Cool birthday. All my 10th graders threw me little parties - one brought a radio, one brough me cake, candy and a present (deodorant!), one baked a cake, and bought socks, and one even bought (sorry, caught) me a pigeon. They presented me with the pigeon in a cookie box, and the pigeon flew out as it was presented, narrowly missing my head, strewing feathers everywhere. They then made me dance to several songs they had made up or learned, dancing themselves as well. They made up one song in Changana, "Kufunda ku vava, a hi nyika mazero" which roughly means "Learning hurts, you give us zeroes!" But they said it with a smile on their faces.
And really, that was the theme for the day. It was on and off stormy - one minute sunny, the next rainy. You could appreciate the rain because it was a relief and the sun because it dried everything up again.
When I arrived at school, late-ish, I was in my tux and walked into a protest. Some of the older students were protesting that one group never has to wear their uniforms, while they are required to. So they all showed up out of uniform, which was the impetus for getting into a shouting match with the director of the school. At which moment I arrived and all of the 10th graders went nuts (who had nothing to do with this). It was wonderful.
And then, the rain.
One of my 10th graders who's in my own turma, has been sick since last Friday with measles. I went to visit her today, bringing oranges, and luckily ran into a friend of hers who was also on her way. We wound through the corridors together, finding the right area which was packed full of patients, on the floor, all along the walls...well, it was too much. And Felicidade, my student, was doing pretty poorly. I'm not sure she'll remember my visit, but her mother who is taking care of her will remind her. I didn't know what to say, but I suppose being there was most of it. Oranges just seemed so petty. When I left, I've never wanted to stay here more than in that moment. To make a difference!
Final planning for the Saturday party happens tomorrow. I'm actually not looking forward to the party because those things stress me out, but I'm trying to avoid that by delegating responsibility.
Peace
John
