Safari (3)

PART TATU – New, New, New

Still pumped with adrenaline from the Obama visit, I knew I could not, would not get sick!  The stomach issues were definitely better (not quite great), but a new symptom cropped up after I got my flu shot.  I tried to coax the Peace Corps Medical Officers (PCMOs) to exempt me from it, or at least wait to get it after Week Zero, because I knew that every time I’ve gotten the flu vaccine before, I would always get sick.  Unfortunately, it was a requirement decreed from Washington, and I had no choice but to get it immediately…two days before the new Education Trainees arrived.

Just as I predicted, I got sick.  I had a fever, a seriously painful sore throat, a hideous cough, and felt so weak.  After calling the PCMOs, they said “Pole sana, Belle!  We know you told us…we thought you were just trying to get out of the vaccine…”  It was true, I was trying to get out of it, but because I knew this would happen.  Oh well, at least now they know and they have apparently put it in my file that I truly do have a bad reaction to it and maybe, just maybe, I’ll get out of it next year!

Now that the inevitable happened, I knew there was still a lot to do to prepare for the newbies, so I doped myself up with ibuprofen and vitamin C, popped in throat lozenges, and was off to the Peace Corps office to check in with Happy Kikwa, one of the best, most competent Tanzanians and PC staff members I have ever met.  I.LOVE.HER.  (She takes care of anything and everything for us PCVs and is always so busy, but she always gets the job done like no other!)  Happy told the three of us (Ron, Jerome, and me – the PCVs selected to be this year’s Welcome Hosts for Week Zero) to meet in her office to do the banking forms for the new PCTs’ NBC bank accounts.  It had always been a Week Zero session in past years so that each person would complete their forms individually while Welcome Hosts walked through it step-by-step; however, for some reason someone every year messes it up and Happy has to do each of them all over again.  So instead, this year, we took it upon ourselves to fill in their forms for them, using a list of their full names, birthdays, and passport information.  Yeh…talk about privacy, eh?  Needless to say, after doing so many forms for so many people, I actually knew every single person’s name and birthday before I even met them.  CREEPY, right?!  I thought so too, but hey, this is Peace Corps!  Boundaries will be broken in due time!  :P  After doing all the forms, I did come to one conclusion – man, was this group young!  (For the most part…)  The majority of them were born in 1990!!!  SO CRAZY!  I know that that’s technically only one year after me, but I was at least still born in the 80s!  Yeh, yeh…I know I’m a young in too, but after being in this country for a year, it just seemed really young to me.  There were of course a few wazee [“older folk”] and two married couples, but that was still a stark minority.

The three of us then headed to the new training center, which we had to take via taxi, unlike the old center.  This year was the very first year that Peace Corps decided to use a new location for training (Korogwe) and for Week Zero.  It used to be Mzimbazi Centre, which was closer to city centre, but now they are using Kurasini Centre, which is much farther from city centre and closer to the National Stadium.  It was very similar to the Mzimbazi Catholic Centre, but a little nicer, farther, and much quieter.  My first reaction was indeed like how Jerome described it:  “Mzimbazi on steroids.”  Lol.  The only thing that was a little less inviting was the receptionist who seemed COMPLETELY out of the loop when we arrived.  Jerome, Ron, and I all had to get there the day before the PCTs were to arrive in the late evening of July 5th to set up rooms and everything.  The unfortunate thing was that the receptionist seemed like they had never even heard of Peace Corps, which was a big problem because Peace Corps staff already called Kurasini to make sure we had rooms and everything.  Luckily, Jerome, Ron, and I have lived in Tanzania for over a year now and knew how to handle it.

Each of us went up and down the halls of the entire hostel building of the center, checking rooms for water, showers, bed sheets, mosquito nets, fans, and lights.  After taking the list of Baby Eds (which is what we call them, since they are technically the Freshman of PC Tanzania), we split them up into rooms.  It kind of reminded of me when I was a site coordinator for a leadership conference in Texas before I graduated [shout out to LeaderShape-Texas people!!! – you know who you are!] – I guess I just get drawn to these types of roles.  :]  We got all the rooms checked and went to bed after eating a ridiculously overpriced plate of rice and beans at the canteen in Kurasini.  We had no other choice because Kurasini was kind of in the middle of nowhere, and Peace Corps meals wouldn’t start until after the Baby Eds arrived.  Once again before bed, I took more meds and vitamins, and zonked out early as Ron and Jerome bonded.  They’d never met each other before this, but I had known both of them prior to this.

The next morning, we got busy again with prep work because now there was a new receptionist who once again seemed clueless, and there was a problem with some rooms so we had to shift some room assignments around again.  Luckily, just in time for staff members to arrive, we got the rooms done, prepped the main training room for the newbies’ arrival, and waited anxiously.  Finally, at around 8pm, we see the lights of the bus pulls in, and we see them filing out and looking entirely bewildered.  My sense of weakness from still getting over being sick went completely out the window and I was powered purely out of excitement.  I seriously ran out of the room, darted straight into the crowd of PCTs, forgot my sore throat, and shouted out to them to follow me.  It only seemed like yesterday for me when I arrived in country and got off the bus at Mzimbazi to find Fo and Glen waiting for us.  And now I am their Fo…  I immediately felt like I was a mama duck and they were my little ducklings, although most of them were actually much taller than me.

I led them into the brightly lit training room, they found their new PC TZ tote bags with water, a notebook, a pen, and their PST Handbook.  The staff and us Welcome Hosts gave them a warm “Karibuni Tanzania” [“Welcome to Tanzania”] and introduced ourselves.  The PCMOs gave them their quick intro about malaria prophylaxis, we made a few announcements about Kurasini and expectations, and their room keys were given out.  Then all of us went to the dining hall, and that was when it all began – the questions.

I still had a bit of a sore throat so I’m sure that night and that whole week didn’t help it get better faster, but it was worth it.  I was so happy to just answer any one of their questions truthfully, but still professionally and with optimism.  My jadedness of being in this country for over a year was no lie, but I still have loved my experience and was more than willing to share it with this group of bright-eyed trainees.  Questions ranged from the typical ones about Tanzanian culture, language, and teaching to the juicier questions about personal life and traveling.  Any time I sat down at a table to eat, I was drilled with questions, which I was obliged to answer, so I would often be the last one to finish eating.  It was a lot of fun though, so I didn’t mind!

As Week Zero PCVs, we were supposed to be at every session to provide extra help and information, but the main sessions we actually led were the cross cultural sessions and the Dar Walk-Around.  For the cross cultural session, the males and females of the group were split up so we could discuss more personal things, such as what to do during that time of the month and all that jazz.  The Tanzanian PC Staff gave me free reign to lead the session of anything the females of the group needed to know, and that was when I was the MOST surprised with myself.  I’d been in this country for over a year, but I had no idea I knew so much about Tanzanian culture!  I shared tricks about “utility racks” (bras as a good hiding place for money, phones, etc.), how you can hide money and coins in your khanga, different uses of a khanga, how to avoid and get rid of unwanted attention, how to use a choo, and so much more!  I at least definitely impressed the two female TZ staff members, Rehema and Paulina, whom I hold in very high regard; they told me that I should just teach and train all PCVs for all cross culture sessions and they don’t need to teach anymore.  Haha, I was so honored for their compliments.  ;)

As for the Dar Walk-Around, the 42 PCTs were put into seven groups, and each group had a staff and/or PCV leader.  We all were driven into city centre, and then it was our job to give the PCTs a quick tour of Dar.  When we arrived at Mnazi Mmoja, which is where they would be able to buy khangas for the first time, my group doubled in size to about 14.  Thankfully, Rehema and a younger staff member were with me, because I had only really been to Dar twice in my entire service, and we were not given ample time to explore.  I was a little nervous, but I at least knew how to get to the essential places, so my uneasiness was not blaringly obvious.  Once we got to Econo Lodge from Mnazi Mmoja though, I was solid.  I told them Econo Lodge was the place where most PCVs stay, showed them where the good street chicken and shwarma places were, passed the ATM, and found a safi place to get lunch.  It is amazing how dead Dar seems on a Sunday, when NOTHING is open, and especially that day because it was Saba Saba [“7/7” or July 7th"] Holiday.  It took forever, but we finally did find a place to eat that was still Tanzo (Tanzanian) food.  We then went by Posta and Mokka City (an awesome, safi café with free Wi-Fi), then back to Posta to get on a daladala back to Kurasini.  Once we got on the dala back towards Kurasini, I was finally able to breathe easy.  I was able to not get us lost after only being in Dar twice!!  Yay!  :P

All in all, the whole week went incredibly well, and I was so thankful to be a part of it!  I became very close with a few of them, and I told them they could call me whenever.  I was sad to leave, but I knew I’d get to see them again in Week Six for Shika na Mikono sessions, so the withdrawal from seeing everyone would not hit as hard.  Ron, Jerome, and I left very early in the morning to go to Ubungo bus stand to go to our respective sites down south, while the PCTs would be leaving later that same day to go to Korogwe to their homestays.  I felt satisfied, and I was already excited for the next time I’d get to see all of them again in Korogwe!

I went back to my site feeling very accomplished, and the transition back to teaching was surprisingly difficult.  I guess I should not have been so shocked after spending over a month traveling with family and being away from site for the POTUS visit and trainings…  It took a few days to get back into the routine, but I did and now I had a new thing to get excited about – I WAS GETTING A PUPPY!!!

A fellow PCV’s dog just had a litter eight weeks ago and she needed help taking puppies off her hands.  I was happy to oblige, and I was getting a little lonely at site after my inherited dogs, Amani and Orion, were at a teacher’s house and were never brought back to me…  :(  I went into Mbeya to get my puppy after choosing from pictures she had on Facebook, and I fell in love instantly.  He was a traditional Tanzanian brown dog (a mut) with white paws, a dark nose/snout, and a white tip on his tail.  He travelled with his sister, who was going to be given to another volunteer in Mbeya.  I had been thinking of different names, but I knew I wouldn’t come to a decision until I saw him.  He was so much smaller than I thought he was going to be, but I knew he would get a lot bigger from the look of his paws.  After spending some time with him, I knew the perfect name that reflected his strong and charming personality (and my love of Greek mythology) – Apollo.

He had the most adorable floppy ears and I thought it was a strong name that he could grow into.  And man, were his eyes killer!  I always knew about “puppy dog eyes” but his were the epitome.  He knew exactly how to use his huge watery eyes and cuteness to manipulate me.  Though I was not falling for his eyes nearly as much as Steve fell victim to them…

Steve was meeting me in Mbeya that weekend to come to my site for a week to do science competitions at my school for his extension.  Unfortunately, he was deathly ill with tonsillitis, and I knew he was suffering from the travel to Mbeya and then to my site the next day.  I think it was perfect timing that Apollo was coming back with us, because Steve and Apollo would be each other’s company while I was teaching during the day.  Steve was intending to do science demonstrations during the week and the competition for my Form III’s on Saturday, but he was too weak to even move.  I was more than happy to get to take care of him, because I would have felt worse to have him far away and not being able to help.  I did what I could, but I think having Apollo there with him and sleeping with him was the best medicine.  It was absolute proof that pets can heal.  :]

By the time the end of the week came around, Steve finally felt well enough to do the science competition.  My students were SO ecstatic and had a lot of enthusiasm, which made me so proud.  They did very well and I think they learned a lot while having fun – which is the whole point!  Steve brought materials to do a competition of paper building construction, aluminum foil raft making, a couple of math races, and Jeopardy.

Even though the weather was drab and rainy, the students that came (about 15) participated fully and got a zawadi [“gift”] afterwards, and the students that won the competition got an extra zawadi of colored pencils!  THEY LOVE GIFTS and PICTURES!  Lol.  There were no other students that came to the competition other than the participants, even though we made an announcement that anyone was encouraged to come watch, but I was not expecting an audience anyway.  It was really great to see my counterpart, a couple other teachers, and my mkuu come out to watch!  My mkuu actually loved it so much she told Steve he could even stay for another week or month to continue doing these competitions at my school hahaha.

Everyone had a great time, the students went home with prizes, and Steve and I went back to my house feeling exhausted but pleased.  We had to keep Apollo at the house because Tanzanians are usually deathly afraid of dogs, even puppies, so when we got back, we both were smothered with paws, licks, and whimpering pleas to never leave him alone again.  Seriously, he could not be alone even for a second.  He followed us EVERYWHERE and that sometimes caused him to get stepped on or tripped over because he was so close to my feet.  The next day, Steve was supposed to do another short competition for my Form IV’s but he exerted so much energy from the day before that he was in remission.  It wasn’t until a few more days of rest and rehydration that he finally felt better or good enough to travel back to his site.

By the time he left, it was also the day I had to give Apollo to the same teacher that had Amani to take care of while I would be gone for the Baby Eds’ PST for a week.  I didn’t realize how attached I’d be to Apollo, so I was more than a little sad to give Apollo away so soon after I’d gotten him.  I went from having a full house of Steve and Apollo to just me…  /cry

Luckily, it was only a day or two alone before I had to head back out to travel to Korogwe for PST.  Now, I realize that it seems like I’m traveling a lot and not teaching as much, but that is not necessarily the case.  I am currently teaching 35 40-minute periods a week and before I leave, I always make notes and/or practice problems for my students so they have more than enough to do while I am gone.  I gave my students their assignments, went home after a full day of teaching, and packed my things for a week in Korogwe with Steve and Ben for Shika na Mikono training.

As I said before in the previous installments of this trilogy, Shika na Mikono has been recently known for their introductions at PC trainings.  Therefore, the few days we had before our debut to the Baby Eds were spent primarily on the preparation for our epic intro.  We had it all planned out, Ben had written a glorious speech about us, I edited and mixed a space montage to be perfectly synchronized to a score from Requiem for a Dream, Steve and I choreographed our parts, and we concocted special effects.

Yes, we spent A LOT of time for our intro, but it was incredibly worth it in the end and we really made an impression on our crowd of nerdy science and math teachers!!  :D  Also, it was just incredibly fun to have that much freedom to do whatever we wanted.  The PC staff loved it too!  We also made it a point that Steve and Ben were not introduced, nor let alone seen, before the intro, so it was a good bang.  The Baby Eds heard a lot about Steve and Ben since Week Zero because of me, so I am sure it added to their anticipation to finally see them in that light.

After our epic introduction, we anticlimactically went straight into our other activities which included creating laboratory apparatus using locally available science materials (LASM), challenges in teaching math and science in Tanzania, and the Egg Drop science competition.

The next day was full of NECTA type sessions, which I started off by doing a presentation about lab practicals and their formats.  We then broke off into two groups of science teachers and math teachers.  The science teachers discussed topics on starting and maintaining a lab and the math teachers did a LASM activity for math teaching.  Then, we split them into groups to do math, chemistry, biology, and physics practicals that were commonly seen in the NECTA.  The last thing of the day was a science fair type setting which Steve, Ben, and I coined as “Shika Express” where we did very quick and easy demonstrations that you can do in class for all subjects.

We packed in a lot of information and activities for those two days, but after doing a quick evaluation of the couple of days, everyone said that we did a great job and the Shika sessions were the best sessions they’d had in all of PST!  HUZZAH!!!  ;D  I was proud to be a Shika member, and a lot of them seemed really interested in wanting to be one in the future, as well!  I think the Shika group really made an impression on them, and we as a group got some more great ideas that we could add or change to the current Shika na Mikono manual.

It was also really interesting to see the Baby Eds again after they’ve been in country for a few weeks now.  I wasn’t able to talk to as many of them because the English and Math/Science sessions were always split up except during chai and lunch, but from what I could tell, most of them were already starting to see how different everything was here versus America.  I think a lot of them started to get a feel of how they would and wouldn’t be able to make a “difference” which I think is important.  It was nice getting to talk to a lot of them about their thoughts and what may have changed for them during the last few weeks.  Seeing their progress and development as a trainee from the other side of the looking glass gave me a new perspective of how I may have been at that time during my service too!

The two days seeing everyone went by so quickly and although I would have liked to stay for Sports and Games day (Field Day) the next day, I had to get back to my site and my Apollo!!  We all said our goodbyes and I told all of them they had to let me know where they are placed, once they find out three days later!  They were my ducklings, after all!  ;)

After a long trip to get back to site, I was pretty tired of traveling.  It would be another three weeks until I had to travel anywhere, so I was happy to get to just stay put for a while…

Until next time, Belle’s adventures continue with…the Mbeya Girls Conference!

P.S.  Thanks so much for being so patient and waiting for so long for me to update you all on my whereabouts!  Love you all so much!  <3