what to say? PICTURES

an upendo student

feeding stacey cake!

my birthday cake, yes written in kiswahili!

the food market in zanzibar... meat fest anyone?

a typical day in zanzibar

jambo, habari za mchana?
i guess i owe you the birthday update, though it feels like so long ago and truthfully i feel like i cant be bothered to recount it. but here you go. first they sing and present the cake, even though i bought it. then you cut a piece into bite size pieces and the whole group holds one fork and feeds the birthday girl a bite of cake. then the birthday person feeds each person there a bite, starting from the youngest to the oldest. our mama's niece was there with her little boy,who was too freaking adorable, and so i started with james. A picture is taken of each person recieving their cake. the cake was good and well worth the $20.
The rest of the week went by fast, spending it at school writing and typing exams. on thursday and friday i spent all the day typing all the other teacher's exams on the school computer. by friday, yesterday, i wanted to throw the computer out the window. but, it will be nice for the students to all have typed exams. I also had a sit down with the head mistress and she asked me to pay for a girls school fees. It is really hard to be put on the spot like that. she told me about the girl and how her parents are both really sick with AIDS and cant pay her school fees. They school fees for the year are $250. If they were $100 i would most likely do it. but i dont have $250 to spend like that. Then she asked me to see if i can help her pay the kids lunch fees. There are 42 kids that havent paid them yet and she said it is giving her a headache. The lunch fees are $100 a kid. It is hard to deal with her thinking that im made of money, that $4,000 is pocket change. There really is no understanding of middle class, or young and unemployed traveler. I explained to one of the teachers that it took alllll my money to get here, that my flight alone was a huge huge chunk of all the money i had. but he didnt believe me and told me my pockets are full of money. So, i told madam regina that i would see what i could do after i get home about raising some money. So i dont know whats going to happen with that, but it was an interesting experience.

Last night we came into town to go out and have dinner and some kili beers, or tusker is my fav. We had a good time jsut sitting around hanging out. today we are back in arusha and today is shopping day. i have bought very little, tryiing to see everything and decide what i wanted to get me and other people. so, today i am shopping and im excited about it, im getting my bartering skills ready. haha.

so. i dont have mucht o say. truthfully. so there you go. two weeks and then i go to BELFAST! and get to see a special pregnant someone! yep, Pamela McCormick is having another wonderful little one and im sure he or she will be just as wonderful as all her others. So woo, maybe ill have to make another trip to belfast in February so that baby mccormick knows his american sister.

until then, tutaonana
nakupenda