Steph's adventures: Just a normal end to a normal week

Would you believe there's been a gap because I haven't done anything and nothing has happened? Well, not really. "Pole" as they say here. It's been as busy as ever, and by the time I get to sit down to add an episode, the internet has nodded off - closly followed by me.

Over the last couple of school days, I've been back to see the volcanoes explode (not quite as I'd imagined them, but the kids were fascinated); another teacher has two of his classes also building - or helping him build - a volcano and it is spectacular. He's also built a waterfall. Both will hopefully be finished early next week. This teacher is incredible with the details he puts in, and what he gets the kids to make. He was an engineer, and it shows. Most of them seem to be loving it too - but there's always at least one in each class who looks as though he or she would rather be anywhere else. At times it's probably mutual.

On Friday afternoon I was sent over to cover the Upper Primary assembly. They had a different set up, and I was told to get photos of the teachers. The only problem with this is that the teachers don't do anything, and Upper Primary don't have the clubs after assembly like the Lower Primary does. By the time the assembly was about to get under way, the weather changed and it started raining. Not raining. But RAINING. And then we had some RAIN. And for a while it even RAINED. So there are hundreds of kids, all nicely spaced out on their benches. Open sided assembly area. Lots of rain and wind. So as the rain changed into the rain and then it rained the kids were moved closer together into the centre of the assembly hall. And it could have easily been turned into a 'cause and effect' lesson, because everyone learnt what happens when you have such a large hall with a tin roof. Suffice it to say that no-one could hear anything - apart from the weather. Spectacular as it was, it was a photographer's nightmare. Anne and Zoe, you can both understand I'm sure - you have to come back with some great usable shots of teachers and the assembly. You find it is overcast so the light all but disappeared; the kids were huddled closely together - all various shades of dark skin; the teachers just about give up trying to make any order for a while so they spend their time looking down at the floor for inspiration; can't use flash because the open sides mean that background becomes washed out and kids appear even worse; can't use slow shutter speed cause the kids are wiggling and jumping up and down (even when cramped) too much. They have the 'swearing in' of a group of what I'd call School Prefects, and they are all bunched together in the front middle of the assembly. So they stand up. Still washed out backgrounds, and kids of all heights. I pick a tall girl and can get a decent camera reading, so think 'finally, a good shot' and then she proceeds to look down, chewing the piece of paper she is supposed to be going to read from ....

I start to laugh. In one way, it doesn't really matter and Edmund, who is the local (well meaning, but he likes all 'set up' and posed photos) full time school photographer, has given up trying to shoot anything. I decide 'what if I am a National Geographic photographer on a real assignment'? What would I do? I can't just give up. So I race around covering all angles and trying everything. By this time it's stopped raining so at least we can hear. So I've come away with great photos of the rain, and the new swimming pool at the school (this is the only pool with goalposts at each end). I remember that the kids have been studying climates and sustainable living this term, and so I shoot the gutters overflowing (to show we could have better water collection in place); the "swimming pool" (to show the waste of water - if there were vege patches it would be better) and then when I was heading back to the office (yes Lisa and Betty, I do have an office!!) I see huge puddles and the kids trying to walk around them, so I shoot reflections (not just to show them a different view, but I know some of the teachers would like this and I did too). I even managed a shot of that tall girl with the bit of paper she ended up chewing - and she didn't even open her mouth when the group were reciting their bits during the swearing in part of the proceedings! I got a couple of other usable shots as well, thank goodness.

So on Friday night I was bushed, and there was no internet. I ended up talking to another volunteer here who has just spent 2 years teacher mentoring in Eritrea and looking at her photos of the country and people. Amazing. She had so many interesting stories, and before we knew it, it was late and we had to call a halt, as I had to be on the 6:40 bus in the morning.

Yesterday I was going over to the Usa campus (High School) because the girls were due to do some community work at an orphanage. I was really looking forward to it. It was Form 2 girls, and it was their first time out for community work. Sadly though, the people running the new orphanage (not sure if they are local or muzungus) have taken the attitude they only want people bearing actual gifts to come. I was stunned, as was Usa's Sister Wanyaga. So we went back to the Upanda Leprocy centre - the girls hadn't been there before, and this time it was much nicer weather. I had a wonderful morning - I had much more interaction with the residents. They had 2 new ones - Leo and Samuel, older blind men who they found in a village and brought to the centre to live on Tuesday. Sister Feliciana, who runs the centre (and she is wonderful) was telling me that Anthony, who has been living there for a while and is totally blind, is totally independent even to the point where he likes to clean his own room without any help and he also makes craft items, has accepted his blindness and gets on with living. The two new residents I think must be recently blind and so Anthony will help them eventually to adjust. Thinking about it, if we all suddenly found ourselves completely blind, how would we cope with it?

On the drive from Usa to Upala, we'd left the main road and were driving for quite some time on a rough dirt track, through several well spaced villages. We passed a clearing, and there were two small 2 room 'houses' and a larger open sided building. Sister Wanyaga explained to the girls (very packed van, so a lot sitting on knees and also standing) that this was the local Court house and it served villages for miles around. The girls all started laughing hysterically. It turns out that they thought she was joking - they thought we were in Arusha National park!!! Sr. Wanyaga and I had a laugh about that - so everyone was laughing. On the way back to school, I asked if the driver could slow down so I could get a shot but it ended up as an official stop, so the girls got out and Sr. Wanyaga got to show them she wasn't joking!

I made it back to school/home in time to jump on another school bus that was doing the run into town. I hadn't planned on taking everything into town, but it was better than dropping off stuff and then having to wait and get a dalla dalla into town. I went back to the local 'Milk & Honey' restaurant for lunch. I had visions of trying one of the really nice looking tourist restaurants - it was packed (all muzungus too of course) and the prices were what I considered expensive. So back to the local one, and instead of having a samosa and soda water, I thought I'd have a real meal. I saw the menu said Fruit Juices and they had a list such as orange, passion, mango, lime, banana. So I ordered a Mango Fruit Juice. The waiter said I could have a mixed one so I ordered mango, orange and passion. He duly wrote down on his order pad "Juice - orange, mango, passion" and then the price of 1,500. I queried it, as the menu said 1,200 and he explained it was because it was a mixture. I said OK and then had to smile because I'd been worried about the extra 300 shillings and then I realised that the mixed fruit juice for 1,500 was, when converted, a whole single dollar! I had also ordered "chicken curry and chips", which he had also duly written down.

I sat back, and looked around. The restaurant was quite full, and I was the only muzungu. It felt comfortable and not in the least threatening or anything. In a matter of minutes, the waiter was back and put down a bowl of fruit salad in front of me - watermelon, pineapple and mango. He disappeared quickly and it took me a while to realise that here was my orange, passion and mango fruit juice! So I ordered a soda water (and said yes please, when he asked if I even wanted it opened - it's not a screw cap). And thought, oh well, I've got dessert too! I did wonder what the chicken curry would translate into but was quite looking forward to see how they interpreted it. I didn't have too long to wait. He came back with a plate that had lots of chips, some cooked carrot (yes Alex, my favourite) and beans, some spinach and a little salad of cucumber and tomato. Then a bowl of the chicken curry (again with carrots :-) ). This part of the meal was the same price as a soft drink in the place up the road. The curry sauce was delicious, but on first inspection I thought that the chook had run around my bowl rather than through it. I kept digging though and did find some chicken, so all was well.

I had some time just browsing around part of town, bought a CD and a chook, and even checked out the malachite here. I used to have quite a lot of malachite items and as some of you know, I don't have any now. But I did have to smile when I thought that at least I was really back in Africa again, and had the option to buy more. That was great, and the thought made up for actually buying any. Maybe later this trip - or next time! I then walked down to vege mammas, Kijenge supermarket, back to see Agnes and then caught the dalla dalla home.

Last night it was a girls night out - to the cinema again. It's always fun having nights out, but the film was crap. It wasn't until we were outside afterwards that Gemma called me over and I found out that there were 2 movies showing, and she & Richard had been in to see Red, which was a film I wanted to see but missed in Sydney and was very disappointed to miss it again.

So that's about it. I'll finish up with a few odd photos and will look forward to hearing back,

Friday's assembly - some of them

Taken before she started chewing the paper or searching for whatever on the floor ...

I'm not sure if you can see it properly, but this IS the Grocery store

A lesson in "how to get on in life", snapped from the school bus window as they went past

To me, this could be the book cover "An African Timeline". A photo from 'the olden days' though would of course have a short wheel based Landrover! I guess in future photos like this, the piki piki riders (motorbike) would actually be wearing helmets ... ?? A pity that there were only 2 people on the bike.

Mount Meru, a few seconds before its top was again shrouded in cloud

*** WARNING *** If you don't like kids, don't scroll down

These were from recess break on Thursday, with my favourite bunch of kids, or actually, these are just a selection ... didn't want to bore anyone

When I think about it, this could translate as a photo of Tracey, Marlene and I on a recess break (except for the dark skin of course). By this stage, Tracey and I had already been friends for a couple of years.