Monday, January 3, 2011

Thank you, Thank you very much

I guess no matter how hard you try you can't avoid jet lag.  I am pretty sure I fell asleep at about midnight and now 5 hours later I am wide awake (thanks in part to the rooster) - we'll see how long that lasts!  Unfortunately my Kindle doesn't get internet reception at the house.  In order to save time at the Internet Cafe I will write out my posts whenever I get a chance and head down to the cafe to type them in when I can.  Thanks to everyone for your posts!  They brighten my day.

Nothing can really prepare you for your first day in rural Africa - or any third world country for that matter.  It's hard to explain, but it is not bad, just very different.  I arrived at Kilimanjaro Airport and wasn't even sure if anyone would be there to pick me up.  Our flights were delayed a couple of hours - for no real reason -  everybody just moves at their own pace around here....slowly.  As they say in Swahili "pole, pole".  Anyway, I had not received confirmation that I would be picked up at the airport, but hey, no worries.  I figured I would stop by a phone store at the airport, pick up a SIM card and make some calls.  Wrong.  The airport was really just an open air structure no bigger than a CVS.  No stores.  Thankfully, my bags were on the luggage belt waiting for me after I went through customs and, after a few moments of uncertainty, I found my driver, exchanged money and started on the road to Moshi.  Ally the driver (there is another Ally who is teaching me Swahili) and I had several laughs on our 40 minute ride.  He gave me a quick introduction to Swahili - When I say "thank you" (asante) you say "thank you very much" (asante sana).  At time it feels like I'm actually living in the middle of an old Elvis movie which made the saying all the more fitting.

I'm quickly learning that perception is everything here.  People don't really tell it like it is - they just tell it to you the way they'd like it to be.  For example, the "town" of Moshi that I'm staying in has either 250,000 or 1.2M people in it - depending on who you ask.  And yes, incase you were wondering, we do have hot/cold showers.  That is if I take a bucket of water to the stove, boil it and carry it into the bathroom to dump on myself, the walls, floor, toilet and anything else that may get splashed in my shower with no curtain.  Under normal circumstances this may seem less than ideal.  However, it wasn't until half way through my first "shower" that I realized the hand held shower head actually worked and the tiny stream of cold water coming out of the faucet comes out just a little bit faster through the shower head.  After the frustration of trying to shower with a bowl and a bucket for 5 minutes, this small discovery felt like a modern day miracle!

There are 11 of us living in this 7 bedroom house - depending on who you ask!  Fatouma - the house mom - her daughter, Somiya (she is maybe 3) and 14-yea old Esther.  We are told she is a friends daughter or a cousin.  Who knows?  There are 5 girls from the U.S. and 1 guy who I have yet to meet.  Then there are 2 or 3 other Tanzanians who come and go, depending on the day.  Sarika (NYC), Elizabeth (FL) and I share a room.  We are quickly becoming friends and i am sure I will have plenty of stories to share about them over the coming days.

It is now 6:04 am, the sun is rising, birds are chirping and the roosters are crowing.  I can hear the morning Muslim prayer chants in the distance.  The trees are blooming with beautiful red and purple flowers and it smells a bit like the smokey remnants of a campfire.  Good morning, Tanzania.

14 comments:

  1. Oh, good morning, sweetheart! What a wonderful surprise to wake up to a post this morning! You've given me a "picture" of where you are. Asante! :) I'm thankful you are "settled in" and that there are other girls staying with you. I love you! Naomi just left for school a few moments ago. Not her favorite thing to do after a long Christmas break :) However, driver's Ed. starts today!
    I love you and I'll keep praying :)
    Love, mom :*

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  2. Ah yes, and a Happy New Year to you! LOL! I'm very excited (and jealous) for you. I'm sure it promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Be safe & have fun!

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  3. It puts a smile on my face to read of your happenings half a world away but yet still feel like your right here. Crazy how my day just started here, Monday morning of a new year and you are just now finishing up your first Monday, in a new year, in an amazing new adventure.

    Your first few experiences remind me of the beauty in simplicity that I saw while in Trinidad, as well as their complete disregard for time!

    You are loved so much and I can't wait to see what God has in store for you in the coming weeks.

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  4. Miss Rebekah, I foresee "chicken soup" in the future! Or you could have a "come to Jesus meeting" with the rooster! I'm so excited to hear about your perception comment - I learned about this from a couple of young men from Tanzania. Enjoy your days and 'Ride the Wave'... Later

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  5. Your Mom sent me the link to your blog this morning. What a privilege it will be to follow your daily adventures. So glad you arrived safely and are getting settled into your new temporary home. We will keep you in our prayers. Wishing you great opportunities,good health,safety,and experienced you will remember for a lifetime.

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  6. Becki!! So happy to hear you are ok and have reached your home base!! Katie and I were praying everything came together! Can't wait to hear more. what a contrast- in the last month, NYC/Times Sq to Africa..... Ok, that is as polar as it gets!!! Have a great trip!!!! It's going to be great!!!

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  7. Becki - It's so cool to read your post in such a far away land, I'm thankful you are safe and in His care, kind of jealous too thinking that I need to get the snowblower running for the next big blizzard while you wake up to birds chirping and a nice warm breeze at the base of a beautiful mountain. Can't wait to read about your new adventure in the coming days. I am praying for you!

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  8. Wow, I will never take a shower again and think, It's just a shower!! So cool and impressive..

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  9. Becki-Wow, your first days sound amazing in so many ways! I am happy to hear that you made it safely, are making friends and are learning the lay of the land! I checked out the travel to teach program...am so inspired! Thanks!
    I will be keeping you in my thoughts and prayers and look forward to reading more about your "episodes!"

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  10. Awe...FRIEND! You are going to have so many amazing experiences and time is going to fly! Enjoy every moment...even the frustrating ones...those are what you will remember most and which make the BEST STORIES!! I LOVE YOU!!! AND MISS YOU TERRIBLY...

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  11. Loved hearing from you! Thanks for the great descriptions, making me "see" what you are experiencing! Can't wait for the next post. Praying for you and all God is doing in and through you!

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  12. I've been out of touch and had no idea of the new direction of your life. It is mind blowing. My prayer warrior is in place as I trust the Lord to be the light onto your path and the lamp onto your feet. I can't imagine your experience so I will be hanging on your words as you so perfectly describe this journey.

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  13. Hi, Becki! How wonderful to hear about the beginning of your adventure. I'm sure it is true that nothing can actually prepare you for the sounds and sights of where you were as you wrote. I'm praying for you as you experience this perspective-changing, exciting journey. Looking forward to your next post!

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  14. What a great post. Who knew you were a writer, too? I wonder how long the rooster will be living... Thank you for the wonderful visual picture of Africa, all its joys and grand beginnings. Love and miss you!

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