And the countdown to the end of training begins....

Well, I cant believe that training is almost over... I mean I have 3 weeks left but only more days in the actual classroom. I am so excited!!! I am more excited that I won't have to miss out on the covering of the election... PC has arranged for us to get up as the a$$ crack of dawn and go to a really nice hotel to watchy the results! Im really excited because even though the stupid state of Ohio won't let me vote (its a conspiracy and I know it!) that I will be able to watch as the blue wave of hope sweeps across America! Yes, I said it! Barack is going to win!!! The morning will consist of celebratory drinking at the butt crack of dawn or.... drowning my sorrows ... either way, I'm sure it'll be a day I'll never forget!

So thank you all who have been writing me letters, I feel so loved!!! This past week was really stressful and I was very pissed off at a certain person this past Thursday, so when I received my 5 letters and my box that looked as if they just threw the box off the plane from 15,000 ft in the air, it made my freaking day!! Thank you grandma!!! That box was amazing... I loved the sodoku ,the magazine and coloring books and crayons... Amazing! (oh yeah, i heard that if you use the white flat rate boxes at the post office, it will come in a week...future reference)

Ok, so I guess you want to know whats it been like here, thats the reason you are reading... well, things are going well, just wrapping up my kiswahili lessons. My final test is next tuesday, wish me luck! After my final test, we go to shadow another volunteer and I am very excited!! I love my host momma, but the beans and rice every day is killing me. It will be good to get on my own and live in my own house.... Thank you to all the people that called me this past week and told me how fun Halloween weekend was at OU (while I was either walking to school or in school) that was amazing (SARCASM!)

Well, I love you all and I hope to send out my letters either monday or tuesday!

Hey all, I have had the wonderful opportunity to get to town again and I felt like I should write a bit about whats going on... Well last week I took my Oral and Written language test and they went well... I scored average on my written and intermediate low on my oral (we need to score intermediate high) to swear in. But Hamna shida (no worries), I am busting out my pseudo Kiswahili every day to beef it up a bit! Last week, I was observed teaching and the guy said I did great, and that he thinks I will make a great teacher!! I was so excited, because my students are actually understanding my super slow "special" mix of kiswahili and english. All of the secondary schools are taught in english and I have the pleasure of teaching the kids that just came from primary school (which is taught in kiswahili)... so its exciting that they are actually grasping the information... granted its units but still.... haha. Life has been pretty good, just chit chatting with the fam and making embarassing mistakes with my pronounciation.... I cant barely pronounce english words let alone kiswahili words that are 30 letters long with 4 consanants next to each other... The other day I tried to tell my momma that I wanted a certain type of drink, but I ended up saying that I wanted vigina....haha!!! She looked at me all crazy and busted out laughing, fell out of her chair and proceeded to roll around on the floor.... After 15 mins she said that I need to pronounce my y's.... so yeah... This is tit!

P.S thanks cammie for reminding me more about american food... what i would give for some chicken and broccoli alfredo..... or actually anything that is not ughali, rice, potatoes and fish.... As I will say again... the food is suspect! haha

Oh the pic is from our trip to Mkume... peep the "daladala" on the gansta lean... we def. rode there with no brakes (no, seriously) for 3 hours( with 29 ppl on a 19 passenger bus).... I guess this is Peace Corps... What doesnt kill you makes you stronger...or so I've heard!

Life thus far

Hey all just wanted to give a quick update. Sorry I havent been able to update as often as I would like I live about a 35 min daladala ride from the town's internet cafe plus a mile walk to get to the actuyal daladala stand. Not the transportation that I want to do weekly (google it!). Well life has been going well it is week five and we just came back from Mikume park where I took some amazing pics.. I will update as soon as possible. My kiswahilli learning is going well... I was struggling at first but being in a ost family that does not speak english has forced me to really learn the language. I took my mid-exam on friday and the trainers said I was pretty awesome!!!My host mama is awesome..but sadly she as malaria now and is very very anal about everyting so i wont get it.... I get tucked in at night!! haha. I have been teachign for the past week and its going pretty well... although I feel horrible when the students ask me a question because it takes me about 5mins to even understand what tey are asking(and they are speaking english!!) Thus far I have lost about 15 lbs so I am pretty pumped although my mama is freaking out!! I am having the worst time adjusting to the food...very greasy and without spices of any kind... I was fooled at all of those OU African Celebrations that had spicy food!! haha.. well life is great. My swearing in date is on thanksgiving so while you all are eating thanksgiving goodness i will be making the most irrational and crazy decision of my life! Haha... its really great and I would love to hear from you all! Feel free and even slightly obligated to call me... Grandma and Monica Chillious have my number... so I am ordering everyone to make it happpen! The best time is 11pm - 1am and 11am -1pm (US TIME) I got to bed about 8pm. Also a letter would be nice... I am like the only one that doesnt get any mail I look like an orphan (guilt trip I hope it works)... so step it up!!! If you are really fancy and want to send a package here is my wish list:

Beef Jerky (seriously)
powder soup (chicken noodle)
mm's (any and every kind)
camp fan (runs by winding up... the mosquito nets are like heat trappers)
bbq sauce (dont judge me)
skittles/starburst

... and anything else you think i would enjoy!

Love you all and I miss you!! I still cant believe I am actually here.

Random fact I've learned: I am very very allergic to citrus.... funny story

I'm here!

I just wanted to let everyone know that we arrived safely last night. I am safe and sound and am just going through training. Please write me letters, I hope to be in contact with some of you soon! I will have internet access for the next few days, so you can send me an email at sk338303@ohio.edu or facebook me! I will be leaving to go stay with my homestay family on Sunday!!! Whoooo hooo
Oh yeah, Tanzania is beautiful....the people are so nice and I even have electricity, an indoor shower and standard US toilet in my room (it's kinda random that the shower has no curtain or isnt separated from the toilet, just a drain by the toilet). Oh well, it works and I had an AWESOME!!! shower this morning after my 30 something hour flight! I slept pretty well lasty night, although when the lights go off...it's dark, I mean really dark! It's cool though because I have my handy dandy shake flashlight, lets hope I dont get carpal tunnel from this.... haha :-)

I love you all and hope to talk to you soon!

Bon Voyage!!!!!

As of 6:30am I will officially be off to my new adventure! I just wanted to tell everyone a final goodbye and that I love you all. I prob won't be able to have access to the phone or internet for the first week so I wont be able to call, but DONT worry!!! No news is good news (as the Peace Corps says). Well I gotta go. Off to Tanzania!!!

P.S. Aunt Judy please keep grandma from worrying too much! :-) I love you!

Five days and counting....

The time is getting closer and closer....

I am so excited!! For the past few days, I havent been doing much but packing, unpacking, trying to eliminate 10lbs from my luggage and studying swahili (which I have about 15 more hours to do...haha) I really need to get this procrastination tendency out of my system (which going to Africa is probably not the best place to go to alleviate this behavior...oh well)

I just received my Peace Corps Address, so if anyone wants to write (PLEASE DO!!!) here it is:

Stephanie Kimber/PCT
c/o Peace Corps Director
P.O. Box 9123
Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
Via Air Mail

* This will be my address until December 2008, I believe.... Thanks for anything you send!

Here are a few tips that I "borrowed" from another Peace Corps Volunteers blog:

For letters and packages be sure to put "Air Mail" on the front.

1) As I may have to pay a duty on packages that are too heavy, please keep the weight to around 5 pounds maximum.

2) Padded mailing envelopes seem to have the best arrival success rate.

3) When filling out the international declaration slip, you don't necessarily need to write exactly what is in the package. Certain contents are more likely to be stolen, so just writing "educational materials" or "feminine hygiene products" may ensure the package's safe arrival.

4) Again, on the international declaration slip, please do not declare the total value of the items as any amount over $10, regardless of the actual total value.

5) Other random helpful hints: write religious phrases on the packages, include "sister" before my name when addressing the package and/or use red ink & be sure to write "Air Mail" on the package.

6) Please remove as much of the packaging that the item(s) come in as possible before shipping them. It'll help reduce the weight for you & waste for me.

7) Any packages over 4 pounds cannot be mailed 1st class, but must be mailed priority. The post office has "flat rate international" boxes that may be cheaper for heavier packages, otherwise, keep them under 4 pounds & send them 1st class.

8) Finally, sending several small care packages throughout the year does much more to boost morale then one large package once a year.

I will miss you all terribly (atleast some...haha) so please write if you have the opportunity. I've heard its about 92 cents to send a letter, so please start counting those pennies!

Luv you all and the next post will probably be from Tanzania!!! Whooo hoooo

Staging....

About a week ago I received my staging kit!!!! I am so excited because now it seems all real... although the mini-walmart that is pilled up on my dining room table is also a good indication! I have bought so many items, but still feel as though I am unprepared...besides the two year supply of purell and spray sanitizers. I feel kinda bad about the abundance of money I am pouring out to buy "neccessities" for my travel to a third-world country. I am curious if this is a common thought of pcv?

Well, I am leaving early September 14 for Philly to began this new adventure! I still have a million things to buy/pack, before then so I need to step up my pace... but I am trying to take full advantage of all the AC and running water that I possibly can before leaving. Oh, how I will miss those amenities.

Strangely, I am not a scared/anxious or even nervous as I thought I would be. I am so ready for this change of life that I am more excited than anything. I hope that at staging I will find some people to talk to?!? That's what I'm a little nervous about. Family and friends, think I must be out of my mind to do this, but I'm sure that's what every pcv family and friends think! It's such an awesome experience, and I feel so honored to be able to take part in it.

Also, this little hiatus will give me ample opportunity to figure out what I want to do with my life. I went from wanting to going into aerospace engineering to teaching mathematics then to creating a college prep program that focuses in math and science. While I was away from engineering, I miss that challenge and frustration that would keep me up to the weee hours in Alden drinking energy drinks and threating to pull out my hair. I can't believe that I would have missed it as much as I do, so now I am thinking of doing something in ergonomics? I feel like everything was just too easily figured out the last few months of school and although I enjoyed it, I dont know if it will satisfy my curiousity and need for achievement later in life? But, I am sure that my time with the Peace Corps will surely serve as a time where I can ascertain the direction of my future....atleast I hope!!

One thing I do know though is that this experience will show me what I am made of and allow me the opportunity to learn more about myself in the next twenty seven months than I have had in the past twenty three years.

I will post my address on facebook and send it out to family and friends. Please try to write if you have time! I would love to keep up with what's all going back in the states and how everyone is doing...besides I will have no tv, internet(atleast not often) or the craziness of all my friends and family to keep me entertained! Also, post on the blog if you would like, I appreciate your words of encouragement!