A Day In the Life

  So, I have now been in Africa for almost two weeks, and I am really beginning to feel at home here. Of course, there has been an adjustment period. It's strange to have very little personal space and limited access to the outside world. Our power goes out at least once a week, and the water goes out almost daily.

Our first power outage turned out to be one of our better nights in Africa.

 It is also somewhat unenjoyable to have to wear the same 10 pieces of clothing over, and over, and over again. I miss real Amer'kin ketchup, Nutella, and country fried chicken (which no one here had even heard of). And, naturally, I really miss my expansive collection of nail polish and makeup. (I mean, I miss my family and friends too, but I REALLY miss my cosmetics and beauty products.)

  Even though there are certainly things that I miss about the great state of Texas, I'm starting to fall into a routine here that makes me more happy and fulfilled than I have been in a long time. So, for the tens of people who are interested, here is what an average day in Tanzania is like:

  I wake up around 7:15 or 7:30. Anyone who knows me well will understand what a huge adjustment this was for me. I get dressed and try to make myself look fairly presentable (though most days I still look like I crawled out from under a bridge).
  
   I go downstairs and have breakfast, which usually consists of fresh fruit and some kind of fried bread, like Mandazi, which is basically a funnel cake or beignet without the powdered sugar. I also usually start my day with a hot cup a AfriCafe Coffee, which is a far cry from Starbucks, but it still gets the job done.
  
   Around 8:10 I take the dala dala to my placement. Not the most comfortable method of transport, but it costs $.25 for a 15 minute ride. Can't beat that.

....3-4 more people could definitely fit in this one.

  I get to my placement at Hope Center around 8:30. Hope is both an orphanage and a day care for kids of all ages, but the kids I work with are between the ages of 3 and 5. Some of the kids live there full time, and others just come in during the day for play and lessons.

This is where the kids and I play every day.

The outside of the building. All the kids are lined up for their daily porridge.

  The first two hours at the orphanage is spent working on basic pre-school lessons like counting, the alphabet, colors, basic English and tracing. 

   Once again, anyone who knows me will understand what a huge transition was for me. Last year I was teaching my (adult) students about the long-term implications of the rise of the Christian Right, and now I'm teaching babies how to trace their "1"s. I would say teaching undergrads is a lot easier than teaching three year olds. The lessons are made even harder by the fact that I don't speak Swahili, so I have no idea what the hell my kids are saying to me.

  After the kids finish their work, they can go outside for playtime. As soon as I step out of the classroom for playtime, I immediately have 2-5 kids hanging on every limb of my body, looking at my watch (because they love to hear it beep), playing with my hair, and asking me to pick them up or swing them around. Sometimes we play games or go on the swings, and on really special days, we get out the parachute. (Don't act like you aren't jealous).

My baby girl Doreen. She's a little terror, but she's so stinkin' cute.

  Watching the kids play is incredible, because they have so little, and yet they make the most of what they have available to them. Old wooden boxes and bicycle tires become coveted play things, and under-inflated soccer balls are the most exciting thing on the playground. The kids' appreciation and excitement for their small luxuries is an incredible thing to watch.

  At 11:30, my babies get released to go home, so I walk them to the main road and help them cross, and then catch the dala dala back to my house.

  Once home, I eat lunch, and then do any number of fairly mundane things: Do my wash (Which I do by hand. Achievement Unlocked.), hang out with my roommates (who are all awesome, fun, hilarious people), get on the internet, or take the oh so luxurious African bucket shower.

  Several times a week we also go into town, which is always chaotic and fantastic. There are dala dalas and boda bodas (moterbikes) everywhere, and people yell from all different directions, calling us "mzungu" or "white person". In town there is a coffee shop with free wifi, a Shoprite grocery store, and several cool restaurants and shops.

My coffee and cake at Fifi's, one of the better coffee shops in the area.

  At night we either do one of two things: Stay at the house and listen to music while playing card games, or go out to any one of the bars or clubs in the area.

In the cab on the way home with our favorite driver, Jimmy.

  Overall, life here is pretty awesome. Things move slower here, despite the frantic movement in the city. For the most part, the people are kind and welcoming, though, of course, there are a fair share of ass clowns here too, but that's true of any country. The food is a lot better than I was expecting, and the beer is also much better than anticipated.

 I also love that I spend a large portion of my day outdoors, and, unlike in the States, I actually walk places, which I really enjoy.

  Being here has already changed my perspective on how I live my life in the States, and it has also changed the way I see the world around me. And, interestingly, it has completely changed my opinions on international aid. But that's a whole other post.