Oooooh, it feels good to be free!

So I have survived the 1st week in my village! There have been ups and downs as to be expected, but so far I'm adjusting well the life completely opposite from training- being completely by yourself with nothing but free time! As far as starting work goes, Peace Corps really doesn't want us to do any big projects for our first 3 months at site. And believe me, that is a good decision. Every PCV who's been here for awhile has told us things like "In your first 3 months, all you should do is learn to cook beans." or something like that. Really, it's a time to adjust, really learn Kiswahili, get your house set up, and develop relationships with your villagers. Without that basis, any projects you try to start will probably fail. That's the theory at least. So I'm really glad there's no pressure to change the world right away because all of a sudden being on my own is pretty overwhelming!
My house is right next to the primary school in my village, so all my neighbors are teachers who are really nice and helpful. My house is also on the edge of the village so I have pretty awesome views of the small mountains that surround the village right out my back door. Everyone says if I think it's pretty now just wait until everything turns green during the rainy season. My house itself has some issues to work out...namely some critter infestations (lizzards and rats I believe) and one whole room is full of furniture and junk from the last teacher that needs to get removed so I can use the space. And the choo looks like it's about to fall over. And there's a random pile of bricks in my yard where I'd like my garden to be. But this is only the first week and everything will get solved Tanzanian style- pole pole (slowly slowly). The school headmaster has promised me the stuff will get removed, he's working on finding me a cat for free, and I've already started ordering my own furniture from the village carpenter. So soon enough I will make my house a home! So for anyone who wants to visit me, I promise I will have a bed for you, there are plenty of sexy Maasai men to look at, we can go climb a mountain in my backyard, and then we can make homemade wine! What could be better????
So the one thing I will be working on eventually during these 1st 3 months is the VSA- Village Situation Analysis. It is basically a big report on the status and needs of my village that I will write after researching through house-to-house surveys, village meetings, talking to leaders, and basically just asking tons of questions. Then I'll formulate a report along with my analyses of what projects could be done to help my village, I'll translate it into Swahili to give to the local government, and I'll present it to Peace Corps in December at our In-Service Training. At that training we learn to do grant applications and other more concrete things so that after that we can start the main projects we've decided on through doing the VSA. So if that makes any sense whatsoever that is what I'll be doing officially for the next 3 months. Although I don't plan to even start having meetings officially for at least a month because I just need to get settled, make some friends, and learn how to survive. But yeah....life in Dosidosi....it'll be cool, man!