First week in Arusha, TZ

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Arrived in Arusha, Tanzania on Monday after an 1 1/2 hour flight on Precision Air from Entebbe, Uganda. After paying $100 for my Visa, collecting my luggage (had to pay $24 due to overweight luggage, the damn disposabe gloves that are not needed) found the greeters to take me to my new home stay. First take, Arusha is very different from Kampala. Not nearly as dirty, crowded or crazy. Upon arriving at the house there were 2 women sitting in the living room with the tv BLARING! Think maybe the people are deaf in TZ????? Was shown my room, which I am sharing with a another volunteer who has taken over the entire room, no place to go with my stuff. Oh well. Turns out the volunteer is in Zanzibar til Friday, so pushed some stuff to the side to a make a little space. Then showed the bathroom. OH JOY!!! An actual flush toilet and shower that even has hot water. I am in heaven!!!! Spent the rest of the day feeling very uncomfortable with the host & his sister, and cousin. They are not very friendly or welcoming. Beginning to really miss Uganda.
Wake up next morning and not feeling all that terrific, coughing then I am told by Nelson (my host), that I need to pay $120 for a work Visa over and above my $100 for a regular Visa. WHAT!!!!! Now I am ticked off. I knew I had to pay for a work Visa but it was never communicated that I had to get 2 Visas. Am starting to feel taken advantage of but trying to remain optimistic. Was supposed to meet with the director of the St. Lucia's Hospice (my new volunteer assignment) later in the day but this being Africa and time is never a factor it does not happen. Another boring and uncomfortable day goes by. Oh yes, dinner is at 8:30 pm with the blaring tv and noone to speak to since although Nelson & his sister speak English they are only speaking Swahili in the house.
On Wednesday, finally go to St. Lucia Hospice to meet with the founder Winifredia, a very inspirational person. She is a nurse and when her mother contracted AIDS she took her in & realized the magnitude of the problem that exists for people with AIDS. Upon the death of her mother she estabished the hopsice. After talking a bit we agree to met on Thursday to discuss my hours and assisgnment. In the interim she asked me to escort one of the girls to the hospital since she has been ill. No problem, just been in a hospital environment. Went to the hospice & off to Mt. Meru hospital. Ok, very different being a patient than working in the hospital. Met with the dr. get the medication & finished for the day.
Thursday morning, wake up ready to start my new assignment and noone is awake. I admit, I am an early bird, Type A personality and am starting to stress out about the time. It is now 8:25 am and still noone is up and I have no idea how to get to the hospice. All the old work stress levels are coming back. FINALLY, someone is up & I am freaking about being late, totally forgetting this Africa and time is a NON ISSUE. No time for breakfast & off we go to the hospice. Get there, no Winifredia. Great, so what am I supposed to do all day? Told I should play with the kids (there are about 16 kids at the hospice) and maybe teach them stuff. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!! Ugh, this is so not me, I need tasks playing with kids is so not me. Of course, being the mzungu novelty, all the kids are hanging all over me. Unfortunately, they only speak Swahili which I am currently limited to just a few sayings. After playing with the kids and doing some math problems, I help make the lunch as the hospice. Low and behold, it is ugali, aka porshoo in Uganda. WHAT!!!! I thought I left that behind me. So now, I offically know how to make ugai, not a recipe I think I will be taking back to the US. Since the kids nap after lunch, I left for the day. Thankful, Chaz, one of the works at the hospice walked me to the dala dala (mini bus transport) to show me how to get back to Arusha. He tells me that Nelson will meet me at the clock tower and take me home the rest of the way. Ok, no problem. Meet Nelson and he wants me to met a friend of his, fine although not feeling to terrific at this point. Off to a coffee bar we go. Yes, finally some real coffee and good coffee it is. Pretty excited. Meet his friend Daniel who is a massi, seems decent enough and exchange phone numbers since I agreed to met him for a drink later. Ok, pretty deseparate for something to do. At this point I am really starting to feel pretty awful.
Wake up Friday to a miserable cold, dripping every where. Decided I should not go to the hospice and get the kids sick especially since they are all HIV positive. Feel bad about not going in but really would not be fair to the kids. Great, another boring uncomfortable day at the house & 4 texts from Daniel. Ok, what is that about? Seems a bit overboard, but don't want to be rude. Friday not brings 3 new volunteers and the roommate returns. Yeah, people to talk too. After some discussion, I told Nelson's sister that I would go to the market with her on Saturday since I desparately need to buy a belt since my pants are falling down.
Wake up Saturday morning feeling a little better, but coughing alot and oh yes another text. Oh brother. Was told we would leave for the market at 7:00 am so set the alarm for 6:00 am. Stupid me, this Africa and time happens different and 7:00 am is actually 10:00 am. The market turns out to be a big flea market, not too interesting but at least I am now the proud owner of 2 belts and pants that are not falling down. Decided the afternoon was going to be much needed time for hair and a pedicure. Was shown the salon and got the hair chopped and I mean chopped. Wasn't expecting that and a little freaked but it is only hair and will grow back. The pedicure, surprisingly was terrific and much needed. The ball of my foot split open the last Saturday in Uganda (I know very weird) so was glad to have some work done. While getting the pedicure, I get another text. Ok, so now I am really not getting it. Are men just overly friendly in TZ or just a bit creepy? I don't want to be rude but just decided to ignore it because it just is too much. Saturday evening was taught to make chapati, ok, a recipe I will take home with me.
Sunday, laundry day, oh joy. Am so missing a washing machine but I do have a flush toilet and shower so am grateful. Been a rather low key day, walked in to town for coffee but shop is closed. And oh yes, another text, which I still have answered although probably should since I blew off the one from yesterday. Not sure what to think about it at this point.

So may take on Tanzania so far? Not loving it and really miss Uganda. Arusha is a very touristic town and walking down the street is a hassle. Men constantly coming up asking to talk and wanting you to buy crap. Did not get that in Kampal. Granted got called mzungu and random people shaking my hand and touching me but I could deal with that. Arusha, it is a hassle, the constant texting is odd and the home situation not ideal. I hope that my current state of mind is due to general crankiness and still not feeling terrific. Sick of coughing. Hoping to meet with Winifredia this week and maybe come up with a more productive volunteer experience, which I am sure will help my state of mind. So need to conclude and guess I should finally respond to the text.

May go to Mt. Kilimanjoro next weekend so something to look forward to. Miss everyone! BTW, posted photos on facebook from Uganda.

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