We have been here for 4 weeks (or so my
friends say about 33 days)!! Peace Corps Tanzania acknowledges how
intense language training is 6 days a week, 8 hours a day and gave us
a weekend of relaxation on the beach. And by gave I mean allotted
for the weekend in our schedule, we did have to pay for it :) With
the luxury of internet this weekend I am able to post the few blogs I
typed on my computer. I am currently in the most beautiful place,
with the ocean as my view from my bed. I laid in my hammock all day,
undisturbed by mosquitoes because it has a net, and watched monkeys
play! I took advantage of the warm salt water and have been swimming
numerous times. The best was the first night when everything was
luminescent from the full moon! No man made lights needed....just
the moon :)
The only update I have is that life is good! I am looking forward to making an American meal for my family next Sunday and my birthday gift, which will be site announcements on November 26th. I have not even the slightest idea of where I will be but I am sure of this: it will be beautiful! Tanzania is the most beautiful place...there are coconut and orange trees galore, and each day I wake up to see mountains in the horizon. I have freshly squeezed orange juice from mama every morning so have no worries, I'm getting my Vitamin C. Sadly oranges are almost out of season, but then it will be PINEAPPLE time :)
Last bit of news is about language. Swahili is kind of difficult for me. I have been doing pretty well learning and being able to write is pretty simple. But when it comes to forming sentences orally it is a little difficult for me. But no worries, I'm where I should be according to Peace Corps...I just want to be better so that I can communicate! Like I said earlier, “pole, pole.” Well that's all I've got for now. I'll probably post again right before swearing in, when I go back to Dar.
Although I typed a blog earlier today, I had to tell this story before the details faded from my memory (although it is pretty unforgettable). We left our mini vacation 30 minutes late meaning we had 30 less minutes of sunlight to travel. We thought nothing of it until the roads were so muddy from rain that we couldn't get through. The first hill we slid around, the second, we didn't quite make it. We were on two buses, and we watched the first go up and slide back down. It was quite possibly the funniest thing I've seen thus far. After it reached the bottom, so many Tanzanians came from the village to help. The plan was to continue to give it gas but the end result was everyone getting off, giving it a push, and then it was a race to the top. We all walked in front of the bus without thinking in order to make it to the top, the bus couldn't stop once it got started; we began running to try and beat the bus to the top, but it was pointless. We all had to quickly jump into the shrubs to avoid being hit. Once we made it through the first few hills with a combination of gas, sliding tires (hands in the air like it was a roller coaster) and pushing we met our next hurdle. Not only did one of the buses get stuck, but the battery died. We had to take the battery from our bus out, and give it to the other bus. Needless to say in the best way I can describe, our journey home took about 4 hours and it should've taken no more than 2. It was quite an experience and we all were able to first hand see why Tanzanians don't travel during the rain season. Paved roads are far and few between. It was definitely a welcome home, welcome back to real life experience, haha. Vacation finished! (My friend took video so hopefully I can steal it or pictures to share!!)
Side note: Responsible Tanique went into the ocean with her Ipod (probably a lost cause but it's in rice), lost her neck pillow (sign 123210 it was not meant for me to have one, and lost a pair of shorts! I only brought 2 pair with me so I'll have to be extra careful with the remaining pair! However, all in all it was a VERY successful weekend with the monkeys and the Indian ocean.
Today, November 14th I made chapati!! I was pretty happy because everyday I just watch and today I actually made it. My mama told me now I have Tanzanian food to take back to America and that made me smile. So now I have to share a little bit of Tanzanian culture with my family when I come back home and make you all chapati, haha! Look forward to it, it's tasty!
The only update I have is that life is good! I am looking forward to making an American meal for my family next Sunday and my birthday gift, which will be site announcements on November 26th. I have not even the slightest idea of where I will be but I am sure of this: it will be beautiful! Tanzania is the most beautiful place...there are coconut and orange trees galore, and each day I wake up to see mountains in the horizon. I have freshly squeezed orange juice from mama every morning so have no worries, I'm getting my Vitamin C. Sadly oranges are almost out of season, but then it will be PINEAPPLE time :)
Last bit of news is about language. Swahili is kind of difficult for me. I have been doing pretty well learning and being able to write is pretty simple. But when it comes to forming sentences orally it is a little difficult for me. But no worries, I'm where I should be according to Peace Corps...I just want to be better so that I can communicate! Like I said earlier, “pole, pole.” Well that's all I've got for now. I'll probably post again right before swearing in, when I go back to Dar.
Although I typed a blog earlier today, I had to tell this story before the details faded from my memory (although it is pretty unforgettable). We left our mini vacation 30 minutes late meaning we had 30 less minutes of sunlight to travel. We thought nothing of it until the roads were so muddy from rain that we couldn't get through. The first hill we slid around, the second, we didn't quite make it. We were on two buses, and we watched the first go up and slide back down. It was quite possibly the funniest thing I've seen thus far. After it reached the bottom, so many Tanzanians came from the village to help. The plan was to continue to give it gas but the end result was everyone getting off, giving it a push, and then it was a race to the top. We all walked in front of the bus without thinking in order to make it to the top, the bus couldn't stop once it got started; we began running to try and beat the bus to the top, but it was pointless. We all had to quickly jump into the shrubs to avoid being hit. Once we made it through the first few hills with a combination of gas, sliding tires (hands in the air like it was a roller coaster) and pushing we met our next hurdle. Not only did one of the buses get stuck, but the battery died. We had to take the battery from our bus out, and give it to the other bus. Needless to say in the best way I can describe, our journey home took about 4 hours and it should've taken no more than 2. It was quite an experience and we all were able to first hand see why Tanzanians don't travel during the rain season. Paved roads are far and few between. It was definitely a welcome home, welcome back to real life experience, haha. Vacation finished! (My friend took video so hopefully I can steal it or pictures to share!!)
Side note: Responsible Tanique went into the ocean with her Ipod (probably a lost cause but it's in rice), lost her neck pillow (sign 123210 it was not meant for me to have one, and lost a pair of shorts! I only brought 2 pair with me so I'll have to be extra careful with the remaining pair! However, all in all it was a VERY successful weekend with the monkeys and the Indian ocean.
Today, November 14th I made chapati!! I was pretty happy because everyday I just watch and today I actually made it. My mama told me now I have Tanzanian food to take back to America and that made me smile. So now I have to share a little bit of Tanzanian culture with my family when I come back home and make you all chapati, haha! Look forward to it, it's tasty!
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