updates

1. I have been on vacation from school since June 7th. During this time, I have had the opportunity to do some traveling locally and to Zanzibar. Overall, vacation has been a great opportunity for getting more comfortable in our neighborhood, the city and the surrounding areas. I have been visiting different students, faculty members and friends and slowly getting more confident speaking Swahili and navigating the public transportation system independently. While Loyola is a wonderful work environment, it can sometimes feel a little sheltered from the rest of our neighborhood with the prominence of spoken English and the walls which keep its well-manicured grounds separate from the outside world. 

2. I traveled to Zanzibar with two of my community mates and one of our colleagues from Loyola and it was a wonderful break from our everyday routines. The beach was beautiful and restorative and Stonetown was historical and full of great places to eat and shop. I even ate octopus and barracuda in Forodhani Park overlooking the Indian Ocean! 

3. I have been going on home visits to the homes of students who receive scholarships from Loyola’s GIA (Grants in Aid) fund. I accompanied Loyola’s guidance counselor and director of the program and another faculty member. The visits were mostly in our neighborhood of Mabibo/Luhanga and the surrounding areas and they were both extremely humbling and inspiring. 

4. I was recently able to return to the shamba/farm I wrote about in the blog about oranges. I helped around the shamba during the day and enjoyed being in the country and living so close to the Earth and its bounty. I ate well and felt renewed and uplifted after spending time with a friend and colleague and her family. I will cherish those moments as I return to the routine of a new school term next week.

5. Obama visited this past Monday and Tuesday and sadly I did not see him, but I got to sit in the traffic jams he caused with the rest of Dar es Salaam. My friends and colleagues were mostly excited and somewhat skeptical about the intentions of his visit. I am glad he was able to spend some time in my new home, but I wish he was able to see more than the President’s home and the newly cleaned, painted and paved streets.