Week 2 - Almost?

Not quite a week but I thought it would be a good time to update this nonetheless. Hope you’re all well – it’s quite hot today (Wednesday, 32˚C) and I’m about to go to the supermarket so that’s riveting good fun =]

Day 9 – 7th March 2009

Today I was planning to have a lie in (no such luck!) Sukie, who is one of Richard and Karen’s dog doesn’t believe in knocking and just plummets in to my room at 9 in the morning. Excellent start! They’ve also got a Doberman (Sukie) and what I think is a Jack Russell called Mutley.

Richard and Karen have gone sailing for the weekend so I’m alone for the better part of Saturday and Sunday. Make myself breakfast and I spent a long LONG time writing up my blog and testing out my new internet USB – which works, thankfully.

The Jangwani girls arrived here about half three and it was lovely to see them all. They had a look at my pictures (of family and friends) and still won’t stop giggling every time I mention Sam. But we spent most of the time in discussion about various things. They’re very bright and one of Beatrice’s arguments you couldn’t really stand up against. What is better – Money or Education? We decided that one could not exist without the other, that they run alongside each other which I must say was very profound of them. We drank tea and Monica decided to plait my hair – Zena who I have found to be the most cheeky yet lovable girl said I looked like a farmer....”But a very pretty one!!”

So I’m about to go cook myself some pasta and have an early night because of my rude awakening.

Day 10 – 8th March 2009

Woke up at 10 today so it was a bit of a lie in! Not planning to do much today so I sat down and wrote out a layout for these profiles I’m going to do for the Jangwani girls. Had my breakfast and lunch and at 2 I went swimming for a hour which is nice. No need for a heated pool, the water was pretty much baking! After my swim I went and read (and consequently) finished another book – I’m fast running out... Karen and Richard got back home around 6 and we then had dinner, watched some TV and then bed. So as you can see, a pretty uneventful day, though it was nice to have a bit of a recharge day.

Day 11 – 9th March 2009

Back to the routine! I went to Jangwani in the morning but this time it was decided I’d stay till around 3. So I worked with the form 1 & 3 girls doing their profiles in the morning and I worked with the form 2 & 4 girls in the afternoon. In all I completed around 20 profiles which is pretty good. However, I couldn’t take many pictures since the card had been previously filled up with David’s German trip photos (I hadn’t a clue!) So I’ll be able to take more once I’ve taken off what’s on the camera.

It was nice to work with the other forms today though and I think I’ve started to figure out what the girls really think would benefit them – books, books and books! I think it would be nice for them to set up a proper library as I think they would really appreciate the constant knowledge base.

After I was finished at the school I was taken to the Oyster Bay shops (Karen teaches aerobics there) and had some time (and money) to kill. There were some lovely shops so I’ve really started with the souvenir buying for people now, which is great. I also made my first purchase FOR ME which again is great! (I also managed to buy a card reader for the camera so I can download those pictures now.)

After that we made our way down to the Yacht club, it seems to be a second home for most people here – which is nice because it gives the place a real community vibe. It was pizza night that night and although we had a long wait, (something to do with a stapler????) it was a very very very nice pizza!

Day 12 – 10th March 2009

Today the plan is to visit the Orphanage in Bagamoya so I know what to expect. It’s a national holiday today (the start of Ramadan for the Muslims) so the orphanage has a planned picnic. The idea was to get picked up at 12.30 for a 2’o’clock lunch.
The rains have apparently now come – at about 11 the sky opened and it was pretty spectacular to watch! I’ve taken some pictures, hopefully they will have come alright okay and I’ll be able to show you what torrential actually means!

This scuppered some of our timing since the roads, when it’s wet, become miniature rivers and the reason for driving big 4x4’s because evidently clear once again. Once we got a Bagamoya the weather was much better and it apparently hadn’t rained there very much at all which was lovely. The kids are very sweet there and the orphanage (yet to be properly built) looks as if it’s going to be a lovely place for those children. Plans for a kitchen to be put in, a place where volunteers can stay and also extra rooms like a medical room. Oh! And two cows!

Once back at Karen and Richards we have dinner and then at around 10 Richard goes to pick up Nicola and Sophie from the airport and takes them to Jill’s. I’ll be seeing them tomorrow. But for now – bed.

- Love, Emma xxx