Back to the classroom

First day of Swahili lessons at our "school", which is what seems so be a town-managed room attached to a woman's house. We have hired her to make us chai and lunch on the days we meet there, which is about four to five times a week.

Our language instructors are extremely patient and helpful. There are only four of us students, which is a great size to work with.

Today is Ash Wednesday, the first I've spent living in an almost entirely Muslim community. Tonight as we were sitting in the compound, my Baba (father) asked me what my religion was. Considering I know hardly any Swahili, it took a while for me to understand, but we did have some form of conversation about it.

My Swahili was marginally better today when I got home from class. Mama let me help her cook dinner. I still feel like a child, but it's ok. I got walked to school, a mama made us lunch, I got sent on my way home, had a snack with my mama and her daughter, was told to go read/ study, helped mama with making dinner, did some reading, was told to take a bath, then hung out with my family as it grew dark, drinking steamed milk with sugar and having a little dinner.

Current communication status: I haven't bought any credit for my Tanzania phone so literally the only way I could get in touch with anyone is if they called or texted me. It's really nice not to be able to have that kind of distraction for a while.

Life is good.

You never know how many stars are in the sky until you look up at night in Africa.