An update on my blog is much needed, so here goes...
Swaziland is my home. It’s weird to say that, but after almost 7 weeks here it really is the truth. I’ve settled in nicely to my Big Bend life. My weeks are busy, challenging and stressful while also being quiet and relaxing (well, at the weekends anyway!). Let’s not forget about the word fun as well! I love it here and seem to be having fun every single day, although sometimes is doesn’t feel like it at the time!
Recent weekends have been spent at the game reserve, chilling by the dam (one eye always open for crocs!) and having a braiie (bbq)! Sun shining and peace and tranquillity. Can’t ask for much more (especially when you live in a hostel...). We’ve met a guy who owns jet-ski’s so we’ll be heading out onto the dam on one of those soon. The dam has a hippo in it, obviously just to add to the thrill of the experience (and let’s not forget about the crocodiles)! Mhlonsiga Game Reserve does seem to be becoming one of my favourite places. It’s literally 10 minutes up the road and you can go walking there. Most weekday evenings we go walking there and on more occasions that not we see the most beautiful giraffes! I can’t even begin to describe how it feels to be so close to them when you’re on foot and not it a car. Absolutely amazing! Even spotting giraffes (we’ve named one “monty”) is becoming quite normal now!
Hostel continues to drive me crazy at times but I can’t say I don’t love it. I’ve got to know some of the girls really well now, making it feel much more like home, as though they are my sisters. I now get up on the bell (5am in case you had forgotten) and go for a jog around the school field. Sets me up nicely for the day...although a nap in the afternoon after teaching is often required. The auntie’s in the kitchen continue to crack my up daily. The funniest women I have ever met, especially Mama Rose! Every morning I am greeted with “Hannah, Hannah, Hannah! How are you?” and then she’ll say something that makes me laugh. She knows my favourite food is fishfingers, which makes for some delicious fishfinger sandwiches at lunchtime! The thing I love most about her is the fact that she has twins and named them “Debbie” and “Deborah”...funny, funny times! It’s lovely to know I have a “family” as such at hostel now.
Moriah Center continues to be great fun. Our days there are nowhere near as hard or stressful as at Injabulo, which means I can take time to relax a little more while teaching! The Lions are now singing “Roll over, roll over” amazingly well (and in a Scottish accent may I add). You know how it goes....”there were 10 in the bed...” I needn’t sing anymore. We’re going to sing it at their graduation which will be a great laugh. We’ve made up actions that go along with it and at snack time we have the whole school singing it. I have far too much fun teaching there...I need to remember I am the teacher, but then that’s why I love it!
Last week involved not teaching at Injabulo in protest, as the classrooms hadn’t been cleaned in over 2 weeks. As much as I hate not being able to teach the kid’s (it isn’t their fault), it’s the only way in which we can make the community realise we are serious and that the classrooms need to be cleaned! Ahhhh, such a struggle there but then I can’t help but love teaching there. Everyone likes a good challenge! A community meeting has been arranged and the situation will (hopefully) soon be resolved!
We’ve just returned from a long weekend away in Durban! This was my first experience of travelling within Africa and it was a great one! The weekend mainly involved shopping, relaxing on the beach, eating amazing food (at last!), a trip to Ushaka Marine World and wondering down a street where we were told to turn back or most likely to be mugged! Always got to have a good story to tell! We met some really interesting people at the backpackers, going out for dinner with them and a crazy night out in Durban! I’ve no idea how it got to 4:30am so quick!?! The kombi ride home was much smoother than expected. A 2 hour wait on the kombi for it to fill up before it even left, a marriage proposal that I sadly turned down and a 5 hour journey back to Big Bend! Successful weekend all round and it was lovely to get a break from Big Bend. The city life is definitely not for me though. Too many people, too many cars, too many tall buildings and what are these things they call traffic lights? Not seen those in a while....
So all is well in Swaziland! The temperature continues to rise as summer draws closer and closer, so bracing myself for that one! Don’t think I go a day without being told that it will get extremely warm and I won’t be able to cope. You know it’s bad when even the locals are complaining!
For now I shall leave you all with this blog and post another one at some point, although I can’t make any promises as to when. Much love, Hannah xx
No comments:
Post a Comment