http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Banks-Duo/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Banks Duo en-us Fri, 25 Dec 2009 22:20:17 +0000 Fri, 25 Dec 2009 22:20:17 +0000 MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR OR AS WE SAY IN kISWAHILI Heri Krismasi na mwaka mpya This will be our last Christmas here and being here has certainly given us the opportunity to appreciate the many gifts we have received. Tanzania has given us the gifts of time patience understanding and knowledge of others as well as ourselves. It has been a good experience for us and we are http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/East/Lushoto/blog-461343.html Dear Friends and Family Another Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching and we know how busy everyone is at this time of year. Please know that we wish you all a very happy day and we'll be home for the next one. In the meantime we will host as we did last year our local celebration. We expect 13 but we'll feed whomever shows up. The menu stays the same you can check out last year's blog wi http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/East/Lushoto/blog-454046.html 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 730 am and packed ourselves into a chartered floweredbedecked daladala. 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 http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/blog-449381.html 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 o http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/blog-439012.html Dear Friends of the blog We are in the big city of DaresSalaam 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 http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/blog-432925.html 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 http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/East/Lushoto/blog-424314.html 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 HIVAIDS 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 n http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/East/Morogoro/blog-422237.html 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 http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/East/Lushoto/blog-419084.html 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 esSalaam where Jen and Dylan fly out on Monday evening. Hopefully they feel relaxed by now before the 20 hour flight hom http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/East/Lushoto/blog-417049.html 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 DaresSalaam. They have pitched right in with chor http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/East/Lushoto/blog-413621.html 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 nonstop we all http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/East/Lushoto/blog-411405.html 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. Oth http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/East/Lushoto/blog-400167.html Dear Springtime blog readers Here is your first autumn blog. In our Life SkilssHealth club we had 120 students packed into one classroom. That made our small group activity on decision making have 30 in it...small group But the kids are eager and want to be thereso how can we turn them away One more note of local interest today as we were waiting for a longoverdue bus the entire stude http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/East/Lushoto/blog-385465.html Dear Friends at home. Happy St. Patrick's Day to all. Our celebration will be a wee bit different this year but I will make Irish soda bred and we have potatoes cabbage and carrots are grown locally. Breaded steaki will sub for corned beef but the real bummer is no grasshopper pie There are plenty of grasshoppers here but they're too quick to catch. All around us we see green as the Usa http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/East/Lushoto/blog-383314.html Hello Readers Just a quick note to let you know we are alive and well. Have had the usual no power or no network problems so haven't been able to blog. Time on the computer is running out so I'll try to connect again on Sat. Stay tuned. Love D W http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/East/Lushoto/blog-379014.html Dear Far Away Faithful Readers We have just completed a 2 week training seminar and are ready to write grants and tackle some of the issues that the village survey pointed out as being of importance to their health and wellbeing. We have lots of work ahead of us. It was also a time to relax and renew acquaintances with 12 of our group. Everyone is still energized and ready to push their sle http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/Centre/Dodoma/blog-370963.html Dear Blog Readers Sorry you haven't heard from us for awhile but the last two times we have tried the electricity was down and so...But our big news from Carmel is that our oldest grandson Dylan joined 8 CHS seniors and attended Obama's Inauguration. We have to hear all about it as it must have been an occasion that will always be remembered. A chance in a lifetime experience for a 17 yr. http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/East/Lushoto/blog-366541.html Dear Friends We are in the City today. Yes that means Lushoto. Everytime you read a blog it comes from our district town. We are here for the usual bank PO internet and supplies. But we are also in search of electricity to recharge our phone computer and OURSELVES. We need a HOT shower in the worst way. So a trip to Lawn's Hotel is in order. We have been busy conducting a villag http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/blog-352953.html Dear Pumpkin Pie Blog Readers You can give thanks wherever you are and we in Tanzania have so much to be thankful for generous family friends who are sending books and money for postage letters prayers encouragement. We thank you all We had Thanksgiving at our site in the village of Maringo of 3000 not counting livestock. These homes are family compounds with several generations li http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/East/Lushoto/blog-350851.html Dear Blog Readers Again thank you for your generosity with the school library project. Some books have started arriving and it is so exciting. More are coming so we hear But back to our village which is probably very typical of many villages in many locations in many countries. Each morning as the new day begins according to the resident rooster we hear the sounds of daily activity. Fa http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/East/Lushoto/blog-346844.html