Sickness

After an exhausting week I became sick. Something has been going around and I really did not want to get it. A five day flu with a high fever, not desirable. But, I suppose time and chance happens to all. The first symptoms I noticed were on Thursday night when I was trying to ride my bicycle back to my room and I was unable to stay on the road but rather weaved around and made unecessary side trips into the bush. I didn't think much of it though, just attribuding it to tiredness. Well, the next day it got worse and worse. I worked until lunch time then I had to go laydown. When I took my temperature it was 102 and a few hours later 104 that scared me, but so did the weird sensation I felt that my hands were directly connected to my shoulders bypassing my elbows and that my bed was on a steep angle and I was continually sliding towards the edge. Thankfully, my sickness did not last five days (that would be torture) but only two and a half so now I am better and hungry.

A Happy Birthday

Well, in case some were unawares, last Friday was my twentieth Birthday. It turned out quite nice and I am no longer a teenager. It started in the morning with a partial solar eclipse, which was quite impressive. On Saturday night we had a small birthday party with the some of the younger people, I made the cake or at least attempted to. It was definitely edible.

The average Tanzanian is quite laid back, so I am learning a lesson or two in not getting to worked up about things. For example, last week I was working in the fields with them weeding the corn fields and I always seemed to be hoeing out corn when I wasn't supposed two. After every time I ended the life of one more corn plant, the student I was helping said, "hakuna matata" (no problem). Then I would hoe another corn plant and he would say, "hakuna shida" (no problem). Then I when I got carried a way and accidentally hoed his head, he groaned "hakuna matata"

On a more recent note I have spent the last three days building one day churches. Quite exhausting work, but, also very rewarding. We attempted to build two in one day but rolls had to settle for putting on the roof the next day. Hakuna Matata.

Was Home Really This Nice?

This last week I hav'nt been up to much, just house sitting for a family that is on vacation. And I must say, it is quite nice. Not to imply, however, that my room where I normally stay is not nice, just different in several noticable ways. For example, if I want to take a hot bucket bath, (showers non existent). I have to go to our only water spigot and fill up a pot with water, build a fire in the stove, then go to my room for about twenty minutes while it heats up. But now, when I wake up I can walk straight into the bathroom turn on the tap and enjoy. Even more they have electricity so I can take a shower and listen to Handels Messiah on my computer at the same time. Heavenly. The family returns tommorow and it is probably best I am getting a bit soft.