Pre-departure

Welcome to my blog, where I will post stories from Tanzania.

Since I'm not in Tanzania yet, I have nothing to say now. So instead I will go over some of the basics...
- I joined the Peace Corps and will teach secondary science in Tanzania, Africa from Sept. '06 to Dec. '08.
- On Monday, Sept. 18th, I will head to Philly for the Peace Corps' Staging Event. Basically this is a two day event where I meet other Volunteers who will serve in TZ, hear about the rules and such of the Peace Corps and get my shots (so I don't die). On Wednesday we board a plane bound for Dar Es Salaam (the capitol of TZ) - well actually we head to NYC, then Amsterdam, then Mt. Kilimanjaro, then to Dar. I should be in Dar, and officially in Africa, by Thursday night.
- The first 10 weeks in Africa will be training. I will learn how to teach science, how to adapt to the new culture, how to speak Swahili (hakuna matata everyone) and how to not die from water parasites. During this first 10 weeks I will live with a host family -I hope one that is doesn't hate on me for botching their customs and language.
- After training each Volunteer is given an assignment... a school to teach at. This can be almost anywhere in the country and odds are I won't have another Volunteer in my village. The Peace Corps then sends me on my way to do my thing.

So other notes: I will have a cell phone when I get to Dar, so if you want I can give you my number (it will be free for me to receive incoming calls - important since the Peace Corps tries to keep their Volunteers on the living standards of the host-country people and $100 phone calls are not budgeted in). I also will have internet access... email me at kyle.langham@gmail.com if you want to send me a shout-out.

That's about it for now. I'll post my first week (hopefully) and should have something more fun to read.

Peace. Kyle