The Outsiders

Our first week in Arusha it felt like every expatriate-looking muzungu we saw introduced themselves to us, offering a smile, a phone number, advice on shopping, a promise that we, too, will grow to love it here. To me, anyway, it also felt like these initial meetings held the promise of friendships: The "Oh, well welcome to Tanzania. We should get together, I'll call you's" have materialized nothing. I know it's only been a few weeks....but, come on, it's been a few weeks.

So in the end, what this does is leave me feeling like an outsider. We have not been living here for 30 years running a company or an orphanage or studying the mating behavior of lions; we have moved here for the next 30 years- we're just another set of students passing through; we are not Tanzanian. It's funny to me that the one place we could actually belong (if we paid the membership fee) is the most exclusive club in town (a place called TGT, complete with squash courts and ruby field).

So I'm settling into this feeling of being an outsider. It's likely to change, but for now I'm trying it on and thankful that at least I have my family. I'm just sorry that Tim left his sleeveless jean jacket at home.
- kjd