After my first day on the job I am already burnt to a crisp. I did not realize just how sun sensitive the Malaria medication can make a person. As a result the one thing that I likely did not bring enough of is sun block. However, there is a lovely lady living next to me that will be leaving in about ten days and she has offered to leave her sun block with me. In addition to being really burnt I also think that I picked up strep throat from someone on the plane (there were a number of sick people) so I am now also on Antibiotics. Of course, things here need to be self diagnosed so I really can’t confirm the strep throat but I am going to catch it before it gets too bad, in case I am right.
Otherwise, things are going really well. I have the weekend to recuperate from travelling and I am trying to get my hands on a SIM card and some internet minutes so that I can post all of my new stories. Hopefully we will make the walk into town today to get some of these things and sit down for a coke or something (I will have to wait until after the antibiotics to try a local beer, not really a problem considering I am not much of a drinker, but I hear that going to town for a beer is what happens on weekends.) The food has been really good so far. I haven’t tried too much that is traditional Tanzanian food but I am sure I will have a chance. Our housekeeper is a really good cook. She bakes us white bread for breakfast and makes a large midday meal that we eat for both lunch and supper. So far we have had spaghetti with a vegetable stew and rice with a meat and potatoes stew. She doesn’t come in on weekends , although she used to, because she has not been very well lately. Alexandra likes to have the house to as empty as possible on weekends anyways.
The house is much more luxury than I thought it would be. We have warm water and electricity. So far we have not had a thunderstorm so the power has not gone out. I have a really nice room. It is a corner room with two windows. It is not the largest room in the house but it is the most cheerful with yellow and orange colors. I will try to post a picture. The house has a brown stucco exterior with black window frames and a rock base. It is really pretty with its flower garden surrounding it. They have planted calla lilies, regular lilies and an assortment of other flowers which I don’t know the names of. I think that we have the nicest garden on the compound. The house is owned by the Anglican Dieses along with the other three houses which accommodate the WomenCraft office, Maria the director of WomenCraft, and a house for other volunteers related to the bible school. The compound has a beautiful view which looks into the hills of Rwanda. We are up on a hill that overlooks numerous little farming plots and the alluvial plain of this winding river, of which I don’t yet know the name. The other morning the valley was covered in the most beautiful mist and the sunsets are really pretty, unfortunately I have not yet taken a picture of it.
Word seems to be getting around that I am a photographer, which I find relatively hilarious because I am just a beginner. I guess we will all see what I can come up with.
I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!!
Pictures are coming once I become a little more techy and figure out how to convert them into the right formate
