Since the last time I wrote, I have had so many new experiences that I hardly know where to begin. A brief summary includes an attack by killer bees, a visit to a local hospital, a tour of the slums of Arusha with a local, a hike up to an incredible waterfall and a Maasai village, and the best dinner ever.
Perhaps I should begin with the most … exciting?? Last Friday afternoon, yes, even the day before I posted my last blog entry, I was out with many from our Volunteer House, past the east end of Arusha in an area called Usa River. Several of my covolunteers work out there, in an orphanage/school/widows support centre/eco park. Every Friday evening they host a party of sorts, with local food, drinks and dancing to enjoy. It had been less then 10 minutes after arrival when one of the boys threw a rock at a bee hive on the premises. Now a word about African bees: they are tough, focused and dedicated to the end. AND they like the smell of Burt’s Bees products. So – I was fresh meat.
Once the bees found me, I can’t describe to you how scary it was. They swarmed everywhere, stinging like mad, and I was only able to escape what I can’t imagine when a local family living in a hut nearby threw a sarong to me. It covered me which stopped the bees momentarily so I could run into their hut. They kindly kept me safe, picking out over 50 bees out of my skin and hair. Arms, legs, hands and head were ripe targets. The family was incredibly nice, speaking in Kiswahili and repeating over and over “pole” for sorry. After some 45 min I was able to leave the hut, and with help made it to the main road to jump into a dala dala (local “public transit” – more on that later) which eventually took me to a hospital.
I will skip some of the adventure in lieu of time and space to tell you that while the government run hospitals are cheap, this one was extremely basic. The doctor hardly assessed me, basically saying, why were you playing with bees? The nurses wished to inject me straight away with hydrocortisone, which in my stressed and pained state I simply agreed to because at that moment I thought there could be nothing worse than how I was feeling. I should also mention that during the attack, I had dropped my purse with all ID, money and phone in the middle of a field. Thankfully it was returned to me later entirely intact.
In Mount Meru hospital I am quite sure that the person two beds over was dying of TB, and the man in the next bed was suffering from AIDS-related complications. The bedsheet was bloodstained and the tub they gave me to relieve my adrenaline stomach ache was dirty. No one gave me a tissue to wipe my face of tears, snot and vomit. But like I said, there were bigger issues at that hospital. Needless to say, I am glad I made it through the end of that entire experience, although I am still fighting the ridiculous itching of many many bee stings that resurfaced after several days. Ahh, the human body. Best friend, worst enemy. I owe a particular thanks to Michelle, a woman from Ottawa area who is at the Vol. House with me, who helped me out a ton, getting me to the hospital and out again. I would have been in a much worse state without her.
Due to time and space considerations, I will cut this one off for now and catch up again in the next few days. So many of the things I have experienced are due their own entries and space for reflection on their own.
I wish you all well and I welcome comments and questions.
Best of love,
Erin
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Saturday, June 06, 2009
First post from Arusha, Tanzania
Hello friends and family!
This is my first post, after being here a week, not including 12 hours in Kenya and an 8 hour bus ride from Nairobi to Arusha. I have so much to tell you so I realize I had better commit to at least weekly postings, if not more. For those of you that read Amber's blog from her trip here last fall, I regret that I doubt my postings will be that long or detailed. Sitting at a computer for more than an hour is rather tedious and the internet is sloooow, at times. Not my regular life, but not much of it is here!
Here are a few tidbits to tantalize you:
- I am staying, at least for now, at Volunteer House, in Sakina, Arusha. It is quite fancier than what I had expected, with proper flush toilets and often hot showers. I am in a room of 4 women, on bunks and while the space it tight, we all seem to get along well. We are expecting a new roommie this evening to replace the Irish doctor who left after 3 weeks, which, for her, included establishing the beginnings of a med clinic for remote Maasai people - see I told you I have so much to tell you!!
- The other volunteers range in age from 19-39, from all over the world, and here for all sorts of reasons. But even my first night I was able to engage in a thoughtful and critical conversation about foreign volunteerism, African culture and the expectations of "Westerners", and power. Quite interesting.
- I am currently teaching full time at a local English- based school, very close to where I am staying and they seem to want to give me whatever I would like. So far, I have 3 or 4 French classes a week - which is a bit confusing when I leave the school and people address me in Kiswahili! I am also teaching several levels of English and some social studies, although that may change as my knowledge of African politics and geography is to be desired. The school is small and private and while is it certainly the barebones compared to what we have at home, I don't necessarily feel I am doing the best work for why I came here. For example several of my co-volunteers are working in orphanges, for AIDS, for special needs, for Maasai women, etc. The children at my school seem rather priviledged, and even yesterday (was it yesterday??) a student asked how much I would charge to teach him English after school. An honour, certainly, but seriously?? On the whole the students are lovely, work very hard and do not seem to take education for granted in the way ours do, often.
- The town of Arusha is yet to be explored in great depth - today perhaps. I teach until 3pm
and really it is best to be back home by 6 or 630pm to be safe. We can taxi home in the dark as long as we are in a group. Mzungu is the word heard most often - meaning Western, or White, person - and sometimes it is said as a greeting, or a comment or sometimes even somewhat aggressively, although that is rare. I would say the majority of my encounters with locals have been overwhelmingly positive. I have a particular story to tell you but it will have to wait til next time, for a few reasons... now are you curious??? ;)
- I saw my first view of Mt. Kilimanjaro, through the clouds yesterday. It was truly a site and I got chills up my spine. Eventually, all being well, I will say that I have looked at the world from the top of it. The plan is perhaps the end of June, as a number of us Vols are interested together, which would be nice, and much cheaper. Arusha is at the base of Mount Meru, and while it is impressive, it's lack of snow and wilder (ie. animals, less paths) reputation does not call to me in the same way. Kili first, then who knows from there.
... This is getting longer than I thought...
- My journey here from Canada was on the whole uneventful, quite comfortable and the most bothersome thing about it was the VERY smelly man who sat beside me on the flight from Zurich to Nairobi. Thankfully the plane was half full and I was able to move and take up a short row to myself, for napping. The bus from Nairobi to Arusha was simply a stunning ride, with not a moment of sleeping. Maasai with their herds around every bend, the landscape, the interspersal of bumpy roads and slick highway (when the driver certainly took advantage of highspeed motion!).
- The food here is alright - favourites include beans and maize (forget the name of this meal), AVOCADOS the size of a child's head which are incredibly tastey and beautiful (may never, sadly be able to eat one at home again!!), bananas, cheap beer are all good. Missing my usual dose of yoghurt and ice cream in my diet, and a post-dinnner group journey to the grocery store for little ice creams is an evening outing. I am trying to stay healthy, walking and running when possible, but the air is a bit thinner and much more polluted than home so a slower pace is prefered for sure.
So, that is my week in a very small nut shell.
I will do this again in a week and if you write me individually I will do my best to reply in time.
I miss Canada, and friends and family, but I am very much enjoying my adventure here on my own (with a bunch of random foreigners ;)). Too early to be homesick, me thinks!
Big hugs to all!
Peace,
Erin in Arusha
This is my first post, after being here a week, not including 12 hours in Kenya and an 8 hour bus ride from Nairobi to Arusha. I have so much to tell you so I realize I had better commit to at least weekly postings, if not more. For those of you that read Amber's blog from her trip here last fall, I regret that I doubt my postings will be that long or detailed. Sitting at a computer for more than an hour is rather tedious and the internet is sloooow, at times. Not my regular life, but not much of it is here!
Here are a few tidbits to tantalize you:
- I am staying, at least for now, at Volunteer House, in Sakina, Arusha. It is quite fancier than what I had expected, with proper flush toilets and often hot showers. I am in a room of 4 women, on bunks and while the space it tight, we all seem to get along well. We are expecting a new roommie this evening to replace the Irish doctor who left after 3 weeks, which, for her, included establishing the beginnings of a med clinic for remote Maasai people - see I told you I have so much to tell you!!
- The other volunteers range in age from 19-39, from all over the world, and here for all sorts of reasons. But even my first night I was able to engage in a thoughtful and critical conversation about foreign volunteerism, African culture and the expectations of "Westerners", and power. Quite interesting.
- I am currently teaching full time at a local English- based school, very close to where I am staying and they seem to want to give me whatever I would like. So far, I have 3 or 4 French classes a week - which is a bit confusing when I leave the school and people address me in Kiswahili! I am also teaching several levels of English and some social studies, although that may change as my knowledge of African politics and geography is to be desired. The school is small and private and while is it certainly the barebones compared to what we have at home, I don't necessarily feel I am doing the best work for why I came here. For example several of my co-volunteers are working in orphanges, for AIDS, for special needs, for Maasai women, etc. The children at my school seem rather priviledged, and even yesterday (was it yesterday??) a student asked how much I would charge to teach him English after school. An honour, certainly, but seriously?? On the whole the students are lovely, work very hard and do not seem to take education for granted in the way ours do, often.
- The town of Arusha is yet to be explored in great depth - today perhaps. I teach until 3pm
and really it is best to be back home by 6 or 630pm to be safe. We can taxi home in the dark as long as we are in a group. Mzungu is the word heard most often - meaning Western, or White, person - and sometimes it is said as a greeting, or a comment or sometimes even somewhat aggressively, although that is rare. I would say the majority of my encounters with locals have been overwhelmingly positive. I have a particular story to tell you but it will have to wait til next time, for a few reasons... now are you curious??? ;)
- I saw my first view of Mt. Kilimanjaro, through the clouds yesterday. It was truly a site and I got chills up my spine. Eventually, all being well, I will say that I have looked at the world from the top of it. The plan is perhaps the end of June, as a number of us Vols are interested together, which would be nice, and much cheaper. Arusha is at the base of Mount Meru, and while it is impressive, it's lack of snow and wilder (ie. animals, less paths) reputation does not call to me in the same way. Kili first, then who knows from there.
... This is getting longer than I thought...
- My journey here from Canada was on the whole uneventful, quite comfortable and the most bothersome thing about it was the VERY smelly man who sat beside me on the flight from Zurich to Nairobi. Thankfully the plane was half full and I was able to move and take up a short row to myself, for napping. The bus from Nairobi to Arusha was simply a stunning ride, with not a moment of sleeping. Maasai with their herds around every bend, the landscape, the interspersal of bumpy roads and slick highway (when the driver certainly took advantage of highspeed motion!).
- The food here is alright - favourites include beans and maize (forget the name of this meal), AVOCADOS the size of a child's head which are incredibly tastey and beautiful (may never, sadly be able to eat one at home again!!), bananas, cheap beer are all good. Missing my usual dose of yoghurt and ice cream in my diet, and a post-dinnner group journey to the grocery store for little ice creams is an evening outing. I am trying to stay healthy, walking and running when possible, but the air is a bit thinner and much more polluted than home so a slower pace is prefered for sure.
So, that is my week in a very small nut shell.
I will do this again in a week and if you write me individually I will do my best to reply in time.
I miss Canada, and friends and family, but I am very much enjoying my adventure here on my own (with a bunch of random foreigners ;)). Too early to be homesick, me thinks!
Big hugs to all!
Peace,
Erin in Arusha
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