AHHHH!! The last few days have been WONDERFUL!!! I feel like things just keep getting better and better!!
So, yesterday after school I was so exhausted that I decided to take the afternoon off. I decided that I would not wash clothes, I would not grade papers, I would not do any kind of work. I spent most of the afternoon reading and it was like therapy for me. I've been working so hard and doing so many things that I needed the time for rest. In the late afternoon I ran over at the International School and then went to the prayer meeting that happens on Wednesdays at the church. I've decided that now that I've been here for a few weeks, it's time that I get more involved with the church and other activities that are going on here. I'm hoping to also join the choir on Saturday evening!!!
Well, today school was great!! I've finally started teaching the students the recorder and they LOVE it!! They LOVE music and always beg me to teach them music. Sometimes they can be a bit pushy and I've had to get a little bit mean, though, and let them know that I will come teach music when the head teacher tells me to (because I don't want to disrupt the school's schedule or anything). (I'll have to upload the pictures at another time because the website won't let me now)
But, really, the unfortunate thing is that the school seems to be losing teachers by the week!! I'm not sure where they all are, but yet another teacher has not been coming in addition to the other teachers who were gone last week. So, the rest of us are still having to sit in on classes and give up our free periods. I've found that in many ways I must be very possessive of my free periods. Maybe it's selfish, I'm not sure, but everyone needs a break and I need my time to grade and prepare lesson plans. If I'm finished with those things, I will usually practice my Swahili which is rapidly increasing!! I'm SOOO proud of myself!! I found some very helpful pages that Matt left that list over 200 verbs and their English translation, Religious phrases, numbers, phrases, fruits, foods, body parts, animals, clothes and more. I'm working my way down the list trying to memorize a few verbs a day and a few phrases and other words per day. So far, I know 24 verbs. I know it doesn't sound like much, but if I keep going with a few a day, I will know over 200 before long!! I can also say multiple Religious phrases such as Bwana Asifiwe!! Which means Praise the Lord!! This is probably the most important one because they say it so much at church!! I can also say Bwana akubariki sana! Which means God bless you abundantly!! YAY!!!
This afternoon, I washed clothes, but the water was not working (the electricity wasn't working either for that part), so I was only able to do about half of it with the small amount of water that I had left in my tub. I should've gotten more while I could, but I find that I just don't use very much (even for bathing) and I don't need to have very much. I also read some more and then left for the International School where I ran and then played volleyball. Now I'm back and updating this blog!!
Although it may seem like an ordinary day, today has been one one of my best days here. Though not everything has gone right, I feel more connected to the area, to the school, and to the people. I'm beginning to feel more like I belong as opposed to being an outsider. I still get a lot of attention because I'm white and many people will stop me to ask me who I am, what I do, where I'm going, where I live, etc., but I've learned that they're just curious. It can be annoying at times and sometimes I really do wish I could just blend in. But, the truth is, I'm not here to blend in. I'm here to stand out as someone who is different. Maybe not for the reasons other people here may think, but I am here because of Christ. I am here to make a difference because this is where He has led me and called me.
The young man who kept bothering me at the church on Sunday stopped by the house the other day while I was doing my laundry and we ended up in conversation. He was talking about how much he wants to be famous like a famous singer or a famous preacher on the TV. I guess for him, that is what success looks like. In all of our conversation, he couldn't understand why I didn't want to be famous. All I could say is "I'm just an ordinary person. Nothing in the world makes me extraordinary except for Christ. I don't want to be famous because I don't want that level of responsibility. I want to have enough to get by and I want God to be number one in my life. You can't serve God and money." He kept saying that God can provide fame. But, the truth is, God will only provide fame to some. Many will strive for fame and acknowledgement, but they will never achieve it. Sometimes God allows us to suffer in order to learn lessons. As a Christian, I do not wish to strive for fame; somehow it seems wrong. I long to make God famous in the world; I long to take a backseat ride and let Him be the star of the show. If that happens to bring me fame, so be it, but that is not my goal. In the Bible it says that God humbles the proud and raises up the servant. I want to be a servant. I don't want to strut my stuff and show off how great I am. I'm not great. God is great. I'm just a human being living day to day, praising God for who He is and how He has moved in my life and changed me for the better.
I think it's good that, as painful as it was, God allowed me to wait before coming here. My prayer was always that God would prepare me for Africa and that He would prepare Africa for me. I feel like by waiting, God has moved in my life in big ways to prepare me for this experience and I am so thankful. That doesn't mean it's easy. There are still many times when I am reminded of home and I long to be in a more comfortable and familiar environment. I long for food from the US like you wouldn't imagine. It may seem crazy, but sometimes it seems worthwhile to hop on a plane to the US just to get some familiar food and then come back. But, I can't. It's worth it to be here, to give luxury up to serve my Lord. If I was here for any other reason, I think I would rethink my sanity and come home. But, here I am, learning so much about who God is, who I am, and who the people here are and I am thankful. I pray that every day "Thank you Lord for allowing me to be here! It is a blessing to serve these people!"
I hope that as you wander through life and find yourself in a challenging place that you are willing to take on the challenge. Remember, "God won't give us more than we can handle." ~ Mother Theresa. Of course, the second half of that quote is "I just wish he didn't trust me so much." Haha! Remember, God has given you the tools to accomplish His work, you just have to be brave, jump in and make sure that you are holding onto Him as hard as you possibly can!!
"Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he must become a 'fool' so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight." 1 Corinthians 3:18-19
Peace, Love, and Blessings
~Christine
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
The Weekend
Well, I haven't updated in a while, but I've been so busy!! I've barely had enough time to update my journal (which is quickly nearing half way full! AHHH!! It's only been one month!! I should've brought more journals because I don't know what to do. They don't sell nice journals here) much less this blog. Also, I just want to say to everyone, thanks for writing comments!! However, for some reason, I cannot access the comment area and write any responses, so I'm sorry!!! Btw, Carole, just wanted to say that the tall grass is not so dense, so it is possible to see through it, but it's still a challenge to run it. I hadn't thought of snakes being in there, though, and now every time I run over there, I'm looking down for them Haha!!
Well, here it goes:
On Saturday, we were supposed to climb to the peak of the mountain, but we were unable to because we didn't realize that we needed forest permits in order to enter the forested areas at the top of the mountain. Apparently, they are some kind of wildlife preserve or something. So, instead, my Swahili teacher and I headed out at 10am on Saturday and went to town. We walked a ways up the mountain following a road and then stopped in at a hotel to get refreshments at their cafe area. The initial intention was to not eat, but I was hungry and thought I would order a little something. I figured it wouldn't take too long to make a small appetizer (maybe like 15-20 minutes). Well, I was wrong. It took an entire HOUR for the food to be ready. I felt so bad!! By the time it was all done, we had spent a great amount of time there and had to hurry back to town to meet the pastor so we could go on a different hike. But, we couldn't get in touch with the pastor, so we boarded a bus to Nane Nane (which is a place where a big trade show happens every year) to visit a tourist information center. But, even more unfortunately, it was closed, so we were going to turn back to town. But, then the pastor called and we were able to arrange our meeting with him at a Teacher Vocational College where the hike would start. A couple very cramped bus rides later, we arrived at the school and hiked up to an old church. This church is one of the oldest in Morogoro and was built by the Germans.
As we hiked up to where the trail started, we encountered some monkeys playing in a tree at the school:
We hiked up through the school which is located on the mountains and past it. We followed the river upstream until we reached a steep slope to climb up. It was so steep that as I was climbing up, I was nervous that my feet were going to slip out from under me and there weren't very many things to hold on to in the way of trees and brush. But, we all made it up OK and we got a decent view of the town.
My favorite view, however, was looking up at the mountains.
After resting for a while, we headed back down the trail (really, it wasn't very long. Only about 10 minutes to get there and 10 minutes to get back to the school). It was actually much easier coming down the steep slope, because I crab crawled and was able to keep myself from sliding too much. On the way back, I also encountered a beautiful butterfly!! AHH!! It made me so happy!! :D
Once we arrived back it was 6pm and the only food that I had eaten was 3 slices of bread with jam for breakfast and part of the appetizer I had ordered at the cafe (because we had split it) and I was STARVING!! I immediately went to my room and began devouring some of the foods I had bought, which weren't too healthy, sadly (chips and cookies). But, if you want American-type goods, those are the options. I skyped home with my parents, ate dinner and went to bed.
Sunday morning, the cooking saga continued as I woke up early and made pancakes for the family! They were DELICIOUS (if I do say so myself) even if they were slightly different from home. I had to used powdered milk in water and there was no butter, so I had to cook them in oil. The first few came out a bit greasy, but after that, I was able to work things out no problem. It made me so happy to eat foods I like so well, but it also kind of made me miss home. Here are some pictures of my pancakes:
After breakfast, was church, which was so upbeat and lively. It was SOO exciting to be there because there were so many people and everyone was practically jumping up and down singing praises. I found out after the service that the Choir Master had gotten married last week (I knew that part), but I didn't realize that they had to be presented to the congregation. This involved a very festive ceremony and re-enactment of the wedding. There was dancing by some girls in the church and singing by the choir. There was also a gift giving processional where everyone from the congregation presented their gifts to the bride and groom. It was incredibly festive and the church members danced with their gifts, presenting them and wrapping cloths around the couple. They received a great deal of cloth, bowls, tubs to put water in, a thermos, and other household items. Afterward, a great feast was served and we dined on rice, fried potatoes, meat, and beans. It was delicious!!
The only thing that aggravated me was the young man who was sitting next to me and kept trying to talk to me throughout the entire ceremony. He asked me about everything "Why can't you speak fluent Swahili yet?" and "Why are you leaving so soon?" and "Are weddings like this in America?" and "Can you buy cross items (like a necklace) in America? Are they popular?" and "Why aren't you involved with the church?" and so on. Everything was so random and he kept switching topics in mid conversation. I felt SOOO terribly because he kept talking while the ceremony was happening. This was the first time I'd ever experienced this kind of festivity and I wanted to take in everything that I could (even if I couldn't understand everything). I kept telling him, let's talk after the service (because people started looking at us at one point) and no one else was talking, but he just kept on. *sigh*
Well, Sunday afternoon was chill and I graded papers and recorded grades until I decided that I wanted to go run. After running, I read in my room for a while until dinner, ate, and went to bed.
Yesterday, we were under the impression that there was no school due to a Muslim holiday, so I intended to "sleep in" (which doesn't really happen). But, we found out 10 minutes before school that we the holiday was not Monday. So, I had to rush to get ready and get over to the school. I was exhausted after the day was over, but I still had lots to do. I had to wash my clothes, practice Swahili, I wanted to run, and I had a Swahili lesson at 5pm. But, I didn't end up running because I took an unanticipated nap. *sigh* But, I practiced karate in my room which more than made up for the no running. We thought we weren't going to have school today since we didn't have it yesterday, but we ended up being wrong. The holiday was apparently on Sunday, so I was greatly disappointed that I didn't get a long weekend. Oh well. I'll just have to wait until next weekend!! Haha.
Today, I taught at school all morning, came back and have now eaten lunch. The plans for the rest of the day are: finish washing my clothes (because although I washed for an hour yesterday, I didn't get them all done), enter grades from Class 6 into my grade book, run and play volleyball over at the International School, come back to practice Swahili, eat dinner and go to bed. It's gonna' be a busy afternoon, but I'm up for it!!
Hope you're all having a great start to your week so far!!
"Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge" Psalms 62:5-8
Blessings, Love, and Peace,
~Christine
Well, here it goes:
On Saturday, we were supposed to climb to the peak of the mountain, but we were unable to because we didn't realize that we needed forest permits in order to enter the forested areas at the top of the mountain. Apparently, they are some kind of wildlife preserve or something. So, instead, my Swahili teacher and I headed out at 10am on Saturday and went to town. We walked a ways up the mountain following a road and then stopped in at a hotel to get refreshments at their cafe area. The initial intention was to not eat, but I was hungry and thought I would order a little something. I figured it wouldn't take too long to make a small appetizer (maybe like 15-20 minutes). Well, I was wrong. It took an entire HOUR for the food to be ready. I felt so bad!! By the time it was all done, we had spent a great amount of time there and had to hurry back to town to meet the pastor so we could go on a different hike. But, we couldn't get in touch with the pastor, so we boarded a bus to Nane Nane (which is a place where a big trade show happens every year) to visit a tourist information center. But, even more unfortunately, it was closed, so we were going to turn back to town. But, then the pastor called and we were able to arrange our meeting with him at a Teacher Vocational College where the hike would start. A couple very cramped bus rides later, we arrived at the school and hiked up to an old church. This church is one of the oldest in Morogoro and was built by the Germans.
As we hiked up to where the trail started, we encountered some monkeys playing in a tree at the school:
We hiked up through the school which is located on the mountains and past it. We followed the river upstream until we reached a steep slope to climb up. It was so steep that as I was climbing up, I was nervous that my feet were going to slip out from under me and there weren't very many things to hold on to in the way of trees and brush. But, we all made it up OK and we got a decent view of the town.
My favorite view, however, was looking up at the mountains.
After resting for a while, we headed back down the trail (really, it wasn't very long. Only about 10 minutes to get there and 10 minutes to get back to the school). It was actually much easier coming down the steep slope, because I crab crawled and was able to keep myself from sliding too much. On the way back, I also encountered a beautiful butterfly!! AHH!! It made me so happy!! :D
Once we arrived back it was 6pm and the only food that I had eaten was 3 slices of bread with jam for breakfast and part of the appetizer I had ordered at the cafe (because we had split it) and I was STARVING!! I immediately went to my room and began devouring some of the foods I had bought, which weren't too healthy, sadly (chips and cookies). But, if you want American-type goods, those are the options. I skyped home with my parents, ate dinner and went to bed.
Sunday morning, the cooking saga continued as I woke up early and made pancakes for the family! They were DELICIOUS (if I do say so myself) even if they were slightly different from home. I had to used powdered milk in water and there was no butter, so I had to cook them in oil. The first few came out a bit greasy, but after that, I was able to work things out no problem. It made me so happy to eat foods I like so well, but it also kind of made me miss home. Here are some pictures of my pancakes:
After breakfast, was church, which was so upbeat and lively. It was SOO exciting to be there because there were so many people and everyone was practically jumping up and down singing praises. I found out after the service that the Choir Master had gotten married last week (I knew that part), but I didn't realize that they had to be presented to the congregation. This involved a very festive ceremony and re-enactment of the wedding. There was dancing by some girls in the church and singing by the choir. There was also a gift giving processional where everyone from the congregation presented their gifts to the bride and groom. It was incredibly festive and the church members danced with their gifts, presenting them and wrapping cloths around the couple. They received a great deal of cloth, bowls, tubs to put water in, a thermos, and other household items. Afterward, a great feast was served and we dined on rice, fried potatoes, meat, and beans. It was delicious!!
The only thing that aggravated me was the young man who was sitting next to me and kept trying to talk to me throughout the entire ceremony. He asked me about everything "Why can't you speak fluent Swahili yet?" and "Why are you leaving so soon?" and "Are weddings like this in America?" and "Can you buy cross items (like a necklace) in America? Are they popular?" and "Why aren't you involved with the church?" and so on. Everything was so random and he kept switching topics in mid conversation. I felt SOOO terribly because he kept talking while the ceremony was happening. This was the first time I'd ever experienced this kind of festivity and I wanted to take in everything that I could (even if I couldn't understand everything). I kept telling him, let's talk after the service (because people started looking at us at one point) and no one else was talking, but he just kept on. *sigh*
Well, Sunday afternoon was chill and I graded papers and recorded grades until I decided that I wanted to go run. After running, I read in my room for a while until dinner, ate, and went to bed.
Yesterday, we were under the impression that there was no school due to a Muslim holiday, so I intended to "sleep in" (which doesn't really happen). But, we found out 10 minutes before school that we the holiday was not Monday. So, I had to rush to get ready and get over to the school. I was exhausted after the day was over, but I still had lots to do. I had to wash my clothes, practice Swahili, I wanted to run, and I had a Swahili lesson at 5pm. But, I didn't end up running because I took an unanticipated nap. *sigh* But, I practiced karate in my room which more than made up for the no running. We thought we weren't going to have school today since we didn't have it yesterday, but we ended up being wrong. The holiday was apparently on Sunday, so I was greatly disappointed that I didn't get a long weekend. Oh well. I'll just have to wait until next weekend!! Haha.
Today, I taught at school all morning, came back and have now eaten lunch. The plans for the rest of the day are: finish washing my clothes (because although I washed for an hour yesterday, I didn't get them all done), enter grades from Class 6 into my grade book, run and play volleyball over at the International School, come back to practice Swahili, eat dinner and go to bed. It's gonna' be a busy afternoon, but I'm up for it!!
Hope you're all having a great start to your week so far!!
"Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge" Psalms 62:5-8
Blessings, Love, and Peace,
~Christine
Friday, February 3, 2012
Goings and Doings
Well, nothing too exciting has happened this week. Just going to school, handwashing my clothes in the afternoons, running at the International School, karate, and yoga. I have begun joining the volleyball group at the International School on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the evening. I can't begin to express how wonderful it is to get out and meet people and make connections!! It's nice also to be around people who speak fluent English. There's something about being around people who know exactly what you're saying that feels so wonderful. Not that I don't enjoy anyone else's company (everyone has been so welcoming and wonderful), but sometimes it's hard when they are all speaking in Swahili and you're just kind of sitting there listening. The other good thing about the volleyball is that it's not overly competitive which means that there's a nice fun vibe which is nice after a stressful day of teaching.
Speaking of teaching, I have begun to teach my first music classes this week. YAY!! The head teacher (kind of like the principal) is having me teach music when teachers are absent and that way the students are not just sitting around doing nothing. The students LOVE it!!!! In fact, class 6 constantly begs me to teach music. It's been such a joy for me because the students really get into it. They especially love the rhythm games (which I think is a result of the fact that the main instruments played here are drums). Now that I've taught some basic skills (note names, note values, scales, the staff, rests, and a few rhythm techniques) I'm going to start the students on the recorders that I brought. I'm SUPER excited!! I hope that it goes well. The students in some classes are going to have to share because there are almost 30 students in those classes, but only 15 recorders, but I think we'll be able to make it all work out OK. YAY!!!
Well, as I begin my fourth week here in Morogoro, I'm amazed at how fast time is flying. In a week from tomorrow, I will have been in Tanzania for one month!!! In some ways I've found this journey to be easier than I expected it would be, but in some ways it has been harder than I anticipated.
I'm amazed at how much I've gotten used to in such a small amount of time. For instance, today at the market, I experienced air conditioning for the first time in like two weeks. It was AMAZING!! But, I've realized that I am completely capable of living without it because my body has adjusted to being warm all the time indoors and outdoors. My hands have also gotten used to hand washing. Which is WONDERFUL!! The first few times I hand washed my clothes, my poor fingers got rubbed raw and I had to cover them with bandaids and Neosporin. I've also gotten used to taking cold showers. I'm sure you're wondering how anyone could get used to that, but you just have to throw yourself in and even though at first I could only stand it for a few minutes, I don't mind anymore. I've also gotten used to having to walk everywhere. It's about a 15 minute walk to the International School from the house and a 15 minute walk back. If I could drive, it would only take, like 2 minutes. But, I don't mind having to walk at all. It's about a 10 minute walk to the bus stop and then it takes another 15-20 minutes to get to town because the bus stops so much. And then, once you get there, you have to walk to the stores you want to visit. Thus, you have to plan to be at the market for 1 1/2 - 2 hours at minimum which is a long time if you ask me. Thus, it's wise to go to the market only when you have compiled a list of things you want. (Although, ironically, I went to the market yesterday and forgot most of my money at the house in my bag. I was SOOO mad at myself because I had made the journey there and couldn't even buy the things I wanted!!) Also, I've gotten used to running around the soccer field at the International School because there isn't a track that I can use in Morogoro. I've always been a street runner and it was tough switching to cross-country style, but I've actually gotten pretty good at it and I can even run through the long grass that's on one end of the field without feeling like I'm going to fall down. Haha. I've also gotten used to the greetings here. No one just says "Hello", it's always "How are you?", but there are so many different ways to say it, it seems, and I always have to think twice about what they said before I respond. But, now I'm able to respond much faster and I've also been working on building my vocabulary, which of course is slow, but it's coming. I'm sure that by the end of my time here, I'll be able to speak and understand a great deal!! :D
There are still a few things I haven't gotten used to though. For instance, I never expected that the diet change would be so difficult for me. I mean, seriously, I never expected to miss food from home SOOO freaking much!! I have the worst cravings for Italian foods, Greek foods, Mexican foods, Chinese foods, Japanese foods, pretty much everything!!! My diet here consists mostly of potatoes, spaghetti noodles with various vegetables mixed in, rice and beans, and rice with chicken. It was AMAZING when we made pizza last week, but that was only one night of change. *sigh* Another thing I'm not totally adjusted to is a good sleep pattern. I try to go to bed at the same time every night, but I still wake up a few times during the night. Sometimes it's because I get tangled up in the bug net (which is very annoying) and sometimes I'm not sure why, I just do. I've been taking my Melatonin pills that are an all-natural sleep aid and it's been helping to a certain degree, but I can't wait until I wake up every morning feeling well rested. The other thing that I miss bunches are hugs. I'm such a hugger (I think that's a new word), but I'm not close enough to anyone here for that. Not that I've seen many people hugging, it's usually just handshakes. :(
For the most part, things are good. Sometimes it's hard to be away from home, sometimes teaching is VERY frustrating (but, of course it's that in the US as well) and sometimes it's lonely, but I know that God has me here for a reason. Every day gets better and I've learned to rejoice at every interaction because it means that I am building friendships here, even if it is a slow process. I think it's a slow process wherever you are, but somehow, the language and cultural barrier make it seem even slower. I just have to keep leaning on Him and trusting Him that this is where I am supposed to be and that even though it may not feel like it sometimes, I am making a difference by being here.
Well, I guess I shall end things here for now. I hope you are having a blessed day and that your weekend is wonderful!! I'm going to be climbing to the peak of the Uluguru mountains tomorrow!! YAY!! And on Sunday morning I'm going to make pancakes for the family!! Yay for American food!! I'm going to put chocolate bits in them and we're going to put powdered sugar on top top to sweeten them up a bit because there is no maple syrup. I'm SUPER excited!! I was planning on making them on Saturday, but we're going to have to get up early so we can climb the mountain and we're going to have to make lunches to bring with us and the works, so I think it would be better to make them on Sunday. Yummy!! :D
"Look to the Lord and his strength; seek His face always." Psalm 105:4
Blessings, love, and peace,
~Christine
Speaking of teaching, I have begun to teach my first music classes this week. YAY!! The head teacher (kind of like the principal) is having me teach music when teachers are absent and that way the students are not just sitting around doing nothing. The students LOVE it!!!! In fact, class 6 constantly begs me to teach music. It's been such a joy for me because the students really get into it. They especially love the rhythm games (which I think is a result of the fact that the main instruments played here are drums). Now that I've taught some basic skills (note names, note values, scales, the staff, rests, and a few rhythm techniques) I'm going to start the students on the recorders that I brought. I'm SUPER excited!! I hope that it goes well. The students in some classes are going to have to share because there are almost 30 students in those classes, but only 15 recorders, but I think we'll be able to make it all work out OK. YAY!!!
Well, as I begin my fourth week here in Morogoro, I'm amazed at how fast time is flying. In a week from tomorrow, I will have been in Tanzania for one month!!! In some ways I've found this journey to be easier than I expected it would be, but in some ways it has been harder than I anticipated.
I'm amazed at how much I've gotten used to in such a small amount of time. For instance, today at the market, I experienced air conditioning for the first time in like two weeks. It was AMAZING!! But, I've realized that I am completely capable of living without it because my body has adjusted to being warm all the time indoors and outdoors. My hands have also gotten used to hand washing. Which is WONDERFUL!! The first few times I hand washed my clothes, my poor fingers got rubbed raw and I had to cover them with bandaids and Neosporin. I've also gotten used to taking cold showers. I'm sure you're wondering how anyone could get used to that, but you just have to throw yourself in and even though at first I could only stand it for a few minutes, I don't mind anymore. I've also gotten used to having to walk everywhere. It's about a 15 minute walk to the International School from the house and a 15 minute walk back. If I could drive, it would only take, like 2 minutes. But, I don't mind having to walk at all. It's about a 10 minute walk to the bus stop and then it takes another 15-20 minutes to get to town because the bus stops so much. And then, once you get there, you have to walk to the stores you want to visit. Thus, you have to plan to be at the market for 1 1/2 - 2 hours at minimum which is a long time if you ask me. Thus, it's wise to go to the market only when you have compiled a list of things you want. (Although, ironically, I went to the market yesterday and forgot most of my money at the house in my bag. I was SOOO mad at myself because I had made the journey there and couldn't even buy the things I wanted!!) Also, I've gotten used to running around the soccer field at the International School because there isn't a track that I can use in Morogoro. I've always been a street runner and it was tough switching to cross-country style, but I've actually gotten pretty good at it and I can even run through the long grass that's on one end of the field without feeling like I'm going to fall down. Haha. I've also gotten used to the greetings here. No one just says "Hello", it's always "How are you?", but there are so many different ways to say it, it seems, and I always have to think twice about what they said before I respond. But, now I'm able to respond much faster and I've also been working on building my vocabulary, which of course is slow, but it's coming. I'm sure that by the end of my time here, I'll be able to speak and understand a great deal!! :D
There are still a few things I haven't gotten used to though. For instance, I never expected that the diet change would be so difficult for me. I mean, seriously, I never expected to miss food from home SOOO freaking much!! I have the worst cravings for Italian foods, Greek foods, Mexican foods, Chinese foods, Japanese foods, pretty much everything!!! My diet here consists mostly of potatoes, spaghetti noodles with various vegetables mixed in, rice and beans, and rice with chicken. It was AMAZING when we made pizza last week, but that was only one night of change. *sigh* Another thing I'm not totally adjusted to is a good sleep pattern. I try to go to bed at the same time every night, but I still wake up a few times during the night. Sometimes it's because I get tangled up in the bug net (which is very annoying) and sometimes I'm not sure why, I just do. I've been taking my Melatonin pills that are an all-natural sleep aid and it's been helping to a certain degree, but I can't wait until I wake up every morning feeling well rested. The other thing that I miss bunches are hugs. I'm such a hugger (I think that's a new word), but I'm not close enough to anyone here for that. Not that I've seen many people hugging, it's usually just handshakes. :(
For the most part, things are good. Sometimes it's hard to be away from home, sometimes teaching is VERY frustrating (but, of course it's that in the US as well) and sometimes it's lonely, but I know that God has me here for a reason. Every day gets better and I've learned to rejoice at every interaction because it means that I am building friendships here, even if it is a slow process. I think it's a slow process wherever you are, but somehow, the language and cultural barrier make it seem even slower. I just have to keep leaning on Him and trusting Him that this is where I am supposed to be and that even though it may not feel like it sometimes, I am making a difference by being here.
Well, I guess I shall end things here for now. I hope you are having a blessed day and that your weekend is wonderful!! I'm going to be climbing to the peak of the Uluguru mountains tomorrow!! YAY!! And on Sunday morning I'm going to make pancakes for the family!! Yay for American food!! I'm going to put chocolate bits in them and we're going to put powdered sugar on top top to sweeten them up a bit because there is no maple syrup. I'm SUPER excited!! I was planning on making them on Saturday, but we're going to have to get up early so we can climb the mountain and we're going to have to make lunches to bring with us and the works, so I think it would be better to make them on Sunday. Yummy!! :D
"Look to the Lord and his strength; seek His face always." Psalm 105:4
Blessings, love, and peace,
~Christine
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Wrestling with Stereotypes
Well, I have to say that being here marks the first time I’ve truly been a victim of stereotype. In the past, I’ve asked my friends what they would stereotype me as, but I never truly fit into one. I was always proud of that factor because it indicated that I didn’t resemble any particular group; I was always just me. :D
But now, I am keenly aware as I walk about how people perceive me to be the “rich American lady”. It bothers me that Americans are immediately assumed “rich” just for the sole fact that they are from America. It makes it seem as though you don’t even have to work hard in America to have wealth. Instead, the mere fact that you are from America means you are “rich”. This bothers me because in no way am I considered “rich” in America. In fact, if I had been living on my own prior to this trip, I would probably not have had such a great quality of life based on my income at my minimum wage jobs. The cost of living in America is so high, that it’s necessary to make a large annual salary just to have the necessities. In fact, in order to make this trip possible, I worked 2 official jobs (day care worker and waitress) and countless unofficial jobs (pet sitting, house sitting, picture scanning, babysitting, etc.) and I’m also being supported by many generous and wonderful people who have chosen to sponsor this mission trip. I have worked hard for what I have now and I have sweated and stretched myself to the limits to get here and have money left to start me off in graduate school.
But, of course, I cannot in any way compare my situation back home to the situation of the people here. Here, people live in homes with dirt floors and most do not have electricity or running water. Even the people who do have running water and electricity do not have it all the time because it is constantly going on and off (sometimes for an entire half of a day). Almost no one has a car, a laptop, a camera, or any kind of electronic device besides a cell phone. When I first arrived, I was shocked at how little was here, but now my perspective has changed. Compared to many, I am living the “high life” at the pastor’s house.
What I’ve realized is that it all comes down to understanding context. In the context of America, I am not considered “rich” by any means because the cost of living is so incredibly high. But, here, the cost of living is so low I guess I could be perceived as being “rich”. But, of course, my situation is not due to the fact that I come from America, this is the result of my hard work and countless hours dedicated to working (yes, I have worked a twelve hour day on multiple occasions).
The situation reminds me of how in America, we have the assumption that Asians are automatically smart in Math and/or Science. But, we forget that in countries like Korea, the students do not have extra curricular activities after school. In fact, the students go straight from school to tutors who work long hours with the students in order to help them understand the concepts better. In their culture, it is necessary to understand those concepts in order to be successful. Also, we sometimes forget that although many Asians are good in Math and Science, not all can be. Everyone has their own individual talents and thus not everyone ca be good at everything.
I hope that during my stay people's perceptions of me will be changed. I hope to be known for my faith and not for how much money others perceive me to have, or because anyone thinks I'm famous, or any other reason. I'd much rather be known for being true to myself and true to my God.
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing, and perfect will." Romans 12:2
Blessings, peace, and love,
~Christine
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Solo Trip to Town, Karate, Mild Illness, Rock Garden, and Pizza
What a strange mix of things ^^. Haha!!!
So, it's been a little while since I have last posted and so much has happened, so I'm going to try and quickly update everyone now!! Haha!!
Well, For the most part Wednesday was completely uneventful and I just taught school and read mostly. Thursday, school was fine, but the exciting thing was that I made my first solo trip to the market. I was so nervous, but I tried really hard to make sure no one else would notice. I got to the bus stop and hopped on the first bus that came by. My immediate fear was, "oh no!! What if I got on the wrong bus!!??" and my second thought was "Well, surely all buses must pass through town..." and my third thought was "Well, even if it doesn't go to town, the minute it diverts from the path to town, I will get off and I will walk until I either reach town on foot or am able to catch a bus that actually goes to town." Thus, I was prepared for anything. After arriving in town, I had to walk around a little bit before I found the supermarket that Matt had recommended to me so that I could buy items for the pizza that we were going to be making and also I wanted to check about buying granola bars (because I only have 2 left...Sad Day!!!) Well, I found it, and although it's larger than most supermarkets here, it is still tiny compared to US supermarkets and didn't have all that much in the way of foods I recognized. However, I was able to discover that they sell chips and chocolate. Thus, whenever I want, I can have a few reminders of home. However, I was very disappointed to find that they don't sell granola bars. I even went to a few other supermarkets, but they don't sell granola bars either. *sigh* Well, I got my purchases (just mozzarella cheese which turned out to be processed, sad day, but it was SOOO much cheaper than the real mozzarella. And oregano spices to put in the sauce). I got on the Kihonda bus for the return trip (I checked and double checked) and then I rather unintentionally made a big deal out of where I needed to get off by pulling out my Swahili phrasebook and reading off the Swahili for “I’d like to get off at ____”. I noticed that while I did this, the whole bus went silent, but I really didn’t care because I knew that the bus would stop where I needed it to and I wouldn’t have to worry about getting lost. Also, on Thursday while I was running at the International School, I ran into the man who in charge of the sports at the school. I asked about karate because I had seen on the school’s website that they offered karate, but he said they don’t have it anymore. Then he asked if I would like to teach it!! I was ecstatic!!! Hopefully, there will be enough students who are interested!! :D
Friday, school was fine. Classes 6 and 7 had tests and Class 5 worked on catching up on their work since we got behind. With them, some days are good and some days are bad. I’ve realized that I can’t trust them to work in pairs because they talk and don’t work and I can’t trust them to even work alone because they don’t think they understand my directions. Thus, I’m having to do lots of teacher led work with the hope that the students are catching on to what my expectations are. I don’t mind doing this most of the time, but it is frustrating when I give them the right answers on the board and they still get it wrong. I just don’t understand! All they have to do is copy! Oh well…
Friday, things took a nasty turn and I started feeling unwell. I had noticed the few days before that every time I touched my face or my arms or whatever, my skin was on fire, but I figured it must because I was hot. Also, I was so tired that it was hard to do anything, and I figured that it was just because I was still suffering for jet lag and catching up on sleep. But, now I really think it’s because my body was fighting off an illness hardcore and I’m pretty sure that I had a fever. Friday afternoon I was exhausted and didn’t want to move and I was experiencing some mild tummy problems (yes, I will put it that way to save you from the TMI moment). I’m not sure if it was something that I ate, but I really didn’t feel too well. Friday night, I felt like I walked through fire. I was sweating bullets and waking up about every one or two hours because I was so uncomfortable and my skin was on fire. By morning, I was exhausted. But, after relaxing for the morning, I was feeling much better and crazy enough, I really just wanted to run, so I went to the International School and ran. Yesterday afternoon, the family arranged for me to be able to go to the Rock Garden with my Swahili tutor. We took a taxi there and then we walked back to town and caught a taxi from there. It was nice, and very small, but I’ve included some pictures below so that you can see:
When I returned, I immediately got to work on making the pizza that we were supposed to make on Friday, but it got to be too late. It was quite the adventure and I was SOOO proud of myself when we finished. The dough actually rose the way it was supposed to and we were able to cut up mini sausages and pineapple to put on top. I was able to get the sauce just right with all the correct ingredients. And, in spite of not having an oven, we were able to cook the pizza quite well by sticking the uncooked pizza in a small pan and then covering it with a lid that had coals on top of it (thus creating a mini-oven). The only problem was that we had to make 3 small pizzas instead of one big one, so it took FOREVER to cook them all, but the result was FANTASTIC!! It was so great to have that as an American treat!! Pizza and a Coke, such an American dinner in a third world country. Haha!!! :D
The pizza in the frying pan and topped with a lid full of coals to create an "oven". Haha.
Pictures of one of the pizzas we made.
Two of the pizzas we made all cut up and ready to eat!! :D
Well, I guess I shall leave things off there for now. This morning was just church and I stayed again afterwards for the youth service. This afternoon, I ate lunch, journalled, did homework for my Kiswahili lessons, and took a quick nap. Now I’m posting this blog (because the electricity finally came back on) and I still need to grade the tests for Class 6 sometime before or after my lesson. Tonight I also plan on practicing karate. :D
“ “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” John 15:1-8
Blessings, Love, and Peace,
~Christine
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
New Things and Challenges
Well, today I learned how to play a new game!! Net Ball!! This afternoon, after a nice nap, I went to the Morogoro International School to run and I had been told that a volleyball team met at 5pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays to practice, so I was hoping to make some new connections through that. However, after running, I got the the volleyball court just before 5pm and no one was there. So, I waited for a little while, but no one showed up. So, I decided to do 6 more laps around the soccer field and head back. I was kind of bummed. But, as I was passing the school on my way back to the house, some of the students called out my name from the field "Madam Christina! Madam Christina! Come play with us!" So, I went over to see what they were doing. I found out that these girls get together every Tuesday and Thursday in the evening to play Net Ball at the school and they asked me to join them. It was SO much fun!! I made some mistakes, but it was really cool learning how to play! The goal is to throw the ball to your team mates across a court all the way up to a goal where someone shoots. But, because they only had half a court, my team just had to make 10 passes in a row to get a goal. It may sound easy, but it was not. In the end the score was tied and we all went home very happy! YAY!!
School is going well. My classes 6 & 7 are WONDERFUL!! I've really got a rhythm going with them and I feel like they are making good progress. In contrast, class 5 is digressing at an alarming rate. Today, I was grading their work from Friday and Monday and I was horrified at what I was seeing. After grading three students' books, I was ready to throw in the towel and just not even look at the others. Almost none of the students completed any of the homework that I had assigned and the grammar was appalling. I will have to re-teach the concepts again more slowly I guess and hope and pray that the students gain some form of understanding. *sigh*
Also, much to my dismay, I have discovered that there are HUGE cockroaches in Tanzania, just like at home.
Picture of the school from my desk which is located outside of class 4 and I share it with two other teachers.
Some students talking to teachers outside of class 7.
The administrative building behind the garden.
The playground area. (also where I played Net Ball)
Pictures of some students from class 2 (I think! Haha!) who have grown very fond of me. :D
Students lined up to receive their "porridge" during break. The porridge is pretty similar to Cream of Wheat, but is more watery.
Students enjoying their breakfast during break.
An English curriculum book for class five and my Swahili phrase book that I use to help me practice when I'm not grading.
School is going well. My classes 6 & 7 are WONDERFUL!! I've really got a rhythm going with them and I feel like they are making good progress. In contrast, class 5 is digressing at an alarming rate. Today, I was grading their work from Friday and Monday and I was horrified at what I was seeing. After grading three students' books, I was ready to throw in the towel and just not even look at the others. Almost none of the students completed any of the homework that I had assigned and the grammar was appalling. I will have to re-teach the concepts again more slowly I guess and hope and pray that the students gain some form of understanding. *sigh*
Also, much to my dismay, I have discovered that there are HUGE cockroaches in Tanzania, just like at home.
Picture of the school from my desk which is located outside of class 4 and I share it with two other teachers.
Some students talking to teachers outside of class 7.
The administrative building behind the garden.
The playground area. (also where I played Net Ball)
Pictures of some students from class 2 (I think! Haha!) who have grown very fond of me. :D
Students lined up to receive their "porridge" during break. The porridge is pretty similar to Cream of Wheat, but is more watery.
Students enjoying their breakfast during break.
An English curriculum book for class five and my Swahili phrase book that I use to help me practice when I'm not grading.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Funny Litle Tidbits
So, I thought I would share some funny little tidbits with y'all that I hope will make you laugh.
So, aside from being asked if I was Celin Dion, or someone else famous, I receive a lot of attention because I am white. When I am walking by myself, (usually because I'm going to the International School), the people will call out "mzungu, mzungu" which means "white person". Hahaha!! Can you imagine being in America and every time you see someone of a different background, calling it out to them? "Black person!", "Hispanic person!", "Arab!", "Asian!". Haha. Also, it's particularly interesting to pass a particular place (I'm assuming they make bricks there because there are so many bricks laid out on the ground and piled up), but the will call out "I LOVE YOU!" I'm not really sure how to respond to that....LOL. I just smile and wave to be polite and then keep walking.
The next thing that makes me smile (and I wrote about this on facebook), but it's so funny at school how all of the children call me "madam". They are so well trained that as I enter the classroom and student will call "stand up" and then all of the students will stand up and say "We are standing up. Good morning Madam." And to that, my response is "Good morning class, how are you?" Then they say "We are fine, thank you. And, how are you?" to which I respond "I am fine. Thanks
you. You may sit down". And, anytime they want my attention they call "Madam!", "Madam!", "Madam!" On Friday, the students get to play sports, so I was playing frisbee with some of the students and any time they wanted to throw the frisbee to me or wanted me to throw it to them they would call "Madam! Over here!" It makes me smile! :D
Well, just a little update on my life here. This morning the family went to a funeral or ceremony for someone in the church who had a brother who had passed away. Although I was invited to join them, I felt funny about doing so seeing as I did not know the family or the man who passed away. I just hope that didn't communicate the wrong message that I don't care or something. I don't know...I think I would've felt funny either way, going or not going.
So, I read a bunch this morning and cleaned my room. You wouldn't believe how much dirt has accumulated on the floor (and then, maybe you can). After cleaning, I read for a while. I'm SOOO glad that I brought my Kindle with me. It really makes things so much easier because it doesn't take up very much space and I can download books whenever I want to!! This afternoon, Nathan and I watched Howl's Moving Castle after lunch and then I read some more. At quarter to 4, the pastor and I went to town where we made a few purchases. I have really wanted to buy a dress that is similar to what the locals wear. I didn't bring very much clothing (not even enough for one week really because I sweat so much that I don't like to wear my skirts more than once before washing them), so it's nice to have something else to add to the wardrobe. Funny enough, the majority of the clothes that I brought are blue or orange and the dress that I bought is blue. So, I guess it fits right in, but I'm feeling like I need some more color in my wardrobe. many of the women seem to just purchase stretches of fabric and wrap it around themselves, so I might see into buying something like that. They have such BEAUTIFUL fabrics here and I would like to have a couple things that are so colorful to wear. Pastor and I also went to visit the house of a child who has not shown up to school for the first two weeks and he wanted to see if everything was OK. She lives in old Morogoro which is a much more run-down looking area because it is older. The houses are much smaller and it kind of made me sad to think about children who grow up there as opposed to nicer areas, or really compared to kids in America. Idk, it just got me thinking a lot.
On the way back, I had to stop and pick up some more internet vouchers because I used up the package that I had bought already (I think it's because I had to download some things, such as the Rosetta Stone Program, and I bought some books off Kindle, and I think that used up a lot of the internet usage I had purchased). However, now that Matt has told me how to work the internet, I feel much better because now it only costs me about 10,000 Tsh for about 1 week's worth of internet. So, somewhere around $6. I guess that's not too bad?
Well, I guess I'm going to wrap this post up now!! Church tomorrow!! :D
"Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life." Psalm 23:6
May the LORD bless you and keep you,
Christine
So, aside from being asked if I was Celin Dion, or someone else famous, I receive a lot of attention because I am white. When I am walking by myself, (usually because I'm going to the International School), the people will call out "mzungu, mzungu" which means "white person". Hahaha!! Can you imagine being in America and every time you see someone of a different background, calling it out to them? "Black person!", "Hispanic person!", "Arab!", "Asian!". Haha. Also, it's particularly interesting to pass a particular place (I'm assuming they make bricks there because there are so many bricks laid out on the ground and piled up), but the will call out "I LOVE YOU!" I'm not really sure how to respond to that....LOL. I just smile and wave to be polite and then keep walking.
The next thing that makes me smile (and I wrote about this on facebook), but it's so funny at school how all of the children call me "madam". They are so well trained that as I enter the classroom and student will call "stand up" and then all of the students will stand up and say "We are standing up. Good morning Madam." And to that, my response is "Good morning class, how are you?" Then they say "We are fine, thank you. And, how are you?" to which I respond "I am fine. Thanks
you. You may sit down". And, anytime they want my attention they call "Madam!", "Madam!", "Madam!" On Friday, the students get to play sports, so I was playing frisbee with some of the students and any time they wanted to throw the frisbee to me or wanted me to throw it to them they would call "Madam! Over here!" It makes me smile! :D
Well, just a little update on my life here. This morning the family went to a funeral or ceremony for someone in the church who had a brother who had passed away. Although I was invited to join them, I felt funny about doing so seeing as I did not know the family or the man who passed away. I just hope that didn't communicate the wrong message that I don't care or something. I don't know...I think I would've felt funny either way, going or not going.
So, I read a bunch this morning and cleaned my room. You wouldn't believe how much dirt has accumulated on the floor (and then, maybe you can). After cleaning, I read for a while. I'm SOOO glad that I brought my Kindle with me. It really makes things so much easier because it doesn't take up very much space and I can download books whenever I want to!! This afternoon, Nathan and I watched Howl's Moving Castle after lunch and then I read some more. At quarter to 4, the pastor and I went to town where we made a few purchases. I have really wanted to buy a dress that is similar to what the locals wear. I didn't bring very much clothing (not even enough for one week really because I sweat so much that I don't like to wear my skirts more than once before washing them), so it's nice to have something else to add to the wardrobe. Funny enough, the majority of the clothes that I brought are blue or orange and the dress that I bought is blue. So, I guess it fits right in, but I'm feeling like I need some more color in my wardrobe. many of the women seem to just purchase stretches of fabric and wrap it around themselves, so I might see into buying something like that. They have such BEAUTIFUL fabrics here and I would like to have a couple things that are so colorful to wear. Pastor and I also went to visit the house of a child who has not shown up to school for the first two weeks and he wanted to see if everything was OK. She lives in old Morogoro which is a much more run-down looking area because it is older. The houses are much smaller and it kind of made me sad to think about children who grow up there as opposed to nicer areas, or really compared to kids in America. Idk, it just got me thinking a lot.
On the way back, I had to stop and pick up some more internet vouchers because I used up the package that I had bought already (I think it's because I had to download some things, such as the Rosetta Stone Program, and I bought some books off Kindle, and I think that used up a lot of the internet usage I had purchased). However, now that Matt has told me how to work the internet, I feel much better because now it only costs me about 10,000 Tsh for about 1 week's worth of internet. So, somewhere around $6. I guess that's not too bad?
Well, I guess I'm going to wrap this post up now!! Church tomorrow!! :D
"Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life." Psalm 23:6
May the LORD bless you and keep you,
Christine
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