I'm just checking in briefly from Zanzibar, because, realistically, who gets to say that?? The stay so far has been beyond incredible, the water looks like it was poured out of some very expensive bottle, the beaches are pure white soft sand, our room is one of a series of little chalets perched on a cliff surrounded by gorgeous flowers everywhere, and did I mention we're paying $22 a night?
Things were really rough in Tengeru right before we left, so I can't say how happy I am to have a brief break to recuperate - but I really miss my vocational school girls and, of course, the babies. It's particularly funny because I'm here with Peter and Giulia, both of whom work full time at the orphanage, and the kids pop up constantly. Guilia will make a face just like David, or I'll be crawling in the water like Zawadi, or Peter will start asking "Wapi kuku?" (where is the chicken?) like Baracka does (incessantly - seriously, the kid has a somewhat unhealthy obsession with chickens!). I miss them being away for the week, I don't know how I'll handle eventually going back to the US. At this point I'm thinking seriously about extending my stay through April - working through March, then my mother would join me for the last few weeks and we'd do a little more volunteering, then travelling and I'd get to show her Tanzania. She would CERTAINLY love Zanzibar!
We'll see. It's exhausting work, and I don't know if I'll still feel like I'm being productive and learning new things four months from now - although, obviously, I hope I do. Every time I splurge, though, even on this trip - and it really is VERY, very tightly budgeted - I feel torn, like I'm letting down the kids by doing something nice. It's the same kind of feeling I had at India's - not that I would ever, could ever begrudge her kids the amazing environment and opportunities that they had, but that it broke my heart that we weren't able to extend it to our kids too. We're working now on ideas for Christmas presents - which I don't know that they've ever had before, they certainly don't currently have any personal, individual possessions. We're thinking about getting some nice fabric and having the local tailors make us little bags for each kid, onto which we'd stitch a little copper nameplate that I'll make for each of them. Then we can fill the bags with sweets for the older kids, and maybe teething rings for the little ones - not a TOTALLY altruistic present, since they really need teething rings to replace our hands, feet, shoes, hair... Anyway. That's the current thought, and it wouldn't be too expensive. They have toys, and frankly aren't very interested in them, they'd rather fight over a piece of plastic wrap. But I think it would be really good for them to have something that concretely belongs to and was created for them as individuals. It's a thought, I'd happily welcome any other ideas.
Yesterday was snorkeling, tomorrow we go swimming with dolphins (assuming the dolphins cooperate!), Tuesday we are in Stonetown and then Wednesday is another looooong ride back on the Dar Express. Thursday is Thanksgiving, and we're trying to scrape something together in the house, and then Friday we leave for safari, which, again, I feel profoundly guilty about doing, at the same time as I'm incredibly excited to go. Guilia came up with a solution to all of our problems, though - we will just transfer the orphanage to the beach in Zanzibar, then we never have to leave, and charge tourists $5 for a picture with the world's most adorable babies. Meanwhile, the older kids can learn to fish. Solution found!
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