In two weeks from now I’ll be on a flight from Seattle to Amsterdam (a 9.75 hour flight) on my way to Moshi. I am unbelievably excited! I’ve been talking with a girl who is starting on the same date as I, and it is such a relief to feel like I’ll “know” someone there already! I am particularly excited to go on Safari! I think I (finally) have all of my supplies I’ll need, though I’m sure I’ll forget something! I feel like I’m bringing an absurd amount of stuff…but for three months that’s probably a good thing! Learning Swahili is going polepole (slowly), I sort of expected to be able to learn more, I’ve been studying a few hours everyday and making some progress but many of the grammar rules are quite confusing, for example nouns can belong to 16 different classes! Hopefully I’ll come back conversationally fluent! For now I know mostly “useful” phrases, such as greetings (Hujambo, Habari gani?) where are things (choh iko wapi-where is the bathroom), and emergency type phrases (Saidia!! Help, Hapana, No,Hospitali iko wapi-where’s the hospital), and several other random, and probably less useful phrases (sigundua kofia yangu!-I can’t find my hat.)

Some Swahili words we already knew (thank you lion king!)
Simba: lion
Hakuna Matata: No Problem
Safari: Trip
Rafiki: Friend
Nala: Gift
Pumba: Simpleton
Serafina: Bright Star
Mufasa (proper name) was reportedly the name of the last king of the Bagada people, who were dispersed during the English colonization of Kenya.

And this song!
Imba wimbo wa upepo
wakati unajiwa na
Imba wimbo wa upepo
wakati ndoto tamu

Lala mpaka usiku uisheni
upepu wa usiku wimbo wakona
Wimbu Wangu Unendelea
Imba wimbo wa upepo
wakati unajiwa na
Imba wimbo wa upepo
wakati ndoto tamu

Lala mpaka usiku uisheni
upepu wa usiku wimbo wakona

Upepu wa usiku wimbo wakona

Unaendelea milele

(Sing a song
And for a moment
You will be visited by the wind

Sing a song
And for a moment
Dream sweetly of the wind

Sleep now until the night is dawn
The wind and the night song, they are there
However the song, my child, will go on forever.)

Na Upendo, Kutoka Afrika ya Mashariki (with love, from east africa)