Disconnected cell phone service

Russ and I made it to KY just fine. We disconnected our cell phone service so don't try calling. I'll write more about the 15 hour drive later...zzzzzzzz

Leaving Minnesota

The tour of Apple Computer was awesome! Russ and I picked up a few souvenirs that cannot be bought anywhere else in the world.

These last few days Russ and I have been packing...we had a nice little going away party last night and for those who turned out, they got to take home some "door prizes" (i.e. stuff that we didn't get rid of at the garage sale!).

My last soccer game is today, then it's getting the moving truck tomorrow, then we're on our way to Kentucky on Tuesday.

Samuel Clemens was right

My mom told me a quote from Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain): The coldest winter I ever spent was summer in San Francisco. He was right - it's very cold here in the summer.

For the last two days Russ, Hannah, and I have been in the city. On Monday we met Hannah's friend, Yusan, at SF MOMA (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art) and walked around the galleries. I have been to two MOMAs this summer (the first one I went to was in NYC). We then ate lunch across the street in a park and watched a choreographers festival. We walked to China Town and then the Lombard Street (the crookedest street in the world!) then to Ghiradelli Square. Since we walked all that way we decided to treat ourselves with a cable car ride all the way across town. The conductor was very funny and kept making us laugh with his rants about how I let my friend stand next to Russ although Russ and I are together and let Yusan "drive" the cable car. We made it home to eat dinner, relax, and watch the end of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.

On Tuesday we made it to town again via CalTrain and then took a streetcar to pier 39 and fisherman's wharf (the tourist trap) where we walked up and down and looked at all the overpriced items suckers (like myself) buy. Hey - I only bought a magnet! We had tickets on a boat to go to Alcatraz at 12:45 pm so we got in line a little early. On Alcatraz, another tourist trap (haha...), there's a little gift store and a 15 minute video (probably made in the 80s), and an audio tour. You pretty much don't know what's going on if you don't spend the few bucks and get a head set so you can roam the jail cells looking like zombies being told what to look at one after another. It was an eerie place and I remember a quote by one of the former inmates saying something like: Everyday you could see what you're missing. He was right - you could see everything from that little island - the Golden Gate Bridge (if only the fog would have lifted that day), downtown, and everything across the bay. After we had enough of "The Rock" we headed back to downtown and took the 28 bus through parks and almost on the GGB to the GGB State Park where we rented bikes for an hour. Awesome bikes - terrible park. There were no signs and bikes had to stay on the roadways where cars were ripping by. And what kind of park has a four lane highway go right through it? If they improved the paths so that bikes and people have "designated lanes" and the weather is not fogging much of the time then perhaps I will return to that park.

Today we get a tour of Apple Computer because Hannah's roommate's dad works there. As you can imagine Russ is on top of the world!

Santa Cruz & wine country

On Thursday Russ, Hannah, and I cruised down to Santa Cruz for fun. We stopped at Aloha Island Grill and had some ono Hawaiian food like lomi lomi salmon, poi, kalua pig, mahi mahi, loco moco, and junk kine macaroni. We drove to Capitola and walked along the beach. Cold water, lots of seaweed in and out of the cold water, and kids flying kites was the big picture. There were a bunch of tourist stores and I bought myself a bracelet made of real mahjong tiles (I hardly ever by things for myself, let alone jewelry). It was cloudy and cool when we arrived, but as we drove toward the west coast to take the 1 back to Sunnyvale, the skies became clear and the air warm.

On Friday we woke up really early (5:30 am) and drove to Pleasanton to see Hannah's roommate, Allison, swim, bike, and run a triathlon for fun (400 yard swim, 11 mile bike, 3.1 mile run). A fellow Teach for America person, Caroline, came along to watch as well. While Allison was swimming we made a very long sign for her while included embarrassing pictures of her past (printed off by Hannah) and a checklist that included "Swim _ Bike _ Run _" and we checked off each item as Allison completed them (good idea Hannah!). We had a nice brunch at Dean's Cafe in Pleasanton and headed off to wine country taking Caroline along.

Since I was little I had a dream of living in Napa Valley. I'm not sure why or how I got this image but I kept thinking it was the place for me so I had high expectations going there. It was not as I expected, of course. Tourists lined the main highway going into the wineries, it seemed dry (but Hannah says this is the dry season for California) and brown, and I didn't get a gut feeling for the place so really a no go by me. Quite frankly I know we could never afford anything there but it was nice to visit. We tasted the wines of the Diamond Oaks and Chateau Potelle wineries and laughed at a sign coming into the valley "Clearly Miles has never tasted Napa Valley Merlot"...or something like that. We went to the Robert Mondavi winery last and it was packed with tourists so we couldn't even taste the wines, but we took pictures in the grape vines so all was good. Sushi in Berkeley then to Sunnyvale for a good night's sleep. Today is Sunday and I think we're going to take it easy before we head the SFO tomorrow.

San Francisco

Russ and I made it to SFO! We're here visiting a friend for a few days before our Peace Corps journey. Our plans include going to a flea market, seeing Alcatraz, dipping into wine country, and hopefully renting bikes for a day.

Lake Minnetonka

Garbe, our friend who went to Antarctica and is returning this "summer", just bought a boat so we took it out on Lake Minnetonka. When Garbe picked Russ and I up we went to Jimmy Johns to get dinner and took Grand Ave...until we realised the road was closed. So, we were in a huge truck, with a boat on the back, and our only option was to go through the US Bank ATM area. We didn't hit anything, but it was close. Crusing on the lake was awesome! Although I didn't swim (sorry, I was raised near the ocean, not lakes) riding in the front with the wind blowing my hair all around was pretty neat. The only bad thing of the day was I forgot my camera! Garbe's uncle and cousin joined us and were quite the experts at water skiing, knee boarding, and wakeboarding.

Camp Mekokiko & donations

My dad is in charge of building a camping site on the Big Island of Hawaii. It is situated up the mountain a bit just outside Honoka'a where I grew up. There is currently only one lodge with an outside bathroom. I grew up camping at many locations on Kauai, Maui, Oahu, and Hawaii and always had a wonderful time. If you like camping, would like to camp in Hawaii in the future, or just don't know what to do with your money, then donate to Camp Mekokiko. You could also donate to as aspiring photographer, Chris.

Returned PCVs

Russ and I got the chance to meet about 15 RPCVs from Tanzania in Minnesota today. They meet every few years in a family cabin on the lake to catch up and have fun. It was about an hour and a half drive from the cities and it was a very nice day. They were all in the same group that went to TZ in the late 1990s and were educators and environmentalists. Many of them said to pack light and perhaps even no clothes at all! Chacos or Tevas, leathermans, and headlamps were necessities. Most everyone traveled around TZ during their time off but really only throughout TZ - one guy, after service, just went south until his money ran out then went back home! There were no married couples in their group of 44 people going into the PC but after service there were 4 married couples out of the group - one person married a Tanzanian. Russ and I were very fortunate to speak with them and learn about their experiences. We can't wait to have our own!

Packing List

Lisa

Clothes
-linen pants
-nylon/polyester “quick dry” travel pants
-ankle-length exercise pants (not tight)
-running shorts (good under kangas)
-sleepwear
-2 t-shirts
-fleece (necessary for some parts of the country where the temperature dips below freezing)
-rain jacket
-3 skirts which go below the knee
-Slips are necessary (bring two because you'll need to wear one while the other is being washed)
-3 blouses (no bare shoulders)
-2 button shirts (short sleeve)
-sunglasses (prescription)
-2 pairs regular glasses (required by PC if you wear glasses at home)
-21 pairs of underwear (a good amount as you never know when you'll be able to do laundry next)
-3 regular bras (3 not necessary - 2 is a good amount)
-3 sports bras (3 not necessary - 2 is a good amount)
-3 bandanas (2 of them "buzz off" - thanks Matt & Deb!)
-10 pairs socks
-2 pairs nice black socks (never used)
-nice and comfortable dress sandals for teaching or giving seminars in
-hiking shoes
-Chacos (A Peace Corps Volunteer necessity)
-running/sports shoes

Toiletries (you can get most all of these things in country)
-large two compartment bag for toiletry items
-toothbrush and 1 spare
-large toothpaste
-floss
-travel deodorant
-soap in container
-wash cloth
-small towel
-travel shampoo & conditioner
-hairbrush
-razor & replacement blades (I did not shave for two years due to laziness and fear of infections so these went unused)
-moisturizing sunscreen SPF 15
-small mirror
-tweezers
-anti-itch cream & dramamine
-4 mini packs of tissue
-roll of tp in plastic bag
-small bottle of liquid hand sanitizer
-feminine hygiene products (including the highly recommended keeper)
-fingernail/toenail clippers (very necessary)
-hair accessories
-2 chap sticks
-6-month supply of prescription meds
-everyday meds (PC will give you a big medical kit with all of the regular over-the-counter meds you will ever need...so just bring whatever you need for the plane ride and a week or so afterwards)


Russ

Clothes
-nylon/polyester “quick dry” travel pants
-running shorts
-sleepwear
-2 board shorts
-2 cotton or synthetic dress or casual pants
-belt
-5 button-down shirts (mix of short & long sleeved)
-tie
-sports jacket(it was sent back home with Russ's dad as it was never used)
-gray slacks
-5 t-shirts
-fleece
-rain jacket
-sunglasses
-2 pairs regular glasses (required by PC if you wear glasses at home)
-7 pairs of underwear (a good amount as you never know when you'll be able to do laundry next)
-10 pairs socks
-2 pairs nice black socks (never used)
-brown dress shoes
-hiking shoes
-running/sports shoes

Toiletries (you can get most all of these things in country)
-large two compartment bag for toiletry items
-toothbrush and 1 spare
-large toothpaste
-floss
-travel deodorant
-soap in container
-wash cloth
-small towel
-travel shampoo & conditioner
-hairbrush
-razors and shaving cream
-small mirror
-tweezers
-4 mini packs of tissue
-roll of tp in plastic bag
-small bottle of liquid hand sanitizer
-fingernail and toenail clippers (very necessary)
-6-month supply of prescription meds
-everyday meds (PC will give you a big medical kit with all of the regular over-the-counter meds you will ever need...so just bring whatever you need for the plane ride)


Russ & Lisa shared items

Gear
-recipes & cookbooks ask your PC country for PC cookbooks from past PCVs...those are awesome and appropriate to what you will be able to buy in country
-1 knife sharpener
-3 Swiss Army knives
-1 Leatherman tool (very important)
-2 LED headlamps with 3 AAA batteries
-rechargeable AA and AAA batteries and charger (the adapter blew so these went unused)
-combination lock (unnecessary)
-plastic bags (unnecessary)
-sewing kit with safety pins
-photos of family and friends (a hit with everyone)
-4 nalgene water bottles
-2 money belts
-2 small wallets
-cash (be warned: when I left Tanzania, PCVs were no longer allowed to store cash or travelers cheques in the PC office safe)
-credit cards (not sure if you can store these in the pc safe any longer...)
-watches (Timex Expedition with alarm and new battery)
-packing tape
-2 pairs small scissors (one is good enough, otherwise they are available here)
-journal
-notebook (available in country)
-small notebook for writing grocery/market items (available in country)
-plastic document/file folder
-tiny address book
-2005, 2006, & 2007 monthly planners
-a dozen black ball-point pens, a few color ball-point pens (available in country), -permanent markers
-North Face Jester daypack
-duffel bag
-Granite Gear Nimbus Latitude 3800 Frame Backpack
-duffel bag for transporting the Nimbus
-hard case luggage piece
-4 carabiners
-ziplock bags
-35 mm point and shoot camera with film (recommended along with a digital as you will want to take pictures of your friends and give them copies - just bring an older junky one and give it away when you leave)
-5900 Nikon digital camera with accessories, two rechargeable li-ion batteries, and one 1 GB memory card (this camera worked great the whole time abroad)
-iPod 512 MB shuffle, headphones and armband (stolen, but I got a replacement – flash drives are a necessity here) +R
-Cards, apples to apples card game, hacky sack, 2 jump ropes (these ended up going to the kids of our host family), juggling balls (these too), and Russ's tin whistle
-1 ball inflating needle
-Globetrotter map of Tanzania
-Globetrotter map of Kenya
-World Map
-Map of USA
-Lonely Planet guide to Tanzania by Mary Fitzpatrick (3rd. ed. 2005)
-Swahili phrase book (good to get a head start on the vocab)
-PC paperwork, Volunteer Handbook, personal stuff, etc. Be warned: you will receive TONS of paperwork from PC after you arrive in country so leave lots of space in your bags!
-small sleeping bag
-10 clif (energy) bars
-Book: Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond

Gifts for host families
-2 pencil cases with pencils, eraser, and sharpener
-2 Minnesota oven mits/pot holders
-a few calendars
-Kentucky crafts
-Hawaiian fabric
-toys for children


Items we regret not bringing with us
-small short wave radio and/or speakers for ipods (my parents sent these to me - and they actually got here!)
-calculator (I was going to teach math and forgot a calculator! My parents sent me a bunch of solar calculators once I got to country, though.)
-a hat (but got one in country)
-a larger (wall size) map of the world
-a larger (wall size) map of the USA (people will want to know where exactly you are from!
-a laptop would have been nice for writing grants, blog entries, and watching movies, but we lived without the fear of it being stolen - which does happen

Really, you can get almost anything here in Tanzania...people have regretted bringing so much! My suggestion: pack light. You will love all the beautiful TZ material here and will want to have clothes made and leave room for all the books, paperwork, and other gear that PC will give you!

Our 1 year wedding anniversary!

Russ and I were married on this day one year ago in Hawaii. It was an awesome wedding and I'm so glad that our friends and family were there to celebrate with us. Just over a month to go and then were off for Tanzania!!!

Chacos - oh my gosh!

Yesterday Russ and I went on some errands to get stuff we need for the PC while we still have a car (it's being sold). At REI I went to buy Chacos because I've heard from current PCVs and friends that they are the best. So as I was browsing the sandal section a young woman, about our age, who worked there, asked if we needed help. So I said we were going to the Peace Corps and then she screamed "Oh my gosh! That's so great! I'm in the process of applying!" and I know everyone in that section heard her and people were looking but it was great to see someone so excited about the Peace Corps and our adventures. She was wearing a pair of Chacos with toe loop so I tried that one on and compared it to the Chacos without a toe loop and other brands. My feet felt much more stable with the toe loop so we purchased those (with toe socks of course)!

Peace Corps Tanzania Overview

Peace Corps Volunteers in Tanzania work primarily in the fields of education, environment, and health. The follow paragraphs were taken from the Peace Corps website and describe the different fields of work in Tanzania.

In January 2000, a new School Health Education Project in Tanzania was launched. The project aims to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and increase healthy lifestyle among youth. Using a peer education and life skills model, Peace Corps Volunteers work in primary and secondary Schools as well as with out-of-school youth.


Education
Secondary education is a major focus of the Peace Corps program in Tanzania. The country has a critical shortage of math and science teachers at the secondary school level and, due to lack of financial and human resources, the Ministry of Education is not able to attract the number of teachers that it requires. Current Volunteers teach mathematics, geography and science in both private and public schools.

Volunteers are also involved in teacher training, resource identification and development, curriculum improvement, extracurricular and community projects. Volunteers incorporate issues important to the surrounding community into their lesson plans. Many Peace Corps Volunteers in this project have involved HIV/AIDS issues, environmental education, computer instruction, leadership development and school infrastructure development into their learning activities.


Environment
Volunteers work with district government extension teams and local residents to improve management of natural resources. They focus on such issues as land degradation, soil improvement, environmental education and implementation of agroforestry techniques with an emphasis on working with women and youth.


Health
The school health education project aims to significantly and positively impact on the health knowledge, health attitudes, and health behaviors of Tanzanian youth, particularly in the area of HIV/AIDS prevention. A wide range of health education interventions are employed in the classroom, the school, and the broader community to reach students, teachers, out-of-school youth, and community members. Volunteers are assigned to secondary schools where they serve half-time as teachers of science and integrate relevant health content into their teaching. As health educators, they also promote school health initiatives, such as clubs, workshops, and exhibits, at their schools and other secondary and primary schools. Developing peer education and life skills training programs with both in-school and out-of-school youth is also part of their work.

Travel guide and map

Woo hoo! The Tanzania travel guide by Lonely Planet (3rd. 2005) and Globetrotter map have arrived! I'm glad that I could buy a travel guide that was published in the same year I am going to that country. There are so many national parks in Tanzania it would take months to visit them all!