Typical Pros and Cons

Things I will miss:
- Food: fresh fruits and vegetables, cooked amazingly with ugali, rice, or pasta. Our breakfasts of eggs, bread, sausages, corn flakes with bananas, uji (purple porridge with sugar). So good.
- Electricity black outs: They don't happen very often but I kind of like them when they happen. We get to bust out the flashlights, lamps and candles. There is no TV noise. Only downside is when it happens in the morning and I cant see myself when I getting ready = trouble.
- Marachui: Most amazing TV show I have ever witnessed. It's a Mexican soap opera dubbed over with horrendous English. The male protagonist (Juan Miguel) can only be described as beautiful. The storylines are outrageous, the acting/filming is worse and the English voices dubbed over are even more horrendous (if possible). Obviously, I'm addicted completely. I have every intention of attempting to find the DVDs on Ebay/Amazon asap when I get home. Sometimes such outrageous things happen in complete seriousness that Kelley and I look at one another and laugh out loud while our family looks on confused like "why are you laughing?"
- My siblings: I will miss these children terribly. I'm probably gonna cry when I say goodbye to them because they will definitely be crying. I didn't realize before coming here that I have literally NO children in my life. There are not a whole lot of children on the U of I campus (other than the annoying ones in the ped mall) and there are definitely none in Ames. I never realized before how much fun they are to have around...until they start crying.
- Weak attempts to translate Kiswahili into English: One of the most hilarious translations I have heard was definitely on our visit to a farm. There was a large hut which we were invited into to look at. When part of the group arrived and the woman said "karibuni!" (you all are welcome!), wanting them to enter the hut, everyone just kind of looked at one another. Under his breath our friend Noah said, "That translates to you better get your ass in that damn hut. Now." Hilarious. Along with that - laughing uncomfortably to fill the silence we don't understand.
- People who are not American: I have met more people from different countries here than anywhere else. I've met people who are English, Dutch, German, Spanish, Australian, South African, Irish, Canadian (what?) and tons more. I don't think I've meet so many different people in one country before - not in England, Italy, Spain, France, Greece, Uganda or Denmark. Not sure why there is such a huge mix of people here (other than the fact that Tanzania is awesome and everyone should come here. No offense Iowa, but Mexican and Asian is about as diverse as you get.

Things I will not miss:
- Bucket showers: They sound worse than they are. My only real issue with them is that I feel like I always have lots of shampoo and/or conditioner in my hair when I finish. Bucket showers go a little like this - standing naked in a small room with two buckets (one filled with literally boiling water) and a cup. Use cup to scoop up a little hot water, add cold water from the tap, and pour on yourself. Try to stand over the second bucket to catch the falling water so as to not make a huge mess, only sometimes successful. Repeat. Try to throw in shampoo, conditioner, body wash and razors = good luck.
- Feeling like a child: enough said.
- Being polite to everyone: Swahili is a very polite culture. And I like to think I've a very polite person. But sometimes I just really want to yell at people. For example, I have no problems being very rude to annoying, gross, pestering guys at bars in Iowa City. But when the really annoying and pushy men in the streets or bars here attempt to talk to me, I can't be mean to them. I want to be. SO bad. But people will think you are a real bitch. Especially since I'm white - it only increases the stereotype that all white people are arrogant and rude. And everyone expects you to do greeting to everyone you pass on the street. As nice and friendly as this is - there is a part of me that cant wait to be back in that part of rude American culture where everyone avoids eye contact on the street.