Opening Day

I don't have much to add since yesterday but I had to come back into town today because, despite standing in line for almost 2 hours at the bank, I was not able to get my money because Peace Corps has not given me my bank card and I only have a copy of my passport because they have the original, but hakuna matata, all's well now.
I would also like to give a little love for my three years of riding RTS around campus for preparing me for the experience that is the daladala ride. A daladala is essentially a dalapadated run-down something like a 15 passenger van that serves as a city bus. Despite having around 15 seats, there is generally about 30 people on each one, there's always room for one more paying customer you see. So as you can imagine, its not the most pleasant experience in the world. However today, depite being smooshed between two ladies with babies and having my knees crammed into the seat in front of me and having the person behind me's knees jammed into my back, I found myself actually being quite comfortable. Its amazing to see how much standards can change here. :)
One standard that hasn't changed for me however is that I am so out of shape! Which I was reminded of this morning at the crack of dawn as I borrowed my neighbor's bike to get into Igoma to catch the 7 am daladala to town. I'm pretty sure its just going to be easier for me to do the forty-five minute walk than to try to ride a bike in these mountains, I really felt like I was about to die. I like to blame it on the altitude and the cold air, but I'm pretty sure its simply because I've been so lazy before coming here. I think that I'm going to buy a bike anyway and keep on trying to make that trek each week and maybe I'll be in marathon-running shape when I get back.
I'm starting to feel more comfortable with my surroundings here in Mbeya and I think I'm already ready to get started working. The people have been so nice and helpful that it really makes me want to do good things for their community. I feel like a lot is expected of me so I hope I can deliver. I think I'm going to spend this week rereading all of my Peace Corps manuals about community entry and such then get going with meetings and see what happens from there.
I still have a lot of setting up house to do. I think I'm getting all my furniture delivered today, which will be nice. Hopefully it will make my house more homey. And if anybody has any pictures or posters or things of the like that you want to send, feel free because I've got nothing right now.
I have a new address now too that I think that I forgot to include yesterday. It is:
Katie Gillman, PCV
PO BOX 2501
Mbeya
Tanzania, Africa

Oh and one last thing... GO GATORS!!!!!!!! It sucks that I won't be able to watch the games this season, but you guys keep me posted and cheer a little extra for me. Maybe have a beer and some tostitos in my honor today. ;)

Ok I’m here…now what?

August 28, 2008

I’m official now. I was sworn in as an official Peace Corps Volunteer last Wednesday. (See picture included to have a laugh at the ridiculously wonderful outfit my family had made for me, which was even better because I was matching both of my mamas.) I left the next morning to head to Mbeya. It was a really nice drive actually. Beautiful scenery. “The Great Valley” from The Land Before Time came to mind as we drove past all the green mountains and sparkling streams. We also drove through Mikumi National Park again on the way and I got to see some more zebras, giraffes, and elephants. Then further along we passed through an area that had monkeys all over the place. We stopped to stay the night in Rujewa to drop off one of the five of us going to Mbeya Region that is staying in that area. We had dinner at a married couple of volunteers’ house. They have a pretty sweet set up where they are: electricity, electric oven and stove, refrigerator, and two computers with internet access in their house. They decided that since they were going to be here for a while they would go ahead and make sure they had everything they wanted.

The next morning the remaining four of us took off for Mbeya Rural District where we all will be staying. We met our VEOs (village executive officers) and had lunch, then I was the first to be dropped off. I’m only about 40 minutes away from Mbeya Town, where I can go to use the internet, bank, and post office, which is nice. When the car pulled up to the school, I almost cried. Not because I was scared off being dropped off, but because THE WHOLE VILLAGE was there to greet me. They were all singing and dancing and drumming and all crowded up to the car to meet me. Then I got all of my luggage out of the car and they left and I sat in the middle of a giant circle of my villagers and watched the school choir sing and dance for me for a little while. I was introduced to some of the teachers I will be working with, including my neighbor Lupogo, who has been a big help settling in. I ate dinner over at his house the first night and met Mama Jasitini (who has also been helping me out a lot). I think that she is he sister-in-law.

I finally got to go to my house after dinner and it is really nice. I have 3 rooms. One is my bedroom, one I use as a kitchen, and one I use just as a storage place for my books and such. I also have two other small areas inside, one being the shower area and one the bathroom. I am sooo happy to have a bathroom indoors. I would have been scared to go outside at night. I’m scared enough just walking across the living room in the dark! It kind of sucks not having electricity, mainly for that very reason, because its kind of scary at night. I guess I just have to get used to it. It is my first time living alone after all. I do have running water however, which is really nice. I have a little sink where I can wash my hands and brush my teeth next to the bathroom area, and I have a spigot in the bathroom and the shower area, as well as a flush choo (which is still a hole in the ground, but it’s a classy porcelain hole in the ground that flushes.) I also have a shower head, but that is pretty useless for the time being because it is FREEZING here right now. Ok, maybe not freezing, but to my standards its pretty dang cold. Especially at night because the wind blows like crazy up here in these mountains. So I have to heat up some water on my little kerosene stove and take a bucket bath like usual. Maybe when it gets warmer I will appreciate a cold shower, but right now I think I would die of hypothermia. Its pretty miserable as it is with the warm water bucket bath because while I’m washing I’m standing there wet and freezing.

Its amazing how industrious the kids are around here. They just do whatever they are told without asking why or expecting anything in return. Like today, a group of about 25 kids showed up after school and built me a fenced in area where I can garden without the chickens messing with my plants. I hadn’t even asked for one. And they built it fast too! They also dug me whole for my trash. And I needed some kerosene for my lanterns and stove so Lupogo, who was helping with the fence, sent a boy to go get me some, presumably at the store that’s just up the hill from my house that usually sells it. So some time passed, and he hadn’t come back with my kerosene yet, and I almost started to get annoyed because I wanted to heat the water for my bath and cook my dinner. Then here he comes running up, a little out of breath, and apologized and said that he had to go to Igoma to get it, which is the next town away from Kimondo that is about a 45 minute walk. I felt so bad. All the kids just came and did all that stuff for me, a complete stranger. It was really nice.

So even though I know that I’m wanted here and that the people are really nice, its still been a little bit tough this first week of being here. Its just kind of lonely and boring. I don’t know what to do with myself. I feel like they want me to be doing something and I want to be doing something, but I don’t know what to do and I don’t know enough Swahili really right now to do anything. I ordered a bunch of furniture to be made that should be ready Saturday (because right now I only have a bed, a table and 4 chairs). When that gets here, maybe I can occupy myself decorated and setting up house. Until then I try to at least go for a little walk once a day, just to get out of my house and attempt to talk to people. I’ve already at least learned how to greet people in the local tribal language, which people really like when I say it. They’re impressed that I know it.

Today my little walk got kind of interesting. I passed by a little hut and there were a couple of old ladies standing outside of it and I greeted them and we talked for a minute, then they invited me inside. And inside, there was a bunch of older people sitting around the perimeter of the hut and in the middle was a table with about 5 big buckets of pombe, which is their word for moonshine. They gave me a cup to try and laughed when I drank it. I only had a sip, but they thought that was great. They didn’t think that Wazungu drank alcohol. So I sat in this dark hut and hung out with a bunch of drunk old ladies for a little while. It was pretty fun. I’m starting to feel a little better and more comfortable here the more that I try to get out there and talk to people. I know that I’m an impatient person and that makes this a little bit more difficult, but at least in knowing that I’m wanting to rush things along that can’t be rushed along, I’m aware that I need to chill out and just let things happen as they happen. I know its going to take some time to learn enough Swahili to really be able to have conversations. I know its going to take some time to be able to make friends and establish trust and start projects. I know its going to take some time to get used to living alone and without electricity. For now though, its really helping me to get phone calls from home and reading letters. It helps me feel less disconnected from everyone and everything. So keep those letters coming, I really appreciate everyone who is writing to me, and even all of you who care enough even to read this blog. Its nice to be loved. J I think my computer is about to die so I guess I’ll stop here for now and try to snuggle under my three blankets and not freeze to death tonight.

Site Announcements

The verdict is finally in....it looks like I'm going to be living in Mbeya in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania for the next two years. I think I'm going to be really happy there. They said that it is cooler weather and mountainous and there is good food available in town (i.e. I can buy CHEESE!!!) Its everything that I asked for the way it sounds on paper anyway. I will be living on a primary school grounds in a brand new house, and by brand new, I'm talking I hope its finished by the time I get there next week because apparently I didn't have doors or a toilet and other things of that nature the last time my APCD was there a couple months ago. But he said its ready for me now so here's hoping anyway. Its kind of exciting to get there and start all over. I will be able to pick out everything that I want for my house, which is kinda going to be a pain to get everything to my house to start with, but I like the idea of everything being what I want it to be. Not even considering how difficult it ould potentially be to buy and transport the initial necessities like a bed and charoal stoves to my house, its going to be insane trying to carry all of my luggage! I had to much stuff to begin with and now I have all kinds of new materials and books from Peace Corps and 4 lovely and wonderful packages of junk food and such from home (thanks for loving me family :)

I'm insanely excited to get to my site and start making my house a home and meeting my new neighbors and co-workers. I'm not even worried about the fact that I'm not going to have electricity, I'm actually kind of glad that I don't. I'm telling myself it will make for a more authentic experience. And I'll be able to charge my phone and such in town, because I'm only 38 km and maybe 45 minutes from my banking town. And if I get desperate for some movie watching on my computer, I can always look into solar panels. Right now I'm just going with the whole relaxing and cozy reading by candelight picture.

I'll have a new address soon so keep your eyes out for that if you're one of those cool people that want to write me letters. I just want to go ahead and toss in that I really appreciate everyone's support and I love hearing from you, even when its just a comment on the blog. And even if I don't get back to you right away, it still means a lot. :) I should have some new and exciting updates in a couple of weeks as I start settling in to my new home.

Shadowing

This past week I have had an amazing shadowing experience in the Kilimanjaro region of Northern Tanzania. It is fabulously beautiful here. I am shadowing a really sweet girl named Hilary who is an education volunteer that teaches Physics in secondary school. Her house is on a mountain and has a great view of the surrounding area, albiet a slightly treacherous hike to get up there everyday.
A couple of days ago me and Cristina, the other PCT that I am shadowing with, went on a five hour hike in the mountains around her house and it was absolutely beautiful. I took some pictures that I will try to post soon, but they just do not do the actual scene justice. Plus it smelled like something that Glade would bottle up and sell at Christmas time on the top of the mountain. I can't even describe how awesome it was. It actually felt kind of wintery near the top as well. And on the way down our guide took us by his grandfather's house and gave us some sugarcane, which I thought was really nice. I was thinking it would be pretty sweet to climb Mount Kilimanjaro while I'm in Africa (Which I can see from where I am right now and it is pretty beautiful) but that is a 6 day hike and I was pretty tired after just 5 hours. Maybe if I get placed in a mountainous region I'll get in shape just walking around.
On another day Cristina and I went to Hilary's school to help her facilitate a session on AIDS transmission and the amount of questions that the students had about that topic and about condom use in general was pretty impressive. You can tell that they have really put a lot of thought into it. For instance, one person asked if you can get AIDS when you get your hair cut, which I guess you can if they use infected instruments then cut you with them. They had a lot of questions about whether or not condoms were actually effective or not. For whatever reason, they all seem to want to believe that they don't work. It made me realize that they already know a lot about AIDS, but I'm going to have to do some work to dispel some cultural myths that surround the issues.
Today we all traveled into Moshi to get some delicious food and go out on the town tonight. This has just been a good week overall when it comes to food. First, when we passed through Morogoro on the way to my shadow site, we all went to this really western style grocery store and stocked up on ice cream, cheese, crackers, nutella and peanut butter, wine, and candy bars. I had the most delicious twix bar that I have ever had in my life. I was really tempted to buy some Frosted Flakes, but they were 10,000 shillings, which is about $10 and is a lot of money here. We also went out to a pretty nice resturant, complete with kareoke and all, and I had some mac and cheese there. Although I'm pretty sure the "cheese" was actually white gravy, but whatevs, it was still tastey. Then later in the week during our shadow, we made some delcious pancakes and veggie omelets everyday for breakfast, and had burritos with guac and refried beans one night and some noodles with a really good peanut sauce another night. And word on the street is that the resturant we are going to tonight has pizza!
So overall this has been a fabulous week so far. Its been so peaceful and quiet and the freedom has been wonderful. I can't wait to get to my own site. And it was interesting seeing how the other volunteers had decorated their houses and really made them home. I'm really excited about that. I'm trying not to expect too much so I won't be disapointed if I don't get it, but I am still hoping for electricity. Hilary's site had electricity and she had a portable DVD player so we got to watch some of the first sesson of Prisonbreak which I hadn't seen. I'm sure it would help stave off the boredom, but we spent the night at another volunteer's site last night who did not have electricity and it really wasn't all that bad. I guess I'll find out on Tuesday! Woo-hoo!