School!

Hello all!

To answer some of your questions, here's a better description of what school is like! (I love all the questions, by the way!)

-The students are very respectful. They greet me with "Good morning, madam" every morning. They stand up when I enter the classroom. If they see me walking with a bag/purse, they carry it for me. THey are great. They were super shy the first few days ... but now they are starting to warm up a little. We've been playing Simon Says in class using English classroom instructions (such as stand up, sit down, write this down, etc). They really like that game, I think, and I can se some of them starting to come out of their shell. A lot of the time when I'm teaching I feel like I have to act out what I'm saying. (For example .. if I say "she walked quickly," I will walk around the room quickly). I feel like I"m an actress sometimes. I try to be funny, but sometimes I think they are just laughing at me not with me. Haha, oh well!
-The other teachers here are pretty nice. I am the only female teacher, however there are 2 female workers here. One is the typist (yes, with a typewriter), and one is a libraian (I think). I have been playing volleyball with a few teachers and students after school everyday, and that is really fun. It's nice to be able to laugh and goof around with the other teachers.

Well thats about it for school! One month down (almost), 5 to go! Here is a random list of things I've done so far:
-played volleyball with teachers/students everyday.
-used a machette to (try to) cut the grass with some students out on the soccer field. I was horrible at it. It was pretty hilarious.
-Used a hoe and helped cultivate corn with some of the sisters.
-killed 2 (hockey puck sized) spiders in my room.
-killed 2 bees in my room.
-ran screaming when i saw a mouse in my room this morning. The whereabouts of the mouse is still unknown. Don't worry... I made my favorite student (Puis, this really really nice 14 year old boy), come and try to help me find it this morning. It's probably nesting under my bed somewhere by now. Haha!
-watched a pig hang from a tree and saw its blood and guys drain out 30 min after it was killed. This was in Sumbawanga with James and Dan. Now THAT was fun to see. (I'm being sarcastic, in case you couldn't tell ..)
-not showered for 3 days in a row ... I think thats my record. Now bad, if you ask me.
-Showered with ice cold water.
-climbed a fence with James in order to take a short cut
-ate dinner in pitch black (Hakuna umeme).
-seen a bird that looked like it was spray-painted blaze organge. No joke - that was its color. It was the brightest bird i've ever seen. It was really sweet!
-ate fist with the eyeballs still intact. Didn't eat the eyeballs, though - YUCK.

That's about all I can think of for now!

Hope all is well in freezing MN! :)

My life here in Laela

Hello everyone!!

Life is going well here in Laela. Ijust started teaching today - more on that in the next post. For now, I'll try to give you a picture of what life will be like here for me for the next 5 months!

6:05am - Wake up call from the church bells
6:45am - Mass. The church is about 25 steps from my front door. It is even closer here than at home in MN (if that's possible).
7:15am - Grab some bread and tea/coffee for breakfast.
7:30am - Walk to school. The takes about 5 minutes (maybe). I walk past the convent (which is about 20 yards away), through some corn fields, and across a tiny stream (where my "bridge" is a peice of wood that lookds like a balance beam).
7:30-2:30 - At school. Here is my teaching schedule:

Monday - 9:20-10:40
Tuesday - 12:30-1:50
Wednesday - 8:00-9:20 and 11:20-12:30
Thursday - 8:00-9:20
Friday - 8:00-9:20

Thats it! During breaks I plan lessons, study swahili, talk with teachers, or socialize with the students. How school works here is all the students in Form 1 (which is equal to freshman in high schoool .. the age I teach) stay in the same classroom all day. The teachers go in and out according to what time they teach their subject. My "desk" is in a large room with all the other teachers desks. The room has desks, a tv (which doesn't work becuase there is hakuna umeme-no electricity), and a large map on the wall. Pretty simple. We have a break at 10:40-11:10, which consists of tea and some bread for the teachers. Lunch is at 2:30, and I can either eat at home with Fr. Leonardo or at school with the other teachers.

2:30-7:30 - sometimes I will stay at school and talk with the students/other teachers. Sometimes I will walk the 20 min (also through corn fields) to the internet cafe. And sometimes I will walk the 25 min into the village (not through corn fields this time, haha. I pass a lot of houses made of mud, bricks, and straw, though).
7:30 - Dinner with Fr. Leonardo. Dinner is usually rice, chicken/some sort of meat, in some sort of soupy sauce, and (if I'm lucky) 'chipsi' - or fries.
7:30-9:00pm - Read, journal, study swahlii, etc. I usually sit in the "living" room at the parish house becuase I don't have electricity in my room. The parish house is about 10 steps away from my front door. We share a cortyard.
9:00 BEDTIME!

Well there ya have it! Questions? Comments? Concernts? Let me know! What I do on weekends will vary, but I'll keep you posted on those! Please, keep sending me emails and leaving comments! (Aparently I accidently said you should be discouraged from doing this in my last post... but I meant to say you should NOT be discouraged. Don't worry, that is fixed now!)

Miss you all!

As Fr. Ndasi says, I am now officially a 'villager'!

Sarah Samaki (Sarah 'Fish')

Time to go

Hey everyone!

So, I am leaving Sumbawanga tomorrow. It's official. Time to leave and start my work in Laela. I am both excited and very nervous at the same time. Fr. Ndasi will stay with me for a week or two, then I will be on my own. I was talking to James about it, and we both came the the realization "WOAH- I won't be in Sumbawanga anymore" at the same time. It will be very nice to settle down, to start making connections, and to get a feeling of "home" again.

Hopefully I'll still be able to come back and stay in Sumbawanga on the weekends. I'm sure I won't come every weekend, but enough to still stay connected with the people here (the monks at CHristu Mfalme - where James and Dan live). They are so welcoming and nice.

In other news, James, Dan and I were talking about good ol' American sports .. more specifically football .. more specifically the Vikings. James and Dan decided (and I'll probably tag along too if I'm free), that we are going to find someplace to watch the Superbowl if the Vikings make it. Now, at home, this would be no problem. But here, in rural Tanzania, it could mean up to a 20 hour bus ride! Most likely we will end up in Mbeya, which is about an 8 hour bus ride (if the road conditions/whether is OK). Fish-side of the family: you should be very proud. Making an 8+ hour trip to watch a football game!?! Haha. Please be sure to pass this along to Grandpa Fish (Jame or Dad or whoever talks to him first). Should be quite an adventure if everything works out!

Well thats all for now. I have no idea how often I'll be able to update this thing at Laela. Apparently there is Internet, but who knows it if will work. So it might be a week or two till you hear from me. (This should NOT discourage you from commenting/sending me emails!!) :)

Tutaonana! (Goodbye)

Sarah

A few more pictures

Hello everyone!

I am back from my mini weekend road trip to Lake Tanganyika. It was absolutely beautiful! I met a ton of people (including Fr. Ndasi's mom). A lot of my time was spent sitting around with priests trying to figure out what they were talking about in Swahili. I had a lot of fun, but it is nice to be back in Sumbawanga with James/Dan/people who speak English!

I still don't know when I'll be starting teaching. It was supposed to be Monday ... but plans are ALWAYS changing here. Now it's sounding more and more like I'll stay in Sumbawanga for another week. Who knows! I'm just goin with the flow.

Below are a few pictures:

The first two are of me at an orphanage in Sumbwanga that I have visited twice. There are only 9 kids at this orphanage, and they are simply adorable. It is run by this German women. It feels more like a home than an orphanage. Dan (James's roommate) goes there quite often. I'm sure I'll be going there a lot as well.

The last one is of me, Fr. Ndasi and his mother (I look like a GIANT compared to them). This was taken on my mini road trip this past weekend. It is at Fr. Ndasi's home.

Please keep the comments coming! I LOVE hearing from everyone!

Sarah

Swahili

The past few days I have been taking Swahili lessons with this really nice older man. He is a retired teacher, and is very good at English. Each lesson is about one hour.

So, before I left for Tanzania I was very excited to start learning another language. I would love to become fluent in another language. The past few days, however, I came to the realization that it probably won't happen. I forgot how difficult it is to learn a new language. I (ignorantly) thought that I would be able to move here and just pick up the language easily and quickly. Well, that is not the case. Holy cow, there is so much to remember!! Sometimes I am finding myself getting frustrated easily when I am practicing my Swahili with Fr. Ndasi because I forget things so quickly. Other times, I am extremely motivated to study and learn as much as I can.

I feel like I am making a lot of progress, though. I can understand a LOT more now than I could one week ago. I can pick out words I know when I am listening to conversations, and I can kind of figure out what they are talking about. I can form sentences (for the most part). I'm still learning vocabulary, though. That is the hardest thing for me ... remembering all the new vocabulary. With repetition, though, I am starting to get it. I usually sit down and study a little in the morning before church (for about 30 minutes) and then a little throughout the day/at night (another 30 minutes). I am definitely NOT comfortable having full conversations yet, though. It would take me about 5 minutes to say one sentence. I think if I keep practicing with James and Fr. Ndasi I will slowly get there.

Just thought I'd give you a little update on that topic! :)

Picture!

Here is a picture of me and James! I tried to upload more but it only worked when I did one at a time. So, here we are drinking fanta and chatting. (sorry it's kind of dark).

WOW!

I made it to Sumbawanga. After about 23 hours in a bus/car we are finally here! The drive was not too bad, really. We went through Mkumi National Park on the way. Don't worry, I saw a ton of elephants, giraffes, zebras, monkeys, antelopes ... etc. It was so great! Our bus driver was a little crazy. Reminded me a lot of India.

The Tanzanian countryside was so interesting to watch. We passed many houses made of sticks and mud. People here really live with the bare essentials. They have a roof over their head, 4 walls, and food (sometimes). I couldn't help but think about the huge different between their lives and the lives of many living in the US. The song "New York" came on and I thought back to the completely opposite images one would see in New York. It makes me sad to think that some people in this world don't even have clean water or health care, while others are living in luxury and have so much money they don't know what to do with all of it. Being here really makes me realize how much I have and how little I really need to be happy. I hope I can pass this onto my kids someday.

Yesterday I was able to go to Laela (the place where I'll be teaching) for the first time. HOLY COW. Here is part of my journal entry from that day:

"When we finally arrived at Laela I had so many emotions running through me. I was very intimidated, first off, because I am the first white person EVER to live in their village. The village is tiny. It is in the middle of no-where, and has on main road that is about equal to 5 blocks long. I got so many stares from people as we drove into down. Secondly, I felt extremely nervous. My entire trip so far has been spent with James and Dan (James's roommate). James knows/is friends with everyone, so I was nervous to finally arrive at Laela because I had to come to grips with the fact that I won't be with James the whole time. It was the first time I actually realized I'd be alone. The people I met today are the people I'm going to be living with for the next 6 months. It was both nerve-wracking and exciting. As hard as it will be to not have James around, I am very glad that I will be in a different location. I will be able to create friendships on my own. I will be forced to break out of my comfort zone and meet new people. It is very exciting."

So there you have it - my immediate thoughts about Laela! After we left Laela we made out way to Sumbawanga. It took a little over an hour drive to get there (not bad). The drive was beautiful. Mountains everywhere, green landscape ... it was great. On that car ride James, Dan and I had a great discussion about how I was feeling about the next six months. Mom - James will take great care of me, don't worry. :) He told me to make sure to call him if I need anything or if I have any problems. It's so nice to have such a great friend here!

I'll be here in Sumbawanga for the next 2 weeks. I will be visiting/meeting people. and taking Swahili lessons (hopefully). I will start teaching in 2 weeks. I will be teaching Form 1 English (about 14 year olds). Should be great!!

Ok that is all for now! Hope everything is going well back home!! Much love.

Oh, one more thing. I got a cell phone here in Tanzania. My number is (+)0752536938! Feel free to text me if you want! (I think it works .. but you might want to check to see how much it costs, I'm sure it's more expensive than a normal text). Otherwise, apparently it's pretty cheap to call through skype as well. I don't know how that works either, but it'd be worth a shot!

Tumsifu Yesu Kristu

I just finished reading a book called "White Man Walking" by Ward Brehm. It is a fantastic story about one Minnesotans experiece in Africa. In one part of the book her recalls vivid pictures/memories from Africa: "The slowness of pace, and the absence of distractions, which allow Gods presence to be felt in new and powerful ways." That is probably the #1 reason I felt drawn back to Africa. In America it is so easy to get wrapped up in the crazy-ness of everyday life. You can go through an entire day without having a meaningful conversation with someone or without connecting to a stanger.

The past two days I have been able to have numerous meaningful converstions with people and I have connected with many strangers. Over 85% of my day yesterday was spent sitting outside on the porch with James, Fr. Ndisi, Br. Msomi and Br. Salvatori just talking. We talked about simple things, such as the whether patterns in Sumbawanga (it's the rainy season right now). We also had deep, meaningful converstaions, for example about the importance of trusting in God. We talked about the cultural differences between Africa and America, and had a 2 hour long converstaion after lunch about the education system here in Tanzania.

James, Fr. Ndisi and I walked about 20 minutes away to meet another preist yesterday as well. We sat outside, drank colas from a glass bottle, and talked. It was wonderful. I love being able to connect with the people here. I wish it was more like this in America. It's so easy to fall into the habbit of turning on the tv or the video game. I love not having those distractions. It makes life simpler.

If the next 6 months consisted of teaching during the day and sitting around talking with people in the evenings, I would be 100% satisified. I am constantly overwhelmed with the humbleness of the Tanzanian Monks. They are so welcoming and kind.

My swahili is coming along ok! I think I'll be able to pick it up. I've been studying quite a bit so far. But most of what I'm learning is coming from the monks and James. According to James, I already know the most important phrase in Swahili. It's a greeting: Tumsifu yesu kristu(May Jesus Christ be with you). The response is Millele Amina (forever and ever). James says that if I remember that phrase, I will be fine anywhere! :)

Tomorrow we leave for Sumbawanga, should be quite a journey. 2 full days of riding in bus, then a car. Once I get there Fr. Ndisi (aka Fr. Revocatus) has many plans for me to travel, learn swahili, and meet the bishop. I think James will be able to join me for most of it (even though he starts teaching again on Monday).

Well, time is up! Please keep up the comments and emails! I love reading them! Tu sifu Jesu Christu!!

I'm here!

I made it here safetly. I can't believe it. The flights went very smoothly. No problems :) It's about 90 and humid today. I'm sweating just sitting here. I have a feeling I won't stop sweating the entire time I'm here, haha.

James and 4 other brothers were stading outside of baggage claim waiting for me when I arrived. I am still here in Dar, and staying at the same guest house I stayed at before. I'm having so many flashbacks. It's wonderful. I can already tell I'm going to love being here. The people are so wonderful and welcoming. They had a nice feast ready for us when I got back from the airport at 11PM last night. (I should have known...haha).

We are leaving for Sumbawanga on Saturday. Should be there by Monday (hopefully... it is Africa). I'll have more time to write then hopefully.

It's Time!

The time is here! I'm off to Tanzania in the morning. I can't believe it! It'll take a full 24 hours of traveling before I land in Dar es Salaam - where it is currently 85 degrees and sunny! :) James and Fr. Revocatus will be waiting at the airport to pick me up! We will be staying in Dar for a few days so I can rest and recuperate, then we will be on our way to Sumbawanga, Tanzania. That should take at least one full day of riding in a bus (or a car if I'm lucky). It is on the complete opposite side of the country, and because it's Africa, I'm expecting at least a 12 hour ride - give or take a few hours, depending on how many times the car breaks down or the tires on the bus go flat :)

Please, please send me lots and lots of emails! I would LOVE to hear from all of you. I want to know what's going on in your life! I will try to respond to as many of your emails as I can, and I will try to update this thing as often as possible!

Next time you'll hear from me I'll be in AFRICA! :D God bless!

3 Days ...

Well, my time at home is dwindling. I only have 3 full days before I leave on my adventure. I can't believe it. I'm starting to have freak-out moments - where it hits me that I'm leaving to go to a foreign country by myself for 6 months. I still have yet to pack. I feel like I have a million things running through my mind. I've stated a random list of things that I need to remember to bring. I add to as I think of things, so it's in no particular order. So far, it's 4 pages long. Yikes. [Donna, I need your organization skills to help me, haha].

On the bright side, along with my freak-out/I'm scared moments, I'm beginning to have more and more freak-out/I'm so excited moments as well. For instance, the other day I went shopping and bought a whole bunch of skirts and shirts that I'm going to bring with me. It's really nice to think that in one weeks I'll be in 80 degree whether! :)

Here's to hoping that I can get my stuff (and my mind) organized by the time I leave!