Pole Pole

Well I made it to Africa! I apologize for the delay. We have not had consistent electricity, so it is much harder to get to a computer than I  thought. I have been here for one week, and I am completely in love. In love with this country, in love with the community of Bagamoyo, in love with my fellow volunteers, in love with Africa. I have been through so much already, I am not even sure where to start. I guess I will start with the moment I knew I was coming back to Tanzania again. On one of my first days, I was taken to a family's community of about 40 to 50 children, adults, and elders. We arrived, and all the children just flocked to us. The children would braid our hair and sit right next to us while the rest of the family put on an amazing African dance and music performance for us. They played so many different instruments. They we so incredibly warm and inviting. They even gave us tea and peanuts while we all sat around just taking it all in. We had an interesting conversation about polygamy. Many of the men have more than one wife, and it is very common. My program director Zik, would translate as we would all share our ideas and our thoughts on the matter. They would laugh as we said the women hold the power in most marriages, and we would laugh as they said the men do.  I met a rasta named James there who is going to teach me how to batik and drum today.  I have also met a ton of rasta artists who are teaching me how to paint Tinga style this week. My fellow volunteers are amazing. I have really taken to two girls from Cleveland named Amy and Jordan. We have our own little mzungu (white person) prison across the road from the main house with a few other volunteers. The water situation is a bit spotty, but everything else has started to feel normal. We have several lizards that like to hang out with us in the house, and they are all named Fred. I have my own pet bugs,  but I never see them. I just see the love bites it gives me over and over again while I am sleeping. Good thing I have been taking my Malerone because I have been eaten alive by mosquitos. :) The town of Bagamoyo is so welcoming. Almost everyone you see on the road greets you with Mambo! The greetings last much longer than in the states, and my Swahili is vastly improving each day. Yesterday I was walking back from the Tunajali (Red Cross program), and this little girl just ran out of her hut all the way down the road and jumped all over me. She had to be only 2 or 3 years old. The children here are the happiest children I have ever seen. They have nothing, yet they always have a huge smile on there faces. They always run after us and yell "Mzungu! Mambo!"  This week I get to do some home visits and test for HIV/AIDS. We will be travelling to different villages and visiting people that have been affected. This has been so eye opening I can't discribe it. Being here has completely inspired me to make some changes when I get home and possibly do some grant writing. There are so many amazing school programs for the street kids and youth programs that are in constant need of funding. But this is also the most beautiful place I have visited. After a busy week of volunteering, Swahili lessons, guest speakers, and a full on soccer game that we were not prepared for at all, we decided to get away for the weekend.

A few of us went to a small island called Lazy Lagoon. We had a bungalow on the ocean that was absolutely beautiful. We relaxed by the beach, I read some of Shanteraum, and enjoyed the luminous African sunset. On Saturday, Amy, Jordan, and I took a boat back to Bagamoyo, and went reggae dancing Sat. night with the rastas. That too was incredible. We were the only ones there dancing under the moonlight with the rastas. On Sunday, the three of us decided to experience church here. Of course they made us introduce ourselves because it was the first time. It was about two hours, and they even had a translator in our honor. We were so tired after the long hectic week that all we wanted to do is take a big nap. But Sunday evening, we had a little stint at our compound.

Amy, Jordan, and I were sitting on the porch of our little gated house when a taxi driver walked right through the front gate. He then tried to enter the house when our adorable guard Tuma was right behind him trying to get him to leave. He was hissing at Tuma and all of a sudden there was a mob outside the gate screaming and yelling while Amy, Jordan, and I were trapped on the porch right next to this fight. We had to hop over the porch and run around the back of the house because the mob started yelling at us. Eventually we got into the house, but we had to turn off all the lights and lock all the doors because the mob was still outside yelling and screaming. Poor Tuma was just protecting us while the taxi driver was getting the crowd excited and angry. Our director came over with the rest of the staff including the cook and the rest of guards to try and calm the crowd down, but it didn't work. Tuma came inside and kept us safe while Zik entered the main gate and kept an ey on the front of the house. This all lasted about 2 hours. It was pretty scary, but it taught us all to be more careful in general. Only call taxis, pike pikes, and bdajis they reccommend, always lock the gate, and be more alert. So we all went to sleep a bit anxious last night. We thought the community would be angry with us today, but they were completey warm and welcoming this morning when we all walked to our different placements.  This community makes me want to stay here more and more every day.   I am so excited for this weekend because I will be on a camping Safari for Christmas. One day on a boat, one day in a truck, and one day on foot. I will write more and add photos as soon as I can, but I am on Bagamoyo time which means Pole Pole (Pole Pole means slowly in Swahili). I miss you all so much, but I don't think I will be ready to come home when it is time. It is flying by so fast.