Update and Pictures 17/11

Things are going along as usual in Lomwe! It is just about a year since I got here, so to commemorate that holiday I decided to take a picture of the local butchery. Yes, those are cow's feet in the lower right hand corner. And now it may seem reasonable that I have become a de-facto vegetarian in the village.

Also, my students have started teaching Women's Emporment Seminars with myself and another teacher in the community. I am so proud of them, especially since they are teaching sensitive subject involving HIV/AIDS and have been doing so very professionally. Below is one of my form VI students discussing transmission....
....and some of the girls with a sign advertising the seminar. We ended up waiting for the village chair to come and open up the community center for an hour, but when it started raining and our participants were getting wet waiting for the show to get on the road (so to speak) I ran to a local hoteli and asked to use that space instead. It worked out in the end, although while we were waiting for the village leader to show up I lapsed into a catatonic chant of (This is Africa) until my students asked if I was ok. Waiting has never been a strength of mine....

Also, we recieved trainees to our site recently and took them on a hike to the bottom of the mountains where there is a waterfall (which is actually vertical in real life..its not THAT different this side of the equator). It was a beautiful day, and I couldn't help thinking how lucky it is to be living out here!
The hike was refreshing and very VERY good excersize, especially coming back up. I hope everyone is well, and miss you all so much! Sorry this update is so short, I think I'm still winded from that hike! -Hils

Top 10 Activities for a Weekend in the Village

(In no particular order)

Piga Hodi (visiting other people in the village). "Hodi" is what you say when approaching a Tz household to say hello. I can't think of an English equivalent in a single word. This pic below is a mural painted by the children of my neighbors on their wall. There are no other decorations. The family is not well off at all, and its the kind of house where the chickens bunk in as well, but they have tons of love, and I thought it was so cool that they had written "one love" in english on the wall.

Coloring with the neighborhood children. Thanks to various gifts from my mother and Aunt Bonnie of coloring supplies, every child in the village of mshewa knows the subtle yet important difference between royal and navy blue. We have a good time, for sure. Here below are Neema (4) and Navuella (2) who are sunday afternoon regulars.

Getting Lost in the Mountains. Even after a year of hiking I still get nervous when 4pm rolls around and I am five mountains away from home. The hiking is beautiful, COME VISIT AND SEE! I always run into extremely nice people, occasionally students home for the weekend, and almost always primates. The last time I went I ran into a very old very drunk man who thought I was chinese and spoke beautiful english. Also a mother who supports her 8 children by making sugercane ale (thus explains the drunk man) and a couple of grandmothers who gave me pictures of their sons and told me to pick one. That's what i call a good day!

Science Club with star students. Below are Margreth, Mary, Zaituni, and Monica who are very intellegent young women from my 3rd year physics class. They, along with other students, are currently building and doing experiments with the very cool Solar Powered Fuel Cell Car thank my Uncle Pete so generously supplied (Thank you Uncle Pete! A letter of thanks is on the way!). At the end of the term they are going to make a presentation for the whole school, poster and all, about how it works, and I'm stoked at focused they are on this project!

10 Ducklings! They are adorable but the mama is very, VERY protective. As it turns out, duck bites do not hurt that much. I of course make her angry by holding them all daily, and am hoping they get used to me. Although, it is probably not a good idea to get attached. In celebration we are eating the non-laying-egg female duck tonight for dinner. I will most likely cry while chowing down, but it least it is not beans.

Teaching Guitar to students on the weekends. We don't get very far, and usually end up with me playing and them singing various Bongo Flava (Tanzanian Pop) songs. I only know two, but boy can we rock out. Still, its a good time, and if Mozart helps increase brain power, Bongo Flava has got to have some benefit, right?!?Teaching computer using the one that Ma sent me (thanks ma). It is the most durable thing ever, and has already been christened with: water, chai, tomatoes, pasta, candle wax, dirt, and probably other stuff I don't know about. But its still up and running 100%, and the kids have gotten really into it, using the word program to write stories about their families and lives which I will have to post here sometime/translate into english.

KILLER ANTS. I kid not. This threat is real and terrifying. The rainy season just started and there were more ants than grains of dirt. Have you read the Poisonwood Bible? It was like that. They eat chickens, for the love of Mungu, and perhaps small children, so we had to elevate all fowl for a few days. One morning I awoke to find that ants had taken over my kitchen and couldn't go in it for a couple of days. I would have taken a picture but I was too busy FREAKING OUT (the pic below is of my and a neighbor, Baraka). Thankfully, with the help of my neighbors and some bug spray left by Betty and Peter (thank you thank you thank you) they were expelled from the house. Cooking and hanging out with my neighbors. This is my favorite thing to do when not teaching. Below is Mwanaidi, my neighbor's housegirl. They rarely let me help cook (and if you have tasted my cooking you know why) but I have other uses including chopping wood, fanning the fire, and spontaneously breaking out in song. This is the core of most cultures: food and conversation. Tanzanians do it well.

Remember family back home. I had the joy of going back and seeing people for my sister's wedding (doesn't she just look beautiful) but it made me more homesick than ever. Luckily, I have tons of pictures which I enjoy sharing with neighbor's and village guests, so if you come visit they will already know who you are!

July 5th, 2008: The Joys of Travel

It's been forever since I have updated, but the last few months have been crazy.


1st: I got a male duck (below) who has made my Lady ducks ever so happy! They basically follow him around everywhere (which I find sad but whatev...) and I'm hoping for some ducklings soon!
2nd: I went on a rockin safari with my spectacular sister Betty and Brother-in-law Peter. We had a great time, it was such a treat, saw basically everything, lived the life of luxury, and the best part of all, I got to see some loved ones after a long time of missing them!
We also hung out with a pride of lions in Ngorongoro...my personal highlight!
3rd: After the Safari and a few days at site, I took a trip with other PCV's out west (by train...30 hours...I'm surprised we all survived) to Kigoma to Gombe National Park. This is the place where Jane Goodall studied chimpanzees. When trekking through the jungle in the park we ran into none other than JANE GOODALL and for 70 years she looks spectacular and is incredibly nice. I did everything a fan would do except say "You are the COOLEST scientist EVER!" and was all wide-eyed. It was fantastic.
Of course, seeing the chimps was spectacular as well !Lake Tangyanika is beautiful, especially swimming during sunset. It was a spectacular vacation but I'm ready to go back to teaching (and sleeping in my own bed). I'm also broke.......
P.S. Coming home in August! Can't wait to see everyone!

Pictures! and "you know you're a pcv in Tz when..."

Kilimanjaro in the morning from my doorstep. This is the first time I've been able to capture it, thanks to the new camera!

Partying it up with a healthy mix of Tz's and american's in my living room. not enough plates, forks, or chairs, but definitely enough conversation!

Scholar (my neighbor's daughter) and Rehema, a neighborhood kid, playing with a baloon. We had a mini carnival on a whim that day outside my house.
Eva cooking one of her chickens. I was like "let's eat THAT one today!"

This is Calvini, Amani and Amini (they are twins) and Scholar who have come over to play with the computer ma sent me. They love it!

Chillin ad drawing with the kids and my neighbor's new housegirl, Mwanaidi on the left, who I am teaching to read. I explained the alphabet and asked her what she thought, and she was like "I think it's gonna rain later". I was like "let's try this again...".


YOU KNOW YOU'RE A PCV IN TANZANIA WHEN.....
-You love Ugali for the chemical reaction it represents
-You know life without a fridge is one of trial and error
-You have switched off mephloquine
-You carry toilet paper Everywhere
-You shaved your head and people think you look great!
-You average 2 books a week
-You feel like a loser on the weekends
-You are either becoming very patient or very late for everything
-Going over to the house of a stranger you met on the street on a whim is not a dangerous activity, its Sunday Afternoon
-You have at least one convo about hiv/aids every day
-Your version of sleeping in is 7:30am
-Your version of a party is like a Monday night in the states

The Village Life

So its been about 6 weeks since I've left site, and I have to say the time is racing! Muda Unakimbia kama kawaida. Mostly I've stayed in since its a huge Pain-in-the-you-know-what to travel here, and I always get bug bites when I sleep out of site, but this weekend we all got together for a little birthday celebration. There was even cake, thanks to the creative Talent of Cynthia.

Things are going well at site, although everyday is a learning experience (to put in nicely). I have finally started being a disciplinarian and making my students write lines/English essays. It's nice, because then I let all the other teachers read it as well and hope this maybe gives them the idea that hitting students isn't the ONLY way to get them to do work. And students really hate essays, one of them cried the other day when I made her write about "the importance of homework". I felt awful, but was like "at least you don't have a big red mark across your butt!"

I found out a couple weeks ago that previous white volunteers in the area complained a lot when people came over to the house, which is probably why villagers were generally hesitant to come over. Why the hell would you move to Africa and not want people to hang out with?!?!? anyhoo, I started having mad tea parties and dinner parties for people, so now I get visitors all the time. For a girl from a big, close, and social family this is P.E.R.F.E.C.T. There are the cutest kids coming over all the time to draw and play on the computer that ma sent (thanks ma). Occasionally, their parents come over too. It's so nice!

Also, I've been doing a ton of HIV/AIDS eds in the community (found the dark underside of Lomwe) so much that I'm practically leaking condoms. Just having good convos with Mama's, doing demos, and taking people to the hospital to get tested (I have been confirmed negative twice this past week alone, which is always a good feeling). Most of the girls I befriend and try to educate are 15 - 20 yrs, already have children, and have been doing this type of "work" since getting out of primary school. I know the other teachers are starting to look down at the company I keep lately (its weird to walk down the street and have everyone NOT looking at me but rather at my companion) but I'm like "dude, if Jesus can hang out with prostitutes, I can hang out with prostitutes too". I also gave the girls some american condoms (thank you Girls) that were sent so that the men know where they came from....hee hee.....

Below are a few pics. Not a ton because I forgot to bring my camera to town. Needless to say, I miss home a ton and can't wait to come back for a brief visit in late august!



This is the duck house (and a huge grasshopper) that I helped build with a neighbor for my back yard. All from wood in the community, and recycled plastic bags on the roof (with nylon).

And these are the ducks, or the "Ladies" as I like to call them. They are called Simon and Garfunkle. I'm looking or a hubby for them because I think babies would be way fun!

This sideways pic is from the first night I had my camera at site (THANKS MOLLY!!!). My neighbor Eva and her housegirl, Mage, in Eva's house. We were all just hangin'.

And this is me and Mage acting Badass.

Moments I'm not likely to forget 3/1/08

There is just too much to tell and too little time, so I'm thinking a little list of moments from PC service will be an effective/entertaining (hopefully) way to tell people about how things are going. Questions welcome. Enjoy:

There are moments I'm not likely to forget, like when:
-I was invited over to a woman's house, only to find her cooking in the pitch black with a candle balanced on her head, while she nursed her baby. All at the same time! Multitasking is owned by women.
-I almost said "good ovening" to the cows that slept in one room of her house. I mean, everything looks the same in the pitch black!
-My students came to an extra class...all of them.
-My students actually handed in the homework
-My students did well on the homework
-We had a lab, they all showed up, followed directions, and asked questions...and hopefully learned something too
-I got lost hiking in the woods, and the path disappeared, and after 45min I stumbled into a lone house on the mountainside where the bibi (grandmother) welcomed me in, gave me a pineapple, and sent me on the way. She was like "Where did you come from?!?!"
-15 children accompanied me through town, all wanting to hold my hand. It was protection better than the secret service.
-I met The Oldest Woman In Tanzania (said to be 114 but prolly only 110-ish). Blind and bed ridden, she has a great sense of humor although, remembering who she's talking to?...not so much
-I got asked by my students if "flying solo" instead of having sex is ok. I mean....you got to do what you got to do....
-A mama came up to us with sun dried fish from the lake in a plastic back, pulled them out, and ordered us to eat them (which we did...like a candy bar....but not the eyes)
-I got a bike lifty (with my helmit on, Salome!) and watched a 7 year old with wood extensions on his feet to reach the petal drag at least 40 gallons of water up a hill. And then regretting every time in my life I have ever complained about doing a chore for my mother.
-I woke up with 39 bug bites on my face
-We ran into a herd of camels
-We got stuck in the middle of a lake in a boat that was leaking, and had to (shamefully) get toted back
-I was waiting for a dala and it took FOREVER (don't believe the locals when they say "right now", it means an hour and a half) and I ended up making the duka-owner sing "Missing my baby" while I played guitar.
-my new friend at the YMCA offered her one-year-old son to me in marriage (girl, I can't wait that long!)

That's it for now, more later! Peace

The fight against AIDS

So this week we spent at conference in Moshi to learn Aids education. I was pissed to miss school (not as angry as my students who had to take tests in my absence) but it ended up being a really educational, extremely motivating experience.

PEPFAR, our presidents emergency plan for aids relief, has a liason at PEACE CORPS to teach us about how to educate and get grants for teaching ect. So about 20 pcvs from the north and south got together, each bringing a tanzanian from their school. I brought Eva, my next door neighbor and an incredibly intelligent woman. She speaks like 5 languages and is always a good time to hang with. Point being, it wasn't as awkward as I thought it would be, and the whole week was a mix of cross-cultural exchanges and high school sex ed. We also got to know the girls who go to school/work at the YMCA here, where we had the conference. By the end of the week we were like "hey, there are about 40 young girls between the agest of 17 and 21, we should really teach them for practice" so we had two sessions and it was awesome. The first one was more lecture, but the second one we had group discussion in Kiswaenglish and they really opened up. Teaching sex ed is totally not as hard as I thought it would be, if you suck it up, and doing a condom demo is not nearly as uncomfortable as watching one (thank you sarah, I will hold your banana again any day). I feel totally motivated, and can't wait to go back to lomwe and spread the info there as well.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank american men. You are well informed, respectful (for the most part) and overall pretty responsible people. In experience, you always understand when a girl just says no, and that is pretty freaking awesome. so thanks for that. I would also like to thank all the R&B/Rap songs which mention female pleasure in their songs. Never thought I would be thankful for that, but if you come here you realize it is not even on a guys mind. So brag it up. And lastly, thank you R Kelly for your R&B opera "trapped in the closet". Its perfect for AIDs education as well as personal entertainment. Don't bust it until you try it. Hell, in 300 years, it could be like puccini.

Peace

Feb 2, 2008 Update

So I've been at site for two months now and things are going really well! Teaching is a bit more work than I thought it to be, but very satisfying, and I am beginning to settle into the teaching communityschool nicely, everyone is so welcoming and kind. Below are some random pics from site and in the city, all though I only come into town once a month or so.

Teaching Here is...Different

After teaching for a month now, all I have to say is God Bless high school teachers! Its so much busy work, preperation, and stress over whether the message is getting across.

I'm teaching Forms 5 and 6 Math, which I love. The students are 18 - 23 hrs old, bright, speak english well, and since they have worked hard to pass this far, very motivated to learn. Our classes are more like small seminars and very easy to run. Physics is a different story. There are 30-50 students per class ranging from 14 to 26 yrs, and a wide variety of levels of motivation. The first day of class a bunch of students not even studying physics came to class just to see what the white teacher would say, which was frustrating when they, of course, didn't show up the next time. I spent a good period trying to figure our what had happened. The students also have some attitude, so I brandish the usual fascade of confidence that teachers usually wear as armor. It can be frustrating...not to mention the fact that the first two periods of the semester, unbeknownst to me, were to be spent cleaning and not learning for the students. I was so frustrated, thinking "I'm never going to finish the syllabus if this keeps up!" But some of the students are really great, and I overall enjoy the work.

Cultural Confusion
The other day I had some serious cultural confusion when these Watalii (tourists) came to Lomwe to hike the beautiful mountains (see pics below). The "lonely planet" book says to come to Lomwe Secondary for a guide, so we occassionaly get visitors, but this was a whole group! They were camped out (tents, fire, jeep) on our soccer field of all places just hanging out, watching everyone. They looked so out of place, and at once I could see both sides of the cultural divide; the "what are the crazy white people up to now, and why are they camped on the soccer field, and why would they come all they way here just to walk in circles?" and the "wow, look at all these native people, I'm too afraid to say hi to bother them so I'm just going to sit here and try to stay out of the way". I have no idea where I lie in the mix....

Anyway, the point is that, having insight on both sides of this situation, I can tell you that neither party has any ill will towards the other, yet the misconceptions and misunderstandings borne from different cultural and economic backgrounds breed distrust and cautious curiousity. Overall, the perception of hostility is intrinsic in interaction. This must be instinctual, and probably the cause of a great deal of the world's conflict, and there it was happening on my soccer field.

Passing the wazungu (white people) on one occassion, a local Mama commented to me "Many wazungu have come" and I said "yeah, this place is pouring white people" and she said "kweli"(really!) and laughed...

PICTURES:

Welcome Party in Moshi:

Some of the volunteers from the Kili region welcomed us to site, it was so fun! There was even a tutu......

HIKING AROUND SITE:

Here I am in somewhat traditional garb (a headwrap and kitenge) which I usually wear when out of class. There are many paths and many directions to go in the mountains I live in, and as I mentioned before, many people come to hike around. It even says in 'Lonely Planet' to come to Lomwe Secondary!

And here I give you the view from an hour's hike away from my doorstep! It's the planes (called tambarare in kiswahili), and the mountains of Kenya in the distance.
Two of my closest pcv's, cynthia and leiha, came to visit for a little, and we hiked around. Cute pick!
So that's all for now. If you are unsatisfied with just pictures and want to come see the real deal, Karibu (welcome)! I have a guest room, bed, and net, and am only 5 hrs from an airport (KIA).

Short Update

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Not much to say, although above is a Christmas morning pic of me and Leiha. Christmas was definitely different, and surreal, but thankfully I was in good company and eating good food!

I had the best day before New Years. There was a wedding of one of my neighbors, and I woke up in the morning and spent hours with the Mamas of my village cooking and talking. Then the bride came back from the actual wedding (which is very small, usually) and they were singing these traditional songs to welcome here back. Then, when we had finished cooking, we all went back to clean ourselves up and headed to this huge party with food and dancing and a ton of people. I arrived late (shoutout to my sis Molls) with these Mamas because we were all getting ready together. It reminded me so much of getting ready before going out at home (you girls know what I'm talking about) which is often the most fun part of the evening and apparently a universal thing. At the wedding there were two other Wazungu hat I was introduced to, and they ended up being volunteers from Norway only staying a few more weeks. I invited them and my other neighbor back for food, along with some visiting friends, and it was the strangest, most eclectic dinner-party I have ever hosted, with three languages spoken between six people at any given time.

New Years was also a lot of fun, going to a very high-class party (with a very nice buffet) and dancing a ton to hark in the new year. It was held at a posh hotel in town, and reminded me a lot of my days at Penn for some odd reason...

Although travel is always fun, being back at site has been a relief and I have started developing a routine. The little things are very satisfying, such as teaching a few classes, cooking good food that I didn't think I was capable of (home-made guacamole is the BEST with Chapati) and taking hikes with my besty Jacklyn (americanization of her name) to view the mountains and plains of Kenya. Decorating is also fun, and if anyone wants to send some pics or other wall decorations.....

So life is good. I miss everyone from home, of course, and think of people at various moments in the day. Not extremely homesick, except for my mom's home cooking! Oy, I need to stop right now before I go crazy thinking about it!