Now I am in Tanzania

Hamjambo!

Hi. I am writing this from Tanzania.

I arrived at the airport around 3p.m. on 25th. We have already spent 4 days here in Tanzania.
Now the rainy season is over, and it is said that now is the best season to visit Tanzania. It isn't too hot.

Dar es Salaam, which is the largest city in Tanzania, has many hotels, shops, good roads, and also very nice beach. You may see sharks around some beach, so it is dangerous to swim there, but the sea is very beautiful. (I guess the sea in the Zanzibar islands must be much more beautiful.)

Since we arrived here, we saw many Japanese used cars which have many Japanese letters on the bodies. It made me feel very strange. I heard one story about these. One Japanese happend to take a local bas here in Dar es Salaam, and the bus was the same bas which he used to use when he was a little boy to go to his kindergarden every day.

From next week, the Swahili training will start again, but now I am a bit relaxed.

I'll write again.

Tutaonana tena

I visited the mayor and the governor.

Hamjambo!
I am home now. I'll leave for Tanzania on 24 June from Kansai Airport, but for a while I am home to prepare for my trip.

Also we, the JOCV (Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers), are assinged to visit the mayors and the governors of our home town. I visted the Yokkaichi mayor the other day. Three of us visited hime together. By a curious coincidence, it was found that three of us graduated the same elementary school! From the small local town, three people will leave for Chili, Cambodia and Tanzania in this month.

The next day, four of the JOCV members who are from Mie Prefecture. Four of us visited the deputy governor. Three of us are teachers, and we will be officially sent to other countries. After one year and monthes, we will be back to the same school and work again.


These are the four JOCV members who are from Mie Prefecutre, and each of us is going to Chili, Cambodia, Tanzania and Ghana.

Tutaonana tena.

The training is over.

Hamjambo!

Yesterday was the last day of our training. About 160 trainees spent 65 days in the traning center together.

The day before, we did the 10minutes presentation in the class. My classmates spoke about their job, hometown and so on in Kiswahili. I spoke about my students a little and Korean drums and the music. To be honest I couldn't understand all of what my classmates talked, however, I could understand most of their speech and I could ask some questions in Kiswahili. I realized what we have obtained for these two months, and I appreciated my teacher who taught us very patiently and enthusiasticly.

We gave present to my teacher after the last lesson, and my teacher said, " I am happpy that you made efforts. However you should continue to work hard even in Tanzania. Study study study until December, then you will be able to communicate well."

On the last day of the training, we had a graduation ceremony and reception. Thinking about the 65 days traning, it was not so long but not short, I had feeling something happy and sad to farewell friends, teachers and staff. We, the trainees, will be sent to over 25 countries all over the world, mainly Africa and Asia. I just hoped every trainees will be fine and do their assingment well and all of us will return to Japan safely two years later.

I will be at home until 24 June.

Asante sana. Kwaheri. Tutaonana tena.

Photo: Our favourite classroom.

Outdoor Lesson

Hamjambo!

This week we had two big events. One was "Outdoor Lesson", and the other was "The International Exchange Day" As for outdoor lesson, we went to the farm garden with our teacher and we used our target languages in real situation. The day we went out was a sunny day, and it was really good day to go out. We went to Miharu Farm Garden by train and taxi. My teacher is always very enthusiastic to teach new expressions in Kiswahili, so her lesson started immediately after we, the students, met her at the station.

We saw beautiful flowers and had lunch at the organic food restaurant. Even during the lunch time, my teacher wrote down some new words for us. It was a good opportunity to learn words and phrases in such a situation. She looked happy in the garden or happier than usual , since she always loves flowers, and she often brings flowers in the classroom.

Something hard is waiting after something fun. We had to write a report on the outdoor lessaon in Kiswahili on the day. As for me, it took nearly an hour to finish it...Anyway, it was a really good program.

Next time I'll write about the International Exchange Program.

Tutaonana tena. (see you again.)