23 December 2011

Wow I cannot believe this year is almost over.  I must say I could not have predicted where I would be sitting this Christmas at all! Before I catch you all up on my rollercoaster life, I want to say that I miss you all tons and wish I could be there to celebrate the holidays with everyone.  It has been a difficult week and my first feeling of homesickness has come about as I read my Christmas cards from you guys and think of all of mom’s yummy cookies and peanut brittle I am missing out on J But I am so grateful to have all of your love and support and thank you again for all your encouraging letters- I reread them again today for a little positivity boost.  Enjoy the holidays and know that I am truly grateful to have such amazing friends and family in my life.  Cheers with a glass of wine for me!

Ok, now to fill in on my life a little.  I’ve moved to my site where I will be for the next 2 years.  It’s not exactly how I pictured my first taste of freedom after the first two months living with a family.  Leaving my host-family was really sad.  They were wonderful hosts and I am so grateful to have spent my first 2 months learning from them about Tanzanian culture and practicing my Kiswahili.  I really had no issues at all during my home-stay experience and have my host family to thank for that.  They really made adjusting to the Tanzanian lifestyle easy and simple.  However, having such a great first few months led to quite a shock once I got on my own.

After officially swearing in as a Peace Corps Volunteer (yay no longer a trainee), James, Charlotte, Jen, and I all headed down to Mtwara with our district supervisor.  It was quite a crazy and very bumpy road from Dar es Salaam to Masasi district in Mtwara.  The rainy season has begun and it felt like we were floating down the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory chocolate river.  The 15 hour bus ride consisted of constant jolting and flying (getting lots of air) from my seat repeatedly, hoping the wine bottle in my backpack wouldn’t break each time we hit back down, a good hour stall when we got stuck in the mud, one flat tire which actually got fixed pretty fast, exhaustion from not going to bed the night before to hang out with volunteers one last night, 2 second naps between the giant bumps, and at last Masasi.  There were current volunteers to greet us at the bus stand and we were all very excited to meet each other.  Surprisingly, 15 hours on a crazy bus ride did not seem that bad at all, which surprised me since I thought the long plane ride to Tanzania was ridiculous and I had free wine and leg room and my chair stayed bolted to the floor. Ha

So after a night with the current volunteers (we were able to get one beer before I was ready to pass out with exhaustion) we did some quick must-have item shopping in town and then headed to our villages.  The Peace Corps suggested that we don’t write our village name on blogs, but I am sure that wouldn’t even really be a problem with my village because no one seems to know where my village is.  We all have been joking that it is an imaginary village, but in fact it does exist.  Even on the bus, the driver didn’t know which place I was living in although the bus goes through my village. Anyways, I had a nice welcoming that consisted of villagers surrounding our car, carrying in my bags into my house, and lots and lots of blank stares.  The community has been great so far and my Village Executive Officer (VEO) took me to his home right away to meet some other important members and have dinner.  So far food has been pretty good- lots of rice, beans, some meat my first couple meals of chicken or beef (I tried to explain I don’t really like meat since they eat all the tendons fat etc here but that turned into a long conversation about different meats which led them to going to get meat for me to eat so that back fired) and ugali, which is not as bad as I expected it to be before I got here.  I did buy some pasta before coming to my site and taught the VEOs wife how I cook pasta back home and made a little sauce with tomatoes onions and garlic.  They boil pasta the same here but then fry it in oil and sugar after.  She loved trying it a different way.

My house has been a major adjusting period since it’s not quite finished.  So far I’ve killed 10 rats with poison inside my house, 1 tarantula sized spider, lots of cockroaches, smaller spiders, ants, etc. It’s amazing how normal killing bugs has been when before I made roommates kill spiders for me back home J I have a bed that I am borrowing right now which is great but nothing else is in my house.  This week I bought a small kerosene stove and a charcoal stove (still need charcoal), and some buckets to collect rain water in.  I have two bedrooms, a kitchen room, and a living room.  Everywhere but my bedroom is a dirt floor so cleaning is a bit of an issue, but hopefully I’ll get cement floors eventually.  My choo (bathroom) is a work-in-progress since there is still no door and I am waiting for a fence/courtyard to be made from my house to the choo for a little privacy and security.  I really hate going in there since it is the home of many many creatures but hopefully time will improve that…

I’ve walked around my village a little and the two neighboring villages.  It is really gorgeous here with beautiful views of mountains in the background.  The village next to me has a great water source from the mountain runoff and it super tropical rainforest looking.  My village gets water from that village during the dry season.  The women have helped me with carrying water from the wells (holes dug into the ground that fill up with rain and mud) since it is a pretty long walk and so far don’t have the muscles to carry a 20L bucket of water on my head ha I tried carrying water on my head with both hands holding it and got about 5 mins before a Mama took my bucket and put it on top of hers and walked to my house without using her hands (Before in Tanga I was able to carry the little buckets on my head with one hand but maybe after 2 years ill master no hands here too J) I’ve successfully washed my clothes by hand at site without my host mama’s help like back in Tanga, cooked oatmeal, pasta, coffee, and lots of PB&J sandwiches, and collected a good amount of rainwater from my roof now. Ah…the simple things that make life good here…

Yesterday, I walked to another village, not the one with the water source, since that is where kids from my village attend the primary school.  There is no school in my village and so kids walk to school about 3K away.  Right now it’s their summer break so they start school again on 9 Jan.  I also attended a meeting with all the village leaders (men and women) from my village and the village with the school to introduce myself and explain a little about what I will be doing here.  My Kiswahili is okay but I definitely need to work on it a lot since I got about half of what was said.  I did well in the training/tests from before in Tanga, but it’s pretty difficult understanding everyone since they talk so fast here.

Overall, I have had a wonderful time in training, and a rough adjustment to my first week at site, but it’s coming along.  I am looking forward to spending a couple days with the other new volunteers this weekend for Christmas and will hopefully successfully make brownies or a cake (I tried banana bread at home-stay which worked pretty well making an oven out of 3 pots and a charcoal stove).  Please continue to send me letters and pictures to fill me in on your lives and make me laugh.  My new address for my site is:

Stephanie Gaffney, PCV
Peace Corps Volunteer

P.O. Box 218

Masasi Town

Mtwara, Tanzania

Cell Number: +255785974821

I really appreciate the packages I have received from Ali, Mom, Diane, and Grandma and Grandpa.  Luckily I got them before Christmas so have hung up some of the Xmas décor and sent out some Christmas cards.  My cookies made it safely too- thanks G and G! If anything is in the office in Dar it might be a little while for someone to bring it down to Mtwara, but from now on send stuff to my new address.  Padded enveloped seem to be arriving fine and just don’t write down anything of high values on the customs slip to avoid fees and deter opening. 

I wish you all an amazing holiday season and Happy New Year!! It’s very weird to think I won’t see anyone for all of 2012… You are always in my thoughts and I would love to hear from everyone via letters or my phone.  Calling from Skype has worked with Kelsey and Mom and I heard about something called Local Phone online that is a good deal for international calls too.  Hope you are all healthy, happy, and enjoying the holidays.  Love and miss you tons! Xoxo

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Wow I cannot believe this year is almost over.  I must say I could not have predicted where I would be sitting this Christmas at all! Before I catch you all up on my rollercoaster life, I want to say that I miss you all tons and wish I could be there to celebrate the holidays with everyone.  It has been a difficult week and my first feeling of homesickness has come about as I read my Christmas cards from you guys and think of all of mom’s yummy cookies and peanut brittle I am missing out on J But I am so grateful to have all of your love and support and thank you again for all your encouraging letters- I reread them again today for a little positivity boost.  Enjoy the holidays and know that I am truly grateful to have such amazing friends and family in my life.  Cheers with a glass of wine for me!

Ok, now to fill in on my life a little.  I’ve moved to my site where I will be for the next 2 years.  It’s not exactly how I pictured my first taste of freedom after the first two months living with a family.  Leaving my host-family was really sad.  They were wonderful hosts and I am so grateful to have spent my first 2 months learning from them about Tanzanian culture and practicing my Kiswahili.  I really had no issues at all during my home-stay experience and have my host family to thank for that.  They really made adjusting to the Tanzanian lifestyle easy and simple.  However, having such a great first few months led to quite a shock once I got on my own.

After officially swearing in as a Peace Corps Volunteer (yay no longer a trainee), James, Charlotte, Jen, and I all headed down to Mtwara with our district supervisor.  It was quite a crazy and very bumpy road from Dar es Salaam to Masasi district in Mtwara.  The rainy season has begun and it felt like we were floating down the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory chocolate river.  The 15 hour bus ride consisted of constant jolting and flying (getting lots of air) from my seat repeatedly, hoping the wine bottle in my backpack wouldn’t break each time we hit back down, a good hour stall when we got stuck in the mud, one flat tire which actually got fixed pretty fast, exhaustion from not going to bed the night before to hang out with volunteers one last night, 2 second naps between the giant bumps, and at last Masasi.  There were current volunteers to greet us at the bus stand and we were all very excited to meet each other.  Surprisingly, 15 hours on a crazy bus ride did not seem that bad at all, which surprised me since I thought the long plane ride to Tanzania was ridiculous and I had free wine and leg room and my chair stayed bolted to the floor. Ha

So after a night with the current volunteers (we were able to get one beer before I was ready to pass out with exhaustion) we did some quick must-have item shopping in town and then headed to our villages.  The Peace Corps suggested that we don’t write our village name on blogs, but I am sure that wouldn’t even really be a problem with my village because no one seems to know where my village is.  We all have been joking that it is an imaginary village, but in fact it does exist.  Even on the bus, the driver didn’t know which place I was living in although the bus goes through my village. Anyways, I had a nice welcoming that consisted of villagers surrounding our car, carrying in my bags into my house, and lots and lots of blank stares.  The community has been great so far and my Village Executive Officer (VEO) took me to his home right away to meet some other important members and have dinner.  So far food has been pretty good- lots of rice, beans, some meat my first couple meals of chicken or beef (I tried to explain I don’t really like meat since they eat all the tendons fat etc here but that turned into a long conversation about different meats which led them to going to get meat for me to eat so that back fired) and ugali, which is not as bad as I expected it to be before I got here.  I did buy some pasta before coming to my site and taught the VEOs wife how I cook pasta back home and made a little sauce with tomatoes onions and garlic.  They boil pasta the same here but then fry it in oil and sugar after.  She loved trying it a different way.

My house has been a major adjusting period since it’s not quite finished.  So far I’ve killed 10 rats with poison inside my house, 1 tarantula sized spider, lots of cockroaches, smaller spiders, ants, etc. It’s amazing how normal killing bugs has been when before I made roommates kill spiders for me back home J I have a bed that I am borrowing right now which is great but nothing else is in my house.  This week I bought a small kerosene stove and a charcoal stove (still need charcoal), and some buckets to collect rain water in.  I have two bedrooms, a kitchen room, and a living room.  Everywhere but my bedroom is a dirt floor so cleaning is a bit of an issue, but hopefully I’ll get cement floors eventually.  My choo (bathroom) is a work-in-progress since there is still no door and I am waiting for a fence/courtyard to be made from my house to the choo for a little privacy and security.  I really hate going in there since it is the home of many many creatures but hopefully time will improve that…

I’ve walked around my village a little and the two neighboring villages.  It is really gorgeous here with beautiful views of mountains in the background.  The village next to me has a great water source from the mountain runoff and it super tropical rainforest looking.  My village gets water from that village during the dry season.  The women have helped me with carrying water from the wells (holes dug into the ground that fill up with rain and mud) since it is a pretty long walk and so far don’t have the muscles to carry a 20L bucket of water on my head ha I tried carrying water on my head with both hands holding it and got about 5 mins before a Mama took my bucket and put it on top of hers and walked to my house without using her hands (Before in Tanga I was able to carry the little buckets on my head with one hand but maybe after 2 years ill master no hands here too J) I’ve successfully washed my clothes by hand at site without my host mama’s help like back in Tanga, cooked oatmeal, pasta, coffee, and lots of PB&J sandwiches, and collected a good amount of rainwater from my roof now. Ah…the simple things that make life good here…

Yesterday, I walked to another village, not the one with the water source, since that is where kids from my village attend the primary school.  There is no school in my village and so kids walk to school about 3K away.  Right now it’s their summer break so they start school again on 9 Jan.  I also attended a meeting with all the village leaders (men and women) from my village and the village with the school to introduce myself and explain a little about what I will be doing here.  My Kiswahili is okay but I definitely need to work on it a lot since I got about half of what was said.  I did well in the training/tests from before in Tanga, but it’s pretty difficult understanding everyone since they talk so fast here.

Overall, I have had a wonderful time in training, and a rough adjustment to my first week at site, but it’s coming along.  I am looking forward to spending a couple days with the other new volunteers this weekend for Christmas and will hopefully successfully make brownies or a cake (I tried banana bread at home-stay which worked pretty well making an oven out of 3 pots and a charcoal stove).  Please continue to send me letters and pictures to fill me in on your lives and make me laugh.  My new address for my site is:

Stephanie Gaffney, PCV

P.O. Box 218

Masasi Town

Mtwara, Tanzania

Cell Number: +255785974821

I really appreciate the packages I have received from Ali, Mom, Diane, and Grandma and Grandpa.  Luckily I got them before Christmas so have hung up some of the Xmas décor and sent out some Christmas cards.  My cookies made it safely too- thanks G and G! If anything is in the office in Dar it might be a little while for someone to bring it down to Mtwara, but from now on send stuff to my new address.  Padded enveloped seem to be arriving fine and just don’t write down anything of high values on the customs slip to avoid fees and deter opening. 

I wish you all an amazing holiday season and Happy New Year!! It’s very weird to think I won’t see anyone for all of 2012… You are always in my thoughts and I would love to hear from everyone via letters or my phone.  Calling from Skype has worked with Kelsey and Mom and I heard about something called Local Phone online that is a good deal for international calls too.  Hope you are all healthy, happy, and enjoying the holidays.  Love and miss you tons! Xoxo

My host family: Back row standing- Dada Pili, Me, Dada Asha, Baba. Front row sitting- Mama, Kaka Hassani, Dada Saumu, Kaka Ali

                                                                                                                                  

Sad to Leave Each other- Kat and I at our Swearing in Ceremony in Tanzanian clothes

Last night with my CBT- Chuck, Julie and Kat