Blue Moon of Tanzania

Buses, Trains and Mushrooms

2011-09-22T22:39:00.000-07:00

As an environment volunteer, I have heard many times that the second year is the best. Projects within your village begin to develop; there are opportunities for travel; and basically, an overall better feeling of knowing what you are doing. So far this has held true for me.

When I first decided to do Peace Corps, I thought ‘what’s two years in the whole scheme of life?’ Then I got here and thought ‘oh no, that’s 24 months…

26 including training…what was I thinking?!’ In my American-constant-fast-forward-mode, I could not understand why we do not just move-in, bang out a few improvements and then return to the wonderful land of hot showers and 44 choices of peanut butter at the grocery. Now I cannot believe I have only one more year to get things done. With the cultural and language barriers, the first year really does help to develop the relationships and trust required if you want any hope of making a sustainable difference.

So that’s where I am mentally. It’s been too long since my last post because physically I have been much more ‘shagalabagala’ or crazy and messy! There has been lots of travel, lots of fun and lots of really bad internet connections. When I have been in my village, I have been trying to focus more on interacting with my villagers and getting away from the mind frame of wondering what’s going on in America. Here is a few brief updates on the past couple months…

SOFT-SERVE ICE CREAM!
In July I traveled with other PCVs in the Mbeya region to the neighboring Iringa region for a new type of meeting the PC staff have added this year. Tanzania may be a fraction of the size of the US but the environment and land is just as varied. Regional meetings have been set-up to help those of us facing the same issues come together to discuss what we are doing and how it’s working. I really enjoyed this set-up and got a lot out of it. PLUS, Iringa has an Italian man who has opened a soft-serve ice cream shop!

NEW CLASS
July also started the new school term. My standard 6 students had been studying environment since I started teaching last September, so I decided this was a good time to switch them over to Life Skills. PC has a great manual for teaching Life Skills which includes lessons on HIV/AIDS, decision making and communications. The head teacher liked it so much I was able to add on a Life Skills class for the standard 7 class in addition to keeping my environment class for standard 5.

I have been so proud of the 5 girls I took to our Girls Empowerment Conference! They have really stepped up and helped teach without much embarrassment or nervousness about touchy issues like HIV/AIDS and condoms.

DON’T YOU WANT TO CHECK MY POOP?
August was my one year mark for living in the vill! My training class gathered in Dar es Salaam for our Mid-Service Conference. Making it to MSC felt like such a huge accomplishment and none of us could believe it was already time for it. Sessions were held to update us on policies and procedures. We also had physicals and dental exams. I was relieved to be get the check up but strangely disappointed they did not test my poop…found out later I had to ask for that. Noted for my Close of Service med exam.

Besides all the good food and good visits with friends I had not seen in months, a big highlight was traveling back by train! Every time I go to Mbeya town from my vill I pass by the train station and had really wanted to take the train somewhere. A class of education PCVs were having their COS conference in Dar as well so I got to travel with a few friends from that group.

The train is really inconsistent on times so we decided it best to take it back from Dar when we would not have to be somewhere by certain time. This was really smart as we ended up with engine problems and sat for over 5 hours waiting on a new one! But the great thing about the train is having to sit is not so bad. We had our cabin to hang out in, watch movies off our computers, food from the restaurant car and -my favorite- a BATHROOM! So it didn’t matter how much water I drank. Whereas on a bus, you are at the mercy of when the driver wants to pull off the side of the road so you can use a bush.

I could write tons more on this trip but, alas, time and space are limited so you’ll have to wait for the book on this one.

MUSHROOMS…No NOT Those Kind
You may have read a past post about the mama group I was working to start. That group has…well, been a frustration to say the least. Women in the village are so busy it can be hard to convince them the benefits of joining a group. At times it feels like the ones who do attend are just there to see what and how much free stuff they can get out of me.

Luckily, I have found there is already a group of women meeting in my village. Don’t ask how I did not know there was already a group…still a bit embarrassed on that. But it’s common for PCVs to learn these type things later than expected. Again, that first year of learning culture and language really does come in handy!

This group is exactly what I was hoping to create. They meet weekly about agriculture issues and already have the officer structure and leadership established. They are also really interested in having me TEACH them not just hand out money. So I am quite excited.

They have started a small edible mushroom crop and want help to enlarge it. Just by going through the mushroom info I received from PC I was able to show them a couple improvements to how they are growing them from bags. They really need a small house built of straw and bamboo to be able to add water to the air. So I am looking into writing a grant application through PC to help fund the project. I’d been a bit if-y about grants because I’m the first in my area and they are still learning PC comes in to teach not provide money. But I feel this is different since it’s a project they have already started and put their own money into as well. More on that to come!

GETTING INVOLVED
In America I loved being involved in organizations and having lots of things going. So to help fill that need of my personality, I have been really trying to get more involved within PC. I am really excited to have been elected as the Mbeya region representative on the Volunteer Advisory Council. VAC is basically like student government. It meets three times a year in Dar, and reps bring up issues from their region.

I am also really excited to have been selected as a PCV Facilitator for the next training of environment volunteers! During 5-6 wks of the 9 wks of training before being placed in a village, current PCVs are chosen to spend a week helping with training and facilitating sessions on subjects they are particularly involved. I really relied a lot on starting my Environment Education in my primary school to help integration into my village, even though we did not receive training on EE until a later training. So I am going to help lead sessions on EE so those like me who want to get more involved earlier have more info on how to go about it.

That’s it for now! I promise to get another post up soon...well, I promise to try anyway :)

Ode to My iPod: An Eulogy

2011-07-21T10:27:00.001-07:00

Recently I was parted with my iPod. I have been adjusting to a life without it ever since. I’m not going to lie. There have been some very hard, long empty hours. Most friends are valued for their ability to listen. However, I valued this friend because in a village of Swahili speakers my iPod spoke to me in English and never expected me to always reply back. My iPod had the ability to transport me back to American for 3-4 minutes at a time. It could motivate, delight, thrill and entertain.

I am very lucky some VERY awesome friends back in Paducah are joining forces to send me another one. I hope they understand how thankful I am for their love and support. But before I can say hello to a new iPod, I must give one final good-bye. For during this new found free mental time, I came up with a little poem…..

Me and My iPod
Oh, how I recall first seeing thee-
You so bright green and shiny,
Me so new to the wonders of your technology.

Together we flew across the Atlantic
For adventures we did seek!
How you comforted when I was first meek!

Courtyard dancing to Vanilla Ice and Black Eyed Peas,
Celebrating our survival with macaroni and cheese-
How dear I hold these memories!

Did we part due to hands of another or my own?
The answer to this I have not known.
If only my dreams had foreshown!

Then we’d still be like two peas in a pod,
Me and my iPod.

Sikuku Kimarekani: July 4th

2011-07-13T06:21:00.000-07:00

Who could have guessed a 4th of July without fireworks would end up as one of the best ever? This year I spent the holiday on the shores of Lake Malawi at Matema Beach, where the lake borders the Mbeya region.

The trek getting there is crazy! The last time we went we had to change buses three times- each one getting a bit worse than the previous. This time there were enough of us to rent our own dala for the last half of the trip. We were all quite excited about this until we hit our first bump in the road.

After about 30 minutes on the road, our driver was held back at a regulation road block for the equivalent of driving with expired tags. This took another 30 minutes to take care of.

Then not long after we turned from paved roads onto the mix of dirt and large gravel common for rural roads, we got a flat tire. The driver immediately took the tire and hopped a ride on a passing truck back to the closest town about 30min away….3 hours later he returned! After all this, we still arrived about one hour quicker than public transportation!

Matema is a popular vacation spot for PCVs in my area because it’s basically village beside a beach. This means it is super cheap. Seriously, if you are ever traveling through a country with PC, find the volunteers. No one knows better how to travel cheaply and get the most bang for a buck! Village restaurants sell basically two things: rice & beans and chipsi myai (a tasty fried egg and potato meal that I’ll post the recipe for later). We stay at a nice Lutheran Center with rooms holding two bunk beds. If you cannot take another meal of village fare, you can get some of the best pizza in TZ at the Lutheran Center’s restaurant.

Swimming in sedentary water like a lake is not recommended due to schisto, a disease from snails. But we know many who have swam here and not gotten it. Plus, it’s curable by pill so worth a few days of swimming fun.

We were able to work in a few American pastimes including our version of baseball- beach wiffle ball. To play the batter hits from the beach and then has to swim the bases. It’s quite fun; I highly recommend!

The big highlight of the trip was hiking to a waterfall. I was again surprised by the difference in what a “hike” means here. Hiking back home means basically following a nice worn path through a forest. The biggest fear is running out of drinking water. Here hiking means that plus some death defying factors. The biggest fear is being able to hold on to your drinking water while scaling large boulders and leap frogging rocks across a raging stream.

Ok, I am exaggerating….but just a little! At one point, I seriously lost my footing and was hanging from a root. There was not a path, just little notches in the rock. Our guide had to take and place my feet where it needed to go. Couple times he even had to brace his own foot on the rock for us to step on!

Then when I got to the bottom I was still a bit freaked so he got on his hands and knees for me to step on his back and lower me to ground level. No joke! I really did not need that much help, but I still appreciated it! The waterfall was definitely worth the scare. I had never gotten to swim in one before so it was amazing.

On the way back from the hike, some of the gang were able to buy half a pig off a villager. They then built a pit at the beach for it to cook in. So we even got bbq on the day of the 4th. Though call me crazy, but I have never attended a BBQ in Kentucky where we all stood around the pig sharing utility knives to cut off meat!

Celebrating 50 Years

2011-07-13T06:05:00.001-07:00

The Sunday after our Girls Conference I had to hightail it back to Mbeya town to catch an early Monday morning bus to Dar es Salaam for the TZ 50th Anniversary Celebration of Peace Corps. I was really excited to be attending- not only had I had to apply to attend but also TZ was one of the very first countries to receive Peace Corps Volunteers.

Activities began Wed morning with a round table discussion between the 32 PCVs in attendance and Peace Corps Director Aaron Williams visiting from DC. Both he and his staff were wonderful to hear from. All of us PCVs enjoyed how personable he was and how much he wanted to hear from us.

That night was a dinner with entertainment at the US Embassy. I was proud of my good friends largely involved in singing, dancing and speaking about their Peace Corps experiences. I was also amazed by how many American ex-pats were in attendance. Good to see there are a lot of opportunities for PCVs who want to stay and work in TZ.

The next day I got to meet up with another environment volunteer who has been a big help to me. She is extending a third year and putting together a book of environment education lesson plans. Another PCV and I have been using these plans so we were able to give our feedback and add a few lesson plans of our own. I am excited to play a small part in something that will live on and help future environment PCVs.

Along those same lines, I also really enjoyed getting to attend an evaluation meeting for the environment program. TZ has three different sectors: environment, health and education. Every five years a sector gets evaluated, and this year is environments time. We had really great discussions on what is working and what is not. It even made me start to realize how much I miss duties that went into my past pr/marketing jobs. I think by the end of my second year I will be ready to get back into an office job….maybe.

This Dar trip was not all work. I was excited to find a Mexican restaurant has opened and it’s cheap! There were also trips to a good burger place, the movie theater, the casino and an ice cream place that would rank right along with American ice cream!

Teaching Wasichana

2011-07-13T05:59:00.000-07:00

One of the most chaotic, stressful and most rewarding weeks I’ve had so far was last month’s Girls Conference. Each of us 12 volunteers in the Mbeya region brought six girls from our villages together to teach about healthy living, HIV/AIDS and life skills such as communications and decision making.

Selecting my six girls was much harder than I expected. I thought I’d be able to identify the six best in my oldest class of standard 6. But then I realized I could easily choose 10 different girls. I worried because attending this conference could be a life changing event- motivating the girls to go on to secondary school and hopefully university. And what if the girls not chosen became depressed and unmotivated?! Ok, I overreacted but I really felt the pressure of these girls' futures being in my hands!

I finally decided on my six and had their parents sign permission slips for the condom education and demonstrations. Condoms are still fairly new in the rural areas of TZ and not all adults understand their necessity, even with HIV/AIDS such a prevalent problem. Plus, like in American, some adults here worry providing education on condoms is promoting premarital sex. Not all parents consented in their children sitting in this session.

The morning came for us to travel to the technical college outside Mbeya town where the conference would be held. We’d catch a large truck, or lorry, passing through our village then change to a dala in Mbalizi, a larger village at the bottom of the mountain. At the last minute I learned one of the girls would not be able to attend and another would be meeting us in Mbalizi. (She lives in our village with her sister. Her parents live in Mbalizi, and she was staying with them through the school break. This is very common in large families here who may not be able to afford all their kids.)

We got on our way only an hour later than I planned- I was feeling good! Then we arrived in Mbalizi, and I got nervous. Mbalizi is crazier than most larger towns. It’s the agricultural hub for the area, so there is usually all kinds of trucks, carts and people hurrying around. I have my hands full just keeping myself from being ran over or attacked by the street vendors. Now I was also looking out for four pre-teen girls who had never been out of their village. I definitely have more respect for teachers who lead field trips back home!

The girl meeting us was not there, but I figured she’s be at the next dala stand and would hop on then. We get there and she is not. Before I can decide on the best way to proceed, the dala is pulling on to the road and my other four girls are yelling they see the fifth! I politely ask the driver to pull over, but he won’t! I then start yelling in Swahili- a few English curses may have slipped in- that we need off, but he won’t stop!

We went on to the village just outside Mbeya where we would need to change to a taxi. Luckily, I’d been able to reach a couple other volunteers already at the college and able to help my girls if I sent them on without me. I was then able to jump into another dala heading back to Mbalizi to find the MIA girl. I got there, searched but could not find her.

Feeling so guilty for losing this girl, I have no other option but to head on to the college without her. Then on the way I get a call that she somehow managed to get herself there! I’m still not completely sure how she got there, but I was too relieved to ask questions. Again, much respect to all my teacher friends out there!

The rest of the week went much smoother for the most part. I was amazed to see the transition of the girls from the first day to the end. Particularly my girls- being some of the youngest there- were really shy at first. Before long they were participating with everyone else.

The schedule was Tues: HIV/AIDS; Wed: Life Skills; Thurs: Women’s Health; and Fri: Career Day. Mon and Sat were travel days. On Tues morning we gave a pre-test. My girls having not ever had any health education scored no higher than 15 out of 50 (fairly average). But then at the end of the week they did much better scoring no lower than 20/50. I was really proud of the improvement!

Friday afternoon was a talent show. Since my girls were so shy, I offered to teach them a song. I translated the little bit of English in the song The Lion Sleeps Tonight and they loved it! I was a little concerned about them memorizing it, but when they saw it written and how much of it is repetition, they confidently said “hamna shida” which means “no problem”. They were so funny!

They wanted to practice all week and even made up a dance to go with it. So you can imagine my disappointment when their turn came and they sang a different song!! After I (strongly) encouraged them to go again, they sang our song and did an awesome job!

The whole week was one that reminds me why I am here. It was hard at first being someone use to leading events in the US. But here the conference was entirely done in Swahili, so we had to rely heavily on the few volunteers who are really great Swahili speakers. I had to adapt by remembering we all have our strengths and that’s how we best work as I team. So I still got to jump in and lead some fun energizers and games!

First Year: Outtakes and Statistics

2011-07-09T06:51:00.000-07:00

Written June 16, 2011

I have now been in Tanzania one full year! Since the 6 month post of few stories that hadn’t made it on the blog as well as a few statistics was such fun, here are a few more “outtakes” and some statistics for the whole first year…..

• I have found the best technique to bond with Tanzanians is to cause myself bodily injury. Once when riding on the top rung of a lorry I was texting and didn’t see a tree limb coming. It caught me smack in the face while everyone else was bent down looking up at me and laughing hysterically. Another time I was getting out of a dala with my heavy backpack and didn’t see a guy carrying a big burlap bag of potatoes on his shoulders. The bag hit me in the side of the head….again providing entertainment for all Tanzanians around me.
• Since helping weigh babies at another PCV’s health clinic, I have been visiting the clinic in my village on baby weighing day! It has been a lot of fun and a great way to meet the women in my village. It occurs once a month and last about 5 hours. The first time I went I made 6 babies cry just by looking at me! It was kinda the Santa Clause effect….
• Back in March I returned from a weekend in town to find my house had been broken into. I didn’t blog about it sooner because I didn’t want to make a bigger deal of it than it is. Like any place where poverty is a big problem, theft happens. I figured I would deal with it at some point but was disappointed it was in my village, where for the most part a volunteer’s villagers want to take care and protect us. I was lucky all my important tech gadgets were with me and I don’t leave money in the village when I am away. They mainly took little things like battery operated alarm clock and lantern, eggs (which are really expensive here), toothbrushes, candy, etc.
• I had a Mary Poppins moment when I got to teach my students how to play Follow the Leader, Red Rover and the Hokey Pokey! We had a blast! They even taught me one of their games which included holding hands in a circle and running around while singing something in Swahili and then falling down. That was fun too.
• I’ve gotten two haircuts here. First by another volunteer last December. In April, it had gotten so straw-like that I held out the ends and cut it myself. Work pretty well.

1 YEAR STATISTICS
Read: 76 books
Drank: approx 720 bottles of water (1.5L size)
Time spent waiting: 93.15hrs at bus stops, on meetings to starts, etc.
# times played Kodiak on iPod: 410
# word finds completed: 210
# times explained my name is Shali or Jessica NOT “mazungu” or white person: 1,983…approximately
Coolest new gadget I’ve seen from America: the new Heinz ketchup packet which allows you to squeeze it all out OR dip
Biggest culinary accomplishment: learning to cook and eat oatmeal

This is the longest I’ve gone…
Without watching a weekly episode of Friends since 1996
Without so much as seeing a live horse, let alone get to ride
Without getting to annoy my sister and brother by humming along off-key to the radio
Without at least a weekly trip to Wal-Mart (probably why I’m a lot calmer now)
Without a daily glass of sweet ice tea

Mwezi wa Farasi

2011-05-26T09:08:00.000-07:00

Volunteers are all encouraged to share our American culture with our villages. I’ve enjoyed doing lessons on how we celebrate Halloween and Easter…and now the Kentucky Derby!

As a Kentuckian, what’s May without the Derby? So for my classes May became Mwezi wa Farasi, or Month of the Horse. My horse is one of the main things I really miss. Since horses are few in TZ- none in my region- I wanted to share how horses are used and the care they require.

I also wanted to use this opportunity to get the students’ creativity flowing. I had done one other lesson were the students were to draw there their sources of water, food and shelter. It flopped as they just copied what I drew as an example on the board. Art is rarely incorporated into classes here so they don’t know what to do when given the opportunity.

So with the help of tons of great art supplies sent by the Clinton First United Methodist Church, my students and I had a blast with horse-related crafts and games.

Week 1
Looked at postcards from Kentucky featuring horses and the Derby. Colored big white horse cut outs.

Week 2
Traced hands on fabric, cut out and glued to a sheet with a horse painted on it

Week 3
Stick horse racing! I cut the head off 3 of remaining horses from wk 1 and taped to brooms and a mop. Pictures weren’t taken this week as it was too chaotic!

Week 4
This week was the last week of school before being out for the month of June so all students were helping harvest the corn in the school's field. Standard 4-6 picked the ears while the younger shucked.

It was great fun!

Let It Snow!

2011-05-26T08:50:00.000-07:00

For those of you who haven’t had to think about geography since 6th grade, life on the other side of the equator means it is now winter!

The heavy rain season is now over. As much as I enjoyed being able to wash my hair in the rain and having an excuse to read all day, I am relieved to see the sun and get more vitamin E.

So far this is my favorite weather of TZ. The day times get up in the 90s while the nights get down in the 60s. Warm enough to feel like summer, and cold enough to need to be snuggled under a blanket!

Plus, everything is really green and tropical from the rain. This will last until August. September-November are hot and dry turning most everything brown. Then December starts the rain season again!

Shamba Mama

2011-05-26T08:48:00.000-07:00

This past April I finally got enough courage worked up to start a Mamas Group. Many volunteers work to organize Mama Groups as way to help empower women and serve as an outlet to educate them on various health issues.

I’d been procrastinating because of the language barrier. Though I feel good about the amount of Swahili I now have for getting around and working with children, speaking to adults is another thing. Remember the episode of Friends when Phoebe tried to teach French to Joey? That’s how it is when adults try to correct my pronunciations. To my ear I sound just like them….if a little better with a Southern flavor added.

Well, I remembered procrastination isn’t my style, and I needed to get a move on. So I spoke with the guy in my village who speaks some English and he put me in contact with his tutor, a retired English teacher. I thought he’d be able to attend meetings for a few months and I’d wean off his help. Then when he arrived he asked to make sure I knew he lived about an hour away! Typical just when you think you have it figured out something happens to mess it up.

I can’t pay for him to attend the weekly meetings but we can get money through Peace Corps to pay tutors. So it worked for him to come early and tutor me in Swahili….a blessing and a not-so-much-blessing. But something I needed so I’m really glad it’s worked out.

The first meeting had two women attend. Then the word got around more and 22 attended the second! Meetings here are a bit different than in the US as you may have to wait at least two hours before people arrive. This drives me crazy!

I explained the purpose of the group and options of income generating projects at least 4 times. It was also too many for what they were comfortable working together to make money. So the first 12 to arrive parted off and decided to grow Chinese cabbage. The other 10 decided to grow green peppers. I was glad as I was pushing for it to help diversify crops grown. Tomatoes and onions are basically the only things available on a regular basis.

Both groups have already cultivated plots donated by a member of each group, planted seeds and have started paying a membership fee that helps to reimburse me for the cost of seeds, fertilizer and pesticide. Hopefully after the first harvest they will be able to sell enough to build coops for a bigger chicken project.

Needed: Popo-Man Signal

2011-04-07T03:00:00.000-07:00

Written April 7, 2011

My superhero-level bravery was tested just two nights when I was attacked by a vampire bat with a wing-span of five feet! Well, there really is no way of knowing if he was really a vampire…..and the wing-span was probably more around 1 ½ feet. But the tale is still scary!

It was a dark and stormy night in my village. I was having trouble sleeping as the previous night had been a deep unconsciousness of 12 whole hours recovering from food poisoning- which I say to warn if the meat at your butcher has been hanging long enough to look questionable then don’t eat it….no matter how much you are craving fajitas.

Anyway, I was hearing sounds on my roof which I chose to believe was my neighbor’s cat. Then just as I was about to fall back to sleep I heard the unmistakable rapid flutter of bat wings flying above me! He had somehow slipped through a gap in the way the roof is made and could not find his way back out. Luckily, I always sleep with my mosquito net tucked in even on nights like this when it’s too cold for mosquitoes. I never want to catch anything else wanting to snuggle.

At this point, I have flattened myself against the bed and shrieking like a girl- which I am not ashamed of since I am girl. After a few minutes he flies into the living room. I realize he is not going to find his way back out so I have to do something. I figure if Indiana Jones can slap off caves full of them I can handle one.

So I slowly pull the net up making sure to undo enough that I can easily jump back under it if the bat decides to give a surprise attack. I jump up and run to my bedroom door where I can reach out and open the door that goes out to my courtyard. Then I quickly close my bedroom door so he can’t come back in and then jump back under the mosquito net. I believe I did this all under two seconds but I didn’t think to time it.

After a while, I stop hearing him flying around the living room so I decide to brave a trip to the bathroom. I am able to grab a broom for protection as I run across the house to where I keep my night-time-pee-bucket- which I ironically have inside to keep from encountering any bats in the middle of the night on my way to the outside choo.

Just as I am relaxed and heading back to my room I see him flying right at me! I had forgotten bats are blind! So instead of flying around the room away from me like birds do, this bat was flying towards the light that I happened to be holding. Luckily, I still have my broom and able to get a few good swipes before running back to my bedroom. I think he got the message that he needs to be outside eating bugs and not inside scaring me.

Back closed-off under my net, I have no choice but to wait until he realizes he can get out the door. Sorry I don’t have a more exciting ending to include here. I spend most of the next day wondering if he’s hidden in house’s wood beams waiting for the sun to set to come back out. But I am glad to say he’s out of the house! At least for now…

Kupika Chakula!

2011-03-21T05:49:00.000-07:00

Written March 18, 2011

Here we go….the long awaited post on how I cook! I had no idea food would play such a central role in my day to day here. During training, conversations were primarily about our last meals in the U.S., what we planned to cook as our first meal in the village and how we craved a Taco Bell gordita crunch. Well, that last one may have just been the conversation in my head.

Not that we did not enjoy our new TZ menu. It was just different. Coming here I thought the things I would miss most would be internet and tv/movies. I have never been that picky concerning food. But I quickly realized I’d forgotten my general dislike for white rice and beans…..the two staple ingredients for just about every TZ dish.

Plus it’s interesting to note that as the ‘melting pot’ of many nationalities, we Americans expect a variety of food both for a single meal and for our meals over consecutive days. If we have meat loaf one night then we may want Chinese or Mexican the next. This is not so for other cultures, particularly in under-developed countries.

So I was quite excited when I arrived at my site last fall and was able to start cooking more to my taste. I also really enjoy opportunities to share my cooking with my villagers. Particularly in my region, many ingredients for healthy meals are available but locals are use to eating as they have for generations and do not realize there are other options. One day I had neighbor visit while I was eating a tuna sandwich. I made one for her to try and she did not know how to eat it. She was picking at the top piece of bread instead of eating it like….well, a sandwich!

Food Availability
First, I am really lucky to have been placed in the Mbeya region. Besides having great soil for growing a variety of vegetables, there are enough Europeans/Americans living here that more of our foods are available at the nicer grocery stores in Mbeya town. Pasta, tuna, Doritos, Pringles and Cadbury chocolate are a few of these that I treat myself to during shopping trips every 2-4wks.

I am also really lucky to have wonderfully amazing family and friends sending me awesome care packages. There is rarely a day that I don’t have a meal with something from America….seasonings, mixes, cheese, etc. They are all much appreciated!

The How
During training my homestay family- like most villagers- cooked over an open fire. This tends to be easiest when cooking for a large family, but it is also slow. As we are normally cooking for just ourselves, most volunteers use a kerosene or charcoal stove like what we us in America for camping. For my first meal in my village, I used my charcoal jiko and it took 2 hours to boil pasta! I don’t have the patience for that everyday so I bought kerosene at my first chance.

Chakula Cha Asabuhi
Even in America breakfast was a hard meal for me. I love traditional breakfast foods but who has time to cook them before running off to work? Here my issue isn’t as much lack of time as lack of being a morning person. I can’t seem to face the kerosene jiko first thing every morning. So one of my monthly splurges is cereal- also available at the nicer grocery stores in town. Throw some bananas in a bowl of Rice Krispies along with powder milk and room-temp water…..mmm, that’s some good eatin’ there.

Chakula Cha Mchana
Lunch is one of the main reasons I am most glad to be cooking for myself now. The heat here does not affect Tanzanians like it does us Americans. So it’s nothing for them to throw back a big plate of rice drenched in a hot vegetable stew with a heavily fried bread.

For my mid-day, height of the heat meal, I usually do tuna with tomatoes, peanut butter and crackers or a local type of Romein noodles with an avocado. Now that it’s the rain season and some days are cooler I may make a big pot of chili or mac and cheese that I can also eat for supper.

Chakula Cha Usiku
Supper is the meal where I do my major cooking of the day. My village has mainly tomatoes and onions daily in the market, but I can also get carrots, green peppers, eggplant, avocados and garlic in town. There is also an Indian woman in town who sells a wide variety of spices and popcorn that I can pop over my jiko.

Most of my meals are pasta or potato based. I have gotten really good at making spaghetti sauce and a vegetable stir-fry. I also like doing garlic mashed potatoes from scratch.

Mexican food has been my big craving. I have learned to make my own tortillas- which turns out is pretty fun to do! Thanks to everyone back home for making Mexican seasoning the most common item sent in care packages. When I get Velvetta too, I eat like I queen! Cheese quesadillas and breakfast burritos- yum! Another favorite dish I’ve created is Mexican mac and cheese by including the seasoning, tomatoes, onions and green peppers.

As a farm girl born and raised, meat is also a big craving. What I wouldn’t give for a big rib-eye! But even here I am lucky for my placement because pork is available IN my village! (See post ) I can buy ¼ kilo reasonably priced and perfect size for one person (without refrigeration I try not to have leftovers). So I can even make fajitas and pork tenderloin!

Snacks
Notice this isn’t in Swahili cause Tanzanians in the village do not really snack. I’m not sure if there is a word for it. Between all the work they have to do for their home and farm plus the time that goes into preparing food, there isn’t a lot of free time.

The one exception I have noticed is when a particular fruit or insect is in season. Mangos are largely grown in my village as well as sugar cane. Villagers can commonly be seen chomping on those. There is also a termite that comes out in rain season. Locals like to fry and salt them. A neighbor offered me some and I really wanted to try them….but I just couldn’t!

Beverages
I will currently pay anyone $20 and the naming rights of my first born for a large, bottom-less glass of American sweet ice tea. Tanzanians live and die by hot cups of chai. I once tried to explain how we drink tea in America with frozen water in it to make it cold. The villager barely believed me, saying it would hurt my mouth!

I drink lots of water- filtered and boiled. I love getting Wylers and Crystal Light drink mixes!

Healthier or Not?
Volunteers tend to be divided on this opinion depending on how they ate in America. Personally, I was too unhealthy. So I have really enjoyed learning to cook with fresh produce and spices. Hopefully, this will be something I will keep doing once I get back.

Getting Re-Energized

2011-02-25T11:31:00.001-08:00

Written February 23, 2011

Some times days tend to blend together leaving one feeling like Bill Murray in Ground Hog’s Day. But then out of the blue something happens to remind you why you’re here.

I was lucky to one of these such days yesterday while teaching my standard 6 class. I was on the downhill side of a crazy 24-hour bug that had kept both ends stuck in buckets…yeah, sorry for TMI but important to the story!

It had knocked me so hard I was unable to prepare a new lesson in Swahili. I did not want to miss another day of teaching after being out on vacation. So I decided to review the past three lessons. I always wonder how much they understand of what I say so this was the perfect chance to test them.

I should first explain this is my favorite class. Even when I was teaching the class ahead of them, these students just seemed to get it better. A few weeks ago they were so good I decided on an impromptu game of Simon Says. The kids loved it, and I felt really good.

But then the following week they were awful: throwing paper airplanes, talking, walking around the room. It was a nightmare! The game must have given them a false sense of being able to get away with anything. I even had to put a couple of them in the corner, and they just laughed thinking it was a game too. So when they again wanted to play Simon Says at the end of class, I said no way!

Yesterday I returned to the best class ever. I don’t think they have ever been so attentive! Best of all they remembered what we had been studying. They were able to answer all my questions about soil composition, erosion and habitats. I was so proud of them all.

So when class ended, I was able to explain they were good even to play another game of Simon Says! Though I’m thinking they really don’t get the concept of the game, more like just imitating me. Either way we have fun so it doesn’t really matter.

ZANZIBAR: Music, Beach and Humidity

2011-02-25T11:29:00.000-08:00

Written February 20, 2011

As I was preparing to make the move to TZ by stalking the blogs of volunteers already here, I read about this amazing music festival in Zanzibar. It immediately went to the top of my Must See list. Now a year later I final got my chance to experience it first-hand!

As with most trips in TZ there are various legs of a trip because travel takes a loooong time, especially when you are traveling cross-country as we were. I started from Mbeya town with another volunteer living in the Mbeya region, Rebecca. Plus, I got an awesome surprise that the previous weekend Rebecca and a few others in our Mbeya gang had randomly met a married couple, Mark and Annie, traveling through Africa for a college course. They have an awesome blog but sorry can't remember the address.

They had spent the week in Rebecca’s village and had decided to head to Zanzibar as well! To prove what an even smaller world it is, we were all sitting at a pub the night before leaving Mbeya when another guy from their class happens by! So he decided to join us too.

The next day we have an 8-hour coaster ride to Iringa. We had decided to break up the travel into two days so we would not arrive in the big city Dar es Salaam after dark- not the best place to be walking with lot of luggage. Plus I was excited to check out what I had heard was the best cheap shopping. I was not disappointed as I found a much needed bag and beautiful wooden necklace.

Sunday morning Rebecca and I headed on to Dar. The Coloradans decided to enjoy Iringa a few more days before hitting the festival. I love how travel in Africa can be so easily adjusted to fit whatever comes along!

One of the best parts of Dar this trip was our accommodations. We had decided to try out PC’s ex-pat program which matches volunteers with Americans living in Dar and willing to let us stay free. Our ex-pat was very gracious and welcoming. She had two extra rooms so we each got our own….each having its own a/c controls!

Monday morning we head into the PC office to use the internet and library of resource books. We also got to catch up with our program advisors and other staff. I must say the PC staff is always great at making time for us and answering questions. This is comforting when you don’t always feel like you have a clue.

Two HUGE highlights were 1) Stopping by the PC Med I found I have lost 55lbs since arriving in country! and 2) I found the 7th and final Harry Potter book! I never got into the HP craze in America. Then back in October I happened across the first two books and got hooked. I have found books 3-6 at the Mbeya library but had yet to find the last book.

On Tuesday I had to go to the eye doctor to replace a pair of glasses I had lost. I had been curious to see a TZ eye doctor’s office. It was sadly disappointing. The frame styles were a bit outdated but otherwise it was just like an eye doctor’s office in America….sorry no good story there!

But after leaving I stumbled upon a Super Wal-Mart! Ok it technically was not a Super Wal-Mart but it might as well have been. Only difference? The prices definitely were not rolled back.

I can remember many times in college when I a week or two’s worth of groceries for $10-20. Walking through this store on a villager’s budget (which let’s be honest, I make more than most villagers) was an incredible eye-opening experience. I could not bring myself to buy any special treat much less a whole week’s worth of food. Granted this was a “mazungu’s” store, aka for people with money, so villagers would never be shopping here. But it still made me experience how little choice of food there is for villagers other than what they grow or can get at the local farmers markets.

Anyway, back to the trip…..on Wednesday morning we caught a ferry for a 2-hour ride to Zanzibar! At that point we met up with three other gals from our training group and an American friend of Rebecca’s living in Saudi Arabia. The first thing we see upon arriving in Zanzibar? The humidity! Seriously, we can see it rolling off of us.

So we take off to a beach about an hour away located at the island’s northern tip. This is really the most beautiful beach I have ever seen. The sand is white and almost soft to walk on. The water is clear blue. We even claimed a tiki hut with a hammock! I love hammocks!

After swimming and relaxing, we took a small boat out to snorkel. I had never been snorkeling so I am seriously excited. So excited that I don’t stop to realize we are not getting any direction on how to use the mask. The leader guy jumps in so I follow….and get a mouth full of salt water. I start trying to swim towards the guy but then the tide takes me in the opposite direction. At this point I am wishing I had fought a little harder for a life vest.

For what could have been 15 or 75 minutes, I’m swimming against the tide and going no where. The only thing I accomplish is swallowing more salt water. One of the other girls comes to help me and teaches me how to use the mask. But then we can still not get back to the boat and scream for help.

Finally another boat picks us up and takes us back to our boat. After a few choice words, we learn the anchor was broke so they couldn’t come get us. But how were we suppose to know?! They take us then to a better place where we see a coral reef and tons of fish! I loved it so much I now need to learn deep sea diving so I can get closer!

After an awesome pizza dinner, we head back to Stone Town for the music festival. I wash my hair to get rid of the salt water not knowing it’s so humid hours later my hair was still sopping wet!

The festival’s stage was set-up inside an old stone fort it had great atmosphere. Around the perimeter were a ton of booths selling jewelry, paintings and seafood. Drums were primarily instrument of the performers as it set the beat for lots of dancing. For more information, check out their website.

The next day was full of sight seeing around Stone Town. The beautiful town had many stone buildings, hence the name. There were also the smaller paths off main roads that lead in crazy mazes through shops, restaurants, etc. I also got to catch up with a friend who was a volunteer in Mbeya and recently extended a 3rd year in Zanzibar. Good times!

The next day we returned to Dar and our wonderful ex-pat’s home. We then treated ourselves to a night in America! We hit the mall which a crazy collection of banks, a Good-Year tire store and a store like Target!

But our reason for being there was the McDonald’s and movie theater. Ok it wasn’t really a McDonald’s but might as well have been. We stood there staring at the menu forever. This was my first taste (pun intended) of what it will be like returning to America and wanting to order everything on the menu. I ended up going with the crispy chicken sandwich, real French fries with REAL ketchup and soda fountain drink. Why is it drinks from a soda fountain are so much better? There still was no ice but even I couldn’t complain at this point. We then watched Ben Stiller's third Meet the Parents movie.

After another 2-day bus ride I was back in Mbeya and wearing my jacket against the cooler temps!

A Day in the Life

2011-02-04T05:11:00.001-08:00

Written February 2, 2011

Many of you have requested details of my daily life. I have been a little slow to write on this subject because…well, life is slow. I thought by waiting something would happen to spice up my narrative. Then I remembered I live in an African village…of course daily lfe is going to be slow!

Life without Electricity
Not having electricity affects your day from beginning to end. Typical village culture dictates the day begins at sunrise and ends not long after sunset. There is even a different way of telling time based on having 12 hours of sun and 12 hours of dark almost year-round. Our 6 a.m. is their 12 asabuhi (morning), similar to midnight. At our 6 p.m., they start over with 12 usiku (night). It can be confusing, especially when planning meetings!

My house borders a main walking path and my neighbor has a hydrant from which others fetch water. So I am usually woken up by 6:30 a.m. by villagers yelling greetings to each other. It’s also not uncommon to be woken that early by my neighbors hammering on their tools in preparation of going to their field. After all, the sun is up so should I be!

(I am leaving out meals and cooking because that all deserves a blog entry of its own! Coming soon!)

The Daily Grind
One aspect I personally really enjoy about village life is every day is different. I teach an environment class at the primary school every Monday and Tuesday morning. This is usually a highlight of my week!

At least one morning a week I wash my clothes with a bucket of soapy water, a bucket of rinsing water and a bar of soap. Many volunteers pay to have someone wash their clothes, but I don’t really mind it…least not yet. I turn on my iPod and usually Kelly Clarkson has the beat and attitude to give my clothes a good scrub.

Other mornings may consist of helping in coffee fields, translating lesson plans or what I want to say at an upcoming meeting into Swahili, or cleaning house. Three-four mornings a week I go to the market and walk around the village visiting.

Relationships are very important to the local culture. You may be walking along without seeing anyone when all of a sudden a greeting is yelled at you. And you are expected to ask several questions about their life, which all have a standard answer. This is similar to how Americans ask how you are and you are expected to say “good” even if you have a cold, the heel on your shoe just broke and your cat just died. Here’s an example of a typical passing translated into English:

Villager: How is your morning?
Me: Good. And you?

Villager: eh, good. How did you wake?
Me: Peaceful. And you?

Villager: eh, peaceful. How is your home?
Me: Good. And you?

Villager: eh, good. How is your work?
Me: Good. And you?

Villager: Good. What have you ate today?
Me: I ate eggs, bread, mango and chia. (For some reason, they love to hear what I eat. I’ve learned to add things I didn’t eat because they never think I eat enough. Also, never forget to mention having tea.)

Me: How is your family?
Villager: eh, nzuri.

Ok, this could go on but you get the point!

Afternoons are usually a time of rest. During the dry season, it was too hot to work. Now it’s the rain season and afternoons are too wet or hot for work- though rainy days can be surprisingly cool. I usually spend this time reading, writing, playing cards, choreographing dances to songs on my iPod, re-writing words to songs…

Late afternoon/evenings tend to be when I get visitors. Most families eat late because it takes so long to cook a whole meal for several people. So I prefer to cook at my house so I can eat earlier and healthier. I usually start cooking about 5 p.m. so I am done by 6:30 p.m. Then I can get a bucket bath before it gets too dark.

Once it gets dark, I close up my house. I feel safe in my village, but I do not want to be out or have visitors after dark. I figure it is better safe than sorry but I may change once I am here longer. There is a disco that plays music and movies from a generator that some younger villagers go to at night.

I have solar and battery-operated lanterns so I am able to read most nights. If my computer has power, I may watch a movie or tv show I have saved to my hard drive. Sometimes I am even able to get wi-fi and check Facebook!

That’s it…a day in my life!

I Live in a Cage!

2011-02-04T04:54:00.000-08:00

Written January 26, 2011

I recently realized I live in cage. You know the kind at a zoo where you can observe animals inside a cave or under water and then run around outside to watch them laying in the sun. Yeah, that’s my house.

My living room window- complete with bars- looks out on a shared outdoor space of my neighbors. This area is where they have a hydrant many in our area use to fetch water. It is not uncommon for me to be cooking, working or just walk by this window and happen to look out to see a group of ladies or children filling their buckets and watching me.

More industrious children have found they can climb the trees on the other side of my house to see over my courtyard wall and watch me. Some times they offer me mangos and avocados. Cue the Jack Hannah voice over….

‘Today we will observe the female mazungu in her home. Watch as she washes AND peels her fruit before eating.’

Now I am not gonna lie. There have been times this frustrates me. And I may tend to yell at the children looking over my courtyard wall. But, for the most part, I understand they are just curious, especially with me being the first PCV in my village. I enjoy sharing our American ways of doing things. Besides when I particularly need privacy, I can close the shutters on my windows!

It's Christmas in Africa!

2011-02-04T04:46:00.000-08:00

Written January 4, 2011

Ever since I was little Dolly Parton’s Christmas anthem ‘Hard Candy Christmas’ has been one of my fav songs of the season. I’m not sure why as many think it’s depressing. Maybe it’s Dolly’s way of rhyming ‘candy’ and ‘dandy’? Or maybe her refusal to ‘let sorrow bring me way down’? Either way I was quite surprised when only a couple of years ago is actually from her movie about whore house being closed at Christmas time.

Anyway, I knew this Christmas would be rough as it’s my favorite time of year and first to spend away from home. But my curiosity and excitement to see Christmas in Africa kept away the initial home sickness. My area of Tanzania is primarily Christmas, and I knew they observed Christmas from a community calendar I had to make with them when I first arrived.

Then I returned back to my village from a training about a week before Christmas. None of my Christmas packages from the US had arrived. Worst of all my two cats I recently adopted from another volunteer had died while I was away. I had left a neighbor in charge of feeding them, but she did not know what had gone wrong. The whole situation was really frustrating because Tanzanians in general do not understand the concept of pets, and she could not understand why I was so upset. Needless to say, I was not feeling the Christmas spirit.

After a few days of feeling good and sorry for myself, a huge rain came. It was the kind of heavy rain that lasts hours and has enough power to wash dishes and shampoo your hair. After doing both of these and listening to 'Hard Candy Christmas', I remembered at the least I came to Africa wanting an adventure. An adventure is definitely what I am getting!

I had turned down invitations to travel over the holiday because I wanted to experience Christmas in the village. But when another volunteer in my region called on Christmas Eve morning, I realized I also needed to be around American friends. So I joined up with her and two others spending the holiday in her village. This way I was able to get a bit of both American and Tanzanian Christmas.

That night we had a Mexican feast complete with home-made tortillas, beans and guacamole. All while enjoying a strand of solar-powered lights my grandmother had sent! We also got to watch the current season of Glee which had been brought back from another volunteer’s recent trip to the US.

On Christmas morning, we baked mango and banana breads as gifts for the two families who had invited us to eat. At both houses, we were given huge servings of pilau (seasoned rice) and chicken, two special occasion dishes.

With poverty being a part of life here, Christmas is celebrated with much less fluff than in America. For the most part, gifts are not exchanged and decorations are sparse. Instead, the focus is placed more on the gathering of friends and family.

Returning to my friend’s house we noticed how brilliant the stars glowed and immediately launched into another of my favorite Christmas hymns ‘Silent Night’. After a day spent basking in the open warmth of Tanzanian hospitality, Christmas could not have ended more perfectly.

6 Months: Outtakes and Statistics

2010-12-27T06:20:00.000-08:00

Written December 23, 2010

Last week marked six whole months in Tanzania! I was recently updating my journal and realized there have been some good stories that never made it into a blog entry. So in honor of the 6th month anniversary here are a few “outtakes” and some statistics…

• During homestay food was a big issue. My stomach and taste buds had to make some big changes, especially when it is considered insulting not to eat the LARGE servings of everything. One day I was picking at my food. Mama Eva said “You are shrinking!” I thought she was complimenting me and gave an enthusiastic thanks. I had forgotten that here bigger is better. She said, “NO! Not a good thing!” A lot of us girls still have trouble with the Tanzanian thoughts on weight. People often tell us we are fat as a compliment!

• Another day during training, I was standing in my homestay family’s kitchen talking to the women. Suddenly a chicken flew out of no where and attacked me! Ok, it really just landed on my head but it took me by such surprise I kinda freaked. The women thought it was hysterical. The next night I was again visiting in the kitchen. Mama Eva stated proudly the chicken she was cooking was the one who had attacked me!

• Once Mama Eva saw my last name written on a form and proclaimed in an all-knowing tone “I knew you were French by the way talk!” I busted out laughing before I caught myself. I tried to explain my accent is Southern. I think she now thinks I am from South America!

• Since arriving at my village, my favorite part of the day is washing my feet before bed. It’s a relaxing way to celebrate surviving one more day.

• About a month ago I was invited to attend a village meeting. We learned during training to be prepared to wait as meetings rarely start on time. I arrived on time at 10 a.m. The meeting started at noon and lasted two hours. The main words I kept hearing were “mazingira” and “mazungu”, meaning “environment” and “white person”. Their discussion got so heated that I really got worried they were mad at me! When it ended, I was able to speak to the one person in attendance who spoke a little English. I found out the meeting was actually about water rights from a nearby mountain owned by another mazungu. Awful problem but I was relieved they were not angry at me!

• Those of you who’ve seen my totally rad dance moves including the “shopping cart” and the “lawn mower” will not be surprised to hear that I was part of a winning team during a recent training when we had to choreograph a dance depicting washing our hands!

6 MONTH STATISTICS
Read: 23 books
Watched: first 3 seasons of Chuck, first 5 seasons of HIMYM, first season and current season of Glee and Modern Family. Plus many movies.
[side note: really thankful for my netbook!]
Lost: 3 phones, 1 pair eyeglasses and 2 jean sizes
Knitted: 2 scarves
Drank: approx 540 bottles of water
Won: 101 word find puzzles and countless games of solitaire

The Boy Who Saved Thanksgiving

2010-12-27T06:13:00.000-08:00

Written December 20, 2010

As my first major holiday away from home, this Thanksgiving could have gone really good or really bad. Thankfully it ended really great…even though the beginning was a bit rough.

In case you weren’t sure, Tanzania does not celebrate American Thanksgiving! So to be able to include volunteers who work a 9-5 as well as a new batch of education volunteers placed in our region on Thanksgiving Day, we all planned a potluck dinner on Black Friday at a volunteer’s house in Mbeya town.

Turkey is crazy expensive, especially as we’d need enough for about 20 people. So my duty was to get chickens- preferably already slaughtered, plucked and cut into pieces ready to be baked. I was a little unsure of the sanitary aspect of traveling down a mountain on a dirt road with raw chicken, but I figured the large Ziplock bags brought from the US would do well enough.

As often occurs, a simple job turns out to be not so simple. My neighbors had explained while back they sell their chickens and ducks for meat. I started with them, but they did not have any big enough to sell. I spoke with my Village Exec Officer who turned to the shop owner standing beside him at the time and said this guy could provide the chickens. The guy looked surprised but agreed so I went with it. We settled on priced and arranged when I would pick up the meat. I even checked back with him the next day to confirm and was quite proud of my Swahili.

This ended up being my first major case with a common cultural obstacle. Most Tanzanians are very indirect with communicating. They would prefer to keep you initially happy by agreeing to something they may have no way of following through with. When I arrived to pick up the chickens on my way out of the village to town, I was informed they would not be available. Sorry.

While waiting for a ride to come through my village, I explained my problem to the women at the market. A positive cultural difference here is when you voice a problem it becomes everyone’s problem. Unfortunately no one could come up with four full grown chickens for sale….a hard fact to digest when chickens are constantly roaming.

It was decided I would have better luck finding what I needed in the larger village at the bottom of the mountain where I usually change from the truck to a dala to get to Mbeya town. Though I was a bit concerned if they would as accommodating with the whole killing, plucking and cutting.

Here’s where my luck started to change- I just happened to sit in the truck next to a boy of about 14 who spoke really good English and was from this village. I was able to explain my problem and ask for directions on where to go for all I needed. He was not sure where to go, so he decided to go searching with me. Like I said, your problem becomes theirs.
He found a restaurant where workers could buy three chickens at a nearby coop and would kill and pluck them for me. At which point I was happy to get that and was not going to worry about the fourth chicken or having them cut. How hard could it be to cut chicken? I found out the next day.

The chickens were kept fresh in a fridge another volunteer has. I was able to bake them in her stove right before the dinner. I could identify the legs and wings. Everything else was just pieces of bones and meat. It was actually fitting because Tanzanians also cut chicken like this to feed more people off fewer chickens….so really I did it all on purpose!

The dinner turned out amazing with tons of good food. A couple of volunteers had stuffing mix sent from America as well as the crunchy onion things to go on top of green bean casserole. Others baked bread and mashed potatoes as well as fixed a few non-traditional Thanksgiving foods like gaucomole and chili. For dessert there was a really good mango cobbler made with oatmeal. We also got to taste new homemade wines made from rice and mangos. I have not yet made any wine myself but thinking I am going to try soon!

"The Hills are Alive...."

2010-10-20T05:35:00.000-07:00

Written October 12, 2010

"with the sound of music....ah, ahh, aaahhhh!"

Ok, I promise I did not really break out into show tunes when I recently climbed my first mountain. Mainly because I was too out of breath!

I have been jealously hearing stories from other volunteers climbing mountains and seeing breath taking scenes of various TZ landscapes. So when some of the gang in my region was going up a nearby mountain, I jumped at the chance....and that was the last time I jumped for about a week! Even though the constant walking and hand-washing of my clothes has helped shed pounds and gain muscle, I found I am not still the spry young lass I think I am.

The mountain we climbed is actually a crater filled with a lake called Ngozi Crater. To get there we first had about an hour walk along a gravel road. This led to basically the base of the crater.

We then started a gradually ascending path through a beautiful jungle-forest. There were lots of vines and moss hanging from trees of all sizes. There were lots of wild banana trees much bigger than ones growing in my ville. It reminded me of The Jungle Book, one of Disney's all-time greatest movies. I think it is also a famous novel?!

After walking another 45-ish minutes, we reached the point of real climbing. Now I am told this climb is one of the easier ones in my area. So I do not want to come off sounding like I climbed Killimanjaro. BUT I come from the side of Kentucky with easy rolling hills not the Appalachian Trail. Needless to say I was not sprinting up the 75degree angles of dirt and tree roots as some of my more advanced friends were!

Thankfully everyone was really supportive and encouraged me to go at my own pace. The path was really beautiful. Occasionally we could see glimpses through the trees out across the land. Some of the group even saw a monkey!

The view from the top was spectacular! The lake was surrounded by the crater's tree-lined perimeter. Once we caught our breath, we enjoyed lunches we had carried up. There is a path-more or less- down to the lake that the bravest can take. On trail rides at home when I have a horse carrying me around, I am all for trekking out anywhere, anytime.

But here I was perfectly content setting on my rock while my friends headed down. I passed the time with my new fav activities- taking pictures of myself and using the video tool on my camera to pretend I am hosting my own show on The Travel Channel. (Have not had good enough internet connection to upload or email these but hope to soon!)

At this point a group of Tanzanians reached the summit as well. When I explained my friends had taken the clearing down to the lake, this group had to do the same. They definitely did not want to be out done by the group of "mazungu".

Having just watched my friends cross a very narrow ledge in various low-croutching positions wearing sturdy hiking shoes, it was quite entertaining to watch the locals breeze across it. Some were barefoot, and the women were dressed nicely with jewelry and hair-dos. Though I should mention when we reached the bottom of the real climb section there were vans waiting on this group so they evidently skipped the 2 hour initial walk!

A few from their group also stayed behind, including an elderly German gentleman who is here consulting for a hospital. I had an interesting conversation with him in English about how he and his wife have volunteered with German programs similar to PC.

The trip down the mountain went much faster. I was really dragging along the gravel road but made it back to the main road in one piece!

The Other White Nyama

2010-09-22T13:02:00.000-07:00

Written September 21, 2010

I have been waiting to write about the topic of this post until this very week. As I write, thousands of pounds of pork and hundreds of chickens are being seasoned and basted in preparation for my all-time favorite festival back home- BBQ on the River!

Though all the festivals throughout western Kentucky have their own charm, I love BBQ on the River for four simple words: Bar-B-Que-Nachos! Imagine nacho chips and cheese sauce layered with bbq pork, bbq sauce and bbq powder. Ah, it's the best of both the Mexican and BBQ food worlds!

I was fortunate to live and work meer blocks from the festival. Practically all meals during the 3-day period were spent with co-workers, friends and family trying all the different booths to see if we agreed the judges' ruling on who had the best grill of the year. Of course, we also had to try the odder treats like frozen pickle juice and fried Twinkies!

Upon arriving at my village that first crazy night, one of my initial sights proved that my pork-luck had not ended. I have an "in" in the Tanzanian pork-scene!

Since most areas of Tanzania are predominately Muslim, pork is more of a vague tale of deliciousness said to be found in some southern villages. Believe me, the irony that it is mainly found in the "South" is not lost on me.

There are two places among the dukani, or shops, offering what they call kiti moto. This translates to "Seat Hot". (Fun Side Note: All adjectives in Swahili are after the noun.) I believe this is called so because it is typically served with peppers and onions, though in my ville it is simply cooked in big skillet of grease.

The important part to always remember when ordering kiti moto is to request "steaki" which refers to the cut. Arteries, fat and cartilage are the prime cuts to locals, and they are more than happy to get rid of the meatier pieces to the crazy Mmarekani!

I did not order the "steaki" the first time so I could try what the locals prefer. The arteries were not so bad, similar to clams. Though people in my village were entertained by watching me eat around the fat and skin. That same night I had to go back for a steaki order cause I did not really get any meat before!

Maybe when I return home in couple of years I will enter traditional Tanzanian kiti moto in BBQ on the River!

Impatient? Who Me?

2010-09-22T12:55:00.000-07:00

Written September 21, 2010

So one day during my first week in the village my lack of experience speaking Swahili got me in a little hot water. I ran into my VEO (Village Executive Officer), and- even though we both knew I am not suppose to be doing much more than observing these first 3 months- I felt I needed to say something that at least made me appear to be productive.

Some volunteers get a VEO who speaks English. But those of you who know me know that kind of thing never happens in my life. Those of you who know me also know that I have habit of speaking without really thinking it through.
So instead of going home and writing out in Swahili what I should say to explain that at some point I need to meet with the head teacher of the school, I tried to say it in Swanglish...yes, we've coined a term for inserting English when we do not know the correct Swahili word.

Since I did not know how to say "at some point", I said kesho which means tomorrow. In my defense, tomorrow rarely means tomorrow. Nothing happens that fast here! Of course in instance, it actually did!

The next day I head to the primary school with a different village official, who also only speaks Swahili, and met with who I thought was the head teacher. She spoke a little English but it was still fairly confusing. For some reason, she did not say what I expected her to say in my mock conversation I had prepared in my head.

I had figured it would be at least the next term before they could work me in, but as the meeting came to an end, it was expressed for me to start like now. She said a bunch of Swahili of which I understood a tiny part that meant I should return on Monday. I honestly was not sure what I was expected to do when I returned on Monday, but I figured I could roll with whatever.

Then the more I thought about it, the more I started to worry. Primary school is our equivalent of elementary school, and classes are taught in Swahili. I had originally thought I would do some teaching at the secondary school (high school) where classes are taught in English. But my village shares a secondary school with the next village up the mountain.
Now that the snowball was rolling I did not want to offend anyone by switching schools. Though when I mentioned to my villagers what I was setting up, they were not exactly confident in my ability to teach at the primary school. Most laughed hysterically! My constant use of the Eng-Swahili dictionary has become a running joke.

I was able to get lesson plans for environmental education from another volunteer so I could be prepared for whatever Monday brought.

When I returned, I met with a different lady who I found out was the head teacher, or principal. I was better prepared, and she spoke better English. So it was really a great meeting. We set up for me to teach standard (grade) 5 on Mondays and 6 on Tuesdays.

She asked if I wanted to start that morning. At which point, there was only 10 minutes left in what would be my class time. Since I wanted to keep both days on the same lesson plan, I requested to start the next, but learned they were on vacation then. So we decided I would start the following Monday....see, nothing really happens that quickly!

This morning was my second day of my second week, and I am loving it. The lesson plans I got are in English so I am learning Swahili better through translating and teaching in it.

I got a huge, wonderful surprise on the first day when the 5th grade spoke a little English. I was surprised as I had heard that many school systems are not able to teach much English in the primary school, which leads to problems in the secondary school classes given in English. I usually say everything in Swahili and repeat in English as well as write the key points in both languages on the chalk board.

I am still a little nervous asking too many questions to the class as I may not understand their answers, but so far so good!

2010-09-08T14:50:00.000-07:00

Written on Friday, September 3, 2010

Well, I have been in my village for exactly two weeks today! Time is both flying and standing still. I often check the clock after long time only to see that 10-15 minutes have passed. Or I wake from a deep sleep, fully awake and realize it is only midnight!

The first three months at site are primarily suppose to be spent learning about the village and people. This means popping a squat next to a woman selling produce or men hanging around the shops. Does not sound to hard, eh? Even fun?

I enjoy meeting people and talking, but this is a whole new level when no one speaks English and my Swahili is not far past greetings and buying toilet paper. In my last life back in the US, I loved being busy and juggling several things at once. So now I am adjusting to slowing down and my "work" being to shoot the bull in a language I cannot speak. It is not as easy as I expected. Particularly when I try to explain that I do not understand so the person tries to make me understand by standing closer to my ear and shouting the same words over and over!

As time progresses, I am sure my language will come and things will flow easier. I am very lucky to have such a friendly and welcoming village. I am the first Peace Corps volunteer to be in this village so I do not think they really know what to think of me being here! On the good side, I can pave my own path and not be held to a mold of what they saw past volunteers do.

Last week I finished painting the living room which makes everything more clean and comfortable. This Sunday I will get to meet the carpenter who made furniture for some other volunteers. I still just have the bed and folding chair so I am really ready to get a couch, table and some cabinets. Right now everything is all sitting on the floors and driving me crazy!

This week I have gotten to do more exploring in the areas around my village. There are two coffee estates nearby. One is a beautiful 45-minute walk into the mountains. The other is an hour and 45-minute hike over steep hills but it is well-worth it because it is also a resort! They offer a day pass that gives access to a swimming pool, tennis court, squash court, pool table and table tennis. They also have a fabulous menu featuring ice cream and pizza on Sundays! A truly great place for anyone wanting to visit me!!

Home Sweet Home

2010-09-08T14:43:00.000-07:00

Written on Sunday, August 22, 2010

After a quick two days in Dar es Salaam for our swearing-in ceremony at the home of the US Ambassador, we were off to our villages! I was pumped to finally see my house and the village that will be home for the next two years.

Much to my excitement, the 14-hour trip from Dar to Mbeya includes a brief jaunt through a national park. Everyone in the van was glued to the windows trying to spot any kind of wildlife. After a long 15 minutes of nothing, our path practically became a safari! We saw elephants, giraffes, zebras, impalas, bamboons and even a warthog (was that Timone or Pumba?)!! Yes, I admit I let my hick side show again, but I was so excited to see them all just hanging out and munching on grass! Even after we drove out of the designated park area, bamboons continued to be spotted on the road side.

Once arriving in Mbeya city, the seven of us living in the Mbeya region met with our District Executive Director (who happens to be a woman- woop, woop!), our Village Executive Officers and a few of the other volunteers already living in the region.

Peace Corps dropped my VEO and I at my house at 8 p.m. ....yep, it was total darkness and a little eirie not being able to fully see anything. But the villagers instantly took my mind off that (for a bit) with a rousing welcome! About 50 of them greeted me at the house with singing, drumming and dancing. It was insane trying to get my luggage separated from the other's and off the van when they kept pulling me back into the dancing and celebrating!

A few words were said by them and myself- all in Swahili but I think they were glad to meet me. At one point, the VEO asked the crowd what I should be called. Someone yelled out Sharli, they all cheered and now they all call me Sharli. I was later told it means "pretty lady" in Swahili....as I mentioned it was really dark.

After most left, a few started bringing in food to my kitchen. I thought, 'how nice, they are stocking my kitchen for me.' Then I hear a chicken abruptly stop clucking....they had just killed it....in my kitchen! So at 8:30 p.m., they literally killed a chicken for my supper!
Now to be honest, I was holding out a little hope that I would be one of the lucky few to get a house with electricity. That did not happen but I do have running water! It is a hydrant in my enclosed courtyard. Many villages have one or two water sourc es that volunteers must fetch from or pay to have delivered. So this is a huge luxury that I am very thankful to have.

The House
The house is actually just what I was looking to buy in Paducah: a 3-bedroom fixer upper with charm and potential! Ok, so I could be stretching the translation a bit. But it is nice and spacious with my own enclosed courtyard. The choo and kitchen are in a separate building from the living room and bedrooms.

The past couple of days have been spent mostly cleaning, which is a task I really appreciate having at this point to unwind and adjust. I plan to paint at least the living room and, since the house only came with a bed and wooden folding chair, I get to have some furniture made by a local carpenter and go shopping for other needs!

The Neighbors
I feel more secure having two very close neighbors....so close we even share an outdoor area. Luckily, I also have private courtyard but personal space is not really seen as important here. In fact, they rarely live alone and feel sorry for us volunteers who do. They expect us to be really lonely and tend to visit a lot.

This may explain why my first visitors arrived the first morning just before 8 a.m. I had just woken up and headed out to the choo when I heard the "Hodi" call. At first, I thought it must be someone to see my neighbors. Who did I know well-enough yet to visit at such an early hour?
But a knock on my courtyard door followed the next "Hodi" so I knew it was for me. Come to find out it does not matter how well you know the person for them to come a knockin in the early morn. Throughout the past couple of days, people have continued to stop by to say hello, present me with food and introduce themself.

The Circle of Life

2010-08-17T10:37:00.000-07:00

Written on Sunday, August 15, 2010

Time with my homestay family comes to an end in just over 24 hours. The experiences I have shared with them have definitely been filled with highs and lows.

Two important highs were the births of two little girls. Their mothers are two of my grown dadas, or sisters (actually they are technically cousins but everyone is considered either a dada or kaka, brother), who live on the family farm. One was born at the hospital in the next larger village. She spent about two days there so not much different than the U.S. I believe she went because it was her first baby. The other baby was born at a mid-wife's home in our village. I believe she did not go to the hospital because it was her fourth child. They were named Joyce and Glory....I was really hoping for a Jeska, but it was not meant to be :)

Sadly, a very memorable low came this past week with the death of Mama Eva's brother's 52-year-old son. Though it was not a family member I had met, the loss was a sad experience. He fell out of a coconut tree and died three hours later from related internal bleeding.

This happened on a Thursday morning and by that night people were already arriving from out of town. When I arrived home from training, Mama Eva and her sister sat me down to explain what had happened and what would happen. The room immediately outside my bedroom had been cleared of furniture and mats laid out for guests to sit.

Mama Eva had warned me when people mourn here it usually involves loud crying, but I was still not prepared for how eirily sad it was. At 2 a.m. people were still up mourning; and when I got up at 6 a.m., people were still there. So I suspect it went straight through the night.

Many female relatives and neighbors were busy cooking over the next three days as it is customary to serve food to people paying their respects. The first night I stayed in my room to keep out of the way. The second night I got to help form balls of dough to be rolled by another woman and then fried.

The burial was Saturday. I did not attend since he was Muslim and women are not allowed to go to their burials (at least that is the local custom).
There was not a guest registry but I would guess there was easily 200-300 people come through over the 3-day period. Like funerals in the States, it was a sad time but enjoyable to visit with the visiting relatives.

Back on positive note, there were even a few things I was able to teach my family during my stay. After several meals with greasy, fatty chicken, I politely asked if they ever cook without the skin. I explained we do in the U.S. because it is suppose to be healthier. Every since we have ate boiled, skinless chicken!

Seven children between 4-7-years-old live in Mama Eva's and her sisters' homes. We all eat supper together and for the first week these kids were too shy to talk to me. So one night before dinner, I taught them Patty Cake. After that they have followed me around wanting to play. To change it up, I also taught them If Happy and You Know It; Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes; and The Wheels on the Bus.

Also, the fist bump is a popular greeting especially among the younger folks. So I added a little American ghetto fabulousness by teaching the neighborhood kids to follow the fist bump with an exploding hand. Sometimes I even add sound affects!

It's the Little Things...

2010-08-17T10:34:00.000-07:00

Written on Saturday, August 7, 2010

This past week has been one of the best parts of training....SHADOW! I was sent with two other cool peeps to spend four days in a village just south of the city of Moshi with a married couple serving as education volunteers.

On Saturday, July 31, we set off on a bus with a few others also heading to villages near Moshi. Our shadowees were all meeting us in the city as it is their "banking town". This means it is their nearest city which is usually best for banking needs, internet access, a large market with bigger selection than found in the villages and, if you are lucky, some American treats.

In the case of Moshi, we were very lucky. Moshi is located near the base of Mt Kilimanjaro so many tourists pass through it. As soon as we met up with the volunteers, they offered to take us to get hamburgers. After six weeks of mainly rice, you can believe I was one of the first to jump at the chance of anything vaguely similar to American food!

It was literally a hambuger stand on a sidewalk, but the burger could seriously hold its own against any in the U.S. Having not seen so much as seen a lettuce leaf since arriving in Africa, I admit to being pretty exciting about the pile included with pickles and mayo. PLUS, it was served with amazing fries sprinkled with really tasty seasoning and smothered in real ketchup. Probably one of the top five meals of my life.

We then met up with more PCVs stationed in the area and the other trainees who had chosen to eat Thai instead of burgers at a restaurant known for having the best grilled chicken....I just had a bite of someone else's-- I swear! But afterwards we headed to another restuarant that serves ice cream and I did have a big cup of chocolate chip. Not sure how much chocolate was in the chips, but it was still good.

I then went with some girls to hit the shops. Moshi offers some great shopping for authentic African jewelry and knick-knacks. But with the high tourist traffic, prices were higher and shop workers were not willing to barter. Similar to not buying anything in the States unless it is on sale, I rarely buy anything that I cannot lower the price. Bartering is half the fun of shopping here!

After shopping it was time to eat again! We met up with the rest of the group for "street meat". Some local restaurants set up booths on their front sidewalks and cook kabobs and chicken legs right there for you to watch. All very good!

The PCVs then showed us a hidden piece of American there in Moshi. When our cab turned off a busy main street on to a dark dirt road with 8ft cement fences on either side, I was a little nervous. When we were dropped at the wrong gate and had to walk back down the dark dirt road, I was still a little nervous. When we arrive at the right place and I see that it is also dark, I begin wondering exactly what type of place we are being taken to. Then as we walk down gravel steps out of no where appears this amazing brightly lit tiki bar with American music playing! Serious oasis in the dessert moment!

Now I am not really a big drinker but there have been a few stressful moments over the last month and a half. With soda and beer as the most common drinks available in the village (and even then women are not really suppose to be drinking in the village bars), I have a few wishful moments of relaxing with friends, good music and an ice cold margarita. So that is exactly what I did! And here's the best part of this little heaven....an awesome make-shift movie theater that played American movies!

That night we stayed at a hotel and then went to the market the next morning before a lunch of something I had really been craving...PIZZA! Cheese is really scarce in the nothern half of TZ and my sausage was more hot dog but it was still really good.

We then headed to their village to spend the next two days. I really enjoyed getting to see another village and how a current PCV actually lives. We got to sit through one class taught by the wife and help a class make a compost pile for the school's garden.

On Wednesday morning we caught a bus to Dar es Salaam for some admin needs. PC had given us the tickets to Moshi and money to purchase the ones to Dar. In the U.S., I would not think twice about buying bus/plane tickets. But here we needed to speak Swahili while making sure we did not get cheated. It was such a great feeling to do this because we were finally functioning on our own.

Being as independent as I am, I have really struggled with not being able to communicate or having the freedom I took for granted. But this is all working itself out as I learn the language and become more self-sufficient again.

And the Lucky Kijiji Is.....

2010-08-05T09:33:00.000-07:00

Written Friday, July 31, 2010

Today was finally the BIG day everyone in my training group has been anticipating.....Site Announcements! When we first received our invitations to train, we only learned our country would be in Tanzania. Our exact village location for the next two years was undecided until we got to experience TZ and the PC staff got to know us better.

Imagine Christmas morning, your 16th birthday and sorority recruitment Bid Day all wrapped into one day. That is exactly what today was!

After a full morning of sessions, lunch and one more afternoon session, the suspense was bad. But the wait was totally worth it cause PC rocked the announcement process.

We walked from the classrooms over to a outside clearing where people were set-up playing drums and dancing. They got us all up and dancing, but we were still sneaking peeks at a large TZ map outlining who was going where. Each person's picture was covered with a post-it, so we could see how many were going to the individual regions but not who.

The youngest person in our training group got to remove the first post-it to announce where the first person was going. Everyone cheered as that person ran up to the board and then the exact village name was announced. They then removed another post-it from their region and so went the procedure. Once everyone in a region was announced, a description of that region was read. It was all really fun and upbeat!

Plus, we got apples, chocolate and mail. I received a letter from Grandma that included dry powder packets of lemonade and ranch dressing! You can imagine my excitement level was on overload by the end of all this!!

So where am I going? My village will be Mshewe located in the Mbeya Region!!! Located in the beautiful Southern Highlands area, the Mbeya region boasts majestic mountains with the southeastern corner bordering a lake with beaches. Since it is mountainous, the temperature gets much cooler than in the other hot, dry sections of the country.

I am not sure how close I will be to the city of Mbeya but I hear it is a big tourist city for people traveling across Africa. This is awesome for two reasons: I may be able to make use of my professional tourism experience AND Doritos will be near-by! Some American treats like chips and pizza are available for travelers! :)

I am also totally excited about Mbeya because six other fun people from my training group have been placed there. This is in addition to four volunteers already there. We may be a few hours away from each other but close enough for celebrating holidays, birthdays and such!

Celebrating July 4? Yes We Can!

2010-08-05T09:30:00.000-07:00

Written Sunday, July 04, 2010

Though I’ve only been in TZ for about three weeks, I feel a certain amount of accomplishment today! One being that it is now July and technically my second month here, and two being that it is my first holiday to spend away from friends and family back home. I know it is not exactly the Christmas of holidays but July 4 has a certain charm of its own. Since fireworks on Paducah’s riverfront or a day at Kentucky Lake is not on this year’s schedule, I am instead doing something else that is definitely all-American….email and blogging!! My group and a second group in Lusanga are taking a dala dala a short drive into Muheza to an internet café.

First…An Update
Things have settled in fairly well. We have training from 8-5 Mon-Sat. This primarily consists of learning Swahili, but we also get some interesting lessons on local government structure and agriculture. I have a nice 15 minute walk from the farm to where our classes meet. Plus, we walk around the village some to talk to people and practice Swahili. On Saturdays, the whole training group meets for sessions at a local PC training center. When I get home, I try to explain what I learned that day to my host family, do homework and eat supper.

Obama-Mania
So I thought it only fitting to use the holiday to describe the Obama-mania we have encountered since arriving in TZ! He is seriously everywhere. Tanzanians are crazy for him. At the center where we meet on Saturdays, I have seen his name written on the backs of chairs. At the duka (aka, market), I have seen Obama bubble gum and ink pens. Even the flashlight I was given to use has his picture on it! The best is something I won't mention yet because someone back in the US may be getting it for Christmas!

EDIT:
As you all probably noticed, I was unable to get on the internet this day. I got settled in with a very slow computer when the electricity for the whole place went out! We still had a blast traveling to the bigger village and celebrated the independence of America with an African beer. :)

Kunywa or Kunwa

2010-08-04T10:55:00.001-07:00

Written Sunday, June 27, 2010

Alright, it is time for the post that is practically mandatory for all Peace Corps Trainees…..a report on choos and poo. As my digestive system grows accustomed to the local foods and weather, I have realized how very lucky I am to have my own choo attached to my room.

First I should start by saying that my big African weight loss plan has been thrown a curve ball. People in TZ eat even less healthy than people in America! We only thought the down home style cooks of the South fried everything. They could even learn a few things from the locals here. Plus, it is not uncommon to sit down to a meal with rice, potatoes and pasta!

And I was completely serious when I said in the last post that the family mama expects everyone to eat. The first night was extremely hot and I could not eat much without a drink. So when I first tried to ease out of the situation by saying “Ninanymbasheba” or I am full, she was like NO eat more.

So it was no big surprise when the second night was spent mostly in the choo. What was a surprise was that with the mama’s room right next to mine, she could hear me each time I had to get up and would yell through the wall “jess-KA, you ok?”. Not exactly a situation where you are wanting to yell the play-by-play through a wall to someone you already have limited vocabulary.

Otherwise the choo situation has not been too bad. For those who may not know, a choo is basically a hole in the ground into which you use the bathroom. During the day my group meets at a local government building and we use the choo of one of the other PCTs who lives almost next door. This one is a more typical choo being outside the house and shared by the whole family. It is in a small brick outhouse-type structure with a thatch roof. It is also where you take bucket baths.

My Nyumbani is Your Nyumbani!

2010-08-04T10:51:00.000-07:00

The homestay aspect of the training process made me nervous even before I found out how bad I am at learning to speak Swahili. I really was not sure what to think about eight weeks of living with complete strangers in a different country. I just chose not to think about it..... “after all, tomorrow is another day”

But as you guessed it, the day eventually came when my tomorrows ran out. This past Wednesday we left our safe haven in Dar es Salaam to drive five hours to Muheza where a PC Training Center is located. But do not think of a five hour driving distance as in the US! This road was nice but two lane so we did not actually drive that far from Dar. Remember those crazy drivers I mentioned? Our bus driver was passing everything in sight!! Thankfully, I was able to focus on the amazing scenery- even a monkey!

We are all divided among the several neighboring villages with the 4-5 person homestay groups I mentioned last post. I am in Lusanga “A” with three others. Two girls who will be health education volunteers from Boston and California. The other environment volunteer is a guy from Louisville so we’ve got some great Kentucky representation!

After a quick overview at the training center each group with all our luggage piled into a small van. Of my little group, I was the first one dropped off. We started on a decent road paved road. Then turned onto a nice yet narrow dirt road heading into the country. I am still feeling pretty good at this point. Then we turn on to a rutted dirt path surrounded by corn fields…..I start thinking what the h*ll am I doing??!! I seriously just started laughing at the craziness of the situation!

Then the house finally appears and all is good! It is a really pretty “estate” with three widowed and divorced sisters. The family owns the corn fields we had driven through and each sister has their own house where lots of their family members live as well. I am still figuring out who lives where.

I seriously lucked out with my living situation! My mama (we are suppose to totally integrate ourselves into the family) lives in the main house. My room is huge and- unbelievably- has its own choo!! Most homes have one that is outside and the volunteers have to share with the whole family so to have my own attached to my room is a huge luxury.

So we pull up to the house and all these people come out from everywhere to greet me! I catch bits and pieces as they are all talking in Swahili. My extent of the language at that point was to introduce myself. As they start serving me chai, I am arming myself with my note cards, English to Swahili dictionary, Swahili to English dictionary and photo albums. Then it quickly gets dark and I realized there is no electricity. I begin to think I am completely SOL cause it is too dark to read my aids. Then I realize their English is starting to get a lot better as my small extent of Swahili is leaving with the sun. Come to find out the sisters were taught English by a Peace Corps volunteer in the 1960s!

Once everyone went back to their homes, a few of us started on supper. I am proud to report that I was taught the correct way to stir beans! We sat down to eat and I found two big differences….no silverware and no drinks. The latter being the hardest for me by far. My mouth got so dry and I started having trouble getting it all down! African mamas make sure everyone at their tables eat a lot…and I mean a lot. Luckily, one of the older sisters read my mind and called for someone to bring me juice….the second surprise of the night was that it was icy cold juice!! Seriously the BEST juice ever, a lime and orange mixture, made even better by not having had anything that cold in almost two weeks!

With their small amount of English, we have been able to communicate better than expected, and they are a huge help in my own lessons. Another surprise came the second night when I got home from training, went to another sister’s home and found they have electricity, which explained the icy cold juice!

Finally...Internet!!!

2010-07-17T23:37:00.000-07:00

I knew internet access would be tricky but this is crazy!!! Sorry to everyone who has been worried but I am still alive and kicking...literally, there are a lot of bugs I have to kick out of my way.

Unfortunately, I have three very interestingly intrigueing posts about the past few weeks that I am currently unable to share with you. I have tried to access the internet twice lately. Once the electricity at the internet cafe completely went out as soon as I got on. The next time it was so slow I could not accomplish anything in the little bit of time I had. Now I am at an AMAZING resort for our mid-training vacation weekend with great internet but the wireless is down and my version of Word is newer than theirs so it will be a bit longer before you get to hear about my first few weeks of homestay training.

Hope all is well and please keep the letters and emails coming!

First Real Dar Experience

2010-06-21T09:43:00.001-07:00

Written Sunday, June 20, 2010

Today was quite momentous as Peace Corps let us out on Dar es Salaam for the first time! For safety and health pre-cautions, we stay within the convent during our week in Dar. So we were all really excited to see the city and test our new language skills.

Our homestay groups of 4-5 PCTs led by our Language and Culture Facilitators walked all morning. It was so interesting that I did not even realize how far we had walked. The town's population is beyond packed. People are walking and driving everywhere. The cars are pretty much packed to capacity and drove by people constantly honking and swerving. It was so crazy. I hear automobile accidents are the highest percentage of deaths…..though I almost wish I had a car so I could get on the road and drive like crazy with them….no comment from anyone who has ever rode with me J

Our first stop was a flea market type set-up with all kinds of vendors. First on our list was to check out the kangas and tangas, which are the long pieces of material that women wear wrapped around them as dresses, skirts, tops and even head pieces. I got a pretty tanga and a beautiful batik print that I can give the local seamstress during my homestay to make into a skirt or dress.

We then walked on into town where it was more store fronts but usually opened to the street. Then walked through an open food market with all types of veggies, fruits and more. None of us bought anything there, but we did end up at a grocery store where we got a few essentials for our own rooms. Toilet paper was the key item as it is not frequently found here and what is found is not an ideal quality….to put it nicely.

The currency is about 1300 Tanzanian Shillings for $1. It is so hard for me to remember not to think something is too expensive when it has such a large number as the price!

After the grocery store experience, we took a dala dala back to the hostel. These are the public transportation buses which are a hotbed for petty thefts because they are so crowded. I was so paranoid about being scammed that I did not realize when a worker was needing my fare! He was shaking a hand-full of change just as many of the street vendors were. So I thought he was trying to sell me something. I politely shook my head and thought I had safely avoided trouble. Then one of the others later mentioned she had paid for all of us and then we all realized what had happened. Well…better safe than sorry!

Planes, Tour Buses and Really Strong Toilets

2010-06-21T09:39:00.001-07:00

Written Saturday, June 19, 2010

My Peace Corps Pre-Service Training Manual states PST "is a time to test your assumptions about being a volunteer, assumptions about Americans and Tanzanians, assumptions about what is right and what is wrong, and the differences here."

Boy, is that an understatement.

At 30-years-old, I have gained a lot of professional experience and, without meaning to sound completely conceited, I took pride in knowing I was someone my co-workers and peers could rely on to know my job and for advice if ever needed. It's crazy how much a few thousand miles can change one's self-perception as those abilities are certainly not how I would characterize myself in this moment.

Two flights, a missed connection and an afternoon spent in an airport instead of important initial meetings got me to Philadelphia on Monday. I did get to meet the other Peace Corps Trainees, PCTs, that night for supper. They are all totally fabulous and have wonderfully unique stories of their own.

Tuesday was another early morning as we had to be on the road to get our first immunization shot (yellow fever) by 6 a.m. We then boarded two group tour buses (seriously, I just can't get away from these things!) and headed to NYC. I really do try to hide my inner-country-hickness but driving through Lincoln Tunnel into Manhattan even had me at the edge of my seat. Funky pizza parlors, the New York Times office and even a park I swear to have seen on Sex and the City had me seriously wanting to stay at least a day.

But we were quickly at JFK and not so quickly onto the plane. Who knew moving 41 people each with two bags not weighing more than a total of 80lbs or total dimensions of more than 107in could take so long? Three flights with stops in Zurich and Nairobi, 21 hours of travel and an eight-hour (CST) time difference got us all to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Africa. Needless to say, I slept very little and was a bundle of nerves once we finally landed in TZ!

Our home until next Wednesday is at a convent in Dar. Training started bright and early at 8 a.m. the next day but I think my "assumptions" were tested as soon as we arrived at the hostel. We were grandly welcomed by the PC Tanzania staff and almost immediately given our malaria pills. Then we were shown to our rooms. Granted after three days they do not really seem that bad but, at first arrival, I was thrown off guard a bit. The room is small with the bare necessities and a 4'x 5' open-floor-plan-bathroom with a working toilet and a shower with a drain.

I never understood why everyone at home was so surprised that I would want to do this, especially as it was my first time out of the US let alone an under-developed country. But at that point of exhaustion and being a bit overwhelmed by it all, I was quickly understanding the surprise and how a previous trip could have helped me prepare for the voyage.

Now after three full days in TZ, I am finally feeling back to my old self. The past three days have been a blur of five of 10 more shots, lessons on the Tanzanian culture, religion and language. As comfortable as I was in my old life, it has been a sharp change that I knew was coming but still a surprise. I have really been struggling with the language more than others in my class, but they have all been really helpful. So much stress is put on being wary of the high petty-crime rate that I have not been really talking to many of the locals who live and work at the convent that our hostel is located inside. But they are good people and very friendly. They are thankful to have PC here in TZ and want to make sure we enjoy our stay, which really describes most of the people in TZ.

Next Wednesday we move in with our host family for the remaining eight weeks of training. I am really excited to meet them and get to experience their daily routines first-hand. During this time, there will be three others living in the same village with their host families, and we will continue to meet up for educational sessions with a Language and Culture Facilitator.

Oh, and the curiously strong toilet? Having an open bathroom with no shelves, I have had to sit my shampoo and soap on the back of the commode. When I went to flush the first morning, my entire, newly-opened bottle of facewash fell in the toilet! Before I realized what had happened, it had been completely flushed down!! Luckily, I have two more bottles with me and a supply at home that my family is suppose to send me. I have not even had any problems with plumbing since then….

Initial Mailing Address

2010-06-09T12:20:00.000-07:00

Jessica Byassee PCT
US Peace Corps
PO Box 9123
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

The address above is to the PC headquarters in Tanzania. I will be receiving mail here until I am placed in my village and get my own PO Box. PCT stands for Peace Corps Trainee. After training, I will be a PCV, Peace Corps Volunteer!

I have heard that padded envelopes and small boxes are faster and most likely to reach me. It is good to write "Educational and Religious Materials" on the outside. It is not uncommon for mail, especially coming from the U.S., to be opened and items stolen. If you have to place a value on anything you send, do not list more than $10/item.

Mainly I would love to receive letters and pictures! Several of you have asked what else I might need sent to me. You do not have to send anything but- since you asked- here are a few general things I have seen on current PCV's lists. After I am over there a bit, I may need to personalize the list by adding things like Heinz Ketchup and Famous Amos cookies!!

Drink Mixes
    (Country Time Lemonade, Crystal Light, etc)
Seasonings
    (BBQ, Mexican or just surprise me!)
Toys and Games for Children
    (I have heard that the neighborhood kids like to hangout with PCVs!)
Books and Magazines
    (I will read ANYTHING! Tip: the Paducah Library has a sale twice a year where you can go
     at the end and buy a whole grocery bag full of books for only $1!)
Office Supplies
Music and Movies via iTunes

Less Than 1 Week!

2010-06-09T09:46:00.000-07:00

After a five week whirlwind of roadtrips, goodbye lunches, riding, goodbye dinners, leisure reading and goodbye parties, I found myself this past Monday with only one week left and a TON of stuff to do. Not that I am a procrastinator....I just happen to work better under pressure...

More Official Stuff
I found out that it is recommended to use your ATM card instead of carrying a lot of cash, which is great for me considering that is all I ever do here in the U.S. But I had planned to move my checking account to Clinton so family can deal with anything that comes up. I would not have gotten a new ATM card in time, so we had to get them signed on to my account in Paducah.

While we are speaking of banks, I have exciting news. I am the proud new renter of my very own safety deposit box! I can now safely leave behind my valuables and important paperwork will be easily found if needed while I am away.

Geeksquad Apprentice
Yes, I been promoted from a Geeksquad Wannabe to an Apprentice! As you may remember from my last post, I was getting a bit overwhelmed by technology and trying to decide what type of computer I should take. I ended up getting an Eee netbook. I was initially put off when I learned they do not have CD drives, but I really liked the size and price for my purposes. Plus, I can backup using jump drives and watch movies/tv available online.

Another big bonus on my netbook is that it came with a camera and Skype already downloaded. Last night I had a trial run and successfully spoke via video with a friend in Paducah! If you have Skype, look me up!

I do want to stress here that while I am taking a netbook, iPod, digital camera and Solio they will not be part of my everyday life. Not just because I will lack the power to use them frequently, but I also do not want to become the "rich white person". I will want and need to blend in as best as possible so I will mostly use them in the privacy of my home and on trips outside of my village. I will also be taking care not to waste time using them instead of being out visiting with the people.

King of Prussia Bound!
About three weeks ago I received my staging information. Staging is two days of intense orientation within the U.S. On June 14, I will fly to King of Prussia, PA, a suberb of Philadelphia. There will be several sessions and shots that afternoon and night as well as the next day.
That evening we will travel by bus to JFK in NYC for an eight hour flight to Zurich. Then a staight nine hour, 40 minute flight Dar es Salaam, Tanzania! Dar is a major city where most of our two month training will occur.

Right now I have just over four days before I leave. So I must log off here and get back to packing!

Less Than 2 Months Away!

2010-04-18T18:00:00.000-07:00

Almost three months have passed since I received my acceptance to Peace Corps allowing me to come clean to all my friends and co-workers about my plans. The most asked question I get has now switched from "What? Why??" to "So are you ready?". I have always been ready in the sense that I could jump on the plane at any moment and get this adventure started. But in terms of feeling prepared...not so much. Sorry, this is a long post. So grab your sweet tea and settle in.....

You Mean I Need to Research?
I figured I would have done a lot more research on the people and statistics of Tanzania at this point. I freak out a little when I realize I have not even done any language studies yet! But most of that will occur during the official training. And since this experience is suppose to help me relax and be better at not needing to have every detail planned, it is nice to remember to sit back and wait for the final word from Peace Corps. Plus, in an initial book of essays they sent me last summer, there was one by a guy who was suppose to go somewhere cold but then that program got cancelled, so he ended up being sent to a Pacific island.

My grandfather has been doing a lot of reading and has given me several interesting articles about how the agriculture industry is starting to search for ways to create better farming practices in Africa because so much of the land in more developed countries is getting used up by real estate and such. More on that after I get a chance to read it more thoroughly.

The time that should have been spent reading more things like that.....has actually been spent blog stalking. You may have noticed on the right column of my blog is a link to Peace Corps Journals. This is a wonderful site that allows you to read blogs by Peace Corps Volunteers in specific countries. I have also found that there are a ton of videos on YouTube posted by PCVs. I have found lots of good stuff that give me a better idea of what to expect as well as some things that I would have preferred not to now being showing up in my dreams. But I figure my subconscious cannot be nearly as bad as reality....right?

Geek Squad Wannabe
I have decided that moving to an African village which most likely will not have electricity is the perfect time to buy my first iPod and laptop. Give me moment and this will make perfect sense! I have been fortunate enough to be able to email with a few current PCVs. All of them recommend bringing at least a laptop because 1) I will be surprised by the availability of wireless access; 2) Even if I do not get internet at my village, it is handy to have the laptop to type reports, emails and blog entries. Then when I am able to access wireless, I can just send or post these things; 3) It will be much easier to find a place that offers wireless and not have to find a place that offers computers (there is no telling what kind of shape that computer would be in). I am currently researching laptops vs netbooks, Eees vs Linux and a bunch of other things, so I will look somewhat intelligient when I go to Best Buy and have to deal with their Geek Squad.

On much more fun note, I have already gotten my iPod and I am in love! It is so sleek and shiny and green! I decided on the iPod Nano because it video tapes which will keep me from filling up my digital camera's memory cards. My iPod has lead to my other new love of iTunes. All you have to do is click and presto! You have the specific songs you want without having to buy a whole cd. But this has also lead me to realize how quickly $1.29 adds up. So I am doing a Stock the iPod, like Stock the Bar Showers. If you have any songs in your iTunes that you think I should not live 2 years without, fill free to "gift" them to me!

I have also found out about Solios. These are solar panel-type devices that store up solar power and uses it to charge electronics! I cannot wait to get one of these ordered so I can play with it too!

Two Weddings, a College Graduation and a Funeral
I am not the only one in my family facing new challenges. My little sister is graduating college and getting married in May. Thank goodness it has all worked out for me to be here for both big moments. Unfortunately, luck did not carry on for my good friend Maria's wedding at the end of the summer. But I am at least getting to have a fun girl's weekend with her and others to help celebrate!

Though I do NOT expect it to happen, I have had to plan for my own death or becoming too ill to be able to convey my wishes. It was actually more depressing to realize how little I own of much worth. Though as I was working on my living will and will, I started thinking of what songs I would like played at my funeral, who should say what, who would be the pawbears, what flower color scheme would look best in the local funeral home.....then I realized my love for party planning should probably not include my own funeral?

I'm Just a Girl
One of the things that I am most looking forward to is not having to wake up every morning and put on make-up. That said, it has been funny how many girly preparations I have had to do....some down-right vain considering where I am going.

First, Peace Corps requires you to take two pairs of eyeglasses AND they do not provide contact cleaning solution so it is recommended to only wear your glasses. If you have had the pleasure of seeing me in my glasses, you know I am blinder than the bats that will be eating the mosquitoes around my African hut. When my eye doctor recommended thicker frames to hide the thickness of the lens, I jumped at the idea. Thankfully, they are much better than expected. But I am still planning an order to 1-800-Contacts to stock up.

Second, I got a permanent retainer for my teeth. This may be TMI but I am so excited by the results that I have to tell you about it! Even after having braces TWO times, my front two teeth would constantly shift apart. Since I don't want to deal with a retainer over there (or any more, in general), my dentist suggested having them basically bonded together. Best thing I have ever done for my teeth!

Third, having tried to save money by doing my own hair coloring for the last couple years, I ended up with red hair. So my hair stylist has colored over it in a way that will fade away without giving me roots. Layers and angled bob are now gone so it will grow out even. I realize this all seems completely shallow, but when you are not sure of the frequency or quality of future haircuts, you have to plan out these things!

That pretty much catches you all up! I only have two more weeks at my job. Then I will have six weeks to really do more in preparation!

April Fools!

2010-04-01T14:03:00.000-07:00

APRIL FOOLS!! As most of you realized, my last post was a joke. But it would have been pretty cool to be heading to Jamaica this weekend to build tree houses :)

I am still planning to travel to Tanzania in June. It is getting harder and harder to concentrate on work...which is really bad considering there is a huge event coming at the end of the month that I need to be focused on! In my head is the lay out of my next post and I promise to get it typed out soon. There has been a lot of preparation going on that you may find interesting.....

How's that for a cliffhanger? :)

Blue Moon of Jamaica?

2010-04-01T11:45:00.000-07:00

I've had quite an eventful day.....I got a call from Peace Corps this morning saying there is an immediate opening in Jamaica!!!!! It starts on Monday, April 5, so I'm leaving this Saturday!!!!!!

I will be teaching a program that increases sugar cane production by 10 times the current net profit ratio based on the dollar to guinea system. I will also be assisting with architectural plans to develop more tree-dwelling homes. Picture a subdivision of "tree-houses"...kind of like Swiss Family Robinson.

Not sure if I'll be able to get in touch with each of you before I leave, but I will try to write again soon. Got LOTS of packing to do so gotta run!!!

Inspiration for the Masses

2010-03-06T16:53:00.000-08:00

Let's be honest here....Africa was not my top choice on where to serve. When I first decided to apply this time, I was visualizing rustic cobblestone roads and cute, homey cottages in one of the Eastern European countries still fighting for their own identity after the demise of the USSR. But I can say that I am truly excited about where I will be spending the next two years. What swayed my opinion?

Again, I do not have just a simple answer (see post 1: nothing is ever simple inside my rambling head). I can pinpoint the force behind the fascination I did initially have with Africa. I had only been at my current job about a year when I got to work with Hollis Chatelain. She and her family lived several years in Africa and that time inspired her art beyond description. Below is a clip from her artist statement on her website HollisArt.com:

"The twelve years I lived in Africa have deeply influenced me. Six months after moving back to the United States, my longing for Africa was so great that I started to paint African images in order to put me back into the life I loved so much. I feel Americans should know more about the joy, harmony, and pride of the African people, rather than only hearing about the suffering and turmoil so commonly depicted in the media. I would like viewers to see my African imagery as a tribute to a people I truly admire and respect."

I can still remember picking her up at the airport and spending the drive back to the museum talking about her upcoming visit with Archbishop Desmond Tutu. She was preparing to meet with him personally to help in the creation of a quilt she was to make depicting Tutu. I have still yet to meet anyone more perceptive to their surroundings, and her art allows others to see what she sees. It is simply amazing.

As things have a way of strangely working out, Hollis has long since finished the quilt and included it in the exhibit Imagine Hope, which will be debuting at the museum April 9-May 25. I am quite excited about getting to see her mere weeks before starting my own African journey!

Not only will I get to see her, but last month Tutu himself spoke at Murray State University. (I know, it is crazy how these things happen!) Included with this post is a picture I took at this event. The image is not a great quality but does show how packed RSEC was. It was basically standing room only....much like graduation for anyone who went to MSU.

To say the least, it was one of those rare moments when a large group of all ages and nationalities come together to hear something inspiring from a world leader who is clearly not just giving a scripted speech to get votes. Not to be repetitive, but it was simply amazing!

49 and holding....

2010-03-01T11:13:00.000-08:00

Happy Peace Corps Day! On March 1, 1961, President Kennedy signed an executive order establishing the Peace Corps. Three days later, Sargent Shriver became its first director. Deployment was rapid: Volunteers arrived in five countries during 1961. In just under six years, Shriver developed programs in 55 countries with more than 14,500 Volunteers. - courtesy of the National Peace Corps' Facebook status

Jessica's Note: I once read in a book about Kennedy that he chose Shriver as the first PC director because it would be easier to fire a family member if it did not work!

Jessica's 2nd Note: Just realized I will be serving when PC celebrates its 50th anniversary. Too cool!!

Serious Training: Day 1

2010-02-28T17:16:00.000-08:00

I have a feeling it usually is not correct blog etiquette to write two posts back-to-back. But the first one was mainly setting the scene for the whole blog....like a novel's foreword!

Speaking of novels, I had a literary moment of my own today. Over the past few years I have gained a little weight....ok, those of you who know me realize "little" is putting it nicely. During my medical exams last summer, I realized just how bad it has gotten and that I really need to be healthier, if only for the purpose of living in an under-developed country. Well, now it is the end of February and nothing has really changed. (Seriously, how does time fly by so quickly?)

So today I have started my Serious Training. I cleaned the horse barn which is great for the arms and then set off for a walk to get the ol' heart beat racing. This is when I had an epiphany! In Africa, I expect to be walking on rougher terrain than a nice concrete road. I should really train to be ready for that....I should walk through our fields!

I set off in a jaunty mood. (Though I am not sure of the definition of the word jaunty, I feel that is how I would describe my mood.) Jane Austin could do no wrong in my mind, and she always had her characters walking through woods and moors. So how bad can it be? I envision myself as Elizabeth hoping to run into Darcy.....or maybe Emma off to check on a crazy matchmaking scheme.

By the time I make it up the second hill, I am feeling much more like Gwenyth Paltrow's character in Shallow Hal than her portrayal of Emma. My back and knees hurt, and the wind was causing my nose to run and I had no tissue. Plus, the cows' angry glare was much more scary than what I expect to find on any of the animals in Africa.

Tomorrow I am taking my Serious Training to the gym, and next weekend I will be walking around the corn field where there are not any cows!

Peace Corps! Peace Corps? Peace Corps.

2010-02-28T16:37:00.000-08:00

"Greetings, I come in peace." Actually, it is more like "I come on behalf of the Peace Corps" but I could not help saying it the first way. This blog is to capture my experience as a Peace Corps Volunteer. In exactly 105 days, I will be traveling to Tanzania, Africa, where I will serve as an Environment Extension Worker for PC's program titled Environmental Education and Sustainable Agriculture in Rural Communities....yep, I am still having to read it off my assignment booklet in order to get all the words right!

To start I will briefly answer the most asked question "Why?". This is also the question that plagues me the most. I feel like it sets the stage on how people will judge my decision to join the Peace Corps, and I honestly do not have one exact reason as to why I am doing this. It is more of a whole bunch of things that culminated to this one point in time.

Peace Corps was something I guess I always knew about but had never placed much thought. Then about seven years ago while I was living in Texas I read a magazine article about a guy who had served. I immediately checked out the website and as luck would have it there was an informational meeting that night. I went to meeting and was amazed I had never seriously considered it. The program seemed like an unbelievable way to experience the world while really doing something beneficial to help.

I immediately started the application process and made plans to travel home to break the news to my family. They were definitely surprised....and not in a good way. Since I had found every opportunity to come home while living in Texas, the first question they asked was how I thought I would ever be able to live in a different country for two whole years. My dad reminded me that at my then age of a ripe old 23 he already had several years seniority at his job, plus a family and home. When was I going to settle down? A part of me did want to move home and find a good long-term job. So that is what I did.

Fast forward six years.....something scary happened. I turned 29-years-old and consequently in just 12 months I would be 30. Now I am not tenacious enough to think that 30 is really old, but it is a point that a person starts to re-evaluate one's life. I had done what I was suppose to do: established myself in a respectable job that lasted for more than a year, joined several worthwhile civic organizations and a great church, and made some fabulous friends. I still had not married....but that is another blog of its own. I could not help but stop and ask "Is this it? Is this what I have been working towards? Isn't there suppose to be something more fulfilling?"

Peace Corps had always stuck in the back of my mind as something I would do once I retired. Now that I was an adult who owned a washer and dryer and had a cat that depended on me, I could not possibly take off and travel across the globe for two years....could I? Finally, one Saturday morning I woke up and just knew. The time was right. The next day I completed the on-line application. In early June, I had a phone interview with the regional office out of Chicago. During which, I was informed that due to the high volume of applications the next available spot was not until the next June so my hopes were dashed for a quick getaway! But I still believed that the Lord had sparked it in me at this particular moment for a reason.

So I agreed and started the whole medical review. After seven trips to my general doctor, two trips to a local hospital for blood tests, a full set of 18 x-rays from my dentist and a review from my eye doctor, I finally received medical clearance just before my 30th birthday. What achievement! During this time, I also moved back home to live with my dad and his wife in order to pay off the average credit card debts and to build savings. I got to experience being a 30-year-old loser living at home....which could also be a blog of its own.

Much to my regret, I had to be very careful about who I told during this process because it would not be official until the PC Placement Office cleared me and sent me an invitation to serve. Luckily for me, an opening for a program leaving in March became available in January, so I was able to be processed a little early. Though I did not get the March opening, they were able to issue the invitation for June! Which I am so excited for because now I can attend my sister's wedding in May!

Well, this may not seem like the "brief answer" I promised but it actually is! I could go on and on about the long nine months of waiting, but I will save you all from that. I will also not elaborate on the power of prayer and how I truly feel spiritually moved to do this, in addition being so motivated by Obama's inspiring acceptance speech in November 2008. And I will not bore you about how I am motivated by my frustration with politicians who instead of doing something positive cannot get past their bipartisan bickering.

Instead, I will end here with an explanation of this post's title. The use of the different punctuation marks describe how my emotions have evolved through this process and in turn how people's reactions usually progress. There is the initial excitement, soon followed by questions and doubt. Then, for me at least, it settled on a peaceful feeling of "Yes, I understand it will not be perfect and ideal at all times. But it is going to an exciting adventure, and I will hopefully do a little good through it all."