Ohhhh do I feel bad about not updating this blog more often. Yikes!! I have good reasons though. Well, OK, fine. Only one good reason that expired almost 20 days ago: My family was here!! SO awesome and SO amazing!! But, let me be honest: As I sit down to write this, I'm coming off of a very disheartening day. For the greater part of the day I have been trying to remind myself of all the numerous blessings God has been providing for me every day. I've been trying to keep those positive thoughts at the forefront of my mind, but I'm still just feeling downright down. Today, two hours before I was scheduled to teach my first journalism course (an elective), I learned it was cancelled because only one student signed up; other students (grade 11-12) signed up for drama, photography, business, etc. It broke my heart. Truly. And, I had just finished putting together an AWESOME intro to journalism PowerPoint on what is media and the role of journalism. I was completely psyched and went from a super high to a super low. Now, as I type, I'm trying to find the balance of somewhere in between again; that good, nay great, place I was in just yesterday.
The best news is my life has been filled with SO MANY things to be thankful for. God is providing and I am SO grateful for His love and grace. I could not be doing any of this without Him. One of the great joys was having my mom, dad and sister come for two weeks over Christmas break. We spent a few days running around Dar, then up to Arusha, next on to safari before returning to Arusha and back home to Dar. A separate post to come on that incredible time!!!
For now, I feel like I should just write what comes to my head. Life feels normal here, so it's hard to pick out exactly what to write about. To me, the following will probably be random thoughts, but for you it will be a good overall of various aspects here, both trivial and not-so-trivial.
I'm eating a lollipop right now. (Score one for trivial!) They are one of my highlights here. It's my last one so gotta go to the store soon. Food here is definitely one of my, well, I wouldn't say challenges, but subjects that make me miss home I guess you could say. Take anything back home in California, take away half the flavor and that's pretty much what everything is like here. I am lucky my family brought me a luggage of goodies, which I'm consuming sparingly because when they're gone, they're gone! I might sound ghetto revealing this, but one of the first places I want to eat when I get home is Sizzler. I miss lettuce soooooooo much and dream of eating salads again!! Oh and those diced ham bits on top! You can occasionally find lettuce here, but it is a real pain to clean it (i.e. prep by soaking in bleach water, etc.) and to be sure it's totally rid of bacteria.
Speaking of bacteria, I have been so lucky (*knock on wood!!*) that I have had pretty darn good health here. I'm always scared to say (or write) such things because I don't want to jinx myself. I will admit that for the past three and a half months I have been holding my breath waiting for something really stressful or extremely challenging to happen. It hasn't. Thanks be to God!! Oh, and can I get an AMEN for dropping a pant size? Hooray! I eat so much less here; smaller portions, less snacking, fresher meals, lots of water. And of course sweating and walking to/from/around school add to it too!
I love our house lady. (No transition there, sorry.) We have two actually. Esther comes three times a week and cleans and bakes bread, and Jacki comes once a week to cook. We've only had Jacki make fruit salad so far, but boy is that an effort. Everything, especially food prep, takes longer here, and fruit especially takes time. I rejoice having these two beautiful, hardworking women in my home. I especially love when I come home to a bed that is made so crisply that someone would think it was ironed. (I only have a tight sheet and a loose sheet for my bedding here; no comforters or duvets--no way!) But more than the perfectly made bed is how adorable it is to see my Stitch doll (a la "Lilo & Stitch") propped up in difference places. Esther and Jacki do an incredible job taking care of my home and I am so thankful. Sometimes items in my bedroom will be moved around and I smile because I think it's entertaining for them to redecorate and see all the different ways the can style the room. Just the other day when I came home from school, I entered and said "hodiii" (may I enter) and Esther, in a happy and high-pitched voice, sang from the kitchen "karibuuu!" (welcome) They are great women.
The heat has not been bad except for the last week of December/first week fo January. I think it was because Arusha was cold (i.e. 70 degrees) and my body wasn't into getting thrown back into the high temperatures and humidity. I actually don't notice how humid it is until, like the other night, I realize my body is so drenched I literally have to take out a towel and dry myself off. That was the other evening when I was getting ready to go out. I don't use the air conditioner in my bedroom. Never had A/C at home, so I don't totally know what I'm missing. Plus, I always wanted a ceiling fan and using that lets me keep my two sets of windows open so I can enjoy the view from my room. But, I definitely notice (and struggle with) the heat when the power goes out at school. We don't use the air conditioners when we are getting power from the generator, so when I'm in my office (sans fan), I sit there and just soak in my own sweat. Lesson planning is impossible and grading is totally out of the question. I just cannot think straight! However, when Heather (the grade 6-8 English teacher) isn't teaching in our English classroom, I can move my office work in there because the ceiling fans are rockin'. I also get hot when I walk home from school and the sun is blazing down on me. TZ is like 11 degrees south of the equator or something, so the sun's strength is major. Shade is awesome here! Oh, and cloud cover!! I love mornings when I walk to school in the "shade" because the sun is hiding behind the big ol' clouds.
God has been good in answering prayers. One of my goals for the new year (no "resolutions" this year, just "goals") was to enjoy my classes more. Not that I wasn't enjoying them; I was. I just knew that I could really appreciate my lessons, teaching and students more. And I have been. The month is half over and every class period I have ended with a smile on my face. I feel like my students are learning more, too, so that is very rewarding. I am planning on starting a creative writing club and eventually publish a student literary journal, complete with a "book launch" affair that will be a collaboration between the English, art and music departments. Kind of like a night of the arts! Also want to do a speech and debate club.
However, time is working against me. Term 2 and term 3 go so fast. In fact, between April 1 and May 6, I only have 12 teaching days with my students in grades 10-12 (due to Service Emphasis Week and spring break). May 6 is their last day at school before the go on home study leave for end-of-the-year examinations. I will be teaching my grade 9 until the last day of school, June 17. The next six months are going to fly by, and I already feel like the last day of school will get here and I will be saying "it's all over?!?!?!" I had actually been dreading my family leaving because then it would leave a six-month abyss before me. However, God had other plans and I am doing great and receiving amazing news every day. In fact, Dave is coming to see me!! He leaves San Diego on my birthday (March 24 for those of you playing along at home) and arrives in Dar two days later on Erin's (my roomie's) birthday! Just in time for the parrrtayyy! Haha He is staying an incredible two weeks and I thank God for this opportunity for him and for me and for us.
I am happy here, to say the least. I give every day up to God and He gives me the strength and the patience and the ability to carry on. Not just carry on, but to live. A life here is not easy, and I by no means mean to make is appear so. However, with constant thankfulness I am able to enjoy this Tanzanian life and feel like I belong. Life is normal, and I love it.
L
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Thursday, December 9, 2010
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. |
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
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,
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
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
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.
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.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
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!)
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
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
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
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
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
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
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
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)