Settling in

So I have had a few days to get settled in now and mostly things have been going very smoothly except for a few hiccups with my visa and my bank card. For some reason the Tanzania High Commission in Canada issued me a six month tourist visa (I did indicate I was on a volunteer internship) but here they won't accept that for some reason. So, they've allowed me into the country for two months by which time I need to apply for a resident permit. Which is all fine and good if it weren't for the ridiculous amount of money I paid for that damn visa. The High Commission will be receiving an email but I don't imagine it will accomplish much. The bank card situation is too frustrating to get into. Let's just leave it at the damn thing doesn't work.

Anyway, my home is quite comfortable and well located. I have a great (but slightly overpriced) grocery store, several atms, a movie theatre and excellent internet cafe within a five minute walk and it's only a 20 minute walk (or 5 minute bus) to work. There are currently two of us living in a four bedroom house with a lovely dining room, sitting room, kitchen and a private bathroom for every room. We have thoroughly cleaned the kitchen and have started to do some cooking there. Blackouts are quite frequent but we don't really need electricity so much anyway. I am working very hard on the swahili and have managed to learn basic greetings and numbers so far. Everyone seems very eager to teach me and I feel completely useless without it so I hope to become mildly conversant fairly quickly.

The first few days of work went by okay. My supervisor was invited at the last minute to a conference in Liberia so much of his time went to making arrangements and then he will be gone all of this week. It took me until now to adjust to the time difference too so I wasn't much use. I am focusing now and making arrangements for a big event to happen sometime in the next few weeks in which students and faculty at the university will be invited to a day with some speakers and entertainment and where HIV testing sites will be set up. I have serious questions about the possibility of success for this event but it's hard to know without knowing the community and what will motivate them to come out to a weekend event. Friday I was asked to sit down with a couple of members of the student government to figure out a budget for the event. Like I have any idea what tent rentals cost here!!!

Will take some photos today and post them next time I'm online... internet connection at the internet cafe is much better than at work so I'll have to do it here.