Found internet in Ikwiriri!!!

Hi all,
so after a bit of searching...Connie and I have found internet in Ikwiriri which is excellent as it means I will have more contact with home than I was expecting.

Will start with the rest of my travels and then will update you all on whats been happening since I have been back.

On the Thursday night, we all went and stayed in the Maasai camp and it was SOOO awesome! Stayed in huts made of mud and cow dung, on beds of sticks and cow hide! Was a real experience. Fun for a night but not sure I could live like that my entire life! Learnt lots about the maasai culture and their history, which was really good. Went for a walk and saw all the plants they still use as natural medicine and elephant and zebra poo but none of the actual animals :( Although we did see zebras from a distance the day we left! Also learnt how to start a fire using sticks and elephant dung (very useful back in Australia, lol) although us girls werent quite as good at it as the Maasai men (suprise suprise). So had a lovely time there. Got to shower outside with the most stunning views surrounding me, was very cool!

We got back to Arusha from the Maasai camp Fri and began our journey home Sat! Had an 8 hour trip to Morogoro on the Sat and then stayed with Marie, Pheobe and Ross the night there! From there we had to catch 3 busses to Ikwiriri which took ALL day, so we didnt get back here until dark.

Monday school started so we headed up there and worked out classes, timetables etc. I am teaching form 1 english-there are 4 streams (classes) with about 60 in a class so have about 240 students in total. As they are in form 1, it is their first year of secondary school so they have VERY basic english (if any at all). I teach each class 3 times a week, for 80 mins at a time so teach 12 a week in total (although headmaster already wants me to pick up more subjects!). School goes from 7:30am until 1:10pm which means we get afternoons to ourselves to do housework/tutor students etc which is good. There are 740 students at Ikwiriri Secondary School and only 9 permanent teachers!!! So its hugely understaffed.

Had the rest of last week to write our schemes of work for the term (which is a semester in Aus) and get ready and prepared to teach, which was so good because I was pretty scared about teaching. Was hard to prepare lessons though as had no resources other than a syllabus!

Today was the first day of teaching. Got to school about 7:20 and then Connie and I had to introduce ourselves in assembly. Was quite funny as we can only speak a little swahili so half our introduction was in swahili and then it turned into english when we didnt know anymore. I started off the day with form 1b english, followed by 1d and then a break before form 1a last period. Didnt get off to the greatest start, had nowhere near enough planned and had overestimated their english level so the first 2 periods included a fair bit of improvisation. So planned a whole different lesson for my last period of english and it went ALOT better! Being a teacher is hard work but Im really enjoying it so far! There are, of course, the disruptive students but there are some very dedicated students as well, who work incredibly hard.

When I first got to Ikwiriri, I struggled with the concept that it was going to be my home for the next 6 months but its starting to sink in and Im liking it more and more everyday. The students are great, the teachers are lovely and the people in the local community are very friendly. Communication is still very difficult, however. But we are finding ways around it. I've realised that the best way to make it feel like home, even if only temporary, is to have lots to do with the people so thats what we have been doing. We always have students round and little kids come around and we play with the ball with them. Is lots of fun! On the walk from our house into town we pass so many gorgeous kids who never fail to put a smile on Connie and my's face. Its definately my favourite thing about walking into town!

Other interesting things:
I killed my first scorpian the other day! Was so scared! I cant even kill spiders back home and here I was faced with a scorpian. And they DONT die easily!!! Took a fair bit of whacking. But eventually I won the battle and could sleep peacefully knowing that it wasnt going to sting me during the night. Pretty sure Connie thought it was hilarious to listen to as she lay in her safe, comfortable bed!
Also, I had my first up close and personal run-in with a rat/mouse (I keep telling myself it was only a mouse) last night. Went to go to the toilet and when I shut the door I saw it on the top of the door, we were pretty much looking into each others eyes. Was so scary! The only way to get it out was to open the door but it was on it! So i quickly grabbed the door and flung it open and practically climbed up the wall until it ran out. Then I called Connie to see if she could see it, but we didnt know where it had gone (I pretty much make Connie deal with all those kinds of things, I dont know what I'd do without her!). Took about 10mins for my heart to go back to a normal rhythm I reckon.

Anyway, best be off. So, in essence, that is what I have been up to so far! Cant believe it has been a month since I left Australia.

Missing everyone back home!
Alisha,
xx