Jina langu ni Sarah! (my name is Sarah)

God Bless Peace Corps Tanzania! I have learned more in the past three days than in the past 28 years of my life.  I have been in Dar es Salaam since Wednesday evening (6.16.10) and I love it here.  The food is delicious.  This is a typical lunch here at the hostel.   

We spend a lot of time eating! 

I have my own room with a private toilet and shower.  My room is nice and very clean.

I must say the flights from America were INSANELY long but well worth it. 

Tanzanians are very friendly and very funny! My language and culture training started yesterday.  It is intense but I have the best teacher, Vivian! He explained that many people think Vivian is a womans name, but this is not true. He also told us that his AKA is “Big Boy.”  Some of the lessons include spelling words while he dictates… Unfortunately, my lack of spelling skills have transferred to Kiswahili and this is my weakest skill.  Everything else is NZURI SANA! (very good)

We all will learn how to grow and maintain our own permagardens while we are with our host families in Muheza.  I found out today that I will be in the village of Kilulu for home stay, this area is predominantly Muslim. There are four other PCT’s staying in Kilulu. I learned my family has a cell phone but I will need to ask them permission to give it out.  We travel to home stay families as a group on Wednesday, June 23, 2010.  I am very excited!

(Map of all the villages around Muheza)

I miss everyone very much but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in the world. I have not read any of the letters that my mom collected yet but I did tear up when I looked through the bag.  I was overwhelmed with LOVE when I saw how many people are supporting me. I will waiting until I need some extra encouragement, right now I am Nzuri Sana.  *This is ALWAYS the Tanzania’s answer.

(Alli with here Malaria prophylaxis.)

I may have left an Alli and Anna in Livonia but I gained two more-> Alli and Anna PCTs! & many other new friends!  Shots, Shots, Shots I am no longer afraid of needles.  We have one American and one Tanzanian doctor, together they make an outstanding team!

Check out the beautiful Katanga I bought at the store with in the hostel compound. (TZ COLORS!)  Some things never change --> I'm shopping for clothing…Shocking. Appearance is very important in Tanzanian culture.  I have to be well dressed and clean to be accepted. I am looking forward to going to the tailor to make this fabric into a dress!

This beautiful stool represents the three steps to success: Observe, Do, Teach.

 (Asante Peter – I love visual examples!)

 Kwaheri! (good bye)

 I’m off to dinner and rest.

Oh PS I will need to give art lesson to John AKA" THE MAN"- This is the flip day 1.

It's Raining Mail~ Hallelujah!

Male Call! ...  Mail Call --------> 

Dear friends and family please keep in touch.
I look forward to reading handwritten letters. Get ready to get your snail mail on.

My training address will be valid until 8.18.10 (This is my official Swearing in Day)
I will travel to my post site on 8.19.10 & update my new address.

 Helpful hints:

-Make sure you're using Airmail
-Number letters so I know if one gets lost

       (Mail can delivery can be sporadic)

-Use padded envelopes over boxes

         (It is expensive to clear packages through customs)

-Write "educational materials" when sending packages in writing that looks official

The information below came from:  

“The Insider’s Guide to the Peace Corps”  by Dillon Banerjee:

“There are a few things you can do to help hasten and secure the passage and delivery of your mail. Have anyone sending you a care package scribble religious symbols and biblical quotes all over the outside of the box. This sounds silly, but it works. Though many of the countries in which the Peace Corps serves are largely animist in religion, superstition runs high and even corrupt postal workers are wary of intercepting religious parcels. Along every step of the way, your mail will be subject to the whims of postal officials, customs officers, and delivery personnel who often take the liberty of rummaging through care packages in search of goodies from the U.S. If you mail is embellished with religious symbols, the odds of keeping it intact are improved. You may even want to ask the sender to write “Sister” or “Brother” before your name, to heighten the effect. Another trick is to have your mail addressed to you in red ink. I’ve been told red ink is somewhat sacrosanct in many third world societies and is reserved for only the most official of letters and correspondences. Though I’m unsure about this explanation’s validity, I can vouch for the trick’s effectiveness, having seen several packages addressed in red ink delivered safely and expeditiously.”

It's Raining Mail! Amen!