Alive in Africa

Alright so i wrote a post on my laptop and saved it to a thumb drive in hopes that I could just transfer to my blog. Things dont work so smoothly here I guess. SO heres a jist and ill post the rest whenever I can. A week, A month who knows....

I have arrived safe and sound here in Tanzania. Right now we were at a compound in the Capital Dar es Salaam. There are 35 volunteers in health and environment and we have been going through administative stuff, safetly health and some language training. tomorrow we are leaving for our homestays in the north near Tanga. There I will be alone with a family and be studying with a small language group of volunteers. Language and culture will be pretty intense and hopeully it wont be to akward or difficult.

So the dish on the blog will be I will update as much as i can. IDk if my homestay will have elextricity or running water and who knows that muheza will be like. I hope they have some usable usb ports here. otherwise you will haev to settle for poorly spelled, sporadic posts. so hold on tight. I will be doing the same.

salama

running low

So I am once again a week away from departure. I have been really busy working and seeing friends and family. Work tires me out which leaves little energy to learn about the land and culture that I will soon be immersed in. This bothers me a little but I am not sweating it to much. I guess I just assume that the important things will be taught to me in training or on the fly. I talked to a fellow Mankatoan, Eric, who is in Tanzania teaching with the Peace Corps. He had positive things to say and that that eased some of the tension that has been building in the past few weeks. I feel like I am ready for the challenge. I am ready to learn, ready to test my skills, ready to experience, ready to succeed, ready to help. A trip to Wal-Mart and as I browsed through the electronics section a video of the sherengheti played. Almost surreal.
The last couple weeks since my last post have been fun. Another canoe trip, this time down the low waters of the Blue Earth River. Rapids and rocks everywhere and Tom and I wrapped his canoe around a rock crushing the fiberglass hull. It was fun though. I love being on the water, charting paths around obstacles and it makes it better being with friends who enjoy being there as well. Days on the lake, absorbing sun and taking dips in the chilly waters. A friends wedding was my last real chance to see all of my high school friends. It was a blast. Drinking and dancing the night away. I would have fun doing almost anything with these people. Hopefully I wont miss to many of those opportunities in the next 2 years. If it seems that I am short on words that would be accurate. I think that talking about my future for the past couple days has left me....

Road Trippin

So after working for 2 weeks for the city I decided to take some time off. Actually my friend Jason was moving down to Florida for a summer internship and I promised I would head down with him to keep him company. Braun decided to accompany us as well.

The road trip started with a quick jaunt over to Chicago. A friend, Kane, now goes to school there and was nice enough to give us a place to stay and show us around for the night. We got there around 830 and after an hour or two of just chilling and watching tv, we made our way down to Wrigleyville. A pretty quick cab ride brought us right past the famous ballpark and to a bar a block or so away. We arrived to see the last 10 minutes or so of the ‘Hawks game. Tied at 5 when we go there. Bartenders and patrons were all dressed in jerseys or shirts and within a minute of walking in the Blackhawks had scored and the fans were going crazy. Free drinks were handed out and another goal in the next couple of minutes got the fans going again. The Blackhawks sealed the deal and more free drinks were on their way. A pretty good time at the bar led to our decision to take some pictures in front of wrigley field and we eventually took the L Train home at 2 in the morning. 10 hours in a car through Chicago, Indianapolis (Indiana is quite possibly the most boring state to drive through) Louisville and Nashville and eventually a tiny town just inside of Alabama. A few of Jason’s distant relatives let us stay at their place for the night. It was a long night after a long day. Shooting pool and listening to crazy stories that were hard to believe. This eventually led to Tim (Jason’s 3rd cousin) trying to trade some Alabama gear for the MSU shirt off of Braun’s back. This wasn’t very successful. After Tim tried on his entire wardrobe in front of us no deal was made. So Jason and I shared a twin size bed with loaded guns underneath it and knives in the bedstand.
The next day our goal was to make it the 11 hours to Port Charlotte but around 9 PM we arrived in Gainesville. A quick decision to check out their campus and grab a drink turned into staying the night in a hotel. We checked out the football stadium and got some pictures by the gator. Some beer on a patio and no Tim Tebow sighting and we called it a night.
So Thursday we finally made it to our destination. We quick dropped our stuff off and headed for the beach. We chilled there for a couple of hours and actually took it easy that night. The exhaustion had set in.

Day 2 in Port Charlotte and we hit the beach around noon. It was partly cloudy so we hit the water. After just floating around I picked up a shell that we threw around for entertainment. Pretty boring stuff. Braun decided to swim some laps and went out a bit further. As he came in he brought a friend with him. Following behind him about 20 feet was a large black object looming below the surface. Obviously we were freaked out. And began backpedaling towards the shore keeping our eyes on the killer shark/dolphin/submarine. As we got back to about waist deep water a few others noticed the object as well and were more curious than we were. One man strapped on his goggles and decided to check it out further. He hovered looking at it briefly then surfaced. He had a smile on his face and motioned for his wife to come over. It was no shark. Just a lost manatee. Obviously that was pretty cool. It was just swimming slowly around and we all reached out to touch it. It kinda felt like an elephant I guess but parts of it were covered in algae or something. As more people gathered around to check out our new friend, other beachgoers weren’t as happy to be seeing this manatee interact with humans. Two women began yelling at everyone. “You are going to kill it.” “You will be arrested” “It will get lost and die here” “I will give you 2 minutes to get away from it.“ Naturally I thought these ladies were a little crazy and were taking this a bit to seriously. And this was a once in a lifetime chance to see a live manatee in the wild so I didn’t really care that I was going to be arrested.
But the manatee was losing interest with us as well and it wandered farther down the beach where more people surrounded it and those ladies continued to yell at people. A cool moment somewhat ruined by these ultra conservationists. But anyway it was way past lunch time so we went to grab lunch at a beachside grill.

The volleyball nets had been taunting us with either no one playing on them or people who were clearly not worthy. As we came back from lunch we saw a ball flying through the air and we checked them out to see if they were any good. As we walked by randomly this guy asked if we wanted to play. We jumped at the opportunity and played a few games to get our kick. A nice little rain shower cooled us off a bit but by the end of the day I was still fried. Our volleyball friends invited us to come out to a bar with a live band later that night. Pitchers of Beer and Pool. They were pretty fun dudes.

So 2 hours of sleep later and we were off to the airport. A long trip and a short stay but it was worth it. Now I am back to work and preparing for Tanzania. Staging is set and I still have no idea who is in my group. Oh well I guess that will make staging that much more fun.

I guess you can call them accidents

Another few weeks of unemployment. Not that I'm not enjoying waking up at 10 everyday and having very little on my plate save for donating plasma twice a week, but im bored. So with the nice weather has led me outside for some spring time activities. This of course brings up the opportunity for blunders. Not that I am not familiar in a canoe or on my bike, but accidents do happen. So here are a couple stories to keep you interested.
Thanks to Tom, we had a GPS adventure at 7 Mile Creek for a couple of hours that led to the idea of a canoe adventure the next day. Tom and I, as well as Mitch and Tom's friend Kramer rented a canoe to go along with the one Tom owns. In the spring high water we decided to try a smaller river we had never attempted before. Although the day was in the 50s it lacked the consistent sunlight that would have made it extraordinary. We loaded everything up and drove to the Le Sueur River a couple miles out of town. Mitch jumped in with me and Kramer teamed up with Tom in his canoe. The start was a little slow and the water wasnt very high. We had to portage around a couple of down trees but the river picked up speed and depth quickly. High banks led to very little scenery and slapping oars at carp was our only entertainment for half of the trip. But then the Cobb River entered in and we had the rapids we craved. Both canoes were side by side rounding a quick curve. Tom and Kramer were cruising by us on the outside, a touch fast. They quickly realized they were doomed to crash into a tree which was spread out on the outside bank. Kramer found the log first and dove under it but Tom was not as fortunate. He instinctively hugged onto the log but the river current was to strong. He tried to duck under but as he did the inside edge of their canoe went under. They were taking on water quickly. Mitch and I couldnt help but break out laughing as Tom's look of terror and the frigid water were too funny. Kramer ditched the canoe and we noticed him floating down the river. Our first instincts were to go after him but we realized he was fine and almost to shore our attention shifted to Tom. He was about 10 feet away from out canoe and he fretishly asked me what I thought he should do. I told him to ditch and he dove for the cooler with the car keys and the phone in it. Mitch and I, still laughing, went after the gear as Tom swam for shore. After we had gathered the gear and reached shore, Tom and Kramer caught up to us. Mitch and I could do nothing but laugh at our counterparts who were drenched from head to toe. They obviously didnt think it was as funny.We eventually got on our way and the rest of the trip was relativly dry. Certainly a story for Kramer to tell as it was his first time canoeing. And a story that I am happy to tell people as I had a front row seat rather than a first hand experience. This might be one of those story's where you had to be there but trust me, it was hilarious.

On to the next accident. Yesterday I bought some clip in shoes for my bike. A bit more efficient in your pedal and what the hell they were on sale. A little present for myself as I found out I can work for the city for a couple of months. After a little tinkering today, I figured out how they work I tested them a few times on my block. For those of you who dont know. These shoes "clipped in" are attached to the pedals and you have to twist your foot to release your shoe. It seemed easy enough so I decided to take them on a ride. It was a beautiful day as I crossed through Lower North, across the bridge and hooked on to the Sahkata Trail. This trail meanders up through the woods along the South side of town and out towards Madison Lake and eventually Faribault. Going out was no problem, except for the fact that it is all uphill. I was about 12 miles out and found a good place to turn around. I was feeling good, I think the shoes actually helped with my pedal strenght and endurance. So I turned around and clipped my left foot in. I prepared to push off with my right and somehow I lost my balance. I fell to the left on my clipped in foot. Whoops. So obviously I cant get up. My bike has my left leg trapped to the ground. Sweet. So looking like an idiot I had to take my left shoe off, thank god for velcro, then I could unclip my shoe from the pedal. No harm no foul. I guess that has to happen sometime. So i was on my way back down the trail with no more than a bruised ego. I was making great time on the way back and I was less than 2 miles from home crossing the RR tracks by Riverfront Drive. (see one of the most heavily trafficked streets in Mankato) I was slowing down to wait for the light to change and I slipped my right heel out to unclip. This little slip of my heel sent me off balance and with both feet still clipped in I went down hard. My handle bar slammed down and took most of the impact. And somehow, magically both of my feet unclipped. I dont know how I would have gotten out of that one. So looking like an idiot in front of about 20 cars. I pick myself up. Obviously I missed the light and was to ashamed to wait there for another couple minutes as people laugh at me so I took of another way. With a bit of blood running down my right shin and some skin off my elbow, it definetly could have been worse. But my bike took the worst of it. My right gearshift and handlebar had been shoved inward and my seat had been cranked a bit as well. I had planned to go a bit further down the North Mankato side of the river but obviously I was in no mood for that for fear of another embarassing fall. So a little loosening and tightening adjusted the seat but I needed the vice grips to adjust the handlebars. Maybe next time I will avoid intersections and stop lights. stupid.

So that was the funny stuff. An update on me. I finally got a Rosetta Stone for Swahili so I have started that. A lot of unfamiliar sounds and confusing consanants. I have put off getting excited about Tanzania for another month or so. So if I dont know to much about my assignment or the country dont sue me. But I finally got the go ahead to work with Rick and the ballfield crew until I leave in June. Some more spending money I guess. Outdoors and some physical labor. pretty good deal.

new focus

Due to my delay of service again, my attention has switched back to life in Mankato. That consists of me having a lot of free time. Most of that time is consumed by watching college basketball on tv which I love to do and one of the positives of being around til June is the fact that I can watch the NCAA tourney now. (I am currently watching the Big 10 championship) The rest of my time, which was used by going out to eat the week before I left for philly, is switching to cycling. With 45+ degree days i cleaned my bike off and took it out for a couple of rides this weekend. I am rediculously out of shape but it was fun to get out of the house and exercise again. So here are a few highlights, if you want to call them that, of my 35 miles this weekend.

• This is my first spring with my new bike and apparently I am not used to snow melting at different paces. On saturday I headed out the Red Jacket trail and soon ran into an ice skating rink where the trail once was. My bike ride turned into a walk for about a half a mile. After that I realized that the next 3 miles through the woods would be impossible. My only other option was to climb the hill next to hwy 90. It was dry but much to much for me to handle. I walked the last 100 m.
• Dogs. I got chased by two dogs on Sunday. This was my first experience while I was on a bike and I thought they would just leave me alone. But these were dogs used to open space and these two chocolate labs chase me a ways until I slowed down. I will admit I was a little scared but after I stopped they left me alone. Later on im pretty sure I stepped in dog poop as I was stopped at a light. I eyed up every dog for the rest of my ride sure they would break their leashes and chase me, maybe taking time to pee on my feet.
• People. My mind wanders from topic to topic as I bike and people were all over the streets and trails this weekend. Mothers running alongside their 12 year old sons as they bike, pushing them for a faster pace on their way to a destination clearly unatainable for the son. Old men running/walking. Young men at the same pace. Bikers legs completetly covered in mud. (I can only imagine what I looked like after 20 miles.)

I plan on accepting my invitation for Tanzania tomorrow and going through that process again. Hopefully I can get a job so I dont have to blog everyday and bore people to death.

Is this a joke?

This post comes to you from an airplane. One that is headed back to MN not west to JoBerg and eventually Madagascar. After arriving in Philly and settling into our hotel, a few other PCVs and I headed for lunch and before our staging. While waiting in the lobby for staging a rumor surfaced about bad news from Mada. A current volunteer in country posted on our Facebook group about some bad news. This volunteer was not so optimistic that we would actually make it to Mada on Thursday as planned. After turning in a few forms we were all gathered in our staging room. We chatted about how excited we were and how lucky we all were to be going to Madagascar. Everyone agreed it would provide us with tons of opportunities and it would be a priceless experience. The energy in the room was very apparent and every minute seemed to take us closer to our destination. Then it turned to business. Julie and Leonard have been working with our group from the DC office and they introduced themselves. Then another woman introduced herself as one of the people in charge of placing people from Washington. (PC vice pres or something of that stature). I instantly knew that she was not here just to gather forms from us and wish us off. She announced that her news was not good and that we would not be going to Madagascar after all. The situation, although not presently dangerous, had the potential to be so. The military, being controlled by the current government and the President, was no longer supporting the president. Basically the policing force wasn’t going to be protecting anyone. The room was silent. All of the energy had been sucked out and we had nothing but astonished and disappointed looks. After being delayed for an additional month it seemed that our Madagascar dreams would have to wait a little longer, if becoming real at all. Tons of questions poured out about what we were to do now. Our lives had been shaken again and many people were left reeling. Cars had been sold, leases on homes and apartments had expired, Insurance gone, jobs lost. We were a day away and now we were going to be turned back. Never in the history of the PC has a group been turned away at staging and that was a record we did not wish to have. But that is the thing about PC invitees, we are forever searching for ways to be optimistic. Although I found this unbelievably hard to do. We were informed that we were the top priority to be placed. We would be moved ahead of people and they would place us as soon as we would like. Although for many that could be June or July at the earliest. After going over a few logistics we were excused for a couple hours before dinner courtesy of the PC.

There were 31 other people in our group all seemed to be more amazing than the last. Everyone got along beautifully yet we all had to get through this strange news together. That made it much easier for me to bear. WHAT WERE WE GOING TO DO? It seemed that no one knew. We bounced ideas off of each other and tried to grasp what the best decision would be. Yet it seemed different for everyone. A free dinner at Chili’s led to more discussion, it then turned to more personal questions about people’s pasts rather than the hazy future. It was a stress free dinner that left my spirits up. Although the 3 hours of sleep in the past 40 hours was catching up to me. Justin, my roommate a small business volunteer, and I returned to our room to relax and watch some TV. I was no longer in the mood to go out with other volunteers to relieve some of the stress. It was still surreal that night. We were supposed to stay in the hotel that night and catch a flight in the morning yet we knew we would be separating rather than traveling together to our assignment.

So now on the flight to MSP, it is sinking in that the return to MN could be extensive. I will have to face my friends again, some of whom I have said goodbye to twice already. Justin and I shared that same view that we return in a sort of embarrassed state. To me it seems like I have failed twice. Like it is somehow my fault yet I know the problem was half a world away. A problem that many wouldn’t even believe. A former DJ turned politician organizing a coup against the current president who started out owning a yogurt stand on the side of the road. It just seems like a terrible joke someone told me just so they could laugh as I try to hold on to the vision of going. My hope is that most people can read this rather than me having to try to explain it to everyone individually. Frankly, I was already tired of talking about it before I left. Now I have to revisit it for a third, possibly fourth time. But I thank everyone for their love and support, I know it has not been easy on anyone and I look forward to spending some time with you all again soon.

On my way

Well I told people i would post before I left so here goes...
I have gotten the opportunity to hang out with my best friends for another month. For that I am very grateful. Fun times with people I love.
However, I think i am very ready to leave. I am ready for a new adventure. An opportunity to learn about myself, other cultures and the unexpected.

Other than that I dont think there is anything interesting to report. 60+ pounds of luggage, an itinerary and a taste for something new. A new haircut and clean shaven. For those who expect me to look like Tom Hanks in Castaway, we will have to see what the culture allows.

Check in on me often. I will try and do this as much as possible but the first couple months probably wont let me do that. So hold on, dont give up hope on the blog. And ill let you know all of the cool stuff that happens.