Things I love about Tanzania (Part I)

When I first got to campus I was having a tough time adjusting because of homesickness and was really looking towards December. In the pre-study abroad class at Concordia they told us to make a list of the things that you like about where you are studying and post them in a place where you will see them everyday. That way you will keep looking at the positive things. I decided that I would give it a try. This is the beginning of my list and it is only the beginning because I have not updated it in a while. It has been a big help for me on some of the harder days because then I remember some of the positive and exciting things about Tanzania.

• Blue skies
• Moneys running around campus are equivalent to squirrels on Concordia’s campus
  The miniature bananas
• Chapati
• Kennedy’s fruit stand on the way to Mlimani
• Friendly people
• Markets!
• Public transportation and how easy it is to use
• Animals
• Artwork
• Beaches
• Mars Bars
• Chocolate biscuits
• Peter (Concordia Scholor)
• Steven Ndosi
• Pendo (Concordia Scholor and Kiswahili teacher)
• Mama Macha
• Avocados
• Making new friends
• Trying new things
• Climbing Mt. Rungwe
• Running with Kate and Stacey every morning
• Random cows and goats roaming the streets
• Pendo’s purple chickens. (They dyed the chickens purple so they would no be eaten by other animals)
• Chipsi Maiyi
• Wali na Maharage
• Learning and discovering new things about myself
• Over coming obstacles by myself
• Learning to trust myself
• Tanzanian children
• Maasai
• I am alive!
• Independence
• Learning that I can depend on myself
• Fabric Market and going to the Tailors
• African Drumming and Dancing shows
• Finding a church where I feel accepted
• Ulitmate Frisbee on Wednesdays with the missionaries and Pastor Travis
• Finding God again
• My amazing roommate!
• European film festival-Free movies for a month!
• Doughnut Runs on Saturdays!! – We run down to the BP station by Mwenge and buy the best doughnuts in Dar es Salaam and then walk back to campus.
• Bounty Bars and the Ice cream bars
• Going to shopprite and buying a liter and a half of ice cream and splitting it between Kate, Stacey and I.
• MANGOS!!!!!!
• Cold showers after running
• The amazing breeze on the eight floor.