Pictures- take 3

It's official. Posin with our UN badges on the 1st day of work in Michelle's office.
This is the Nyerere Center for Peace Research where we will be taking our classes beginning in September.

This is the bridge that we cross everyday on the way to work. The first day we crossed it we were acting like typical tourists, taking pictures of the little waterfall in the back and just chillin. We have since found out that this bridge is called "muggers bridge" and thieves hide under it. They can run out and steal your bag and then run back under the bridge to hide. So now we walk quickly over the bridge and watch our backs. There are usually security guards there as well to monitor what is going on.

Dinner at our friend Alfred's house. He taught us how to make curry chicken and meatballs. We are learning how to cook slowly but surely.

Making shadow puppets in the dark to occupy our time during power outtages.

Me and our friend Pamela. She is from Rwanda and works for the East African Community.

Chillin outside out new place eating g-nuts (like peanuts but not really). They taste like grass at first but then you get used to them :)

Mangos- my new favorite fruit. They are so good fresh and they only cost us about $.50 each. This is how Eunice taught me how to cut the mango and display it ever so nicely. yummmmm

Attempting to exercise at our old house.

Our new apartments :)

Friends at the Michael Jackson party at Maasai Camp- a local club with a mix of foreigners and local people. Here they call Michael Jackson "Wacko Jacko".

Photos- take 2

Here is my office at tne UN. Yes, it was a closet that was turned into an office. Notice the separation in the doors. I have to duck down to get in but I am actually grateful for this office b/c there are some interns that have to share an office with 12 other people. Atleast I have my privacy ( you know to download pictures at work :)

This is Mt. Meru that sits in the background of Arusha. It is beautiful to just go outside and have a view of the mountain.

This is a luxury villa in Arusha, mostly for tourists of course.
Here we are outside of the police station with some new friends :)

This part of Arusha is said to be the center of Africa inbetween Cairo and Capetown.

Clock tower in the middle of town, great landmark for directions!

Pictures- sort of...

I have been trying to download pictures all day (for real, I am not exagerrating) and this is all I could come up with thanks to these sorry computers at the UN. You would think they would have a better communication system considering this is an international court and getting information is pretty important but TI-UN (this is the UN). Here are 5 pictures of the house where we used to live (the guest house). Maybe tomorrow I can download 5 more! Enjoy!

Life at our old guest house

Our room- check out the Winnie the Pooh curtains :)

Our bathroom accomodations

God left Rwanda and did not come back for 100 days

This comment was made in a dvd we were watching last night about the work of the Tribunal and the Rwandan genocide. I found it very interesting that such a comment was made on a documentary that is used to educate people about the genocide. It makes it seem as if God is responsible for the 800,000 people that were killed in the genocide and not the perpetrators of these heinous crimes. I know that people often question God when bad things happen, I do it myself, but to hear it actually stated in a video produced by the UN seemed kind of extreme to me. I started thinking of all of the people that will watch and have watched this video and how they may react to this statement. Especially the citizens of Rwanda that were directly affected by the genocide. It reminded me of a part in a book by Shane Claiborne called the Irresistable Revolution, where he also talks about when we question God about the situations in life. He points out that God could ask the same question of us, "How/ Why did you let this happen?" The Rwandan genocide was not the 1st genocide to happen while people stood by and did nothing. Even today, the phrases "never again" and "not on my watch" are heard over and over while the killing continues in Darfur. Another aspect to that, however, is those few people like Romeo Dallaire, the commander of the UN troops in Rwanda, who refused to stand by and do nothing and stayed in Rwanda even after the UN troops were evacuated. He has had to testify in some of the cases that have been brought before that Tribunal and in one of his statements he says that he knows God exists because he has met the devil. My hope is that people watching this video do not lose their faith in God or whatever higher power they believe in and that one day we can push past the thinking that the things going on in other parts of the world do not affect us therefore we should not be concerned about them. Once we realize that we are all interconnected on this great planet called earth, we will have a much better chance of things like genocide not occurring on our watch.

Directions to work (jncase you ever find yourself in Arusha and need to get to the Tribunal)

This is how we get to work every day, well how we used to from our old house. Add about 10 minutes on to this journey from our new house.! (taken from Michelle's blog)

Go straight up the driveway past the cows and banana tree.
Walk through the wet cement, at end of driveway turn right.
Go straight to the end of Kanisa Road, passing the Catholic youth hostel on your right and salon sign on your left.
Turn right onto Old Moshe Road and pass the Anglican church on your right (where we are brand new choir members!)
Keep straight. Say "shikamo" to sweet elderly lady sitting on your right who will smile beautifully and respond "marahaba". Sometimes give her fruit from breakfast.
Pass over bridge quickly. Take note of scenic water fall and forest to your right while using peripheral vision to scan under bridge for thiefs. Do not stop to take pictures.
Keep straight and pass SUPER DOLL sign and Goodyear tire store on right and Arusha's five star hotel with GREAT coffee on left.
Decline dala dala (giant van taxi) ride and pass through masses of waiting patrons.
Bear right through Onyx Petrol station. Clock tower will be on your left.
Wave to rafikis (friends) sitting on wall across the street.
Continue straight past Kase bookstore on your right and wish you could stop to peruse. Must be mindful of cars aiming at you on this street.
Continue straight on balance beam (aka curb so you can avoid traffic). Politely wait for street sweeper with bamboo broom and wheel barrow to let you pass.
Say mambo vipi (whats up) to taxi drivers and decline ride.
Pass a tree of a loud sleeping bat colony.
Pass taxidermist sign ("We tan dip and ship,") storks and turtles on left, continue straight through German fort museum.
Upon exiting say hello to cultural center artisians on right. Typically a surprise here. Past surprises include giant sand hill in walkway or wedding.
Say mambo vipi to taxi drivers and decline ride.
Continue straight while watching security guard use long mirror to check underneath select cars. Wonder how they select cars.
Pass right into security check point, put bags through x-ray, set off metal detector and be waved through casually. Badge does not work at this gate so you will be let through without identification.

Reconciliation

Working here at the UN is another experience all of its own. We have met a diverse group of people from all over the world that are helping to bring justice to the people of Rwanda and end the legacy of impunity that has been associated with war crimes and genocide. We watched a video last night that was produced by the ICTR to raise awareness about the Tribunal and all of its accomplishments so far. It talks about how the Tribunal was the first to convict a head leader of a state, a prime minister, of genocide and how it is really hoping to deliver the message to prepetrators of crimes that they will no longer go unpunished. Many of the judgments that have been handed down are for life sentences or atleast 15-25 years. It is also chilling to read through some of the witness testimonies and how they made it out alive but lost so many members of their families. In speaking with a representative in Rwanda that is heading up one of the projects we are researching, I asked about the spirit of reconciliation in Rwanda. His comment was that there is not reconciliation in Rwanda yet. People are living together because they don't have much choice but the reconciliation process will take generations. The sense of reconciliation and assessing the impact of the Tribunal on Rwandan society is a research topic that we may be looking further into so it will be interesting to get different people's perspectives on that. We are hoping to go on mission to Kigali at some point before our internship ends which is something I am very excited about. We just have to convince one of our supervisors that we should be allowed to go!

Kwaheri Bill

Bill is "dashingly stunning wise gentleman" we met here in Arusha from the UK that has a great personality and was fun to hang out with. He was volunteering at a local school and orphange and had some great stories to tell about his experiences being in Tanzania. We met him at church one Sunday and have been hanging out ever since. He is going back to the UK today though, after spending about a month here and get back to his normal life. We will miss hanging out with him and all his quirky British prhases and stories. My favorite story was the one he told us about washing his clothes. He was washing and scrubbing so hard that his knuckles were starting to bleed. All of this as the young son of the family he was staying with keeps telling him, " Do it again. Its not clean." and getting a good kick out of watching Bill struggle. Bill soon wised up and starting letting the housekeeper wash his clothes for about 5,000 schilling, a little less than $5.00. Can't beat that!
Anyway, we will miss Bill and hope to catch up with him one day back in London. That is the one thing I love about Arusha. You get to meet people from all over the world and that increases your travel potential and your social capital!

Adjustments

As I think about my time in Arusha so far, there are definitely some adjustments that have to be made, some take a little more time than others but nothing that is that extreme that I can not do it. All in all though, I feel that life, is not that different than life at home. Sure there are things that you have to get used to and we don't have all of the conviences that we do at home but in the grand scheme of things, life is good.

Here are some of the things that I am starting to get used to:
-power outtages (since we know when the power is going to go out, we can plan for them and it is not so bad)
-walking everywhere (great exercise)
-boiling water to drink (I try to fill up on clean/free water here at the UN so we don't have to boil so much at home)
-loud music/ dogs barking
-call to prayer 5 times a day
-people calling me halfcast or Africast (mixed)
-taking a shower using a spray nozzle
-heating up the water before you take a shower
-using Febreeze as a form of washing my clothes
-slow computers at work that take forever to download something
-being able to buy fresh fruit and vegetables on the way home from work at really cheap prices

Here are some things that are a little harder for me to get used to:
-having a housekeeper that comes and cleans our apartment everyday (just feels wierd)
-washing my clothes (mainly underwear and socks) by hand. I am not very good at it and not sure how clean they are really getting. As far as my other clothes are concerned, after a couple of "refreshers" with Febreeze, you can pay the housekeepers to wash them but they don't do women's underwear.
-Little kids who know very limited English but can manage to ask you for money.
-people constantly wanting you to buy something b/c they think you have money.
-guards, police, and sometimes random people (maybe undercover cops) walking around with AK-47s
-smell of trash burning
-pedestrians never getting the right of way (it is kind of scary to cross the street sometimes, especially since the cars are coming from the opposite direction as in the US).
-not being able to eat salad b/c it is washed in unfiltered water. I am hoping that before I leave Tanzania I will have built up my tolerance and be able to eat a salad one day.
- Tanzanian/ Rwandan men that are very persistent and send crazy emails and text messages after meeting them one time. I think I will have to start saying that I am married b/c the "I have a boyfriend" thing doesn't always cut it here.

So those are some of some of the adjustments that are taking place right now. I learn something new each week though so there may be more to come.

Mambo Halfcaste!

"Mambo Halfcaste" is the greeting I received today when I entered the cafe downstairs in the Tribunal. It is basically like saying "What's up Mixed Girl". I relied the standard reply "Poa" meaning cool/good but it kind of took me off guard. I have heard people refer to me as a halfcaste here before but I am still trying to figure out in what context they are using it. They have also referred to my friend here that is Chinese as "China" pronounced "chee-nah". I don't think that it is a derogatory term here but for some reason I keep equating it to the "N word". At the same time, I guess it is a step up from being called "Bruni" meaning white person, as I was referred to in Ghana. I spent my time there trying to convince people that I was black. I haven't had to do that here but it still feels weird for someone just to call you "Halfcaste". I keep thinking back to when I was little and people would call me "Oreo", or "Mutt". I wonder if Obama has ever been called "Halfcaste" in his trips to Africa???????

Food aka "Chakula"

For those of you that were worried that I would not get enough to eat here in Tanzania, I can ease your worries because there is some great food here in Arusha. There are many great restaurants, both local and some owned by other foreigners that have excellent food. We have eaten everything from curry chicken or vegetables with rice or chapati to rice and beans to pizza and burgers. Eating out everyday though can get pretty expensive (well not really when you compare it to U.S. dollars- you can get a good meal for anywhere between 1500-4000 shillings which is between $1.25 and $3.50) but we are trying to make our money stretch as far as we can. So we decided that since we now have a kitchen, we should buy some stuff and cook. That hasn't turned out to be very beneficial for us as of yet, considering that none of us really know how to cook. There in lies the problem. I though I was the only one that was not domestic in the kitchen but apparently my roommates only specialize in 2 dishes themselves. We are unfortunately a part of the microwave generation :) Our first meal at home ended up being rice and chick peas (fortunately I missed out on that one b/c I was sick). Our spaghetti did not turn out well due to the power outtage and last night we were just not in the mood to cook so dinner consisted of a lot of snacking. Tonight, however, we have 2 gentlemen (one older British guy and a younger American) that are having pity on us and have agreed to come a teach us how to cook a meal. They are buying things from the local markets and stores and promised that we will be able to get some ideas for future meals that will help sustain us. We better take good notes!

Power Sharing- a new meaning

I have studied about power sharing alot this past year, mostly in post-conflict situations where there is an agreement to have equal representation (which is debatable) among political parties in a newly established government. Last night, however, I learned about power-sharing in a whole different context. In Arusha, power-sharing literally means sharing power (electricity that is :). Evidently there is not enough power generated within the city to be sustainable for everyone so certain areas of towns experience power outtages on certain days to conserve energy and make sure there is enough to go around. We have heard that there are certain areas of town that hardly ever go without power so there is some suspicion whether this power sharing thing is really for the benefit of all or just for the benefit of some. Needless to say, when the power went out last night from about 6:30pm-9:30pm (right in the middle of us trying to cook dinner and in the middle of my workout) we were not prepared. We ended up with a pot full of soggy noodles and only an hour battery life on the laptop trying to watch Grey's Anatomy. As we tried to come up with other forms of entertainment (i.e. making shadow puppets on the wall, listening to kiswahili lessons on the ipod, and just starring into space), we realized that we need a plan of action for our power sharing days, which we have heard are Mondays and Thursdays. We are starting a list of "Power Outtage Activities" so we welcome any ideas/ suggestions anyone may have.

God is Good

Apparently the call and response phrase "God is Good (all the time) And all the time (God is good)" is a fairly universal phrase. I actually found myself laughing a little yesterday in church when we were saying this as I thought of comedian Ricky Smiley and his infamous church parodies. Yesterday I had the priveledge of officially (in choir robes and everything) singing and dancing with the Efather Choir at Christ Church where we have been attending services. All of the practice paid off as we actually kind of knew what we were doing up there. When the pastor realized that there were new faces in the choir (not hard to do since we stood out pretty easily) he had us introduce ourselves to the whole congregation. It was a little nerve wrecking but everyone was so welcoming that it wasn't so bad. I can't imagine ever doing something like this at a church back home. We had only been to the church twice and were not even members, yet they invited us in for practice and let them sing with them for a Sunday service. They didn't even care if we knew how to sing or not. Now we have also been invited to perform with them next week at another church. I am trying to figure out how to explain that all I initially wanted to do was watch them practice because I really enjoyed seeing them dance and sing but now it seems that they may want us to participate long term. Hmmmm.... we will see how it goes.

K-303 (Human Rights Violation or Place of Peace?)

My office here at the UN is located in the hallway between 2 buildings and I believe it used to be a storage closet (hmmmm sounds like my old office back at D.H. Stanton). Needless to say I was not looking forward to being stuck in the hallway away from everyone else and it is kind fo cold out here. But, I am learning that the grass is not always greener on the other side. My office with the red door (K-303) has actually been a blessing. Being in the hallway kind of attracts a lot of attention and people are always peeping in here trying to see what is going on and why I have been stuck in here. It has been a great way to meet new people from all over the world and from all different professions here at the ICTR. I have met some lawyers, legal analysts, judges, translators, IT guys, and other interns. Already today, I have spoken with a young lawyer from Rwanda, an IT guys from Mauritania, my neighbor is from Madagasgar, and several French guys that work in the video department stop in to pick on me from time to time. Some people just walk by and give me looks of pity (one guy even stated that this was a violation of human rights believe me, its not that bad) but I tell them the office is growing on me and I would rather be here than in a big office with 12 people, which is what some of the other interns have to deal with. Too much drama. So with that said, I will take my little closet of an office with the red door that is cut in half so you have to bend down to open the door and get in and out! It is turning into a place of peace and tranquility where I can listen to music. I have the freedom to be in my own space or choose to share my space if I want.

Choir Practice/ Cardio Workout

Yesterday we attended choir practice again and found in singing and worshipping I actually managed to get a pretty good cardio workout. There are so many movements and dances that accompany the songs of the choir that by the time we were done I was exhausted. It was a lot of fun and again the choir was very welcoming and helped us with the words and dance moves :) We have another practice on Sat. and then our debut on Sunday! I am also learning more about "African Time". I guess that is where "CP time" gets its origins. If choir practice is supposed to start at 5pm, we arrive at 6pm and will be right on time!

Singing Praises

Yesterday we had a chance to attend choir practice at the local church we have been attending. I wanted to go because the choir is always jammin at church and they have choreographed routines that go with their songs. They always look like they are having lots of fun. We were very welcomed and were asked to introduce ourselves, which we did in Kiswahili and were pretty successful. After watching about 2 songs, we were invited to actually join the choir and sing with them. We must have done pretty well, because we were invited to come back on Thursday and Saturday for practice and on Sunday to actually sing with them during church service. I know some of you are probably laughing at the sight of this (3 Americans- 1 muzungu, 1 china girl and 1 half-caste- singing with an African choir) but I am really excited about it and think it will be a great experience. I always wanted to be part of a choir even though I have no vocal talent whatsoever! The lack of talent and knowledge of Kiswahili did not seem to matter to the Efather Choir. They were happy to have us and I was happy to be there!

Judgment Day

Today I sat in on a court session at the UN-ICTR (International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda) where a man was being sentenced for crimes committed during the genocide in Rwanda in 1994. The accused man was a Prefect (somewhat like a mayor) in the town of Kigali and was being tried on 6 counts of genocide. After 49 trial days that involved 53 witnesses, the court was ready to issue a judgment. The man was being accused of encouraging military training, ordering roadblocks, distributing weapons, facilitating the movement of the Interharmwe militia, distributing fuel to the Interharmwe, selecting Tutsi refugees to be killed and being aware of and encouraging the rape of Tutsi women. In some of the cases mentioned above the court found significant evidence and in others, there was not enough evidence to convict him of that specific crime. In the end however, the accused was sentenced to life in prison for genocide, murder and rape related to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
It was very interesting to sit in on a judgment such as this. I have never personally witnessed someone being sentenced to life none the less for a crime such as genocide. It is my hope that this tribunal is really living out part of its mandate which is to send a message for perpetrators that impunity will no longer be tolerated and that the persons responsible for such crimes will be brought to justice. I also have the hope that in the end cases like these will help to deter future crimes on this level when people realize that the international community will no longer allow things like this to happen on its watch. We still have a long way to go in that regard but I think the tribunal is a step in the right direction.

Karibuni!

“Karibuni”, as they say here in Tanzania, “You are most welcome” to my blog and to share in some of my experiences during my time here in Arusha. This blog is an attempt to capture some moments of my experience here to give you a better idea of the “Beautiful Struggle” that is Arusha, Tanzania. I will try to update it weekly so that those who are interested and have the time can keep up with my TIA experiences (This is Africa!)
Our first 2 weeks here have been a mix of new and exciting occurrences combined with one unexpected occurrence. Upon arrival we were greeted by our new house mother and owner of our guest house, “Mama Lydia”. She has taken us in and made me feel comfortable and at home. Our accommodations consist of a small room with 2 twin beds and a small bathroom (water gets everywhere when you take a shower).
The house is within walking distance to the center where we will be studying and the UN-ICTR (International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda) where we are doing our internship. Our walk to work is about a mile and mostly pleasant. We pass a small creek and waterfall (although we have been told to be very careful on the bridge b/c thieves hide under it), the clock tower in the center of Arusha, bats, a mini zoo that has a strange bird that looks like an old man and turtles, and a cultural center.
Our time working with the UN so far has been interesting to say the least. We have met many people from various backgrounds and have had a taste of UN bureaucracy at its finest. We have 2 supervisors that are great to work with and have great personalities. The projects we are working on include the Legacy Project which deals with residual functions that need to continue once the tribunal closes and some capacity building projects which look at training Rwandan lawyers and judges and outreach programs in Rwanda to keep people informed on the progress of the tribunal. Here is a sample of some of the ins and outs of our internship so far:
Day 1- Met our supervisor and got our ID badges J
Day 4- We got our offices (mine is in the hallway and I think it used to be a storage closet- needless to say, it’s a little chilly out there)
Day 5- We got our computers and internet access.
Day 6- We got email addresses, learned that there was a UN shuttle that could take us home (would have been helpful to know before)
Day 7- Went on a mini tour of the building and sat in on a court session
Day 8- Met some other interns and learned that there is a gym that we can use
We never officially got an orientation so we are learning to just piece things together here and there and learn as we go. Hopefully we will not miss out on some things that we could have taken advantage of. Oh, we also learned that there are UN flights to Kigali that we may be able to get on. The only problem is that you are not guaranteed a seat on the flight back b/c they may be bringing witnesses back to Arusha.
Since we have been here, we have met many interesting, delightful and helpful people (both locals and internationals). We met an older guy from the UK that is volunteering here and has some very funny stories about his adjustment to TZ life. We met an Indian guy who grew up in TZ and knows all of the ins and outs of Arusha. We also met a lady from Rwanda what is working for the EAC (East African Community) and her office is located in the center where we will be studying. We meet many locals on the streets that are trying to sell things but are eventually becoming our friends as they learn we will be here for a while and do not want to buy anything right now. It is a good way for us to practice Kiswahili and for them to practice English. Apparently some people here think I am Spanish though. I have also been called “half cast” meaning mixed. We met a great guy through a connection of a former student here that has been helping us look for another place to stay and another guy at church that has been very kind and helping us out.
On the other side, we did have an incident the other night that scared us and showed us another side of Arusha we had not seen. We were in a restaurant with a group of interns and 2 guys came in shooting and robbed the people there. Thankfully me and my crew did not lose much (a little $ and cell phones) but some of the people with us had credit cards, ids, keys, jackets, etc. stolen. We hid under the table, praying that everyone would be safe, as we waited for the men to leave. Thankfully they did after a few minutes (although it seemed like forever) and we were all ok (expect the parrot in the restaurant who was shot- not sure if it was on purpose or accident.)
This incident was such a stark contrast to the rest of Arusha that I have experienced so far that it still seems unreal to me. I could not help thinking though of other people who have been in far worse situations such as during the genocide in Rwanda or with other things that are currently happening in Darfur and Burma that it manages to put it all in perspective for me. Many people have to face this kind of danger on a daily basis and deal with the consequences for much more that a few days, often for a lifetime. In talking to people about our experience the other night there is genuine concern in people’s comments and a sincere apologetic tone. Despite this incident, I continue to be optimistic about my time here and look forward to making the most of this experience. Please continue to keep myself and friends in your prayers and until next time, “Amani” (peace)!