Our last days in Dar (already!?)

I can't believe I'm saying this already, but in a week and a half our SST group will have already said our first goodbye to our host families and traveling to the Serengeti!  Two weeks ago I would have said that the next three weeks couldn't pass by fast enough, but now that the end of our time in Dar is approaching I'm trying to enjoy every moment.  We've been going about the usual schedule lately of going to class in the mornings and having lectures  in the afternoons but its really fallen into somewhat of a routine.  The weekends are always pretty different but the weekdays just seem to fly by.  As I look forward to going on service and experiencing a whole new part of Tanzania I just have to share about some of the most interesting parts of Dar es Salaam. 

Daladalas
Ok, so have any of you ever wanted to get a taxi but thought it would be too expensive for just yourself?  Maybe it would be better if you shared it with a couple of friends right, to cut the costs?  Well, that seems to be the thinking over here in Dar.  If you can fit 40 people into a bus then the cost will be really cheap (250 Tanzanian shillings = about 20 cents).  Every morning, I wake up at 5:00 a.m. to get ready to and walk to a bus stop 20 minutes from my house to catch a daladala (the buses here) into town.  If I'm lucky I'll grab a seat and won't have to stand for the hour it takes to get to where our classes are given.  On any given day, I would say that I spend an average of about 3 hours on a daladala.  Sometimes I get a seat and enjoy the ride, and other times I end up standing with only the packed bodies next to me managing to keep me on my feet.  It's definitely been something that we all have had to get used too.  I never would have thought that I would grow to enjoy the time on the buses but I have to admit that I have.  Its been a nice way to get reading done and just have some "alone" time at the beginning and end of the days.  I think that so far our biggest exposure to how actual Tanzanians live has been during our daily commutes.  I've been able to talk to people who speak great English to people who don't even know a single word, from things about politics to daily life in Dar.  Its really been a great way to feel connected to daily life here.  Actually, I'm glad that I put off writing about the daladalas until now because before I probably wouldn't have had as nice of an outlook on the whole situation.  Needless to say, I'll be happy to be done with the bustle of Dar es Salaam in a week or two and finally get to the hopefully quieter life of service.  I'm still pretty fuzzy on the exact facts of what I'll be doing during the service portion of SST but I'll be sure and write an update as soon as I know!

Our first weeks in Dar

It seems weird to say, but we've already been in Dar es Salaam for nearly 2 whole weeks (sometimes that seems like a long time and sometimes I can't believe that it's JUST been 2 weeks).  Anyway,  we all arrived safely here in Tanzania last weekend and since it's been a sort of whirlwind of activities.  The first day we spent getting small tours of Dar and just sort of adjusting to the time change (we're 8 hours ahead here) and acclimating to the environment.  On our first Friday here we were introduced to our host families for the first time.  We were all waiting around in the church with the hosts before we actually met them and it felt like a middle school dance (everyone was too nervous to go and talk to people on the other side of the room).  Anyway, to make a long story short, my host family is awesome (more on them in a later post).  I have just always felt so blessed at the hospitality that has seemed second nature for all of the people that I have encountered from other cultures.

I was really nervous leading into that first weekend away from the group and with the host family but everything turned out alright.  I have heard it described as the "longest weekend of you life" by previous SSTers but it turned out to be fairly fun if not exhausting.  After the weekend it was soo nice to see the rest of the group here.  I can now understand what everyone is talking about when they mention the great friendships they make on SST.  Just seeing someone who is experiencing similar things is enough to make you best friends.

As for our weekly schedule, we keep pretty busy.  I normally wake up at 5:15 in the morning to shower and be ready by 6:00 or so to get my first of two daladalas (Again, more on transportation in a later post) on the way to the church where were have Swahili class.  After class, we find lunch on our own usually and then head to the University of Dar es Salaam for a lecture about Tanzanian culture or history or head over to the SST Unit House for some much needed time to unwind.  I usually get back to my host house at around 6:00 or so in the afternoon, making for a very long 12 hour day!  I've been struggling to have enough energy in the evenings to be socail with my family but it has been going well, and they understand the stresses of being in a new culture can take their toll.  Weekends will be a mix of education/recreational activities with the group and some family time usually reserved for Sundays.


Anyway, I hope this post has wetted appetites for more news.  I'll make sure and post some more specifics soon!

Preparing for Departure

      For pretty much all of Christmas break I've been counting down the days and weeks until our SST unit leaves for Tanzania.  Now that those days and weeks have turned into mere hours until our 1:00 a.m. departure time tonight the situation is seeming much more realistic.  Any nerves that I was anticipating feeling at this point have pretty much turned into excitement though.  We'll just be praying for safe travels and as few delays as possible.
      Leading up to this trip, I've been trying my best not to make assumptions that this trip will be anything like my year spent in Brazil.  I know that Tanzania will have a rich culture, beautiful landscapes and great people that will all be unique to Tanzania.  I just think that it will be hard not to make comparisons once I finally arrive in Dar es Salaam.  Either way, I'm looking forward to finally getting to Dar es Salaam and meeting my host family.  I'm going to try to update this blog as often as possible with new info about my hosts and interesting/noteworthy stories (of which I'm sure there will be many).  Hopefully I'll be able to get some great picture up here for everyone to see also.  Look for a new update within the next week.