Sickness, unfortunately...

Sorry it's been so long since the last post. Much has transpired in the last week.

The end of the first week of teaching went quite well. The Standard 3 kids are so sharp, and all scored very well on their quiz on Friday. I'm impressed with how well they know and understand geography. Friday was an adventure for me too! It is grasshopper season in Mwanza, and the kids catch them by the handfull. They kept trying to put them down the back of our shirts, and quite often succeeded.

Anyway, they are for eating here, and after the girls pluck the legs and wings off, they saute them up in a giant pot over the fire. Yours truly decided that she needed this experience, and so I ate one - and even chewed it. It wasn't really that bad, but i didn't like the fact that it still had its eyeballs.

The weekend was fun, as there were two new volunteers arrived from Spain, working at a neighboring orphanage. We've got quite the international contingency, and it's a real treat right now to have some girlfriends to chum around with and talk to.

Monday of this last week (the 18th) I woke up feeling lethargic, feverish, and with a rather rumbly tummy. I got worse over the day, and Katy (a volunteer here with Hisani) was ill too. Tuesday we decided to go to Hindi Hospital (the private hospital here in town) and get tested. Lo & behold, a moderate strain of malaria in both of us. Thus we were housebound and sick for this whole week. That is why you have not heard from me in so long.

The hospital is an experience unto itself. Cement floors, open to the outside, people sitting around everywhere waiting to be seen. They keep good hygeine standards, and fresh needles, etc., when they took the blood draw. It is just so very different from home.

Today is Saturday the 23rd. I'm feeling better and have braved town to email, and collect some last minute items for Christmas this weekend. We've cobbled together sweets, school supplies, stickers and toothbrushes for the kids. There are also some Lion's Club toys that they should be receiving. I will email next week to tell you how those tidings went.

Folks keep asking for photos, but being quite ill this week has taken all my energy. In order to post photos, I need to bring the memory card to town, get it burned to a disc, then make sure I have a computer that is able to upload the photos. Today, it took 10 minutes just to access my blogsite. You can see why adding photos might not be the easiest thing in the world.

I hope I"m done with sickness. I was downright crabby by Friday, and insisted I go out to dinner or else I would eat someone's hand for my meal. The doctor insists we have no meat or dairy, just bread and rice. Well, when you've got an allergy to wheat, that doesn't leave many choices!

Africa continues to fascinate me, and sometimes sadden me. The kids are lovely, and I am becoming more attached to them. The neighbor kids are wonderful too. Always they cry "Mzungu" (white person) and come ripping up our road to hold our hands for a walk. Most people are very friendly; lots of people want money. The money that was so kindly donated is of course earmarked for the kids at Hisani and Watoto. However, I will also be making a donation to the local street kids center. They sleep on the sidewalks during the day (too dangerous to do that at night) and prowl around at night. They seem to need the help most of all.

By the way, I would relish any letters or cards from home. Email is great, but not very personal. If you wish to write, please send letters to:

Lorna Jackson
Volunteer Africa
c/o Hisani
PO Box 1817
Mwanza, Tanzania
East Africa

I'm here until February 24th, and mail takes about 2-3 weeks from home. Just be sure to send by early February (at the latest).

I wish my dear friends a very Merry Christmas. As always, thanks for reading and keep the good thoughts coming.