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Right firstly lets clear one thing up...im not tanned its winter here and i've spent the last 4 weekd in jeans and a hoody!!!
Right this week has shot bye...we had a nice meal at sperm again last week, yum and enjoyed a bit of shopping at pick n pay! This week ahs been filled with arts and crafts and sewing!
We made pop up cards...which will be known in the future as vagina cards after sarah explained about folding flaps and burst out laughing...sarah is not 5! though everyone was laughing, especially when petros came into see what we wre up to and it was the first thing that sprang to his mind also! RUDE PEOPLE!
Monday we spent the day with the HIV team, this was a fantatsic experience and though most of the time i had no idea what was being said, im pretty sure i could work ost of it out. Basically the HIV team go into different villages around Tshebe and educate people on the causes of HIV.They try to encourage peolpe to get tested and also are working hard to get rid of the stigma that comes with having HIV over here! They then get the details of the people that they have visited and try and go back to visit them on a regular basis giving them counselling and promoting safe sex. Em went out with April and i was out with Tiny and Katie and boys in the backie, we got dropped off in Samiya and we walked alot though they do seem to walk one sep forward and two steps backwards! I was actually meant to be going out with one of the lads, but the girls decided that because they had had problems trying to get people to listen and invite them in they would use me, as people were more likely to invite a white person into there home...so i became the local celeb for the day... i had highlighs of the day including a man proposing to me and someone so keen to get a closer look they nearly ran me over with a tractor, but i also had a reality check when seeing the way that some people live out there, sitting on the floor in a mud hut freezing cold actually makes you think, another house the lady let me sit on the sofa but fetched plastic chairs for Tiny and Katie, i felt very uncomfortable as felt a little treated like the queen and thats really not what im there for...but at the same time there was no way i could have refused as didnt want to sit on floor...joking i would have seemed like some kind of do gooder if i had refused...its hard to know what to do for the best. One lady had no idea how old she was and had to go and fetch her id card for us to work it out...which though quite amusing also the reality that no one else probably knows and who says happy birthday?
This week we also recieved a parcel from Ade with lots of goodies in which we spent the day looking through...and also patterns from Ems mum (thanks susan) that we tried out this week. I havent mentioned the sewing teacher so far as until this week i had not really seen her in action so to speak, we cut and pinned the pattens so and she sewed them up, did i mention the sewing teacher has no arms? You actually have to see this woman to believe her...she sews using th sewing machine...and pins and threads the needle...you just cant believe what you can do if you actually are willing to get off your arse i guess and learn. One of the most amzing sights is seeing her breack the thread with her toes...seriously...dont mess with chander!
Me and Em had a brill day with the chilren playing outside whilst the adults made beads inside, the kids just love anything you do with them and the most simple things get a smile. We showed them heads shoulders knees and toes, one finger one thumb and the oaky koaky and they laughed when i sang clapping games...i must say the non child intersted EM has really turned a corner playing and swinging them round even bouncing them on her knee and though im pretty sure she will kill me when i say this and a sound a complete idiot....EM is very good with kids and they loved her when she let her hair down and really played...and i really enjoyed watching that change.
Thurday we made beads using rolled up paper and glue...pretty impressive actually! i glued my fingers together and then picked a layer of skin off trying to unglue myself. We had diiner with Sarah and Rick on wed and Rick even cooked soya...what can i say!
Thurday we packed and happy days had no electirc in the morn...good times! In the eve we packed our stuff into the backie and left, i tried to get one of the children and also the most lovely lady Maar Sepo in my bag but they wouldnt come. Driving out of Tshebe i had a little cry as i cnt explain the freedom and the sence of fun i have had everyday...i cant explain how having nothing makes me feel better than when i have everyhting, how stunning the sun set is (as i never saw a sun rise but Em said it was great...you have to ask yourslef is it great enought to drag my arse out of bed in the early cold morning) i cant describe the stars and milky way and how bright the moon shines and i also can't describe thesmile and happiness it brings when you see a childs face light up because you'reshowing an interest in them! What i can say is the MR Rick hall has worked extreamly hard and puts up with alot of crap! But had acheived the impossble out her, he has made a true difference to the chidren in this village and long may it continue. The closness that myself and em felt with both Sarah and rick and the project with never go and i can not wait to get back out here!!!
Thursday night we had a lovley meal and were joined by James as we were staying with him so we could get to our flight on time. We laughed and fun anf listened to music and im not ashamed to say i completly fell to peices when they left...em even had to get in bed with be to console me...what a sap.
We are now with family friends/relatives in Jo'berg...luckily our flights wre all good and we had a fantastic shower and dinner.
Today we have been to see lions and tigers and rhionsOH MY (clealy this is the south african version of the song)
Back on tuesday morn...deff dnt want to be but hey for those who dont know i passed my degree with a 2:1 and will be graduating from westminster catherdral on wednesday! whoop whoop!
So for now goodbye will send my last blog of events next week.
Hope you are all well xxxx
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