PST or Why Am I Doing This?!

I have been at my CBT (community based training) site for two weeks now. I live in Kilulu, a village near Muheza town in Muheza District. I live with a host family, who speak no English, have no running water and no electricity. The night I got to my host family, I was terrified. I was soooooo nervous. I had spent the last week in Dar, spending every moment with my 40 other PCTs, speaking English, enjoying electricity, drinking beers in the gazebo in the evening, and really having no interaction with Tanzania at all. My mama came out to the car when we pulled up, a tiny worn woman, and carried my bags in for me- bags that I have trouble carrying, and I have multiple inches on this woman. She walked me through her dark little house to the courtyard in the bag, sat me on a stool, and continued making dinner on a wood fire in a hut outside, in traditional TZ style. I was immediately surrounded by silent children, staring at me. I know how to greet in Swahili at this point, that's it. One little girl hands me a baby she's holding, so now I am holding someone's baby, being stared at, with nothing to say. That was basically my first night in homestay.

In TZ, people use the choo, which is a structure usually unattached from the house, with a hole in the floor, where people do their business and shower. Its basically a bathroom. Choos are terrifying places. And I have a nice choo. The top of the structure is roofed by some kind of dried veggitation, and spiders like to inhabit it. I don't like spiders. I don't like little spiders in the States. Spiders in TZ.... you could put a leash on them and take them for a walk. There are seven in my choo. My solution is to crouch as low as possible without actually crawling on the floor so as to put as great a distance between me and the giant spiders.

I have a very nice room. I actually feel really bad because I have a huge room to myself, and the rest of the family- mama, baba, kaka, and dada wawili- all sleep in one room. I have a lock on my door and bars on my window, to PC standards, and I have an insecticide treated net over my bed- which I religiously keep tucked to keep bugs off of my bed. There are cockroaches. We cohabitate very well I have found. I found one of the giant spiders on my wall though one night. I walk into my room, see it, and stop. I can't just leave it there. I am not going to sleep with that thing on my wall. But I cant squish it either because it is bigger than my shoe. So I got the kids. I bring them into my room and point at the spider, and they look at me, like, whats the big deal? They eventually killed it, which caused me to scream, and everyday they make fun of me for my fear of ndudu, bugs.

I go to shule Monday- Saturday with my 3 CBT mates to study Kiswhili. Our language instructor is a brilliant Tanzanian nicknamed Big Boy, and he knows more American slang than I do. I read on a blog once about how PCVs talk about three things: sex, shit, and food. Its true. There isn't any real habari (news) so we just make it up, hypothesizing on who will hook up with whom, who already has, what the drama in other CBTs is. Everyone knows when someone has the runs, or when someone hasn't pooped in a week, color, consistency, etc. And we talk about American food and Tanzanian food constantly. About how much we hate ugali. About how we are always full. About how salty the mchicha is. About how much we are craving peanut butter and pizza.

On Sundays I do housework- TZ style. I wash my clothes by hand. I walk ten minutes to get water, and carry it back in a bucket on my head. I cook on a wood burning stove, and by stove, I mean three large rocks arranged in a circle. I have seen my mama pluck and tear apart two chickens with her hands already. These are chickens from our front yard. I think that when I get to my site, I am going to be a vegetarian. The inside of a chicken is disgusting. I would, however, eat my rooster. I would eat every rooster in Kilulu, because roosters do not just make their screaming cockle-doodle-doos  when the rises, but all night, and all day. I really hope we eat the rooster someday.

Really, I am living the idyllic American in Africa fantasy. I am surrounded by barefoot children, who follow me everywhere, yelling my name. They pronounce it like "caught," but very sharp and short.  It is beautiful and lush and green, and everyone is friendly, and everyone knows everything I do.

Training is hard, but I am so glad I am here.

Just Put A Kanga Over It or Tanzania's Multitool

In Tanzania, knees are very provocative, so to ensure maximum coverage women will wear an extra piece of fabric over their skirt, called a kanga. This is not the only use for a kanga, however, so it is essential that one must have multiple. I have two, and its a struggle. These uses include, but are not limited to...

skirt, dress, shirt, swimsuit cover, shawl, towel, sunshade, yoga mat, cushion, pillow, rug, hat, curtain, wall decoration, table cloth, water filter, bag, scarf, and I have even seen khangas used to keep a car's hood attached to the rest of the car.

Personally, my mama insists that I have an indoor kanga, an outdoor kanga, and that I wear two kangas to the choo when I shower.

Kangas are more multi functional than my Gerber.

I will post a picture eventually, promise.

STAGING!

I am in Philidelphia for Staging, which is one long day of ice breakers, meeting other future volunteers, and final preparations for leaving for service. The most comforting and affirming thing we covered today was the PC mission statement. Being my cynical self, I have frequently questioned my going oversees as a representative of the US, sent to spread democracy and promote how fantastic the US is, not feeling comfortable with that role. By covering the mission and goals of the PC, though, I decided that the intention of the PC really is to promote peace by increasing understanding between different peoples. I like peace, I can be a proud PCV.

My fears of not being able to make friends has been assuaged- everyone wants to make friends, and I must have a lot in common with these people if we all decided to give up running water and electricity for two years of bucket showers and eating caterpillars! But really, we talked about how to deal with people feeding us caterpillars. It could happen.

I had my final dinner in the US tonight with my burgeoning group of friends at a fancy Italian returant, complete with calamari and the best Riesling wine I have ever had- I had not only two sips, but two glasses, are you proud of me, Brandy?

The real excitement will begin after my 18 hour flight tomorrow, when I finally land in Tanzania! Get ready for Traaaaaaaainiiiiiiiiiinnnnggggg!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BTW, no worries if there is no word for a while; I will not have internet access imediately after landing in country.

I am Packed! or I Swear It All Fit Before!

I have finished packing! Which is good, since I leave tomorrow morning and, whereas other departing volunteers have no doubt been working on packing for the last month, I started this afternoon.

The useful information: I have one carry on backpack, one large duffel bag, and one large hiking backpack. Everything is labelled with my Tanzanian address, and they are just shy of the cumulative 80 pound maximum. Now to hoping US Airways doesn't charge me a fortune to check my bags. This is why I love Southwest (shoutout!)

The not so useful information: I am pretty sure the bulkiest thing in my pack are the 40 pairs of underwear I am bringing. Overkill- mayhaps- but I refuse to budge on underwear. I can't manage to get laundry done more than once a month when I have a washing machine, I most certainly won't do it more often when I have to do it by hand. I left socks at home to make room for the undies, instead. I also bought a bug hut before making sure it would fit, but its pretty boss, so I made some room for that by leaving out some clothes and shoes. East Africa is a giant thrift shop, right? I will be fiiiine.

Now that everything fits into my bags, the next hurtle is seeing if I can can actually carry all of it to Tanzania. Bon voyage!

A Grand Adventure or You Don't Have to be Rugged to be Accepted to the PC

Two days before departing for Staging, I return from a 3 day camping trip in the Grand Canyon. This was my attempt at being outdoorsy and "roughing it," while accomplishing something on my Photo Scavenger Hunt of My Life List. 

In case of flash floods...



At Mooney Falls, named after a prospector that fell the 200 feet when his rope broke and died...

Yeah, I climbed that.

This trip also provided an opportunity for growth as a budding backpacker...



Lesson learned: you do not have to be rugged or outdoorsy to be accepted to the Peace Corps. Wink wink, Phanny.

In closing, here is a PSA from Brandy (aka Goose):

One Month To Go! or What the Hell Am I Doing?

Travel arrangements have been made, overwhelming email about travel logistics and the first few days in country received, and bike helmet purchased! I have less than a month now before I finally get this show on the road!

I have spent the past month perusing the Tanzania Facebook group, http://www.facebook.com/groups/121447591273117/?id=159690090782200&notif_t=group_activity, and talking to people currently in TZ, where I have procured lots of information and advice that I have then used as an excuse to buy really cool things like solar chargers and a Kindle, which I have no idea if I am actually going to use while in TZ. I'll let you know if such purchases were a good idea or not.

After making my travel arrangements to get from Arizona to Philadelphia for staging, PC was kind enough to send out an email with documents describing just how inappropriate all of my clothing is going to be in the predominantly Muslim Dar es Salaam, how the first two weeks in country are going to a whirlwind of not knowing what I am doing, and that I have to bring a bike helmet with me. I really think that bringing a bike helmet is a very American concern that people living in Tanzania do not think about- which is probably why I have to bring one with me instead of buy one there- but seeing as I found it necessary to bring my non stick frying pan- even though I don't really cook- I guess I have no room to judge. So, I have one hideous white, very safe helmet to pack. Unfortunately, the cute pink one with the pandas didn't fit. It did say it was a child's helmet.

My excitement and anxiousness is increasing as time draws near. My plans for passing the rest of my time in the States include watching as much television as possible on a daily basis, eating ice cream and chocolate everyday, going back to the wonderful Bay area for a final farewell to my friends and family there, and camping in the Grand Canyon (yeah, I can be outdoorsy, too, environment volunteers, just watch me!). I really think the Grand Canyon might kill me, though. I built a set of shelves the other day, and was sore for the next two days. Me thinks this does not bode well. Also, I am hiking out of the canyon, and driving back home, two days before leaving for staging. Poor choice? Mayhaps...

My greatest concern going into this is how am I going to make friends with people?! Truth be told, I have not made a friend for a year. I got lazy my last year in college and just stopped talking to people I didn't already know. I joined this Facebook group and would timidly add my questions to the page- how am I supposed to interact with people when the anonymity and distance of the internet even makes me nervous! So, we'll see how that goes....

In closing, I want to apologize to the man who I stole this picture from, but this is basically what I want to spend my time in Tanzania doing. I am bringing lots of candies to make the babies love me. Is that really so wrong?

P.S. Dear Peace Corps Journals, could you put my blog under Tanzania for me? I can't figure out how to change which country its under. Kthxbai.

Turkmenistan Closed or I Don't Have to Live in a Desert Anymore!

I hope my ominous title sends chills down your back, especially considering that I am now melting in the Arizona heat and would love to feel some chills.

August 9 I receive a call from the Peace Corps- that familiar 202 number that I so looked forward to seeing on my phone 3 months ago while waiting for my invitation. This call, however, is the opposite. Turkmenistan has closed, and I will no longer be going there.

Uhhh??????????

But I will go somewhere. Apparently in situations like this, when a country closes, the future PCVs are given a new placement, but they may have to wait up to 6 months, or even longer- you know how it is- especially considering the recent budget cuts Peace Corps has experienced. Luckily for me, though, this will not be the case...

I will be leaving for Tanzania, in Sub Saharan Africa, still as a health volunteer, only a couple weeks later than planned. Forgive the religious reference, but Hallelujah, because I don't want to wait any more! This does, however, mean that I will need to change some things, and the past three months of preparation have turned into only two months left to prepare for Africa, a place I never expected to go. My blog name will have to change, I won't need thermals anymore, the Turkmen that I haven't really studied will no longer be useful, my dreams of marrying an oil sheikh have been banished and I will have to depend on Sean and Meghan to pay for my vacations and lavish lifestyle in the future. Africa seems so much more outdoorsy than Central Asia.

I really was kind of disappointed at first. I was glad that I still got to go somewhere, and I didn't even have to wait too much longer than I had expected, but I had never wanted to go to Africa. I don't know anything about Africa. But I researched Tanzania and considered it more. Tanzania has a tropical coastal region, is surrounded my giant lakes on its inland borders, is home to giant national parks for all of its wildlife- including giraffes (my favorite), monkeys, and wildebeests- is not a desert, has an Arab influence, and I actually know a lot more about the health issues in Tanzania than I thought I did. Or maybe Tanzania just has more health issues than Turkmenistan does, so there is more for me to know. I think I can do this.

Now to start preparing....