Hello everyone! I finally got a picture to work with me! Hahaha...this is a picture of the Shifting Sands near Oldupai gorge. I was dressed fully in my kitenge because the wind was so intense! It was blowing sand all over the place. The shifting sands was the coolest thing ever. In the middle of this huge area of bare trees and dirt, there is this big black pile of sand that sticks together and moves every year in one direction due to wind. It's black and doesn't stick to your skin, but instead sticks to itself. It's actually magnetic. our tour guide took a magnet out to the area and showed us how the sand stuck to it and kept building on itself. It was so amazing to see. In the photo you can see the difference in colors right below my ears.

We had our "midterm" test this morning. It wasn't too bad, it was just so cold in the computer lab that all of our fingers were cramping! Today is also my last day at the center. Tomorrow we move in with our host families! We had a little session in class today, boys and girls separated, to teach us how life is different in Tanzania. It was so hilarious to see that our professors had actually taken to drawing pictures of toilets on large pieces of paper to demonstrate how to go to the bathroom when using a pit toilet. It was so so so funny to see our professors squatting over a piece of paper and showing how to "aim correctly" so as not to miss. Our host families are going to be very fun and a good experience. It's going to be almost too much for me to be waited on hand and foot. I want to be treated like part of the family, but instead I am going to be this huge deal! We were told that when we went to any type of function with our families, we would be placed in front of everything so that everyone could see us. It's still hard for me to get used to being such a huge spectacle. I'm not used to having everyone stare at me uncontrollably everyday. Although, being called "mzungu" is definately something I AM getting used to.

I'm finally adapting to the sounds, tastes and weather of Arusha. It took me awhile at first to get over things like the mosque shouting prayers through a megaphone from 5am til around 7, or the crazy birds and monkeys outside my window making sounds straight out of a horror film. The weather is still a little chilly, but I'm slowly learning to layer EVERYTHING I own. It's not too bad. I have bought a few kangas and kitenges, and they're very good for layering, as you've seen in the picture of me by the Shifting Sands. I'm glad it's kipupwe (winter) because that means my host family will be trying to keep me warm!!!
<------these were my students at the school we taught yesterday morning. My computer is finally uploading pictures for me so this one is a little late. I just thought it would be interesting to see all the children. They were so fascinated by us, they didn't care what we taught them! The girls next to me in the photo were amazing. They kept grabing me by my arms/legs/hair(gently of course)/clothing to show me everything they could think of while screaming out "Zuwena"! I loved every minute of it! School is so amazing here, it is so different from in the states. Children actually want to be there, want to learn. After I taught my lesson, I stuck around to watch my friend Trey teach music and it was amazing to see how the students learned the lesson. All of them were sharing pencils and pens and paper and waiting so patiently for each to finish. It could have also been because Wazungu were teaching the class...but education is definately valued more here than in the states, I can guarantee it.

Anyway, my pictures are finally posting on my shutterfly account, so you are more than welcome to visit. hope all is well back home and your summer is going well! Kwaheri!