Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Our Site Assignment

Mambo!

We just recieved our assignment. We are going to the Tanga region near Lushoto. This is in the Usambara Mountains. We are told this is a beautiful place and is cool to cold, yet not a far ride to get to the Indian Ocean for some days at the beach. We will both be at the same school, a girls boarding school with 360 students. It has a highly committed faculty and the school has a stong reputation for student success. They are in great need of a Math and Biology teacher because a PCV is leaving(Math) and the Biology teacher left a month ago. There is a Science lab with equipment and a well stocked library.

I visited a girls boarding school last weekend near Kili and really enjoyed hanging out with the girls in their dorm area and am told that in boarding schools, projects, like sustainable Gardens and clubs(sports, health and academics) are easier to have work.
We are told we have a house with 4 bedrooms!, running water but no electricity. Yet the school does have electricity for us to use.
There is camping and hiking nearby and we can bike or hike to town for major supplies and such. Andrew is the PCV leaving and has been talking to us about the school and site all day,,, so we are confident of the infomation.

We will be cooking with wood, kerosene or charcoal, and will be warmed by a wood stove at night. It is still warm compared to MN so it should be a great life weather wise. The PCV leaving also said the teachers like to colaborate on teaching and projects so we are very excited!

This is said to be the beauty of Africa.

By the end of Next week we should be heading to site!

Enjoy the winter for me!


Happy Thankgiving and peace to all,

Randee and John

p.s. We are in Dar es Salaam and headed back to Morogoro tomorrow to finish training, have our swearing in ceremony, and say goodbye to our TZ host families. We had a Thanksgiving dinner at the PC directors house on Monday and have enjoyed roaming around Dar after sessions. We ate at a French Bakery this morning as we talked kiSwahili with the agriculture expert for the chamber of commerce and then learned the Kiswahili word for "the tide going out" from a man on the dala dala. Being in view of the Indian Ocean is also very fun. It is the first time I have seen this body of water and it is nice to smell the ocean and look at the ships and waves off shore. We are really enjoying the adventure of learning the language from the people and being in a different place.

Friday, November 2, 2007

November 1st, Morgoro, TZ

Habari za Yako (What is the your news?),

We are very busy each day and have little time to think of anything but learning Kiswahili and preparing our lessons or learning important cultural activities like cooking ugali( a type of corn meal mush) and fish in coconut sauce and of course rice and beans. This all starts with catching a ride on a dala dala to the market, bargining in Kiswahili and paying the price -- after figuring out the money and the amount communicated. Then, at home using the slow cooking electric burner and washing dishes that have piled up all day because there is not water during the day. Then of course boiling water for the next day to drink and taking a bucket bath with cold refreshing water after a hot day. It is a real education and I have a great respect for accomplishing employment and school duties on top of simply living!

Also, our Kaka (brother) arrived home this week unexpectedly from boarding school. He had been sick and was getting worse, so they took him to the hospital and found he has ascaries (worms) which was causing extreme diarrhea and weakness. He is on medication and is getting better each day. It was good to see him this morning in the kitchen getting some uji (porrage made from millet, corn, and rice flour) and a smile on his face. He is worried as he has national exams in two weeks and has missed school. But he is a good student and we hope he can get better and study hard. In Tanzania if you do not pass your exams you cannot go on to higher education. (And, all schools cost money that is very difficult for families to afford.)

Last weekend all the PCT(Peace Corps Trainees) took a vacation trip Saturday and Sunday to visit Mikumi National Park. We went on an afternoon and early morning safari ride to see the wild animals. We say a lion pair (on honeymoon), zebras, elephants, crockadiles, giraffes, impalla, water buffalo, warthogs, Hippopotomi, monkeys and more. I had my birding binoculras and my bird book. I saw many species that I learned three years ago. I saw several violet breasted rollers, fish eagle, egyptian goose, ibis, plovers, superb starlings, and more. I really enjoyed this. It felt like the first time I really got to enjoy the outdoors since we left.

This was our last week of teaching. I have only to write a test and grade projects and my internship teaching is done. We go to shadow another PCV(current Peace Corps Volunteer) at their site, week after next. Then, we get to learn where we will be placed - maybe - the following week.

John had a wonderful birthday party on Wednesday. I am so glad because we really missed being with you all for his 60th party. Mama Flora invited our PCT(Peace Corps Trainee) colleagues, teachers and some neighborhood/church friends (16 people). It is hard to explain but it was like a wedding reception with balloons, flowers, a fancy cake (with candles and Happy Birthday John) and a special table decorated for John and I to sit facing all our guests. Our Mama is a trained chef so the food was fabulous and plenty of it! Everyone sang to him and then they started clinking their glasses ( American custom thown in) to get him to kiss me. I liked that part a lot! Also, Mama brought in a full stereo system for music. We had a fun time visiting with new neighbors and our PC friends.

Siku mjema,
(have a good day)

Randee