Greetings from Zanzibar! So I’ve been here for a week and things are nzuri (good) so far. But as usual it’s hot as balls…I’m pretty convinced it’s more humid than last time. I can’t say I have any exciting news to share. All of you college kids will probably hate me for saying this, but this has probably been the laziest week of my life. I really should be taking more advantage of my two weeks here in paradise before I go off to Arusha (not that I’m expecting Arusha to be much less of a paradise). But I’ve spent my time sleeping, more sleeping, attempting to communicate with Fee’s family and trying to get the littlest ones to not cry every time they see me, lazing around at the beach, and eating my favorite Forodhani foods.
There are so many places that I’d never seen on the side of Stonetown where Fee lives…and there are noooo mzungus (white people) here what so ever. I literally went three days without seeing another white person…commonplace in Pemba…but unheard of here in Stonetown. I’ve gone to the beach near Fee’s house every day and it’s gorgeous… a few miles long, white sand (albeit a fair amount of trash on the shore and probably not particularly clean water). I’d always assumed that locals didn’t really go to the beach all that much but apparently I’d just never been to the right beaches. This beach is definitely a locals-only place and always crowded. And the beach is where everyone exercises…I’d never realized that before. There are herds and herds of men running along the beach (and even a few women) and people doing sit ups and acrobatics. And there are aerobics classes for women there…some of them even do it in bibuis (long black robe and headscarf) with just their eyes showing. I wish I could get pictures of the scenes at the beach, but unfortunately it’s not too safe to bring my camera.
I’ve kept my eye out for everyone’s favorite mtoto, Beta, but so far no sign. But again, I haven’t been in the city much. I wish my Zanzibar SIT crew was here!! I’m not gonna complain, but Stonetown really isn’t the same when I’m wandering around all alone and too lazy to make new friends.
Well here is about the only particularly memorable thing I’ve done so far. One of Fee’s neighbors teaches adult English classes in the evenings and invited me teach English to his students one evening. So for the entire two hour class I sat in front of the class and practiced English with the students…it was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had in Tanzania so far. Luckily they were good enough at English that they spent the class asking me questions about myself and America and vice-versa and I didn’t have to attempt to explain any English grammar concepts. They stumped me on a few questions though, such as “how can we be expected to learn science like you when we have no scientific instruments at our school?” and “Why should students here be encouraged to pursue higher learning when it’s expensive and there are no good job opportunities for them after they graduate?” So if anyone has a better answer than me stuttering, “I uhhh errr uhh…I donno”, let me know. They’ve only been learning English for two months and they spoke about 100 times better than I speak Swahili after being here for 4 months.
These are Fee’s dance students before tying for first in a dance competition that ended in a legit dance-off between the two winning teams.
Above are four of Fee's neices. Rabia and Sade in the back, Arafa and Rayani in the front. Below is Fee's sister, Salma, (in the middle) with Arafa and Rayani again. I’m the only mzungu (white person) Rayani has ever seen, and after months she still cries when I’m in the same room as her because she thinks I’m a ghost.
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