My first 2 weeks!

Wow. Peace Corps is awesome. So I get dropped off in the middle of nowhere and have to figure it all out on my own. Its pretty cool. I have spent my past two weeks getting my house together. I built my own bed and my first night it crumbled to the ground. But now it has 7 legs and is perfect. I went to a huge market called Mnada and bought a Barabaig tribal knife and im having a spear and sandals made out of tires made for me. I live on school grounds so after school I walk home with a kid so I can get to know my town and meet their family and neighbors. That has been way cool.
For my birthday and 2 other volunteers bdays we got together for a party, of course. Although this was a party like no other. We bought a goat at Mnada for 50$ and had people from the Barabaig tribe (this is the main tribe in my area, google them) help us kill it and prepare it for cooking. So all day we roasted goat, drank horribly warm beer and refressments and watched some tribal dancing. It was pretty awesome. The next morning Randy and I decided to walk back to town which was about 3hours away. It was soo beautiful. Exactly what you picture Africa to be like.

Im sorry I have to be short so I will skip to my most favorite day of all. An old woman came into town a few weeks ago and one day she followed me back to my house. She wanted me to look at her baskets that she makes and see if I would want to buy them. Well alot of people assume I have money and want me to come to their stores. I agreed and I walked across the street to where she set up her baskets and they were gorgeous. So far I have bought about 30,000 Tanz Shilings worth and sat with her for a little bit. Since then the other vols. have come to visit and together we have spent about 115,000 Tanz Shilings ( about 110 US$). That is about 1/3 of what she usualy makes in a year she told me. Everyday I have gone to sit with her and just enjoy eachothers company. Which is so cool too because right now...thats my job. My American mind was thinking I need to get up and be busy but then I realized that yes, sitting here, eating pineapple and trying to speak swahili with this old lady is my job. How cool is that?
When I want to study swahili and go and sit with her because I know she loves me by now and she is very patient when talking with me. The other night she invited me over to the house she is staying at while in town to teach me how to cook ugali (flour & water). Last night I had her at my house and I made her pasta and garlic bread. She was so thrilled to try American food.

I have to end here because i need time to try to figure out these pictures. Peace