Settling In

Habari! It has been a while since I've posted an update; so many things occur in the first few months of living in a new place! I'll attempt to get you caught up on the shortened version of what's going on in my life in Dar.

I'm actually in the middle of experiencing the worst part of living abroad. Earlier this week my Uncle Frankie passed away after a tough battle with cancer. I knew when I left that it would probably be the last time I would see him, but that prior knowledge and preparation doesn't make it any easier to be away. I miss my family more now than I have since I have arrived; it's tough to be so far away when I want to be comforting those I love. Please pray for my entire family as we grieve our loss.

Having said that, one thing that helps me take my mind off home is the pile of work I have to do at school. I can't believe that I'm already in week 6 of teaching. The year has started out with a few bumps along the road in the way of lack of time to prepare before school started and the limited availability of resources for classroom use. My job has been incredibly time-consuming and often a bit frustrating as I get situated in the international school environment, but I am beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel and know that it will get a bit easier soon. I do, however, have a wonderful class. There are 23 students representing over 13 countries around the world. I am 1 of only 2 people in my entire class who is not fluent in at least 2 languages; many of these students know 3-5! The diversity in my classroom is a tremendous asset to all of the students, and I'm enjoying learning from each of them as well.

Life outside of school is great. A few weekends ago I walked for about an hour through downtown to get to Kariakoo, the biggest market in Dar. It is the epitome of an African market, the heartbeat and pulse of Tanzanian city living, selling anything and everything imaginable. Within a few city blocks I saw more people in one place than I've ever seen before. It is said that on a busy Saturday afternoon (I went Saturday at 1:00!) there are upwards of 500,000 people shuffling about the asphalt roads, pushing and shoving for a spot to view goods sold in the stalls. This gathering represents the most diverse group of tribal populations in one place throughout all of Tanzania. I, however, was the only white person (mzunga) around, and for this I received quite a bit of attention.

As I was pushed through the streets by a sea of people, I inhaled the tangy smell of freshly cut pineapple before the foul scent of decaying trash and formidable body odor hit me like a heat wave when leaving a cool building and walking outside during a Florida summer. I quickly elbowed my way through the stench until I was able to take a deep breath and instead of gaging, only got a high off the diesel and greasy oil fumes that surrounded me. As cars and heavy carts attempted to plow their way through the masses, I realized that I was nothing but in the way. It was time to step aside and take it all in: the rich redness of fresh tomatoes, bright colors and patterns of African fabrics, natives haggling over item prices, and street vendors attempting to out-scream each other, vying for the attention of passers-by. Oh, the organized chaos, the adrenaline that is Kariakoo!

After my legs were literally knocked out from under me by a car that was slowly working its way through the crowds and having to crawl to safety (no joke!), I realized that I'd seen enough of the market for one day. Alas, because of the heavy amount of petty crime in the area, I didn't dare bring my camera. The market pictures you will see in the album with the link below were pulled straight from a google image search. They are, however, what I deem to be the most like what I saw during my visit.

A visit to area beaches must quickly follow thrilling yet exhausting adventures like Kariakoo. Some beach photos are included in the photo album. I've been going to the beach for at least a few hours most weekends. The idyllic, serene local beaches are all that I have experienced thus far, and I hear that the beach quality only gets better as I get out of the city. It is a wonderful way for me to escape with just one or two other people and re-energize my mind, body, and spirit.

I will have a wonderful opportunity this weekend to take a 3-4 day vacation to the island of Zanzibar, which is just off the eastern coast of Tanzania. Monday and Tuesday are public holidays celebrating Eid ul-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. A fellow teacher and myself will be going to the island and spending a few days at the beach and possibly a day visiting a nearby rainforest; those pictures will hopefully be posted soon!

Last month I attended the annual Dar es Salaam Goat Races. This event is a huge gathering of the ex-patriots who come together to raise money for local charities. It's such a spectacle that I don't even know where to begin! Think Kentucky Derby. Now, think goats instead of horses. Entire tacky costumes instead of simply big, fancy hats. Beer instead of champagne. Dirt and dust instead of box seats, bleachers, concrete, and grass. Now hopefully you're starting to get a better picture of the goat races. Teams of people go in together to "own" (sponsor) a goat for the race. The team gets to name the goat and write a blurb about it for the program. The audience places bets on the goats for each of the 5 races. When it's race time, everyone gathers around the track to watch the stubborn, uninterested goats get pushed and prodded into running by men following from behind. Meanwhile, the rest of the grounds are filled with fair types of activities such as kiddie game areas, food tents, and craft tables. It was an interesting experience that I'm glad I was able to participate in and a great way to raise thousands of dollars for local charities. Pictures are included in the album.

On another note, I've been searching for a local church to attend but haven't found anything yet. I just heard of a few that other teachers attend and enjoy, so I'll be trying them over the next few weeks. I have, however, been enjoying listening to podcasts from my churches in Venice and Orlando and have enjoyed connecting with some fellow Christian teachers here at IST.

I have finally gotten unpacked and settled into my apartment quite nicely. A few weeks ago I had the walls painted, which makes it look a bit more comfy. Although it's not very big and is not as nice as an apartment in the states would be, it suits me fine and I am continuing to try my best to make it home. Over the next few weeks I'll be shopping to buy a few paintings and things to decorate the walls. I'll take some photos or video to post after I've got at least a few pictures up.

One big living adjustment is not having an entirely air-conditioned apartment. This is a huge change for a Florida girl who is addicted to AC! I do have a wall unit in my bedroom, but it cannot cool the whole house as some of my window openings elsewhere in the house have only screen and no glass. Thank goodness the weather is still nice enough to be comfortable with the windows open; it'll be much more difficult when it becomes summer. Also, most of the roads here are dust/sand. This makes cleanliness in the house a constant battle. I've never seen so much dust, dirt, and grime in all of my life. I have tile floors and they are swept every day and mopped three times a week! A benefit to living in a country where labor is so inexpensive is that I have the luxury of having a housekeeper who works for me every day so that I don't have to do spend time doing these daily household tasks. This is such a treat, too; I think I'm becoming quite spoiled. It will be difficult to go back to the states and have to do my own dishes, laundry, etc! =)

Life here is constantly changing and often challenging as I continue to grow accustomed to the cultural differences. Some moments I love it and others leave me wishing to be out of here and in the comfort of the states. This place stretches me, forcing me to become more resourceful, making me question my viewpoints on a range of issues, and compelling me to rely on God more than I ever have in my life. I truly am glad that I am here and know that the lessons I am learning and experiences in which I partaking will benefit me for the rest of my life. Thank you all so much for your continued thoughts, prayers, and comments. I love to hear from everyone back home as it keeps me feeling a bit more attached to all of you who are so far away.

Click the link to check out my photo album; some of them have captions at the bottom. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2462010&id=5132789&l=529aedeff9

Safari Photos

Here is a link to check out some pictures from the safari I went on when I first arrived in Tanzania. They were taken at Mikumi National Park, which is about 4 hours west of my home in Dar. Enjoy! http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2457317&id=5132789&l=9c8ef25e00

And So It Begins

Habari zenu! I can’t believe that I’ve only been here a little over a week. There is so much change thrown at me that it’s quite hard to process it all. I encountered a bit of travel delays getting here, but I finally arrived last Monday. God answered my prayers in a huge way in that a day before I left, the airline gave me permission to being all boxes of my household goods with me on the plane. They arrived safely with my flight and since I didn’t ship them via sea, they didn’t have to go through the port and customs clearance. I want to publicly thank my mom and grandpa for driving all of my boxes up to Washington D.C., which saved me an additional $3,000.00. There willingness to help me in such a huge way makes me ever so thankful to God for the people He has put in my life.

Once I arrived, I spent the first week going through new teacher orientation, which included getting me oriented with the city of Dar, shopping and settling in, and introducing me to the school campus, policies and procedures, etc. This week I’m doing my teacher planning as school starts on Monday. I’ve got quite a bit to do and not very much time in which to do it, but I know that it will come together.

I live in one of the six apartment complexes that the school owns. It is literally a two minute walk from my doorstep to my classroom, so the commute is amazing! Mixed in with the entire school campus and apartments is an amazing amount of landscaping. I’ve got beautiful trees outside my 3rd story windows, which provide wonderful shade all throughout the day.

The weather is beautiful as it is winter now. The highs are in the mid-upper 80s and I would compare it to Venice in April where it is warm but the humidity is not torturous.

I haven’t seen too much of the city since I’ve arrived as I’ve been busy getting settled and school planning. Dar es Salaam is a big city of 3.3 million people and is the 3rd fastest growing city in Africa. Despite its growth, it only has the offerings of a small town as it cannot keep up with the sudden population explosion. For this reason, there is much overcrowding and shanty conditions in most areas of the city. The area in which I reside though is a bit nicer as it is in the ex-patriot community. There are grocery stores somewhat similar to those at home (although not as wide an array of goods) and other stores aimed at the upper class ex-pats. There is most definitely a high cost in exchange for these Western conveniences; I recently paid $46.00 for an ironing board and $7.50 for 10 hangers! I’ve splurged and bought these crazy expensive items to help me settle in, but from here on out I plan to seek out street vendors to purchase goods and haggle my way to a fair price though they still end up getting a much high price from the blond white girl!

The one exceptionally positive thing here is that the staff members are incredible. Everyone is so welcoming and helpful, going above and beyond to help me be comfortable. I have met a few people with whom I plan to start church hunting this weekend. I've heard that there are quite a few protestant churches to choose from.

Last weekend my principal took all of the new teachers, roughly 40 of us four hours away, to Mikumi National Park for a safari. It was a beautiful trip and we saw plenty of great animals. My internet goes nearly at dial-up speed when it works at all, so I am currently unable to post my pictures to the web. I will upload them when I can get to another wi-fi area and plan to include them in the next post.

Well, I’m off to continue my lesson plans. I’ll post another update after school has begun. Thank you all for your continued prayers and interest in this new chapter of my life.

Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me That Moving Is Such A Pain?!

Well, I am mentally ready to get on a plane and leave for Dar any time. Logistically however, things are a bit of an unnerving mess. Here is the simplified version of where I am in the process. In order to live and work in Tanzania, I must have residency paperwork and a permanent work visa. The government takes quite a long time (usually around 2-3 months) to get these papers issued. In order to start the process, I had to submit my UCF diploma and State of Florida Teaching Certificate, among other things. Long story short, I graduated the second week in May and I worked with UCF to have my transcripts and diplomas made available to me three weeks later. I then had to get my teaching certificate, which I had rushed as much as possible, and it just finally arrived at my home on Friday. I've sent it to Tanzania via DHL and will only now start the 2-3 month process to get my official papers.

Now, this may not seem like such a huge mess; I can just get a temporary visa and I'll be fine. Well, yes and no. Yes, they'll let me in the country and I can work until the papers come through. The problem lies in getting all of my things into the country. The only way to send my things is via cargo ship. My things can't be sent until the beginning of next week (I leave next Friday), and they take approximately 35-40 days to arrive. So, I'll already be there over a month without my boxes. It gets worse when you add in the fact that it's virtually impossible for the government to let all of my items clear customs before I have my finalized official papers; unfortunately the temporary ones will not suffice. So, if it takes 2-3 months go get my papers I don't think I'll be getting my stuff any time soon.

As some of you know, Tanzania is quite third world to say the least and things are not available there like they are here in the states. I'm having to bring over not only all of my household goods, but also a year's supply of everything that I need--toiletries, etc. The knowledge that I'll have for the first few months I'm living in another country is whatever I can fit into my airplane suitcase is stressing me out quite a bit to say the least!

I ask that as you read this and think of me over the next few weeks, you pray that my paperwork goes through with abnormal speed and I can get my belongings quickly and without any hassle. It will make adjusting to a new place so much easier!