It's a bird, it's a plane..... It's ndege/ Extracurriculars

Before I left for Tanzania my brothers warned me that life would be different for me over the next two years because I am woman. Knowing how I react to situations in which my gender is the focus, my brothers were worried for the physical well being of all men in Tanzania. I do not blame my brothers because they are partially right. I honestly hate to be told I cannot do something or do something as well as a man because I am a woman. I will say that my brothers were not completely wrong about life for women here in Tanzania. In a Tanzanian household the man has the last say. He is the decision maker, not his wife. This cultural formality, I have found, also spans into many Tanzanian places of work, i.e. our staff room. Let me preface my story with this; Everyday after school the school cook prepares a meal for the teachers usually ugali and mchicha or nyama [ a meal of cooked flour and water until it looks like mashed potatoes with veggies or meat]. A few days ago I was leaving the staff room to go into the village when one of my co-workers stopped me and asked me if I could see if lunch was ready yet. At first I did not think much of it, but on my way to the kitchen I stopped and asked him why he could not ask. (He was, after all, sitting about 100 feet from the kitchen and I was going to have to walk way out of my way.) His response, “Because you are a woman and I am a man”. At this I stopped in my tracks, gave one of those shocked reactions where you, raise your eyebrows, bulge your eyeballs, shrug your shoulders and exhale through your mouth and your nose simultaneously. And honestly, without thinking I yelled back at him, “Awww HELL no” and walked in the opposite direction to the village. As soon as I spoke and showed my anger, via body language, my counterpart started to apologize. Trying to handle the situation delicately I told him that what he said offended me and that his reason was neither a good nor appropriate. Truthfully, I know I should be sensitive of cultural differences and on all other accounts I am, but I draw the line where women are treated like second-class citizens. Seriously, the term “bride price” is still used here. Normally I would not consider myself a feminist, but I feel as an American woman I need to stand up for myself and try to set a new standard within my workplace here. I understand that it is hard to set an example because I am white and viewed very differently here than a Tanzanian woman, but hopefully my co-worker will think twice before he uses the excuse, “because I am a man and you are a woman”, again.

Alright…now onto bigger and better things. This past Wednesday I got up the courage to attempt my first lab with roughly 140 students, give or take 20 depending on the day. I split both of the streams into two groups. One group was to stay in the classroom and work on problems in small groups. The other group came outside with me, were split into groups of 5 or 6, given cylinder and asked of find its volume. Overall the 4 hours of teaching on Wednesday and three lab shifts went fairly well. My favorite moment of the day was in one of the afternoon shifts when a plane flew overhead. All of my students stopped working and started staring in to direct sunlight (smart kids…) in hopes of seeing the plane. At first I had no idea what was going on and had to ask why they were all not working… “Madam, the plane!! ndege! (Swahili word for plane and bird) WOOOOO!!! Ah!!!! In America we hear or see an airplane every day. Here it is such a novelty, which made me realize I would bet a lot of money that not one of my students has ever been on a plane or let alone seen a 757 up close. It is funny, but it is little things like this that make me appreciate the little things I am lucky enough to experience regularly such as flying on an airplane, watching a movie in a movie theater, using a washing machine or iPod, riding in a car or a boat, surfing, moving sidewalks, elevators, escalators…. the list could go on. Basically things we all take for granted on a daily basis, but things that many people in this world would never get to experience or even know about.

Now for a little office humor, a couple of days ago Mr. Gregory and Madam Yolanda, two of my counterparts, where hanging out in the staff room. I had just sat down to find the two of them laughing after another teacher who arrived last week left the room. I, of course, asked them why they were laughing and they said that the new teacher had admitted that he had not taught his students yet this week because he was busy with paper work. But, they thought maybe it was because he feared the classroom. I commented that that did seem a little strange and then looked outside to see the new teacher showing a student how she was supposed to be fixing the pebbles around the flag pole (sometimes priorities go a little awry in the schools here). I pointed this out to my counterpart Mr. Gregory, who, I think without knowing it, said, “He is hacking the stone…..maybe he just likes extracurriculars”. [As I am writing this I realize it is one of those “you had to be there” moments, but…. Oh well.] I thought this was pretty freakin’ funny. It was also nice to find out that my counterparts have a sense of humor and find the new guy a little weird too. I think relationships between co-workers was one thing that I felt would be very different here, but was surprised to find out that relationships between Tanzanian co-workers are much the same as relationships between co-workers in America. Maybe it is because most of us are under the age of 30, but my co-workers like to gossip, joke and speculate just like Americans.

Again, this week was relatively uneventful. I did however get a package in the mail from Mom and Dad. Let’s just say I have a new found respect for processes Velveeta cheese!

All my love from Tz.

Monkeys and Electricity

So life has moved pretty fast over the last couple of weeks, but relatively void of events, so this post is going to be pretty uneventful and short.

Teaching is going well. I am proud to say I am ahead of my SOW (scheme of work), which means I am spend a lot of time reviewing with my students and setting up labs. I will say that students in Tanzania act the same as students in American when Friday afternoon rolls around. Last Friday my class of 80 students was getting a little rowdy. Usually when this happens with a normal teacher a thin, long stick emerges, the students are removed from the classroom, lined up and put through the gauntlet. Honestly, I do not want to waste space by telling you all how I really feel about this method of dealing with the situation, but I will say my feelings involve words that might offend some of you.  As an alternative I decided I would give the class three strikes. If I had to stop class three times, I would leave the class. After I taught most of the material I wanted to get through and with about ten minutes left in the period, the kids racked up their third strike, so I said, “I will see you all on Monday” and left the class.  I think my method of dealing with the situation worked fairly well because on Monday I could have heard a pin drop for most of the class. Most of the students here love to learn and love attention from the teacher, so not teaching seems like a better punishment then the stick. Like I told my students, I am here for them and because I want to be, not because I have to be. 

This past Monday, while I was looking in the science cabinet for a beaker one of my counterparts/ fellow teachers, Madam Yolanda, informed me that Nehema had a baby girl named Karen. My first thought was who the heck is Nehema? I asked who Nehema was. It turns out Nehema is the school secretary. A woman I see everyday and know very well, apparently not her name though. I had no idea that she was pregnant and just thought that she had a kitmabi or big belly. I told my counterparts this and it evoked a pretty good laugh in the office, especially for a Monday.

Yesterday, just like any other weekday, I got up, made some tea, got dressed while listening to some music and left the house at 7:35am. The only difference this morning was that there were no students at school. Usually by 7:20 the majority of students have arrived at school, but this morning…not a soul.  I quickly put two and two together and remembered that today was probably Maulid day, a lunar Muslim holiday, which is not announced until the day before it happens.  I decided to go into the village to buy some eggs for my breakfast, but on my way home I ran into a counterpart who told me that the holiday was actually tomorrow and that the students were confused, but there was school. So, long story short, I spent most of the day just hanging out because there were about 20 students at school and I have the day off today. Got to love the Tanzanian school system and lunar holidays!

So now for the more random part of my blog post: monkeys and electricity, unfortunately not simultaneously. Last Sunday, on my normal run down a dirt road through some farms I saw some animals crossing the road in front of me. As I approached I realized that they were Vervet monkeys, about 10 of them. Vervet monkeys are the little devils that steal stuff from your car, campsite or in this case corn from your fields.  I was pretty shocked to see them, but then again I do live in Tanzania… rule #56: expect the unexpected.

Speaking of unexpected, last night I was making dinner when I heard voices outside of my house. Interested in what was going on I walked out my front door to see two of my counterparts kneeling my the corner of my house with pliers, a hammer, a knife and electrical tape cutting into the wire on the side of my house that carries my electricity. My first thought was “holy crap are you stupid? “and my second was “I hope they do not cut the electricity to my house”. I greeted them and then suggested that they might want to turn off the electricity to my house before they go cutting into any wires. I also informed them that I did not want to be around to see one of them get shocked and would be inside should one of them fry themselves. After they had finished taping, but before they reburied the wires, it began to rain and because the wires were live they make a hissing noise when they were hit with raindrops, which freaked me out. Seriously do not know how they did not shock themselves and cut the power to my house, but I would like to congratulate them, hongera sana!

Like I said, the last two weeks have been pretty low key, but I hope everyone is well back at home and that the snow is starting to finally melt!!

All my love from TZ. 

Number 1 controls the water?/ Goats in the dining hall

This is your life. Four words I find myself saying at the most random times during my days here. When I am writing up physics definitions on the board, carrying water back to my house, speaking in full Swahili sentences to the Bibi (older woman) on my run through her shamba. I have written much about daily happenings here in Tanzania, but have yet to express how I feel, so I figured now would be a great time. First, let me say that eight months ago if someone had told me I would be living here I probably would have laughed and said it is one of those things in theory I would love to do, but in actuality would probably never act on.*  The day I had to decided whether of not to accept my invitation I also had a skype interview with a school in San Diego. No less than five minutes after the interview I sent my acceptance email to the Peace Corps. I was in retrospect on of the easiest decisions in my life, but the hardest to come to terms with. It was hard because I had to admit to myself I was a little crazy (aren’t we all?) and scared. Who really wants to give up things like seeing their friends and family, Dunkin’ Donuts coffee, Target, fall in New England, Holidays at home, cheese, their ability to drive a car, running water, a hot shower and many other possessions? I recently read and article by and entertainment journalist who quit his high paying job at the age of forty something to join the Peace Corps (slightly crazy?). I cannot recall his reasons for joining, but I would not be surprised if they change daily, as mine do. I can say this though as with anything it is a journey and the end point is not the important thing. Just like the stuffing of the Oreo, it is the “stuff”, daily life and daily events that make it worthwhile. I just like to think my Oreo is double stuffed now a days! (Any my inner fat kid emotionally satisfied)     

* Much like my college application experience. Not many people know this, but at first I did not want to go to Brown. I was scared of the unknown. So, the second time in my life the intriguing yet unknown stared me in the face I decided I had to confront it.

All right, on to my week. It was interesting to say the least. First things first, I turned 24 this past week. Honestly, I do not feel any older, in fact because there is no snow here or change in temperature I feel like I am permanently stuck in September 2010. To celebrate I made myself dinner, steak, salad, rice and a chocolate cake with mocha frosting. (Yes, anything is possible here if you just believe!).  I also went out with Kat and TJ this past weekend for burgers and a few drinks to celebrate. Saturday, I went to pick up Argo, my puppy! She is really cute and tiny… smaller than a soccer ball. The first few days with her have been a little rough to say the least, but we are getting used to one another. The second night Argo escaped from her crate and greeted me in the morning sitting on the couch wagging her tail (oh yeah she also had fleas… and was sitting on my couch) and a nice pile of excrement on the floor. I blame my bad hammering, as I had to attach the mesh sides to her crate with only a headlamp because the electricity was out.

Monday morning rolled around and I was really home sick. The homesickness usually hits on Monday mornings because let’s face it who really likes Mondays in the States, let alone in Tanzania. The saving grace of the morning came around 7:45am. Near the main office of our school, a dining hall for the boarding students is under construction, but is still missing part of one wall. There are also no doors for the doorframes, so the local goats roam through and use it as their hangout. For some reason the Mkuu decided this morning he did not want the goats in the dinning hall, so he summoned all of the Form 3 male students. The students then encircled the building and like a covert op started to sneak up on the goats. All at once, cement dust, the screams of goats, yelling of students and my laughter transpired. The students started to grab the goats; some dragging them by the legs, some carrying them off as if they were going to roast them and some walking them like wheelbarrows (my personal favorite). Next, other students emerged from the storeroom carrying twine and started to tie up all of the goats in three bunches of five. I honestly never thought any animal, let alone goats, could make such an awful noise or be so entertaining. So, the goats sat on the main lawn of the school, crying or screaming, I cannot be sure which, falling over each other and making me forget I was homesick.

 I thought things had settled out until I got a message from another PCV I got Argo

from that said the rest of the puppies at his house had worms. So, I went to Tukuyu to meet him and buy worm and flea medicine. Upon returning home I was informed that there was no water in the village because the neighboring village, Number 1, that controls the water had shut it off for some reason. Having about 20L of water and no water in reserve I decided to walk down to the river with Argo and a few buckets to get some water. When I got the river it was brown from the silt, so I trekked back home, waterless. At this point I felt it would be worth it to give Argo her flea bath with water I got from a large puddle in my yard. As I was bathing her, she drank some of the water and started to hiccup/ dry heave and foam at the mouth. At this point I called my Dad, thinking I had killed my dog of three days. Feeling completely awful, after a few hours, I put her to sleep in her crate with some water, rice and a prayer that she would make it through the night.

Haha and you thought I was done…. While I was eating dinner I noticed that the skin around my eyes and nose were stinging. The stinging intensified and I figured I had gotten some of the flea medicine too close to my eyes. Well the intense stinging continued throughout the night. At one point, around 1 am, I got up to splash milk on my face and take a Benadryl (figured if it didn’t help the stinging it would knock me out, thankfully it did one of them). Needless to say this was quite clearly the worst day at site thus far. Thankfully, the water came back on today (for a few hours) and it poured for about an hour, so I have enough water to last me a day or two. Honestly, hoping to make it through the rest of this week without any more majors.

To tie up a couple of loose ends…. Judy and Ed thank you so much for the Christmas card! The mail is a little wonky here and I just got it yesterday!!! Also Grandpa, thanks for the card and thinking of me on my birthday.

Pretty random, but I thought I would add it to the blog incase anyone eats rice every night and wants to change up their dinner as well… banana (not cooked) and rice go really well together…seriously do it!

To not break with tradition, I hope everyone stateside is doing well and if you live in New England putting that snow blower you bought last winter at the Home Depot to good use, or in the case of my aunt shoveling it for your self! You go girl! All my love from TZ.