Coming to Tanzania was a whole new experience, not only for
me, but for everyone. The only past experience similar to this was when I
traveled to Cambodia, so naturally, that was the only picture in my head. I was
expecting poverty, dry nature, and African people like you see in the movies.
As I arrived, I was awakened to the actuality of where I had really come. Where
I was looking for the slums, I came to see the majority of the area urban and
well taken care of. While I was scoping the landscape for sand, dry grass, and
tumbleweeds, I stepped off the plane into a gorgeous site of greenery and
vibrant flowers to paint the view. Finally the already interpreted impression
of the people I was going to encounter was changed in an instance. Their looks,
their attire, their greetings, and their personalities, were all different than
their projected images from the films. The combination of all these first impressions
left me in awe. If simplicity and serenity had a distinct picture, I would be
currently living in it.
These past few days have really brought out moments where my
emotions were sparked and they left me thinking. My first day, arriving at the
school, I was fearful of how the day was going to all happen. I was assigned baby
class, which I later found out was a class of children ages 3-5. The day
progresses from a lesson or two, tea time with porridge, another lesson, nap,
and then finishing off the day with a nap or resting time. Day one and the porridge
was poured into everyone’s plastic cup and then offered to me. Politely, I took the cup and inspected it,
took a sip, and thought about it. While I was thinking I found that this could
be a small snack to one person, but for another it is an instant connection. Somehow,
throughout the constant exchange of looks, I could tell that we were all
thinking the same thing. “She’s drinking what I’m drinking, were matching, it’s
the same thing.” Our mental connection led to so much more of our physical
connection. During the times outside,
starting from the first break first day, it had progressed from me running and
having a few small children following, to me sprinting only to look back to a
large group of children full on chasing me. The smiles on their faces as they
“capture” me and then tickle me to death are enough to power a whole country.
To add, the attention that is targeted at my hair is crazy. Back home I get
comments as well, but here, not one moment goes by that the blonde ringlets are
not strung through children’s fingers or are being whipped around by a free
hand. Any other day, I would back away, but there is an unmentionable quality
about those children that eliminates the feeling of tugging and pulling and
turns it into an act of curiosity and love. The little things at home that
would blow over our heads or amount to nearly nothing are so much more here
with these children, the little things here are the bright light that shines
within each and every one of them.
Today I was sitting and talking with the teachers of my
class, Teacher Careen and Teacher Catherin, and I brought up that my mother’s
name was the same, only spelled different. I wrote it down and showed her how
it was spelled and she just looked at me and smiled. “I am your mom in Tanzania,
okay?” and my heart just flew and I had a smile ear to ear for the remainder of
the day.
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