We had gotten about three quarters of the way through the interview before Getrud, my research assistant, turned to me and asked, “um, I think she may be going into labor. Should we continue?” I looked over at the woman who had so diligently and resolutely responded to our questions for fifteen minutes and noticed … Continue reading
This past weekend, Powell, Courtney, and I had dinner (at our favorite family-run Ethiopian joint, of course) with two American public health students who had recently arrived in Tanzania to conduct records-based research at Ocean Road Hospital for three months. When we met them, I noticed that their clothing still looked starchy and vibrant — … Continue reading
My ultimate stress reduction strategy during college consisted of consuming a vanilla latte from Bourbon Coffee, a Rwandan cafe close to campus, while walking down the street from my apartment to the Georgetown waterfront shops. I’ve always believed in the mysterious healing powers of retail, in particular how a nice pair of shoes or dress … Continue reading
Since I arrived in Tanzania nearly six months ago (!), I’ve had many “where am I?” moments. These feelings of sudden displacement often come about when I’m in a mall or shopping center, dining at a really nice restaurant (rare), or drinking pinot and sampling hors d’œuvres with diplomats and other U.S. embassy staff while listening to … Continue reading
Several weeks ago, the Public Affairs Officer at the Embassy approached me about participating in an event for International Women’s Day. The Public Affairs section, which oversees the Fulbright program, is responsible for organizing cultural activities that facilitate exchange between Tanzanians and Americans (essentially the Fulbright program in a nutshell, minus the research component). For … Continue reading
Photos from Arusha, Mwanza, Kigali, and Zanzibar Continue reading
Don’t get me wrong. I love Tanzania. I honestly do. But sometimes I want to scream out of frustration at how even the smallest things take multiple phone calls, emails, letters, and visits to get accomplished. I am now convinced that accomplishing anything in this country requires going down to the office (be it the … Continue reading
I was hoping that the new year would bring a renewed commitment to updating this blog, but unfortunately I have left it dormant for some time. My only real excuse is that after three months in Tanzania, I have become so accustomed to daily life here that even the things that shocked and amazed me … Continue reading
While traffic is horrific, gas stations are often out of petrol, and no day is complete without some sort of close encounter with a dala dala (or two), Dar does have one thing going for it. The majority of the main roads are paved. Well, that is, except for one. The road leading to our … Continue reading
As my taxi driver wove haphazardly in and out of trucks and cars on the way to the Dar airport, I only had one thing on my mind: ‘Please let my flight to Zanzibar be on time.’ Nevermind that we had just narrowly missed a giant pothole or that a bus had pulled out in … Continue reading
wanderings 