Wednesday, October 15th

Today it rained and 33 kids showed up at the Creche. The teacher did not come - she had to go to court and testify about a burglary she witnessed a few weeks ago. It was myself and the aide who freely used a wooden spoon to keep order. Well, I wish I knew what I was in for, because coming up with lesson plans for ages 3 to 6 with a minimal understanding of English has been challanging. About 10% can grasp the concepts even though I show them as a group first. I am also having extreme difficulty remembering their names. Maybe its old age or maybe its their names. There are 2 Lisas and an Andrew and I have those down pat, but Manyangaza, Nzimela, Kdlovu, Khuzwago and Siwangaza are just not on the tip of my tongue. I don't think there is a last name I can pronounce.

I invited the teacher and the aide to dinner last night - my treat. We had a few beers at the bar and dinner here at Island Vibe. The conversation was very interesting. The teacher mentioned she feels like she is on vacation since I have been here...NO Kidding!

This afternoon we visited a lady and her daughter, both of whom have AIDS and look terrible. Very thin, very sad. Karen, Melissa, Kuno, Jordan and myself tilled a patch of soil in the tiny yard and planted some vegetables. The ground is very dry and hard, but I guess the vegies will grow because there is a garden at the school sprouting a variety of greenery.
We are soooo fortunate!

Friday I am off to Shamwari for the weekend. It's a private game reserve and of the largest in southern South Africa. I am so psyched to go on a Safari.