Friday, October 8

Well, I've been here a week. Here's what they don't teach you in Swahili class: In addition to the two greetings and responses you learn, there are a million other greetings and responses, and all million may be used in a single encounter so that simply greeting someone may leave you feeling entirely lost and overwhelmed. That's how it was for me my first couple days. I am slowly improving, though-- I can semi-successfully execute a rapid-fire exchange of mambos, poas, mzimas, habaris, safis, etc. etc. so that yesterday I was even told that my Kiswahili was "very good" and and asked where I learned to speak it. Mind you, this was based on me being able to greet, tell my name, and answer where I am from, and I can assure you that my Kiswahili is not good at all, but I still considered it a great victory. I've also become fairly competent at getting food and drinks. As overwhelming as things have been, I really have to embrace the small accomplishments.

Anyway, first and foremost, I must share the most important detail of my experience so far: There are monkeys in my back yard. For real. They are as abundant as squirrels in Indiana. I caught a lot of grief one morning because upon finding a group of monkeys blocking my path, I backtracked around, uncertain of what they would do if I tried to pass. My Tanzanian friends were quite amused because I asked if monkeys were mean. Apparently they are not, and you can even feed them bananas.

There are more white people here than I expected, but that also may be because you can spot them from a mile away, so you notice every single one. I suppose even forty students out of nineteen thousand is not a percentage, and most are actually European, especially from Germany. Also, many of them decide to move off campus. Quite a lot stay at a motel nearby, I think because they are unhappy with the accommodations. Honestly the accommodations exceeded my expectations, though- There is a running-water shower, and toilets that flush (at least when there is running water). I've even almost gotten used to the ice cold showers, and at least it's hot enough here that you warm up pretty quickly when you get out.

It's amusing how frequently I've had a Tanzanian guy offer to help teach me "the hand-washing" (washing your clothes). I cannot seem to convince them that I'm already quite capable of doing it myself, instead they always mime the actions of an American guy from last year who apparently liked to bang his clothes against the pavement trying to clean them. No matter how many times they tell me the story, they find it just as hilarious as the first telling. I tried to explain that he was a guy, and that American guys don't even know how to use an automatic washer; in fact, they are really quite helpless-- but I think they are still skeptical of my abilities.

I've been uncertain of how to be able to run here. They seem to know we do it, because people will ask if I run, and then talk about how it's such good exercise.... But then no one does it. The other day, a couple of my native friends who knew my concern pointed out a couple white girls running, So yesterday I just decided to suck it up and do it. I got up early in the hopes that there would be less people to stare at me, and ideally, in a few weeks I will be oblivious to the stares.

So far I have been fluctuating between loving it here and just being incredibly homesick and wondering what the heck I was thinking coming. The past few days I have met a lot of the other international students and that has been quite comforting; Although, most will leave halfway through the year to be replaced by others. At international student orientation today, I finally met another American girl. She is taking some graduate courses while volunteering with the exact refugee organization that I was trying to get involved with, so this week I'm planning to go with her and see if they can take me in as well. Classes are supposed to start Monday but apparently they won't actually start for another couple weeks. None of the professors show up, and technically the timetables aren't even finalized so it's difficult to even register for classes yet. TIA. (This is Africa). Also, supposedly we will have wireless internet on campus starting this year, but it's extremely patchy, and that is assuming I am ever issued my student ID so I can register my laptop.

Peace, love, and other good things.

<3 Kelsey