First semester - Check

So the first semester is over, and I've been on Zanzibar for 6 months. Wow. Is that not crazy. Which means I've been in Tanzania for just about 8 and 1/2 months. I'm reminiscing now specifically because I am now hanging out at our In Service Training (IST), which is a week long training designed to be at this time when we have been in our community for a while and can now look back and see what we've learned and look forward to see what we can accomplish. Like that run-on? Anyway, all the people from my training class are here and its been great thus far. I've learned sooo much, some of which I can not share on this blog due to PC rules but some of which I will.
For instance, did you ever here about something called perma-culture before? Me know, but really it's AWESOME. It stands for permanent agriculture and the man who was teaching us this yesterday is the man I would want to know if the world feel apart or I had to stay forever in Africa. It's a way of growing enough food to feed yourself and family, by using your natural resources to your advantage. Bio-intensive farming goes hand in hand with it and let me tell you it's just about the neatest thing. It's simple, takes a little work, and you can get double the crop for one quarter of the land space. It's awesome! I kid you not. You don't need fertilizers or any fancy stuff like spray's, just some time, and ingenuity. It's designed to break the cycle of dependency that so many small time farmers here get into where they only make enough to pay off last years bills and get them into independence. Also it's just easier once you've started. You don't need to weed, just 10 minutes a day will be enough for up keep once it's laid out. Double digging is the key, and using burms swan's and paying attention to where the water is going and slowing it down and diverting it to where you want it is great. Also suppose it's the dry season and you don't have enough rain. Just a bottle with some wholes in it planted in the ground beside your plan will do the trick. I seriously have to show this to you avid gardners out there! Anyway, we spent a day outside yesterday just planting etc. and it was really cool.
Another interesting story I heard involved the wizard council of Pemba. I kid you not they have wizards on pemba to solve the spiritual problems. Anyway, these wizards have a sort of council of wizards I guess and this council has a head. So there is a head wizard. No joke. Anyway the pcvs on pemba lately have been busy trying to decide if the head wizard of pemba is more of a voldemort or a dumbledore. The question is still up for debate and quite amusing to discuss.
Also just listening to everyone talk about their trials and tribulations in the first 6 months here has been quite rewarding. Misery loves company right? Ha. no. But it's really quite nice to know that you aren't the only one. Even when you know philisophically that's probably true it's just nice to hear it and realize it for real. Pc also has been really listening to the suggestions of the volunteers being sent to the islands, and apologized for not realizing how different the culture was that they sent us to than what we were trained for. Which is really nice and makes me think they will improve it in the future. Also I've mentioned how the education system is quite different to and they have been listening to that. So in general problems are gettting addressed and solved.
The end of the semester happens at my school this Friday (I took off a week early), and well it feels good to be done. Don't quite have all my grades turned in yet but I'm working on it. Everything else is set. I'm glad.
Also found out something great. Am I wrong if I think it's a sign of Brendan's great character that the man can moonwalk?! I mean he can moonwalk like a madman!! How cool is that? AND he can play euchre. Obviously someone cool. Anyway all in all life is good, I am happy and I hope you all are too.
Love much

Sarah