First thoughts from Tanga

Amanda and me outside a mud hut in the local village where I might stay for a week

First thoughts from Tanga
The bus journey to Tanga was quite an adventure. Amanda and I invented our own little saftey on board and emergency evacuation procedures. We discussed the most effective ways of surviving if the bus tipped over to either side or crashed with a truck. We were amazed that we got safety belts on the bus, but we still thought it was a good idea to have the plan ready if something should happen. Everywhere we stopped
people were trying to sell us stuff through the windows, but we had mandazis enough with us from
Amandas aunt and didn't need any other snack.
After 6 hours of being in a very hot bus we arrived in Tanga. There we got a taxi to TICC - Tanga
International Competence Centre - where we are going to work for three months. We drove through some
very small villages with mud huts on our way to the centre. We were quite surprised by the luxury that met
us at TICC. Imediately I thought "oh no, we're gonna live in a hotel" cause I was getting quite excited when
I saw the mud huts nearby so I felt a bit disappointed when I saw the luxury where we're gonna live.

The TICC study hall

I will probably go and stay in the village for a week or two to get the full experience and only talk Swahili, but I will wait until I have settled a bit more here in Tanga. Also I think I need to be a bit better at Swahili first. The village is only a 20 minute walk from here, so I can come visit anytime when I live there, and I will still have my work, studying and swahili classes.

TICC is a centre for social development, but to get additional funding for their social projects they also run a hostel. They only employ young people from the village. Many of them dropped out of primary school and have received help from TICC to finish school, go on to univeristy or other kinds of professional training. Many come to work here in their summer holidays from university.
Amanda and I have rooms here, and get breakfast, lunch and dinner served in the restaurant.

The dining area

We are right by a little canal of the sea, so we have a very private beach area where we can swim. There are no dangerous things in the water (try telling that to the masais), part from the strong current when the tide goes in or out. At full moon the difference between high and low tide is 4 metres.

TICC sailboats by the TICC beach

The security guards here are Masais. They were red clothing and are not afraid of anything (part from fish and crabs). To prove their manhood they kill a lion by themselves when they're 18.

The fearless Masai guards.

There is a lot of wild life around. Not big animals, they are only in the national parks, but there are many different birds, lizards, frogs and insects, crabs and running fish. It brings back a lot of memories from being in the Amazon. Especially when weird animals and insects show up in unexpected places. For instance there was a little black frog with yellow stripes that climbed out of the drain while I had a shower, and I usually meet a bat when I go to the toilet after dark and there's another bat named Johnny who flies around in the restaurant. We think he's afraid of hights because he always flies near the floor. The stripy frogs can't jump, they just have a very lazy walk. There's a massive hermit crayfish who is friends with a huge snail. We think they believe they're the same species because they both have houses. There are a lot of crabs with one big claw. Apparently its something that the lady crabs really like.
And there are sunbathing fish who sit on sticks in the water and run on the surface of the water. Amanda and I think they have a serious identity problem. Maybe they have all heard that TICC is a place you can feel at home no matter how messed up your life might be. 

A fish who thinks sunbathing after a run is completely normal.

Even Masais fear the one claw crabs

First day in Tanzania

First day in Tanzania

Amanda's aunt's house

The first day in Tanzania ended with me dancing to East African hip hop with Amandas 70 year old aunt on the balcony after a few glasses of wine. It started with her wanting to hear my music. I never seen anyone laugh so much when hearing if you're lucky and stolen bike. It was incredible. Then she danced for Amanda and me on the balcony. The music had a very special meaning to her and the dance became very emotional. So Amanda and I had to join her later to dance us all happy again. Now I'm waiting for her to get her tarot cards to predict my future. Soon I will know everything about my future love life, career etc. Exciting!


Earlier today we went to a community museum to look at traditional houses, art, tools etc. I climbed a coconut palm tree and we saw a family of monkeys. 

Rangi climbing a coconut palm tree

Monkey family

I'm learning swahili all the time and I think I can improve quite quickly if I really make an effort. I understand a word here and there, but it's hard to understand the full meaning. I try to say the things I know in swahili and ask people to teach me new words and phrases.

A beach in Dar Es Salaam

After the museum we went to meet Amandas oldest aunt where we had fish for lunch - samaki, with corn mash, and spinach. It was very yummy (chakula kizuri!). It seems to be quite common to employ girls to help with house keeping, chores and making food. I don't think you have to be very wealthy to employ a house keeper or a security guard, but I do wonder how much they are paid and how normal people can afford it. They seem to work very long hours, and some I think live in the houses where they work. I don't know if it's rude to ask questions about working hours, wages, holiday entitlement etc or if it will just seem condescending and nosey. Another thing to add to the equation is the fact that it is very tiring doing anything in this heat, so housekeeping is a full days job. For instance you have to iron all clothes you wash because flies might lay eggs in wet clothes and they will go into your skin. This I've been tld is only a problem in Dar Es Salaam, so hopefully we won't have to worry about that in Tanga.
Amandas aunt gave me two outfits, Kitenge which made me feel like a proper african woman, but amandas aunt says that I'm not like a norwegian girl, I'm a cherokee woman. I like that. Oh, and my new name is Rangi, which means colour in swahili. What better way to fit in here in Africa than with my new kitenge and being called colour!

Amanda in her new house (at the museum)

I hope the two glasses of wine won't react too badly with the malaria medicine this time. I'm taking Lariam, and it might make me go insane. But luckily the tarot cards promised me a very happy future with eciting adventures and oportunities. Quite good for my first day in Tanzania I'd say! Kwa heri na lala salaam!