave the other volunteers a tour of their office and made an opening speech about how great this group is. We had a goal of 160,ooo and we made 171,000 woo hoo! It was awesome - we danced and OH I just love these women!! I filmed a lot of it so hopefully you can see why. All the volunteers were so impressed by their positivity and English. I love these women so much I'm really going to miss them.

I had a long talk with CyPy at lunch, his contract ends Friday which is good so then I won't feel bad about leaving b/c I probably wouldn't see him much more now that he 'll be working for safari instead of CCS.

Tomorrow I think we're going to Arushi to go to court and see the war crimes tribunal...

Soccer Game House Visit

Yesterday Beth and I went to Amani's soccer game. The team name is Amani (which means peace) and Amani, Kileo, Kiving, and Isaac all play on the team. Amani he said he played for another team too and led them to championship and to the National competition. Yesterday was a tie game 2 to 2 it was awesome I brought a water bottle with rocks in it (mom, Cynthia I'm representing you!) and yelled and screamed. It was a great game. I had my camera with me and the kids came to watch the film of the baby elephants play fighting on it.



It was good that Amani was back today - the students said that didn't understand all that I said last week. Amani asked if I could extend my time here but I told him that I have to go back to work but I want to come back maybe next January, though he may be a famous soccer player or in college at that time. :) Today was only my second house visit. I wish I could do many more. Amani was back today so I had a fluent translator - he's very good, he says he's so used to translating now it doesn't bother him at all. When I translated into English and Japanese - I got a head ache! First we went to see Joyce who now has full blown AIDS - her body itches and there is nothing that can be done about it until her immune system is back to 100. The medicine they take for AIDS only needs to be taken when your blood count (?) is 150 or less - she should have taken it earlier but she was already sick with yellow fever and a weak liver. She looked like she had chicken pox on her head and arms. She said she can't sleep because her body itches so much. I wish there was something I could do to help her. She was even scratching a little when we were there. She says she doesn't know how she contracted the disease - she is from Dar and is now living in Moshi with her sister and her sister's family.

The next house visit was to an 80 year old woman. She was sooo cute. She was of course shocked that I wasn't TanZAnian, thinking that I was from the Tanga region, where she is from on the coast. Oliver, Amani and I visited. Oliver is like a tom boy and such a jokester - even this Mama was saying that sometimes when she sees Oliver she thinks she's a boy. Oliver (pronounced Olivah) always wears pants and men's shirts and a hat. Anyway this Mama and Oliver were talking about how I should stay, or go back to the US for 4 months for work and then come back for good. Oliver said she would hook me up with her brother or they would snatch me and take me to my new husband as they did in the old days. This Mama said that when she was young sometimes they would get girls in the night and take them to the man's house that she would marry after deciding and paying the dowry price - or they would go to the market and the girl would be carried off. They said maybe they should do that to me. They were so funny. So many jokes and Sia (Mama Bruno) says to Amani ' ahhh Andrea has a good African figure!' I tell him - yeah in black America too. He seemed surprised.

Kili

Yesterday I took a day hike to Kili. Musa was supposed to take me but had to bail at the last minute so Edward took me instead. We were smushed onto a daladala (a converted minivan or small ambulance, that is now used as a bus). Edward is very tall for a TanZAnian ( about 5'11) and we were not looking forward to the 45 minute ride that would take us to the base of the mountain but fortunately people got out early so that we had space. We arrived to Marangu and took a taxi to the gate. We passed Edward's grandmother's place on the way, his father's family is from that village.

We took the 'coca cola' route instead of the 'wiskey' route. The views are better on the latter but it's steeper. The 'coca cola' route is said to be easy enough that you can walk and drink a cola. After climbing it, there was a little rum in that cola but it Was easy enough. It was a good hike 12:30 to 5:30 and we saw a small (b/c its the dry season) waterfall which was cool. Plus it was just Edward, me and a guide (b/c Edward forgot his license) so it was quiet and I got to get to know Edward who is a really intelligent interesting guy - I can see that he will go far in life.

Running out of time more later...

TanZAnian culture: Marriage, Maturity and Birth/Pregnancy

In the first two weeks of CCS volunteering you get language and culture classes everyday after your placement. Yesterday we learned about marriage, pregnancy and maturity in Tanzanian culture. It was fascinating and Sara, who is this mtundu (mischievous) and funny CCS staff, explained it to us - we didn't want to stop talking about it. And she was sooo open about her own life (since she didn't follow the rules of her culture) which was great! I forgot to bring my notes here so I'm not going to start talking about it until next time, but be sure to check this post again, this was totally interesting!

Tonight I'm going to Arushi with CyPy, the cute TanZAnian driver who used to have dreadlocks and misses them. Tomorrow morning I'm going to Kili on a day hike with Musa, who took us on safari. I decided not to do a weekend hike because frankly I'm too tired. It's been a busy week.

I noticed that I haven't spoke about any of the other volunteers and none of the wonderful staff and local volunteers. I also haven't taken many pictures of them - I'll do that this weekend.


I room with two nice girls, Chris and Jen. Chris is from Costa Rica and is a 38 year old bikini company owner. Jen is a 27 year old nurse from Canada - boy can she talk! :D
Danni - the 18 year old from Canada, 'the quiet designer'
Kayle - the 18 year old from Michigan, 'the wild designer'
Katie - 21 year old from Kansas City who arrived later than the rest of us
Brian - the 23 year old who dances all the time and one of two of the only foreign men here.
Ken - 58 year old man, really sweet, who lost his hearing a few years ago. He can't hear a damn thing and now thinks it was a blessing in disguise since he'd have never volunteered around the world if not.
Shari - the 40 year old cancer survivor.
Irma - 38 year old from Holland but lives in NY with her boyfriend and his children
Ellie - 53 year old woman, who looks like a yoga instructor
Megan - 40 year old lawyer from Seattle who is also volunteering with a woman's group
There was a group who was already here - 7 of them went on safari 2 weeks before we arrived and got into a car accident on the way there in which 1 of them passed away. Because of that this group is very close and very hurt - they are still in the process (a month after the accident) of trying to get a refund for the safari they never went on and the medical bills for the hospital visits. They would like to use that money, to start something in the name of the girl who died during the trip. I don't know all of these girls well because the groups were very separate and odd because of the accident.

Beth is the person I know best probably of everyone here and is from this previous group (though not on the same safari). She is Australian 18 years old and probably my favorite person here, she's very laidback and her placement is in the juvenile detention which I would love to go visit because she speaks so highly of the boys there.

Mama Grace - Mama Grace is the Manager of CCS Moshi, she knows everything. She is warm and loving and just a wonderful person. She says when she comes to America she would like to try black American food not Mzungu food, so mom, get ready! There will be more to come about Mama Grace b/c she's awesome.

CP - stands for an Italian name (Ciprano?) he loves music and specifically Raggae. He is so much fun he's like the person you'd love to have on the dance floor with you b/c he LOVES to dance ( in fact he's dancing all the time) yet he's not all skebe (come on folks Japanese word for lecherous) when he dances, so you can just have fun. He is on contract now with CCS who made him cut off his dreadlocks but usually he is a driver and guide for safaris which is what he went to vocational school for.He wanted to go to college but is the oldest son and is helping his mom but his younger brothers into school (His my looks like my mom's mom except for the lighter). I think he should go into music though - he Always has his ipod with him - he's very funny.

Amani - he's like a little brother to me. He accompanies me to Jipe Moyo (except this week, b/c he had exams). He is SOOO sweet - on Monday I went on a house visit to see a man with AIDS who had a stroke, Jumane. He cannot walk and depends on the kindness of his mother and the community to help him. I think I said in a previous post how Amani took him to a couple of soccer games and considers him a good friend - how many guys in the States would do that? He's great.

Musa - Muslim, our guide, not part of the staff, but also sweet. When we went to Laliga club any man who stepped on me or pushed me, Musa was like 'hey watch it'. He also goes to the orphanage and helps kids and has taken them on safari and camping.

ok more later, off to get gussied up for Laliga tonight :)


Birth/Pregnancy

If you're married and get pregnant your mother in law takes care of yuo unless you have no mother in law AND your sister in laws assist instead of your mother and sisters. Asking your own mother for advice would be rude because when you're married you move in with your husband and it is he AND HIS FAMILY that are now responsible for your well being.

Also neighbors in Tanzania become your family so a Mama (woman/ mother) your mother's age you can ask advice like you would your mother, same as your Kaka (brother) or Dada (sister). Children's names are influenced be either religion, family or a situation. For example Sara was first name Mligo after someone in her family (she is still called that but some in her village she says) but she was baptized at a year old and her parents (father) changed her name to Sara and that becomes her official name that she signs, etc. Other kids could be named 'trouble' because the mother had a troublesome birth with the child or 'Happy' (seriously, the English word Happy) we have a local volunteer here who is named Living. Oh, also Andrea here is a boys name and children generally take their father's first name as their last like Amani Andrea (who is the volunteer I work with). Also a child born or conceived during Ramadan might be called 'Ramadan'.

The female children are taught how to cook and take care of their brothers from their mom and the boys are taught to get food and protect their sisters from their dad. Until puberity where they consider that a girl has learned all she can from her own mother and then her aunt (from her dad's side) teaches are things about puberity, etc.

Marriage

When a woman gets married she takes the husband's first and last name as her middle and last name, so my dad's name is Roy Walker if my parents were Tanzanian my mom would be Shirley Roy Walker. There are 3 types of weddings - Traditional (can marry any nbr of women based on what the man can afford), Religious (Christian or Muslim[can marry up to 4 women]) and Judiciary (a govt. wedding) The latter is usually for people of 2 different religions who don't want to convert to the other's religion (Sara of CCS will have this type of wedding) but this is uncommon. For many of these marriages the girl's family still accepts a dowry - so if you have many boys you could be broke! (Mama Grace's dad was pretty progressive, he didn't accept dowry for Mama Grace and she married for love). In the villages there are some arranged marriages but that is rare. In the city it is not too different from America - women even where short skirts, etc. If your husband leaves you and two have kids then is the responsibility of his family to take care of you and the kids.

It is not acceptable to have kids before marriage, in Tanzania they don't really date. Tanzanians rarely go out to eat, its weird to them and Moshi doesn't have a movie theater. Usually you like your neighbors and date them and get to know each other that way. Even though it is unacceptable of course it happens, when a girl gets pregant w/o marriage it makes her mother, who taught her, look badly and since she is part of the husband's family it reflects negatively on him as well. Sara of CCS had a child at 16 and was kicked out of the house and sent to an Aunt in Arusha and I think she was disowned for a while. She was lucky and this is rare that she was accepted back into her family (this may be partly b/c she's from Dar [Dar Es Salam] the big city instead of from a smaller town). Many women in that situation end up throwing their babies away in the street because their families never accept them back and they cannot afford to take care of themselves much less a baby.

You are also not supposed to live with a man, our Sara, the rebel, of course lives with her boyfriend, though her parents don't know. But she has neighbors she has people who are like her mother and father.

I was asking Edward about dating yesterday and guys generally make the first move and I was asking what they do to impress girls but I didn't really get an answer from him, I'll have to ask CP.

Marangu field trip

Yesterday we went on a field trip to Marangu, which is a town at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro. This area of Tanzania (Moshi included) is similar to the Bay area in that there are almost micro climates. It is much cooler and more tropical in Marangu than in Moshi (30 minutes away). We went to see blacksmiths - and i got to take a chance keeping the fire burning for one of them. They told me that the Chagga tribe make spears for the Maasai but they do not know how to use them ( and Maasai do not know how to make them).

We went to a cave where Chagga people would hide a long time ago because then the Maasai believed ALL cattle belonged to them and would fight the Chagga to take it from them and since they are known as good fighters the Chagga people and small animals would hide in the caves and they would hide the cattle up on Kilimanjaro until the threat moved away.

We saw a traditional Chagga house, which is much like a Maasai house now in that it is circular with a grass roof. (Previously Maasai had square houses with windows which look more modern than their current dwellings). Since Maasai would steal cattle, Chagga people lived in the house with their cattle (the house is not that big so I can only imagine) and their children until the time their children reached puberty and the father would make a new house and move he and the boys into it. Unlike the Maasai, Chagga men make houses not the women. There are pineapple bushes surrounding them to prevent snakes (since the thorns on the pineapple leaves would hurt them). There would also be a hole in the grass above the door of the house where the owner would put a Yuka (I think?) leaf - tied if he would not be back all day or longer;folded if he was going to return if you just wait. If he and the wife were doing the "hokey pokey"then he would put a spear in front of the door and the visitors would know they weren't to be disturbed. hee hee. We were told this information by a Chagga historian at the Chagga museum who was really great, they even have the family line of the Chagga chiefdom and how they began in Kenya.

After that we went to Marangu waterfalls where the water from the top of Kili falls. It was beautiful as all water falls are and cold due to it being from snow.

Laliga

Before we went to safari we went to LALIGA!
It was a holiday and club Laliga which you can find by following the spotlight in the sky, was hoppin'! (BTW the moon does sets here at about 9:30 pm, it doesn't stay up all night like it does for us... OK that only happened during safari - weird) We listened to bongo flavor, techno, hip hop, pop and it was so much fun! We went with the local volunteers who are all young men - CP (who drives us to placement and used to do safaris), Amani (who volunteers with me at Jipe Moyo, he is soo sweet), Musa (our guide to safari), and a few others. Brian (another volunteer who will be staying here for 12 weeks, from NJ) was like I feel like I'm in DC! It was like being in chocolate city and funny b/c men were the same type of aggressiveness when it comes to dancing with women. It was interesting to see that culture similarity and see the difference as some of the mzungu volunteer females were annoyed since its not a part of their culture. I think that's so interesting, things that are maintained - why?

Jipe Moyo

My placement is so wonderful. I must thank all of the previous volunteers who helped in organizing things so that my transition has been so smooth and to the women who are absolutely wonderful. Its also wonderful to be able to share black American culture with them as they share their culture with me. I can tell they are so excited that I'm black American and laugh at all the people who don't know I'm TanZanian and their shock when they tell them - they say but her figure is like a TanZanian and her skin is like a TanZanian.

The women in English class are so motivated to learn English it is a joy to teach them. Grace is a devout Christian and wants to pray for everyone and convert everyone but also wants to go above and beyond with her answers. I taught her prothelatize (which I barely know how to spell) since that's what she loves to do. MaKwaiya, is very good at English and I went with her and Oliver to visit Jumane (a man who has AIDS and had a stroke and the women go to visit weekly). Zaibu - is the chairwoman of Jipe Moyo and is soo beautiful and regal looking. She is very dark and has very high cheek bones with her hair braided back.

Today was my second time at the business meeting. We went over the women's individual businesses - the cost to run them, their profit and daily expenses. I don't know what I can provide to them but at least I can help them know whether or not they are in the black or the red. Currently only Sia takes down her daily expenses and therefore she is the only one who probably truly has a profit. I asked everyone to take down their daily expenses for this week so that we can look into it next week.

Tomorrow I won't be going to placement - we have a field trip to Marangu at the base of Kili where we'll see blacksmiths and life at the base of the mountain. This weekend I will climb Kili (ummm no, not all the way up to the top, dude. Come on now, you know there's snow up there!) but next weekend I will spend it visiting the homes of the people I've met.

To gesture peace here you put your wrists together up in the air. People here call me Rasta and do it to me often.

Check this post more - I'll be updating you on the Jipe Moyo members here later...

Makwaiya (First name is Khadija) - She is the best student and while they didn't have a volunteer teaching them English, she was teaching them. She just started learning in August and is awesome - she doesn't study outside of class because she takes care of her children but during class she will volunteer and challenge herself and take a chance so that she learns. Her husband died of AIDS and his family claims that her children are not his and that they will take her house away from her at anytime. The house and land is rightfully her children's - she has all boys.


Oliver - She is a spitfire! When I mentioned her to CCS Sarah, Sarah exclaims laughing, "I hate Oliver! If you have a problem with anyone in town Oliver will fix it for you." Oliver is mischevious (mtundu) just like Sarah but unlike Sarah, who is a wonderful dresser - very feminine - Oliver dresses in slacks and a man's shirt. She covers her hair always but instead of a scarf or kanga, she wears a hat - like a full on winter hat to as if to say 'Ha! yeah its hot but I'm strong enough to handle it.' When we went on one house visit where the elderly Mama was talking about how women were snatched up to get married she said 'If that happened to me, my husband would regret it every night.' I Believe it.

Asia - she is a beautiful woman with a round face and deep dimples who often looks like a smile or laugh is just moments away.

Bitrese - has the most honest looking facial expressions. I Love them. I had to teach the Mamas 'confused' because she was always looking confused!

Sia - Once said to me 'Hey Baby' as a greeting. I told her only guys say that to women when hitting on them. ;)

Zainabu - who is not in my English class, but is the chairman of Jipe Moyo is the most regal and beautiful woman. Her house is next to the Jipe Moyo office so every morning I'd see her before anyone else - gardening. She looked like a queen in that garden - who looks like royalty while gardening? Only Zainabu.

Safari

The safari was so incredible. I took tons of pics and videos. I saw a cheetah! (that was the only one of the big 5 I hadn't seen from the last safari but I think the Tanzanian big 5 is different b/c in their it is the leopard.

We saw a baby elephant panic b/c he couldn't find his mom and trumpet for her. She came running and then saw us and thought we were trying to hurt him - so we sped off !

We stalked a lioness stalking a heard of zebra and wildebeest until she decided to sleep instead of hunt. Lions sleep like nothing in the world can hurt them. We saw a male lion on his back Chillin'.

I almost got "attacked" by a baboon. We stopped at a picnic spot and I was filming an elephant getting water when baboons came up and I started filming them as some of the others ran (I was further than they were so I didn't ) then I started running as the baboon jumped to the table next to me - he followed and jumped to the tree right beside me, I turned and looked and we were looking at each other me into yellow him into brown eyes. I was like (umm am I suppsed to look animals in the eye ?) Chris yells "Don't Move!" So in mid run I'm frozen and laughing until Musa comes out with a rock to chase the baboon away. It was hilarious.

We saw tons of beautiful birds as well and I kept a list as best I could of all the things we saw and here it goes: OK I'm running out of time but will edit this post with the list next time....


Hippo, Elephant, Cheetah, Warte Hog, Lion


Leopard turtle, Giraffe, black rhino, buffalo
jackal, dwarf mongoose

Birds:
black bellied bustard, crown crane, blacksmith clover, sacred ibis, kato ingrid, pelican, kori bustard, ostrich, Augur Buzzard, black shouldered kite, vulture, African Drongo, Egyptian goose, helmeted guinea fowl,silver -cheeked hornbill, kingfisher, bee eater, palm nut, dove,grey headed hornbill, lilac breasted roller, red billed hornbill, yellow fronted spurfowl, magpie shrike (bird of prey that uses a needle from the keshu tree to kill mice), white bearded kuku ( parasite nester), commone partinicole, Eastern Pale Chanting Goshawk, Marabo stork, eagle, Rueppelle's griffon vulture, yellow colored love birds, green wood hoopoe, white headed buffalo weaver

Deer family:
impala
grant and thomas gazelles
bushback
common waterbuck
dikdik
harte beast
wildebeast
zebra


Monkey:
black faced monkey
baboon

Maasai

as a part of our safari we first went to a maasai family. They have hut houses and still dress traditionally. They did a welcome song for us (which seemed a bit contrived) and then sold us their goods. The men have a part of the song and they sing in low guttural voices, some of them sound like a low buzzing sound and each man (teenager) takes a turn jumping straight up into the sky. For the women's part the song sounds like women singing and they do this dance that makes their beaded necklaces pop into the air. After a while the women gave each woman in our group a necklace and we did the dance with them. You are basically moving your shoulders up and then dipping down with your knees... but also sticking your chest out. It looks like they are jumping, but their feet don't move at all. It was hard to figure out.

When I studied the Maasai in college they looked tall and thin, especially the men. The men were taller than the other TanZanian men I've met but not as tall as I expected - they were about 5'10/5'11. They have this cool beaded bracelet that goes up from their wrist to almost their elbow that was beautiful. Some of the men had short hair (all of the women do) and some had the very traditional braid looking hair. When I studied them I thought there were very thin dread locks or braids but in actuality it was brown string! The are so long that they are looped up
back to where they begin.


After the dance they wanted us to buy buy buy - it was too much pressure for me. I usually love to bargain but was being swamped by the "Karibu"s and people tugging on me. Finally one Maasai man started guiding me b/c I wasn't moving through tables fast enough. I was at the 3rd table of 10 and was just wasting time saying No... politely.

One of the Maasai men put a bracelet on my wrist and then moved his fingers up my arm a bit an said 'soft' with awe in his voice. That totally caught me off guard and so I took his wrist and said 'yours is soft too' to try to make it more of a curious comment than an oddly sexual comment. But it was surreal b/c I study all these people in Anthropology and I've seen many types of people in my travels but this is the first time they seemed real - real is actually not the word... this is the first time I felt like I could have been this culture. During the few days on safari and seeing Maasai many of the men were very intrigued with me - at one point our guide/friend, Musa put his arm around my shoulder as we walked away from a Maasai man who was very interested in me. I think he would have wanted me for one of his wives! It also surprises me how intrigued they are with my dreadlocks (I keep thinking but we have the same hair, you could do this too!). And they also ask what tribe I'm from and are shocked when they hear I'm a 'black American'. I'm so glad that my uncle did that blood test last summer so I can tell people at least what country my ancestors are from - though I've been telling everyone they were from Senegal instead of Sierre Leone and Liberia. I asked Musa if I were Tanzanian, what tribe would he think I was from. He said the scuma tribe in the Mwanza region who are known for fishing. There are more than 200 ethnic groups - more than 100 tribes in TanZania (Chagga (are in the region I'm in),mbulu, Meru (of Mt.Meru), Maasai, Scuma....)

TanZania seems more like Africa than S. Africa does and I like it better. These people haven't been abused as much by colonization and you can tell. There are more black people and these TanZanians are proud. I love it!

Mzungu

Mzungu means white person. There is no word for 'foreigner'. It is very weird to be a Mzungu but not, during our cultural lessons things all apply to me as a Mzungu but I am treated differently. It was very interesting at Kili Center I heard a child call me Mzungu and I thought 'That is the strangest thing ever!'

It is cool b/c Mama Grace calls me daughter of Africa and Mama Judith is always like this is yours, you should stay here. I keep asking them questions to see the difference in black Americans (which is what they call me) and Africans or TanZAnians (that's how they pronounce it).

Beauty - for women it is more beautiful to be light skinned (but not as light as here, I'm kind of light there) but not men they may be called mzungu which is not positive for them. Hair doesn't matter except obviously people of Moshi (or the Chagga tribe) do not have dreadlocks. You know what is interesting? Here they call female friends dada (sister) and male friends kaka (brother), That's probably why black Americans call a brother a black man and so forth.

Tomorrow I go to Kili Center again and then on safari from Thursday until Sunday (b/c of the holiday) so I won't be posting as often. The weeks feel hectic - we go to our placements in the morning then back to CCS for lunch then a Swahili lesson and a cultural lesson then dinner. It's exhausting, but so informative!

Tonight I'll probably go to a dance club. I've been to a bar called Glacier which was awesome outdoor bar with a live band and fire pits so you just grab a chair and sit around the fire (it gets chilly here at night), they also have a tree house.

More on Rau village...

So as usual I asked a lot of questions and wrote everything down. I felt like an interviewer when speaking to the chief but I was curious. (The chief BTW is the litte man in the picture below the group one) His name is Pamphil B. Shayo, Chief Karikacho Village, the chief gets voted in by the members of the several political parties that live in Moshi area. There are 18 parties that have 2900 people - he is the chief to all. His primary job is as arbitrator, if there is a dispute in the town they go to him to resolve it (it is easy to see why, he is very unassuming and seems laid back yet wise). He has been chief for 2 periods, each period is 5 years long and the limit is 5 periods. For 3 weeks before the election he campaigns by holding meetings in the village where he says that he says ' remember what I did for you here?' :). He also helps with development changes and theifs ( kinda of like a detective is someone accuses another).

side note: The word for theif is mwizi and since theives aren't held in prison fairly if you ever yell mwizi! if someone has stolen something from you, you (as a foreigner) will be sorry b/c the community may chase him, catch him and beat him to death in front of you. Before it wasn't like this we were told.

He showed us how they make banana beer - boiling the bananas then setting them out to dry/ferment for 5 days then put in clear water for 2 days where they are strained and sold as beer.

While in the village we went to a disabled woman's house who had a mentally ill child. I lady unrelated to her was chopping wood for her. This is how Tanzanians are. Tanzanians do not loan money, for them if a community member needs food, or money and clothing they just give it to them and they don't expect it be ever returned. They know now that mzungus think differently but people might try to cheat you by not showing up after you've 'lent' them something.

Kili Center

Since today is the end of Ramadan we all went to orphanages since our usual places would be closed. I alone went to Kili Center which I found out later to be the first orphanage that CCS helped. At first it was dirty and the kids barely had anything to eat. I went today and you would never know. There is a girls dorm and boys dorm with bunk beds, there is a separate room for the girls dressing room, an office, a dining room, a drama room (filled with toys and bongos), a chicken coop and a vegetable garden. There is a dirt yard for the kids to play in. They were so sweet. I introduced myself ( I had no idea what to do or what to expect), the kids asked me about my dreadlocks. Is it your real hair? Why is the color different at the end? Is your hair like our hair? How do you do it? [My hair is still tightened from my last wash so I had no new growth to show them] I was like of course my hair is like yours and started laughing.

After that we played some American games - simon says,hokey pokey, B-I-N-G-O. Then we played shark (remember that game Jennifer?) but here they call it Simba Mama. There are lions (simba) in the middle and you have to get to the other side where the Mama is. Before you run there is a call and response song from the Mama and the children. It was very fun, the kids were extremely cute. Then we played come and stop - which is red light green light. I taught 1 child a hand clapping game - 'Ronald McDonald had a hamburger'. I think I'll teach them more of those tomorrow and some dancing games.

Kili Center is the closest to Mt. Kilimanjaro and the view from there was spectacular. The roads are horrible to get there - it feels like a slow moving roller coaster. Again in the villages the roads are red and dry but lined with green - in Kili Center it was lined by banana trees as well. Its actually very beautiful.

Tanzanian Time

After our placements we have lessons. Yesterday one of our lessons included the difference between Mzungu (white peeople) time and Tanzanian time. The sunrises at 6 am in Tanzania at 7 am is 1:00 in Tanzanian time (1 hour after the sun has risen). The "local" rooster crows at 4am on the dot, then again at 5 am, then at 6 am which is when Tanzanians get up to start working. There are Muslims here so at a quarter to 4 there is the call to prayer and at other times too. So if you tell a Tanzanian let's meet at 3:00 you will be there at 3 and they will be there at 9am. They go by 12 hour days. So when the sunsets time no longer exists ( not even 1 hour after the sunset, it's just anytime) The most hilarious thing is this local rooster, the "hybrid" roosters of the town are 15 minutes early according to Tanzanians. Laughing out Loud!

They also don't wear watches. When we went to Rau village we were supposed to be back by 5:30, I looked at my watch so it was 5:30 but was having so much fun I didn't tell Mama Change but we got back at 6:30.

So much to say

So I wasn't able to get to the internet prior to this so I have so much to say and I have to be back to CCS for lunch in 30 minutes. Where to start... I won't be in order..

Yesterday we had a tour a the Rau village and met the Village chief. It was awesome. I'll create a seperate post about the chief and what he does. The woman who gave us the tour was Mama Change (all a's are pronounced ah and all e's are pronounced e' as in fell) she looks like my grandmother. The village looks so cozy - dirt roads but no liter very clean and mud brick houses. It was very dusty there and I'll need to buy a scarf b/c its dusty every where. Everyone thinks I'm Tanzanian - Mama Grace (one of the head people at CCS) says I would have had a hard time if not for my dreadlocks b/c people would have thought for SURE I could speak. During the village tour one of the girls called me over b/c they wanted me to translate for them to one of the white volunteers! sizungumzi kiswahili this phrase serves me well now but when my accent gets better it will not ! lol

We have Kiswahili lessons today after lunch so that's great. Everyone is so friendly but even more so to me. Mama Judith said to me yesterday looking at me intensely and holding my hands (Karibu Andrea, this is YOURS) and Mac Daddy(his nickname for Macyani I think) was like be sure to come visit my house. 3 weeks is so short! There are so many people to see!

Anyway the village streets are Alabama dirt red and bumpy and dusty but lined with flowering bushes about 6 feet tall so it looks very beautiful. A street may seem empty one second and then the next a woman will appear with a bucket on her head or children will run around the corner and you didn't know b/c of the lined streets. We went and visited the sick and disabled, and older people (so of course it is a compliment to be thought of as older in Africa, when I told Mama Change that she looked like my grandmother she said "! Asante sana Andrea" so sweet. I was bragging about my gray hair to Edward (Mama Grace's son ) one night, and it was a perfectly reasonable thing to do from his perspective while on my other side was an American woman who dyes her hair and wonders why I don't - that's so funny.
side note: I think I'm developing a gray patch on the front right side (Score!)

This is so randomly organized so I apologize I may organize later. Anyway AIDS, I'm volunteering with Jipe Moyo and met 2 members yesterday for an orientation and the rest today. The women in Jipe Moyo all are HIV positive or have AIDS. AIDS is in 20% of the world in Tanzania its 6% of that 20 %. (I'm not sure about that number I'll need to clariy) There are 36 M people in Tanzania and 4 M have AIDS or are HIV positive. Uganda was the first place to have AIDS and now in Africa they have the lowest percentage of AIDS in Africa b/c of the education where as S. Africa has 45% of AIDS in Africa. This is why Jipe Moyo exists.

It spread fast in Africa not just b/c the lack of education and stigma but also b/c of the men having multiple wives, mistresses and traveling around Africa. There are a few ways people specifically women find out about AIDS. Going in to get tested (which is what Jipe Moyo advocates) but also when a woman gets pregnant, when her husband gets sick and/or dies.

If a woman is pregnant she should not breast feed so that she will not give the baby the disease but 50% still do b/c what reason can they give that they are not breast feeding ? and milk may not be affordable to purchase. This is why Jipe Moyo exists.

There are pills they can take which are free, offered by the government but people don't want to be dependent on them. I met Sia from Jipe Moyo yesterday, her husband died 4 years ago. He died fast b/c he didn't take the medicine saying that he was dead either way. That is shocking I could die tomorrow in a car accident what sense does that make? This is why Jipe Moyo exists.

Today I met the rest of the women and talk them English for 90 minutes and then had a business meeting. We will have a fundraiser/festival on Tuesday and I can't wait. It was so fun teaching them English they really want to learn which makes the job really easy. Fortunately too I've had some experience and the previous volunteers were awesome creating and updating a document that contains where they are in their lessons.

There is so much more to tell these people that I have met have such big hearts, but lunch and Swahili lessons call, till next time.

Karibu sana

So didn't need the paper that I forgot and copied from another volunteer b/c otherwise I wouldn't be able to get in the country? Didn't need it. heh heh

So we arrived last night (I say we b/c I met up with 5 other volunteers in Amsterdam - Megan, Jen, Christiana, Brian, Ken and Irma)

Anyway as you know one of my favorite parts of a country is its smell and Tanzania did not disappoint - it smells like burning firewood... almost and well Thailand actually b/c its HOT! woo hoo its hot and humid! o yeah! I was shocked I thought it would be 50 degrees at night and have a ton of cold weather clothes.

PARA NOIA

Oh yeah you got that right I'm paranoid - I got on deet, I have a musquito outfit, and to top it off I'm taking malaria pills that I was just told last night are really just a 50/50 chance of protecting me. I felt safe last night in my mosquito net covered bed until I had to get up to the bathroom in the dark. I didn't put deet on my thighs I thought, what if that's the killer sting? and as i got back into bed and couldn't see I thought 'crud, what if they are flying in WITH me?' I even dreamed of mosquitoes and mosquito nets. Yep, paranoia.

side note to my mother: my middle name is not Swahili. Yep I don't know what book you got it from but I am now tempted to say that it does probably not even mean what you thought it meant....
side note to my friends: Now thinking of changing my middle name :D


Besides my paranoia, I slept soundly and woke up to Karibuu my house mates getting ready for our Moshi tour. We went to the market - I love markets, [I practiced Swahili on the plane so that I could at least learn ' I don't know how to speak Swahili' since I think otherwise people will mistake my for Tanzanian] and got to use my memorized phrase with satisfaction at the market.

We were picked up by Mussa and Edward two young guys who also gave us a tour of Moshi today. So the drive from the airport - I was in the back, thankfully. In Tanzania they drive on the left but can pass other vehicles at any time... uh Jennifer, Ebony and I went to Belize once and the bus was very eventful... the difference between this one was it had AC and I was in the back so I couldn't closely see the cars we almost hit as we passed.I stayed at Mama Africa where we met Mama Grace, Juliette, and Fortunato (who sews). All very friendly.

Ok so highlights - a really cool big lizard - with an orange head a blue tail and body except for an almost stripe of green. The 2 weddings we saw - the first they were in a wedding procession at the traffic circle singing with the bride in front - the bride wore white (interesting). the second one was a parade! a parade of cars and at the end the brides maids were in a pick up in their peach dresses singing and the groomsmen were playing horns. Cool!
Crow - so OK crows may not be cool usually but this one has a while underbelly [ yes, I do realize that it may not be a crow but it looks and sounds exactly like one despite the white underbelly]
Our room, very nice and clean there are only 3 of us in here ( this is the low season for CCS volunteers June - August they get gruops of 30-40 that all are here for 3 weeks - this time I'm here the shortest and people are speaking about extending... will I want to extend? hmmmm) though there are 6 bunks, with a huge closet, and shower.
The group of people are cool - I'll go into more descriptions later, maybe if I can upload some pics.

Food - so far so good. Lunch was that white stuff that they have in Ghana like rice but mushed up and harder? vegetable balls with tomato sauce, chickpeas and greens. The greens were awesome, actually it was all really tasty. Tomorrow, well tomorrow I don't know I'll let yall know then.


Oh words I know - be impressed be very impressed...

asante - thank you
mambo - what's up
poa - nothing much
sizungumzi kii swahili (very important)


See ya ( Ok I haven't memorized that in Swahili so till next time) Oh, there is a 10 hour time difference, just FYI... 7 for you East coasters

OK Now I'm laying over in Amsterdam. Ummm I think I'm missing paperwork to get a permit. Go figure. What a long trip! It is so dark here (in Amsterdam) you would think is was 3:30 am instead of 6:30 am. Anyway hopefully I'll find and meet up with other volunteers soon taking this flight. More soon!

September 16, 2008 Not yet there obviously but ...

Habari! I'm not there yet, but I'm starting to get excited, despite the thought of having to take malaria pills everyday for 27 days. (Ug) But already some good fortunate b/c the pills ended up being $35 instead $270, rockin'!

I'll be working with an NGO that promotes empowerment of women with HIV/AIDS. I think this is going to be so awesome and rewarding and hopefully I can really help.

Alright till the night before!