I'm pretty sure this is the first time I have ever celebrated my birthday in a hot climate, and what a day it was! I had a wonderful wake-up call from Daniel early early Friday morning (I think he just wanted to be the first one to say 'Happy Birthday' to me and he was) and after I taught my morning class, I enjoyed TZ donuts my host mum had made for me the night before. I kind of ruined the surprise because I figured out what she was making and wanted to see exactly how it's done. They were delish!
My host family insisted I invite a few friends to join us for dinner and I had no idea what to expect. Birthdays aren't a big deal out here and we spent some time talking about how we celebrate birthdays at home. The next thing I knew, there were balloons hanging in our living room, the table was covered in delicious food, fresh fruit, home-made juice, and a real birthday cake with icing and everything! My contribution was a large batch of London Fog (thanks to Eden fro providing the recipe, tea, and vanilla syrup). It was a huge hit! My host mum couldn't get enough of it :) Rachel and Hazel (the SILers who taught with me last semester) showed up along with Theo, Fred, and Carren. It was a full house but we all managed to squeeze in to enjoy a great evening. The kids sang 'Happy Birthday' for me, we all sang a hymn together before my host father gave a little welcome and Theo prayed for the meal. We were all stuffed by the end! My host mum is a great cook and she proved again last night...
Phew, what a great birthday! I know I'll never have one quite like it again. God is good!!!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Heri ya mwaka mpia!
That's 'Happy New Year' in Kiswahili. I spent a quiet evening with my host family, playing Phase 10 (my host sisters are huge card game enthusiasts) and watching the Tanzanian President Kikwete give his New Year's address to the nation. At midnight, we stood outside the house and waved in greeting to the New Year. I still find it hard to believe that the calendar has already changed over and the first half of my SALT year is nearly complete.
I spent the past three weeks away from Nyabange and everything that has become so familiar to me. My journey to Mugumu went well minus the delay due to the bus getting stuck on the side of the dirt road. It took a sympathetic dump truck driver to get us out. My week-long stay with Kurtis, Carla, Ben, Aaron and Carla's sister, Jo, was relaxing and a welcome culinary respite. I don't think French Toast, cookies, and brownies (among many other Mzungu specialties) ever tasted as good to me! I had a chance to visit one of my student's doing her field study at the nearby hospital and began interviewing the HIV/AIDS Program directors for the website I was working on.
We spent all day Sunday driving to Nairobi with a full load of passengers and baggage, speeding along tarmac roads and bumping along a 'highway' that has been under construction for as long as anyone can remember. Our retreat took place high up in the Kenyan Highlands outside Nairobi. It was strange to wear a fleece in the middle of the day or even don a pair of pants for the cool evenings. I spent a lot of time catching up with my fellow SALTers from Uganda and Ethiopia, discussing teaching experiences and swapping stories. We all came to the same conclusion: even with the homesickness and occasional illness, change in diet and lifestyle, new culture and language, we have fallen in love with East Africa and most of us are determined to come back some day.
My vacation highlight was waiting for me that Friday in Nairobi: Daniel arrived the night before and I was eager to leave first thing to go and see him. We had an emotional reunion and it took a couple days for it to sink in that he was actually in Tanzania with me. Our week by the Indian Ocean with our MCC Tanzania Team was incredible – we had a chance to do some snorkeling and laze around on a sand island in the middle of the ocean, go for long walks, swim in waters as warm as a bath, and wait for our burns to turn into tans! We spent Christmas lazing by the pool and wondering how everyone at home was coping with the large amounts of snow.
We arrived safely in Nyabange where we were welcomed home by my entire host family. It was a great homecoming! I realized how much I missed being here and how this place has become like a second home. The next two days were spent introducing Daniel to my fellow staff members and other friends in the area. Daniel also had a chance to experience the dalla dallas first-hand and lived to tell about it. I showed him around Musoma Town, pointing out all the 'sites' like the airport, the bus stand, the market, the main street, the hospital, and the internet café. We managed to squeeze in a visit with the Academic Dean's family as well as with Theo (the Principal) and his family.
I was thrilled that all my weeks of planning went so well and that we were able to make it all the way out to the other end of the country so I could share first-hand with Daniel where I'm spending my year. It was tough to say good-bye for the second time but it was worth every minute spent together!
PS: There should be some new pics on the blog very soon! Keep your eyes peeled…
I spent the past three weeks away from Nyabange and everything that has become so familiar to me. My journey to Mugumu went well minus the delay due to the bus getting stuck on the side of the dirt road. It took a sympathetic dump truck driver to get us out. My week-long stay with Kurtis, Carla, Ben, Aaron and Carla's sister, Jo, was relaxing and a welcome culinary respite. I don't think French Toast, cookies, and brownies (among many other Mzungu specialties) ever tasted as good to me! I had a chance to visit one of my student's doing her field study at the nearby hospital and began interviewing the HIV/AIDS Program directors for the website I was working on.
We spent all day Sunday driving to Nairobi with a full load of passengers and baggage, speeding along tarmac roads and bumping along a 'highway' that has been under construction for as long as anyone can remember. Our retreat took place high up in the Kenyan Highlands outside Nairobi. It was strange to wear a fleece in the middle of the day or even don a pair of pants for the cool evenings. I spent a lot of time catching up with my fellow SALTers from Uganda and Ethiopia, discussing teaching experiences and swapping stories. We all came to the same conclusion: even with the homesickness and occasional illness, change in diet and lifestyle, new culture and language, we have fallen in love with East Africa and most of us are determined to come back some day.
My vacation highlight was waiting for me that Friday in Nairobi: Daniel arrived the night before and I was eager to leave first thing to go and see him. We had an emotional reunion and it took a couple days for it to sink in that he was actually in Tanzania with me. Our week by the Indian Ocean with our MCC Tanzania Team was incredible – we had a chance to do some snorkeling and laze around on a sand island in the middle of the ocean, go for long walks, swim in waters as warm as a bath, and wait for our burns to turn into tans! We spent Christmas lazing by the pool and wondering how everyone at home was coping with the large amounts of snow.
We arrived safely in Nyabange where we were welcomed home by my entire host family. It was a great homecoming! I realized how much I missed being here and how this place has become like a second home. The next two days were spent introducing Daniel to my fellow staff members and other friends in the area. Daniel also had a chance to experience the dalla dallas first-hand and lived to tell about it. I showed him around Musoma Town, pointing out all the 'sites' like the airport, the bus stand, the market, the main street, the hospital, and the internet café. We managed to squeeze in a visit with the Academic Dean's family as well as with Theo (the Principal) and his family.
I was thrilled that all my weeks of planning went so well and that we were able to make it all the way out to the other end of the country so I could share first-hand with Daniel where I'm spending my year. It was tough to say good-bye for the second time but it was worth every minute spent together!
PS: There should be some new pics on the blog very soon! Keep your eyes peeled…
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Reflection, Introspection
I took a bus to Mugumu last Saturday by myself for the very first time and made it here in one piece. Of course, the ride wasn't without its high points, like when the bus driver was forced to drive on the side of the dirt road because of road work and at one point the ground gave way and we got stuck at a heart-stopping angle. All the passengers piled off the bus and waited by the side of the road while the bus operators and male passengers tried to dig out the wheels. By this time, it was late afternoon and little did I know we were only 20 minutes away from our destination (probably a good thing). After a brief moment of spine-tingling panic, I sat down and prayed. I did not want to get stuck in the middle of nowhere with no cell reception and no way out. One hour later, a dump truck driver took pity on us and pulled out our bus. Prayer answered and an overwhelming sense of relief!
My bus experience sums up my last four months well. There have been unexpected twists and turns, challenges around every corner, and I'm ready for more. My first semester of teaching had many bumps, a few near misses, and a couple breakdowns but, overall, I've emerged stronger and wiser because of it. I am reminded on a daily basis that I cannot do it alone and that relying on God is so much easier, not an easy lesson for an independent, do-it-yourself person to learn.
Theo and I went over my students' evaluations and I discovered that they'd enjoyed my class but had two complaints: the class was too long (two hours twice a week following lunch and naptime is not ideal) and the homework too much (ironic, considering they often did not complete their assignments or copied their neighbour's). Although Theo reassured me this had more to do with my students' work ethic than my teaching ability, it's given me all the more reason to try and motivate my students more and put in the extra effort myself. My students' have found it hard to understand why they should learn the complexities of English grammar and speech when they are surrounded by Kiswahili and probably won't need it in their line of work. They also have a heavy course load that requires them to write one research paper a week in English once mid-terms are done. To say they're exhausted by Week 12 is an understatement. I noticed that towards the end of the semester, they began to show up late or not at all more frequently. I wonder what they'd do if I decided to 'take a day off'…
My range of Kiswahili vocabulary seems to be expanding at a snail's pace. I haven't spent as much time as I'd have liked going through my flashcards (yes, I know, I'm a nerd) and I find myself coming up short in the most basic of conversations, searching for that missing verb. Language is the key to building good relationships; hand and foot gestures can only take you so far. The language itself is fairly simple but it's remembering all that new vocab that can be so frustrating. On top of strange grammar rules, some words resemble each other so closely that changing just one letter can completely alter their meaning. It definitely helps me relate to my students' struggles with English. I have managed to master the majority of greetings although someone always seems to slip in a new one when I'm not paying attention. A response of 'Nzuri sana' is usually sufficient and I ask my host father later what was actually said. Most Tanzanians genuinely appreciate my efforts at speaking Kiswahili and assure me I'll be fluent in no time!
My host family has been great throughout and living with them has made it even easier to feel at home. I'm grateful that all of them (except for my host mum) speak fairly good English. The 'fish story' is the extent of our misunderstandings. My host father has been diligent about pointing out small cultural nuances I consistently overlook or forget. My host siblings and I swap new English and Kiswahili vocab and I've even honed my chapatti-making skills to where I can assist my host mum with making dinner.
All in all, these past four months have flown by with lots of adventure and experiences in between. And thanks to all of you, I've gotten through every moment of 'homesick-itis' along the way. Keep the emails, calls and prayers coming - Thank-you!
My bus experience sums up my last four months well. There have been unexpected twists and turns, challenges around every corner, and I'm ready for more. My first semester of teaching had many bumps, a few near misses, and a couple breakdowns but, overall, I've emerged stronger and wiser because of it. I am reminded on a daily basis that I cannot do it alone and that relying on God is so much easier, not an easy lesson for an independent, do-it-yourself person to learn.
Theo and I went over my students' evaluations and I discovered that they'd enjoyed my class but had two complaints: the class was too long (two hours twice a week following lunch and naptime is not ideal) and the homework too much (ironic, considering they often did not complete their assignments or copied their neighbour's). Although Theo reassured me this had more to do with my students' work ethic than my teaching ability, it's given me all the more reason to try and motivate my students more and put in the extra effort myself. My students' have found it hard to understand why they should learn the complexities of English grammar and speech when they are surrounded by Kiswahili and probably won't need it in their line of work. They also have a heavy course load that requires them to write one research paper a week in English once mid-terms are done. To say they're exhausted by Week 12 is an understatement. I noticed that towards the end of the semester, they began to show up late or not at all more frequently. I wonder what they'd do if I decided to 'take a day off'…
My range of Kiswahili vocabulary seems to be expanding at a snail's pace. I haven't spent as much time as I'd have liked going through my flashcards (yes, I know, I'm a nerd) and I find myself coming up short in the most basic of conversations, searching for that missing verb. Language is the key to building good relationships; hand and foot gestures can only take you so far. The language itself is fairly simple but it's remembering all that new vocab that can be so frustrating. On top of strange grammar rules, some words resemble each other so closely that changing just one letter can completely alter their meaning. It definitely helps me relate to my students' struggles with English. I have managed to master the majority of greetings although someone always seems to slip in a new one when I'm not paying attention. A response of 'Nzuri sana' is usually sufficient and I ask my host father later what was actually said. Most Tanzanians genuinely appreciate my efforts at speaking Kiswahili and assure me I'll be fluent in no time!
My host family has been great throughout and living with them has made it even easier to feel at home. I'm grateful that all of them (except for my host mum) speak fairly good English. The 'fish story' is the extent of our misunderstandings. My host father has been diligent about pointing out small cultural nuances I consistently overlook or forget. My host siblings and I swap new English and Kiswahili vocab and I've even honed my chapatti-making skills to where I can assist my host mum with making dinner.
All in all, these past four months have flown by with lots of adventure and experiences in between. And thanks to all of you, I've gotten through every moment of 'homesick-itis' along the way. Keep the emails, calls and prayers coming - Thank-you!
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