The Adventures of Ol' Gap Tooth

On the way to Amsterdam, I stupidly used my teeth to try to open a package of cheese. The package had clear instructions to “tear hear”. However, in my infinite stupidity, I decide to bite into the plastic, and “pop!” out comes my false tooth. So, in Amsterdam we realize we cannot get it fixed. So I scare people away with my gap-toothed smile. (See first picture below!) I’m sure no-one believed I was an American, because what American would go around without a tooth! Maybe they thought I was British or Dutch! So we arrive at the school on a Friday. Jean and Marv, (our friends here, who used to be our professors at LBI, now long term missionaries here at MGLSS) advised me to go to Arusha on that following Monday to try to get it fixed there. I say fine, I’ll take the Dala Dala. This is the public transportation that everyone takes here. It costs 1000 schillings one way, which in American dollars is less than one dollar. So I get up very early and walk into Monduli, the closest village to the girls’ school, and catch a Dala Dala into Arusha. (I will take a picture of the Dala Dala, as soon as I can, so that you can see one; for now you will have to imagine one for yourself.) Imagine a van, like a VW van, with four bench seats packed into the back. Imagine cramming your big, Norwegian-American frame into a tiny space with your knees pushing painfully against the back of the next bench seat. Then, imagine 20-30 other people crowding into the van after you. Some are sitting on the bench with you (4-5 folks per tiny bench) and some (5-10) are standing, crouched up near the door. Imagine this unbelievably overloaded van, careening on a pot-hole ridden road, pulling over to let people on and off as you ride the hour long Dala, Dala journey from Monduli to Arusha-town. Once I arrived, I navigated through the streets with no signage, armed with my map, and with some local help, arrived at the Selian Lutheran Hospital to see the dentist there. After a wait and morning devotions (!), I was ushered into the dentist, who very kindly told me he could not help me because he did not have the proper equipment. He directed me to another dentist and told me to take a taxi. I walked out, intimidated by the idea of finding a taxi. What if I hired a false taxi and was robbed? Well, I stopped at a hotel, and found a taxi. He drove me faithfully to the required place. I then walked into the dentist. I paid 20000 Tsh up front (approximately $20 USD) and then went into the dentist. She was very nice. I showed her my broken bridge. She said I should really get an implant (okay--I've now been told by many dentists, I will get an implant at my earliest opportunity!) but she would not spend any more money on this bridge. She then by hook and by crook, using filling materials, put my bridge back into my mouth. It cost only $90 USD, which is a steal! You could never get that done in the States for that price! It has now lasted two weeks, and I am being EXTREMELY careful to not bite with it. I hope it will last the rest of my time here. Here is a picture of me with my bridge back in my mouth:

But the adventure was not over yet! I went to get a Dala Dala back to Monduli. I had been told to make sure to ask the DRIVER: Monduli??? I asked people on the Dala Dala and they said, " Yes, yes, Monduli" The van itself had Monduli written on the front of the van...Needless to say, I soon found myself out in the middle of nowhere, in some village that was clearly NOT Monduli. I was transferred unceremoniously to another Dala Dala, which sat in this place for a very long time. I realized that knowing how to say hello, how are you, good-bye is not really helpful when you are in a jam. So I sat there, praying that I would get back to some familiar place unharmed. I kept hearing "Mzungu" (white person) blah, blah, blah...Ha-ha-ha...Very disconcerting. However, finally, we returned back to Arusha, a man put me on the correct Dala Dala, I made sure with the driver: MONDULI!!! And eventually, I was back to home sweet home. What a day!