Sorry for the long absence, I’ve had a lot to do. And yet, nothing to do at the same time. But that’s a discussion for a bit later. To make a short wrap up of the last month and a half, I finished school (a week early), bummed around for two weeks, then went to Iringa for a training. Now, today, I just finished an 8 hour trip involving 3 coasters (a vehicle that is about halfway between the size of a small bus and a 15 passenger van) and lots of naps and I’m sitting in my house with 6 kittens squealing from the other room. So, much is new.
I’ve found Peace Corps to be an amazingly varied experience. With the right people in the right room saying the right things, changing the world is easy. But when it comes to traveling alone squished 5-to-a-row on 4 seat rows for 8 hours, that SUV and sub sandwich sounds awfully nice. It was surprising how much seeing my fellow group mates impacted me but once I realized that, it was not surprising how much it I didn’t enjoy seeing them go. Yes, I have an awesome region with awesome volunteers I can see frequently, but if some is good, more is better, right? I feel motivated to travel, which is a nice thing seeing as before I left I found myself in a contented indifference to much else in Tanzania beyond my immediate surroundings.
I hate big posts because I never know what to say and what to let go. I think I’m going to try to work through my thoughts on the training sessions in individual posts here so I can kind of use this as an opportunity to organize my thoughts. So, look forward to such scintillating topics as corporal punishment, HIV and AIDS, gardening, and more! :P
Anyway, my musings for today mostly have to do with my motivation, which is somewhat linked to what I said before I left. I’m feeling motivated to study Swahili again! I expected that because despite my lethargic tendencies I am aware of how little I know. Now we just have to make it happen. I also am looking forward to starting a secondary project. I haven’t matched my thoughts up with my school’s desires but we shall see what happens. I’m thinking permagardening would be a good project given our space issues on campus. But I also can see the need for an improved library. We shall see what all is involved but I just really want to identify a project that everyone is excited about so it keeps going after I’m gone. I want to have a sit down with my headmaster so when that happens I’ll update you on the future.
Outside of sessions talking about a wide range of things, I had a fantastic time with the people. I reconnected with the guy I shadowed during training and met several new people. Each night was usually an opportunity to chat with nearly everyone and fill in the last three months. I found that my connections and opinions of many people had changed. Maybe not dramatically, but I feel like I can relate to everyone more now, for obvious reasons, and that in turn made me understand many more of their……unique tendencies. But, it was awesome to have one of those situations where you realize, the people here are exactly who you need right now. They’re the right balance of activities you always enjoy no matter how horrible you are (basketball) and getting you to enjoy something you never enjoy because they’re just the right group to make it work (dancing). I recognize that it’s hard to stay in touch with everyone you’d like to but I think it’s important to do it with those who you can. I’ve been incredibly lucky to have devoted friends over the years, and where I’ve failed, often they have succeeded. I’m still nursing a pen pal relationship from age 7/8 and a few days together so somewhere something is going right.
So, with that I’ll end on a positive note. I’m so tired, but I’m finishing the day with motivation to continue. Continue work, continue relationships, and continue this lifestyle (although returning to the squatter after 2 weeks with a lovely western toilet may be the most difficult of all).
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Good to hear you've managed to hit the refresh button on your perspective. We all need that from time to time.
ReplyDeleteI'm in a similar situation to you, in that I've done a lot of sitting back when I could have been pressing forward (Kiswahili for example), but I've also found that sitting back is a good strategy for the first few months. It's absolutely imperative that you get acquainted with the people and the local culture in your village before you make any major moves, because it's very hard to gauge whether a project will be sustainable within the first few weeks/months of your tenure. Sitting back is also good in the sense that the needs of your community will naturally become apparent over time (as long as you keep your eyes and ears open).
Stick with it, training class buddy! Sounds like you're doing well down there! If you have travel plans to go up north, karibu Manyoni!