Beware of the fisi
Russ attended a Permaculture seminar in Dodoma a few weeks ago and had a great time learning about biointensive gardening. Hopefully the rains will come soon to our region and we'll be able to start a garden using all that we've learned to teach others about different methods of gardening that they may not have heard of. I heard the People magazines (thanks mom!) and Apples to Apples card game were big hits. Also at the permaculture seminar Loni adopted a hedgehog, Prisilla, as a pet when she saw some kids throwing stones at it. Prisilla is doing well surviving on termites in Loni's courtyard.
The week after Russ was gone, I went with Becky and Holley to Dar es Salaam to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Peace Corps. A few of the very first PCVs to come to Tanzania (back then it was called Tanganyika) in the 1960s were flown all the way here to meet Tanzanian diplomats and current PCVs. I enjoyed talking to them and listening to them speak about themselves in the newspaper articles. They remember their days as engineers and nurses quite well and even visited the sites they worked on more than 40 years ago.
Memorable moment in Dar: I went out with some PCVs to Addis in Dar, an Ethiopian restaurant. The atmosphere was awesome and the food spectacular. On our way out the door, Megan (first in line) scooped some crystal candy-looking things into her palm and popped them in her mouth. In some restaurants there are mints or candy things with a spoon next to the door to "freshen your breath" as you leave. Becky popped some into her mouth as well then I put some in my hand all the while the man behind the counter said "It's not for eating! It's incense!" Luckily I didn't put the incense crystals in my mouth but Megan and Becky spit them out and we all cracked up laughing as we exited the restaurant.
Internet is back at the TTC where Russ works - hooray! And there are now 10 new computers there as well - double hooray! There's another mzungu in town, Angus, a VSO from the UK who will also be working at the TTC incorporating computers into teaching methods.
Big news in town: One night a man in a nearby village heard something attacking his goats so he went to check it out. He came across one fisi (hyena) and managed to fend it off but lost a chunck of his head and two fingers in the process. The fisi was killed later and people suspect that because there was only one fisi, a witch doctor raised it (to ride on at night like a witch with a broomstick) and it escaped. So everyone in town uses caution when walking outside at night, especially when there is no moon and it's pitch black.
Russ and I did a dry run of cooking pizza for Christmas and it was awesome. We made the crust and sauce, put some cheese and pepperoni on them and stuck them in the oven for a few minutes. They were really good! So, pizza party at our house this Christmas! All are welcome - seriously! Does the picture convince you to come? ;)
Besides that, the teaching term is coming to an end. This week I'm creating a final exam for my students and continuing teaching. We'll be doing a lot of traveling in the next few months as we have to attend workshops, use vacation days while there's no school, and participate in a conference.
The week after Russ was gone, I went with Becky and Holley to Dar es Salaam to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Peace Corps. A few of the very first PCVs to come to Tanzania (back then it was called Tanganyika) in the 1960s were flown all the way here to meet Tanzanian diplomats and current PCVs. I enjoyed talking to them and listening to them speak about themselves in the newspaper articles. They remember their days as engineers and nurses quite well and even visited the sites they worked on more than 40 years ago.
Memorable moment in Dar: I went out with some PCVs to Addis in Dar, an Ethiopian restaurant. The atmosphere was awesome and the food spectacular. On our way out the door, Megan (first in line) scooped some crystal candy-looking things into her palm and popped them in her mouth. In some restaurants there are mints or candy things with a spoon next to the door to "freshen your breath" as you leave. Becky popped some into her mouth as well then I put some in my hand all the while the man behind the counter said "It's not for eating! It's incense!" Luckily I didn't put the incense crystals in my mouth but Megan and Becky spit them out and we all cracked up laughing as we exited the restaurant.
Internet is back at the TTC where Russ works - hooray! And there are now 10 new computers there as well - double hooray! There's another mzungu in town, Angus, a VSO from the UK who will also be working at the TTC incorporating computers into teaching methods.
Big news in town: One night a man in a nearby village heard something attacking his goats so he went to check it out. He came across one fisi (hyena) and managed to fend it off but lost a chunck of his head and two fingers in the process. The fisi was killed later and people suspect that because there was only one fisi, a witch doctor raised it (to ride on at night like a witch with a broomstick) and it escaped. So everyone in town uses caution when walking outside at night, especially when there is no moon and it's pitch black.
Russ and I did a dry run of cooking pizza for Christmas and it was awesome. We made the crust and sauce, put some cheese and pepperoni on them and stuck them in the oven for a few minutes. They were really good! So, pizza party at our house this Christmas! All are welcome - seriously! Does the picture convince you to come? ;)
Besides that, the teaching term is coming to an end. This week I'm creating a final exam for my students and continuing teaching. We'll be doing a lot of traveling in the next few months as we have to attend workshops, use vacation days while there's no school, and participate in a conference.
posted by lisa at
09:37
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