Saturday, August 2, 2008

One week and counting

I've really started to get used to this place.

Time has a funny way of speeding up and slowing down for me. When I'm dreading a deadline (such as when I was preparing for my 3rd year exam just before I came here) the weeks fly by. When I'm looking forward to something (such as when I would wait for Kiana's visits to Seattle or my visits to Fairbanks during our long-distance engagement) I count the days and hours and minutes and everything drags. When I'm busy, time flies. When I'm bored, time drags. This trip has had all of the above, plus some new factors.

On August 1st, Zev and I both found it hard to believe that we'd spent the entire month of July in Tanzania. I remember July 4th very clearly because it was a rather eventful day, and it seems like a very long time ago. I remember arriving in Tanzania on June 10, how excited I felt and how strange everything was. That seems forever ago. I've only been at Kibosho Catholic Hospital for three weeks, yet it sometimes feels like I've always been here. When I left Seattle, it seemed my return would be in the far distant future.

On the other hand, to realize that I have only 5 more working days at Kibosho comes as a bit of a shock. Have I really been gone so long? Could so much time already have passed? Most of the other EWH students will be home in America inside of 10 days. Before I came, I couldn't imagine what it would be like to be here in Tanzania. Now, I can't imagine what it will be like to be home again. Pole pole (slowly), hamna shida (no problems), TIA (this is Africa) will no longer apply. I'll have work waiting for me when I land in Seattle, work that can fit into schedules and to-do lists and that will require multi-tasking and will not stop twice a day for tea.

Still, I have 5 days. We've got needs finding interviews to do, an inventory to polish off, a few more instruments to fix, some quick start manuals to write in Swahili, and who know what else will pop up? Between all that and having drinks with our Tanzanian friends a few more times, this week will fly by. But that's okay. Kiana gets here in 1 week, and then I get to show her this country I've gotten to know for the last two months. I hope those two weeks that she's here go pole pole.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

The months do seem to fly by at times. What you have been doing is amazing, it makes me a little bit jelous...that is until I remember that I have been having fun too. I love you lotsand hope that your last couple of days go well!