Normal Service will be resumed shortly!

Not only the short blog, and not simply the crushing hangover from last night out in Diani...but I have finally found what surely must be the slowest internet connection in the world ever. I reckon by the time I've managed to type this anyone actually reading it may have fossilised. In fact civilisation itself may have ended...the pace of this 'internet' cafe would lead me to believe that it's already happened.

So my apologies for another week running, the mohawk will stay hidden and no nice pics of our shiny new classroom and and our keen little classmates. Just opening a page takes about 3 minutes so the thought of uploading a picture would surely have the entire town's worth of internets come crashing down around our ears.

But briefly in news this week (as we have a matatu to catch back to Shimoni very shortly) we've planned and presented our first lessons in class. We've done 3 adult classes teaching 7 students all at intermediate level so their conversational stuff is pretty good. Some of their written work is, errrr interesting. To be fair to them all it's still far better than my kiswahili which runs to ordering food and beer, saying hello and asking how people are though.

We also had a kids class. They've been on holiday this week but the headmaster went around to various houses asking if kids wanted to come into class for an afternoon's extra lesson. You can imagine how well that'd go down in London...you'd probably get stabbed or something. Here we ended up with a class of 25 kids between the ages of 5 and 12 all learning about environmental awareness and conservation. Try explaining the concept of 'soil erosion' to a 6 year old that doesn't speak english. Bless them, at least they're keen and they loved the games that involved running about and sticking pictures of animals on the wall.

This week has been a bit tough for us both. It's not like we're homesick in the usual sense (although we do still miss everyone massively), but all the little niggles have been a bit harder to deal with. The wet season is here which means everything is damp all the time. The flies have increased tenfold and the mossies have been joined by their little buddies the sandflies. The charming little tinkers buzz around your face in clouds trying to bite you incessantly unless you've bathed in deet and hung a smoking incense stick around your neck. So yes, this week has been a little more challenging than others and there have been moments when all I've wanted is a friendly face, a cold beer and a hot salt-free shower, but then I knew there would be days and weeks like this.

But never fear dear reader, I have demonstrated good honest British resolve stiffened my upper lip and only sniffled quietly like a big nancy every now and then ;)

This week we're going to be doing Forest sureveys which sounds like the hardest work yet, but the huge range of animals you get to see makes it worth it.

So until next time, take care, and next time you see someone else that knows me give them a big hug from me and for me cos I'd love one meself.

Love to you all

Jamie