Thursday, June 19, 2008

Finally here!

Well well, I am finally in Afrika and I only have a few minutes to write about my crazy, beautiful, and kind of hard journey thus far.
Where to being!?!?!?!
I guess I should start from where I find myself in this moment. I am living in a town called Kilosa, it's pretty big in comparitive standards, but it's really just a tiny little town by American standards. Anyway, I live in the same neightborhood as 4 other PCTs who I have class with 6 days a week and they are fabulous. My home stay is a lot less then the fabulous then I had expected because I don't have a family I really just have a rich mama who doesn't come home until late at night and leaves me to sit all evening with my worries...something had to change about that situation and I tried to get a new host family today, but due to some language difficulities and cultural misunderstanding I just ended up with a bike...hahahaha! Oh, how I love it.
Other then that the whole group of trainees in my "intake" is 48 strong and we were with each other for a week before they split us all up- needless to say everyone is having a lot of seperation anxiety about the whole thing and everyone is looking forward to a huge group meeting on Saturday : )
Everyone who came with us is so totally amazing and I am totally meeting some of the best, open hearted, strong minded people ever- with a few exceptions.
There is SO much here that is just totally out of my previous reign of thought, like who would have thought that just because I am a woman I have to wear a skirt everyday..? Who would have thought that it's okay to scratch your crotch at lunch but its not okay to blow your nose at the dinner table? Who would have thought that a person who lives in a village in Tanzania has been to Japan...!?!?! Not I.
To sum everything up so far I would have to say that my expectations of what this beautiful country would be like have been totally throw out of the window. My expectations for what being a PCV would be like are also totally gone. What I have learned is that flexibility is the key...at least so far, and most importantly, LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL EVERYWHERE! : )
(I also now know that I did not need a bigger knife)
Peace and love, PLEASE WRITE ME!!!

3 comments:

Patty said...

I am so glad that you finally made it! That is one of the amazing things about life, you can usually throw your preconceived notions out the window. I hope that you make some great new friends. Too bad about your host family, but good thing about the bike! I hope that you can stay in touch with English speaking people throughout your entire stay, it will keep you from getting too homesick! Only my very best thoughts are with you. Love, Pat

Colleen said...

You are truly one amazing kid. It souunds like you are working through your doubts and worries. Keep your chin up and keep riding that bike, it will take you places you once only dreamed of. I love you and I think you of you every day. Mema

Unknown said...

Hey Girl;

Enjoyed the post. Glad to hear that you are safe and have taken up the sport of biking everywhere, lol.

Seriously though, it sounds like you are dealing with your situation the best way that you know how, and in true Margaret style you still find the good and beauty in everything, that's what makes you so unique and you...

Peace and Love to you as well, keep your great attitude and enjoy the adventure.

All of us at Jewell Photo are missing you but enjoying the blog. We'll be thinking of you and looking forward to more post's. Take-Care and enjoy your rides around Africa! Stay Safe!

Love,
Rose