Happy Easter and Passover to everyone! I apologize that this will be a long entry.
When we reached the border of Tanzania and Kenya, about three hours from Nairobi, we exited the bus and walked across the border. At first, the scenery of Tanzania is similar to Kenya because the Rift Valley continues into Tanzania. Closer to Arusha, though, the landscape becomes much more lush. The trees are leafier and mountains dot the horizon in every direction. We stayed at the United African Alliance Community Center (http://www.uaacc.habari.co.tz/) an awesome organization run by Pete and Charlotte O’Neal. The center is about an hour inland from Arusha on a bumpy dirt road, but is unmistakably American. Just to give you a sense of the amenities, there was satellite television (complete with ESPN and Al Jazeera), internet access, an endless supply of DVDs, vonage (which meant free phone calls to the US), and Pringles, not to mention the spray-painted buildings, basketball court, library, and gift shop that dotted the compound. We ate American food for every meal (think lasagna and mashed potatoes and lettuce) and everyone (even the dog) had dreadlocks.
The first night, Pete and Charlotte told us their story and explained more about the Black Panther Movement. In short, Pete was the leader of the Black Panther Movement in Kansas City, Missouri and was arrested on illegally transporting a weapon across state lines—which he still claims innocence on. He chose exile instead of fifteen years in jail and arrived to Tanzania over thirty years ago. He and Charlotte have done a lot in the community they reside in, including a water project, solar power project, a literacy campaign, computer classes, etc. In school, we are taught a very one-sided view of the Panthers—mainly that they were militant and “scary”. However, there is so much more that I never knew about. For example, I did not know that the main purpose of the Black Panther movement was social programs and community building or that the breakfast program in American public schools was a Panther initiative. Pete and Charlotte claim to be continuing the panther movement in Tanzania by instituting many community enrichment programs, such as a water project, a solar power project, and computer classes for kids. The talk was interesting and I learned a lot about American history even though I was half-way across the world.
When we reached the border of Tanzania and Kenya, about three hours from Nairobi, we exited the bus and walked across the border. At first, the scenery of Tanzania is similar to Kenya because the Rift Valley continues into Tanzania. Closer to Arusha, though, the landscape becomes much more lush. The trees are leafier and mountains dot the horizon in every direction. We stayed at the United African Alliance Community Center (http://www.uaacc.habari.co.tz/) an awesome organization run by Pete and Charlotte O’Neal. The center is about an hour inland from Arusha on a bumpy dirt road, but is unmistakably American. Just to give you a sense of the amenities, there was satellite television (complete with ESPN and Al Jazeera), internet access, an endless supply of DVDs, vonage (which meant free phone calls to the US), and Pringles, not to mention the spray-painted buildings, basketball court, library, and gift shop that dotted the compound. We ate American food for every meal (think lasagna and mashed potatoes and lettuce) and everyone (even the dog) had dreadlocks.
The first night, Pete and Charlotte told us their story and explained more about the Black Panther Movement. In short, Pete was the leader of the Black Panther Movement in Kansas City, Missouri and was arrested on illegally transporting a weapon across state lines—which he still claims innocence on. He chose exile instead of fifteen years in jail and arrived to Tanzania over thirty years ago. He and Charlotte have done a lot in the community they reside in, including a water project, solar power project, a literacy campaign, computer classes, etc. In school, we are taught a very one-sided view of the Panthers—mainly that they were militant and “scary”. However, there is so much more that I never knew about. For example, I did not know that the main purpose of the Black Panther movement was social programs and community building or that the breakfast program in American public schools was a Panther initiative. Pete and Charlotte claim to be continuing the panther movement in Tanzania by instituting many community enrichment programs, such as a water project, a solar power project, and computer classes for kids. The talk was interesting and I learned a lot about American history even though I was half-way across the world.
On day two, we went to the Ngorongoro Crater, the eighth wonder of the world. It was beautiful and we saw tons of animals. The crater was almost unreal-like because there was absolutely no depth perception once you were inside. At the entrance there were baboons on the roof. We got out of our land rovers to take pictures of them, but they slid do
wn the gutters and began to chase us. Note: baboons are not rafiki; they are vicious and slightly terrifying. The people in my land rover were a lot of fun and we stood up for over six hours taking in the sights and searching for animals. For lunch, we ate near the hippo area, but we could not eat outside because eagles hawked the area and snatched food from your hands. The experience was the most stereotypical African tourist-y thing we’ve done so far, but I can definitely see why safaris are so popular and fun.Saturday was one of my favorite days because we learned traditional dancing AND performed it for the village. Despite the fact that it was slightly embarrassing, we looked pretty good and had so much fun. I realized when the men and women were dancing that the movements I knew from school were mostly men’s parts because the women rarely do any jumps or large movements. During lunch, they let us play with the drums and we learned a few basic patterns. We had to perform a “traditional” American dance during the performance, but we could not think of anything that encompassed American “culture” because our culture is such a conglomerate of different cultures. We ended up singing two songs and one girl presented a Maya Angelou poem. Even though the majority of the audience probably did not understand our words, it was typically American to do solo acts as opposed to a group activity. Two different dance troupes performed for us and they were incredible. I am always amazed by the gross amount of talent that people have that is so underutilized here.
For three days, we camped in Engikaret, a Maasai village. Let me say that the “camping” we did was the nicest camping I’ve ever done in my life. We had three-man tents, mattresses, sheets, a portable toilet, electricity (I am still at a loss as to how), and a full cooking staff. This Maasai experience was extremely different from when I stayed with the Maasai family near Nairobi. I think it is interesting how a group of people can be from the same tribe but have such different traditions and ways of life. It is a bit like American culture in that way, I guess. Their circular houses were made of mud, they greeted people with “sopai” instead of “supa”, and their beads were very different designs and colors. We learned about their medicinal plants and brushed our teeth with twigs. One of the evenings, we sat around a camp fire with the elders of the village and exchanged stories. They asked us about the wild animals we have in the US and we unsuccessfully tried explaining grizzly bears and skunks. They also asked us about the moon and what it looks like in real life. We explained that we personally had never been there but that there is no gravity in space and you float around (imagine a lot of gesturing and charades). Both mornings we woke up early in an attempt to see the sunrise over Mt. Kilimanjaro, but it was cloudy both days. The second day, we went to the Orpul, where sacrifices take place. We participated in the slaughtering of an mbuzi (goat) and it was one of the coolest yet gruesome things I’ve ever done. Since blood is extremely important in Maasai culture, they suffocate the animal to minimize the amount of blood lost. I could not watch the actual killing of the goat, but once it was dead, I had a much easier time looking at it objectively. While the goat was being killed, everyone in the group unconsciously became silent and respectful of the life being lost. The skinning was very precise and the entire thing was not as bloody as I predicted. After they took off all the fat, they cracked the rib cage and exposed the organs. The mbuzi transformed into a biology lab for us at that point and it was really cool. The Maasai would make incredible surgeons because they are extremely knowledgeable about anatomy. Each organ has a specific purpose and is given to different people in society to eat. The kidneys are the first things extracted from the body cavity and the eldest members at the Orpul eat them raw. Two men just popped them in their mouth like candy and chewed them up. (it was kindof gross) Then, they slit the hea
rt and emptied the coagulated blood into the body cavity. They mixed the blood around and drank it from their hands. The inside lining of the stomach is really cool and resembles a sponge or dish rag. The only part of the animal they do not eat are the eyes, so we took them and dissected them. Afterwards, we saw the grazing fields, participated in some games (aka spear throwing and long jump). In the evening, we attended a lion-dance at the boma (house) and danced and chanted with the Maasai. The women wear large collars on their neck and the men jump really high. On the last day, we sat with the women and made bracelets while learning about the meaning of the colors. Once you think about the lifestyle of the Maasai, the colors make sense. Most of the beads are white, which stands for milk and prosperity. Light blue is water, red is blood, and the list goes on.
Upon returning to UAACC, we explored more of Arusha and participated in some community service projects. We painted an orphanage near the center, though I don’t know how much good it actually did. One of the evenings, we had a roundtable discussion with local youths about HIV and AIDS. They performed skits about HIV and were curious to know how we learn about the disease in America. We emphasized over and over that we face many of the same problems in the US, in terms of people not listening, and that we do not have all of the answers. One person asked if HIV began in a lab in the US, as a conspiracy theory against the poor. Another person asked us how condoms can prevent HIV as well as pregnancy. The talk was interesting but frustrating at the same time. Again and again the lack of knowledge, particularly by those who are supposed to be teaching the information to others, astounds me. We complain and complain about our education system in the US, yet it is still a thousand times better than anything the kids have here. I cannot pinpoint when I learned about HIV because we are pummeled with information over and over again. Here, a classroom may learn the information once, but then never have any follow-up or opportunity to ask questions—and that is provided that the kids actually go to school. On our last night in Tanzania, we went to the opening night of the “Warriors from the East” concert tour. They are a reggae band that promote peace and community development, and are run out of the UAACC. The concert was good and we even participated in an African clothing fashion show during the break.
Our classes ended two weeks ago and the Independent Study Projects begin on Thursday, so the trip to Tanzania was basically our spring break. During ISP, I will be out of email contact for three weeks, so don’t worry if you don’t hear from me in that time.
Our classes ended two weeks ago and the Independent Study Projects begin on Thursday, so the trip to Tanzania was basically our spring break. During ISP, I will be out of email contact for three weeks, so don’t worry if you don’t hear from me in that time.
Notes…
- I think I definitely got my money’s worth out of my Rochester education (particularly my “unacademic” classes, Dad) because I was the first person in fifteen years to know what The Weathermen were named after (a Bob Dylan song…thanks to The Global Sixties) and I had the one-up on African dance and drum patterns.
- Pete and Charlotte speak Swahili with very strong southern accents and say karibu y’all. It was quite entertaining.
- PBS filmed a documentary about Charlotte and Pete, entitled “A Panther in Africa.”
- pineapple and passion fruit fanta = Delicious.
- UAACC had a fantastic view of Mt. Meru, a large volcanic mountain.
- I think I definitely got my money’s worth out of my Rochester education (particularly my “unacademic” classes, Dad) because I was the first person in fifteen years to know what The Weathermen were named after (a Bob Dylan song…thanks to The Global Sixties) and I had the one-up on African dance and drum patterns.
- Pete and Charlotte speak Swahili with very strong southern accents and say karibu y’all. It was quite entertaining.
- PBS filmed a documentary about Charlotte and Pete, entitled “A Panther in Africa.”
- pineapple and passion fruit fanta = Delicious.
- UAACC had a fantastic view of Mt. Meru, a large volcanic mountain.
