The Best Birthday!

Nobody likes to go to school on their birthday, right? WRONG!  Being the nerd that I am, my whole life I have wanted to spend my birthday at school with my friends, passing out cake, juice, and goodie bags but having a summer birthday denied me that bliss my whole life…until now. Because of the year round school system in Tanzania, I was blessed enough to be at school with the most loving and generous children I know. Even yesterday, students were already excited for my birthday today, reminding me every chance they got, because of course now that I am 23 and old in their minds, I would have forgotten my own birthday.

My whole life I have also always wanted a surprise party but never got it….until now. I spent the morning before the first bell sitting at my desk concentrated on writing lessons plans for tomorrow, all the while not knowing that my first class (English Standard 3A), was hard at work in their classroom writing birthday wishes and drawing cakes  on the blackboard. When I got to the class, the door was closed, which confused me because it is never closed. When I opened the door, every student jumped up out of their desk and Godfrey (a favorite student of mine) flicked on the lights and they yelled “SURPRISE!” in unison. They immediately began singing “Happy Birthday” and beaming at me with their perfect little smiles. It has absolutely been the best birthday I could ever ask for. I handed out stickers and chocolate (and extra stickers to my Muslim students who are fasting for Ramadan) and read them “Barbar and the Wully-Wully,” one of my favorite books from when I was their age.

And just when I thought that would be it, I was wrong! At the end of the day, I was finishing up a meeting and preparing to go home when a student in Standard 4 ran up to me exclaiming, “Teacher! Teacher! Teacher Bethany is calling you!” So together, we ran down to the classroom where Beth was orchestrating something with her Dance Club students. Suddenly they all started clapping and stomping in rhythm and started singing “Happy Birthday Teacher Leena! Congratulations!” It was the greatest end to the most perfect birthday ever...who said that going to school on your birthday is not fun? 'Cause it was the best!

Karibu tena, Barack Obama!

On July 1^st, the President of the United States visited the United Republic of Tanzania. As cool as it is to say that I was in Tanzania when my homeboy Barack made his first appearance here, I can’t help but also be a little skeptical of some things I noticed surrounding the hype of his visit. I have spoken with a few Tanzanians about their opinion on the matter and the responses varied. On a very surface level, for the days leading up to his arrival, random people, upon seeing us white girls, would call out to me and my community mates saying, “Obama atakuja! (Obama is coming!)” They did not say it callously, they were simply stating a fact and seemed excited for us.

A good friend of mine who is Tanzanian described Obama as ‘a simple, yet strong, man’. And that is a president I can be proud of (not to mention the picture I saw in the newspaper of him dancing to traditional music with a smile on his face upon his arrival at the airport. Gotta love a guy who can dance without shame). I am glad to know that our president is seen in a positive light in other parts of the world. People in Tanzania generally love Obama. But there are larger issues here surrounding his visit than simply his personal character. Some people speculate that his visit was intended to ensure good relations between our countries because of oil that was recently discovered somewhere in Tanzania…is Obama simply covering his bases in case things get worse in the Middle East and they cut us off for good? I don’t know. Was he really here for the benefit of Tanzanians, especially in regards to power supply, something that is by no means sufficiently provided? Again, I don’t know. (It’s probably important to note here how unreliable news sources in TZA can be sometimes. And without regular access to the internet or a television, it can be difficult for me to distinguish fact from fiction through nothing but second hand accounts and explanations).

Regardless of his reasons for coming, many people were more concerned and infuriated with how the Tanzanian government prepared for the POTUS’s visit.  Let’s just say that no one has seen the city or the streets that clean probably, well, EVER. Sidewalks were installed; main roads were repaired and cleaned of all debris. Every light post was adorned with a brand new American flag, Tanzanian flag, a giant poster of a smiling Obama, and the words “Karibu tena, Barack Obama! (President Barack Obama, Welcome again to Tanzania!)” They even changed the name of an existing road from Ocean Road to Obama Road. The issue here is that if the government can get their act together and clean the city for Obama’s two day visit, why can’t they do it every day for the people who live here?! I received a text from my friend on the eve of Barack’s arrival which read, “I am so happy your President is coming because the city is so clean!...for now at least.” One of the main roads that was used by Obama is usually lined on both sides by vendors selling everything from vegetables to plumbing parts. BUT in preparation for Mr. President, the police came in the morning to warn all the vendors that they had until the evening to pack up their businesses, their livelihoods, and disappear from the area completely, at least until after Obama departed the country. Those individuals who did not comply were forced out…their goods taken by the police and loaded into a truck, not to be returned or seen again. All this simply so Obama would not see the crowds of people selling things on the street. My question then is, “Did Obama see the real Tanzania?” From my limited knowledge and secondhand stories, I think I could say the answer is “probably not.”

When Obama was visiting the power plant about two miles from my house, I wish he had driven there via the road I live on, then he would have seen the real Tanzania. I realize he is a busy man, running the free world is probably pretty time consuming, but I don’t think he was here long enough to fully understand the reality of this place. As I sat in my living room on the morning of July 2^nd, listening to the police helicopters and what I assumed was Air Force One take off, I couldn’t help but wonder to myself, “What did Obama really witness in the short 36 hours he was here?”

I hope Obama takes those banners displaying “Karibu tena (welcome again)” to heart and will return again and again to learn more about this place I have come to love and call home.