It feels so strange to type that. I can't believe that I have been here 2 months already, but at the same time, I can't believe I've been here only 2 months. Whoever came up with the idea that time is a fixed measurable concept is talking nonsense. It is an elusive, elastic thing that seems to stretch and compress itself at the same time. But I have my flight booked from Vic Falls airport to Bulawayo (I have been persuaded that the train is simply not safe) on Saturday afternoon. I stay the night in Bulawayo and then get the bus to Gweru, from where I'll be picked up and taken to Antelope Park.
The photos are of me with a girl called Lisa who lives in Linda, the suburb township where the orphanage is based. Lots of children from the community come to the orphanage in the afternoon for reading and playing. Lisa is very quiet but likes to do me lots of drawings. The other photo is a million miles away - high tea at the Royal Livingstone Hotel with Debs, Joyce and Anne. I'll try to put some more photos on here before I go.
I don't want to focus on leaving here just yet, although it is looming large in my mind, and it sort of brings back the pain of leaving the UK at the beginning of January. I feel like I'm leaving friends and somewhere I feel very comfortable. When I was thinking about what order to do the projects I thought that this would be the hardest to leave, which is why I put the incentive of riding and playing with lion cubs after it.
Anyway, enough of that for the moment. The rest of last week was thankfully a bit calmer than Tuesday. I got over the hangover eventually, only in time for another big night on Thursday. I had only 3 hours sleep and then was back in class at 7am. Miss M felt unwell and said she was getting malaria so she went home at 7.15 and left my then current hangover and I to deal with the class. I have to confess I ran out of steam at 11am and sent them home an hour early. As expected, Miss M turned up for work fine this morning, except she had two "meetings" to go to. I found out this morning that her house is only 5 minutes walk away. Work that one out.
On Thursday I had 20 minutes to spare between lessons so I got them to think about the similarities and differences between me as a mzungu (white person) and themselves. We spent ages on the similarities, but after they'd done the white skin bit they struggled to think of differences. There were little pennies dropping everywhere, it was great. One wee boy, Gift - the class joker - said that one difference is that he is 11 years old and I am 40. So I said to him that I used to be 11 years old and one day he would be 40. "Not me Teacher," he said "I already have HIV." I have no response to that except a huge sadness that sinks in and sits there.
Thursday night was good fun. We had dinner at home (one of the best so far) and then went to a couple of bars and ended up in one of Livingstone's nicer clubs, dancing till 3am. I like the African dance style - all swaying and hip movements. On Friday a few of us went to a touristy restaurant that has a show of local dance and music. Of course it ended up being me that was pulled from the audience to get up there and shimmy in front of 150 people - locals and tourists. I'm quite pleased there are no photos that came out but my friends say that I held my own reasonably well.
I didn't manage to blog on Saturday as promised as I brought one of the orphan boys to the internet cafe and was teaching him how to use email. It took a while so I concentrated on that and sent a few emails while I was waiting. Most of the PCs were being temperamental as they have had new software installed, so I was sat using the computer at the front desk for a few hours and it was nice to watch the comings and goings. This boy - P - is a real sweetie, 17 years old, very quiet, has had a pretty awful time, which he won't talk about except to say it was rough, and is struggling to finish school. The committe that run the orphanage were give money to pay his school fees for this year, but that money has disappeared, so HH, I am going to use the money you gave me for the hamster cage to pay P's school fees. I'm going to be back in Livingstone in August so I'll pay the fees for the whole of next year when I'm back as I'm determined he should finish school. Joyce and I are supporting him together. He tells me it is impossible to get time to study in peace at the orphanage so he sets his alarm for midnight or 1am and gets up to work when the other boys are asleep. When they get up to go to school he then goes to sleep as he goes to school in the afternoon (it works in shifts everywhere). Its a tough existence but he does this with one of the other orphan boys so at least he is not on his own. He's not looking forward to me leaving as it is only a week after Joyce went, but we've got him a mobile phone so that we can all keep in touch (if I can get any reception in Zim, which I'm told is intemittent).
P wants to be a doctor or a nurse. Joyce and I are going to make this happen, so at some point we'll have to think of something to do for fundraising but in the meantime we want to get him through school.
I'm pleased to report that Chuma was back at school on Friday and being sufficiently mischeivous that I had to make her come and sit at my desk with me. The kids hate this - its another great, violence free punishment. I can't even think about saying goodbye to the kids, but I have decided that its not goodbye anyway, just a temporary farewell as unless something intervenes in the interim, I will come back to Livingstone in September. Miss M was on the rampage with the hosepipe again this morning, this time in an RE class. They were talking about the 10 commandments. Surely there must be one that says 'thou shalt not brutalise little children'? It is just my/our sensitivity though - the kids accept it and laugh at the others who are getting hit. One of the other volunteers told me about a Radio 4 programme she heard just before coming out here. There is a mens' group that is speaking out against domestic violence but the other side of the story was a woman who said something to the effect of how will I know if my husband loves me if he doesn't hit me? Answers on a postcard please!
I don't want to focus on leaving here just yet, although it is looming large in my mind, and it sort of brings back the pain of leaving the UK at the beginning of January. I feel like I'm leaving friends and somewhere I feel very comfortable. When I was thinking about what order to do the projects I thought that this would be the hardest to leave, which is why I put the incentive of riding and playing with lion cubs after it.
Anyway, enough of that for the moment. The rest of last week was thankfully a bit calmer than Tuesday. I got over the hangover eventually, only in time for another big night on Thursday. I had only 3 hours sleep and then was back in class at 7am. Miss M felt unwell and said she was getting malaria so she went home at 7.15 and left my then current hangover and I to deal with the class. I have to confess I ran out of steam at 11am and sent them home an hour early. As expected, Miss M turned up for work fine this morning, except she had two "meetings" to go to. I found out this morning that her house is only 5 minutes walk away. Work that one out.
On Thursday I had 20 minutes to spare between lessons so I got them to think about the similarities and differences between me as a mzungu (white person) and themselves. We spent ages on the similarities, but after they'd done the white skin bit they struggled to think of differences. There were little pennies dropping everywhere, it was great. One wee boy, Gift - the class joker - said that one difference is that he is 11 years old and I am 40. So I said to him that I used to be 11 years old and one day he would be 40. "Not me Teacher," he said "I already have HIV." I have no response to that except a huge sadness that sinks in and sits there.
Thursday night was good fun. We had dinner at home (one of the best so far) and then went to a couple of bars and ended up in one of Livingstone's nicer clubs, dancing till 3am. I like the African dance style - all swaying and hip movements. On Friday a few of us went to a touristy restaurant that has a show of local dance and music. Of course it ended up being me that was pulled from the audience to get up there and shimmy in front of 150 people - locals and tourists. I'm quite pleased there are no photos that came out but my friends say that I held my own reasonably well.
I didn't manage to blog on Saturday as promised as I brought one of the orphan boys to the internet cafe and was teaching him how to use email. It took a while so I concentrated on that and sent a few emails while I was waiting. Most of the PCs were being temperamental as they have had new software installed, so I was sat using the computer at the front desk for a few hours and it was nice to watch the comings and goings. This boy - P - is a real sweetie, 17 years old, very quiet, has had a pretty awful time, which he won't talk about except to say it was rough, and is struggling to finish school. The committe that run the orphanage were give money to pay his school fees for this year, but that money has disappeared, so HH, I am going to use the money you gave me for the hamster cage to pay P's school fees. I'm going to be back in Livingstone in August so I'll pay the fees for the whole of next year when I'm back as I'm determined he should finish school. Joyce and I are supporting him together. He tells me it is impossible to get time to study in peace at the orphanage so he sets his alarm for midnight or 1am and gets up to work when the other boys are asleep. When they get up to go to school he then goes to sleep as he goes to school in the afternoon (it works in shifts everywhere). Its a tough existence but he does this with one of the other orphan boys so at least he is not on his own. He's not looking forward to me leaving as it is only a week after Joyce went, but we've got him a mobile phone so that we can all keep in touch (if I can get any reception in Zim, which I'm told is intemittent).
P wants to be a doctor or a nurse. Joyce and I are going to make this happen, so at some point we'll have to think of something to do for fundraising but in the meantime we want to get him through school.
I'm pleased to report that Chuma was back at school on Friday and being sufficiently mischeivous that I had to make her come and sit at my desk with me. The kids hate this - its another great, violence free punishment. I can't even think about saying goodbye to the kids, but I have decided that its not goodbye anyway, just a temporary farewell as unless something intervenes in the interim, I will come back to Livingstone in September. Miss M was on the rampage with the hosepipe again this morning, this time in an RE class. They were talking about the 10 commandments. Surely there must be one that says 'thou shalt not brutalise little children'? It is just my/our sensitivity though - the kids accept it and laugh at the others who are getting hit. One of the other volunteers told me about a Radio 4 programme she heard just before coming out here. There is a mens' group that is speaking out against domestic violence but the other side of the story was a woman who said something to the effect of how will I know if my husband loves me if he doesn't hit me? Answers on a postcard please!
I had a fairly mellow day yesterday, walked down to Zig Zags - a guest house that does good breakfasts - and had brunch. I sat there for hours writing my journal, drinking hazelnut coffee. I needed a break away from all the other volunteers and also even just from the house. Today was back teaching as usual and then the afternoon at the orphanage where I did drawing and reading, and I even let the kids do some as well.
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