Random things I now remember.

1. Today, I walked over to the Boys' Secondary building. When I walked through the gates that led me into the school, I looked above me (as I do often here just because the sky and air and everything is so fresh, so lovely). To my left, three stories up there was a baboon hopping around on the ledges that are outside the classroom. I laughed and shook my head only to realize that a chicken was passing me by on the ground to my right! Only in Kibaha.

2. I was interviewing a girl earlier today. She is albino and has to use a telescope in class to be able to see th chalkboard clearly from the first row. She wants to be a doctor when she is older. When I asked her if she knew what she wanted to specialize in, she responded with the sweetest thing, "mungu akin pangiya, ndo hiyo hiyo" (whatever God has lined up for me). It sounds so much sweeter in kiswahili. Please don't mind the spelling. I need to learn how to write kiswahili instead of half-speaking this "chafuaad" (dirty) version that I have picked up from God knows where.

3. Speaking of kiswahili, I feel like mine is improving in a similar way to how my Spanish improved - I'm not necessarily speaking the language well; I'm just not afraid to make mistakes. It's fun to converse with the people here, and, if you make an effort, they appreciate that more than they would appreciate perfect grammar from someone who didn't want to communicate with them. Also, kiswahili is such a sweet language! Comparing "habari" and "what's new," I feel like, although they are basically asking the same thing, they have such different implications and tones associated with them. Same goes for "okay" versus "poa" (literally means chilled or cool). So good.

4. When the kids became comfortable with me (but before they learned my name), they all called me "dada" which means elder sister according to the locals I have asked here. When I walked into the orphanage on my second day in Kibaha and Nooriyat ran over to me and said, "Dada waangu ame kuja" (my 'sister' has arrived), I definitely had a lump in my throat. If I hadn't been trying to breathe under the pile of children that had scrambled on top of me (very normal for all friendly visitors just fyi in case you ever want to visit), I would have cried. It was such implicit acceptance. Compassion. Uninhibited elation. I can't describe what I felt accurately.

5. There is a family of crickets who have made a little corner of my bathroom their home. When I first got back from my few days away, I found three small cockroaches hanging out in there. At first, I was totally "grossed out." For those of you who know me, you know that roaches are my worst nightmare. But I think living with them has allowed me to realize that they really are harmless. In fact, one of the crickets died last night and I saw him this morning when I was freshening up lying there dead. I felt sadness (not my-sister-died sadness but 'oh, that's too bad *sad face*' sadness). I'm considering burying him, although I'm sure nature is doing it's thing in there right now regardless (aka ants traveling to and from the cricket man).

6. For breakfast last week, one morning I had a warm chapati with melted butter and brown sugar. I hadn't had that since I was a child in Dubai I don't think. Delicious. Yes, I know this is completely unhealthy, but my self control was waning that morning. I've forgiven myself. Also, I gain no weight in Kibaha. In fact, I tone up thanks to all the walking, sweating, and horseplay. In Dar, I gain 10 pounds every 15 minutes, thanks to Chachi and the endless supply of delicious but unhealthy food that seems to have taken over the entire city.

7. When we went scuba diving in Zanzibar, we saw a LITTLE NEMO! It was during our second dive. We sank slowly into the water and once we had adjusted our buoyancy and were about to start moving around, who should appear but Nemo himself. We also saw a version of Gill (minus the "gimpy fin"). So fascinating. Also, sea urchins are amazing!!! They are black with little hot pink spots and look like porcupines!!!

Okay. It's prayers time. Time for me to run. More later, I suppose. We're on a roll with internet today :)