Graduation/Parent's day

Lots to update...

To start, I am not feeling 100%. I think it is a combination of heat exhaustion/something I ate. Yesterday we set out in the morning for Moshi. We must have had a miscommunication, but about halfway into the trip Mama pulled in to the Tanzanite Hotel... then I clarified that it is Tanzanite GEMS that I would like .

The temperature in Moshi is about 100 degrees hotter than Arusha... or at least thats how it felt! We arrived at St. Mary Goreti Secondary School ust after the graduation ceremony started. Apprently I didn't know that parent's day is also graduation day for the form 6 students. Einoti is in Form 3. I polished off about a litre of water before the introductions were done and and sweat through my white t-shirt such that I don't think I had a dry spot, and yet all the Tananian's around me all seemed dry as the desert! However they were using their school magazines to fan themselves, so at least they felt the heat!

The ceremony proceeded for 5+ hours! There were dances, speakers, handing out of the diplomas, gifts for the graduates, gifts for the staff, awards for the graduates and then all other students... including awards for cleanliess and good behaviour... which it seemed like it included most of the school! All and all it was exactly like graduations at home, and also completely different!

Finally, at around 5pm (I hadn't eaten since 6:30am) we were allowed to form lines for food. If any of you know Tanzania... this is neevr straightforward. We had a full hot meal... for hunreds of people, and it took forever to finally get food! It is this food, in combination with the sun that I think made me sick!

FINALLY I got to see Einoti! She has gotten so big... ALMOST my height and she is only 14! Next we walked around and I took lots of pictures of the school. To be posted at a later date....

Einoti seems very happy there and the school is very good. The ranked #7 in the country for national exams for form 4 out of over 1000. I think she will get an excellent education there. She says she would like to be an accountant like her mother so she can take care of her. And she was very excited about the cookies!

At last we headed home... ending the journey with a stop at the abr for a Serengeti beer- me, mama, mama's friend who drove with us (she has a daughter at the school too) and a baby! Mama then confessed to me that she drank 4 beers the night before. I quickly jumped on that as I know she drove home! I then lectured her about drinking and driving, followed by drinking and her fatty liver. (she had me look over her bloodwork and imaging the other day so thats why I know that). Then Mama told me I have so many rules for her to follow now. She actually bought multigrain bread for breakfast the other day! She found it in the store by herself... so far she doesn't love it (its not sweet like white bread) but she is willing to stick with it. Above adding whole grains to her diet, and eliminating alcohol, we are now working at cutting out the fried food. Mama had a mzungu staying with her for a long time who bought her a deep fryer when she left. Mama never figured out how to use it bc the instructions were in Italian, so she asked me to show her. I refused... she laughed.... I told her there is no way I will be showing her how to use this!

Funny coincidence- My Canadian Mama sent me an email with her bloodwork on the same day that my Tanzanian Mama showed me her bloodwork. Separated by two worlds but they are both on the same wavelength!

Today I am taking it easy bc I don't feel well. I slept in until 7:30 and then did some laundry. I have been hanging around reading for the last little while. Next weekend I venture to Mwanza to visit Daud- he and his friends are going to show me around and we are also going to go tanning at the mzungu hotel pool. With this intense heat and sun I might as well get SOME colour afterall! I hope it turns out to be a sunny day! I am also going to help Daud learn to swim... I'll let you know how it goes! (Don't worry Daud you will 100% be swimming by the end of the day!)

Thats all she wrote!

PS I am super paranoid I didn't submit my CARMS rank list correctly so for the ext week I will continue to have nightmares I am sure!

PPS Feel free to leave comments...Its kind of sad when I keep writing and never hear from anyone... I also keep thinking my email isn't working or something!!