Back on track

Habari!

So things are going well here again - not perfect, but I'm realizing how little time I have left, which makes everything a little more forgivable. I'm in a weird limbo, where I'm not quite ready to leave Tanzania, but I'm so excited to be back home. I really do feel like I live here - I've never been anywhere for a month, but tomorrow it is officially 4 weeks that I've been in-country. I'm getting to the point where I'm getting nervous about culture shock back in the US, because life here is so incredibly different. I'm very much looking forward to more organized traffic flow and my own place again - as well as much of the freedoms you sacrifice in this culture and in the facility and program I am in. Wearing tank tops again is a very exciting thought! (=

Yesterday I went on the same Moshi trip I did two weeks ago, but with the new volunteers. I just needed to get out and wasn't ready to go back to Tekua quite yet after Tuesday. The waterfall was again beautiful, I bought even more batiks, and we got to go to the caves we missed last time. Completely over-rated, I must say. You had to crawl on your hands and knees through the dirt caves, and I kept hitting my head on the top, plus there were bats. All part of the experience, I know, but the actual let down was that there was no destination. Eventually you get to some little room and another opening, but it is too far away, so basically you crawl around a little, then just go right back out how you came. Far from exciting, but worth it to say I crawled through Chagga tunnels in Tanzania. All about the experience, right?

Today at school, the students had a debate. We gather all of the classes together and they choose a topic and debate it very formally, all in English. We debated whether money or education is more important - interesting topic. They get very into it and it was fun to hear their attempts with English and their questions for each other. Plus it was nice not to teach at all, because I am trying to figure out what to teach them. They know a lot of grammar, just don't always apply it perfectly. It is frusterating that there are no lesson plans or records, so you are never sure what they have already been taught and the ability levels are so different, but it is a good challenge of patience and creativity. English is not easy to explain!

Right now I'm off to a music performance by the Positive Test Club, the organization we played soccer against, then some relaxation. Africa is fun, but tiring!

And real quickly, Pete O'Neal's party was fun. Not quite out of control as I expected, but fun. Lots of music, dancing, and Pete's drunken ramblings as he stole the microphone many times. The same traditional dancers were there (including the headmaster of the school I teach at) and there are many cool African birthday traditions we got to witness - songs, dances and a "tradition caki." First they brought out regular cake with candles, then passed out slices. But then they brought out a big table (danced it out is a better description) with a goat's head sticking out from under a sheet. They removed the sheet to reveal the rest of the goat's body, in the most awkward position ever, which appeared somewhat cooked. Turns out traditional caki is a sacrificial animal, in this case a goat. And it is rude to refuse it, so I put my piece in my empty cup. Good stuff. Much more went on, but time is short and pictures and video will do it better justice.

Well off I go - and thanks as always for the messages of support - you all have certainly gotten me through this - thank you!