Stop, pack, and roll

I'm putting a little spin on the hugely successful fire safety message "stop, drop, and roll". My message is simply to be prepared- in my case- for a trip to another continent. My plan consists of 3 steps to guarantee a well planned trip.

Stop- this is where all the planning takes place. I believe in lists. I need a list of what to take, what to leave, and what not to forget to do before departure. A couple of the essentials of what to take would be my passport, itinerary, all medicinal/healthcare items, clothes and shoes for the occasion/weather, electronics, cords and plug ins that work, plus any personal travel favorites. What to leave would include a copy of my passport and itinerary for my emergency contact, expensive jewelry, plus any unnecessary credit cards for the trip. What not to forget would be anything essential for the study experience, credit card and cash for the country, and gifts for the schools (Providence Academy donated 300 pens). I also contacted financial institutions about my travel plans since they can deny credit if not sure it's me making foreign transactions. Lastly, don't forget big hugs and kisses for family before departure.

Pack- this step must be done in stages. I throw everything I want to bring in one area. Do this at least a week ahead of time. I watch as this becomes a mound of "essentials". Then, the day before the trip, I cut everything down by at least half of what I originally thought to bring. 

Roll- a piece of reliable luggage! I don't need luggage that is a constant battle or becomes a struggle-fest when making my way from place to place. 

Following stop, pack, and roll sets me up for a wonderful experience in Tanzania. My itinerary includes learning about this country and its people with respects to education, healthcare, economy, and government. With my bags packed I am prepared to share my adventure - so please stay tuned!

Have you looked in the mirror today?

Walking into my childhood home, one would be met with a full length mirror. I am not sure why it was there, because it wasn't anything special or any artistic-looking mirror. There was no way to get through the doorway without passing this mirror. Maybe the mirror was there to greet you even if no one was home-you'd see a reflection of yourself and not be alone. Or maybe the mirror was there to say good-bye as you shut the door to leave the house. Regardless of its purpose, this mirror was there fixed in a space no one could avoid.

As I think of this mirror, it brings to mind a couple of quotes that I'd like to share.

"The world is a looking-glass and gives back to every man the reflection of his own face. Frown at it, and it will in turn look sourly upon you; laugh at it and with it, and it is a jolly kind companion, and so let all young persons take their choice." - William Makepeace Thackeray, English Novelist

In today's society I think a lot of mirror-time is to be had by all. Think of the "selfie" movement. It is a way of looking into a mirror and projecting that image out at an audience. Every teenager can safely say they have engaged in at least one "selfie" showing what they looked like or where they were for a moment in time. I even can say I have shot a couple of "selfie" pictures recently. Again, I wanted to capture the moment and share with others. The purpose is mainly to have a reflection saved forever in time. Below is my "selfie" from Zanzibar on the shores of the Indian Ocean.

Beyond the "selfie" preserving something for oneself, I think it is to project outward. I'm not sure what I was trying to project, but I can say the blue of this water gave a definite feeling of calm to my mind and comfort to my spirit. Which brings me back to that mirror in my doorway, always there, always reflecting. Again as I think of this mirror, I remember one of my favorite quotes regarding education:

"The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows." - Sydney J. Harris, American Journalist

My study abroad experience will not end with a return to the United States. Instead, my experience will turn my mirror into a new window allowing me to look through it and see my role as an educator invigorated for my students. I don't have any profound plans for the near future to share, but I do have a renewed sense of purpose. Something has stirred in me and hopefully what surfaces will be a wonderful discovery some day. One thing I know to be true, what I do as a teacher can and does make a difference. It is not always rewarded by society, but I can say it is always rewarding to me.

A Coke and a Smile

The last days of my study abroad experience in Tanzania involved more on economics but also social impact of a multinational corporation, Coca Cola, or in this country Coca Cola Kwanza International. "Kwanza" means first in Swahili.

The tour of the factory was a bit abbreviated due to a number of factors. Nonetheless, it was fascinating to see the production line of such an iconic brand as Coke. There isn't really any competition for Coke in Tanzania because besides Coke, Sprite, and Fanta they have local favorites of Stoney (like a ginger beer) and Krest (a sour lemon drink). All throughout the plant I witnessed employees engaged in the assembly line, clean up, and supervisory roles. The security for this facility was very tight knit plus all of the safety procedures were followed to the letter of the law. 

Coca Cola is proud of its role as being active in the communities of Tanzania and throughout Africa. One such project was a maternity wing in a local hospital. Other projects included building housing and helping children organizations. All over the facility there were messages to boost morale with sayings and slogans plus statistics of the meeting goals and projections. 

The question comes into play as to how much does this huge corporation pay in taxes that benefit the people of Tanzania. Throughout this study in this country we have been told that companies get tax breaks and sometimes tax free opportunities. Allowing countries a free pass ultimately hurts the growth of the country on becoming a prosperous and thriving economy that can compete globally.

After the tour we were off to prepare to leave the country and make one last stop to visit with some high school students from a public school in Dar es Salaam. The students were boys and girls from Form 1 to Form 6 or around ages 14 to 19. As a group we met with these students and teachers at a restaurant and shared dinner and conversation. One young man I met, Leonard, was a very talented artist that aspires to be a journalist because he wants to report the news of what truly goes on in his country and the world. He explained that he sees things happening then reads about the same event and is so upset by what is written not being true to what is happening. I admire his idealism but told him we have the same problem in the United States. 

Another student was a young girl, Maria, that wants to be a soldier. If she can't be a soldier then she would try to become a doctor. She works very hard right now to be top of her class plus be physically strong. She is ranked 5th overall for her class. Each day she studies any where from 2-3 hours a day plus runs 5 miles each morning. Her average day starts with her run at 5:30 am. Then she eats a breakfast and boards a ferry to Dar. She has to take two buses to reach her school by 11:00. She doesn't usually eat lunch at school because she can't afford the lunch payment. School lasts until 3:30 and then she takes this trip back home. Sometimes if there is bad traffic she doesn't get home until 9:00 pm. The day we met she anticipated getting home around 11:00 pm. Her typical day has a meal in the morning and the second meal around 9:00-10:00 pm. She didn't seem upset by the busy schedule because she knew this is what she must do to reach her goals.

I spoke with other students as well. One thing that rang true for all of them was their spirit. They were not quitters, were all very strong and intelligent, and they understood the power they possessed because of their education. As a teacher my greatest frustration is with efforts and lack of motivation by students. I think some of my students would change their ways or try a bit more if they knew not trying their best meant no opportunity. A luxury we have in the US is opportunity and many times I feel it is not truly appreciated by our children. 

The students I spoke with all said it was their dream to come to America one day because it is a "paradise". I smile when I think of these children. The conversations we had and the eloquence with how they spoke made me have mixed emotions of deep sadness and profound happiness. I wish only the best for these optimistic children that they can realize their dreams. 

Please enjoy the drawing below--by the very talented artist, Leonard.

Quick Change and the Let's Make a Deal

This is the day I have really wanted to participate in so I could see first-hand how high level government works in the Global South all while feeling the economic pulse of an age-old art.

Our studies today were a mixed bag. In the morning we visited Dar es Salaam University and had a lecture under a tree on economics. This tree has a story for university students: when the tree loses its leaves it is graduation time. This public university is enormous and a stark contrast to the primary and secondary schools with respects to facilities, resources, and overall attitude. Our guide was a graduate student that had also spent time studying at University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She was very intelligent and a true African beauty. She explained her own education coming from a very poor school in Arusha. At schools with no resources, she expressed you must be the smartest in the class all of the time. If not, you will not be given the opportunity to go to university. Higher Education is not available to the average student in Africa, only the highest achieving. 

From the university we headed to the Makonde Art Market. The Makonde people are artisans and take pride in handing this tradition down through generations. They are internationally famous for their intricate carvings, based on life, love, good and evil which form their beliefs about the origins of man. They are mostly known for carving done in the wood of the ebony tree. Mpingo is the Swahili name for the ebony tree. Today the art is done in other woods plus stone. I witnessed artisans working behind their shops using sanding techniques and intricate carving tools to create beautiful pieces of art. The fun comes in when you go from shop to shop with bargaining a good price for the item. Our guide gave us some guidelines of how the pricing in the market works. The merchants start with a price and we are supposed to counter at least 50% of the asking price. After some back and forth, you should be able to get a good price- just know your ceiling. Sometimes you walk away only later to be met by that merchant that has finally agreed to your price. The deals sometimes were in my favor as others I know didn't get the best price. 

From the art market we had to drive through rush hour traffic to get back to our hotel for a quick change of clothes to attend a meeting with the current Chief Secretary Ombeni Y Sefue, number two ranking official in Tanzania. He has the title of Honorable Ambassador Sefue. He has held a number of government roles plus a seat in the United Nations. The visit was going to be at the State House- like their White House. The fun comes in when we get stuck in traffic and our bus driver makes an illegal move. The police pulled our bus over and our guide, Steven, had to do some very creative negotiations and explained our need to make this meeting. Thankfully we were let go to make our way to the hotel. Once there we were given 5 minutes to get out of our market clothes and into formal business attire. It was quite a circus. Once at the State House we had the bus checked through security and then we had to hand in all phones, purses, cameras, and wallets, etc. The assistant to the Honorable Ambassador took us to a room where we would wait for only a few minutes. Upon entrance it was evident that we were all very nervous. We had prepared questions pertaining to governance, economics, education, and healthcare. I was the first student to speak and ask a question which was in regards to healthcare. If you know me, then you know I am a confessed introvert and REALLY do not like being in the spotlight. Thankfully I made it through my question and didn't fumble. All throughout the meeting a photographer was snapping pictures of us which was nerve racking, but understandable. A quick overview of our visit is available at www.chiefsecretary.go.tz under media, then gallery. The Honorable Ambassador was very charming and clear in answering our questions. One quote that I will share truly shined a light on what could be a mantra for Tanzania's future. Sefue said, "Learn to look at the emerging world with new eyes." 

What do you get when you mix red chili pepper, lemongrass, cinnamon,passion fruit, and ginger?

The answer is a true appreciation for the wonders of Zanzibar.

My day started with an early morning ferry ride over to Zanzibar from Dar es Salaam. I was seated in the section with the daily commuters that seemed like this was business as usual. Zanzibar is under the governance of Tanzania but has its own President. It seems to be a strained relationship but has been working since around1964. Even though it's one country, one must clear customs upon arrival to the main island of Unguja.

The first stop was to visit the "mountain" top where the endangered red colobus monkey resides. This area is more of a hill than a mountain but our guide joked that it is their Kilimanjaro. The habitat for the monkey is protected. This little creature is a hoot to watch and could care less if you are around or not. At times, many monkeys would look like they were showing off as they hopped on their hind legs and jumped from tree to tree.  

From this area we went to a spice farm. Zanzibar is most proud of its export of cloves, but could take credit for many other spices making their way across the world. The naturalist that explained all of the spices made us be active participants in smelling the plant and playing a game of "guess the spice". Some were easy to nail but many were so different when at the source rather than when in the dry state which we purchase in stores. I ate smoking-hot peppers, cinnamon, about 5 different fruits, ginger, and raw peppercorns to name a few. I also rubbed lemongrass on me-probably needed a new scent about that time of the day from sweating so much! Zanzibar is doing a lot off research on these government owned farms to help make sure these spices can remain true to their intended quality.

The next stop was to old Zanzibar and the slave market. We were given a tour of the area and the facts that included that Zanzibar was the number one port for slaves to be sold and taken to India and Asia. Slaves from here were not transported to America. Below is the quarters that looked about the size of a walk-in closet in some American homes. This space would house up to 75 women and children until they were brought to market.

To take in the real Zanzibar experience one must go to Stone Town. This is the historic district that includes the markets that wind down alleyways. Being that Zanzibar is 99% Muslim, we had to be mindful of our dress and that many shops could be closed due to Ramadan. During Ramadan Muslims cannot eat or drink between sunrise and sunset, plus they cannot witness this unless their occupation requires it-like our guide. It was interesting to see this first hand and interact. Merchants were fun to talk to and quite easy to deal with as long as you were firm in what you were willing to pay. At one point our group split up and we formed little buddy groups to explore Stone Town on our own. My buddy and I had a wonderful time getting sidetracked through these twisting streets/alleyways. At one point we ended up in an area where we were the only Mzungus (foreigners) but made a recovery when we spotted the Indian Ocean ahead of us. We were never afraid, but were worried we wouldn't get off the streets before prayer sounded. That is considered disrespectful and we wanted to be good students and be mindful of their customs.

Zanzibar is a place that has a bright future as I witnessed the humming of the businesses, tourists, and residents truly working together. As Tanzania looks to revisit their constitution, a main sticking point is if they will remain one with Zanzibar or if the future holds two separate governments.

Swahili Time isn't like Tulsa Time

Today was the most important day for this course. We had a meeting with a member of the Tanzanian Parliament, Honorable Bernard Membe, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. He is a graduate of Dar es Salaam University and Johns Hopkins University. He is considered to be one of the top candidates for president in 2015.

As a group, we had to break into committees to come up with questions for Honorable Membe that related to governance, education, economics, and healthcare. The questions were narrowed down to the best options that could yield us useful information for our studies. After our academic preparations  we had to discuss appropriate attire and etiquette being mindful of cultural and religious differences. This mainly meant suit and ties for the gentlemen and no knees showing for the women. I was set with my standard "teacher clothes"- so no worries. 

The picture below is me and fellow teacher, Josh Belanger, from Benilde-St. Margaret's. Shout out to PA- look at my label pin!

We were told that sometimes things run on what is called Swahili Time. Back in the day, Swahili Time meant the clock started at 1:00 - an hour after sunrise or around 7:00 am. The numbers on a Swahili clock would be 6 hours plus/minus what we would think or just opposite hours on a clock- 12:00 is 6:00, 2:00 is 8:00, and so on.... Today when speaking in Swahili Time, it generally means plus or minus anything from 15 minutes early to 2 hours or more late. If you have an appointment at 10:00 am, block your time off from 9:00 am to 12 noon and you should be good to go. Being astute students thirsting for first hand experience in our learning modules, we were able to witness Swahili Time at the highest level. I won't go into to details other than to say I was up ready to go at 8:00 am and walked into our meeting with the Honorable Minister around 4:00 pm. 

Pictured above are members of my study group, Absera and Athena, waiting patiently for our time to meet with the Honorable Minister.

The minister was very gracious and a wonderful host for us. He answered our questions very candidly. Many in the group said they would vote for him if they were given the chance. Upon reflection I can say  I was impressed that he explained challenges but also offered up possible solutions for the questions we asked. He had to be careful with his answers and I believe he genuinely gave answers that stood for his beliefs. It was an exciting experience and enlightening intellectual exchange with a very high-level official of the Tanzanian government.

Lay down your heart

The last couple of days have been a whirlwind. I left Arusha and ventured on to Dar es Salaam. This city on the Indian Ocean will be my base for the next few days.

Our learning module today was focusing on the deep history of port towns in East Africa. One of the earliest ports for the slave trade was in the town of Bagamoyo. In Swahili, Bagamoyo means "lay down your heart" but there is also a translation that reads "give up all hope". Slaves were transported from all over Africa to this tiny port town. It was the last stop before going to the trade center of Zanzibar. 

This town basically exists among the old ruins. Missionaries also made their mark in this area. The Fathers of the Holy Ghost, a Catholic missionary group, built a church here- thought to be the oldest church in East Africa. The missionaries main focus was converting the people they encountered to Christianity, help free slaves from bondage, and also to bring awareness of the atrocities of slavery back to Europe. There is documentation that they were actively against slavery and would sometimes persecute the slave traders by placing them in chains. This church and its grounds are still used today.

The other religious influence in the area was Muslim. This is evident in art work, buildings, and ancient tombs. The Arab traders brought their faith to the area and even today this port town has a majority of practicing Muslims. While I was walking the grounds of the Catholic church the Muslim call to prayer was echoing in the distance. 

This post is a little brief due to the fact that I only have access to Internet through my phone. Hopefully I can get this problem fixed to offer up more information and reflection on my journey. I will leave you with a "selfie"-  I met this beautiful little girl coming out of mass. Her brother photo-bombed us! Kids are kids all over the world.