Kidogo Kidogo

HI BLOG!

My new internet isn’t letting me run a hotspot to my laptop for some reason?! so I’m writing this on my mini iPhone. Speaking of my new number! You can message me at +255762025906 or on whatsapp at my old US number (I highly prefer this). I also have really good connection here with my new SIM card, so I’ve been on Instagram and you can get a hold of me that way.

ANYWAYS, I met my host family! My mama is wonderful and her name is Christina. My baba is away on work but hopefully I’ll meet him soon! There are no kids in my house but plenty in the village so I’ve met lots so far. Living with a host family is new but PC does a great job trying to set you up for it and has really awesome families participate. Here’s a lesson on Kiswahili for you: greetings are VERY important in every setting and you greet someone before saying anything else (call me and I can give you a lesson) but “Shikamoo” is what you say to elders/ someone older than you as a way of respect. So every morning I say “Shikamoo mama” and she responds “marahaba” just as a way of greeting. It's a kind practice to have and something I've begun to appreciate. Next on the list: I know you all want to know my bathroom life and the answer is YES I do my business in a hole and YES I shower with a bucket but NO I don’t wipe with my hand, my wonderful host family provides me with toilet paper! Jealous?

Since getting to Korogwe (where I'll be for the next 11 weeks), I’ve become obsessed with eating jackfruit “finesse” and I enjoy the daily walk to my classroom and playing Swahili Bananagrams with my friends after school. I also like to take my daily anti-malarial pill, which is actually an antibiotic, so I need to ask my medical officer if I can get on a probiotic (note to self!). Life if simple here and at times hard - I went to a four hour church service at 7am all in a foreign language - but also wonderful - I’m learning new things and eating new food and meeting new people! Humbly, the hardest thing so far that is different from life in America is cravings. I feel like every time I wanted something back home I could get it in a few days, if not immediately. But here, if I think of something I want, let’s say Chipotle or an iced oat milk latte, I’m not getting it and I won’t be getting it for a very long time - THAT will take some getting used to (obviously I knew this would be true, still is weird for now). Adjustment is weird and I'll have to go through it again once I'm at permanent site, but the PC is taking care of us!

I’m taking every day little by little “kidogo kidogo”, since this is only week two, but, still, I’m really happy to be here. I hope to have more updates for you all soon! Put extra ice in your drinks for me!

Girls at the secondary school who I met!

My walk to Culture-Based Training class.

My Cohort at the Tanzania History Museum.

BYE!