Monday, October 4, 2010

Green Oranges and Lemons

So I've been in TZ for about a week and a half. Currently I'm sitting in an internet cafe listening to I want it That Way by the backstreet boys typing my blog. I apologize in advance if this seems random and out of order but I pay by the half hour so I don't have a lot of time to think it out.
The good stuff you've been waiting to hear. You know how I've 'roughed' it during the past two summers without a/c and tv and even furniture? Well i live better here than i did in my apartments. i arrived at my host family yesterday and have my own room with a bed, indoor choo (toilet) that is western style and flushes! boy i am spolied. i have two sisters that i've met Sabina and Agnes (Agnie) who will leave soon because they are on holiday from school right now. There's a house girl, cousin, and baba wango (my dad's) sister staying in the house at the moment but they will leave.
My kiswahili teacher is Rehema and I have 4 other people in my group (Educare in Kihonda, Morogoro). Before I arrived to Kihonda I stayed in CTT and went to the market the first time and bought a kanga. I still have to have it tailored but use it as a towel/wrap at the moment. It's blue and yellow and says "brotherhood/sisterhood is our treasure" in kiswahili. The market was insanely busy with the women working and men sitting around. the streets were crowded, daladalas whizzing by with pikipiki (motorcyles) on the side walk. the oddest thing was when a westerner said hello to me in english instead of being stared at and called a muzungu (white person).
My baba is a math professor at Dar or somewhere I forget and my mama is a human resource worker of some type. Agnes likes science and is form 5 hoping to be a doctor (surgeon I believe)..she's 18 and on holiday.
Today was also my first day of school at Educare. It was ok. We did class and chai and lunch and then took a safari around the town. Hence how I found out I live around the corner from the internet cafe=bonus for you. Oh and my title: oranges are green here as well as lemons but they are good. the melons are round like a basketball and every plant is smaller. Will my neighbor has banana trees in his yard and the mangoes will be ripe in Decemba.
The house girl laughs at me every time I say something in Kiswahili so I just laugh with her. I got to see how she grinds up peanuts yesterday. Dad--my baba has 2 cell phones and I think they have 3 cars as well as roosters and chickens and a dog that has no name.
the sidewalks are made of sand and streets are a dusty red. There are mountains surrounding me as well as beautiful vegetation. I was told by my baba on how not to get malaria and the importance of not getting it. I also eat with my hands more now and have to stop using my left hand.
I don't know much else, but will try to write real letters soon once I figure out the posta.