Research is STARTED or at least closer!

January 10,2012

Again I am having writers block not sure why it has become so much work to write a blog entry but it has. I do find it really weird how I can dread with all my might returning to the village and then when I get back be so happy, it is so weird. I have a lot to do in the next few weeks. I am starting my research so that is going to keep me busy as well as my other meetings that I have. I am really excited to start my research because I feel like I actually have a purpose which I love to death. I am also still training for the ½ marathon and am really excited about it. I am not sure when it happened but I really do love running it is so much fun and you feel so good when you are done. I am reading a book at the moment about ultra runners and it is insane. I swear so people really are super human.

Also got a package from Jenna and it was awesome. Christmas cookies, I felt like I was back at home. I am also getting really excited for my dad and aunt to come it should be so much fun. Just a little nerve racking tryong to figure things out and make sure we are giving things enough time, I know they are going to have a good time no matter what but I just want to make sure they have the best trip ever. I am really excited for them to come and see how I live but I think I am even more excited to play cards and have some beers with them on the beach. I think it is going to be
awesome.

January 17, 2012

I have been meaning to write for the last week but not sure what has happened. I have been really enjoying life in the village and the slow pace for once, which is saying a lot, not sure if I am just getting used to being here and accepting this is how life is or what, but it has been really enjoyable. I have got into so what of a pattern. I sleep until I feel like getting up and then I go for a nice long run around the village and greet everyone in the morning on their way to the town or to their farms. At first I used to be really self conscious because I was running and what would they think, but now it does not even phase me and they are pretty use to it now. They all greet me to and state the obvious as usual. After running, I do house work and hang out until after lunch and then I go walk around the village and greet people before coming back home cooking dinner and going to bed. Pretty simple and straight forward. Some days I have to say how crazy it is that the time flies by and then other days it doesn’t. Today would be an example of when the day just keeps going. I woke up this morning and ran into town (8K WOOT WOOT) and then got my bike back. My bike was at the shop getting a lot of things fixed. One thing I have learned do not let people borrow things that you want back in the same condition that it left it. Unfortunate this time because it was actually to another volunteer but after lots of new parts it is back and running which is awesome. This is good news because this means that I can now easily get in and out of town again and it can help me train for the ½ marathon and hopfully later for the PALM if everything works out. Cross your fingers. But anyways I got back and did some work on the computer made lunch (dried fish and ugali, I am really turning Tanzo), and I still have lots of time before I have to go vaccinate chickens.

But this routine is all going to change because next week I have to go to Dar for the week which I am really looking forward too. I have some meetings which are going to be boring but it is going to be great because I get to meet our new Country Director (she sounds awesome) and hang out with friends that I only get to see every once in a while and of course eat some really good food. I want to go to this Ethiopian restaurant that is supposed to be amazing. It is going to be great.

So I know I have said that I was going to start my research but it has not exactly happened yet. I swear I am getting closer I just have not gone out and started yet. Both because people are gone and I keep making excuses and putting it off. But I am really happy that my dad and JP are coming because this is going to force me to start and finish before they come. I work better on deadline anyway.

I went to Paul’s house last week for his birthday. It was great a few other volunteers came out to and we made some really good food and taught them how to play eukre. It was great to teach people so now we have people to play with but god is it hard and painstaking. First because it actually is a really hard game to teach and trying to teach it makes you realize how crazy the game sounds. But it all worked out and they actually ended up beating me and Paul. It is hard to play with new people because they are such wildcards. It was great though. We also made mango bread and BBQ pork which was awesome. Another volunteers birthday is sat so I am already looking forward to the festivities although this one possibly includes a disco and I am not really a disco person but it should be fun.

My garden is looking really good considering it has only rained a handful of times within the last 2 months but it looks gorgeous all the same. Paputo who is 3 was at my house last week and saw that I had insects all over the walls and told me I needed to use the chemicals to get rid of them. It made me laugh getting told by a 3 year old that my house was dirty. Also crazy because I am the one that sprays everyone’s houses for insects. Which thank god I am getting rid of tomorrow. I am giving the business to my neighbor as an income generating projects it is super easy and should give her some more money to work with.

January 18, 2012

Not sure what happened but while I was making amazing pancakes, I thought today would be a great day to blog. Almost feel like things are getting back to normal. I woke up to the sound of knocking at an ungodly hour to my neighbor asking if I was ready to go for a run. I really do enjoy waking up on my own but I have to say I am not used to having no personal space even with a whole house to myself, so we went running and I think it might have killed her. We will find out tomorrow when we have to go for 4.5 miles. Not sure how well she is going to fair.

I then had a women’s meeting to day where we were suppose to make fuel efficient stoves and of course we did not because we were not able to get all the material yet. After much debate between me and Jesscia (Jessica won) we decided to wait until we had different equipment but not before I voiced my concerns that we needed to do this and I am starting to count the months down until I am done. They said do not worry, but how can I not worry when this has been one of the projects I have wanted to do that I think will greatly help the community and it has already taken me a year to get this far. They still said it is better to go slow than fast which they are right of course I just really really want to do these stoves. Thinking about it, this would be me pushing the community to do something out of my own interest but I know this would greatly help them I just wish they moved faster. But then told me we would do them before I leave and I hope they are right. But the women are really good even if they do drive me crazy, they mean well. I have also started to see that I am adopting the African time a little to well . I swear I can spend an entire day doing nothing and not think twice about it and am actually sad to find out I have things to do. I really am enjoying myself but this has made me really lazy and my work and house lives have taken a toll. I am really lazy and am hardly accomplishing anything, at least by American standards. But I did start my research today, I finally gathered up the will and started and are already have to interviews ready for tomorrow. I am still really scared/ nervous about them but I figure the sooner I start the easier it is going to be. It already feels a little easier which is good although I thought it was hard in the US to explain my program try here where most people don’t even go to secondary school and then they don’t even speak the same language as me although I guess we do now, even if my Swahili is somewhat special.

I have been thinking about if another volunteer should be sent here and I have decided that another one would be good because they have gotten used to me and the type of work that I do and how I can help so I think they will have an easier time here. But also I think they will also need to realize that they are not going to do any earth shattering things. But I really do have a good village, I really like the people and have even found that I do not mind the landscape and environment even if there is no snow. Especially during the rainy season it is gorgeous I have a great view of the mountains and endless farms.

Also I am doing my last round of vaccinations before I hand them off to someone else. It makes me nervous to see what will happen but I figure now is better with me here being able to see the results or lack there if them. I wanted to do it this one last time because I wanted some more face time with my villagers before I do interviews to get a better idea of who certain people are because although I live in a small community and talk to a lot of people, most I have no idea what their names are or where they live. Crazy.

I made potatoes pancakes today and I have to say they were horrible. I think I have been spoiled between 5th sts and my dads. I did eat them but I have to say it was out of hunger not like. Also I have to admit that have started to eat a lot of bugs, I seem to have a bug infestation within my food and they are really tiny and I am at the point where I really do not care anymore and I just mix them in as if they were not even there. I know this is bad but it just seems like a lot of work kind of reminds me of my mom and dad’s fight with moths in the kitchen cupboards.

January 19, 2011

I again got woke up to go running which I guess is good, I just really like waking up on my own. I never really thought I was one to sleep but more and more I feel like I am turning into Hannah with my sleep. But anyways I got up and went running and then sprayed a few houses with bug spray I am turning into the chicken and bug lady, not sure if this is a good thing but then I went back to bed which was really nice.
I finally put my house back together and have stopped being super lazy just in time to leave again. I have been a pig the last few weeks, although I am sure by my America standards is not messy at all but here I am a huge neat freak so not having everything in order was killing me yet not killing me enough to actually do anything about it. Funny how that happens.

I did more of my research today and it was really nice, I had some great conversations with people even if I did feel like the biggest idiot asking them the questions and then asking if I could measure some of their firewood, I think they understood why but really it does sound kind of crazy. It was really fun though. I talked to one guy that ad seen a video that I guess was American because all he thinks is that people walk around shooting each other and so America is a dangerous place compared to Tanzania which is super peaceful. I told him how can that be when they beat people to death, he did not think that that counted. Interest enough. This also reminded me that I think I have Jesca scared of America as well because I was telling her about where I live and some of the problems around the area. Not the best thing to do but I reassured her that it was a peaceful place yet I do feel safer here than I do walking from my car to my house at night some days. Although here I do worry about snakes, insects, and the occasional crazy person.

I have been telling people about my dad and JP coming and it is going to be interesting what everyone thinks of them and at the same time what they think about how and where I live. I am interested to see if it matches up with what I have been saying or if it is completely different.

Also I have an influx of eggs this week so I made chocolate cake with coconut frosting. It was pretty good but I have found for the most part that I actually enjoy making the food more than actually eating it unless it is no bake cookies. Though I love. Otherwise I am just as happy to give it away. Hoping tomorrow to try and make refried beans with flour tortias but I am not sure yet if I want to spend all the time but what it really boils down to is if I want to start the charcoal stove. We will see.

January 20, 2012

Yup, I have definitely lived here to ling already. I was suppose to go to a meeting at 3pm and did not get there until 4:30 to wait and find out that no one was coming. And instead of being mad about it I did not care at all. It was crazy, last year that would have made me so mad. There was no meeting because everyone was fetching water from the tank because the tank has been broken for weeks and nobody had any, so it was a legitimate excuse but I was just so surprised to find out that I was not mad at all. Crazy.

Besides that I woke up and ran 7 miles today and it felt great. Although I did come home and crash but of course was woken up by people knocking on my door the amount of people that come to my house at the worst times is unbelievable. I never am fully relaxed because I just know someone is going to knock.

I am heading to Dodoma tomorrow and I have to say I have had a great last 2 weeks and I do not really want to leave although I do at the same time but I think I am finally finding my groove after so long although I was talking to Andrew and it probably also has to do with the fact that I know that I am leaving soon but still it has been really really great.