Hatutaki kujifunza wimbo

Well the first week of school is in the bag. It was fun, but I learned some things, so I thought I would share.

1. It takes more than two weeks for 279 students to show up.

My school is supposed to be receiving 279 Form 1 students. Right now I believe our enrollment it close to 170 or so, which means we are still waiting on 100ish kids to arrive. Currently the students are in two streams (a difficult process because they cannot count off), but there are still too many in one classroom to teach. The is no space to walk to the back of the classroom and just enough space to stand at the board and teach (Fire hazard?). Hoping by the end of this coming week we will have almost all of the Form 1 students, so we can stream them properly.

2. Trying to stream students off their exams from the previous year would work, but....

Last year, after my students were streamed (ranked) according to GPA I found that teaching was a lot easier because I could tailor it to my classes. I could use more English in the classroom with the students in the A stream and teach at a slower pace to the students in the B stream. This year I suggested using the exit exam grades from primary school to stream the new students from the beginning of the year. At first my Mkuu thought this was a great idea and then said we would have to give our own exam (which would cost time and money that we don't have) because the kids “plagiarized”. I can only assume he meant cheat. Not to insult him, but to make a point, I added that our students cheat as well. In fact, the majority of Tanzanian students cheat. Cheating is rampant. The sad thing is that the students are awful cheaters. Their cheating so blatant, it is laughable. I am still suggesting we use the results from the exit exam, but we will see how this plays out. I would also like to point out that the Mkuu's son is one of the form one students I will be teaching this year.

3. Not everyone wants to learn a song...

To start the Form One year the Ministry of Education has an English orientation course put into place. We teachers are supposed to use this book dated from the early 1980's (before I was born) to introduce the new students to English. The book is actually pretty silly and I will admit that I glanced at it and immediately decided that I would go about the introduction to English in a different way. For the first few weeks my plan is to play a game related to learning English at the beginning of each class, then continue to start my Physics or Math lesson for the day. This past Friday I thought teaching the students “I'm a little tea pot” would be a fun start to class. About halfway through teaching the song, I saw interest was lagging and asked if they wanted to continue. Most responded negatively. Actually one of the boys in the class, who looks around 18, gave me the death stare, which left me pretty stunned. So I asked if they wanted to learn Physics. Most responded positively. So I turned around to the board, grabbed the eraser and said, “If it is what you really want, but Physics isn't fun”. As you can probably guess, I like to take advantage of the fact that they do not know English. And because they don't know English I assume that they were then lost for the next thirty minutes of class when I was talking about applications of physics and gravity.

4. I miss my old form one students

I know I will come to love my new form one students, but I miss my old form one, now form two, students. In a way it is nice that I am not their teacher. I feel I can be more candid with them. I also cannot believe how much their English has improved. Looking at the new form one class and the now form two class the difference is remarkable. I secretly hope their leap in English proficiency had something to do with my teaching, as most Tanzanian teachers teach in Swahili, but I could never be sure. What I do know, however, is that I can have a conversation with them in English. Pretty amazing. After my first few encounters with my former students I decided that I could not just let them flounder in form two without any other English besides their actual English class (taught by my awesome counterpart). So, I decided I would head up the English club. The club will meet during subject clubs after classes on Thursdays. I am hoping to work on vocab and grammar with them through games and a pen pal program with another English Club run by another PCV. We will see how this pans out over the next couple of months... I'll keep you all updated.

5. Not all PCVs look like “PCVs”

I bet most of you think of PCVs and get this image in your head of a guy who has not shaved, showered or cut his hair in 14 months or a girl with dread locks and hairy legs/ armpits, but that is not usually the case. Come to think of it most volunteers in Tanzania are clean and do not sport the Peace Corps hippie look. That being said, there are volunteers who fit that stereotype. This weekend I got a call from Eric who received a call from two Ugandan PCVs. They were traveling through Mbeya and needed some advice on where to stay. I ended up calling them and meeting up with them and a few other volunteers from our region. As you can guess these guys fit the PC stereotype, but, I assume, only because they were traveling for about a month. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my daily shower, haircuts and keeping my self clean, but I wish I had the “I don't give two craps” attitude once in a while. I am not saying I would go a month without taking a shower, but I wouldn't mind having braids in for a few weeks and not caring if I wore a shirt more than twice. I guess the hippie attitude is great in PC, but not as culturally acceptable back in the states. I should also mention these guys were really cool. It is always great to meet PCVs from other countries. You get to see how their program is different from your and to swap stories. These guys were also thinking about setting up a couch surfing network for PCVs in Africa, which would be awesome! Countries in Africa are all very different and most do not speak the same languages, so it is always great, not to mention safer, to meet other volunteers, while you are traveling who have the place wired..

     6. I understand why...

Every time I walk back to my house from the village I am greeted by a backdrop of rolling green mountains, pine trees and dirt covered children hanging from peach trees. Not exactly what you think of when you think of living in Africa or Tanzania, but it still feels like a foreign place to me. I cannot help but smile and think how lucky I am to have this experience. I am still amazed how I ended up here. I guess there comes a time when you realize you just need to find yourself for one reason or another. It is a question that comes up often between PCVs and one that not everyone has a straight answer to-- So why Peace Corps? Personally my answer to this question has changed multiple times over the last 14 months, but I finally feel I have converged on an unwavering answer. I needed new direction in my life. After college/ rowing, which gave me some direction, I felt there was a hole in my life that needed to be filled. I tired to fill it with different things and people, but nothing really seemed to fit. I think PC has fit that hole pretty well and allowed me to feel like I have a new direction, a new path. This experience has also, for the time being, pacified a need for adventure and a need to feel like I am making a difference. During college I was pretty selfish and didn't get to explore too many things. I think after being deprived for a while it caught up with me. I should also add a big thank you for those people who have been so patient through this time and allowing me to do what I needed to do...you know who you are.

So there are just a few things I learned/ came to realize this week. This coming week is graduation for A- level students and then a meeting to plan the girls' empowerment conference in Mbeya, i.e. I get to see other PCVs from my region and eat Indian food! I will also be turning a quarter of a century this week, which probably makes my parents feel much older than I feel...

I hope everyone is enjoying the snow at home! Seeing as though I have not seen snow in 19 months I am a little jealous, but not really because it summer here!

All my love from TZ.  

MSC/ Reunion

The first week of the 2012 school year is officially out of the way and I missed every minute of it. This past week the volunteers from my class traveled to Dar for our MSC or mid service conference. The conference is a chance to have, in some cases, a much needed visit to the dentist, a routine check-up and to pick up Pepto and Benadryl (two things most volunteers could not live without). PC also plans sessions that are directed toward helping us improve our teaching and get our secondary projects off the ground.

Our trip to Dar started last Saturday at the Mbeya train station. The train ran about 4 hours late, but once we boarded we were glad we had opted for the 24 hour + journey rather than the 13 hour bus ride. I think Kat summarized our feelings when she said, “I love train!”. It was almost the same exact train that I took a month earlier, but instead of sharing my compartment with two Zambian women I was with three other volunteers, which made it all the more enjoyable. About an hour into the ride we met a bunch of other people traveling around our ages from Australia, South Africa and Germany. Given our instant bond we decided to hang out, which turned into us commandeering the lounge car/ bar area and having a dance party until one in the morning. The next morning was spent recovering and battling the ever increasing temperature as we made our way to Dar. Upon arrival, around 10 pm, we were bombarded by taxi drivers. One gentleman was offering us a larger car, what we presumed was going to be a van, but when he pulled up it was a pick up truck. He was planning on putting us all in the back with our bags. Naturally, we quickly ran off and looked for two taxis to fit all eight of us. We arrived at Econo Lodge safe and sound and after a much needed shower I hopped into bed in an air conditioned room!

The next morning we were required to be at the PC office at 8 am. When most of us walked in at 8:30 we were welcomed and then given our welcome gifts-- a TB test! Afterward we were set off on our own to find the dentist and catch up with the other volunteers, some of whom we had not seen since March. Later that night we all met up for Indian food and drinks. Day 2 involved only a check up and meetings with our APCDs, AO and CD, or the person that runs our region, administrative officer and country director. After our medical appointments a few of us headed to Sea Cliff, ate burritos, drank iced lattes and did some more catching up. That night plans of going bowling (yes believe it or not there is a bowling alley in this country, as well as a movie theater!), changed to going out to another Indian place for drink and then the roof of the Holiday Inn. I know what you are thinking,”Carly, what illegal things were you doing on the roof of a hotel.” Actually the Holiday Inn in Dar has a tiki bar on the roof. They also sell beer on tap, which is almost non-existent here, and show soccer on a large projected screen.

Day 3 of our training consisted of a peer support meeting, technology training on how to use the new PC Tanzania site (http://pctanzania.org) and information on COS (close of service), extensions and site replacements. Almost for got to mention that PC provided chai and lunch for us at the office, but they switched caterers. I have to say it was one of their better decisions because the food was amazing! Think I gained about five pounds after this trip, but it was well worth it! One day we even had swordfish. After our afternoon session, Kat, Kathryn, Geneva and I went to Subway for sandwiches. It smelled like America and I think I forgot how good grilled chicken on oat bread with cheese and honey mustard can be.

Day 4 we had a mandatory session on content based instruction, i.e. how to get your students to think critically, and a session on bystander intervention, which was really awesome. We talked about how to recognize situations that have the potential to escalate and when and how to intervene. For example, if you are at a bar and your friend is talking to a guy and dragged away by him into a dark alley way you better get do something about it. After our long day, a few of us had another amazing food adventure. We all wanted to try Ethiopian food, so we asked some PC staff for recommendations. We eventually found our way to a place down an alley way in an area I would describe as the ghetto. It is set up in a sort of rock garden and run by an Ethiopian woman. The tables are very small, but set up in specific ways, with a small circular central table with chairs and smaller tables on the out side for drinks. Of course we did not know this so we started rearranging tables when the owner came out and explained to us that the meal comes on one big plate and we all share. After this explanation we decided maybe it would be best to have the woman order for us, needless to say we were not disappointed. The food came out on a big tray that was covered by a huge sour pancake-like bread. On top of the bread were five separate dishes of everything from beef and lamb to chicken and lentils. You wash your hands then start by ripping off bits of bread and picking up the food with them. Back in the states I was not a huge fan of ethnic food or maybe I should say I was scared that I would not like it, so far I have been proven completely wrong. I absolutely love food from different countries now-- except ugali. I am still not a fan of sushi, but no doubt I will be searching for Ethiopian and Indian food when I get home. After devouring a huge plate of food in 10 minutes, we clocked it, we got back to the hotel and decided to go dancing. Before we went dancing, however, we stopped at one of the many local casinos to pick up some of the other volunteers. The casino was offering free drinks and food if you were gambling, so put 10,000/= or $6 dollars on a card, sat down in front of a slot machine and ordered a gin and tonic. After my third free gin and tonic I decided it might be wise to stand up, assess and then cash out. All totaled I had three drinks at about 24,000/=, chicken sandwiches at about 10,000/= and came out up 2,000/= on the slots. So, by visiting the casino I made about 36,000/=, not bad for my first time gambling. After we headed to the dance club at about 11 pm, when we arrived it was completely dead. After some convincing and finding out that the cover was only 5,000/= we decided we had enough people to start our own party. It turned out to be really fun and after we stumbled out at 3 am, we all walked back to the hotel to sleep for four hours before our morning session.

Day 5 was pretty rough, lack of sleep set in around the room, but we all made it through thanks to some Advil. Our last session started off with a presentation on Peace Corps' Stomp Out Malaria project, which was really interesting and something I wish was more relevant to the area around my site because our prevalence rate is pretty low. The second half of the morning was taken up by a session on how to give feedback and a closing message. After our half day session most of us headed back to the hotel to catch up on some sleep. For dinner Kat, Geneva, Paff and I decided to try the burger everyone had been raving about. Kat and Geneva wanted a burger and then to go to a movie so we left the hotel early. When we arrived at the bus stop there was a large group of people waiting for the bus we wanted to board. Kat was a little upset by this because if we did not get on the bus she would miss her movie. When the bus arrived, like a good Tanzanian, Kat followed the large group and started running after the bus until it pulled over into the station. Somehow she ended up in the front of the group, but before the doors opened she got pushed into the side of the bus by the crowed trying to get in the unopened door. I have to say watching this happen multiple times from a safe location I nearly peed my pants with laughter. After being slammed against the door by the mob about three times I started to see her throw bows and yell in Swahili. Funnily enough the crowd died down and those of us who thought we wouldn't make it on the bus, got on with room to spare. Lesson of the day: trying to get on a bus, so you are not late, when another will be coming in 15 minutes is not worth being mobbed by a group of sweaty people who only have one goal in mind, “GET ON BUS!!!”. As it turned out we hit a traffic leaving the city , Kat and Geneva gave up there quest for the burger to go to the movies and Paff and I enjoyed one of the best burgers I have had in country. The last night in Dar I really wanted to sleep, but decided hanging out with people I do not see that often should take priority. Some of us met up at the Holiday Inn again for some drinks, but then the hotel lost power. I am not sure what happened because the generators did not kick in, but I am almost positive some poor soul had to have been stuck in one of the two elevators!

Yesterday I jumped on a bus to head back home. All I could think about on the way home was how much fun I had in Dar, but how excited I was to be heading back to my village and my daily routine. A few hours into the trip I over heard the woman next to me talking on the phone. Apparently she was headed home because someone in her family had died. I wanted to say something to her, but I was really unsure how to go about it, so I just looked out the window and pretended that I did not hear anything. As I was admiring the scenery, she, without asking, took the book I had picked up in the PC office, The God Delusion and started reading it. I am pretty sure she thought I was either crazy or a heathen or both. I was almost positive that she was going to say something to me about how absurd the book was and why I would ever question the existence of a greater being, but she didn't. Never the less I still felt strange. It is not enough that I am white, but I was reading a book that goes against the beliefs of most Tanzanians. After feeling awkward I looked out the window and started to think why these people believe so strongly in something they have no way of proving exists. I guess it is knowing their life does not just end. Personally, I have come to terms with this. Being here has really made me think about it and honestly just knowing that you go back into the circle of life is completely enough for me. It may be weird to think about it, but eventually our bodies will decompose and the carbon and other elements we were once made up of will make up other living things. Alright well that is my two cents on religion.

Eventually I arrived home around 9 pm after 15 hours on a bus. The icing of the cake, however, was when the conductor was unloading my bags from the bus and he asked for my phone number. When It asked him why he said it was because he was looking for a girlfriend. I wanted to respond, “ Hey, Buddy let me let you in on a little secret, never ask a woman for her phone number after a 15 hour bus ride, especially when she is losing her voice and it looks like she wants to shoot lasers out of her eyeballs at you”. Of course my culturally sensitive side kicked in and I explained that my phone was only used for work.

All in all my trip to Dar was really great. Between the meetings, doctor's appointments, food and friends I had a really fun time. The next time we will probably all be together, if no one else decides to go home early is in late summer for our COS conference.

This week will be the first real week of teaching! I am really excited to meet my new students, all 279 of them! Hopefully I can swing only teaching form 1 math because I really do not know how I would be able to teach almost 300 students two subjects. I guess time shall tell. Oh, I will also be enjoying my last two weeks of being 24. Time flies here... As always I hope every one is doing well at home!

All my love from TZ. 

Krismasi na Mwaka Mpya

Well another holiday season has come and gone here in Tanzania. Christmas this year was very low key, a few volunteers and I had a small party. We made pizzas, drank wine and sat around talking and playing games. Christmas morning we had a late brunch at 4 pm, but it was complete with bacon, homemade cinnamon rolls, eggs, fruit salad, left over salad from the night before and banana bread! This year we also celebrated Boxing Day, December 26^th with a pasta lunch for about 40 PCVs. I am amazed that only a few people pulled off cooking for so many people with two charcoal stoves.

My Tanzanian Christmas Tree

Kat and I on Christmas Eve

I should note here that Christmas in Tanzania is not the same as Christmas in the States. They do sell Christmas decorations here, but nothing along the lines of what you would find at home. Small strings of Christmas lights, garland and a few fake trees. People here do not really decorate the exteriors or interiors of their homes or give gifts. They get new clothes for Christmas, go to church and then have a big family meal. The meal usually consists of pilau, which is rice with spices, meat and potatoes mixed in, chicken, plain rice and some sort of mchuzi or meat sauce. This meal is typical of all Tanzanian celebrations, graduations, birthdays, Easter, etc.

For New Year's this year a bunch of volunteers went down to Matema beach on Lake Nyasa or Lake Malawi. Getting to Matema is usually a full day affair, but we arrived Kyela in record time, thanks to a crazy coaster driver and hopped on another car to Matema because of good timing. We stayed there for about four days relaxing in the sun, playing Frisbee and having a great time! Every night we would all sit around a bonfire with a few beers just talking until we got tired and headed off to bed. Luckily it only rained one afternoon! New Year's Eve was celebrated with another large fire and a car full of Tanzanians who pulled up on the beach and started blaring music out of their car. All in all it was a great trip and a great way to spend my last holiday season in country.

Escorts to Boxing Day Party in the Village

I am currently back at home wading through 144 student report forms that I need to finish filling out in the next few days. Unfortunately all of the forms are filled in by hand and I offered to average all of the grades and rank the students- thank goodness for Excel. School starts on Monday and we are supposed to have a full Form 1 roster and then some. Supposedly 300+ standard VII students passed their leaving exam to go to Form 1, but we only have space, right now, for about half of the students. My headmaster is currently looking to move classes and other forms around to accommodate them. If 300 Form 1 students do end up enrolling, I may be teaching all of them Math and Physics. Even thinking about it makes me feel like I am in a dark tunnel with a train bearing down on me and all I am see is the head light. I am hoping that if this is the case another teacher will pick up my Physics section and I will just be teaching Math.

On Sunday all of the Education volunteers from my class will be heading to Dar for Mid Service Conference-- MSC. Mid way through service was November, but because of other trainings and holidays MSC is usually slated for the second week in January. As far as I know we will be having medical check-ups and some small training sessions at the office. I am not really excited to travel all the way there and then all the way home only to start school again. I am hoping it will be fun to see everyone and spend a few days getting some work done at the PC office.

Well, not much else to report back. A few weeks ago we received three new Health and Environment volunteers, Cindy, Brandon and Andrew. All great additions to what other PCVs call the Mbeya Fraternity. I am still waiting for my LSAT score to come in. It will hopefully be here by the end of the week, then my applications can be completed and submitted.

I hope everyone had a great holiday season!

All my love from TZ.  

Bed full of kids...