Kima Punju

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Means Poison Monkey - or the endemic Red Colobus monkeys we oggled in Jozani National Forest. So there you go... Ok. I'm going to try and update, but its not going to cover it at all... every day here is overwhelming.

Day One. we got to Stone Town for a couple of nights and then we moved to the east coast to a village called Kizimkazi for four days to start studying Swahili / orientation issues / get aquainted / do a little snorkeling/ get dramatically ill, etc. Fun Facts: One of the girls on my program, Charlee Doom, is the Kentucky Derby Queen (should be googled). Lemon grass (because you make tea out of it) is called mchaichai - literally teatea. Snorkeling/trying to learn to freedive (essentially assuring yourself that breathing is not a vital bodily function) is ever harder to do through a cloud of tiny jellyfish. Dolphins are amazing but getting up at 5am to see their backs 20 ft. away might not be worth it.... had we actually snorkeled with them, I'd be singing a different tune. HAKUNA MATATA is actual Swahili - people say it - but hamna shida means the same thing and is slightly less tourist-tainted. Trash cans are a luxury item. SERIOUSLY. Sleeping under a mosquito net is like having the canopy bed I always wanted / being on a perpetual camping trip / that much harder to get to the bathroom. Clean. is a relative state of being.

And that is just from the first four days. I am currently 1/2 way through a two week homestay with a very sweet family in Stone Town. My language is improving dramatically as is my understanding of Islam in practice (at least here.) Who knew that by the end of the first week here I would be having a personal conflict over whether or not to cover my head, especially during Ramadan. Is it a sign of respect? Am I really responsible "he" can't control himself at the sight of my beautiful (they're coming along...) dreds? Its not like I'm not already wearing a full-length skirt and covered from neck to elbow... but then again the 3 year old in the house, Shemsa, goes out with her head covered. Do all self-respecting women dress that way here, so I should also??? Who knows. And while all this is going on, people are watching Bollywood music videos with essentially naked people grinding on each other no problem. I always assume that someone who covers up so much is making other similar/conservative/religious choices... might not be the case. Also weird... hanging out with a girl who goes in public with ONLY her eyes showing - we're talking veil over headscarf here - is not weird after the first five minutes... I do feel slightly naked in comparison but whatcha going to do. (The girl in question is Raufa, my "cousin" Salma's best friend... they've been showing me the town ... and today I'm learning to cook!!)

On wednesday we went on a field trip to Matemwe and Nungwi.... first to see some seaweed farms... crazy to actually be in one... and then Nungwi to see some turtles and some boat-building, and have a really interesting discussion about environmental politics and how should one keep a villager who makes good money from selling endangered shells? they get collected anyway and used for food... so why shouldn't he sell it.... and if they can't collect it... how are they supposed to eat/support themselves....but if they collect it then it will go extinct and this particular critter - Giant Triton happens to control a very aggressive starfish that if let lose can destroy the entire reef.... on a side note: new best way to fight with your sibling: I thought these two kids were having a sand-ball fight (pretty inventive) but it turned out that they were whipping octopi at other!! ... Dalya ... when I see you next.

So yeah... thats a tiny chunk of my life so far... will try and do this agian sometime... WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!! hope everyone's lives are happy and healthy and Shana Tova to those of you who that applies to... kisses.

- Arafa (a nice Muslim name... something to do with the Haj... when you leave the city gates or something... was assigned to me...)

PS: I can have a shirt MADE FOR ME here for 3,000 TShillings = $1.30 (about). A public school teacher's ANNUAL salary is about 100,000 TShillings = $85 ish.... it is mind blowing.

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