I have no good title ideas for this post...

There is one mosquito that must be a mix between a fly and a mosquito.  Maybe it’s a flyito, or mosquity.  But this thing has speed.  We’ve been after each other for the past hour, both going for each other’s blood.  I will win. In time J. 

But it’s another busy night here in Dzanani, or Nzehele, or Makado, whichever place you choose to call it.  I’ve come to realize that these towns all overlap in this area, so I really don’t know which one I am a part of.  But I am sitting at my desk having just finished dinner (interesting thick soup that we have nightly along with some boney hake and bread to help the bones go down).  Tomorrow is the big “farewell” day with my class.  Friday, we knock off at noon and will be with grade 1 again the whole day, so tomorrow we are sending the grade 1’s to a different classroom and taking off for the day to a nearby park.  For the first half hour of the day I have to teach a lesson and will be formally observed by my principal.  Then both my teacher and principal will fill out their final evaluations of me, so I guess it’s a little nerve racking, but I think I’m ready.  The students will behave better with the principal there, too, so that’s an added bonus!

So today after school I missed my taxi because my teacher was busy telling me what to get for the cookout tomorrow.  So again I stayed until 4, but then the bus didn’t show.  So then we walked to the road to catch a taxi.  But sure enough, we ended up hitchhiking home.  While I realize this sounds funny, it is actually quite normal.  People have trucks and there is no rule about riding in the bed of a truck.  So when a truck drives by and has room, it stops and fills up with people.  So I hopped in the back of a truck and rode to the bottom of the mountain I live on.  There is a woman, the one who works in the financial office, that lives near me.  She has to stay until 4 every day, so she goes home with me on the days that I stay since grade 12 learners no longer have to stay late.  She is such a sweet woman, so I really appreciate the time I get to spend with her.  By the time I got home, it was nearly 5 pm.  I walked in the door and convinced Ronewa to come with me for a walk down to the grocery store ready to go get some meat and snacks for our party tomorrow.  After an hour of going back and forth and back and forth (with quite a bit of chit-chat in between) I found what I needed.  Then it was back to the house in the dark.  Ever since then I have been scrambling to write notes to all the kids, not really realizing before that 25 is actually a larger number than I had anticipated J.  But thanks again to packages from my mom and grandma each kid will be getting to have one new school supply as a gift, too, so thank you guys!  Before they took their ANA exams, I gave them each a new pencil I had picked up at the dollar store back home with a colorful eraser to put on top (not sure if I wrote that earlier or not, so sorry if I did).  And based on how they have reacted and treated those pencils I can’t wait to see them get their new school supplies.  Ah, they are such special kids. 

Now tomorrow for the picnic, each student is bringing something to share.  Now there are a few moms and grannies that are going to come through big time for this, I can only imagine.  One boy’s granny gives him fruit or a snack for me and my teacher every day and tells him it’s important to thank your teachers every day.  His after school hugs are pretty special, and his attitude and character make teaching pretty fun and rewarding too.  If she had her choice, she would probably come and cook an entire feast for the whole class!  But I went and used some money we collected to buy a bunch of (you’ll never guess) chicken.  I got a little bit of beef too, along with a few bags of Simba’s, which are basically a chip or cheese curl sort of thing.  Some kids are in charge of fruit, juice, bread, and snacks.  Needless to say, we will be filled to the brim and in need of playing some soccer to work off all the food!  But I also have some fun ideas for wrapping up our “seasons” unit and “pollution” unit, so it will be pretty fun.  I’m so excited to have this time with just my grade 3 kids again.  I love all the kids, but these are the ones that are my buddies, so it will be good again.

But just one more quick update on this next week.  In 7 days I will be sitting in the airport at this time, waiting to get on my plane (DV J).  But here is the tentative schedule, I’m pretty excited.

Friday: leave and go to Cecilias for the next few nights (my teachers house).  Then go with 4 teachers and the principal to Tshikeva Christian School (Gondo’s sister school) to attend the Senior banquet, which is kind of like a farewell, congratulations dinner and prom all combined.

Saturday: A visit to a few different spots in the mountains with Cecilia and the Principal.

Sunday: Whatever Cecilia has planned for me… J

Monday: A trip to Kruger National Park (YAY!) with the principal, Cecilia, and 2 other teachers that offered to chip in extra money so they could come with.  I’m very excited to spend time with these teachers, they seem like pretty fun people.  I can only imagine how much I will get mocked about the level excitement I will show if I actually see an elephant.

Tuesday: head back to the Sibadela home for one more night.

Wednesday: get all packed up in the morning and be ready to head to Johannesburg and the airport.

So if I stay busy like this, I’m sure the time is going to fly.  But I’m excited for each day, so it will be a pretty great final week.  The only bummer is not being able to see my kids one more time before I leave.  Saying goodbye on Friday may be a struggle.  But come Friday I may be without internet for a while.  I may be able to reconnect on Tuesday to update you all on how things have been going, but we will have to see.  Take it one day at a time, right?