Joel, Tanzania, blog, have fun: Update: 6 Months

January 4, 2014

Hooooo man! It's been 6 gosh-darn months since I got to this country in July (ok I'm a couple days early.. whatever). Oh how the time has flown. Here goes another quarterly update on life here.

"My Job"
Lately my job has been a little less defined since I have had the past month off of school for December break, but during October and November I was teaching 26 forty-minute periods each week. I taught Form I Math and Form III Physics and it was good for the most part. It was really nice to get better acquainted with the students and teachers at the school along with gaining some more experience in the classroom and writing my first tests. I will get to teach the same students as they move up to Form II and Form IV this coming year, which I think will help a lot. They are starting to get used to me and I'm certainly getting more comfortable with them but I am still trying to figure out what works for the classes and I hope to hone in on what works for individual students' learning styles. I have heard from other volunteers that after holidays, the students (and sometimes the teachers even) don't show up for a few days or even a couple weeks after school is to open. I don't think there will be much I can do about that, so I'm preparing myself for that delay. Hopefully it does not cause any major disturbances, other than cutting off precious classroom time. I started making my scheme of work for this term and I feel that I have a much better idea of what is realistic now that I have taught for the few months that I have.

"Life"
Life here has its ups and downs. It's easy to get upset about stupid stuff and just brood over it for hours (or days...), but I'm finding good strategies to get past the lows. Guitar helps a ton just as it always did in the states. Also, watching a movie or TV show, cooking some familiar food, calling another volunteer or reading a book can take the mind off things and put everything back in perspective.
The good news is, everyday life here seems less like survival like in my previous Update and more like actual life. Chores still take forever; I still don't have a shower; I still cook on the floor; but I am becoming accustomed to the simplicity of things.
Along with that, I have gotten a lot more comfortable with the transportation system here. It's wild, but now that I'm used to it, at least it isn't terrifying. I have had a chance to see 5 or 6 other volunteers' sites and have been exploring the country more with the time off of school and it is all becoming much less intimidating and much more fun! I got a chance to go on safari, spent Christmas with other volunteers, and spent NYE on the beautiful island of Zanzibar! All of which were tons of fun and gave me much needed transportation experience (not to mention loads of new friends).
I feel I have also become closer with my village over the last three months. One of the students at my school invited me in with him to his mother's little restaurant where there was a constant flow of locals coming in and out to eat. I talked with a lot of them the handful of times I've gone in since and they have all been very welcoming and patient with me as I do my best to understand them and respond in turn. Later on during the break I helped this student set up a solar system in his house and taught him to do it along the way. His mother ensures me that this will enable him to study more at night. Hopefully he will take advantage of that!

"Back Home"
This "quarter" if you will, is a pretty tough one being so far from family for the holidays (and my birthday coming up in a few days). But the volunteers who have been here for longer know how that goes and have really set the bar high for next year's holiday season. I spent Thanksgiving, Christmas and NYE surrounded by so many wonderful people in the same situation that I'm in and for that I am grateful and though I miss everyone back home very much, I was in good company. That said, I was able to talk on the phone with much of my extended family over Thanksgiving and Christmas and it was so good to hear all of your voices again!
Over the past three months I Skyped for the first time since getting here with one lucky friend (you know who you are!), I got a smartphone delivered from the states, and I got many many letters from you all! Hopefully it was the first of many Skype dates with family and friends. The phone should help me keep in touch with you all (Whatsapp, iMessage, Facetime, Skype, facebook...). And the letters are lovely little two week time capsules from your lives.