Hello again! Happy Easter to all!
First off, uploaded some new pictures. And here are a couple of funny videos made by Peace Corps Volunteers. The first one is made by a few PCVs from the newest health/environment class...but maybe it's not so funny if you don't live here.
"Shit Peace Corps Volunteers Never Say (Tanzania Version)"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UP_O_Oyffug
"Poop in a Hole"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koUWaAr-itY
I've currently got a week off of school for mid-term break/Easter holidays. A district wide soccer tournament is currently going on (will go all the way up to nationals in June), so last week we cancelled our mid-term exams, halfway through, in order to prepare. My school is very professional, you family moved there and opened a restaurant and the old man is awesome and gives us free wine and dessert! Came to Mtwara town yesterday for a few relaxing days at the lovely beachhouse. Splurged last night at the fancy restaurant here on a BBQ...grilled red snapper and steak! This morning we cooked a feast of bacon, eggs, toast, and splurged some more for a block of cheddar cheese. Bacon cheeseburgers planned for lunch, followed by cliff jumping into the ocean (today at 4pm is the highest tide of the month), and a game night with some other ex-pats living here. I'll say a pretty good Easter weekend!
I really can't believe it's already halfway through my last full semester teaching here. And I feel like the rest of the term will go by even faster. I'll be back to Mtwara soon for a week-long malaria and sub-regional training for Lindi and Mtwara PCVs the third week of April. Then at the end of May we'll host the girls empowerment conference. It was supposed to be this week, but changes in school break and issues getting grant money from PC meant rescheduling it. Now it will be at the teacher's training college only a 25 minute walk from my house! It has been a frustrating process, with lots of added work and planning to move locations, so it will be a relief to eventually get to the fun part - actually hosting the conference! And since it's so close to my village, I'm hoping to sneak in a few extra girls :). Speaking of girls, one of my very best Form I girls from last year, Upendo, moved schools this year (most good students will transfer to a better school if they are able...it's good for them but sad for me to lose a student that is so enjoyable to teach). She came by to visit earlier this week and it was so nice to see her again...if only I could take her to the conference, too!
And then comes June! And my family will be here! My mom, two sisters, and older sister's boyfriend are coming for about two weeks and I can't wait to see them and show off Tanzania. We're doing safaris at Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater, hanging out beachside on Zanzibar, and ending with a day in the big city, Dar es Salaam. Unfortunately they won't have time to make it all the way down south to my village, but we're hoping to stop at a fellow PCV's site so they can get a glimpse of village life and a Tanzanian school. I'll have just a short June break this year and then 5 weeks off in August/September because...dun dun dun...Tanzania is 2 years behind conducting the 2010 census. So they've changed the breaks to accomodate the census in August (all students must return to their home villages, teachers will do the actual census taking). Also at the beginning of August I'll have my last PC training - Close of Service (COS) conference. And with the additional break, I'm thinking of travelling all the way west to Kigoma and Gombe Stream, where Jane Goodall did all her chimpanzee research. So we'll see!
Oh ya, and I'm old now! I celebrated my 25th birthday a couple of weeks ago in Newala with a few other PCVs. We made beef fajitas and queso and pumpkin cake with cream cheese icing so it was great! It also marked one and a half years living in Tanzania...time sure does fly! Thanks for all the well wishes from home!
And a few shout-outs and congratulations on the exciting happenings for friends and family from home:
wedding of my middle/high school friend, Lindsay!
soon to be wedding of my high school friend, Ali!
birth of baby boy Luke of my college friend, Katie!
getting into UT to my cousin, Sarah!
turning 3 years old to my cousin, Isaac!
getting into Michigan for grad school to my college friend, Jeseth!
...congrats and wish I could be there to celebrate in person with y'all!!
First off, uploaded some new pictures. And here are a couple of funny videos made by Peace Corps Volunteers. The first one is made by a few PCVs from the newest health/environment class...but maybe it's not so funny if you don't live here.
"Shit Peace Corps Volunteers Never Say (Tanzania Version)"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UP_O_Oyffug
"Poop in a Hole"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koUWaAr-itY
I've currently got a week off of school for mid-term break/Easter holidays. A district wide soccer tournament is currently going on (will go all the way up to nationals in June), so last week we cancelled our mid-term exams, halfway through, in order to prepare. My school is very professional, you family moved there and opened a restaurant and the old man is awesome and gives us free wine and dessert! Came to Mtwara town yesterday for a few relaxing days at the lovely beachhouse. Splurged last night at the fancy restaurant here on a BBQ...grilled red snapper and steak! This morning we cooked a feast of bacon, eggs, toast, and splurged some more for a block of cheddar cheese. Bacon cheeseburgers planned for lunch, followed by cliff jumping into the ocean (today at 4pm is the highest tide of the month), and a game night with some other ex-pats living here. I'll say a pretty good Easter weekend!
I really can't believe it's already halfway through my last full semester teaching here. And I feel like the rest of the term will go by even faster. I'll be back to Mtwara soon for a week-long malaria and sub-regional training for Lindi and Mtwara PCVs the third week of April. Then at the end of May we'll host the girls empowerment conference. It was supposed to be this week, but changes in school break and issues getting grant money from PC meant rescheduling it. Now it will be at the teacher's training college only a 25 minute walk from my house! It has been a frustrating process, with lots of added work and planning to move locations, so it will be a relief to eventually get to the fun part - actually hosting the conference! And since it's so close to my village, I'm hoping to sneak in a few extra girls :). Speaking of girls, one of my very best Form I girls from last year, Upendo, moved schools this year (most good students will transfer to a better school if they are able...it's good for them but sad for me to lose a student that is so enjoyable to teach). She came by to visit earlier this week and it was so nice to see her again...if only I could take her to the conference, too!
And then comes June! And my family will be here! My mom, two sisters, and older sister's boyfriend are coming for about two weeks and I can't wait to see them and show off Tanzania. We're doing safaris at Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater, hanging out beachside on Zanzibar, and ending with a day in the big city, Dar es Salaam. Unfortunately they won't have time to make it all the way down south to my village, but we're hoping to stop at a fellow PCV's site so they can get a glimpse of village life and a Tanzanian school. I'll have just a short June break this year and then 5 weeks off in August/September because...dun dun dun...Tanzania is 2 years behind conducting the 2010 census. So they've changed the breaks to accomodate the census in August (all students must return to their home villages, teachers will do the actual census taking). Also at the beginning of August I'll have my last PC training - Close of Service (COS) conference. And with the additional break, I'm thinking of travelling all the way west to Kigoma and Gombe Stream, where Jane Goodall did all her chimpanzee research. So we'll see!
Oh ya, and I'm old now! I celebrated my 25th birthday a couple of weeks ago in Newala with a few other PCVs. We made beef fajitas and queso and pumpkin cake with cream cheese icing so it was great! It also marked one and a half years living in Tanzania...time sure does fly! Thanks for all the well wishes from home!
And a few shout-outs and congratulations on the exciting happenings for friends and family from home:
wedding of my middle/high school friend, Lindsay!
soon to be wedding of my high school friend, Ali!
birth of baby boy Luke of my college friend, Katie!
getting into UT to my cousin, Sarah!
turning 3 years old to my cousin, Isaac!
getting into Michigan for grad school to my college friend, Jeseth!
...congrats and wish I could be there to celebrate in person with y'all!!
"Poop in a Hole" is amazing
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