Week One! BIG Post!!

This posting was written on July 13, I'm sorry if my posts come in chunks over the next few weeks.  Internet is very unpredictable!

I woke up early this morning to the sounds of a confused rooster crowing and then to some LOUD singing.  I’m not sure where the singing was coming from, if it was in the hotel or across the street.  The noises have died down, but now that I’m awake I can’t get back to sleep.  Its probably alright since I went to bed at about 9:30pm last night!  I think its going to take me a while to get used to this time zone!!!  Since the sun doesn’t even rise for another hour or so, I thought I’d take some time to write a blog post, which I can hopefully upload another time later today or during the week!

So Jessie and I have been in Dar es Salaam since Sunday (Marilyn and Sureet got in later on Monday), and we have been staying at the City Park Hotel.  The hotel staff is incredibly friendly and really nice!  We get a nice breakfast in the morning, an omelette with toast and either fresh fruit or fruit juice.  Each room has its own bathroom, a fan, an air conditioner and a double bed.

My mosquito net.  I didn't know how to hang it, but now I am MUCH better at it and can actually sleep under it!

My shower and toilet.  These were awesome, especially when there was power AND running water.  They were less great when the water pump broke for a night.

On Monday, Jessie and I set off on a few adventures by ourselves.  We went to the bank to exchange some of our USD to TSH, and we stumbled upon a really nice little internet cafe.  That afternoon we thought we’d practice some of our kiswahili, however, we more just relaxed by the beach by the Indian Ocean.  That afternoon was phenomenal, we not only got to practice getting around Dar es Salaam, but we recharged after our long flights from Toronto!

The beautiful Indian Ocean

Relaxing on the beach after enjoying a bajaji ride

Yesterday, the four of us had a lesson in kiswahili.  We tried to learn a few of the basics, which would allow us to communicate a little bit better.  Now, I’ve tried learning languages before and I’ve always found the hardest part to be practicing outloud to someone who speaks the language.  Sometimes you can get snubbed if your accents aren’t right or if you aren’t exactly grammatically correct. 

That doesn’t seem to be the case here.  The four of us came back yesterday from our lesson super excited with the bits and pieces of kiswahili that we remembered.  When we tried it out on the hotel staff (saying ‘good evening’ or just ‘hello’ or even ‘thank you’), they got so excited that we were learning their language!  The enthusiasm and excitement was enough to motivate us to continue to learn and practice.

 To get around town, the most exciting and exhilarating way we’ve found so far has been by bajaji.  The bajajis are weird hybrid of motorcycle and golf cart.  The bajaji drivers we’ve met so far have been fun and friendly, and I have NEVER met anyone who knows the EXACT dimensions of their vehicle better than the bajaji drivers.  Traffic doesn’t always mean you have to stop if you’re in a bajaji, its small enough to find its way through pedestrian paths or in between tight spaces left by telephone poles.  If you’re ever going to spend any time in Dar, you 100% need to try a bajaji!   They’re inexpensive, faster than taxis and just fun!

Country side of Dar es Salaam, taken from a bajaji

Some pottery sold on the side of the road.  Taken from a bajaji

These are the bajajis!  They are small, but VERY speedy!

One of our many different Bajaji drivers

 

Another really great part of this experience has been the food!  The fruit that I have eaten here has been some of the best fruit I’ve eaten in my life (mangoes, papayas, bananas, pineapple, avocado).  We have had a couple of traditional Tanzanian meals, my favourite one so far was my meal last night of Antelope, a side of cooked bananas (green bananas, cooked with meats...its kind of like eating potatoes) and a side of cassava leaves with crushed nuts.  I’m kind of nervous about coming back to Canada and being morbidly obese.  I know I’m only gone for 6 weeks, but I’ve eaten better here than I did sometimes while a student!  Contrary to popular belief, I will not be going hungry while in Tanzania!!

Some fruit vendors at a bus stopped. We stopped here for lunch on our 12 hour bus journey to Arusha from Dar.

Somaki na wazi (fish and rice) with a size of fruit salad aaand salad salad.

Kuku na pilau (Chicken and Pilau Rice)

We'd been eating omlettes and were amazing that the cook was using only egg whites. Then we got a hard boiled egg, and discovered that the chickens may be a little malnourished.

Some say Margarine, others say Fat Spread.

My avacado milkshake.  It was awesome AND I could have used it as a face mask and probably really improved my skin. 

Now here is my awesome food story!

While in Dar es Salaam, the group of us went to a nice little local restaurant (the Brake Point bar). I ordered Antelope (awesome, right!?) with a side of bananas (takes the place of a starch).  The bananas are still very green when picked, so they are more similar to plantains, and they get fried up. 

These bananas were then cooked in a sauce that contained some mystery meat.  We found chicken, and pork and assumed that some of it must be antelope.  Then I found a shrimp, and I was QUITE excited!  This was a BIG tiger shrimp.  I guess I was being a little too hopefully and I little naive, because when I crunched down on this ‘tiger shrimp’ it popped in my mouth.  

Now if you’ve ever eaten shrimp before ever, you know that they don’t tend to pop.  So I am not entirely sure what it was that I put in my mouth, but I know for a fact that it was NOT shrimp, and I would be willing to bet that it was eyeball or testicle.  Mmmmm. 

Alrighty, I've worked on this post for hours (mostly letting pictures load)!  I'll update soon again!  We have some more details on our projects, and I'm REALLY excited about starting to work at the Umoja Centre!

Kwaheri for now!!

-Matt