It's my first day of school at Luther and reality is hitting me. The transition has been more intense than I first realized. I guess I came home from Tanzania excited and ready to relax. Of course I missed certain things immediately like the great fruit, the random Swahili all around me, and the freedom and life I felt in Tanzania. Now that I am at school though I'm realizing I live in a bubble here. I feel isolated from people somehow, like I have a secret that I can't tell people. I just don't feel like I have words yet to describe my experience to people, and the only people who I can talk to about Tanzania, Anna and Bekah who were there, are not at Luther. Thus, I'm resigned to a slow adjustment back to the Luther world.



It's hard looking back on Tanzania. The longer I am away from the experience the more my glasses become rosy. Thinking back now I want to return right away and just spend more time there. Luther is not as I remembered it for a variety of reasons and it seems that the old saying, "the grass is always greener on the other side" is true for me. But I don't want to be that way. I know, as my journal shows, that my time in Tanzania was not always fun. At times I was frustrated, I wanted to come home, and wanted to be with friends. Now that I have left though, the frustrating becomes desired and the magical Shangri La I was returning to seems to be a regular place.



Going to Tanzania was the best experience I've ever had. I learned tolerance, humility, and gratitude all in the span of a few months. However, best does not equal always fun. Life in Tanzania is tough, tougher than here, but it still is life. People are just trying to live, support family, have fun, spend time with family and friends, and experience the world. It seems people here like to depict Tanzania and Africa as a whole as this poor, wretched place...and it is poor, at least poorer monetarily than the US, but when you're there it is just life. People enjoy what they have and they live! I hope if there is one thing I can take from the entire experience, it is the zest and zeal for life that Tanzanians demonstrate everyday.



As the cold weather and the constricting whiteness of the landscape, people, and walls set in, I hope to remember the colorful moment in my life: Tanzania. Thank you for joining me on this adventure. Asante sana rafiki yangu. Enjoy these last images from Tanzania and enjoy life.



Last Look at Tanzania

It's day four of Dar's WATER CRISIS! Yes, the big news here is that on Monday the main water pipe in Dar broke! We have been without water for four days now and it's crazy here. On Wednesday the city finally brought Magi Safi trucks to campus. These are huge petro-looking trucks that carry water. People can go fill up there 5 gallon buckets and carry their water home on their head if they can fight through the bucket crowd to get water. I think the whole event is best described by Sam who called it the great migration. It literally is like the wilderbeast migration in the Serengeti as hundreds of students descend on these trucks in a desperate rush for what we all take for granted in the states: water. The crazy part is this water isn't even "safe" by our standards. It still needs to be boiled before drinking. So, I tried to document this colorful, plastic-filled migration for all to see. By the sound of it, it's likely there will not be water for sometime, so it looks like I'll be coming home on a 5 day showering, water hiatus. I bet my family will be excited to see me in the airport! Also troubling from the whole water problem is the backup in the toliet. You can't flush when there isn't water and after 5 days on a floor with about 20 guys, you can imagine how pleasant the stench is!



Enjoy these pics of the water and other university sites and drink some tap water for me!

Dar Water Crisis



I'll be putting a few more pics up when I return home too so check back. The other news here is that Bekah left today at 3.30pm. We had a great time together seeing the country and it was fun to show my new home to someone. Now she's off to play in the land of Lord of Rings...which we all went to last night!



We had a surprise birthday party for Anna that climaxed with the 9.30pm showing of LOR. It was hilarious because we got to see the AIDS public service announcement ads, which are comedy, we had a 10 min intermission while they changed the reels, and we were able to read the sign outside the theatre that said: "In the likely event of a power outage, the generator will turn on and the movie will continue within 2 minutes. Please be patient." Fortunately, there was no outages during the incredible movie. It was fun to think I was watching it at noon Central time in the US so I probably got to see it before most Luther folk! Ha ha! Benefits of living in the Eastern Hemisphere. Well, we're off to a friends house tonight for pasta before our last day in dar tomorrow. I'm just tired now and ready to finish tying up all the loose ends.

Time is fast slipping away and the past two weeks have been nuts! I returned from London for my last week of classes. Essentially I had to do two months of work in one week. So, four papers and three tests later I was officially done with my studies at the University of Dar Es Salaam! Hoorah! It's been a fun semster, but not because of school. I'm excited to get back to the challenging, questioning, critical education I get at Luther as opposed to the memorization, no question style of teaching and learning here.



Then, only hours after my last test, I went to the Dar International Airport (slight chuckle) to pick up Bekah! Yes, it's true, my girlfriend Rebekah flew in from Singapore to spend my last two weeks with me. The anticipation was maddening as Bekah was the last one to get a VISA. I actually walked through security because I was afraid something had happened, but she was fine and we soon entered the staggering heat of Dar.



Thrusday night we experience the cafeteria and then crashed. Friday was an amazing day. We got up and headed over to Mlimani Shule where I taught all semester. It was their last day of school so all the kids were outside playing games. We met my teacher and they showed Bekah around and then they took us into this classroom. There the kids had been preparing a show for the teachers. It was a story with song and dance that taught about UKIMWI, which is AIDS in Swahili. Then, for a gift for my last day, they put on the show for Bekah and I!! It was incredible. All the kids were singing, dancing, telling stories in swahili, and acting out the ways AIDS is spread and ways to prevent it. not exactly like the golden tamran skit I did in 5th grade with Kayla Flynn, but fun none the less. It's just incredible to think these kids at the 5th grade level have to learn about AIDS. The show was incredible and as I left the school I started bawling. I'm glad Bekah was there to dry my tears but it was very difficult to say goodbye to the kids, knowing that statistically, only 1 in 3 will finish school and very few will go on to University. They are all so amazing, it just hit me how unfair underdevelopment is to the most innocent: the children. I was very thankful for my time at Mlimani and I know that I learned much more than I taught. It seems that is how it usually works though.



Mlimani Shule Performance



That night the teacher I taught with invited Bekah and I over to his house. It was so much fun! We met his wife, his newborn baby, and his sister who is in high school and is planning on being a nun! We ate a great Tanzanian meal and enjoyed a long night of conversation. Professor Sipto's sister was in love with Bekah! They talked the whole night and at the end of the evening she gave Bekah a kanga that said "We'll love you always, in good times and bad times." She showed B how to wear it and we all hugged and said goodbye after a great evening. Professor Sipto and his wife escorted us all the way back to the university, about a half hour away, and we said goodbye and thank you.



Friends at Dar





Saturday Bekah and I woke up early and headed out on a bumpy slow bus to Lushoto. Lushoto is a small town in the Mountains about 5 hours from Dar. It was the old vacation spot for German colonizers and is beautiful! We spent three days in Lushoto hiking and enjoying the cool weather and fun times at Karibuni Lodge! While there we met some great people and they all told stories about their great safaris so we thought....hey, we're halfway to Arusha, we should go on safari! So, Bekah and I headed out from Lushoto to Arusha on an even slower, bumpier, hotter, and more plastic bus than before.



Lushoto



We arrived in Arusha three hours late, booked a small room and then started the search for a safari that left the next day. We went through a list of recommended companies but no one had anything leaving the next day. Finally we went to Bobby Safaris. They offered $100 a day for our own safari which was more than we wanted but at this point it was our only option. We busted out the credit card when they said we don't take credit cards...thus began our long, extended money ordeal. I paid what I had, which wasn't much and withdrew some money from the ATM, but the ATM had a withdrawl limited so I could only take about a third out of what I needed. They said they would still let us go if we paid when we got back. I called my parents who generously put more money in my account and we crossed our fingers that things would work out. That night at our hotel two Dutch girls stopped us and said, are you going on safari tomorrow with Bobby tours? We said yes reluctantly and they said they joined our group! That was great because not only did we have fun people to go with but it was also much cheaper with more people! They were two girls in their late 20's and both were fun and energetic. We headed out on safari and had an awesome time.



The first day we headed to Lake Manyara and saw lots of elephants and monkeys. The second day we took the long drive to Serengeti and saw an amazing landscape and lions, cheetahs, and giraffees oh my! We had a great time there and saw an amazing storm forming over the Serengeti Plains. I felt like I was in the Toto song "Africa." Sure as Kilimanjaro rising about the plains of the Serengeti...I bless the rains down in Africa...gonna take a lot to take me away from you...etc. It was great! We camped in the Seregeti and the last day was spent in Ngorogoro Crater. It's a huge volcanic mountain, larger than modern day Kilimanjaro, that collapsed about 2.5 million years ago leaving a huge crater where one of the older humans was found. We cruised around the crater seeing wilderbeasts, pumba (warthogs), lions playing with their kids, a black rhino, and Masaai hearding their cattle among zebras. Very surreal. We camped over looking the crater and enjoyed our final meal with our amazing cook Roger who indulged us with Spaghetti, Banana fritters, soups and foods that made us ready to go home to diverse, fulfilling food.



Safari with B



We made it back to Arusha with exactly 8,000 Tsh...which is what we thought the room would cost. Unfortunately we got there and they only had a double room so the Dutch girls gave us a loan. Then we went to the ATM and again the withdrawl limit prevented us from getting out enough money. We went to bobby tours about $60 dollars short. They said we could pay in the morning before we left and we thanked them for their generosity. The Dutch girls then gave us another loan of 70,000 shillings which would pay the 66,000 we were told we owned as well as giving us a little money to get home with. We went to the safari company early in the morning and instead of the son greeting us as he did the night before, it was the father. We sat down, excited to pay off our debt with the 70,000 tsh. when he told us his son had made a mistake. It was actually 100,000 Tsh. We informed him we did not have any money and that there wasn't anything we could do, they told us what we owned and that's what we had. Mr. Bobby went off in a rage. He said can't a man make a mistake and that this is how it always was, we (meaning whites) were always right and they (meaning Indians) were always wrong. I about lost it. I couldn't believe he was trying to place the race card, especially since he essentially did the same thing against the Tanzanians who historically have been mistreated by the Indians in Tanzania. We were so mad that he was so short and we felt bad, but we actually didn't have the money. But, I guess I didn't feel so bad considering that I think the exchange rate he was using for Tsh to dollars was inflated. I think he ended up just fine and that the explosion of pent up racial frustration should cost him 29,000 Tsh anyways.



So, Bekah and I limped home. We had to borrow 100 schilling on the bus (ten cents)so we could get a bus back. When we finally did make it back to dar, it felt great. At home, safe, comfortable, able to access money. Saturday we went out to eat at the Euro Pub with Bre, Josh, and Mike from ACM and then we all went dancing. Yesterday, Sunday, we went to two church services and had a great send off from both. Everyone is praying for our safe travel and it was kind of sad to think the churches I had been attending, although I did not always like or agree with, were now just part of history for me.



It's weird thinking everyday this is the last this or the last that. Our week is filled with last get togethers and it will be hard to leave. I have enjoyed my stay here thoroughly. There are so many good people that have been a part of my life, that it will be difficult to say more goodbyes. I know though that even more awesome people are awaiting me at home, and so I have mixed feelings. I leave Friday night here and get home on December 20th. I don't know if I'll get a chance to blog again, but if not, thank you so much for e-mails, letters, kind words, prayers, and your interest in my travels! Your support has helped me greatly during this intense semester. It's been a wild ride, and I hope that you've been able to share some of it with me!

Pics from the trip...



Although I didn't catch the hip swinging of Bombay Dreams or the moment when my friend Eric and I (who is studying in London) found a dark alley in London to pee in after a night at the bar, I think these pics aren't bad. Check em out!



London, Bath, and Stonehedge



Nottingham



Dubai

And I'm back. I just returned about 4 hours ago from a whirlwind trip to Dubai, Nottingham, and London. It was great! I flew to Dubai and spent a day with Jyoti Grewal, a professor from Luther who is now teaching in Dubai. She was kind enough to share her apartment with Anna O (who spent 5 days in Dubai or so) and I and we had an awesome time in Dubai. The only way I can describe Dubai is the city of the future. They are extremely tolerant and it is the norm to see multi-ethnic couples. They are also filthy rich from trading and oil distribution so everything is universal there for citizens: education, health, and even housing. There are no taxes and they built a place that rivals Disney World in neatness and man-made beauty in the frickin desert! It was a very interesting place. Just unusual to see people dressed head to toe in traditional, conservative Muslim clothing while shopping for hundred dollar outfits in a four story mall. The time went quickly there and the next day I zoomed to Nottingham!



There I met up with Jacqueline Smith who goes to Luther and is spending the semester in Nottingham with about 10 other Luther kids. I hung out at their flat, went to the pub, toured the city and the college, and basically felt like I was at luther for awhile. It was very relaxing and the cool weather felt great under the black leather coat I borrowed from the flat!



I set out on Monday for London to meet up with my family, minus andrea and brian. I pulled up just as they were going out to eat and so started our vacation. We stayed in an awesome little hotel and basically spent the whole week doing mostly family stuff (chilling, eating, talking), some theatre (saw Bombay Dreams a spoof on Bollywood films, Blood Brothers dramatic musical, and Les Miserables the classic french revolution musical), and a few tourist things (the London eye, Tower of London, Bath, and Stonehedge). It's hard to encapsulate the week, but essentially it was good family time. It was an obvious shock to be surrounded by so many cars, things, and lights...but it was good. I was very ready to come back because I don't feel ready to leave TZ yet. It was a good break though and one that I think will help me appreciate TZ.



I returned without significant problems and am just trying to catch up with stuff. I'm working on pics now that will give you a better feel for the travels. I'm very excited because Bekah is coming on Thursday and will be here for two weeks. It should be awesome! I have a lot of work to do before she comes though so wish me luck!

I fought with a monkey last night. It was quite crazy. I was walking up the stairs and there on the first floor was the monkey rummaging through the trash. I tried to scare him away with a growling noise, and he just stood up and hissed back. Then I saw, attached upside down on his belly was the baby monkey! I can see what s/he wanted to fight! Well, I left it alone and it eventually left...just another day in Tanzania. I spent the rest of last night writing two papers. The most work I've done all semester I think. I had to cram it in because today I'm leaving for Dubai and then England! I'm very excited! I'll be seeing my friend and teacher Jyoti Grewal in Dubai, U.A.E. If you're wondering where that is, it's on the Southeast tip of the Arabian Peninsula, just south of Iran. It's quite aways but I figure it will be the only time in the near future I'll have a chance to go to the Middle East, so I thought I'd go! Don't worry though, Dubai is a very safe place and a very wealthy place. Apparently, 80% of the population is actually ex-Pats, meaning Europeans and Americans. Should be a very interesting place. I just hope I don't get too hungry since I'll be forced to fast for Ramadan while I'm there. After a day in Dubai I'll be heading to Nottingham to see Jacque at the University there and then will meet my family in London! Should be a crazy trip and a good way to celebrate the Eda Holiday. That's the end of Ramadan, the fasting time, so it's a big party like Mardi Gras! Well, I'll be in England so probably won't see such a big celebration but maybe I'll see something that will remind me of Thanksgiving. That's a funny thing to think about. Thanksgiving while having 90 degree weather. Well, I'm going to write a few e-mails and then head out on my Emirates flight. I'll be back next Sunday! Happy Holidays!

Last set of pics for now...A few shots of Anna and her fam while they were visiting. We had a great time eating and chatting, but the time flew by! Now they are on their way back to Ohio (not the midwest).

Anna and Fam

We had a great time at Zanzibar meeting 3 Americans on the Semester at Sea program! They came to Dar a few days later and we had a great time showing them around. I wrote more about it earlier (below) but here's the pics that go with the stories! A SASy Weekend

A belated but good look at Zanzibar, the island off the coast of Tanzania. It's such a different place, but beautiful as you can see from the people and the pics. Between a spice tour, a day in stone town, and a night eating at the fish market on the beach, we had a great time! Zanzibar

Back at it...



Anna's parents left last night and Lindsey has malaria! Kind of a depressing day today. The work is piling up and I'm trying to make it to Friday when I can head to Dubai and London. Lots of work before then though. Tonight is turkey dinner at the US embassy, an unusual gesture of compassion, so we'll see how heartfelt it is.



Things have been crazy here lately. Gerard and Josh's room was broken into on Friday and so there have been security people everywhere as we are getting frustrated it took 3 break ins for them to do anything. There was also a fire in the dorm next to ours! UDSM is going crazy.



For now, you can get a little taste of the college with these pics from dar...very random but representative. enjoy. Friends and Tanzania

Pictures are finally working! Check them out!



This is a big set! We had picture day at school and these are the pictures of all the kids I teach! They are great and so personable in front of the camera.

Mlimani Shule



Pics from our birthday party! I turned 21 and a half and Lindsey turned 20 and half, thus a 21st birthday!



Birthday Party



More coming tomorrow, out of time now. Enjoy!

It's been extremes ups and downs the past 24 hours but it is finally up again. It all started with my seminar presentation. For each class we have a seminar which is a smaller group that discusses an issue from the lectures. Everyone in the seminar is supposed to present once in the semester and since my semester is short, I've been trying to get them all done as soon as possible. So I joined the group for presentations in Democracy and Elections and had the ultimate Tanzanian culture experience. What should have taken 10 minutes to come to a position and then divide up work ended up taking 2 and a half hours and in traditional Tanzanian fashion we had to talk all around the issue. Just when I thought we'd reach a conclusion someone would say something and we would go off on a new tangent and come to a new position. It was so frustrating! Then to make matters worse, when everyone brought their research back they decided we should only have one presenter and they picked me! Thus, I had to learn everyone's material and try to slow my language down and speak British essentially so people in the class could understand me. It was very frustrating, but it turned out well as I presented today on how Africa is not going through a third reverse wave towards authoritarianism. I think I scared them though as I used a banana as a visual aid and squished it. Oh well, who cares about taboos!



Also frustrating was pictures. I have been trying to figure out pictures and how to get them online and yesterday spent about half the day trying different computers and methods. Finally, Gerard helped me out and between him, me, and his computer we got the pics ready to go online! So scroll down and you'll find them!



The reason for hte push to get the pictures on line was that today was School Picture Day at school! It was so much fun. I took my polaroid camera and my digital and every student received a polaroid picture of themselves. They were thrilled and the best part was how they all did little poses for the picture. Very funny. I haven't downloaded those pictures yet, but I think tomorrow I'll put up all the students' head shots if you want to see the kids I teach! They have an end of the year test next Friday so that is the big news from Mlimani Shule!



Now I am going to head out to Mwenge to get some pants made for me! We'll see how it goes. The internet's being slow so the pics will be up later. Get excited. There's a lot of them!

It's been 100 days, or so my mom says. That's an uber long time. I feel like we should have a party like in elementary school on the 100th day. I guess I'll go to church to celebrate. We're pretty crazy people here.



Last night we DID had a crazy experience though. We went to Bend it Like Beckham at the European Film Festival, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Then we all piled in the car to leave and we hadn't even gone one block when a policeman stood in front of our car and told us to pull over. We did (stupid mistake), and he told us we were going the wrong way down a one way and that they were going to take our car and take us to court. It was so frustrating! Ayubuh argued with them and we all stood around protesting for almost an hour. We knew exactly what he wanted and despite Swahili protest, we eventually paid the 10 dollar bribe and went on our way to Bilicans to go dancing. I was so mad though at Tanzanian legal practices, the fact that police on foot can just stop you and threated you with a corrupt legal system. It's either go to the corrupt legal system or pay the corrupt police. What do you do? Then to make matters worse, on the way to Bilicanas two more police tried to stop us. Our Tanzanian friend Ayubuh who was in the car said "DRIVE ON!" and we did, screeching past the protesting police. I guess that's how it works here. Run or pay. So that was our exciting night in Dar last night, a lesson in Tanzanian law I guess.



Today is chill with church and some homework. Anna's parents arrived on Thursday and they are on safari all week, but we'll see them again next weekend, perhaps in Zanzibar again!

I've faced the facts: I suck at laundry. Today I attempted to do laundry the tanzanian way. They have this bar of soap that Anna O swears makes your clothes the closest to white they can be in Tanzania. Well, I took out the soap and an hour and a half later went and got the woolite. All the Tanzanians were giving me tips and I think I basically sloshed water around without cleaning anything. Then to make matters worse, or more entertaining, I hung my clothes on the line and it started raining! It's probably better though b/c I'm sure i didn't rinse properly or something. Who knows. Needless to say I won't complain about walking down the stair to put my clothes in the washing machine at Luther again. Or at least not for a while.



Anna's parents arrived safetly here and we've had a great time with them. We all went out for Indian food on Thursday night along with two Danish girls Erin met, Ayubuh our Tanzania friend, and Des our friend from South Africa. It was quite an international event and so tasty! The Osterbur's were extremely generous too and bought dinner for everyone! I was stunned. Very kind. Yesterday Anna gave them the shock and awe tour of Tanzania and we all went to Mama Mshigeni's house for a traditional Tanzanian meal. Mama Mshigeni is like the coordinator of study abroad here and is in charge of all us crazy internationals! We had a great meal though and a fun time. Now Anna and her folks left for safiri in the north and then a trip to Zanzibar, while the rest of us are here in the lab. Time is flying though and soon the time will be up.



I got more pictures from our trip coordinator from the beginning of the trip, so if you want to see me posing with some maasi warriors or painting the local school, check em out! A second look back



We've had a troubling occurances here at the University. Two American girls, both on a program from Brown University, have had their rooms broken into and had things stolen, from passports to envelopes. Needless to say we are a bit on edge, so that has been kind of an unfortunately occurance. Until now, I have felt so safe and secure here. Now though I'm looking my room everytime I go to the bathroom even. Too bad.



The rest of the day includes homework, watching English Premier League football, and watching Bend it Like Beckham at the British Council. Sounds like a fun day! Tomorrow might be a beach day. We'll see!

It's a scorcher today and I'm already dripping just from walking to the lab. I had an interesting experience this morning trying to call Rebekah in Australia. Normally, I go the cell phone route because it's my only option, and it's $2.20, so needless to say our calls are short and not very frequent. Today though I went to check out a new store that advertised international calls. At first glance it looked great! It was only $.90 a minute! I went though and this new business had there computer set up all wrong and they needed it to make the call, so I was there for an hour and a half essentially setting up their business and installing software and such. Then right when everything was ready, the network quit! I couldn't make the call and was only able to make the 4 minute call. Sad day...



Tonight Anna's parents come which should be great! We'll celebrate by going out to eat! Should be fun. Saturday, big plans...Bend it Like Beckham is playing at the Euro film festival so I think we'll head there. Otherwise, a quiet week in dar. Enjoy the snow!

Happy November! I had a great time for Halloween here! Thanks to candy sent by June Brown and some pictures sent from my mom, I got to celebrate by

teaching my 5th grade kids about Halloween. It was hilarious! I taught them how to

trick or treat and they all had to say who they were dressed like, the

pattern went like this: "I'm David Beckham, I'm Jennifer Lopez, I'm David

Beckham, I'm 50 Cent, I'm David Beckham, I'm George Bush (no joke), I'm

David Beckham, I'm Ashanti...etc." Pretty much name your favorite black R

and B/Rap artist and they were represented...and of course david beckham.

It was fun.



They cracked up too b/c my mom sent a letter with scanned

pics of different costumes we had worn in the past; they couldn't believe that i too had once been a kid. It was great fun. The day culminated by teaching them "trick

or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat!" I could still hear them singing it when I was halfway back to the university. More corruption by their American teacher! It was great fun though, and surprising difficult to explain Halloween. My roommate even asked me what the difference between a witch and a wizard was...interesting question! So, Halloween was a blast and things have been going well.



We're all enjoying free European movies at the film festival in town and last night I went out dancing with three Swedes, two Tanzanians and a partridge in a pear tree. It was a great mental exercise as much of the conversation was in Swedish (which is very similar to Norwegian!) and Swahili. My head was slightly sore by the end of the night, but it felt great to be able to jump languages like that! Today is quiet, probably church at 4:30 and a movie at 7:30 at the British Council. I hope all is well in the States...enjoy the snow!

And Zanzibar...I'm going crazy tonight with 3 blogs, but hey, do it while I'm in the mood I guess.



Yeah, we left Friday for Zanzibar! Zanzibar is a small island off of mainland Tanzania and it is beautiful. Way back when it was the center for the Arabic slave trade and to this day is roughly 95% Muslim. It is a different world from Tanzania as we soon found out!



Well, Anna and I heard from our friends from Luther who lived in Tanzania last fall about the legendary "Flying Horse" boat to Zanzibar. There are three boats that leave almost every other hour to Zanzibar, two of them costing about 15 thousand Tsh. for a resident and taking 2 hours and the legendary Flying Horse, (bequithed the Dying Horse by Zack and Mike last year) costing half as much and taking twice as long. Of course Anna and I took the dying horse and it seemed nice at first. But then we started moving. It was so choppy and soon people all around us were throwing up in plastic grocery bags! I was getting there, so I took a dramimine and Anna and I abandoned our "first class" seats for the main deck for some fresh air. I fell asleep eventually and that made the trip pass rather quickly. We tried to play chess but our pieces started sliding from side to side as the boat rocked. Well, three and a half hours later we arrived and we were not swamped by cabs, mostly because we were on the crappy, cheap boat I think. But, we found the great little hotel that Erin and Lindsey had book earlier in the day when they arrived and settled in.



That night, we ate at someone's house! It was a "restaurant" but really was a families porch. They cooked us a traditional Zanzibarian meal which was awesome! We headed to bed early and got up to go on a spice tour! We were in a van that soon filled up with a Spainard couple, two belgian friends and us. It was fun! We headed out of Stone Town, the main city where we were staying into the countryside where spices are harvested. Zanzibar is famous for its spice production and we were able to see cinnamon, cloves, lemongrass, all spice, and so many other spices i can't remember! Mostly though, I don't remember because we spent most of the spice tour talking to these American kids our age on the Semester at Sea! They were in Tanzania for 5 days or something like that and were so great. Zack, Amy, and Rae were their names and they came from California, Wheaton College in Illinois, and near St. Louis. We had so much fun talking and despite rain on our tour we had fun and decided to meet later that day.



Well, we shopped a bit in Stone Town with them and went to the fish market where there are sellers everywhere and fresh fish and fried food. I had the greatest drink ever: sugar cane juice with a hint of lemon. wow! It was great. I had three of them along with my nan, meat, and chips! After much chat and hanging out back at the Semester at Sea kids' hotel, a few of us went out to go dancing...unfortunately it was the first night of Ramadan and there was no dancing to be had in Stone Town so we settled for a bar and and more sugar cane drinks! We parted later that evening and exchanged numbers because they were coming to Dar on Monday. Anna and I headed back Sunday morning on the fast boat and made it back in time to play guitar for church that afternoon.



Monday we met up with our S.A.S. friends again and were able to show off our home. We took them to all the markets, made them ride the dalas, and give them the real Tanzania. It was so exciting to feel like I could show off my home! We had a great weekend seeing a new part of Tanzania and even more fun returning "home."

I just realized looking at the history, that I haven't talked about my crazy marine experience...or zanzibar but first the marine story! Beers and brats is how it starts...that's right, Oktoberfest! The German Embassy sponsered an Oktoberfest in Dar that a bunch of us went to and it was great fun. Great meat, beer, and a great German band! I don't think my ancestors are from Bavaria, but for the night I pretended. The real craziness started after the evening though. Our cab didn't return to pick us up as planned and so we started hitching for rides and who would pick us up, but the US Marines. There are about 6 marines in dar who guard the embassy and they had also been at Oktoberfest. They picked us up in their brand new landroover and said they'd give us a ride, but first we had to go to the Marine House. We reluctantly agreed and as soon as the car door shut, the tires started squealing. We were flying around Dar...130 km/hr which is almost 80mph I think! It was bad. The worst part was the marines in the car were being absolute jerks to the Tanzania driver, talking down to him and saying things like "that's an order not a suggestion" and "you can go faster than that!" I realized then why so many people hate Americans! I would too if this is what I saw of America. Well, we arrived at the Marine house and it really should have been called the marine mansion. There was a pool, and pool table, two bars, a library, two computer, and beautiful wood furniture...all for 6 guys who seemed to care more about having enough shot glasses than experiencing any part of tanzania. Well, they said everyone who visited had to take an "independance shot" and they continued drinking the whole time we were there, before they left for the bar. It was kind of sad actually to talk to them and hear how much they hated living here and realizing they just hang out with each other and drink almost every night. Well, we left the peninsula where they lived and made it back to the university in 9 minutes...usually it's a 45 min trip! I was very excited to get out of the car in one piece!!

Long drops and music, the fun of today. That's right, I had my first long drop choo experience. A choo is the swahili word for toliet, and thus far I have avoided the dreaded "long drop" toliets. Now, it's important to note there are many types of long drops, the extremes being the hole in the ground with small cement blocks for your feet such as the bathrooms found at the shamba and the higher class long drop flushers that have the whole and a little porcelin area increasing the target. Well, the one near daruso is higher class, but that didn't stop me from feeling a bit awkward as i squatted down and did my best to keep my pants clean. I was walking by DARUSO after my 7am Swahili class and just had to go to the bathroom! Fortunately, I had my trusty toliet paper in my backpack and was able to relieve myself and keep the floor and my pants clean. I felt like an accomplished long dropper.



Tonight I had a great time at my music class. I'm in a fine and performing arts class that's basically like choir. They laughed so hard because we were singing the national anthem and one of the words started with an imploded "mu" sound. I couldn't do it for the life of me. It was such a foreign sound and not a verb sound I've ever made. I faked my way through it and had a great time singing the national anthem and "Tanzania Nakupenda," the Tanzanian version of "America the beautiful." I even taped it on a voice dictator so when I get home I'll be able to play for everyone the shrilling, bright sound of passionately untrained Tanzanian singers. It's quite an experience.

Life in Tanzania is great of late. We've been having a lot of fun and some surprises! On Thursday I was floored when Anna, Erin, Bre, Gerard, and company surprised Lindsey and I with a birthday party! My half birthday was in September and hers was October and so they figured that her being 20 and 1/2 and me being 21 and 1/2 they could have a 21st birthday celebration! I was so unexpected and fun! They had cake, which is about the hardest thing to find in Tanzania and wine, and Lindsey and I both received tapes of our favorite Tanzanian music, mine being "Hakuna Muguu kama wewe" (There is no God like you). On top of that, Anna saw a Chelsea football jersey that had the logo "Fly Emirates" on the front and in honor of my flight to England on Emirates Airlines she bought it for me! We had a great time chatting and spending time with our great LCCT group!



The fun continued Friday when I went out to eat planning to meet our South African friend Des. Unfortunately one of the kids in her youth group injured himself so she had to nurse him back to health, so I was sitting at Addis in Dar, a great Ethiopian restaurant by myself just listening to English-Swahili-and...Norwegian?! I couldn't believe it! I thought I heard Norwegian. I finished my great meal and honey wine and walked over to these two girls and asked if they were from Norway. They were actually from Sweden (close enough that I could understand some of their words) and so I sat with them and had a great chat, not to mention a ride halfway home...it's all about hitchhiking here in Tanzania.



Saturday was crazy! At first I went to DARUSO, the local bar type place on campus to watch the Arsenal-Chelsea football match (football being soccer of course.) I was blown away! There were about 300 Tanzanians squeezed around one TV, all sitting in the cheap plastic coca-cola chairs and yelling at every move or "tsking" at bad plays. When one team would score the place erupted with plastic chairs and tables being flung airborn. It was great fun...but one odd part was not a single woman! It was a testostorne filled room and the only reason I could walk to find a chair was because a ray of sunlight keep a small space open. Monkeys were jumping off the roof on to nearby trees and the whole scene was quite a memory. After the game, I worked on a project with a Tanzania friend named Ally and went to the opening party to celebrate the formation of an Anti-AIDS club on campus. There were the hottest Tanzania groups, like the Unique Sisters, and guess who I would run into at the concert, but the Swedish girl I met the night before! It is a small world even in Dar. A group of us went out dancing after the Anti-AIDS club concert and one of the Swedish girl's friends knew some great salsa moves so I tried to pick those up. We stretched our limited amount of money just far enough to get us home.



Sunday was of course church and IDOLS! Yes, South Africa has a version of American Idol and we had to watch the last one...I was thinking how much Adam St. John would have loved it! There were two girls left and both were incredible, but the worse singer, (but white one) of the two one...personally I think it reflects racial tensions in S. Africa but the others tried to assure me it was because her voice was more pop where as the other girls was more gospel.



This week has been quiet with classes running and actually a day of clouds and rain! It was heavenly. We all put on our pants and felt like we were at home. now though it is back to its hot self. I'm having a great time though because i've really rediscovered the enjoyment of reading...analyzing the bible, reading novels and playing guitar. It will be quite a change to go back to Luther and have to work again! Also, Anna and I have started up quite a chess rivalry. We bring the pieces that anna bought and the paper board we made (because we were too cheap at the time to buy a real board) with us everywhere we go. Hopefully I'll be able to match up with the Bergans when I come home!



Today I'm going to try to throw the disc a little bit and go to a choir rehearsal...otherwise, another chill day in Africa!