Aaron - Letter home

---

Jambo,

So, I don't have too much internet time, but I'll try to make the best of it. We're here, in Tanania. Tanzania, dude! Ahhh. We got in last night, and the first thing that struck me, as we were taking our wonderful smushed bus to the hotel, was the dark, and the quiet. They actually exist here. It's so simple, but so profound, and beautiful. It's simply a whole different perspective here--and African perspective. Example--last night at the airport, in the passport-check line, the woman in the box at the front of our line simply got up and left. So we were waiting in the line, and after a while the guy who was first in line asked a man who worked at the airport where she had gone. The man just looked at the empty box, looked at us, smiled a big smile, and shrugged his shoulders. Pole, pole--slowly, slowly. Time moves differently, it's incredibly liberating. And I could go on and on about these wondersof an undeveloped country--the beauty of the landscape, which is green, so actually green; the way people walk from place to place, and take time to greet everyone they meet, etc. ButI always have to remind myself, it's not all good. Because with this comes the grief and despair of hunger and real poverty--which just friggin' sucks. Like, I was thinking today about food--how I've never been hungry before, ever. And these kids--oh man, I'll get to the kids soon--hunger is such a big part of their lives. It's hard for me to imagine; impossible even. So I have to keep in mind, it's a mixed bag, this undevelopedness. But I don't think it has to be. With a stable population, food, and health, jeeze, we as a species could have our cake and eat it too. Right? So no, we definitely don't have it all correct in America.
Alright, moving on. We visited the school today. Wow. No words. The children are absolutely incredible. Ahhhh! Well first, the school is wonderful--we went first to the old school in the alley, where we met the kids, and then we walked to the new school. It's just beautiful, rooms and a field for playing. And ahhh we had so much fun. I started running around and lifting some up and playing, and then of course they all started mobbing me, so I just had dozens of them around me all the time. I have some favorites (Teacher's son, Jim Lumberg, is great--and one boy who was wearing a dinosaur shirt was of course quickly on my list), but they're all so fun. And smart! We went inside after a while, and a few of us led each class. We sang some songs and did some letter and number games/exercises. Oh, and Tommy and I are teaching everyone we can to play frisbee (I just came back from playing outside with Tommy, Jordan, and an old Tanzanian man who got so happyevery time he caught it). But yes, the children are so affectionate and nice and excited, they're crazy! And I can't wait to spend more time with them tomorrow. I also want to have a good talk with Teacher--who, by the way, totally lives up to all they hype we've heard. He's an awesome human.
I'm actually doing an ok job of picking up the language--it's easy, because everyone you walk past is willing to just start talking to you, or teach you words, or whatever. Everyone's so friendly! After the recent frisbee trip I mentioned, we spent about half an hour talking to this one woman who lives close to the hotel and knows English, about all sorts of things--Obama vs. Clinton, Mugabe in Zimbabwe, Tanzania, life in general. And it's definitely an experience, for the first time in my life being such an apparent minority--people are interested, they stare and point and wave. But it's never been in any way a negative attention.
Ahhh I'm almost out of time, I don't have time to properly think! And I still have a lot of processing to do. But this has been one of the greatest days of my life. I absolutely love it here, the culture, the atmosphere, the way people interact. Hakuna matata, dude--it says it all. Obviously I don't have definite plans, but I know I want to learn some serious Swahili in college, and spend some serious time here. Maybe I could work at the school for a year! That would be amazing. So much to think about, so much to do. Alright,
Kwaheri!

---