I'm Back!

Hello all! Sorry for taking so long to get back online. I have already been pretty busy, but I just want to give you a brief overview of life in Kitula.

I live in the southern highlands, which has gorgeous rolling hills much like the Schoharie Valley, but the pine trees are mixed with palm trees and gorgeous bright flowers. The roads are a brownish red dust (literally, like a sandbox in places).

My house is on a hill next to a primary school and a few kilometers away from a hospital and a secondary school. It has four bedrooms (yup, bigger than my house in NY) and a living room in the main part of the house, an enclosed courtyard, and then a choo (pit litrine, room for bathing, and a small kitchen). I do not have running water or electricity, but I am loving it thusfar.

I cannot chote water yet. I am a pathetic weakling, and I have to ask small children to do it for me (they make it look EASY). haha...

I do, however, keep my house somewhat neat, wash my clothes by hand, and cook. I cook on a charcoal stove. I am enjoying experiementing with the fresh foods that are available here. I have managed to fairly successfully make: rice, guacamole, split pea soup, crepes, syrup, cheese, omlettes, and homefries....along with a few Tanzanian dishes. Cooking is fun, and I hope to start baking after I can get to a city and buy some more ingredients.

Every morning I wake up around 7 and clean, start the fire, make breakfast, and take a bath. Then I hang out with my VEO (kinda like my village's mayor). She is very supportive and she introduces me to the important people in my village and the surrounding areas. I am visiting schools, hospitals, families, churches, etc. Peace Corps encourages us to just survey our community for the first 3 months or so to get really good at the language and observe before we start solving problems.

I know they have it right and yet at times I just want to get right to work. This past Sunday I spoke with a women's group at a nearby church that began innumerating the things they needed. My region has a huge water problem and they are also desperately in need of a nearby health center. I also went to a funeral yesterday of a man who died of HIV related viruses. It was heartbreaking, especially when I watched his two small children put flowers on his grave. Then I wanted to get right to work teaching about HIV, but all in good time, I know....

Alright. I can't write much more now. I'll try and get back again soon. Hope all is well.

Please take tons of pictures for me at Cassie's wedding. Cass, I love you....You're going to be a beautiful bride and I'm so sad I won't be there for you!

OK...I finally have a permanent address. I am going to use my village's PO box, so here it is:

Jessica Meigel
Peace Corps Volunteer
PO Box 63 Bulongwa
Makete, Iringa Tanzania

Letters should get through to me with no problem. If you want to send a package (I surely won't complain), but I'm told padded envelopes work the best and writing in red ink works best (don't ask me why). I've also been encouraged by my boss (a Tanzanian) that you should scribble religious statements on the outside of the package as it's less likely to be opened. Strange...but true. :-)

Sorry about this, but i lost my phone a few weeks ago and had to buy a new one (everyone made fun of me for buying the cheapest possible phone available, but now they understand....haha) my new number is:

+255-787-348-491