Tip of the Hat/Wag of the Finger

This post is in honor of the 2 month anniversary of my arrival in East Africa (that either seems really long or really short - I'm not sure which), and in fond memory of evenings spent watching Stephen Colbert at 81 Kilburn Rd. That being said, here is a top -not sure how many yet- good and bad things about my time here:

Tip of the hat to:

Kids. I love kids here. I love spending time with "my" kids - 5 year old Dadi (he discovered last weekend he was 5, not 6 as previously reported) for the most part, who I am now entirely responsible for during the week, and his older brother Billi, who is away at school with his mom during the week. Erika taught Dadi the card game "memory" two weeks ago, and he is still obsessed, although we are working on turning the evening plan to reading short stories in Swahili instead. Also, the new addition of baby Amani. That is the nickname I gave him, and it stuck. He was born Thursday morning at 9am at a whopping 4kgs. Amani is my friend Amme's nephew - his older brother's third child. He is so little, and a week old, is heading home for the first time today from his grandmother's house.

(left: Dadi, right: Billi)

Wag of the finger to:

Education. Definitely not free here, despite the MDGs (Millenium Development Goals) and Tanzanian goverenment commitment to free universal education. Not only is it difficult to attain a primary (let alone secondary) school education, it is virtually impossible if your parents aren't interested in you going to school, which is particularly the case for girls.


Tip of the Hat:

Environment. The commute I have to Arusha is roughly an hour and a half, but I love it. I spend 15-20 minutes walking to the bus stand in Monduli (downhill in the morning, up in the evening), then I wait for a bus - or alternatively I walk until one passes me - then roughly an our on the bus through the vast plains of Meserani and Kisongo until I reach Arusha - with coffee plantations on the outskirts before the busy city center and surrounding buisness areas. Then I walk another 10 minutes to the hospital. I have been making this trip for over 5 weeks now, and have yet to grow tired of it. Some days if I have free time, I even walk the 16km from Monduli to the main east/west road that runs to Arusha.

(maybe its just because its the rainy season and there are always clouds, but the sunset is beautiful EVERY night)

Wag of the Finger:

Hygine. I work at a hospital. In the labratory, the technicians who take blood samples use latex gloves. They don't wear them though, they use them to tie around the patients upper arm so that they can find the vein easier. The bathrooms are always disgusting, with stagnant water (and who knows what else) on the ground, and no sinks or running water to wash your hands. At home, I got yelled at for throwing away (giving to the dog) a plate of rice and meat that had been sitting out, uncovered, all night. Apparently my host sister was planning to eat it for breakfast.

Tip of the Hat:

Barack Obama. He is loved here (just like at home). When I tell someone that I am American, it is not uncommon for them to respond, "ahhh... mtu ya Obama!" - or "oh, a person of Obama!" I eagerly tell them that I voted for him, which, always gets a emphatically excited response. There is even a Khanga - fabric worn by women- here with a (fairly unflattering) picture of Obama with the words "Hongera Barack Obama" (Congratulations Barack Obama) and "Upendo na Amani Ametujalia Mungu" (Love and Peace, God has looked after us).