2/25/18 One week down, and what a week.  We have had some pretty intense daily Swahili instruction with our small group, and we travelled to our central training facility for more collective cultural instruction, and to start training in our respective job fields (mine is Health).  Things will continue on in this fashion for a few weeks, and then we will depart for a week at our site.  This is a pretty important week because everyone is wondering where we will get assigned for the next two years.  I was surprised to learn the size of Tanzania, twice the size of California.  Within its boundaries are many different climates.  Hot and humid along the coast by Zanzibar, cool in the mountains, and hot and dry in the savannahs.  People are wishing to get a variety of climates, I personally wouldn’t mind the cool, but we will see what happens.

Daily life is a grind here.  I’ll just use the cooking(kupika) and water(maji) as an example.  Our mama cooks three meals a day on a charcoal stove.  She has to buy the charcoal daily, light the little charcoal stove, and keep it going through the cooking process, and to boil water.  It usually takes some time to get the coals ready, and things can only be cooked one item at a time.  The water needs to be transported from somewhere (not quite sure where the spigot is yet) since the well just outside of our door ran dry some time ago.  This water is used from everything from bucket bathing and laundry to cooking, and has to be thoroughly boiled before I can drink it or even run it through my filter.  A long process on a little charcoal stove.

The photos I have provided are of my room, my bathroom(choo), and my little brother (kaka) Ivan and his friend.  You can see the little charcoal stove that is so important to our life here in that picture.  I am one of the lucky ones to have an attached choo to myself, as many people use a common one that you have to go outside and use.  Not much fun in the middle of the night.

Well, that’s this weeks post.  Time to go wash that laundry again.  The red dirt gets into everything here.

Kwa heri, Brian

2/18/18 I figured I would just do another post today because Sunday is really the only day we have to ourselves.  The rest of the week we are in classes and busy most of the day.  I took some photos of my host family and of me peeling mangoes to make fruit juici.  It drew quite a crowd, but not nearly as big as the crowd that gathered this morning to watch me wash my clothes in buckets.  They were all joking with me, and of course, I was giving it right back. It was fun, but it is amazing to me how hard the work is.  I was tired after washing my clothes, mama washed her whole families, then the dishes while she kept her charcoal stove going for the meals and ran her business in between. So impressive, and yet so happy.  Reinforces my belief that we don't know how lucky we really are.

The photos are: my host family Rehema, Pascal and Ivan. Rehemas shop, my host home, me and the mangoes, and Rehema cooking on her charcoal stove.

2/17/18 things are going well. My second day with my host family. They are a young family with a 1 year old little boy named Ivan. They own a small shop where they sell small items for daily consum


ption. Pascal, the father also has a pikipiki (motorcycle) that he transports people and goods around on. They were identified as entrepreneurs on my form. They are very nice and welcoming just like the rest of the Tanzanian people.

I am trying to get settled in, a real challenge since this is our third move. I have also had an upper respiratory infection that has just knocked the wind out of me. I'm not complaining though compared to some of the other things that a few of the other volunteers have. Such a shock to the system: the heat, the new food, lack of sleep (not for trying though).  We just have to get through this adjustment period and I think we will all be better off. The Peace Corps staff are very knowledgeable and friendly so things should get on track soon.

Now that we have been placed in our communities our training on language and customs continues on a daily basis.  I have attached a photo of my group of four (the best group) and the tiny classroom we meet in each day. Joseph is our mwalimu (teacher), and we have already had a long conversation about America and the world in general. It is always interesting to get a different perspective on some of the things we just take for  Tomorrow I need to wash my laundry (by hand) and start using this filter system the Peace Corps provided each of us. 

Now that I have gotten some of the kinks out of the system I think I will be able to post more regularly.  Don't hesitate to ask questions, and I will answer them as soon as I can.

Kwa heri (good bye) Tutanoona baadaye (we will see you later)
Brian

One week down and it has been a whirlwind. Classes on swahili, health, and culture as well as getting familiar with our surroundings. The temperature and humidity has been a big challenge. Both readings have been in the 90s. Dar es Salaam was especially challenging because of its closeness to the Indian Ocean. That is the first time I have ever seen that ocean. It was from afar, but I think that still counts. Things are cooler here in Morogoro, the night was especially pleasant down in the 70s. We meet our host families on Monday, this will be a big step in adapting to our new home since it is total emersion. I'll get better with the postings when I have more down time.
PS, Nancy, Shikamoo is said frequently in Tanzania, but I have been instructed not to say it. I hope that doesn't mean I'm the oldest person here. For those who don't know, it is a formal greeting of respect usually reserved for an older person.
Brian

Just hours to go! Departure tomorrow morning for Philadelphia where we will meet up with our fellow Peace Corps volunteers. We will be bussed from the hotel to JFK at the wee hours of Tuesday morning for our flight to our new home. I appreciate all the support and well wishes from everyone and I look forward to seeing everyone again a couple of years down the raod. I especially appreciate all of the technical support from my little girl all grown up. I have successfully packed everything I need for the next two years into two bags, and I'm as ready as I am ever going to be. I will do my best to keep this blog updated, but I can't give any promises on how often. We will just have to wait and see.  Until we meet again.
Brian

Under three days until take off. Just trying to pull some last minute details together. Much appreciative of the donation made by church members. I will find a way to use it that will benefit the African people. I went to the Star Wars movie with Brianna, and out to dinner with Ben. The movie theater was almost empty and the chairs were thick and cushy with extending foot rests. I couldn't help thinking how strange it was to be sitting there knowing where I was going to be in just a few days. Even when I turn on the water faucet, the stove, or the shower I say to myself, I'm really going to miss that. I never did like those toilets that are just a hole in ground, better get over that.