Friday evening we arrived at Sultani's Place around 4pm. At 5pm, our coordinator asked all the volunteers and local teachers to come together for some personal assessment. Each individual was asked to record the number hours they taught each day, which caused friction between some co-teachers. We were also asked to anonymously share our "rants" and "raves" on a few different issues. Since some people had rants about others, there was definitely some tension in the air, not to mention we were trying to write anonymously while surrounded by colleagues. It seemed that for many people involved, the weekend was kicking off with some friction.
Next, we were assigned to small groups to assess common issues that should be addressed in Saturday's conference. Again, this caused some heated conversations. Many local teachers see the volunteers as an infringement on their teaching routine. Some also view the volunteers as being spoiled, considering we have people that cook and clean for us. However, many of the teachers didn't realize the steep price the international volunteers paid to have such accommodations. Lucky for me, my local teachers have never showed any of these judgements. I hope for the other volunteers that the conference helped clear some of the tensions.
To help our steaming minds and rumbling bellies, we were served a delicious buffet. We chose from garlic macaroni, steamed veggies, beef stew, and juicy fruit salad. It's amazing how simple these foods are, yet how rare they are allowed into our diet. After devouring our meals, the international girl volunteers wandered to Tara's room to catch up and vent about our struggles. Much needed!
Saturday morning we woke up to another delicious buffet. Only one item was a little curious to me. I wasn't aware that any culture considers hot dogs a breakfast item! After breakfast, we immediately picked up with our conference. The day went smoothly, clearing up confusion on some issues and breaking into teams to troubleshoot others. At the end of the day, I think everybody felt significantly more relieved than the day before. Again, we were treated to a delicious Americanized buffet for lunch, which then also called for a follow up nap. Typically our weekend days do consist of a nap at some point, but this weekend the nap was even harder to resist. At Sultani's Place, we are each given our own personal bungalow, equipped with running water, AC, and even cable TV. After flipping on Bicentennial Man, sleep was inevitable!
After our naps, we ventured into the market to browse before heading to another nearby resort for dinner. The resort, Kumbilio, is a beautiful waterfront resort, also recently owned by Sultani. Again, the property consists of many personal bungalows, some right on the sand. I was bummed to be missing the deluxe buffet, however Kumbilio surpassed my expectations by far! For our first course, we were served pumpkin soup with toasted bread. Next, beef and mushrooms doused in gravy. Our third course, a small Greek salad and roasted potatoes. This course was also accompanied by a three foot fish, garnished with spices, tomatoes, and onions. While I'm typically hesitant to eat any course I feel staring at me, this one looked too good to turn down! At the end of the three courses, we could all hardly breathe we were so stuffed! However, no one dared to turn down the crepe desert!
The day had been long and productive. While much of our time was dedicated to work, the moments of relaxation were well worth it. Catching up with the other volunteers and indulging in the westernized delicacies made Tanzania feel more like a vacation destination for once. However, more than all the added luxuries, I have to say the best part of Saturday was my few minutes to call home. Based on time and money, I have only been able to touch base with my aunt briefly a couple times. Finally, I was able to fill her in on specific details of my journey. What a perfect way to end the day!
After another restful, and cool, night's sleep, everyone woke up on Sunday feeling fully rejuvenated. Again we were met with extravagant breakfast and lunch buffets. In between, we took advantage of our final hours of luxury by showering, napping, and even catching up with the Kardashians. Luckily, we departed with news that we will again return to Sultani's in four weeks. I for one, will be counting down the days!
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