So far it's been a very good week. First of all, Sunday I got most of my lights replaced, finally, so I now get to read by glorious artificial light after 7 pm or so. Teaching is going well, it's actually kind of nice to be back into the old routine, but that doesn't mean the news I got today was bad. Turns out, tomorrow's a holiday. It's Union Day, celebrating the union of TANganyika and ZANzibar to become--TANZANIA. Pretty exciting. What's funny is how many teachers at the school didn't realize tomorrow was a holiday until today. So in honor of the holiday we will be celebrating volunteer solidarity as the Peace Corps and KOICA (that's Korea's Peace Corps) of Nsumba and Nganza Secondary Schools will get together and make a huge pot of chile. The Koreans have cooked Korean food for Ryan and I before, so we are finally going to return the favor with some wicked hot American chile. I'm pretty excited. Ryan's recent purchase of a pressure cooker(brilliant) and meat grinder (more brilliant) make this exciting event possible. I can hardly contain myself.
On top of all that great stuff (electric lights and chile are enough to make a week great in the Peace Corps) finally, finally, it looks like I'm going to get that security gate on my door. My headmaster brought a fundi (that's Swahili for a guy who makes and/or fixes stuff, I guess you could say "handyman") to my house today to look at my house and give him an estimate. He should start in the next couple of days. I'm glad this is finally being done because both I and the Peace Corps were losing patience with my school. With the extra security I won't be too worried about leaving my house to travel in June and July.
So I notice my mood is dramatically different from my last post. Well, let's just say that emotions are pretty far from constant here in the Peace Corps. In fact most days I will experience the mood from this post and from the other each several times a day. "Emotional roller coaster" really is the best way to describe this service. The ups and downs are more extreme and come more quickly than I have ever experienced before. Sometimes it's great, sometimes it's horrible, but it is never boring (except when you're sitting at home alone in the dark, but that's not a problem at the moment). It's an amazing amount of stress and I imagine I'll look five years older instead of two next time most of you see me, but it's an amazing experience that I'm lucky to have. Who knows, maybe I'll even have a positive impact here? So until next time, this is Andrew Clark, signing off from the University of St. Augustine computer lab, Mwanza, Tanzania.
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6 comments:
Andrew,
Matokea ya utafutaji kwa.
Chili tamu!
Baba
Maybe I can get a job in Tanzania. Does TANESCO hire engineers?
So, Zanzibar is gone? since when? I'll miss a place with a name like. I was looking forward to teaching that country name to my kids.
--Leroi
PS you got any cool peacecorps nicknames yet? what about "AndyMan."
Thanks dad, keep trying with the swahili. And Dalen, Zanzibar is not gone. There is just talk of possible separation like you hear from Quebec now and then. We'll see how serious they are.
As for nicknames, it's interesting you should ask that. In town because of the beard I often get called "Osama," "Jesus," or "Chuck Norris." Quite a trio.
Habari, Chuck Norris!
Baba
To a very elite few, Jesus, Osama, and Chuck Norris are the holy trinity.
To an even elitier few, Chuck Norris himself is the holy trinity.
Yes, Evan, and I think that whole elite is here in Tanzania. I think they want my picture for their churches.
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