God Bless the Rain Down in Africa

Not only did God bless the rains in Africa, he handed them to us on a large silver platter. This morning would have been an excellent time to blog because it poured like Katrina down here. Our house in Rosebank didn't get hit too hard but farther north near the townships and where I volunteer we could barely see out the windows and the streets were flooded with three feet of water. I don't know how our van got through it. Of course it hit hard in the townships, where the people live in tin boxes and have nothing but dirt for a floor. No matter how hard I try I cannot seem to grasp how people live in there. It's not as if they have a choice but how it is actually possible that blows my mind. One day I think I just have to invite myself in to look. I have to see this for myself. More on townships in a later post I hope...

So not only does my van have the longest route (we go out the farthest from the house) the rain delay made us even later for lunch. Considering we eat breakfast at 7:30 and lunch isn't until 1:00 anyways, I'm already famished at this point. I'm grateful though that I get to go home to a big lunch because today I found out some sad information. My favorite girl at Luthando is six years old, her name is either Thato or Thado (all of their names are so similar). She shouldn't really be at Educare but she moved in the middle of the year from Jo'Burg and the schools don't accept late enrollments. She is always clean and well dressed and she has perfect English from her last school. She said she taught herself. I always rely on her to help me do things or pick things up or take care of the littler kids when they're crying or need help. I never really noticed until this week that she never has a snack and so today I asked her where her snack was. She told me she never has a snack and I asked her why and she replied, 'My mommy doesn't have the money.' She's the only kid there without a snack and it broke my heart. I don't care if I'm not supposed to or it's against the rules but I am bringing her a piece of fruit or a peanut butter sandwich from the house every day until I leave. It's just not fair. At least in the morning Luthando feeds her porridge and I know they get another small meal in the afternoon after I leave.

I have another little boy that I love, he's my thumb-sucker. Both of his thumbs look severely burned, one is always heavily wrapped in gauze and he's always sucking on the other one. I can't figure out if they are burned or if his constant thumb sucking has forced them to look like this. He has the sweetest eyes and is the most gentle of my boys.

I have a lot of divas in my classroom. They are all cute as sin but the problem is they know it. They have the best braids and all of the cute pink clothing. They walk around with their hands on their hips all day and shake their tushes quite seductively during out dance hour. I caught them all yesterday adjusting their shirts in a Daisy Duke style, flipping the bottom through the neck and pulling it through into a crop top. After repeatedly asking them to stop I had to pull one of them out of the room and put her in a time out.

Time outs are really quite brilliant if they work. I usually have to physically pick them up and put them outside in the corner because very few will go willingly. And I have a few little monster boys who seem to find this to be a funny game and they love to run away the minute they get put in their corner. But when it does work I can see the shame on their face for being outcast and made an example of. I have to laugh when they cry because they HAVE to know that it's coming...I only use it as a last resource when I say no at least five times and only when it's something that I see as a danger to other kids (hitting, kicking, biting, throwing chairs, and, of course, wearing slutty clothes).

Speaking of throwing chairs, I think a lot of the violence in my class stems from American wrestling. A lot of them wear shirts and shoes with wrestlers on them and their actions seem to really emulate that of wrestling, not just of playground rough housing. Neck holds and pinning each other down are also common things here. Yet, the teacher seems to have no problem with this and I am left to discipline. It scares me to think about what will happen if there are no more volunteers left at Luthando.

The new group of volunteers comes this Saturday. That means I have been here a month already! I can't believe that I'm going to be a 'veteran volunteer', dolling out advice to new people, getting to go out when they have to stay in for orientation. I love it :-) Sadly though, that means my two Chicago roommates will be leaving me. They extended their flight for another week and have decided to take up a room in a B & B until then. We still have to go to Robben Island, Table Mountain, and do our one-day safari before they go so I'll be quite busy between Sunday and next Saturday. From what I've been told it is going to be a full house and almost all of our 36 beds will be filled. THANK GOD we are getting some boys (men?) in this place. We only had one guy last time and while he was super incredible, one male just isn't enough for me. Not that I'm looking to fall in love or anything but I miss the testosterone I'm used to be around all the time back at home and at school. I miss burping and drinking beer and quoting Entourage and sports and all the wonderful boy things that I love having in my life.

The rain has subsided for the afternoon and it's almost dinnertime. Tomorrow is a public holiday (Heritage Day) so our placements are closed. We plan to sleep in (is 9:00 a.m. really sleeping in?) eating at the adorable cafe down the street and spending the day either climbing the mountain or shopping at the market. I have a feeling I may be hiking that darn mountain on my own however.

Miss everyone a LOT still but thank you SO MUCH for all of those great e-mails and updates. Please don't stop, it really gives me something to look forward to when I get on the computer.

Here is an article I found about my township, Guguletu. Just something interesting I thought I might share: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/07/arts/dance/07ball.html?_r=1&oref=slogin