Maharaja

So today we are finally going to leave Mumbai- we are a day late on our schedule because there was some complications trying to obtain train tickets. Instead of a train we will take an sleeper bus to Udapi- which should be interesting. I am feeling like this bus will be better than the overnight train ride from Vrindaban to Mumbai.

The last few days on Chowpatty have been such a blessing. We have been so fortunate to spend so much time with Radanath Maharaja. One thing that stands out is his unique ability to speak to so many people. Attending his lectures, which tend to be on the longer side, i found by self attentive and concentrated the whole time instead of falling asleep like i tend to do. Able to hear him speak on Saturday night was a real treat since it was a service for unmarried men from ages 19-30. Liz and I sat in the balcony and were able to listen to the whole thing! He spoke about overcoming fear. In Hindu tradition there is the concept of reincarnation. This analogy is used: as one sheds one pair of clothes they pick up a new pair. So basically this material or external body is not eternal, it goes through changes and wille vetually die off. But our soul is eternal- our body may change but our core self is and has always been there. Depending on the lives we lead and the karma accumulated we set up our souls for the next life. Maharaja discussed h0w it is not enought to simply say, i am not this body therefore i am not worried or i do not have any fear. In the sense one may become cold and unaware of the real point. Yes it is important to not focus on the external body, realizing that it is permiable, but the point is in order to overcome fear once must be sincere and surrender totally to God. As one surrenders everything to God one can lose fear since there is total acceptance of what may come- good or bad.
So my realization was that we still have free will and we still have to make decisions in life, but we need to evaluate where we are and make the best conscious decision that will positively impact ourselves and others around us. From here we allow God to take total control of the outcomes. We have the ability to make decisons but we must also accept the fact that we are not in control. I heard an analogy once that life is like waves in the ocean. There are peaks and there are breaks but ultimatly we need to just ride the wave out. We are bound to get to where we are going and there are certain things that we can do to direct us on our paths, but what will be will be. Hare Krishna.

So i leave this afternoon and will arrive on Tuesday morning to my next destination. THere are so many stories that i simply do not have the time to write about now but i will try to write them somewhere so i can share them later on. Love everyone and hope all is well!

"Heres to you kid"

Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday Jesus! hope the holidays are going well for everyone- sorry i couldnt be there and to grace you with my presence.

Wish you were here! we all have diarreah!- This is what we are all saying as we write our postards back home. Its really not that bad we are just a little under the weather but things are looking up!

Yesterday we went to see ISKCONS Food For Life Experience which feeds 60,000 kids everday! the whole system is fantastic. THere is hardly any waste and the whole system is top of the line. The cooks are all devotees and all the food is offered before it is handed out. We even got to go to one of the schools and see the kids, who were amazing. They all ran out of there classrooms when we got there and insisted on shaking our hands and asking us what are names were. They make you feel like you a celebrity. The whole program is really amazing and it is run from some government subsidies and mostly donations. It is really helping keep kids in school and attentive during class. check it out and help by making a contribution- your money will go to a great cause.

I'm Just a Mataji

Ah so finally reached Mumbai the other day and here i am at a computer. It is hot and i feel woozy here. Let me back up.
Vrindaban was amazing. It was such a blessing to make it there. We almost did not get on our train from Rishikesh to V-town because we were on a waiting list- but fortunately it was in Gods plan that we made it. We stayed at the ISKON Temple, which was beautiful. The deities were so special there and the Kirtans at night lead by Aindra were awesome! We were able to meet with a guru who instructed us on the story of govirdan hill before we embarked on our walk around it. I have all these words i want to write but i dont know how to spell them. Anyway, we were in Vrindaban for three days and we concluded it with a Astrology reading, something that i have wanted for a while.
Turns our my sun and moon signs are in pisces. She read our charts according to vedic astrology and not western astrology so this surprised me because in western astrology i would be classified as an aries. Any way i was able to spend alot of time with this amazing woman and she told me so much. I mean she was saying things that i have been needing to hear in order to reaffirm some of the internal dialog. I even have certain dates that are to be paid special attention to. Pretty far out, but i love this stuff- i mean i love mysticism and the occult and all that crap- something that she also called me out on - but go figure i was there asking about it right? whatever

So We hopped on a train to Mumabi and it was the worst. We were on a waiting list again and only got two seats this time instead of six, but we all got on. It was an overnight ride and it made me sick. I dont no if it was the food i ate before (paneer subji, which will never touch my lips again), the motion, the close quarter, or the horrible venalation, but i got a fever and my whole bod ached for like a day or two, no fun. Now i feel better but a couple of us are a little funky feel. Balarama says its "the mumbai." so i guess this place makes many people sick. He also said Vrindaban makes people sick because it pulls to the surface all your toxins in order to purify you. So AMEN Brother exercise my demons i am ready to be purified!

So i have access to this internet cafe and its right by the temple, i will write more while i am here- love you all and merry christmas!

Butter Nan

So i have received a new nickname- butter nan. Needless to say my veganism did not carry over to India. I am trying to be careful of how much dairy i eat, but most of the dishes are cooked with ghee. I have grown fond of butter nan- its a flat bread made in a tandoori oven. My mom was interested to see what i have been eating here, so basically i have been eating breakfast which consists of fresh fruit and nuts. We eat bananas, oranges, and papayas. For lunch maybe something small or just eat one big meal in the mid day. In the south, masala dosa and idly are big. The north is where you find the typical indian food you might order in America- masala panner, palaka paneer, and that kind of thing. We found this nice little place where i scored on some brown rice- ya!

Yesterday we went whitewater rafting in the Ganges which was so much fun. Our guides were great and we had a blast. The rapids were great and we even got to go cliff jumping- i did jump bc the water was so damn cold. Today we got up real early and took a jeep up the top of one of the himalayan mountains where we reached a temple. Here we chanted jappa and watched the sunrise. I have never seen the sun rise from behind the mountains before, it was such an amazing experience. After, we hiked down the mountain where we went through the countryside. I found beautiful green meadows which i thought only existed in my dreams. On our way down we stopped at a waterfall and bathed in it.

The past two days of outdoor adventures has been a so much fun, but my rosy face shows damage from the sun. One more full day here in Rishikesh and then its off to the beautiful land of Vrindaban! Peace

Greeting from Rishikesh

Have not been able to sit down and find an internet cafe, which in my opinion is great. No cell phone, no computer and life is good. I am so sorry for not being able to reach the people who are wondering what i am doing here! but no worries, all is well, we are all in good health and enjoying our adventures. After Mahabalipuram we travels by bus to Tirupati, the most pilgramaged city in the whole world! Here we traveled up a hill, barefoot, climbed fourthousand stairs and reached the temple where we waiting in line for 2 hours before giving darsha to the deity of Lord Vishnu. Because we were American we were able to give a long darsha- which was almost 2 minutes. This seems short but so many people make this pilgrimage just to see the deity for 5 seconds, so we are very thankful that we were able to see the Lord as long as we did. The next day we went to a waterfall and bathed. The water is considred holy so the bathing is part of purifying ones body. It was also really cold! but the cold water makes it a greater challenge to really concentrate on your breathing and focus inward- it was very peaceful.

We got to Delhi a few days ago and stayed for two nights. Here i was able tot meet up with the Colonel Shukla, the cutest old man ever! It turns out that he is an engineer and has dedicated his research to finding a scientific explanantion of God. He was very wise and wanted to share so much, unfortunatly he also has a very busy schedule so we were only able to meet for a short time.

Now we are in Rishikesh with the whole group. We got here yesterday (Friday) by train. Rishikesh is a very beautiful city and does not have the island vibe of Mahabalipuram. Every night there is a Ganga Puja- which is a worshiping of the Ganges River. Here people have chant and offer fire, ghee wicks, incense, flowers, etc. to the river. We also bathed and will continue bathing everyday in the Ganges. THere is a whole ritual that goes along with bathing and luckly i got it on camera so i will be able to share it with you back at home. We are staying in a nice, simple, and very cheap place. Must go and prepare for the Ganga puja later! hare krnsa

We made it!

So we arrived 2 days ago in Chennai- southeast India. An amazing family picked us up at the airport and extended their home to us while we stay in Chennai. We got into town very late on the 4th (1am) and went straight to bed. The first day was nice because we were able to visit a devotee couple in town and share dinner with them. We were curious about traditional Hindu weddings so the couple showed us all their pictures and explained the 3 day celebration- so interesting! Then they served us dinner- traditional south Indian style on plantain leaves.
Today we traveled to city on the beach- Mahabalipuram. Our travels took a few hours but we plan to stay here for two nights. Our hotel has an internet cafe so that is how i am able to write now! So far India seems to be alot more developed compared to Tanzania, this is due to the large population of people. We are having a great time so far and are happy to be here by the ocean. The weather is beautiful and the peolpe are so nice and welcoming. TOmorrow we will visit temples and hopefully do some yoga! i will try to post some pictures :) haribol!

Breath of fresh air

Have not written for a few months, but after popular demand i am trying to get this blog back in action! Sooo the question looms, did i become Jamila? the answers is...NO.  I learned that i still have so much to learn! which is great because isnt that what life is about: learning, growing, and serving others :) I have found SOME direction from my travels in Tanzania.  I say some because, if you know me, i try to go with the flow, which inevitably means making many changes on my path.  But after learning about the education system in Tanzania i realized that i could use my swahili skills to teach overseas.  This seems like a great way to utilize what i have learned in order to serve others.  I am currently looking for volunteer programs in Kenya and Tanzania.  Peace corps is still an option but i have been drawn toward the World Teach program as well.  If any one has any suggestions i would LOVE to hear them.

This fall quarter in athens was beautiful.  I think it has been one of my favorite so far ( i only have 2 more left!).  There is Vegan cooking Workshops, Yoga, Reflections, Kirtan, Starving Artist Lunch, Gita discussions, a visit to New Vrindavan, and my first Govardhan Puja! I have been blessed with the overwhelming need to grow spiritually and thus i have stopped drinking, among other things.  I have sought internal purification through the master cleanse (10 day lemonade/ maple syrup fast), a liver flush, and a more serious asana-yoga practice.  I also began a more serious immersion into learning about the ancient Vedic philosophies as taught by Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita As It Is,  which has opened my mind, and has actually revived me to START living.  Being surrounded by beautiful people makes this journey possible and rewarding.  I have been invited on a trip to India this winter, i leave Tuesday Dec. 2 and will travel around India until January 9th.  I was surprised to hear so much worry expressed about my leaving, due to the violence in Mumbai.  Please do not worry, i am not worried- what will be will be and i hope that this is a trip that expands my spiritual knowledge and allows me to grow in order to serve other people better.  this is an amazing opportunity and i am so thankful for my parents who have made it possible for me to go.  

the plan is to write while i am there so look out!

Hare Krsna!

Samadhi (this is the new nickname- like Jamila- duhhh i needed a Hindu one too!)

It was a sad day...

Sooo what up hommies? got a week left in this crazy place and then i am back to the states! (i am kinda excited to see all your pretty faces) ANY WHO this past week stayed at my host family for the weekend which i am preparing to do again this weekend. Last weekend we hung out and cooked alot. And on Sunday me and Nikki go to hang out with our Baba at the Multipurpose Bar. We talked and learned Methali za Kiswahili (proverbs).
Unfortunately, after returning Monday for class i got sick! Almost made it the whole time without any problems. Anyway i had to start taking my antibiotics to kick the bug out of my system. I hate taking medicine and especially antibiotics, but i sucked it up and did it.
There has also been alot of work to do this week. The final two weeks of class are rough! We have had two presentations so far and one more to go (the final oral proficiency exam...yikes). The first presentation was over two children's books i read- Pilipili Hoho (The Green Pepper) and Watoto na Zimwi (The Children and the Goblin). They were both pretty awesome books but i have to say Pilipili Hoho was the best. Today me and Cara gave our presentation over our final project - takataka (trash!). We were able to go around Arusha and the villages surrounding it to research the trash services available , or not available, for the people who live here. It was very interesting and we learned alot. For instance, people in the villages do not have trash services like the city so they self regulate their trash by reusing most of it- composting for fertilizer- and/or burning the trash that will not be re-used.
This week after class, on Wednesday, we had a cooking lesson. You were able to pick the station you wanted to work at before hand. I decided to learn how to make chapati from scratch! It was fun and i plan to make it in the states when i go back. Chapati is similar to tortillas, its a flat bread. It's made with white flour, water and vegetable oil- thats it! After making the dough and rolling it out a few different times you fry them in a pan and they are delicious.
Unfortunately there was a station that slaughtered chickens :( When we arrived at our kitchen i saw the chickens, still alive, and i thought maybe i could set them free...This would have pissed alot of people off so instead i just turned my head. It was really troubling to see that people took pleasure out of killing these living beings. People were smiling and laughing and taking pictures. And i thought it even more surprising that they looked at the chickens while they were alive and still were able to eat them after killing them with their own hands- where is the guilt? It really bothered me to see people celebrate the death of harmless, defenseless creatures. I realize that there are some things out of my control and that i am not able to change other people, but seeing these things really got to me.
Sorry to leave this on such a negative note, but i must go. Got to pack and get ready for my last weekend in Usa River, which will consist of a lot of studying because there is a final Monday- ah!

See you all very soon!

Moyo Yangu iko Zanzibar, bado...

Okay this is the last of three post about the trip to the pwani- sorry there is alot to talk about, and i even have more to say then i can post...
(Oh Yeah- why dont you guys make some comments- i would LOVE to hear from you!)

So 16-7-08 started our second day in Zanzibar. Woke up early, feeling a little crispy. We boarded the bus and headed for the Kasri (palace) ya Maruhubi. The palace burned down in 1899, but i did not catch the cause. However there were alot of mango trees that surrounded the outside of the magofu (ruins) and it ends up that they are actually from India. The ruins were right by a beach where guys were building huge ships. Here we talked to the tour guide and he told us some methali's (proverbs) like: usisafari nyota ya mwenzia. Methali are very big here and are shown on kanga's which are the customary dress for women. This methali translates to something like do not travel on your friends star.

After this we checked out a shamba la viungo (spice farm). Pretty typical trip for tourists, but it was fun because we got to travel all through this huge farm and taste all the different spices from the trees and plants like cloves, nutmeg, turmeric, cinnamon, and menthol. My favorite was the clove because it was kali (strong!) and made my tongue go numb. The turmeric, which looked like a carrot stained our hands and teeth, haha. Kids followed us as we walked, making us little accessories out of leaves, like hats, glasses, bracelets, bags, etc...very cool. It started to rain pretty hard so we waited under a covering of this one house for second, but since it kept drizzling we got big leaves from a banana plant and used them as umbrellas- great idea, right! At the end of the tour we sat around and got to eat a bunch of different fruit: star fruit, oranges, jack fruit, "pud fruit" i dont no what is was but it was like custard, and more.

After this we had free time for lunch and whatever else which was awesome. Grabbed lunch at a Chinese place, weird right? but it was good. and then out of boredom we started haggling with the local vendors who walk around trying to sell things. THis guy was selling sunglasses and he wanted me to buy them, so i greeted him then proceeded to punguza bei (lower the price). He wanted TS 15, 000 (like $15) for these sunglasses but i got the price down to TS 5,000. They are like huge rockstar glasses, right on. (BTW did you know that Freddy Mercury was born in Zanzibar?!) After this we made our way to the beach where Cara proceeded to buy the ugliest dashikis ever. The boys put them on and we headed to find a bar. On the way we ran into my friend Patrick. We told him we were looking for a bar with a bei rahisi (easy/low price) he proceeded to take us to the Starehe- this divey bar behind some shops. The bar was outside and mostly locals hung out there. Some people were thrown off by the boys who wore wazungu shirts but were actually speaking Swahili well. Good times. Then we saw two students, Mike and Vivian, walking by on the beach, and the boys got up on the ledge and started screaming WAZUNGU! I thought it was funny, but i think Mike and Vivian were a little embarrassed.

For dinner we ate at Monsoon- restaurant with Swahili cuisine. High prices, bad service, and hot as hell in there- not my favorite place. After this we went to the Old Fort for the ZIFF again and before the music started they announced a shindano la dansi (dance competition!) Cara got on stage and danced, it was awesome.

The next day 17-07-08 was our last day in ZNZ. We started by checking out the Jozani- Chwaka Bay National Park. Saw some monkeys and some awesome mangrove trees. There are three different kinds on mangroves here. One was the mkoko magondi, or the long legged mangrove, this was my favorite one, i think i could relate to it... SO after this we went to Paje beach and ate lunch and hung out on the beach. After we headed back, to Stone Town. On the way back Cara blew chunks on the side of the bus- :( i think it was food related. However her little bug kept her from going out on out last night, so i lost one of my partners in crime.

So got back and got ready for dinner. As i walked down the street i passed the alley where my friend Patrick works and of course he was there. We ended up going to the Starehe were we coincidentally ran into Cody, Nikki, and Dan! I love when that happens, and we hung out. Good times. Its cool when you realize you can sit down with people and talk, tell stories, and joke in another language. We ended up going to the Fish market again for dinner because it was quick, cheap, lots of locals, and next to the Old Fort- perfect! First i sat down with some guys at a little table hidden in the back of the market where they were drinking Tangawizi Chai (ginger tea) is was kali for sure, but real good. Went to the Old Fort after and danced and drank some Tusker (my favorite beer here). Very fun. WE ended up going to the disco at like 2:30 am and danced some more (tilicheza dansi usiku kucha- we danced all night!)

The next day hurt having only 2 hours of sleep and the boat ride from hell. We were sitting inside of this boat and the ride was real choppy- people were losing it all over the place, barf bags were flying- not fun. And this ride happened to take like an hour longer than the one to the island. After, we TRIED to eat breakfast in Dar, and then we hopped on the bus for our travel back to Arusha. All in all i think we traveled for 15+ hours.

Anyway, i loved the trip to the Pwani! Zanzibar is fun and i want to go back already. I am lucky to not have gotten sick at all or have gotten anything stolen. Sorry for writing so much, i wonder if any one will actually read all of this!
SIKU NJEMA!

Moyo Yangu iko Zanzibar!

Aaya! This is Part 2 of the trip to the Pwani (coast)...

Soo on Tuesday 15-7-08 we woke up really early to catch the boat to Zanzibar at around 7:15 ish. I heard that the boats were a little rough, but i wasnt worried: one, because i do not get sea sick and two, because it was early and i was tired! Turns out i slept the whole 2 hours or so on the boat- hakuna shida (no problems). So we finally got to Zanzibar and first we had to go through customs before we could get to our hotel in Stone Town (mji Mkongwe). So this took a second, but we got to the hotel and dropped our bags off so we could start the tour immediately. First we went to part of a museum that was under construction, i think. (BTW all tours and everything else is in Swahili so this is me trying to keep up with all these great things that we are seeing but not total sure). So we get to the museum and go to this tiny room that is dusty and dark and we find places to sit. It turns out that the room was a chumba cha hasabu (punishment room) for slaves that had made the trip from the coast to Zanzibar. Here they would cram up to 75 people in one room and as a result many died from starvation and/ or the transmission of diseases. Next we went to a Catholic Church and then we headed to the sokoni kuu (the big market). Everything was going good, i was digging all the produce and greeting the sellers as we passed by, then we entered the sehemu ya nyama (raw meat section). The second we walked through the passage way i say some disgusting things that i was not ready for and that do not need to be mentioned. I thought i was going to loose it so i kept my head down and kept walking until i went through the next passage way which ended up being the place where they were butchering the fish! AH! this smelled horrible as well, i ran away. After this we walked to the House of Wonders, which is a palace (Kasri) that was built for Sultan Barghash in 1883. It was the tallest building in Zanzibar and was the first to have running water and electricity. We went to the balcony where we were able to get a great view of Stone Town (Pictures to come!)
After this is was lunch time, and we ate at a Indian restaurant that was pretty delicious. Since we got free time after lunch we walked around Stone Town. The town is really cool, there are numerous small little alleys that you wander through, kinda like a maze. We found one stretch where there were alot of stores that sold jewelery, kangas, scarfs, and art- you know stuff we tourist love... Anyway grabbed some presents for my loved ones :) and headed to a kanga store where we chatted with the Muuzaji (seller) who ended up being from Arusha and knowing Mwalimu Kisangi (one of our teachers). His name was Patrick and he ended up hanging out with us throughout our stay in Stone Town and showing us around. Very interesting to find out that alot of the younger teens along this alley are originally from the Arusha area...

So a few people had already been to Stone Town in the past and they were all raving about the fish markets, which is open for dinner every night. Here there are multiple tables that serve fish, meat, falfal, chipsi, saladi, chapti, ZNZ pizza, etc... very cool and cheaper than a restaurant. We went to find the market, but it turns out that it is no longer on the beach where it normally is but actually in between the House of Wonders and The Old Fort (Omani Fort). SO we headed there. As we ate we talked to some of the vendors (in swahili) and asked about their businesses. Turns out that there are separate prices- prices for wazungu and prices for the locals, not surprised. Even though we may have gotten our food for a little less then the wazungu price, we still paid more than local for sure. I ended up having a uneventful conversation with a dude who could not seem to get past the fact that i did not want to give him my contact info and i was not interesting in being a special contact for him- i try to be nice to the people that i meet, but it for some reason alot of men here are only interested in talking about marriage. (Note: i am currently wearing a cheap wedding band that my friend, Cara, gave me so now i can just say i have a fiancee in the states, this has helped stop marriage proposals, kind of).

This night, after the market and unsuccessfully checking out a disco, we found out about the Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF) at the old fort and decided to check it out. Saw my friend Patrick there and we hung our and listen to some bongo flava and reggae music- very cool and fun!

Safiri ya Pwani (Dar es Salaam)

Mambo Mambo? I have not had the time to write a post in a while because we went on a week long trip to Dar es Salaam and then Zanzibar. I got back this past weekend and had to write a report about the trip, do an oral presentation in front of the professors, and also read some Swahili childrens books because that is the level i comprehend best :) haha.
So first we went to Dar es Salaam on the 12-7-08 and arrived at night. We were all invited to go to a wedding of one of the daughters or sons of a teachers here at MSTCDC. It was huge. There was music and food, but we ate before we got there so we just talked with different people. At one point the father of the groom came by our table and welcomed us saying "Karibuni!" and one of the students, Xander, replied "Marahaba!" Shocked and a little tired i busted out laughing. This is the response given to the greeting "Shikamoo," and is suppose to be the response stated by the elder. Shikamoo is a respectful greeting you say to someone who is older than you, and they answer Marahaba, now maybe you get the humor.

SO Sunday 13-7-08 started our adventure around Dar. First we went to Bagamoyo, a town which was the last stop of the slave caravan from the inland to the coast. Bagamoyo literally means "throw down my heart." Here we visited the Kaole ruins which were found in the 13th century and is believed to be an ancient city that was destroyed after the Portuguese arrived on the coast. Here we washed our hands with "holy water" from a well and climbed a Baobab Tree- my favorite! After Kaole we went to a museum in Bagamoyo where we read about the history of the East African slave trade. The museums here offer both Kiswahili and English descriptions so i was able to learn new words as well as understand the artifacts. Here we saw this map that was created in 1918 by a German. It was very interesting to see how detailed the map was: it had villages, cities, and geographic locations pinned.
After the museums we celebrated two of the students birthdays here. First we went to a local bar in the city for some bias (beers) and konyagi (kind of like gin). Of course we made friends here because as wazungu (foreigners/ white people) we attract attention. After we headed to a delicious Chinese/ Indian restaurant and had a feast, finally we got some chakula cha tamu! (tasty food).

The next day, 14-7-08, we headed to the University of Dar es Salaam where we walked around the university. It was alot bigger than i imagined, but a few kids had studied there in the past so we were able to follow them around and check out a book store. After this we headed to the Kijiji cha Makumbusho (Villages Museum). The museum was mostly outside and had recreations of small houses that were representative of the many different ethnic groups that are native to the Tanzania area. There was so many that i was not able to see all of them. There was also little descriptions of different plants the museum. For example the Muarobani (or Neem) tree is a dawa la asilia (natural medicine). Its sap can act as an aid to many diseases including malaria, pretty cool. After this we proceeded to another museum! I was getting tired, but At the Makumbusho ya Taifa (National Musuem) i saw this crazy fish (ilikuwa kufa- it was dead) but was being preserved in water. It was a Kisukuku (Coelacanth) and is believed to be some really ancient fish. ANyway this thing was nasty is was by a window and looked like it was rotting in the sun. However i did try and educated myself a little by reading a little bit about the oldest city excavated in Tanzania, Kilwa. But like i said i was kinda tired so i mostly walked around reading the stuff that struck me as odd (i.e the fish).
After this we all agreed to get ready for dinner and go to an Ethiopian restaurant close to our hotel, Addis in Dar. The food was the bomb here. It was my first time eating at a Ethiopian restaurant and i hope it is not my last! We sat around in a circle and the food was poured onto a large njera which is kinda like a flat bread except it is made with teff. Then you eat with your hands, taking pieces of the njera and dipping it or grabbing the different foods :) Yumm...

Then we were done in Dar, because the next day we had to wake up realllly early to catch the boat for Zanzibar!

Hamna Shida

Mambo Mambo. SO this past weekend was the first stay with our host families. My roomate and I left friday evening and arrived in time to help prepare for dinner. Our house was in a small villiage (kijiji) in Usa River. Our family consist of a Mama Elly, Baba Simon, Jonas, and Simon. Also there was Paulina who is a friends daughter, she is living with the family now and helps Mama Elly do work around the house. Every day is filled with alot of work and there was a lot of emphasis on the preparations and cooking of foods- something that i love because i looove to eat! So before we went to our home, we met our mama and i had the chance to explain to her that i do not eat meat, she was really cool about it and the whole weekend had plenty of vegetarian meals.
One of my favorite things that we did on Friday night was make juice. A neighbor came over and with fresh fruit, a strainer, a grater, and some sugar, she made some of the best juice i have ever had- something that i want to try once i get back to the states! A typical meal consisted of cooked rice, beans, cabbage, spinach, avocados, and bananas, and chapati (my fav.) plus some. After the weekend was done i thought i was going to explode because she kept feeding us so much food! I found out later that alot of the other people host families made them eat large amounts of food too. I also learned how to make ugali which is a staple dish that consists of water and corn flour mixed together to form what looks like mashed potatoes.
On Saturday my roomate, Jonas, Paulina, and I went to go see our Baba play at a bar in town. He is a musician and also a music teacher. He plays the drums and sings, it was very cool to watch him perform. I even got up and danced with an old guy. Later when i told this story to some people in Swahili i messed up my words. I was talking about my weekend and said I danced for the old man when i meant to say i danced with the old man, one of the guys in the program called me out on it later- Oops! I think they know what i meant.. or at least i hope.
Anyway, this weekend we get to go to the capital, Dar es Salaam! i am so excited because the word it we are staying at a nice, small, Indian hotel that has an amazing restaurant. This should be a blast.
Hamna Shida (no problems!)

Safari ya Kwanza

Hamjambo! Pole, i have been busy and unable to write. This past weekend we went to Ngorongoro Crater and Oldupai Gorge. It was kinda touristy but it was a great experience. We left on Saturday morning and our first stop was at a snake farm. Kinda creepy, then across from the snake farm was a museum about the Maasai culture. We ate ate lunch and then got back on the rode until we arrived in Karata (close to ngorongoro) to stay for the night. We woke up real early on Sunday in order to start our trip (safari). We arrived at the crater, and our first glimpse of it was from very high up. We then went to Oldupai, which is a fascinating archaeological site and home to many fossils as well as my favorite, the Laetoli Footprints. After the that we checked out the shifting sands which was really cool. Here, i felt really small compared to the landscape around me. We were in the middle of absolutely nowhere, it was great.

I have pictures of all these places, but the computer connection is slow and weak here so the pictures take forever to download. I tried last night, but a quarter of the way through the process was interrupted and stopped. I will figure something out soon. However, we went into the crater and drove around it for a couple hours. This is where we were able to see zebra, wildebeests, hippos, and elephants! The elephants at the end of the safari were the best. They were right in front of us. I tried to get a closeup of one of the elephants faces; they are beautiful creatures with very humble faces. Needless to say after the trip we were all wrecked and dusty. The only downer about the weekend is that i dropped one of my camera lenses while getting in and out of the car. No biggy, i have other lenses and another guy her has a nice lens, so all is good.

Well off to study some Kiswahili, because it turns out that i no less than i thought i did, ahh! I will write again soon, this weekend i meet my host family and stay with them for the first time in Usa River which is around 10 min. from the compound. Kwaherini!

Sokoni

Aaya! Sokoni - in the market. On wednesday some of the students and I went into Arusha town and checked out the market. We had to take a bus there which took about 15 or 20 minutes and then from there we split up. Mzungu means white person, and we stick out like a sore thumb in the market place so we spilt our group up into smaller groups in order to explore the market better. I did not bring my camera on this trip because Arusha's market is pretty big and kinda crazy. As soon as we arrived where the women were selling food some boys came up to us and started giving us tours. They spoke English well, but we all tried to use our swhahili. The whole time Simba, one of the boys, said "polepole, hakuna shida, hakuna matata." I am sure this sounds familiar to anyone who has seen The Lion King...anyway i got a bracelet resembling the Tanzanian flag and tipped the boys for there help. Unfortunatly I was unable to find a bike. On the way home we got a daladala, which is similar to a small bus are van. We crammed inside and made it back to TCDC (the compund) for dinner.

Today, we walked to Usa Market which took about 20 minutes. I took my camera this time and took some pics which i loaded on facebook, unfortunatly i was not able to figure out how to get them on my web gallery efficiently, facebook is quicker. Everyday we are given an assignemnt to go up and start a conversation with a Tanzanian about various topics, today we had to ask about there daily routines. I met a guy named Sudi, thought of my friend from Swahili class in Ohio becuase his name is Sudi too! Then, the cutest baby ran up to us so we took pictures of him. He immediatly wanted to play with our cameras, so we let him snap pictures of us. I bought some kangaas today for cheap at the market, one of them reads "Leo ni siju ya furaha"- Today is a happy day!

Must go, it is time for dinner and i am starving
Usiku Njema

Kuna Baridi Sana.

It is cold here. But today the sun is out (kuna jua!). We split the class up into two group and are learning in smaller classes, which helps me out alot. We are starting by going over basics to make sure everyone is on the same page. I have been feeling unworthy of being here because my speaking skills are so weak compared to the other students. Last night i met a guy names John at the campus bar (baa). He was from Kenya and was a teacher here on campus and at the University of Nairobi. He taught me to say "ninakwenda haja." THis is the right way to excuse yourself to go to the bathroom, instead of saying "ninakwenda choouni" (I am going to the toilette). The polite way actually translates to something like "natures calling." haha.

So i have been keeping with my vegetarianism here and it turns out that it is easier than expected. I eat rice, vegetables, some beans, fruits, and peanut butter! I actually am eating alot...I also learned that greeting are very big in Kiswahili. People take alot of time to greet each other and there are specific ways to answer each greeting. According to Mwalimu Yusta's (one of my teachers) the reason is that people here are naturally concerned with the well-being of others. I am planning on looking into buying a used bike today in order to get out of the compund and explore the city more.

Kwaheri!

Tulifika! (We Arrived!)

Hamjambo! So i made it to Arusha, no problems. The flights were long and the food was plenty! It is Sunday morning here, I just ate breakfast, and I was able to find the computer lab with some help. Today we will head to Arusha to exchange our money and then we will have a free day to explore. So far I think i am adjusting well to the time change, but it will take a few days to feel 100%. Monday starts the first day of classes and orientation, i will keep ya'll posted!
Salaam

Destination: Arusha, Tanzania

I leave today, June 20th, from Detroit and I will spend 17 hours on a plane until I arrive at Kilimanjaro Airport on the evening of the 21st.  This is my first time going to Africa and hopefully the first of many!  I will be studying Kiswahili for 8 weeks, but I will also be immersed in the culture through various excursions and staying with my Host Family on the weekends.  Packing is never fun, but I think I am as prepared as I will ever be.  I can't wait to share my experiences with everyone!

Next post will be via computer in Arusha!

Kwaheri rafiki zangu na familia zangu. Ninampenda! (goodbye my friends and family, I love you all!)

-sam