Small World

There is a lot of second hand western clothing that has been donated in the U.S or in Europe that has found its way to Tanzania. Pretty much any kind of western clothes that you could want you would be able to find here. Pants, shirts, or even big winter coats. I have no idea why they sell big winter coats in a place that almost never gets below seventy, but they do.

Justin and I have seen a lot of shirts from America such as a McDonald's employee shirt,  a boy scout uniform, many proud to be an American or shirts with American flags. However, my all time favorite I saw just the other day.

A man at school was wearing a OU polo. I could not believe it. Hardly anyone here even knows where the state of Oklahoma is. A few people who have kept up with global news know of Oklahoma from the 1995 bombing.  I normally follow saying that I am from the state of Oklahoma with saying that Oklahoma is directly above the state of Texas (Texas seems to have good global awareness).

I don't think this man has ever heard of Oklahoma, much less the University of Oklahoma, but there he was wearing an OU shirt. Sometimes it amazes me how small the world can be. So, to anyone in Norman who donated a polo that had OU Memorial Stadium on the chest and Flinco on the sleeve, know that it is still getting good use here in Tanzania.

Things that remind me how interconnected the world really is:

1. Seeing a special about the Oklahoma Bombing in the Dar Es Salaam Airport.

2. Seeing a Tanzanian man wearing an OU shirt.

3. Hearing a church group singing Trading My Sorrows in English.

4. Listening to Justin Bieber playing on the radio across the street.

5. Knowing what is going on in Mass even when I don't understand most of the Swahili.

-Lauren