I don't have a lot of internet time today so I'll try to keep this pretty short yet informative and entertaining.
I started my internship teaching last week- I'm teaching about 11th grade age kids organic chemistry. While it's just the basics for the next few weeks that I'll be in charge of the class, I did have to learn all about fractional distillation of crude oil in order to teach it on Wednesday. I know that stuff backwards and forwards now after spending 160 minutes teaching it in one day. I'm going to be a chemistry genius by the end of my time in Tanzania, I think, or at least for the basics of chem! Next week, I teach on Tuesday and Wednesday for a total of 320 minutes, which is actually quite a bit considering the fact that we still have language training, etc.
We had language tests on Friday (oral and written), which I think turned out just fine for me. The fact that I'm constantly using the language and practicing and learning new things means that I generally don't study except in class. It's pretty nice. We switch language teachers starting next week, though, as this is the halfway point of our training. I really can't believe it!
While I'm getting super excited to go to site, I'm also scared to death. I'll be dropped off on or shortly after Thanksgiving to a new house in a new village somewhere in rural Tanzania, possibly without electricity or running water, and I won't know anyone at all. I'll also be required to speak in Kiswahili pretty much all the time I'm not teaching. We don't start teaching until mid to late January either, so we've got lots of time to do whatever we feel like and get to know our communities and start building relationships. Apparently volunteers usually visit each other (the ones nearby) about every 2-3 weeks, so there's an outlet for frustrations and for needing American time. It's going to be so awesome to be there!
The last thing is that we went to Mikumi National Park this weekend and we saw all kinds of wild animals- giraffes, elephants, baboons, warthogs, zebras, etc. No lions (darn), but we were allowed to get out of the bus at one point this morning and walk up to a pond/lake in which a herd (?) of hippos were chilling (on the other side, probably about 30 yards away), and I was about 4 or 5 feet from a real crocodile in the wild, which was super scary (but totally safe- there was a bit of a cliff going down into the water and we stayed a couple feet away). What an awesome experience!
Anyway, I've gotta go but keep the letters and emails coming please- I'd love to hear from you!
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Soda that tickles my nose
Since my last entry was rather lengthy, here is a summary of a few things that I've enjoyed here in Tanzania (for those who prefer the bullet point to paragraph style of writing):
~There's a soda called Tangawizi (Ginger) that tastes like a strong ginger ale, and it tickles inside the back of my nose when I swallow. Quite an interesting experience.
~Tanzanians take a half hour chai (tea) break every morning at 10:00 or so. the job of the Personal Secretary in a secondary school in TZ is to type exams, class lists, schedules, etc. and to make chai.
~Saying "hello" can take about five minutes if done correctly. When two people meet, they ask each other how things are in general, then proceed to how things are at home, school, work, this morning, today, etc. There's also an extra greeting to show respect for an elder.
~I received a stack of Chemistry textbooks for TZ today (at least 10 books!) and had to carry them home. I was worried about not having resources to know what to teach, but I'm afraid I may have too many now!
~I rode in a car to school the first two days- it was like off-roading except in town. The roads are all dirt roads and they're uneven with ditches and bumps, presumably due to the heavy rains in April-June.
~Since the sinks at school don't work, washing my hands consists of dipping a cup into a bucket of water on the floor and dumping it on my hands with some soap.
~Dinner takes about 2-3 hours to cook every night.
~I eat papaya, banana, watermelon, pineapple, and oranges every day. Mango season starts in December. :)
~It's not uncommon to hear goats baa-ing outside my window in the evening. I also wake up to roosters at sunrise every morning.
~Washing clothes by hand in TZ can make your fingers bleed, at least until you develop the necessary calluses. It also takes about 2-3 hours to finish a normal load of laundry.
~People stare at me when I walk through the streets, mostly our of curiosity and surprise. Most, however, greet me (in English or Kiswahili) and are very excited to talk to me, especially when I respond in Kiswahili.
~The roads around here do not have names (or at least no signs), so even though I know my way around, I couldn't tell you what road I live on or where my school is except by a few small landmarks.
~The mode of transport here is a daladala, or a van/small bus built for about 10-12 passengers. I've never seen one with less than 15 passengers, most carry about 20-25, and my daladala yesterday must have had about 30 (we were all sitting on each others' laps!). However, they go fairly slowly, so I don't feel unsafe.
~While most of the training so far has been useful, we spent two hours today learning "how to write on a chalkboard." It was by far the most ridiculous lesson I have ever received.
That's all for now, but I will add more interesting tidbits later. I would love to hear from you if you get the chance!
~There's a soda called Tangawizi (Ginger) that tastes like a strong ginger ale, and it tickles inside the back of my nose when I swallow. Quite an interesting experience.
~Tanzanians take a half hour chai (tea) break every morning at 10:00 or so. the job of the Personal Secretary in a secondary school in TZ is to type exams, class lists, schedules, etc. and to make chai.
~Saying "hello" can take about five minutes if done correctly. When two people meet, they ask each other how things are in general, then proceed to how things are at home, school, work, this morning, today, etc. There's also an extra greeting to show respect for an elder.
~I received a stack of Chemistry textbooks for TZ today (at least 10 books!) and had to carry them home. I was worried about not having resources to know what to teach, but I'm afraid I may have too many now!
~I rode in a car to school the first two days- it was like off-roading except in town. The roads are all dirt roads and they're uneven with ditches and bumps, presumably due to the heavy rains in April-June.
~Since the sinks at school don't work, washing my hands consists of dipping a cup into a bucket of water on the floor and dumping it on my hands with some soap.
~Dinner takes about 2-3 hours to cook every night.
~I eat papaya, banana, watermelon, pineapple, and oranges every day. Mango season starts in December. :)
~It's not uncommon to hear goats baa-ing outside my window in the evening. I also wake up to roosters at sunrise every morning.
~Washing clothes by hand in TZ can make your fingers bleed, at least until you develop the necessary calluses. It also takes about 2-3 hours to finish a normal load of laundry.
~People stare at me when I walk through the streets, mostly our of curiosity and surprise. Most, however, greet me (in English or Kiswahili) and are very excited to talk to me, especially when I respond in Kiswahili.
~The roads around here do not have names (or at least no signs), so even though I know my way around, I couldn't tell you what road I live on or where my school is except by a few small landmarks.
~The mode of transport here is a daladala, or a van/small bus built for about 10-12 passengers. I've never seen one with less than 15 passengers, most carry about 20-25, and my daladala yesterday must have had about 30 (we were all sitting on each others' laps!). However, they go fairly slowly, so I don't feel unsafe.
~While most of the training so far has been useful, we spent two hours today learning "how to write on a chalkboard." It was by far the most ridiculous lesson I have ever received.
That's all for now, but I will add more interesting tidbits later. I would love to hear from you if you get the chance!
Another Family
I'm just now starting to settle in to my life as a Peace Corps trainee here in Tanzania. After two days of vague orientation and a few vaccinations at the office in Dar es Salaam, we came to Morogoro, a few hours' bus ride west of Dar, where we began some survival language training, got to know each other better, ate delicious Tanzanian food and drank lots of chai, and prepared to meet our host families here in Morogoro.
We moved into our new homes on Monday the 22nd, which was a very exciting and somewhat scary experience as we had very little Kiswahili capabilities and no information about our families before moving in with them! One bone, they dropped us each off in front of gates to our houses and we hauled our overloaded baggage as we struggled to greet our families politely in Kiswahili (greetings alone can take a few minutes, and that's before you get to "My name is..." and "I come from...").
Though I was prepared for a bustling household full of small children with a bucket for a shower, a squat toilet outside of the house, and a charcoal stove, I found a much different home awaiting me. Not only does my family have TWO normal toilets inside the house and a real shower (cold water only), but they also have a large TV, sound system, a Play Station 2, and a cell phone/mp3 player. I have a mama, a baba (father), a kaka (brother) who is almost 10, and two dadas (sisters, although I don't think either is really part of the family- they just live here) who are 13 and 23. Everyone except for the 23-year old dada speaks very good English, although they try to speak Kiswahili to me as much as possible to help me learn. I understand more and more every day.
The whole family is very sweet to me- even my dada who doesn't speak English points and smiles and helps teach me the language. I think we could become friends as we become more and more able to communicate. Most nights, Mama likes to come into my room to sit with me and chat and sometimes helps me study a little before bed.
I have class during the day with a small group of other trainees for the science education program. We have 4-5 hours of Kiswahili every day and have begun our education studies (the education system in Tanzania, how/what we will teach, etc.). We have a chai break every morning from 10 to 10:30, which is lovely. We love the fact that Tanzanians take a break in the middle of the morning every day to have tea for a half hour!
In the afternoons after lunch, we have been wandering around our area of town, practicing our Kiswahili with the locals, orienting ourselves to our community, grabbing a cold soda in the shade, and getting our feet very dusty. We've also been to the center of town a couple of times, which is very interesting. The outdoor markets are full of fruits, vegetables, rice, beans, and lovely fabrics. Getting to town is very interesting as well- we take small buses/ vans called daladalas which are quite old and break down now and then. I think they're meant for about 10-12 people, but I've never seen one with less than 15 people in it. Yesterday's had approx. 30 people I think!
Morogoro is a beautiful area of vibrant colors- green tropical plants, red dust and bricks (that deep, full red of the Southwest of the US), and blue skies, with big, majestic, jagged mountains at the edge of town. Though none of the streets have names (at least no signs) and few of the stores have signs, I am beginning to be familiar with the community and the town. Despite the minor frustrations of living in a new environment with a new family, I am enjoying myself and excited for what is to come!
We moved into our new homes on Monday the 22nd, which was a very exciting and somewhat scary experience as we had very little Kiswahili capabilities and no information about our families before moving in with them! One bone, they dropped us each off in front of gates to our houses and we hauled our overloaded baggage as we struggled to greet our families politely in Kiswahili (greetings alone can take a few minutes, and that's before you get to "My name is..." and "I come from...").
Though I was prepared for a bustling household full of small children with a bucket for a shower, a squat toilet outside of the house, and a charcoal stove, I found a much different home awaiting me. Not only does my family have TWO normal toilets inside the house and a real shower (cold water only), but they also have a large TV, sound system, a Play Station 2, and a cell phone/mp3 player. I have a mama, a baba (father), a kaka (brother) who is almost 10, and two dadas (sisters, although I don't think either is really part of the family- they just live here) who are 13 and 23. Everyone except for the 23-year old dada speaks very good English, although they try to speak Kiswahili to me as much as possible to help me learn. I understand more and more every day.
The whole family is very sweet to me- even my dada who doesn't speak English points and smiles and helps teach me the language. I think we could become friends as we become more and more able to communicate. Most nights, Mama likes to come into my room to sit with me and chat and sometimes helps me study a little before bed.
I have class during the day with a small group of other trainees for the science education program. We have 4-5 hours of Kiswahili every day and have begun our education studies (the education system in Tanzania, how/what we will teach, etc.). We have a chai break every morning from 10 to 10:30, which is lovely. We love the fact that Tanzanians take a break in the middle of the morning every day to have tea for a half hour!
In the afternoons after lunch, we have been wandering around our area of town, practicing our Kiswahili with the locals, orienting ourselves to our community, grabbing a cold soda in the shade, and getting our feet very dusty. We've also been to the center of town a couple of times, which is very interesting. The outdoor markets are full of fruits, vegetables, rice, beans, and lovely fabrics. Getting to town is very interesting as well- we take small buses/ vans called daladalas which are quite old and break down now and then. I think they're meant for about 10-12 people, but I've never seen one with less than 15 people in it. Yesterday's had approx. 30 people I think!
Morogoro is a beautiful area of vibrant colors- green tropical plants, red dust and bricks (that deep, full red of the Southwest of the US), and blue skies, with big, majestic, jagged mountains at the edge of town. Though none of the streets have names (at least no signs) and few of the stores have signs, I am beginning to be familiar with the community and the town. Despite the minor frustrations of living in a new environment with a new family, I am enjoying myself and excited for what is to come!
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