Habari! Now I am more comfortable with living in Ibrah's but transportation is hard from there. I either have to take two daladala, taxi or pay for Ibrah's gas for him to take me. However, today I walked into downtown Moshi from WEECE, which took over an hour--but that could've been because I was terribly lost. The journey was mainly hard because of all the stares. People either can tell I am western and wonder what I'm doing or ask for money, or they just have no idea where I'm from. Either way, it's kind of uncomfortable being looked at so much. Especially, since some white people don't even get as many looks, and so yeah, it's weird. Anyways.... I love Eva, the cook. She is becoming a great friend, and we are teaching each other a lot. Some Tanzanians are amazing people!
Some of my faves I've met:

Emma (pronounced): He is a taxi driver that Ibrah knows, so I don't have to know my exact address for him to take me home, which is nice, since there are no street addresses here in Soweto (my neighborhood). Emma and I joke around a lot even though he speaks very little English, he always cares that I get home safe and waits for the guard, Steven, to let me in when he drops me off. He says, Tess you are my dada (sister) so I have to make sure you are nzuri (well/fine).

--Most everyone seems to call each other dada (sister) and kaka (brother). If I speak in Swahili people light up and are not annoyed or offended by my mispronunciations, but instead, call me dada and treat me in away that an old friend would instead of someone who has known me for sometimes just a minute.---

Mussa: I've met several Mussas, but this Mussa is a Kili guide, and like a lot of Tanzanians, is kind of reserved but underneath his calm nature, has a great since of humor. Mussa has climbed Kilimanjaro more than 65 times (all the way to the top) as a guide. Today when he came over after dinner (he's friends with Ibrah) we talked about World Cup and argued what teams we would cheer for. The verdict? Cheer for African teams until they're out, and then cheer for the teams with the most Africans on them.

Mamma Dominica: Mamma Dominica runs a tailor shop at WEECE from a micro-loan. She thinks I'm 15 even though I've told her several times, “Mamma, mimi ni ishirini!” (I am 20!). However, she is a warm presence and is making me a shirt and skirt from a konga (a large printed fabric) I brought her. She also calms me down at WEECE when I'm frustrated at the pace of things.

This brings me to a huge frustration I'm having at WEECE. Although I've only been there 2 official days, there is no guidance for anything. I can do whatever I want which I suppose sounds liberating, but I don't know what and how I can do things without offending anyone or in a way that is productive. I think I'll start interviewing the girls in the vocational school and get their stories, and then eventually, as my Swahili improves, I'll start speaking to the WEECE members. The pace here is extremely different than the U.S. It is also hard with the volunteers that come in for a short time, start new programs and things and then leave. For instance, today, three volunteer teachers from CCS went to Arusha. In only the 2 weeks that they have been here, they have started teaching art, computers more in depth and have helped with English, even though there already is an English teacher. So, today during the time the girls would have had art during only the past 2 weeks, nothing happened. The girls played tag and ball games during that time. Then, the English teacher who also teaches at a primary school across the street, came late and then only stayed for about 5 minutes. So today, all the girls ages 14-23 learned was briefly, by a teacher who needs more schooling herself and does too many jobs at WEECE in which she is unsure to do them, taught power point to only a few girls as they don't have many computers and about menstrual and sexual health from an Australian volunteer who is only here one more month. What happens when she leaves? This Australian volunteer also has organized all their paperwork and has tried to create some sort of office system, which sadly will end when she leaves.

There is a lot at WEECE that should be done and will never happen. This realization is soo frustrating.

On a lighter note, I met some mzungus my age in town the other day, and I had my first experience at Kool Baa (bar). The bar is small and has one pool table and a tiny dance area. Lots of mzungus hang out there but also rastas who like to prey on mzungu girls. Apparently, religiously they aren't rastas but instead just smoke lots of ganja, have dreads and don't work very much. Some masaii hang out at Kool Baa also. You won't see very many TZ women there though. Nonetheless, it was a fun time, and I had my first TZ beers: Kilimanjaro and Tuskar. It was also nice to meet people from the U.S. who had spent last summer here and loved it so much they came back!

-Later