I really have no idea where to begin. I have tried to start this blog about 3 times now but each time I erased everything that I typed and returned to writing emails for awhile. So this time, I think I am just going to dive right in.

My house in Mtama is rather big and quite nice! I have a sitting room, living room, kitchen, master bedroom, guest bedroom, courtyard, outdoor shower room and bathroom, and two storage rooms that I really never use. My house was pretty well furnished when I got to site because of a volunteer that had lived there before me. I will most likely have some pieces of furniture made and some other things here and there, but really, it was pretty much ready for me to live in. My house is next door to the secondmistress' house and to a Japanese volunteer, which I have yet to meet. He arrived in Mtama about a week before me and apparently slept there for one night and then told the teachers that he had to go to Dar but that he would return in a week. He has yet to return and I am starting to wonder if he is ever going to come back. The first few days at site can be a little bit daunting and lonely to say the least, but I hope he returns because it would be interesting to get to know another volunteer and perhaps I could learn a little bit of Japanese too! Anyway, I also live near 3 other teachers and the headmistress. The villagers live a little bit further from where my house is, which was a bit of a surprise at first because I thought I would be living within the village. Although this has been a bit of a challenge, it has been alright. I usually socialize with people in the morning when I fetch water from the well in the morning or when I am riding my bike/walking into the "downtown" to pick up some tomatos or bananas. Within the next few weeks, I am going to try to make more of an effort to introduce myself to the villagers and just meet more people.

So, I guess I could talk about a typical day at site. I wake up everyday at 5:40-6:00am. I pour water, which I boiled the night before, from my thermos and add powdered milk (Nido), coffee, and sugar to get my day going. I eat a handful of cashews and either sit on my couch and relax a little bit, or I do some chores around the house such as washing dishes (without running water mind you), sweeping the floors, or washing clothes. Next, I head out to the well to fetch some water for the day. This is a good time to meet people as I was alluding to before because villagers in the area use the well to fetch water. It has been difficult for me fetching water at 6:30-7am because I am usually not in a very talkative mood at this time having not showered, but I have been slowly adjusting. And, it has been exciting because two children of one of the school teachers have been helping me to learn to carry the bucket of water on my head, like all of the villagers do. They are really sweet and I think they enjoy helping me learn to do this. I can only use a small 10L bucket, but slowly I will work my way up to the 20L buckets and one day I aspire to carry a bucket without using my hands to balance. I will keep you all updated!

So, after fetching 2-4 buckets of water (depending on my chores for the day), I take a bucket bath and get ready for the day. By this time I am usually hungry again so I cook a typical porridge, uji, which is made of finger millet, powdered raw peanuts, and corn flour. I like to add some suger and dried dates, which makes it somewhat reminiscent of oatmeal with raisins. I usually head to the school and sit under a mango tree and help the teachers by grading papers or writing school reports. Many of the teachers and the school guards congregate there, too, because it is cool so it is a good time to practice my Kiswahili or just talk to people.

Around 1pm I head home for lunch, which is usually bread that I bake myself, with peanut butter (yes, there is peanut butter available and I am already on my second big tub) and jelly, some more cashews (I swear I am addicted), and a mango. In the afternoon, I usually have different activities, but I is usually so hot and humid in my house that I head back the mango tree to read or just hang out. Sometimes I have errands to run downtown, I visit some friends, or the neighbor kids come to hang out with me, but mostly I just lay low because it is so hot. I head back home around 5:30-6:00 to start cooking dinner, which usually involves rice or ugali (a "stiff porridge" made of corn flour and water) and either vegetables or beans. To cook dinner, I use a charcoal stove in my courtyard, which works very well, but takes a little time to get started, so I must remember to start cooking early.

After eating dinner at around 8, I usually just sit around my living room listening to my ipod and learning more kiswahili and fighting off the plethora of ants, spiders, and roaches that venture into my house at night. This has been an adjustment that I have been working on, but I am slowly starting to get used to it. Though, these do not compare to the little rodent friend that I met in my kitchen one night. I was so repulsed by it that I refused to enter my kitchen for the next few days until one of the school guards came to my house and killed it for me. Since then, I have not seen anymore, but I am constantly on the lookout and contemplating getting a cat to chase all of the rats away. Anyway, normally by 10pm, I am pretty tired and ready for bed.

Right now, it is the first time that I have been away from my site for longer than a day. The other volunteers from my training class and I are in Mtwara relaxing and celebrating the new year, even though it does not feel like December without the cold weather. It has been really great to see them, though, and hear stories from their sites. Also, we have been hanging out at the beautiful beach and it really does feel like paradise!

Well, I think that is all that I can write right now. There is so much more to say, but time is running out at the net cafe and I think it just might be a good time to head to the beach! BelowI have included my mailing address so you can send me letters! I would love to hear from you all! Please keep in touch!

Happy New Year!


Sereen Nashif
P.O. Box 23 Mtama Sec. School
Mtama, Lindi
Tanzania