Hey guys
Sorry about the lack of posts, its been really hard to get
internet access recently. The last few days have been kindof run of the mill
anyway, but I thought it would be good to provide an update. On Saturday we
went to the comedy/variety night, which was fun, I proved to be very popular
and was hauled onto the stage several times. The toilets there were a complete
joke, they were locked with a padlock which they fortunately gave us the key
to, and you had to walk through the mens urinals to get to it. Once you got
inside there wasn’t really a toilet at all, rather a tiny hole in the corner of
the room, with washing lines strung above your head with various undergarments
drying on them and dripping on your head. Most of the other volunteers managed
to piss all over their feet, but I am fortunately quite well practiced at this,
so I managed not to.
On Sunday I went for lunch at sky blue with Danielle, one of
my roommates. I spoke to her about the uneasy feeling I had relating to the
rest of my roommates. I had been thinking for a few days that there was some
sort of issue between us but I wasn’t really sure what, I just felt as though
they didn’t really like me. Danni invited me to join them on safari so I told
her that I thought she should talk to them first and see if they were ok with
me coming, as I didn’t think they would be. She seemed a bit surprised but said
she would talk to them. Later on when we got back I went into the room to get
my phone and they were all sitting there and stopped talking when I walked in.
it was pretty obvious what they were talking about, but I tried to just get my
phone and go. Dayna was then like ‘we didn’t mean to make you feel awkward…’ but
I don’t know, I was really upset about it and I couldn’t really hold it
together so I just walked out. Danni followed me to make sure I was ok, but in
all honesty I wasn’t. Dennis saw me crying and kept asking me what the problem
was but I didn’t want the staff getting involved so I didn’t tell him. I went
for a walk on my own and ended up just sitting at school for ages, thinking
stuff over. I came back after a bit and sat in the food banda on the floor, so
that it wouldn’t be obvious I was there. Amon came in and was standing still
for ages, so I think he saw me. A few minutes later dennis came and tried again
to get me to tell him. He even bought me a beer which was foul but kindof
funny. I went and sat by the fire for a
bit with Mrass and some of the other local people, and then I went to bed
without really talking to my roommates. The next morning I moved rooms, but its
still kindof awkward.
On Monday I took Olivia to see the eye doctor and he
diagnosed conjunctivitis, which was a relief. He also said that she had some
other problems that I hadn’t really noticed like a chest infection so we saw
another doctor who prescribed a load of drugs. Because she is so young I walked
her home that night and gave the drugs to her grandmother who she lives with.
Amon has since told me that she was born with syphilis, though I don’t know how
that affects children, but it made me think that the chances of her having HIV
are pretty high, especially as she doesn’t have a mother. On Monday Dayna also
brought me a child who was feeling ill (why she brought her to me and didn’t deal
with it herself, I don’t know) who looked as though she had malaria. She was
seriously miserable but she was just complaining of a headache and stomachache,
and didn’t have a temperature, so I gave her some paracetamol (I was advised to
do this by the head) and some water and just let her be. Later on I went to see
if she was feeling any better and she wasn’t, but it was nearly the end of the
day and the staff said to jut leave her to go home and see how she was in the
morning. Before she left after school she said to me ‘Mzungu, im not happy.’ Which
totally broke my heart. It had been an emotional couple of days anyway and I felt
incredibly guilty when she didn’t show up to school the following day or today.
Yesterday we went to a big market in a nearby town where we
bought fabric to get bags and shorts made, and some stuff for the lodge. Amon
is trying to get us a pig so we can have a hog roast tomorrow night! Im going
to Gerrards house now (he used to work at the lodge) so I had better go, but
ill try and post again soon!
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