January 19th 2009 – my birthday

It was really nice today because I had quite a few messages wishing me a happy birthday even though sometimes I like to forget that another year has passed.

School in the morning was good although implementing the new work schedule was more difficult than we thought. Ines was great and managed to take on the plan with much enthusiasm even when most of the children really struggled to understand what we were trying to achieve. I on the other hand was more concerned in getting a couple of the kids to finish off the work that we have been doing up to now which was no easy task. The children were also much more lively today and difficult to control and I think we could have got into difficulty if Abdullah had not come in to rescue us.

In the afternoon for our manual labour we went back to the bush to collect the extra soil we needed to finish the garden project, but as a consequence of our organisation, Ines digging, Abdullah carrying and me tying we managed to finish the job quite quickly and we were able to head home early.

Before dinner the girls had another aerobics class which was remarkable given that due to a power cut they had no music. A matter of following the hand clap apparently but in any event they all seemed to really enjoy themselves.

The evening though was to be a surprise for me as there was a plan but I was not in the loop so to speak. So at about 7.30 we all headed off on our bicycles to the hotel Coral Rock (a small hotel about 20 mins cycle away) and as there was a power cut we had to use a collection of flashlights to see where we were going. Cycling here is difficult enough in the day light so you can imagine what it is like without really being able to see where you are going. We did manage to arrive safely and found Timor and Mega waiting at our table which had been decorated for me with balloons and presents etc. It was a fantastic surprise and really appreciated. We had a wonderful evening and one I will remember for a long time. One interesting fact that came out was the divorce law that is practised here. It is 3 strikes and you're out for the women but not reciprocal arrangement for the men. Maybe we could learn something from this back in the UK, although I know the girls vehemently disagree.

The ride back was interesting to say the least with Megan breaking her bike (not an uncommon experience out here) and the town being pitch black. It was only when we were half way back to our hostel that we realised that the power had returned, but as most of the houses have no electricity, we understood that this black out is the norm here for many of the villagers as soon as night arrives. Quite an eerie site and again a reminder of what we take for granted at home.

I managed to speak to Sally and the girls before bed which was great and thank them for the cards and messages.

Tomorrow we have a cultural day somewhere (another secret) and as Megan is fanatic for games it should be interesting. All part of us understanding the local culture and communicating effectively apparently. We shall see!