Chantal Abroad

Melbourne was Wicked!

2008-07-13T09:10:00.001-06:00

July 10 -14

It's been a busy couple of days! We arrived in Melbourne on Thursday afternoon, having stayed in Brisbane less than 24 hours. Once we arrived we awaited our pilgrim transport and met some fellow pilgrims, from Minnisota/USA, and Kingston. After waiting around for a few hours, they decided to get the bus to drive us directly to our stop, where our host families had been anxiously anticipating our arrival. We were warmly received and had tea at Lena and Joe's. It was a bit chaotic as arrangements were made and schedules sorted out. Ashlie and I got paired up with Michael and Eileen Griffith, a kind and friendly elderly couple.

We had a quick supper and then Anne, Kathleen, Katherine and I were off to the Bush Dance at the Australian Catholic University. Good times! It reminded me a lot of square dancing or French Canadian dancing. We learned several dances, including one where we got to either baa like sheep or moo like cows/bulls. Yeah!

Friday, we went to 8:30am mass and met the parish priest, Fr. Tran. Then we were off to the Aquarium. After that, we split off, the girls to go shopping, Damien, Carlos and I to go to the Immigration Museum and Michael went... somewhere else. The museum was interesting but definitely depressing. Australian immigration history is similar to Canada's and it is amazing to me to see how terrible we can be to people who we perceive to be different than ourselves. The propaganda!! And this is less that a century ago! Unsettling, to say the least. After that , Damien and I cheered ourselves up with chocolate covered churros as Carlos went off to the Art Gallery. We met up with the rest of the group at the Telstra dome where we celebrated mass with 30 000 other pilgrims/Melbournians. One of the pre-mass highlights was doing the wave around the stadium, including over 600 priests/clergy. Every time the wave way got to them the whole rest of the crowd cheered them on. And the crowds on train ride home was something else! Just a warm up to how Sydney's going to be...

Saturday we got up to do a pilgrim walk around down town of the Blessed Mary MacKillop of Melbourne. We stopped upon the impressive St.Patrick's Cathedral kinda randomly and stayed for adoration before we checked out the stops highlighting her life. After that, we were off to a Aussie Rules football game, Collingwood Magpies vs Adelaide Crows. We were advised before hand that the team to cheer for were the Magpies. A few of us got suited up in Magpie Black and White and we cheered them to victory 106-74. What a fun game to watch! I'm definitely a footy fan. And as it turns out, a few of us were put on TV! Before the game, a few of our group ran into a few of the pilgrims from St.Theresa's. We got asked to take pictures with a young footy fan with a Canadian flag. And apparently we made it onto the evening news! Add that to my 15min of fame!! After footy, Ashlie, Carlos, Damien, Kathleen, Michael and I went off in search of food. We happened upon an Italian restaurant. We were the only ones in there for the better part of are meal and were well doted on. After that, we headed back to ACU for a concert by Matt Maher. And thus concluded another great day!

This morning, we went to mass at Corpus Christi and had a nice tea after mass with the parishoners. After that, we were off to the zoo! We saw kangaroos and emus and lions and tigers and meerkats and wombats and bears and butterflies and orang-utans and elephants and giraffes. After that we headed back downtown to grab a bite before our show. We went and saw WICKED at the Regent Theatre. That is the nicest theatre I have ever been in. And WICKED was so great! And now it is WAY past my bed time and we are getting picked up at 6:30am to head to the airport and then we and 30 000 other people for here will be headed off to Sydney. Man oh man oh man! It's been such a great time so far!

Slightly Battered and Bruised

2008-07-07T04:17:00.002-06:00

Okay, maybe I'm being a little dramatic. But I do have some new righteous bruises! Even I'm impressed. A large one on my left shin, one PURPLE on my right hip, another large one on my right elbow and a good dozen other smattered everywhere in between!

July 5 continued: So, Anne, Kathleen, Damien and I went to go grocery shopping (taco night!) and when we came back, we met up with the rest of the gang. They had also had quite the day! They had gone whale watching and made a friend who took them to some of the nicer lookouts around Coffs Harbour. With the troupes rounded up, we took a taxi to St.Augustine's for 6pm vigil mass. But once we got there, it was obvious that the itinerary posted on the internet was incorrect. There was no one in sight! When Anne, hobbled out to check the mass times not a single time was as it had been posted... That'll teach me for being naive enough to think that the internet postings are updated on a regular basis!! So we took the taxi back to the hostel, made supper and then went out on the town, the whole gang. T'was nice. I think we are all fans of the Carlton Dry aussie beer.

July 6: We went to 8am mass, some of us wearing our pilgrim jerseys/t-shirt with CANADA 08 emblazoned on the back. There was no phone to call for our cab ride back so Kathleen made friends with the priest who took her back to the rectory to call for our ride. Our taxi driver it turns out had been to Edmonton and knew all about the Mall. Good times. Anne and Kathleen hooked themselves up with some surf lessons while the rest of us headed out to check out the Big Banana. It turns out that large man-made objects are quite popular in Australia... and the Big Banana is one of Coffs Harbour's claim to fame. It is located at the banana plantation... Coffs Harbour is the banana capital of Australia, don't you know! It was rather anticlimatic to be quite honest. My guide book said that there was a train that took you through the plantation. We saw NO train. Boo! But we did have a banana split shared between us and if you know me at all, you'll know that ice cream makes everything better!! The rest of the day was pretty chill... we boarded the Greyhound to our next destination: Byron Bay. The bus driver was a little cranky, and we almost left without one of our passengers but he did not drive through any signs so I figure that's a good thing!

July 7: Byron Bay. We had hopes of tandem hang gliding today but it was not to be as there was no wind. Which made for perfect hanging on the beach time! And shopping. Anne found herself some nice board shorts and a rash shirt. Lucki has a new hat, and Kathleen and I have some new shades! We made a feast of a supper, stirfry and rice. Now we are headed back out to the beach for a little late night stroll. Tomorrow is full of surfing and hangliding (hopefully). We'll see how many more bruises I'll accumulate!!

First few days in Oz!

2008-07-04T22:39:00.002-06:00

Day 1 and 2 - July 1/2 + 3

The disappearing day. Recap: 1.5h from Edmonton to Vancouver, 15h from Vancouver to Syndey, 8.5h via Greyhound bus from Syndey to Port Macquarie.

Highlights: Ashlie and I made friends on both our flights. Shout out to Winston and Chantelle! Anne slept, the rest didn't. The bus ride was actually really fun... We made friends with our bus drivers, Lindsay and Peter. We sang, we ate (Subway), we slept, we stared at the stars, and went through a tonne of round abouts. Weee!! Except for the time the driver ploughed THROUGH the roundabout sign. Talk about scratched up window!! We showered and we slept soundly. Life is good.

Day 2 - July 4

Port Macquarie: We got up and putzed around a bit. Saw the ocean, some of us for the first time. Damien re-injured Anne... She's okay but I'm thinking we need to start a club or something. We walked along the walkway, lined with painted rocks, mostly commemorating a trip, a moment, a friend. Nice! We then wandered to the koala hospital. So cute and cuddly looking. Then back on the bus to Coffs Harbour ~4h away.

Coffs Harbour: Got settled in, went grocery shopping and made supper of champions - pasta and salad! Carlos and Damien went for a run in the rain. We hung out for a bit and then Ashlie, Katherine and Carlos headed out to check out the local pub scene. The rest of us chillaxed. A good day all around.

Day 3 - July 5

Coffs Harbour: Damien, Kathleen, Anne and I went sea kayaking and surf riding this morning. Righteous!! Rafting was great, especially when Anne and I can't figure out our rights from our lefts and totally help out in capsizing our raft. It's kinda like whitewater rafting except on ocean waves instead of river water. I think we all got water logged and someone sat on my head but it was all good! What I really loved was the kayaking. Now that's a way to ride in and out of a wave. Good times were had by all, despite Anne not seeing a dolphin. She tried her Flipper call, but to no avail.

The rest of the crew was supposed to go whale watching today. Haven't seen them yet but I'll keep you posted.

Tonight, we go to mass, then we dine on soup and sandwiches and then we are going out for a little Australian night life.

We are enjoying hostel living. No worries!

Home, Sweet Home

2005-12-07T12:57:00.000-07:00

I figure I should let everyone know that we have arrived safe and sound, as did all our luggage. We are happy to see that winter has also come in time to welcome us. It is quite something to go from 32 Celsius + humidity to -16 + windchill, so that we've gone through a 60 degree change in a few short days.

Winter and all, there is no place like home. We arrived in Edmonton early Sunday morning (about 12:30 am). We were delayed an hour in Minneapolis waiting for other passengers and their luggage to load the plane. The trip from Amsterdam to Edmonton was quite long, but I am happy to report that I was much less cranky than I expected. I think everyone was happy about that! My godfather, Bob, and his friend, Tish, were there to meet us at the airport which was a nice surprise. My mother screamed just as I imagined she would. It was a beautiful sound. Mark and Rob were there, as were our winter jackets and boots. Welcome home, indeed!

We got home and unloaded the contents of our bags, distributed gifts, shared a few stories, and had some grilled cheese sandwiches before heading to bed around 3:30am. We all slept well and were up and about by 10:00am. My Grandma Mary came over and we had brunch together. It nice to spend time with family.

Sunday night, after catching up with Kristy and Brad, I finally got to sleep in my own bed, with flannel pyjamas, and a down comforter. Not a week ago, I was sleeping under a mosquito net, sweating in my shorts and tank top. What a world we live in. It's weird how Africa seems close yet so far away.

This week has gone by well enough, so far. I'm trying to get back into this time zone, unpack, get ready for Christmas, and get reaquainted with the world around me. I went to the mall yesterday and felt a little overwhelmed. And I only went as far as Bonnie Doon Mall! This might take some time.

I look forward to seeing many familiar and friendly faces over the Christmas holidays. Christmas is a nice time to come home. I've always loved Christmas lights, Christmas trees, Christmas carols, and the Fire Log on Channel 18. I am getting my pictures developped today, and I would be more than willing to tell anyone the stories behind the precious faces. Big Hugs all around.

Back in Amsterdam

2005-12-03T00:42:00.000-07:00

Greetings once again from the Amsterdam airport. It feels weird to retrace our steps. It's like seeing life in rewind. We had a pleasant enough bus ride from Songea to Dar es Salaam. It was hot and long but that is to be expected. It was nice to see some of the variety in Tanzanian geography. Unfortunately there are no interesting animal sightings to report. :-(
We then spent a night and part of the following day in Dar, did some shopping, went out for supper and boarded our plane late in the evening. Apparently, we bought too many wood carvings and had to pay off the guard who let us through this time but said, next time to get a certificate from the revenue office in town. ??? We have yet to see if we will be stopped at customs in Canada for the same reasons. Everything arrived here in Amsterdam in one piece, at least.
We had a slow day yesterday in Amsterdam. Slept a lot and went out for lunch and supper. That was about it. What exciting tourists we are! We even watched Crocodile Dundee II on the T.V. We are decompressing and preparing for the long journey ahead.
Look forward to seeing you all soon!
Hugs,
Chantal

Last Call

2005-11-26T03:10:00.000-07:00

So this is it! We are on our way Wednesday. We are happy to leave, but sad to say good-bye. Going home is always full of mixed feelings. We've made many friends. We are very thankful for our time here.

As for a blog, please check out my dad's site. He has written another novel!

Hope to see and to talk with you all soon!

Thanks to Toni at St. Michael's, Michelle at Rexall, Jo, Doug, Kristy, and Karen for their e-mails.

Week 8

2005-11-19T02:12:00.000-07:00

This week has been much of the same as before. Teach English, teach Math, try not to get frustrated, try not to yell, prevent children from beating on each other, prevent Teacher Billy from beating on children, console those you didn't get to in time, hand out pencils, sharpen pencils, sing some songs, hand out some balls, collect balls, find lost balls, have tea with the other teachers, and start again.

Some children are able to communicate well enough between what I know of Kiswahili and what they know of English. Many seem to get the jist of what is going on. Most still reply "Yes!" when asked, "Do you understand?" although some are now saying "Teacher, I don't know." And once they do, they often translate for those who still seem lost.

Dad has had a sore back most of the week. I figure between the push-ups with the children, picking children up, his general stress levels, and not enjoying his mattress he has strained something. As the resident pharmacist, and his daughter, it is my duty to cure him. Easier said then done, but as time proves, he is getting better, slowly but surely. Poor Babu ("Gramps")!

He also let me cut his hair this week. It took awhile but Fr. Mathew says that if my pharmacy career doesn't work out, I could always fall back on haircutting!

Tomorrow is the last Sunday of the church calendar, as Advent starts next week. All the local parishes are meeting at Maji Maji Stadium in town. It is the 3rd largest stadium in the country. We are to meet at the church and process into city. Should be quite the event!

I have some sad news. The family dog, Rocky, was hit by a car at the end of October. He was 10 years old. He gave us many good years. He and his rock-catching and log-carrying will be missed. I also managed to erase 300 pictures. Got to love digital cameras. I won't make that mistake again. I somehow mistook "formating" for "resolution" and said "yes" instead of "cancel". Le sigh. And, Gifti the goat is no longer. He was butchered yesterday. As Dad says, he has become another sort of gift, which we expect to experience soon. I've never had goat before. I'll tell you how it goes. Thank you, Gifti!

Next week the children write exams in English, Kiswahili, Math, and Rhymes. The Archbishop will be coming for a visit, also. The week after that, we pack and head out to Dar es Salaam. We are there for the day and hope to do some shopping before we board our plane bound for Amsterdam.

Thanks to Maman Spindler, The Littlest Spindler (Robert), Kristy, ChrisChan Marlowe, and Matthew Stinson for the notes this week. Mungu bariki!

Our travels to Mbinga and beyond by Billy

2005-11-12T03:00:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful adventure last weekend. It turned out that we only had lunch in Mbinga. We met with Fr. Jose who is managing the completion of a new school there. The workmen were just putting the finishing touches on a miniature statue of an elephant that they were creating in cement. It was very acurate.

After lunch, we we travelled right out into the "outback" of Tanzania. We went as far as Mpepai from where it is said that you can see the Mozambique mountains in the far distance. In this town we met with Fr. Babu. He treated us to "Safari" beer, nuts and other treats. It was wonderful. We met with sisters in this town that were running the local clinic/hospital. There was a set of twins there that were born the day before and we went into their room and took video. All the sick people were out on the porch as it was quite warm there that evening. Everyone is quite anxious to give a gift to visitors. One of the sisters gave us a table cloth with hand stitching. Chantal got a straw handbag.

The roads we used run along the sides of mountain hills. They are not passable safely in the rainy season. There are a few spots that were even a little hair raising for us "chickens" during the dry season. There were three "bridges" to cross which were just planks or logs. Lucky for us we had an expert driver and also the local politicians had passed by the week before us so the bridges had been "fixed" a little. I have gotten a good video of the bridge crossings. The vehicles take such a beating that they have to change the tires on the trucks once a year.

At our farthest point in the journey, we stopped in a village of about a few hundred called Njomloole, a name which means "Come and See". The village reception was wonderful. Lots of singing and a procession to an open area where we were the guests of honour. You must picture that much of the clothing here is European and North American style but usually second hand. A group of men had on what appeared to be a collection of slightly battered white uniforms from a cricket team. They had embellished their shorts with what were a wild mix of women's panty hose and leggings in the most outlandish colours worn underneath knee length socks. They were enthusiastic and proud. As the drummers were drumming the action was punctuated by the playing of the instruments they were carrying which was a collection of whistles, horns and huge homemade Kazoos. What a wild sound.

They would have danced and played for us for most of the afternoon if our priest/friend (Fr. Varghese from Mbangamao) had not shortened the proceedings. There was also a choir, poems and then a procession of gifts of corn, bananas, and a something special which I assumed was a symbolic gift. Wrong again...We are now the proud owners of a goat.

This village was really trying to give us the biggest welcome they could. We were even treated to a special meal with the village elders that consisted of rice, chicken, and green vegetable that was close to spinach. And to finish, no honourable meal is ever complete without some soda. Please note that the Pepsi-Coke wars are alive and well in the most remote parts of Tanzania. This happened to be a Pepsi village. Most others we have been to are loyal to Coke. Do not doubt that the cola companies are the real rulers of the world and are doing more than the United Nations to advance the cause of peace. Chantal was a big hit. One of the women got hold of her and started this funny dance-walk combination while singing "wa-wa-wa".

Because transportation is at such a premium here, we of course needed to provide rides to others on the way back from the village. What a scene with five us stuffed into the small cab, holding things on our lap. There were three men, the goat, our big bag of corn and the bananas plus a piece of plywood loaded in the back. No need to tie down the plywood, we would not be going fast enough along the rough roads to create much lift.

That evening we slept at the church in Mbangamao. They have a generator for lights. Father Varghese asked how many minutes I needed to get ready for bed. He was very precise...I was not. The lights went out about three seconds after I noticed an ugly looking insect crawling across the floor towards me. I was now barefoot, in complete pitch darkness and about 5 feet from my bed. I made it to my bed with out meeting the creature but I heard it scutling about a few times during the night. I decided not to get up to go to the toilet until it was dawn.

Life in Songea

2005-11-12T02:54:00.000-07:00

Names: Children are given names such as Neema (Grace), Furaha (Happy), or Baraka (Blessing). Sometimes they are given English names with a KiSwahili version. Examples are: Gift (Gifti), Goodluck (Goodi), Godlisten (Godi), Norbert (Naberti), Cloudy (Cloudi), Sixbert (Sixberti)
Sometimes they use the literal translation: Happy, Happiness, Given, Mercy, Gladness, etc.
In true Tanzanian style, I named our new goat "Gifti". Too bad we will probably eat him within a week or two. I know you are not supposed to name something going to eat. I was hoping he could be a stud goat and they could name the babies after us. Oh Well.

Height: I'm not the shortest here. I'm definitely not the tallest, but I'm not bottom rung either. I'm not sure if this is because the average is shorter here or if it is because I spend most of my day with primary school children!

Dress: All colours and patterns are In Vogue here. There is no such thing as tacky. You can wear plaid with polka dots, zigzags with flowers, in all colours of the rainbow. "European" dress is common though often second hand. We saw a lady in church wearing a jacket with the words Saskatchewan across the back! Blue also doesn't equal boy & pink, a girl. George came to school wearing a purple jacket with beaded flowers and hearts around the hood. What a man!

My new friend: Maria, the school cook, has a young son named Bariki. He has been playing a game up until recently, that anytime he would see me he would start to cry. I know it was just a ploy to get attention from his mama. Last week, he started to let me hold him. This week, I've been helping him practice walking. We have been getting a long very well. So well, in fact, that he has peed on me twice. I feel honoured.

Holidays (written by Billy): We had an unexpected long holiday last week. Tanzania is about one third Muslim and one third Christian. So, to be fair, everyone gets everyone else's holidays. Last week was the end of Ramadan. This was supposed to mean two days holiday on Thursday and Friday. But because the calculation of the end of Ramadan is not an exact science (something about seeing the new moon, etc. in the evening) the actual holiday is not announced until the evening of the day before. To complicate matters, there was a disagreement among Muslim factions as to whether the moon was indeed seen at the appropriate time. So some thought that the holiday was for Thursday-Friday while most others insisted that the holiday was for Friday-Saturday. The result turned out to be a three day holiday for those like us trying to be respectful of everyone. What a way to run a country!

Dad and the Prime Directive (written by Billy): Our classes have been going better. As predicited by Marie-Therese, we are beginning to see English phrases being used in new contexts. It is quite a delight. Also I taught the Junior High class how to play "Hangman". They had never seen this game and it was an big hit that finally got most of them to participate. To think, I had almost given up trying to communicate the rules. I am glad I persisted but I once again feel that I have broken the "Prime Directive" and may have contaminated Tanzanian society for years to come.

Our imprint (written by Billy): We have also been taking 1960's rock and roll tunes and putting new words to them and teaching them to the students. It has been a treat and surprise to hear them sung on Saturdays as children walk by the school. One of the songs is sung to the tune of "I like that old time rock and roll" and is about different forms of transportation such as a "daladala" which is of course the local mini-van-bus. I used a couple of local district names in the song and now it goes like, "I like to ride in a daladala, From Bombambili to Msamala..." Chantal's super dance moves and other choreography helps to encourage the children to learn the words and tune. They sure do like to boogey!

Bloody Tuesday, The First Rain, and I made supper

2005-11-01T10:17:00.000-07:00

This week has been more or less like any other week. We have a groove going. We get up, have a shower, have breakfast. We each teach a group of the nursery school children (class A and class B) for 2 hours. Then the children have a break for an hour, during which they have porridge, and then play time. We sit in the staff room with the other teachers for tea and chapati (think pita or pancake). We then tackle the youngest group, class C, together, with the help of Sister Agnes. It is not easy to control a class of 40 3-6 year olds, whose language you don't speak and who don't speak your language, either. They are always beating on each other, or sleeping, or crying, or running around the classroom. One even tried to bite Dad!

Tuesday started out fairly typically. It soon got dubbed "Bloody Tuesday". To start things off, Endeshi, a girl in class B (who Dad and I have nicknamed The Parrot), slit her tongue when the pencil that she was holding in her mouth got bumped. No worries. I got her to rinse her mouth out and the bleeding didn't last long. Next thing I know, Deus is running out of class. I yell after him, as the children are not supposed to leave the class without asking first. He stops short to spit, you guessed it, blood out of his mouth. He has just lost his second tooth. Of course. Got him cleaned up, and went back to class. As a side note, I don't think the Toothfairy knows her way to Tanzania. During break time, we were interupted several times by various tattling and/or crying children. More than usual. Last came Deus, with blood dripping out a cut in his head. Apparently, one of the other children slammed the gate on him, in retaliation for something he had done earlier. Dad and I had brought some latex gloves with us. We got those out and some bandages, fixed him up and got him on his way. He was an amazingly good clotter. Thus ended Bloody Tuesday.

The first rain of the season came on Wednesday. At 3:55 in the afternoon, just as I was finishing up class, the skies opened, and the rain began. I had noticed some dark and ominus clouds earlier in the afternoon. It lasted for 4 hours. The children had to walk home in the rain. Not one had come prepared. Some waited for the rain to quiet down. Others just stuck a plastic bag on their heads and made a break for it. One of the children, Yosefu, who can't walk, got a ride home from one of the older children who had gone home to get a car to pick up his friends. Dad and I weren't convinced that the young man was old enough to drive (it was confirmed later that he doesn't have his license) but it saved Yosefu from crawling in the mammoth muddle puddles, for at least one day. It hasn't rained since, but it is definitely cooler and cloudier than when we first arrived.

Yesterday (Saturday) we gave Maria, our cook, the day off. For lunch we went down to the near by hotel, the Top One Inn. Upon Amanzi's, one of our guards', suggestion, we tried the Banana Meat. It was quite enjoyable. The bananas were boiled (tastes more or less like potato) and mixed in a broth with meat and vegetables. It came with a side of warm cabbage and mixed veggetables salad. We then took pictures with the "local wild life", the plaster replicas of elephants and gorillas. We walked back home and played some checkers with Amanzi. For supper, we made chipsi mayai, a fried potato and egg pancake/omellette. We cooked on the charcoal stove. Turned out quite well. Not the same as Maria's but it hit the spot!

A quick hello

2005-10-23T07:00:00.000-06:00

Salamu!
Thanks to everyone for your postings and your e-mails. It is nice to be able to keep in touch.

For those who want an update this week, see the novel my dad wrote. It is posted on the bottom of his website. This link is on this page.

Next weekend, Frs. Jaimy and Mathew will be in Morogoro for Brother Leopold's ordination. I'm not sure if we will have access to their computer while they are away. Also, Sunday is the Tanzanian election day. It'll be interesting to see the festivities that go on that day!

The weekend after, the first weekend of November, Dad and I are to go to Mbinga, which is about 120km away. We are to stay overnight and are to return sometime on Sunday.

Hopefully, I'll be able to be in touch before 12 November, but if not, I'll still be thinking of you all!
Take care! Mungu bariki!!

Chantal

Updates and Musings

2005-10-16T05:28:00.000-06:00

Karibu! This week was somewhat less eventful. Sunday night, Fr. Jaimy took us out to a restaurant for Thanksgiving dinner. Fr. Mathew returned to Songea on Monday, as did the two teachers we were missing our first week here. For us, Monday was a difficult day at school. The children would not listen and we felt quite frustrated. The week did get better, and we got Friday off, as it is a holiday in rememberance of the first Tanzanian president's death. We went into town and bought me some material and hired a tailor to sew me a skirt and blouse, as I have already managed to stain some of my clothing... imagine that! Saturday, we got to spend the day with 80 more sponsor children, making cards, playing, and having lunch with them. Afterwards, they had a short programme for us of dancing, singing, and a skit. Today I wore my new outfit to mass. We went to our usual 7am mass. I also went to the children's mass at 11am, which I enjoyed immensly. I'll have to do that again! So that was the week. Hope yours went well. Karibu, tena!

Here are a few musings for you:
*Green toilet paper-softer on one side, pimpled on the other, and very, very green. Why? Beats me.
*Perma "tan"-My feet are permanently 'tanned' as we are currently in the dry season. It is very dusty here and the earth is very red. It gets into everything. No matter how hard I scrub, my 'tanned' hue never quite goes away.
*Kids putting things in their mouths-Children here put everything, anything in their mouths. Broken balloons, candy wrappers, pencils, erasers, paper, bark, leaves, sugar cane, fingers, money, their school uniforms... it seems they are always chewing on something.
*Killer mosquitoes-You know how mosquitoes at home are quite aggressive and big and loud? Although mosquitoes here are to be avoid due to the diseases they carry, they are actually quite passive. They seem to stroll, as do Tanzanians, to get from place to place, and are definitely quieter.
*Food-We eat very well. We are eating a lot of rice, eggs, potatoes, pasta. We get some vegetables (peas, carrots, cabbage, tomato) and some fruits (pineapple, mango, papaya, banana). We have the luxury of eating chicken or beef whenever we wish. We drink loads of tea. Dad's favorite treat is to dissolve a soan cake (a gift from one of the India nuns) in a cup of hot full cream powdered milk. My favourite is having peanut butter and banana on bread with a cup of sweetened instant coffee and a little cocoa powder.

School Rules

2005-10-09T02:54:00.000-06:00

Chantal: There are 120 children (3 classes) in the nursery school, where we live, at De Paul School. The children come from 8-12:30 to learn English and Math. They have a lunch break from 10-11 and have a hot snack every day. They are to learn English, as it is the language that Secondary school is taught in. It is also a common second language among nations and the typical language of commerce.

In the afternoon, there are free classes from 4-5:30. I have a sing a long class from 3-4 for those that want. Dad teaches preform (English summmer school effectively) from 3-4, about 30 students. They seem to have opened up to his sense of humour.

Billy: Our week was quite hectic with two teachers missing. We divided the students into two groups of about 55 based on grade. The first day was horrible( Chantal: well, it could have been better). The students were hot and tired being crammed 3 or 4 into a desk. We tried our best to teach/entertain. It was quite commical as when we got frustrated with the noise of students, the only thing that settled them down was another chorus of "Clap Your Hands". (Chantal: We also sang "Head and Shoulders" about a million times) I am now sick of that song.

The teachers use fairly harsh punishment by our standards. They have a "switch" ( a thin stick) which they use to prod, the students into behaving. If a prod is not enough, the student is struck with the stick on the hand. The difference between the pacifists (Chantal, Sr. Agnes and I) and the disciplinarian (Amy) was phenominal. Before Amy would enter the room it was chaos. When Amy entered the room it was quiet and respectful. I tried all of my tricks for cajoling (including tickling) but to no avail. Not with 56 students who don't speak your language very well. I went through one more day of this then conceded that we were doing more harm than good. When the other teachers returned they would find their classrooms a chaotic mess. I decided that I would use coporal punishment but worked out a heirarchy to help me avoid the stick. I had given a tap on the hands to my first child before school had started. It had no affect. I hit harder to make my point. The child look a little nervous but was still smiling. I was able to communicate that I had a stick in my room and she could choose her method of discipline. She chose "Wisely". The rest of the day went marvelously. I had to set a few more examples before the day was out but order was established and children were learning again (and even happy). I was also able to go back to the orginal student and spend a little time playing ball to ensure she knew it was not personal but that there was a limit and she best not cross it.

Christmas in October

2005-10-09T02:49:00.000-06:00

Saturday was quite a day. About 60 sponsor children came to the school to make Christmas cards to send to their sponsor families. The children varied in aged, between 3 to 12 years old. They arrived at about 8am and played for a couple of hours while we tried to get organised. Dad even showed some of his magic tricks. Since Fr.Mathew was in the hospital and Brother Leopold was there with him, we had a makeshift crew. We had no car and no phone to tell anyone that we had crayons/markers but no paper. We had to wait for Brother Leopold to come in from Peramiho before we could start.

Once started, we had a grand time. We put some Christmas greeting ideas on the board and drew some sample pictures of symbols of Christmas and of Africa-a star, a manger scene, the outline of the continent. The variety in cards was amazing. The little ones may not have been able to write their name or their Christmas greeting, but I am sure their sponsor families will be more that happy to receive a card covered in multi coloured 'o's. Some children copied word for word every single greeting idea. Some of the older children drew very elaborate flowers and patterns. I was glad to see each one try. I love that there were no 2 cards alike.

As part of the day, the children got a special lunch. After lunch, they got gifts of a backpack, pen, scribbler, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, dresses for the girls and shirts for the boys (many of which have 50 cent written all over them... as a side note, 50 cent seems to be written everywhere here!) . It was great to be a part of this day.

"On the way to the hospital" in the words of Billy

2005-10-09T02:32:00.000-06:00

Chantal wore herself out trying to control the classes and started to get a sore throat. By Friday she had a mild fever in the morning but still tried to do some work in the classrooms. On Friday afternoon we received word that Fr. Mathew had been taken to the hospital. Amanzi, our watchman, tried to communicate with me that I should go to the hospital. We would have to take a Dhaladhala (mini van bus). We arranged to go after our last class at 4:00 p.m.

Chantal took her temperature again and it had risen. We now felt that regardless of Fr. Mathew we needed to go and get a Malaria test for Chantal. It turned out to be negative. It turned out that she had a mild cold and is recouperating well now.

Fr. Mathew was no longer at the hospital in Songea. They said he had been moved to Peramiho. Given the size of the "hospital" we were at, I assumed wrongly that Peramiho was the name of the bigger, "real" hospital. Wrong again. Peramiho is the name of the town where the bigger, "real" hospital is. Chantal was not feeling up to even a short trip so we escorted her back to our school residence and then Amanzi and I set out for Peramiho. I had no idea where I was going or how long I would be away.

There was a special Dhaladhala to take us to Peramiho. Amanzi communicated by scrunching his shoulders together that we would not leave until the vehicle was full. I thought he was just exagerating for effect. Wrong again. The Dhaladhala had 15 seats. When we left we had 25 people packed into the bus. If we were college students going around the block, this would have been a silly stunt. My heart sank as the sun went down and we headed further out of town.

We turned off the "good road" onto a very bumpy dirt trench. I can't imagine anyone seriously injured surviving. Thank God it only went for about 10 minutes.

We got to see Fr. Mathew for about 5 minutes. They were surprised to see us and asked "Why did you come?". I pointed at Amanzi and shrugged my shoulders. The ride back was even more packed and I was standing. Suddenly there was some shifting, the back row of the van now had 5 people (4 sitting, 1 standing) and I was offered a seat. I was not allowed to refuse. Amanzi communicated that they were going to sing. I said, "Do you mean like, '99 bottles of beer on the wall?' ", and I started to sing it. He motioned me to wait.

As soon as we were back on the main road, the singing started. It was wonderful with different people taking the lead and the rest responding in complicated rythmic chorus. I tried to sing along which resulted in hoots of laughter. I introduced myself as Billy to one lady. She immediately started to laugh since my name sounds very much like "mbili" in KiSwahili. It is the equivalent of saying, "Hello, my name is Two. How do you do.?"

After a number songs the bus went quiet. I started to wonder if they were going to ask me to sing. I decided that I would try "Oh, When the Saints Go Marching in" since it had a nice echo part. At the last minute, I had my own private joke going as I started to sing, "Flintstones, meet the Flintstones". They laugh although I doubt any of them had seen the movie, "Planes, Trains and Automobiles".

Arrival in Songea

2005-10-02T09:16:00.000-06:00

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.

On our way

2005-09-28T00:58:00.000-06:00

Howdy!

We are currently waiting to board our plane to Dar es Salaam. Yesterday was a good day. It was rainy out so that touring wasn't ideal. We still wandered downtown Amsterdam for a while, had some lunch and some chocolate.

Although I've never SCUBA-ed, I feel like a scuba diver, slowly coming up from the depths of the ocean, to decompress. It's hard trying to convince your body that it is 8 hours ahead of what it is used to!! Every time I go to sleep, my body thinks I'm just napping! And we all know how good I am at that!! Dad hasn't had a real sleep yet. Hopefully he'll be able to catch up somewhat on the flight down. It's a ~12 hour flight, after all.

This is really it! We think of our friends and family at home often.

Tired but clean in Amsterdam

2005-09-27T02:33:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone. We have arrived in Amsterdam safe and sound. There were some minor issues with one plane but luggage etc. has arrived with us in good shape.

We have checked into the hotel and showered. We are using an internet cafe at the hotel. We like it well enough that we will book the same place for the return trip.

We are on our way to go do a little touring now, maybe Anne Franks house, and grab some lunch.

All is well. God bless.
Love Billy and Chantal.

Twas the night before...

2005-09-25T20:34:00.000-06:00

Let the adventure begin! Today was busy with packing and repacking. What a tonne of stuff! Hopefully, we will come home, bags lighter but hearts full of all that we have experienced. I should get off to bed as we have an early flight in the morning. We are staying overnight in Amsterdam before we jet off to Tanzania. We land in Dar es Salaam and take a bus to Songea, where we will be teaching English for the next 10 weeks. And we're off...