Kwa Heri, Tanzania!

June 28
We learned some new photo techniques today: light tunnel, panning, HDR, panoramic pictures, night photos. And all are tripod activities!

I like the panoramas and night photos the best! I did like five panoramic pictures today, and I looove them.

Night photos didn’t happen until after over On Assignment presentations. Mine was okay--two ladies staying with Pete complimented me--but what I really loved was seeing Hagape again. She had drawn a picture for me with an elephant on it, and each time I picked her up, she would kiss me on the cheek!

We have this game where I say, “Pole sana, dada!” and she says, “I’m soo sorry!” And we just repeat in over dramatized voices. It’s really cute.

She sat with me during the whole presentation, and I gave her an animal rubber band. I let her pick which one she wanted, and she chose a frog! So now she’ll have something to remember me by.

There was a dance party at the same time as night photos. I danced for a few songs, but I liked doing the photos better. I’ll definitely keep doing night shots when I get home.

June 29
It’s our final day in Africa! We spent most of the morning packing and working on our books.

I haven’t really grasped the fact that we’re leaving yet. Even though I’m all packed and we’re leaving in less than thirty minutes, it still hasn’t hit me.

I feel like when I wake up tomorrow morning, I’m going to see the lush scenery, delicious fruits, and wonderful people I’ve seen for the last three weeks. But there’s a little part inside of me--the rational part--that knows differently. I’m not going to see Africa tomorrow, next week, or even in the next year. I hope I will come back sometime, but I know it won’t be soon.

Even though I’m happy to come home, I’m missing Tanzania already. It’s such a different place that it almost seems unreal. Like it doesn’t come from the same place as the United States, even though Western influence is slowly seeping in.

I will miss you so much, Tanzania! Houston, here I come!