Photo Post: Housewarming Party

A wonderful housewarming party was organized for us the Saturday we moved across the compound from the tembo house to the twiga house. Even though it had only been inhabited for less than a day, the house already felt like a home by having good people gathered in it. (Nov. 13, 2010)

An overview of the party in our downstairs living room/dining room.

Background to foreground from back left: Erin, Marie, Kate, Steve, Dyan and Lisa.

Left to right: Ben, Mary, Jen and Heather.

A pretty package of cleaning supplies!

Kitchen wares!

Placemats, plant and cutting board!



Rug/mat for upstairs living room!



Opening up the cleaning bucket!

We're excited with all our generous gifts!

Proof of Erin's "crazy face." LOL

Friends again! Ben, Mary, Jen, Heather and Lisa.

Housemates' first night at home! Kate, Erin and me.

December in Dar

Tomorrow is HOPAC's Christmas Fair and Tanzania's Independence Day (i.e. no school). I plan on grading, grading, grading. Because the next few days (perhaps week) are going to be so busy, I thought I'd post a quick update now.

I'm getting over a cold (as I sit here sniffing) and today was a crazy day. Things have been really busy because Term 1 grades are due on Monday and the grading system is insane. And I'm still grading assignments, nevermind attempting the calculation system. So, it's going to be a crazy few days for me as I want to try to get ahead of the grading because I have a ton of more grading to do that's due Jan. 7 and that's for the Grade 10 mocks. They sat for (practice) exams this whole week and I have about five essays per student to grade (read: 110). Ugh. And that grading scale is even more insane than the regular one. Lots to learn. Don't want to have to do it or worry about it over Christmas break.

We (Erin, Kate, Carley, Jen and I) went to see a play, "The Wizard of Oz," tonight. There's a place called The Little Theatre and they do productions. Two of my students were in it. Cute. Nice to get out for a change.

I played my first-ever soccer game today. 'Tis true! A bunch of athletes are going up to Moshi (near Arusha) for a sports weekend against other leagues from around the country, and as a send off to them the afternoon periods were shortened and the last 40 minutes of school we had staff vs. girls/boys soccer game. I played! OK, so I only kicked at the ball three times (and missed twice), but I made contact once and kicked it so I "officially" played in the game! LOL I think my position was left defense... IDK if that even makes sense. I played during the game against the girls team. We won (2-1). It was pretty fun. Would have played/tried a lot more, but with this cold I was like, um, not willing to take a step back with my progress just for the match.

And it rained today! Yesterday and today were much cooler because of the clouds layering the sky and blocking the sun. What a difference. Tonight, just as we left for the play, it rained. Loved it! We sang "Let It Snow," like a Dar version, on the way for a few minutes.

At the grocery store (Shoprite) two days ago I bought an artificial tree! It's 120 cm, however big that is. I haven't taken it out of the box yet. It was on clearance because the box is all ripped and banged up so I got it for 8,000 tsh which is like $5!! Probably going to set it up in my room tomorrow.

With the power out again last night (although not according to the "schedule"), Erin, Kate and I brought Christmas into our home by candlelight. I decorated our lil' Christmas tree while they bedecked the house with holiday cheer. It's truly December in Dar.

Thanks to everyone who is reading about my life here and for those who are keeping me in their thoughts and prayers. Please pray for traveling mercies for family and friends coming to and leaving TZ as everyone will be going their separate ways in a week's time. Please pray for the country's power (electricity) and for the water supply. Prayers of praise for cloudy weather and Christmas memories.

Love,

LG

PS: Emails count as Christmas cards! Please send! LOL

Living Matthew 7:12

For me, one of the most challenging parts of living in Tanzania isn't the heat. It isn't the language barrier or the currency exchange or even the indefinite power outages. What it is, really, is not being able to go anywhere by myself and, in effect, having to rely on other people to be able to do what I desire to do. Yes, there are some places I could venture myself, but most places are a little too far to travel solo. And when I think of going alone, I think about how I am, even slightly, lowering my safety level and I wonder if it's worth it. So far, no. Instead, I find something else to do and fight off disappointment because in-room entertainment is the order of the day (or night)--again.

What's difficult is not being able to go to a restaurant or a coffee shop when I feel like it. Or not being able to drop off fabric at the tailor down the street because there's no one to walk with me. Or not being able to go buy a T-frame for my bed's mosquito net because no one is available to accompany me in a bajaj to the next little town, perhaps a one-hour excursion start to finish. The "daily life" tasks that are dependent upon having another person around.

These last few days I've felt like a bit of a grump. Finally, now midweek, I've realized the reason why. There are a variety of emotions that go with it (disappointment, frustration, patience, grace), but I think I'm just a little bit sad that I'm so on my own in a place where that "lone" factor unfortunately results in a limited lifestyle.

Don't get me wrong. God has been blessing me countlessly with companionship and convenient opportunities to go and get things done. But what about when it stops being convenient? For me, I came into this experience knowing I would need others to help me, and I committed myself to helping fellow expats whenever and however I am called upon. It's not always about being willing and able. Here, I believe, it's about just being able.

Should I be asked, I will always accompany someone for a bajaj ride (or car ride) to the mall, to the grocery store, anywhere. I will always make plans with someone who seeks a partner (barring no previously arranged commitments), be it to go to a restaurant, a coffee shop, the tailor, the fruit duka, furniture hunting, whatever. I will offer my time and assistance because I am able.

What has been disappointing to me (and led to my recent case of the grumpies) is that I do not find such availability in the people around me.* Now, yes, people have their own lives, schedules, commitments. I am slowly growing mine. But such availability is not what I am referencing. By availability, I mean having the right combination of flexiblity and ability to help someone. I am available to the people around me. I am flexible and able to assist others, even when it's not convenient. Note "not convenient" doesn't necessarily equate to inconvenient. I'm not expecting people to inconvenience themselves. Living in a completely different country has enough inconveniences of its own. And I'm not expecting people to help me just because helped them. It just goes back to being able and being flexible.

Considering we're all pretty much in the same boat (eek, pardon the cliche), I am amazed at the situation I find myself in. We are all starting our new lives here (although some have been here a few years; adjustments are always on-going) and I see many of us building in various directions. God made us all so different, and yet we were all called here. I feel especially called to be out among the community and really connecting with native Tanzanians. I can honestly say that I am not totally fulfilled working at HOPAC. I absolutely love the school, the students and the staff, and I am happy I am here, but I know I am called to do more rural or poverty-based work. I see students in green and white uniforms walking from the school down the road and I get so excited to see them. What I felt in my heart while teaching at Nkoaranga Vocational Centre near Arusha is so different than what I feel here in Dar. I don't know if I can explain it yet, but I know that as I build my life here, I need to find a consistent way to connect to a native community. I am sure that will bring me much joy.

I also want to go out more and experience more culture around the city. I just want to experience more. Some people I have met are very content with a HOPAC-focused life. Some people use up all their time and energy with their job here. I want more than that. I am not here just for a job, and that is why I sometimes end up feeling frustrated, as I'm trying to fight off a stationary lifestyle. Today was an unexpectedly crazy day. I felt like all day I was going here and there and covered every inch of campus. Today was supposed to be my easy day. Today I was supposed to be free of teaching by 10:20 a.m. and spend the rest of the day grading. Didn't happen. But that is OK. And after work, when my right eye started being kinda fuzzy and was burning slightly, I said "yes" to a walking companion request. My tiredness and other ailment weren't so dire or important that I couldn't put forth the effort to meet someone else's needs. What are my time, effort and energy worth when it comes to lightening someone's load or easing someone's burden? The answer is in Matthew 7:12: "In everything do to others as you would have them do to you..."

LG

*This said, I have also met some of the most generous, exemplary people right here in Dar. There is no shortage of God's love in many of the people I have met, and I am thankful for them.

A TZ Thanksgiving

My Thanksgiving didn't start with the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. My Thanksgiving started with a bajaj bumpin' Eminem's latest single and passing Maasai warriors on the street.

Erin and I went to Dyan and Steve Larmey's house, where we celebrated with 29 other folks and gorged ourselves on turkey (white meat, hooray!), stuffing (delish), sweet potatoes (yes, I know!), REAL cranberries, and even a few pies. All day it didn't feel like Thanksgiving (um, hi, I went to school and taught), but I kept sharing joyful "Happy Thanksgiving" wishes to all my fellow Americans on campus. Tonight, I was blessed by the Larmey family with a true-blue Thanksgiving meal (minus Gramma's epic shrimp cocktail, of course), and I am thankful for the fellowship I was so lucky to experience. Americans, Tanzanians, Brits, all were most welcome (karibu sana), and it was amazing to meet many new faces for the first time and still feel like we were, for this night, a family.

Happy Thanksgiving to all the ones I love back home!! Miss you Gordons, Grovers, Partches and Bechters! (And Hollingsworths across the miles!)

Erin and I in the Eminem-enhanced bajaj.

Table for 31?

God gave me a little nudge of home when I saw we all had nameplates. <3

A Larmey family thankfulness turkey. It reminded me of the one we have at home. I made it when I was little and labeled every feather "fether."

Erin and me before dinner.

Mary and me. She lives on the compound, too, with her husband who's the school's sports coordinator. They coach swim together.

Turkey anyone? Erin, Dyan and me.

Apple pie and pumpkin pie. Post feast, I had only enough room for one bite of Erin's slice of pumpkin pie.

The bird.
(Notice the African drums in the upper right corner.)

My place at the table. My nameplate turkey-shaped cookie is orange, just above my plate.

About to sit down to dinner.

Dyan and me.

Marmalade!! The Larmey family's pet goat. I finally got a photo of her! She's on the first-floor patio railing.

Forgot to wear this over to dinner! Took a photo and wore it around my room when I got home. Oh, Target dollar bins.

My right leg in its pink-spotted glory. My body total is up to 21 bug bites today. Happy Thanksgiving!! Haha

Feeling especially grateful for my supportive family and boyfriend and for God's daily presence in my life. I couldn't do any of this without them.

Much love,

LG

Wet Clothes & Cold Showers

I've been in Dar a month and a half now and I'm beginning my transition/adjustments all over again. I just moved last Saturday and now I'm living with Erin and Kate in the Twiga house. (All the houses on the compound have names.) My room is upstairs and I have my own bathroom attached to it (and a small balcony patio, too). After living with my parents and sister for 27 years, it's amazing that "my first place" is half a world away. God sure had a plan. There were numerous times I thought I would move out of my parents' house in Cali: when I was 18 to go away to school at San Jose State University, then later when I thought I'd transfer from CSUF to finish college at SJSU, then once I landed my first full-time job, and even later when I had other full-time work. None of those situations panned out for various reasons, but looking back on my life I see how every corner I turned has led me to living here in Tanzania. The steps I didn't get to take toward living on my own before were actually steps toward living my life here. I'm supposed to be here and I'm supposed to be here now.

That sentiment is one I hold to on days when I feel frustrated or lonely or weird. For the past few days I've been feeling like I felt the first couple of weeks here. The move has created the sense of starting over from the beginning. I shared that with Dyan, an awesome woman who leads YoungLife Africa, and her insight was very encouraging: You've been through this beginning stage of adjustment before, so what would you do differently this time around? She was right. It isn't new territory since I've been at this point of adjustment before. I've been keeping her words in mind.

Every day, throughout the day, I try to find things to be joyful about. It helps me feel better overall, no matter what might be on my heart or mind at any given moment. It is amazing at how many opportunities there are to be thankful for things big and small. Thank you, God, for the afternoon breeze so the air isn't so stifling. Thank you, God, for the invitation to go out with a friend so I don't go stir crazy. Thank you for cold showers on hot, sticky days. Thank you for the food in the staff lounge on the day I only brought oatmeal for lunch, and thank you for helping me cross the busy street. Thanks, God, for helping me to recognize the good things happening around me, like the fact that I now have my own room where all my belongings are finally unpacked from my three suitcases.

The first morning in the new house I woke up to the first rainy day since I've been here. Heavy rain, and it was awesome. How refreshing and what a sense of a clean start. That was a Sunday morning, so I immediately wondered what it would be like to walk to church (down the street at school). The rainy season is something I'm extremely curious about, and there it was: a test run. Marie, Erin and I walked to church in the rain (real rain, not SoCal sprinkles LOL) and luckily I borrowed Erin's extra rain jacket. Nevertheless, the bottom half of my skirt was soaked by the time we reached our seats for the service. My shoes were wet but my soaks were amazingly dry, so that was great. It was really cool to sit in the open-air gym and hear the rain pelting the tin roof and watch it come down in sheets out on the soccer field in front of us. What a TZ church experience. What a memory.

It's amazing to me how my wet clothes didn't bother me at all. I think it's because I know God is with me, helping me deal. I go into a lot of situations with the heart and mindset of "that's just how life is here," which helps me not feel surprised or overwhelmed with many things. A common phrase is "T.I.A." or "This is Africa," and I try to have that resonating in me as often as possible. I try to keep it consistently in mind, using it as a proactive idea rather than reactive. That has helped me see joy in things or handle situations here a lot better. God has been blessing me with feelings of comfort and confidence in various ways, so I'm just going to keep on praying for those! (And good health and safety :) )

I still take it one day (or two) at a time. I'm most excited for my family to come visit. I keep thinking of how life outside the compound will look through their eyes: crossing the insanely busy road to school, riding in a bajaj, shopping at the outdoor market, buying items at the dukas (shack shops), watching a little boy herd his goats down a dirt road, seeing a maasai warrior walking along the street right past people wearing jeans and T-shirts. Inside the compound, at my house, I think about how they'll feel about hearing the blaring music from vehicles driving by, experiencing the electricity going out randomly, listening to the Muslim prayers being played from a speaker on the street, using bottled water to rinse their toothbrushes, showering with a silent shower, seeing ants (of varying sizes) around, and hearing the cows moo outside like they're doing right now. They're mooing a lot today. Doesn't that mean aliens are coming or something when the cows start mooing? Where in the world am I getting that from? Hahaha I have no idea.

Anyway... LOL... School keeps me very busy during the week, so that is good. Felt a little overloaded this week, but it's all coming together. Today (Wednesday) we have the day off because it's a holiday (Eid). There is a lot I need to do for school (i.e. prep for the upcoming poetry unit), but it's nice to be able to have the whole day open and work from home at my own pace. It's fantastic to have all my stuff out of my luggage now. I'm even listening to my CDs for the first time since arriving (first one: Third Day's "Offerings II"). Ah, a sense of home. The walls here are tough and need special hooks, so I'm on the lookout for some so I can make my bare white walls lovely. It was fun to go through all the special items I brought with me, like warm fuzzies from friends written at my goodbye party and past birthday cards that have special notes in them. Some of the items, especially pictures, seem like they're from a lifetime ago, but they make me feel so good.

Pictures from the school's International Day and from our housewarming party are coming soon. They're already uploaded on the computer, so it's only a matter of finding internet strong enough to not take five hours to post online!

Love and hugs to all,

LG

Mondays with a Grain of Salt (or, I Am Not a Snack)

A real update is coming soon. For now, I will say life is going OK. The move should be taking place this weekend, with a housewarming party from HOPAC's Staff-Parent Association taking place Saturday evening. More info on life here soon. :)

But, to ensure my new posts aren't few and far between, here is a fresh one just for you. Behold two mantras I have adopted here in Dar:

Take Mondays with a grain of salt
I've noticed on the past two Mondays I've been a little frustrated at school because of little things. My email's not working again. The last class (not mine) left my classroom a mess. I have to walk to the admin building a few too many times for various tasks. My whiteboard markers are ridiculously faint. My laptop's Microsoft Office program hates me. I have to play musical computers to order a print job, which in itself requires I move files onto my USB flashdrive. Oh, et cetera, et cetera. Even a British/Western-influenced school in Tanzania functions differently than an average school in the U.S., and it's on Mondays it seems I have to readjust myself all over again to this fact. By Tuesday, I'm OK; it's just Mondays.

After talking to another new teacher, who agreed she experiences the same "Monday frustrations," I realized that (A) hooray I'm not alone, but (B) more than that I have to take Mondays with a grain of salt. And not just on campus, but even when I come home after being slightly irritated at school. I have to remember once I leave HOPAC on Mondays that I shouldn't get upset about anything that might happen later that day (i.e., homesickness/entrapment freakout LOL). Of all days, Monday is the day I have to plan for indulging myself. Watching four back-to-back episodes of "The Office" on dvd? Sure. If that's what it takes to unwind and bring the day to a sufficient end. A new day will dawn (praise God for Tuesdays), so I just gotta take Mondays with a grain of salt.

I am not a snack
Oh, bug bites. You sure are fun. I was so proud of myself the other day because my bite total was... zero! Yet the next day I got a few and the day after that four more in one afternoon. (A mosquito HAD to be hiding under my desk. I didn't have those four bites on my lower leg when I got to school that morning!) The worst of it, really, is that they seem to LOVE my joints. With my current tally, all but four are on joints. Oh, and the ones on my feet are seriously the worst. I wake myself up in the night itching my feet in my sleep.

But back to the joints. In the last week, I have had bites on each big toe's knuckle, one on the knuckle of my toe next to my big toe, one on my knee, one on my elbow, and one the knuckles of both my pointer fingers. What is the deal with these jointy areas?! Anyway, I've been perplexed by the mosquitoes' desired sweet spots, so I had to share. When scratching the four bites that align down my leg (a four-inch linear display of pink spots between my knee and my ankle), I decided I should have a shirt that has a mosquito in a red circle with diagonal line through it that reads "I am not a snack." Indeed.

LG

One Month

Tomorrow, Nov. 1, will be my one-month mark here in Dar. In some ways it's come fast, in other ways... well, not so much. To be quite honest, it's like, it's only been a month? But in the next moment I can think, I've been here a month! Strange. It really is. I'm excited to reach this milestone, however, because things can only start to get regular from here. Of course I'll still be going through all the normal ups and downs of transitioning and living abroad (although the transition never really ends), but at least I feel like I'm on my way to living life here.

One major aspect of that will be moving into the second house next Saturday. (God willing.) There are still a ton of items that are nonexistent in the house that qualify it as "unfurnished" or "unliveable," but Erin and the girls and I are praying and planning to push through all that this week. We still need things like a water filter, light bulbs, screens fixed, fuses fixed... just to name a few. Oh, I could go on, but it's unfortunate and not interesting, so I will move along.

This week was our first week back to school since our last day on Oct. 13. Midterm break was long, but good. Unfortunately, the break has sort of mashed my transitions into living/teaching here. Two weeks of school and I was starting to get into the groove (as best as can be expected), but then almost two weeks off put that into a slump. Now, after all that time off, I'm starting adjusting all over again. I'm excited to get a real routine going. I told myself I'd give myself a month before I started a true exercise routine, so I'm actually happy that time is coming up. My posture has actually gotten worse (and I was Slumps McGee before I left), so I'm in need of some yoga stat.

I'm teaching all four grade levels now (9-12), so the curriculum is starting to flow. Should be in full swing by the end of next week. My grade 9 students are quite squirrely, but fun. Last week was my first week with them. Kudos to Heather (English, 6-8) for teaching them up until the break. Lifesaver. One of the best parts of Haven of Peace Academy (HOPAC) is that I am free (and encouraged) to take on anything I want. So far I've mulled over doing a student publication (journalism), a creative writing club (but a lot more "cool" sounding haha), a drama club/student play, a speech and debate club, and... wait for it... a volleyball club. Athletics, I know. Who knew?! This is the place where I can really build my school involvements for my resume and try things that I might not otherwise try--or have the opportunity to try--back in the States. For the creative writing club, I've already envisioned like a poetry reading night (but more than just poetry) where a few student musicians can provide music and the art department (along with the photography club) can showcase student artwork. Can you say interdepartmental? :) I'm excited.

So far I've reached out via email to about four nonprofits in Dar. I really hope to volunteer my time and become involved in a women's issues project (maybe health related) while here. I want to take a step out of my "education" box and learn and experience a different cause that I can be passionate about. I think it would be especially good for me depending on what I eventually earn my master's degree in. (Right now leaning toward international comparative education... or something similar/internationally skewed.) I haven't heard back from any of them yet, so I might just have to go do some door-to-door cold calls. One problem, however, is that almost all addresses in Dar are P.O. boxes, so it's quite difficult to actually know where the offices are. One I found just down the street from me; I discovered it on a walk one day and memorized it's name and Googled it when I got home. Magdala does microcredit stuff for women and women with disabilities. Although I haven't reached out to it yet, Camfed Tanzania is also not too far from where I live on this side of Dar. (Location is SO important, as I have to consider time as well as transportation costs.) My dream job is to work for Camfed. (Its U.S.A. office is in San Francisco; yay West Coast representin'!) It's my favorite nonprofit and I hope that maybe it's "a God thing" that the Camfed Tanzania office is fairly nearby (aka location: commutable). Need to pick a day and find a friend who will go with me on these cold calls. Prayers for volunteer opportunities please!

Yesterday morning, Saturday, I went with Marie to William's village. William is the head of janitorial at HOPAC. Marie drove the bajaj with only a little help from her friend and bajaj driving teacher Abedy. I was so proud of her! Those bumpy dirt roads can be monstrous to manuvre, I can imagine. We got there after about 30 to 45 minutes (we took a little bit longer route so she could practice her driving) and it was a great ride. It felt AMAZING to get out and see more rural aka off the main street people and villages. It felt like I was up by Tengeru and Nkoaranga (by Arusha) again. I felt like I was REALLY in Africa. Loved it. We arrived at a little church and were greeted by William and about four little kids. Marie and William (a great English-Swahili translator, btw) read the kids Jesus' story of the shepherds and the lost lamb. Then we rocked our crayons and colored lambs that Marie had printed out. She had even brought little cotton balls to stretch out and glue to parts of the lambs to make them soft. :) She's so awesome. After that we tried to sing a little, but the language barrier made it more amusing (confusing? LOL) than successful.

We went outside and played a catepillar race game with two lines/teams. (Basically they had to stand in a single-file line and have their hands on the shoulders of the person in front of them. They then had to jump together toward the finish line without letting go of their teammates' shoulders.) They picked their own team names: Njano (yellow) and Simba (lion). They were so still, quiet and attentive during instructions, but once the race started they were all energy, giggles and smiles. It was adorable and completely awesome. As we did race after race between the two lines/teams, more and more kids from the village started coming over. I think by the end of the morning we had about 15 kids there. (Remember, there were only three when we first arrived.) I look forward to ministering to those little kids in William's rural village every Saturday morning. It's a fun and rewarding time to just show Love.

Friday night I found myself at the first wYLdlife meet-up of the school year. wYLdlife is the middle school youth group put on by YoungLife, a Christian missions agency that focuses on youth. Each "club" (what the youth group is called) has a theme, and the theme for this first gathering was Dala-dala. Dala-dalas are like small city buses that people get jam packed into. It's insane and totally Africa. The kids painted a mural of a dala-dala on the side of a wall at the Larmeys (the home where it's held) and we sang silly dala-dala-themed songs, i.e. "Swing Low, Sweet Dala-Dala." Some lyrics included "I went to Mwenge and what did I see? A goat and a chicken sitting next to me." LOL In fact, we had an empty dala-dala come and we packed all the middle schoolers in there, along with a goat (who jumped out quickly) and a chicken. When they exited, we counted 44 kids we had packed in there. (This particular dala-dala was about a little bigger than a 15-passenger van.) Hahaha It was hilarious. One leader said he put his face up to the open side window of the dala-dala and could feel the heat radiating out of it. Haha

The highlight of the entertainment for the night had to be the skit in which two senior boys pretended to be dala-dala drivers. The short version of it goes like this: The dala-dala driver complains and explains how he works so hard. Long hours, no breaks, tons of heat. Because he gets so hot driving with all those people and sweating in the sun, deodorant just doesn't cut it. What to do? He found a solution: peanut butter. [He proceeds to slop TZ peanut butter all over both armpits; he's wearing a sleeveless shirt.] His next problem is, because he sweats so much, he can never style his hair right. What to do? Well, he found a solution to that too: orange jam. [He proceeds to style a bunch of orange jam into his hair.] One of the drawbacks of being a dala-dala driver is not being able to stop for lunch. Well, being on the go all day, he just brings a chapati (like a thicker tortilla). But you never eat a chapati plain. He's got a solution! [He proceeds to wipe the chapati under his armpits really good to get a lot of the peanut butter. Then he wipes it all over his head to get the orange jam. He folds his chapati in half and takes a few good bites out of it.] Delicious. But of course if you eat a chapati you're going to be thirsty. No problem, he figured out how to handle that. You see, you keep a sponge tucked into your shirt at the nape of your neck, so that it collects all your sweat. [He proceeds to take the sponge from behind his neck and squeeze it's liquid into his mouth.] THE END. The skit was SO gross and SO awesome. Best. Thing. Ever! Oh, middle school youth group ministry, how I do love thee.

Looking forward to school tomorrow. Should go work on a "Jane Eyre" activity now. I have a meeting to go to tonight at another house on the compound. The meeting's for PEACH (Partnership for the Encouragement and Advancement of Comfortable Housing). LOL Lots of moving stuff going on (not just me and my house), so it's about that stuff. Today is Election day in TZ, so we have all laid low. Marie made an abundant and delicious lunch for everyone today. What a blessing.

Until next time, please keep me in your prayers. Prayers for a good move to the new house and support for housing issues; prayers for my health (the tummyache lasted about 9 days, but has since ceased); prayers for adjusting to life in Dar and emotions that come with it. Praise for Skype! And THANK YOU to everyone who has emailed me. Your contact means so much.

Lots of love,

L

PS: Happy Halloween! Hope someone carved a pumpkin for me. ;)

Photo Post: Fabrics!

The Wednesday and Friday of midterm break took me to Kariakoo and the downtown fabric market. Here are my purchases!

Don't know what I'll use this for yet. Maybe a skirt. Or curtains for the living room. The print is horizontal.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this fabric. It's my favorite. I'll have it made into a dress.

I'm going to keep this khanga as a khanga, which means I'll use it as a wrap skirt and different ways.



Another print for a khanga!




I want to try to figure out how to make this work as a bedspread/bed covering.



This fabric is actually quite burgundy, a deeper purple than in the photo. This is to line my curtains...

My curtain fabric!!!!! LOVE. Haven't seen the print anywhere else. Only in one duka (shop) in all of Dar so far.



An upclose photo of my curtain fabric print. The "white" is actually washed out gold from the flash.



I decided my room's color scheme will be purple, orange and gold. Maybe some reds, but probably not.

L

Photo Post: Road to School

Here are four photos from the roof of the first house. It's the road I walk to school.

 



 Bagamoyo Road and Silver Sands Road make a Y here. In this photo the Y is upside down. You can see the green roofs of the school's buildings

  




 I walk in the dirt on the sides of the road every day. Bajaj drivers sometimes drive on the dirt although not usually on this road.

  
 



The people you see huddled around are waiting for the dala-dala or they are motorcycle drivers waiting to give someone a lift. You can see a guy rolling a tire, and there is a hut where a guy sells fruit.

  



You can see the white guard house at the school's entrance just above the second dala-dala from the right. PS: Notice the people crammed into the dalas.

 
And here are two photos of the second house.

The house Erin and I will be moving into soon.

Here you can see the front door, the corner windows to the downstairs dining room, the upstairs living room window, and the upstairs extra dining room (?) window (far right). To the right is a single carport area.

Go Cherish Inspire

Last night I met up with six women who had just seen "Eat Pray Love" at the movies. I had been invited to see it, too, but declined with the arrangement that I would meet up with them afterward to join them for dinner. I have absolutely no desire to see that film. In fact, many who know me back home know that I've been badmouthing that movie for awhile. My reasoning is solid, too. (Don't get me started!) To have gone to see it for the sake of getting out of the house would have been totally hypocritical. And, probably painful. So, I met up with them once the credits rolled.

At dinner, at an incredible nice Italian restaurant called Ristorante Bella Napoli over near Oysterbay, Dyan suggested we each come up with three words and three locations of our own; a personalized "Eat Pray Love." It was a great idea as I was new to the group and most of the other girls had only met once or twice before. We all took a few minutes to ponder our words and worldly places. Finally, I came up with mine: "Go Cherish Inspire."

I'm sure I could have come up with a stronger verb than "go" (that's the editor in me), but there is some reasoning behind it. Sometimes when I feel hesitant about something, whether it's doing something or thinking something, a little voice inside me says "just go," kind of like "just do it." Maybe it's sort of like a forced spontaneity coaxing me. I don't know. I certainly associate this kind of "go" with "adventure."  Anyway, I chose "go" and matched it with Costa Rica, although there are several places I could have picked. Since we've met, Dave and I have always talked about going to Costa Rica. He's talked about retiring there. Well, I don't know yet about retirement, but I would love to "go" and use my Spanish (which is coming out quite well here in the land of Swahili) and do a zipline across the rainforest and just live life in Central America for a little while. Vacation or not, I don't know, but that is what I thought of last night.

Surrounded by some well-traveled ladies, I felt a little lame choosing a domestic location for my second word "cherish." But, in my heart it means a lot, so it's OK. I would go back East to Maine with my dad and cherish my time with him touring places special to him and learning about my paternal family history. In June 2009, I was blessed with the opportunity to tour Nebraska, home to half of my maternal heritage. I got to see where my grandmother grew up, where my great-grandmother lived, and where my great-great grandparents are buried. To see the resting place of my great-great grandfather, where I get my Irish from and who came straight from Ireland to the States (and to Nebraska), was a deeply moving experience for me. I hope to someday share an experience like that with my dad and his lineage. I've been to New England many times before, but to go as an adult would really be incredible and much more valuable to me now.

Lastly, my word "inspire" brings me to the present day experience in Tanzania. I've always loved the word and it is one of the reasons I am here in-country today. I was inspired in 2007 after my first visit here, and I have returned because I hope to use my skills, my gifts and my life to inspire my students and those who know me or will meet me. I also believe God will be imparting on me many inspirational experiences that will help me grow closer to Him while I'm here and even after I leave.

So, as lame as "Eat Pray Love" is to me, I guess I indirectly benefitted from it after all, for today I reflect on "Go Cherish Inspire" and am excited for what new words might arise during my time and contemplations here.

L

The First Two Weeks

As I sit here home alone on a Saturday afternoon, having occupied myself for most of the day (it's now about 4:15 p.m.), I guess I should take some time to write about my first two weeks here in Dar es Salaam. I meant to write after the first week, but I really wasn't "all there" yet, so now another week has passed and here I am.

The first few days in-country were quite a blur. Literally. I was very dizzy for the first, I'd say, four days because of dehydration. So, I didn't do that much, but what I did do I was kind of just a zombie. A quiet zombie. I arrived the morning of Friday, Oct. 1, and went from the airport to the school, Haven of Peace Academy. We were in a lot of traffic and I was ill by the time we arrived at school. After sitting for awhile and drinking water, I got a tour around and met a lot of staff and sat and spoke with the secondary vice principal for awhile before going "home" to the staff compound across the street. There I was greeted by Kate and I think I took a nap after that. Anyway, not really interesting details other than I later met my housemates Crystal, Marie and Erin. (Actually, I had met Erin and Crystal at school earlier that day.) That next day, Saturday, I don't remember much, other than my sleep was way out of whack and I was dizzy. Attempted to eat. Had been invited over to the Larmey's (via Dyan), whose children go to HOPAC and whose parents lead YoungLife Africa. We had tacos and I had a nice time, but I was still really out of it and extremely quiet. Mute. Sunday I slept alot and managed to go out with Crystal and Marie to a restaurant after they returned from church. We went to T Square and that's where I had mishkaki for the first time. Yum. I was still out of it and not much company. But, I was glad to get out of the house, despite still having the dizzies.

Monday through the rest of that first week I had only grade 10. We're doing short stories from "Stories of Ourselves." The students are great. Impressive vocabularies so far. I have 22 grade 10 students. By the end of the week, I was really wrapping my head around the IGCSE (International General Certificate Secondary Education) curriculum and also the Cambridge A and AS level curriculum (which I teach for grades 11 and 12). Here's what I'll be teaching this year:

Grade 9 & Grade 10: "Death of a Salesman" (Arthur Miller play, a review for them), "Stories of Ourselves" (10 short stories), "Songs of Ourselves" (14 poems), "Romeo and Juliet" (Shakespeare play, a review for them), and other English language items that are yet to be determined.

Grade 11: "Jane Eyre" (Charlotte Bronte novel), "Songs of Ourselves" (29 poems), "A Streetcar Named Desire" (Tennessee Williams play), and "The Importance of Being Earnest" (Oscar Wilde play).

Grade 12: "The Tempest" (Shakespeare play); "Prufrock and Other Observations (4)," "The Waste Land," and "The Hollow Men" (T.S. Eliot poems); and "Hard Times" (Charles Dickens novel).

So, there is a lot I'll be covering teaching four grade levels. The way the system is set up is that the grade 9 curriculum carries over to grade 10 for whatever they didn't do in grade 9. I'm not sure what my predecessor did that now allows me to basically teach the same thing to both of those grade levels (less to grade 9 should I choose), but yay. Of the texts I'll be teaching, I have only previously read one: "Romeo and Juliet." Such is the drawback for not being an English major and now being an English teacher. I just today finished "Jane Eyre" and am enjoying reading "The Tempest." I am dreading all poetry. I have 22 grade 10 students, six grade 11 students and a lone grade 12 student. She is really passionate about English and literature, so that makes it fun. I don't know how many grade 9 students I have as I haven't taken them on yet (after break), but I think I'll have about 24. That'll be about 53 students total. A small load of students for sure, but a huge course load.

So, that about brings me to this week. Monday, my second at the school, brought me my grade 11 class. (I had taken on my grade 12 student the previous Thursday.) We had a short week at school because Thursday was a public holiday and the staff's professional development session for Friday was cancelled. We have next week off for midterm break and I resume my classes on Oct. 25. I'm at school from 7:15/7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Students are there until 2:05 p.m.

Places I've been outside school vary. I've walked down to the tailor, gone to T Square (restaurant; with Marie), gone to Shopper's (grocery store and mini mall; with Heather and Jen), gone to Mlimani City Mall twice (in an attempt to get a SIM card for my phone; once with Marie, once with Heather), gone to Shoprite (grocery at Mlimani), gone to Engen (mini-mart) and the ATM there. Erin and I went out for Italian food aka pizza on Thursday night at a place called Saverio's. It was delicious! Yayyy. A little taste of home. It was like a thin-crust brick-fired pizza. Yum.

Food has been OK here so far. I need to start eating better, that's for sure. Ramen, chapati and spaghetti aren't gonna cut it for long. Considering I have zero cooking skills, I'm cutting myself a (big) break for starting slowly.

No new news about moving into the second house. It'll be just Erin and me, and I don't know anything else really right now other than we should make some progress on it before she leaves for a few days next Wednesday. I'm not in a hurry because the house I'm in now is so warm. Duh, it's all settled in already. The new one is like a dungeon. We're working from scratch. Seriously. Ground up. I'm looking forward to buying materials at the market, though, to furnish the house. Crazy.

My Swahili is OK as far as basic greetings. I wrote down key phrases on directions and stuff and am starting to learn my numbers. You really have to work at learning the language here because we're all surrounded at school and at the compound by English speakers. I will make the effort. At the outdoor street market in Tegeta yesterday I had to humble myself to take out my little notebook to make sure I knew what I was saying. But, once I see it and say it enough I will learn.

What I miss most so far is TV and food. How American. Haha Of course, I miss people too. There have been moments of panic, more like feeling trapped, but those seem to pass after about two hours. Try to avoid that feeling every day, so I don't want to write too much about it now. :)  Skyping has helped a ton as far as feeling connected. Emailing (and Facebook, I daresay), too.

Love to you all,

L

Skype ID: RememberTZ

There Is Time

I just finished getting ready for the day. Today is not a usual day because it's Nyerere Day, a public holiday for which we have school off in honor of Tanzania's first president. As I showered and dressed, there was no schedule calling me to do it all in a timely manner. My day is totally open. So, I took my time. Slowly washed my hair (a must anyway because of the water pressure, although I believe I have the shower with the best in the house), slowly got dressed, slowly did my makeup for the day and brushed out my wet hair. Done. And, it's amazing what not using a two-in-one shampoo/conditioner will do (my first hair wash here; this shower I made the switch).

It's amazing how in California we are all so busy and we always hear ourselves and others say there's just not enough time. Here, there is time. And, for the most part, rightfully so. Everything takes longer in Africa. A trip to the airport 30 to 40 miles away? Three and a half hours round trip. Traffic. Making spaghetti? Awhile, for you must make the sauce from scratch. Downloading a program from the internet? I don't know because I've yet to actually complete a download. Estimated time to download the iTunes program looked to be about three hours. (I will try again!)

Today, I have a lot of time on my hands, which I usually don't do well with, especially when I'm alone. There are only two other girls around the compound, and a young married couple, because everyone else has either gone away for the break (back to school Oct. 25) or went to a conference for a few days across town. I have committed myself to taking this down time, or quiet time, and appreciating it. Loving it for whatever it may hold for me. True, yesterday I made a list of things to do over break so that I could stay occupied and not end up homesick or a worrywort. But today, the first day of this 11-day break, I am pledging to myself that I will accept the solitude God gives me and rejoice in the companionship He provides. Yesterday one of my housemates mentioned a "silent retreat" she and some other girls went on to Bagamoyo a few years ago. They didn't talk to each other during the daytime and consciously chose to be "alone" during those few days. A silent retreat. Hmm. Instead of looking at being alone here as "abandonment," I hope to remember my housemate's story and see it as an opportunity for a silent retreat with God.

As for the rest of today, it's only 10:30 a.m. now and Heather has accepted my invitation to go with me to Mlimani City Mall, where I can finally get a SIM card and a Tanzanian phone number. That will certainly help me connect here! We'll also get lunch while we're out, so that should be fun. A stop at the grocery store (Shoprite) or the convienence store (Engen) is also on the agenda for the ride back. We'll take a bajaj ("buh-jah-gee" or "buh-jahg") and zip around. A bajaj is a three-wheel car that's pretty much like a golf cart on steroids and my favorite mode of transportation here. I've yet to get on one of the Dar dala-dalas. They're much bigger than the ones near Arusha where I was before.

As I type this I'm outside on the upstairs balcony of the first house. There is a cool breeze and I'm looking out past the palm trees and rooftops looking at the blue radiance that is the Indian Ocean. There's a plan to go to the beach with Heather once or twice over break. Should be good.

Will write more later. Still need to write about my first 10 days here! Oh, I'll get around to it. There is time.

L

PS: Here are two views of a bajaj... Man do they zip around traffic!

Real Diversity

In Orange County, when principals and interview panels have asked me about my "experience with diversity," they really wanted to know if I've worked with Mexican, Vietnamese or Korean students. In my classroom here, diversity has a much more expansive meaning. Here is a rundown of the countries my students represent--and this isn't all of them. There will be about 24 more students I'll meet in a couple weeks when I take on grade 9.

IT'S A SMALL WORLD (In My Classroom)
Tanzania (6)
United States (2)
Scotland (2)
The Netherlands (2)
Germany (2)
South Africa (2)
Denmark (2)
Nigeria
Ireland
Japan
Kenya
Switzerland
England
Ethiopia
Inda
Uzbekistan
South Korea

If you're keeping track, that's 17 countries. And, yes, they ALL speak English, among other languages. We have an (annual) International Day event on Nov. 12. I'm sure looking forward to it!

L

Time Zones & Chatting 'Live'

If you want to touch base with me while I'm in Tanzania, here are the two sections when you can reach me "live":

6 a.m. to 2 p.m. PST (California) 
and
8 p.m. to 1 a.m. PST

I'm on and off the computer throughout these times. Reach me on Skype at RememberTZ! It's probably best to set times to meet since I'm not usually signed on unless I'm meeting someone. (Have to save "luku" = electricity!)

L

Photo Post: Where I Live

Gramma, me, Poppy and Elena @ LAX 9/29/10.

Dave and I @ LAX 9/29/10.

Elena, Dad, me and Mom @ LAX 9/29/10.

My room in the first house (Tembo House).

My room in the first house.

My room in the first house is a room off the hallway. Notice the bar where I draw my curtains.

View out my window (through the screen). The sun rises over the Indian Ocean and shines through my window every morning.

First house, where I live with Marie, Crystal, Erin and Kate. My room is upstairs middle.

First house living room from front door.



First house dining area from stairs.

First house kitchen.



My awesome keys to my classroom/office.