And Sarah Has Landed...

Almost speechless, I greet you from Dar es Salaam!! Almost speechless because there is so much I'm taking in: Swahili, a storeroom full of 3rd grade curriculum, new relationships, temperature increase, bajajis and dala dalas (not dalai lamas) for transportation... lots!!

...So much so that I keep forgetting to take photos. I will get there, but for now I offer three photos and a little update.

The Flight... went very smoothly. I got in some reading, then went in to my "traveling zone," where I'm pretty happy to look out the window and ponder which beverage to order when the stewards next come. Not much sleep though, in the 40+ hours of travel, so I roamed Amsterdam in a trance during my layover.

Arrival... perked me up! All the colors! The beautiful skirts! Bananas on heads! Palms waving and vendors shouting! I actually felt more culture shock in Amsterdam, with the red light district and street canals, than in Dar. Mexico and Bolivia have similar sights, smells, and sounds.
  

Me & My Mosquito Net
photo courtesy of my artful roommate Shelly



The Hotel... We are staying at Jangwani, a luxury hub with a generator during the day while the electricity is out, two pools, access to the Indian Ocean, and breakfast each morning. However, my new house-mates and I are considering moving into our house early, so we can get used to it. I'm praying for wisdom.

The School... I've been to Haven of Peace Academy (HOPAC) twice. No photos because I was distracted by all the new. Darla, another teacher, gave a tour and lots of insight from 17 years in Kenya/Tanzania, which was an act of Providence, as I had some burning questions about curriculum and life in Dar. My classroom is tiled and has a long row of windows looking toward the playground and a baobab tree.

And now for that third photo... Is it a leaf? Is it a moth? No, it's Super Leaf-Moth!