Friday, October 22.

What a bumpy day I have had!
Usually I sleep with my phone on silent but having forgotten to silence it, I was woken at 6am by a message from gazzat20 – a skyped text from GT in Miami. This was followed by his phone call. Communication is adhoc here however, this will be amended when I return from Dar and have access to my own modem. Later I used my available phone credit to ring Mum. These much needed chats with familiar voices gave my shakey belief in my abilities, a positive injection!
It was slog on.....
In the break, I had organised with Polly to have her collect me and my luggage at 4.30pm. Lunch was rushed as I needed to pack and sort my things to take to Dar for Piki next week, so I arrive at the arvo session a bit frazzled....
.....Role plays.....dialogue....communication....blah.....blah....blah.......blank.....blank.....
How can a mind have been filled with knowledge and the mouth not able to speak it.....!!!!! Brain must have been lala (asleep!) OR the knowledge had taken the scenic route and hadn’t reached my memory yet!!!.....
A minor melt down! FranzfrazzlednTanz!! Outside for time out! Dear Hazel and Susan... Asante Sana!
Thankfully 4.30 arrived. Wendy came as my first visitor and we were eagerly welcomed at my house by Mustafa. He had done an amazing job this week in transforming the dusty, barren yard into a potentially living, colourful garden! When the rains come the roses, passionfruit vines, variety of pretty, colourful bushes, citrus trees and other delights will burst into life. There is a large area in which I will plant vegies and fresh herbs. We spent some time hanging the new curtains in my room. From my windows I look out over this garden and their majestic mountainous backdrop.
I have an ensuite off my bedroom which is newly tiled...such a luxury! And across the hall is a room intended as my study. Just to the left of my bedroom door is the end of the hall which is really the front doors to the house. These double doors open out onto the garden. So potentially beautiful and peaceful! The side door is the most used entrance as it has a porch area on which to leave muddy/dusty shoes and the piki piki. I have a full sized fridge and cooker ....also luxuries! Polly said that there is still more furniture coming! I know that I am VERY lucky! It was nice to share my house with a friend as she was just as excited about it as me!
As Polly dropped us in town she said “Fran we need to have a talk. When we spoke last I said that all you need to do in November is to relax and get to know the girls and teachers....however we now need the English teacher to help us put together a building proposal and would like you to teach English to the Form 1 girls!”
I’m a really excited to actually be able to get started and be useful. I think it will be much better to be actively involved instead of feeling like I am spying on the classes. This will be far less intimidating for the African teachers and help me get to know the girls in an active capacity. I have bought their text book and, having so recently been a struggling student, I believe that I will be sensitive to their challenges in learning a second language!
Having walked out from town we collected some of the others and continued on foot to Dragonaires, where VSO were generously paying for our meals. As it was our last night all together (some Vols have long distances to travel so are returning to Dar earlier than the rest of us. The Dodoma three, which includes Susan, have commitments on Saturday evening), we relaxed and had so much fun....
Franisms are already being bantered around:.....”Ostraaaaaaaaalia”.....
“No that’s not how I said it!!! I said, Australia”
......”Yes that’s what we said you said....OOOOOstraaaaaaaaaaaalia!!!”
Apparently Aussies talk funny!!! I’ve never noticed!
But we have had a Frantastic time....it’s been Frantabulous......I am Frabulous Frangelica.....and I didn’t even start these!!!
Nina kupenda (Mum.....this is the correct way to say I love you in Kiswahili!!)
FranznTanz! xxxxx