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!