Sorry for the absence. We were fortunate to be able to join 26 St, Theresa's parishners on a one day pilgrimage to Gare, about a 2 hr journey. We met everyone at the rectory at 7:30 am and packed ourselves into a chartered flowered-bedecked dala-dala. Dave and I were in the front seat with the driver and in the back were many villagers, ranging in age from infant to elder. All were excited and ready to go on this 51st annual event. It didn't matter that they were packed in like sardines, but instead of straight fish lined up in [View Full Entry]

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Dear Blog Readers, I must write down the following incident before it is lost amongst the long gray hairs. Early this morning, well, not so early for our resident rooster, the bird that favors our dining room window returned. We have novicely identified her as an African Golden Orielo. She and her mate have been tapping at our window for some unknown reason. Is it to get nesting material from our curtains? Is it to peck at their reflection? Is it to provide us with a look at nature up close and personal? Whatever the reason we might attribute to this [View Full Entry]

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Dear Friends of the blog, We are in the big city of Dar-es-Salaam for manditory physicals, dentals, and tech training. so far we passed with flying colors and are healthier than ever. Lower blood pressure, cholesterol, lower weight, and more muscle...there are pluses for joining the Peace Corps, not to mention new culture, language, friends, and a sense of purpose. We feel wonderful and happy to see all of our classmates after a year. Tomorrow we will hear about other's projects and challenges. We will then have a session of behavioral change which we all know will be very helpful as [View Full Entry]

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Hello Again! We're in Lushoto to pick up PCTs who are showing with us to see what to expect of life in the village.Naturally each village has its own personality, but it does give a taste before they are sworn in and settled in their village. Since several of us our hosting, we are all meeting here to do the usual necessities before lunching. Many PCVs have been traveling, visiting with family from home, attending workshops, and working hard so it will be fun to get all caught up. The rhythm of our village has changed to harvest the carrots which [View Full Entry]

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Dear VIPs (Very Interested...and Important People) We just got back from a 5 day workshop in Morogoro on Community Theatre sponsored by Peace Corps. It has proven to be a successful and effective way to deal with the HIV/AIDS problem and gives us the tools for behavior change that is so necessary. Tanzanians have such a rich culture steept in oral tradition, movement, and music that it is a natural, culturally acceptable way of bringing a message to the people of the community. It's participatory and gets the audience to think, feel, and react to real situations which need behavior cha [View Full Entry]

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Well this is the last few days of a very relaxing and entertaining trip. I hope to include pictures of both our visits to Pangani and Zanzibar. We had a great time snorkling on Maziwe Island in Pangani. While visiting Pangani we attended the weekly market which featured local crafts and certainly ate our fill of the great food at Mkoma Bay Tented Resort. Our hosts Lisa (RPCV) and Ulrick Lind were most helpful and cordial. All in all it was a very restful visit concludine with a sumptous 4th of July banquet. Early the next morning Lisa gave us a [View Full Entry]

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We've had a relaxing, fun time with our family. We gave them a taste of TZ at our site. so many of our new fridents welcomed them into their homes complete with TZ food and warm TZ hospitality. After our site, we headed to Tanga, Pangani Beach, Zanzibar, and ending up in Dar es-Salaam where Jen and Dylan fly out on Monday evening. Hopefully they feel relaxed by now before the 20 hour flight home. We met another PCV Katie and her sister and parents doing a similar trip. I'm glad we had a whole month to see as muc as [View Full Entry]

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Dear Readers, Too much to do, but we've had a relaxing, fun time with our family representives. We have given them a taste of TZ at our site. So many of our new friends welcomed them into their homes, complete with TZ food and warm TZ hospitality. Now we are off on Phase 3 of our travels which will take us to Tanga. Pangani Beach, Zanzibar, and Dar-es-Salaam. They have pitched right in with chores and with nightly games of Hearts. Jenn was a little frightened when we ran out of water yesterday...she has water anxieties, but all I cared about [View Full Entry]

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Dear Bloggies, Jennifer and Dylan have arrived from CA and they look wonderful. It's been a year without family and it was hard. But, now that we are together it's time to go on safari and do the tourist things. We met them at the Kilimanjaro Airport and recognized them instantly; we look a little different: thinner, grayer, older but they saw us and knew who we were. After talking non-stop we all got some sleep before setting off early the next day with a Lushoto guide Omari, driver-guide Lewis, and chef George in a Toyota Land Cruiser with raised roof [View Full Entry]

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Dear Readership, Doesn't that make you feel important? I never have time to reread my blogs, so I always hope I'm not repeating myself. I know I've done blogs on sights & sounds of TZ, but have I done smells? So, inhale this blog and I hope your imagination will make it come alive. At site one can always smell the cows. They bed about 50' from our livingroom so we can REALLY enjoy them. Otherwise, the cowherd has them grazing on the property. Barefoot and in tattered attire, he is constantly watching them. He has a long, slender stick which [View Full Entry]

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