Back to where it all began...

Firstly, a random but rather interesting stopover in Doha.  Qatar Airways are rather nice and provide free hotel accommodation, transfers and food if they cannot provide a flight within 8 hours.  I had a layover for 24 hours so posh hotel time!  I rather stupidly decided to go for a walk in the 46 degree heat, which was a bit useless since everything was closed for Ramadan anyway.  Still, it was nice to get a glimpse into another city, especially when it cost me nothing!

Only 7 pillows....clearly not enough

View from my hotel room

Museum of Islamic Art....that was closed

Hello Australia.  It's been a while!

After almost a week back in the land of Aus, I can indeed confirm that I am not the only Australian. In fact, there is a whole nation of them!  Coming back to ones own country and seeing it with fresh eyes is always an interesting experience.  It's a combination of discovering what annoys me the most, and what things I have truly missed.

One huge blessing continues to be catching up with friends and family.  Remembering how life is done here, and having to adjust to a new yet familiar kind of normal is the frustrating part, especially when I was quite content with normal life in TZ!  Still, I am doing my best to enjoy the journey even though I'm unsure of the destination.  I'm tired of constant change, yet continually find myself in the midst of it!  I think I need to give up the notion of finding a place where I truly "belong" and accept that this randomness is what God has gifted me with.  Life for the next week is planned, then after that I'm open to suggestions!

God's blessings on your journey, and thanks for being a part of mine xxx

Stone Town stopover

Having some time out between goodbyes and hellos is something I've realised I need.  As much as I just want to get on a plane and get the whole transition thing over and done with, going from one intense event straight into another is too much, especially when leaving a place that I wasn't quite ready to leave.  I still desperately miss Moshi, but after four days I am more ready to face returning to Australia.

Stone Town is an amazing place, more like a Mediterranean town than something out of Africa.  After arriving the previous night, I decided on Day 1 to venture down to the waterfront.  Getting there was ok, but getting back was not so easy.   Some of the alleys are only a few metres wide, and with tall buildings on either side it is impossible to find any landmark except for a narrow strip of blue sky.   And then the fact that none of them go in a straight line, and some lead nowhere....arrgh!   Anyway, I got lost in the morning, more hopelessly lost in the afternoon, but by Day 2 I had my chosen route mastered!

Unlike the mainland part of Tanzania, Zanzibar is 99% Muslim.  It's the month of Ramadan at the moment, meaning Muslim people are fasting from food and drink between dawn and dusk.  I admire their discipline and have been making an effort to conceal food or water when walking around!  Understandably it was really hard to find somewhere that served lunch, but I came across this place which was open for the few tourists hanging around.  Super nice place with yummy food!

Today I joined a tour to Prison Island with some other girls that are travelling.  It's just what I needed!  Beautiful clear water, good conversation, and some rather cute tortoises.  Weirdly, despite the name, the building was never a used as a prison.  It was built for that purpose but then became a quarantine hospital for infectious diseases.

Approaching Prison Island

Tortoise friends!  It's a bit sad that they are enclosed i a sanctuary, but they seem to have an ok life!

Pretty sandals from Moshi on a pretty beach in Zanzibar

Back to Stone Town

Tomorrow morning I fly from Zanzibar back to Dar (a whole 20 mins!) Then wait until that evening to fly to Doha.  I stay overnight in Doha, then fly on to Adelaide.  Next post will be from the land of Aus......

Time to say farewell

Goodbyes always hurt, but after two years calling this place home it really hurts to leave!  I'm in Stone Town now, having started the journey back to Australia.  It still feels like I will be going back to Moshi in 4 days, and I have to keep reminding myself that I'm not.  Still, to leave a place after two years and not have any sad goodbyes would be even worse.  This place has been special not because everything has been perfect, but rather because it has been just like normal life - times that are great and times that suck a bit.  Knowing that a place could very easily be a long-term home is what makes it so hard to leave!  I'm excited to see family and friends but also feel like I am leaving family and friends behind :(

Junior High  - the most crazy amazing group of teenagers I will ever meet

I know I'm supposed to be the teacher but in two years these kids have taught me so much!  I don't cry often, but that last day was a hard one!  They kept saying they won't forget me, and I certainly won't forget any of these beautiful faces.

A Junior High tradition - samosas and soda at Uhuru to celebrate the last week of school

There is something sad about taking down all the artwork :(  I'm thankful for
tall students to do it though!

Lovely American colleagues

I always knew it would be hard to be part of another nationality within a third country, but I survived!  More than that, some of these beautiful gals have taught be so much about being humble, listening to God, and living a Christ-centred life.  And if I ever do a US road-trip, I have lots of tour guides already!  "I, like literally, just can't even." Haha.  Thanks for accepting my weird quirks!

My little home

I know Moggles (the cat) only ever appreciated me if I gave him food or belly rubs, but I will miss him anyway!  Keep hissing at your dog-brothers Mogli - you are better than them!  And the many geckos in my house whom I greeted every morning (yep, really).  They had very original names: Wall Gecko, Window Gecko, Shower Gecko etc.  Thank you for keeping the bugs away.

Bedroom Gecko sometimes let me pat him - or maybe
he just froze in terror

Baby Kitchen Gecko

Bye little home!

St Margaret's Church

A big thank you to my church family for providing an international community where we could together worship the God of all nations.  I will miss rocking up 15 mins late and being on time, funky organ music played through a speaker, pot-luck lunches, and deep meaningful relationships that easily cross cultural boundaries.

Moshi friends

Lastly, the hardest goodbye of all - the people who make this place home - amazing local friends whom without their friendship, after one month I probably would have been on a plane straight back to Aus!  One should not aim to be appreciated here on earth, but it can make such a big difference.  The talented and hard-working local teachers have given me nothing but encouragement and respect.  They understood that it was a double cross-cultural experience for me, and made me feel valued for who I am and the ideas that I bring.  (If this were a piece of paper, imagine huge ugly tear drops on the page!)  One of the local ladies said to me, "You are Mzungu (white person) on the outside, but on the inside you are one of us." Thank you so much for making your country my home too.

Presenting Favor: the most popular baby in Moshi

This is called the trying-not-to-cry face

Airport goodbyes :(

Farewell Moshi.  I hope we meet again!

Jehovah wewe ni mungu mkuu.

Jehovah wewe ni mungu mkuu.

Unapendeza, unashangaza

Wewe ni mungu mkuu. 

Junior High Big Day Out in Arusha

Organising excursions is always a bit of a challenge, but organising one in a country that you have only lived in for a short while, to a city you are not familiar with, for a full day, was a new experience!  I had looked around for somewhere for us to visit in Moshi, but didn't have any luck and really wanted to do something special since most of the students won't be at Hope next year.  Arusha is a city about 2 hours away (but with roadworks took 2.5 hours) so we left bright and early at 8:30am.

First stop: Cultural Heritage Art Gallery.  We couldn't take pictures inside, but even without the fantastic artwork, the architecture is amazing - six levels of paintings, sculptures and wooden carvings - making it the largest art gallery in Africa.

Next stop: The Arusha Declaration Museum.  This was pretty average in terms of displays, but since we had specifically been studying the Arusha Declaration it was worth the visit!  The museum has beautiful grounds so it was also a great place to stop for lunch.  Mr Francis went and got us Chips Kuku!

The future president of Tanzania sitting on the first president's chair :)

Posing in front of the Arusha Declaration monument - built to commemorate the 1967 deckaration

Next stop: Shanga Foundation.  This was probably the highlight for most students.  Shanga is an organisation that is focused on providing meaningful employment to people with disabilities through teaching them craft skills.  The things they make and the way they can overcome their limitations is truly inspiring.  More often than not, people with disabilities in Tanzania are looked down on and hidden away from society so I really wanted to expose the class to something they wouldn't normally encounter.

Meleah trying glass blowing!

Last stop: Ice cream!  This was a surprise stop and made my heart so happy.  The kids had been talking about getting ice cream but had accepted when I said it was too expensive.  The school donated some money however, making it possible!  To see the looks on their faces when we turned into the carpark instead of going home, and then when I said we were getting ice cream....just priceless!  Then when they realised we  were going to an actual ice cream shop and not just the supermarket - I've never seen ice cream bring so much joy :)

Happy times on our little bus :)

We arrived back in Moshi at 6:30pm and I must admit, as much as I love these teenagers, I was ready for some serious alone time!  Seeing their happy faces makes it worth it though.

Arusha has Mount Meru.....

...but Moshi still wins with Kili!

Blessings on your week!