Auphinde! Angiqondi kahle, usho ukothini!

...means "Please repeat yourself as I don't understand so well."

Shoutouts first because I forgot a BIG one!

Happy Anniversary to Mom and Dad! I can't believe I forgot!!!

Happy Birthday to Arlene in NYC -- it's today I think!
Thanks to Josi and Seema B who have donated generously!
Ms. Dixon called a few days ago as well which was really nice! Her donations were awesome!
Seema B called as well!

It has been a really busy and hectic week. We've been moving and loading and removing tons and tons of bricks (I swear my arms are going to be so muscly by the time I'm back). On Wednesday we were on our way to the office and Claire called saying that the concrete guys need three people at the new site to spread the concrete all over the foundation. So we went there and it was so crazy! We really had no idea what we were doing but it was still pretty fun. I think we did okay. This guy named Jabulani came to help us with a wheelbarrow. We would've been so screwed without his help!
So yesterday when we were carrying bricks, all these little kids were helping. It was so scary because they bricks probably weighed as much as they did! One of them actually dropped a brick on his foot, and he wasn't wearing any shoes. He had a big cut on his foot but we bandaged him up and he didn't seem that bothered. It was bizarre because he didn't cry or anything even though it must have really hurt!
We also took the older kids to TaiBo again which was really fun. More fun than that is trying to actually get there. They take like an hour to get all their stuff together and walk over. They're really funny, and I'm so glad that I am finally getting a lot closer to the older boys, especially. They often seemed closed off, but they're really funny.
S'bonelo has a broken arm and he has been doing all the TaiBo with only one hand (so strong!). He needs to get the cast off though, and the other day he stayed home from school because he thought I was going to take him. But it turns out that the hospital that has his x-rays is really far away so we won't be able to go till next week. Anyways, later on that afternoon he kept asking for me, so when I arrived he was really upset. At first I explained everything to him again and thought he was angry with me. But then he explained that he didn't have a notebook and his teacher was going to be cross with him if he went to school without one. So I got a bunch for him and he was soooooooo excited! It was really sweet. He wasn't at all bothered about not getting his cast taken off, but he was so upset about a notebook!
We were supposed to have this sports festival thing today but the weather is much too cold so we're postponing it till next week.
Yesterday Arron took me to his house. It is literally this shack with no running water. There's a steep edge very close to it and when it rains, he says there is a hole that is rapidly approaching his home. He doesn't know how long it is going to last.
I've been frantically trying to finish all the sewing before I go.
It's really hard for me to think that there is only one week left here. It's so strange because this experience has consistently demanded that you make permanent and long-lasting connections with all of the children and patients and community members, but then these connections are broken as you leave. It's like you give so much of yourself for so long, and then find yourself having to take it back. I really wish that I was only coming home for a few days and then coming back. I am not ready to leave just yet.

Reading Pleasures: I've moved on to a book called "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" by Paulo Freire. It's really good and quite applicable to some of the situations I've been finding myself in.