Bullshit

No, I'm doing fine...that's just what we played for hours last night. Who would have know such a boring game could be so fun. But yeah, yesterday after a great, international ultimate frisbee game, Anna, Pete and I found Ayoubu (our friend we met last year) and a few of his friends and went to Hill Park, a restaurant/bar on campus. There we started with multiple games of pool. Now, mind you this is no regular pool, this is African pool. The balls, pockets, and table are smaller and the pockets are not rounded so any miscalulated shot bounces across the small table. On top of that, they have the "two shot rule." Whenever a shot either misses all of your teams ball or hits the other teams first or is a scratch, the other team gets two shots in a row. Well, Pete and I thought we'd play Wazungu (whities) against the Watanzania (tanzanians). We were reminded why we don't play African pool. we lost bad. After a couple rematches we called it quits on pool and moved to cards. We tried to teach them hearts, but it was a little tedious. We then played bullshit which was hilarious! They loved it. It was fun for them because lying seems against their nature so they were constantly cracking up and putting on horrible poker faces. We played well into the night enjoying a rare Tanzanian rain that cooled everything down.

Today has been an eventful day as well. We went to town (an hour long process in cramped, warm, dalas full of the smell of humanity) and tried to buy airline tickets to Zanzibar for our New Year trip. We got there and saw a "deal" for an all inclusive package deal. We decided to do it and went to the ATM's (notice plural) to get money, but of course withdrawl limits prevented us from getting enough cash. We went back to the agent to try to put down a downpayment and she informed us that all the hotels were booked anyway so we couldn't get the package...so, we booked the tickets and are going on the fly for hotel rooms. Should be fine, we're e-mailing some places now. I figure we can't go wrong when we'll have two days of sun, sand, and snorkeling. After our excursion to the agent we got ready to get back on the dala and Peter discovered why they call Dar-es-Salaam "Bongoland" (land where you need to use your head to survive). Some one in line was kicking his foot and he was a little confused. He looked at the guy kicking him and then looked back and realized he had been pickpocketed! Fortunately it was only 500 Schillings which is the equivalent of 50 cents, but it the principle of it was frustrating. A good lesson though I guess.

So yes, it's been exciting here. Now we're off to our favorite indian restaruant, Anghiti's for some quality food. Baadye.

Getting Comfy

Peter and I are back in the lab at the University with a little time for e-mail. We've had a great past two days as Peter and I bit the bullet and got a guest house at the university. We have our own place now which is much appreciated after our experience with my friend Sipto. We decided that it's really hard to ask a Tanzanian to host us. Everything involved from space to food to entertainment is just a bit too much and the expectations are so much different. So, now we have our own pad that we can leave our stuff in safely and that is on campus so we can walk to see friends.

That's what we did yesterday as we went to visit my friend Ayoubu in his room. It was so much fun! We went in and met his roommates who were two very cool guys. They are all in their final year of the law program and all speak very good English, so Peter and I rapped with them for a while. Ayoubu came back and we all sat around chatting, mostly arguing about English Premiere Football and whether Man Utd. Chelsea or Liverpool is the best team to root for. It felt like we were back at Luther just arguing and having fun with friends. We set a date for tonight because we were all arguing about who is the best pool player, so tonight we find out who is the best among the 5 of us.

After chilling with them we headed to the pool where Peter was the teacher, extraordinaire! He was teaching one guy how to improve his stroke and soon his class grew to three. He helped them improve and had a good time getting in the pool again. I had fun watching! That night we made our way to one of my favorite restaurants: Addis at Dar! It's great Ethiopian food outside in the beautiful Dar weather. We brought Ayoubu along and enjoyed introducing him to Ethiopian food. We ended the night with a traditional Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony. We all tried the coffee and immediately added sugar. Our weak American taste buds couldn't take it. We sat outside talking for three hours and then headed back to the uni to crash.

Today Pete and I headed to the market and did a little shopping. Now we are resting up for an ultimate frisbee game! We found some Wazungu who I knew from last year and they are playing today so we are anxious to get out and throw a little bit.

In case you are wondering or worrying, we are safe from the Tsunami as well. The Tsunami apparently affected East Africa a little bit, killing 10 people here in Dar es Salaam. I think all of them were swimming in th eocean at the time of the rise in the water because there isn't any building damage here. Tragic though none-the-less. We are safe and sound and are planning a little trip to Zanzibar on the 1st of January for a little R and R. A vacation from our vacation :) Until then though, we'll keep sweating, running into friends at the university, and living the bongoland life. Tutaonana...

Posting

One last thought...changed some settings so you can add comments to my post now if you would like. feel free to tell me what you think!

Sweating it Up in Dar

I am back in Dar at the university and it is crazy! I forgot how incredibly hot it is and how funny people are. I didn't see anyone at first that I knew at the uni and then I came to the computer lab. I should have remembered that I spent half my trip here so the guys working were so surprised I was here and were so happy and I've had two people walk by and see me and come it. It's great! It's been VERY hot and Peter is sweating through his t-shirt, but we're going to go to the swimming pool soon to cool down. Things are good now and I think we're going to take a few days in Zanzibar to go to the beach and chill out.

Our trip down to dar was uneventful and long. We found my friend Mwalimu Sipto who I taught english with at the bus station. He picked us up and took us to his home. He was very welcoming and as soon as we got there he showed us the food so both Peter and I thought we were getting ready to eat...then, 3 and a half hours later we finally sat down to eat. In the meantime we chatted in broken English and Swahili and watched the only English show on TV called "Exploring the Hubble." Funny stuff. We ate a traditional meal of potatoes, fried bananas, and fatty, boney meat in a sauce. Then, we had a mini-X-mas. I brought gifts for the family and it was great fun distributing them. I gave Mwalimu Sipto a bunch of flash cards to use at the primary school where I taught English and he said he would write in the administration book that the class of 2005 had adequate study materials and he told me when I come back and could visit and see that the cards had made a difference. The conversation and evening were fun, but going to bed was a bit uncomfortable. There were cockroaches and holes in the mosquito net so both Peter and I became a bit paranoid. Plus, it was ridiculously hot so we were both sticking to our sheets.

Today it is equally hot...forgot how bad it gets here. I showed Peter around downtown a bit and we ate at a French cafe. I think we're done with town now and will probably spend the rest of our time at Mwenge (the market) and the university where it is cooler and where the people are more friendly. The computer guys are smiling and laughing everytime they walk by. When I first came in they yelled "Twiga!" which was my screen name when I was hear last fall. I'm amazed they remember everything so well! Off to read the latest news and get ready for a dip in the pool. All is well in TZ and I feel like I am home, or I guess, at my third home after SD and Luther. It's nice to have multiple homes...Vincent the computer worker is on the move and I am soon done. So for now, Happy Holidays! Oh yeah, I put pictures up in the last post which I forgot to mention. Baadye!

Christmas Day

A beautiful, hot X-mas here in Tanzania. We got up this morning and ate a X-mas breakfast of mango, bread and jam, tea, granola, and papaya. Then we headed to church, but not before snapping a few pictures in Sharon's backyard with Mt. Meru as our backdrop. We went to the service that was very international today...maybe it was more apparent because lots of people wore their more traditional dress up clothes, like the Norwegians in their bunads! We went to a church gathering this afternoon where we talked with a Tanzanian from the church who is a marathoner who runs the marathon in 2 hours and 16 minutes. He said that if he can get under 2.10 that he could get a sports promoter and maybe get "out of the ditch where he can get his name known." Cifa Chalo was his name so be on the lookout. We have been sweating a lot tonight and after eating samosas and meatballs, we settled in with some books, cribbage, and a movie: "Winged Migration," a documentary about birds. Sounds boring but the filming was amazing and I almost was able to stay awake through the whole thing. We're leaving for Dar tomorrow on the 8.30am bus. Hopefully I'll still have decent access, but we shall see. Night all.

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X-mas Pics

Had a fun little X-mas dinner/service/party tonight! Got a cool TZ book mark, a book called "The Bookkeeper of Kabul" and some Tanzanian tea. Fun night. Missed home but it was a home-y feel. I have new pics. A few left overs from Kili and Arusha and some from our x-mas party. enjoy!
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Pictures

Mambo vipi rafiki?

Pics are up! Unfortunately, I didn't have time to add subtitles, but they are from the beginning of the trip, through kili, until the yesterday's Christmas service. Enjoy and happy holidays!

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Kili

Hello again!

I am still alive but thanks to TANESCO, the tanzanian power company, I have been without internet access for the past couple of days. The power has been off for most of the past two days and we were away in the mountains before that...and they were beautiful! We stayed in a place called Marangu on the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa and the largest free standing mountain in the world. We spent three days lounging, eating, and enjoying the lush greenness around the mountain. Peter and Sharon (friends from Luther) and I took a day hike up Kili which was crazy hard! I'm still sore from it. We walked to the first hut on the mountain which is at the tree line when the rainforest changes to desert essentially. It is a third of the way up the mountain so we hiked a good 5 hours total. It was amazing though to look down at Tanzania and up to the peaks ahead of us. Peter and I decided that someday when we're rich and have more time we'll come back and go to the peak. The hike was also fun because we met some nice folks at the first hut. They were on their way down so we chatted for a bit while we all rested. One guy named Luke was actually born in Iowa and graduated from Catholic University in DC. He was teaching Philosophy for a year in Zambia and got Peter excited about teaching for a year after graduating. We also met two Brits who are supposedly local celebrities that were on their honeymoon. The woman is a news anchor in London and the husband has been in some British soap operas. For their honeymoon, they are climbing kili, going to Zanzibar, and then going to Seychelles. I thought it sounded like a great honeymoon! You'd get to see your spouse at their worst (throwing up from altitude sickness at the top of Kili), and at their best (in a swim "costume" on the beach). We had a great time at Marangu enjoying the great weather and great view. It's fun being in the north of Tanzania because everytime we look outside we see Mt. Meru or Mt. Kilimanjaro...a little change from the plains of SoDak...

Traditions

Last night we went to Carols by Candlelight...a Christmas service at the church Sharon and her family go to. Peter and I sang in the choir and we tried to create a Christmas service...it was weird though, didn't feel right at all. First off, I think it was hard for me to enjoy because I was thinking about home. I wasn't expecting the holidays away from home to be so difficult, but I have realized this week how important that time really is to me. Throughout the service I was thinking to myself, that is how it's supposed to be done! I also definitely missed my church family at First Lutheran.... I think that will be one of the hardest things in the next couple of years, finding a church home that actually feels like home.

The service was also weird though because of the attempt to create x-mas in Tanzania. I just have a hard time with trying to replicate America or even Europe here. IT's weird, I mean we sang a song about "still, still, still you can hear the falling snow" and I'm looking around at all the sandals and people sweating thinking, this is ridiculous! It's also hard to sit in a service that is primarily white people in the middle of Tanzania. It seems that the church community sort of excluded themselves from the culture and tried to create home in a new place. It's hard because obviously people want to keep traditions, but how do you keep traditions while still fitting into the local culture? I guess from my point of view, inclusion is key. I wish that the service and after party would have felt more Tanzania instead of feeling like America. I mean, if I'm going to go to a white service and have a Christmas party with cookies and sandwiches I'd rather be in South Dakota. Fortunately, I think it will get better in a few days when Peter and I go to Dar es Salaam and stay with friends from the University. It will be much more like the Tanzania I remember and will hopefully satisfy my desire to get back in the culture. I'll be posting pictures soon so keep checking back. In the meantime, Merry Christmas! I miss home and snow for X-mas, but I will think of you all as I go swimming this afternoon. Kwaheri!

Nimerudi

Scott's Amazing Race has begun! I have had quite the adventure returning to Tanzania but I have arrived safetly. On Thursday I was supposed to depart Luther College for Chicago and fly to London and then Nairobi...unfortunately, the Tanzanian Embassy was a bit slow with my passport and visa and I didn't get my passport in the mail in time for my flight on Thursday. So, I changed my flight to Sunday and prayed that my passport would arrive....and sure enough, Friday morning there it was in the Luther Post Office (not exactly the easiest place to send a letter.) I blasted out of Decorah at 10am bound to Chicago with a girl from Luther named Mary Ann who was kind enough to drop me off at O'hare on her way home. I went to O'hare Friday afternoon, bags in hand, with a ticket for Sunday night. I went to the British Airways counter and explained my story to the kind ticketing agent named Susanne. She punched in keys for what seemed like hours and soon she was able to work a miracle. She moved my entire itinerary up to that night! I flew out of O-hare two hours later (after an hour wait to get through security) and after a brief stop in London, arrived in Nairobi, Kenya last night, Saturday the 18th of December, at about 10pm. I stayed at a great place called the Methodist Guest House which is a bed and breakfast that hosts Christian groups and conferences. They had an amazing breakfast with fresh fruits and hot breakfast items, including french fries, and even hot water and a TV in the room. I got on a bus from Nairobi to Arusha at 8am (well, it was supposed to be 8, it was actually 9) and after a long ride and a long wait at the border, I made it to Arusha at 2pm.

Sharon Bangsund, a friend from Luther who lives in Tanzania, came to pick me up with her mom, and Peter who I was supposed to arrive with a day earlier. We were all pumped to see each other and to be in the beautiful Tanzania setting. We didn't waste any time and headed to a swimming pool at a hotel about 10km from Sharon's house. It was an idyllic setting with banana trees surrounding us and Mt. Meru looming in the distance. The refreshing swim and warm temps and sun (around 80 degrees) quickly woke me up from the long journey. We're now settling in for dinner and tomorrow are headed to Mount Kilimanjaro where we are going to stay at a resort called Marangu on the base of the mountain. Should be relaxing and visually stunning!

It feels great to be back in Tanzania...less than a year from when I left. 364 days ago I left Tanzania so I feel fortunate that I was able to return in less than a year from when I left! There are so many little things I forgot about like people walking on the side of the road with buckets on their heads, the color of the purple flowers that line almost all the house, from shacks to mansions, and the lush green-ness of Northern Tanzania. It is sad to miss Christmas at home and hard to be in a family setting without my family, but if I had to be anywhere else, this is where I would want to be. I feel comfortable, excited, and giddy to be back. I'll be updating this site as much as possible with pictures and stories so check back and hear the latest from the Return of the Mzungu (Return of the White Guy). Happy Holidays and enjoy December ;) I'll swim a lap for ya.