Site Announcement

So, sorry I didnt get to upload the last post last weekend, but this should bring you up to date a little more.

So last week we got our site announcements and I dont think I could be much happier with mine. Its in Hanang district, Manyara province, which is kind of north central TZ. I apparently on the side of the 4th highest mountain in TZ too, which should be pretty cool for hiking and such. And I also heard that the kenyan olympic long distance runners train somewhere around me.

Ill be the first volunteer at the school Im going to, which is kind of what I was hoping for. This way Ill get to set up my house exactly how I want it and will be able to really blaze my own trail. On the down side, I dont think my house will have much and Im a fair way out of the nearest town, so setting it up could be quite the chore and require several trips to town and return trips loaded down with supplies. But Im super excited.

Two other trainees are going to the same district, and we will be the only education volunteers there, although there are already several health and environment volunteers in the area. I dont know much more than this, other than I supposedly will have electricity and my toilet is outside. I should learn more in another week or so and then I move there in about 2 and a half weeks.

Training is nearing an end to. Tuesday we have our final written language exam and then we go on our volunteer shadow visits. Im going to Tanga region, and will supposedly be on the coast so ill get one last dip into the ocean before I move to the center of the country.

Thats all for now, Ill try to update again sometime after I get back from shadow, but Im not making any promises. If I have electricity, there is a good chance Ill be able to set up some sort of internet once I move to my sight which will make communicating and updating my blog considerably easier.

And my tanzanian wardrobe is coming along quite nicely. I just picked up my second shirt today, and now that I have the hang of things a bit better, I paid exactly half of what I paid for my first shirt. There are these fantastic pieces of fabric called kitenges( though the plural in Kiswahili would be vitenge), that come with all sorts of different and awesome designs and patterns. You can then take them to a fundi (tailor) and they will make you a shirt for the equivalent of a couple dollars. There is another type of fabric called kikoi, which has tassles on the edges so Im planning to look around town for that this weekend, and might get a third shirt made before I head to site. Most of the Tanzanians dig it when you wear clothes like these and I really like them, so I might have quite the wardrobe by the time Im done here.

Take care. Kwa Heri.