Hamna Shida

Hey all, sorry I haven't been regular in updating my blog, but the internet is really slow here and it's all I can do to get on the internet long enough to tell my parents I'm still alive. There is so much that I've done here in Tanzania that I don't think even twenty blog entries would do it justice, but I'll try.

So far, I have:
Gone on a Safari
Hiked to an 80 foot waterfall
Helped dig a 15-foot deep water collection hole for the orphanage
Gone to Zanzibar
-->Gone snorkeling in the Indian Ocean on the Fourth of July
Taken countless bucket showers
Learned to squat and pee over a hole in the ground (otherwise known as the Choo)
Helped my host family harvest beans
Collected water and carried the bucket on my head
and soooooo much more

I absolutely LOVE my host family. The language barrier can be difficult, but I also live with a Tanzanian volunteer who helps me and my friend Leo translate. My homestay is very nice, but there is no electricity and no running water (and certainly no cable or internet), so every night we play card games to pass the time. I'm also helping the little boy in the house with his times tables and the older girl is learning how to solve algebraic equations with two unknowns. I can't converse much with my mama because she only speaks Swahili, but she is a wonderful woman with the kindest heart and the most infectious laugh. We have certain inside jokes in our homestay family that never fail to make her bust up. And my baba (the dad of the family) speaks a little English and is always so eager to talk to us. He offered to put local music on my iPod for me because he has access to a computer at work.

I go to bed at about 9 PM daily because the sun sets at about 6:30 (remember it's winter down here- although that really doesn't make much difference considering we're only 3 degrees south of the equator), and wake up every morning naturally at about 7. I am honestly so exhausted at the end of every day from a combination of physical, mental, and emotional exertion. It isn't easy trying to work across different languages every day, but it is so rewarding.

This has honestly been such an incredible learning experience, and I'm not sure that I will ever be able to properly explain how it has changed me. There are certain moments here when I just feel so free. There are some things I miss about home, such as my family, friends, and porcelain toilet, but other things that I don't really want to go back to. At home I feel as if I get so wrapped up in day-to-day life and the little stressors that I lose sight of the big picture. I'm afraid of going back to the fast-paced, stressful life and losing everything that I've learned here. You may know the phrase "Hakuna Matata" from Lion King. Translated from Swahili, it means "There are no worries". The slang term here is "Hamna Shida" (no problems), and that mind set is so contagious. Being here allows me to just lean back and enjoy the ride. Of course not everything is absolutely perfect, but if you allow yourself to focus on the positive and revel in it, the negative seems to fade into the background.


So, here's my advice to you all: Hamna Shida.