Is this Africa or Siberia?

Saturday – 03/04/2014

On Saturday morning, we were a little bit scared. After it had been raining all night, we worried the roads were too bad for us to get to Endamarriek and therefore, Karatu. Nevertheless, Paul took us to Endamarriek on his pikipiki. There were a couple of times that my heart skipped a beat (or several). The roads were really bad and more than once we had problems with the mud. We had to get off the motorbike several times, because it was too dangerous. Getting to Endamarriek took about three times as long as usual. So by the time we got there the daladala had already left. Paul tried to catch up with it and when we finally did, mister One Eye (the driver) really tried his hardest to find a spot for us in the daladala. Unfortunately, it was already filled to the brim. Consequently, we had to go all the way to Endamarriek Kibaoni (the pre-town of Endamarriek) and wait there for a daladala (or a kind soul).

We waited in Kibaoni for quite a while and it seemed as if everyone was going in the opposite direction we needed them to. Eventually, a daladala came by and we got on it. Unfortunately, it didn't take long before that one stopped and everyone had to get off again. Every single person ran to another one, but we had no clue what was going on and by the time we reached the new daladala it was full and ready to leave. Thankfully, there was a girl that stayed with us and translated everything for us and together with her, we got on a second daladala. When we finally made it to Karatu this daladala tried to overcharge us. Not with this mzungu though, we know the prices by now. I asked the girl that had translated things for us before how much they charged her and when she heard how much they wanted to make us pay, she immediately addressed the men in Kiswahili. Believe me, you don't want to get into a fight with a Tanzanian woman. We immediately got our money back and then we were on our way to the guesthouse.

At the guesthouse we had breakfast while we were waiting for mister Snorrie. He said he would be there within a couple of minutes. So as expected he showed up after about half an hour. First he took Astrid to his house, because in Karatu there are not more than 2 people allowed on 1 pikipiki (actually it's never allowed, but there is only police in the big cities). After 20 minutes he was back to pick me up. Mister Snorrie and I went to buy rulers and pencils for all our students, something we had noticed they really needed.

When we were done, mister Snorrie took me back to his place where Astrid was waiting for us together with Vero and mama Vero. Mama Vero prepared chips mayai (chips with scrambled eggs) for us. We took some family pictures of the happy family and that was that. We went back to the guesthouse to work some more and in the late afternoon we went to Happy Days for dinner.

After dinner it was already dark and the road from Happy Days to the guesthouse is not something you want to do in the dark. Consequently, we asked the people there if they could call us a taxi but they didn't have a number. We were stuck at Happy Days with no way to get to the guesthouse.... Okay, I called Christian and asked him to send a taxi to Happy Days, so we did have a way to get to the guesthouse, but still, for a second we thought we didn't.

In the evening we met up with Christian for a drink. We had quite some fun and spoke about the Lutheran Hospital, at which Christian works. We told him we would like to visit it and now that's our plan for next Saturday! :)

Sunday – 04/05/2014

On Sunday afternoon, I finished writing my report for school. We were sitting at Happy Days and I came to a realisation right then and there: I'm a wuss. I have to write seven pages in one day and I have a cramp in my hand and it hurts (a lot, like really a lot!). I'm having first world problems in a third world country. How pathetic. Our students write a lot more every single day and they don't complain. Not ever. Hence, I'm a wuss. So are you, by the way. Most mzungus are. African people are a lot stronger than we are, both physically and mentally. I am not saying that every African is stronger than every mzungu. I'm just saying I want to see you carrying two buckets of water at a time, with metal cutting your hand, and having to do this three times in a row. I want to see you walk for two hours to school (where you have to be at 7 am) and two hours to get back home, while it's raining and the roads turn into rivers. I want to see you carry a suitcase like it's a plum. And I want to see you spit a field whether it's sunny or storming. No, my students are a lot stronger than I am. I'm a wuss, but they don't mind. They say they want to teach me. Honestly, they already did. They taught me a lot, more than I ever would have imagined. For that, I will be thankful to them forever. They changed my life. They changed me.

The rest of the day went the same as usual, except for the fact that we met up with Frank. The last week we're here, it are holidays so we won't teach, but we will spent a couple of days in Arusha and he's arranging everything for us (because he did an amazing job when taking care of my safari ;) ). When we got to the bus stand in the late afternoon mister One Eye's daladala had already disappeared, so we had to take another one. Again we had to get off at Kibaoni and there mister Ndetio was waiting for us :) The ride back to Getamock was a lot faster than the day before. Just like every Sunday we made Belgian chips (something Johnny doesn't mind eating either ;) ).

Monday – 05/05/2014

On Monday morning most of the students were absent. Well, they weren't absent. They were sent home, like last time, to get food or money to pay for food. Even though teaching a small group is easier, it does feel a little strange to stand in front of the classroom and only having 15 students there instead of 60, especially because the rooms are so big.

After classes we took a look at Anna's knee again. During the weekend dirt had gotten back in the wound and puss was coming out. Therefore, we had to clean it out again if we wanted it to heal nicely and most of all safely.

Tuesday – 06/05/2014

On Tuesday we were reminded of the fact that it is raining season in Tanzania. It had already rained all night (so we were gliding to school again) and it kept raining during the day. Just great.... The other teachers sometimes ask: “Is it like this in Belgium?” Then we have to say: “Yes, during fall.” Since rain season started I've had frozen toes and fingers more than once. I've decided I don't like it.

During civics in form 4 Astrid had to draw a map of Africa and the Middle-East and she wanted me to confirm that she was good at drawing Africa because the students had told her they didn't recognise Africa. I told her that I did recognise Africa in her drawing (I really did). When I went to take a look around I noticed that some of the students made Africa very thin or very, very, very fat in their drawing. I don't think there were two Africas that looked the same.

After lunch mama Leonie stopped by. She came back to Getamock the same day we did during the holidays :) Ever since, we've been able to hold Jonathan a couple of times. He's adorably. Anyways, mama Leonie came by to ask if we had seen/met the new head master. We immediately jumped up. Mister Mbwala was leaving? Why? When? WHY? Apparently, mister Mbwala is acting head master and it was not a permanent position for him. We hurried back to school but the new head master had already left. We think he will only take up the position after the next holidays and by that time we will already be in Belgium (the idea of leaving my students in a couple of weeks makes me want to cry).

After realising the new head master wasn't there anymore we went back home. Leonie, who had been spending most of the time at her grandmother's place since Jonathan has been born, was home. We decided to take a family picture of Jonathan, Leonie and mama and baba Leonie because we feared it would be the last time we saw Leonie before left. We realised that soon she would go back to her grandmother's and didn't want to take the risk of not having a family picture of them.

Wednesday – 07/05/2014

Wednesday started the same as usual: with mathematics in form 2. After that, I assisted Astrid in form 3 where the student were all over the place today. They wouldn't stop talking and kept looking outside. It was obvious they were distracted and it made it everything but pleasant to teach. When that lesson was over, I had to teach form 4. Fortunately, they cooperated a little bit more. I think it is because they have mock examinations next week and they realise how serious this year is. This is the make it or break it point for them.

When we had finished the first six periods of the day (usually the students have a subject for two periods at a time), we went home to quickly eat something before the lesson of civics in form 3 started. We did this because during this lesson and the debate we usually don't have enough time to eat. Now form 3 was behaving better and after that we supervised the debate. This was the first time mister Stephen was not supervising the debate with us. Okay, we had prepared it together, but he didn't show up until the debate was almost over.

During the debate we saw Bella escape. Bella is mister Ndetio's cow, he just doesn't know her name is Bella (we picked it, it's a good one, right?). Issack, mister Ndetio's nephew, is supposed to take care of Bella but he was time keeper in the debate. Astrid said: “Issack, your cow. Bella! Bella!” Issack was entirely confused, because he didn't know either that the cow's name is Bella (don't worry, we have told Issack and mister Ndetio by now that she is called Bella). All the other students noticed what was going on and couldn't stop laughing. A form 4 student jumped up and together with mister Ndetio he ran after Bella, but Bella is fast. Like really fast! After a hilarious scene they managed to catch her though. What a debate it was! ;)

In the evening Astrid and I got a text message that said: “MADAM LAURA NAASTI GUDAFTANU.” We used several sites to try and translate it from Kiswahili to English but without success. When Paul arrived we asked him if he knew what it meant and who said it. Apparently, it was sent with mister EPA's phone (later it would turn out to be Johnny that sent it) and it is supposed to be a combination of English and a tiny bit of Kiswahili. I challenge all of you to decipher it, especially, my fellow students of English ;)

Thursday – 08/05/2014

Today for the last time Astrid was teaching mathematics in form 3. So on Monday I will start teaching them again! I'm already looking forward to it. :) In the afternoon, we taught a small lesson study methods in form 4. During evening sessions some students had told us that they didn't know how to study so much material for the mock examinations the coming week. Here they have to know all the material they ever learned. So the examinations would be about the material from form 1 up to form 4. Therefore, Astrid and I decided to go over some study tips and study methods with them. They were quite thankful and some students of form 2 sneaked in to write the tips down as well. Hopefully, these will help them.

Friday – 09/05/2014

On Friday morning I taught form 4 and it was easy to notice that the upcoming examinations were making them antsy. We handed out the pencils and rulers and the students were extremely grateful. They realised all these things would come in handy during the mock examinations (and the national examinations in October). The smiles on their faces made me feel as if I was Santa Claus. Nevertheless, we still pointed out their responsibility. It was their material now and they would only get one pencil and one ruler.

In form 2 the students clapped their hands for us and in form 1 it took them a while to figure out what was going on because they have some difficulties understanding English. When they saw the rulers though their eyes started to sparkle and their smiles couldn't get bigger. It was utterly adorable. When we handed out the rulers in form 3 some of the students said thank you but a lot of them didn't even blink. We didn't really know how to feel about their response.

That afternoon, for the first time in a whole week, it stopped raining and the sunny worked its way through the clouds. There was only one logic thing to do: wash! Both Astrid and I were running out of clean underwear and we were extremely happy that we could wash some.

As tradition is supposed to be, we eat Belgian chips that night. Mister EPA who had found out during the day we would be making them asked to if he could have a plate. Consequently, that evening we went to bring a plate but he wasn't there. So we gave it Johnny and Deo, EPA's little brother who has been staying with him for a week now. They were very happy with it and immediately started eating.

Mlo mwema, Ubelgiji!

xxx

Laura