Another elephant video:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=VmLEg4c6ses

Red-necked flangolene, impalas, a gash on the back of a giraffe from a lion attack, gibbons, giraffe, elephants by the park headquarters, elephant and a neat tree (one of my favorite pictures of the trip), termites nest, giraffe (they stare a lot), baby elephants, and a video of an elephant (click to play).

3 Mar: SAFARI!!!

I really need to finish this before I take off for school...Hopefully that means more frequent posts in the near future.

We started the day by hopping on the daladala (48 this time, recall it uncomfortably seats 23). We rode into Iringatown and had breakfast, and we were soon on our way. It was a three hour drive to Ruaha National Park. The drive was amazing. When you see things you never thought that you would see over the course of your entire life, and then somehow find yourself in the middle of those things, its difficult to know how to react. A couple weeks before the trip I watched Blood Diamond, and though I knew I was coming on this trip, I was convinced I would never see scenery like that in the movie. When we came over the top of the mountain and saw Ruaha covering the ground like a green shag carpet stretching its way to end of the earth, I almost panicked. We had the driver stop the car so we could snap a couple of pictures, which you can see above. We paused for a couple minutes to catch our breath and soak in the view, standing on top of a land rover, with granite boulders on both sides. In Africa.

We arrived at the resort where we were staying, which was actually inside the park, and were blown away by the quality of our accommodations. The others staying in the park were fun to have around. There was a honeymooning couple from Britain, and a family of three from Germany (doctor, doctor, med student daughter). The place has running water, solar power, four-course meals, drinks, desserts, bottled water...all a bit of a change for us.

As far as the actual safari-ing, Ill let the pictures talk, and put them in a separate post above. The one thing you will not see, is the first time we saw lions. Since it is the wet season, the bush is thick, and people have been basically preparing us for disappointment as far as whether or not we'll see a cat (lion, leopard, or cheetah). We were actually heading back at the end of our first drive, when Brayn saw something lurking through the bush about ten feet to the side of our car. He tried to say something, but just made a few noises and hit me on the shoulder and made full-body gestures in its direction. I was finally able to get out a "Hey...HEY...HEY!!! LION!!!!" to get the driver and spotter to stop the car. It strolled along for awhile, then crossed the road. One of its buddies came walking along but stayed in the bush. We drove around the corner for a better look as they had both settled down for a nap and were tough to see. They decided to drive into the tall grass (which they asked us not to tell anybody they were doing, but I am now posting on the internet) and almost right on top of one of the lions. With my stupid camera battery dead and Brayn unable to prep his for a shot, we did not get a record of us probably being able to reach out and touch this thing, and then having it take a look at us, scream, and dart a few yards away. An amazing rush. This is an absolute dream come true for a science nerd like myself.

Insets: The "Neverending Road," the view from the top of the mountain over Ruaha, crossing the Ruaha River into the park, and everyone at the safari.

If this is your first time here, please be sure to read the first entry on this site. Thank you.

2 Mar: So Close...

Been awhile since Ive written. Oops. Anyway, this day was pretty much defined by Brayn's runny nose and the fact that we are now one day away from our safari. Brayn was going to go to the Lutheran mass since hes kind of a spiritual mutt, and since I had told Sebastian the day before that Id see him today, I went to the Catholic mass with Simon and Godfried. The sermon ran on a bit for personal taste, probably large in part because I cant understand it. However, one word kept coming up that really sounded like "Nintendo" and that would alwas perk my ears. After mass, I inquired as to the word, and was disappointed to discover that the word is "matendo" which means "act."

After church, I said goodbye to Victor, Sebastian, and Johannes (sp?) (you may remember these three from our meeting about the kindergarten) and encouraged Sebastian to come visit us again before we left. As it turned out, he was planning to visit us that afternoon, which he did. We had lunch with him, and he left after he ate, wishing us well. Good guy, that one. By our surprise, Victor and Johanes (sp?) stopped by an hour or two later. Through a student translator, they asked for scholarships, and requested that we write down their names so we dont forget. I cant blame them for asking. They are passionate about education, and it seems they want this more than anything. I dont doubt that they would work very hard as students. They might have caught me at a bad time, because right now Im feeling a bit like a lottery ticket being scratched by an entire nation. I find myself wondering who should get priority for scholarships. There are many people wanting to sponsor students, and certainly it is up to them whom they wish to sponsor. I think for me, priority should go to students who have started school and dont have the means to continue, followed by students who have just finished primary school and cannot go on without assistance. This is not to say that adults wanting to return to school should be ignored. I just think that Tanzania needs to put all of their resources into raising a generation of educated citizens if they are to become self-sustaining. Adults should be given the option of community education, but maybe Im getting ahead of myself. Maybe not. I may be an idealist, but I dont think that Im unrealistic. Brayn and I are working on a proposal which Ill write more about to put this kind of plan into action, if not to at least put the idea into some heads.

Up next: SAFARI!

If this is your first time here, please be sure to read the first entry on this site. Thank you.

1 Mar: Surprise!

We woke up at 5am because the daladala has been showing up at 530 lately. Of course today, it didnt show up until 615. There is no way to accurately describe riding on this thing. At any moment, every piece of this vehicle will come apart, akin to the Bluesmobile at the end of The Blues Brothers.

We arrivedat our destination and walked the remaining seven kilometers to Nyabula parish. We sat and waited for the bishop while Brian fell asleep in a chair, and I applied my Ultrathon. I admit, we were both afraid this would be a wasted Saturday consisting of awkward silences filled with random nicities (an actual word, or no?) until the daladala came back through at 4pm. On the contrary. We met briefly with the bishop to help edit his letter to whom it may concern regarding the kindergarten project. We then took a brief tour of the parish, which was incredible. It consists of a church, trade school, dispensary, primary school, solar power, and more. We were then treated to a breakfast of tea, milk (first dairy of the trip!) Coke, buns, and fruit.

When we finished we took a ride in the Bishops tinted 4x4 which by standards around here was like riding in limo into Iringatown. The plan was for us to sit in and just listen to a meeting about education at Ruaha University. The university was very nice, and we were surprised when at the opening of the meeting the director of the committee (Organization for the Social Development of Orphans, or OSDO) began the meeting by greeting the guests from America, who are here to listen and suggest ideas for building a school for orphans. This would have been a lovely impromptu introduction, but much to our surprise, we realized it had been scripted. They knew we were coming.

Our input was to be "greatly valued and appreciated." We had no problem with offering suggestions, but felt a little awkward sitting there in our t-shirts with what was clearly high society in the area. The organization consisted of a medical doctor, a lawyer, two PhDs, the university president and secretary, and others. The problem at hand was that construction had been halted due to lack of funding (seems to be a common problem around here). Brayn, having had experience with this at St. Johns University, proposed the idea of trying to find a sister college or high school in Minnesota, which seemed a good idea since Ruaha University is in fact a Catholic school. The warmed up to the idea and were suddenly referring to us as their "American ambassadors." I leaned over and asked Brayn:

"How did we get here?"
"The Bishop from Nyabula took us."
"The who from what?"

Oh by the way, the bishop bailed in the middle of the meeting. Had another meeting I guess. At the end of the meeting, we had a meal, and we got a little tour of the school. On the way out, I felt like maybe I should remind them that in fact we are just two dudes who just happened to be born somewhere else, but we just said thank you and went on our way. We first stopped at a place to set up our safari. The prices have significantly risen over the past year unfortunately, but this was definitely one of those "dont worry about money" moments and we decided to spring for two nights and stay inside the park itself, despite the penny-pinching voices inside my head.

On the way back, our cab driver started in with the usual buttering up that we have come to recognize before people ask us for money. This guy was bold enough to ask for $400 to buy himself a new license to get a better job. Sorry guy, "our commitment here is to education."

After a couple Konyagi-Fantas, we crashed hard. Long day.

Insets: The church at Nyabula, the entrance to Nyabula, the grotto at Nyabula, and two downtrodden wazungus with OSDO

If this is your first time here, please be sure to read the first entry on this site. Thank you.

29 Feb: 24/7/366

Since having a small disagreement on the manner of punishment here at the school, Brayn and I have noticed a certain awkwardness or separation between ourselves and the teachers over the last couple days. Maybe its just in our heads, but its no good because Im again feeling like an outsider. Whos the TOD anyway? Im in charge here. Not really.

I taught my last class today, a Form III class. It was an amazing class which ended with a forty-minute Q&A session on the musculoskeletal system. They did very well and I was oh so proud. Of me.

The heat the last couple days has been intense, and with it an intense feeling of laziness. Therefore, the afternoon was entirely dedicated to purchasing two small bags of detergent and a bar of soap (under forty cents total) and doing some laundry. Today I also finished Johnny Trumaine, making that three books I have consumed since arriving including Kite Runner and Next by Michael Chrichton, who might as well start including stage directions in his books/scripts. Needless to say, the office is a little empty at night, leaving us with some time to read. Thank goodness for lanterns and flux-powered flashlights.

That night we bought some Konyagis for any teachers who wanted to share that night. Mr. Kilinga both drinks too fast, and cant hold much liquor, making him incredibly fun to drink with.

28 Feb: Big Win

This morning my TOD duties began with word that one of the students had flogged another, and that student was to be called forth at assembly by yours truly to receive punishment. Fearing the young man might receive a flogging of his own, I refused, but was then assured that this was not the case. I called him forward and the dean of discipline (formerly a WWF Superstar, or at least should have been with a title like that) also decided to call forth the flogged child. "This boy has beaten this boy" he announced. As if things werent humiliating enough already. The school needs a little work on its punishments.

We took a stroll that afternoon with Lagoos and Mr. Kilinga to see the village dam and the Ruaha River which runs though the area. We also saw the local lumber yard near here. The dam was a little odd, Im still not sure if it served any purpose. The stagnant pond it created did little but disrupt land that could have been used for farming, and Im not so sure the plan to stockpile it with fish is a winner, given the quality of the water.

That evening was dedicated to sports and games, and I played a round of games including volleyball, netball, and I beat a kid of probably twelve years in a one on one soccer game. I was pumped.

Insets: The dam, Lagoos standing on the dam by the pond, the lumber industry, and the Ruaha River (which will be revisited when we go on safari soon)

If this is your first time here, please be sure to read the first entry on this site. Thank you.

27 Feb: Government, Debate, and Love

Today after class, we figured it was time we visited the neighboring government (public) school. The headmaster, Mr. Alberto, had extended an invitation our way one day when we played soccer together, and he had ripped off his suit like Clark Kent, except instead of a superman costume he had a soccer outfit underneath. Touring the school was like being in another world. I though Magulilwa lacked resources, but that was before I learned the wonders of public education in Tanzania. This school has three teachers including Mr. Alberto and the temporary form IV grad. This is like graduating high school, and then getting a job teaching in that high school. They have 360 students in all, and only have two levels, form I and II. Lacking space and manpower, the students take turns being in class. They also do a lot of sharing of books, since there is about one paperback per twenty students. Teachers keep applying, but they get turned away because there is no money with which to pay them.

After a quick tour, our usual "Hi I'm Dan/Brayn, glad to see you all working hard, were from the US, were teaching here for a month, thanks so much for welcoming us" rap, we snapped a few photos at the headmaster's request and went on our way. This was, after all, debate day, and we didnt want to miss it. The topic was "Anti-Retroviral Drugs (ARVs) cause HIV to spread more quickly." Interesting to hear these students debating in a language that wasnt their own, and doing a good job of it having to argue the point that prolonging a life was a negative thing in this case. This of course was all kind of brought back to earth when a chicken walked through the door and across the stage, with no one but myself and Brayn giving it a second glance. The debate was highlighted by the students asking me to debate Amani, who was on the negative side, thus forcing me to make an impromptu argument for quickening the death of HIV/AIDS patients. I did so by arguing the money would be better used treating malaria and building wells and water filters, which was a well-received argument.

That night Brayn and I took to our office. A female student came in, dressed up nicely and smelling of perfumes. I recognized her as the girl whos stuff Bryan had helped carry off of the daladala one day when it was raining. The following exchange took place.

Her, to Brayn: "How are you?"
Brayn: "You know. Quadratic equations. Studyin' up."
Awkward silence.
Me: "Is there anything we can help you with?"
Pause.
Her: "Teach me."
Brayn: "Of course, what do you need help with?"
Pause.
Her: "English."
Me: "Well, we arent really english teachers. What specifically about English?"
Pause.
Her: "Tenses."
Me: "Umm, to be honest, I dont really know how to teach that. Bryan?"
Brayn: "Uhhmmmmm...Yeah...I dont really...Uhhmmmm..."
Me: "That might be a better question for Mr. Kilinga, the english teacher."
Her: "Ok."

She took one more look at Bryan and left. Apparently she has quite a little crush. Brayn informs me that she has tried this when I was not around. This time, her plan was to get dressed up, smell nice, and walk into the office. I guess that was as far as the planning had really gotten. Bold effort though, I have to say. Im impressed.

26 Feb: Throwing Down

I woke up early because Im the superimportant TOD. I was to give some announcements at morning assembly. Again, dont really have any. It seems like assembly s similar to the Festivus "Airing of Grievances," where people just lay into students telling them what they could or should do better. After teaching a Form III course (great, interactive) and a form II (bland, whispers, blank stares), I have realized theres not much else I can do when teaching Form II. Ive done everything I feel I can, from over pronouncing everything I say, to writing everything I say on the board, begging them to interrupt when they cant understand me, and spending time in the office with Brayn every night after dinner. Still nothing seems to get through. Maybe Kessler was right, I should have brought stickers.

At afternoon assembly, I decided to join in on the railing of students. Almost 15 minutes was wasted while students filed into the Form III course after morning assembly. Also, the head prefect Amani had ratted out some students, as he is often asked to do, who had broken other rules, so we had them all fetch water for the trees that were planted the previous day. Being TOD, I have to stick around the school after classes, which is a little frustrating since we still have some exploring to do. Brayn and I excused ourselves from a staff meeting which was being conducted pretty much entirely in Kiswahili. We went to watch (supervise) some students playing netball and soccer (football), and somehow ended up goofing around playing 2 on 2 basketball (just backboards, no nets) with a couple students. We quit when we lost the sunlight.

After dinner we had some great conversation about the Tanzanian economy, whats wrong and how can it be made better. As it turns out, its a lot easier to talk about whats wrong. Theres a lot to say, from the high cost of electricity which keeps industry down, to corruption in high ranking officials, to an entire generation which should be the bulk of the workforce not having any education. There is also a mass exodus of those individuals with any real skill that might be of value to an industrialized nation, who will allow only these skilled workers to immigrate.

Tonight is the world premiere of our photo montage, which will hopefully be on youtube very soon.

If this is your first time here, please be sure to read the first entry on this site. Thank you.

25 Feb: TOD!

Today I begin my time as TOD (Teacher On Duty). I pretty much have no idea what that means. In the morning I was to make some announcements. I had none. No big whoop. The head prefect (top student, Amani) took care of things. The students were dismissed from morning assembly and went to class, and I prepared for my Form II class. It went as Form II classes usually do. Blank stares and silence while I lectured about nutrition to students who arent getting enough. It made me feel awkward telling students that vitamins are important, and that they come from things you dont have.

During the afternoon, the students were to weed the bean field and plant new fruit trees. The school does a good job of reducing its tuition fees using agriculture. It was of course my job as TOD to ensure the work got done, so of course it did.

Since this was a pretty short post, here is a list of my favorite Tanzanian business names Ive seen so far:

4. High Classic Furniture
3. *$#@! Shoe Shine
2. Decent Hair Salon
1. Ruaha University College

If this is your first time here, please be sure to read the first entry on this site. Thank you.

24 Feb: The Bishop

Today was the day I was to double the number of times I had been to church in the past year in only two weeks. The bishop was coming, and of course we had to meet him. We arrived at 930, same as last week, only to learn that the bishop does another mass elsewhere before this one. In order to escape the awkwardness, we bailed, knowing we'd hear the bishops car coming down the road, signaling the proper time to leave. Having been told he would arrive around 1030-11, the mass naturally began around 12, 1230.

Following the two-hour fifteen-minute mass, we were asked by the bishop to introduce ourselves in front of the church. Again. We did so, briefly, and were asked to speak about our plan to find money for a pre-primary school to be built by the church. Making promises I had no idea whether or not I would be able to keep, the bishop decided to announce that maybe our church back home could go 50/50 with the village on this project (murmurs from the crowd). Ok, maybe 75/25 (murmurs). Ok, well see.

After the mass ended we were treated to a great meal with the bishop, Mr Kisava, and the others from the church we had met with the week before, cooked, thankfully, by Eliza. During the meal, we spoke with the bishop about things ranging from poverty to ecotourism, and he of course was charging us with the task of being great ambassadors for the program they wanted to implement. Oh by the way, they want to build two now. Oh and a lot of the students will need scholarships. Right on. Well see.

The evening was consumed by a soccer (football) game, students vs. villagers on the village field (pitch). Last time the villagers had won 2-0. This time however, they were using one of the balls brought by Brayn and me. X-Factor! Among celebrations of epic proportions following each goal (which I of course joined in to the delight of all), the students destroyed the villagers 4-1, controlling every aspect of the game. Or so it seemed to me, I dont really know much about soccer (football). Thousands of generations spent evolving these hands and thumbs, and yet the most popular game in the world doesnt allow you to use them. Oh well.

The celebration paraded from the field (pitch) back to the school with the boys and girls (who are the most passionate fans) singing their respective victory songs. We had our usual crowd of village children following us, and on the way back Brayn snapped maybe my favorite picture of the whole trip, seen above. The boys would encircle a player chanting "[players name] katiki!" and that player would do a spastic dance/movement. Katiki relates to something about snakes, which is supposed to be reflected in your movement I guess. They saw me and Brayn, so naturally they came at us with "Wazungu katiki!" and katiki we did.

The celebration lasted until dinner was served and the stars were coming out. It was the clearest night we had seen in a while, so we nerds immediately found a nerdy way to spend it. We again broke ou the astronomy book and spent an hour or so mapping constellations (of course using Orions belt as a mapping point). The stars here are incredible, but often the moon shines so brightly that many stars are lost in its light. Staring at the bright, full moon I coulnt help but think of the scene in Home Alone 2 where Kevin McCallister is Lost in New York and he is looking at the same moon as his mom in Miami, and they both say goodnight to each other, and I wondered if maybe Liz was looking at the same moon. Then I remembered that we are on opposite hemispheres in both directions, so, no, of course she isnt.

Insets: The children who will benefit from the pre-primary school dressed in their Sunday best, Brayn, me, Sebastian, and the Bishop with some of the children, and me with some of the village children (my fav).

If this is your first time here, please be sure to read the first entry on this site. Thank you.

23 Feb: The Daladala

The minibus (daladala) which takes you to Iringatown usually arrives between 6 and 630. Seeing as how nothing here seems to be on time (when you ask someone when something starts, a common reply is "4 oclock, Africa time" which means it will start anytime between 430 and 6), you can imagine our surprise hearing the bus roll by at about 545. We ran to catch it and did, securing a halfway decent seat. The ride into town was no sweat, as smooth a ride in the daladala one can get (really unsmooth).

We arrived in Iringatown and immediately headed in the wrong direction, wisely having decided to part ways with the one person on the bus we knew, Pius. Upon having doubled back finally, we had an incredible chance encounter with one of only two Iringans we know, Ayobu, who said he would meet us later at the internet cafe. After two infuriating hours of browser freezing and slow loading, it was on to the post office and a hotel restaurant for lunch. The steak tasted ok, but was tough enough such that my gums are now swollen.

To reach the pick-up spot for the daladala we had to take a different minibus. It seated 18, but we somehow got 25-30 people inside. We arrived at the pick-up point too late for a good seat, and I ended up in the back row (seats four) with four other people. Along with the supplies that were placed on my feet, I pretty much couldnt move. The daladala seats 23, and this time we had 45 people packed in. I began having serious doubts over my ability to survive this trip. The bus seemed to be leaning heavily to the left for the entire ride (a notion later confirmed by Brayn) and my inability to readjust myself made for one of the more sore left cheeks Ive ever had. Im proud to say I only really came close to a mental breakdown once, but my hatching an escape plan out the window eased the tension. The panic can only be compared to the feeling of relief when three hours after the ride began, the school came into view. We unloaded our things as it began to rain, but it was good to just be in the open space.

The rest of the night went something like this: read, eat, read, sleep.

Inset: the smooth road for the daladala

If this is your first time here, please be sure to read the first entry on this site. Thank you.

22 Feb: Happy Hour Part II

I did my bones lesson with the other Form III class today and they definitely enjoyed it. Other than that one class, most of the day was spent in the office preparing lessons, reading, and inventing games with the deflated soccer ball. Since Simon and Godfried have joined us in our office, we havent had the opportunity to continue with these games as much, which is a shame.

By the time late afternoon rolled around, we figured it was time we paid another visit to the local tavern/store/mudhut. Accompanied by Mr. Kilinga, we brought six 50 mL bottles of rum with us, courtesy of Brayn's family liquor store (airplane safe!). I sat in the corner seat, which I have now decided is in fact my seat akin to Norm's stool, and we ordered some Cokes to go with the run. While Mr. Kilinga was raving about the booze, the usual buzz that follows us around the village had begun to gather strength outside the store. The store owner, and biggest man Ive met here, came in and had a seat. It was quite apparently this was seen as a bold move. Upon learning who he was through Mr. Kilinga, we offered him one of the bottles of rum. He took a sip, practically leapt out of his seat, went out the door and shouted something involving the word "wazungu." He soon returned with his father (another rum gone) who is one of these older people in the village who are clearly excited about being around the foreigners, but hold back the excitement (this of course in stark contrast to the mobs of children who come running at the site of us). In any case, these older folk are definitely my favorite people to meet. Within a few minutes we were also joined by a teacher from the nearby primary school (wearing glasses akin to those worn by the witness in My Cousin Vinnie), a village elder, and the shopkeepers brother Charles, who spoke English fairly well. He explained he had learned to do so in the army, but he also clearly had some neurotic tendencies, quite possibly coming from the same source. Needless to say, he got the last rum. They were aking the usual questions about our home (weather, farming, what we think the biggest differences are, etc.), and somewhere along the way Charles started going on about how it sounds different when we speak English compared to theirs. He was saying how instead of "water" with a well-pronounced "t," we say "wada," sounding very much like an Upper East-Sider. My explanation of how it was the same with Kiswahili, where Ill say "hujambo" or "sijambo" overpronouncing each letter, theyll just lazily say "jam..." drew forth giggles and giddy, spastic hand clapping from the shopkeeper. This was my first joke that was genuinely well-received by Tanzanians since Ive been here, and it felt good. It somehow made me feel all the more assimilated, a little less like a visitor. Every seat was filled (all eight of the plastic lawn chairs), children were peeking through the window as usual, and by now even the adults are sneaking galnces in the doorway. An idea struck the storekeepers father and he hurriedly left the room, quickly returning with roasted maize (corn) for Brayn and me. This was probably a big deal. "We are all people" he said through Mr. Kilinga.

Poetry.

On our way out, Mr. Kilinga had to go to the bathroom, which he referred to as a "short call." Brayn and I agreed we need to take that terminology home with us.

When we returned to the school, the skies were clear enough to break out the astronomy textbook we found in the library, and we spent the next thirty minutes or so picking out constellations with some students, aided by our flux-powered flashlight (that can or cannot help us travel through time, we are still investigating this). Today was a good day.

Insets: Us with the storekeeper and a friend kneeling in front of us, us with Charles between us, us ruining a fantastic picture of a village elder and the storekeepers father, and us with our maize (corn).

If this is your first time here, please be sure to read the first entry on this site. Thank you.

Bonus!

[Verse 1:]
I hear the drums echoing tonight
But she hears only whispers of some quiet conversation
She's coming in twelve-thirty flight
Moonlit wings reflect the stars that guide me towards salvation
I stopped an old man along the way
Hoping to find some old forgotten words or ancient melodies
He turned to me as if to say
Hurry boy, it's waiting there for you

[Chorus:]
Gonna take a lot to drag me away from you
There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do
I bless the rains down in Africa
Gonna take some time to do the things we never had

Wild dogs cry out in the night
As they grow restless longing for some solitary company
I know that I must do what's right
Sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti
I seek to cure what's deep inside
Frightened of this thing that I've become

[Repeat chorus]

[Instrumental break]

Hurry boy, she's waiting there for you

[Repeat chorus]

I bless the rains down in Africa [x6]


Yep. Listened to that about twenty times by now. Its our theme song. Obviously. Did you know that Toto was the back-up band for "We are the World?"

21 Feb: Potential

Finally some human biology. I taught movement and bones to Form III today. I asked Brayn to come to the class, and I had students label his skeleton with post-its. Some students told me they enjoyed the lesson. Nice.

My Form II class was cancelled because there is a blood drive today. Ive really been pushing this in my classes for a couple days, and of course Mr. Kisava had me say a few words to the student body before everything started. Im happy to say that many students are currently volunteering, whereas before they were extremely apprehensive.

The school has a new library. Its amazing. There are boxes of books stacked to the ceiling, and chairs and talbe to accommodate many students. There is one problem: the boxes are unopened. Its driving Brayn and me crazy. Perhaps the biggest problem in the school right now is a lack of resources, and here they are. There are textbooks from any and all subjects, from elementary to college level material. There are novels, religious books, any number of categories of nonfiction, and the only thing they need are shelves. And maybe a librarian. In any case, this library was overwhelming to see, especially after seeing the books that the students are currently using. This library needs to be operational as soon as possible.

We went to do some more work in the library when it began to rain. Brayn ran back to recover the solar battery and I stayed behind. The rain started coming down much harder. I had finished sorting when I noticed a young man and older woman seeking shelter beneath the overhang of the library roof so I invited them in. It turned out the they had just come from the dispensary and the woman had very sore feet. I got them a chair and they thanked me. I was stuck in the library for nearly an hour, and each time the rain would let up just enough to make a run for it, I was too apprehensive because of the mud. Also I have to lock the door behind me, and I cant force these people to leave (not just because its mean, but also I dont know how to say "get out" in Kiswahili). After shuffling a few more boxes around (I revealed a lizard after lifting one, and Im proud to not have earned the label of "the screaming wazungu"), and some reviewing of a genetics textbook, I was able to lock up and leave.

Since the ground was indeed mud-soaked, most of the rest of the day was dedicated to reading. Having consumed a solid portion of all three of my books, I decided to call this a productive day. I was also able to talk to Liz on our phone for ten minutes. Since Im feeling so much better, it was nice to talk to her about the trivial moments of daily life here, as opposed to the last call which seemed filled with desperation at the time.

I have come to enjoy exploring the chalkboards of empty classrooms in the evening. It gives me insight into what and how the students are studying and retaining. While on one of my evening gallivants, a student named Philimony came in and spoke with me. In his further studies he wants to pursue the sciences, and he told me that he and other students had been talking about how they had really enjoyed the lesson today. Due to my inability to describe so many of the experiences here, Ill just say that was really swell.

Ill put pictures in a separate post immediately above this one.

If this is your first time here, please be sure to read the first entry on this site. Thank you.

20 Feb: Assimilation

You can tell were spending more time in the office now, because these entries start to get longer. I had only one class today, form II. Better than the first time, but still a struggle. Having only one class leaves a lot of free time. This time is mostly filled with the invention of office games or reading. Anything but teaching (though we have made ourselves very accessible).

In the middle of the day we got it into our heads that it was time to start carrying things around on our heads. The women around here perform this task as a finely-tuned skill. No hands. Its unreal. Brayn and I walked down to the water pump (about a half-mile) and filled our buckets. We walked back ever so gingerly with the buckets on our heads, much to the delight of the local villagers. Two wazungus with buckets on their heads is apparently not an every day sight for them. When we got back to the school Mr. Kisava saw us passing and rushed out of his office to take a picture.

I had a pretty decent bowel movement this morning. Odd thing to discuss, you might say. However given the irregularity of these, it has become a frequent topic of conversation between me and Brayn. This morning was the most well-formed one Ive had since Ive been here, and I was able to get almost the whole thing right into that little hole, which is more satisfying that I can properly explain. Were both still waiting for that first really normal movement, solid and well-formed. We plan on having a "First Log" celebration when it happens. Rum, beef jerky, itll be wild.

For lunch we had perhaps the most complete meal weve had since being here, with all the food groups represented. Spaghetti noodles with some kind of delicious spicy sauce, ugali, beef, mango, and mystery greens. As far as Im aware, this is indeed all the food groups because as far as Im currently aware, dairy does not in fact exist here.

In recognition of our extreme need for exercise, we went down to the field (pitch) after class to kick the ball around. Some local kids, aged 5 to 10, joined in, as did Mr. Kisava and the headmaster of the neighboring government school. Everyone loves to play soccer (football) with the wazungus. Do they know the rules? Can they kick the ball? Do they have feet? It started to rain a bit, and as we were worried about the solar-powered contraption with which we power our iPods and such, we decided to jog it in. I had many excuses for why I was unable to make it the whole way. Its raining. Its slightly uphill. I just played some soccer. My shoes are improperly tied. These eventually broke down into my solemn realization of just how out of shape Ive gotten, particularly in the past couple weeks.

With the debate having been canceled (Wednesday is debate day) some time was freed up in the evening. Thank goodness, were so busy here. Two new teachers arrived this evening, young guys who just graduated named Simon and Godfried. Hoping to catch a stirring rendition of Bridge Over Troubled Water I ran out oddly fast to greet them. We had Cokes with dinner to celebrate their arrival. Seeing as how we eat dinner about one hour before going to bed, the caffeine should keep me up for another three hours and when I do fall asleep, wake me up to pee. Again, this is one of those Africa situations where you cant say no.

I started three books today. The Kite Runner, Crime & Punishment, and Johnny Trumain. Its been a big debate over which will get the nod for nighttime reading, but JT is looking to get the go ahead due to its larger print size. Its easier to see in the dark. I drifted asleep with visions of the founding fathers in my noodle, eagerly awaiting waking up in the middle of the night to stumble to the bathroom with my flux-powered flashlight.

Inset: Our office

If this is your first time here, please be sure to read the first entry on this site. Thank you.

19 Feb: Snuggle Up

Teaching Form III? Great. Form II? Not so much. I dont really know how to get past this language barrier, but right now I'm hoping the students and I just get used to listening to each other. Maybe if they had, you know, books.

We have told the students well be keeping office hours from now on as well, to keep us on task, doing our lesson plans, and of course be available for questions at specific hours. So far during our first office hours session Ive written in this journal, and weve played some volleyball with a deflated soccer ball across our desk ("So this is what working in an office is like" observes Brayn).

We went to watch the Form II vs Form III soccer (football) game. While the boys play soccer, the girls play netball. Apparently only girls play netball, which is annoying. Its a lot like basketball, and I think I might be halfway decent at this game, contrary to soccer. We spent some more time in the office after the games and a dinner of rice and beans. Were fed very well here, which makes me feel a little guilty. The students eat ugali and beans for two meals per day. Our meals consist of some combination of rice, beans, ugali, greens, peas, every so often some meat, and bananas). Usually two or three of these. I have never once heard a student complain about the food they receive, despite the meals being straight out of Oliver.

They also dont complain about their living conditions. 48 boys share a two-room dormitory. The rooms are packed with bunkbeds, and they sleep two per mattress (four per bunkbed). Most have a small trunk in which to keep their clothes. A wardrobe most often consists of school clothes, after school clothes, and sometimes a soccer outfit. They also have a bar for weightlifting. Its a metal rod with a paint can full of dirt attached to either side. The school is currently working on a new dorm which will house about one hundred boys, with six living in each room (twenty in the one larger room). However construction is currently halted due to lack of funding.

Insets: The boys dormitory, the new dormitory under construction, and two pictures at dinnertime in the mess hall.

If this is your first time here, please be sure to read the first entry on this site. Thank you.

18 Feb: A Simple Misunderstanding

The first few days here felt like weeks. They are starting to really fly by now. Today I taught more classification to forms II and II, which to be perfectly honest bores me to tears. I cant wait to get to some human biology. I never really considered how as a teacher, sometimes you have to teach things you dont care about. Also, Im not a teacher, which makes it even more difficult.

I asked Mr. Kisava if I could pick things out of the syllabus that I felt I had something more to offer when teaching, but he explained that the government tests which determine whether or not you get to have a paid education after secondary school go directly along with the syllabus. I guess I can deal with a few yawns. The problem is that its hard to be funny or interesting when youre focusing so hard on simply having the students understand the words coming out of your mouth. Form III seems to be understanding fine. Ive really enjoyed teaching them so far. Form II is different. I get a lot of stares, and some students dont take notes. The material is boring and they can hardly understand me. They havent been studying English very much yet (the difference between Form II and III students in terms of English speaking is amazing) and the accent is too much for them to handle. Ive been working on my pronunciation so they can understand better. For example in the word 'better' I have to really over pronounce the Ts, whereas here I would sound it more like 'bedder.'

I got through teaching classes and did a lot of reading afterward, something Im finding myself getting back into while Ive been here. We also took a walk for about two hours to become more familiar with our surrounding. We ran into Gama, the schools night watchman. He picks peas during the day and watches the school at night. Quite frankly, I think he probably just goes to sleep after all the lanterns are off. Gama was convinced we were lost, so he insisted on walking us back to the school. He speaks English well, so it was fun to talk with him, not to mention his giggle.

Inset: An unfinished house, a villager on the road by another unfinished house, and tell me thats not the same agave plant used to make tequila (dould Jose Cuervo also conquer the African horizon?).

If this is your first time here, please be sure to read the first entry on this site. Thank you.

17 Feb: Charlie Church

After we woke up, we wandered around like idiots for awhile before making our way to the church (its what people do here). For todays mass, the students were singing all the songs. The church was completely full and uncomfortably hot, and after the mass which was of course conducted entirely in Kiswahili, they asked us to come up in front of the church and say a few words. Of course, they asked this of us in Kiswahili, so we sat there like idiots until one of the students sitting by us translated. I said a few words about feeling at home despite being so far away from ours which seemed to be well received, I guess. Afterwards, we had a little pow-wow with the catechist, chairperson, and secretary of the church, with Mr. Kisava translating. Five to ten minutes into the meeting I had one of those moments of realization when I finally figured out that they were asking us to help them find money to start a kindergarten. We agreed to speak with some churches when we returned and deliver a letter for them, and that agreement was so well received that they actually clapped. After that moment, there was about another hour or so of nicities, followed by a brief discussion about HIV/AIDS which was interesting. The meeting ended with soda and crackers which Im still not sure were supposed to be soft and chewy. This was one of those situations, however, when things cannot be turned down. Delicious.

When we got home, I was feeling pretty terrible, either from the crackers, or from convincing myself that the crackers were making me sick. Still, I ended up playing a little soccer for the first time. I am a terrible soccer player and of course couldnt keep up with a bunch of young Tanzanians, but I ended up just playing around taking shots on goal with a few of the students and had a lot of fun. I also came to realize just how little exercise Ive gotten since arriving, which might be related to the drowsiness and trouble sleeping. Not to mention the way these people carbo-load. I should be exercising for hours a day based on the way theyre feeding us here.

Speaking of eating, I still have a tough time handling too much of the African food, though Im getting more and more used to it. But if someone piles more food on my plate one more time without my asking, I might flip out. Thanks, but no thanks. No really. Im good.

Inset: The village Catholic church

If this is your first time here, please be sure to read the first entry on this site. Thank you.

16 Feb: Iringatown

We woke up at 0530 this morning to catch the minibus (daladala) to Iringatown (named Iringa, but everyone says 'Iringatown, and I like it). This was quite a trip. The bus can barely hold up against the rough road, and the rain weve been getting doesnt help any. The overcrowded bus blasts through the mud, swerving at forty-five degree angles to either side, wondering how the thing doesnt tip over or fall apart. The beauty of it is that everyone in this country is a mechanic. This bus has probably died at least a dozen times and keeps getting new life breathed into it by the industrious Tanzanians. The ride ended at an impassable bridge. The river had flooded from all the rain and the road was washed out. Hundreds of people were crossing the bridge on foot, or were stranded waiting for buses to come pick them on the other side of the bridge. Once we were finally able to get a ride to Iringatown, we went to the net cafe to write and respond to emails for about an hour. We walked around for awhile and picked up some phone cards, water, and the western remedy for most illnesses, Sprite. We waited for awhile as Mr. Kisava, who has been with us, took care of some business, and Todi and Ayobu stopped by to visit for a bit. When we had all finished everything we needed to do in town, we took a cab back, a small sedan. Ever the optimist, Bryan estimated the odds of us getting stuck in the mud at 50-50, while I guessed that those were probably the odds we made it to the school in the car period. I must say I was impressed with the skill of the driver, navigated the mud, holes, and gouges that filled the alternative route we had to take, and he did make it about 4/5 of the way back before getting stuck in the mud. With the aid of about six villagers, we got it out after maybe twenty or so minutes of muddy pushing and lifting the car. When we had finished, the villagers asked Mr. Kisava to tell the wazungus to pay them. I was glad when Mr. Kisava scoffed and paid them himself, which we of course reimbursed. I felt kind of bad for the driver after we arrived at the school. The drive had taken 2.5 hours, and there was probably 1.5 hours of light left. Good luck, buddy.


Insets: people crossing the washed out bridge, Iringatown from the net cafe, and a video of the smooth ride on the daladala

If this is your first time here, please be sure to read the first entry on this site. Thank you.

15 Feb: On the Ups

Once I got going today, I was feeling much better. We dont have shower shoes yet, so that process has been difficult. They make sure that we have warm water every morning to pour over our heads, but our refusal to have bare feet in the bathing room makes things tough.

Mr. Kisava and I arranged for a student to teach a class in form IIIA biology today. This way I can observe the methods that the students are used to learning from. Brayn has been able to learn this way by observing the math teacher that is here, but since there is no biology teacher, I havent had the same opportunity. It helped a lot, and I think Im going to be a lot more confident with teaching now.

After classes ended, Brayn, Mr. Kilinga, Lagoos, and I went to the village pub. The pub was the biggest store in the village, which had an adjoining dirty room with eight plastic lawn chairs around a single table. We drank Konyagi, a corn liquor (70 proof) out of the little plastic bags in which its packaged, mixed with Coke. We all had two, but since I hadn't been eating hardly at all for the past couple days I got a little more intoxicated than I had planned. As far as I know, Brayn was the only one who was aware of this, which is probably for the best. I came to realize that we were pretty much drinking on Friday at happy hour. While we were there, people kept peeking their heads in the door to sneak a glance at the wazungus, and the kids were peering through the windows despite Lagoos constantly shooing them away. It made us feel like VIPs (were not). While we drank, conversation was terrific. Mr Kilinga and Lagoos both speak English very well, and we talked about everything from electoral and social politics to soccer and other sports. On our way out we picked up some shower shoes, which are sure to completely transcend our experience here in Africa. Also, walking around the school with a buzz was an interesting new experience. All I know is that Im feeling better, I have a buzz, and these two things coming together are doing a lot for my optimism. Today was a great day.

Insets: Us with Mr. Lagoos (hopefully Brayn will send me a better picture), The washroom, and us at the bar with a couple locals

If this is your first time here, please be sure to read the first entry on this site. Thank you.