Postscript

We took a fun trip out to an island just off the coast of Dar es Salaam. It was about a 15 minute boat ride, and the water was clear and shallow enough that we could see the bottom of the ocean for most of our trip. Jeff and I sat up in the very front of the boat for the trip; it gave us the best view.

The island was beautiful and the water was warm. I keep having to remember that it’s summer here! We did some snorkeling and saw some coral and fish. After swimming for a while, our group took a walk around the island. We were told that it would take about 40 minutes…2 hours later…we were back to where we started… But, even though it was longer than we expected, it was really neat. We saw all kind of sea life in the tide pools. We chased a few crabs. Saw some lizards and climbed around on rocks. Jeff and I collected all kinds of really cool shells. I like to have shells in my car. I love the ocean, and when I see shells in the car it reminds me of my last trip to the ocean. So, now I have my collection of car shells!

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We had a fun cooking lesson today. Prepared food isn’t as readily available, and some food items just aren’t the same as home. Knowing how to cook from scratch is more important here. So, our class made a meal together from scratch–bread (including loaves, rolls, and a pizza crust), tomato sauce, broccoli salad, fruit salad (using local fruits), pizza, and brownies. Yum!

It was really fun, and the food was so good. While the Tanzanian food we’ve been eating has been good and tasty, it was still very nice to eat some food like what we would eat at home.

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We had a lesson today on how many Africans handle and use money which was followed by a role play based on the principles we learned. Jeff played a Mwajiriwa (can’t remember what that means) that was employed by a Mzungu (foreigner). I played a Msaidizi wa Kipofu, which means that I helped a blind friend/family member beg.

Money issues can be the cause of misunderstandings between Africans and western foreigners (like Europeans, American and Canadians). The economy works differently. Money is often shared with friends and family members rather than kept by individuals. Many other differences exist as well, so this was good exposure to beginning to understand how money matters work here.

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We’ve had some fun playing a few games together on some free evenings. A group favorite is Ligretto (aka–Dutch Blitz).

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We’ve had three session of Swahili language learning. Swahili is spoken in several east African countries. There are many languages used in Kenya, but in the city of Nairobi English and Swahili are both widely used. Because English is so prevalent in Nairobi, Swahili language school is not required for us; however, knowing some basic words and phrases will still be helpful.

So, here’s some very basic Swahili small talk that we’ve practiced with my very “free” English equivalent:

A: Hodi hodi! (Can I come in?)
B: Karibu. (Welcome.)

A: Asante. (Thank you)
B: Karibu kiti. (Have a seat.)

A: Asante sana. (Thank you very much)
B: Jina lako nani? (What is your name?)

A: Jina langu ni Jeff. Na wewe je? (My name is Jeff. And yours?)
B: Jina langu ni Heather. Nina toka USA. Na wewe je? (My name is Heather. I’m from the USA. And you?)
A: Nina toka USA. (I’m from the USA.)

A: Kawaheri. (Bye)
B: Kawaheri. (Bye.)

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We usually have a selection of fruit available for us after each meal. One of the bananas had a name carved in it–John. It gave us a good laugh .

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We arrived safely in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The first thing we noticed when we got off the plane was the temperature difference. Dar is HOT! The temperature in Nairobi is much more moderate because of it’s high elevation. Dar is at sea level, and it’s summer…

We’re staying at a motel, and we’re thankful that we have an in-window air-conditioner. They also have a generator for the whole place, so when the power is out, the a/c can stay on. We’re also grateful to have hot water, so no cold showers. Those two things should make our stay here over the next three weeks much more comfortable.

Our schedule will be full, but we also have some free time to relate with the other participants in the course. There are ten adults and two children. The group includes people from the US, the UK, Canada and the Netherlands. While we’ll be heading to Kenya at the completion of the course, other participants will be staying in Tanzania and others are just here to explore and learn more about east Africa.

Some of the topics we’ll be covering include:
* Medical care and health
* Basic Swahili (an east African language used in Tanzania, Kenya and some other east African countries)
* History of pre- and post-colonial east Africa
* The church in east Africa
* Understanding poverty
* Cooking & kitchen hygiene
* Relating to authority and dealing with conflict
* 4WD Driving

We also have outings scheduled to downtown Dar, a Tanzanian village, a Swahili worship service and a Tanzanian family’s home.

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