I'm here, I'm here!

Hamjambo marafiki!
That is, hello my friends, in Kiswahili :)
I am starting this blog a little late, my objective was to have an entry before I left for the Peace Corps to chronicle my pre-departure feelings, but I think you all know how I felt. Excited, nervous, hesitant, anxious, just about everything . . ..
so now I am here. I am in the Kilosa district, living with a host family, painfully learning kiswahili, eating the food, learning the customs and culture, and I still don't know how I feel. At times I am incredibly excited and at others I am discouraged and homesick. Mostly, I was only homesick when I was literally sick with the flu- a four day fiasco of a temperature of 38.5 degrees centigrade- about 101 fahrenheit, i believe. luckily, i am much better now and enjoying things much, much more! the food here is really good, and yes, i do eat. a lot. there is a strong Indian influene in parts of Tanzania, and it comes through in some of their clothing, music, and food. my favorite dish, so far, is the jageri (sp?) or peas cooked in Indian spices and eaten with rice . . . mmmm. Another one of my favorites is banana stew- yes, banana stew. and no, they don't say banana here, they call them "ndizi" The bananas are cooked to almost a potato-like texture and made with a sauce of tomato, onions, spices, and chicken or beef.
It may not sound appetizing, but I assure you, it is.
So, I am adjusting to being called a "mzungu" by many of the neighborhood children and many adults as well. Sometimes they yell it at you from across the road, when you think they can't see you, but, when you're white, people around here can spot you from a mile away- and word travels fast in small villages. The word "mzungu" is the kiswahili word for white person, or foreignor, or literally "one who travels in circles." I find the latter to be rather appropriate, and funny. It's hard to be singled out and called out, but people here don't yell it in a mean or patronizing way, it's just that they want your attention and want to meet you because some may never have seen a white person before, especially the children. Some children are afraid of us. We have had children run away screaming and crying, either because they think we're doctors, or they are afraid and don't know what's wrong with us, why we look this way. It's a humbling thing, really.
okay, more to come soon, and hopefully pictures too! it's beautiful here, really. palm trees and mountains, very "kumpendeza" or, pretty :)
Kwa heri!!!