News With a Prophetic Edge

Get comfortable, this is going to be a big update! Before I get distracted, let's start with the title. My solar charger has been out of commission for over a month now. This disturbing news means charging my cell phone has become difficult and my ipod, nearly impossible. By default, I now have a new, yet rocky relationship with Tanzanian radio and short wave. There are essentially three stations. One is hard core bad music. The other is a mix of Tanzanian rap, traditional Tanzanian music (read: awful), and American rap with absolutely no censoring whatsoever. The final, Radio Free Africa is good, plenty of US hits, but is predominantly news. About two weeks ago I flipped the switch to short wave and a new world opened! While most stations have terrible reception, I can occassionally get some semblance of fuzzy, alternative music. For about 3 weeks I was super excited at the prospect of the latest and greatest alt hits, til the station finally came in clear enough for me to hear, "You are tuned into station ONE, "News with a prophetic edge." The airwaves were suddenly filled with a low, southern drawl. Pastor Frank from Arkansas was telling me how much he loved me and knew that although we had never met, I had a good soul. Holy Moses I thought, I like jesus music! Who could have guessed? I mean, it's practically in our Jewish DNA to appreciate Christmas music, but I sorta like it all! My name is Kate Glantz and I love music of the lord! :) Whew, now that we've got that out of the way, let's get rollin on some weekly highlights!

Animal Planet:



-One of my favorite, favorite parts of the day is when a Tanzanian is visiting my home and my cat wants to play. As I've mentioned before, the Humane Society isn't exactly alive and thriving in Tanzania. It truly is an eat or beat world and my little kitty will probably never know how lucky she is. Because Nala is treated with a little too much love and respect, she happily hops on strangers laps and rolls on her back to paw around and get her tummy rubbed. Tanzanians literally freeze. If it weren't the Mzungu's home they would throw the lil thing from here to Dar es Salaam. But instead they stiffen completely and get the goofiest grin and shifty eyes. Sometimes they stiffly pet her. Ahhh, it's fantastic! They say there is no such thing as awkward in Tanzania, I beg to differ.

Bwana Polepole, my tortoise (I know, I sorta forgot about him too), has come out of 'hibernation' and now harumphs around my courtyard in the rain. My cat is absolutely transfixed by him. She carefully circles and gives him a sniff or two then lays down about one foot away and watches. I'd say they're no longer strangers, but not yet friends. We'll call them casual acquaintances. I'll have to keep an eye on those two because the last thing I need is to be accused of witchcraft when Nala has tortoise babies. Okay, I'm getting carried away here...



Hocus Pocus:



Speaking of witchcraft, I somehow had an AMAZING chat about real issues with my besti and her housegirl while we were cooking. A neighbor girl is sick right now with the most repulsive eye wound in history. It seems as if a bug crawled into her eye and now it is swollen about 4 times the size of the other and completely bulging and crusted over. My first impulse was to vomit, my second to take her to the hospital. I've been checking in on her for the last few days and she's progressing just fine, don't worry. Anyway, upon discussing this with my besti, she said perhaps a wizard caused it. I laughed and told her that they don't exist. She told me I must really believe in God if I refused to believe in sorcerers, and feeling really comfortable with her, I told her actually, I don't know if I believe in anything. I said it was hard seeing people starve and die of minor ailments and still believe something was looking out for us. She told me maybe God was only watching over America. While I've heard other people say that, I thought it was a pretty huge comment. I then, with a lot of huffing and puffing, tried to explain the chain of events that in my opinion have villagers across Africa destitute and hungry. Don't ask how the words slavery, colonialism, tyranny, and nepotism were communicated. But the thing is, they were and for about 30 minutes we got downright philisophical. It makes me even more eager to practice KiSwahili and form big-girl sentences.


Farmer Kate:



Guess who has a corn field? I do, I do! My housegirl and I hoed the hell out of my back yard (that felt fun to say). After hoeing (ha), we, umm, well I can't really explain it in English. It's weird that I only have a farming vocab in KiSwahili, but since I don't exactly come from Iowa, I guess it makes a little sense. Anyway I planted enough corn to eat ugali (remember paper mache food) for the next year and then some. My Tanzanian breeds of spinach are also moderately thriving and I've eaten them a few times. Woo!


HIV/AIDS Education:


The last week I spent literally 5 hours everyday in meetings with my HIV/AIDS education group. Well, saying my group really overemphasizes my particpation. Actually the last Peace Corps Volunteer started the organization and I've stepped in to fill her shoes. We planned a celebration to take place in the village of Lusisi, about a 35 minute bike ride from Mhaji. We passed the week arranging a song about living well with AIDS, planning the food, and essentially getting together all details regarding the event. The event went off beautifully! A well known AIDS educator that works at the town hospital and writes for a national AIDS education magazine came to speak and two of our group members (the entire group is HIV +) also talked about their lives and losses. While I may have contributed nothing in terms of AIDS education to the event, wow, it felt good to be there. To watch about 200 people, women on one side and men on the other, dressed in fantastically vibrant cloth and listening intently was an out of body experience. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined this event. The elders sitting under banana trees, titties literally flying everywhere with eager little babies fussing for a meal, and dogs (probably rabid) moseying about the perimeter. I guess I haven't mentioned yet that I was sitting at the head table with the village politicians and guest speakers. So silly, but they don't give me any choice. Ever.



8 Minute Abs-Nah, just Flab:


I've said it once and I'll say it again. I'm FAT. I wish I could take solace in the fact that almost all peace corps girls are packin on the pounds right by my side, but with the beach 2 weeks away, there is no solace to be had. To remedy this ailment, I've enlisted my besti to work out with me. We tried to go running this week but I have a pretty gruesome foot wound from my 5 hours trek to town last weekend. Instead, we laid on my floor and did stretches and crunches. Well, I did crunches, she tried. I have no idea how it happened, but in the middle of Tanzania, in my little village, on my mostly clean floor, we were doing back bridges together. Back bridges, you know, the kind that no one past the age of 12 or not a gymnast should ever attempt. It was a moment.



Poop:


I'm REALLY tempted to go into detail about my choo (toilet) disaster. But I'll spare you the stinky details and leave you with this image: My primary school princiapl, village executive officer, fix-it guy, and me standing around the ditch in my backyard where all of my 'bodily functions' flow into. We were debating whether it was full or just clogged. Just another Thursday right? Some of the most revered men in the village talking about my shit. Ohh man.


And on that note, I wish everyone health happiness and sanitary bathroom facilities.


I'll be back in town for Christmas Day and then on the 29th, I'm headed to Dar es Salaam for a little fun in the sun!


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Katie