Today was all about the days of the week. We taught the kids the song," Sunday, Monday, Tuesday,..." with clapping their hands and pairing up. We then played musical chairs with the kids where they sang the Days of the Week song, when we stopped the song, they ran to a chair. They loved that. We then had a game that we made that if they could read the day of the week they would move forward how many spaces were written on each card. Then we read a book about the days of the week which we acted out. We took groups of 6 for 20 minutes. It was good but it was so so hot today that we were just dieing and exhausted by the time we left. We went the full 4 hours. After during dismissal it was fun to go around and sing the song with hand motions with the kids as they waited. Yvette taught the teachers how to take selfies on her cell phone. That was hilarious and they loved that and laughed.
Back at home base we went over what worked and what didn't comparing our day to Jenna and Sammie's. They are working at a nursery school too. I laughed so hard that I thought I might pass out because of the heat and the exercise from laughing as they recounted how the kids in their school today were singing a song about Malaria. It was so wrong and shocking that it was more shock laughter... like are you kidding? It was some catchy tune about kill the mosquitos, with these like hand jive motions about how "Malaria kills your mommy, malaria kills your daddy, malaria kills...." and it goes on to all your family members and they are singing this cheerful song- everything about it seems totally wrong - what?!!! It's like Ring Around the Rosies for Tanzania and it's literally like a nursery rhyme. Whoa! I don't think they kids understand what the words are saying but to see Jenna and Sammie's face as they said they just freaked out when the whole school started singing with great animation and smiles. Clearly we were all delirious with heat and exhaustion.
In the afternoon we had a gentleman come and talk about Education in Tanzania. How before it was a country it was just 120 tribes and 120 different dialects in Tanzania. How their education system works and how although Swahili is the country's main language how all schools are taught in English, especially from 14 years old and up. How important it is for the kids to be successful to start speaking English now and as we speak to the children it is important for them to hear our accents, to have them repeat, to teach them songs that they can sing at home,...since English for all these kids is really a third language and outside school they don't get a chance to speak it and for them to be successful and proceed through school they need to become great speakers.
We spent the rest of the afternoon preparing our lesson for tomorrow which will be on colors. We will teach them the song "Red and Yellow and Pink and Green,..." The color song. We are going to have them learn the colors, sing the song, play a color game like twister, and then color a rainbow. It should be a fun day.
After dinner we booked our Safari to the Ngoringo Crater, which is supposed to be one of the wonders of the world and a Masai visit and to one other place this weekend. The Crater is supposed to be amazing and is about a 3 hour car ride. Yvette, Sam and I are looking forward to our little weekend getaway. We will leave after school on Fri and be back Sunday evening.
We have had some good laughs here. I think being delirious and all out of our comfort zone has made for some really good fun. We have played lots of cards with everyone and last night Yvette and Sam and I played the funniest round of "I Doubt It". We played with everyone today too after lunch and it was again a funny activity.
Very hot and ready for bed. Looking forward to being cool on Friday night up at the Crater, which is supposed to be almost cold. Tomorrow night we decided we are breaking out and going to go to dinner in town after our town visit. It will be fun to explore the little town.
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