settling in

Hey all... i didn't update yesterday and i apologize but i was just tooooooo tired... lol.... (slash) toooooo busy... hehe...

Other than still not being able to use my bank card to withdrawl cash (and before i get suggestions these ones have been exhuausted 1. i can't withdrawl with my visa because i'm not set up with a pin and according to the bank, i'm not allowed over the phone 2. i've tried every account so its not like i'm drawing from the wrong one 3 i have my correct PIN... lol ) anyways, here in africa its a LONG weekend that started thursday SOOOOO i don't have access to a phone till monday. so that must wait till then and i refuse to let it stress me out! :)

Also i don't have pictures yet because i don't have my computer set up..... again.. no one is here so i can't get the password for the wireless. hopefully that will get sorted next week. lol.


As to the weather..... well.... i was warmer in canada!!! haha.. its still early spring here and its been cloudy and windy most days. today however i'm looking out at a clear blue sky and its SOOO beautiful. i think that it might warm up to 28 today but we shall see. somethign that i was not expecting is how dark it gets here so early. 7 pm the sun is down..... and its dark out. SOOOO early. and it doesn't rise any earlier or anything. 5 am is when its getting nice and light out. its so crazy!

sooo yesterday. I stared my first day a day early in the babies home. One of the other new volunteers was just not feeling up to starting yet so i took her morning shift. Starting at 6am wasn't as bad as you would think... .so far... lol. when i got in the kids were already up and eating their breakfasts. all twelve of the older kids... i think that the age range is something like 18 months to 6 with the older ones. the babies stay in their cribs til later. anyways 12 kids eating porrige is DEEE lightfuly messy and i was pretty much sticky within an hour of being there. after the kids ate we got them washed and dressed for the day. and it is crazy loud and busy with all of them in the bathroom at the same time!!! haha... it took us like an hour or more to get them all washed and dress and going. then they pretty much had play time while we got snacks and lunch ready for them. they get a snack time and then we let them outside to run and play. its hectic because of how many of them there is and how little of us there is. but actually they play together well and its seems pretty cool!! after play time the kids go down for a nap at 11. thats my break time and i really really needed it yesterday. they get up again at 1230 and have lunch.... and after that i get off shift. stuff that happens in between all that is lots of nappies need changing, i cleaned up puke three times my first day.... my favorite one! this little guy walks up to me with his shoe and i thought he wanted help getting it on, so im turning him around and lifting his foot up to put on the shoes and he's yelling at me... "noooooo theres VOMIT in it...!! " AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH sure enough... vomit in the shoe... why in the shoe?? i dont' have a clue.. lol also i've never seen so much snot in all my life. everyone seems to have a runny nose and they really enjoy coughing in your face when your not expecting it.... lol

when i got off shift i felt totally exhausted but really good. there is definitly some culture things that are going to take some getting used to and i'm gonna have to change my way of thinking as far as what i'm used to with kids.


the rest of the day yesterday was fun. tho most people are away i have actually made some friends and ended up hanging out with them for the rest of the day yesterday. we walked down to the mall to have lunch. its about a twenty minute walk... downhill one way.. haha. coming back is a bit harder i must say but it was totally doable. so far, no weird food by the way. NEW food but nothing weird. all awesome. and there's tons of familiar stuff aswell. i horrify the dutch volunteers by eating Nutella right off a spoon..... mmm that was dinner last night... haha.

umm the rest of the day was spent playing video games, card games,watching movie and LOTS of laughing.

Today is my second shift. i'm doing an afternoon shift this time so that will be fun. something new again. afterwards i'm hoping to get picked up to head to someones house for my first BRAAI!!!!!! WHOOT i'm stoked!!!


prayer request

~still haven't gotten sick... so keep up the prayers. i forgot to mention, or maybe i did, but anyways, i decided to just go for it and drink the water here. getting bottled water is possible but somewhat of a pain if no one is availble to drive you to get it. and walking that distance to pick up water would be unpleasant. so rather than struggle with that i'm opting to drink the H2O and see how it goes. so far... my tummy is a happy camper. YAY !!!! and with the kids all being very snotty and puking .... yeah.. just pray for health. lol
~that i get my bank stuff sorted out next week. :)

edit: note going to the Braai afterall because its over before i'm done work.....:( next time!!