Hey hows it going?

Interesting couple of days. Wednesday at the Castle was a totally rubbish night and went home about midnight feeling bored and crap.

Thursday at project was a pretty normal day...and the night was dull until about 10pm where me and Emer decided to go to the casino at Club Florida.

I knew how to play the slots properly and a few card games but it was still our first visit to a casino.

The place was really smart and had good air-con. Instead of putting money in the slots you paid the attendant who coded in the amount for you.

Anyway we lost 500 bob on one and moved to another. It was getting late and we were both tired but enjoying ourselves. Anyway we get the credit upto 655 and decide that we want to go home. So we collect.

Now you have to call an attendant when you are collecting and they go and get the money. They gave us funny looks and went to get it. Emer then had to sign for it, and we left. She told me when we got outside that all the figures above her were like 19000 shillings and 8000 and 32000 and we'd left at 655!!!

I'm going back with Chuck soon. We'll play cards then.

Tried to change my flights so I could go to Zanzibar at New Years but can't do unless I wanna fly back on 15th of January. So on 14th-19th December I'm going to Zanzibar with Chuck. Will stop over in Dar es Salaam on the way.

Today was a tiring day at project. Day 4 with no water and I was the only bloke their apart from Bernerd, the security guard, so I was going to go buy the water.

First of all, Jenny was in Lamu and Catherine in Zanzibar so I was the only volunteer. And they had no teacher this morning. So I got them sat down watching a DVD and they were noisier than the last time they watched a DVD with me. They were starting to take the piss so I got matron (who has devoted her life to these kids, but is stirct) and she came in and told them to be quiet as she normally does. And they do. Cos they are scared of her.

Anyway she asked me who and it was most of them, but in particular 5 of the 6 boys I took to town. So I pointed out those 5 and she made them hold thier palms out and she cained it. Won't have hurt too much because it was the palm but I wasn't expecting it. They were quiet until the power cut out (and didnt come back on) so we were doing jigsaws and colouring and writing and it was chaos. Then we had a load of visitors come in the decorate for Christmas. Place looks nice now and I'll add some pictures tommorow hopefully.

So I go for water. 1 hour in 12noon-1pm sun & heat. Hauling 5 gallons a time of water in a wheelbarrow. Did 4 trips, 20 gallons in the end. None of the women could lift it or balance it cos it was too heavy...my arms ache like mad now. I went home after that because I was a ball of sweat. Kids kept saying 'Angalia, mzungo ama maji!' Meaning 'Look, white person with water' as white people don't normally haul water in barrels round Bamburi.

Going for Chinese with Emer tonight, Nyali tommorow and maybe to Watamu on Sunday.

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