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Living in a different city comes with new routines and schedules. Here is a look at my day to day life in Stockholm!

Every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday I have class at 10:05. I have to wake up earlier than I would at Wofford, around 8:30, so I have enough time to get ready, eat, and commute to school.

My Commute

Where I live is only 20 minutes away from DIS by the Metro, or Tunnelbana. It only takes me about five minutes to walk from my housing to the train station, it’s a quick walk! After seven stops, I get off the train to get to school. The exit is right in front of my school building so it is very easy to get to class!

Stockholm city decorates their underground train stations in many themes. In fact, it is such a big thing that the city gives art station tours to see all the different themes!

The Facilities

Because DIS Stockholm is such a small program (we only have around 90 students total!), it does not have our own building. Instead, DIS is located inside the Royal College of Music and has four identical wings that have study spaces and classrooms. I like to use the tables to do my homework between my classes. There is also a help desk for all the students to go to for questions or help with school or anything!

Because DIS shares a building with KMH, there is a restaurant in the school that offers a discount on its lunches for all students! They also offer pastries, fruits, coffee, drinks, and other snacks that are easy to grab between classes. I like to treat myself to a pastry or coffee every once and a while! For lunch, I like to pack sandwiches, or any leftovers I have to save money.

School

I have three classes that meet Monday and Thursday, and two classes that meet Tuesday and Friday. In total, all of my classes meet twice a week, which is a nice even school schedule. In the breaks between my classes and in the evenings, I find myself doing homework. The work load at DIS is very reading heavy, so I always have assignments to be working on.

A New Way of Living

Living in an apartment is a big change for me! I share an apartment with one roommate. We don’t have our own rooms, but we have our own spaces in the big room. The biggest change for me is that I have to buy my own groceries and cook my own meals instead of just going to Burwell for food! I have finally started to get into a routine of going grocery shopping when I need to after school and cooking on certain days when my class gets out. So far, my favorite thing to cook is pasta. It is easy and cheap!

Outside of School

When I am done with classes, I try to get into a routine of what I do with my evenings throughout the week. On Mondays and Thursdays, I get back from class later in the afternoon, around 4:30. I try to go for a run when I get back on the trails next to the water that lead to parks. Many people run there so I feel motivated and the sights are beautiful!

After my run, I usually cook and eat dinner before doing homework for the rest of my evening. On Tuesdays and Fridays, I get back from classes earlier in the afternoon, around 3:00. On Tuesdays I have excursions with my LLC (living learning community) that last until the evening, and on Fridays I like to spend the afternoon with friends (we like to treat ourselves to a good cafe dessert), or take a nap! Whenever the weather is nice, I like to go on walks near the water to catch the sunset!

On Wednesdays, we don’t have class, but every class we take has two field studies that happen on a Wednesday sometime throughout the semester. So sometimes, I will have two field studies and be busy all day, or sometimes I will have an afternoon or morning one so I have half the day off. On some lucky days, I have the whole Wednesday off! I like to use that day to explore the city! These past few Wednesdays, I have gone to the free museums around Stockholm.

On the weekends, I like to find fun places around the city. Most of the times, I like to walk around the main shopping streets in the middle of the city, or explore neighborhoods a little farther outside the city. One big thing I have discovered around Stockholm is flea markets! They are really big in Stockholm and are easy to find. There is only close by to where I live that happens every weekend during the fall. Here, you can find cheap clothes, handmade accessories, art, music, and food trucks! Every weekend, I go someplace new and I am happy I get to explore Stockholm every week!

It has been a whirlwind week. The feelings of arrival and new beginnings are definitely wearing off and the repetitive routine is getting bothersome.

The Truth.

The truth is, I one-hundred percent miss my parents. I miss being able to drive home on a weekend and have my favorite meals cooked by mom because she just loves me that much. I miss going to see movies with my dad, and most of all I miss my dogs (Tanzanians are terrified of dogs so there are not many here, and we haven’t seen ANY stray dogs).

I honestly have not been experiencing Wofford FOMO (fear of missing out). I think that because I have mentally prepared myself for graduation and everything that will come next (big yikes btw). I’ve almost conditioned myself to know that I won’t have those experiences next year anyway. I do, however, ironically enough, miss how busy I was on campus–with all the meetings I attended for organizations, my numerous jobs, and the kids I nanny. Detoxifying my life from some chaos and stress has been nice but there are just some days where I miss all the things I learned to love doing over the past three years. The truth is, I miss my routine and my people, for sure.

The cultural differences, as I mentioned in the last blog, were somewhat easy to adapt to. I’ve taken every day with stride and always remind myself I am in a different country with different people, and a different culture. Some of my peers, however, recently dealt with a teacher who not only had cultural differences, but also personal differences. Some students were uncomfortable with how he was discussing or teaching certain topics and voiced their concerns. Our program director and coordinator both listened to the issues, supported students, and next week their class will have a new professor. It was extremely comforting to know how much our program coordinator and director respected us as not just students, but also as people, rather than excusing the behavior and attitudes of the professor. At first, I did think that the professor was simply a product of his culture, but it turns out that was not the case as some ideas he had were not culturally shared. It was a learning experience for all, but it also strengthened my respect for our program directors who helped the students and the rest of the group through the trying time.

Friendship

Aside from handling emotions and comfortability, adapting to Tanzania is going surprisingly well. Our group has really formed a solid friendship in the four weeks we’ve been. One of the students suggested that the nine of us sit down together and have a “wellness check.” It was a time and space where we discussed personal feelings, worries, and grievances that may have formed over the first few weeks. It was a very adult conversation and everyone participated with respect and honesty.

The four weeks have not only been trying for us as individuals but also as a group. We are sharing experiences, but we are also understanding and internalizing them differently. Everyone has been supportive of anyone who has a tough time or day, and it feels like we’ve known each other longer than a month.

Knowing that I am not alone in this experience is extremely comforting. Everyone definitely has a go-to person on the trip, but we can also all socialize and converse with each other at any time. During dinner, we often put our phones in the middle and just ask each other questions. Sometimes these questions are regarding favorite movies, embarrassing experiences, or special memories. We especially learn a lot from each other during our dinner questionnaires and maybe learn some things about ourselves as well. As everyone listens to the person speaking, the notion of eye-contact and interest brings peace, and the collective silence followed by loud laughter makes me feel whole.

Even though we have times of trouble, thank you Tanzania, for tying the nine of us together through what I know will always be, an unbreakable bond.

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When I chose this program back in the spring, I knew I would eventually face cultural differences and language barriers. Luckily, our CIEE Study Abroad Advisor Mary and the information given by CIEE was really helpful in preparing me for most of the differences and potential challenges. After being here for a little over four weeks, I have definitely fallen in love with the country, culture, and (especially the) people.

Tanzania is an ethnically diverse country with many different tribes; and within each tribe, there are different beliefs, ideas, and practices. However, overall the culture can be described as welcoming and the people here are extremely friendly. Tanzanians do not rush, and “Tanzanian time” is a very real concept here, which means that five minutes can actually mean fifteen, and a meeting at 2:30 pm may not actually start until 3:45 pm. We’ve also learned that saying “no” doesn’t really fit in with the culture– Tanzanians want to carry out requests and help others constantly. One time in Dar, a man walked with our whole group for fifteen-twenty minutes to help us find a hair salon for some of my peers; and he simply did it because he wanted to help and could.

Tanzanians also love their music and parties. Weddings here are extravagant and our program director told us Tanzanians would actually love if we crashed a wedding. We have yet to crash a wedding but we’ve been tempted! Tanzanians love to dance as well; whether it is to more upbeat and contemporary music, or to traditional African songs and instruments.

In comparison to the U.S., Tanzania as a society is definitely more traditional and collectivist. They greet everyone and it is often rude to pass someone on the street without acknowledging them with a greeting. There may be some laws or beliefs here that could be considered past its time, but I know we are surrounded by a society that is respectful and caring.

Kneelength, Please.

Tanzanians generally dress conservatively, meaning most of the women wear dresses or skirts past knee-length and shirts that cover their shoulders. It is also often cold at nights so Tanzanians often bundle up (in what Americans normally wear as winter clothing). We’ve seen a couple of younger women wearing pants, but most of the time, they are wearing dresses made out of a fabric called kitenges. Our program director has a friend named Agnes who is an amazing seamstress. Check out some of our Agnes-made outfits below!

These outfits are obviously very different from regular American dress. On RUCU’s campus, girls are required to wear dresses or skirts passed the knee and men have to wear collared shirts and pants. Whereas on Wofford’s campus, most ladies wear whatever is comfortable (which varies from shorts and leggings) and on most days nice shirts but paired with jeans. The dress code can be uncomfortable somedays, and it has definitely made us aware of how clothing can either make you feel like yourself, or a totally different person. We look forward to the weekends when we can wear pants and just feel a bit more like ourselves (aka Americans). However, we have loved having Agnes make us very Tanzanian clothing and it is nice to (sort of) fit in every once and a while.

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Ninajifunza Kiswahili.

I am studying Swahili. There are over 130 languages spoken in Swahili, but the national language of Tanzania is Swahili, which we are all required to learn as a part of the program. Paulo Keteme is our Swahili teacher (and program coordinator) and he is an amazing Swahili and over-all language teacher. Just in our third week, we’ve learned verbs, dates, prefixes, pronouns, sentence structure, greetings, and self-introductions. I am able to have short conversations with Tanzanians now, which is really enjoyable. I love being able to communicate with the people and assimilate more than most wazungu, or foreigners. The way Paulo teaches has helped me and other students retain the language better and faster. It is definitely a hard language to learn, like most languages, but once you understand the rules, the only step left to do is practice and memorize words. Practice makes permanent!

Let’s Talk About Food!

Tanzanian cuisine varies by geographical region (coast versus inland). Tanzanian-specific cuisine includes foods called ugali, a cornmeal porridge, plantains, and chapati, a type of flatbread. Many meals also come with rice (or versions of rice like pilau, fried rice, biryani), and side dishes of veggies, greens, or beans. A considerable amount of foods are inspired by Indian cuisine, so if you love Indian food, like pilau and curries, Tanzania is a good place to be! Here in Iringa, there are around five-six options for restaurants that we enjoy and can get (trusted) food from. As Americans, we honestly do have to be careful about where we get our food because of health safety. For example, I won’t be eating any street food because of how it’s prepared. Also, when we order fruits and vegetables, we have to ask if they’re washed with tap or filter water. For now, most of the Tanzanian food we have been exposed to is various curries, biryanis, chicken, fish, and rice or chapati. I am sure that in November during our village stay, I will be exposed to more Tanzanian foods. For now, I will gladly take the time to review and rate our favorite Iringa restaurants! Even though our restaurant options are limited, we’ve can’t complain because its all such good food!

Clock Tower:This restaurant near RUCU is our daily lunch break option because it is fast and also affordable. Most of us order the veggie curry and rice (its the best dish there in my opinion), which also comes with a side of beans and greens for around 5000 TSH. When we’re not in a rush, the menu includes burgers, curries, and other Tanzanian snacks like chapati, meat chops, and ugali. $ | 5/10

Ruksanas Indian Restaurant: This is one of our favorites! They serve Indian food, so paneer, curry, masala, etc. The only downside is its the furthest place to walk from RUCU but we also don’t mind. On really hot days, we take a bijaji for 1000 TSH/person. Another downside is that rice is a separate price from the dish you order, but I promise its so worth. A normal meal costs most of use 12500-14000 TSH (rice and drink included). Their free appetizer mixed pakora is definitely a highlight of each meal. Also, they deliver! $$ | 8/10

Mama Iringa: A taste of Italian when we need something….else. As of today, we have yet to go to Mama Iringa because it’s an hour walk or 20-minute bijaji ride, however, they do deliver, which is an option we use often (there are delivery charges and a charge per box but honestly it is so worth it. There are kinds of pasta, and pizzas, and very Italian appetizers. We also recently visited the restaurant, which provides a European aesthetic! $$$ | 9/10

Hasty Tasty Too: Personally, I like this place and their food but it has received mixed reviews from our group. Hasty Tasty is a Tanzanian restaurant that offers a variety of foods on its menu. They’re also a decent brunch option because the pancakes are chapati majis, which are sweet and similar to crepes. $-$$| 6/10

Nnema Craft: I talked about this restaurant in my last blog. It is a nonprofit that employs Tanzanians with disabilities in the restaurant and craft center. The menu includes sandwiches, Tanzanian snacks (samosas, chapati, rice, and ugali), curry, and even lasagna. They wash their salads with filtered water and also offer coffee, teas, smoothies, and fresh juice. $$ | 7/10

Looking at cultural differences between Sweden and the US, there are not many noticeable differences in everyday life. Going for a coffee break, especially with friends, is something people do in every culture. In the US, going to Starbucks or a cozy cafe in the afternoon for a little break is not uncommon. However, doing it every day, or even twice a day, is definitely uncommon in the US. This is not the case in Sweden though! Fika, which translates into a coffee and cake break, includes so much more than just food. It is a break during the day to socialize with friends or coworkers. In fact, just having a coffee and pastry by yourself does not count as Fika, because companionship is what makes Fika a real Fika.

It’s a Ritual

Fika can happen twice a day! Once in the late morning and later again in the middle of the afternoon. The practice of pausing your day to socialize is basically mandatory, and big companies in Sweden, such as Volvo, stop working for Fika! Fika can also happen by candlelight, which I have not experienced yet, but would love to! Drinking coffee and eating pastries with a group of friends around some candle sounds like a great bonding experience!

A Cinnamon Bun, But Better

While Fika includes all types of pastries, croissants, pies, and cakes, the most common Fika pastries are cinnamon or cardamom buns. Called kanelbulle in Swedish, these buns are on a whole different level than American cinnamon buns. It is twisted into a fun shape, and baked to perfect mix of crispy on the outside and soft in the middle, with sugar chunks sprinkled on top! The cardamom buns are very similar, but since it’s made from a spice, it is more savory in comparison to the sweetness of cinnamon buns. I don’t think I can go back to American cinnamon buns after eating the Swedish buns!

Baking: It’s Art

Cafes and bakeries can be found all over Stockholm, and it is very hard to resist the colorful displays filled with goodies! After passing by so many in the city, I have learned to appreciate the skill and cleverness that goes into baking. In the US, we still have amazing pastries, yet the ingenuity of Swedish pastries is something that I really appreciate!

A Way to Make Friends

One of the first things my core class did together was get Fika. Also, when meeting my visiting host family for the first time, we went to a floating cafe on the river to get Fika. In Sweden, Fika is the first step when meeting someone new. Even in everyday life, Fika plays a big role in continuing close friendships and social connections. I think it is so interesting that an entire country observes this practice religiously, because it shows the importance the Swedish people put on companionship. I love the idea of taking time out of your day to focus on connecting with others, especially over amazing desserts and coffee. In the US, getting coffee with friends to catch up is usually an every-once-in-a-while kind of activity. I think having a practice like Fika in the US would be a great way to make people slow down their work or school day and feel refreshed to finish their day strong.

Fun Fact: Sweden is ranked country #6 in the list of biggest coffee consumers!

Food

I have been loving the food here in Peru! I eat most of my meals with my host family, and my host mom Carmen is a great cook. My breakfast typically consists of bread, called pancito, with either eggs or avocado, some fruit, and tea or coffee. I think I’ve drunk more tea since I’ve been in Peru than I have in my whole life before this combined; I usually drink at least 3 cups a day!

When I am at school, we always have a break from 10:00-10:30. This is also designated snack time; I feel like I’m back in kindergarten! I come home from school every day to eat lunch at around 1:00. My typical lunch is any variation of a dish made of potatoes, rice, vegetables, and meat. I eat so many potatoes here! Good thing they are one of my favorite foods.

Because the altitude in Cuzco causes digestion to be slower, many Peruvians do not eat a big dinner, maybe just some bread and tea. However, my host mom always feeds me dinner. Usually, I eat leftovers of what I had for lunch at dinnertime plus a dessert. My host mom loves to bake!

Although the food here is really good and also much fresher than the food I’m used to, I have started to miss certain foods from home. The other day, I was really craving some chili and cornbread, and right now, I could really go for some macaroni and cheese!

Language

At first, the language barrier here was really intimidating, and I had some difficulties communicating. However, these past few weeks, I have definitely noticed an improvement in my Spanish-speaking abilities! I always eat meals with my host family and try to participate in their conversations. I usually at least understand the majority of what people are saying here, and most of the time, I can get the idea across of what I am trying to say (including a few grammar errors!). The other night, I had a conversation with my taxi driver, and we both understood each other so I felt pretty successful!

Most people in Peru speak Spanish as their primary language, but there are also over 40 indigenous languages! One of my classes is Quechua which is one of the official languages of Peru along with Spanish. Quechua is the second most commonly spoken language here. My host mom can understand it and speak a little bit of it; sometimes after class, she asks me what I learned of Quechua that day, and I always have a hard time remembering the words at that moment! My taxi driver also taught me a few new words the other day. Quechua is very different than any other language I have heard before. A lot of the words are very long and difficult to pronounce. Depending on the way you pronounce the word, it can mean something totally different! I now know some useful phrases in three languages:

I’m from Georgia. (English)

Soy de Georgia. (Spanish)

Georgiamantan kani. (Quechua)

The language has been the most difficult thing for me to adjust to in Peru, but I am learning so much every day. I am excited to continue this adventure of immersing myself in a new culture!

Other fun updates:

I signed up with some of my friends to take dance classes this month!

Karibu Tanzania! Tomorrow marks our third week of classes and the fourth week of being in Tanzania, but honestly, it feels like we’ve been here way longer than that.

Weekend 2: Basket Weaving

Normally when students study abroad in European countries, they’re able to spend the weekends traveling to neighboring countries. In Africa, its not so easy to take the train from Tanzania to places like Kenya (considering time, immigration, and distance). So instead, our program directors plan different things for us to do on the weekend so we don’t bore ourselves with homework and Netflix. For example, last weekend, we did a basket weekend activity and learned about the Hehe tribe.

Basket weaving was very relaxing and we had expert basket-weaving mamas to help us along the way. At first, the process of weaving was a bit complicated, but once you understand the pattern and get a rhythm going it’s just all about pulling the straw tight and not making any mistakes. However, it was really easy to get distracted with the kids that were in the room, and there was even a baby named Baraka who got most of my attention. At one point, one of the children went around to all of us students and “Shikamoo-d” us. When greeting someone older than you, Tanzanias say the word Shikamoo to which the response from said elder is Marahaba. To show ultimate respect, the younger person will place their hand on the elder’s head while saying Shikamoo. We all felt very honored and Tanzanian after the child greeted us in this manner.

After about an hour of weaving, trying to better my Swahili, and falling in love with baby Baraka, it was time for us to leave. Before we loaded the bus, basket-weaving mamas sang and danced for us. Paulo explained to us that guests who come to learn about Tanzanian culture are considered blessings to Tanzanians. The ladies danced and chanted for us to show their appreciation for visiting them and spending time with them. I appreciate them so much more though for welcoming us into their home and for taking time out of their day to teach us such an amazing skill!

After that, we visited a museum and learned about the Hehe tribe– the ethnic group based in Iringa. We mostly learned about the history of Chief Mkwawa, who was the Hehe tribal leader during German colonization. He is also known for committing suicide to avoid German capture. Years later after World War I, a stipulation in the 1919 Treaty of Versailles included that Chief Mkwawa’s skull be returned to the Hehe Tribe to reward them for helping the British. However, the skull was not formally returned until July 9, 1954 and it can be found at Mkwawa Memorial Museum in Kalenga, near Iringa. Fun Fact: our program director’s son Juma went to school with the current chief of the Hehe tribe: Adam Mkwawa.

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I won’t bore you with the details about our classes in Tanzania this past week– as I also plan on doing a blog solely dedicated to the academic part of our program later on in the semester. However, on Monday’s from 9:00 am-10:30 am we have visits to NGO’s. This past week we toured Neema Cafe, a nonprofit that employs deaf workers in their restaurant and craft center to provide training and employment opportunities to Tanzanians with disabilities. Neema Cafe is a favored location for foreigners in Iringa, and through our visits and meals there we’ve made lots of friends and learned Swahili sign language!

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Weekend 3: Cooking

On Saturday we learned how to cook chapati, chapati moja, kuku (chicken), and a Tanzanian beef stew. Chapati is a type of flat-bread made with flour, water, and oil and chapati moja is made with flour, water, oil, egg, sugar, and salt. I like chapati moja a lot better because it is sweeter and tastes like a crepe! Chapati is often paired with most meals with or instead of rice. We arrived at our cooking location at 2:45 pm and we were not able to eat until around 6 pm! Everyone helped by cutting vegetables, sorting through the rice, stirring pots, kneading and flipping chapati, and cutting meat. We learned how to cook Tanzanian dishes, but more importantly, I think everyone gained a deeper appreciation for American kitchens and Tanzanians who cook (mostly the mamas but no matter how gender-based and conservative Tanzania is, I know there are men here who cook; including one of our cooking instructors from yesterday named Chris!)

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We don’t have access to a kitchen here at RUCU so we won’t be able to cook for ourselves again until we return back to the US– but it definitely felt good to make our own food here in Tanzania for once!

Thanks for reading! Sending love and smiles from Tanzania!

1 hour waiting at the bank to cash a check. The economy collapsed in Argentina shortly before I arrived and there has been a lot of panic as well as protests and general distrust of the banks in Argentina.

2 times getting lost trying to find the Subte. Streets in Argentina are either well labeled or forgo any form of labeling.

3 hours learning to tango.

4 cups of coffee a day. Start the morning with coffee, a little pick me up before lunch, a cup in the afternoon to take a break and catch up with friends, and a cup after dinner. Argentinians are highly caffeinated, maybe that’s why porteños are considered highstrung?

5 days to get the SIM card working in my phone. Official trip motto “Is there free wifi?”.

¡Hola de Buenas Aires!

Full disclosure: I thought I wasn’t going to make it into Argentina. The plane ride was no big deal, even found a couple of the people in my program at the airport, but customs… Customs almost got me. I had all of my paperwork, passport, and words excursion educativa. And then the customs man asked me for the address of where I would be staying. Address? They didn’t give us any address?? Between his broken English and my broken Spanish I tried to explain that I didn’t have a host family yet and I didn’t have an address. He informed that I couldn’t leave the airport without an address while I desperately showed all of the program emails to him. I’m still not sure if he actually found an address in all that mess or just wanted to get rid of me.

Culture Adjustment

Once I finally set foot on Argentinean soil, it’s been a whirlwind of activity and adjustment. Argentina has a late-night culture, usually having dinner anytime from 10-12 at night. In addition, they are currently in a recession right now which makes exchanging money difficult as many banks will only exchange a set amount each day, as a bonus things are a little cheaper than normal although this changes on a daily basis.

My host mom here has been very welcoming and patient — even when it takes me thirty minutes to understand that she’s trying to ask if I like omelets. I don’t see a lot of my host mom as I have classes all day, but we have great conversations over dinner.

Speaking of conversations… Everything is in Spanish here, including our classes. 4 semesters of Spanish at Wofford is a completely different experience than taking classes like economics and development in Spanish. The psychologist that my group met with Argentinians love psychologists, it’s a thing here has promised us that we will be able to say whatever we want in Spanish by the end of the first month. I’m counting down the days until I can tell the waiter what I want on the first try.

Campus.

It is our second week in Tanzania and classes have officially started! A lot has happened since we arrived in Iringa after our week in Dar. There are nine of us this semester (which is better than the average number of four students they get) and we’re all getting pretty close. We’ve had lots of time to get to know each other while we wait for our dinner that often takes an hour after we’ve ordered. Our program director Justin is truly one of the coolest people I’ve ever met and never gets tired of our questions (or he’s just really good at hiding when he’s annoyed with them). Our Swahili teacher Paulo has been teaching us lots of words, and I can officially count in Swahili!

We are spending the first two months of the program at Ruaha Catholic University for classes. The campus is small, just like Wofford. The dorms here are small but livable and all of us except one student have roommates. My roommate Caroline is really fun, and our personalities balance each other out. The most interesting part of our dorm routine is the showers– we take bucket showers because the water here is so cold. We have hot kettles to warm up water and my secret is four kettles and covering the bucket after each pour so the steam stays in. Afterward, I fill-up the rest of the bucket with the cold water but it’s still so warm!

For our entire program, we are also expected to do our own laundry….by hand! I’ve done my own laundry a few times before in the Philippines, but four months of handwashing will be a first for me. Sunday was laundry day and the women’s dorm has a laundry room. We have two guys in our program and they came to our dorm to do laundry as well (for instructions and because they could not find their laundry room). A couple other girls had their own techniques and everyone who was new to handwashing took tips from all of us. I do the following: 1) Fill one bucket with soap and water– this is where all the dirty clothes go. 2) Soak then scrub scrub scrub!!!! 3) Ring out the soapy water (really good) then place it in a larger pan of clean water. This will hopefully let the clothes soak in clean water. (If you think about it, it is just like a washing machine). 4) Last, I ring out the water, check for soap, and rinse if I have too. Disclaimer: jogging pants and jumpsuits are not fun to handwash. Maybe in four months, I’ll have really good arm strength!

Culture.

Traveling to Tanzania was not much of a challenge for me; I’ve traveled a lot with family in the past and this is my third trip on my own. Plus, I’ve been to the Doha International Airport in Qatar before, so my layover there was relaxing. Culture shock has been occurring in small instances– I’ve been craving American food, staring is not rude here, and the toilets take some adjustment. I had my first clinic trip on day 6 so that added to the adventure! If we get a fever or anything worse than a common cold we have to visit a doctor– considering the country we’re in and how easy it is to get sick per the food or water. But no worries! My doctor gave me a very strong anti-bacterial, I am taking lots of vitamin C, and drinking lots of filtered water!

I grew up in the Philippines, and Tanzania has a lot of similarities to the country so adjusting here has not been as difficult. The biggest challenge is definitely the language, but as I said, our Swahili teacher Paulo is really good and I’m learning a lot; I just need more practice. The food here is pretty good, they have a lot of Indian dishes and I am a big fan of rice so I’ve been eating a lot of curry, other chicken dishes, shrimp (which is a tad pricey), and fish.

Any major differences between Tanzanian culture and American culture (or also in my case Filipino culture), we’ve all been somewhat prepared for or just see it as different. Well, we were informed during orientation to expect marriage proposals, because we’re American, so Justin and Paulo gave us a few different strategies. These strategies included saying we were already married, saying no forcefully with intense body language, or grabbing one of the two guys in our program and calling him our boyfriend. At first, we thought it was really funny but both Justin and Paulo were very serious with explaining to us that this would very well happen and the man would be adamant in his proposal. None of us have received a marriage proposal yet but we have four months left… so wish us good luck.

Tanzanians also dress conservatively: women wear skirts and dresses past their knees and shirts with sleeves. However, their clothing is extremely colorful and bright— but mostly the women. A lot of men wear solid colored shirts and pants. On-campus, women also follow a dress code of skirts or dresses only (no pants). Men on campus have to wear khakis or pants and collard shirts. Off-campus, we can wear whatever we want but we try to assimilate to the Tanzania style of dress and cover our shoulders and knees. Justin introduced us to Agnes, an amazing tailor here in Iringa who has been working with him for nine years. The other day she took us to the market to buy kitenges, which are a type of fabric used to make clothing here in Tanzania. She is currently making the girls dresses and skirts that we will be able to wear in a couple of weeks!

Well, its time for homework: study for a map quiz for History of East Africa, reading for the research methods class, flashcards for Swahili, and more reading for Community Development! Badaye!

It was a long journey to Peru. During my overnight layover in the Lima airport, I thought I was lost at one point! After I went through customs (which is always a nerve-wracking experience), I was not sure where to pick up my suitcase or how to check-in for my connecting flight. Luckily, I found both of my bags and then located the person with an SIT sign who was extremely nice and helpful. She helped me check-in to my next flight and drop off my luggage. There were three other students from my group at the airport then, so I was happy I didn’t have to wait by myself for several hours. With 2 layovers and a 2.5-hour delay, I finally arrived in Cuzco early Monday morning. I was surprised at how cold it was when I walked outside of the airport! Since then, I have realized that the mornings are chilly but the afternoon sun is very strong and hot.

The first 5 days, I stayed at a hotel in the Sacred Valley, about 1.5 hours outside the city of Cuzco. The altitude there is almost 10,000 feet above sea level! I could definitely tell a difference in the way I felt on the first day by getting tired easily and feeling short of breath. The hotel was quite fancy and the food was very good, so in that regard, it has not been hard to adjust. Now, I am in Cuzco with my host family. I am living with an older couple and one of their sons. My host mom also has 6 siblings who live around here and come visit often. I was nervous to meet my family since I still struggle when speaking Spanish, but my host mom has been so sweet and helpful. She said that she likes having female students stay with her because she doesn’t have her own daughter, so I get to be her daughter for the next 3 and a half months!

My study abroad group only consists of 11 students, so we have all become pretty close in just the few days that we have been in Peru. Having a tight-knit group of students has definitely been helpful in adjusting to my new home. I miss my friends from Wofford, but I already have many fun memories with my new amigos in Peru. Everyone I have met here so far has been very kind and open, especially the manager of the hotel restaurant (His name is Elvis, and I will miss him).

Since the food has been so good and the people so warm, the most difficult part of adjusting to the Peruvian culture has definitely been the language barrier. However, I can already see an improvement in my ability to understand when someone is speaking to me in Spanish. I know that living with a local family will be extremely beneficial in growing my confidence in speaking. I can’t wait to see how much I have improved come December!

Greetings from Tanzania! Hujambo? I landed on August 24, 2019 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s first capital city. (Fun fact: in 1974, Dodoma was declared the new capital.) We will be spending a week of orientation here in Dar es Salaam and then travel to Iringa on Thursday, August 28, 2019. For the week of orientation we will be staying at Catholic guest house called Consulata.

Day One in Dar: Fish Market and Money

Our program start date was on August 24th, the day we were all supposed to arrive, but for blogging purposes August 25th is going to be “Day One in Dar.”

My first Tanzania breakfast included toast and maandazi, a doughnut like pastry that I covered in butter and brown sugar. YUM! Orientation started at 9:00 am, and there are a total of 9 students in my program, including me. We introduced ourselves and learned our first bit of Swahili, the major language spoken in East Africa. After learning some essential greetings, we discussed what orientation would include and talked about safety and cultural awareness. Public transportation in Iringa will include taxis, bijajis (a three-wheeled cab) and motorcycles, or boda-boda, which we are absolutely not allowed to ride because of how dangerous they can be. When discussing cultural awareness, we learned that the current political situation is somewhat unstable so it is an extremely sensitive topic but Tanzanians love to discuss religion.

Around 11 am, we left for the fish market. Our program director, Justin Beckham, said that the fish market is a very different and interesting experience for a lot of students. It was also our first time out in Dar es Salaam, and meeting Tanzanian people. A man was selling coconuts just outside of the market, and Justin bought some of us fresh Tanzanian coconuts. Quick disclaimer: for those of you who don’t know me, I grew up in the Philippines and I spent my summer vacation there (I flew from the Philippines to Tanzania). So, I may often compare Tanzania to the Philippines, as well as compare Tanzania to the United States. The coconuts in Tanzania were oddly sweet, and not the kind of flavor I was used to, however during this experience we learned that its not really a “thing” in Tanzania to walk and eat– so we stood there inevitably drawing a small crowd while sipping our fresh coconut water.

Afterwards, we took a lap around the fish market, which had three sections: fresh fish and other oceanic creatures, shells, fried fish. I made eye-contact with a lot of dead fish and and even saw a large group of women in their colorful dresses bidding on fish. Before we left, one of the students asked if we could try some of the friend fish. Justin bought some tilapia and many friend minnows– both were very good (sorry mom).

After our yummy snack, we headed to the mall so we could convert money, eat lunch, and buy sim cards. Justin stayed at our table while we all went into the mall to convert money and go to the pharmacy; in other words, he threw us into the wolves den on our very first day. Dar es Salaam is a major city so a good portion of people do speak English, but that still did not stop us from looking like lost puppies at the bank. We got into the wrong line for money conversion, and the security guard had to inform the pour tourists that we needed to photocopy our passports to convert our dollars into Tanzanian shillings. After the mall, we went back to our hotel and took very long naps. Dinner was at 7 pm and after dinner, some of us stayed up in the common room and had very interesting conversations.

Day Two in Dar: Museums and Dancing.

Day two had a similar morning: breakfast, Swahili, and orientation. Today’s orientation included discussing culture shock or differences. We talked about PDA and how there is little to none of it, staring (which is not rude here!), and the observed dress code. It was a quick discussion and then we left for the National Museum. The museum had an art gallery, a natural history portion, and a memorial for the people who died in the Tanzania Embassy bombing. After about an hour at the museum, we left for lunch.

We had lunch at a cafe, and I tried mutton biryani for the very first time. Mutton is lamb and biryani is a Muslim inspired mixed-rice dish. It was not my favorite meal.

After lunch, we visited our second museum, the Village Museum. This was an outdoor exhibit that displayed the different types of village houses made by different ethnic groups in Tanzania. Per each ethnic group, the houses were either shaped differently, had a different number of rooms, or were made using different soils or sticks. After we toured the museum, we watched profession dancers preform two types of Tanzanian ethnic dances: a harvest dance and an initiation dance preformed by two different ethnic groups. I appreciated how culturally embedded the dances seemed to be– along with their songs and shouts. It made me all the more excited to experience ethnic dances in the villages when we go in November. Once they were done preforming the dances, they dressed us in ethnic wear and showed us some dance moves. We then loaded the bus and headed back to the hotel where I took a very long nap.

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Day Three in Dar: Beach Day

We literally spent the whole day on an island. It was a really relaxing day and we had interesting conversations about relationships. That’s about it.

Day Four, Leaving Dar: Bus Ride

Not the most fun day.. We left Iringa at 5:30 am and drove from Dar es Salaam to Iringa. We stopped a couple of times for the bathroom, and our breakfast and lunch were both grab-and-go. At one point, we drove through Mikumi National Park, which is a national park divided by a highway. We passed a lot of giraffes, baboons, and ampalas!

When we arrived at Ruaha Catholic University, we unpacked, ate dinner, and went to bed.

We do not have air conditioning or wifi in the dorms at RUCU, but most nights here are around 60 degrees Fahrenheit and we’re at at least 5500 ft elevation. In other words– fuzzy blankets are necessary at nights.

If you made it this far, then you are extremely dedicated to reading my blog (hi mom and dad). For the rest of the trip, I’ll reduce blogging to at least once a week. Tutaonana!