December 1, 2006
Dear friends and family,
The school had a going away ‘function’ for me the other day, so I thought it appropriate to say goodbye as well. This will be my last email to you all from Africa. I leave Tanzania in a little over a week, and I will be in Denver on Dec. 11.
So many things to say! I’m a bit overwhelmed by writing this letter as it means I have to organize my final thoughts and statements in a way. So please, bear with me as I ramble. . .
I’m ready to come home. I’m excited and looking forward so much to seeing your faces and catching up. It has been a whole year, and for a 20 year l’d that’s a long time. A lot can happen on the other side over the course of a year. Never before have I thought of coming home as an adventure, but I believe this time it will be yet another challenge for me to face. I don’t think it will be that difficult though. Maybe a little overwhelming, but with family and friends around, things will be fine. I’ll do a lot of discovering of myself thought when I get back. As I’m here, I’m not able to correctly judge how much and in what ways I have changed, but I will see it when contrasted with my life at home and the setting of America. I will also need to determine how the changes in my life and the things I have learned will affect me life for years to come.
I know when I get home people will ask me, “say, how was Africa, how was your experience?” And conforming to American cordiality I will be tempted to say, “It was nice” or even, “It was incredible.” But I hope you can understand me when I say that that response would be incredibly trite and cheapen not only the time I spent here, but also Tanzania. It would be better for me to respond – ” It was wonderful, it was horrible. I loved it, I hated it. I was bored, I did so many amazing things. I was lonely, I met so many great people and made so many friends. I saw beautiful things, I saw horrible things. The people were great, the people were difficult. I learned so many new things, I have up my education for year. The food was good, the food got boring. I want to go back, I don’t want to live there again. It made me feel beautiful and alive, it made me feel drab and confined. I went so many great places, I was stranded.” Basically it was life. What I desperately do not want, is that for my time here to reduce to being an “experience.” I don’t want it to be ‘that one year in Africa,’ but rather a part and continuation of my life. My greatest fear is that I’ll lose touch with the people I met here and my “Great African Experience” will be a beautiful memory I can recall when I need inspiration. I want to take the things I have learned here and the people I have met here and carry them along in my life. Right now, this place – Kilimanjaro – is a part of my heart and should, and I don’t want it to wither away to letters I wrote so long ago, as I come home to life I left behind. I don’t want to “leave this life behind” but carry it with me as I see and learn new things at home.
I feel like I should have one good statement about Tanzania – a definitive statement to shout out when I get back to you all – but I just don’t have one. Some of you have told me I should write a book some day, and it definitely crossed my mind, but I don’t think I should do that. No, what I did this year was not extraordinary. What I did this year is just what millions of people see and do every day of heir life – I just happen to come from the western world. What I can do, and what I think is now my responsibility to do, is to bridge the large gap of understanding between Western an African cultures. Pleas, ask me as many questions as you’d like to ask when you see me. But remember, I might know a lot about Africa not, but I’m no expert. I can’t necessarily tell you what Africa is like, but I can tell you what Kilimanjaro and Tanzania is like through the eyes of an American girl who stayed there for a year. One thing I have learned is that it is dangerous to make statements about a place or a people. Things are never as they appear. Fortunately, I have been given the chance to see the truth of at least a certain lifestyle in Africa, and I hope I can share it with you.
At the moment I don’t feel like I’ve changed that much. I’ve learned a lot, I talk kind of funny, and I might be a little socially inept, but I’m mostly the same Parker that you saw a year ago. I’ve learned to be kinder, more patient, and respectful, and I hope I can keep that up in a new setting. I don’t want to every other statement of mine to be “When I was in Africa” either. I know I will miss Tanzania and Agape as soon as I get home, but I don’t want it to consume me. I know I won’t be able to start again where I left off when I left home, but I Don’t want to start all over again, and I know you all will help me with that.
I’ve definitely poured all my heart and soul into this school as I can, and I think they recognize that. At the send off they had for me, they showed me that they certainly appreciated what I did, and honestly, that’s all I need I cried as I tried to address them – I’m such a baby, and I was so embarrassed, but I’m sure hey just thought I was a silly, emotional American girl. I will really miss my students, and it will be strange for me to not be able to walk up from my house to be greeted “good morning madam.” I will enjoy having more freedom, but I will miss laughing with the sisters while cooking by lamplight when the electricity goes out But, it’s time to say goodbyes and move on – I will be back one day.
I know more about the world now, what life means to me, what could be considered accomplishment for my life, and what my limits are. I might have had to give up some of what I considered to by myself to learn these things, but it was probably worth it, and now I can live more confidently and completely. I don’t think I”ll ever do this again-go somewhere unknown, alone, with no money, for a whole year, and I’m not going to recommend it to anyone. No everyone can do what I did, and no everyone should, but I can be a diplomat of sorts. I guess I’ve found my place now. I can come home with more confidence because I guess I have accomplished my goals here, as vague as they might be. I have seen what Tanzania life is – at least this region with my biases. I have seen life in the village, in the town, in the city, the poor, the rich, and the middle class, the whites, the blacks-I’ve seen how they live. . . and I know the Chaggas. I’ve also been a part of a community here, which was very important to me. I have not made any great contributions to the school or the country. I actually haven’t done anything ‘great’. But maybe I can later. Now I know the language enough and I know the culture – maybe once I get a good idea – well, I’ve got them I just don’t’ know how to do the little things – I have the resources and connections to do those things now.
Thank you all so very much for reading my emails. I’ve been surprised by how many people have actually read them, and I really appreciate it. I think my letters have been spread far and people I have never met have emailed me to tell me they enjoyed reading them. Thank you so much for your support! I’ll have lots to tell when I get home! With that, I should say goodbye, kwa heri, from Africa. The next time I talk to you it will be face to face. I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving(I actually forgot about it) and I can’t wait to see you all — I’ve actually been reaming about it.
Love,
Parker
November 2, 2006
Dear friends and family,
I wanted to first write to you all about graduation. It was my first ‘departing’ with my students and thus quite significant. This graduation was quite a big deal for everyone involved. The guest of honor was Tanzania’s Speaker of Parliament, whose wife is incidentally the Minister of Education. And of course, the bishop was there. Because of these high-profile guests, we spared no expense in preparation. Not necessarily money-it didn’t cost that much- but labor. For the three days leading up to the graduation we have up classes so that the students could clean, repair, and generally just prepare everything. 1½ km of road were repaired by the students with a pile of dirt some hoes and shovels. All of the grass had to be slashed, walls had to be scrubbed, trees trimmed, windows washed-everything. By Friday afternoon the school was looking pretty shiny.
My responsibility was the decoration committee. We had decided to hole the graduation outside on one of the lawns. We rented some tents and hired some men from the village to make a stage, which turned out to be a pile of planks and some nails that we could have easily made ourselves. Friday evening we had a lady come with some materials to help us begin to decorate. And then it started to rain. Now, this time is considered the short- rain season, so we expected it to stop. But is just kept going and going. The tents started to leak water, and there was mud everywhere. But we had to continue with the decorations, still holding on to the chance that there would be sun in the morning. So we worked, and the students worked until everything was finished and then just waited for morning.
That Friday night we also had what we called the Last Supper. All of the teachers and soon to be graduates got together for one last time to say thank-yous and goodbyes. That’s where I really started to cry. At the end when we were shaking hands and saying goodbyes I just about lost it-saying goodbye to kids that I will never forget-my best friends-knowing that there was a good chance I’d never see them again. I won’t lie-I went home right after that and basically cried myself to sleep.
The next morning I woke up to the sound of rain-it had never stopped. I put on a kanga and marched up in the mud to see the damage. Sr. Mlay said we just couldn’t leave it that way-with the speaker and Bishop getting soaked in the rain. So, the next 3 hours were spent in a scramble to bring all the decorations through the mud to the dining hall. It was a hard messy job, but everything ended up looking great in the end, even though the drapings hanging on the walls were spotted with mud. We were just finishing hanging up the balloons when the guests started to arrive on our newly repaired road which was quickly washing away down the mountain.
I rushed home and wiped off the mud and tried to make myself look as presentable as possible, making it back up just in time to walk in the dining hall with the students. For the next two or so hours there were prayers, singing, speeches, awards, and so on, but somewhat surprisingly it wasn’t unbearably boring. After the ceremony, the food was served and I had to prepare myself to give congratulations and see my students leave. Luckily the rain stopped long enough for everyone to celebrate a little. Unfortunately, or maybe for the better, I was hardly able to say goodbye to them before they had there parents bring them home. They were definitely ready to leave, and I couldn’t blame them, but I did selfishly want to spend every moment I could with them. And then it was over. Everyone left and it started to rain again, and I went home to feel sorry for myself.
Luckily, I escape the next week, so I didn’t have to think about I was losing so much. I went with my friend who visited me-Laurel- to Zanzibar. We took a bus from Moshi to Dar, thinking that we would get there just in time for the last ferry. Unfortunately we planned our vacation during the end of Ramadan, a very important Muslim holiday. So, we were forced to take a flight from Dar to Zanzibar. At first I was quite annoyed with the extra price, but I soon found out that it was more than worth it. The plane we took was a 6-person plane, smaller than a van. The coolest part was that I sat in the co-pilot’s chair! All of the controls and even the steering wheel were inches away from my fingers. Basically, it was just like a taxi ride over the ocean, and before we knew it we were on the ground ready to head to the beach. The best taxi and most beautiful taxi ride of my life! We didn’t have that long in Zanzibar, and it certainly wasn’t as fun or exciting as my last visit, but it was till paradise. It was somewhat fortunate that we were there at the end of Ramada as everyone, and since about 90% of all Zanzibarians are Muslim, I really mean everyone on the island comes out to party after a month of fasting. The women and girls were all dressed up for the occasion and goodness were they beautiful. Huge families all went out to eat in the parks, dance, and enjoy the excitement. After three days in Paradise we had to take the ferry back to Dar and Laurel left the next morning for home. I stayed in Dar for the day and got to meet up with some of my Form 4 students that lived in the city for lunch. It was so wonderful to see them and so much fun. When they get into a pair of jeans and are free, layers of their personality come to light out o f the strict religious environment. I also got to see some other friends from Dar and was happy to get back there as I have really grown to like the city. Now I’m back at school, trying to teach my students some last lessons in physics before I leave. Only 1 more month before I pack my bags, and there are a lot of things to tie up. Hope all is well wherever you are and I look forward to seeing you soon!
Much love,
Parker
October 15, 2006
Dear friends and family,
I was once so good at keeping in touch under the circumstances, but I have become quite horrible. Maybe laziness, maybe forgetfulness, maybe loss of inspiration. I feel more and more as if I’m fading out of my prior life (in the US)-losing touch, losing communication-but soon I will be back. I have less than two months now in Africa, and although I don’t want to count down the days, I think I need to come back. These past weeks I’ve been in a silent panic-caught between feeling that I’ve missed so much of my life back home-I will be such a foreigner. Feelings of regret that I have missed out on a great year with the friends and family I love, and I life I was happy with. But also a feeling of panic that my time here is running out-these next few weeks will move fast and I will have to say goodbye to the new people in my life, as well as a lifestyle I have become more than comfortable with. I feel that I haven’t done enough- haven’t done anything, and that soon I will lose everything that I truly gained from this experience in a heartbeat-all of my students and friends. I know that regret will do me no good, and some day I will be forced to see how silly I am, so welcome to the mind of a confused, overachieving girl. Anyways, its time for me to com home, but I’m afraid I won’t know what to do when I get there.
Enough about my insecurities and ramblings. While not everyday is eventful, I have still done and seen some interesting things in the past weeks. I went to the AICC- the location for the UN tribunal for Rwanda. I got to go into the court room and watch some proceedings-extremely interesting and disturbing. It was truly a horrible thing that happened in Rwanda, but at least they are trying to do something about it.
Now, my good family friend from Ouray, Laurel Kropuenske, is here visiting me. It has been great to have a companion, and someone to talk to. She spent a few days at the school and then went down to Moshi to work at that orphanage I told you about-Tunahaki [An update on them: they head to the US in a few weeks to perform in California and Las Vegas. Actually, I was informed that they will be performing as the pre-game show for a Lakers game. And, they have a film crew here now, making a move about the director and the kids. I had no idea that all this would be coming their way, but I’m really happy for them. I hope it helps hem a lot.] As for Laurel, next week she will go on safari, then I’ll join her to Zanzibar for a few days.
The biggest thing on my list right now is graduation. The Form 4s (Grade 12) are currently taking their exams which in many ways will decide their future. They all take it remarkably well. Then, this Saturday they graduate and leave Agape forever. Jamani, Nitalia (I am really going to cry!) The graduation is going to be pretty amazing though-The minister of education and the speaker of Parliament of Tanzania will be the guests of honor, and we are really doing it up. Now the school is just preparing, and I’m trying to get as much teaching in as I can, but I know that once the Form 4s leave the school will never be the same for me. Not only are my students leaving me for the next month and a half, but truly, they are my friends. I just selfishly hope that they will remember me when they leave, the same as I will remember them all my life.
After graduation I’m taking a little trip to Zanzibar-I know, my life is so tough!. So, I’ll write you all how graduation goes and once again make you jealous of the glories of Zanzibar.
Much love,
Parker
September 22, 2006
Dear friends and family,
I wanted to write you all a beautiful letter telling you about my vacation in Dar-e4s-salaam last week, and I still plan to do so, but the excitement of my trip has been somewhat eclipsed by the immense pain and fatigue I feel in my body right now. Every muscle in my body hurts, my face is burnt, and I have scratches and rashes all over my legs, arms, and hands. For the past three days we have been harvesting maize.
The week before our holiday we had gone down to the farm and cut down all of the stalks of corn and carried them to collect them in big piles. This certainly was not easy work – carrying bundle after bundle of maize from one end of the field to the other while other students were hacking down the stalks with machetes. But I thought that was the worst of it, and it only took two days with only Form 1,2,3, and 4 working. But I was very wrong. The maize then has to be left in these piles where they can dry up and be protected from villagers and monkeys more easily. They want the corn to be as dry as possibly so that they can make flour out of it.
Tuesday, the day after everyone had returned to classes, we all woke up at 6 am to a drizzly sky and walked down to the farm to start the work. I was in charge of form 6, which is kind of a joke because I am their age. To my great delight, the other teachers that were supposed to help me guide these ‘kids’ hardly showed up. I had to lead my age mates in something I had not the slightest clue about. Anyways, we all positioned ourselves around the big piles of maize and started to shuck corn. Just to give you an idea of how massive some of these piles were, it took about 80 people working non stop to shuck all of the corn in over 3 hours. And there were 12 piles. We would take a stalk of corn, shuck the corn, throw the maize in a bag and the stalk in a pile behind us, doing the same thing hour after hour feeling that the pile isn’t getting any smaller.
The bags of maize were then hauled from the field to a machine set on the football field. This machine, which is connected to a tractor, takes the kernels off of the cob. Since they are dry they come off easily. The older boys took bag after bag, pouring them into the machine, while others were colleting the kernels into new bags and sewing them up. This is hard labor, and it went on for hours. (Thank goodness for the machine though, because once when I was in the village I was helping an old grandma take the kernels off of all her harvest by hand. It sure made my hands stronger, but she told me it would take her about a month, with different neighbors popping in to help her every once in a while.)
At about 3pm, having stopped only one for a tea break, most of the students went up to eat lunch and rest. You can imagine how big these fields are with over 400 people working non stop. A few of us teachers remained through, helping finish up with the machine and then waiting for the tractor to get a trailer to haul the bags of maize up to the school where then can be put in the mill. The school is about 1 km, up a very steep hill form our fields. We waited with the form 5 boys the first night and for form 4 boys the second. We helped them haul the sacks into the trailer, then waited with them until it returned for another trip. Each bag weighed about 100kg and over the two days we worked we collected more than 300 bags. This work lasted until 8 or 9pm for me two nights in a row. The second night I could hardly sleep because my back hurt so much.
Unfortunately we had to continue the work for a third day. We thought it would take only a few hours, but it took until 4pm. We had to take all of the remains down to the shed for the cows to eat, and so the villagers wouldn’t steal it. This was yesterday, and exhaustion really set in. We had to collect all of this into big bundles, wrap them up with cords that dug into your hands and carry them on your head down to the shed. What was worse was that these grasses had dried up, so they cut your skin and have you rashes. The field was teeming with all types of insects, which crawl all over your body when you put the grass on your head, and huge rats, which are probably my biggest fear. The form 6 boys found it pretty funny when I would scream and run away like a little girl whenever I saw a rat, or even a field mouse.
The kids worked hard though, and finally the shamba (farm) work is finished. We have more than doubly the amount of maize this year as last year, because of the drought, which is great because it will save the school a lot of money as the students will be able to eat it all year. Although, I asked them if they washed it all before it became flour and they just laughed at me.
I’m not complaining at all. I’m glad I had this experience, and it feels good to work hard, but my body definitely hurts. I can’t imagine how the poor form 1 kids feel! I suppose I will appreciate my ugali a lot more now! (Ugali is a stiff porridge-the staple food in East Africa.)
For my vacation, I had a nice time. I stayed with a student and her family, who has become my very good friend. It was great to see how some of my students truly live. It is quite different than the life they find at school. Most of them are a part of what I would call the Bongo Elite-In someway, the rich and famous of Dar. Their parents have important jobs, have more than one car, and live in nice houses. They know Tanzanian celebrities(I met some of them!), politicians, and even the President.
There are a lot of diplomats in Dar and I went to the US Embassy, thinking maybe some day I could find an internship with them. I went to the theater, beaches, ate good food, went to a wedding, and talked to interesting people. I made a lot of friends in a short time. There is much more to do in the city than the village. I think if I come back to TZ ever, I will stay in Dar-Es-Salaam.
I think these next couple months will fly by. The form 4s are going to graduate in a month. I can hardly believe it! There are my favorites and my friends and I will be sad to see them god, especially since that will mean I will leave soon also. It’s strange to think I will be leaving soon! Well, I love you all!
Parker
September 2, 2006
Dear friends and family,
Sorry, I have been dreadful at writing and keeping in touch these past months. I have no real excuse. Anyways, I’m still in Africa. Actually, I will still be here for about another 3 months. Time is certainly running away, but three months can also be a lifetime, in the sense that many of the ‘Mzungu’ volunteers, meaning white volunteers, or tourists come here for three months or less and Africa changes their whole lives. Maybe y whole life is yet to change-we’ll see where my story leads.
For the time being, no life-changing events have occurred in the recent months. Most of the people I befriended have returned to Europe or the US, so I spend most of y time at school or in the village with my students.
You might ask-how can I handle this situation still? I spend every day mostly alone-at least in my thoughts and ideas, if not in my activities. I wake up in time for morning devotion-most of which I still don’t understand- thinking about whatever as the preacher pumps religion into these childrens’ minds, or I make excuses for myself to stay in my bed and make instant coffee for myself and watch a little of the international news. Then to work- from 8-3pm. I love being in the classroom sharing in my student’s eagerness to learn. But it is hard work. I am a full-time teacher, and I think it would seem more tolerable if I was being compensated for my work. My only ‘payment’ is my students appreciation, but most of them just think its my job-don’t understand what ‘volunteer’ means. Oh well-I know when I look back in a few years time I will consider what I gained from this better than any payment. After I eat lunch-Rice and beans every day- the afternoon is in to spend as I like. Actually, all that means is that I can either keep working, go home to sleep or read or watch religious television or go play soccer with my boys. Then I come home to wash my clothes which takes about and hour and a half. Ðtake a warm bucket of water to wash myself-go up to eat and then go back to working and reading until 10pm. At this time the students go to bed and I stay up to watch this horrible soap opera- ‘Secreto de Amor’ It’s a show made in Miami about 15 years ago which was originally in Spanish and recently translated into English for people all over Tanzania to obsess over. And I’m addicted to it. Then I sleep. I’ll be honest-I am happy, content even- but not completely satisfied with my life here. I have realized that there are things from the U.S.-especially the Western U.S. that make me feel as if my life is full and that I can reach my potential. It might sound strange, but I feel guilty for admitting that. I almost feel as if I am supposed to feel more than complete living here in Africa-but there is just something missing. So, again, why am I still somewhat content and not going out of my mind here? It’s simply because of my students- and of course the sisters.
My students make me feel like I belong here, and help e forget even that I am white. They make me feel loved and wanted-smart and beautiful. I now know almost all of them by name and I am simply delighted when I see their personalities unveil. I can end every day with a smile if I have played football with the young freshman boys-all squeaking as they are all going through puberty, passing the ball up the field most with bare-feet (literally up-the fields on a hill) or listening to a form III talk about how she will make her dreams of becoming a doctor come true. They are who I will always remember from Africa- Caroline, Neema, Meckson, Samwell, Baraka, Ombeni. . .they make it worth it. I am ready to start living ‘my’ life again, but when I leave Agape there will certainly be a hole in my heart. Many of y students ask when I’m coming back to live in TZ. I don’t know if I’ll ever live here again but at least I can tell them that my life is better because of this place.
I have done other things since I last wrote, but those things that once seemed fantastic now seem normal and I can find no inspiration to write to you all about it. Just know that I am well and happy and the ways of Africa are treating me good. I hope the beauty of this place calls you sometime-The mountain has been looking so beautiful lately. In the meantime-live fully and enjoy the end of your summer. Enjoy where you are! I miss you all most dearly.
Parker
August 15, 2006
Hello Friends and Family,
It’s been a while since I wrote, so I thought I’d send along a little message. Life has slowed down a lot since I last wrote. I’ve tried to think of the words to make it sound like my life here is oh so exotic all the time-but not true. I haven’t even gotten any new fun diseases. The weather has been really cold and cloudy which has kept me indoors wanting to curl up with a book or watch the ridiculously sad news of the middle east on BBC world. It has surprised me though how much the sight of Kili really affects me now. During the past couple weeks it has been hiding in a gray blanket, but it seems as so as I see the mountain again, something is suddenly lifted off of my spirit and I feel so refreshed.
So, what’s been happening in my life? A lot of work- I’ve found that responsibility doesn’t really suit me. Last week I was teacher on duty, which basically means that I was responsible for everything that happened at school during the week-which in a boarding school is a lot. I was thinking of writing all about it to make you feel sorry for me, but I will spare you the boredom. Basically, this past year I have had to become an “expert” at things I’m quite inept at-farming, cooking, being a nurse, teaching, computers, and being ‘in charge’ in general. Last week was horribly tiring-having to yell at kids, make sure they get to prayers on time, and punishing students that didn’t mop the classrooms properly at 6am. While I live in this life, I find myself thinking-what a simple life-but I laugh every time I look at it from outside. Who would have ever thought that little ol me, who likes to spend her time in the physics lab soldering circuit boards, would be responsible for 400 Tanzanian high schoolers, taking care of the sick, and trying to get them to church on time.
Last weekend I made some new friends. They live in Marangu also and are from London. Believe me, it is quite a highlight for me to make new friends! We met at a bar for beer and roasted meat. It’s very satisfying to sit down and order a big 80 cent bottle of beer and a kilo of meat. All my other friends have left the country back for the US, so I’m glad to meet some others that will be here for another month or so. Then I went to my African mamas house(another teacher at the school) and cooked with her and played with her kids. They brought me to these cool underground caves- very Tom Sawyerish.
Well, I’m gonna cut it short for now. I’ll try to have more to say next time. I hope you are all enjoying your summer! I still miss you all horribly.
Love,
Parker
P.S. I have started going to that orphanage again. They are always in need of help. They struggle to get food for their kids every day. Please send the word along. I will send more information on them soon!
July 9, 2006
Dearest Friends and Family,
I am back at Agape now after a long and very nice vacation. It is nice to be back though-to see my students and be in a place that feels like home. And, I am so tired of buses that break down constantly and make me fear for my life. Since my last email, I took a 12 hour bus ride from Mwanza to Nairobi-the capital of Kenya. Kenya is much different than Tanzania, and Nairobi is like the Paris of East Africa. I spent a whole day just walking around the city center acting like a serious tourist and doing some shopping. The city is extremely modern, and you can find many more businesses and simple luxuries I miss from home.- like a cinema (with real popcorn), bookstores, and good coffee and ice cream. It was quite nice and I spoiled myself all day. After a day of wandering in circles around the city I caught the night train to Mombasa. The train was such a better mode of transportation! We boarded at seven pm-four people in a compartment, each with their own bed, and traveled through the night. In the morning I took my breakfast in the dining car while riding through Tsavo National park. I felt extremely colonial, and felt even more so when I got off in Mombasa a few hours later.
Just by it’s name you can tell that Mombasa is exotic. I like saying the name over and over. . .”where am I now?. . MOMBASA” It sounds pretty good- and the city is similar to Zanzibar in many ways.. It has a big port that the Portuguese first took over, and the have this incredible fort-Fort Jesus- which was carved out of coral and still standing in good form which look out on the harbor.. The old town has an Arab flavor-like Zanzibar’s Stone Town, and the rest of the city has a European colonial feel. Down the beach there are huge tourist resorts lining the shore. I headed down toward the beaches for a few days when I first arrived and stayed in the only budget place available. I walked down the beach a few times, pretending to be rich and stopping in the immaculate resorts for a drink. I very much enjoyed the people watching-fat, white Europeans wearing bathing suits that didn’t fit them-concerned only with their tans, the drink in their hand, or having some real Ôfamily fun’, and totally oblivious to where they really were or the villages full of shacks only 100 yards away from them.
During my time in Mombasa I also came across a very different type of person-the Kenyan ex-pat. While on the beach one day I met a really nice French girl who lived and worked in Mombasa for a tourist agency. I asked her lots of questions about living in Kenya-and found that there is a big sub culture of ex-pats and second generation colonial families, mainly based in Nairobi. It was fun to peak into a lifestyle that seemed so exotic and distant a couple years ago. My new friend brought me around town a little and I met many of these white residents during my short time in Mombasa-and have been invited to go back. It certainly made me think of the possibility of living in Africa, but I also learned what an unhealthy lifestyle they lead. I also realized no matter how exotic your life might sound to others or how much you might travel the world- you are still caught in a bubble and still concerned with unglamorous things. They live the same sort of life that all of us Ônormal people’ live-they just live it in a very cool place and have some pretty awesome stories. Anyways, it gave me a very new view of Africa.
After 4 days in Mombasa I boarded a metal box with wheels and a hundred boxes strapped to the top which they call a bus and headed back to Moshi. I spent a couple nice days resting at school before packing back up for safari with my students. We left school packed up in yet another big and slightly unreliable bus at 4am and headed for the Serengeti. The first day we made it to Serengeti National Park, seeing a couple animals along the way and spent the rest of the night in the kitchen pretending I knew how to cook rice for 70 people on a charcoal stove. The 4 day trip was great as I look back on it-I got to go to Serengeti, Ngorongoro crater, and Lake Manyara for free, and seeing those incredible animals-giraffe, zebra, lion, elephant, wildebeest, impala, rhino, and buffalo to name a few-in their natural habitats makes me as awed and happy as a little kid, and my students certainly had a few laughs at my over enthusiasm. But is not a vacation and very different from my safari experience a few years back. Most of the time was either sitting in a bus juttering along a road it is not prepared to drive on, or broken down, or in the kitchen displaying my great ineptitude for cooking. I got very little sleep and nothing quite worked out how we planned-but that’s Africa! So, I’m back to teaching now-looking forward to another 5 months but missing the summer in Ouray, and of course you all! Please, if you have ANY questions for my I’d be happy to answer!
Much love always,
Parker
June 20, 2006
Dearest Friends and Family,
I’m on vacation now, as many of you are, and life is pretty good. After coming down from Kili I had to spend about a week and a half marking final exams and compiling grades. Believe me, grading a stack of 80 tests with questions like “What do you measure temperature with?” is not what I’d call fun. I broke up all this grading with a few trips to Arusha where my only American friends live. On one of these trips I went on a Masai “cultural hike” which is just a long, hot walk through a Masai village where we get to go into a family’s house, meet a traditional healer, and are seriously overcharged. I did learn some interesting things about the Masai culture though, which I will hopefully learn much more about through some Masai teachers at my school, as it is a very interesting and unique people. Anyways, I went on this hike with some fresh American volunteers who are here doing AIDS education for a couple months, and I came to realize that I’m starting to become a little weird. The way I speak English has changed so much that people keep asking me if I come from a different country, and I freaked out when I went into the S. African chain supermarket in Arusha (mainly there for the expats in the area). After spending some time with the new volunteers I have discovered how out of touch I am with my former reality, and how hard it’s going to be to readjust when I get home.
Oh well, that’s still about 6 months away so no use thinking of that now. After I finished filling out report cards I was invited by and American church group to go on safari with them. A group of about 17 from Virginia came to Moshi for a few weeks to do some mission work and then to go on safari, and one of their members go sick before that trip so they had a free bed in the deluxe Safari lodge in Tarangire Park they had booked. I lived like a queen, or rather as if I was plopped right onto the set of ‘Out of Africa’ for about 2 days. And better yet, I didn’t have to pay a cent except for the drinks I had out on the deck of the lodge while watching the moon rise over the elephants drinking water in the river below me. I definitely got spoiled, eating fancy food and staying in a ‘tent’ with a hot shower built into it. This is not to mention the actual safari – you know, the elephants, giraffes, and zebras, but I’ll get more into that later, as I’m going on safari again at the end of this month with my students.
After my vacation from African reality I had to change gears completely, as I boarded a bus to Mwanza, a city on the shores of lake Victoria. An uncomfortable ride that was supposed to last 12 hours ended up taking 2 hours, and I feared for my life on more than one occasion. I arrived safely though, and I am now enjoying the nice weather of L Victoria. Mwanza is a fairly large city with a lot of Tillapia fishing and surrounded by big boulders. I’m all by myself and there isn’t a lot to do around here, but I brought my climbing shoes and am trying, with little success, to find a place to do a little climbing. Surprisingly no one around here ever really though about climbing the beautiful rocks surrounding the city, and it’s a little awkward climbing around the rocks alone among the many shacks, or homes, built all over the hills. While traveling alone is not completely desirable, It has given me a nice chance to do some writing reading, and thinking-which can be difficult to do at the school.
Okay, enough for now. I know most of you are now on summer vacation and probably have less care to read my ridiculously long emails. I finally got some pictures on the web, so you can check my website to see some pictures of me dressed like an African woman! Oh, and before I forget, if you wanted to send money to that orphanage that I talked about before, the director told me that it’s best if you give the money to me and then I handed him the cash. Because of my busy schedule lately, I haven’t been there in a while, but I still really want to help them.
I always love hearing from y’all!
Love,
Parker
June 3, 2006
Dearest Friends and Family,
I made it to the top of Africa once again. Thanks for all your concern about my lack of health. I recovered remarkably quickly and felt really strong for climbing the mountain. You know, the last time I climbed Kili, I told myself that I would never climb again, but as I found myself on the slopes I realized what a crazy idea that was- it is really a fantastic mountain. This time I found it much easier which I contribute to a couple different factors- first, we took an easier route-the Marangu route. It is a very untechnical route and we completed our climb in 5 days. We stayed in huts all the way up and our porters cooked our food for us (granted the food was horrible and we only had one meal a day). second, I’m not a whiny 16 year old girl anymore, which really makes a difference, and when you are in charge of 22 students, trying to get them all up to the top, you have to be as strong as possible. Out of the 22, 13 of the students made it to the peak, 4 more made it to the crater rim, and a couple had to stop because of altitude sickness. All in all, it was quite successful and we had a great time. We also had amazing weather, and the beauty of the mountain keeps you going more than anything. IF you don’t know already, on Kilimanjaro(original name is Kilimakyaro in Kichagga which means unclimbable mountain) you travel through several stages. You start the rain forest, which is full of hanging vines, colobus monkeys and baboons, and every shade of green you can imagine and you travel through this for about a day. On the second day you start up through the heath. The surrounding seem to change instantaneously. THen you get up into the desert, which looks just like any desert in the US, except it’s cold and you just came up from the rain forest. From there it seems to step onto another planet-like Mars. Just red dust and rocks-no plants at all. Then on the slopes of the actual mountain you find sliding rocks until you reach the crater rim, which is filled with enormous glaciers. It’s incredibly beautiful when you reach the top, and if you had enough energy you’d want to stay up there. I got the top soon after the sun had risen( you start climbing at midnight) and I felt like I was in heaven, looking around at the giant glaciers, and then down at the clouds below my feet. Truly one of the most remarkable mountains ever.
So, I have to make this letter kind of quick. School ends this week for about a month, so i plan on doing a little bit of traveling. Hopefully that means I’ll be closer to internet more often. My plan as of now is to head over to Lake Victoria to do a little bit of bouldering, then hopefully go to nairobi and Mombasa before heading back to school to go to the National parks with my students. Not such a bad life after all…
Anyways, I’ll be in better touch soon. Thanks again for all of your concern, and also for all of your support concerning the orphanage. I was quite overwhelmed with all the feedback I got from that. I hope you all enjoy the beginning of your summer and want to congratulate all y’all who are graduating-including my incredible sister (who is going to play ball for Fort Lewis) and all you 06’s at Dartmouth, and also all you Ourayians who are graduating from college -wow, that freaks me out. I feel too old. Anyways, love you all so much and miss ya. I’ll try to make these emails a bit more eloquent, cause I keep hearing that people are actually reading them.
Much love,
Parker
May 21, 2006
Howdy Everyone,
Sorry I haven’t been in touch lately. I just got out of a week in the hospital. I guess I spoke too soon about that malaria stuff. Apparently I still had a few parasites swimming around, and this time I wasn’t able to just a take a couple pills. I had to take an IV of quinine for about 5 days, which is probably the most awful stuff you’ll ever come across. On top of that, although it took 3 doctors, 3 hospitals, and a whole week to find, I had a really bad kidney infection on top of the malaria-which made me not be able to eat anything for 3 days, I had violent chills/high fever, and had to be taken care of like a baby for longer than I’d like to remember. So after that nice explanation, I’m getting better, and now hoping I can still climb the mountain in a week or so. It hasn’t been a pretty couple of weeks, so I don’t have any nice stories for you or grand revelations. I’m really behind in work, so I have to make this short, but I’ll write again very soon to fill in the details… just to give an overview – I”ve been robbed, ripped off, sick, overworked, and still quite lonely for the last couple weeks. I think I should cool off-hopefully something good will happen soon. As of now, I’m basically healthy finally, I”m safe enough, and I”m truly doing fine, I just have a sour taste left in my mouth from the quinine. Sorry for this downer of a letter, but just wanted to let you all know I’m alive!
Much love!
Parker
May 3, 2006
Howdy Everyone,
So, I got malaria. I guess it was just a matter of time. I was taking the pills, but I accidentally missed one. Sure enough, I missed it during the time I was in Dar Es Salaam and Zanzibar which is the most likely place to get it. I t wasn’t so bad though, and it’s better than getting cholera. You might think this is a funny thing to say, but there was actually a cholera outbreak on Zanzibar while I was there. It was only on a certain section of the island, and we stayed far away from it and didn’t drink any of the water. Cholera? Seriously, I though it was one of those diseases you only here about in history books… Anyways, malaria wasn’t so bad-just flu like symptoms and tiredness. I think I had a very clam form, but when I found out that I had it (after spending only $2 and 30 minutes in a clinic getting a finger prick) I was pretty freaked out. Also, honestly, I was quite disturbed by the fact that no one else found it to be a big deal. Everyone gets malaria all the time-it’s like the flu, and it’s no big deal. But then I’m thinking, malaria is the number one cause of death in Africa – I’m going to die! Well, I’m not going to die. I took a couple of pills and feel just fine. Apparently so many people die from it because they are unable or choose not to go to the doctor to pay for the $4 medicine to cure it. The disease is completely curable and the controllable. It is truly an outrage that so many people die from such a simple disease.
Besides malaria, I have returned to Agape and started teaching again this week. Truly, I miss Zanzibar, but it’s nice to see the students again and get back into a routine. I can’t believe how fast time is moving! It’s rainy season now, so a lot of the time is spent indoors, and the students always pile into the dining room to watch the football(soccer) match on the small TV on the wall. It is quite a sight. About 200 young boys crowded on benches, shoulder to shoulder, in the dining hall/church/entertainment room staring at an old television which has been placed in an iron cage(for thieves), hanging on to every move made by the European teams playing thousands of miles away. Then, the next day, every chance they get is spent talking about and analyzing the game between Arsenal and Villareal. Football is huge here – it’s a part of life. The Tanzanian team isn’t that good apparently, but I know a handful of boys that want to change that. Anyways, I will let you know what it’s like when the World Cup begins in a month. People are already talking about it, planning where they will watch it. Apparently, everyone, including the president, watches the world cup, although I didn’t hear anything about the Olympics when they were going on.
I want to tell you all about something very important. I have, through some other acquaintances, become connected with a certain orphanage in Moshi. Orphans and street children are a huge and sad problem here in Tanzania-one that desperately needs to be addressed. This orphanage that I am involved with classed in translation ‘We have the right’ is especially amazing in my opinion. It is run by just one couple who have opened their home to about 20 orphans and street kids. They treat the kids as if they were all a part of a family and then teach them how to do acrobats that they then perform for the tourists in the hotels. The couple is not able to work because their time is taken by caring for these kids, so their only source of income is donations for their performances, a little from vending vegetables from their garden, and personal donations. Right now, since it is low season for tourists, they have almost no income, and they have to send the kids to school. Food is scarce, which is so hard to swallow when you see these beautiful kids who have finally found a happy home with this amazing couple who have given up their lives to help these kids who would be begging and sleeping on the street. I always feel really uncomfortable about asking about money, but if you feel like making a difference , I would ask you to help my in supplying these kids with food. I’m going to use my own money for now, but if you might be interested please let me know, or you can even email the man in charge. Also they were able to set up a website, so check that out. A little bit of money goes a long way here.
Email: tunahaki@email.com
Love,
Parker
April 14, 2006
Dearest Friends and Family,
Well, I’m sure you’re tired of hearing this line already, but I am in one of the most beautiful places on earth. Zanzibar, which is now synonymous to paradise in my mind has been my home for the past week. I’m on easter break and have come to the island of Zanzibar with a girl named Mary who is a volunteer I met in Arusha through a Dartmouth friend actually (It’s a small world) and she actually lives in Bozeman Montana, so we have a lot in common and travel together very well. Unfortunately she is returning home to the US after our trip, so we have tried to make the best of her last weeks in Tanzania. (A couple weekends ago we actually went to a Shaggy concert in Arusha and got tickets to the after party. It was pretty sweet!) We started out our trip with a little hiking in the beautiful and quiet Usambara Mountains which are about half way between Moshi and Dar Es Salaam, then took an over packed speeding bus the remaining six hours to Dar, where we made our way through the metropolis (I have seen a place so modernized since I left the US) to the ferry. The island destination was only an hour and a half boat ride from Dar.
Zanzibar is truly indescribable. It is incredibly unique with a colorful history and maybe the most romantic place on earth. We landed in Stone town, the center of much of the trade that occurred on the island during the 12th and 13th centuries. It has bee popularly named Stone town because as you walk through the tight winding roads you find great old buildings made of stone and coral with an architectural style that combines Arabic, African, and European styles. There are incredible carved wooden doors sprinkled around the city and it is quite a tourist destination. In stone town we did some shopping, some dancing, and went on a spice tour. Zanzibar is well known for its large export of different spices and we were able to see where many of the spices we eat look like on the farm (plus the food was really good!) From Stone town we made our way to the other side of the island. It’s hard to describe the beauty. White sand beaches, crystal clear blue water, great snorkeling, drinking coconut on the boat, eating seafood. I am now staying in a personal bungalow on the beach that is costing me about 8$ a night, my skin is a little red, and I have been swimming in the Indian ocean as much as possible (the Indian ocean is really warm!) So, just wanted to make you all jealous! I’ll send another update later-On Monday I’m going to a family’s house where we are going to slaughter and eat a goat (including the blood) so that should be an experience. I do miss you all so much, although homesickness seems to fade away with white sand beaches.
Love,
Parker
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April 1, 2006 Dearest Friends and Family, As I write you this letter I am sitting in the garden of Marangu Hotel-the exact place I found myself about 3 years ago when I came to climb the slopes of Kilimanjaro. Isn’t life a funny and beautiful thing? Maybe I sound a bit too optimistic or naive, but I am truly happy at this moment. Being here in Tanzania again has helped me to grow and change in some good ways. That isn’t to say that when I come home I will be a completely different person, I am still the same girl, just no longer hiding within the bubbles that are Ouray and Hanover. Every place on earth has its own bubbles with its own special beauties and intimacies and I am so enjoying discovering the bubble that is Kilimanjaro. Anyways, enough of sentimentality. I think that it is my responsibility to enlighten you all on the actuality of life in Africa (or at least Tanzania) as many of us in the good ol’ US of A are a bit hidden from the truth, blinded by pictures of death corruption and third worldness. Tanzania(which has a story quite different than the other countries of Africa) is on the eastern coast of Africa, positioned right below the better known countries of Kenya and Uganda. The capitol is Dodoma, which is in the center of the county, but its largest and most influential city is Dar es Salaam, which is on the coast near the famous vacationing island of Zanzibar. Where I live, near the city of Moshi, is right at the base of the tallest mountain in Africa – Kilimanjaro – and is close to the border with Kenya. Tanzania is not only home to Mt. Kili, but also the world’s best safari territory. Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater are the setting for most of those great photos you see of elephants, giraffes, lions, zebras, and much more. Regardless of all these amazing things, it is still a poor country. Unemployment is a very big problem, as well as diseases like Malaria and HIV/AIDS. In my opinion though, I think that Tanzania is on the right track, compared to other African countries. There is a stable democratic government in place (although there is only one main party) and in the last presidential election, which occurred last year, I think about 80% of eligible voters went to the polls. Education is important to Tanzanians, and there was a big push to educate everyone in the villages about the importance and methods of voting. I am happy to say that the people of Tanzania are very confident and optimistic about their new president. He seems to be active in repressing corruption, creating more job opportunities, supporting education, and generally looking for the best for his people. I sure hope that he lives up to these expectations, because the people are sure counting on him. Well, enough for the geography lesson for now. I will give you a little more next time, so you can get a better idea of where I am. I send me questions about this place! I never really know what to tell people. I’m sure when I get home I’ll think of a million things to say, but here I’m a bit cloudy. To end this letter (which will signify almost 3 months in TZ for me) on a funny note. . . I can’t tell you how many times I have been asked if I am married. I have to control myself to not burst out laughing. Apparently it’s common to ask someone that when you first meet them, but it has certainly surprised me! After I reply with “Oh, goodness NO,” they proceed to ask me if I plan on getting married any time soon-when do I plan to marry, am I looking for a husband, do I want to get married, . . then comes the most important question to them – would I consider marrying a Tanzanian. Once I reply that I wouldn’t rule it out completely they seem to be very happy, and then ask if I did marry a Tanzanian if I would live here or bring him back to the US with me. Marriage! Ha, what a funny idea. I have been asked to be married on a couple of occasions, and a couple Tanzanian guys have already told me that they love me. Apparently it is quite an honor to have a white girlfriend/wife, and many are after one. Anyways, I promise I won’t bring home a husband! Well, much love! I miss you all dearly and crave your companionship, but don’t worry about me. Sincerely yours, Parker |
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March 19, 2006
Dear Everyone,
The rains have finally come. It is certainly and blessing, as there were people dying, even in Kilimanjaro region, from hunger due to drought. Hopefully the rain will help fix our electricity problem as well. The inconsistency of electricity is quite annoying-I have gone to bed at 8pm several nights, haven’t had a warm bath in weeks, and can’t keep any food in the house because the fridge doesn’t work. Tanzania uses hydro-electric power for electricity, so hopefully with the rain season upon us, this great inconvenience will soon go away.
With the rain also comes mud. If I walk from my house to the classrooms, I end upwith about an inch of mud on the bottom of my sandals, and the red mud shows up very well on my white skin. I don’t mind so much because it is very satisfying to wash when I am truly dirty.
With the rain also comes farming. It is time to plant maize. As I have mentioned before, the school owns a farm, most of which is taken up by maize plots. About 4 days out of the year, the whole school-students and teachers- are required to plant, weed, and harvest the maize, which is then eaten by the students. We had our first Shamba day (Shamba=farm in Kiswahili) this Tuesday, and it was quite an experience. After breakfast we all walked down to where the fields are located and split up into respective classes. I was put in charge of the form 2 class, which is comical seeing as I have never stepped foot on a farm before. We had big spools of twine that we stretched across the field, and while the boys dug with their hoes, the girls planted the maize seeds. It was hard labor under the hot African sun, and the poor form 1’s were completely exhausted afterwards. Most of the students at the school come from urban areas, and have never farmed before, but it’s good to learn-we call it “self reliance”.
Besides that, I haven’t been doing anything out of the ordinary-just work. Before I couldn’t find enough to do, and now I have found too much. I’m helping the head office with some treasurer work, tutoring students in different subjects (English, physics, math, French) and grading big stacks of assignments. I’m trying to start an art program at the school, and I have been put in charge of training a group of students to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. I’m very excited because I believe I will be able to climb the mountain and visit the national parks for free as a sponsor for the students.
The sisters I live with keep telling me that I am now a true African woman. I suppose I have adapted quite well. Although I think it might be nice to be here with an American companion, I think I am getting a purer African experience than if I was with a friend or a group. I never see white people and rarely am presented with anything from my culture. When I do find myself with other white people-maybe expats, volunteers, or just visitors, I feel very strange. I have been completely immersed in this foreign culture, and while I think of home often, I have no one to discuss these things with that understands where I come from. I have come to realize that this is now my life, not just something I’m doing if that makes any sense. I’m not a visitor anymore.
Easter break is coming up in a couple weeks, and I plan to go to Zanzibar, which should be fabulous. I’ll keep sending updates! Please don’t feel offended if I haven’t emailed you back-I only get to the internet maybe once a week for an hour. I miss you all! If you have any desire to escape the US, please come visit me here in Tanzania! I hope life is beautiful and happy where you are.
These updates and some pictures which are coming pole pole (slowly) are posted on a website. It’s part of the website for the rocket lab I work for at Dartmouth, so check that out too!
Much love,
Parker
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February 25, 2006 Hello All! Thanks so much for all your letters. It’s good to hear from you, and I’m so sorry I haven’t gotten back to so many of you. My email access is extremely limited. Anyways, just wanted to give you some highlights of the last few weeks (or maybe a month?) Goodness, time is flying. Things are definitely getting better here everyday for me, and I’m still very happy to be in Tanzania, despite the many challenges and difficulties. I am not nearly as bored lately, as is seems every day is being more and more filled with various activities and responsibilities. I have also started to make real friends which is such a blessing. Teaching is such a joy! Before I came here I sent a couple of boxes of donated science materials to the school. Most of the science classes here have been without “practical applications” and it has been great to see the students’ excitement when they discover that what I just told them in lecture is true! Probably my favorite thing here at Agape is bringing a class out to use the telescope. About every other night I bring a different class out to use the telescope, and it turns into “ask-madame-hour”. They all have so many questions about astronomy, physics, America, and myself that I end up standing around for hours with a circle of students around me asking me about everything from aliens, gravity, food eaten in America, to asking if they can touch my hair. THey hang on to every word that I say-from the very little wisdom that I have, which is quite intimidating. It makes me wish I had all the answers for them! About once a week I walk into the villages for an adventure of sorts, or just to see something new. Last week I walked up near the gates of Mt. Kili National park and went to eat lunch at on eof the ‘posh’ tourist lodges. Many of the tourists that come here don’t actually see the real TZ, but are driven from the airport to their beautiful hotel, climb the mountain, and drive back to the airport. They rarely taste real African life. Nevertheless, I need to think of some excuse to go and stay in one of those hotels for a night! After lunch that day we (myself and another teacher) were determined to find a certain waterfall. WE followed the direction of a sign only to find that the sing was completely incorrect. We asked some village boys to show us where it was and we walked for about a mile through tiny paths among the houses in the villages until we came to a canyon of sorts. The waterfall was probably one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. We walked down the steep hill of the canyon to be surrounded by luscious rain forest-hanging vines, big pink flowers,and a beautiful white waterfall. There is so much beauty in this country, but also so much sadness. Death is everywhere. At least once a week a parent of one of our 400 students dies. Probably half have lost on or both parents. Accidents, malaria, HIV/AIDS, cancer and many other things take lives everyday. It is very difficult for me to hear about so much death. Still no rain here, but hopefully in one more week we will have some. Electricity comes seldom, and I had my small birthday party in the dark. It’s really dusty, dry and hot, and we hope the rain comes soon, or things could get very bad. Although, Iimagine once the rain comes for a while we will be hoping for the sun again. Well, I don’t want to put you to sleep. Son there might be a website with these letters and pictures on it. I’ll let you know. . . Much love, Parker |
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February 13, 2006
Dear Friends and Family,
Well, I have been in Africa now for almost a month. Time sure does seem to fly, but as I look ahead, a year is a long time to be away from home. Now, I have mostly gotten over adjustment time, and I am starting to see things less as a tourist and more as a resident. This has brought both positive and negative things to light. I have found that living at a seminary might be more challenging than I had initially thought. Not only do I have to be on my best behavior, but I must also suppress some of my views and opinions, at least until everyone else is very comfortable with me, as I don’t want to offend anyone and have my living situation uncomfortable for the remainder of the year. I have also found that the seclusion of the school will most likely hinder my activities (i.e. I am very bored and finding it difficult to make friends) Besides those things, life is still good. I am really enjoying teaching, and I’ve sparked the student’s interest in Astronomy. It has been really fun to introduce them to the telescope. It’s been strange getting used to being called ‘Madame’ and having the students offer to carry my things all the time, but actually, the students are amazing. They are really open and ready to talk to me. I have really found some friends in the older classes.
After classes I usually try to go play soccer with the boys or a tag-like game with the girls. Last weekend there was a big graduation and all the families of the students came and we had a big feast-the highlight of which was the roasted goat with the head still intact. Now that the school is no longer in preparation for the graduation things have slowed down. To fill my time I have started to learn how to milk a cow (the school owns many cows, goats, and pigs) and helping in the farm. It has been fun to make and grow my own food. Yesterday I made fresh passion fruit and mango juice right for the tree. (It’s mango season, and I eat at least two every day.) I have also started to explore the surrounding villages, traveling further up the mountain for cooler temperatures and a look at village life.
Unfortunately, Tanzania is now experiencing drought. Although not devastating as in Kenya and Ethiopia, it has still been extremely hot and dry. Since most of the electricity in TZ is generated by moving water, electricity is being rationed, and we usually only have it at nights. This is difficult for the students, because they usually study in the evening, but now have to go straight to their dorm rooms at dark. Besides that, it is still so beautiful here-it’s so nice to see such a beautiful mountain every day.
While there are new things to see and experience every day, life is pretty normal. I’m still trying to make friends, but the process has been slow, as the teachers at Agape are not very outgoing. I love getting all of your emails and I’m sorry if I haven’t replied. I am trying to reply to everyone, but my internet access is very limited. I got a cell phone (I finally bought in) because you can’t really get around without one as everyone has one. So, you can try to call me, or write a letter! I hope all is well wherever you find yourselves. Please keep in touch!
Much love,
Parker
P.S. my new address is:
Agape Lutheran Junior Seminary
Parker Fagrelius
P.O. Box 8882
Moshi, Tanzania
January 21, 2006
Dear Friends and Family,
I finally arrived in Tanzania after four days of traveling. When I flew to Washington, I found out that my flight to Africa didn’t exist, and I had to wait until the next day. I guess it kind of showed me that I would be living on a different schedule. I eventually made it, after a night in D.C. and a night in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and there was a group waiting for me at Kilimanjaro Airport.
So far I’ve been in Africa for about two weeks, and I’m still alive and doing fine. There have been many surprises these past two weeks, seeing that I knew so little about my situation before arriving, but I am slowly getting adjusted. Actually, I have been so ready for the unexpected that I am surprised by little.
As I said before I left, I am teaching Physics to Form 1 and Form 3 (grade 9 and 11) students, as well as helping Form 4 with astronomy. Agape Lutheran Junior Seminary is on top f a large hill at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro, near the Marangu route. It takes about an hour to get to Moshi (the nearest sizable town) after walking to the main road from the school and then taking a crammed bus/van to Moshi. It is absolutely beautiful at the school-surrounded by rainforest, clear sight of Kili, flowers and trees growing everywhere, and an good view of the small banana farms down below.
I didn’t quite understand what ‘Junior Seminary’ meant before arriving. I live with two Lutheran sisters(nuns) in a house on the school grounds. The students (all of whom are required to live on school grounds) live in dorms right next to us. The sisters are very nice, one of whom is the headmistress, who has basically held my hand through my introduction to Tanzania and Agape. Needless to say, I have had to be on my best behavior. We go to mass every morning at 7am, and classes run from 8-2:30. Afterward the teachers sit and chat under the big tree and drink sodas, or I go to my backyard and read. Life definitely moves slower here, and the change has been very nice.
I’m starting to get quite adjusted to life here and I’m starting to talk with the people more. At first I was pretty reserved and quiet, as well as not being able to understand their language-swahili. While they all know english, the like to speak swahili, naturally. . so I think I will learn the language quickly.
I really like teaching! The students are very attentive, and I get really excited about the material I’m teaching because I’m such a huge Physics nerd. If I do enough research for each class, I don’t think I will have any trouble with the classes. . .I have found I know the material well enough.
To answer a couple questions. . . I am the only white person at the school. There have been white teachers (German mostly) in the past, but I am the only current one. It’s not too awkward though, if I try to forget how white I am. . . And the food is actually really good. Rice, beans, beef stew, cooked veggies, bananas(not sweet), and lots of tea.
Anyways, I’ll stop writing before I start to bore you. I have lots of stories already if you want to hear! That’s just incentive for you to write me actually. I’m actually pretty lonely here, and I really love hearing from you. I will be escaping to Moshi town every weekend, so I will check my email at least once a week. I hope everything is good in Ouray, Hanover, or wherever else you might find yourself…
Much love,
Parker