Such is Life

 With the teachers gone this week I’ve had half days of school. On Friday I decided that I would bring my Uno cards, playing cards and markers to my eighth graders and let them play during our class. They had so much fun playing cards and watching the Uno games that I was playing with the other learners. I think it’s important to remember that these students are just kids. They want to have fun sometimes. I am the only teacher here who plays games with them. A lot of the focus is on academics and passing exams. I know this is an important part of school but I firmly believe that letting kids be kids is also a part of school. To make them grow up so fast is wasting their childhood. They have so many responsibilities at home that range from watching the animals to pounding mohangu for dinner and watching the younger kids. If I can be a nice break during their day and we can still learn things then I’m perfectly okay with what I’m doing.

This weekend Hunter and I set out for Ongwediva to go back to where he’s from. I left him at the house for the weekend with his mother and his sister. They were so excited to see him! I think he enjoyed his time with other dogs. I spent the weekend with another volunteer and we had a crazy time. I think we were both feeling a little overwhelmed with the culture barrier this weekend. As my mom describes it “it’s like being a celebrity”. Everyone wants to talk to the American girls everywhere we go. We can’t go anywhere without being bothered for our numbers or having people touching us or talking to us. Sometimes I would just like to go shopping for food without having people either staring at me or talking to me. Such is life I guess.

Coming back from the weekend I took some taxis and then got into the back of a car with 6 other people. I kept saying to them…there is no room. But alas, there was room if you act like human sardines. The moment I got out of the car and started walking the mile into town it started to rain. I thought to myself “oh no big deal it’s not raining hard”. The moment I finished my thought, it started torrential down pouring on me and Hunter. Carrying a full hiker’s backpack, a full bag full of groceries and a puppy in a bag in the rain does not equal a very fun time. Especially since said puppy decided it would be fun to try and escape and make a run for it multiple times. When I reached the shops in the village I was completely soaked from head to toe and my shoes were falling off. As I walked past the shops I heard some of the kids crying out “Go Miss Chelsea!” No one else was out in the rain so I had quite a reaction out of all of the people in the shelter of the shops. When some of my colleagues came to me later they said that they had heard of my unfortunate event already. News travels fast here.

When I arrived home I found a herd of goats that were finding shelter under my roof and decided that my doorways were the best place to be. I didn’t want to walk to the outhouse in the rain after I changed so I popped a squat in the grass next to the goats. All I kept thinking was “this has to be a low point in my life”. Just the goats and I using the great outdoors as our personal toilets. May be too much information. However, this is Africa and these things do happen!

Peace and Love,

Chels