First Drum Circle and Lion

Habari Marekani?

Life in Tanzania has been a world wind of activities. They keep us busy doing so much. We are teaching in our micro teaching school which has been great to get a feel for the educational system good and bad. We have one last week of teaching in our micro teaching school and then we are now getting ready for training in our community based training sites to be over. We have two weeks left then we are bouncing around to visit other volunteers and go into Dar es Salaam for more training. We are all getting ready for training to be over and get to the business that we came over here for. Training has been very valuable but we are excited to see were our permanent sites are going to be and how living situations are are going to be. I am paying to be in the high lands and away from the cost so that I don’t have to suffer with the extreme heat of the cost. Our training group had their first drop out this last week so our initial 40 is down to 39 and we are taking bets on who will be next. The girl decided to leave because she thought her time better spent doing a graduate program she got accepted for.

This last week has included some of my favorite memories thus far in Tanzania. Last Sunday after a full morning of washing my clothes by hand and cleaning my room one of our neighbors took me and two other volunteers to a nearby village, about one hour walk. At the village they were celebrating with drums and other traditional instruments and a lot of dancing. They were celebrating two girls and the “coming out party” that their families have decided that they are ready to marry. So the whole day they community members danced to drums and celebrated. In the late afternoon the two girls came out on the shoulders of two men and were paraded around the drum circle. We were told that the week that follows perspective husbands would come to the families’ houses and try to out bid other prospects with offers of money, livestock, or I can only guess at what else they would offer. I was great to be able to be a part of a traditional celebration and see it in a small village. Very cool experience only wish I had my camera, sorry no photos.

This weekend was great we got to visit Mekumi National park for the weekend and see real wild African animals. At the park we got to see elephants, giraffes, zebras, impalas, hippos, crocodiles, orangutans, and the best of them all simba (Lions). We were very lucky see the lion, our training director says he has gone five times and has only seen lions once. I got video of the lion walking up to our tour bus and growling, priceless (Travis I Love the camera Thanks!). We spent two days in and around the park. It was great to have a night at a hotel with some of the other volunteers and relax away from our host families.

It is great to see all your messages as it is easy to read them, I have a really hard time opening my hotmail e-mail account to read mail. So keep me updated love to hear from everyone!

Pictures next Time

Habari za nubani?

I hope all is good on the home front. Tanzania has been great to me. Swahili is coming along and I am starting to communicate with my mama now and my brother and sister at my home stay. I can tell the market venders to not give me the white man price because I teach their children; saving money already;-) I can communicate where I come from and where I am staying and what my business is in Tanzania; the language is coming slow and steady. All of the volunteers have been split up into small groups of five and we study everyday together and all live in close proximity to each other. Our neighbors are starting to call us by our names even though we have never met, so everyone is talking about the white people around I would assume.

Last week we had a great experience with our class got to attend the schools graduation for the form 4 students. We got front row seats then were introduced during the ceremony and were invited to eat and have drinks with the guests of honor after the graduation ceremony. The guest of honor was a local head of the Catholic Church and was very interested about our mission in Tanzania.

They are keeping us very busy in the classroom working on our Swahili and teaching classes so not too much new since my last post. I did find a chocolate hook up in country so my life is getting better. The lady is very nice and gives me a good deal because I keep coming back and by enough for the week. I promise next time I will try and post pictures so you can see the beautiful setting. Until next time, Salama(peace)!