4 weeks

There are something like 50 children that show up for nursery class every day, ranging in age from three to seven, and in ability from not knowing how to count in Kiswahili to being able to think in English. The ones that are really naughty in class are almost always the brightest children who are really bored by the slowness of the other students. Over the weeks I've learned a lot about the children and managed to put together a group that works really well together. One community boy, Dayo, was absolutely demonic when I taught him the first week in a massive nursery group, but this week he joined my morning class and was incredibly well-behaved and respectful... in the smaller class size I was able to give him enough attention and challenge him so he wasn't bored.

This morning I taught my last class at the orphanage. We spent an hour writing, drawing and colouring, then left for the field where the boys and I played football. I was wearing a skirt and flip-flops, not the best gear for running and kicking (I can imagine my brother laughing at me as I write this) but I really wanted to get the girls involved and thought if I was doing it in a skirt they might join in too. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't get them to join in for longer than it took me to turn around, so after about 1/2 an hour I took them all to the shade and read "The Cat in the Hat" and a few other stories and told them it was our last class together. The children were so sweet and all gave me a hug, I cried when it was time for them to go :(

I can't believe I've been in Tanzania a couple days shy of a month and only have two weeks left. I've gotten used to being called muzungo all the time now. I realise that it isn't meant to be rude, just that people here aren't used to seeing them. Over the weekend when we took the kids to the dance off, Biala was sitting on my shoulders. All of a sudden he says "Madam! Madam! Muzungo!!!" then points at some other white people. Rachel and I asked "Biala what are we?" and he says "Rachel! Tasha!" (pointing at us) then "wazungos" (pointing at the other white people).