Argh.

As much as I like it here, there are certain things about Tanzania that drive me absolutely nuts. I think I've already described how everything here moves a lot slower than at home. Although that does have its benefits - apparently the word "stress" only began to appear in the Swahili language in very recent times, it can be very annoying when one actually wants to help out and get work done. At my placement this morning, I taught English until 9, then helped one of the staff members with his computer skills... and that's all. Now it's 10:40, and although I'm supposed to stay at my placement until 12:30, I have absolutely nothing to do. The staff there are all sitting around drinking tea. Tea time is sacred here, I swear that the entire country stops when it's time for tea. One of the other volunteers with CCS works at the hospital, and she said that they've even delayed surgeries because the doctors weren't done their tea. As wonderful as the culture of "hakuna matata" can be, I can definitely see why Asia is developing so much more rapidly than Africa - people here spend way too much time just sitting around doing nothing. Things here are inefficient to the point of being ridiculous... being on time to Tanzanians means showing up only half an hour late for something.

One of the other volunteers on the trip got malaria yesterday, which is a little scary because she's on the anti-malaria drugs that the majority of us are taking... apparently, they're not as potent as the doctors back home said they were. I really hope I don't get sick while I'm here. Knock on wood, aside from my lost voice (which I've finally found again) and some minor stomach issues (beer and fries really don't make for the best dinners - even back home!), I've been good so far. I think I'm starting to take after my mom - I've gone through half a bottle of Purell already!! (And, as much as I hate it, I am wearing bug spray... eau de deet has become my new fragrance of choice.)

Yesterday, I went to church with Mama Simba, the CCS Director. That was interesting. At first it was fun - there was a lot of music and dancing, and everyone was so passionate about it that I got swept up in the atmosphere. Then it just turned into something that resembled one of those tele-evangelical services - people started collapsing on the floor in tears, sobbing towards the heavens, and the pastor later called up all the sick people in the church for healing prayers. Katie and I half expected someone to come in in a wheelchair and miraculously start walking. I'm glad I went, it was a very interesting cultural experience; but seeing as the mass took almost four hours to complete, I think I've done my time in African church for at least a year!

One last thing, for the record - for those of you who I have given the CCS Home Base number to, don't try to call me. Phone service here is ridiculously unreliable; it cuts off randomly during calls, and half the time, calls don't go through at all. Oh, the joys of the third world!