Wednesday May 26, 2010- Zanzibar day 3

I overslept the running again and made myself a promise that Id be up to do it tomorrow morning. We got up slowly and headed to breakfast where again there was a shortage of food. I joked that the hotel must think we were doing survivor eliminations and people were being voted off the island.

We ate watever we had and got ready for our new lesson groups. My new group was Estella and Mary with Kesi as our Swahili partner. We work really well together and kesi was a very good translator. We were preparing for tomorrow which was the first time we'd be teaching and we would be teaching the teachers of the school we would be working with once school started up again. Kesi said that we would be teaching the teachers he had when he was in school which I thought was funny. About 3 hours in,we were all starving again and wanted to eat desperately. While writing in our journals Clara was writing about what she did and didn't miss from home, and I thought that was a great idea. So I'll start with the things I don't miss, some of themsurprising me:

What I don't miss:
-facebook/Internet
-constantly checking my iPhone.
-coffee, all that much.
-my blow dryer
-makeup.
-driving
-traffic
-billboards, ads, etc.
-television. At all.

I'm sure I'll think of more later.

What I do miss:
- my parents
-my boyfriends Tony and Lis.
- my brother
- friends. All of them.
- non-humid weather
-sweets (desserts and candy)
- ice. Oh god how I miss ice.
-cold drinks
-cold ANYTHING
-Tony
- eating fruits and vegetables regularly.
- not being bit by bugs.
- did I mention Tony? :(

I tried to call him the other day and was so excited I got through to him but I lost him pretty quickly. Anyway, enough sap. We had lunch finally and it was ugali and beans.afterward we did our teaching presentation and it went really well. I like kesi. He is the most organized and on task of all of the teaching partners and is really funny an loves teaching me Swahili.

We had the opportunity to go to the village for the first time since we've been here and not many people felt prepared for the next day so they didn't go but me, Mary and David went with lily and Jessica. We took a short cut through this very crazy rainforest looking trail. These walks were supervised by the "Massa" security guards. They all wear very culturally significant clothing; a red blue and white striped cloth that wraps around their waist and then goes up over their left shoulder. Their shoes are made of tire and they carry a small sword in a sheath on their hip. They're very nice and like to talk to the Americans. My walk lasted a good half hour an suddenly we began to see people and goats and little shops they call "dukas" where you can by anything from fruit and fresh fish to calling cards.

We went all they way to town to meet the Shayha, whos the village leader, but he was nowhere to be found. We went to the center of the village where a bunch of guys were playing soccer. Friends of Jessica and lily told us they want us to play on Sunday so I'm excited about that.

Mr. Mohammed caught us a huge fish and seasoned it for dinner. It was the best fish I've ever had. I am not sure if that's because I'm practically starving here or if it was amazing but regardless it was good. We then went and bout some bananas and hot sauce for dinner and headed back down the trail before it got too dark.

Along the way we saw so many cute kids who wanted to walk with us but it was getting dark so we couldn't let them. I thought about how I hoped we could hang out with some kids soon because not only arethey the reason I'm here but I just desperately want to meet them all.

We got home and had been served rice meat and our fish from mr. Mohammed. The hot sauce was the perfect touch to liven things up. We chatted a little and headed to bed to make some posters for tomorrow and crash.