Well, these past few days have certainly been interesting! As soon as I arrived at the boma, my sister Nyini stripped my down and redressed my as a Maasai woman, complete with tons of jewelry. Nyini led me around and she pretty much never left my side. The Maasai have no concept of personal space. We slept together, collected water and firewood, beaded jewelry, ate from the same bowl, bathed together, and went to the bathroom together! She went to primary school, so she speaks Kiswahili, but no English. Most people only speak Kimaasai, so I was lucky to be able to speak Kiswahili with someone. I was so proud to be able to get by without English for 4 days! I learned how to carry water and firewood on my head, to bead jewelry, to milk a goat and a cow, to spread fresh manure on the house to patch holes, and to sing and dance at the Esoto. It was really funny to see the looks on the tourists’ faces when they saw an mzungu Maasai! Each evening a huge dust storm would sweep through and we got caught in two while collecting water. I couldn’t see, hear or breathe! The first day it was accompanied by a rain storm. The rain was blowing horizontally and felt like hail on my face! When we crossed the river, the water was blowing upriver and it was like walking underwater! At least there was a beautiful rainbow!
The families ask that we take picture while we are visiting as compensation instead of other gifts. Baba Jack’s friend who is a National Geographic photographer was so jealous to hear that we have free reign to photograph Maasai for 4 days! Everyone wants their picture taken, and many of them have probably never seen themselves in a mirror before. The kids go crazy whenever they see a camera. It was really hard to take good pictures, because people would insist on posing, or kids would swarm and push each other away, or someone else would grab my camera away. No one knows how to take pictures- they don’t understand that you can move to get a better angle or distance. It was fun for awhile, but it got really frustrating! I learned so much from this, and I’m sure I’ll write more stories later. But, for now, it is nice to have some space to myself and some food other than rice, ugali, and beans.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Sunday, October 24
Yesterday morning we said our goodbyes to the Serengeti and headed for Wasso. It was raining, and the road were all washed out (but as Olias says, “no problem for Land Rover!”) It was just like trying to drive in a snowstorm- cars sliding off the road and getting stuck in the mud. The supply car also kept breaking down. It took us hours, but we made it safe and sound once again!
Quotes from Driver Olias:
“Jesus! I am lost!” (In the Serengeti as it is getting dark)
“Hold on. We’re going to jump!”
“Don’t worry, this is easy for Land Rover.”
We spent the nigh in Wasso at a guest house with sporadic water and electricity. We were in triple rooms, which means there is one queen size bed! We are all really getting to know each other! Today we drove the rest of the way to Lake Natron. It is really hot here, but Baba Jack led us to an amazing waterfall this afternoon. It was a beautiful hike along the cliffs and through the river. We paid a couple of Maasai boys to help us out. The rocks are slippery, and I have a pretty big bruise on my butt now! The water was the perfect temperature for swimming under the waterfall.
Tomorrow we are off on our Maasai homestay. I’m kinda nervous, but I know it will be a great experience in the end…I hope!
Quotes from Driver Olias:
“Jesus! I am lost!” (In the Serengeti as it is getting dark)
“Hold on. We’re going to jump!”
“Don’t worry, this is easy for Land Rover.”
We spent the nigh in Wasso at a guest house with sporadic water and electricity. We were in triple rooms, which means there is one queen size bed! We are all really getting to know each other! Today we drove the rest of the way to Lake Natron. It is really hot here, but Baba Jack led us to an amazing waterfall this afternoon. It was a beautiful hike along the cliffs and through the river. We paid a couple of Maasai boys to help us out. The rocks are slippery, and I have a pretty big bruise on my butt now! The water was the perfect temperature for swimming under the waterfall.
Tomorrow we are off on our Maasai homestay. I’m kinda nervous, but I know it will be a great experience in the end…I hope!
Friday, October 22
The Serengeti is such an amazing place! I have seen so much wildlife here. Here’s a few to add to the list:
African Cape Buffalo
Crocodile
Hyena
Topi
Early this morning, a group of hyenas were hanging out in camp making all sorts of noise! Just now, as we are getting ready for bed, we noticed a huge buffalo just behind the bathroom! Yikes! Lions are so cute to watch relaxing, licking each other, and rolling around. Just like Eeyore! But, they aren’t so cute when you hear them outside your tent at night!
African Cape Buffalo
Crocodile
Hyena
Topi
Early this morning, a group of hyenas were hanging out in camp making all sorts of noise! Just now, as we are getting ready for bed, we noticed a huge buffalo just behind the bathroom! Yikes! Lions are so cute to watch relaxing, licking each other, and rolling around. Just like Eeyore! But, they aren’t so cute when you hear them outside your tent at night!
Wednesday, October 20
Yikes! It has been such a long time since I last wrote! I’ll do my best to try to catch up! We spent the rest of the week at Mazumbai hiking, doing field studies, and just enjoying the beauty of the forest. One afternoon, I went with a group to visit the local secondary school. The buildings were very open and packed with little wooden desks. Up to 75 students would cram into a single classroom! The blackboards were covered with perfectly printed English copied from a single textbook. When students begin secondary school they have their classes in English, which they may or may not understand. Teachers are in short supply and are often students who did not pass secondary school to move on to higher education.
After leaving Mazumbai, we retuned to Arusha to begin ISP prep days. It was really daunting to just be dropped off for the week with our 140,000 shillings! I spent the first couple of nights at the Meru Inn while I figured out my project. I visited the charcoal dirtribution center in Arusha to try to fid out where it comes from. I decided that Mto wa Mbu would work best, so I hopped on a dala dala to meet the other girls already doing projects there. Mto was Mbu is a really cool town just outside of Lake Manyara National Park. We stayed in a little guest house and explored the town. We made friends with the painters we had visited before and started learning how to tinga tinga paint. They are so generous to share their talent with us and they are a lot of fun! We also visited an orphanage. The kids sang some cute songs for us! I met my guide, Juma, and he led me around looking for charcoal. I learned all about how it is made and where to find it. One day, we walked all the way to Lake Manyara- it was so beautiful! I am excited to spend more time in Mto wa Mbu, and we even found an awesome place to stay.
I returned to Arusha and spent some time writing my ISP proposal and preparing for safari. I felt such a difference by the end of the week. My confidence grew tremendously!
Now, I am on a 15 day safari. First, we went to the Ngorongoro Crater, and I even saw a rhino! There were also lions that walked right in front of the car! The crater has extremely high densities of wildlife, is a world heritage site, and is called the 8th wonder of the natural world. We also visited Oldupai Gorge where many prehistoric fossils have been found. It is called the cradle of mankind. There are preserved Homo footprints from 3.6 million years ago!
Currently, we are in Serengeti National Park. It is just as amazing as it sounds. Yesterday, we watched a crocodile eating a dead zebra! Last night I was sure there were animals among the tents as I was going to bed. It was so scary until I realized it was only Babu Liki snoring!
This afternoon we saw a leopard in a tree with a gazelle it had caught. Later, we saw a group of female lions eating a zebra!
After leaving Mazumbai, we retuned to Arusha to begin ISP prep days. It was really daunting to just be dropped off for the week with our 140,000 shillings! I spent the first couple of nights at the Meru Inn while I figured out my project. I visited the charcoal dirtribution center in Arusha to try to fid out where it comes from. I decided that Mto wa Mbu would work best, so I hopped on a dala dala to meet the other girls already doing projects there. Mto was Mbu is a really cool town just outside of Lake Manyara National Park. We stayed in a little guest house and explored the town. We made friends with the painters we had visited before and started learning how to tinga tinga paint. They are so generous to share their talent with us and they are a lot of fun! We also visited an orphanage. The kids sang some cute songs for us! I met my guide, Juma, and he led me around looking for charcoal. I learned all about how it is made and where to find it. One day, we walked all the way to Lake Manyara- it was so beautiful! I am excited to spend more time in Mto wa Mbu, and we even found an awesome place to stay.
I returned to Arusha and spent some time writing my ISP proposal and preparing for safari. I felt such a difference by the end of the week. My confidence grew tremendously!
Now, I am on a 15 day safari. First, we went to the Ngorongoro Crater, and I even saw a rhino! There were also lions that walked right in front of the car! The crater has extremely high densities of wildlife, is a world heritage site, and is called the 8th wonder of the natural world. We also visited Oldupai Gorge where many prehistoric fossils have been found. It is called the cradle of mankind. There are preserved Homo footprints from 3.6 million years ago!
Currently, we are in Serengeti National Park. It is just as amazing as it sounds. Yesterday, we watched a crocodile eating a dead zebra! Last night I was sure there were animals among the tents as I was going to bed. It was so scary until I realized it was only Babu Liki snoring!
This afternoon we saw a leopard in a tree with a gazelle it had caught. Later, we saw a group of female lions eating a zebra!
Tuesday, October 5
Yesterday, we made the long drive to Mazumbai Forest. The scenery was beautiful as we drove up through the mountains on a very twisty road. We are camping on the lawn of a Swiss Chalet! It is nice to be able to eat and hang out inside. This morning, Baba Jack set us loose in the forest to explore nature on our own. “Don’t worry, other than the snakes, there is nothing in there that could kill you!” He gave us full liberty to swing naked from vines. We took off our watches, but were supposed to come back by noon. I strayed from the path and fought my way through the brush. I found a really beautiful tree to sit under and think for a long time. It was really wonderful being alone in the forest. I also found a tree to climb, and was super impressed with myself when I slung my kanga over a branch and used it as a rope! When the sun started getting higher in the sky, I started making my way back down the mountain. I didn’t really end up where I expected, so I had to cross a huge tea field but then there was a huge swath of pricker brush between me and the path I needed to be on. There was no, choice, so I fought my way through. When I got to the middle, I started wondering if I was going to be able to get out! I am kind of scraped up and had to pull out a few prickers, but I made it out! This was such a different experience from the National Parks where we are confined to the safari cars.
After lunch, we all went back into the forest together to learn about the ecology of the forest. It was quite a hike straight up the mountain, and you can definitely feel the elevation here! The hike back down was also steep and slippery! We arrived back at camp exhausted and just in time for dinner.
What an exciting day exploring the forest!
After lunch, we all went back into the forest together to learn about the ecology of the forest. It was quite a hike straight up the mountain, and you can definitely feel the elevation here! The hike back down was also steep and slippery! We arrived back at camp exhausted and just in time for dinner.
What an exciting day exploring the forest!
Sunday, October 3
It was sad to leave my family in Bangata. They really made me feel comfortable and took very good care of me. It felt like the close of a major phase of the semester. Looking at the calendar, it seems like the rest of the semester is just going to fly by.
We were back at Klub Afriko in Arusha for the weekend. I got some much-needed rest! I am really starting to be more comfortable in Arusha. Yesterday was the first time I made the trip to town by myself, because I had to stop at the SIT office on the way. I have a pretty bad sense of direction, but I can get to more and more places now! Lash night, we all went out to a club called Maasai Camp. Somehow, we ended up with 8 people in our taxi, plus the driver! There was a really interesting mix of people there, and it was definitely a cultural experience. At least I can cross “dancing with a drunk Maasai warrior” off the bucket list!
We were back at Klub Afriko in Arusha for the weekend. I got some much-needed rest! I am really starting to be more comfortable in Arusha. Yesterday was the first time I made the trip to town by myself, because I had to stop at the SIT office on the way. I have a pretty bad sense of direction, but I can get to more and more places now! Lash night, we all went out to a club called Maasai Camp. Somehow, we ended up with 8 people in our taxi, plus the driver! There was a really interesting mix of people there, and it was definitely a cultural experience. At least I can cross “dancing with a drunk Maasai warrior” off the bucket list!
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Friday, October 1
I can’t believe that it is time to leave Bangata already. Today was our homestay party. It was really fun to get dressed up and see the dresses that everyone’s families had made for them. We had a huge, delicious feast with all of the students, families, and teachers. I enjoyed meeting all of the families that I had heard so much about. Unfortunately, Baba Jack (our academic director) was unable to come, because he was bitten by a spider and can’t walk! We presented skit and some songs that we had practiced in Kiswahili and made complete fools of ourselves! On our way home, Hannah and I were stopped by a crazy old drunk lady who wanted Hannah’s shirt! You just never know what will happen in Bangata. Tonight, Bahati painted my nails with blue glittery nail polish! Saying goodbye is going to be hard tomorrow, but I’m hoping to get back up here to visit again before December.
Thursday, September 30
Whew! It has been a busy week! This was “midterms week,” so we had a lot of work to do. We are creating a homestay portfolio including maps of Bangata, a flow diagram of resources entering and leaving our home, a paper on gender, a chart of household activities, a paper on globalization, and a paper about where we are personally after over a month in Tanzania. We also had our Kiswahili exam today. I am just about finished with all of the work now. It will be nice to be able to relax this weekend, knowing that my work is done. The Kiswahili exam wasn’t too hard. We just had to answer some questions about our family and have a couple of conversations. I think it is pretty amazing that we can hold conversations after only 3 weeks of classes.
It has been pretty quiet around home this week. Noeli went back to school for something and Bahati is housesitting for a relative in Arusha. Luckily, it has allowed me to get a lot of work done in the evenings after cooking dinner with Mama. I think Noeli and Bahati are coming home tomorrow to say goodbye.
I have once again lived up to my reputation as having trouble with doors. Yesterday, when I arrived home from school, the door was locked. The keys were in it, so I tried to open it. It wasn’t working, so I just pulled on the handle to see if that would help. It didn’t. The handle just pulled out, and I heard a clunk inside as the other side of the handle fell onto the floor. Luckily, Mama heard it and came to let me in after she figured out how to reattach the handle!
It has been pretty quiet around home this week. Noeli went back to school for something and Bahati is housesitting for a relative in Arusha. Luckily, it has allowed me to get a lot of work done in the evenings after cooking dinner with Mama. I think Noeli and Bahati are coming home tomorrow to say goodbye.
I have once again lived up to my reputation as having trouble with doors. Yesterday, when I arrived home from school, the door was locked. The keys were in it, so I tried to open it. It wasn’t working, so I just pulled on the handle to see if that would help. It didn’t. The handle just pulled out, and I heard a clunk inside as the other side of the handle fell onto the floor. Luckily, Mama heard it and came to let me in after she figured out how to reattach the handle!
Monday, September 27
It was difficult getting back into Kiswahili this morning after being away for a week. Hopefully it will all come back before the midterm exam on Thursday!
They finally picked up our mail today. I think the other students were a little jealous when I received 4 letters! Thanks everyone for the mail, it’s really exciting to get letters from the other side of the world!
When I returned home, I found that my dress was finished. It is absolutely gorgeous, and I will definitely still wear it when I get home. I am excited to wear it to the homestay party on Friday! Asante sana, Mama!
They finally picked up our mail today. I think the other students were a little jealous when I received 4 letters! Thanks everyone for the mail, it’s really exciting to get letters from the other side of the world!
When I returned home, I found that my dress was finished. It is absolutely gorgeous, and I will definitely still wear it when I get home. I am excited to wear it to the homestay party on Friday! Asante sana, Mama!
Sunday, September 26 (continued…evening)
We managed to find a dala dala to take us (and all of our stuff) up to Bangata. We weren’t sure if the dala dala was going to survive all the bumps, but somehow we made it. When we dropped Jason off at his house, we noticed there was a new goat in the yard. Then, his Baba (my Baba’s brother) came running out to greet us and introduce us to Oliver. Oliver was Baba Koko’s first SIT student from 1992. He has come back with his American family to visit since then. Baba Koko even named his son Oliver. Oliver pays for the kids to go to school. We visited for awhile and found out that he has a home in Peterborough, NH!
I arrived home and was warmly welcomed with many hugs. Later, Baba Koko, Oliver, and Jason came by to invite us to the celebration they were having. They slaughtered the goat and were having a party! Mama, Bahati, and I went over after dinner. All the men were outside roasting the meat, drinking, and having a good time. When we arrived, I thought we would join them, but we greeted them at a distance and then sat inside. Women were clearly not meant to be a part of the celebration. They brought in a chunk of goat (I have no idea which part) on a long stick. Mama Koko cut it up and I did my best to eat a few pieces. It was mostly skin and fat- I don’t know how they can eat it. I picked off the meat, and I think the kids ate my scraps. It kind of smells like fish, but doesn’t taste too bad. I have scrubbed my hands, but I can’t seem to get the smell out. They knew I was tired, so we didn’t stay too long. We walked home by the light of a beautiful orange moon. It’s good to be home!
I arrived home and was warmly welcomed with many hugs. Later, Baba Koko, Oliver, and Jason came by to invite us to the celebration they were having. They slaughtered the goat and were having a party! Mama, Bahati, and I went over after dinner. All the men were outside roasting the meat, drinking, and having a good time. When we arrived, I thought we would join them, but we greeted them at a distance and then sat inside. Women were clearly not meant to be a part of the celebration. They brought in a chunk of goat (I have no idea which part) on a long stick. Mama Koko cut it up and I did my best to eat a few pieces. It was mostly skin and fat- I don’t know how they can eat it. I picked off the meat, and I think the kids ate my scraps. It kind of smells like fish, but doesn’t taste too bad. I have scrubbed my hands, but I can’t seem to get the smell out. They knew I was tired, so we didn’t stay too long. We walked home by the light of a beautiful orange moon. It’s good to be home!
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