And Back

As my internship has ended and the emphasis has shifted from the “to Dar” to “and back”, this is my last post.

On Sunday, I got a bird’s eye view of Dar, as my plane glided over it on the way to Nairobi and, ultimately, to London. My last look at Dar left me feeling slightly sad to be leaving the life I had created in Dar, my co-workers and my friends. It also instantly erased my memory of the little irritations and inconveniences that were part and parcel of being in Dar. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed being in Dar and I’m going to miss its distinctive, quirky attributes, such as the call to prayer in the early morning, the mishmash of Indian, Muslim and Tanzanian culture, and the open friendliness of Tanzanians.

Being somewhat inspired by the recent Oscars, I would like to send a big thank you to some of the people that made it possible for me to be in Dar and to make the most of my experience there. These people include my family who provided me with emotional support, as I found my feet in Tanzania and when I had unexpected, Tanzanian moments; Cristiano, who shared all the bumps and the fun of being in Dar; and, Al Cook, the CBA Program Director, who put things in perspective. I can almost hear the music starting to play so I’m going to end it there. Needless to say, there are many other people who contributed to me having a great internship.

For any one interested in participating in the CBA’s internship, please visit the CBA’s Young Professionals International Program at http://www.cba.org/cba/idp/yiip/.