‘Typical’

If there is such a thing as a typical day this is how it goes...

Wake up from the monkeys running across the shade roof, put the kettle on the stove and if it's my day on the laptop put the battery on charge over at next door. Have a mug or two of coffee, pasteurize the milk again (or get out of the freezer) the milk. Weetabix, porridge, toast, fruit or leftovers are normally on the breakfast menu. Sometimes I write up yesterday's day in my dairy, if I hadn't done it the night before.

May get to go on the laptop before I head up to LVCA (Lake Victoria Christian Academy) at about quarter to 9. When I arrive I set up the activity that the first class will be doing and then Arne and I teach the PE one class after the other (there are 3 classes) 20 min each from 9-10. Sometimes we will stay and have a cup of ugi (maize flour porridge) with the last class (1^st grade, the eldest). Or help with one of the classes.

Back home between 1110 and 1130. Usually I will head into the centre and do some 'shopping' tomatoes, onions, bananas, pineapple, cucumber, rice etc. I will spend some time talking to the people I regularly see and talk to and practice some of my Swahili, to their great amusement. Everybody you walk past you greet with a Shikamo if they are older than you or a Marahaba in response to a Shikamo. Other times I will spend some time on the laptop which is daily rotated between Arne and I. Later on I'll think about cooking lunch, then actually cook it. We make most of our own bread too so that's fairly often.

I have my quiet time either in the early afternoon or in the evening. At 1500 I usually meet with my language helper for an hour. Friday lunchtime I will be at the secondary school for their youth church meeting type of thing. From 1600-1800 is sport time at the secondary school, weekdays. On Thursdays there is a church 'youth meeting' at around 1500/1600 so I'll catch most of that and go later to the sport time. Now we have just started free English classes on Wed and Fri at 1500 – 1600 so language learning on those days is after PE at LVCA, now I'll catch Chai time (tea break) in the staff room at the secondary school. Saturdays I'll go and spend time playing cards or talking to the students, I have just done my first Bible study with them on a sat afternoon. Sunday Church is at 8-11ish or a trip to an island getting back as late as 2ish.

Most evenings I will take an empty milk container back to Mama Dominos house (where we get out milk from) and spend some time there trying to talk with them or learn something in swahili. Thurs, Fri and Sun evenings we meet at the Andersens house and whoever else is around, Thursday is Bible study night, Friday is Pizza night (with a game or film) and Sunday evenings we usually listen to a sermon in English.

There are jobs that come up throughout the week that I am responsible for: pumping the water for our house, topping up the freezer with kerosene (inc. buying the kerosene) and ensuring our water filters have water in.

Turns out this is more like what my week looks like! Rereading through this it doesn't sound like an exciting blog but hopefully you get an idea of what a 'typical day' looks like.