‘Hakuna matata’ is what most people greeted me with upon my arrival back to Baga. ‘Our home is your home, and we welcome you to our family.’
Finally my first blog posting which is a little surprising since I have been here for almost a month on Saturday. Gawd I can’t believe I have been here a month already.
I think I’ve spent quite a bit of time adjusting to living in a new culture, primarily with all Africans. Imagine that – I am in Tanzania - solo, without the comfort of living with and being surrounded by other muzungus everyday, which was how it was while I was living and working with CCS back in February. Although, I have remained friends with a few people from Baga who have been wonderfully supportive, and who have taken me into their lives, homes and families, be it their family or extended family, their friends.
I spent my first week living with a friend of a friend, Charles who was introduced to me by Clementine, aka Mama C, and it is her good friend, and his lovely wife Doreen, that I rented a room from for the first week of my stay here. Mama C wanted to make sure that I was safe, above and beyond anything and because I stressed to her, about 5 times, that I wanted to stay somewhere SAFE and SECURE since I have all my computer stuff and camera equip etc AND hello for my own safety, as well. I mentioned staying at a hotel but she insisted I stay with Charles, as she trusted him implicitly and because she didn’t find it necessary to spend the extra money. I felt much better doing this anyway.
I stayed in a “modest” room with just enough to get me by until I found my own house. It came with a bed and mosquito net, tv, which I had them take out, a night stand and little stable and mirror. I immediately felt at home – well as much as I could feel at home. I don’t particularly care to live with other people in general. I love my own privacy and space A LOT, and I have been living by myself for the past 4 years, yet I found this to be a no-brainer exception, and it was short-term.
Safe is as safe does. There were bars on all the windows, mind you ALL the houses have some sort of simply designed, ornate steel windows with screens on the windows to keep out the INCREDIBLEY irritating mosquitoes, and the unwanted visitors, and what we like to call THIEVES. Although there were a few other unwanted visitors that just FEAK me out and I can’t even kill them unless I have a huge towel or big-arse boot – yes, cockroaches. They kill me and I really do despise them. If you could see my face now I have the biggest ‘gross-me-out face that I can make. Thank gawd for my mosquito net.
One night I got up in the dark to go to the bathroom, and something fell on my shoulder and I jumped up and down, swinging my arms at the darkness and silently screaming. I turned on the light and I found a sweet little gecko-like lizard on my floor. I immediately felt horrible thinking I had hurt the little thing because I flung it off of me as though I was flinging off a 5-pound cockroach off of my back.
I do believe I felt a little culture shock. The first two weeks I wasn’t sure if I was coming or going. I was meeting new people, learning my way around and spending most of my time with local friends who were, showing me the ropes, so to speak. It was somewhat of an emotional breeze at times and other times an emotional windstorm, tearing through my heart and soul. It’s all-good though. That is how we tend to grow and break on through to the MANY other sides, right?
It has been a wonderful experience thus far because I am learning the culture and language rather fast, although not fast enough for me, since I don’t really have too many muzungu friends, and because I spend all of my time with my African friends and every day acquaintances.
Besides if I want to learn the culture, you have to live, breath and absorb the culture as best you can.
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