That question was raised by one of my students. I answered it: "My president is Barack Obama and my president will be Donald Trump starting in January." "How aware are people in Tanzania of the recent US election? Either locals or the international volunteers you're living with." - Seth Thanks for the question. I suppose …
Category: Thoughts
To travel..
This week Johanna and I have journeyed to the coast with Vanja as she concludes her time in Tanzania and we travel after completing the semester at school. Starting in Arusha on Tuesday we drove east with a van full of friends to a beautiful desert oasis that the locals call the Hot Springs. They …
The Zone of Comfort..
Happy post Thanksgiving everyone! I had a delightfully traditional Thanksgiving. After a brief celebration of my housemate Kamal's graduation from an electrical school I joined Laura and Tarik for a deliciously American Thanksgiving dinner. The dinner was mostly prepared by the very funny and very hospitable Noah and Tricia Kaye who are EMM Missionaries new …
Getting schooled..
The Arusha Integrated Primary School is gracious enough to give me 40 minuets six times a week to teach their kids hygiene and first aid. I've taken the liberty to translate that class title to "Health Class." Health topics like hygiene, first aid, diseases, or body systems are covered under their Science Class. So my Health …
When you drink water, remember the spring..
...a Chinese proverb according to the internet. And a heady reminder that the water we rely on has to come from somewhere. Clean drinking water is a global issue even surfacing as a problem close to home in America. Flint, MI and our country's aging pipe infrastructure, the struggle (or battle...) at Standing Rock, ND …
Continue reading When you drink water, remember the spring..
Gaining traction…
Post-deportation, we have spent the past week trying to settle back into Arusha life. But the week didn't offer up the routine I had hoped for. The several days spent waiting for our new permits couldn't consist of any "work" so instead they mostly consisted of sitting around during the day reading my novel, followed …
An unexpected journey…
It seems we finally have our affairs in order, though many questions have gone unanswered and the process has been frustrating and convoluted, we recieved our "correct" permit for volunteering and can return to work on Monday (tomorrow) after a week and a half off. To fill in the events of the past weeks: Tuesday …
Hitting the ground running…
A quiet Saturday afternoon currently consists of listening to multiple conversations in various rooms of the house all in different languages: Swahili, English, and Swedish. Very stimulating, just like much of life will be now that I am getting situated in the bustling city of Arusha in nothern Tanzania. My journey here went generally very …
Tanzania: One month and counting..
A goal is a dream with a plan. When do dreams become a reality? Is it when you finally buy the plane ticket? Or maybe when you walk out of your last day at work. Or is it when you find yourself in that place you dreamed of and think to yourself "I am actually here." …
The luckiest days of our lives.
I have posted a story under my "Adventures" page called A Grizzly day, about a Saturday in the mountains that did not go as planned. Thankfully there was no tragedy and plenty of lessons well learned. I would encourage you to read it and let me know what you think, tell me how it makes …
Rays of Cobalt Blue 