Still Here

hi all - yes it's finally me posting from TZ. Thanks to Diane who posted my word docs for me last time! The sign in stuff was in Hebrew and I couldn't switch it to sign in! Things here are good, but as you may have heard I think about coming home just about every day. It's a weird phenomenom to describe because there isn't any one thing that is bad here and the conditions are fine. I just am still attached to my life at home. I'm giving myself one day at a time to get attached to life here, but may decide to put a year in and head home. We'll see!

In other news, Swahili is still frustrating, but getting better. I understand more than I can speak, but that will come with time I hope. Last weekend we went to Mikumi Nat'l Park and saw giraffes, elephants, zebras, buffalo, hippo, alligators, baboons, etc. No lions, though. No pictures either - I don't have enough time to load them. Maybe someday.

I've read four books so far: Twilight, New Moon, Mercy, & Vagina Monologues. I am currently reading Three Cups of Tea.

What do I need sent to me? Tissue packets - lots of them! Baby wipes - travel packets like from Target or elsewhere. Granola Bars, Hot Tamales (the candy - for a friend!) something to shave the dead skin off of my heels,letters, newspaper articles. I get mail and/or packages every week and it's fabulous so keep it comin'.!!

I started a blog at home that I didn't save to my flashdrive so I'll attempt to recreate part of it here.

The Five Senses According to me in TZ.

Sight: I see - beautiful sunsets/sunrises, lots of trash, nice smiles, people picking their noses (socially acceptable here), goats being walked on leashes

Smell: Oil cooking, animal smells, dagaa (dried sardines that stink to high heaven & they make sauces, etc. out of them),

Hear: Animal noises in the morning, babies crying, the Mosque calling, the choir at mass w/ my family (awesome, but LONG service)

Taste: Good food, but lots of oil to cook w/, cold sodas after school that will never taste as good at home, treats from home that are savored, great fruit - better than any at home

Feel: Heat & sweat on my skin (it's about 95 everyday now), dust on my skin, breeze that changes from hot to cold in a moment (like swimming in a pool and finding hot spots/cold spots), dust on my feet all of hte time.

Ok there's more, but that's all I can think of right now!