Jambo!
Let me start off by saying that I’m having food cravings
like a pregnant woman in her third trimester. That’s not to say that the food
here isn’t good. It’s amazing. I’ve never had more delicious pineapple in my
life! Every meal has a lot of starch. Potatoes, plantains, rice, beans ,
lentils and fruit. It’s all made with local ingredients. And by local I mean
we’re surrounded by Maasai farmland where many of our fruits come from.
Just going on a run here is an experience. Little kids want
to touch my beard and give us all high fives. You have to weave through herds
of cows, and shout Jambo! as you pass by locals.
There’s something about this place that has everyone in an
incredibly good mood. Swahili itself is a language of good vibes and love for
one another. A traditional greeting of “Habari!” could be translated as “How
are your troubles?” and a typical response might be Safi (I am clean in heart
and mind). They haven’t taught us the word for “I’m alright” or “not so well”…
I’m starting to suspect there might not be one.
Also, Jamba Juice can be directly translated to Fart Juice.
No joke.
I have to say, the moment I truly appreciated where I was
came just yesterday, 3 days into my African adventure. We were in our first
lecture and I was trying hard to pay attention, but the sounds of constant bird
calls and the sight of a family of Baboons attempting to break into my Banda
(my hut) was keeping me preoccupied. A little different than the typical
classroom distractions!
The raw ruggedness of this environment is incredible, and
seeing Kilimanjaro towering above us everyday is always humbling. Sunset has
regularly left me speechless, as there is a certain epicness of seeing dust
rising from a dirt soccer field, framed by Acacia trees, Kili and a sky
overflowing with reds, pinks and oranges.
Eventually I’ll have the patience to wait for pictures to
upload and then you all can see what I’m talking about.
Badai! (See you later!)
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