4/28/18 Hello again from Tanzania.  I have been at my site for about a week now. Getting settled and continuing to try to learn Swahili.  We had our graduation ceremony on the 19th, and left for the closest city to our site the next day.  We spent a few days in the city buying the big essentials: bed, bicycle, stove etc.. and came to our site on Monday.  Now I am trying to get adjusted and meet the local village people.  I start at the dispensary next Monday, start with a swahili tutor next Tuesday (a retired teacher), and will visit a women's empowerment group meeting that same night. Things are busy, especially trying to figure out how to live - the power has been out in the village for a couple of days, no phone, no electricity (I don't have electricity at my house anyway).  The nights are long and dark here, but I don't mind.  It's a lot like backpacking.  I'm going to have to really change my cooking and eating habits though.  Still trying to work through that.  Thank god for Ramen and peanut butter and jelly.
A titantic battle occurred in my house yesterday - I kept hearing a box move, so I looked and found a gecko battling a scorpion. I waited until it was quiet then moved the box and the gecko came running out - my new best friend! Photos: my host family at the graduation ceremony with our matching clothes, my kitchen (I have a table coming today), my new wheels. I have lost a lot of weight, but that doesn't mean I'm in good shape.  Those hills are a challenge.