I'm climbing Kilimanjaro next week.. Whoa.
The last few weeks have gone by so fast. I've been here almost a month!
Teaching has been incredible. Sometimes I feel like I'm learning more than the people I teach (though that probably doesn't say much for my teaching). Each week has been a new experience. The first week was a group of mid-aged women, the second, younger girls, and now highschool boys and girls. It's incredible how little is understood about HIV, the human body, and essential things here.
When dealing with younger groups, the course is often more of a "sex ed" class, whereas with older folks who have already done the whole puberty thing we focus more on HIV and nutrition. Both are interesting in their own way. This week, we're teaching a highschool class so they can start a "health club" at their school, and teach everyone else.
I've discovered that I'm not a great public speaker (okay, I sort of already knew that). I've been very grateful to Tom who is the guy I usually work with. He's much more... vibrant in front of audiences. I'm sure that over time, this will help me to be better in front of people, though.
Today is World AIDS day. I'm not sure if that's an international thing, or if they just call it "World". It's being hosted in here in Arusha. I'm going to be handing out free water bottles, I believe. If we get any (a company said they would donate 2000). And when there's free stuff in Tanzania, one generally deals with a mob, I've been told. Could be interesting.
The GSC office is closed for a while, so I will be going to Zanzibar from around the 19th of December to the 5th of January. I'm going to help build a stage for a benefit concert, and then I get to watch the concert for free. :)
When I come back to Arusha, I'll be starting the agriculture part of the program!
If you haven't already found them, I have pictures at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Brendan.Clower/Africa
Monday, November 30, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
T-I-A
This is Africa
That's what you say here when something weird or very "Africa" happens. Like, when the conductor of a Dala Dala gets out and bangs on the sliding door with a rock to get it to close. This was the first time I ever heard "T-I-A" used. Tom, my counterpart (the guy I teach with) asked me if I knew what it is and explained it to me.
Good times.
So class was interesting. There is a lot of waiting in Tanzania. Like, a lot. So the first day, we met at 9 to go to the teaching site, and waited for the woman who was supposed to meet us to take us there. She showed up around 10. It took us about an hour to get there. Then we waited for another 30 minutes or so for all of the women we were teaching to show up. So, around 11:30, we started class. We had to end at 12:30. Very productive day (oh, by the way, there is no sarcasm in Tanzania. They don't really get it. You have to say exactly what you mean, which is tough for me, because I am a rather sarcastic fellow).
Anyway, we pretty much just introduced ourselves and then did just a little bit of teaching. It was a new experience.
Day two went a little better. Actually, it was fun! We didn't have much more time than Monday but it was still productive. We did a condom demonstration. The ladies thought it was hilarious (keep in mind it is Tom and myself--two men). We pulled a dildo out of our box, and they just started laughing. Good times, good times. Then came time for the female condom. Many of them have heard of and seen male condoms, but female? We blew their minds.
At the end, on the way back to the GSC office, Tom and I were waiting for a Dala, when a good sized lumber truck drove by. We were tired of waiting, so we jumped on the back and rode it in to town.
T-I-A.
Today it was raining. Very few women were there, because it rained, but still, a good story from today:
It was raining, so GSC got us a cab. That was nice. On the way, there are some pretty beat up roads. So... kind of flooded when it rains. We found a puddle that was.... a little deeper than it looked. So Joe and I got out and pushed. We were up to our knees in water (well, I was. He's tall). It was actually a lot of fun. :)
T-I-A
That's what you say here when something weird or very "Africa" happens. Like, when the conductor of a Dala Dala gets out and bangs on the sliding door with a rock to get it to close. This was the first time I ever heard "T-I-A" used. Tom, my counterpart (the guy I teach with) asked me if I knew what it is and explained it to me.
Good times.
So class was interesting. There is a lot of waiting in Tanzania. Like, a lot. So the first day, we met at 9 to go to the teaching site, and waited for the woman who was supposed to meet us to take us there. She showed up around 10. It took us about an hour to get there. Then we waited for another 30 minutes or so for all of the women we were teaching to show up. So, around 11:30, we started class. We had to end at 12:30. Very productive day (oh, by the way, there is no sarcasm in Tanzania. They don't really get it. You have to say exactly what you mean, which is tough for me, because I am a rather sarcastic fellow).
Anyway, we pretty much just introduced ourselves and then did just a little bit of teaching. It was a new experience.
Day two went a little better. Actually, it was fun! We didn't have much more time than Monday but it was still productive. We did a condom demonstration. The ladies thought it was hilarious (keep in mind it is Tom and myself--two men). We pulled a dildo out of our box, and they just started laughing. Good times, good times. Then came time for the female condom. Many of them have heard of and seen male condoms, but female? We blew their minds.
At the end, on the way back to the GSC office, Tom and I were waiting for a Dala, when a good sized lumber truck drove by. We were tired of waiting, so we jumped on the back and rode it in to town.
T-I-A.
Today it was raining. Very few women were there, because it rained, but still, a good story from today:
It was raining, so GSC got us a cab. That was nice. On the way, there are some pretty beat up roads. So... kind of flooded when it rains. We found a puddle that was.... a little deeper than it looked. So Joe and I got out and pushed. We were up to our knees in water (well, I was. He's tall). It was actually a lot of fun. :)
T-I-A
Saturday, November 14, 2009
In the Cirrrrrcleeee
The Circle of Liiiifffe.
That song is perpetually stuck in my head. I suppose it beats "Bumblebee Tuna" and the "Bandaid Brand" song.
I was sick on Thursday. It happens. So, I took the day off and basically just stayed in bed the whole time. So that was kind of lonely. But I feel better now, so it's all good.
I don't really get online very often, so I'm just going to type this up on my laptop in my spare time. You may get a few days worth of jibberish, or maybe just occasional entries. I dunno. I guess it depends on how much time I have to kill.
I start teaching Monday! Wish me luck! It should definitely be interesting. It's a women's group from a nearby village.
This probably won't end up being the big "life-changing" experience I came here looking for, but I suppose one can never "look" for something like that. It will be a wonderful experience though, and I am having a great time getting to know new people and experiencing a whole new world/society.
I'm having a great time, and the people on staff at GSC are great. I'm still getting to know them, but they seem like they will be a lot of fun. There aren't very many volunteers this time of year, just one other long-termer, Jenna. And another volunteer, Danielle, is leaving tonight. It was her class that I went to yesterday. She loved it here, so that's a good sign.
It's incredibly peaceful here. Everyone is laid back. I don't know why everyone back home thinks of Africa as a dangerous place. Yeah, I got sick, but that's just because my immune system is not used to the different things here. It's quiet (well, if you stay out of the town center), and I haven't felt unsafe at all while I was here.
Now, the question is, should I come home for Christmas? It won't be cheap, so yeah. But at the same time, I get about a 3 week break when everything will be shut down, and going on a safari or anything would be about as expensive. Then again, I would love to go on a safari. Oh, decisions, decisions. At this point, it isn't likely that I will be coming home, so don't get your hopes up (sorry honey), but it isn't off the table.
That song is perpetually stuck in my head. I suppose it beats "Bumblebee Tuna" and the "Bandaid Brand" song.
I was sick on Thursday. It happens. So, I took the day off and basically just stayed in bed the whole time. So that was kind of lonely. But I feel better now, so it's all good.
I don't really get online very often, so I'm just going to type this up on my laptop in my spare time. You may get a few days worth of jibberish, or maybe just occasional entries. I dunno. I guess it depends on how much time I have to kill.
I start teaching Monday! Wish me luck! It should definitely be interesting. It's a women's group from a nearby village.
This probably won't end up being the big "life-changing" experience I came here looking for, but I suppose one can never "look" for something like that. It will be a wonderful experience though, and I am having a great time getting to know new people and experiencing a whole new world/society.
I'm having a great time, and the people on staff at GSC are great. I'm still getting to know them, but they seem like they will be a lot of fun. There aren't very many volunteers this time of year, just one other long-termer, Jenna. And another volunteer, Danielle, is leaving tonight. It was her class that I went to yesterday. She loved it here, so that's a good sign.
It's incredibly peaceful here. Everyone is laid back. I don't know why everyone back home thinks of Africa as a dangerous place. Yeah, I got sick, but that's just because my immune system is not used to the different things here. It's quiet (well, if you stay out of the town center), and I haven't felt unsafe at all while I was here.
Now, the question is, should I come home for Christmas? It won't be cheap, so yeah. But at the same time, I get about a 3 week break when everything will be shut down, and going on a safari or anything would be about as expensive. Then again, I would love to go on a safari. Oh, decisions, decisions. At this point, it isn't likely that I will be coming home, so don't get your hopes up (sorry honey), but it isn't off the table.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Here I am!
I'm not really sure what goes in this blog. Am I going to tell you what happens, like a narration? Or just small blurbs with thoughts on the big experiences? I suppose that will depend on how often I can get online, and what y'all want to hear about. :) I've been trying to keep a journal, with details and such, but I probably won't put all of that online.
A lot of little things have gone crazy/wrong in the last few days, but I suppose that's just part of the experience. A lot of things have gone right, too.
I arrived in Arusha late Friday night, exhausted, and the people from GSC dropped me off and said they would come pick me up Monday morning. So I was tired
In the morning, I was still a little nervous but I went to breakfast (they serve it at 7 am! Who does that?) and met two people from Denmark, Anke and Niles, who have been here for a while. I talked to strangers! You should be proud of me. They were talking about going into town, and asked me if I wanted to join them. Of course I did, since I didn't know anything about the place. So I went with them into the town, and our first stop was an ATM for me. And... it failed. I still haven't figured that out, either. I have about 40 dollars worth left, so that should last me a few days but it's kind of a problem if I don't get it working. Wiring money is expensive, so I don't want to make my dad do that. My card works as a credit card, but very few places can take it. The ATMs all say they are having problems connecting to my bank, so I have no idea what's going on. It doesn't say my bank is rejecting it or anything, it just isn't connecting. It's a little on the frustrating side.
Anyway, Anke had heard of the Masai Camp Cafe and wanted to go there, and Erna had recommended it too, so we decided to go try to find it. We walked around for about 30 minutes, asking people where it was and they kept pointing in random directions (they want to be polite here, so much that they don't want to tell you they don't know something, so they friendly-ly give you directions). Eventually we found someone who offered to walk us there, in exchange for buying him a beer when we arrived. So that was good. And there was wireless internet!
I really haven't started the GSC part of this, I've mostly just been exploring around town. I started training on Monday, and I've been doing things here-and-there. Mostly Swahili lessons (I must say I do miss Latin-based languages). I will start trainings and working with kids and such in the next week or two, and then I'm sure I will have many more stories to tell!
There have been so many small encounters with the people here, and many ways to experience the culture. Tanzania truly is a wonderful place. A wonderful, stinky, dusty place. While I do get homesick, I also love it here.
Quite a bit more than that has happened, obviously, but that's what I've had time to write about. From now on I'll probably stick to shorter posts (with pictures, I assure you!), but we shall see.
I love you all!
Peace + Love,
Brendan
A lot of little things have gone crazy/wrong in the last few days, but I suppose that's just part of the experience. A lot of things have gone right, too.
I arrived in Arusha late Friday night, exhausted, and the people from GSC dropped me off and said they would come pick me up Monday morning. So I was tired
In the morning, I was still a little nervous but I went to breakfast (they serve it at 7 am! Who does that?) and met two people from Denmark, Anke and Niles, who have been here for a while. I talked to strangers! You should be proud of me. They were talking about going into town, and asked me if I wanted to join them. Of course I did, since I didn't know anything about the place. So I went with them into the town, and our first stop was an ATM for me. And... it failed. I still haven't figured that out, either. I have about 40 dollars worth left, so that should last me a few days but it's kind of a problem if I don't get it working. Wiring money is expensive, so I don't want to make my dad do that. My card works as a credit card, but very few places can take it. The ATMs all say they are having problems connecting to my bank, so I have no idea what's going on. It doesn't say my bank is rejecting it or anything, it just isn't connecting. It's a little on the frustrating side.
Anyway, Anke had heard of the Masai Camp Cafe and wanted to go there, and Erna had recommended it too, so we decided to go try to find it. We walked around for about 30 minutes, asking people where it was and they kept pointing in random directions (they want to be polite here, so much that they don't want to tell you they don't know something, so they friendly-ly give you directions). Eventually we found someone who offered to walk us there, in exchange for buying him a beer when we arrived. So that was good. And there was wireless internet!
I really haven't started the GSC part of this, I've mostly just been exploring around town. I started training on Monday, and I've been doing things here-and-there. Mostly Swahili lessons (I must say I do miss Latin-based languages). I will start trainings and working with kids and such in the next week or two, and then I'm sure I will have many more stories to tell!
There have been so many small encounters with the people here, and many ways to experience the culture. Tanzania truly is a wonderful place. A wonderful, stinky, dusty place. While I do get homesick, I also love it here.
Quite a bit more than that has happened, obviously, but that's what I've had time to write about. From now on I'll probably stick to shorter posts (with pictures, I assure you!), but we shall see.
I love you all!
Peace + Love,
Brendan
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)