Heads, Shoulders, Knees & Toes

Written by Amelia Mitchell - Tanzania 2008 Year Out Volunteer

Well Thursday afternoon i went to work and we were meant to desk build but we didn't because no one had a key, so instead we taught the kids songs (head and shoulders knees and toes and the hokie pokie among others) they knew the head and shoulders and all laughed at my chalk drawing of a person to demonstrate the different body parts, but they got pretty into the hokie pokie so that was good, not sure if they had any idea what they were singing but what can you do.

Friday Jackie and i taught which was pretty awesome, we had to teach in order to and to, which was not the most riveting of all topics but anyway i think they understood which was good. They sung us a couple of their songs at the end and wow they can sing.
We spent the rest of the day desk repairing, sawing is seriously good for your arms, may even be more of a work out than dragon boating (just maybe.) Three of us ran back to camp and all these little kids ran along with us holding our hands but they all got tired and dropped off which made me feel very fit, even though I'm not.

Anyway Saturday we went into Moshi i got my pants that i'd had made, they are pretty cool though a little big. They are just light cotton material in like this green, but you get the tailors in the street to make then for you which is always a risky business because sometimes they get your sizes wrong. We wandered around for a while and didn't get to harassed which was nice but i got in trouble from one guy who i rescued Ingrid from, apparently i was watering the tall trees and ignoring the small trees or something, anyway he forgave me because i had my Che T-shirt on, they all seem to have a thing for che guvara, very strange.

Finished shopping we were ready to head back to camp for lunch, but the entire street of taxi drivers conspired against us so we ended up having to walk along way, finally we found a taxi for a reasonable price and were on our way home, and there was like 5 or something of us, so we had to go though the back streets and suddenly the cab stopped and we were all like oh dear what’s going on. But the cab was out of fuel so we had to stay there while the driver went and got more petrol (which is really expensive over here, like 1.70.) Anyway it took a while but we got back safe and sound.

Went out to La Liga last night and stayed till about two which was really fun, lots of dancing.

There are a couple of English people in camp waiting for their flights home and I’ve made friends with the two girls Yay! Europe contacts. They are thinking they will come to the Edinburgh festival so I can catch up with them there.

Hopefully going to the orphanage next weekend, and we leave for the wild life camp next Sunday which is meant to be amazing though very basic, so looking forward to that.