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

Top: Natalie, my new friend here at IST!

Bottom: Callie, my new friend in Moshi!

Hello Again...

I just returned from the beach, on this rainy, cloudy Dar es Salaam day. It was beach day for Grade 7, and since I have grade 7 students, I was priviledged enough to be able to join them on their special day. Despite the fact that it was raining most of the time, we actually had a very enjoyable day. I am one of the few lucky staff members that gets to attend two beach days!!!!! The benefits of Special Education! The Grade 7 students are absolutely precious, and they are extremely different from the stereotypical 7th grader back at home. These kids, coming from so many varied backgrounds, mixed race families, etc. just have a different take on the social part of life. I am not quite sure how to put my finger on the differences between the students here, and the students at home...but they are vast!!! The day was about building relationships, relaxing, taking a break from school, and helping the new students adjust. Mission accomplished, if you ask me!!! I think Beach Day should happen once a month!!!!

I mentioned Goat Races in my last blog, so I will expand on that experience now. Nowhere else in the world would goat races exist, BESIDES Tanzania!!!! It is such a funny concept, and yet a main event around here, especially for the ex-pat community. The Goat Races are similar to horse races...however, no skill, athletic ability, strategy or intelligence comes into play. The race merely involves unintelligent goats, being pushed around a track by a bunch of Tanzanian men, and the animal who happens to stick his nose out the most at the finish line wins. An extremely entertaining event!!! The Dar es Salaam Goat Races happen once a year, and they are a charity event. People in the community of Dar purchase one of these goats, name it, dress up, get drunk, and make asses of themselves at the event. If their goat is the lucky one, the money generated from the betting on that race alone goes to their charity of choice. For me, it was an opportunity to see just HOW MANY ex-pats there are in this city, and to have a little bit of fun on the weekend. In the end, I won 20,000 shillings ($20) on the only race I bet on, so I was a happy camper!

During this last weekend, I threw my first house party of the year!!!! Because IST is a small community, and an incestual one, I had to invite the whole faculty. That was ok though, because we all get along at this point, and in my book, "the more the merrier!" Even my principal showed up with his wife, which I thought was a nice change from certain principals I have had in the past. I wont mention names...but most of you know who I am talking about!!!! The party was a hit, and almost 50 members of the faculty came. My friend Natalie and I threw it together....she did the cooking, I did the organizing, list making and shopping. We are a great team in that sense!!! One of the teachers acted as dj, I had an outside dancefloor, the backyard was candlelit and the food was decadent. Natalie is an amazing cook. Everyone got drunk and the night ended late. In my ideal teaching world, I have always desired to be a part of a close-knit faculty who did things together outside of school, and who could be friends without letting the teaching interfere. I am pretty sure I have found that here! It is a great, and very satisfying feeling.

Well, thats about all for now. I am looking forward to my trip to Moshi this weekend!!! My friends who are volunteering there now are leaving next week, so I am going to join them for their final Moshi weekend. Hopefully Friday will come soon!!! Hope all is well at home, wherever that might be for you. A big "Jambo" from Africa! Take care......

Jen

In The Swing of Things...............

Left: Godfrey on his birthday when he visited me in Dar.
Middle: The crew at the beach...
Right: Two of my favorite people, Godfrey and Callie!


Hey Everyone!

I suppose that it is blog time. I have gotten some grief from people about not blogging enough, so I will try to do it more frequently! I really have no excuse considering that I have internet in my home, and I finish work each day at 1:10. Sounds like a pretty tough life, huh?

Things at school are excellent. The International School scene creates a rewarding teaching environment, especially compared to other teaching situations I have been in prior to here. The diversity amongst the staff and students leads to a really different feel around the school. Specifically, I have 4 students that I pull out of class M,T,TH for 40 or 80 minute periods. I have 3 grade 10 students: one girl from Croatia, a boy from Lebanon and a boy who is half Tanzanian and half Italian. My grade 7 boy is Indian, but was adopted by an Italian family. He is adorable, and I am already obsessed with him!!!! Listening to a child, who looks Indian, speak English with an Italian accent is so funny! He is quite well known in the school, and I feel lucky to have him on my caseload!!!! The rest of my day is spent going into the classes to serve my less severe students, who might need some extra support with the general curriculum. I have to say that Special Ed. outside America is SOOOOOOO nice. There is no paperwork, politics, lawyers, or rules and regulations. After this, I am not sure I would ever be able to return to the states to teach..........but that is no surprise to all of you!

Right now, school is not too time consuming, so I have had a lot of free time! I just returned from by debut roadtrip to Moshi to visit Light in Africa. My love for that city, the kids at LIA, and the obsession I have with Kilimanjaro are confirmed each time I return. My friend Callie (who is currently volunteering at the orphanage) had been staying with me here in Dar for a week and needed to get back to Moshi. So instead of making her take to public bus, we kindly offered our personal shuttle services...and it was a great excuse to get to Moshi for the weekend. Any excuse to travel!!!!! Natalie and Tamara (other teachers) joined Callie and me on a very interesting road trip. What was supposed to take 7 hours ended up taking 10 hours after the car overheated several times. I guess radiator coolant is necessary in one of the hottest countries in the world!!! Hindsight......................... So, we arrived Moshi at midnight, went out on the town, and then crashed in a hotel in the town center. We spent all day Saturday at Pilgrim, the boys house at Light in Africa. As usual, the boys greeted me with huge hugs, followed shortly thereafter with, "Can I go Moshi?" and "Can you buy me a radio?" I think they know I have a softspot for them and have trouble saying no to those sweet faces!!! I am getting better though. We ended up taking a few of them...Godfrey included, of course........to lunch to get pizza. After our marvelous day at the orphanage, we went out again in Moshi to get a drink.....or ten! The next morning came too early, we sadly said goodbye to Moshi and our friends there, and set out for Dar. The trip back was much better, it only took 7 hours! However, we did get stopped and were told we were speeding. How they knew we were speeding still has me puzzled. Unless machine guns now have a built-in radar gun, it would have been impossible for the police to know we were going 83 in a 50 zone. Consequently, we had to pay a bribe to get out of it. It was either the ticket price, which we honestly didn't have, or a $3 bribe. I hate contributing to corruption, but here in Tanzania, it is hard to avoid.

I have no big plans for the weekend as of yet. Just time to relax, eat some good food, drink a few beers at the beach and chill. I might attend the goat races this Saturday if I feel in the mood. I imagine goat races would be quite entertaining!!! Hope everyone is doing well. Have a great weekend and keep in touch. Love you!

Jen

Jambo Rafiki!

Hello Everyone! Greetings from beautiful Dar es Salaam, which in Swahili means "haven of peace." From what I have seen so far, the city is pretty peaceful. However, TIA (this is Africa), so no city is completely free of crime, petty theft and corruption. I must be careful, I know. This is my first blogging experience, and I am trying to figure out how it all works. So, please forgive me if I am not "Johnny on the Spot" for the first couple of weeks!

I arrived in Dar a week ago, and am officially settled into my new apartment. For those of you who may be confused as to what I am doing in Tanzania, I will clarify. I accepted a position at the International School of Tanganyika. It is a two year position, with an opportunity to continue at the end of two years. I will be teaching Learning Support at the secondary level to the children of high ranking officials from all over the world!!! It is certainly an adjustment coming from Light in Africa, where I was working with the poor of the poor and some of the most needy children in Tanzania. This has already proven to be quite a difficult adjustment, and I must make sure I don't lose sight of the real reason I am here in Africa. While I have an excellent position with IST, I also have the opportunity to go out into the local community, meet Tanzanian people, and continue to help in whatever way I can.

Dar is definitely a beautiful city. We are right on the ocean, with the beach being minutes from my apartment. Although we can not swim at this specific beach, there are several beaches nearby that are perfect for relaxing for the day in the EXTREMELY HOT Dar sunshine! I must say it hasn't been too hot yet, but we have been lucky. I am preparing myself for the African summer months ahead of us. I hear they are miserable.

I was lucky to be able to arrive in Africa two weeks prior to my first day of training in Dar. Bryan, Michael and Nathan...some friends from Boise...planned a trip to Kenya/Tanzania to coincide with my free time here. So, as most of you know, I literally dropped my bags off in my apartment and flew to Moshi to meet them. I was able to spend a week at Light in Africa with the kiddos (while Bryan, Michael and Nathan successfully climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro), and I met several new volunteers who are now near and dear to my heart! Infact, three of them are coming to visit me this weekend, and are bringing my little Godfrey (and two other boys, Peter and Alex) with them. We are going to spend the weekend at the beach spoiling the boys...as we do best! On a side note, for those of you familiar with LIA, Pilgrim was attacked by bees a few days ago. They had to be evacuated and poor Rogathe was stung over 100 times. He is currently in the hospital, so keep him in your thoughts and prayers. Everyone else is fine. LIA is continuing to make progress on the new site...but needs much more funding and volunteer labor before it is ready. Hopefully they will be able to finish in the next year or so!

Well, I will stop there. I am off to safari tomorrow with all the new hires at the school. There are almost 30 newbies, so it is wonderful. It's always nice to have other people in the same boat! Hope everyone continues to read my blog...and I hope I am not too boring. I will also be posting pictures to give you a better idea of my life in Tanzania. Love you all!!!!