Since it has been so long since I last posted I don’t know where to begin.  I am going to start with bullets as they help me organize the chaos in my mind.

–August:  I had the entire month of August off!  I had my close of service conference and travelled around a bit.  Normally, schools in TZ have the month of June off, but this year’s schedule is off due to a national census that occurred at the end of August (they wanted the students to be home so that they could be counted) so June we were in school, August we were free.

August also marked my replacement volunteer’s swearing-in and start of service, which means I currently have a roommate!  Other than the fact that living by myself in a foreign land for two years has caused me to procure some rather interesting peculiarities (ie. the amount that I talk to myself and my dog, showering in the courtyard, the large amounts of lists that I make on a daily basis) having a roommate is great.  I think that I talked her (Emily’s) ear off, as I was a little deprived of companionship, but now we have a nice routine going.  It is much easier to make food for two people.

We have recently finished organizing the lab, and I have included pictures.  It was a big project, but in just two weeks my students will do their first ever actual practical on the national examination!  This, and the solar could not have been accomplished without your help and support so, once again, thank you!

My bullets that I started this post with did not hold up too well….

It is graduation season!  I have been to so many 8 hour long parties full of Tanzanian dance and speeches in the last few weeks.  Not necessarily the most entertaining thing to do, but tomorrow marks the graduation of my Form IV students, who hold a special place in my heart, so I am actually quite excited for tomorrow’s festivities.  In fact, as I type this, there are about 5 boys shaking their money makers to Rihanna in preparation for their dance routine they are going to perform tomorrow in front of everyone.  I can’t wait.

Talk to you soon.

The past month I have watched most people who live around me leave. I have been to countless going away parties. Iringa (my banking town) was a social hub filled with volunteers who extended their service, RPCVs, and ex-pats. None of these people lead a very permanent lifestyle, and they have all recently all left. This, and the class (PC is very high school-ish, we are divided into the group, or class, of people we came here with) ahead of mine going home has made me slightly homesick. We’ve still got Glenn, Geneva and myself holding down the Iringa fort and our replacements coming TODAY, so not all is lost. Based on the Peace Corps as high school model, I have officially become a senior

I have a little over 3 months remaining, which isn’t the shortest amount of time, but compared to the 27 months I signed on for means I only have 11% of my service remaining. Which means I have completed 89% of my service, which IS a big number (I know, good math there).

One day I am going to write a reflective blog post on my time here/what I’ve learned. Because I am struggling so much to think of things to write about today, here’s a video brought to you by the Iringa crew while we were getting ready for the new volunteers’ arrival.

We went to the solar shop and within an hour had everything we needed. The installer was going to come in a few days with all the small equipment, and we returned with the panels, batteries, and invertor. It was a long trip back with so much stuff, but we made it, the solar technician finished the installation, and we now have so much electricity it is coming out of our ears! Thank you all again! With the remaining money, we are going to finish the laboratory. Updates on that are coming.

My students just had their pre-mock, mock exams (like the pre-pre- actual national examination) and they did the actual practical for the first time ever! It went really well, all in all. I was a basket case during this week trying to get everything prepared, but it all came together in the end.

In other news, I ran a half-marathon last weekend in Iringa. I ran the Colorado half right before I came here, with no training, and it was painful but not too too bad. Maybe this one was so awful because I have done no physical activity whatsoever in approximately two years, or because they didn’t start it until around 10am so we were running under a scorching African sun, or because they made us run down the hill that Iringa is built on and then right back up it, or because it is just fresher in my mind, but, all in all, not some of my finest hours. Maybe next time I’ll run a bit beforehand…

This whole week I haven’t really had anything to do because all of my students were sent home to gather food contributions. They returned today with no food, so they were sent home again, naturally. Maybe I’ll get one period in tomorrow? A girl can hope. I have been spending this idle time developing the solar club that I am planning on starting next week. Since we just got solar, it seemed like an appropriate time to teach about how it works. With the club, we are going to explore the physics behind solar and then build a solar lamp.

The volunteer who is replacing me arrives in country today. Only five more months left. I can’t decide if this thought makes me want to jump for joy or cry. Probably a little of both, such is the roller coaster of my life.

I am going to write an actual blog post about this one day (soon) when I am less exhausted.  Until then, Happy memorial day from across the pond!

It was recently May first!  May first in Tanzania is Labor Day.  There were a bunch of festivities including a 100-meter dash, tug-a-war, chicken catch, soccer game, netball game, etc.   I was really excited about the chicken catch.  You chase a chicken around a big field and whoever catches it first gets to eat it.  I gave my team (Cece and Alex) a pep talk before we started.  I had talked a lot of smack around the village before I started the chicken catch, and already had invited a bunch of people over to eat the chicken, which I was convinced we were going to catch.  Long story short, we got as far as seeing the chicken’s butt running away from us.  Even with my “dive at all costs” pep talk.  We were one up’d by a lady who must have been eavesdropping on the pep talk because she threw caution into the wind and dove head first into the tall, thorny grass which harbored all sorts of insects, spiders and who knows what else.  I am going to practice my chicken catchin’ /divin’ abilities so I can get more than a view of the chicken’s butt next time.

Chicken winner

Alex won the 100-meter dash and his team won the tug-a-war, making him a local hero in Madibira.  Cece and I also partook in tug-a-war; it ended up just being more of a one-way tug.  Our team didn’t give them much of a war.  Tug-a-war is one of those unassuming sports, which doesn’t seem that physically challenging but then the next day you end up being sore.  Like bowling.

Wazungu vs. Everyone Else

My school is celebrating because recently our Form VI (A-level) results came in and we got first in the whole region and 11^th in the whole country.  Not a single student failed!  Which never happens.  Our A-level is really new.  It just started up in 2010.  It is only liberal arts studies at the moment, which is really competitive so this accomplishment from a little village school is amazing.  Even though I don’t teach A-level, I feel such a sense of pride for the students, teachers and school!  Now we just have to work on building our O-level up.

I want to take this moment to tell you about my mkuu (headmaster).  This seems like an appropriate time to talk about him because I believe a big part of the school’s recent success is due to him.  He is the best.  He is charismatic, helpful, knowledgeable, kind, a hard worker, etc.  He is one of the finest people I think I have ever met.  He is one of those people who you have instant respect for.  He is welcoming to anyone and everyone who comes to visit his school and he takes pride in his “middle of nowhere” village school whose recent exam performance has started even making Tanzanians ask, “where is this Madibira?!”   It’s here and it’s a force to be reckoned with.  You’ll see.

The man, the myth, the legend

In my own experience, being a white, empowered female in Africa causes people to treat me like a male. I am not expected to do the things females do here (ie. cook, clean, etc.) and I tend to hang out with guys more because the women are busy at home or on the farm. I remember first arriving in Madibira, driving through the center of town, and not seeing a single female. At the time, it made me really uncomfortable to move into an African village full of huge Tanzanian men. Since then, I have found there are plenty of women but they are not seen as much. They have to raise the kids while the men are watching soccer and playing pool.

The second week after I moved in, one of my female neighbors came to talk with me about family planning. She did not want to have a child so she asked what she should do. I explained to her birth control options and gave her some condoms but she didn’t seem convinced. “He doesn’t like wearing these,” she said. I was taken aback by this and responded, “it doesn’t matter, tell him to wear them anyways.” She handed them back to me and told me she couldn’t. I was furious. Not at her, obviously, but the situation: the fact that she had no voice in matters that deeply impacted her.

I am always trying to make people question gender roles here. I tell everyone that I cannot cook and am then (always) asked what I will do when I marry. I respond by explaining to them that my husband will have to be able to cook. This always gets some head shaking, laughs, and a, “but in Tanzania, men don’t cook”. “They could,” I always respond. More laughs follow.

In Tanzania, the status of girls is very reminiscential of America in the 50’s. Girls cook, clean, and watch after the kids. They do not play a big part in decision-making, and many of the girls who are lucky enough to go to college, go in order to find a wealthy husband. Domestic violence is a huge problem that is not spoken about. To leave your husband is not common and highly frowned upon. The idea of monogamy is a bit of a joke. Everyone just has sex with everyone (which is not helping the HIV/AIDS rates decrease).

Many girls are not told about their menstrual cycles until it comes (kumbe!), and many don’t use/know of proper methods in order to stay hygienic during this time of the month. At our girl’s conferences we teach girls all of these things. We have sessions on female anatomy/biology, HIV/AIDS, how to chose a life partner, achieving your goals, money management and micro-financing, domestic violence, family planning, etc. with the hopes that our girls will become peer educators in their respective schools and communities.

To educate and empower the girls is only one half of the equation. In order for girls to be equal, boys and girls both have to change their preconceived notions and gender biases—ergo, the advent of boy’s conferences. Our annual girl’s and boy’s conferences are, therefore, appropriately named ‘Wanawake wa Kesho’ (women of tomorrow) and ‘Mabadiliko Yanawezakana’ (change is possible), respectively.

America got lucky with equality. WWII acted as a catalyst, forcing gender roles to be flipped in a relatively short period of time. We are still not completely there yet, but after being here for a year and a half, I see how far ahead we are and (again) how lucky I was to be born American. We have all gotten lucky, but shouldn’t we use our luck to put a voice to the millions of girls who don’t have one/ who didn’t get lucky?

I am asking that you be informed. We may live in a country where men and women are basically equal, but to only look in our own boarders is to be peripherally blind. The majority of countries in the world still have major issues with equality. Girls are being raped, beaten, genitally mutilated, sold as a commodity for sex, put down and not given a voice on a daily basis. Woman are a huge asset to world development and instead of being used as a resource they are being shot down like the enemy. WASICHANA WANAWEZA (girls can do it!) and we have the voice to help them. Let’s use it.

I highly recommend reading the book Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. It really puts things into perspective.

Basically, Geneva’s English club is awesome and it is just a question/answer session where the kids can ask anything and we get to ask them anything to help them practice their English/do a little cultural exchange.

It was quite amusing so I thought I’d share some of the dialogue with you!!!!

KEY::

USA-Geneva and I
TZ-The students

TZ-Have you ever killed a vampire and if so, how many have you killed?
USA-No, remember, we’ve already said that vampires aren’t real . . .

TZ-So vampires are like dogs?
USA-First of all, remember vampires don’t exist. And they just have fangs like dogs so they can suck blood.

(Sidenote: the student asking this question was wearing a straw cowboy hat and a purple shirt with green writing that said: If you think I’m a bitch, you should meet my mother)

TZ-What’s the difference between vampires and zombies and how do you kill them both?
USA-Vampires drink blood and zombies eat brains. You kill a vampire by sticking a wooden stake through their heart (further explanation on what a stake is ensued, but since you probably know I won’t go into that) and you kill a zombie by cutting off its head. But remember, vampires and zombies AREN’T real . . .

TZ-Since 75% of Americans are said to have a good life, what can you tell us is the secret?
USA-Wait, what??? 75%?? Where did that number come from?
(Sidenote: At this point, a long existential conversation about what a good life actually is pursued. We won’t get into the details, but I think you can figure it out.)

Free masons came up a lot. To the point where it is no longer amusing to me so I am not going to include questions on it.

USA-How many of you believe in witches?
TZ- Over half of the class raises their hands
USA-Hmmm…interesting.

(Sidenote: To understand the next question, you have to know that there is one student of Geneva’s who wears just one glove. All the time.)

USA: Why do you only wear one glove?? Where is the other glove??? Did you lose it?? What, is your one hand cold?? Do you want to be like Michael or something?
TZ-Because it is hard to write with a glove on my right hand.
USA-Speechless

Conclusion-I lead a strange life.

Other than thank you, I started this post with nothing in particular to say so maybe I will just stream of conscience this one with random thoughts of recent days:

• I haven’t cut my hair or even trimmed it since September 2010. It is BIG!
• I called my friend Dani the other day and asked what she was doing. “I am making a refrigerator,” she said. “From what?” I asked. “Water and a bucket of sand,” she replied. Ha, I love Peace Corps.
• Do black people get skin cancer?
• One of the questions I asked on my Form I midterm exam was: List five examples of laboratory safety rules. One of the answers I got was: “don’t experiment on the teacher.” I didn’t mention this rule in class but he got full marks.
• I didn’t set foot in America in the year 2011. Crazy.
• What the heck is The Hunger Games? I feel so culturally unaware.
• I am almost 25. This seems old.
• Apparently another white girl came to my village yesterday. I have been told that she is still here, she has already left, she is from Argentina, she is from Norway, her name is Jennifer, her name is Geneva, she came with her own private car, she came on a bus, etc. So who can really be sure? Apparently we look alike, kumbe (surprise!). Maybe I’ll play find the mzungu later.
• Mountain Dew. A soda that one could only find in the cities of Tanzania one year ago has exploded in the last month. The whole country has gone Mountain Dew crazy. Strange. I wish it was diet coke.
• Chicken schwarma is my favorite food—possibly ever. Is this something that exists outside Dar es Salaam? I don’t know, but I hope so!
• I don’t think I have gotten any mail since November. Maybe the next time I go to town there will be lots of things…or maybe not…but here’s to hoping.
• Have you ever travelled in a small motorboat with 4 people and 5 goats? I have!
• I think America should take a note from Tanzania and get ice cream bike boys. Like the ice cream truck in the states, but on bikes so they can go more places! And with no annoying song.
• Put your hands up in the air, put your hands up. In the air. (that song has been in my head all day)

Ok, I am going to stop now. Maybe this week I will work on a blog entry that isn’t complete jibberish, thanks for reading that though.