Pole sana bro! Mama yako, sasa nini.

 Hi everyone! SO,I got to my site about 2 weeks ago and it still seeems pretty surreal. My vil is huge! I still have not seen it all. I live right beside a clinic where I help weigh babies and will eventually give nutrition presentations to the Mamas. It's really beautiful with the picture perfect sky and rolling hills. My village has a huge water prblem though. I went to see the "river"where people get water and it's all sand with people digging holes to find water...and it's about 3 miles away from the vil, so that is some serious water choting. That is definatly a potential project for me. I drink coffee a few times a week with the wazee
 I already got a house girl. I swear to you ,I can sweep my house 5 times a day and still have a layer of dirt but she sweeps once it it's SO clean, and she gets my laundry cleaner then I ever could. Plus, she is going to ue the money I pay her to for secondary school so its a win win situation. My house is pretty safi for a PCV house. I lucked out. I am uploading pics as we speak but the computer is really slow. I'll probably only manage to get a few up... so pole sana bro.
It was really wierd to be away from my family for Christmas. I met up with about 7 other volunteers and we ha a blast, but it still wasnt the same as being with family. Right now I am in Moshi for New Years It's pretty safi here & I can see Mt. Kili. I am out of time! I'll upate more soon.
Love,
Maria

Swearing in tomorrow!!

Hey Everyone! Well, I made it through training! Actually, our whole group made it! Not one person has ET'd (early termination). I am so proud of us! I did okay on the written test and got an intermediate high on the speaking portion. You need an intermediate mid to swear in, so I am pretty happy about my score. We are now back in the compound where it all began. It's funny to think just two  months ago we were here, not allowed to leave the gates, unable to speak Swahili  and knowing very little about the culture and nervous about leaving for homestay.  Now we are back, homestay is over & we are running around the city, speaking Swahili, shopping, doing whatever we want.Being in Dar is like being in America, it's a nice treat before we are shipped off to our villages. I went to a mall the other day and ate fast food and ice cream and watched Breaking Dawn! Later today we are going to go eat Mexican and shopping after.
Tomorrow morning we go the the Embassy an swear in. We are singing Over the Rainbow in Swahili and English and singing the Tanzanian anthem. A couple people have prepared a speech then we cite our oath, sign paperwork and eat CAKE! Almost all of the girls had dresses made...lets just say having dresses made for the first time = some pretty hilarious dresses. Ill take a lot of pics. One girl said hers has a hood. ha. Then,Thursday morning we all leave for our sites. I am so excited (and slightly terrified)  to get to my site and check it out. It's going to be so strange to be on my own. For the last 9 weeks we have been on a fairly tight schedule and now we are going to have what seems to be all the time in the world. It's going to be a tearful goodbye to everyone. Luckily I have some great people coming to Dodoma with me. I think the closest will be about 3 hours away.

Now for some cultural differences. In Tanzania greetings are HUGE.  Greetings can take about 15 minutes. Translated to English the greetings are something like, I respect you elder/are you well/whats up, how is your morning, how did you wake, how did you sleep,how is your home, how is your family and it goes on and on. Also, when a Tanzanian hears me speak Swahili sometimes they turn into a whole new person, right before my eyes.They will be giving me the death stare and  I'll say "Shikamoo, habari za mchana?" And they break out in the biggest smile and are just so over joyed that I know the language.
Also if  I was walking down the street and someone stole my purse or came up to me and started throwing punches that person would get severely beaten, maybe even to death.Shoulders and knees are slutty here, keep them covered at all times.Crazy.
I know I said I was going to put up pics this time but its not happening, sorry. I am off to do some shopping and repack...again. Next time I wrte I'll be at my home!!
-I'll keep you posted.
ps. dont send any more packages until I get my new addy

Where am I going to live the next 2 years??

Dodoma!! Yeah, we had site announcements last week and I am headed to Kondoa, Dodoma my village is called Mondo....I am stoked! You can google it. This week I am also shadowing a current volunteer in Mpwapwa Dodoma. Its beautiful! I feel like I am in Lion King land. It does get really hot but since it is desert it's dry heat which is much better then the 200% humidity in Tanga (where we have been training the last month and a half). I will also have electricity! I was not expecting that at all! I will also live right next to a clinic and a primary school. I will probably be teaching health, weighing babies & possible some nutrition and water stuff. I'll know more about what exactly I'll be doing after the first 3 months. The first 3 I basically get to know my village, find out where to get food and water and just get integrated. Then we have IST (in service training) for a week, THEN I go back to my  village and get started on work.

 So more on this shadowing week- The guy I am shadowing is pretty amazing. Honestly all the current PCVs I have met are fantastic. We have had yummy food all week like hummus, black bean burgers, pancakes and pasta. It's good to get out and learn about the projects he has/is doing,see his relationship with the village and learn about the issues he has. One of the biggest issues in Dodoma is water.The first 2 days we had enough for drinking water and coffee (of course), but not enough for bucket bathing. Then, on the 3rd day like 4 people brought over buckets of water, I have never been so happy to bathe.Right now we are in Dodoma town meeting up with the other volunteers/shadowers in the area. This is going to be my banking town so I am excited to check it out. So far I know there is ice cream,street coffee, burgers, pizza, chicken, swimming and miniature golf. I'm not complaining.

 I go back to Tanga on Sunday & have one more week of training then we head to Dar to swear in (super excited to see the dress I had made) then I'll be off to site!!! I am ready for site but man am I going to miss my training & CBT group. I don't want to think to much about leaving them just yet. Next time I will post pics!! I promise, maybe.
-I'll keep you posted.

I dont have malaria, I promise!!

Hey everyone! So I am back from the beach. sadface. Actually, the ride back was interesting we got stuck in the mud & broke down a couple times. The Tuesday we got back I had a low running fever and decided it would be best to stay home from class/training that day. I told my mama I was staying home & she said she would go to my LCFs house and let him know. I was like sweet, thanks and went back to bed. About an hour later the PCMO called me and said he was having a Peace Corps car come pick me and and take me to the hospital for malaria tests.I was like "uhhhh what, I don't have malaria." We talked about my symptoms and came to the conclusion that I did not need to go to the hospital. Later when I talked to my LCF I figured out my mama told my LCF I was skipping class because I had malaria. That is just a taste of how quick Tanzanians are to call "malaria." Education is needed. Depending where my site is I'll definitely be dong some malaria education & eradication. Since this is going to be a long post here are a couple pics of our vaca to the Indian Ocean.  I know pictures make anything more interesting

 


So far a few PCTs have pooped their pants. I may or may have not been one of them.I mean with news foods and everything its pretty common. Shit happens...literally.

We had our mid OPI yesterday. Basically you sit in a room with a tester and they ask you different things in Kiswahili. I was pretty nervous but I think I did okay. Friday we have our final written exams. Next Sunday I am going to Dodoma for a week (Nov 28th- dec 4th) with another PCT to shadow a current volunteer! I am so excited to go to the capital! I wont have cell phone service there, just fyi. Then when we get back we have one last week at homestay before we pack up and head back to Dar for swearing in!! Its crazy to think in a month I'll be on my own. WE find out our sites on Saturday, I am thinking I'll be placed in Dodoma but we shall see! I am stoked.

It's so weird that Thanksgiving is on Thursday...mostly because its so hot out. We are having a potluck that day, I think Ill take wine.Christmas is going to be rough. Ill have been at my site for almost 10 days, we aren't allowed to travel out of the region for the first 3 months so I hope another volunteer is close by or something that day. In my CBT we are all going to write each other letters and open them on your first night at site. I really like that idea! We learned how to make bucket wine this week. Its pretty easy-fruit ,water, sugar and let it sit for about 3 weeks.
I think this is all I have for now! Hopefully Ill be able to update again after shadow before we swear in! Expect texts/calls Saturday when I find out my site!!
- Ill keep you posted!
Now accepting
-any sort of lotion for reeeaaaalllly itchy skin. I almost scratch it off everyday after bucket bathing
-travel sized febreeze or downy wrinkle release. I wash my clothes with rain water & they get wrinkly & I kinda smell like a mudpuddle.
-oxy pad face wipes
-black underwear & sports bras
 -the biggest bag of M&Ms you can find