Hello,
So I'm going to try and not make this one white. But I hope you all enjoyed the contrast last time! It's very hard to concentrate as there's a band playing in the background. I have no idea what for. But it's loud and then there's car horns too. I'm not sure if they're trying to join in or just getting frustrated with the out of tune playing!
So this week has been filled with science teaching! Lots more work on the solar system and I'm learning many facts I should have learned whilst in school but definitely didn't! We've had some hilarious moments whilst studying too. One of the boys was getting annoyed about the others who weren't studying so he began telling them off, which was strange because he's usually one of them. But I thought this was a step towards improvement in his desire to learn so took his side and began to quieten the others down. After about 5 minutes we were still trying to and eventually they settled after everyone has shared their opinion and had their own little rant about it all. So I walked around the table to see what it was the boy was actually studying and he was holding a "Sesame Street, Sing-along-with-me" book upside down. I tried to keep a straight face after he'd given everyone else a row but wasn't actually doing anything himself but I could not help but laugh! It was so funny and I was tempted to make him actually sing along but thought that would only cause further chaos!
I also was able to go on the school run this week which was good to see some of their schools. They have 5 different ones with the majority of children at two. One of the children has learning difficulties so he's at a different school but I'm not sure why the others don't all go to the same one. The driver leaves at 7am to get them all there for 8am and then he does shopping before beginning to collect them all again. Their days are much shorter now as it's only children in extra tuition that attend during the summer.
Then on Thursday I went into town to post some postcards and wander round the craft market. I'd been in a few times by myself and with other so knew the way. However, on the dalladalla (public minibus) on the way in I sat beside two nuns. Nuns are becoming a feature in my life over here! Anyhow, then turned out to be teachers at a school where some of the children go. So this therefore meant I became their responsibility for the day, apparently! So off we set for the market with everyone paying their respects to the sisters as we passed. I felt a little like I'd become a nun as they began to call me 'sister' too! I was actually looking for a couple of things in particular so they began hunting for them. It was so funny. They would enter a shop, glance for five seconds and then move swiftly to the next. The craft market is a maze of stalls that all have pretty much the exact same thing. It's more the quality that differs. And they insisted the further in you went the better the products, so deeper we went! But to be fair, they found me what I needed/wanted, reduced everything to 1/4 of the price and then pointed me in the direction of the post office. So it was a lovely morning with two jolly nuns who kept me company in town.
Then I got to take the four babies to clinic yesterday to get them weighed and immunised. However the first clinic we went to just had a really long queue with no nurse so we set off for another. And the next one had nobody but about 6 nurses! Not sure why they don't send half to the other one. So we began to remove the 2 blankets each child had! And I got to use another set of scales where you hang the baby down! And then we had some very poor immunisation techniques being demonstrated by the nurse giving the injections. It was a shame as everything had gone so well up to this point! But this was probably a more crucial skill to have than being able to weigh babies. But we got finished eventually and then had to wait for paperwork. It was good to see something of the health facilities in Tanzania and they are in definite need of improvement!
So it was a busy week with lots to keep me entertained. And tomorrow I'm hoping to take some of the older children to church again. And then Monday morning I fly out of Arusha. I'm going to Zanzibar for a few days to relax, do some reading and just unwind after a busy 3 months! So prayers for safety travelling and whilst on the island would be appreciated. I'm sure many of you are aware of the incident a few weeks ago so I plan to be careful! Then I have a few days with a family in Dar Es Salaam who are connected to my church in Edinburgh. And then I fly halfway home and have a day in Istanbul. And then I complete the trip back to Dublin where I'm hoping to be collected and taken back home to Northern Ireland. Not long left and lots of opportunity for more spontaneity! Some of you seem to think I've lost my ability to make spontaneous decisions after turning down the chance to be in an african music video!! I will prove you wrong! (Safely, of course.)
Sarah
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