My dear, beautiful, intelligent, wonderful friends,
I'm alive, well, and as cheery (and fat) as Santa at CeCe's pizza.
I know that Christmas is the time for Jesus, presents, and Mariah Carey, but I'm hijacking it and remixing it with a Thanksgiving flare.
Today I want to tell you how thankful I am to have you all in my life, even if you are at the edge of the world (oh wait, it's ME at the edge of the world).
What would I do without your letters, text messages, phone calls, and packages? I'd be okay, sure, but they definitely keep the pep in my village step. More than anything now, it's the memories. Dazing off in a sea of cornstalks or better yet, in a five-hour meeting, my mind creeps back to senior year of college, freshman year of college, high school, and gasp, sometimes in my dreams, middle school. Wow, have we had fun.
We've had crazy fun. Reckless fun. Drunken fun. Wild fun. Foreign fun. Naked fun? Good clean fun. Food-binge fun. Marathon TV fun. Party fun. Pajama fun. Study fun. Adventure fun. Travel fun. Holiday fun. Crystal Light and Vodka fun. Gosh have we had fun.
I hear all the time that God is watching over Americans. I don't know if that's true but I know enough to know I don't understand how good I've had it. We have been privileged to the biggest luxury of all: time. We've generally got it in spades. Now that most of you have entered the real world, the 'luxury' of laying in bed til 3pm on a Tuesday is no longer an option. But generally, if you need to pencil in a little Sunday afternoon me time, it's there.
In Tanzania me time is forever we time. I'll spare you the history lesson, but African communities are collectivist, not individualist, and it's practically unheard of for an unmarried girl (yours truly) to live alone. When you live as an extended and agricultural family the work is never done. Even on Sundays, cooking and cleaning cannot be escaped. Order a pizza right? Oh, if only. Cooking takes about 3 hours per meal and cleaning is just as strenuous. There is a ritual here of sweeping dirt. It doesn't sound strange to write that now, but I remember being incredulous in the beginning so it seems valid to mention.
What I'm getting at is wow. We have made so many memories! We had the time to let the good times roll. And roll and roll and roll they did. I am literally brimming with shared moments and know that in my life there will always be time to make more. I get pretty sad sometimes thinking that my friends and family in the village never catch a break. Granted, they find more pleasure in the moment than I am capable of, it is no wonder 'take a load off' just doesn't tranlsate no matter how you dice it.
So today, I'm saying thanks. Thanks for time. Thanks for friends. Thanks for all the great things that transpired when we used our time wisely and more often, when we did not. I could probably manage without you. After all, I've taken a profound liking to talking to myself in voices. But I'm not living in a village in Africa to be a martyr. I have no intention of shaving my head and shunning the white people!
Sometimes I have to remind myself that I didn't postpone my life, I only relocated it. I have no intention of letting any of my friendships fall by the wayside. I think about you all often and with so much happiness. For living in the bush, I'm pretty persisent about communication. Even if you want to make a sneaky exit from my life, I won't let you! But that's not going to happen right?
Wherever you are and whoever you're with, happy holidays. Take it all in and enjoy. While I might be killing my dinner on Christmas Eve (and wouldn't have it any other way), I'll be thinking about every one of you. But in case I forget, you should probably give me a call to remind me of your name.
Here is a big hug for all of you. Cheers to friends!
Your pal,
Kate
Monday, December 22, 2008
Saturday, December 6, 2008
No Use Crying Over Stolen Milk
It's been a few weeks. And what a few weeks it has been! I spent Thanksgiving in Mbeya region with about 15 peace corps volunteers. We were invited (or maybe I invited myself) to a former PCV's REAL house! He had couches, carpet, and even a refrigerator. What?! And if you want the truth, I probably would have been just as satisfied without the turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, pumpkin bread, and apple pie and called it a day after watching E! News Daily! For some reason the celebrities looked much oranger and thinner than I remember. Nonetheless, I went to my happy place and Tanzania seemed to fall away. Did I mention I've been dreaming about shoes recently?
If I'm reporting chronologically, I suppose I'll continue with some pretty bad news. As I was boarding the bus to Mbeya on Thanksgiving Day, my house girl called me sobbing. I had been robbed. At first she only told me they took my bicycle. Thankfully they weren't able to enter the house and as I keep my bicycle in the courtyard, that was clearly gone. After the sobbing subsided I learned that most of my clothes were stolen too. She had washed a ton since I was out of town and left them to dry overnight. While it's just 'stuff' it was MY stuff and I am still really torn up over some of the things that were taken. I'm actually far less disturbed over the loss of my fancy outdoor clothes than the really old, sentimental things. Here's a list so you can feel sad too: My softball jersey from the 4th-grade all star game (one and only time I was an all star!), my 1980's Arizona ADPi sweatshirt from my sister, and a really, really old and soft White Sox t-shirt. Waah! I counted my losses and decided to move on gracefully. A few days later I was making coffee and wanted a spoonfull of powdered milk, and realized the jerk stole my MILK! Furthermore, I had three knives, two of which were dull and worthless and one which I brought from America. Guess which one he stole? It makes me a bit furious that some person came into my courtyard and was leisurely and cocky enough to sift through all my belongings and see which he desired. Theft is an inexcusable and hurtful crime. I still adore my village and am essentially over the robbery, my trust has definitely been broken. I have to remember that it was one person, maybe two who broke it. The last thing I want to is become jaded or suspicious of the amazing, kind people of Mhaji.
Okay, that's enough of a crime report. After Thanksgiving I took the coasta ride from hell to Iringa. What would be a 4-5 hour ride on a big bus took about 10 hours in a van-type vehicle. Transport is absolutely painful in Tanzania! Iringa was a blast as always (we've decided Iringa is the Las Vegas of Tanzania) and I enjoyed enough dairy products to hold me over for awhile.
The last few weeks in the village have been slow. I've had plenty of time to think about my goals both for myself and my projects and I'm excited to get to work in earnest. School closed Friday for about six weeks so I'm going to have even MORE time on my hands now. Without the fabulous distractions of technology, there are a lot of spare hours in a day. The rainy season is also about to explode. We've had a few hard rains and I learned that my house is not quite waterproof. In fact, it flooded so badly I was walking around with my pants rolled up and using pots under the ceiling leaks. My door is about three inches above the floor so I was also treated to a lovely river/pond in my living room. And on another home repairs issue, my toilet has overflowed. And by toilet you know I mean hole. Let's not talk about that one.
Finally, a personal accomplishment. On Friday I walked to Njombe (town) from my village! It was only about 25 km, but I felt great setting a goal and reaching it! I walked with a villager and PCV friend. It took us about 5.5 hours. One hour in to the adventure, my shoe was rubbing really badly and produced a quarter-sized blister. I had to switch to flip flops which I absolutely do not recommend for long-distance walks! Nonetheless, I made sure not to complain and only after about 4 hours did I give my backpack to my village friend to carry. It was a beautiful walk that took us through villages and several kilomters of chai fields! I'm happy I did it. Will it be a habit? Aboslutely not. My legs cramped pretty badly that night but by Satuday I was doing just fine! I think a 'Go Me!' is in order.
Last night we celebrated the 40th birthday of a PCV and made a rare appearance at the Njombe disco. Oh man. I was never, never the girl who broke/lost/ruined her phone. Really, never. But last night while having a very important conference in the bathroom with a girlfriend my phone fell into the bucket of toilet water. A-that's just gross. and B-It is no longer functioning. Because my phone is essentially an extension of my hand, I'm really nervous about heading back to the vil sans communication. It might be good for me, but it might/will just be sheer torture. Parents: I will call you when I can, don't worry!
I'm not sure what the month of December will bring. I plan to spend a lot of time studying KiSwahi and continuing with my English classes. I now also tutor secondary school students twice a week in English. I also want to do a lot of thinking about what my 2 years can accomplish. We're encouraged to listen to our villagers. Surely, I can start a project but if there is no support for it, it will fail spectacularly. This will be a struggle as Tanzanians generally believe every white person is a gazillionaire. I have so far been asked to finish our health clinic ($50,000) build new toilets at the school ($2500), repair the roofs at school, and the list goes on. Not to mention the smaller requests for school fees and supplies. I will do my best to write grants and solicit funds in any way I can, but education is where I want to leave my mark.
I spent a morning at the health clinic last week weighing babies, an activity very similar to weighing vegetables at the grocery store. The lil kiddies wear a big pair of underwear with straps. They are literally hooked onto the scale and dangle for a second until the nurse records their weight. The bigger kids (3-5 year-old) simply hang on with their hands. It's pretty adorable. When I poked into the medical supply room, I was absolutley shocked to see boxes upon boxes of birth control. Family planning exists in my village! How did I miss THAT bombshell?
Alright, I keep losing my train of thought. I'm going to call it a day. I'm not sure when I'll be back in town again, but hopefully I'll have a more informative blog post next time.
Thanks again for your love and support. And a VERY SPECIAL SHOUT OUT GOES TO BECKY DEAN who sent me one of the most incredible care packages a girl could dream of. How did you know Ranch Wheat Thins were the key to my heart? Thank you thank you thank you!
Hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy Christmas music, malls, and the delicious wintry concoctions of Starbucks.
Lots of love!
If I'm reporting chronologically, I suppose I'll continue with some pretty bad news. As I was boarding the bus to Mbeya on Thanksgiving Day, my house girl called me sobbing. I had been robbed. At first she only told me they took my bicycle. Thankfully they weren't able to enter the house and as I keep my bicycle in the courtyard, that was clearly gone. After the sobbing subsided I learned that most of my clothes were stolen too. She had washed a ton since I was out of town and left them to dry overnight. While it's just 'stuff' it was MY stuff and I am still really torn up over some of the things that were taken. I'm actually far less disturbed over the loss of my fancy outdoor clothes than the really old, sentimental things. Here's a list so you can feel sad too: My softball jersey from the 4th-grade all star game (one and only time I was an all star!), my 1980's Arizona ADPi sweatshirt from my sister, and a really, really old and soft White Sox t-shirt. Waah! I counted my losses and decided to move on gracefully. A few days later I was making coffee and wanted a spoonfull of powdered milk, and realized the jerk stole my MILK! Furthermore, I had three knives, two of which were dull and worthless and one which I brought from America. Guess which one he stole? It makes me a bit furious that some person came into my courtyard and was leisurely and cocky enough to sift through all my belongings and see which he desired. Theft is an inexcusable and hurtful crime. I still adore my village and am essentially over the robbery, my trust has definitely been broken. I have to remember that it was one person, maybe two who broke it. The last thing I want to is become jaded or suspicious of the amazing, kind people of Mhaji.
Okay, that's enough of a crime report. After Thanksgiving I took the coasta ride from hell to Iringa. What would be a 4-5 hour ride on a big bus took about 10 hours in a van-type vehicle. Transport is absolutely painful in Tanzania! Iringa was a blast as always (we've decided Iringa is the Las Vegas of Tanzania) and I enjoyed enough dairy products to hold me over for awhile.
The last few weeks in the village have been slow. I've had plenty of time to think about my goals both for myself and my projects and I'm excited to get to work in earnest. School closed Friday for about six weeks so I'm going to have even MORE time on my hands now. Without the fabulous distractions of technology, there are a lot of spare hours in a day. The rainy season is also about to explode. We've had a few hard rains and I learned that my house is not quite waterproof. In fact, it flooded so badly I was walking around with my pants rolled up and using pots under the ceiling leaks. My door is about three inches above the floor so I was also treated to a lovely river/pond in my living room. And on another home repairs issue, my toilet has overflowed. And by toilet you know I mean hole. Let's not talk about that one.
Finally, a personal accomplishment. On Friday I walked to Njombe (town) from my village! It was only about 25 km, but I felt great setting a goal and reaching it! I walked with a villager and PCV friend. It took us about 5.5 hours. One hour in to the adventure, my shoe was rubbing really badly and produced a quarter-sized blister. I had to switch to flip flops which I absolutely do not recommend for long-distance walks! Nonetheless, I made sure not to complain and only after about 4 hours did I give my backpack to my village friend to carry. It was a beautiful walk that took us through villages and several kilomters of chai fields! I'm happy I did it. Will it be a habit? Aboslutely not. My legs cramped pretty badly that night but by Satuday I was doing just fine! I think a 'Go Me!' is in order.
Last night we celebrated the 40th birthday of a PCV and made a rare appearance at the Njombe disco. Oh man. I was never, never the girl who broke/lost/ruined her phone. Really, never. But last night while having a very important conference in the bathroom with a girlfriend my phone fell into the bucket of toilet water. A-that's just gross. and B-It is no longer functioning. Because my phone is essentially an extension of my hand, I'm really nervous about heading back to the vil sans communication. It might be good for me, but it might/will just be sheer torture. Parents: I will call you when I can, don't worry!
I'm not sure what the month of December will bring. I plan to spend a lot of time studying KiSwahi and continuing with my English classes. I now also tutor secondary school students twice a week in English. I also want to do a lot of thinking about what my 2 years can accomplish. We're encouraged to listen to our villagers. Surely, I can start a project but if there is no support for it, it will fail spectacularly. This will be a struggle as Tanzanians generally believe every white person is a gazillionaire. I have so far been asked to finish our health clinic ($50,000) build new toilets at the school ($2500), repair the roofs at school, and the list goes on. Not to mention the smaller requests for school fees and supplies. I will do my best to write grants and solicit funds in any way I can, but education is where I want to leave my mark.
I spent a morning at the health clinic last week weighing babies, an activity very similar to weighing vegetables at the grocery store. The lil kiddies wear a big pair of underwear with straps. They are literally hooked onto the scale and dangle for a second until the nurse records their weight. The bigger kids (3-5 year-old) simply hang on with their hands. It's pretty adorable. When I poked into the medical supply room, I was absolutley shocked to see boxes upon boxes of birth control. Family planning exists in my village! How did I miss THAT bombshell?
Alright, I keep losing my train of thought. I'm going to call it a day. I'm not sure when I'll be back in town again, but hopefully I'll have a more informative blog post next time.
Thanks again for your love and support. And a VERY SPECIAL SHOUT OUT GOES TO BECKY DEAN who sent me one of the most incredible care packages a girl could dream of. How did you know Ranch Wheat Thins were the key to my heart? Thank you thank you thank you!
Hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy Christmas music, malls, and the delicious wintry concoctions of Starbucks.
Lots of love!
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