Sunshine and Research Papers

Day 25 (7/12):

Today starts our fourth week here, and our last week of classes. Isn’t that crazy? It’s still mind-blowing to me that I’ve been here for three full weeks. Wow.

After such a fun-filled and exciting weekend, getting back to class was kind of a let down. We’re winding down our discussions and starting to think about our final exam. The term paper is due on Friday, and everyone is starting to feel the crunch of editing, revising, and getting that done.

I, like the committed and wonderful student I am, hadn’t really started working on the paper. It’s interesting that with how little there is to do here, I seem to find myself with a million little tasks that prevent me from buckling down and banging it out. All joking aside, I started working on it, reading the research I’d collected and forming a structure for my paper.

My thesis statement reads: “This paper aims to explore the idea that patriarchal cultural norms and values take precedence in East Africa and Tanzania and supersede, undermine, and restrict the basic human rights afforded to women by the abovementioned international, continental, and national charters. We also seek to use the United Republic of Tanzania’s Constitution and Law of Marriage Act of 1971 as an example of what rights are and are not protected for women within an East African country.” I think it’s a solid thesis statement.

I’m proud of it and excited for my professor to read it and grade it. Other than spending the afternoon avoiding and then working on my paper, I didn’t do a whole lot. Emily and I had a really good, deep discussion at one point. I really like talking to her, and Libby. A lot of the way we think is really similar, and at the same time I feel like there are enough differences that I’m always learning from them.

After dinner, I went over to Alex and Katy and Katie’s apartment. Rachel, Jenny, Amran, Katie, Alex and I watched the first half of Freedom Writer’s. Rachel and I were pretty tired and ready for bed so we agreed we’d finish it the next night.

I got back to the apartment and just hung out with Libby until bed. We talked and laughed a lot about silly little things. It’s a fun atmosphere in E4.


Day 26 (7/13):

I figured that without the internet, I might be able to focus a little better on my paper in class. Obviously I still paid attention, but I was able to get a large portion of my first draft written and I feel good about it.

After class I went to lunch with Katy and we talked about boys and the trip and just life in general. She’s another person I’m really glad I met while here. I feel like a large part of what makes this trip so worthwhile are the people I’ve met and the friendships I’ve made.

We got back and decided to work on our paper’s together in the computer lab in the lobby building, but that didn’t work out because the internet was unbearably slow. Katy got frustrated and just decided to make use of the fast, shady, internet that she gets in her apartment. After struggling with the internet in the lab, I followed and spent the afternoon working on my paper with Katy and Katie. It is insane how spoiled I am with lightning fast internet at home. I don’t think I’ll ever complain again about how slow I might think it is!

After getting 95% of my draft done, I couldn’t write any more and went back to my room. I tried to read some more Chronicles of Narnia, but fell asleep. I’ve never napped while here because it wasn’t worth compromising possibly an entire night of sleep just for a little while during the day, but the nap I took was awesome. It was soooooo restful. I got up around 6:15 and had a glass of wine with Emily. We chatted until dinner and then headed down together.

Libby had been at the Center all day working on her paper and didn’t get back until right before dinner. Afterwards, all three of us went back to the apartment, and while Libby worked out, Emily and I switched off reading chapters of Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe out loud to each other.

After doing that for a little while, I decided to go finish Freedom Writer’s with Rachel and Jenny. Such a good movie. We finished the movie and headed back to our respective apartments.

I was a little nervous about not being able to fall asleep, but with a little help from my handy “sleep” playlist on my iPod, I was fine.

Love and Miss you all!

Colleen