Just got back from my Safari to Lake Manyara, the Serengeti, and Ngorogoro and boy did it deliver!!!! We camped all three nights and even received visits from Hyenas and Elephants to our campsites on different occassions. While all of the locations were amazing, I could not be more in awe of any place besides the Serengeti!!!! To get a feel for the amount of life within this national park, at one point in our viewpoint we saw a hippo in the water, a lion chillingby the watering hole, and two elephants fighting. Being able to experience these creatures in the wild and at such an incredibly close range is surreal. None of my pictures do it justice, although I only had a point and shoot, but they're all still incredible nonetheless.
Seeing these animals in the wild makes you remember all those creatures, human and animal, that just have to focus on surviving everday. In the Serengeti, life and death is an integral part of sustaining this ecosystem. In fact, Africa in general often reminds me of how simple life can really be, but sadly those of us in more developed countries always seem to make it so much more complicated than it needs to be. And more than anything its important to step back and appreciate this fact, life can probably be a lot simpler than you are making it out to be.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Required: International Travel
When I was booking my trip to Africa I chose to book with a company that was based in England, rather than one that was based in America. I was calculating in my booking because although I love living in the U.S., I have come to the conclusion that Americans are more often than not the worst travelers. My experiences in Africa have only confirmed these thoughts. The British, in addition usually most other Europeans and Australians, are extremely comfortable traveling because it is more ingrained in European culture than it is in the U.S.. Our seperatist attitude began in the Wilson era but it still seems to be alive and well today. To be fair, we are limited by our geography, but even still we are one of the richest countries, with probably the least traveled citizens.
There have been only a few Americans that have booked with the same company I am with, and almost all of them had never left the U.S. until this trip and were petrified, anxious, and neurotic. I don't necessarily blame the individuals themselves, but the society in which they were brought up in. The other American companies that are here keep their guests under tight security and don't seem to allow them the opportunity to really experience Africa. I've known or briefly met many British people in my time, but never have I lived among them for a significant period of time. Comparing their attitudes toward work life and traveling to our own attitudes in the U.S. is a cultural education in and of itself. I'm not necessarily saying that they have the "right" attitude, but I do believe that when it comes to traveling, they are closer to the truth than we seem to be.
From my own experiences traveling, and sadly it seems for an American I am very well traveled, I have come to realize that it is an important education in and of itself. Seeing first time U.S. travelers scoff at the idea of having to live any other way than how we in America live makes me cringe. Traveling opens your eyes to other cultures and teaches you understanding and compassion for others that is not always possible in a monoculture. The U.S. is quite multicultural due to the overwhelming number of immigrants, but even still the U.S. is a melting pot and therefore those cultures seem to melt away as the years go by. Americans could use a bit more time abroad to realize that the world does not revolve around U.S. happenings and politics. Unfortunately, our incredible drive for monetary success and thriving careers often gets in the way of our ability to find time to travel. In Britian and Australia, the culturally accepted gap year has helped establish a culture that is incredibly well traveled. In the U.S. our only real opportunity to travel is to go abroad during college, but I've found that this is really only popular at schools who foster such a culture.
The U.S. is a great place, full of possibilities, but often I wish we could put those possibilities on hold to see the world and become more well rounded people. I truly believe that this is a key factor missing in the classic "American Mentality." And it is somehting that I hope will change in the years to come as the world becomes even more global, because we surely cannot stay in our little coocoon forever.
There have been only a few Americans that have booked with the same company I am with, and almost all of them had never left the U.S. until this trip and were petrified, anxious, and neurotic. I don't necessarily blame the individuals themselves, but the society in which they were brought up in. The other American companies that are here keep their guests under tight security and don't seem to allow them the opportunity to really experience Africa. I've known or briefly met many British people in my time, but never have I lived among them for a significant period of time. Comparing their attitudes toward work life and traveling to our own attitudes in the U.S. is a cultural education in and of itself. I'm not necessarily saying that they have the "right" attitude, but I do believe that when it comes to traveling, they are closer to the truth than we seem to be.
From my own experiences traveling, and sadly it seems for an American I am very well traveled, I have come to realize that it is an important education in and of itself. Seeing first time U.S. travelers scoff at the idea of having to live any other way than how we in America live makes me cringe. Traveling opens your eyes to other cultures and teaches you understanding and compassion for others that is not always possible in a monoculture. The U.S. is quite multicultural due to the overwhelming number of immigrants, but even still the U.S. is a melting pot and therefore those cultures seem to melt away as the years go by. Americans could use a bit more time abroad to realize that the world does not revolve around U.S. happenings and politics. Unfortunately, our incredible drive for monetary success and thriving careers often gets in the way of our ability to find time to travel. In Britian and Australia, the culturally accepted gap year has helped establish a culture that is incredibly well traveled. In the U.S. our only real opportunity to travel is to go abroad during college, but I've found that this is really only popular at schools who foster such a culture.
The U.S. is a great place, full of possibilities, but often I wish we could put those possibilities on hold to see the world and become more well rounded people. I truly believe that this is a key factor missing in the classic "American Mentality." And it is somehting that I hope will change in the years to come as the world becomes even more global, because we surely cannot stay in our little coocoon forever.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Taking Up British English
While I have been here I have not only learned some Swahili, but I have turned into an almost fluent English speaker. Now I know what you may be thinking, I hail from a native english speaking country, I should already be able to speak English. And it is true, I am very proficient in the American English language, but I was not so proficient in British English. Living with an overwhelming majority of Brits, however, has done wonders (haven't yet decided if I think its totally a positive change) for my vocabulary. In the first few weeks almost every day there was always several discussions regarding the differences between American English and British English; being in the minority, I often lost the argument.
Besides comparing the differences, we would often have minor miscommunications: "the faucet is leaking" and they responded with looks of confusion, "the faucet," I said, again nothing. We discovered that they use the word tap, and don't even have the word faucet in their vocabulary. In another situation, a fellow roommate asked another British girl, "can I borrow a pair of pants?" She looked at the girl in horror, it took a while for the British girl to realize that the American wanted to borrow "trousers" and not what in America we call "underwear." These small mishaps have proved hilarious, but on a larger scale, many of us who have formed friendships despite our differing nationalities have picked up various words that are not native to us.
For crazy, I now often say mental. I have yet to pick up gutted, meaning upset or sad, but I'm sure its only a matter of time. I say Tomatoe in the British accent now, rather than the American accent. "I can't be bothered" is a common saying for me now. Many other words and sayings have made their way into my vocabulary, it'll be interesting how long these words stick once I'm back home. I'm happy to say, however, I've had a few small victories on the American front as well, I have British friends going home with new "American" words as well.
Beyond just my vocab, however, I've learned so much more from them. But more on that next...
Besides comparing the differences, we would often have minor miscommunications: "the faucet is leaking" and they responded with looks of confusion, "the faucet," I said, again nothing. We discovered that they use the word tap, and don't even have the word faucet in their vocabulary. In another situation, a fellow roommate asked another British girl, "can I borrow a pair of pants?" She looked at the girl in horror, it took a while for the British girl to realize that the American wanted to borrow "trousers" and not what in America we call "underwear." These small mishaps have proved hilarious, but on a larger scale, many of us who have formed friendships despite our differing nationalities have picked up various words that are not native to us.
For crazy, I now often say mental. I have yet to pick up gutted, meaning upset or sad, but I'm sure its only a matter of time. I say Tomatoe in the British accent now, rather than the American accent. "I can't be bothered" is a common saying for me now. Many other words and sayings have made their way into my vocabulary, it'll be interesting how long these words stick once I'm back home. I'm happy to say, however, I've had a few small victories on the American front as well, I have British friends going home with new "American" words as well.
Beyond just my vocab, however, I've learned so much more from them. But more on that next...
Friday, July 9, 2010
Volunteering Guilt
I've returned from the beautiful island of Zanzibar and while riding on the bus reading "Mountains Beyond Mountains" intermixed with sessions of window watching I began to contemplate the constant struggle I think many volunteers wrestle with. Volunteering is just as beneficial, if not more, for the volunteer than for those receiving the help. Volunteers often feel guilty about their own desire to fulfill their dreams of being helpful to those less fortunate than themselves. I too have struggled with thoughts such as these.
Without seeing a country (or even a continent) we imagine what its like, whether or not we intend to travel there just to see the sights or to be a volunteer. Depending on your imagination and your destination in question, your dreams may or may not match up with reality. The problem with constantly comparing the real world to your imagination, however, is that more than likely by creating a benchmark you will inevitably be disappointed. Especially when it comes to volunteering, I think I am not alone when I say, we all hope to go somewhere and be indispensable or at least feel as though we are really making a difference. However, "making a difference" is not as black and white as we like to imagine.
In my mind I struggled with the guilt I felt from various thoughts I had regarding my volunteering: feeling good about what I was doing, wanting to "see" a difference, and then there was one thought that I'm almost ashamed to have even briefly thought; that Tanzania wasn't "Africa" enough. I realize how outrageous the latter statement is, but I am confident that others have also fought off similar thoughts. In America, Africa is often lumped together and portrayed as a failing continent that relies on aid from first world countries and the only real images we often see are those from National Geographic or from advertisements requesting money for children. Most people I talked to about Africa had advice and worries, without ever having stepped foot in the country. I don't think it is necessarily one person's fault that many of us have a severely skewed view of what each country in Africa is like, but it is fairly appalling to realize that even without ever having seen the country we can all conjure up images of Africa. These images are often carried throughout our lives and then when we are finally able to construct a realistic image of Africa (or a particular country in Africa) we are almost disappointed to let go of that which we have held onto for so long.
In this way, I was disappointed with the progress that Tanzania has made. The images in my head had resided there for so long, that it actually produced a conflict in my mind when I had to realign them with the truth. Obviously, I am incredibly happy to see the stability and growth, though it may be slow, of the country but I found it unnerving at the secret struggle that occurred within the filings of my cranial cavities. In addition, when you see a country beginning to "stand on its own two feet", so to say, you feel a small pang of desire for the time when they needed you. This, I feel is similar to when a child turns into a teenager, or leaves home, while you are overjoyed at their independence you secretly wish for the days when they needed you. I believe the combination of all these human conditions make volunteering forcibly more difficult.
It is only once you can right the images in your mind, accept that you are still needed even though it may not be as much as before, and recognize that its ok to get something out of this experience for yourself as well will you be truly happy in your time as a volunteer. I believe I have reached this point, and for me volunteering has become truly enjoyable rather than a struggle between two goals of the mind--to be totally selfless and selfish at the same time.
Without seeing a country (or even a continent) we imagine what its like, whether or not we intend to travel there just to see the sights or to be a volunteer. Depending on your imagination and your destination in question, your dreams may or may not match up with reality. The problem with constantly comparing the real world to your imagination, however, is that more than likely by creating a benchmark you will inevitably be disappointed. Especially when it comes to volunteering, I think I am not alone when I say, we all hope to go somewhere and be indispensable or at least feel as though we are really making a difference. However, "making a difference" is not as black and white as we like to imagine.
In my mind I struggled with the guilt I felt from various thoughts I had regarding my volunteering: feeling good about what I was doing, wanting to "see" a difference, and then there was one thought that I'm almost ashamed to have even briefly thought; that Tanzania wasn't "Africa" enough. I realize how outrageous the latter statement is, but I am confident that others have also fought off similar thoughts. In America, Africa is often lumped together and portrayed as a failing continent that relies on aid from first world countries and the only real images we often see are those from National Geographic or from advertisements requesting money for children. Most people I talked to about Africa had advice and worries, without ever having stepped foot in the country. I don't think it is necessarily one person's fault that many of us have a severely skewed view of what each country in Africa is like, but it is fairly appalling to realize that even without ever having seen the country we can all conjure up images of Africa. These images are often carried throughout our lives and then when we are finally able to construct a realistic image of Africa (or a particular country in Africa) we are almost disappointed to let go of that which we have held onto for so long.
In this way, I was disappointed with the progress that Tanzania has made. The images in my head had resided there for so long, that it actually produced a conflict in my mind when I had to realign them with the truth. Obviously, I am incredibly happy to see the stability and growth, though it may be slow, of the country but I found it unnerving at the secret struggle that occurred within the filings of my cranial cavities. In addition, when you see a country beginning to "stand on its own two feet", so to say, you feel a small pang of desire for the time when they needed you. This, I feel is similar to when a child turns into a teenager, or leaves home, while you are overjoyed at their independence you secretly wish for the days when they needed you. I believe the combination of all these human conditions make volunteering forcibly more difficult.
It is only once you can right the images in your mind, accept that you are still needed even though it may not be as much as before, and recognize that its ok to get something out of this experience for yourself as well will you be truly happy in your time as a volunteer. I believe I have reached this point, and for me volunteering has become truly enjoyable rather than a struggle between two goals of the mind--to be totally selfless and selfish at the same time.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Off to Zanzibar for the Week!
With hard work comes the glorious rewards of a well earned vacation. While being in Africa may be considered a vacation to some, it is not the kick back and relax vacation that is sometimes needed after years of hard work at school, not to mention my recent stint as an English teacher for 3-5 year old children and adults.
I've finished all my errands and my morning project for the day and am off to my final afternoon project before I hit the beaches of Zanzibar. Well, its not quite that easy, because first I have to brave a 10 hour bus ride with no toilet to Dar es Salaam. Then I must wade through the thousands of people waiting to rip you off at the bus station and meet up with my friend at a hotel. Then on Friday we will finally be off on a 3 hour ferry to Zanzibar. We are staying at Kendwa Rocks, which apparently has white sand beaches and turquoise water. After three days of baking, we have decided to do a bit of site seeing and head to Stonetown. Then I have to brave the night ferry and eventually the 10 hour bus ride back to Moshi.
Terrifying or not, I'm still excited and I'll update you when I return!
I've finished all my errands and my morning project for the day and am off to my final afternoon project before I hit the beaches of Zanzibar. Well, its not quite that easy, because first I have to brave a 10 hour bus ride with no toilet to Dar es Salaam. Then I must wade through the thousands of people waiting to rip you off at the bus station and meet up with my friend at a hotel. Then on Friday we will finally be off on a 3 hour ferry to Zanzibar. We are staying at Kendwa Rocks, which apparently has white sand beaches and turquoise water. After three days of baking, we have decided to do a bit of site seeing and head to Stonetown. Then I have to brave the night ferry and eventually the 10 hour bus ride back to Moshi.
Terrifying or not, I'm still excited and I'll update you when I return!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Porridge for the Children
Thanks to all those who have helped me fundraise I have been able to begin contributing to the education of many here in Tanzania. For the first few weeks I have watched with keen eyes, trying to observe what is most needed at the nursery school and in the adult education class that I teach. While I have reserved the majority of my money for sponsoring children to go to primary school, I have also spent some money here and there on teaching supplies and books, as well as porridge for the children.
While even an endless supply of money could never solve the problems of Tanzania, there are some things that will make a difference, if only for one child or person. Children in Tanzania are not allowed to use pens in the classroom until year 2 of primary school, and because of this, they go through pencils like it is their job. The pencils they bring are tiny little stubs, and even when they are brand new, they crack as soon as you try to sharpen them. Luckily, I brought over two large boxes of pencils, and although "American" pencils are of better quality than "Tanzanian" pencils, we still spend half of our class sharpening pencils. Pencil sharpeners are a whole other problem as well; in fact they rarely work. I have bought two pencil sharpeners for 1,000 shillings each, which are the expensive kind, and today (after 2 and 1/2 weeks of constant use) they broke. Besides these simple supplies, we have bought scissors, paper, crayons, and chalk for various different activities in the class. In addition, since we had crayons, we photocopied animals so that they could learn and have fun coloring at the same time. This sort of "hands on learning" is rarely used in Tanzania. The children have had a blast coloring, and even the teacher really enjoyed such a rare treat.
It is amazing what these supplies can add to a teaching lesson, because without them the teacher can only use repetition and copying from the chalkboard as tools for learning. In comparison to several other nursery schools, our teacher seems to expect a lot out of the children, often teaching math, swahili, and english (which we teach) each day. Several years ago our teacher also used to feed her children porridge, however this has recently stopped because she can no longer afford the porridge ingredients. All schools in Tanzania cost money, but for nursery school the teachers often still allow students to come even when they haven't paid their monthly dues. For this reason, many of the nursery schools have little money to spend on supplies, food, or even salaries for the teachers. Therefore, because of her age and lack of money, Mama Leah stopped feeding the children porridge--a meal many children desperately depend on in the poor area of Majengo. A little over a week ago we began discussing how much it would cost to feed all 80 or so children that attend Kilimani for a whole month: we did out the calculations and we discovered that it was only 50,000 tsh. This is a little less than $35, which is chump change in comparison to what it would probably cost in America. Therefore, I decided to offer up some of the money I had collected from home for one month's worth of porridge. The next Monday, at 10 am, the children had porridge. It was nice to see the immediate turn around of the investment, and before I leave I plan to make sure there are funds secured for several months to come as well.
The porridge is like a thick white sauce, and while I don't think too many in the U.S. would find it appetizing, it certainly gave the children a lot of energy for the remainder of the day. I have many pictures of the children receiving porridge, and I promise they will come soon; I'm working on transfering photos to a USB stick and getting them online and then you can see the beautiful children I work with everyday. It is unfortunate that the porridge requires more work to rest on Mama Leah, who is probably over 70 years old, but she was so thankful to me for being able to help feed the children because it is an important meal many Tanzanians rely on for their children. So for all those reading this that have contributed to my fund-raising efforts, thank you, from myself, the children, and Mama Leah.
While even an endless supply of money could never solve the problems of Tanzania, there are some things that will make a difference, if only for one child or person. Children in Tanzania are not allowed to use pens in the classroom until year 2 of primary school, and because of this, they go through pencils like it is their job. The pencils they bring are tiny little stubs, and even when they are brand new, they crack as soon as you try to sharpen them. Luckily, I brought over two large boxes of pencils, and although "American" pencils are of better quality than "Tanzanian" pencils, we still spend half of our class sharpening pencils. Pencil sharpeners are a whole other problem as well; in fact they rarely work. I have bought two pencil sharpeners for 1,000 shillings each, which are the expensive kind, and today (after 2 and 1/2 weeks of constant use) they broke. Besides these simple supplies, we have bought scissors, paper, crayons, and chalk for various different activities in the class. In addition, since we had crayons, we photocopied animals so that they could learn and have fun coloring at the same time. This sort of "hands on learning" is rarely used in Tanzania. The children have had a blast coloring, and even the teacher really enjoyed such a rare treat.
It is amazing what these supplies can add to a teaching lesson, because without them the teacher can only use repetition and copying from the chalkboard as tools for learning. In comparison to several other nursery schools, our teacher seems to expect a lot out of the children, often teaching math, swahili, and english (which we teach) each day. Several years ago our teacher also used to feed her children porridge, however this has recently stopped because she can no longer afford the porridge ingredients. All schools in Tanzania cost money, but for nursery school the teachers often still allow students to come even when they haven't paid their monthly dues. For this reason, many of the nursery schools have little money to spend on supplies, food, or even salaries for the teachers. Therefore, because of her age and lack of money, Mama Leah stopped feeding the children porridge--a meal many children desperately depend on in the poor area of Majengo. A little over a week ago we began discussing how much it would cost to feed all 80 or so children that attend Kilimani for a whole month: we did out the calculations and we discovered that it was only 50,000 tsh. This is a little less than $35, which is chump change in comparison to what it would probably cost in America. Therefore, I decided to offer up some of the money I had collected from home for one month's worth of porridge. The next Monday, at 10 am, the children had porridge. It was nice to see the immediate turn around of the investment, and before I leave I plan to make sure there are funds secured for several months to come as well.
The porridge is like a thick white sauce, and while I don't think too many in the U.S. would find it appetizing, it certainly gave the children a lot of energy for the remainder of the day. I have many pictures of the children receiving porridge, and I promise they will come soon; I'm working on transfering photos to a USB stick and getting them online and then you can see the beautiful children I work with everyday. It is unfortunate that the porridge requires more work to rest on Mama Leah, who is probably over 70 years old, but she was so thankful to me for being able to help feed the children because it is an important meal many Tanzanians rely on for their children. So for all those reading this that have contributed to my fund-raising efforts, thank you, from myself, the children, and Mama Leah.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Mzungo
I've noticed that it takes a certain amount of time to really settle into traveling. This may be because I knew I would be here for so long and in knowing this I have gone through this cycle: first you are just trying to cope with the shock and all the new things that you are not used to, then in the second week you start to question why you ever signed up for such a long trip, then finally now in my third week I'm thankful for the time I have here in Tanzania. By now I almost totally know all the ins and outs of the city, I've come to know several locals, and I've finally become comfortable in what was once a foreign place. Don't get me wrong, there are still incidents that bring back thoughts of regret for my length of stay, but in general I'm incredibly happy I have so much time to finally become a real Tanzanian.
Despite my hope, however, to become a true Tanzanian, I will never get the local prices at the market or live exactly as a local because no matter what, I am a Mzungo--or white person. In most cases, Mzungo is not a derogatory term but there obviously is some racial profiling at play here. White people are a rarity, especially in the villages outside the city of Moshi. Most people understand that we are here to volunteer and help the community, but there are obviously some people that just see us as rich westerners that have many valuables. I personally have not really had any issues in terms of people "mugging" me, but some of my closest friends here have had phones or purses ripped from their hands. As long as everything is away, however, people do not seem to be tempted by the possibility that you might have valuables in your bag or on yourself.
In fact, since most Tanzanian's are aware of what a majority of the Mazungos are doing they will protect them from Thieves. There are actually several reasons for this, one being that most Tanzanians are very friendly and do not look kindly on thieves of any kind, and secondly there is certainly a mob or community mentality here. For instance, when my friend's phone was stolen, an entire pack of locals began running after the thief and when he realized he was in a losing battle he threw the phone behind him in hopes of sparing himself. Despite this, the locals continued to pile on top of him and it became a full out mob brawl. A few of the male volunteers had got caught up in the commotion and returned with scratches all over them--and they got out early. This is a fairly disturbing site, but in general it also serves as a deterrent to others.
Occasionally, because you are Mzungo, some children have been taught to outright ask, "give me my money," but again this does not occur often. With all the different local ideas of what Mzungos bring, it is true that we do bring money, resources, and help to the area in some form. I am lucky enough to have had people help me fundraise in order to help out the community, both by creating business and filling in the holes where they have yet to find sustainable ways to support certain programs.
This week I hope to fill you in on all I have been working on. Talk to you soon.
Despite my hope, however, to become a true Tanzanian, I will never get the local prices at the market or live exactly as a local because no matter what, I am a Mzungo--or white person. In most cases, Mzungo is not a derogatory term but there obviously is some racial profiling at play here. White people are a rarity, especially in the villages outside the city of Moshi. Most people understand that we are here to volunteer and help the community, but there are obviously some people that just see us as rich westerners that have many valuables. I personally have not really had any issues in terms of people "mugging" me, but some of my closest friends here have had phones or purses ripped from their hands. As long as everything is away, however, people do not seem to be tempted by the possibility that you might have valuables in your bag or on yourself.
In fact, since most Tanzanian's are aware of what a majority of the Mazungos are doing they will protect them from Thieves. There are actually several reasons for this, one being that most Tanzanians are very friendly and do not look kindly on thieves of any kind, and secondly there is certainly a mob or community mentality here. For instance, when my friend's phone was stolen, an entire pack of locals began running after the thief and when he realized he was in a losing battle he threw the phone behind him in hopes of sparing himself. Despite this, the locals continued to pile on top of him and it became a full out mob brawl. A few of the male volunteers had got caught up in the commotion and returned with scratches all over them--and they got out early. This is a fairly disturbing site, but in general it also serves as a deterrent to others.
Occasionally, because you are Mzungo, some children have been taught to outright ask, "give me my money," but again this does not occur often. With all the different local ideas of what Mzungos bring, it is true that we do bring money, resources, and help to the area in some form. I am lucky enough to have had people help me fundraise in order to help out the community, both by creating business and filling in the holes where they have yet to find sustainable ways to support certain programs.
This week I hope to fill you in on all I have been working on. Talk to you soon.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)