Back to school

Bit behind with the blog, will blame it on being back to school...Might help if I posted stuff as I did it too, this is from last week :0)

10 August

Ah, I’ve never been more excited to go back to school - was going a bit stir crazy in the office last week.

That said, I still headed to the office around 6am and tried in vain to re-install skype. I managed to delete it yesterday, arggghh!I actually just needed to upgrade but managed to wipe the bloody thing and now I can’t seem to download it again, boo!

Anyway, didn’t have too long before the moto driver arrived. There’s a problem with the district bike at the moment so I’m using motos and Clement is great. He’s small (so plenty of room for me!), he doesn’t talk unless absolutely necessary and he keeps his eyes on the road, woohoo. A nice contrast to Godefroid…

I arrived at Bwama primary just as the first lessons were starting. It’s the furthest school I go to and is very poor. Many of the buildings are in disrepair and there are few textbooks. Nevertheless, the teachers do their best and the children are keen. The head, Jacqueline, wasn’t there but the ‘responsable’ took me round and I observed the two teachers I’ll be working with, before spending some time introducing myself and singing some songs with the children. We discussed the timetable which means I’ll do observations one week and then give ‘model lessons’ for the English and Maths teachers the next. I’ve also made sure that I have time to feedback with them too. Will do this with all the schools this term.

The classrooms were very crowded today (60+!) but thankfully it’s just because it’s the first week back and don’t I just know it…

…On Sunday pupils from all over the country were going back to school. This meant absolute pandemonium at the bus station and despite waiting over 4 hours for an empty bus going my way, in the end I had to admit defeat and headed back to Gitarama to stay one more night with Charlotte and Soraya. There are lots of vols in Gitarama so I didn’t mind staying another night and the following morning headed back home with no problems at all.

R & R in Gitarama

It was Hayley’s last evening on Saturday so I got an early bus to Gitarama and met her and Charlotte at the salon. When I arrive I’m met with Charlotte in rollers. She told Christian (hairdresser/nail technician/gigolo) she wanted curly hair so having slathered on some product and fixed the rollers we’re all looking forward to the results. I fancied getting my nails done too so joined the queue. While we wait me and Charlotte have a good chat… Hayley and others are leaving, new vols are arriving so lots of changes at the mo. After a lovely pedicure and manicure it was time for the ‘reveal’. Now unfortunately, the electricity was out but nevertheless, the hair had been left a good hour and half and anyway there was all that product! In the end though, it was a little disappointing. Christian took the rollers out and proceeded to comb it straight leaving Charlotte with hair straighter than when she’d first walked in. Was quite funny…
Next on our pampering schedule was a trip to Orion, the ‘sauna and massage come nightclub outfit’. Soraya and Mary-Rose (a peace-corps volunteer) joined us. It was fab. We spent ages just chilling, chatting and drinking tea which meant I was a bit spaced out for drinks later on but a lovely evening.

After a quick auction of some favourite items, we said goodbye to Hayley. Charlotte and I then met up with the Moira, kerry and Sarah for a (long) walk to Shogwe where we stopped for a quick fanta before I attempted to go home. The rest you know although I was even more gutted because as I was trying to catch the bus home the girls had spent the rest of the afternoon watching Summer Heights high…I would have soooo rather be doing that instead of wasting time as I did waiting for non-existent buses!