Poa Friends. Poa Laughs. Poa Times.

Like the Jeffersons, we've moved up to a deluxe apartment in the sky! We've made the final move to our accommodations at an apartment not so far from the Lutheran compound that I was originally staying in. The place is immaculate! Decorated in traditional Tanzanian decor, this place has everything: three bedrooms, two bath, dining room, living room, full kitchen, balcony, a house keeper named Grace in charge of all chores including laundry, double lined mosquito nets, hot water showers, and western-style toilets. We've gone from living like peasants to living like kings! It's wonderful, but there was still something I'm going to miss about our previous meager rooms... simplicity. I was content with what I had. It was an awesome feeling being free of all the "normal" amenities that I've been accustomed to (although I did miss hot showers). Content isn't an adjective that I would usually use to describe myself, but there was something about washing clothes in the sink and hanging them out to dry, uncomfortable beds, and the sound of bells or roosters in the morning. Don't get me wrong. I'm happy that I'm finally closer to Stan and Sunita, and I appreciate the hospitality that has been shown to us by allowing us to stay here. However, I feel like I've taking huge lunges back to American ways, something I'm not sure I'm ready for yet. Late tonight, Jan Pullen comes into Iringa town. She's on the bus as I type. I look forward to seeing her and showing her around. She's going to love it!
Because Ally went to pick up Jan in Dar, we went out without him last night. We had a new friend with us though. Miraji was one of Stan's first students. He's been helping with our classes and showed us a "secret" dive, famous for chipsi ma yai (yum!). So far I've tried some interesting foods, including grilled cow heart, but the food that we ate last night at "Miami" may have been the best. It was certainly the most we've eaten at one time. Lamb, ugahli, cow tail soup, chicken, and fried bananas in pepper juice eaten with our hands... so good! Of course we couldn't have gone out without a few hours worth of laughs and some interesting stories. To quote Miraji, "kula kila kitu!"... "eat everything you can!" It was so great to go out with a new rafiki!
Our teachers "graduated" today. It was a great moment for them and for us. They presented us each with presents, tapestries for Sunita and Shaina and necklaces for Kerri (my girlfriend) and I. Very sweet! We return the kindness by showing them a slide show of pictures that we'd been taking of their amazing progress. It was a bit of a tearjerker. It seems like we're making real advancements. The students were all given flash drives and email accounts. The one thing that they still need is projectors. For $7,000 we could provide all of the Global Outreach schools with them. It would revolutionize learning here forever! If you have any ideas or are able to donate, let me know...
We're going in just a moment to the market and to Gangilonga, a lookout point on the top of a gigantic boulder that overlooks the valley. I'm so excited! Until next time rafikis!