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Published: August 8th 2010
Thank you all for the comments and msgs responding to the blog it has made me more motivated to continue with it! Well now that I have been here for over 10 days I have alot to talk about but I will just share with you the highlights for now.
After a day at the beach last weekend we started the week by continuing with the project work. The group i'm in started to build a fence around the school, this is a slow progress as they have very basic tools for us to use but all good fun. Whilst doing this we had some naughty children come and jump in the wheel barrow as the others pushed them off. They also were fasinated with wearing our sunglasses as some of them had never tried any before! When the teacher came they skattered very amusing!
Later that day we went back into the nursery part of the school and some small gifts were given to the children. As soon as they realised we had something good in the bag the children swarmed in their hundreds trying to get a look, but the prizes were given out to the children who had scored the highest in their end of term tests. They then sang us another song and did a little boogy! It made a few of the girls cry seeing how overwhelmed the children were by winning a pencil or toy.
Sadly, the children have now finished school for a month, they have three one month holidays a year. We were speaking to a teacher who told us to get a flight to England would cost him around five years wages, it's just crazy how different things are but we are all enjoying adopting the stress free chilled out lifestyle out here! I am picking up more and more Swahili everyday and we have learnt a local song which I will share with you all when I return!!
On Tuesday we continued to build the toilet block. I plastered a toilet wall and I now also know how to make cement, real achievement I'd say! We have also been digging a hole which is around 6ft deep now which one of the girls fell down, painful but very funny! At night we sit around the camp fire and toast marshmellows.... yum whilst sharing jokes and songs. Because we are so high I have managed to see many shooting stars out here.... the first time was amazing as I have never seen one before!
On Wednesday and Thursday this week there was a referendum in Kenya. It went the way they wanted it to so luckily there was no trouble and alot of celebrating. Because of this we had two days off so on one of these days we were taken to try to climb a coconut tree. A local man demonstrated first and cut us all down a fresh coconut so we could drink the milk! We then attempted the climb but didn't get very far!
We had a party in camp on Thursday as some people were leaving. However, it gets really dark here by 6pm so going to bed at 11pm is a very late night for us! we have decided to throw all of the staff at our camp a tea party before we leave! Oh, and very sadly, for those of you who read last time that I am facing my fear of spiders....since then we have had two spiders the size of my palm in our huts so that has seriously back tracked now and I am back to screaming like a sissy. One of the boys is our trained spider catcher though and we have to repay him with drinks at the bar on Saturday nights but it is worth it...a shot a spider haha!
Before I leave just one more thing I found amazing this week....one afternoon we found ourselves at a little cafe and then pub near to our camp....the cafe was a little mud hut in which a 10year old girl cooked and served us some chapattis for 10p each and a bottle of coke for 20p each....the pub was similar but just a table with chairs surrounded by some corrigated iron walls in which we had some beer at 70p a bottle its just surreal but wonderful!! We are also always greeted by the children some who are around 7years old carrying their younger siblings on their backs all day long as they play, we were laughing telling one of the staff how at home at that age you can only hold a baby if you are sitting on a sofa with a pillow and an adult a foot away! So different out here!
Well I think I have covered most things....had another good night lastnight in the wonderful beach bar and the camel ride was fun but bumpy! So off to the Elephant sanctuary this week so will try to let you all know next week how it goes! Again missing you all lots and thank you for reading/checking on me!!
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MUM AND DAD
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So we'll have an extra brickie in the family now claire. Glad to hear you're enjoying your time there so much. Its a real eye-opener isn't it. Keep enjoying, we miss you but isn't the time flying by. Take care xx