looking for somebody women special and have wide knowledge

HA.
I was stuck on a title for this entry because, in all honesty..... i got nothin to say. But then when I clicked in the little 'title' box the autocomplete feature provided me with a few choice options, the first of which I have graciously accepted from a previous internet user. Judging by a quick glimpse at the history section (a feature I'm almost positive most Tanzanians have no clue about), I have deduced that the aforementioned user, and author of the title of this entry, was searching for a perfect match on one of the following personals websites: Christian Singles Mingle, SexOnNet, or Blackplanet. I'm guessing it was not SexOnNet though, unless I'm misreading the meaning of 'wide knowledge,' though I find it hard to believe the no-good punks who usually look for porn on these computers would be nuanced enough to use such language.

So today promises to be another uneventful day. I have to wait for a good 2 hours at the offices of TANESCO to pay my electricity bill (a good argument for the privatization of utilities, though I'm still not entirely convinced). Then I'm going to go buy some bath soap, and hopefully some running shorts so that I can start something that might resemble exercise. Am mildly concerned that the whiteness of my legs could make unfortunate witnesses and bystandards to my attempts at exercise go into various forms of sensory and/or cardiovascular shock, but will probably give it a whirl anyways.

Which brings me to an interesting question I recieved recently: what do my neighbors think of some white guy moving in next door? Most of what I write in this forum is my thoughts about my neighbors, what would they write about me?? I think this is a terrific question, and one I should answer before I start showing them my legs and trying to explain...
"where are you going?"
"i am running"
"where to?"
"i am just running around"
"where??"
"up the hill and back down"
"why?!"

Unfortunately, I don't think the answer is particularly exciting - because, honestly, I think my neighbors and close friends are pretty darn used to me and see me as just another dude in the neighborhood. This in part makes me feel very proud at my efforts to get a good command of the language as well as to integrate into daily activities here in Misungwi. At the same time, it pisses me off a little because I don't get any special treatment, people just assume that I know what's going on and sometimes take for granted that I actually don't understand all the local customs and traditions.

There are some things that never cease to amaze most people I talk to on a daily basis, things that greatly influence their perceptions of me. For example, the fact that I can grow facial hair suggests I am probably 30 years old, and should be married with 3 kids by now (5 in Misungwi area, the Sukuma people have a LOT of children). Combine with this view the fact that I have recently been getting a large number of visitors, and that many of these are female, and my image begins to take on qualities of a slimey middle-aged cassanova.

Despite a few image blemishes, I am thankful that most people who aren't used to (read 'bored of') me continue to shower me with praise and respect. Many are shocked that I have become so accustomed to life here after only a year, and others can't imagine why on earth I would volunteer to leave the States for over 2 years to come work for such a low salary in such a hostile climate. Many are impressed with my education and my desire to share my knowledge with others in a simple, straightfoward way (and if you saw any of the high school exams in Tanzania, you would understand why the 'simple' part earns me respect). When I answer the question 'what do you do here?' by replying "I teach about health issues, mostly reproductive health and HIV/AIDS", there is usually a moment or two of shock or discomfort. But it doesn't take long for most people I talk to recognize the importance of my job and begin subtley probing for answers to questions they have, on a subject that is somehow still taboo despite being in the front of nearly everyone's mind.

Finally, and sadly, a few Tanzanians sometimes seem puzzled why I came here, because while they are bombarded with images of the States and western culture (thank you very much, R. Kelly, for making my life that much more difficult), they assume (correctly) that Americans don't know and, frankly, don't care much about Africa as a whole, let alone some little village in Tanzania. They assume Americans are all rich, and rather than deal with issues personally or creating relationships to explore solutions, we'd just as soon throw money down from on high to the throngs of people begging below. I say sadly because, to a certain extent, this is true. But in my many lengthy discussions with some of these folks, I hope I have served America well as an ambassador of understanding between two different countries and cultures. After serving for over a year here, I am now convinced this IS the most important job of a Peace Corps volunteer.

Wow, funny beginning, serious ending, and an overall lengthy entry. Pole sana (sorry about that!).