End of my First Semester

Finally I am finished with my first semester here in Dar. I feel it took much longer only because all of my fellow students at home ended in Dec, but it reality these first four months went by really fast. They were filled with a new language, a new culture and completely different life style, new friends and new perspectives. I thought tell some interesting things I've learned during my first semester here.

1) Swahili time. No this is not like "African time" where things are not done by a watch and everything usually starts much later than expected but instead an entirely new way of telling time. It differs by 6 hours of English time, for example, 7am in English time is 1am Swahili time. So instead of starting your day at 7 (when the sun is up) you are really starting the first hour of your day (aka 1). After getting used to this new way of telling time it actually makes a lot more sense. Well besides the people who work third shift ,who really starts their day at midnight or 1am?

2) I can here thinking I'd see what it is to be like in a country built on socialism but as it turns out I see capitalism as present as in any other place I've been. What I have found out is that peoples attitudes towards helping those they care about and giving them whatever they can is true and in that ideal socialism is alive. What I've witnessed is pure capitalism especially in the market, getting a bajaji and anything else where people are competing against one another for a sale. Let's just say I use this to my advantage to get the lowest prices possible.

3) Religions live harmoniously together. The two major religions in Tanzania are Christianity and Islam, both which play a major part in the daily lives of the citizens. There is no big rivalry that we hear about in American between the two, each person is free to believe in what they wish without the judgement of the other. Also due to this religious factor in the daily lives of Tanzanians, the culture and dress is more conservative than in America, but less then in a totally Islamic country. With that being said, it also depends on where you are for example Dar es Salaam vs Zanzibar. Zanzibar is a lot more conservative than Dar is due to its history and more Islamic presence.

4) I've seen more people with disabilities here then I can ever remember yet no one seems to notice. What I mean, is that they don't seem to be ostracized for it or made fun of because of their disabilities. The weird thing is how many people have disabilities with their feet or legs, yet almost all use crutches instead of wheelchairs (all wheelchairs I've seen are pedaled by hands like a bicycle).

5) It is always possible to open your room for someone. Multiple people sleep not only in the same room but even in the same bed. Many dorm room at the university are made for 2 people but instead 4 or 5 are actually sleeping there. Also in home life depending on your economic status, it would not be uncommon to share a bed with three other people.

Well now I'm off on a 3 week vacation to Kenya and other parts of Tanzania before my next semester starts.

Hakuna Matata,

Kimberly