Sunday, October 02, 2005
Arrival in Songea
After many long hours we have arrived safe and happy in Songea, Tanzania. The bus ride from Dar es Salaam to Songea took 13 hours. The bus was old but very capable. This highlights one of the first impressions that we have of Tanzania; the useful life of objects is very extended compared to Canada.
Our bus ride took us through a game reserve. There weren't many animals on this trip but we did see a giraffe, two elephants and a number of baboons. There were many short stops along the way but some were only for five minutes so you had to be careful to plan your "pit" stops. The bathrooms are interesting. It's like a flush toilet, only there is no seat or toilet bowl. So you have to hover. But after you are done, you may flush. It's like camping!
On Friday morning, we jumped right in and taught our first classes. We were quite amazed at first to have a four year old come up to us and say, "Good Morning. How are you?" But this is one of the effects of a rote style of teaching and learning. They memorized some phrases at a young age but struggle to understand if you leave the "script". We are both enthusiastic and challenged to teach them English within this environment.
We are being treated well beyond our expectations. Dad and I each have our own rooms which were converted from a classroom. Were are provide three cooked meals a day by a cook who is vary anxious to make us anything we want. We feel quite "spoiled" but they are so grateful that we have come.
They have assigned us two "watchmen" to ensure the safety of our belongings and to keep us company during the night. Dad has been meeting with them in the evening so that they can help him learn Kiswahili while they are trying to learn English. They also play basketball or soccer, which gives Dad excercise and allows him to sleep better. Otherwise, he was getting 4 hours of sleep. Then he would wake up and dream up schemes and plans and ideas. He would then try to tell them all to me all at once, when he would wake me up at 5:30am for my "shower".
The shower consists of a bucket of boiling water, a tap with cold water and a smaller bucket. You mix the waters to your desired temperature and use the little bucket to wash yourself. The whole bathroom ends up getting splashed but it is pleasant, if not time consuming!
We did not bring many clothes so that there would be more room for the teaching materials that we brought. Today Dad went shopping in town to get an extra pair of pants and a shirt. I bought a kanga (like a sarong).
Unfortunately the computer we have access to is a bit antiquated and so we will not be able to upload pictures at this time. It uses a dial up modem and hits on average about 30 servers to get anywhere on the web. I will do my best to write weekly.
The weather here is hot but pleasant. Under direct sunlight, it is very hot, 30+. The school stays relatively cool most of the day and we are quite comfortable (~20-25 degrees Celsius in the shade). The rainy season starts in November, so we expect the weather to cool down further.
Our bus ride took us through a game reserve. There weren't many animals on this trip but we did see a giraffe, two elephants and a number of baboons. There were many short stops along the way but some were only for five minutes so you had to be careful to plan your "pit" stops. The bathrooms are interesting. It's like a flush toilet, only there is no seat or toilet bowl. So you have to hover. But after you are done, you may flush. It's like camping!
On Friday morning, we jumped right in and taught our first classes. We were quite amazed at first to have a four year old come up to us and say, "Good Morning. How are you?" But this is one of the effects of a rote style of teaching and learning. They memorized some phrases at a young age but struggle to understand if you leave the "script". We are both enthusiastic and challenged to teach them English within this environment.
We are being treated well beyond our expectations. Dad and I each have our own rooms which were converted from a classroom. Were are provide three cooked meals a day by a cook who is vary anxious to make us anything we want. We feel quite "spoiled" but they are so grateful that we have come.
They have assigned us two "watchmen" to ensure the safety of our belongings and to keep us company during the night. Dad has been meeting with them in the evening so that they can help him learn Kiswahili while they are trying to learn English. They also play basketball or soccer, which gives Dad excercise and allows him to sleep better. Otherwise, he was getting 4 hours of sleep. Then he would wake up and dream up schemes and plans and ideas. He would then try to tell them all to me all at once, when he would wake me up at 5:30am for my "shower".
The shower consists of a bucket of boiling water, a tap with cold water and a smaller bucket. You mix the waters to your desired temperature and use the little bucket to wash yourself. The whole bathroom ends up getting splashed but it is pleasant, if not time consuming!
We did not bring many clothes so that there would be more room for the teaching materials that we brought. Today Dad went shopping in town to get an extra pair of pants and a shirt. I bought a kanga (like a sarong).
Unfortunately the computer we have access to is a bit antiquated and so we will not be able to upload pictures at this time. It uses a dial up modem and hits on average about 30 servers to get anywhere on the web. I will do my best to write weekly.
The weather here is hot but pleasant. Under direct sunlight, it is very hot, 30+. The school stays relatively cool most of the day and we are quite comfortable (~20-25 degrees Celsius in the shade). The rainy season starts in November, so we expect the weather to cool down further.
# posted by Chantal @ 9:16 a.m. 
