Monday 21st July

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Yesterday - Monday, (I’m writing this on Tuesday) was a pretty weird day for me, definitely not my favourite. I woke up feeling awful, didn’t go to bed feeling too good either. My tonsils were red & puffy & the back of my throat was itchy. I knew that I had tonsillitis as I get it often & that’s what it always feels like. I knew a day in bed & a stock of tablets my Mam had packed would help. I didn’t think it would cause too much trouble if I had the day off to rest. I asked the driver to tell the teacher I wouldn’t be in & he said that wouldn’t be a problem. I told everyone I was ill & that I wouldn’t be in today, wished them a good day at work & went to bed. I couldn’t sleep so I showered, got toast & it made me feel much better, & I fell asleep straight away. I didn’t wake up until half 12 when Trev came home & woke me up by hitting my legs, thanks Trev. Sounds like everyone had a fun day at work so it’s all good. When Sheila came back she said that when the driver went into my nursery to explain to my teacher why I wasn’t there all the children were very upset. Apparently they were going right up to the van trying to look for me. Bless them, can’t wait to see them tomorrow. Maybe it’s best that I didn’t go in though, I’d never want to give them my cold or anything. When Sheila told me this I felt proper bad for the children. I spent a while writing & thinking about a lesson plan for the next day. I also wrote a few more songs I could teach them on a piece of paper. I’m sure they’ll love “5 little monkeys sitting on a bed.” Staying at home made me realise how hard everyone here at home base works while we’re gone. The cleaners change the bedding & wash the floors every day & there’s always someone outside fixing something. The cooks work proper hard too, the food’s amazing. I’m going to miss it so much when I leave. I actually missed my children loads today, they’re so lush & it’s going to be proper hard saying goodbye to them. I don’t think 3 weeks is long enough. I’ve only just gained a really big bond with them & I’ve got to say goodbye in 2 weeks. I definitely want to go back & visit them maybe next year. My Mama’s coming with me this time, don’t care what everyone else says, she’s coming! Haven’t stopped thinking about how much she’d love it here since I’ve been here. Sheila reckons next year, her, me, Sanj, Robin my Mam & Dad should all come back for 3 weeks & stay in a local hotel. Then me, Mam & Sheila will work & the boys can climb the mountain. Up for it!? After lunch today we waited at the table as we were meant to have a Swahili lesson. The teachers didn’t turn up so we sat & chatted about the weekend. Even when we were at home arranging to come here we said that we’d go to Arusha both weekends & visit Nkoaranga orphanage both times. I told the girls that me & Trev ( & maybe Sheila if she wanted to) would stay in Kigongoni lodge with them on Saturday. There were a few “crossed wires” as my Mam called it & everyone thought different things. Sheila said she liked Arusha last weekend but didn’t want to return. I just said that me & Trev would go with everyone else but everyone thought I was being selfish. I really didn’t think I was, I wanted to make everyone happy & thought Sheila would be fine here on her own & Trev wanted to go to Arusha anyway. Still thinking that everything was fine & no one was worried or cross I went on the internet just to check my e-mails. The home base computer is even more slow now & really temperamental but at least it’s internet! I received an e-mail from my Mam & Dad & they sounded proper angry with me. Sheila e-mailed them while she was in work explaining that she was worried about me & Trev & has experienced some problems with us. Trev walked in on me on the computer crying, haha what an idiot. I was really upset because my Mam & dad both sent me e-mails saying how upset they were in me for not thinking of Sheila & not going to work. I don’t know why I did cry, I’m not usually like that but it upset me lots. I e-mailed my Mam straight back to set things straight. I said sorry for causing everyone at home worry when they should be forgetting about me for 3 weeks while they can. That was a proper long story, no point in me explaining all this really but I was really upset actually. I didn’t sleep much that night as I was proper worried at what she’d think. I slept in the afternoon while most people went to town. At 4:30pm the timetable said that we were scheduled to have “fun & games” in a local park. I really didn’t want to but heard it was compulsory. I was still feeling ill from the morning even though I slept. No one was really looking forward to it as it sounded pretty boring. We all started walking down to the field anyway. A few of us fatties ended up getting a lift half the way as the CCS van passed us. There was a chicken in the van & me & Beth were joking that we’d be playing catch with the chicken as part of the fun & games. Guess what? We were right! Mamma Fatuma got us all in a circle & got the chicken & started chucking it everywhere to people in the circle. It was so sad to see actually, they have no respect for animals here. The Africans found it hilarious but no volunteers joined in. A few of us are vegetarian anyway so we totally stayed out of the way. After a few minutes they could see we weren’t interested & put the chicken to the side. The games started to get better from there. We did like, primary school activities you do on sports day. Sack races, they were so funny. I decided I need to get fit; I was so out of breath. We also did some things that I didn’t bother trying to do; I knew I’d embarrass myself. Like skipping rope, but other people either end of this huge rope moving it for you. I decided to stand to the side & be a photographer. I got some brilliant pictures of everyone embarrassing themselves. We also did the limbo, but the other way around. So the rope went up each time & you had to jump over it. I didn’t have much confidence in myself in that one, being short and all. I gave that one a pass. Sheila had a go at everything; she was brilliant, especially at the skipping! We played tug of war, with my zero strength I just took pictures of that too, no point in joining in. We did a relay race with beer bottles filled with water on our heads. Some people were really good, especially the Africans as they always carry things on their head. While everyone played football I was practicing on my own walking up & down the pitch with a bottle on my head, I got a bit better. I’ll have to perfect it for next year. The football went on for about half an hour. It was 11 to a side & staff versus volunteers so not all of us could play, what a shame! We got water & lolly pops for all the hard work we did, I definitely deserved one! Then we got a lift in the van back to home base. Some people worked, Caitlin (another volunteer called Caitlin) walked all the way home (10/15minutes walk) with a bottle full of water on her head & didn’t drop it once! Apparently anyway, I didn’t walk, too lazy. We got back 10 minutes before dinner, time to chill quickly then we all ate loads. I was so hungry hadn’t eaten all day apart from toast & a lolly, oh and lunch. I had quite a bit actually (I’m sounding like my dad; soon I’ll be quoting Shakespeare.) My parents seemed to be worried I was having late nights, bless them, think they still think I’m 7! To make them happy I had an early night. I needed it anyway; I was proper tired & kept feeling dizzy. I took some more painkillers & went to bed. I kept waking up in the night, didn’t have the best sleep but it’s all good. I just really wanted to speak to my parents to check they didn’t hate me.
Cheers for reading about my depressing & boring day!
Caitlin x

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Comments

[Melissa]

Take care!
Glad you decided to take care of yourself! Some days are just like that in TZ!