Dala Dalas

18 October 2009

We finally made it to church this morning. The Arusha Community Church is in the back of the parking lot of Selian Hospital, which we walk past everyday on our way to work. Although Dave and Eunie weren’t there, we met Nathan Simonson and a few other people that we will be able to keep in touch with here, so it was great to be there. The service was not quite what we were expecting, but we will hopefully get used to it and learn to love it. We are looking forward to going again next week.

17 October 2009

Today was better. Zach and I slept in until almost 8am and then I watched a cute movie called ‘Jersey Girl’. We had breakfast and then got ready to go to the Snake Park, just outside of Arusha.

We took a Dala Dala there, which was cool and it was only 1,000 Tsh for each of us. The dala dala was packed all the way there and back, which was uncomfortable, but definitely an experience. For those who don’t know, dala dalas are the public transportation here in Arusha (and I think a lot of East Africa). They kind of look like old VW vans, and they have about 16 seats in them. There is also a bench right behind the front driver’s seats, on which the “conductor” sits. Each dala dala has a conductor that hangs out the window on the sliding door and yells out their current destination. Whenever anyone wants to be picked up, the conductor is signaled by the passenger on the street and he bangs on the side or roof of the dala dala to let the driver know to stop. If you ever need to take one, you just have to listen for the destinations that the conductor is yelling (which is harder than it sounds, by the way). They are also notorious for stuffing them so full that everyone is like sardines. One volunteer said she has been in one with 28 people in it, where everyone sits or lays on each other or whatever they have to do to get in. There is really no such thing as personal space here. Another volunteer said that she was on one that was completely full and they stopped to pick up a guy who also had with him a tire! They shoved in the tire and the guys squeezed in. They sell t-shirts here that say “I survived a Dala Dala ride”, and I think by the time we leave we will have earned one J.

Anyway, when we got to the park, we chose to do the camel ride to a Maasai village instead of go in to see the snakes, which we thought we could do at home. Two Maasai men were our guides. The camels were fun, but definitely scary when standing up and sitting down. It was about a 20 minute camel ride to the village. When we got there, the guide told us that the group of huts we were visiting belonged to the family of the 85 year old elder who lived there. He had 9 wives during his day, and now their children and children’s children live there. About 10 kids ran up to greet us right away and wanted to be held and played with. They liked to have their picture taken and also wanted to take pictures themselves. We got some great pictures and felt truly out with the natives. The people there didn’t even speak Swahili (let alone English), but only their native tribal language. Overall the camel ride was fun, and worth the $8 each J, but it was also very touristy…our camels were from Sudan.

When we got back to Arusha we headed to the city’s soccer stadium to watch the futbol match between Arusha and Moshi. It was a men’s league for guys who didn’t quite cut it in the premier league, so it was pretty good soccer and a lot of fun. We are hoping to catch a few more games while we are here.

(The picture is of Zach with one of the kids at the Maasai village.)

16 October 2009

Today was a rough day. I didn’t feel good so I didn’t go to placement and I was very homesick all day. Zach went to placement without me, so I was also feeling lonely in the house without him. I feel like we have been here for longer than 2 weeks and I started to feel a little panicked at the thought of how much longer we have to go. My emotions have definitely been running high (I can’t imagine why!) and it is pretty draining. I go back and forth about 5 times a day between missing home so much and loving it here.

Some of the things I don’t like about it here: dust, not staying with Zach, feeling helpless at the hospital, being laughed at on streets, and endless bargaining.

Some of the things that I miss at home: my family, hot showers, Kleenex, feeling clean, paved roads.

Some of the things I love here: the food, the weather, the music, Mt. Meru, the market, the children, Swahili, traditional dress, and lots more.

My dog from home, Taboo, also died today, which was hard. I almost felt a sense of relief because I have been worried about it for probably almost two years now, and how my family would handle it. Fortunately, they are doing fine, but I still wish I could be there with them. Although I had pretty much said goodbye to him before I left, not expecting him to be alive when I got home, I don’t think it will really set in that he is gone until I get back and he is not there to greet me.

Written by Whitney