I don't know how to sum up the past few weeks in a blog entry, but I'll try . . .
I've written too much in my journal to post, so I will try to pick out a few highlights.

So, what have I been doing here with my time? Well, on a day to day basis, it changes, but I don't have a set 9 to 5 type job. I have been helping out with baby weighing and vaccinations at the local dispensary, holding meetings with the People Living with HIV/AIDS group to help start projects to defray the cost of transportation to town to receive treatment, and helping with excercise classes and playing netball with an HIV/AIDS group and with primary school children, drawing with kids, helping out with small things around the village, and I will hopefully begin teaching English and Health classes at the primary school as soon as the headteacher will give me the greenlight . . . but in Tanzania . .. everything gets post-poned for a while. This is not a good thing for someone with procrastination problems! However, I have been making a point to get out of my house every day and at least meet and talk to people about their lives, needs, or just "zungumza" or chit chat. Apparently, that's all you are supposed to do for the first three months.

I had to introduce myself to the entire village, over a microphone, as they gathered for a big village event welcoming visting teachers. They brought in a generator for the occasion. There was dancing and drumming by villagers, schoolchildren, and even the local witch doctor. They asked me to dance with them . .. I did, hesitantly and shyly, but then afterwards, people were congratulating me on my attempts :) They are very impressed by my trying to integrate into the culture .. . speaking the language, eating the food, wearing the local "kanga"s.

So, on a funny side note, I just want to talk about the clothes here. Secondhand clothes from the U.S. are sold here in the market for about thrift store prices. But the funny thing is that people will wear almost anything, regardless what it says in English. the beauty is, most people dont' find the humor in what's written on their chests or backs, but us English-speakers do :) I've seen little boys on bikes with Dead Kennedy's and Ramones t-shirts, an old man with a mickey mouse t-shirt, a man wearing a t-shirt quoting " Jennifer Benninger for Council" , Resurrection Basketball, etc.
I wonder if Jennifer Benninger knows there is someone still rallying for her . .. years after her election . .. halfway across the globe. And if Lauren, embroidered on the Resurrection Basketball pullover jacket, knows that my neighbor is now wearing her old basketball warm-ups.

What else . .. hmm . .. I have been meeting many other volunteers, from other organizations and other countries in my travels. I've befriended two courageous Italian women running an orphanage and dispensary in a nearby town, and two gargantually tall and very blonde german male volunteers teaching and assisting with solar power in a nearby village. I have met many people from the U.S. and Europe with various organizations and church missions. The best thing is trying to find a common language with the other foreignors you meet . .. sometimes its English, or Kiswahili (what you all know of it) or, as with the Italians, a crazy mix of both Italian and Swahili!

well, before I sign off I would like to copy my e-mail about the library project if I have not e-mailed it to you.

I am starting my first (informal) project- to start a small library. It is early yet, but I thought I better get the word out. Your donations would make a great Christmas present to me, and the village of Itimbo! :)If you have any used books (of any kind- children's books, instructional books, etc.) and any magazines you have already read (which I will probably read first for entertainment and to bone up on all the news I'm missing ;) I would greatly appreciate your donations. (Of course, monetary donations to purchase books in Swahili and supplemental items would be great, but I have not yet figured out the logistics of payment . .. I may set up a pay-pal account or Western Union later.)So, for now, if you are weeding through any old books and mags and don't know what to do with them, please send them my way!

The cheapest way to ship light things such as magazines would be in a padded envelope. Also, I have to pay a customs fee for each package that comes through, so if you are planning on donating books, it would be best to donate one package as a group and split the cost of shipping, rather than shipping a bunch of smaller packages. The less packages to clear the better, but I appreciate all donations! Also, as a tip, post-office workers and customs workers here are not the most trust-worthy, but they don't like to tamper with religious taboo. That being said, it helps to emblazon your packages with religious symbols such as crosses, stars of david, "Jesus loves You!" etc. Be creative! :)

The shipping address is:
Cristina LalliU.S. Peace CorpsP.O. Box 1505
Iringa, TanzaniaEast Africa

Thank you in advance for your help!

-Cristina