Why I haven't yet communicated...

Went to Dar and walked around. Saw the Hindu temple there as well as the Indian district. Spent Thanksgiving dinner eating Lebanese food in Dar..had a good falafel! Next day took the long bus ride (12 hours) to Mbeya and arrived to no mattresses in my new home. Instead I got to stay at a safi hotel for the night called Paradise. Next day went shopping in town for some things and then met another volunteer who lives nearby for a Thanksgiving dinner. We didn't have power in all of the Southern Highlands (Mbeya had not had power for a week!) and all of a sudden the power came on...we had alot to be thankful for on a belated Thanksgiving day. Had a tour of the place where I work met some PhD's in engineering. Everyone is so nice and friendly, hope it stays that way. Living here has a nice feel with the kids playing outside and the mountain view from my new flat. I will post pics up as soon as I get more furniture. :)

Now there is no power again. It is amazing how much you can do with no power- we won't get power back for a whole month (a transformer is down and it affects the whole Mbeya region) which means I have to have help carrying water up 3 flights of stairs, I use candles during the night time, and that I use a kerosene stove for cooking. We have a generator at school so I have a place to charge my cell phone and very rarely use the internet. The staff that I work with is amazing full of such smart people and the families of the apt complex have been taking care of me. They really want to let kids from neighboring schools tour the facility to encourage them to grow up to be engineers. I really enjoy everyone I work with so far. There is the most amazing mama there who is full of life..she is like a mother to me already. And 2 16 year old girls who have become my friends. People here seem to have two jobs..the farm and their present job as teachers. Nearby there is mchicha and matembele growing (2 types of greens which people here eat). They have given me furniture to use and I wake up each day with the beautiful view sipping chai. Tanzania has an independence day on the 9th of Dec. So I will return back to school on the 10th. Hope everyone is enjoying their holiday season. We all have alot to be thankful for. Kwa heri.