Yes it is true, tomorrow is the glorious day that is Halloween and I will not be able to follow up with the awesomeness that has been my costumes the past two years (Mariachi and Lady GaGa). Instead it will be the national election day here in Tanzania. With the slight possibility of the current ruling party being defeated we're on standby to see what happens and will not be able to do much celebrating this Halloween. Hamna shida (No problems) all will be fine and for me at least, I will most likely spend the day helping my host family cook, clean, get water, practice my kiswahili, and maybe go watch some soccer with my host baba (father).
Things are starting to move pretty quick these days. This upcoming week will be the end of our brief internship teaching stint, we have our final written kiswahili exam, and will find out where we'll be placed for the next two years! It's kind of crazy that in a few short weeks we'll be back in Dar for swearing in and then it's off to our sites. In two weeks we actually get to go shadow a current PCV (Peace Corps Volunteer). We found out today with whom and where we're going. Turns out I'm off to the southern part of Tanzania in the Mbeya region and will be enjoying a luxurious 12-15 hour bus ride down there, it's gonna be a fun trip.
Well once again I've run out of time here at the internet cafe and will have to call it quits for this post. Hopefully next time I'll be able to put up some pictures and continue with my awesome commentary on Tanzania and my life there in.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
35 minutes of internet left to post
Habarini Rafiki Zangu, (Hello my Friends)
Alright let's see if I can fill everyone in on all the happenings of the past few weeks in the 35 minutes I have left here at the internet cafe in Morogoro.
Well let me start off by letting you know that we've reached the midway point of our training. It's gone by quite fast and not without many ups and downs along the way. We've taken our midterm oral and written exam. Of course I passed with flying colors on both and am obviously awesome and arrogant beyond belief. (This is a bit of the American sarcasm Tanzanians don't understand and I miss using oh so much!)
We've began our internship teaching at the schools were we've been learning kiswahili and observing how the Tanzanian school system functions. After the few lessons I've taught I immediately respect my high school teachers so much more than I ever did before. Teaching is not easy and it doesn't help matters when your students don't really understand english since this is their first year being taught in english! Have no fear though I will persevere and in due time I will emerge from the ash as a furious phoenix and teach like no one has ever taught before! Or more than likely, I think I'll become a descent teacher, it's just going to take time. Plus I've got two years to get my act together, so like my kiswahili polepole (slowly) is the pace.
This past weekend we went on safari! There's a national park a little over an hour away from Morogoro called Mikumi National Park and we had a great time and snapped some killer photos. We spent two days in the park and stayed in some hotels just outside of Mikumi. The first day we showed up in the afternoon and were lucky enough to see some lions muching away on an impala carcus near the water hole where the hippo was chillin. We saw a good deal of zebras, water buffalo, elephants, a few monkeys, and giraffes. It was really a fun trip. Of course in the evening before the second day at the park some people decided to have a few drinks and get a little crazy. But certainly not me, I don't drink or live by the motto "Just because you're smart doesn't mean you can't act stupid". (Alright my last little quip of american sarcasm for my own benefit)
Those are the few major happenings and shenanaigans that have gone down these past few weeks. But I still have 10 minutes so I'll break down a typical day in the life of JQ-Money here in Tanzania. First, I usually wake up around 5 or 5:30, that's when my host mama and sisters wake up to start sweeping and continue with the never ending battle against the wind and dust. I don't actually get up until around 6:30 and take a nice cold bucket shower in the (choo) shower/toilet. I enjoy some awkward silence with my host father at the table, after we've exhausted my limited swahili, and enjoy some instant coffee with either a hard boiled egg, some rice and beans from the past evening, or maybe some bread. Then I wait for my fellow trainee Paul and we walk to school. We learn kiswahili for most of the day or now it's mixed with our internship teaching. We go to lunch at a house not too far from school and enjoy some rice, beans and spinach but sometimes they mix it up and we get spinach, beans and rice. I'm just kidding, sort of.
I'll fill you all in with the rest next time. Take it easy!
-Jastin
Alright let's see if I can fill everyone in on all the happenings of the past few weeks in the 35 minutes I have left here at the internet cafe in Morogoro.
Well let me start off by letting you know that we've reached the midway point of our training. It's gone by quite fast and not without many ups and downs along the way. We've taken our midterm oral and written exam. Of course I passed with flying colors on both and am obviously awesome and arrogant beyond belief. (This is a bit of the American sarcasm Tanzanians don't understand and I miss using oh so much!)
We've began our internship teaching at the schools were we've been learning kiswahili and observing how the Tanzanian school system functions. After the few lessons I've taught I immediately respect my high school teachers so much more than I ever did before. Teaching is not easy and it doesn't help matters when your students don't really understand english since this is their first year being taught in english! Have no fear though I will persevere and in due time I will emerge from the ash as a furious phoenix and teach like no one has ever taught before! Or more than likely, I think I'll become a descent teacher, it's just going to take time. Plus I've got two years to get my act together, so like my kiswahili polepole (slowly) is the pace.
This past weekend we went on safari! There's a national park a little over an hour away from Morogoro called Mikumi National Park and we had a great time and snapped some killer photos. We spent two days in the park and stayed in some hotels just outside of Mikumi. The first day we showed up in the afternoon and were lucky enough to see some lions muching away on an impala carcus near the water hole where the hippo was chillin. We saw a good deal of zebras, water buffalo, elephants, a few monkeys, and giraffes. It was really a fun trip. Of course in the evening before the second day at the park some people decided to have a few drinks and get a little crazy. But certainly not me, I don't drink or live by the motto "Just because you're smart doesn't mean you can't act stupid". (Alright my last little quip of american sarcasm for my own benefit)
Those are the few major happenings and shenanaigans that have gone down these past few weeks. But I still have 10 minutes so I'll break down a typical day in the life of JQ-Money here in Tanzania. First, I usually wake up around 5 or 5:30, that's when my host mama and sisters wake up to start sweeping and continue with the never ending battle against the wind and dust. I don't actually get up until around 6:30 and take a nice cold bucket shower in the (choo) shower/toilet. I enjoy some awkward silence with my host father at the table, after we've exhausted my limited swahili, and enjoy some instant coffee with either a hard boiled egg, some rice and beans from the past evening, or maybe some bread. Then I wait for my fellow trainee Paul and we walk to school. We learn kiswahili for most of the day or now it's mixed with our internship teaching. We go to lunch at a house not too far from school and enjoy some rice, beans and spinach but sometimes they mix it up and we get spinach, beans and rice. I'm just kidding, sort of.
I'll fill you all in with the rest next time. Take it easy!
-Jastin
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Habari Za Jastin (News of Justin) Part II
I had to switch computers there and make this a 2 parter. Anyway, like I said the food has been great, the people are very friendly, and kiswahili isn't too tough of a language to learn.
On the other hand, it has been a rough transition in other ways, I'm not gonna say it's been completely easy and there hasn't been some days where I wake up and realize where I am and what I'm doing. You try to prepare as much as you can for life in another country, but until you get there you just have no idea. You think you know, but you don't know! It's all part of the deal though. I just keep reminding myself that this is what I wanted, a challenge and an opportunity. It's all good!
Well my time is almost up but I'll try to keep anybody interested up to date as much as possible!
I hope all is well back in the states!
On the other hand, it has been a rough transition in other ways, I'm not gonna say it's been completely easy and there hasn't been some days where I wake up and realize where I am and what I'm doing. You try to prepare as much as you can for life in another country, but until you get there you just have no idea. You think you know, but you don't know! It's all part of the deal though. I just keep reminding myself that this is what I wanted, a challenge and an opportunity. It's all good!
Well my time is almost up but I'll try to keep anybody interested up to date as much as possible!
I hope all is well back in the states!
Habari Za Jastin (News of Justin)
Hello Friends and Family I have neglected to e-mail or call, or new friends, or random blog readers! I decided that creating a blog would be a much better way to keep in touch, as opposed to mass e-mails.
We've been in Tanzania for 3 weeks now and have been living in Morogoro region for the past 2 weeks. I'm living with a host family near the school where we are learning kiswahili and preparing to teach. My host family is awesome! I have 3 dada (sisters) - Elizabeth (20), Venancia (12) and Prisa (5), my host mama Jenifa and host baba (father) Peter. They couldn't have been more welcoming and treat me like I am truly a part of the family. We don't have running water or electricity -except when my host baba is home and we turn on the generator for some lights and the t.v. I've tried to help getting maji (water) but they have only let me go once, they really treat me like a prince. They did help teach me how to wash my clothes by hand but after the first time they have been just washing my clothes for me.
The food is so much better than I originally expected! I new I was in for a good deal of wali (rice) and marahage (beans), which I was looking forward to since I love rice and beans. But we've been eating such great vegetable dishes, fresh fish, great chicken and beef, and great fruit!
We've been in Tanzania for 3 weeks now and have been living in Morogoro region for the past 2 weeks. I'm living with a host family near the school where we are learning kiswahili and preparing to teach. My host family is awesome! I have 3 dada (sisters) - Elizabeth (20), Venancia (12) and Prisa (5), my host mama Jenifa and host baba (father) Peter. They couldn't have been more welcoming and treat me like I am truly a part of the family. We don't have running water or electricity -except when my host baba is home and we turn on the generator for some lights and the t.v. I've tried to help getting maji (water) but they have only let me go once, they really treat me like a prince. They did help teach me how to wash my clothes by hand but after the first time they have been just washing my clothes for me.
The food is so much better than I originally expected! I new I was in for a good deal of wali (rice) and marahage (beans), which I was looking forward to since I love rice and beans. But we've been eating such great vegetable dishes, fresh fish, great chicken and beef, and great fruit!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)