Living in a Screensaver

The last few weeks: October 18-November 10
Hellllllllooooooo, Good People!  I finally was able to get to some internet!  I should probably break up the last three weeks into something more than one long blog, but I’m not sure how long/reliable this connection will be and just want to get it all out!
So first things first: I’m supposed to tell you how Africa is clichéd and that it’s not what you think it is, but that is FALSE. I’m basically living in a screensaver. I look out the backdoor of my homestay family and see the bluest skies and palm trees and GREEN. Its humid, I don’t think the temperature has dipped below 79 degrees even at night, and I am perpetually sweaty. Pretty sweet visual, right?  I always said I preferred heat to cold, and now I have to put my money where my mouth is. Anyway, its gorgeous and hilly and every day I say to myself or actually whichever of the other volunteers is by me at the time, “Wow, I’m actually living in Africa right now.”
My last blog left off right before we were leaving for Muheza, Tanga District (our training area). I was SO freakin’ nervous! The bus of us 41 volunteers first stopped at MATI (the place we all meet a few times a week for seminars/training), and then they split us up into our homestay villages. I’m in a tiny little village called Kibanda, and I was the first to be dropped off at a homestay home. Unfortunately, it was the WRONG HOUSE. The family looked surprised, and while they were sweet, I think we were all relieved when my LCF (language /culture teacher for my village) came back to tell me I was at the wrong house. I finally got it figured out, and I have the sweetest, best family I could have picked. My Baba (dad), is a farmer –oranges, millet, and corn, and speaks English (brokenly, but still awesome). We talk and try to decipher what I’m trying to say in Swahili. My Mama is equally sweet, and doesn’t speak a bit of English. She takes such good care of me. For example, I take a bucket bath everyday (basically I pour water from a cup in a bucket over my head ), and she gets the water (generally from carrying on her head from a watering hole), warms it over the fire, and then puts it into the bucket so I don’t have to take a cold shower!  Speaking of water, guys I ACTUALLY CARRIED WATER ON MY HEAD! I went with my mama, and we were walking back to the house and I had another of those “I live in Africa right now moments.”  Anyway, back to the homestay. I’m so lucky, my family has electricity and I have a light bulb in my room (and an outlet! But no adapter, lol). We also have a TV which we watch during dinner, which is always HABARI (news).  The power goes out very frequently, but its still  nice and it’s spoiling me because I’m sure my site won’t have power!  The worst thing is the rats. As I’m bucket bathing (in the choo---I’ll explain later), I hear/see them run across the roof or across the concrete wall. I generally give a little girl scream and my mama will come and bang on the top of the roof to scare them all away. See how sweet she is?
I’m very very lucky. At least a quarter of all the PCT (peace corps trainees) in my class have been really sick/been to the hospital. Other than an upset tummy a lot and some sunburns, I haven’t  had any real health issues.  There has already been Malaria, parasites, and lots of diarrhea! Basically, bowel movements and general health is all we talk about.  We all meet a few times a week for MATI days and its nice to see everyone! There are three other volunteers in my village who I’m training with, and we have language classes together.  There is me, Raychel, Johnathon, and Andrew in my villiage, and we laugh at each other, get frustrated with each other, and generally support one another as we attempt to figure out this new world. Well enough with the philosophical stuff. Lets get to the daily routine that you all want to hear about:
6:00 (or before)- wake up to the sounds of the house – no roof on the rooms, just over the whole thing,-which are: mama sweeping, baba listening to Indian music on his hand held radio, and the kids waking up and helping with the cooking and cleaning.
6:15 – Bucket Bath (shave my legs and clean the three thousand bug bites on my body)
7:00- Get ready, brush my teeth outside with a water bottle, attempt to tame my frizz ball hair
7:30 – Breakfast: Chai (black tea with sugar, the occasional ant), and usually Andaze (like a doughnut without sugar).
7:45- leave for “school”
8:00-10:30- Kiswahili lessons/me attempting to understand
10:30-11:00- Chai break! (more tea and doughnut things or chapatti)
11:00-12:30 More lessons
LUNCH – rice, beans, etc.
After lunch: more lessons, walking around the village and then playing cards with the other volunteers while drinking a Coke at our local duka (shop). Then early evening, like five ish, I head home to help mama cook dinner and study. It takes literally HOURS to make dinner and we never eat before 7:30 at the earliest.  The times and activities change on MATI days, but you get the general gist of it.
Speaking of food, for all of you taking bets on me losing all this weight, ALL BETS ARE OFF peeps! Like with most developing countries, the diet consists of starch, carbs, and other cheap fillers. Basically, a carbo loaders dream. I eat rice generally everyday, sometimes beans, sometimes potatoes, sometimes mchicha (like spinach), and luckily, always oranges! Sometimes spaghetti with sugar gets thrown into the mix, but I’m not a huge fan. I don’t think I’ve lost an ounce, and my family always wants me to eat more!  When I have to cook for myself at site, I’ll probably lose weight then. 
Well this was even more of a jumble of facts, figures, mental pictures, and grammatical errors than before!  I’m typing this up before I even get to put it on the internet, and know how crazy it seems but everything is “hurry up and wait.”  I haven’t had too bad bouts with homesickness yet (but I know it’ll more than likely happen when I get to my own site).  I think just knowing all the love and support I have from all of you at home is helping me, and I HAVE A PHONE NOW!!!  Its not that expensive in USD for me to call/text you, but I don’t have access to the minute vouchers and am not making very much money, so generally its better for you to call/text me! I’d rather not put the number on the internet, but contact my mom if you want the number!  I’m nine hours ahead of you all, so keep that in mind.  I love you all and miss you, but am eagerly awaiting letters from my pen pals! Jessy Lou and Grandma, I got letters from you this week!
Hopefully I’ll be able to post again soon, but the internet is really far away and I have trouble getting to it. Boo. Hope all is well back in IL, and you are all staying warm (haha). I will miss you all TONS on thanksgiving and more importantly, Black Friday! Eat some pumpkin pie for me please! 
Lots of Love from Tanzania!