One Month On

Well that didn't go well. The football that is. I'd rather not talk about it. Anyway, like I said in my last post here is a summary of my first month of volunteering in Arusha, Tanzania.

Before I came to Tanzania I wrote about my goals:

1. Learn Swahili.

2. Read more.

3. Get fitter.

4. Learn to cook a new cuisine.

5. Appreciate what I have at home and not take things for granted.
6. Gain a unique experience.

So, in order, my Swahili is very limited, basic greetings are pretty much all I know other than a few odd words here and there. I should proably increase my efforts to learn in the next month. I have managed to read a bit more, mostly on Sundays when there is very little to do. I have read The Old Man and the Sea and 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' and have just started A Farewell to Arms. I think I've lost a bit of weight but I haven't done as much exercise as I would have liked. I need to start going to the gym or swimming now that I don't have to be at work by 7:30am every weekday morning. I've learned and noted down one recipe but that is all. I want to try and learn more but finding the time is a bit tricky as of late. However, the last two have been, I think, more successful. Sort of. I think I will appreciate more of my home comforts at home, especially the freedom granted to me by my parents. The experiences are definitely worthwhile and will hopefully be unique enough to help me land a job when I get back home. Whether I have any truly unique experience remains to be seen, I guess, so we shall find out in June.

I think what I have really experienced in this first month is a complete change of culture, while the house that I live in and the people that I hang around with gives me the perfect opportunity to compare the contrasting attitudes between the Tanzanian people and the Western volunteers. I have had a great time teaching the children at Gohechi, who have been at times funny, strange, infuriating, ridiculous and adorable. I have laughed so much while teaching the kids and it has been a great experience. I am, however, ready to move on but, from what I've heard, the human rights project doesn't exactly have structure. I won't miss the 6am alarm though! The climate in Tanzania has taken some getting used to. The heat is searing in the middle of the day and one needs to learn to walk slowly when the Sun is up.

Another thing I've had to adapt to is living in someone else's house. I can no longer raid the larder for a packet of crisps or take a look in the fridge for some olives or some cheese. The food has been mostly good, but I'm still not keen on cooked banana. One thing that had me talking with a few volunteers is how we barter for everything. We will try and get that 200 TSH (~8p) off the bracelet we're buying for 1700 TSH (~50p) or complaining that we have to pay 4000 TSH for a coffee (~£1.60) when it costs me upwards of £3 in Starbucks.

Anyway, yesterday I cooked my family an English breakfast which my host sister, Glory, seemed to love. Next up, a stir-fry then a pie or something.