A few pictures

Nothing much else to say today, I just had the opportunity to put some pictures on the page and I know people have really wanted to see some. We have here, my 4th grade class doing long division, Haley, another volunteer with me at TCC holding little Fatuma, a waterfall we hiked to last week on our cultural excursion into the area north of Moshi, and a Tanzanian woman outside of her house in the morning. I hope you enjoy these pictures and I will post more as I get the chance.

Unexpected things in Tanzania

Whenever you travel far from home you run into the unexpected. I knew coming here that there were many aspects of life in Tanzania that I knew nothing about, and when traveling so far from home it is always good to keep an open mind. However, even keeping that in mind there have been several times when things I have seen have come as a complete surprise.

Cell Phones:
Probably the biggest surprise about arriving in Tanzania is that everyone has a cell phone. They are sold on the streets for about $30 to $50 and people buy phone cards to call each other. And when I say that everyone has one I mean everyone, cab drivers, teachers, local artists, dress makers, mothers, and police officers. One of the strangest sights is to drive down a road and see a mud hut, another mud hut, a brand new five story red and white cell tower, and another mud hut.
I suppose on one level it does make sense. There are very few land lines in Tanzania compared to more developed countries, so it is much easier for a cell infrastructure to be put in place. What is really amazing is that the reception is excellent, it seems like anywhere you go people are talking on their cell phones.

The WWE:
Of all the TV programs that could be imported to Tanzania WWE wrestling seems to be by far the most popular. It isn't translated, but I don't suppose it really has to be. I have heard that kids in some of the other volunteer's schools sometimes pretend to be their favorite wrestlers during recess. WWE being so popular would be more embracing except that the rest of Tanzanian television is really no better, the soap operas are quite possibly the most ridicules programing I have ever seen.

Heavy clothing:
In a country where the average temperature is well into the 80's you wouldn't thing there would be much need for what we would call winter clothing. However it is not at all uncommon to see people walking around in full winter coats, or wool hats, or sweatshirts, or sweaters. Not just at night or in the early morning either, when the temperature may drop to the bone chilling temperature of 68 degrees, but in the middle of the day. All I can imagine is that they must be used to the heat and the extra clothing doesn't bother them much. But when you are sweating in shorts, a t-shirt, and sandals, just looking at a man in a winter parka makes you a little sick.

All strange habits aside, I do very much like this country. For such a poor country there is a real sense of pride and a belief in what is possible. Everyone seems more or less happy, or at least they don't seem overly stressed. Everything is kept as clean as possible, even dirt roads and paths are swept clear of any stray leafs or garbage. People here walk with their heads up high, it makes me realize just how bad my posture is.

From the Internet Cafe in Moshi

Ok, I'm trying to upload pictures today but the Internet cafe here in Moshi is very full right now and the connection is slow. I've tried twice so far to upload a single picture of Mt. Kilimanjaro that I took yesterday morning from just outside my room. I may have to come back some other day when there are less people here. I know everyone wants to see pictures, and I've got some good one's to share, but in Tanzania you never know what will happen. Ha! Victory! I think that took about 5 minutes to upload. If I get ambitious later I'll try another one.

I've started to get into a rhythm here after my second week, now that I'm used to the heat. My day starts at around 6:30 in the morning, I wake up when the sun comes up. I take a quick shower and get dressed for my placement. Breakfast for all the volunteer's is down stairs and outside in the garden under a large tin roof. Usually I have some oatmeal with brown sugar, egg's if there are any that morning, and a cup of instant coffee. Even thinking about hot coffee right now is making me sweat a little, but in the morning before the sun gets too high the coffee is nice.

At about 7:30 we all get on one of the two van's that CCS uses for transporting their volunteer's. Usually there are around 10 people per van, some people are close enough to walk from home base. The drive for the most part feels like a Disney ride, with the van going over uneven and rock filled dirt roads. Most of the roads in Tanzania are made of a very hard dirt and rock mixture, only in Moshi and on the "highway" is there any pavement.

Volunteer's are dropped off in one's and two's at their various placements, schools and nursery's mostly, and those remaining bounce along and stare out the windows. Mine is one of the last stops, and we arrive around 8:20 or so. There is one other CCS volunteers with me, a girl named Haley, who has been working in the pre-school class. We teach until 10:00 when there is a break for the kids to have a snack and the teachers have tea. Around 12:00 the CCS van picks us up and brings us back to home base for lunch at 1:00.

For the last couple weeks we have had various programs in the after noon, from cultural lectures on health or gender issues in Tanzania, to Swahili lessons, and some feed back meetings. Next week is my last with such busy schedules, then I will have much more free time, and I will hopefully be able to come to town and post more pictures here.

At 6:30 we have dinner, and after dinner most of us hang around, play cards and other games, and read before bed. Most of the volunteer's go to bed early, between 8:30 and 10:00. It sounds early, but we get up early, and once the sun goes down here there isn't much to do. Lately we have been watching movies on various people's laptops, street vender's in Moshi sell bootleg compilation dvd's with up to 20 movies on each. Since I've been here I don't believe I have been up later than 11:00pm more than once. Being here takes allot out of you.

Alright, I'm going to try to upload one more picture, then call it a day for this post. Humm.... nope, it doesn't want to, oh well. Talk to you later.

Here at last

Hello to all my friends and family.

After a very long trip I arrived safely and with minimal trubble in Tanzania last week. I have been extreamly busy for the last week, getting used to my new and very diffrent surroundings, but still i appoligise for not posting sooner.

Anyways, all is well here. I have spent several days working at my placement, the Tanzanin Childrens Concern, working with diffrent age students. they range form the baby class, roughly pre-school, through what we would call 4th grade. Many of the children are orphans and live at the school, and they all wear green uniforms. For the most part i have been working with the grade 1 and grade 3 students, working on math and english.

About Tanzania, it is hot here. But I must admit, its not too bad. the weather reminds me of hot days in Auguest, durring the middle of the day you just find some shade and dont move too much if you dont have to. As for more details, well, really there is just too much for me to say right now. It is simply so diffrent from anything else I have expieranced. In future post's I will try to delve deeper into the detalis of Tanzania.

For now however, there is a line for the computer forming, and I must go. The computer is old and not always reliable, so I can't upload any pictures here at the CCS homebase. Maybe tomorrow if I go into Moshi to the internet cafe I will put up a few pictures.

For now, good night

One more week!

It's hard to believe that in only one week I will be getting on a plane and flying across the world. I've got a pile of stuff I plan on taking with me on my floor, and just have to figure out what I've forgotten.

On a side note, I can't seem to get the spell check to work today, so please excuse my spelling mistakes.

For everyone who has been wondering, I recived my assinment for what I will be doing in Tanzania. I will be working at the Tanzania Childrens Concern Nursery about 3 miles from the CCS home base. Tanzania Children Concern offers services based on supporting, educating and caring for the less privileged members of the population, with special focus on orphans, abandoned children, street children, disabled and people affected by HIV/AIDS. They wish to promote harmonious development for children on a spiritual, intellectual and physical level. I will be working as a teaching assisstiant with the children, who range from three to eight years old.


Once I get there I'll be kept very busy for the first three weeks, so new posts will probably be slow in comming (kind of like now, but I'll try to do more). After that, with any luck I will try to put up a new post every few days. Wish me luck, and I will see you when I return in May.

The Tanzania Photo Hunt

Announcing the Tanzania Photo Hunt!

While I am in Tanzania for my volunteer work I will of course be taking many, many pictures. My friend Mike has suggested doing something of a photo scavenger hunt, with some kind of prize if i can complete the contest. It sounds like a great idea to me, so i am taking suggestions for photo's you want me to try and take. Once I am in Tanzania I'll keep a running list of accepted challenges and completed challenges with the pictures (if digital, I will be taking both digital and film cameras). So please, leave your suggestions in the comments.

Thanks,

Allen.

PS, photo's of a degrading or humiliating nature toward the Tanzanian people will NOT be accepted.

So everything is just about in place for my trip. I have my round trip ticket ($1,380), my passport is in order (aka: I know where it is.), I will be getting my visa this Saturday, I have an appointment for my vaccinations on the 18th, and thanks to donations by various family members (thank you!!!) I am closing in on my program fee.

It's exciting to think that this is really going to happen. I've been in contact with the program mananger for CCS in Tanzania, and have found out that i will be working with people from all over the US and from around the wrold. It's nice to know that i will be able to meet people from all over while i do some good in Tanzania. I've also learned that the male to female ratio is about 1 to 6. In that respect it will be like my studying abroad expierance in Italy.

I've also been studying a little Swahili in preperation for my trip. My history in studying other languages is not exactly steller. At this point I am really only trying to learn inportant phrases and greatings. Once I'm in Tanzania I may be able to pick up some more. It is a good thing that English is spoken by many, if not a majority, of the people in Tanzania.