Week 1

Jambo! Ninaitwa Jamal!

Hello! I am Jamal! I’ve decided to start this week’s post with a bit of the Kiswahili that I’ve picked up thus far. Jamal is my Zanzibari name, although “Bwana mkubwa Jamali” (“Big man Jamal”) is a regular retort from my favorite teacher “Bosi” Usi and “Mama Jamal” has started to catch on with a couple of my fellow students. We’re learning Kiswahili at breakneck speed, despite the initial statements of “pole pole” (“slowly”) from our three instructors. In the first week we have already covered introductions, pronouns and their tenses, negation, counting, days of the week, and time. All in preparation for the two-week-long homestays in Stone Town which begin on Sunday. Let’s hope my memory can keep up!

                Beyond the Kiswahili, I don’t even know how I can begin to cover all of the experiences I’ve had in the last week. By the third day it already felt like I’d had a week of time in Zanzibar. The written journal is practically blank and this post is likely to be epic if I’m not careful. So, I’ll do my best to cover the breadth of the adventures without too much digression. First, getting to Zanzibar.

I made it to Zanzibar mentally sound and in one piece despite the initial nerves and uncertainty of solo flying. The eight hour layover in Amsterdam was a breeze once I met up with a fellow student with the same flight schedule and a tolerance for airport cafeteria food. The only hitch came upon arrival in Zanzibar, when the more important of my two bags didn’t make it off the plane. All of my clothes, toiletries, and Steripen were gone (for the time being). While the wait in the steamy baggage recovery office was not encouraging, ultimately my belongings made the rest of the trip to my lodgings the next morning.

                In Stone Town, we are staying in a little hotel called the Mauwani Inn, located just a stone’s throw from the SIT classroom/office/home base. It’s pleasant and accommodating, and pretty much the exact kind of place I’d expect to be staying in with the family while traveling. I’ve already made friends with the night shift guy at the front desk; he’s even brought shoki shoki (lychee fruit) for me and another student. The first couple of days here were filled with briefings on rules, group bonding, and preliminary Kiswahili lessons. The group dynamic has been great so far; everyone gets along well and has their own contributions to “the family” as a whole. I quickly got to know several of the crew particularly well through late night rounds of BS, Spoons, and Rummy (“The Night Owl Club”/the few of us without enough sense to go to sleep at a reasonable time). The AD, Helen, and her assistant, Said, have had an excellent schedule of events to keep us busy and get acclimation to the Zanzibari scene out of the way quickly.

On our first morning we took two boats, each titled “Mr. Bean,” out to the reef off Bawe Island for a snorkeling session. Even on the first trip I was pleased; banded pipefish, batfish, and even a Powder Blue Tang! The notable prevalence of Longspine Sea Urchins on the reef has actually given me inspiration for my eventual ISP research (more to follow on that one). The only bummer was the jellyfish stings on my arms and torso; they’re still visible and itchy a week later. However, a lunch of delicious pilau (spiced rice), fish, and watermelon on a nearby sandbar made for a quick distraction. The following day was our “Drop-Off”.

Groups of three students were randomly dispersed throughout Stone Town and left to answer a series of questions and find various locations on foot. No small task in a town full of winding alleyways and no street markers. My group succeeded in answering all of our questions, although not before making a triple circuit of the town. We managed to find the bank, several cheap restaurants, and specific market items without much trouble, returning to the Mauwani on time and with several goodies (lychee fruits, another unknown fruit, and Ubuyu [a red candy made from Baobab seeds, sugar, and spices]). After a few hours of wandering on that trip and a few other times out with the group, I already feel like I’m starting to grasp the layout of Stone Town. We have ventured out a couple of times without direction for meals, although the first group experience at the Fouredani Night Market was a bit rattling. Haggling prices and dealing with shady vendors can put a real damper on the night. Nonetheless, the food is great, the company is good, and the atmosphere is surreal.

 The last few days have been even more surreal in part due to our stay in the beachside village of Kiwengwa at the Family Guest House. Kiwengwa, not unlike many other beach villages in Northern Zanzibar is experiencing a rapid influx of European tourism, particularly from the Italians. The effect that this newfound source of income is having on Zanzibari society is a matter of debate, but either way, the Itais are here for the long haul. Kiwengwa also sports a noticeable population of Masai who have been hired as askaris (guards) for the many villas and hotels along the beach. The Family guest House was a small, Zanzibari-owned establishment with a number of two person rooms (always fun for groups of three). The girls were right on the beach and the guys were a bit down the road. While in Kiwengwa, we had two Kiswahili classes a day (right out on the beach), further program structure lectures, and an interview session in the village of Kiwengwa itself. Using our burgeoning Kiswahili skills, we interviewed locals on a variety of subjects ranging from schooling to local health services (my group’s subject). Of course, we did have free time to enjoy as well. At high tide, the waves were warm and big enough to accommodate body surfing. At low tide, the water receded enough to expose sea grass flats full of cowrie shells, sea urchins, starfish, and pipefish. For those motivated enough to get up at 6:00am, there was also the gorgeous sunrise. The following shot is from our first day (Monday).

See what I mean?

Now we’re back in Stone Town getting ready for the next set of adventures. I went out this evening for the first time without my buddy Rishad (Rich), who already has a basic mastery of Kiswahili from a previous program. I managed to escort six gals to Fouredani for dinner and back without any notable incidents (male accompaniment is a standard for night activities here), although not without a few jokes about my “wifis” for the night. But now I’m being foolish by staying up to write this post; tomorrow is a 7am departure for swimming with dolphins and a visit to a butterfly farm. So for the moment, this is it. Congrats if you’ve stayed attentive this far, I get the feeling this will be a normal deal. Baadaye!