Two Weeks

This is going to be short and sweet because the clock is ticking - in 24 minutes the generator will shut off, as well as all the lights on the compound, and since I still haven't showered I'd like to do that while the lights are still on, I'm sure you understand.  I suppose I could also write this in the dark with only the glow of my screen, but you see, all kinds of crawling and flying bugs swarm my screen and buzz around my head and bite at my typing fingers, and I am 100 percent positive that if I sit here long enough they will fly away with my computer.


I've officially been here 15 days and it feels like exactly seven, I don't know if this is a good or bad sign.

Last week I came down with the Sudanese sickness.  It started as a scratchy, sore throat, then turned into congestion, coughing, and general lethargy.  I spent most of Friday, Saturday and Sunday sleeping and have never wanted an air conditioner more badly in my life.  A lot of the kids are sick with malaria so I'm just thankful I didn't catch that.  I'm feeling much better but still need a nap in the afternoon.  Oh the joy of not working a typical 9-to-5 job.

21 minutes left

Yesterday I started teaching two English classes for the orphanage kids because they're currently on summer holiday and want to get ahead in English.  They greet me every morning by singing "Mary Had a Little Lamb," so one of my first goals is to teach them other songs.  Thanks for reminding me of the annoyances of my childhood, children.  For the most part they're smart, quick, curious, but they are still teenagers and do. not. stop. talking.  I finally decided to bring my Kindle to the class and am reading them "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" and using it to teach the differences between the parts of a sentence.  It would go much faster if I didn't have to stop after every few sentences and ask, "Do you know what a wardrobe is?"   "Do you know what the phrase 'old chap' means?"  "Have you learned about World War II and the bombings of London?"  Some things are difficult to translate no matter how well I can explain them.

There's a lizard about 4 inches long that's living in my room.  The first day I saw it I spent about 20 minutes trying to brush it out my door, but have come to terms with the fact that I have to share my space with insects and reptiles and have decided that I'd rather have lizards as long as they eat spiders.  Lizards do eat spiders, right?

14 minutes left of light.

Until next time.