I'm back!!!!

Hi again...

I know I have been MIA for the past several months, but I am really going to start making an effort to blog again. I cannot say that I enjoy it in the slightest, but I know that you all enjoy reading about my crazy African experiences, so I will do my best. I am currently without a camera (I think my house keeper stole it...he is now fired) so I might not be posting a lot of pictures. Sorry.....

OK, where do I begin? I think my last blog was in Febrauay and a lot has happened since then. I will just fill you in on the highlights since then.

1) The end of the schoolyear went well and I won the lottery to move to a bigger apt. I am now in my luxurious 2-bedroom apartment, and I am so happy here.

2) Story's family came to visit me in June. It was an incredible trip! I loved spending time with Alicia (Story's daughter who is unbelieveably adorable) and the rest of the clan. Our safari with Willy was so fun, and we also hung out in Moshi and Zanzibar.

3) I had a very fast paced summer break in Boise and Spokane. I got to catch up with almost everyone at home (Nat and Nicci, sorry it didn't work out). It was so good to be home and to eat all of those foods I miss so much when I am here. The top of my cravings list include: Taco bell, Wendy's, sushi, Diet Dr. Pepper, and chocolate chip cookies. I am looking forward to eating all of these things again in about a month, when I am home again! I will definitely gain weight, and can count on Willy (my friend in NBO) to let me know the minute I get off the plane. In their mind, putting on weight is a good thing...but I still cringe each time they tell me I am "bigger"!!!

4) In July, I was accompanied back to Africa with my mom, aunt Susan and two friends, Jessi and Melissa. We did the usual.......safari with Willy, Moshi, beach and Dar. It was the first time my mom got to actually experience all that is Africa! This moment had been a long time coming. Of course, my dad did not join us on the adventure. You know, there are WAY too many germs on this continent. Toilet seat protectors don't do much when there isn't even a toilet seat! My lovely father would not do well here. Anyway, the girls had a wonderful time. I am so happy that they got to meet all my friends in Nairobi, especially Willy and Oscar. Willy was our safari driver and Oscar was the cook. These two guys are my best friends here, so we had a great time on safari! Then, we drove my little Suzuki from Nairobi to Dar (1000 km) with a stop in Moshi along the way. We dropped Jessi off in Moshi, where she began her 5 month stint of volunteer work. For those of you who dont know, Jessi is the daughter of my mom's friend at North Star. She worked at Light in africa for a few months, and now she is staying with me in Dar, working at an orphanage here and tutoring at my school. We are officially a married couple....infact, we are sitting in our side-by-side chairs now, watching tv together! My mom's adventure continued in Dar, where they spent a day in Bagamoyo learning the history of the slave trade, and then they went to Zanzibar on a Spice Tour. Meanwhile, Melissa was climbing Kilimanjaro with another friend, and Abdi as their guide. Of course, she summitted! (Sidenote: I broke up with Abdi...too many cultural differences.) Overall, their trip was incredible! I am glad they had such a great time and got to experience all the things that make me love it here.

Now that you are caught up, onto this school year. Things are going really well. I am teaching grade 7 this year, exclusively, and that has made a huge difference. Last year, my time was split between grade 7 and 10, so I had two curriculums to learn. This year, I am much more productive because I am not spread too thin. I work with some really dynamic teachers, and my students are great. I am still a Student Council advisor, and that is really rewarding. It allows me to meet a wide variety of students, and keeps me connected to the school. I love it, but it takes a LOT of my time. I am also tutoring two students, soon to be three, for some extra cash. They are great kids, so it is fun! Plus, I get a good amount of dough!

Most of you already know this, but I am starting my own business!!!!!!!!!!!! I have been toying with this idea for a long time now, and it is finally becoming a reality. I want to start with Africa, Kenya specifically. It seems like I am always planning trips for people anyway, so I might as well be official. Some of my friends and I will be going to South Africa this summer for the World Cup. We are driving down, and making it a month and a half long journey! We have all pitched in to buy our own safari van! My friend, Willy, in Kenya is driving us down and back. He is then going to buy the safari van off of us, and he will be my safari driver for the company. I am hoping to have a business that actually pays a decent salary to African employees. So many businesses here treat people unfairly, and dont pay their employees fair wages. I wont do that. I am very excited to get it going, so if you know anyone that is going to Africa, send them my way. You are all more than welcome!!!!

In more recent news, I was on a school field trip this weekend. We accompanied some grade 12 students to a beautiful beach house, where we got to observe blue monkeys in their natural habitat all weekend. The students were on a biology trip, and needed some "lab time." Jessi and I took groups of 8 students into the forest, and sat with the monkeys for an hour at a time. It was so cool! At times, they got very close to us! On the last day, the other teacher we were with witnessed an African fish eagle swoop down and snatch a baby monkey. At that point, the monkeys got a little stressed about us being there, and were showing their teeth! We booked it out of there pretty quickly! At one point on the trip, I got caught in a pile of biting red ants. While I was jumping up and down, freaking out about the bites, I felt something clamp down on my big toe. I was in a pile of leaves, so I didnt see what it was. However, I immediately felt shooting pains clear up my leg, and when I looked down, I was bleeding out of two puncture wounds. I am not sure what it was, but I think it could have been a snake. My swelling has gone down, but I still have the wounds. Who knows...but I guess I am lucky to be alive!!!!!

Today, I got pulled over by a stupid cop. My seatbelt wasn't on. He threatened over and over to take me to the police station. I tried to turn on the charm, and it seemed to be working, but he still said he was taking me in. Who knows what "taking you in" really means here, but i don't think I want to know! Anyway, when it looked like my mzungu charm wasn't going to work, I turned to the old standby (when it comes to being pulled over by the cops). My arm. I lifted it up, very awkwardly, and said, I can't wear my seatbelt because I have a prosthetic arm. He looked at me, very baffled, and I played up the "injury." Jessi backed me up, sayin "really officer, she cant wear it because of her arm!" Luckily, he fell for the bull shit, and let me go. Phew! This same excuse has now worked for me about 6-7 times, including in the states. I love being "disabled" when I need to be! If they only knew......................SUCKERS!

Well, I think thats it. Sorry for the ridiculously long blog. I am off to Moshi this weekend. I can't wait, it has been forever! I am excited to see Godfrey and the other boys. A class at North Star raised a lot of money for Light in Africa, so we went on a huge shopping spree today. It was so fun!!! We are going to give the kids an early Christmas this weekend....it should be great.

Hope everyone is doing well. I will see most of you at Christmas!!!! I am excited to be home...but not sure my body is ready for the temperature change. It is so hot here right now. The hottest summer in 20 years...so you can imagine. Keep in touch everyone. Love you all!

Jen

Meetings, Meetings and More Meetings!

Jambo Rafiki!

As the end of the month is fast approaching, I figured it was time for the February blog! We are in the swing of things here in the sweltering city of Dar es Salaam. On the school front, I am absolutely overwhelmed with meetings right now (as you might have figured out by the title of this blog). In the last two weeks, I have literally had 2-3 meetings each day about new students that want acceptanceinto the school, existing students who are doing poorly, and students that we are unfortunately "counseling out" of the school because they are not achieving at a high enough level. As I might have mentioned before, IST is the best (and only) school in the city and surrounding areas that provides a really good education. There are other school in Dar, but none that prepare students for University like IST does. So........its a precarious situation for parents who have children with learning disabilities, etc. Our school is not designed to accommodate large numbers of Special Education students nor are we equipped to deal with students who have significant disabilities. Consequently, we tend to see a lot of disappointed parents and students, and in the last few weeks, I have seen a lot of tears. Its not easy telling a parent that her child didn't "make the grade" to get into the IB program for grade 11/12, and she will have to send him away to boarding school in the UK for the next two years. I wish it was different, but unfortunately our school curriculum doesn't allow for low achievement. Sad...

On a brighter note, I recently returned from my ESP (Extended Study Program) in Moshi. This is a week long trip in which every grade 9 or 10 student and teacher goes away for the week. I put hours and hours into planning my trip. All of the other ESP trip options are long standing trips that IST does every year. I really felt that a trip to Light in Africa in Moshi could be a great opportunity for the students, so I planned another trip to add to the list. I had 15 eager 9th/10th grade students sign up for the trip, so it was a go. Unfortunately, three of the most high maintenance, loud, obnoxious girls in the school decided to sign up! God help me. I had some preliminary meeting with them, basically threatening their lives if they misbehaved!!!! They were definitely scared!

The infamous 3.....


We left on Dar on February 7th in a huge bus full of IST students. Half of the group was mine, the other half was going to the Crater Highlands for a 5 day hike. When we arrived in Moshi after a long day on the bus, I momentarily regretted my decision to plan this trip. The hotel wasn't nice, the t.v.'s didnt have enough channels, the city of Moshi had nothing, the guys on the streets were "creepy", the towels were not clean, the beds weren't comfortable, and so on. God forbid you take these kids away from their Dar mansions, their house help, their personal drivers, their gardeners, they security guards, their cooks, their playstations and big screen t.v.'s and their imported food. Unbelieveable. It took awhile, but they did manage to settle in, and realized that the hotel (which is one of the nicest in Moshi) wasn't as bad as they made it out to be!

The week turned into an incredible experience for these kids, and was eye opening for all of them. They got to see the "real" Tanzania for the first time, and they made amazing connections to the kids at Light in Africa. We went swimming, painted one of the buildings, helped the bigger boys write letters to their sponsors, hiked to a beautiful waterfall and just hung out with the babies and toddlers. I think most of them are already planning their return trip this summer. And, I must say, 2 of the 3 girls mentioned before turned out to be the most involved and enthusiastic. I was SO proud of them, and I actually made an awesome connection with them over the course of the week. I can see a change in then at school, and their teachers have even commented on it. So, as they say, "two out of three ain't bad!"

In other news......I am looking into buying a car. I have reached my breaking point with taxis. You can only argue so much over the price of a taxi, before you want to kill ALL taxi drivers. I do have a personal driver now. His name is Chris and he drives a tuk tuk!!! Theresa, my good friend here, and I use him all the time! Tuk tuks are 3 wheeled cars, that are open on the sides. They are becoming very popular here, and are much cheaper than taxis! Its a great way to get around here, especially because you get the nice breeze on the ride! Anyhoo...by my next blog, I just may have a new car.

OK, I should go. Abdi is coming in about an hour and I am so happy to have a visitor! I need a break from school and sitting at home watching tv. My days are so busy that I cant seem to do much at night besides watch the Style Network. Unfortunately, my "Office" seasons are both finished. I am unhealthily addicted to the Office. I LOVE Dwight!

OK...toodles.

Jen

Happy 2009!

Hi Everyone!

Being the procrastinator that I am, I have waited until the absolute LAST day in January to do my January blog entry. Typical! I dont have a good excuse, but I have been super busy since I returned from Italy. For some reason, things have picked up around here, and I am busy, busy, busy with work right now. We are in the midst of doing our school's version of IEP's (Individualized Education Plans), which are extremely time consuming. They require several meetings...and meetings are surprisingly difficult to coordinate with busy diplomat parents! I am also planning a week-long service trip for 15 of our students to Moshi to work at Light in Africa. We leave next weekend, so the logistical planning of that has been a nightmare. Once these two things are behind me, it should go back to normal...hopefully!

Most of you know that I was in Moshi at the orphanage for Christmas this year. What an incredible experience! I have had such a diverse range of experiences with the kids at Light in Africa, but this was one of the most touching days I have ever had. During the two days before Christmas, we spent hours and hours organizing a present for each and every child. Mind you, there are over 150 children, so this was not an easy task. People from all over send shoeboxes for the children. Some are labeled with names, some arent. Most of them have toothpaste and a toothbrush in them, and those all had to be removed so that the children didn't think the toothpaste was candy!!! This was a greuling process in a very small, hot room. It took two full days. However, when we saw the childrens' faces when they received their presents, it was all suddenly worth it. The kids were so happy to have some toys, books, candy, etc. that they could call their own. Everything is shared at LIA, so to be able to have some ownership over a few things made them very happy! On Christmas day, we also had a big feast with the children and the children prepared some performances for each other. It was truly an amazing experience...one I won't forget.

After our few days in Moshi for Christmas, Emma (a fellow teacher) and I hopped on Ethiopian Airlines headed for Rome! We were meeting Sarah and Ben there, some friends from Alaska. Sarah and I had lived together when we studyed in Florence in 1999-2000, so it was great to be back in Italy with her. Plus, Ben and Emma had never been to Italy, so this was a big adventure for both of them! Italy hasn't changed a bit. I was there almost a year ago...and I am always shocked at how little things change in Florence! I think that is part of the reason I love it so much. We went to all my favorite places, but spent most of our time at the Joshua Tree...and I am sure nobody is surprised by this!!! If you haven't heard of Joshua Tree, it is my home away from home...a lovely little pub in Florence. We also spent a lot of time with Simone, the owner of Joshua Tree and a great friend. He sends his love to everyone who knows him!!! Overall, our vacation was amazing. We did Rome, Venice, San Gimignano, Greve and Florence in about a week and a half. I acted as tour guide most of the time which was fine...especially since I was only guiding around a few people. Quite a change from touring around with 150 obnoxious college students!!! Just kidding all you GIF people!!! Well, maybe not!

My vacation ended with a few days in Moshi with Abdi...which was wonderful! After our whirlwind vacation in Italy, I was ready for some down time...and some sun! Italy was COLD, especially coming from the 90*+ weather we have in Dar right now. I never quite adjusted to the cold temperatures in Italy, so I was extremely happy to be back in the sun. After some time with Abdi, he went to the mountain with some clients and I came back to Dar to go back to work. Because nothing is easy in Africa, I OF COURSE had the bus ride from hell on the way back. Our bus had an infestation of cockroaches, which were crawling on me the whole 9 hours, I sat next to a very sick man, we had a minor breakdown, the air-conditioning didn't work and the sick man wouldn't open the window, and to top it all off............we ran into some backed up traffic and were stopped for over 2 hours. As I waited in the hot sun on the hot pavement, I found out that a truck had run off the road, and slammed into a mud hut in a small village up ahead. He killed several people, and the villagers were protesting by blocking the road. This was a problem because this particular road happens to be the ONLY road in Tanzania that is paved! So, we were forced to wait it out. It was a nightmare, and was just a friendly reminder that I was back in Africa...and not in Italy anymore!!!!!!!

I love you all! Hope everyone is happy and healthy. Happy 2009!!!

Jen

My Lovely Apartment and Zanzibar!!!

Hi friends....

I just arrived home to my ridiculously hot apartment. My ceiling fans just aren't doing the trick these days. I decided to walk home from school today, and it is bloody hot outside. Yes...BLOODY hot. I am not sure how I can handle this heat...I have never been a person who has an ounce of tolerance for hot weather. However, I can somehow convince myself to walk home from school here on a regular basis...1.5 grueling hours in the heat with sweat dripping down my face and my body covered in it. I don't get it. Ah well...I guess we all change in our old age, don't we?!?!?! When I arrived today, I did get a strange look from Elly, my house help. It must have looked like I had just taken a shower in my clothes. And...........I am sure I didn't smell like roses.

Speaking of Elly, for those of you who might not know, I am quite pampered here. I have a maid, essentially, who comes to my house 3 times a week. He does my cleaning, my laundry, my dishes, my shopping if I want him to, he cooks for me, organizes my house and makes my bed! I feel like a queen, and sometimes I feel EXTREMELY guilty, but I have to remind myself that it is a job for him. Although it doesn't seem like a glamorous job for a male, especially, it provides him work. So, that is a good thing!!!

As most of you know, I went to Zanzibar last weekend!! It was my first time visiting the island...and I can't believe I haven't been before this. What an amazingly beautiful place! I was just blown away. I went with Abdi, Theresa and her boyfriend. We stayed in a little village at the southern tip of the island, where all the boats leave for dolphin viewing. It was a quaint and pleasant village, with very little commotion. Because we had connections, we got a great deal on the hotel rooms, and an even better deal on a dolphin viewing trip. The typical tourist pays $30 to go out and see them. BUT...because we have boyfriends who speak Kiswahili, we paid 10,000 TSH. That is the equivalent of $8. Nice! The boat was a wooden one, with a motor that they remove in the evening so it wont get stolen. I would NOT trust this boat in a storm or on high waves, but luckily the sea was quite flat that morning! So, we headed out to chase the extremely fast dolphins. If we chose to, we could jump in and swim with them...so we had brought snorkels and masks along. I soon realized, however, that the idea of swimming with dolphins wasn't as romantic as it sounds. You basically jump off the boat, quickly look under water, see them for a split second, and they are gone! So, Theresa and Abdi took the plunge, while Ibra and I stayed in the boat and took pictures. All in all, it was an amazing experience. They were swimming all around us, and we were able to get so close. My favorite part of the trip, though, was on the way home. We saw something strange in front of us...a weird sparkle above the water...and soon realized that it was flying fish!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was freaking out...I had really hoped to see some. They literally FLY out of the water, in huge schools. I have never seen anything like that. I wish I could have captured it on camera...but there was no way. It would have been nice to share with you all!!!

Our next adventure took us to a village called Paje, just north of us on the island. We had really wanted to rent mopeds, but the village we were in was tiny. No rental shops! So, once again, our Tanzanian boyfriends hooked it up and suddenly two vespas appeared at the doorsteps of our hotel rooms! When everyone needs money, it is quite easy to strike a deal. Abdi and Ibra had just asked around, and two men agreed to part with their scooters for the day in exchange for 20,000 TSH ($18). So, we were off!! We had friends staying in Paje, so we scooted up there to see them. I have decided that we will be staying there when Mom, Susan and Melissa come in August. It is paradise! White sandy beaches that stretch for miles, teal water, beautiful hotel rooms, cheap snorkeling trips, great food. It is unbelieveable. I just cant wait to share it with others!!! The scooters were great fun...such a different way to see a place. I love riding in the open air, you just see so many things you wouldn't normally notice. It was an excellent day!

Other than that, we basically chilled on our porches, watched the sunsets, ate at local restaurants, did a little shopping and swam. Before we took the boat back to Dar, we strolled through Stone Town. It is the old part of the main Zanzibar Town. It reminded me of something you would see in Croatia or Bosnia. Small streets, old buildings, lots of character. Unfortunately everything was closed because it was a Muslim holiday, and Zanzibar is primarily Muslim. But, strolling around was great anyway. I would definitely recommend Zanzibar to anyone who is coming this way. And yes, Story, we have to change our itinerary. Zanzibar is MUCH better than Mombassa!

I am off to Moshi tomorrow. I am a chapperone for a school trip. The kids compete each year in a multi-sport tournament with the International School Moshi, as well as a few other schools. I am the only "non-coach" going...but people know my love for Moshi, so I was asked to go as a chapperone. So nice!!! I will get to see Abdi and visit LIA during the day, then I am on duty at night. Barf-o-rama. Oh well, I guess it is worth it!!!! I will be back on Tuesday.

Hope everyone is doing well. I am leaving on December 20th for Christmas in Moshi, and then we head out to Italy on December 26th. I couldn't be more ready for a break....and I am in desperate need of Italian cuisine. Goat just doesn't cut it sometimes! Talk to you all soon!

Love,

Jenny

ESP/Moshi/Birthday Adventures

Jambo Rafiki....

I am actually sitting at school right now doing nothing. I was supposed to go into three different classes today, but the teachers all requested that I didnt come. I am hoping that this isnt a reflection on my skills as a teacher!! Just kidding...I know it isnt. It just so happens that all the teachers I support in-class on Fridays are giving tests or lecturing today, so it is really a waste of my time to be in their classes. So, I basically have a free day! Yipee!!!!!

I will start by telling you about ESP. ESP stands for Extended Studies Program. It is a full week program where the teachers take the students away to learn about Tanzania, to build social relationships and to do some onsite learning in the natural environment. I happen to be on two grade level teams, so I am one of two teachers in the school that gets to do this twice in the year. My next one is in February...and I will be taking the grade 10 students to Light in Africa!!! This time was with grade 7. The grade 7 students are by far the best in the school. They are a perfect mixture of cultures and backgrounds, academic ability, etc. so they offer a lot to both each other and to us, as teachers. Our group went to Pugu Hills, a nature/forest reserve and then onto Bagamoyo, a city on the coast that was an important trading port for slaves and other goods. The week was tiring, but very rewarding in the end. I had one low moment, which I will share with you. In Pugu Hills, we were scheduled to go on a hike. When we arrived, it was as hot as any place I have EVER been in my life. I am getting better with the heat issue, but this was unbearable. However, we still had to follow the itinerary and do the hike. So, we set off at 1:00 for our so called "45 minute" hike. Mind you, none of us teachers had ever been to Pugu before so we didnt know what to expect. 2 hours later, covered in sweat, legs swollen, water gone, students passing out from heat stroke, teachers with heat rash...we reached our destination. The cattle market. I have to say, I have never seen less enthusiastic students about anything. Our water was gone, they were starving, everyone was staring at us, and frankly...the cows smelled awful. Our non-english speaking guide had nothing to offer, so we attempted to sit down for lunch before the dreaded hike back!!! Par for the course, the only spot available to sit in the shade was in a CEMETERY!!! In histerics, I told the students to choose a gravestone and dig in!!!! I almost melted that day, and it took days to get back to normal. The students were great though...better than the teachers...and pushed through. I guess they have good stories to share!!! On the whole, the ESP week was very good and very worthwhile. I bonded with both teachers and students, and saw a part of TZ that I hadn't seen before. I am very excited for my week in February!

In other school news, we are nearing the end of term. This term has flown by! I can't believe that I will be leaving for Italy in less than a month. The students and teachers are both nearing saturation point now. There is a lot to get done in a very short amount of time. Our students are extremely good, though. On the whole, they are hardworking, dedicated to their schoolwork and activities, and very respectful to one another and to teachers. The mixture of nationalities and backgrounds is immense here at IST. We dont have a single race of student that makes up more that 12% of the school population. We also have a wide range of backgrounds and races represented amongst the staff. It is such a nice environment to work in...and so extremely different that the 100% American staff you get at home. Not saying Americans are bad...............just saying that I like the variety!!!! The TCK (third culture kid) is something new to me this year. They are also referred to as "global nomads." These are kids who have spend most of their lives in cultures other than their own. I would say a huge majority of the students here fit that description. Often times you ask a student, "Where are you from." And the response you get is, "I don't know." These kids might have an Indian mother, a Kenyan father, born in Senegal, went to school in Ghana, Egypt, South Africa and Tanzania. They really dont have a secure identity. It is definitely something I had not encountered before. Quite a fascinating culture of its own!

OK...now onto Moshi. I will make this quick because I always talk about Moshi. Basically, I am trying to get there once a month. So far, I have been successful!!! The LIA kids definitely expect me, but never know exactly when I will be there. This time they had no idea. However, when we pulled up in the red Pathfinder that Abdi had rented for us, they must have had a "feeling" that it was me. Immediately the boys started chanting..."Jennifer, Jennifer, Jennifer." They couldn't have seen me, as I was in the back with tinted windows. So, that was a very nice welcome!!!! We took some of them out to lunch and then we spent the whole day Sunday at a posh hotel swimming with the older boys. It was such a relaxing weekend after the somewhat stressful and extremely HOT ESP week!!! I was also able to take Theresa and Lucia (fellow teachers) with me, and neither of them had left Dar until this trip. So, they were very happy to see a different side of TZ. Moshi is such a different (and better!) city than Dar. They both enjoyed the contrast of the two cities, but ultimately agreed with me that Moshi is MUCH better.

I turned 30 on Wednesday. The big 3-0. Cant quite believe it, myself, but I dont feel any older, so I guess that is good. My students tell me I dont look any older either!! The day was very special. Abdi, after spending the weekend in Moshi with me, took the bus to Dar so that he could be there with me on the actual day. He is great in that sense...always travelling to Dar to see me. I appreciate it a lot, considering it is about an 8 hour bus ride. So, we went out to dinner at my favorite Indian restaurant on Tuesday night when he arrived. Delicious. Indian food is my new favorite cuisine!!! Then on Wednesday, I went to work and the ladies in my department had a small party for me at break. I got presents from each of them, and we had cinnamon rolls! After school, I had a horribly boring meeting that I was itching to get out of. I had tolkd Abdi to meet me at home at 2:30 to go to a movie. At 3:00, the meeting was still dragging on! When I finally got home, I walked into a beautifully decorated house, with a bottle of chanpagne, birthday cards and decorations, a birthday crown, etc. Abdi had spent the day shopping and decorating. It was very sweet and much appreciated after the horrible meeting. We immediately got in the taxi and headed to watch a Bollywood flick. This wouldn't have been my first choice, but Abdi loves Indian movies, so I caved since he was so sweet!! I must admit, the movie was very good! After the movie, we met some friends at the Ethiopian restaurant for dinner and they had a cake for me there...and more presents! All in all, it was a wonderful way to celebrate the end of a decade! 30's...here I come!

Well, I must get back to work. Oh wait, I dont have any work to do!!! I guess I can get ahead in writing grade reports and the SSP's (IEP's) for my 4 students!! Tough life, eh?

Love you all!

Jen

An Unexpected Adventure....Tanzanian Style!

Hello Everyone!!

In Tanzania, you never know what you are going to get!! This is part of the reason I love this place, and also a part of the reason that I have my days where I feel like I might explode or have a nervous breakdown. However, things usually work out for the best, as was the case this weekend!!

Originally, my weekend was just going to consist of going to dinner on Friday night with some friends and then Abdi was supposed to be coming to Dar, from Moshi, on Saturday. However, I got a text late on Friday night from him saying that he had been asked to play on the Moshi Veterans soccer team in a tournament in Morogoro, a city outside of Dar. So, he asked if I would come in the morning to watch. Reluctantly, I agreed to go. For those of you who know me well....I do not like doing new, unfamiliar things alone!!!! I frantically sent texts out to all my friends that I thought might be willing to accompany me, but there were no takers being that it was so last minute!!! So, the next morning, I woke up early, and headed to the bus terminal. Keep in mind, I had no idea where I was going (specifically once I arrived), what time the buses left, how long the trip was going to be, what I would actually be doing once I arrived.....or, if Abdi would even be in Morogoro when I got there. Since they were coming from Moshi, they also had a long trip that day. I could only hope things worked out. So, I hopped in a taxi and went to the terminal!

Upon arriving at the Ubungo terminal, a man jumped in my taxi, frantically asking me where I was going, when I wanted to leave, how many bags I had and how much I wanted to pay. My own personal travel agent, African style! I was to pay him for the ticket, and he would organize everything for me! Keep in mind EVERYTHING in Tanzania is negotiable. Therefore, you have to do research in advance or you WILL get ripped off. Luckily I had looked at Wikitravel that morning to see what the price of a ticket should be. After originally asking me for $25 for a ticket, the crazy man finally agreed to $6, which is what the internet had told me to pay! Good thing I looked! After paying, I was whisked away to three buses before actually finding a seat. Since I am a mzungu (white person), they wanted to make sure I had a window seat, and the first two buses were quite crammed and only aisle seats were left. How nice of them!

The ride that was supposed to take one hour, ended up taking three! It was relatively uneventful, which was nice. When I arrived in Morogoro, I once again entered the madness that IS Tanzania when I stepped off the bus. Apparently, the sight of a white person signals $$$$$ and the taxi drivers, food salesmen, newspaper salesmen, etc. get excited about the possible business and basically attack. I had to call Abdi to see where he was, and I realized very soon that I should have done this before stepping off the bus. I bet I had 15 taxi drivers hovering around me waiting for the verdict. I chose one randomly, and he took me to Abdi and the Moshi team, who had luckily arrived just before me!

The plan was to stay for the afternoon, watch the soccer games, and leave that evening back to Dar with Abdi. But of course...............plans changed. When I got there, I learned that the field had been double booked, so the tournament would begin tomorrow instead. Needless to say, I had no change of clothes, no toothbrush, no pajamas, no ANYTHING!!! But, after the adventure to get there, I wasnt about to go back! I would embrace my weekend in Morogoro!

That afternoon, instead of watching the Moshi team play, we watched the Arsenal/Man U game. The Tanzanians are crazy for British soccer....and this was a big game. In Morogoro, they have no such thing as a "Sports Pub", so we ended up watching the game outside someone's house on rickety wooden benches. The cost was $.50...a good deal!!! The sight of a mzungu female DID surprise, or should I say SHOCK, the masses of Tanzanian men who were there already waiting for the game to begin! It was difficult to find seats....but, I was offered a seat next to almost every man there!!! Lucky mzungu! In the end, we got the back row and enjoyed a good game. Arsenal won, which is who the Tanzanians wanted, and some serious celebrating began shortly thereafter.

After the game, we went downtown for dinner. It is nice to "go local" every once in awhile, and we ended up having a great meal. We all had rice, beans, beef stew, cabbage, spinach and potatoes. This is a typical African meal, called "wali nyama", and is very tasty!!! And, the best part was that it was only $1.50. So, being the generous person that I am, I offered to pay for my table!!! Following dinner, we returned back to the hotel to freshen up before going to "Ze Klub." Funny name....awesome club!! However, prior to entering "Ze Klub", we were invited to a wedding that was happening at the hotel. Abdi and I had been standing at the door, and the next thing we new, they had set up chairs for us and we were invited inside to join! It was hilarious! The wedding was VERY different from an American wedding. The were just a few streamers for decorations, the videographer had a MASSIVE camera with a huge spotlight, goat was being served as the maincourse and the music was being played on a 80's style boombox. It was classic! As we were sitting there watching, we noticed some commotion outside the door. The next thing we knew, all of Abdi's teammates came rushing onto the dancefloor, and basically crashed the party! The great thing here, though, is that it was not seen as crashing! They were welcomed with open arms by the bride and groom and the entire family. So, they danced for about an hour at the wedding, and then we all headed to "Ze Klub."

My Morogoro adventure came to an end the next day. Abdi and I had made plans to go back to Dar, while the rest of the team headed to Moshi. As we were getting into a taxi to get the bus to Dar, Abdi's brother came running after us to say that the Dar Soccer team had room on their bus for us, and they would let us ride for free. So, we boarded the bus, and were off to Dar. We soon found out that the Dar players are CRAZY, and I would say the majority of them were alcoholics. As soon as we got on, we had beers, Konyagi (African liquor), and several other beverages thrown our way. All of them had been drinking, and would continue to drink the entire way to Dar...a three hour trip. I was suddenly taken back to my days at Gonzaga in Florence!!! The man sitting next to us opened a bottle of Konyagi and chugged the entire bottle without stopping....about a pint of liquor. He lasted about an hour, and then passed out on Abdi's knee. The rest of the team managed to stay awake and had a dance party/sing along the whole way. It was a riot....very entertaining to watch. Since I was the token white girl once again, I cant help but think that a lot of it was a show for me. There were several glances in my direction to see my reaction to certain things! Such a funny bus ride! Overall, a great weekend and I definitely came away from it with stories to tell.

We ended our weekend with a movie at the theater in Dar. We saw James Bond...my first Bond movie!!! Not my type of movie, but decent. Next week we are headed out on a week long trip with students. Each class spends a week away with their teachers...a good learning and social experience. I am excited for a break from school...and a chance to get to know my students better! Hope everyone is happy and healthy. Keep in touch!

Jen

Blogging....such hard work.

Top: Ibra, the Maasai, me and Abdi.
Middle: Two adorable children at the Maasai Boma.
Bottom: Our fancy lunch in Ibra's father's house!


I know I am WAY overdue for a BLOG post. I have heard about it from many of you!!! It is just so hard for me to sit down and do it. I will attempt to do it on a monthly basis. I think I am on track! I know once a month is not a lofty goal...but it is the best I can do.



I am not quite sure where to begin. It seems as though a lot has happened in the last few weeks. I will start by telling about my trip to the Maasai Boma with our Maasai friend, Ibra. I have been to one before on safari, but that village definitely catered to tourists. This was a much more raw experience. For those of you who do not know what a Maasai is, let me refer you to the Wikipedia definition!!! "The Maasai are an indigenous African ethnic group of semi-nomadic people located in Kenya and northern Tanzania. Due to their distinctive customs and dress and residence near the many game parks of East Africa, they are among the most well-known African ethnic groups internationally." The Maasai literally live off the land, eating only ugali--corn meal mixed with water--goat meat and blood and milk. They live a crazy life. So, Ibra invited Abdi, Theresa and myself for a day visit to his fathers boma (village). His father just so happens to have 6 wives and a TON of children and grandchildren. Ibra is the only child who has an education and has moved away from the village. We met him when he came to our school to speak to the 7th graders about Maasai life. He is wonderful! The boma is comprised of several mud huts in a circle. They are very small, dark and smoky. Lots of people are crammed into each one. The huts surround a large open area where they keep the cows and goats at night. Beyond that, there isn't much more to the boma. As the "special guests", we were invited into the father's house to share a meal with him. This was quite an honor since women are not allowed to sit at the same table as a man. We ate meat, rice, ugali and a curry sauce with only our fingers. It was so great...especially because this was Theresa's first experience eating without utensils!!!! It was definitely an unforgettable experience all around!!! I learned a lot about the Maasai and met some wonderful people.


More recently, I was honored by the presence of my first "official" visitor!!! Adele arrived in Kenya on the 9th, and I met her there on the 10th. Being that it is her first time in Africa, and only her second International trip (the first being London), she did quite well getting from the Nairobi Airport to the hotel on her own!!!!! She even managed, with a little help from me in organizing, to meet me at the airport when I arrived the following day!!! We spend that evening in Nairobi with some of my friends at a local bar listening to some local tunes. The next morning we woke up quite early, feeling slightly hungover, and headed to Massai Mara for the beginning of our safari. The safari ended up being the best one I have been on as we saw every animal possible, including tons of lions, two leopards up close and personal (one was hunting), a cheetah, two rhinos, several hippos, crocs, etc. It was so good!!!!! I think Adele must be lucky because not many people get to see that many animals on their first safari.


After we finished our safari, we headed back to Nairobi and spent another night drinking, eating nyama choma (roasted meats) and hanging out with my Kenyan friends. It was an excellent night...I ended up lasting a bit longer than Adele because she was still feeling the effects of jetlag. So, following my late night, we woke up extremely early to catch the bus to Moshi. Onto country number two!!! We spent 7 hours on the bus travelling over the washboard roads and through the extremely dusty and dry countryside. I have not been here before at this time...and because it is so dry it almost looks like a totally different country. We finally arrived in Moshi at Light in Africa that evening and went immediately to town with two of the children. The kids absolutely love going to town because they inevitably get treated to sodas, chips (french fries), ice cream, etc. It is just nice for them to have a change of pace in their otherwise monotonous days. Adele pulled out her daily cash allowance and we headed back. We spent the next few days with my boys at Pilgrim, taking them to lunch each day and showering them with candy and affection! I think Adele really enjoyed the orphanage but I am not sure how she liked the cold showers in the morning, the uncomfortable beds, the endless waiting for food at the restaurants, and the overly crowded dala dalas (public transport). I guess it is all part of the experience!!!!!!!


Currently....I am back to the grind at work and Adele is climbing Kilimanjaro with Abdi. I am hoping and praying that she has good weather and is able to summit. It is a great experience either way...but it certainly makes the expense of the mountain more worth it if you make it to the top!! I have a good feeling (knock on wood)!!

I will try to attach some photos of my Maasai visit to this blog. In the next few days, I will add some pictures of safari, orphanage and Kilimanjaro when Adele gets to Dar following her climb. I dont really take pictures anymore...so I tend to rely on others! I hope all of you are doing well. Please keep in touch!

Jen