American Gothic....

I've spent the past few weeks working on my garden, helping plant corn and beans, and trying not to cut my foot off with my hoe. It's been quite an interesting experience. Fortunately I've had my friend and her financee to help me. I made them pose as the famous painting American Gothic. I tried to explain it to them...but I think the meaning got a little lost in translation. Oh well. They liked the picture regardless...and it made me laugh. So we'll see if anything actually grows.

Congrats?...Maybe?

So I may or may not be married to the man to the left of me. I went to a wedding last weekend which I have to say was one of the most fun things I've done so far! While my friend and I were waiting to get ready for everyone to go to the reception hall we decided to wait in the bride and groom's chairs. We were sitting there and after a little while a group of people came over to meet the 'Mzungu'. Suddenly there was a lot of commotion and people started shifting seats. I looked over and my friend was gone, there were a bunch of people around me...and the man on my left was grinning. They yelled for a picture so we quickly snapped a picture, there was more talk...then I was being introduced to his parents. Congrats to me? The reception was by far the best part! Lots of dancing, I gave a speech, and several other shoutouts to the foreigner. It's an event you don't want to miss...so I'll expect you at mine.

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween!
I hope everyone has a great holiday! After days and days of debating on a costume this year I have decided to go as a superhero. This idea came about after being in my village for several weeks and realizing that my villagers seem to think I have the ability to do anything. I had a village meeting the other week where the village government announced to the ENTIRE village that I will be working in the schools, setting up pig raising projects, planting trees, building a dispensary, helping to finish the second primary school, starting a fish keeping project, and also bringing water...from the mountain. I first asked if I would be carrying that water on my head daily, or perhaps I would be provided a mule. Once I had a chance to inform them that I am actually here as a health volunteer and know NOTHING about raising pigs, planting trees, and providing a loving and safe environment for fish we started to talk more about things I can actually do. This really got me thinking though that people really have a lot of faith in my potential abilities. I decided that I'm either a superhero...or Jesus. Not quite having the costume for Jesus this year, I settled on being a superhero instead. There's always next year!
This past week I also discovered that I've been sharing my house with some delightful creatures as well...bats. Last Saturday night I was getting ready for bed and I called for my dog to come. When she didn't run in my room immediately as usual I went into the main room to get her. She was sitting on the ground staring at the wall right next to me. I looked at her confused, then looked at the wall and realized there was a bat just hanging out on the wall. OH MY GOD. I RAN into my room, shut the door, and took 5 to figure out what to do. Having absolutely NO experience with bats, I decided I shouldn't handle this issue by myself but it was too late to call anyone. Instead I opened the door slightly, grabbed my dog, slammed the door shut, put my suitcase and clothes in FRONT of the door (in case he turned into the Count and tried to bust in) and decided to wait it out until morning. As I was laying in bed listening to him fly around my house, banging into pots and pans, it suddenly dawned on me that the 'mice' I thought were living in my ceiling above my bedroom were actually bats. Good. The next day I woke up and ran to my friend's house to tell her what happened. She cracked up and sent her boyfriend back with me to investigate. I told him I thought the bat was gone, but he went to check anyway. He climbed INTO my ceiling and started giggling. There was some commotion and several minutes later told me to wait outside. As I was standing outside clutching my dog 2 bat bodies were thrown from the ceiling out the door.
The picture above is my hero...holding his 'catch'.
Let's see, I mentioned before that I tell everyone I'm going to have the most amazing garden here ever. People point to the dirt on my arms and legs and ask me if I was just working in my garden. I then tell them I haven't actually started my garden yet...I'm just dirty.
At church there is the cutest older gentleman who comes every Sunday wearing a three piece suite. He is one of my favorite people in the church. He's very quiet and usually sits in the back. Last Sunday he stood up and sang a solo. Everyone cheered and clapped! It was great!
Enjoy your candy! I'll be passing out ugali balls this year...mmm...delicious!

Love,

Cat

They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach...well I'm screwed

So cooking's going well! The other day my best friend in the village wasn't feeling well and since she cooks for me practically everyday I thought I would return the favor. Bound and determined to have eatable rice and beans I started the jiko and got to cooking. To make both of these dishes you simply add water. Wait. Add more water. Wait. And when you've pretty much tapped out the village supply of water on one meal, you add one last bucketful of water, and wait. 4 hours later the beans were still hard and the rice had a crunch to it. Good. I can't wait until I move on to desserts. There is no WAY this could go wrong.

I was doing laundry the other day and came to a couple new revelations! First I've decided that REI has the most amazing underwear ever. Seriously. I want to give a shoutout the the makers of the 6-week, bacteria-resistant, easy clean, quick-dry underwear because it is a gift from God. I have never been so thunderstruck by a pair of underwear before! (I did, in fact, just use the word thunderstruck). It has EASILY cut my laundry time down from 2 hours of intense scrubbing, rinsing, and hanging to a mere hour and 50 minutes! I haven't even tested out its ability to be worn for 6 weeks without washing...but you needn't worry, that will come later! The other revelation I had has inspired me to write a book. While looking at my size Small t-shirts that have now grown to X-Large I decided that I am going to parallel David Sedaris's book Dress Your Family In Corduroy and Denim except that mine will be called Dress Your Family In Spandex and Lycra...because it's definitely needed here. Look for my book in stores next year.

Another product endorsement....Venus Razor. 2 months of leg hair growth. One razor. Smooth legs. Need I say more? I pretty much tell everyone here about this razor. I'm convinced at this point it can cut through anything. I'll test this theory out next time I'm chopping fire wood. I'm wondering if Gillette will send me free blades for this...just an idea.

Other update: I smell. I mean, there's just no way around it. I tried to feign that it wasn't me...but it is. I mean, it's not JUST me...but I'm definitely not excluded.

Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm....what else? I've been telling my villagers all about the amazing garden I'm going to have. I haven't actually started doing anything yet, but in my mind it will be incredible! I'm talking 12 foot tall corn stalks. Maybe I'll have a corn maze. This could get interesting. I'll be sure to post.

Hope things are going well back in the States! I'm sending in my absentee ballot and looking forward to the election!

-Catherine

I Am Paris Hilton

...and I wonder why they laugh...In my defense the neon green high heels are not mine.
The past few weeks have been pretty busy here. I’m teaching English now to the Secondary School to the Form 1 students (freshmen essentially). I really feel this is where I’m able to utilize my language skills and impress these students with fluency and grace. Usually I end up standing in front of the class staring at the students, begging them to answer my questions. I start by saying "Anyone?.....Anyone?" and eventually move on to "Bueller?...Bueller?" At least I make myself laugh. The students are really great though and starting to relax and talk more in class and ask me questions about the States. Most commonly asked question..."Is there ugali in America?"
Since I’ve been so successful in all the other aspects of my life I decided that I would add to my list of achievements and hone my culinary skills. I debated heavily which feast I would prepare…and I opted for beans. I figured beans couldn’t be that hard. Light a jiko. Put some beans in a pot. Add some water. Wait half a day. Done. I followed these steps religiously to ensure optimal bean cooking. Hours later I stirred the pot, added a little salt, and considered these things done. Piling them high on my plate of rice I took my first bite and decided that culinary school is not in my future. Even my dog wouldn’t eat my beans.So cooking isn't my specialty but I try to tell my friends here that I am an amazing cook at home with a microwave.
Life is good...:)

Try to explain depression in America to people living in a third world country and you realize the brokeness of man.

Public Speaking Was Never My Forte

My loving host family threw me and my friends a going away party the day before we left. Probably about half of the village was there, including the village officials. The celebration was a huge event in my village and marked an important event in the PCT/PCV's life...

unfortunately I had a bad case of 'harisha'...for those too lazy to look it up that means 'the runs'. I laid in bed all afternoon and evening in pain listening to the party outside. My family did ask me to come out momentarily and I reluctantly agreed. When I emerged outside I say the entire village and the village officially waiting for me to come and take a seat with my friends at the front of the 'stage'. Good. Then the village officials proceeded to tell everyone that they were sorry that I had harisha, but glad I was able to make it outside. This was followed by several "pole, catherine"s from the crowd. After the officials gave their speeches about us my friends told me that I needed to give a speech myself (they had done there's while I was laying crippled in bed). I stood up and addressed the entire crowd, thanking them for the opportunity for training in their village, thanking my host family for everything and telling them about my hopes for the future. I took my seat again and my friend leaned over and said, "Did you just give a speech with toilet paper in your hand?". I looked down and was able to confirm that. Good. I now know I will be remembered in the village as "Catherine, the girl who had harisha".

Home, Sweet Home

I'm officially in my village now and the past week and a half have flown by here! My house is pretty basic but I love it! I don't have electricity but I've just gotten used to going to bed at 8pm now. I realized that living here has really turned me into my parents (**disclaimer...mom and dad I love you and I mean that in the nicest way possible). I now go to bed early, wake up litterally when the roosters crow AND I've found myself wearing socks with sandals!

My village is pretty big and spread out so every day I take a bike ride around to try to see a different section of town. We have a few shops so I'll never go without ugali flour!

I've been pretty busy going to the primary school, seconday school, helping weigh babies at the clinic, and setting up my house. My favorite thing to do here is to go to church. The music is incredible! The older bibi sitting next to me this past sunday was convinced she was going to teach me the swahili words to each song by yelling them in my ear. I couldn't stop laughing!

Settling in has really gone amazingly well! I don't know how often I'll be able to update but my new address is:

Catherine Duthie, PCV
S.L.P 1081
Makambako, Iringa
Tanzania

I'd love to hear from you!

Love,
Cat

Time to Light My Own Jiko

There comes a time in every man or woman's life when he/she must venture out of the nyumba and light his own jiko. That time is in a few short weeks for me. Training is winding down now and I'll be on my own soon.

This week we're shadowing a current volunteer to really see what life is like in your own village. So far I've had cornbread, banana bread, chili, and the promise of brownies and pizza in the near future...I would say life is good! I'm shadowing in the Tanga region which is beautiful. The mountains are incredible, and are right behind my volunteer's backyard. Along with mountains Tanga is on the Indian Ocean, so this weekend I'll be hitting up the beach scene. I would love to share this beauty, but right now I'm unable to upload pictures. I would, however, be happy to sketch anyone a beautiful scene with pencil and notebook paper and mail that to you...let me know if you're interested.

Once I get my deep dark golden tan at the beach we're meeting back up in Dar for site announcements. I can't wait to find out where exactly I'm going to live for the next two years!

After Dar we head back to our training site to learn about Permaculture, take our final exams, and get ready for swearing in. Word on the street is the families have dresses made for all the girls for the swearing in ceremony. Don't worry, I'll be sure to send pictures of this AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I know it's going to be amazing...and I'm sure I'll wear the look well!

So that's what I'm up to right now!

-Cat

Safari Time

This past weekend we went on a safari to Mikumi National Park! It was pretty much the best thing we’ve done so far. I saw zebras, warthogs, buffalo, wildebeests, hippos, monkeys, elephants, and about a thousand giraffes. Unfortunately no lions or cheetahs this time, but there’s always the Serengeti! You all just let me know when you’re coming to visit and I’ll start planning the trip (and don’t forget to pack your hiking boots because we are climbing Kilimanjaro). So yes, it was great to say the least!

In other news I’ve determined that I am the beast in Disney classic Beauty and the Beast. I realized this the other day when I was brushing my teeth in our backyard like I do every morning. I heard the typical ‘mzungu’ shouts as soon as I entered the yard and felt the stares of all the neighborhood kids. They literally stop what they’re doing (ie playing, sweeping, walking to school/the market) to watch me. It then dawned on me that this was a similar scene in Beauty and the Beast when he yells, “So you’ve come to stare at the beast”…then I couldn’t stop giggling to myself.

This week my fellow village trainees and I decided we want to cook American food for my family. We decided this, of course, PRIOR to actually checking out the local fare and determining a menu. We’re still working on what food/ingredients we can actually get, and then we have to figure out how to prepare this feast using our charcoal ‘stove’. So basically this is me, an open flame, and a mission to prepare a delicious meal for about 8 family members, myself, and 4 other trainees. I’m sure I’ll have more stories for you all on how this actually pans out.

If You Give A Mouse A Mars Bar

And so the mouse saga continues! For those who are not aware I am currently sharing my room with a dainty little mouse I would like to call Fivel. While Fivel and I have seen each other in daylight, I often only see ‘remnants’ of his visits to my room. Sometimes I like to play it off like those are not the markings of a mouse, or perhaps they have been there all along and I just hadn’t noticed. The other night made the possibility of his presence a definitive yes.

It was about 1 am and I awoke to hear my Baba return from the shamba (farm). I was glad to hear he finally returned and was drifting back to sleep when I heard the rustling around my room that I often choose to ignore. I was laying there counting more sheep when it suddenly dawned on me that I had a precious commodity left in the open wide…my one and only Mars bar. It has been over 6 weeks since I’ve had good candy and I was finally able to get this bar from a fellow PCV who brought it all the way to the training site from another town kilometers and kilometers away. What hesitation I had before about coming into contact with Fivel went completely out of the mosquito net when I realized that my Bar was exposed!

I knew I was protected in the confines of my mosquito net so I opted to not seek out other means of light to investigate the sound. Instead I chose my IPOD backlight to ‘illuminate’ my room. I hit play and would frantically scan the room until the light would go off, in which case I would have to find the play button again. I repeated this action and came up mouse-less.

As a lay there wondering where this mysterious creature of the night could be hiding, it suddenly dawned on me that the noise was coming from above me. I grabbed my ‘POD’ and hit play once more. To my shock I found Fivel nestled ON TOP of my mosquito net, not far from my head! I didn’t know what to do! If I scared it I risked it falling on me, but if I let it go I knew there was NO way I would sleep just knowing that at any moment it could end up tearing down my net and falling on my face! I decided to make a sound to scare it and see what would happen.

After one clap I watched it gracefully, almost in slow motion, slide down the side my mosquito net. I saw this little mouse silhouette cling to my net with one arm and then the next as he made his way down to the ground. I couldn’t believe I actually saw that happen! Now I KNEW he was on the ground. While I was relieved he was no longer above me and the threat of his sudden attack to my face was gone, I knew this only brought him closer to the Mars bar. Again, I couldn’t leave my security net…so all I could do was lay there and prepare my attack if I heard the rustling of a wrapper. I lay awake the rest of the night until I literally heard the roosters crow to ensure the safety of my bar.

To put an end to the suspense, the break of dawn revealed an unharmed bar…all is well in Tanzania.

Butt Maggots

Mental image: butt maggots. Just think about it for a minute. Maggots…in your butt. This week we talked about basic first aid and potential cases we may have here in Tanzania. No one was more surprised than I about the idea of maggots that will lay eggs on your clothes, and if not properly ironed those eggs could hatch in your skin. Prior to this information I informed my host family that I didn’t need to iron my clothes because I bought wrinkle-free shirts to avoid the hassle…I’ll be taking that claim back soon. As if that mental image weren’t bad enough we THEN learned that those eggs are often picked up when you sit on the ground, causing the eggs to be implanted in your behind….thus the idea of what I like to call “butt maggots”. While this would normally cause some to worry, I erupted into laughter. Now I refer to friends and loved ones as “butt maggots”. I think it’s a term of endearment.

Aside from the idea of butt maggots, or perhaps going along with that new found knowledge, this week has been great! We brought the Fourth of July festivities to Tanzania with a big celebration with the PCTs that involved relay races, soccer games, frisby, volleyball, and of course tug of war. I then announced that I would be setting off the fireworks I managed to smuggle overseas…if only.

Being here I realized that sometimes, or often, I find myself in somewhat awkward situations. For those who know me I’m sure this comes as a shock, but yes, it does happen to me here occasionally. The other afternoon my friend and fellow trainee realized there was a huge celebration near her house. We walked over to see what was going on and soon found ourselves dancing in the middle of this party with people surrounding us. Just picture any awkward white suburban girl with zero rhythm and no dance moves and you have the two of us. Good times. It turned out the celebration was a wedding, and it was really awesome to experience the culture. I just need to learn how to stay on the OUTSIDE of the circle next time.

My Kiswahili is…coming! I’m able to buy mangos at the market, greet any and everyone in the village, and announce when I’m full. I’d say I’m near fluency right now.

So yes, things are going well and I hope things are fine and dandy back in the States!

-Catherine

Sorry, I Forgot to Bring My Cows

It's my third week of training and as you can imagine life in Africa is definitely interesting! I was able to email many of you to let you know of a few of the daily incidents but let me re-cap a few of them here...

Last week a Maasai (tribal African) asked me if I wanted to buy his friend for four cows. I was confused about what he wanted, but luckily my teacher happened to be nearby to translate for me. Unfortunately I didn't bring my cows with me to the market that day so I was out of luck. HOWEVER, this kind gentleman offered to pay to rent a bike for me to ride to his home to see his children and cows. I was honored by this and perhaps one day I will be able to take him up on that offer...just kidding mom.

An interesting event happened in class the other day. While I was working on constructing my Kiswahili sentences I looked down and under my foot was a dead rat. That's right, it was UNDER my foot. We don't know when it crawled under there and from what direction it came...but suddenly it was there...dead. We screamed loud enough that a man walking past our classroom came in to retrieve the deceased member. I owe that man a Pepsi for his thoughtfulness.

I train all day learning Kiswahili and such...and in the afternoons I hang out with my fellow trainees. There are five of us total in my village and we like to spend the afternoons playing soccer with the kids, walking around town and greeting everyone, and getting offered to buy men by Maasai. The other day we decided to lay in the grass and relax. We were just hanging out when we suddenly opened our eyes and realized we were surrounded by at least 30 people. They just stood there looking at us. We burst into uncomfortable laughter...but when no one else seemed to mind or find the situation awkward we decided to roll with it. We were just laughing and attempting small talk, and it turned out to be a lot of fun.

I know some of you are thinking this experience will help me mature and grow up...so far that doesn't look too promising. I laugh everytime we say the word for 'brother' which is 'kaka'. Recently I found out that the word for 'youth' is kijana...which means when it's plural is VIJANA...That's right, I'll be working with Tanzania's vijana...saving one group of vijana at a time. I know I'm making you all proud!

Every day is new and has it's ups and downs, but I can already tell this is going to be one amazing experience. In a few weeks we're going on a safari so I'll finally be able to see animals other than the chickens, pigeons and ducks that my family own and I'm really excited! Each week we have a PCV of the week who we can talk to and ask questions and they have been incredibly helpful. It's really comforting for them to reassure us that despite the hardships this experience will only better us! I'm actually enjoying training, but I'm also looking forward to my own place. I guess I should get back to greeting people! I love all of your emails and I'm sorry if I don't get a chance to email you back individually but I DO appreciate them! Love you all and can't wait to hear from you!

-Catherine

Two Weeks

It's been two weeks now since burgers and fries...and I love Africa! I'm the typical "mzungu" that sticks out like...well... I'm sure you can imagine. I can't carry water on my head yet, but don't worry...in time I'll be a pro. My host family rocks and they make fun of me all the time. They all speak english so I've really gotten to know them well. They are so kind and loving. They killed a chicken for me the first night I was there for dinner, which is a big deal. I learned how to wash my clothes and the dishes today, and all the neighbors came to stand outside and watch me do it. Everyone is really friendly! My family feeds me entirely too much because they want me to be fat like my grandma (I showed them a picture of her one day). They said I need to be "big and strong" when I return to America...so don't be suprised if I look like Queen Latifa when I come back. I'm learning more and more kiswahili everyday...but everyone just laughs when I try to speak. I'm already a dirty hippie and proud of it. All the kids love and are a little scared of the "mzungus" in town. The other day I was playing a game I like to call "run away from the freakish mzungu ogre"...which basically meant I chased the neighbor girls around while they screamed and laughed. Good times! I hope to write more in a few weeks!

Kwa Heri!

-Catherine

I Hope I Don't Get Stuck Next to Chatty Kathy

So tomorrow begins the 2 day journey to Tanzania! After checking out at 5:30am we'll be sent to the health clinic for shots (tequila, gin, etc) and then off to the airport! I just hope I don't get stuck in the middle and/or next to a Chatty Kathy for the flight(s). 2138729871 hours later I'll be in Africa.

Apparently communication during training is going to be pretty limited and sporadic so I might not update/email very often. I love you all and will post as soon as I can!

Oh, and they told us today that we have to wear our skirts and everything ON the flights there...nice.

6 Years, 4 Hours

In four hours I have to be awake to get ready and head to the airport to catch my flight to DC for my staging. How am I spending these last few hours at home (aside from not sleeping...clearly)? I'm posting, listening to old school Mariah Carey songs (pre-glitter, pre-meltdown, pre-emancipation days) and thinking about how in four short hours I'll begin a dream I've had for 6 years...

I don't even remember what I packed. I think I hit a point where everything within a 3 foot radius of my suitecase ended up in there...whether initially intended to go or not. I guess it will be like Christmas morning really...full of surprises! Wait, I take that back. Normally I open my presents, use them and re-wrap them before Christmas morning, so I know exactly what I'm getting. So maybe this is more like what Christmas morning should be? Maybe I'm thinking too much about this?

Anyway! Peanuts or pretzels? Hmm...

Candy, Gum and Crappy Magazines

Ok, so I've been doing some "research", which means waiting for other people to find out what to do and then following their instructions, and my mailing address for the first TWO MONTHS will be:


Catherine Duthie, PCT
Peace Corps Training Site
PO Box 9123
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Africa

After the first two months I'll be done with training and then placed in a village. I won't know where my placement will be until I'm done, so once I get that information I'll post my new address.

I stole this from another blog...who admitted to stealing this from ANOTHER blog as well...but here is more information on mailing things:

-“There are a few things you can do to help hasten and secure the passage and delivery of your mail. Have anyone sending you a care package scribble religious symbols and biblical quotes all over the outside of the box. This sounds silly, but it works. Though many of the countries in which the Peace Corps serves are largely animist in religion, superstition runs high and even corrupt postal workers are wary of intercepting religious parcels. Along every step of the way, your mail will be subject to the whims of postal officials, customs officers, and delivery personnel who often take the liberty of rummaging through care packages in search of goodies from the U.S. If you mail is embellished with religious symbols, the odds of keeping it intact are improved. You may even want to ask the sender to write “Sister” or “Brother” before your name, the heighten the effect. Another trick is to have your mail addressed to you in red ink. I’ve been told red ink is somewhat sacrosanct in many third world societies and is reserved for only the most official of letters and correspondences. Though I’m unsure about this explanation’s validity, I can vouch for the trick’s effectiveness, having seen several packages addressed in red ink delivered safely and expeditiously.”

Also:
-Make sure you're using Airmail
-Number your letters so I know if one has been lost
-I've heard that padded envelopes have a better chance of making it than boxes
-It can help to include "educational materials'" or "feminine hygiene products" on the package in writing that looks official



I LOVE crappy kiddie candy...just throwing that out there!

5 Days

I have five days left of endless burgers, fries, and refills on my diet coke. On Sunday I'll be leaving for DC, and after a quick run down of all the do's and don'ts I'll swear in as a Peace Corps Volunteer and board a plane for Tanzania. There I'll serve as a Health Educator from June 2008- August 2010. I'm pretty certain I can make it 27 months without McDonald's, but the thought of no Diet Mountain Dew is a bit overwhelming. I've spent the past week and a half trying to break my habit of 6 cans per day, but with such a strong addiction it's a daily struggle.

I don't know what first attracted me to Peace Corps, but I started looking into the program in high school. In college I studied abroad in Italy for a semester and when I returned to the States I really started researching it. I've been fortunate enough to have done a few mission trips abroad, to Mexico and Germany, and with study abroad I was able to visit several other countries as well. The most surprising things I found while I was abroad were that foreigners seemed to know more about our country than some of our citizens do, and also that in many parts of the world our country is looked at in a negative way... as I'm sure many people could guess. When I looked into Peace Corps their mission statement hit home with with me:

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps to promote world peace and friendship.
The Peace Corps' mission has three simple goals:
1) Helping the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.
2) Helping promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.
3) Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.

I want to understand other cultures, contribute in any way to fill their needs, and also I want to promote a more positive image of the US.


I knew this is what I had to do, so I applied and requested Sub-Saharan Africa. I couldn't have been happier when I found out I was going to Tanzania, and after looking it up and finding out where in Africa it is I was even more elated!

As a Health Educator I'll be working with local schools and the health center to educate students about basic health issues and AIDS/HIV prevention. I'm calling my program "Wrap It Up with Catherine Duthie"... this title I'll only use with myself of course...and perhaps a few select volunteers.

I'm not really sure what to expect. I'll be living with a host family and training for the first two months. I hear training is intense...language, culture, cooking and basic health/survival classes all day. Oh yeah, I have to learn Swahili. For those who know me language acquisition isn't exactly my strong suit, so this should be good. Don't worry mom, I DO know "Nina sindano yangu"....."I have my own syringe".

I'm going to try to update this as much as possible, as well as send out emails! I look forward to writing about my experiences as The Village Idiot, and I hope you enjoy reading them!