11/14 Skyping!

Friday, November 14th

Breakfast, preschool, play dough, Lego. The usual.

I did have to take baby Vicenti out again - have him on my lap and go over the fit throwing, then hitting spells that he has. I could just eat him up! I love that he sits there on my lap and our "sessions" always end up as a good snuggle.

It was hot hot hot today!.we all felt like we were melting. Even Jack decided that soccer was also out of the question! So instead we worked on the Scavenger Hunt for Sunday (I'll upload that as a separate entry). Jack and I are in charge of Sunday mornings activities.

At 4:20 I grabbed Jack's Mac and headed into the Preschool room so I could Skype with Scott's class. It was GREAT! We got through - I had Joshua, Vincent, baby Vicenti, Yusufu and Boazi with me and they were all sticking their heads right up to the camera and introducing themselves! From my side it looked like they could see me but I'm not sure. Scott and his classmates asked me some great questions - about the government of Tanzania, the foods we are eating, the weather, how many children etc. It was so great to hear Scott's voice!

Sara and I went for about an hour plus walk to the beginning of the Ascona coffee plantation - I was hot and sweaty but so beautiful! We were on the road on the way to Oldeani Village which would have been another 45 minute down the road.

The rest of the gang went down to Karatu for the night. They were going to go out dancing - so I decided that I should be a responsible mother and stay here with Jack!!

So Jack and I ended up having dinner in Kiran with India, Suzie, Sara and all the kids. It was so great - pasta, salad, linen napkins, table manners and great conversation! India's house is great - the design is perfect and it's very nicely decorated.

One of the Askaris walked us back to Lengai.

Medical Issues

Medical Issues

I am sure many are wondering about the medical stuff! Our stomachs, are we sick?, the water, malaria, dehydration, sunburn, worms etc etc.

So far, knock on wood, neither of us has been sick. All the water is treated here in the village and all the food is washed with that water, including salads. We brush our teeth with the purified water that we transfer into small bottles that we can easily take into the bathroom. And for showers, we do our best to keep our mouths shut, so that we donít drink any by mistake. Some of the volunteers brush their teeth with the water from the tap - I just didn't want to take a chance since we were only staying here for 3 weeks.

We take our malaria pills every morning  - and have been since the day before we arrived and will continue to do so until 7 days after we get back. We're taking malerone which you have to take with food and has a side effect of dizziness - which neither of us has had so far.

Dehydration is very common - Jack and I are drinking at least 1-2 liters of water everyday, if not more. So far we haven't felt dehydrated. There was one afternoon when I made Jack a huge bottle of Gatorade (we brought a tub of the powder mix) because he had been out there in the hot sun playing soccer for at least an hour. He once got dehydrated when we were in Co. a couple years ago so he knows that he doesn't want to be dehydrated!

The sun. Yes, we are just below the equator and in the sun it is HOT! And yes, you can fry! We've been diligent about putting on sun screen. Except for one day when Jack was out there playing soccer - he got a little sun burn but by the next morning it was ok. 

Worms. Yes, we can get worms and I am not really sure if we have them or not. You can get them from the food or water. When we leave, we'll get a de-worming pill that we'll take when we get home.

There are also these other kind of worms called Funza's. And these come from the dust - i.e. the ground. If you wear socks and shoes - you shouldn't get them. But if you wear flip flops and the dirt is dry you can get them. They burrow themselves into your feet or under your toenails. At first they itch like crazy and then your foot starts to throb. Peter is the resident expert funza remover! 

Jack and I have opted for socks and shoes everyday. (Which is practically killing me in this heat. I love flip flops!)

Colds. With 42 children here - yes there are colds that go around, even strep. But we have been vigilant about washing our hands so are hoping to avoid getting a cold!

Ringworm. Many of the kids have ringworm which you can see as white spots on their heads. They all have their hair cut pretty short so you can see everything! It's a type of fungus and when adults get it it shows up as a red dry spot that has a perfect circle around it. A couple of the volunteers have gotten them and they just put cream on it until they go away.

So far so good! Fingers are crossed we'll stay healthy!

11/13 Last English Class

Thursday, November 13

No breakfast duty this morning! Slept in until our breakfast which was great! I don't think I have ever slept so much - I am enjoying every minute of it. Maybe at home I haven't been getting enough sleep for a long time? Maybe I am catching up on lost sleep (I know this isn't possible but it's a thought?)!.

Back with our preschoolers this morning. We added play dough to our repertoire of options and they just love it! Between Lego and play dough there is silence! So enjoyable! Vicente (age 3) tends to get into trouble quite a bit because he's hitting people and throwing screaming fits. Today I decided I was going to attempt to stop this pattern.

Soooo - when he grabbed someone else's Lego and was just about to hit - I picked him up and carried his outside. He sat on my lap screaming in my ears for about a minute (felt like ten) until he finally stopped long enough to be able to listen to what I was saying. I told him that if someone made him mad, he should come to me and tell me what made him mad. Do not hit! He sat there, listened and then we just hugged. He is so cute.

At 2:00 we had our last English class for the older ones. Molly and I walked to the Duca in Campi Nairobi and bought Fantas and Sprites for the class (in glass bottles). Ten bottles cost me 4'500 shillings - which is under $4.00. As we were walking back we saw Upendo walking to school - she of course offered to carry the bags - which we didn't let her!

We handed back the exams and Lindsay went through the questions one by one with the class. In the meantime I was writing their homework assignment on the white board. We want them to keep a diary - write at least once a week about what they are doing. Noting especially to use their past, present and future tenses in each entry.  And I also told them that we really wanted them to speak English with each other when they saw each other. They aren't coming back for classes until January 12 - so they have plenty of time to forget everything they have learned!

They then had a choice - play games (learning more English) or watching a movie in the Volunteer house while drinking their sodas. They chose the movie - as they had seen the first part yesterday after the exam. It was the animated "A Little Mermaid". They seemed to all enjoy it - but I have to say, I am not convinced they understood it all!

We took a couple photos of the class - and lots of hugs all around while saying goodbye!

At 5, I did another workout in the rec hall (a DVD with Cathe - Body Max) - it almost killed us! And Jack was back out by Campi Nairobi playing soccer. You should see his legs and socks when he's done. 

Absolutely filthy!

11/12 Ngorongoro Crater

Wednesday, November 12th

Itís safari time again! Twice in one week - what a privilege. Fredy was on again and today we went with Suzie, Molly, Jen, Lindsay, Jack and myself. A full car!

Our destination today was the Ngorongoro Crater just down the road from us. Bumpety, bumopety we go out to the main road. Iíve labeled the road at A Sports Bra Road, especially if you are sitting in the back. In fact I have to lean forward while driving on this road as it kills my back to sit up straight. Somehow by leaning forward it seems to take away the feeling of my vertebrae smashing into one another.

At the entrance of the crater there were already plenty of baboons. We all stayed clear of them after our picnic visitor from Manyara the other day! Driving up to the top of crater seemed a little hairy to me - the road looked washed away on many parts and it really looked like a car could go over the cliff at any time. Fredy assured us weíd be fine. We could see some huge buffaloís on the steeps sides of the road.

The crater, by the way, was an old volcano that had the middle drop out 2 million years ago. Whatís left is a huge flat area inside the volcano walls that is filled with animals and a small body of water. So we have to drive to the top and them descend into the crater. You can see several safari lodges as you drive up and around to the road in - they all look beautiful. Fredy told us that some of them run $1í000 a night! Can you imagine?

There are also lots of Masai around there too. We could see their Bomas dotting the countryside with herds of cattle grazing followed many times by a young herder. A Boma is what their little villages are called. Usually in the middle is a circular stall surrounded by lots of branches and twigs. This is where they put their animals at night to protect them from the wildlife. And then around that you will see a handful of round mud huts - the number varies depending on how many families, wives live there. Their clothing is also very bright, many reds and purples, and is very visible against the light brown dry grasses. These Masai near the crater are used to the safari cars and tourists and are doing their best to supplement their incomes courtesy of the tourists.

They charge you $10 a person to come into one of their Bomas. We declined as it takes more than an hour and we all really wanted to get down into the crater. Basically, they give you a tour of their huts, explain about their life, charge you to take their photo and then want you to buy their beaded items. They make really cool things - bracelets, huge round beaded necklaces, and anything else you can make with beads. And itís all really colorful! At the entrance into the crater - at the top - on our way down we were surrounded by at least 6 Masai trying to sell their wares. They were so aggressive that they were actually opening our windows and sticking their arms, laden with necklaces and bracelets into the jeep. The women make them and the men sell them. I took a video clip which is pretty entertaining!

So down we went. We werenít allowed to open the top until we got to the bottom of the crater. Apparently a safari car (thatís what they call them, but they are really jeeps) tipped over with tourists standing up with their heads out the roof and I guess it was a pretty bad accident. At least thatís what Fredy told us!

At the bottom, while opening the roof, there were more Masai. Suzie paid them for their photo and bought a couple things - including a spear. It was definitely his spear - he had no others to see. Fredy helped with the negotiating and got the spear down to 20,000 Schillings which is less than $20.00!

After a quick bathroom stop - we had to back up to some trees and then there was a tiny shack with 2 openings that holes in the ground, no doors - we started our safari.

Again, we saw lots of animals and birds - hereís a list:

Baboons

Jackal

Spotted Hyaenas

Lion

Cheetahs

Elephant

Zebras

Wart hogs

Hippos

Wildebeest

Impala

Grantís gazelle

Buffalo

Bushbuck

Dik dik

Agama lizard

And these birds were added to our master list:

Kori busfard

Cape rook

Black headed heron

Spur winged goose

Common moorhen

Cattle egret

Stuhlmannís starling

Pretty amazing! The highlight was definitely the lion. At first she was sitting far enough away so that we couldnít get very good shots with our cameras. But she got up and then started walking towards us and ended up about 6 feet away. She was strong and powerful with such an air of confidence. She was so impressive. It really appeared as though she was stalking for a killÖ..and she was clearly nursing.

The way out of the crater was a very steep road, certainly not of Swiss construction. A little hairy to say the least. We stopped at a lodge at the top and had a coke. The views from up there were amazing. 

As we drove back down around we went past the first viewing spot that we stopped at on the way. There were a several rangers with guns walking around which we had not seen earlier. When I asked Fredy about this he said that this one spot was notorious for bandits taking advantage of tourists stopping to take photos. 

As it had rained a little, the road was pretty muddy (itís all red clay/dirt) and there was a truck that had slid off the road. We were all glad that it wasnít us!

While driving down we were all coveting the Masai spear that Suzie had bought so we asked Fredy if we could stop somewhere so we could all buy one. Sure enough, when we were back on the main road, Fredy eye spyed a friend of his on the side of the road. He jumped in and off we went to his store. We all managed to get a spear - for $20! Great deal!

It was a great day!

11/11 Jack's Soccer

Tuesday, November 11

Back on for breakfast in Tarangire! It was an Ugi morning so showing up at 6:20 is ok! That extra couple minutes sleep really makes a difference!

9-10:30 back with the preschoolers. We have a pretty good system going now - they have to work until about 9:40/9:45 - then playtime - then story time. We have these small daftaris (notebooks) that they each have and they can practice their letters and math in there. That way, anyone can see how each child is progressing. It's amazing how much each child actually knows if you can sit alone with them - one on one and just focus on that one child. They shine! 

We also pulled out the Legos for the first time. What a hit that was! Jack helped them and they all made cool cars, rockets, space ships etc. There was no time for a book because everyone was so engrossed in the legos, even Jack!

After lunch, Molly, Lindsay and I have our English class. We spent the entire time reviewing because tomorrow they have an exam on all that they have learned since July, when they started. For the most part they are all pretty good. They can easily have a conversation - with greetings and questions about you and your family. They can also tell you why they are taking the class and what they want to do. I think they all realize that English is an important language to learn! We played scattergories and that had us all laughing. Adding the element of time to any game seems to break the ice and make people laugh and enjoy!

Teaching this class is so different from being with the younger children. Certainly doesn't leave you with a headache and I never have to say, "Please use your inside voices". In fact most of these young Tanzanians need to turn up the volume when they speak as it really sounds like they are whispering. You would think it would be only when they speak English- but it's also when they speak Kiswahili.

We use a whiteboard to write everything down (as making handouts/copies is just not realistic for every class). And they love to come up and clean the board whenever we need it cleaned. They are all so sweet, full of smiles and want to learn!

I joined Sara and Ellie in the rec hall again for another workout - this time with weights! While I was sweating in there Jack was out on the town field by Campi Nairobi playing soccer with the older guys. 

When I was finished, I walked out there to watch him - I so wish I could post of picture of what I see.

The field is slanted - not from goal to goal but side to side. I sit on the higher side and look down across the field, past a line of purple jacaranda trees, to the red brick square homes of Campi Nairobi with grey smoke hovering over the roofs, to lines of laundry hanging from house to house, to small children running around, and playing, to chickens and goats roaming, to the sun setting in the background. 

It's just beautiful.

Anyway, they play until they can't see the ball anymore. At that point the only one I can see is Jack who was playing on the No-shirts team - they have the front of their T-shirts over their head so their stomachs and chests are visable. Of course when it's dark - I can't see any of the Tanzanians!

Yet another night of cold showers - I'm getting used to it - you just have to deal and then throw on some warm clothes after.

11/10 Manyara

Monday, November 10

Safari Day! Seba made us a picnic lunch and off we went with Fredy. It started out as just Susi, Jack and myself for the first hour or so. We picked up Jessie and her friend Jen at a place just at the top of the Rift (as in The Rift Valley) where they had stayed on Sunday night. Menyara is just at the bottom of the Rift so we were there and in the Park by 9am. 

The vegetation here was totally different from Tarangire as parts of it are rainforest. Just driving through it the air smells wet, the birds chirping and singing away and tons of baboons everywhere! We saw lots of animals and birds - here is a list of what we saw:

Vervet monkey

Baboons

Banded mongoose

Lots of elephants (up close)

Lots of giraffes

Hippos galore

Zebras

Warthogs

Impala

Coke's Hartbeest

Wildebeest

Thompson's Gazelle

Agama Lizard

All just amazing and beautiful. I think the highlight was how close we were to the elephants and at one point I think there were 8 or 9 giraffes in the same area. Wait until you see the photos!

And birds - here is a list of new birds we saw. We did see many of the same birds that we saw at Tarangire  - so this list is in addition to some of those we saw:

Cinnamon chested bee eater

Red billed hornbill

Jackson's hornbill

Rufus chested swallow

Fish eagle

Violet backed starling (just stunning!)

African grey hornbill

Tawny eagle

Wooly necked stork

Grey headed king fisher

Crowned plover

Crowned crane

Sacred Ibis

Hadada Ibis

Geater Flamingo

Lesser Flamingo

Common Bulbul

Red Billed Oxpecker

I got a lot of pictures of the birds - but as I only have my 10x optical zoom camera with me, the verdict is still open as to whether the birds will really be identifiable!

Jack and Susi are a great pair for bird watching. Jack spots them - he's amazing - and then Susi knows where to find them in her amazing field guide to Northern Tanzanian birds. And then I try and photograph. Teamwork.

We stopped for lunch at a great view spot, sat down on some benches and enjoyed our egg salad sandwiches. All of the sudden, Jen said that she didn't feel very comfortable with this one baboon getting closer. She had hardly finished saying it when the baboon jumped up on the bench next to her. You have never seen so many people run away. Fredy grabbed some rocks and started throwing them at him and a park ranger came over with his gun in hand. 

Baboons can be very dangerous! They can really hurt you. 

With disaster averted, we enjoyed the rest of our lunch and continued along with the safari. The hippo pool was really cool! There must have been 50 hippos lying in the water - snorting/grunting/yawning/rolling. Awesomeust! And all around them, including on their backs were tons of birds!

Near there, we spotted at least 10 vultures flying overhead. They are huge and when you see them up close are pretty scary looking things. All I could think of was the scene in The Jungle Book with the vultures singing their sinister song from the tree tops.

The elephants were also amazing - we were so close - some of them were almost right up at the safari car. It did rain a little while we were there - which was a bummer - but it didn't last long so we popped the roof back up. The roofs pop up so that our heads are sticking out of the top. We must have looked pretty silly!

It was a great day!

I also managed to do a workout with Sara and Ellie - Tae Bo - Just KILLER!!!!

11/9 The BAT

Sunday, November 9

At 5:15 this morning I woke up to some serious scratching in our room. I sleep with my flashlight in my bed - so I felt around for it and pointed it around the room. What do you think I saw? A BAT climbing up and down our laundry basket. Before I had a second more time to be grossed out, I jumped out of bed, grabbed the basket with the bat clinging on, opened the door, pushed the basket into the hall, closed the door and jumped back into bed. Phew. Good riddance!

Yes, but then I could hear all the noises, the scratching and the shuffling around above our heads. I have no idea how Jack sleeps all through thisÖ. I pointed the flashlight up to the ceiling in hopes of scaring the bat or rat that dared to keep me awake.

I did manage to sleep an hour or so before having to get up and help for breakfast in Tarangire. And this morning I made myself a cup of coffee and took it with me. I wonder why I havenít been doing that every morning? Live and learn!

I spent the morning sorting through all the baskets in the preschool closet - the blocks, lego etc etc. Of course you turn your back for 5 minutes and things are put away in the wrong place. Oh well. I then joined Susie in the library and we went through all the videos and DVDís and made sure that the video/dvd in each case matched the case and that they were filed correctly. They have hundreds of movies! Itís just amazing. And to think that they all came over from the US in duffle bags. There are also hundreds of books as well - Lindsay sorted those properly yesterday.

There was also a little bit of excitement this morning; Elias and Seba killed a rat in the Volunteer House! It was running through the kitchen, back behind the TV and then back towards our room behind the freezer. Yuck, yuck and yuck! Have I already mentioned that I hate rats?Ö.even bats are better than rats. Oh, and I donít mind spiders at all - so I kill those whenever one is found. (Ruby knowsÖ..). But the worst part about the rat was that it was dead just on the grass by the door to the Volunteer House. Just gross! I had to have Elias toss it into the bushes.

Who knows, maybe the rat ate the bat?

I am glad we are on day13 with this happening. I just might have been thrown off a bit had all this batty/ratty excitement happened our first day! At this point, I think I can handle it.

Speaking of the days, three weeks is really the shortest amount of time that one should come here. It takes a week to let it all soak in, another week to get with the program and feel like you are really getting to know all the children and the last week to just enjoy! Not to mention that if you are going to come all the way here you need to squeeze in the safaris as well. Three weeks is just perfect.

All the other volunteers are much younger - in their 20ís and are at very different places in their lives, so itís much easier for them to stay for much longer. Several of them are here for more than a year. Itís been different hanging with the twenty something crowdÖ.in my heart I have always felt that I am still 27 (God only knows why, but itís true)Ö.but Iím not sure anymore. They have all been fun to get to knowÖ

Itís also been great for me to watch Jack. He really does his own thing quite a bit, interacting with the children. In particular, the soccer boys and the boys in Tarangire. Heís taken to helping Vicenti with bath time and getting undressed and dressed. Itís so sweet. Jack also knows all of them by name. I still get a couple confused - but he knows them all! Heís so independent and is really enjoying himself.

There is truly something to be said for leaving everything behind and only focusing on what is here. Heís been doing homework for an hour or so every morning and then again for another hour or so during nap time - such discipline, which, by the way, he did NOT get from me!. As a student I was always a 9th hour kind of gal. Still am in many ways. My creative juices really only flow under pressure, or so I think!