Is This Real Life?!

Me and my CBT (Communinity Based Training) Group are packed in our little van and put-putting up a hill to Kilulu to meet our host families. Its really beautiful here. The dirt is bright red and everything else is so green! As we pull up to my house, we slide open the door, and there are at least 20 kids crowding around me. They've all been running the whole way with the van. Everyone is really excited to see us. I grab one end of my bag with about 5 kids attached to the other end as We walk it over to my house. My new Mama is waiting for me and she greets me with a huge smile and a big hug. Mama Mwanaidi. I also meet my Baba Mgumi (dad), my Dadas, Asha and Mainda (sisters), and my little Kaka Dula (brother). At this point, I'm pretty sure the kids can speak some English, but my mama is taking my training very seriously and won't let anyone speak English to me. She helps me settle in the house. There is a small living area and three rooms, one of which is mine. The kitchen is a small mud hut behind the house where Mama cooks.

Ian, I am sorry to say this, but there are no chairs in this house. Only stools...Teeny tiny stools. We eat dinner on a mat on the floor...with our hands. There is no electricity. There is no running water. When it gets dark it stays dark.

I always help my Mama cook before dinner. She talks super slow to me so I can learn new words, learn how to cook, help with the cleaning. She's very patient. She boils my drinking water for me, and is stuffing me with food. I'm trying to get used to the food, but its all pretty much just potatoes, bread, rice, beans, and ugali, which is their staple dish, made from maize. If you'd like to try it, please feel free to drive down to Toys R Us and pick up a tub of Play-Do.I was really sick the first night, but am feeling better now. Every morning and night she heats up my water for me so that I can have a warm bucket bath....Oh what's a bucket bath you might ask?....Step one:Fill bucket with water. Step 2: scoop water. Step 3: pour water on self. Step 4: bucket bath...Blair would love it. Oh where do I take my bucket bath? That's right in the choo! The choo is basically the bathroom. Its a small cement room behind the house with a hole in the ground. Yup, just squat and aim. I'm coming home with thighs of steel, I swear. I'll post pictures of my house when I can.

I'm finding that I'm missing basic things that you otherwise wouldn't think of missing. So every time you flick a switch or turn on the faucet for some clean running water, think of me. Every time you sit down to dinner and eat a delicious fresh salad, roasted salmon, a cheese of your choice, etc, think of me. Next time you sit on the toilet, think of me. Next time you visit your local county fair and play the game where you aim the water gun at the small hole that is the clown's mouth....think of me. Because I will be thinking of all of you.

So ya I'm definitely roughing it right now, but my family is very friendly and welcoming. They laugh at me a lot. There are always people and kids coming to visit and laugh at me. There are chickens and cats running through the house. There's a rooster that crows incessantly outside my window every morning at about 5:00 and I kinda wanna punch it in the face. My Baba keeps telling me I'm gonna have to kill a chicken soon and laughing. He can't wait, but I'm pretty scared. I said, I'd be glad to cut off that freaking rooster's head! I talk to them about my American family and they're very interested to know where I came from. I haven't showed them my pictures yet, because I know I'll start crying if I look at them :(

I have language and culture classes all day 6 days a week which is going fast and helping a lot. The kids try to help me with my homework. My neighbor has a farm so we went on a walk and he showed me all his crops and told me the names of them. It is hard to study with an entourage of children crowded around you 24/7 but I'm getting used to it. Yesterday I handed out some candy and they all got really excited.

They made me sing for them last night, so I had to stand on my porch and I tried to teach them the hokey pokey, which they enjoyed. They also enjoy the high five. Oh ya, and Mom they totally encourage burping at dinner here...so ya.

Also, if anyone was planning to send a package, they said to keep them small, like shoe box size, because they tax them a lot. But I would love to get mail from anyone and everyone. I'm gonna send some out so we'll see when it gets over there!

I think that's all I have for now. I'm definitely learning a lot and adjusting right now. I still can't believe I'll be living here for the next two months. But I miss everyone and hope you're all doing well. I'll write again when I can.

Last Days before Homestay!

Ok, one more quick post, because I am leaving the Mzimbase Center Wednesday morning and don't know when I'll be back to a computer. Yesterday was our one day off from class and we took a trip into the city to do some shopping. The essentials: I got my first kanga, as well as some toiletries, including toilet paper, which I will need to bring everywhere with me. The city of Dar es Salaam was SO intimidating. We split into groups of 5 and luckily one of the training staff, Vivian helped us shop and bargain. I've never felt so on display or out of place. Although we were getting stares, people were very friendly. Before leaving the grounds, we were told not be carrying any bags. Anything I was carrying on me was either in my bra or down my pants. I would basically be a walking target as a white girl with a bag of any kind. Apparently, pick-pocketers are pretty good around here, but luckily no major issues. Vivian led us through this huge outside market with tons of vendors and piles of clothes and mountains of shoes just laid on a tarp on the street where people were selling things. This place used to be the capital city before Dodoma, and it was most definitely the ultimate instance of poverty that I have seen yet. It was pretty dirty and everyone is trying to sell you something. I can't imagine going through on my own, but some of the current PCV's were leading a couple of the groups! I got my kanga and then took it to a seamster. The kanga has to be cut into two pieces and hemmed before it is worn. Each kanga has a proverb written on it, so it was good that Vivian was there to translate for me because some proverbs are not very respectful. The one I got basically says that you have to work hard in life and that if you depend on others you will die poor. After we were done shopping, we took a "daladala" back to the center. Daladalas are the main mode of transportation around the city, and they are basically small beat down buses that are way overcrowded and drive way fast. It was fun though. It will definitely be something I'll have to get used to. After shopping, we went across the street to a local bar for a bit. It was nice to sit and get to know everyone a lot better. Everywhere we go we're watching the world cup. All the other volunteers are really nice. But soon we will be split into groups to go to our varying host villages.

I will be living in Kilulu. I was talking to a current PCV, who was assigned there for his homestay and he got me really excited about going. Although its a bit more secluded than the other villages, he said its at the top of a mountain and it was one of his favorite times during Peace Corps thus far. Apparently the landscape is going to be beautiful. I'll be sure to take pictures and try to put them up. Also, there is tons of fresh fruit!! I'm so excited for fresh juicy delicious fruit! I've been deprived. I feel like everything we eat is fried, or beans and rice. However, one good thing about Tanzania is that we must have tea time everyday. Everyday during classes, we break at 10:30 for "chai" or....teatime!

Oh ya, today I got the second Hep A shot as well as a rabies shot :) Still got a few more coming I think.

Right now, I'm a little worried about the first couple weeks of homestay, which will be awkward as my new family won't be speaking English and I know minimal Swahili at this point. But I hope they will be patient with me. I can't wait to have a Mama and a family to distract me from that fact that I'm so far away from my own.

I'm hoping that soon after getting settled at home I'll get to go into the town of Muheza, near the village, and get a phone, and make another post. Until then, I hope you're all doing well!

Habari Gani?!

Hello family and friends! Sorry for the delay and I'm going to make this post quick cuz people are waiting. But I have arrived at the Mzimbaze Center and have started Pre Service training. The training staff are all really nice and I am learning a ton! I am getting more and more excited about my homestay during training and my assignment. The people here are really nice. Everyone is intersted in us and they ask a lot of questions. In training they talk about how they have to prepare us for "celebrity status" within our village because once we get there we will always be followed around and everyone will be interested in us, especially the children. I definitely overpacked, but packed the wrong things. Apparently only the prostitutes wear jeans here....I brought two pairs. Fortunately, I learned this before wearing them. Women pretty much only wear dresses and skirts here, so I'll need to go shopping tomorrow. The "kanga" is the wrap that all the women wear, but they're so beautiful so I'm excited to start wearing them. On Wednesday I'll move in with my Homestay family, and I'm really excited. They will help me learn more Swahili and more about the Tanzanian culture. So far, my Swahili is ok, but I definitely have a long way to go. But I'm loving learning more about this country and the Tanzanian culture. I'm learning there are over 100 ethnic groups here and a number of different religions. There are literally mosques and churches next door to each other. Tanzania is known for its peacefulness and great tolerance, so although ther are so many different faiths. everyone gets along. I know we're here to help them with a lot of things, but the world could learn a lot from the Tanzanian people. They don't care what faith you are, just as long as you have faith. The people here have got to be some of the friendliest people around.

Although I've only been here a few days, I've learned so much and met so many people, that I feel like its been a while all ready. The food is kind of boring, but good. The room at the hostel isn't as scary as I would have thought. Going to the bathroom is interesting...I'll just leave it at that. My arms are so sore! Today I got shots of Hep A and Typhoid vaccines. Yesterday I got an influenza shot, and in Philadelphia we got a yellow fever shot. Oh ya, and I'm on intense meds daily so that I don't get malaria and die! I think I'm definitely over my fear of needles.

Well, I'll meet my family on Wednesday night and continue with my training for the next 8 weeks. I can't wait! I'm so excited to meet them! I will have a Tanzanian Mama and Baba. You can use the same address to reach me and hopefully I'll be able to get a phone soon. Gotta go, there are others waiting. Don't know how consistent I'll be able to post, but I will when I can.

Thanks to everyone again for the support. I miss you all!

You say goodbye, and I'll say hello

My departure date has finally arrived! On Sunday morning I fly to Philadelphia for orientation, and from there I fly out of JFK airport on June 16th, onto a 20 hour flight to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. It will definitely be a long couple of days of traveling. Ultimately, I am SO excited to finally become a Peace Corps Volunteer, but the last few weeks leading up to this day have truly been a mix of emotions. Of course I have left all of my packing for the couple of days before I leave and now I am feeling very scatter-brained trying to prepare for two years in Africa! What the heck should i bring?! This week has also been difficult, having so many hard goodbyes to make. I am truly fortunate to have so many great people in my life and I will struggle with being away from all of you. I am so grateful to all of my family and friends for the love and support I have gotten leading up to this trip, and I will be missing each of you everyday. But I know that for every goodbye I have to make before I leave, I will be making that many more hellos over the next couple of days and weeks. I can't wait to get started on my journey and meet the Peace Corps training staff I will be working with, as well as my new host family, who will be kind enough to share their home with me. At this point, I'm very anxious and excited to get started, but I'm also nervous about what I'm about to walk into. I am looking forward to sharing my stories with all of you, and I will try to keep updating the blog regularly. I will be buying a cell phone once I get there so I will be able to make some calls to let you know that I've made it safe and sound. I won't have a computer but will try to get to an internet cafe to check email, etc. as often as I can. If anyone would like to send me any REAL mail, my new address for the next 9 weeks is:
Cameron Bradley, PCT
Peace Corps Training Site
PO Box 9123
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania


Well, I'm gonna get back to packing. I'll try to make a new post after my orientation on Monday and fill you in.

Thanks again to everyone for all of the love and support! You will all be in my heart the whole way!

Tutaonana!