I've got it!
I actually gave up after two more trips to the Police station and asked a Tanzanian SIL employee to help out. He took my papers to the appropriate offices and I got my license yesterday.
Yay! I am an official Tanzanian driver.
...and I almost did the whole thing myself....almost.
:)
Thursday, November 27
Happy Thanksgiving!
Sadly, Tanzania does not recognize Thanksgiving as a national holiday so I have spent the bulk of this Thanksgiving day working.
Here's a brief recap of what I've done today.
I got up at 5:30 (I know!) and spent about 35 minutes on the roof, just watching the sunrise, praying and listening to music.
I went to school around 7:00 and began the day writing reports for every primary grade for ICT. Not as difficult as it sounds, believe me!
I then had a meeting with the two 12th grade girls who will be helping with yearbook come spring - well, come January. We are holding a yearbook theme contest (any ideas?!?) for the whole school and may 'influence' the nominations just a bit. :)
I also finished some last minute organization of the sports day for my secondary service learning class (see below).
At 8:30 I had my two 5th grade ESL students. We are reading the book "Holes." Really good.
9:30-10:00 was first break. On Mondays and Tuesdays, because of the way my schedule works out, I take lunch with Secondary school from 11-11:30. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday I follow the primary schedule and have two 30 minute breaks from 9:30-10:00 and 12:00-12:30.
During break I proofread a newsletter for Delicia, one of my roommates. Check out her blog here: Because He Said Go - Delicia in Tanzania
After first break I took my third grade ESL student and we worked on spelling and vocabulary, the writing process and managed to finish a card he's making for his mother.
I then ran up to the computer lab where Kindergarten met me for an hour of ICT. We would usually do a simple typing program but HOPAC has recently had problems with our server and the kids' programs aren't quite back up to working order yet. So we played games and watched videos on interesting subjects using Encarta. Fun times!
I then ran back to my office to prepare for a visit from 160 kids from a local primary school. Thankfully only 80 actually came but they were late, so we only had about 30 minutes with them instead of the hour we were expecting. Our 6th-8th grade students prepared games and activities for the students. They were amazing! So organized and prepared. I was very impressed. Because of the time constraint all of the local school children weren't able to go to every station but I think they still had a good time. It had rained a little today which meant it was very, very humid and we were all sweating - a lot - but it was still fun.
Then, the most exciting thing! Just as I was typing this blog (it's after school now) my housemate Juli came in with a package for me!!
Thank you Morgan, Nick, Karis and Niko!!!!!!!!
I *love* that there's a book and 'Heroes' and spaghetti sauce packets and M&Ms and pictures and paintings and mail and a note from Karis. I even like that it was padded with newspaper from the LA Times. :) What a fabulous Thanksgiving present!
Thank you so much!
:)
Here's a brief recap of what I've done today.
I got up at 5:30 (I know!) and spent about 35 minutes on the roof, just watching the sunrise, praying and listening to music.
I went to school around 7:00 and began the day writing reports for every primary grade for ICT. Not as difficult as it sounds, believe me!
I then had a meeting with the two 12th grade girls who will be helping with yearbook come spring - well, come January. We are holding a yearbook theme contest (any ideas?!?) for the whole school and may 'influence' the nominations just a bit. :)
I also finished some last minute organization of the sports day for my secondary service learning class (see below).
At 8:30 I had my two 5th grade ESL students. We are reading the book "Holes." Really good.
9:30-10:00 was first break. On Mondays and Tuesdays, because of the way my schedule works out, I take lunch with Secondary school from 11-11:30. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday I follow the primary schedule and have two 30 minute breaks from 9:30-10:00 and 12:00-12:30.
During break I proofread a newsletter for Delicia, one of my roommates. Check out her blog here: Because He Said Go - Delicia in Tanzania
After first break I took my third grade ESL student and we worked on spelling and vocabulary, the writing process and managed to finish a card he's making for his mother.
I then ran up to the computer lab where Kindergarten met me for an hour of ICT. We would usually do a simple typing program but HOPAC has recently had problems with our server and the kids' programs aren't quite back up to working order yet. So we played games and watched videos on interesting subjects using Encarta. Fun times!
I then ran back to my office to prepare for a visit from 160 kids from a local primary school. Thankfully only 80 actually came but they were late, so we only had about 30 minutes with them instead of the hour we were expecting. Our 6th-8th grade students prepared games and activities for the students. They were amazing! So organized and prepared. I was very impressed. Because of the time constraint all of the local school children weren't able to go to every station but I think they still had a good time. It had rained a little today which meant it was very, very humid and we were all sweating - a lot - but it was still fun.
Then, the most exciting thing! Just as I was typing this blog (it's after school now) my housemate Juli came in with a package for me!!
Thank you Morgan, Nick, Karis and Niko!!!!!!!!
I *love* that there's a book and 'Heroes' and spaghetti sauce packets and M&Ms and pictures and paintings and mail and a note from Karis. I even like that it was padded with newspaper from the LA Times. :) What a fabulous Thanksgiving present!
Thank you so much!
:)
Wednesday, November 12
Package!
My wonderful friend, Emily sent me a package which arrived today!
Thanks, Emily, you made my day! :)
Thanks, Emily, you made my day! :)
:)
Monday, November 10
The down side of driving in Tanzania
About 11:00 Friday night, I was sitting at my desk in my room when I heard a loud scream of screeching brakes then a horrible crash. Since our wall is down outside my window, and the street is about 25-30 feet away, I was thinking a car was coming into my house! I was not far off.
I went outside and from my front yard saw the car. It was upside down sitting on the pile of rubble that was our wall. Remember that our property slopes down from the road to the back wall so the car was sitting high. Had it been just two or three feet closer to the slope, it would’ve rolled down into our compound hitting our houses.
Immediately after any car crash a huge crowd of people gather. I’m not sure where they all come from. Were they just sitting around? Walking by? There aren’t any other houses across the road. But there were about 40 men already at the upside down car.
Edwin, a Tanzanian teacher who lives on the compound, his wife and eldest son were also outside. From them I learned that apparently the woman driver had swerved to miss a bicyclist, lost control and slammed into a sign (small billboard type) on the side of the road and flipped her car (Incidentally, the car is exactly like mine: Toyota Rav4). She was unhurt inside and while the crowd of people pressed in closer, seeing as how she was physically safe, she was trying to secure some of her valuables.
As I have been told and just witnessed, in this culture, while many bystanders have come out of pure interest or to offer help, there are also many who come to see if anything can be stolen. Edwin confirmed this.
After about 15 minutes of checking to see that the bicyclist was unharmed (he or she was), the crowd decided to flip the car; I’m assuming with the woman’s permission and at her request, although Dan, Edwin’s son, said that even if she had told them not to, there was nothing she could’ve done to stop them. Edwin was concerned that once the car was flipped, there would be a free-for-all for any unsecured valuables inside and within reach. Nevertheless, the men rocked the car until they flipped it back on 4 wheels. Amazingly, the windscreen was unbroken, the frame was not bent and after unsuccessfully attempting to start the car, about 20 men helped push it to a more lighted area across the street. And by street I’m talking about a two lane ‘country road.’
There is only a half-moon tonight and no street lamps so it is very dark. I say this because while the men were pushing the car back into the street there was another loud scream of brakes as another car speeding down the road narrowly avoided hitting the crowd of people and the first car! Slow down people!! About a week ago, there was a demonstration in Kunduchi, the small town about a mile up the road. A man and children had been hit and killed by a speeding daladala (minibus). The people were protesting and demanding speed bumps be installed on that specific section of road. Again, slow down people!!
Thankfully it seems that the only damage was to property. Sometimes I just do not understand why these things are happening. This is the third or fourth accident that has happened just outside our wall – well, where our wall was. Most are at night and involve a car and a non-car (motorcyclist, bicyclist, pedestrian). Several times we have barely avoided getting hit as we make the right hand turn into our property – cars behind decide to pass on the right side even though we’re clearly slowing down to turn. (For those in America, think turning left with someone passing on the left side even though your turn signal is on.)
Although I joke about driving here as being an adventure or relate it to bumper cars at Disney (where you can do anything but ‘do not strike the car ahead of you’), it is dangerous. Roads in Tanzania are not for cars. A road is for everyone. The paved road is the path for cars, lorrys (big trucks), pedestrians including school children, daladalas which are constantly pulling off to the side and ‘merging’ back into traffic, tuk-tuks (three wheeled enclosed motorcycle type vehicles), motorcyclists, bicyclists, and often even animals. You look forwards and backwards as you do in the States but also look left and right to see who might be coming at you from the side or trying to merge onto the street or passing someone else and using your driving lane to do it.
So how do I do it? I drive much slower than I do in America. I never go on ‘auto pilot.’ I never assume I know how other drivers will react. I actually go with the assumption that they will do something I’m not prepared for. (I’m usually right about that.) I’m always looking to see where I can swerve to. I’m always ready to slam on the brakes.
And I pray, knowing “There are no ‘if’s’ in God’s world. And no places that are safer than other places. The center of His will is our only safety.”
:)
I went outside and from my front yard saw the car. It was upside down sitting on the pile of rubble that was our wall. Remember that our property slopes down from the road to the back wall so the car was sitting high. Had it been just two or three feet closer to the slope, it would’ve rolled down into our compound hitting our houses.
Immediately after any car crash a huge crowd of people gather. I’m not sure where they all come from. Were they just sitting around? Walking by? There aren’t any other houses across the road. But there were about 40 men already at the upside down car.
Edwin, a Tanzanian teacher who lives on the compound, his wife and eldest son were also outside. From them I learned that apparently the woman driver had swerved to miss a bicyclist, lost control and slammed into a sign (small billboard type) on the side of the road and flipped her car (Incidentally, the car is exactly like mine: Toyota Rav4). She was unhurt inside and while the crowd of people pressed in closer, seeing as how she was physically safe, she was trying to secure some of her valuables.
As I have been told and just witnessed, in this culture, while many bystanders have come out of pure interest or to offer help, there are also many who come to see if anything can be stolen. Edwin confirmed this.
After about 15 minutes of checking to see that the bicyclist was unharmed (he or she was), the crowd decided to flip the car; I’m assuming with the woman’s permission and at her request, although Dan, Edwin’s son, said that even if she had told them not to, there was nothing she could’ve done to stop them. Edwin was concerned that once the car was flipped, there would be a free-for-all for any unsecured valuables inside and within reach. Nevertheless, the men rocked the car until they flipped it back on 4 wheels. Amazingly, the windscreen was unbroken, the frame was not bent and after unsuccessfully attempting to start the car, about 20 men helped push it to a more lighted area across the street. And by street I’m talking about a two lane ‘country road.’
There is only a half-moon tonight and no street lamps so it is very dark. I say this because while the men were pushing the car back into the street there was another loud scream of brakes as another car speeding down the road narrowly avoided hitting the crowd of people and the first car! Slow down people!! About a week ago, there was a demonstration in Kunduchi, the small town about a mile up the road. A man and children had been hit and killed by a speeding daladala (minibus). The people were protesting and demanding speed bumps be installed on that specific section of road. Again, slow down people!!
Thankfully it seems that the only damage was to property. Sometimes I just do not understand why these things are happening. This is the third or fourth accident that has happened just outside our wall – well, where our wall was. Most are at night and involve a car and a non-car (motorcyclist, bicyclist, pedestrian). Several times we have barely avoided getting hit as we make the right hand turn into our property – cars behind decide to pass on the right side even though we’re clearly slowing down to turn. (For those in America, think turning left with someone passing on the left side even though your turn signal is on.)
Although I joke about driving here as being an adventure or relate it to bumper cars at Disney (where you can do anything but ‘do not strike the car ahead of you’), it is dangerous. Roads in Tanzania are not for cars. A road is for everyone. The paved road is the path for cars, lorrys (big trucks), pedestrians including school children, daladalas which are constantly pulling off to the side and ‘merging’ back into traffic, tuk-tuks (three wheeled enclosed motorcycle type vehicles), motorcyclists, bicyclists, and often even animals. You look forwards and backwards as you do in the States but also look left and right to see who might be coming at you from the side or trying to merge onto the street or passing someone else and using your driving lane to do it.
So how do I do it? I drive much slower than I do in America. I never go on ‘auto pilot.’ I never assume I know how other drivers will react. I actually go with the assumption that they will do something I’m not prepared for. (I’m usually right about that.) I’m always looking to see where I can swerve to. I’m always ready to slam on the brakes.
And I pray, knowing “There are no ‘if’s’ in God’s world. And no places that are safer than other places. The center of His will is our only safety.”
:)
Thursday, November 6
The rain came down and the floods came up...
Yesterday morning about 3:30-4:00am I woke to the sound of a huge resounding BOOOOOM lasting at least 15 seconds and the feel of our house shaking. I was thinking "something crashed, something fell on our house, I am actually going to die! What is going on??" and then curled up in a ball in the middle of my bed.
Then the lightening and rain started. And by rain I mean torrential, hurricane rain. Pouring buckets, raining cats and dogs, drenching rain. And the thunder and lightening continued. Every time I was just drifting off to sleep another thunderclap would startle me awake. My fan stopped which meant the power was out (which in a catch-22 way happens when it rains and when there isn't enough rain). I eventually went back to sleep and woke about 5:30 when I decided I just couldn't be in bed anymore.
It was pitch black except for the bright flashes of lightening when I heard what sounded like a 5-car pile up on the street side of our house.
Another part of our wall had fallen down. And this one right outside my window. I could reach out and almost touch the debris. The water was flooding down the hill, across the road and into our yard. Flooding. It had pushed our wall over, knocking down trees on the way.
Delicia, whose bedroom is above mine, came downstairs and we just looked outside. Being from Florida, I've seen this destruction, this type of rain in the middle of a hurricane. But this was a thunderstorm and there was no wind. It was eerie.
I found out later that morning that the flood waters had knocked down our street side wall, flooded into our compound then, seeking a retreat, knocked down a part of our bottom/back wall also.
But we were still blessed and protected. We are safe. Our homes, our possessions are fine. Had the wall directly in front of my room fallen down, it probably would've knocked a tree into my window. Our house is not flooded. No rain even came in my windows.
:)
Then the lightening and rain started. And by rain I mean torrential, hurricane rain. Pouring buckets, raining cats and dogs, drenching rain. And the thunder and lightening continued. Every time I was just drifting off to sleep another thunderclap would startle me awake. My fan stopped which meant the power was out (which in a catch-22 way happens when it rains and when there isn't enough rain). I eventually went back to sleep and woke about 5:30 when I decided I just couldn't be in bed anymore.
It was pitch black except for the bright flashes of lightening when I heard what sounded like a 5-car pile up on the street side of our house.
Another part of our wall had fallen down. And this one right outside my window. I could reach out and almost touch the debris. The water was flooding down the hill, across the road and into our yard. Flooding. It had pushed our wall over, knocking down trees on the way.
Delicia, whose bedroom is above mine, came downstairs and we just looked outside. Being from Florida, I've seen this destruction, this type of rain in the middle of a hurricane. But this was a thunderstorm and there was no wind. It was eerie.
I found out later that morning that the flood waters had knocked down our street side wall, flooded into our compound then, seeking a retreat, knocked down a part of our bottom/back wall also.
But we were still blessed and protected. We are safe. Our homes, our possessions are fine. Had the wall directly in front of my room fallen down, it probably would've knocked a tree into my window. Our house is not flooded. No rain even came in my windows.
The pictures get lighter as they progress. The first ones were taken before dawn.
The view looking through my window.
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