Summer in the city...

This afternoon I finally got to head into Morogoro, I mean within city limits.  This was an incredibly refreshing experience.  I really enjoy being in urban areas and go a little crazy without a city near (I don't know how I've survived the burg for so long).  This rural insanity began setting in about two days ago so when I heard that a couple students were heading into town I nearly leapt out of my seat and into the Dala Dala.  It was my first time in the Dala Dala.  This is a wonderful way to get around.  It involves cramming twenty plus people into a ten passenger van.  In all seriousness this is great. I love being so unabashedly close to people.  It may be strange but the smell and the heat is very comforting.  Life is so close.  Everywhere, in fact.  The people on the Dala Dala were so great.  Obviously the one German and one American woman in the vehicle next to the American man stick out like giant pale sore thumbs.  Every second in the vehicle was spent in conversation.  I first explain in a long sentence that I have only been here about two weeks but want to try to talk so they normally really enjoy that.  The slowly explain words to me and are always interested to hear about Barack and my perception of TZ.  Those who know English are very excited to practice.   It is great.  Walking through the city, in between getting the dirt on which teachers are hot, Sara pointed out that she doesn't feel like a minority here.  It is something different.  Then we realized that we are not minorities but complete outsiders.  I kind of like this.  I feel totally dependent upon the people around me.  In the city they directed us where to go and helped us form sentences.  Most people here are very open to that.  Some are not, that is ok.  I think God likes codependence.  Independence itself is certainly a myth.  I suppose nearly everything, if not everything that we do depends on others in one way or another.  We are so interwoven and it is so explicit here.  I love it.  This is why I wanted to study abroad.  

I have been thinking also a lot about poverty.  We are discussing how much work is helping and how much is just trying to give people what is not needed (McWorlding as we call it here).  how far can help go before it destroys culture.  Perhaps I will discuss this more at another time.  For now I would like to call attention to something along these lines that I found amazing today.  In our language lesson we learned that there is no Bantu root word for personal possession.  Like no I have, you have... They say I-with.  This is a reflection of the communal life here.  I am beginning to lose faith in the idea that anything is mine.  My consumption is something that I am realizing is very bad and opposed to the will of God.  I am thinking a lot about this now.  I will speak more about it when I have formed more cohesive ideas.