I just had a 2 week trip back to America. I saw my family, neighborhood friends, extended family, college buddies, friends from work, and even met some new people (While failing to see Sarett people, and Sarah Colton). I was so excited getting off the plane and seeing what I remembered as life in the States. What was really odd though was that I did not feel odd at all. I guess the last 22 years of my life have made it so that even 14 months of submersion in the third world couldn't make me forget my first world roots.
Even with that being said, Peace Corps Volunteers are still NOT capable of doing various everyday American tasks, such as follows...
- Using credit cards at convenience stores (seriously, like 7 minutes)
- Greeting people in English ("Hey, how is the home brother?")
- Dealing with the COLD!!!
- Looking the correct way when crossing a street
- Spending the correct amount of time on the toilet (I can sit instead of squat... gimme half an hour)
- Spending the correct amount of time in the shower (Water is raining automatically from a nozzle above me, how could I possibly use more than 5 minutes?)
- Letting surrounding people throw out good food (They barely touched it, it was $8.50 and delicious)
- Using Iphones
- Paying high costs for traveling (28 dollars for a cab!!! That is roughly 14 cab rides in TZ)
- Drinking from water fountains (All over the face)
- Deciding from a menu (100 choices, and they actually will have them all!)
- Time managing (I have to be somewhere at some specific time?)
- Ignoring overhead planes ("Hey! You guys see that? That was like the third one this hour!")
- Any activity after 4 PM ("Guys the sun went down, aren't you all tired too?")
While back in the states there was alot of interest told to me about sending care packages out here, for my sake or for the sake of the villagers. I have little ideas for what the villagers would want in a package, and even less for me, BUT one item I have been very interested in getting for my village is a one world futbol. It is a soccer ball that is virtually indestructible. Soccer balls are a big problem in third world countries. Since my arrival in the village our team has gone through at least 3 balls, fixing punctures, resewing, and plugging up leaky valves takes away from alot of game days, not to mention costs alot of money. This new ball does not require an air pump, and apparently cannot really be destroyed. If anyone has feelings to do a good deed, sending one to my Address (below) would be much appreciated. Also I am going to be doing another project hopefully in the coming months dealing with creating water piping for the delivery of clean water throughout my village, and this charity allows for anonymous donations to go directly to my project funding which would be greatly appreciated. I will keep you up to date on that though.
Address:
Jeff Hubley
PO box 344
Same, Kilimanjaro
Tanzania
After getting back to Tanzania and not seeing the end of the world in the states I have made my top priority to plan out a great next year and to put my full effort into a good future, physically, mentally, and career wise. I won't bore you with the details, but it is going to be an exciting new year. Among my current plans are running a half marathon, meditating more regularly, finding a extension program with peace corps that I want to pursue, and making a lasting change at my village before I leave. I hope we all have luck in this year to come!
Trying to get this video posted but I don't think it works yet.... Gotta love slow internet!
