Friends and family,

It's been a busy, busy time as usual since I last wrote. In fact, too much to share in one gargantuan message! So for the sake of your eyes, I've broken this message up into three main parts. It's not even a complete description -- but some of the highlights.

The first message isn't even from me -- it is a note from my wonderful sister Andrea, who left her home in Paris to come visit me here at my home for one week in February. I thought you all might find her reflections elucidating -- since I've already grown accustomed to this life, she may have some new insight!

You are now entering the realm of "profound observations on the daily life experience of residents of Arusha district, Tanzania, as seen by mzungu Andrea, who has been here for a whopping 4 days."

The word of the week is "Karibu" or "Welcome." Every person I have met on a more than "Hello" level has shaken my hand while repeatedly welcoming me into their country, their home, their market stand, their hut... Coming from Paris, this friendliness was rather alarming, combined with the array of bright colors and stylish combinations thereof. Fabric comes in colors that AREN'T black! And it smells less here.

Unlike in France, as well, the majority of people greet me in Swahili (excepting small school children--"Good morning, Madam"--to me OR Ethan at 5pm), instead of assuming that I am too stupid to understand their language and automatically greeting me in English. And everyone is a teacher. They KNOW their language is valuable and important and suppose that since I am here, even for just a week, I should learn it... if only more people possessed this quality.

There's a telephone switchboard in the Post Office with those old cables that let you connect person to person, yet Ethan tells me the big joke around school this past month was "Y2K." There is a strange mix of modern and ancient...ex, a Masai warrior answering his Cell phone. Due to a combination of lack of money and lack of need, I suppose.

We went on a one day Safari today to a National Park and did the typical tourist thing: driving around all day and looking at animals...even saw a lion off in the distance...and embarrassingly enough, I couldn't keep images from "The Lion King" from flashing though my head. The real highlight of the week, though, was yesterday:

One of Ethan's former students, and friends, is a Masai, one of the pastoral tribes in the area. Yesterday, we left Monduli proper and hiked about an hour and a half on little footpaths among tiny Masai boys with their herds of cows, young boys, fresh from circumcision, cloaked in black with white painted faces, large crevasses created by soil erosion... I even got a marriage proposal. Unfortunately I couldn't accept, because my suitor would have been unable to deliver the proper number of cows to my father in Gambier, Ohio. A young girl also tried to sell Ethan her child.

Finally, we arrived upon Boniface's (the student's) "boma" or home. On the hillside stood five or six round mud huts, with straw roofs, like you see in movies. Boniface and his family welcomed us with open arms and showed us around. Each hut has an area for cooking, an area where cows sleep and an area where people sleep. Each hut was about 4 yards in diameter. No furniture, no toilet, no electricity, no fridge. Absolute simplicity. Yet, Boniface has completed high school, wears jeans, speaks English, had just come back from a job interview in Arusha. His way of life is not due to ignorance of the way life could and should be, but a conscious choice, made with his culture and values first. Conversation ranged from the price of a cup of coffee in Paris, the to fact that Boniface will soon have to kill a lion with his age group in order to be accepted as an elder in his tribe...typical small talk, I guess. Pictures were abundant and we promised to write.

Other highlights:

The milk kids: 2 adorable little kinds who deliver milk to Ethan every night, still warm from the cow.

The crazy peanut guy: a guy who runs around selling peanuts by the handful... really good peanuts, too.

Hearing Ethan's Tanzanian friend, Herman say "That sucks" with complete American charm.

The expression on people's faces when mzungu Ethan starts speaking in perfect Swahili slang.

The fact that my bowels have, as of yet, remained relatively calm.

Well folks, there's Africa in 500 words or less. I hope you've enjoyed your stay on the Andrea express but now I must prepare to re-enter the gray, rainy mecca of rude, hurried people that is Paris, France. For those of you who would like a more detailed report, or who I haven't heard from in ages, you can reach me at sl.slcparis@filnet.fr.

Ciao,
dada Andrea

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