Life in Monduli

I am actually in Arusha at the moment and have a wonderful Internet connection compared to Monduli. Tomorrow I will go to Kilimanjaro and explore the area and take a short hike on Sunday. Monduli is at about 5,000 feet so I have been getting in shape. It is gorgeous in Monduli, very green at the moment since it rains off and on quite a bit. Rain comes in very quickly and also leaves quickly. There is an unbelievable amount of mud. The main road into the village is very muddy with huge puddles. I'm sure that I will fall one of these days. I have certainly slipped several times. My sandals carry a pound of mud, I'm sure.

Everyone is so very friendly and one gets greeted constantly in several languages. Good Morning at any time of the day. I have gotten Good Afternoon, Sir; the best has been Good Afternoon, Grandfather. Good Afternoon, Mama shows respect. Yesterday a little girl walked with me for a while and used all of her English vocabulary!

I pass girls carrying water on their heads in plastic buckets along the way, women carry huge sacks, branches, and baskets of food (especially cabbage). Men also carry things on their heads. There are many stray dogs around and they all look about the same, skinny and brown. I have seen few cats, but there were many many in Zanzibar. When I show the girls pictures of our dogs, they can't believe they are in the house.

When I walk to the village I also see the Maasai herding cattle and goats - that's what the little boys do. They move them to places were there is grass. I helped a student with a typical ELL composition, writing about her holiday. She carried water, fetched fire wood and cooked. She also visited with her friends. Those who hadn't gone on to school were married, and most likely to older men. The girls at the school are so very lucky to be getting an education.

When I went to the market to buy fruit and vegetables last week, it cost me less than $2.00 to get my supply for most of the week. There's not much variety, but it works (tomatoes, onion, carrots, cucs, green pepper, bananas, small green mangoes, and avocado; oranges and potatoes are also available). I found a very nice young man at the market who spoke English and helped me. The largest shop is rather pathetic and carries a very limited supply of things. I bought some white sliced bread, however, that I was able to toast in the new toaster at the guest house. The whole village is rather run down and shabby with dirt and mud all around. There is a huge market on Sundays.
Last weekend I went to Ngorongoro Crater. It is an amazing place - this huge round flat area surrounded by green mountains. Lots of animals, most of which I had already seen in Kenya, but the black rhino were new for me. They are smaller and lighter in color (!) than the white rhino. Then we saw a baby wildebeest that had just been born; he was still wet and was very wobbly. The placenta was still hanging down from the mom. The babe was trying to nurse as it tried to get it's legs to work. Bush will be visiting here soon. Some of the girls are very worried about his visit - that something will happen to him. One girls was convinced he was going to buy the crater!
I don't know if Tanzania has made the news there, but there has been major political upheaval here. The Prime Minister and the cabinet were forced to resign because of the uncovering of a scandal - money being paid to the officials from an American company. Everyone has been talking about it. Bribery is a way of life here, especially for government officials. It was especially big news because the Prime Minister is from Monduli.

The Form 6 girls are taking their national exams this week which means that there are 2 armed guards on campus. They are being administered by a representative of the government. (Form 6 is the same as first year of university in the states.)

I continue to enjoy talking and reading with the girls. We're reading a lot of picture books, some are definitely more culturally appropriate than others. There are many African stories which is nice. I'm learning a lot too from the students too, and also from the teachers. I continue trying to learn Swahili; my teacher is very patient so little by little it is sinking in.