Scottie's Birthday and Snake Park

This week Scottie turned 30 and I wanted to make sure Scottie had a birthday to remember, even though we couldn't celebrate like we might at home.

I woke Scottie up on his birthday morning with cake for breakfast in bed. I gave him an African beer shirt and a homemade card as his gift (it's no ipad, but hey, TIA). At school, the children made cards for Scottie, and we had a small party with dancing and musical chairs. For dinner, Scottie and I went to a really nice restaurant that had delicious food. It was nice to indulge ourselves for a little bit and Scottie loved his (properly cooked!) steak. When we got home, Scottie asked Zaki, the Massai guard who watches our house, to give him a Massai burn. Burns are a tradition in the Massai tribe; they are a circle-shaped brand that are given to the Massai men as a part of coming-of-age. Zaki has one on each of his cheeks. As volunteers, it is sort of a bonding ritual to get a burn from Zaki. Scottie decided to get his on his back, right next to his tattoo. After a few drinks, Scottie asked Zaki to heat up the instrument and like a champ, Scottie was all smiles while receiving his burn. Zaki wanted to give me one afterwards as well, but I said no way! All in all, I think Scottie's birthday in Africa was a memorable one.

Scottie with his new shirt and birthday cake.

Heating up the brander...

EEE. Look at it sizzle!

Branded!

Later this week we are going to go out and celebrate Scottie's birthday at a local bar with some friends. It won't be the same as a birthday party at home, but I hope it will be equally memorable (or not memorable, in Scottie's case?)!

On Wednesday, we went to the "Snake Park" with our friend Kathryn and one of her classes that only consists of four children. Kathryn rented a dala for the day (a reliable one) and we picked up the kids at school and from there drove to the Snake Park. The kids were excited to ride in a dala and drive past the small, Arusha airport. I don't know if any of them have seen an airplane before!

The snake park was super cool! A guide took us around and told us about the snakes in each cage. We got to see cobras, anacondas (along with pictures of one that had swallowed a human whole, ew), and the dreaded black mamba! The park also had turtles, owls, a vulture, a baboon that would shake your hand, crocodiles, and lizards. The children each got to hold a snake and put it around their necks, which was a cool experience for them as well as the teachers. After getting to see all the reptiles, we got a quick tour of the Massai museum, which depicted Massai villages and their people in different stages of life, and at different times of the year. Then--the highlight of the field trip--the kids got to ride a camel! I assumed the camels would be the ones from the petting zoos at home, but these were real, tall African camels! The kids loved riding them and so did us adults. The field trip to the Snake Park was super fun. Kathryn did an amazing job organizing everything and it was a great experience for us to see her students getting so much enjoyment out of something that we might take for granted at home...

Fat Stanley and I checking out the Green Mambas

Scottie with a snake as a tie

30 years old and still acting like a kid!

Camel ride!

This week also marks the halfway point of our trip. It's been interesting looking back on the past six weeks and thinking about how our lives have changed since we've been here. It feels like ages ago we were in Minnesota preparing to start our adventure.
In the last few weeks Scottie and I have reflected a lot on how fortunate we are to be here. We are so lucky to have had the opportunity to come to Africa to volunteer, and every day we feel so grateful to be going through this amazing experience together. Additionally, we have realized how much we take our lives at home for granted, and how good we have it both here and at home. The comforts of home will feel a million times better once we return from this trip.

On the flip side, there are still some thing we are working on while we are here. I especially still struggle to figure out how we can truly help the children at our school. Earlier this week, we met with our director and discussed the priorities of each classroom with her, in hopes of being better able to plan relevant lessons and activities for the children. I think Scottie and I have so many ideas of ways to help the children, but we need help narrowing them down to a few realistic ones. We hope that in the next six weeks we'll be able to make some sort of substantial change in the lives of some or all of our students as well as help to make some improvements to St. Dymphnas.

Interestingly, this week was the first week I felt truly adjusted to our life here in Arusha. I don't know if six weeks is maybe what it takes to fully accept the lifestyle here, or if I finally got over that hanging-on-to-home feeling, but I feel like the next month will go a lot smoother than the last one now that I am accepting our lives here a little more. Arusha is definitely not a glamorous or easy place to live, but I know that I can make the best of it for a little while at least.

We miss you all back home!
Much love,
Laura and Scottie