Mid-PST Update: Oops, this still exists...

So… long time no see!

It’s been a little more difficult than anticipated to post anything of substance (i.e., anything, as I prefer substance). I’ll type these up offline and put them up when the opportunity arises, but I haven’t had much time to write. I won’t be able to cover everything I’d like to in this post (or ever), as a lot has happened in too short a period of time to recount it all, but hopefully it covers enough to give you an idea where I’m at right now.

The cultural experience in Tanzania has been fascinating. Tanzanians and Americans share many commonalities, but there are quite a few differences as well. For example, toilet paper is exceedingly rare in Tanzania, and usually shows up only in touristy areas. Since Peace Corps doesn’t spend much time in touristy areas (and the goal is to integrate into Tanzanian culture), we haven’t really been using toilet paper either (though we try to get away with it where we can). What I’m really trying to say is avoid my left hand next time you see me. (To be fair, once you get over the initial culture shock, Tanzanians have a relatively sanitary process for taking care of business. It’s far less painful than it sounds.)

On a similar note, being left-handed in Tanzania is a challenge. For the most part, Tanzanians avoid utensils when eating. Because “wipe with your left, eat with your right” is the mantra here, eating can be mentally taxing for southpaws like myself. I’ve forgotten which hand to use on a number of occasions, and while the reaction from many is typically indifference, I’ve also seen it range from disgust to laughter (the same goes for writing). It is what it is.

The food here is delicious. I’m eating healthier here than I ever ate back home. Peace Corps provides our homestay families with a daily stipend to take care of us. We’re getting a ton of fruits, vegetables and carbs. While the price of meat can be prohibitive, protein isn’t an issue due to the prevalence of peanuts and cashews. 

Unfortunately, the locals don’t seem to be eating as well as we are. While my host family feeds me well, my host siblings don’t get the same quantity or variety that I do. Ugali, which is essentially boiled corn flour and water, is the base food here and my family eats it almost every day. It’s filling, but is tasteless and obviously lacking in nutrient density. I try to pass around leftovers (as do other trainees) to make sure they’re getting some variety, but it’s a tough situation.

Above all though, Tanzanians have to be among the happiest people on the planet. Despite living in one of the poorest nations in the world, the collective attitude could be described as “hamna shida” (“no problem” – the Tanzanian equivalent to “hakuna matata”, which is more prevalent in Kenya than here). Tanzanians are exceedingly friendly, a characteristic exhibited at every introduction with the exchange of an exhaustive list of greetings before any substantive conversation actually begins. They are also heavily communal: sharing between neighbors is commonplace and mistakes are quickly forgiven. (By the same token, however, it’s not uncommon for mob justice to dictate how crimes are handled. We’ve been warned never to yell “Thief!” in Swahili – even if we are actually robbed – due to the likelihood that the perpetrator will be beaten to death by those within earshot.) All in all, Tanzanians have a lot to be proud of and I’m glad to be living and working with them.

As for me, training is going well. We’re past the halfway point and things are looking up. I’ll preface this part of the post by stating that Peace Corps deals quite a bit with acronyms, so sorry for that.

As mentioned in the previous post, training (PST) for health and environment trainees takes place in the Muheza district of Tanga region (northeast Tanzania). My PST group (CBT) is located in Kilulu, the village furthest from the training site (MATI) and a 50-minute walk from Muheza. Kilulu is tiny, and my homestay family’s house has no electricity or running water. My morning begins with the unrivaled pleasure of walking a kilometer downhill to fill a 10-liter* bucket– not gonna have any issues staying in shape here.

My Tanzanian family consists of my Mama and Baba, as well as three brothers and two sisters. I’m their fourth trainee and they’ve been incredibly kind inviting me into their family for a few months. The first day at homestay was surreal: we drove from Dar to Muheza, split into our CBTs and were dropped off cold turkey at the doorstep of our host family. Some of our families are able to speak some basic level of English – I was not so lucky. My first night consisted of sitting in a chair outside the house surrounded by a horde of children (at least 20) who apparently have no reservations against awkward silence (of which there was a lot). So… that was fun. Nights aren’t so awkward now, and my family has done a tremendous job of supporting me. Hopefully my Swahili will be sufficient by the time I finish training so I can thank them properly.

Back to training: the first five weeksconsisted primarily of intensive language and cultural training. We had some sporadic technical and life skills training, but for the most part the focus has been language. The goal is to have us speaking Swahili at an intermediate level in time to move to site. My mid-PST language tests (LPIs) went far better than I expected, so I’m feeling pretty good in that area.

We’ve also had the occasional reprieve: on Sunday (our day off) we often head to Muheza or Tanga (regional capital) to hang out. As well, while our homestay families met to give input to our trainers, we were sent on what amounted to an overnight mid-training break at Pangani, a relatively-western resort. Safe to say Pangani has been the high point of training so far and gave us a much-needed chance to unwind.

On the low end, I feel obligated to mention (particularly now that it appears to be resolved) that I had what I’ll simply refer to as an adverse reaction(calm down, nothing life-threatening) to the antimalarial drug (Mefloquin) that Peace Corps provides standard to Trainees/Volunteers in malaria-endemic countries. It works for some, not for others. Apparently I fall into the latter group, so I’ve been switched to another antimalarial (Doxycycline). All that matters is I’m on the up and up; nothing to worry about. Peace Corps Tanzania has what is generally considered (by Volunteers in and out of Tanzania) to be the best Peace Corps medical staff in Africa, and based on my experience I’d say they’re supremely competent.Alrighty, on to happier topics…

Last week was huge: we learned the sites we’ll be spending the next two years of our lives. I’ll be located in the far south of Tanzania in Mtwara region – a stone’s throw from the Mozambique border. (Actually, I’m writing this from Mtwara on my site visit right now.) 

Mtwara region is famous in Tanzania for its capital, Mtwara- a georgeous beach town where many Volunteers in the south head when they get time off. It’s also known for its staple: cashews. Fresh-roasted cashews are insane. Yesterday I made cashew butter with a mama in the village I was staying – huzzah!

On the flipside, Mtwara is one of the hottest and most underdeveloped regions in Tanzania.Mtwara has one of the highestrates of HIV/AIDS in Tanzania and is malaria endemic. The roads are among the worst in Tanzania, so travel can be frustratingly slow. For this reason, Mtwara is arguably the most isolated region to which Peace Corps Tanzania sends Volunteers. Mkululu (my village) is ~30km to my banking town as the crow flies, but (no bull) it takes an hour and a half in the back of a lorry to get there (that is, during the dry season - add an hour during the rainy season). It’s a challenge, but that’s mitigated in part by the adrenaline rush of standing in the back of a speeding lorryin rural Africa (almost feels like snowboarding).

Mkululu is the seat of its ward (community of villages) in the district of Masasi. I’ve spent the last week following my shadow host – a current PCV – along with another trainee who’ll be located about an hour away by lorry. We met with the leaders of the village as well as the doctor (a rarity)who runs the dispensary where I’ll be doing a lot of work. We also stopped by the primary and secondary schools to meet with the headmasters. There’s a Volunteer not far from me who’s worked with the school before and both schools are motivated to work with me.

Mkululu is a good-sized village of about 6000-8000 that has a number of issues pertaining to HIV/AIDS, maternal and early childcare, sustainable farming and water projects – all areas of focus for Peace Corps Tanzania – so the prospect for keeping myself busy with project proposals is high. I’ll obviously have to get more input from the village to see what they have in mind, but thus far it’s pretty exciting.

I also got to see the house I’ll be living in for the next two years, and I have to say I’m impressed. It’s the VEO’s (Village Executive Officer) former house, and it’s relatively big for a Volunteer. It has a large entry room with three additional rooms, and the back yard is pretty solid. It’s definitely more room than I need, but I won't complain. No electricity or running water, but that’s standard here.

All in all, it’s good to finally know where I’ll be living. It’s a little more isolated than I’d hoped, but I think I’m in a solid village with a motivated community in a beautiful part of the country. I temper my optimism with the understanding that long-term, sustainable change is a slow process that takes time, but I can’t help but think that Mkululu has the potential to make some real progress over the next two years (if it wants to). Good stuff.

Alrighty, that’s all for now. No idea when the next update will be. Eventually I’ll get a dongle that’ll allow me to access the internet wirelessly from most places for a relatively low cost. Then you’ll probably see more going on here (including more pictures). Until that happens, I’ll leave you with a hodgepodge of random thoughts I couldn’t fit into this post:

The presidential elections have passed and my guy won. Well done, Ohio!
Ohio State is undefeated thus far. Thanks Dad for the updates and GO BUCKS!
I have a beard now (sort’ve). Not gonna defeat any stereotypes with this thing.
My Tanzanian phone number is +255786620495.**
Halo 4 is out and I’m in Tanzania.At least I have Morrowind to keep me company…
I spent 2% of my monthly stipend on a milkshake in Dar last week. Worth it!
I spent 3% of my monthly stipend on Pringles in Tanga last week. Worth it!
I spent 5% of my monthly stipend on pizza in Mtwara last night. Worth it!
If you’re white and wonder what it’s like to be a celebrity, move to Africa. The bubble is real.
Ideas for care packages: Skittles (LOTS!), mac ‘n cheese, tuna, beef jerky, and Propel mix.

I love and miss you all dearly. Tutakutana siku nyingine. (We will meet another day.)

*Originally said 30-liter. That'd be insane. Typo.
**Texting/calling can be expensive, but if you have Skype it’s much cheaper. If I don’t answer, don’t be offended – communication is still tricky.