The word kwa heri in Swahili means goodbye. Not the kind of goodbye that's like, see ya later but more of a semi-permanent goodbye, atleast one that lasts for a while. When my American friends and family ask me, "How was living in Africa?" I struggle to give a simple response because the answer is complicated. The best I've come up with so far is, "It's been a growing experience." Which is completely true. The Becca that entered Tanzania is not the same Becca leaving. It's easy to get caught up in bitterness with corruption, misplaced values and the dirty, inconvenient life that comes with living in a third world country. My relationship with Arusha, Tanzania felt like a friendship with someone who needs a lot of attention, can be quite draining, but has been with you through thick and thin, so you're in this together.
So here is my list of how I'm thankful for my time in Tanzania:
1. infrastructure: Arusha, I spent two years despising your lack of roads, road rules or even anyone to enforce those rules. The fact is, this experience has made me ridiculously thankful for these things coming back to the states. When someone complains about getting a driving ticket, I'm not nearly as sympathetic as they'd like because I've experienced life without those and it's chaotic and dangerous.
2. greetings: Tanzanians looooove to greet each other.... and everyone. It's considered polite, and being polite is very important. So, walking down the street is really just a long string of greetings. The difficult part, when you're white, is differentiating between those people just trying to be polite and those trying to sell you something. Can be quite tricky. Anyway, re-entering into a mostly "nongreeting" culture, I seem to miss it. The scripted interaction that allowed me to connect to strangers in a pleasantly friendly way.
3. simplicity: While some things weren't simple, like buying a pair of shoes, walking down the street or dealing with the bank, many things were. Finding local produce was easy- walk to the lady on the corner selling some. Taxis were cheap enough that a DD wasn't necessary. No identification was needed for everyday activities. Ever. There were very little testing requirements in schools, so I was barely monitored in what I did in my classroom. Most of us owned the cheapest phone available in Tanzania and were perfectly happy using it for what it was intended for- calling and texting. I am constantly perplexed by the technology leap that has happened in the states over the last few years. Smart phones have become cheaper and available to most Americans of various income levels. There is a culture around them- one where people readily pull out their smart phones to communicate, search and check statuses from other pieces of technology while they're out socializing with other human beings. I am unapologetically offended by this behavior. This lack of etiquette disgusts me and I am worried for this new generation's ability to communicate face-to-face with another human being in the near future.
4. fashion: The attire in Arusha was simple- cover your knees and be respectful. Other than that, everything else was optional, including matching and cleanliness. I pretty much rotated through my few "weekday outfits" and then had a couple favorite outfits I enjoyed relaxing in that became my weekend-wear. When I walk into an American clothing store, I have the strong urge to wear sunglasses. WHERE DID ALL THE NEON COME FROM? The 80's are clearly back. In full force. I walk into stores like The Gap and Target and want to ask the sales people, "Is it Halloween already?" This severe change in style feels like a cruel joke to me. I came back to the states to acquire quality, non-retina-burning clothing. Not apparel that could direct air traffic.
5. what's important: I found that life in with Tanzanians can be simple and organic. When you pass someone, you should greet them. There's a lot of teasing and joking in the culture. When someone needs help, they ask and when I needed help, people were more than willing to go out of their way to help out. I could walk to most of my friends' houses on my school campus as well as go on safe runs in the mornings because of our trusty security guards. Going out to meet friends meant we texted each other the plan, met up, put our phones away and had a conversation. I enter the states and immediately become a consumer. The shopping experience (food, clothes, medicine) is extremely appealing here in the states. I like to call it a multi-sensory experience. While buying things is fun, and you can get quite a buzz from "retail therapy", it's actually not very important at all.
All in all, I'm glad I spent a couple of years in Arusha, Tanzania. My experiences there have grown me into who I am today. And I'm okay with the outcome.
So here is my list of how I'm thankful for my time in Tanzania:
1. infrastructure: Arusha, I spent two years despising your lack of roads, road rules or even anyone to enforce those rules. The fact is, this experience has made me ridiculously thankful for these things coming back to the states. When someone complains about getting a driving ticket, I'm not nearly as sympathetic as they'd like because I've experienced life without those and it's chaotic and dangerous.
2. greetings: Tanzanians looooove to greet each other.... and everyone. It's considered polite, and being polite is very important. So, walking down the street is really just a long string of greetings. The difficult part, when you're white, is differentiating between those people just trying to be polite and those trying to sell you something. Can be quite tricky. Anyway, re-entering into a mostly "nongreeting" culture, I seem to miss it. The scripted interaction that allowed me to connect to strangers in a pleasantly friendly way.
3. simplicity: While some things weren't simple, like buying a pair of shoes, walking down the street or dealing with the bank, many things were. Finding local produce was easy- walk to the lady on the corner selling some. Taxis were cheap enough that a DD wasn't necessary. No identification was needed for everyday activities. Ever. There were very little testing requirements in schools, so I was barely monitored in what I did in my classroom. Most of us owned the cheapest phone available in Tanzania and were perfectly happy using it for what it was intended for- calling and texting. I am constantly perplexed by the technology leap that has happened in the states over the last few years. Smart phones have become cheaper and available to most Americans of various income levels. There is a culture around them- one where people readily pull out their smart phones to communicate, search and check statuses from other pieces of technology while they're out socializing with other human beings. I am unapologetically offended by this behavior. This lack of etiquette disgusts me and I am worried for this new generation's ability to communicate face-to-face with another human being in the near future.
4. fashion: The attire in Arusha was simple- cover your knees and be respectful. Other than that, everything else was optional, including matching and cleanliness. I pretty much rotated through my few "weekday outfits" and then had a couple favorite outfits I enjoyed relaxing in that became my weekend-wear. When I walk into an American clothing store, I have the strong urge to wear sunglasses. WHERE DID ALL THE NEON COME FROM? The 80's are clearly back. In full force. I walk into stores like The Gap and Target and want to ask the sales people, "Is it Halloween already?" This severe change in style feels like a cruel joke to me. I came back to the states to acquire quality, non-retina-burning clothing. Not apparel that could direct air traffic.
5. what's important: I found that life in with Tanzanians can be simple and organic. When you pass someone, you should greet them. There's a lot of teasing and joking in the culture. When someone needs help, they ask and when I needed help, people were more than willing to go out of their way to help out. I could walk to most of my friends' houses on my school campus as well as go on safe runs in the mornings because of our trusty security guards. Going out to meet friends meant we texted each other the plan, met up, put our phones away and had a conversation. I enter the states and immediately become a consumer. The shopping experience (food, clothes, medicine) is extremely appealing here in the states. I like to call it a multi-sensory experience. While buying things is fun, and you can get quite a buzz from "retail therapy", it's actually not very important at all.
All in all, I'm glad I spent a couple of years in Arusha, Tanzania. My experiences there have grown me into who I am today. And I'm okay with the outcome.
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