Tuesday, September 23
Christian Louboutin
Thursday, August 7
Malaria Scare!
After frustrated phone calls to my parents, I spoke with the Professor. Apparently, he too had malaria. He was surprising calm about the situation. If my "American daughter"--this is my nickname--were exhibiting the typical malaria symptoms I would have found it a little more pressing. Little Mango and I splurged and took a taxi to the hospital, a whole 3,000 TSh! One of the nurses promptly pricked my finger and drew a small blood sample.
Immediately the lab technicians made a thick and thin blood smear. The process I've watched them complete on a daily basis was now unsettlingly personal. Doubtful that it was actually malaria (I've been diligent in taking my doxycycline and using my bed net), I was nonetheless relieved not to have parasites. My blood counts were all normal too.
Phew! I would have had myself airlifted home if I had malaria. Would they let me back in?
Tuesday, August 5
School Days
On Saturday we met the D Family on the side of the main road, which still remains nameless to me (and everyone else in Morogoro, I think). Little Mango and I jumped in the bed of the pickup and drove to the AICT School. S and J gave us the lay of the land, including the plethora of books, Bingo sets, foam letters, flashcards, etc. they brought along with them. Next thing you know S and J are full-on instructors, and recitation of the alphabet begins.
"Z" is very exciting and exclaimed 4 decibels higher than any other letter. The volume throughout was overwhelming until about H, at which point the loudest (and smartest) students took over. After the lesson, we headed out to the playground. Students literally fought over who got to hold my hand. Soon after the girls and boys were separated, the boys off to play football (not American football) and the girls to play monkey-in-the-middle. Today, the girls who arrived early were handed brooms, the boys were given two soccer balls.
Lessons were followed by time outside. My entourage--surprisingly large considering the short amount of time I had spent there--settled into a pile of dirt where I practiced letters and numbers to those with an attention span longer than twenty minutes. The attention and/or the dirt may explain the lingering sneezing. Picture taking was another activity during the "recess" portion of the day. The kids went crazy when I pulled out my camera. "Take a pick-ture." They certainly weren't shy, each clamoring to see themselves on the tiny LCD milliseconds after the picture was taken.
I was amazed today when kids from the far end of the playground would come up to me asking for a pick-ture, even when my camera was stowed--completely out of sight--in my pocket. I couldn't oblige anyways, seeings as I ran out of batteries. I was also shocked at how quickly a intruding dog was forced from the school grounds. Mere seconds after appearing on the campus, he was driven away by a mob of students throwing rocks at him. Poor puppy, just wanted to join in on all the fun with the kids!
Of course a teacher never plays favorites but I must confess one little student was particularly charming.
I have a new found respect for teachers, especially nursery school and kindergarten teachers. How they entertain, let along teach, for as long as they do is beyond me. After two and a half hours I was ready for a very long nap...
Monday, August 4
Where's the Chipotle?
Chicken Chowmein
You can't tell the difference between noodles and chicken, China and Italy unless you ask our chef.
(Doesn't inspire a whole lot of confidence. You can see why I've stuck to the vegetable curry!)
Stir Beef
Imagine! The food is kept cooking on your table!
Also hilarious, the side of a Supa Bread truck reads: So good, you can't eat it on its own. I buy Tanga Loaf instead.
Friday, August 1
My Tanzanian "Boyfriend"
The first bit of conversation was seemingly normal. He asked the usual questions: Where are you from? What are you doing in Tanzania? Why did you come here? What do you hope to get out of the experience? When he offered a room in his house to me, I started to Zacharia asked for my hand in marriage, claiming that white English girls are of a purer character than their African counterparts. I was taken aback, offended even, by his statement of hatred for "stupid African women" and his assumption that because I'm mzungu I have money and a good education. His lack of respect for African women, Tanzanian women in particular, left me speechless.
After our first conversation he called me on a daily basis, multiple times each day even. I ignored all of his calls but my subtle rejection was obviously not a strong enough social cue. He would find me as a walked to work and scold me for not keeping in touch with him. Was I sick? If I did not answer the phone how was he to know that I was not. He would ask for money or work, neither of which I would give him.
Yesterday Little Mango was introduced. He found us as we were heading to town. Keeping my hand in his for many minutes, I had to struggle a little to remove it. Later I asked E about him and the stories poured out. Antidotes about his alcoholism, his drug problem, the mess he has created for his family, the lack of respect for women.
Needless to say, I don't think it's going anywhere.
Tuesday, July 29
Back to Dar
We did a short circle around Tanga, in desperate search of the ice cream parlor. Of course, we were followed for literally 2 km by a guy who had requested a cig. Do I look like a smoker? Finally, after lots of angry attempts to get rid of the guy I yelled Niecha! (Leave me!) at him. We found refuge from the heat and the pesky follower in another ice cream parlor that from what I could tell hadn't opened yet for the day.
Warning: I'm about to complain about another sweaty bus ride. We were called to board the bus, along with everyone else sitting in the back two rows. B's backpack didn't fit in the overhead compartment and neither did mine. Sweaty with pushy Tanzanians anxious to sit in their seats all around, I managed to squeeze mine under the seat. Unluckily for B she sat with hers on lap for almost the entire trip.
Ah...finally in Dar! Again, mean and hypoglycemic we made a quick taxi drive over to Sweet Eazy for happy hour and overpriced vegetable stir fry. The calamari made my day but also made me miss DC and my usual calamari consuming companion. (Hope you're reading this Gatto)
Then after a much needed boost in my blood sugar levels it was out to the airport to fetch Little Mango, the newest American arrival in Tanzania. Another great night and the Swiss Garden Hotel, Nutella crepes at Seacliff Village, and another thrilling trip to Shoppers Supermarket. Also picked up North of South and The Yiddish Policeman's Union at A Novel Idea. Set me back 40 bucks but worth.
Back to Morogoro!
Monday, July 28
The Peponi Routine
B and I made a b-line for the beach and had a nice walk on the beach, still anxiously awaiting seafood salads and crab pasta.
Later at the bar we practiced Swahili from the social sections of the phrasebook titled "going out," "pick up lines," "getting closer," and "love." The little girls in us definitely glaringly apparent. Little did we know that we'd already fallen into the Peponi Routine: eat breakfast, hang out on the beach, cool off in the warm water of the Indian Ocean, eat lunch, take a nap, shower (hot water is on from 5:30 to 8:30), eat dinner, play cribbage, pass out, repeat.
Pictures are here for those of you that like to be green with envy. Again, the artsy, well-lit ones are B's.
Wednesday, July 23
Sally and Manka
After an amazing dinner at the "Danish" with the students and comforting talk of CMC and the crazed track coach with one of the program facilitators, B and I made our way back to L'Oasis. I didn't want to leave. They have a gym (with an elliptical machine...oh, what I would do for a trip to Philadelphia Sports Club right now), key card access to their rooms, and most importantly Hot Chocolate. The return dalla dalla ride was well worth the lack of the aforementioned. The young riders were pleasantly surprised to have us join them on the ride back to Arusha. They gave B and I nicknames: Sally and Manka (how B got stuck with Manka is beyond me). B traded phone numbers (changing one digit just in case) and received multiple invitations to join our new friends for a night out on the town. Exhausted from our long day and a little weary of public displays of our "wazungu"ness we opted for a quite night back at L'Oasis instead.
Into Masai Land
Finally we made it to Oldonyo Samba--36 km northwest of Arusha along the highway. At the time I was amazed at the paved road. Although it was a lengthy journey (if not allergies then I definitely had a case of the "are-we-there-yet"s), it wasn't bumpy. I labeled it "The Highway to Nowhere" but Thomas later corrected me. It goes to Nairobi.
It couldn't have been any more different from Mulala. The plains were dry, dusty, and expansive. Also, surprisingly free of "wazungu" calls. Not to worry, those were quickly replaced by requests--actually, more like demands--for candy (pipi) or pens. While still overcast I felt like I would probably feel if I had ever been to Arizona (which I haven't). Clad in brightly colored plaid-like fabric and beads, Masai herding their cattle dot the open plains. On clear days, Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru can also be spotted. I'm just not that lucky.
After a tea break--the only thing Mama Anna's and this Masai village had in common--we headed for a tradition Masai dwelling. The "model home" was round in structure but not altogether impressive other than that it is made out a mixture of mud and cow manure. Comforting to know that during the dry season, the cows don't sleep inside the house. To say it was a polar opposite in comparison to the model homes of Cielo in Rancho Santa Fe would be quite the understatement.
Awkwardness ensued when Thomas said, "You might give the woman of the house a donation for letting you see her house." With only a wad of 10,000s (a little too generous a donation) and a 100 coin, either option was inappropriate: ask for change or shortchange. The whole money thing was awkward (okay, another similarity with Mama Anna's). Next off to the medicine man who pulled out a lot of gourds and a surprisingly accurate fortune (for 10,000 TSh). I wasn't sure if Thomas was making stuff up as we went along or if the rocks and shells that spilled out of his gourds are just that well attuned to the cosmic forces of the world. I think the whole thing was creepy but I'm not into that whole rocks predicting my future thing. Plus, he said I was only going to have one kid--that can't be correct.
Then B and I were escorted hand-in-hand to lunch by a pair of young girls. Mine pinched the stretched out hair thing around my wrist. Another literally tried to remove the bracelets on my right wrist. Uh, I don't know about that. I know I don't have candy but maybe if something is attached to me I want to keep it. Just a thought. More awkwardness when it came to paying, although to Thomas's credit he didn't ask us for a tip for his services as guide. Another donation, this time to the non-existent orphanage--orphaned children live with family members or pseudo-foster parents at the discretion of the village elders.
We waited on the side of the road to nowhere (okay, fine...Nairobi) for an hour. Thomas, B and I all pulled out our cell phones creating an interesting scene of the traditional and technology. Finally a dalla dalla that took us to the Masai market where a plethora of noises and colors overwhelmed me. Again suggesting that we "support Masai culture" through opening our wallets I was convinced to buy two Masai blankets...not a terrible buy but still.
Disappointed by the whole awkward money situation and mostly impressed by Thomas's brother who made it all the way from this rural, isolated Masai village to Boston to study on international scholarship at MIT, this "cultural tour" was a little less than advertised but well worth the escape from the Arusha rain and the emergency poncho that had become a recurring stylistic addition to my already adorable Tanzania wardrobe.
All of the pictures are here. (NB: B has much more of a photographers eye then myself. The impressive ones are probably hers but...she did teach me how to use most of the functions of my camera, including the digital macro one)
Tuesday, July 22
Mama Anna's
Getting the bus was pretty stressful but we were pleasantly surprised when our guide was actually where he said he would meet us. The drive up to the village was full of excitement. The rain had created a slip'n'slide of the road. We bounced up and down in the back seat--secretly hoping we'd get stuck and have to help push the car out. We made our way up to the Agape Women's Group where we were warmly welcomed by the village women to Mama Anna's cheese making place. After a short tea break we started out on a walk/hike through "a maze of lush, green vegetation dotted with small farms." But not before Mama Anna, noticing that we were freezing, threw two Masai blankets on us--not dissimilar from your average Scottish print.
(My allergies were already in full swing at this point...notice the tissue)
Most of the villagers are subsidence farmers with coffee, banana, vegetable and fruit crops. Some--like Mama Anna's family--also keep livestock for milk and beef. Along the
Lemeka Hill Tour we saw coffee and banana farms and once at the viewpoint stopped to enjoy the view of Masai plains, small villages, and the surrounding hills. Mama's husband showed me "local medicine" and tried to help with the allergy situation. I'm not sure if the eucalyptus helped but it was certainly worth a try.
Then back to Mama Anna's where we had lunch and were given an explanation of the various economic activities the women's group has started, like cheese, honey, and coffee making. Most interesting (at least to me) was coffee. The process from bean to cup is a long and labor intensive one. Below is a picture of the beans during roasting.
After roasting the women showed up how to carry "luggage" (read: bananas) on our heads. They make it look a lot easier than it actually is. If only I had listened to my mother all these years and stood up straight...although come to think of it, I'm not even so sure that would help. I wasn't too bad, except when it came to multi-tasking. No dancing, or moving for that matter.
All the pictures (B's and mine) can be found here.
News Flash: I'm White
A curio shop provided a much needed break from the hassle of politely rejecting the many offers. I walked around the shop mesmerized by the wooden sculptures--nervous that I was going to turn and knock everything over--and memories of Mali came flooding back. The rest of the day progressed more or less similarly and consisted of ducking into curio shops to escape street vendors and randoms following us. Not an altogether amazing city. In fact, quite the opposite. On the search for colorful kangas, we were approached by a man who claimed to have the best kanga shop in town. Not so much. After promising not to charge us mzungu prices, he did quite the opposite, quoting 75,000 TSh (around $70) for two pieces of fabric! After we walked out on the negotiations--a fair price is 15,000 TSh--they followed us down the street and firmly demanded we "give them money." Caught a little off guard, and frankly a little scared, "I'm going to die", we pulled out 15,000 and that was that.
Lots of exhaust, which provoked my allergies, and "Wazungu" calls which after a while are pretty annoying. I know I'm white. I know I look a little lost. I know my Swahili is minimal. But is it really necessary to announce it to the entire world?
High spot: Learning to play cribbage (my newest addiction--Dad would love it, it's all about strategy) with B in The Lounge at L'Oasis.
Low spot: Arusha in general.
Monday, July 21
Arusha: City of Exhaust
Bump #1 was the bus ride. We headed back down to Mombo and then the usual mob at the bus station commenced. Everyone is trying to sell something, pears (which we actually ended up buying), bus tickets, samosas, shoes, radios. We were in the market for bus tickets but before buying any I thought it best to actually see the bus and make sure we would have a seat. We ended up on the only bus headed to Arusha that was actually there. We sat in the front row for awhile until someone asked us what our seats were (by asked I mean pointed to our tickets with a questioning look) and we were moved to the back of the bus, B with her backpack on lap, mine shoved with all the force in me into the overhead compartment. The bus ride was anything but smooth and the "I'm going to die" refrain rang again.
My hatred for bus stations was only reaffirmed upon arrival in Arusha. Before we even disembarked, the taxi drivers were all over us. "TAXI?! Come with me! Give you good price." "Need a hotel? Safari?" No, thank you. We were followed by a good number of drivers, safari operators, and hotel spokesmen for a good block and a half. At which point I approached a taxi driver, asked is he new where L'Oasis was, and negotiated our price. He affirmed that he knew where the hotel was, but once we were semi-comfortable in the cab our driver had to inquire with other drivers to figure it out. For once, we didn't get ripped off, probably only because our driver didn't know how far out of town our hotel really was.
Short on cash and ready to explore a new city, we headed for the Barclays (which is one of the few banks that will accept Mastercard). Afterward we headed for an early dinner at Spices and Herbs, an Ethiopian restaurant. Nothing like Addis in Dar, but not disappointing, we had a nice dinner which included a good amount of people watching. Mostly wazungu bickering over the price of a hotel room and children running around like mad.
Sunday, July 20
Lushoto
After the hike we made another circle through the market. The women in kangas and the vegetables were brilliant. Unfortunately my camera was out of batteries, so I have to steal B's pictures (in fact, all of the pictures in this post are hers). After an uninspiring meal and a tired game of Scrabble, I fell asleep almost instantly.
Saturday, July 19
Lushoto, Here We Come!
Expert eavesdropper that I am, I overheard that the next stop was Mombo and we followed my new friend Lucas to a smaller bus headed into the mountains for Lushoto. Even though the bus was all but empty, Lucas decided it was necessary to corner me into my window seat and proceed into a Swahinglish chat with me. Taken by the beauty of the uphill drive and the lush surroundings, I was unamused and unimpressed by his offers to escort B and I to Irente Viewpoint the next day. As we disembarked at Lushoto--a small bus station, but seemingly hectic nonetheless--we were met with the usual onslaught of "help." We headed quickly for the Green Garden Hotel which had two singles for us.
Ready to stretch our legs, we explored to market and ducked into the first decent looking restaurant we could find. The market was much more welcoming than its Morogoro counterpart. We were met with many more "Karibuni"s--welcome--a much needed relief from the "Wazungu!"s heard when we grace the Morogoro Market. At lunch a shy Nancy, aged 3, exhausted all the Swahili I know in about five minutes but seemed entertained just watching B and I eat.
Friday, July 18
Let the (Mis)Adventures Begin!
After a nice closing ceremony to the workshop (that I missed because I was burning CDs with pictures and powerpoint presentations) and dinner at Dragonaire we all headed back to pack, but not after a picture of what we termed the "Kids Table"--not quite esteemed enough to sit with the faculty from the likes of BMGF or Oxford and talk hard science but at the same time not even really wanting to.
Thursday, July 17
Something to Look Forward To
Lots of things to look forward to in the next couple of days, maybe a little something to check my negativity.
Cake. Talk of a homemade chocolate cake--right out of the cake mix bag--has been circulating for a few days now. I've been craving the chocolate fudge cake from Cheesecake Factory for quite some time but Pillsbury mix in Arabic will have to suffice. Gathering all the ingredients has been quite a process--everything seems to be a laborious process here--but I think we finally have everything together. I'm baking tonight and hopefully enjoying soon after.
Dresses. Last week B and I went into town to get dresses made. We explored town for fabric and made a detour through Morogoro Market. Trying to explain the vague idea I had for my dress required B's Swahili phrasebook and multiple drawings. I'm just crossing my fingers that I don't end up with puffy sleeves (as seems to be a trend here). The seamstress was in awe of how short I wanted it. We pick them up tomorrow and the anticipation is trying my patience. Pictures to come...hopefully they'll be more attractive then my hair when I got it braided.
End of the Workshop. While I have learned A LOT and really enjoyed the opportunity to engage with East African students, I'm ready for a break from photocopies (although B and T-Man have done the majority of that) and printing CD labels. Reimbursement receipts for the students have been a lingering project and I can only look forward to no longer have to fight with them about receipts and documentation and money. It's hard to deny them their requests, especially because it's only a matter of a few dollars, but protocol is protocol--even if T-Man and I have to make it up as we go.
Trip with B. Can you say vacation? My chance to explore this beautiful country has finally come! B and I head to Lushoto on Saturday. Famous for it's cheese--go figure--this smaller town north of Morogoro is near the Usambara Mountains. After some hiking and nature touring it's off to Arusha and some Masai villages. After a few days we head to coastal Pangani for a Coconut Sunset Cruise. Jealous yet? I'm really excited about the beach!
Research with Kitty. When I return, hopefully refreshed and with some good Western food from the supermarket in Dar, Little Mango will be here. Talked to the big boss yesterday and it sounds like there will be plenty to keep me busy for my last three weeks. I'm going to be doing some really interest research and also privy to confidential information. That makes me feel at least a little important!
Less than a month left? I can't believe I've gotten through a month and a half major-disaster free. Knock on wood.
Cartwheels on a Gravel Road
Last night, after a mind-numbing day of spreadsheet malfunctioning and reimbursement receipts for the Workshop students, the last thing I wanted was vegetable curry at SUASA. Although impossible, Chipotle sounded pretty darn perfect. B's soup was a good alternative. B and T-Man and I were having a little party in the kitchen...B working on her soup, me working on the cake. Mom would have been proud of the Lucinda Williams playing off my laptop.
Sunday, July 13
"We're All Primates"
Even after a fun night, I was still in a bad mood. I spent all the remaining vocha--cell phone credits--I had to text back and forth with my parents who were looking at colleges with my sista in New England. I was still in a funk on Sunday morning. So much so that I decided to opt out of the Mikumi safari--something about waking up before the crack of dawn and sitting in a car all day, albeit among giraffes, looking at birds just wasn't doing it for me. I spent the day reading What is the What and hibernating. I'm almost finished with the book which means I'll have to find another one, which of course will probably be problematic. My hibernation was interrupted by loud noises on the roof. I figured it was just the rats--haha, just the rats--but was slightly worried that someone might be trying to break into the mzungu compound. C soon clued me in to the true source of the commotion: vermet monkeys!
They were totally unphased by us, snapping pictures of them. Although a little camera shy they continued to pounce and bite each other. Dad would have loved it! We watched them for a good twenty minutes, until the dogs came barking and they all ran away. I'd run away too, these dogs are totally ferocious. Sorry Penny, these guys are out of your league...
Saturday, July 12
Workshop, Workshop, Workshop
The general theme of the week has been exhaustion. For some reason waiting around for that burst of urgency is extremely tiring. I'm sure the pizza and the party that followed over at our place hasn't helped. I was the first to excuse myself from the get together we hosted last night which made me feel a little like the first girl that falls asleep at a sleepover.
Friday, July 11
(Home)sick
At dinner at SUASA with a number of the faculty, each put in their suggestion about what I should eat. I was thinking of a vegetable curry with rice but they suggested just plain rice. So dinner on Wednesday was just that, rice. Not going to lie, at this point I'm pretty sick of rice. And SUASA. And Oasis. And Dragonaire. Crunchy vegetable roll at Kinya with JC and C-Bear and Pinkberry with P would be pretty awesome right about now. 42 days until I return to the States...not that I'm counting or anything...
It's funny how being sick brings out the baby in me. I just want to go home and be in my non-mosquito netted bed.
Monday, July 7
More Pizza!
Most of the faculty arrived yesterday and we went for a dinner at Dragonaire--twice in one week!!! The ride there and back was part of the fun. I rode in the back of the truck in the flat bed. Luckily P went slow on the unmarked speed bumps and on the side "road" to Dragonaire. One of the workshop faculty members tried to talk me out of Med school. Not happening. High on my list of things to do while I am here is start on my post-bac program applications. Apparently I still haven't learned the garlic-in-moderation lesson and paid for it dearly with a weird sort of stomach ache all of last night. The faculty all talked a lot of science...lucky I am so cute because I certainly couldn't keep up with them.
Sunday, July 6
Washing the Mane
I can't complain about the new house. It's clean, quiet--except for what I think are some rodents scratching in the walls, I woke up to it this morning, heard it in the kitchen when I was preparing breakfast, and again when I was in the shower. As I have described previously, the shower is more like a hose with less water pressure. Thankfully, the water is warm--but only if you turn on the hot water switch, B. I thought it might be a little more difficult than at NORAD and I was definitely correct. I don't know how long the whole thing took but now I have a cramp in my shoulder and neck. Good thing I don't have to do this everyday. Regardless, I'm going to have to come up with a better method.
Still Sneezy
On Saturdays we go to Hotel Oasis for Indian food, but I hadn't been since my very first day in Morogoro. Will, Dundy, and I headed over there, planning to meet T-Man and B over there. We ordered drinks and because they get pretty much the same thing every week, Dundy ordered. Still no sign of T-Man and B and we started to wonder if they were actually coming. Should we eat the rest (even though we were already TOTALLY stuffed)? Several phone calls later we heard there was another miniature disaster at the lab; one of the students from the upcoming workshop was having trouble getting his ticket at the bus station. Meanwhile, my allergies (I swear, it is not a cold) were getting worse by the minute.
By the time we got back to the house (pictures coming soon), I was exhausted and totally full. One pseudoephedrine and liter of water later I was out for the night. A busy two weeks ahead with the workshop. Looking forward to being busier!
Saturday, July 5
Flaming Purell
A Fourth of July celebration of sorts had been in the works for a few days: After Dragonaires (no way Dundy can miss his pizza on Fridays), I was hoping to get some s'more action going and even grabbed the last bag of marshmallows (pink and white...not exactly the right colors, but close enough) in Pira's, not that anywhere else in Morogoro would have had them. T-Man was in charge of the bon fire and managed to turn embers left over from the days burning trash into quite a good fire. My marshmallows were, obviously, toasted to perfection. We got a good look at some bush babies, nocturnal tiny little monkey things that make a terribly annoying noise at night. They are little drunkards and can often be seen falling out of trees. Unfortunately they weren't celebrating with us.
Fireworks are illegal in Tanzania, which meant that we had to improvise slightly. One of the boys somehow thought to bring out the hand sanitizer (69% alcohol) and squirt some on the fire. When that didn't produce enough of a reaction, he threw the whole bottle in! Our version of fireworks, I guess. No tubing this year or real fireworks in the nation's capital but our own little celebration turned out quite nicely.
Friday, July 4
Sneezy...
After the meal, B brought out the cards for a game of Gin Rummy. T-Man was pretty much hilarious! His commentary is really priceless. At first I was on his bad side because I kept taking all the cards he wanted but we eventually (as soon as I was no longer in the lead) came to an understanding. I blame my loss on the extremity of my allergies. Ever-well prepared, B even had a pack of travel kleenex! Sneezing at SUASA until about 11, we headed back to the house for our first night there. The card-playing really reminded me of the usual post-dinner entertainment at home, minus the "For crying out loud!"s and the "You better SCOOT SCOOT SCOOT!"s.
The new house is really nice. My room is literally a bed with a mosquito net in the middle of the room. Picture to come...The shower is sufficient but nothing spectacular. Think a hose with less water pressure and with warm water. I can only anticipate the difficulty this will present in trying to maintain my hair. Regardless, I am really looking forward to staying at the new mini-sorority house.
Thursday, July 3
The Tickle Monster Attacks
My new friend and hostel-mate, B--just like GG but nice, and I started out at the
When we got to the hospital, Kitty had some samples that she was culturing so I got a chance to help her with that. Before culturing we took a count of the white blood cells in each sample using a hemocytometer. After a week of “internet research” just wearing gloves was exciting! Of course, the power went out about every minute and a half and we had to continually interrupt the process. Everyone at the Hospital lab was excited to see me again and inquired about my recent whereabouts, etc.
After a semi-exciting day at the lab, I was ready for a quiet dinner and game of Scrabble with Bess. Bess came for her four-week stay much more prepared than I did—she not only brought a travel Scrabble set, she also brought candy and cards! Around 6:30 I still hadn’t seen her but figured she was still working at the lab but I soon found out that Kitty had invited us over to her house for palau. What a treat!
We spent a wonderful—and very high energy—evening helping Kitty cook, entertaining her two daughters, and even having an impromptu photo shoot. The girls were mesmerized by Bess’s camera—which is pretty impressive—and insisted on many, many pictures. “Two by two. Girls only.” FLASH! “Now two by three. He in.” FLASH! With only a year of English, Kitty’s oldest daughter (5) has a really remarkable grasp of the language. Like her teacher at the
Wednesday, July 2
"Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite"
Sunday, June 29
Oh, Kipepeo
Not long after checking in I was in the crystal-clear water. You could see straight down to the bottom! The water for refreshing--not freezing! Forget Hawaii...my new beach destination of choice is in Tanzania! Here's the beach around sunset time, just as we were sitting down to dinner. (I didn't even edit this picture...)
The Swahili word for relax is poa, and that is just what I did on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. More pictures that will probably make you more jealous are here.
Saturday, June 28
Day Two of the Dar Adventure
Then the bus ride. We weren't 100 percent sure how to get to our next stop--Mwenge Market--and the museum cashier was very nice but not helpful. We hopped on a bus with Mwenge on the front and crossed our fingers. Less than 50 cents later we were in a chaotic bus stop. We got ripped off by one of the taxi drivers who charged us TSh 2,250 to get the Market that was about a three second taxi drive away.
Mwenge Market was really cool. Lots of Masai crafts, tinga-tingas, kangas...all that stuff Dad used to bring home from his trips from Africa. As we walked around, every shop keeper was trying to get us to go in..."Karibu. You're welcome Miss." "Looking is free! I'll give you a good price." All in all though I was surprised at how low-key it all was. I didn't want to get a whole lot of stuff because I knew I would have to drag it around for another day and a half but I'll definitely go back on my way home. Will got two really cool tribal masks.
For lunch we headed over to Seacliff Village, a super touristy area with a sort of food court area, a supermarket--not as super as Shoppers--and a bookstore with English books. Once you sit down at one of the tables, women accost you with menus for wraps, pizza, Subway (!), French, Indian. Inside Epid'or, the French bakery, I actually forgot I was in Africa! The crepes with Nutella and bananas were AWESOME as was the pizza with pineapple (my new favorite). It was a nice break from the continuous culture shock. The bathrooms even had automatic soap dispensers. I had almost forgotten those existed! It really is the small things in life.
After a taxi ride along the coast and past the President's residence, we made it to the ferry dock, which anything but lush. For TSh 100 each (9 cents), we took a five minute ferry ride cut the cost of taxis. Taxis in Dar are expensive (usually at least 6,000 but sometimes as much as 12,000). Our taxi driver on the other side was a crazy. He was really jamming out and fast was definitely his speed of choice. He tried to convince us he was a chief and that we should pay him extra. And finally, Kipepeo!
Friday, June 27
SUPERmarket and Addis in Dar
After about an hour of gawking, Will and I headed to Addis in Dar, an Ethiopian restaurant. As soon as I walked in, I knew I was really in for a treat. We ventured upstairs and had a seat among ex-pats and other tourists. The atmosphere was beautiful...the smells, candles, and everyone was really relaxed. Tej--honey wine--came highly recommended and for good reason! The food was amazing and I thought they were going to have to roll me out of there. The meal ended with some of the best tea I have ever had. It was served with popcorn which seems like a weird combination but in actuality is FANtastic. Not a cheap dinner but well worth it! This blog certainly got it right!
Travel Agent Sarah did pretty well for Day 1 in Dar!
Off to Dar!
We arrived in Dar in the late afternoon and headed straight for our hotel (the Starlight). After sitting in the classic Dar traffic, we finally arrived at our hotel and settled in (read: checking out all the channels on the television and inspecting the bathroom). Then we walked around the market a block away. Located in the predominantly Muslim neighborhood, we found ourselves surrounded by jewelry shops but no markets; everything was closing when we got there around six. Will got some weird fruit that I can't remember the name of and we walked through a disgustingly smelly part of the market that almost made me gag. That was not on "the list." Let the adventure begin!
Thursday, June 26
Afternoon at the Salon
For some reason, I thought getting my hair braided would be a good idea. I mentioned to one of the girls in the lab, who is GORGEOUS, that I was thinking of doing it and she took me over to the salon that she goes to and set me up with an appointment--appointment is, as always, a loose term. I got there a little late because the dalla dalla decided to a take a detour. The Norwegians provided funding for a bunch of road improvements but until the improvements are actually finished traffic is a nightmare; many of the roads are obstructed by the mounds of dirt that lie in the middle of the streets. The dalla dalla stopped at an unfamiliar part of town and if it weren't for the sight of the mosque above some of the buildings I would have been totally lost.
I walked into the salon and got a lot of looks like Is she lost? or Who is she looking for?. I sat down and brushed out my hair with a brush I brought with me--which was fascinating to the hairdressers there!--and she got started. The first braid didn't hurt all that much but after that I was making all sort of faces that the ladies in the salon thought were hilarious. After two and half hours, FINISHED! Below is the hilarity. (I'm hoping this picture doesn't resurface in front of a crowd at my wedding or something...)
Not going to lie, I felt pretty hard-core. And it was only 7,000 TSh! As I emerged from the salon the tailors next door instantly cracked up and even stood up and started clapping. SUPER embarrassing. Needless to say, I've been getting a lot of unnecessary attention since.
A To-Do List?
1. Pay for NORAD Hostel at the Faculty of Forestry and Nature Conservation.
After almost a month living at the hostel I haven't paid a cent. It's probably time I did that, huh? I'll probably have to go to the bank because like everything else here, it's a cash only business. I literally have seen ZERO places that accept credit or debit cards. In fact, to my more business minded friends out there this might be a way to make a fair chuck of change, especially as the tourism industry begins flourishing here.
2. Laundry.
Yeah, this one has been on there for a while. I've done a load of underwear so not to worry, I'm not that dirty...Apparently I can pay a guy at the hostel to do it for me for TSh 3,000 (less than $3 a load). But I MUST MUST MUST do it today because I leave for Dar es Salaam for the weekend with Will tomorrow and everything has to hang dry.
3. Get a new cell phone at Yasser's shop.
Two days ago on the dalla dalla my cell phone got stolen. Right out of my pocket! My first lesson in pick-pocketing...a good one to learn before my trip to Dar. Anyway, that means I have to get a new one. Luckily a local friend of T-Man's has an electronics shop in town and he'll give me a pretty good deal. (And he speaks English!)
4. Meeting regarding the Workshop.
Big day in the office! I have my first official meeting. Of course, no time was assigned to the meeting so I've just got to be ready whenever I guess. I got a very official email last night about it. Duh duh duh!
5. Pack for trip to Dar es Salaam/work on itinerary with Will.
I've got to pack up all my stuff for a weekend in the city! As I've said before, not a whole lot to do in Morogoro by way of tourism so Will and I are heading to Dar this weekend. We're going over our plans later, which tentatively include Ethiopian restaurant and some time at the beach. I'm moving out of NORAD hostel for the weekend (doesn't make much sense to pay for a place I'm not actually staying). I only brought two backpacks worth of stuff and Will said I can stash what I don't bring to Dar in his room for the weekend.
6. Update blog and budget.
Working on it. In honor of the original budget tzar, Papa Bear, I'm keeping an Excel spreadsheet with everything I spend, broken down into categories (food, transportation, etc.).
Wednesday, June 25
Surprise in the Shower
Typical semi-warm shower at NORAD and I've piled on about a ton of conditioner and have started the process that is "maintaining my hair"--I'm sure we're all aware of my kink-taculous hair that turns into dreads in a couple of days when not given proper attention. I'm mid-mane when our friend from the Geico commercials lands at my feet! Yes, a gecko. I, naturally, scream and finished the shower in haste, unknowingly leaving about a third of my hair still well-conditioned. I didn't want it to drown because that would mean I would have to remove it from the shower. Luckily he was fine and scurried away--probably only to return again in a week.
Monday, June 23
Morningside and More
The vines on it are gorgeous with the brightest orange flowers I've ever seen. Certainly rivals bougainvillea in Rancho Santa Fe.
The hike started at Bomba road on a fairly well-surfaced dirt road. After a while it started to get a little bumpier and I started to question my choice of shoes--not that I really had one considering I brought two pairs of TOMS and that's it. The views were spectacular from the get-go, as you can see.
The trail was difficult but fun. At many points the trail wasn't more than two feet wide and among the tall grass I almost disappeared. The mountain-side was used as farmland. Apparently a deforestation movement started in the 1970s so the only remaining forest--the "primary forest"--is on the very top of the mountain. The cleared land has been used for cultivation. The soil is really rich and according to our guide you can grow pretty much anything. His farm has cinnamon, strawberries, currants, a full assortment.
After a steep and winding trail and a whole lot of loose gravel, we made it up to Morningside. It's 900 meters up the mountain and the views are impressive! We pulled out the left-over cake, cassava chips--my new favorite snack--and some PB&Js I'd packed.
There's Bird-Man looking out on the valley and Morogoro below.
After a nice break and a gymnastics competition with some of the kids that followed us up, we headed towards the village and our guide's farm. (My cartwheel lost pretty terribly to the five minute headstands and handsprings these kids pulled out!) The trail was pretty tough and I could already tell that I was going to be in some major pain the next day, especially with my shoes. The kids along the way would all yell MZUNGU at us and one group insisted that we take their picture. I think the only English they knew--or pretended to know--was "Take picture."
After the farm, we went over to the "local disco." I didn't take any pictures in fear that I'd get beaten up. Basically a huge block party on the side of a cliff, the "local disco" was hoppin'! (Tangent: "Local" was the word of the day...we'd ask our guide what type of plant something was and the response was "local bush" or "local tree"; the paths were are "local" and the fruit we picked straight off the bush was "local fruit".) Everyone seemed to be having a great time and the music was a mix of drums, an out of tune organ, and 80s pop. Earlier our guide had said that the two biggest problems for his village are alcohol and pot--which is grown all over the place in the mountains. Safari lager was all over the place and so was the smoking. But the whole village--at least to my knowledge--came out for it. All ages were there and the energy was awesome.
We decided to head back down although I could have stayed people watching for hours! We paid our guide (TSh 6,000...about $5; SO CHEAP!) and started on our way, just the mzungu. Of course we got lost but we found our way, thanks to some locals. We ran into some sketchballs who tried unsuccessfully to sell us a bag of "local" marijuana. The highlight of the decent was when Team Mzungu took on some locals in a impromptu soccer match. The boys we played only wore one shoe and were much more accustomed to the bumps in the "pitch" and the slope. Somehow we ended up having to play upfield. After a couple of goals we were on our way.
Afterwards we headed to Dragonaire for pizza. Pizza twice in a week, SCORE! Barely able to walk, especially after the long dinner, we went over to Bird-Mans to watch the Spain/Italy game--what a snoozer! What an awesome day though. All the pictures are here.
Saturday, June 21
Cake!
Jeran had already left his hotel and according to the attendant had headed for the post office. After meeting up we went over to Pira's--the MINI grocery store where all the mzungu get ripped off, especially on Cadbury or anything with a non-Arabic label. Highlight was picking up the requirements for Funfetti cake (label half in English; half in Arabic), which is the activity for the day. Very exciting..."Are these eggs raw?" "Yes." "Have they been cooked?" "Yes."
Dragonaires and Soccer...Again
Afterwards I headed to Bird-Man's to watch the Turkey-Croatia match. A snoozer for the first 90 minutes of play, the match picked up in extended time--and the stoppage time that followed. My genius has finally been confirmed...at least according to a Norwegian saying that proclaims anyone that can explain the off-sides rule to a woman and have her understand it a genius. I got double points from Bird-Man for being a women and being able to explain it to T-Man. Thank goodness for that.
Friday, June 20
New Friends and Company!
Last night I decided to give up on the half-pound of pasta with red sauce and grab some CHICKEN (I know, big step) and french fries...or rather Freedom Fries, at SUASA instead. I had the 700-something page The Fate of Africa with me to keep me entertained but luckily Bird-Man was there. He let me join him and it was nice to eat dinner with someone other than the Al Jazeera anchors. He was also kind enough to extend an open invitation to watch the soccer games with him--which I imagine I'll take him up on this weekend.
And last but certainly not least, I'm looking very forward to a friend of a friend's visit to Morogoro. While there is a "dearth of tourist activities" here, hopefully he'll be easily entertained by Euro2008 matches and big weekend meals out. My Swahili tutor offered to show me some new spots in town as well. Should be a fun weekend!
"Course Practicals"
The students are hilarious and can't seem to get enough of the mzungu. They assume that I know the answer to every question when really they know a whole lot more than me. (Mom, you were right...I definitely need to take Microbiology) I've been very impressed by their facility with all sorts of bacteria and viruses. They certainly know their stuff! They are so welcoming and insist that I do everything they do. They love to talk about the States and were completely blown away by the cost of education. One asked how we pay for it. Another responded, "Don't you know, white is the color of money."
Today we inoculated mice, and by inoculated I mean gave them a shot with some nasty parasites. If they aren't handled correctly they bite you and--apparently--this hurts. I tried to explain the similarity to my late hamster Maybel but the concept of a hamster and a pet made very little sense to them. Silly mzungu. When I asked what they had named the mice they were at first puzzled. I thought they didn't understand but when I asked in Swahili they answered, "Moja, mbili..." or "One, two...". One student, whose name means Thunderstorm in Swahili, said, "Let's name this one Obama." I named mine McCain and another one was bestowed with Hillary. Incidentally, we later dissected Hillary. Thunderstorm was my partner for the dissection and insisted that I do all the cutting and poking. We found a tumor in poor Hillary :( along with all the normal organs; we proceeded to do organ smears. My favorite was the squash smear of part of the brain--a true moment of hilarity when students from the other group showed me their George Bush brain...it's even better when you hear it with an accent.
I washed my hands like forty times before lunch.
Monday, June 16
Mikumi Safari
Mom don’t read this part…To check out the animals or take pictures we just roll down the windows and sit out on them.
We entered the park—wishing I could still pass for 16 and save $5—and within minutes saw some giraffes. The park is massive and apart from the occasional Land Rover, surprising not packed with people. While the scenery is evocative of the
T-Man drove the Land Cruiser toward the hippo pools while Bird-Man was on the look-out for bird species to catalogue and record in his notebook. He’s a well-equipped bird watcher with
Dundy insisted on exploring and by exploring I mean cheating death and getting as close to the crocodiles as possible. I was sure he was going to get eaten.
Don’t forget the baboon and the impala spotting. This is literally on the side of the road. We didn’t have to get out of the truck to take pictures of them or anything!
After some quality safari time we decided to break for lunch. I had a hamburger—for some reason having my second hamburger ever sounded really good—and fries (yes, T-Man, FREEDOM fries) at an over-priced hotel restaurant. The hotel was totally safaried out with posh little houses facing out to the plains and mountains, think the
Ready to see some elephants and simba (lions) we got back on the road, and what do you know, ZEBRAS!
We searched for a few hours but no luck on the elephants and lions, although Bird-Man had some excellent luck with his bird spotting. Around 5:30 we headed back out of the park and back towards Morogoro. On the road back we had our elephant spotting and like true tourists we hopped out of the car to snap some shots. The boys fell asleep on the ride home and after the requisite half-pound of pasta with tomato sauce I headed over to Bird-Man’s project house to close out an awesome day with more soccer. I couldn’t have asked for a better day to mark two weeks in