We are in the middle of Africa. Arusha, Tanzania is
the middle of Africa. Or, at least, that’s what Rasta John told us during our
tour on Saturday. He explained that the city is right underneath the equator,
halfway between Cape Town and Cairo. I believe him, not because I trust that he
is right, but because I feel it. It
is not simply a geographic status to me, but a quality experienced only by
being here. It is seen only by the eyes of someone gazing at the foothills of
Kilimanjaro; it is heard only by the ears of someone joining in on a Maasai
tribal dance as a song is sung in unity. Not meaning to take away from Toto,
but words are simply insufficient.
I
believe we can all learn something from the people of Tanzania. First of all, I
don’t know of another language with more ways to say “Hello, how are you?” And
here, they want to hear you say “good”, because they actually care. As Nay, the
“African Oprah” put it, Tanzanians have much more time, so there is always time
to find out how someone is doing. As we walked through the buildings where disobedient
slaves were killed on a daily basis, and stood where they were hung, I learned
about an incredible part of Tanzanian society. They are forgetting their
history of slavery. No, not forgetting in the sense of leaving it out history
all together. The people are letting go of the anger and pain, while still
honoring the events that took place. Tanzanians are proud to be who they are,
and they are beginning to build a new, exciting future for themselves. This is
what amazed me the most about the people in the first few days, and I have a
growing admiration for them.
Sunday
was one of the most extraordinary days of my life. As we drove through the dust
towards an actual Maasai village, I felt a jumble of feelings of in
anticipation. When we arrived, those feelings were met with awe, wonder,
curiosity, and everything of the sort. The houses were beautifully simple. The
cattle, sheep, and goats were…well, disgusting, but intriguing. The people were
different in many ways, but admirable in many more. The children were shy and
did not make much eye contact. They had strange medicinal practices, like
drinking warm cow’s blood, and men only become men after they are circumcised
while being awake at the age of 18. Despite these things that would make many
outsiders uncomfortable, I found things that impressed me, such as the fact
that the children were given the responsibility of looking after the young
animals at a very young age. I was also impressed by the cooperation of the
people when catching a cow, making chapatti, or preparing a goat for dinner.
Our visit ended with a dance with the warriors, which consisted of singing,
dancing, and jumping. For some reason still unknown to me, I was really good at
the jumping and became a favorite among the warriors. I think it will take me a
long time to comprehend that day.
The
first day at school was very intimidating. I walked into the Preparatory Class immediately
feeling like an alien as the students and teachers stared at me. However, as
the day went on, I got myself involved in the class, and I began to relax. The
best parts of the day were when all 31 five-year-olds would stand up and sing
at the top of their lungs about Chinese people and stomach pains. I have
silently promised myself and the teachers that this week I will have the best
games and songs for the kids. In the next two weeks, I’m hoping to grow
personally to be able to have meaningful conversations with my new friends, and
make many connections. In the classroom, I want to end most days with an
excited and happy group of students. I
know and look forward to being challenged in order to grow through these goals.
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