Today's events. Wednesday 13th June - My Last day in Yamba. I know I have missed a bit in between - I hope to fill this at some point. What a rollercoaster, Christine (the new volunteer - scottish young and lovely - here to do marketing) anyway she was up and out early to see the display for the arrival of the freedom torch, so with no school I was left at Mzizma alone - not a problem - some 'ssssh' packing to do (sssh we don't mention leaving) and a this sw...

Wednesday 16th - Kuku I'm looking at a cockerel (kuku) sitting silently with it's feet bound in the corner of my room, a sad sight at the end of an extraordinary day. This morning it looked like there was a harvest festival - the children were bringing oranges, eggs, advocados, half a branch of bananas, sugarcane, maize, plantain, biscuits and more. Richard asked me if I liked 'meat of hen' (on reflection maybe I should of said no) Anyway Caroline was at school ...

Friday 11th MayFriday was a productive day considering I was off colour. I did some most excellent pictures (if I say so myself) copied of course - I have zero imagination - and Crayola thick felt tips are a must. For kindergarten - a cat, a pig and a (shaggy) dog - on testing them on Stella (my housegirl) I did realise that a shaggy dog wasn't a very good example - the dogs here are far from shaggy - they a small golden brown scrawny things, but that wouldn't ma...

Tuesday 8th MayIt's lunchtime and I'm sitting here at school in the staff room eating dry home bread and the sweetest orange I have ever tasted for my picnic lunch and thinking how lucky I am. I feel so guilty that I hide my water and try and be discrete when when eating. These children have no cooked or packed lunch and probably no water all day, but when they play even in the rain I have never noticed a cross word.Kindergarten rushed to their class room when th...

Thursday 1st MayFirst day at SchoolI was so nervous especially because my first day was a wet one. A walk down in the rain, walking boots, plastic mack and walking stick. No lesson first thing, but we need to be in school from 8am to 2.35 (when lessons finish) of course the kids get in earlier and leave later so they can clean the classrooms. Difficult subjects - std III are at a unit 'It belongs to / They belong to', which will be 2 weeks work (they have 2 40 mi...