Life in Chiungutwa

I have been living at my site in the village Chiungutwa for about two weeks now. So far everything has been going well. When I first arrived to my site, I had about 20 people waiting to greet me at my house. There was a short meeting and introduction of the main people of the village, and then I was left alone to unpack and get situated.

My house is pretty cute. I was lucky to have previous volunteers before me b/c they left furniture, books, sporting equipment, etc. I have one bedroom, a kitchen, and a living room. In my courtyard I have a tropical straw hut in the middle, and my choo and bathing area and a small storage room. My house is located next to the primary school, so every morning I wake up at 6:30am to kids sweeping the school grounds. One big bonus of living next to the school is the kids fetch water for me which is a huge chore. I also have no excuse to become lonely b/c I only need to step outside and immediately have 100 kids pressed up against me. Tanzanians, especially children, adore Americans here to the point that I feel like a celebrity here. I've already had several marriage proposals b/c I'm white so therefore I have money. I'm getting used to bartering prices for everything...although I can't say I enjoy it yet. Constantly I get overcharged b/c I'm American, so I always have to be careful.

I have a counterpart who the village designated to help introduce me to village officials and help familiarize myself w/ life in Chiungutwa. Chiungutwa consists of about 5000 people. The majority is Muslim; therefore most people are fasting now for Ramadan. There are Christians also, and I attended a Catholic mass last Sunday. For the most part I could guess what the priest was saying just b/c the mass followed the same routine as mass at home.

I had a kitten for about two days, but it ran away.

My neighbors' kids (mostly the teachers' kids) come over to play cards on my porch or to use my Frisbees. My 8 yr old neighbor has taught me how to fry peanuts and assisted with making chai and washing my dishes. I have a housegirl who comes over Monday and Friday to cook supper and Wednesdays to clean. It's crazy how long it takes me to do simple tasks. I sweep almost everyday b/c it's sandy and windy here and I leave my windows and doors open for light and ventilation. Cooking here takes awhile. I cook by a charcoal stove everyday and usually make a meal of rice n beans, or potatoes, spinach, tomatoes, onions and chai. I've made bread and popcorn as well. I have to boil n filter water everday for drinking.

Well, that’s all I have time to write for now. Like Cory said, I have to travel about an 1hr to get internet and it’s not always reliable. So please send snail mail! I love to get letters and any photos you can send. Take care! ~ Love Kristi