Week One

After a long flight last Sunday-Monday we made it to Bujumbura. It feels great to finally be here! No more waiting, or preparing, the time is here. I traveled with two other SALTers  (Robyn and Yolanda) who will also be working in Bujumbura. It has been nice making this transition with them.

We spent this last week staying with the MCC reps, and they have been doing an orientation with us by showing us important places, introducing us to people we need to know, and going over things like finances.  Tomorrow, Monday, we will head up country and stay with another MCC worker for a week. The plan is to have us experience a different part of Burundi, and to kick start our learning of Kirundi (the national language).  After we get back we will move in with our host families, start working with our organizations, and begin language lessons.

This week we went to the city center, visited the market, we met our host families, met language tutors, and visited the organizations that we will be working with. We also got the opportunity to swim in lake Tanganyika yesterday! It has been a very full week and there is a lot to process.   

I had the opportunity on Thursday to spend a few hours at the radio station that I will be working for.  They also have a recording studio that is almost fully functional, and I am excited to be part of the process.  I think that I will spend most of my time with the studio because that is where my experience is, but WOI (the organization I am working for) has not discussed that with me yet. 

Cons: agonizingly slow internet

Pros:  fresh mangos, avocados, bananas, and pineapples!

I will do my best to keep you updated on all the new developments! 

wal-mish

I admire the Amish and their quest for simple living, but it is hard for me to believe that in their quest to separate themselves from the world that they would shop at wal-mart of all places. 

But they do...

While visiting here in PA we had the opportunity to go out and see the sites: town, the dairy farm, and the Amish. I saw their horse drawn buggies, bonnets, and neck beards. I don't know if they appreciated me taking pictures of them, I'm sorry if I offended anyone, but I couldn't help myself. These people really exist; I had stepped into another world and could not believe my eyes. I think what is the most shocking is not their appearance but that some shop at wal-mart? We also talked to someone who knew an Amish man that had a blackberry... what? I don't think that is allowed. These actions seem very inconsistent, but I can only wonder. 

Also, I am off to Burundi today at 11:00am!

 

It all begins

It began yesterday with my mom and I shoving every belonging I own into the back of the mini van. Arrange and rearrange and yet it still would not fit. I have more books, equipment, dishes, clothes and knick-knacks than I ever imagined.  But not anymore. My life for the last four years was crammed in the back of a van and then drove off down the road.

Now my possessions have been condensed into two bags and are sitting in my room at the MCC compound. I think this week of orientation is going to be good time of learning and centering. I have already meet a lot of great people and it is exciting to think of us all going off around the world to do amazing things.