Happy Early Thanksgiving everyone! Enjoy family, food, and football (all the american joys of Thanksgiving! Especially the Turkey!
Well, I will become an official PCV next Wednesday! I am super excited! I am excited to move into my own space and have everything be mine and not feel like a guest. My host family is great, but you never truly feel at home home! Also, I can wait to make whatever I want when I want. With the Christmas season coming, you can bet that I will be making or trying to make cut out cookies and buttercream frosting. I may even post pictures! Sorry, but pictures may take a while to get. I promise hopefully by New Years! I have a lot of pictures to post... safari, new house and hopefully delicious cookies!
Also, since last post was before or near Halloween, I hope everyone had a safe and great Halloween! Really the only exciting thing that I am now about to finish as I become an offical PCV is PC Training. I had my final Language Proficiency Interview and hopefully got a Intermediate-Mid. I apologize for those who don't know what this means but it is way more complicated than I have time for. But hopefully I made the cut! Boy though, am I excited to be done! I can't wait to just sit for one day and do absolutely nothing. I will be able to do whatever I want when I want... to a certain degree. I could sleep in later than 6 am if I want. Got to go only 2 minutes to spare!
Megan
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Another Post.
So today was the site announcement. It was so cool. They had African dancers and drum players. I even got to try the bass drum. Well, it was quite the anticipation because mine was called near the end. I will be teaching math and probably chemistry at a boarding/day school for boys and girls. I am super excited.
What have I been up to lately? Well, I finished my student teaching internship this week and our school threw us a little going away party that was nice. A couple of weekends ago, I went on my first safari. I went to McKumi National Park. I got to see elephants, giraffes, warthogs, monkeys, baboons, zebras, wilda beasts, water buffalo, a lot of really pretty birds, a hippo, and even lions. The lions we saw were eating their dinner. I even got a picture of the lion with the carcass. The pictures will come eventually, but it might be a little bit. It was nice to relax for a bit. Normally, I am going going 6 days a week from like 6 until 5 pm. So the days can be long.
Life in Tanzania is great. I really like it. The food is excellent. I just have to learn to eat carb, but guess what..... Tanzania has peanuts AND PEANUT BUTTER!!! I know. How amazing is that! And the peanut butter is appropriately priced. I eat a lot of rice and bean with combinations of tomatos, green pepper, onion, garlic, and meat or coconut milk and peas (FYI.. Christina you would totally be fine in visiting). Most of the stuff I eat is vegetarian or can easily be made vegetarian. I am not the biggest meat eater here either. It tends to be a bit chewy, but what I did learn is I love sardines or small fish!!! Here we call them dagaa. I like them fried best. Also, a lot of the food here is fried, but it is delicious. They even have an omelet with fries in it. It is delicious, but I cannot eat too many. While the food is amazing here, I sometimes have dicussions with fellow PCTs about food that we crave. This is probably one of my favorite discussions in fact. What I would not do for a good milkshake!!!! MMMM! But, don't worry, I have chai time. I get a daily tea break at about 10 am every day. It was great. Also, one more thing I am missing is chocolate which may sound weird to the people that have known me since I was little but I would love a good dark chocolate candy right now. I savor things like this like nothing else. And since I know it is Halloween, I sure am missing Reese's PB shaped pumpkin or bat candies!
Anyway, I am becoming pro Tanzanian kitchen cooker. I hope to become pro baker once I get to site. I am even going to try an continue the Christmas tradition of making cut out cookies with frosting in December. I will let you know how this goes. Like I said before. I will post picture once I get to site.
What have I been up to lately? Well, I finished my student teaching internship this week and our school threw us a little going away party that was nice. A couple of weekends ago, I went on my first safari. I went to McKumi National Park. I got to see elephants, giraffes, warthogs, monkeys, baboons, zebras, wilda beasts, water buffalo, a lot of really pretty birds, a hippo, and even lions. The lions we saw were eating their dinner. I even got a picture of the lion with the carcass. The pictures will come eventually, but it might be a little bit. It was nice to relax for a bit. Normally, I am going going 6 days a week from like 6 until 5 pm. So the days can be long.
Life in Tanzania is great. I really like it. The food is excellent. I just have to learn to eat carb, but guess what..... Tanzania has peanuts AND PEANUT BUTTER!!! I know. How amazing is that! And the peanut butter is appropriately priced. I eat a lot of rice and bean with combinations of tomatos, green pepper, onion, garlic, and meat or coconut milk and peas (FYI.. Christina you would totally be fine in visiting). Most of the stuff I eat is vegetarian or can easily be made vegetarian. I am not the biggest meat eater here either. It tends to be a bit chewy, but what I did learn is I love sardines or small fish!!! Here we call them dagaa. I like them fried best. Also, a lot of the food here is fried, but it is delicious. They even have an omelet with fries in it. It is delicious, but I cannot eat too many. While the food is amazing here, I sometimes have dicussions with fellow PCTs about food that we crave. This is probably one of my favorite discussions in fact. What I would not do for a good milkshake!!!! MMMM! But, don't worry, I have chai time. I get a daily tea break at about 10 am every day. It was great. Also, one more thing I am missing is chocolate which may sound weird to the people that have known me since I was little but I would love a good dark chocolate candy right now. I savor things like this like nothing else. And since I know it is Halloween, I sure am missing Reese's PB shaped pumpkin or bat candies!
Anyway, I am becoming pro Tanzanian kitchen cooker. I hope to become pro baker once I get to site. I am even going to try an continue the Christmas tradition of making cut out cookies with frosting in December. I will let you know how this goes. Like I said before. I will post picture once I get to site.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
It's been a while...
So I don't have too much time to post during training and internet access takes some planning. So a quick update:
- I am alive.
- I am learning swahili pole-pole (slowly)
- I am gearing up for my final language proficiency test.
- I am going to find out my site for the next two years next Friday!!!!!!!!!!!
- I am almost done with training.
- I am surviving and loving Tanzania.
- I have been student teaching for 2 weeks now in Form 3 at a local school as a math teacher. Being creative with math demonstrations is a lot harder than it seems.
- To all the teachers, I applaud you. Teaching is alot harder than it initially seemed.
- I also cannot wait to have my own students...because substitute teaching is way harder.
- Lastly or should I have said before, "Habari za leo?"
- And now I say "Haya, Kwa heri". I have a minute left. Will post later.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
AHH... Packing!
So, finally after two weeks living with my parents, I have packed away my life that isn't coming with me to Tanzania for two years. Now I have to start packing for my life that is coming with me in 80 lbs, 107 cubic inches, two bags, and a carry on. I started conquering the pile that was once the "going to Tanzania pile" near my bedroom closet that I have been adding to as I have been shopping for things I needed. Now its on my bed, but it looks more neat and even kind of categorized. However, the task of packing for two year seems daunting even though everyone I have talked to has said I can get everything I need there.
As a result of this daunting task, I decided a break was just what I needed and blogging seemed like a perfect idea. Plus, it's almost lunch. These past few weeks have been nice and relaxing while I wait to leave for Tanzania. Though, it is really hard for me to believe in less than TWO WEEKS I will be half way around the world with my fellow PCVs just in time for the Tanzanian summer. This week will be for packing, ties all loose ends, and then off to the Cities to see some fabulous people one last time for awhile.
As a result of this daunting task, I decided a break was just what I needed and blogging seemed like a perfect idea. Plus, it's almost lunch. These past few weeks have been nice and relaxing while I wait to leave for Tanzania. Though, it is really hard for me to believe in less than TWO WEEKS I will be half way around the world with my fellow PCVs just in time for the Tanzanian summer. This week will be for packing, ties all loose ends, and then off to the Cities to see some fabulous people one last time for awhile.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Staging City
So, I got my staging information this week, and I am OFFICIALLY booked to go to Tanzania. I am stoked, excited, overjoyed, etc. I leave Minneapolis on September 22. And then, by 6 pm on the 23rd I will be in Tanzania. Weird!
Now only to pack....Yuck! If you ever have to pack for multiple climates and for two years, I am pretty sure that it will not be fun. I will let you know my view of this in less than a month. I am pretty sure my mind will not change though.
And so the adventure begins... with packing :( At least once I am done, I don't have to pack until the next time. But oh so much to bring, but the need to pack light.
Now only to pack....Yuck! If you ever have to pack for multiple climates and for two years, I am pretty sure that it will not be fun. I will let you know my view of this in less than a month. I am pretty sure my mind will not change though.
And so the adventure begins... with packing :( At least once I am done, I don't have to pack until the next time. But oh so much to bring, but the need to pack light.
Monday, August 16, 2010
First Post
Hello Everyone,
So everyone keeps asking me if I am going to keep some sort of blog or if I have one yet. Well everyone, I have finally made one.
Couple of Disclaimers for the blog (maybe more for me):
It has been such a long time coming, if anyone has talked to me this year, Peace Corps probably came up whether it be about my frustrations, my completion of tasks, my clearances, or during the anxious period of waiting. I am so excited to be leaving. Although, it will be a bit bitter sweet to leave all those who I have come to know and love during college, who I have known and loved my whole life, and the Cities that I have become the person I am today. But of coarse I know those people will write every so often... Or at least I hope.
This past week, the other PCV that I will be going with started to receive their invitations. They have the same excitement that I had nearly 3 months ago. I am so excited to meet these people and get to know them. Along with that I started to realized that yes, I am going to be leaving in less than 6 weeks now! AHH! And maybe I should start listening to people that tell me I should start packing! Along packing list overwhelmingness, I started to get a little scared, but I think that I am over this for the most part. I think that it is mostly the idea of change. For so long this summer, it was just something that I was going to do in several months, but now it is becoming a reality. Each time I see a plane fly overhead, I think that will be me in six weeks. Leaving my family, my friends, and my homes, which is scary, but I guess we all have to jump off the cliff eventually. What better time to define ourselves than right after college... by going into the "real world". Some may argue that was right after graduation, or maybe even with starting college.
Anyway, I super excited, a little nervous, not worried though, and hopefully ready for anything. No expectations, just some luggage all 80 pounds, and and open mind ready to embrace Tanzania and Swahili. Since this is a pretty long entry already, I think I shall conclude. I will keep you updated. I have staging information (where I go to meet my other PCV in the US). So I have 36 day left and as they may say in Tanzania, Kwaheri!
So everyone keeps asking me if I am going to keep some sort of blog or if I have one yet. Well everyone, I have finally made one.
Couple of Disclaimers for the blog (maybe more for me):
- I don't know how good I will be at blogging. It's kind of like keeping a journal, which I wasn't very good at up to this point in my life. But, I will try very hard.
- I am not sure this will always make sense to everyone or be grammatically correct. But again I will try my best.
- I will try to keep it interesting with photos, but it will depend on my patience and the internet (mostly the internet.. I have heard it is quite slow) .
It has been such a long time coming, if anyone has talked to me this year, Peace Corps probably came up whether it be about my frustrations, my completion of tasks, my clearances, or during the anxious period of waiting. I am so excited to be leaving. Although, it will be a bit bitter sweet to leave all those who I have come to know and love during college, who I have known and loved my whole life, and the Cities that I have become the person I am today. But of coarse I know those people will write every so often... Or at least I hope.
This past week, the other PCV that I will be going with started to receive their invitations. They have the same excitement that I had nearly 3 months ago. I am so excited to meet these people and get to know them. Along with that I started to realized that yes, I am going to be leaving in less than 6 weeks now! AHH! And maybe I should start listening to people that tell me I should start packing! Along packing list overwhelmingness, I started to get a little scared, but I think that I am over this for the most part. I think that it is mostly the idea of change. For so long this summer, it was just something that I was going to do in several months, but now it is becoming a reality. Each time I see a plane fly overhead, I think that will be me in six weeks. Leaving my family, my friends, and my homes, which is scary, but I guess we all have to jump off the cliff eventually. What better time to define ourselves than right after college... by going into the "real world". Some may argue that was right after graduation, or maybe even with starting college.
Anyway, I super excited, a little nervous, not worried though, and hopefully ready for anything. No expectations, just some luggage all 80 pounds, and and open mind ready to embrace Tanzania and Swahili. Since this is a pretty long entry already, I think I shall conclude. I will keep you updated. I have staging information (where I go to meet my other PCV in the US). So I have 36 day left and as they may say in Tanzania, Kwaheri!
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