End of 2nd week

Yep not an original title but all that I can think of at the mo!

Been working at the Masai village this week and for the next 6. I say village but its enormous, must be easily more than 3000 people there, its just that they are all scattered. I'm not actually staying with the Masai which is a disappointment but am with the headmaster and his family. His wife Mama Last (all women here are called Mama, mother or sister- including me!) is the kindest, hardest working woman I've ever met in my life. She waits on me hand and foot, does all my cooking and washing and is horrifed if I offer to assist.

The school is basic and poor although most of the kids have exercise books and pens so call it a bonus. I'm teaching Standard 5 and 6 and Form 2 at the secondary school. The younger kids are incredibly shy of the mzungu but the older ones are bolder and ask a ton of questions- not all English related either!

Life is tough for the kids- some of them must walk 7 or 8 miles to get to school. They must be there for 7 am and then they have to clean the pupil and teacher toilets (squat toilets- yuck!), sweep and wash all the floors of the classrooms and offices and be ready to line up at 7.30. Then they have to sing the 2 Tanzanian national songs go to class. Most of them do this on an empty stomach. They must wear uniform or stay at home. If their family can't afford it, then they dont go to school. If they step out of line at all they are whipped with a switch which I must confess that I can't bear to see.

It feels as though I've been away from home for much longer than 2 weeks! So much has happened and so much to take in. School is in session for one more week then we have the Easter holiday for one week. I was going to visit Zanzibar but Cosmas said that we would all go to visit his parents in Kilimanjaro so I cancelled. Now he's decided that we are not going and its too late to get a reasonable flight to Z- grrrr! However, I have been invited to one of the teacher's wedding on the 29th so I'm really looking forward to that!

I must mention the food! Before coming to Oldonyosambu I was warned not to expect any decent food as it would all be meat based, so I prepared myself to starve. No such thing! We leave for school at 7 so eat breakfast at 6.30. Its usually eggs or bread or chapati. 10am break is chai and andazi- a kind of doughnut thing without the sugar. 12noon break is the same. School finishes at 2.30pm and then its home for lunch- usually rice with green veggies or ugali (very solid maize porridge- incredibly bland and only edible with something else. Its a staple here and the Tanzanians love it) Then 8 pm its dinner and Mama Last creates something wonderful with beans or lentils- often makandi, made with red beans and maize or plaitain stew- all wonderful. The calories in the chai alone are horrific. Sometimes its black tea with a ton of brown sugar, sometimes white tea with sugar and sometimes milk with brown sugar. No wonder Africans have bad teeth! And I'm starting to look pregnant!

This weekend I'm back in Tengeru. The Irish are leaving tomorrow so open fire and sing song and many beers tonight. Then back to Old tomorrow and another week of work. Ain't life tough!!