So didn't need the paper that I forgot and copied from another volunteer b/c otherwise I wouldn't be able to get in the country? Didn't need it. heh heh
So we arrived last night (I say we b/c I met up with 5 other volunteers in Amsterdam - Megan, Jen, Christiana, Brian, Ken and Irma)
Anyway as you know one of my favorite parts of a country is its smell and Tanzania did not disappoint - it smells like burning firewood... almost and well Thailand actually b/c its HOT! woo hoo its hot and humid! o yeah! I was shocked I thought it would be 50 degrees at night and have a ton of cold weather clothes.
PARA NOIA
Oh yeah you got that right I'm paranoid - I got on deet, I have a musquito outfit, and to top it off I'm taking malaria pills that I was just told last night are really just a 50/50 chance of protecting me. I felt safe last night in my mosquito net covered bed until I had to get up to the bathroom in the dark. I didn't put deet on my thighs I thought, what if that's the killer sting? and as i got back into bed and couldn't see I thought 'crud, what if they are flying in WITH me?' I even dreamed of mosquitoes and mosquito nets. Yep, paranoia.
side note to my mother: my middle name is not Swahili. Yep I don't know what book you got it from but I am now tempted to say that it does probably not even mean what you thought it meant....
side note to my friends: Now thinking of changing my middle name :D
Besides my paranoia, I slept soundly and woke up to Karibuu my house mates getting ready for our Moshi tour. We went to the market - I love markets, [I practiced Swahili on the plane so that I could at least learn ' I don't know how to speak Swahili' since I think otherwise people will mistake my for Tanzanian] and got to use my memorized phrase with satisfaction at the market.
We were picked up by Mussa and Edward two young guys who also gave us a tour of Moshi today. So the drive from the airport - I was in the back, thankfully. In Tanzania they drive on the left but can pass other vehicles at any time... uh Jennifer, Ebony and I went to Belize once and the bus was very eventful... the difference between this one was it had AC and I was in the back so I couldn't closely see the cars we almost hit as we passed.I stayed at Mama Africa where we met Mama Grace, Juliette, and Fortunato (who sews). All very friendly.
Ok so highlights - a really cool big lizard - with an orange head a blue tail and body except for an almost stripe of green. The 2 weddings we saw - the first they were in a wedding procession at the traffic circle singing with the bride in front - the bride wore white (interesting). the second one was a parade! a parade of cars and at the end the brides maids were in a pick up in their peach dresses singing and the groomsmen were playing horns. Cool!
Crow - so OK crows may not be cool usually but this one has a while underbelly [ yes, I do realize that it may not be a crow but it looks and sounds exactly like one despite the white underbelly]
Our room, very nice and clean there are only 3 of us in here ( this is the low season for CCS volunteers June - August they get gruops of 30-40 that all are here for 3 weeks - this time I'm here the shortest and people are speaking about extending... will I want to extend? hmmmm) though there are 6 bunks, with a huge closet, and shower.
The group of people are cool - I'll go into more descriptions later, maybe if I can upload some pics.
Food - so far so good. Lunch was that white stuff that they have in Ghana like rice but mushed up and harder? vegetable balls with tomato sauce, chickpeas and greens. The greens were awesome, actually it was all really tasty. Tomorrow, well tomorrow I don't know I'll let yall know then.
Oh words I know - be impressed be very impressed...
asante - thank you
mambo - what's up
poa - nothing much
sizungumzi kii swahili (very important)
See ya ( Ok I haven't memorized that in Swahili so till next time) Oh, there is a 10 hour time difference, just FYI... 7 for you East coasters
So we arrived last night (I say we b/c I met up with 5 other volunteers in Amsterdam - Megan, Jen, Christiana, Brian, Ken and Irma)
Anyway as you know one of my favorite parts of a country is its smell and Tanzania did not disappoint - it smells like burning firewood... almost and well Thailand actually b/c its HOT! woo hoo its hot and humid! o yeah! I was shocked I thought it would be 50 degrees at night and have a ton of cold weather clothes.
PARA NOIA
Oh yeah you got that right I'm paranoid - I got on deet, I have a musquito outfit, and to top it off I'm taking malaria pills that I was just told last night are really just a 50/50 chance of protecting me. I felt safe last night in my mosquito net covered bed until I had to get up to the bathroom in the dark. I didn't put deet on my thighs I thought, what if that's the killer sting? and as i got back into bed and couldn't see I thought 'crud, what if they are flying in WITH me?' I even dreamed of mosquitoes and mosquito nets. Yep, paranoia.
side note to my mother: my middle name is not Swahili. Yep I don't know what book you got it from but I am now tempted to say that it does probably not even mean what you thought it meant....
side note to my friends: Now thinking of changing my middle name :D
Besides my paranoia, I slept soundly and woke up to Karibuu my house mates getting ready for our Moshi tour. We went to the market - I love markets, [I practiced Swahili on the plane so that I could at least learn ' I don't know how to speak Swahili' since I think otherwise people will mistake my for Tanzanian] and got to use my memorized phrase with satisfaction at the market.
We were picked up by Mussa and Edward two young guys who also gave us a tour of Moshi today. So the drive from the airport - I was in the back, thankfully. In Tanzania they drive on the left but can pass other vehicles at any time... uh Jennifer, Ebony and I went to Belize once and the bus was very eventful... the difference between this one was it had AC and I was in the back so I couldn't closely see the cars we almost hit as we passed.I stayed at Mama Africa where we met Mama Grace, Juliette, and Fortunato (who sews). All very friendly.
Ok so highlights - a really cool big lizard - with an orange head a blue tail and body except for an almost stripe of green. The 2 weddings we saw - the first they were in a wedding procession at the traffic circle singing with the bride in front - the bride wore white (interesting). the second one was a parade! a parade of cars and at the end the brides maids were in a pick up in their peach dresses singing and the groomsmen were playing horns. Cool!
Crow - so OK crows may not be cool usually but this one has a while underbelly [ yes, I do realize that it may not be a crow but it looks and sounds exactly like one despite the white underbelly]
Our room, very nice and clean there are only 3 of us in here ( this is the low season for CCS volunteers June - August they get gruops of 30-40 that all are here for 3 weeks - this time I'm here the shortest and people are speaking about extending... will I want to extend? hmmmm) though there are 6 bunks, with a huge closet, and shower.
The group of people are cool - I'll go into more descriptions later, maybe if I can upload some pics.
Food - so far so good. Lunch was that white stuff that they have in Ghana like rice but mushed up and harder? vegetable balls with tomato sauce, chickpeas and greens. The greens were awesome, actually it was all really tasty. Tomorrow, well tomorrow I don't know I'll let yall know then.
Oh words I know - be impressed be very impressed...
asante - thank you
mambo - what's up
poa - nothing much
sizungumzi kii swahili (very important)
See ya ( Ok I haven't memorized that in Swahili so till next time) Oh, there is a 10 hour time difference, just FYI... 7 for you East coasters
2 comments:
What are people wearing? How do you get around? What is the scenery like? Are you able to upload pics? What are the kids like? Do they play soccer. I picture a lot of dirt, not a lot of greenery, is this true?
The people are wearing very colorful beautitful outfits. Always skirts ann sometimes wraps and sometimes covered (Muslim women) there are 45% Muslim, 45% Christian here. At first it doesn't seem like a lot of dirt until you get to the villages but there is a lot of green too - trees, flowers,etc..
OH! SO I saw Kilimanjaro yesterday - There IS snow on Kili!!! so its not as dry b/c it can be cloudy here (Moshi means smoke b/c it used to be even more cloudy b/c of Kili) and just rained yesterday.
Yes they love soccer here, the local volunteer helping me is a great soccer player I hear.
The kids are adorable most of them have almost all shaved heads boys and girls and so sometimes you have to see if they are wearing a skirt to tell. I will be able to upload pics today is Tuesday I'll have time tomorrow or Thursday I think.
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