So for In-Service Training (IST) we had to bring a counterpart - someone that will help you with future projects, particularly with getting other villagers involved. Logically, I should have brought one of two women in my village that I correspond with the most, but at the time, I really didn’t want to invite either of them to come. A week before I had to leave for IST, I finally decided to invite Roden, the chairman of my PLWHA group Tupendane. He’s 52, a farmer, doesn’t speak one word of English, and has only been to a large city maybe once or twice before going to Morogoro with me. His hands and feet are extremely large and swollen from all the farming he’s done his entire life. (That is very common with all farmers here)

I didn’t expect much from him. Really, I just wanted to give him the opportunity to come and learn, see what Peace Corps is all about, and above all, earn a good sum of money!

Upon arriving in Morogoro at the building where sessions were held daily, I greeted him, and he was SO excited to be there. I asked where his bags were, and he said he only had the clothes on his back. He quickly made friends with another counterpart, and together they got a room at a nearby motel.

As sessions went on, Roden continued to pleasantly surprise me with how vocal he was. He asked questions, would answer questions, and always took notes. I was so impressed with him - he was so active with everything, even physical activities even though he has a permanent limp.

After IST, when I returned to my village, he gave me some avocadoes in thanks for taking him to Morogoro. All that I expected from him at this point was for him to continue to be wonderful with Tupendane, and to help me lead the group with curiosity and motivation to work on income generating projects.

Then, I left for a few weeks to go to Egypt. I was gone for what felt like a very long time, and I did not expect Tupendane to meet while I was gone, because they always seemed to only meet when I was around. It’s funny, because they are very motivated, but only when I am around; I’m like a catalyst for them. Anyway, because of that, I obviously expected very little to have been done in my absence.

Upon returning to my village, the nurse told me what I consider the happiest news of my time in Peace Corps, thus far. She told me that while I was gone, Roden had begun teaching Tupendane how to permagarden (an incredible way to garden that allows for more crops to successfully grow at a fast rate). Now, each subvillage has their own permagarden for the Tupendane members, and they’re all helping each other tend to it.

……Are you kidding me?!?!?! How amazing is Roden? And all of Tupendane… If that’s not inspiration, I don’t know what is. If you know me, you know that I have a brown thumb. I HATE gardening. Don’t get me wrong - I love the concept of it, and I love what it does for people, but I, myself, straight up suck at it. Peace Corps pretty much shoves permagardening down our throats (which they should) and I wasn’t sure if I was ever going to teach Tupendane how to permagarden because I barely know how to do it myself. I kill cactuses. So the fact that Roden learned about it at IST and took it back and taught them all, even while I was gone, just absolutely blows my mind.

All this because of one small decision to ask Roden to come to IST with me. I am so awed by him, and all of Tupendane… it helps me realize that I made the best choice of my life to join Peace Corps. This is where I should be. I gave Roden the opportunity to learn, and he gave Tupendane the opportunity to live healthier lifestyles.

Me and Roden, practicing putting condoms on soda bottles. Not awkward at all…:)

Will you marry me? Your voice is incredible, and I love it. I remember that time you sang “Such Great Heights” for me and that was when I knew what it felt like to be serenaded…

I just thought of “cannonball dookie.” Your reaction was what made that so much funnier, oh god. Not sure how many times I can express to you how much I love and miss you.

I’m looking forward to the day where we can once again eat delicious food (that you’ll most likely cook) and watch some TV show or movie that you love and introduce me to. No matter where you are in the world, I will find you! Or we will find each other. Muah.

Got a lot of project ideas, thanks to wonderful conversations with Trudes, Amy, and Logan. The next few weeks will be dedicated to studying Swahili and talking with my HIV/AIDS group as well as my village officials about events/projects I want to plan in the upcoming months. I’m pretttty stoked! I will write a blog post in a few weeks with updates - I have a lot of great ideas and if my villagers are down, I think it will be a lot of fun/a lot of stress to have a big HIV Awareness event in my vill sometime in July or August, to prep them for World AIDS Day on December 1st.

I also want to test the waters for an income generating project that I personally think would be pretty successful, as well as mayyybe start the preparations for a HUGE project that will take at least a year to get moving - I really need to do some research because 1. I know very little about what the project entitles, and 2. I need to find out if my village actually really needs what they asked me for.

Some prizes that I will have for my event are some new Peace Corps khangas! Suuper pumped about these, even though there are TYPOS! Sheesh.

Also, in about three weeks, my parents will be arriving!! Yeeeaaaa son! I’m going to meet them at the airport in Dar and I’m pretty sure we will all cry because we are saps. Then we’ll spend a few days in Dar so they can buy me some sweet, sweet food like Mexican (mmmm), and take me to the movies. And spoil me… a lot. Then we’ll go to Zanzibar, and have the time of our lives, then go to Arusha on safari, and have the time of our lives, then come back to my vill, and have the time of our lives. Then I will cry as I say goodbye to them again. Sad.

Sooo tons of things are going to be happening within the next few months and I’ll do my best to update as they happen! Baadaye. (Later)

acroquemonsieur:

If I could turn back time

Oh my god, how I miss these shows. I cannot stop laughing. Due to my cold, my voice is like three octaves lower, so it’s like a creepy man laugh goin’ on over here. “I’m ‘bout to go take a shit!” LOL so classy, I hope Valencia is prepared for all the Flavor of Love quotes thrown her way for the next year and a half. *blissful sigh*

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My wand:  Pear and Dragon, Eleven and a Half inches, Slightly Yielding

As a rule, dragon heartstrings produce wands with the most power, and which are capable of the most flamboyant spells. Dragon wands tend to learn more quickly than other types. While they can change allegiance if won from their original master, they always bond strongly with the current owner.

The dragon wand tends to be easiest to turn to the Dark Arts, though it will not incline that way of its own accord. It is also the most prone of the three cores to accidents, being somewhat temperamental.

Pear wood:
This golden-toned wood produces wands of splendid magical powers, which give of their best in the hands of the warm-hearted, the generous and the wise. Possessors of pear wands are, in my experience, usually popular and well-respected. I do not know of a single instance where a pear wand has been discovered in the possession of a Dark witch or wizard. Pear wands are among the most resilient, and I have often observed that they may still present a remarkable appearance of newness, even after many years of hard use.

I was also placed into the Hufflepuff House (big surprise there! not.)

“Hufflepuffs are trustworthy and loyal. We don’t shoot our mouths off, but cross us at your peril; like our emblem, the badger, we will protect ourselves, our friends and our families against all-comers. Nobody intimidates us.

However, it’s true that Hufflepuff is a bit lacking in one area. We’ve produced the fewest Dark wizards of any house in this school. Of course, you’d expect Slytherin to churn out evil-doers, seeing as they’ve never heard of fair play and prefer cheating over hard work any day, but even Gryffindor (the house we get on best with) has produced a few dodgy characters.”

I completely agree with my being placed in Hufflepuff House. I am not competitive and am always a fair player. I am extremely loyal and consider my friendships unbelievably important. I don’t consider myself dumb and think compassion is more powerful than most things in life. At the end of the quiz to see which House you’re placed in, it asked me if I’d prefer to be in Hufflepuff or Slytherin. Strange, because those two are very, very different Houses. I chose Hufflepuff because I could never be a Slytherin; I would never only let purebloods in. It would not be fitting whatsoever if I were to be placed there, sooo I am satisfied.

For some reason, Hufflepuff gets kind of a bad rep. I guess it’s because it’s kind of the forgotten House… you only really read about the other three. The only Hufflepuff of note is Cedric Diggory, though he was admittedly kick ass. I’ve always leaned towards wanting to be in either Gryffindor or Ravenclaw, but rationally speaking, I definitely belong in Hufflepuff. :P