always the square peg

On my last day I really ought to be getti9ng mushy and sentimaental on you al, but don't worry I havn't changed quite that much. There are loads of people staying here who are all leaving tomorow so it's been quite interesting talking to them, it's going to be so strange coming home and trying to fit in. I feel like I must have changed so much. There are two approaches on can take:either I can go back to being all that I ws before in which case it kind of defeats the object of all I've been through, or I can try to fit the new me into the old me's space. the second option is clearly the most sensible but the hardest. In a way it's almost like I'm going to have to make friends with everyone all over again (hi Matt remember me? I'm your sister, honest) and hope they still like me (and that I still like them). Home's going to be totally different but at the same time it'll feel like nothing has really changed and so a little anti-climactic. I guess time will tell-and not an awful lot of it now. I thought I'd have filled my journal by now, you've all seen how small I can write when I need to but it's kind of backfired. It's worked to my advantage-otherwise I'd be carrying six books by now, but it seems rather counter productive that I now have a ton of pages which will most likely remain blank. or worse, they'll be filled with my attempts at last minute philosopising on the flight and whilst I'm stuck in Doha for 5 hours. Oh well. Best get the ballons and cake ready. It's all about me.

Heaven in a Mug

I'm in Nairobi now and very very cappy camper. I hadn't banked on the Nairobi traffic (havn't seen traffic lights in a while never mind roundabuots and all that jazz) so the bus didn't get in until after dark, not what you want. I was prepared though-battle ready if you like, planned just to dash into the nearest hostel type place to whereever i got dropped then move in the morning. BUT. This was a nice fancy bus that drops you wherever you want for no extra. one of the other girls was going to a place called Nairobi Backpackers which I'd heard good things about so I got out too. It's brilliant, hot chocolate and cheap camping with breakfast included-most other places tend to treat campers as parasites and merely set aside a corner for them. But here we're even allowed on the furniture-provided we've had our flea bath that is. Which I've done now too, well, showered anyway. Cold but better than nothing. The border crossing was a bit hectic. all of the other crossings I've made have been relatively sedate affairs but this is one of the busiest borders in East Africa especially now at the beginning of the high season. Got rid of the last of my Tanzanian shilling, now i have to ajust back to Kenya which is going to be weird. So I'm here and I'm settled and...they have The Lord of the Rings on DVD!!!!!!!!!! Only the first one but that's more than enough. I'm watching it now and getting butterflies and all that. It's been so long since I saw it (possibly as much as 9 months) so it's almost the same as seeing it for the first time, except I still remember all of the words and keep thinking they've misseda bit because I'm used to the extended version.
Anyway where was I. Ah yes. So we went inside and looked at the photos and letters-I'd bought a more rescent picture withj me too. poor guy it must be so confusing for him trying to keep up wih us all with our comings and goings. There seem to be different people in almost all of th pictures because lots where at uni when this last one was taken. I don't think a deffinative Great Heights photograph exists anywhere...
I gave Augustino some things that I'd bought in Arusha. Great Heights love getting his letters with his drawings on so I got him some pencils, crayons and paints as well as some books and paper. Then we had lunch which was lovely Kenyan food: rice, beans, potatoes, meat and spinach and hot milk. Man, I love hot milk! The rest of the choir had all joined us by this point so we had some more singing-and this time they made me dance too. After the children had finished it was the parents turn. Led by Augustino's mother they did some traditional songs and lot's of screeching as only African women can. I was made to dance again! And we planted some more trees. My contribution to the Karatu eco-system (and the beginings of another Great Heights forest?!) Said my goodbyes to the family, Augustino looks so much like his mother who is absolutely lovely and kept hugging me and shaking my hand. Got back into the taxi and took Augustino, Mary and Evelyn to see my house, well, my tent. Then it was time to say goodbye, hugs for Mary and Evelyn and a very dignified handshake from Augustino. I told you he was shy, but sooo adorable. Man, i'm talking about him as if he were a kitten instead of a child. I've put lots of the flowers from my wreath inside my chinese Bible (knew it'd come in handy at some point) so that hopefully they'll keep. Watched Ghana thrash USA (load of americans staying on the campsite made it an even funnier defeat) then bed. Quite an early night as I needed to be up early in the morning.
It was raining when I woke up but it was either pack up a wet tent or wait until tomorrow which I couldn't do as I'd already booked my ticket to Nairobi. But it all came together in the end, I hadn't thought I'd be camping again but I am and the weather's looking good so it ought to all dry out nicely.
Oh yeah, just before leaving Arusha this morning I bumped into Mary-or she bumped in to me. She'd tracked down my bus because she needed me to fill out a feedback form. It was quite embarassing actually, when she saw me yeaterday I was all smart (if I say so myself) in a nice skirt and clean shoes with my hair all neat and tidy. Now she sees me still wearing the same top but now teamed with my last pair of trousers which are vile and my equally dirty and disgusting trainers. Havn't seen a mirror all day but I dread to think what my hair looked like, I'd shoved it under a bandana just to be on the safe side. suffice it to say I looked a mess-well you can judge for yourselves soon enough, though I may just dig out the skirt for my homecoming-don't want my parents to be too ashamed of me. Although I have proper backpackers legs now-I wasn't looking where I was going and fell down a manhole, proper comedy moment for everybody else but I'm the one left with the quite considerable bruising. And a very impressive gash. Nice. Just when I'd got them all tanned and finally matching the colour of my arms. Oh well.
Tmorrow I'm off to explore the city and prehaps do a little shopping. A Wendy is a Wendy afterall.

Julio*expletive*Iglesias

I am a musical person-maybe not in gifting as a certain Phlowie would back me up-but in memory I seem to latch on to music more than anything else. So yesterday was a pretty big day, perfect weather, lovely people, fantastic food and what wiil be my enduring memory...some aged Hispanic crooner with warty children. Why oh why could we not have found a taxi driver with better taste-or any taste.
That said, back to business. After a delayed start (bus, late, 'nuff said) I was met from my campsite by Mary who is one of 9 Compassion staff who oversee 32 projects in the Arusha area. We went to the centre which is both school and church (and workroom, garden, and playground!) for all of the children. Met with the social workers and with Augustino who looked very smart. He is very very shy (wouldn't you be in his situation) but oh so very sweet in a way that only little African children can be-think it's all in the eyes. We ate some snacks and then looked around the cdentre. One class were being taught how to use the sewing machine and I also saw the church and newly built toilet block. Then I planted a tree! Every child at the centre has a tree that is there responsibility to look after-glad to see that Augustino's is one of the biggest (though that's probably more to do with his age than his gardening expertise but hey). So now I have my own tree with my name on it and everything, who's up for planting a Great Height's forest? Who's next...
Then the choir came to do some songs with dancing and drumming. I think Augustino fancies himself as a bit of a rebel-all the girls were and the front row and him and the other boys were all on the back row with shirt collars raised. Not in a horrible English thug sort of way though thankfully. I had a quick lesson in African drumming-they were all much better than me but Augustino didn't want to try.
Then we all went to Augustino's home (cue more of that lovely lovely in car music...) where I got a proper African welcome. Wreaths of pink flowers all around and draped in beautiful green African cloth (did they know those are my favourite colours?) and went inside. The house is built with mud (resisting the urge to use the word hut) walls and a tin roof and is two rooms. It's small but clean and simple. He is the eldest with three younger sisters: Analisa, Anjela and Agnes. He bought out his collection of the things we've sent-very strange seeing some faces I've not seen in a long time (but it won't be much longer now!)
Got to go-my bus has arrived. I'll finish off either this evening or tomorrow from Nairobi. x

Those three Little Words

I remember sitting in my room in Kisumu in my first week out on my own and wondering what people would think of me come June-which felt like an eternity away. I even jotted down a few ideas of things I hope people will be saying about me-all good of course. So now is your chance to prove me right, wrong or indifferent. Three words only please, what're you expecting this time next week (I know, I know). As ever invisible biscuits will be winging their way (they can fly you know can biscuits) to a few winners chosen by me when next I blog, which'll either be Thursday evening or Friday afternoon. Depends what mood the busses are in.

The Wheels on the Bus Go-Nowhere

Well here we are again and it's been a while. So as ever I'll start at the beggining asnd work my way to the end. From Dar I went back up to Tanga to see David and co again and to have one last shot and getting to Mtae which we did. On then way we stopped at leshuoto again and replaced all the phots I had stolen in Dar, and took some nice lovely new ones too. I tried to blog from lushoto because I knew I wouldn't be able to in Mtae and didn't actaully want to leave yo all in the dark for a week. But all the servers were down so I couldn't. I did try though, honest.
Mtae was deffinately worth the effort, vert pretty. However...Remember how the reason we didn't get there first time was because rain made the road in in accessible? Well the road in was a breeze, the road out was a different story. Got up bright (oh the irony) and early at 4am to catch the only bus out, and it got stuck in the mud at the end of a queue of around 10 others some of which had been there all night. After 2 hours all the drivers had ganged together and managed to resurface the worst parts of the road so we finally got moving. For a minute (actually about 100 minutes) it looked like we could be in for a long on-by long I meen days not hours. Which would have raher messed things up as I'm on a tight(ish) schedule now.
The plan is thus: I'm in Arusha now (eternal thanks to David's Uncle who owns a bus company and let me ride for free, oh and the dutch guy who spotted me in the dark at the scary bus station and helped me and my bags into a taxi) very much in need of a meal and hot shower. Tomorrow I go to Karatu where Augustino lives, Thursday I meet Augutino, Friday I get the bus to Nairobi where I intend to sit back and relax, see a few museums and do some shopping then this time next week (I know, it's crazy) I'll be on the plane!!!
I'm usually against usin more than one exclaimation mark at any one time, but I think they're highly deserved this time. Admit it, who else glanced the date this orning and had a little one week party-if only in their head??

Ode to the Beautiful Game

Man three football matches in one day, that's just wrong. It's quite interesting watching international matches here though, people tend to support both teams at the same time-saves any dissappointment. A lot of the time they'll support individual players too, no-one cares about Australia but they all support Harry Kewell because he plays in the English League. Will be interesting to watch an England game out here-see if I can convert everyone. Also everyone tends to band together to get behind any African team (unlike in England where we all go against the rest of Europe out of spite) so last night I became an honourary Tanzanian/Ghanian. I was never that into football back home but here they don't support any particular team or country, the Tanzanian side are beyond dismal so patriotosm would be a litle lost on them anyway. It sounds cliche but they really do watch just for the love of the game. And I have to admit I can sort of see why. Once you stop rooting for one team over another and just watch it for the sake of being a part of it, it really is a beutiful game.
That said the Italians are still a bunch of cry baby drama queens (stretchered off then runs back on and scores, that's just not cricket, or football in this case) and if England don't steam roller Trinidad I'll eat my proverbial hat. I'll be a football pacifist until there's national pride at stake, then it get's oh so very personal.
Crazy to think that I'll be watching the final at home, or more likely down the pub. Any pub.
England v Brazil, who's with me?...
*tumbleweed*
No-one, thought as much.

Waa, missed Fuel

Though I thought they'd already had the last one, do they just keep saying it's the last one to keep us on our toes. Who knows. Now that my /MP3 player is working again, Sarah Worship poi is deffinately my new favourite thing, needs quite a lot of space though. Poi works equally well to the rolling stones however. Discuss...

Better the Devil You Know

Remember the place I stayed in Dar Es Salaam first time round, (no electricity, washing by candle light) well I'm there again. The train didn't get in until 9pm (that's 25 hours travelling and it was 6 hours late arriving in Mbeya) and i figured beter to get a taxi to somewhere I know than thrash around in the dark. Dar not the safest of cities even in the daylight as we all now know. Because of the big delay I was worried that we might pass through the national park in the dark-which makes seeing things rather dificult, even rees and there easy to spot. But we didn't, we passed through around 2pm and I really did get more than I expected. I'd been hoping just to catch another glimpse of an elephant, managed to get a whole eyeload of 11 in four separate groups along the way. Train going to fast to take pictures but then if all I wanted were some nice photes I could have saved myself a lot of money by buying postcards instead of a plane ticket. Saw load (and I mean loads) of girraffe (plural giraffes?) too, they're deffinately my facourites, them or zebra, was loads of those too. And wildebeast which was really good because I'd never seen those before (Nakuru is naice and al but not really big enough to bother migrating too). And loads of water buck which are kind of like deer (though when I say that here I have to then explain what a deer is-it's kind of like a waterbuck) ans some monkeys,a vultur and and eagle, a really really big one. So am one very happy bunny, people pay hundreds of dollars for that and it didn't cost me a thing. Haha, there is some justice in the world. Not a lot, but some.
So I'm back in Dar Es Salaam and not exactly sure where I'm going to go fr0m here, two weeks until I need to be in Arusha to see Augustino. Looking forwad to that a lot and will deffinately get pictures for the magazine so Liz can stop flapping. She'll have to wait until I get back though-my camera doesn't talk to computers.
So anyway, a few days here to enoy all the things I missd out on first time round. I can actually afford the museum now, hurrah. And to re-take all the photos that got stolen. Maybe a littele shopping-a Wendy is a Wendy in any country after all.

I assure you it was effinately a sKirt. Susie who're Matt and Phred. They sound like fun.
As I'm sure you're all aware I am a huge Harry Pottr fan so having gone without for so long I'd been starting to get a little desperate. Was walking past a library on Monday and saw on dispalt the first four books. Went in for a few minutes and read the last three chapters of Azkaban and the Yule Ball from Goblet of Fire so I'm a little calmer now. only a little mind. I'm back in Tanzania a little earlier than planned (waah, hideous over use of the word little) but hy ho, means you all get to hear from me earlier than you expected which I'm sure you're thrilled about. Getting the train later today I think, debateble as to wether it actually exists, i went to book my ticket yesterday and the station master looked very surprised at the news that there would be a train today. Ah well, time will tell. Last night was mt first night in a bed in three weeks, I was camping everynight in Malawi, except for the night it rained. My tent got flooded but it's okay because I wasn't in it, I was lying in a hammock in the bar with a load of other people and hadn't slept the night before either. 'Tis all very good preparation for uni (note:uni for studying not partying. No hammocks in Hartlepool). So yes. That is my news, as far as I know I don't have anything else to say.
This time in three weeks I'll be at homw which seems like the strangest thing ever. Part of me doesn't want to leave but then a bigger part of me sets it straight. Now that I'm back in Tanzania I kind of feel like I'm on the way home already, I'm just taking my time. see you all soon.
But not too soon.

Swish and Flick

Wendy has spent most of the last week stoof on the beach, bar or balcony shouting silly things like swish and flick and pretending to squish bugs and hit imaginary people in the nose. At the same time she has suceeded several times in hitting herself in the nose. Why? I here you ask (over the constant 'where is she' wailings of my dear mother), well I shall tell the. Wendy is learning to play poi. What is poi? I here you ask (over the 'ah there she is' sighs of same mother). Poi is traditiopnally from New Zealand but I'm learning it off an Irish guy in Malawi who's taking a year long honey moon (now in it's 14th month)to travel round africa teaching poi. It's kind of like twirling socks full of sand aroung your head but in a slightly more gracefull arty way. Little Sarah would lke it, So would Alex. Others will probably think I'm mad. I think I'm mad too. I may well be.
I didn't go to Mozambique, after three days on my desert island in a hammock it just seemed like far too much effort for what would be a very short yet expensive trip. I'm still in malawi staying at a gorgeous place on the lake with some of the most fantastically random peolpe I've ever seen a ll in one place. On Saturday I begin my journey home!!! Or atleast the first leg of it as I start heading back towards Tanzania.
For the record, I did manage to get money. I tried all the banks in Mzuzu and was met with a lot of very patronizing glares as if it should have been obvious that it is not possible to change tanzanioan money in the third largest city in the country closest to Tanzania. Duh. So feeling very very stuck and having used up all of my ideas I decided to do the sensible thing and start using some of God's instead. I'd already been warned that no Malawian ATM would take my card, but I figured I've nothing to lose by trying before I hit the black market. My favourite words in all the worls..."Welcome to Mastercard". Got to the point in the p-receedings where it's displaying the please wait while we process your request message. This is the point where ATMs usuallt spit out my card and tell me to go somewhere else. But it didn't. Instead it spat out my K20,000 (about 80 pounds, it's maximum limit in a day) and told me to have a nice day. What a very lovely machine. Yes I thanked God, a lot. And cries, alot more. I'm about half way through the money here now so I think I'm dping quite well if I do say so myself. Hoorah. Anyway, this is expensive (I'm a slow typer) so I'm offskis. I'll do all my e-mail once I'm back in TZ where it's cheaper.
Less than a month to go, I toasted the moment on 28th with a 7.20am beer with a man in a pnk polka dot skirt who later turned out to be the owner of the hotel. Nice place.