Jipe Moyo part II

I am so far behind on my posts.  It is only Sunday and I went to Jipe Moyo on Friday but I am already on Zanzibar and I’m sure that will be long post worthy (well, at least many picture worthy).

Anke couldn’t come to Jipe Moyo this time so it was just Alina and me.  Anke organized a van and driver to take us the ‘back route’.  The last time, we took the port route and the traffic was horrible.  But the back route meant we could leave later than 6am. 

  This time we had a 7:30 departure time.  Out van arrived.  I have to say, because it was so noteworthy, that the driver, Raz, is the most beautiful human being on earth. 

Ok, the picture doesn't do justice

The pot leaf necklace is the only
thing standing between me and
my white masai future.

Raz said he knew the way so off we went. Well, Raz did know the way but he knew a ‘shortcut’ which was so washed out from the rains it was almost impassable.  But we bounced and bottom scrapped out way through.  It reminded me of some of the safari roads we took on southern Tanzania (mom will remember how bad they were).

We got to school in the middle of the kids practicing their graduation show.  Each class has a song and poem to recite.  One of the higher levels even has a dramatic play about education.  They were all adorable (and we didn’t even see the really little ones so I’m sure it will be even cuter when we see the real show). 

After that, the kids all sat at their tables.  Rhonda had bought some paints for me to bring to the school.  Big jars of water colours ready to mix, in 6 colours.  I had bought some paper so they would have something to paint on.  So, we mixed up the paints while the kids all sat so patiently.  Then, the teachers wanted to ‘make sure the paints worked’ so they proceeded to all paint their own pictures ‘to demonstrate’.  It was so funny to watch them all being like the kids, super excited to get their hands on the paints and brushes.  They were so serious about their artwork.  

Mixing the paints

Gladys the head teacher
got to go first

Then the other teachers

Then the last teachers

Meanwhile, this took 10 or 15 minutes while the kids sat there, getting antsier and antsier.  They were trying to see what was going on.  Eventually, each teacher finished and taped their painting to the blackboard for all to see.

Sitting here, at the ready

Seriously, what are you teachers
doing up there?

Finally, the teacher's art show.  Now the kids can start

Then the real fun started.  There are about 100 kids so they had to take turns at the three painting tables.  There are lots of pictures and I’m sure you can imagine what 100 kids painting is like (very quiet mayhem – those kids don’t make a lot of noise).

The first table gets to go.  Every one else watches
and waits their turn

Maybe the teachers were onto something,
most kids painted picture similar 
to the teacher's. Cars, flowers, trees

The occasional abstract

Thanks for the paint, Rhonda!
We had so much fun.

They all wanted to thank Gramma Rhonda.
 I could put up ten of these, 
but this was my favourite

Then we had tea.  While we had tea, the kids went out to play.  I brought four frisbees. So I threw them out.  That caused some excitement.  After tea, we came out to discover, they don't know how to play frisbee.  So we showed them.  But I suspect it will be another cone as goalpost situation.  They were polite about letting us throw the frisbees but they really just wanted to hold onto them.  I'm sure as soon as we left, the frisbees flying days were over.  

Frisbee as tug of war.  You can imagine with this
sort of competition for it, it was difficult to
convince them to then just throw it away.

Throw it.  But you have
to let go at the same time.

And then Alina and I went and visited Tom and his family for a bit. 

Tom's daughter was on me like
glue this time.  She kept patting
my hair and holding my hand.

Tom's wife (I am fairly sure about this one)

The kitten again 

Pulling casava with Tom's wife.

Then we came back to hand over the rest of the stuff I brought. 

They were very excited about the Bob Books.  The teachers were dividing them depending on who taught what level.

They love the Bob's Books.

Bob's books and glitter paint

More crayons and books, pencils and stickers, plus another Simon puzzle.  I had bought some glitter paint at the dollar store, they liked that.  I suggested the teachers use it for signs or posters and they were happy with that idea.  After I saw how much fun they had painting, I figured they would like a treat for themselves.  

(Which reminds me, in case I forget, next person visiting, I suggest some teacher supplies such as dry erase markers and tape.  I don’t think they have enough of the basic essentials (although I could be wrong, Anke would know better).

I almost didn't bring the little chalkboards but they
seemed to really like them.  Thanks, Amy H.

Thanks for the puzzles, Simon!

The loot

Thank you Tara and James

Before we left we gathered up the kids' paintings and hung them up for decoration for graduation.

And then we headed home, skipping the short cut this time.  The non-shortcut road was fine and a much nicer route than the port hideousness.

The back route is more rural

So here are the obligatory, I went to a foreign
 country and got caught in a cow jam.

When we got home, Marilyn who is an observer with A Better World had arrived.  She is very nice and fit into our little band of strangers like she had been there all along.  We went out to dinner at a fancy buffet down the beach called the White Sands.  It is huge and opulent.  There are koi ponds all around the dining room.  But first, we had to wait for the dining room to open so we had a Dawa in the tables overlooking the hotel grounds and beach.  Good timing, the full moon was just rising, huge and red, over the ocean.  Beautiful. 

Dinner was fine, we had a hilariously snooty waiter who kept asking if we wanted a drink.  And then each time we declined, he would roll his eyes and look disappointed at us.  At that point, even if I had wanted a drink I wouldn’t have ordered one because I was enjoying his eye rolling too much.

Lovely Marilyn

White Sands Restaurant

We sat beside the koi pond

The next day was Saturday.  I spent part of the day trying to catch up with the previous Jipe Moyo post. With my horrible computer, uploading the pictures is a trial.  I did get in a couple of outings though.  In the morning, Alina and I went to visit someone’s (I think she works for Kencada) baby bunnies.  They were cute of course, one peed on Alina so that was fun.  But there were two runts who were so scrawny.  But there were three boys taking care of the bunnies who were making sure the runts got a turn at the mother rabbit’s milk.  We left without any bunnies.

these boys are taking care
 of the babies

Then in the afternoon, Anke, Marilyn and I went for a dhow ride.  A Dhow is a traditional boat used up and down the cost.  It was so nice, the breeze and the water.  Unfortunately, the water was a bit choppy.  Marilyn was the first to go,  a hurl or six over the side.  So we turned back at that point, we had already been out almost an hour.  Then, the waves were a bit worse going back (or maybe it just felt that way) so I started to feel like I might also be sick.  We made it back to shore in time but I was happy to hit solid ground.  I got some picture though, so all worth it. (Sorry, for whatever reason, Blogspot won't let me do these photos as left/right, so they are all centre, and you will just have to scroll)

Marilyn, Anke and crew

And then we finished the day with another Fish Taco and Mojito night