Shamba

It's been awhile since I last wrote - and in that time I was busy becoming a rural farm girl instead of chilling in the city of Stonetown! "Shamba" means countryside/rural/farm in Swahili and is basically used to describe everywhere besides Stonetown in Zanzibar. Let's see...

Two weeks ago, we stayed in a town called Mangapwani, which translates to "Beach of Light". It was beautiful and very aptly named! We stayed at a community education center called Creative Solutions Resource Center, and I got to practice my interview skills by going to fish auctions and talking to the local fishermen. My group was lucky enough to go out on a "Boati" and interview the fishermen on the job. It was an amazing experience! I also got to work with translators for the first time, and learned that I definitely don't understand as much Swahili as I need to conduct research! Mangapwani is also home to amazing beaches, caves, and sunsets. Everyday after class we would go to the beach and explore the many caves in the crystal clear ocean! I really liked it there - and also loved living in a house with all of my classmates! I might end up doing my final Independent Study Project there.... but I say that about every place we go so we'll see!

This past week, we left Unguja and flew to Pemba: the "other" Zanzibar island. It's more rural and also more scenic. While there, we got a crash course in the Natural Resources of the islands - there is a lot going on in terms of the environment! I got to see different types of house construction (mostly mud and sticks). I also learned about charcoal production, which is a huge industry in Zanzibar and the main form of cooking/heating. I also visited a rubber plantation, a salt production plant, and an essential oil distillery. It was so interested to see how these resources are made because I honestly never really thought about where my rubber bands, etc. came from before. The rubber process was my favorite to learn about and is actually pretty sustainable. They use the sap from rubber trees and then press it, dry it, smoke it, and ship it off. I also got the opportunity to visit Ngezi Forest and do a little hiking!! It was a beautiful place and was interested to compare the management approaches here to those in the US. The forest is managed by the community and from what I could see was working wonderfully. In addition, we visited a working farm and learned about agriculture which was super interesting!

Pemba also consisted of homestay number 2. I've come to terms with the fact that I'm just not a homestay girl... I like my space and freedom too much! Nevertheless, I still learned a lot from this homestay. It was interested to get a taste of more rural living. Something that surprised me was actually how connected and in tune they were with the rest of the world. Everyone has TVs and cell phones and life is actually pretty similar to everyday life in the US, just with a few more difficulties and a lot less organization. We got to cook with our families and I'm learning some fun recipes! But also seriously lacking in the vegetables department - the diet here basically consists of fried bread. Maybe some beans. And a whole lotta fish.

I've definitely been able to go outside more recently which is awesome! I could feel myself getting antsy and restless in Stonetown and the shamba was a welcome change to the routine! From here on out we are traveling a lot - I'm excited to see more different parts of the islands and even make it to the mainland! I've been missing home a little more than I expected but I'm trying to be here in the moment and focus. It's important to cherish my time here and treat it as more than a vacation away from ordinary life. Sometimes I have to remind myself that this IS ordinary life, which is crazy! The culture shock still hasn't worn off because this place is so different from anything I've ever seen... but it's good because it keeps me on my toes! :)

P.s. I got the chance to visit the hospital when I was in Pemba to see a homestay family member, as well as the Public Health Facility on the island. Don't have time to talk about it now but let's just say - we have it SO GOOD in America... no matter how much people complain, we are so lucky!!

P.p.s Monkeys really creep me out. They are too much like people and I get the feeling that they are smarter than me. And I don't like them at all.