1/6/14

We slept so crappy last night. It was SO SO HOT. We were up at 1am and I feel back asleep from about 4 - 6:30. Poor Amber didn’t fall back to sleep at all. Let me tell you, that girl is getting some reading in this week. But at breakfast, we met Laurel! She was the only volunteer that we hadn’t met. It was totally unexpected (and unwanted by her) because she had to stay the night in Dar due to some travel miscommunications. It was so great to meet her! After swahili, we had a session on classroom management, and lunch at a new local place. It was great! We walked down this little alley and then, bam!, there is was. Quick lesson on culture: you are supposed to wash your hands before and after you eat. This place took it a little over the top and our water (the only hot water I have felt since I got here- no complaining!) was scalding hot. Let’s just say our hands got real clean. 

After lunch, we went back to vodacom to set up mPESA accounts. mPESA is how we will receive our stipends. It is pretty revolutionary. We will get a little notification and then go to a little side-of-the-road stand and be able to get out money pretty much wherever we are. It’s literally money in the phone. Then we went to Airtel to get our modems. Luckily we got them this time but it was no less of an adventure. We walked to the same Airtel as the one we went to on Saturday and it was completely gone. And not just the signs and merchandise. The entire store was wiped out, including the floor tile. Well, it had just moved up to the 4th floor in the ‘mall’. So we walked up the twisty stairs to their new store. The line was outrageous but we were able to go to a shorter ‘line’. I use line loosely because there really is no concept of line. They really just help whoever whenever and often are helping multiple people at one time. Count that as culture lesson #2 of the day. It was incredibly hot in there. Like sweat rolling down my face and back while we were just standing in there. It was apparently too hot for this one gentleman because he starting throwing a full-on tantrum, yelling about how hot it was.... and something about mzungu. Well there were only three of us in there so I don’t know what to think about that but, forget that, I take comfort in knowing I wasn’t the only one who was hot. We left and were about to get money out of an ATM when I realized that the lady kept my passport! Now that would have spelled trouble. Crisis #1 adverted. Yes #1. Crisis #2 came immediately after when my bank ate my ATM card. A little panicked, I called Kim over and she called the bank. While on the phone with them a little miracle occurred and the machine decided to give me my card back. A new ATM and money in my pocket and all was forgotten. 

It was a very chill afternoon where I read a book on my Kindle and took an impromptu nap. Very much needed and appreciated. I skipped dinner for some peanut butter but enjoyed the company and even got to see Laurel again. We are hoping to get to leave for Bariadi on Thursday instead of Friday but are waiting on the District officials to see if that can be in Mwanza then to pick us up. Stay tuned.