Campus Life

Hey friends,

So I have started to fall behind on my posts but we have been in Dar for almost two weeks! In some ways it feels like we have been here forever, which I am going to take as a sign that I am starting to adjust to everything. Campus is beautiful, and there are monkeys everywhere! I will definitely try to get a picture to show everyone soon! (Plus, when I went on facebook today I loved how many people said that they were reading my blog, thanks guys I love you!!)

Anyways, we started classes on Monday, and by that I mean we had one class. Although I had been warned about this before leaving, it has been somewhat frustrating to deal with the manner in which things are done here. The University of Dar es Salaam is on a completely different schedule than American universities, due to student strikes that closed down the university a few years ago. So right now, all the regular students are in their finals week of their first semester. For us, that means that the professors are not really available and in general they do not really show up for class, and they cannot really commit to any times or days of the week that class should be held because they are not sure what their schedule is going to be like next semester. So the classes will meet and decide which days and times they want to have class, but so far only one professor has shown up. It is obviously very different from home in that respect, and everything is pretty unorganized. It takes some getting used to, and it will be nice once our schedule is established. As of right now the only class I have had is African foreign policy, which seems pretty good but it is run by an American professor. Another disappointing thing about the schedule being different is that we do not take classes with the Tanzanian students, just the international ones. The other kids are the program are primarily from CIEE (American), but there are also some kids from Finland and Norway who we are friends with. I believe that the classes will still be good once they get started, but we will have to make Tanzanian friends through other outlets.

The homestay has been going really well, our parents are very nice! Our breakfasts and dinners are provided for which is great, but we have been eating so much rice, beans, and ugali. Our parents try to change it up a lot, even ordering pizza and Western food, but I seem to eat at least one of those three foods every day. It seems as though the main components of the meals here are carbs, which does not help with the constant sluggish feeling that I’ve been having. Last night we had what our parents described as a typical Tanzanian’s “student meal,” I suppose their version of ramen. It was called chipsi mayai, and it was essentially an omelet with French fries in it. The local name for it means concrete because of the way it settles in your stomach, and it certainly lived up to its name although it was delicious! In general the food here is good, but a completely different diet than we are used to. Over the weekend we went to an Ethiopian restaurant named Addis in Dar, which is fitting because I just began reading the novel Cutting for Stone which is about Ethiopia. Anyways it is a little difficult to describe but they serve you on this spongy-like thin bread that is rolled out on a large dish. They cook all the food and then flip it over onto this bread and then serve you with the same bread that is rolled up, and then you rip off small pieces to grip the food with your fingers. It was so delicious and so unlike anything I had ever really had before, even though the food got everywhere. They say that they can tell a native Ethiopian because once they are done eating their hands are completely clean, so I know that there is a proper way to do it even if I have not quite mastered it yet.

To go along with all this food I have also been working out a fair amount. However, campus is basically one huge hill so it has been pretty slow going. Another obstacle is that people in general do not really work out, and girls hardly ever do. Coupled with the fact that I wear shorts when I run, I receive copious amounts of bad looks when running. I am trying to assimilate with the culture and I will certainly be respectful of another countries norms and rules, but in my opinion this is the one area that I am not going to yield on. As an American, exercising is a pretty foundational part of our lives and I am not going to give up a huge part of who I am just because I am here. Plus, I have to start training to get back to the crew team! J Yesterday, we attended the aerobics class at the university. It is HILARIOUS!! It was taught by the man that runs the gym and he was so animated and into it, and the class was really hard. Anyways, even though I was a little sore today I will definitely be going to that more often!

On Sunday we went to the most beautiful island, named Bongoyo Island. It is a small uninhabited island that is a marine reserve. I didn’t take any pictures but I will definitely be back, it was so gorgeous. We did nothing but relax and sleep and read on the beach. Ironically, there was large group of wzungus (white people, you get used to everyone yelling that at you here) ranging from all ages wearing matching shirts and hats in the water. They were all clearly intoxicated and singing the water, it was pretty hilarious to see. When they asked them what group they were all in, they told us that they were a drinking club that had a running problem, that is to say they were an expat running club that drank on the weekends. They were all very nice and welcoming, I might try and join them for a run or two if they come to campus. It’s funny how many Americans we have found since coming here, and how much I now identify with being American. There are so many things I took for granted (considering how much time I now dedicate to laundry, I will never underestimate the power of running water and consistent electricity again), and I now clearly realize how my distinctly American experiences have shaped who I have become.

Well tomorrow I am going to check out Investours, the company that Christina worked for before she left. If everything goes according to plan I will be spending a good amount of time there this semester, but I will let you know how it goes!

Much love,

Bridget