Yesterday was very long and led me to poor temper.
I woke up at 5am to get ready for the day because I was told that we were leaving for the field at 7:00 sharp. I left the hotel around 6:30 to ensure that I was on time to work and didn’t hold anybody up. This unfortunately meant that I had to skip breakfast because the hotel only starts serving it at 7:00, and no shops were open so there was nothing I could really do about that.
I got to the office 10 minutes early. I waited, with another one of my coworkers, for an hour for people to show up at the office at 8:00. We then had to wait even longer until nearly 9:00 before we actually left for the field. Every time this happens to me, where I am told a specific time to be somewhere and then I’m the only one actually on time, it really pisses me off at first. But then after a bit of reflection I see a few things more clearly. First, the whole point of this is for me to experience something new, like Tanzanian culture, and embrace it—not get mad at things because they’re different from my way of things. Second, I should have learned by now. Every time this happens, I tell myself that I just need to show up an hour late like everyone else, but it’s very difficult for me to do that. I also don’t want to fall into that habit.
Anyways, we left for the field around 9 and I was hungry and upset that people weren’t on time, and overall just a bit cranky. The mood stayed with me most of the morning and it was pretty hard to shake—I’m not proud to say it if that counts for anything.
However, it was a fun day in the field. A big event is coming up soon and a lot is going on. Yesterday was spent preparing for management to make field visits when they come to Shinyanga, along with some videos taking.
The first site we went to was so we could film someone washing their hands after using the latrine (the latrine usage was staged and not filmed, don’t worry!). It was a site I had been to previously in the week and it was funny feeling familiar with the area.
We then visited a school—I’m not sure what for, but we were there and people were chatting in Swahili. I was able to steal off and go explore the environment. I was surprised to find this rice field—I didn’t think the crop was grown here, I normally associate it with marshy and tropical environments.
Next was this water tower. As I go through the day, keep in mind that I’m sure to be forgetting some places we visited and things we did. I hardly remember going to this massive landmark and am only reminded of it by my camera roll. The day was so busy and I was a little out of it.
We returned back to the office around this point; one of my coworkers had some things to attend to online, so we needed to return with the hour drive back. At this point I was hoping we would have some lunch—I was beginning to really feel my lack of breakfast—but alas, my wish was not granted. We hurried back out into the field.
The day was hot, the road was bumpy, and I was feeling tired for our second go at the field. Thankfully the time passed rather quickly and I was in a better mood. The videographer filmed some more things and I sat, spectating.
We got back to the office around 4:30, I sat down to try and get a bit of work done, then decided it best if I go home. I got back to the hotel and debated finding my first meal of the day or going for a run. It may not seem wise, but I am very grateful that I made the decision to go for a run.
My head had been fogged with a bad mood all day and I’ve found that a good run settles things down a bit. I was right. I came back after my run with a renewed spirit and some good reflection on the day. Despite it being difficult and uncomfortable, I made the most of it and that’s something I can be proud of. Although I wish I was in a better mood, there are often times you can’t control that and you just have to sit with it and do the best you can. Anyways, I got home from the run and had some dinner.
I debated between two of my favorite meals, fries and eggs or fries and chicken, and landed on the latter. I went to sleep after reading for a bit and woke up this morning very well rested. Today has nothing exciting in store, and I should be grateful for the opportunity of some rest.