28th July
Not sure why I haven’t been writing in here when I’m bored all the time! Well most of it. I’ll talk about the significant events of the week so far as it’s Thursday.
Even though it was last Saturday we went to see echo 7 and I had no idea what girls were in it. So we turned up after the bumpiest ride in a taxi ever and stood there was Keisha! Never jumped out the back of a car so fast in my life. Missed that girl so much. I wrote her a letter on training and she wrote me one back and it said we would be life long friends which is amazing. She’s such a sound girl and we have the best banter. Can’t wait to see her and Nicole at mid phase (only 3 days to wait!) because it’ll be so much fun. And I have to ask Nicole about the Issa situ.
That day at echo 7 I had an argument with a shop keeper for charging me too much. She gave me some money back but still not the right amount. Think it was because I was a new white person in the village. Life goes on. Everything is cheap enough out here anyway. It was such a long day and went to bed at 8 once I got home!
Monday we took the letter to the school to ask if we could go teach and they said yes! Me, Lucie, Daniel and Gerald sat in this nice headteachers office with nice sofas waiting for an answer.
Tuesday was an interesting day. We were having a daily afternoon meeting and Issa was getting slightly het up telling people to listen in Swahili so I literally just said ‘DOn’t be so fucking rude’. Didn’t think much of it until he was talking loudly to Novah (Gerald in between) pointing to me so clearly bitching. So we called him out on it because it was in front of everyone and made me look like a mug seeing as all the Tanzanians could understand him. Instead it could have been a personal discussion. But then everyone got really aggressive towards me and those defending me and turned very personally directed. It was all shouting and balling and even Novah showed a very nasty streak. It was dealt with in such a horrible way and that was the argument again. At this point I was starting to cry so walked off and into the church and sobbed to Ella.
It really made me want to go home because in a home situation I could have the choice not to surround myself with that sort of person. Here, I have no choice.
We got called out for something but I just sat and heard more arguments escalate. One about bananas and racism and one about UKV’s being lazy.
Thing is I could have happily flipped but I just took myself away from it which I’m proud of. Maybe I shouldn’t have said what I did but thats me, and now I’ve never been so sure of who I am. I am not being put in a box, especially here when we are so restricted.
Eventually, I snapped out of it and Joe was helpful as he said not to let it and someone ruin this experience for me. It was just frustrating as I don’t cry over nothing and thats when I knew it has gotten to me.
Me and Issa spoke for the first time today on the way home where I got a lecture for giving Juma a hard time about ‘the relationship’. I was trying to explain that I have feelings for someone in the UK. I also spoke to Juma on the phone and he asked me out again! It”s easier to handle now because I have things to say.
Yesterday was an absoulety (oops) absolutely incredible day. Definitely one of the best. This morning, I can’t even tell you what I did but after lunch, where I got 2 good pieces of meat and a bit of Kieran and Connors left over chicken, we went to the primary school to teach.
In my group was me, Lucie, Kieran, Issa and Daniel and we worked so well together teaching 3 huge groups of children (enthusiastic children) head, shoulders, knees and toes and days of the week (in song to adam’s family tune) and numbers! In English that is. To be fair, most of them knew them, not the songs, already. And I learnt how to say: Louder, be careful and something else which I’ve clearly forgotten in Swahili. It was really amazing to see the children so excited and willing. Not to mention me. My cheeks were hurting from smiling so much. We halved one of the groups and made them have a competition to see who was louder and I physically had to step back as they started as they were so loud! Such an experience. We are going every Wednesday now. Yay!
Joe and Novah and the Tanzanians cooked for us. Chicken, chips, omelette and salad and it was so good. The only thing was that at one point we saw the woman with a live chicken and then Issa come grab a knife from in front of us to go kill it. Kieran said he could kill a chicken but didn’t even though he had the opportunity as he believes something to do with being able to know where our meat comes from and what happens. Blah.
It was dark when we finished and we all started walking home. Anna realised she had Novah’s flip flops on and ran back to change.
While she did, we all looked at the stars which are so many and crystal clear here. We had a group hug, minus Ella and TZV’s and I started singing Coldplay ‘Yellow’ and they joined in. Literally one of the most euphoric, emotional and best times in my life and it will be remembered and treasured forever.
abs. 